United States Patent: 7174238

The invention is a computerized mobile robot with an onboard internet web server, and a capability of establishing a first connection to a remote web browser on the internet for robotic control purposes, and a capability of establishing a second short range bi-directional digital radio connection to one or more nearby computerized digital radio equipped devices external to the robot. The short-range bi-directional digital radio connection will typically have a maximum range of about 300 feet. In a preferred embodiment, this short-range wireless digital connection will use the 2.4 gHz band and digital protocols following the IEEE 802.11, 802.15, or other digital communications protocol. By employing the proper set of external short-range digital radio devices capable of interfacing with the robot (such as sensors, mechanical actuators, appliances, and the like), a remote user on the internet may direct the robot to move within range of the external devices, discover their functionality, and send and receive commands and data to the external devices through the CGI interface on the robot's onboard web server. Inventors: Zweig; Stephen Eliot (Los Gatos, CA) Appl. No.: 10/654,540 Filed: September 2, 2003 Current U.S. Class: 700/245 ; 700/246; 700/249; 700/250; 700/256; 700/259; 700/264; 700/94; 701/117; 701/118; 701/208; 701/213; 701/215; 714/18 Current International Class: G06F 19/00 (20060101) Field of Search: 700/245,94,246,249,250,256,259,264 318/568.1 701/208,213,215,117,118 709/218,223 379/101.01 714/18 References Cited [Referenced By] U.S. Patent Documents 4964062 October 1990 Ubhayakar et al. 5046022 September 1991 Conway et al. 5231693 July 1993 Backes et al. 5331413 July 1994 Diner 5742845 April 1998 Wagner United States Patent: 7174238 http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOF... 2 of 14 2/5/2007 10:37 PM 5905908 May 1999 Wagner 5961594 October 1999 Bouvier et al. 5995745 November 1999 Yodaiken 6041362 March 2000 Mears et al. 6101419 August 2000 Kennedy et al. 6144844 November 2000 Rainish 6542788 April 2003 Hosonuma et al. 6658325 December 2003 Zweig