Search

EP-4735215-A1 - CLIENT CUSTOMIZED MULTIFUNCTION ROBOT

EP4735215A1EP 4735215 A1EP4735215 A1EP 4735215A1EP-4735215-A1

Abstract

A system for customizing a robot for client use, including a central server computer, a robotic operation control kit to control functionality of the robot, wherein the robotic operation control kit is optionally stored on the central server to be downloaded by the robot to control general robot functionality that is not client specific, a client customizing application optionally stored at the central server, which is accessible by a client to customize an application layer that is configured to be downloaded to the robot and cooperate with the robotic operation control kit to provide functionality of the robot; wherein the robotic operation control kit controls general robot functions and the application layer controls client specific robot functionality.

Inventors

  • FOX, HARRY
  • ZLOTNIKOV, Boris
  • BENJAMIN, JACOB
  • WULFSOHN, Ronnie
  • TOPPER, Betsalel
  • GORELICK, Andrew
  • SPIRO, Efraim

Assignees

  • Xtend AI Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240627

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A system for customizing a robot for client use, comprising: 5 a central server computer; a robotic operation control kit to control functionality of the robot, wherein the robotic operation control kit is configured to be downloaded by the robot to control general robot functionality that is not client specific; a client customizing application , which is accessible by a client to customize an 10 application layer that is configured to be downloaded to the robot and cooperate with the robotic operation control kit to provide functionality of the robot; wherein the application layer controls client specific robot functionality.
  2. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a client server that is configured to access 15 the central server to customize the application layer and store the application layer at the central server; wherein the application layer is configured to be downloaded from the central server by the robot.
  3. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a client server that is configured to access 20 the central server to customize the application layer and store the application layer at the client server; wherein the application layer is configured to be downloaded from the client server by the robot.
  4. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a client server that is configured to access 25 the central server to download the customization application to the client server, customize the application layer and store the application layer at the client server; wherein the application layer is configured to be downloaded from the client server by the robot.
  5. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic operation control kit interfaces with 30 electrical or mechanical devices of the robot.
  6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the application layer provides client data to the robotic operation control kit to enable performing face recognition.
  7. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the electrical or mechanical devices include sensors, output devices, motors, gears, or wheels and the robotic operation control kit 5 communicates with the robot via a communication broker that receives communications from the robotic operation control kit to allow interfacing with the electrical or mechanical devices subject to availability.
  8. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic operation control kit and application layer 10 are configured to delegate processing processes to the central server when functioning online.
  9. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic operation control kit is configured to receive updates from the central server. 15
  10. 10. The system of claim 2, wherein the application layer is configured to receive updates from the client server.
  11. 11. A method of customizing a robot, comprising: 20 providing a robotic operation control kit that is configured to control general robot functionality that is not client specific; customizing an application layer by a client that has access to a client customizing application ; wherein the application layer controls client specific robot functionality; downloading the robotic operation control kit to the robot; 25 downloading the customized application layer to the robot; wherein the application layer is configured to cooperate with the robotic operation control kit to provide functionality of the robot.
  12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein a client server is configured to access the central 30 server to customize the application layer and store the application layer at the central server; wherein the application layer is configured to be downloaded from the central server by the robot.
  13. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein a client server is configured to access the central server to customize the application layer and store the application layer at the client server; wherein the application layer is configured to be downloaded from the client server by the robot. 5
  14. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein a client server is configured to access the central server to download the customization application to the client server, customize the application layer and store the application layer at the client server; wherein the application layer is configured to be downloaded from the client server by the robot. 10
  15. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the robotic operation control kit interfaces with electrical or mechanical devices of the robot.
  16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the application layer provides client data to the 15 robotic operation control kit to enable performing face recognition.
  17. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrical or mechanical devices include sensors, output devices, motors, gears, or wheels and the robotic operation control kit communicates with the robot via a communication broker that receives communications 20 from the robotic operation control kit to allow interfacing with the electrical or mechanical devices subject to availability.
  18. 18. The method of claim 11, wherein the robotic operation control kit and application layer are configured to delegate processing processes to the central server when functioning 25 online.
  19. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the robotic operation control kit is configured to receive updates from the central server. 30
  20. 20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instruction that when executed by a computer are configured to perform the method of claim 11.

Description

CLIENT CUSTOMIZED MULTIFUNCTION ROBOT FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to robots and to robots that can operate offline and online. 5 CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Applicant claims priority and the benefit of US provisional application 63/523,929, filed June 29, 2023, and US Application Serial No. 18/236,002 filed 21 August 21, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 10 BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Robots in the modem day fall generally into two categories. The first is an unintelligent robot with hyper-specific functionality, usually on assembly lines. The second is an intelligent, general function, sometimes mobile, robot that may use intelligence derived from both artificial intelligence (such as Cloud Artificial Intelligence) or from the processing 15 of operational algorithms such as facial and object recognition, audio recognition etc. Intelligent robots are becoming more and more part of everyday life. Such robots are used (for example) for medical care support, as waiters in restaurants, for takeaway deliveries and other tasks. The intelligent robots are typically controlled by a server which stores their data 20 and functionality. The processing power needed to operate such robots typically requires large and costly processors and peripherals. In order to be controlled by the server and have access to data, resources and services, the robot is required to have some form of communication means with the server such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee etc. An intelligent online robot typically has access to a very large amount of data. 25 With this data it can reliably pull operational data, or any other data, as needed. The server ensures keeping the data up to date. Without the online data, it is very difficult to have a robot with complex functionality operate. It may be appreciated that a robot may not always be in communication with its server during its use. For example, a power outage could cause a WiFi connection to fail, leaving the robot offline. Alternatively, the robot may be out of range 30 of communication with its server. Thus, in order for the robot to perform autonomously offline, it would therefore require the full functionality provided by the server to be stored locally on the robot, requiring large and expensive processors and storage capabilities. This full functionality may also include the processing power to run heavy operational algorithms in order to support the intelligence it requires in order to make decisions to operate independently. Typically, it is not practical nor cost effective to fit an entire server processing unit and storage onto an individual robot in order for it to have the full gamut of functionality 5 available when offline. To effect an offline robot, the processors are generally larger and more costly than the average processor of a similar robot that operates using a server, as an online robot can offload to the server much of the strenuous processing that would normally fall on the robot’ s processors. As the herein disclosed robot operates offline, this offloading of processes cannot 10 be easily achieved. Accordingly, the processors of the robots in the current disclosure are much smaller than the average server processor, as you cannot fit an entire server processing unit onto each robot at any reasonable size or cost-effectiveness. Therefore, the processors are stronger than for the average online robot and weaker than the average server processor. Application 18/149,183 filed January 3, 2023 (published on August 3, 2023 as US 15 2023/0244230) issued as US Patent No. 11,815,895 on November 14, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a robot system that is configured to function online and offline by downloading functional modules from the server. Preparation of the functional modules for each client places a heavy burden on the manufacturer in developing such a robot for a client. 20 Accordingly, there is a need in the industry and field for a device or system that can efficiently and effectively reduce the burden of preparation of a robot for a specific client by the manufacturer. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE To achieve these and other objects, the herein device can efficiently and effectively reduce the burden of preparation of a robot for a specific client by the manufacturer. Therefore, to achieve these and other objects, in an embodiment, the herein 5 disclosed invention is a system for customizing a robot for client use, comprising: a central server computer; a robotic operation control kit to control functionality of the robot, wherein the robotic operation control kit is stored on the central server to be downloaded by the robot to control general robot functionality that is not client specific; and, a client customizing application at the central server, which is accessible by a client 10 to customize an application layer that is config