# US 12,759,156 B2 · Systems, devices, and methods for developing robot autonomy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,156 B2 - Document ID: US12759156B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/084,753 - Filed: 2022-12-20 - Published: 2023-04-20 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-12 - Assignees: Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation - Applicants: Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation - Inventors: Geordie Rose - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759156B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1689: {Teleoperation} - B25J 9/163: {learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control} - G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program - G05B 2219/40195: Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation - G05B 2219/50391: Robot - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A method of operation of a robot includes determining a set of candidate actions to be performed by the robot based on an objective. A level of autonomy of the robot is determined from a control model associated with the robot. A subset of candidate actions for which the level of autonomy of the robot is below a threshold level of autonomy is determined from the set of candidate actions. The robot receives a set of instructions for at least one candidate action in the subset of candidate actions from a tele-operation system. The robot executes the set of instructions and updates the control model based on a result of executing the set of instructions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of improving robot autonomy, the method comprising: receiving, by a first robot, a first objective, wherein the first robot includes a control model that controls operations of the first robot, and wherein the control model includes a current level of autonomy as a parameter; identifying, by the control model of the first robot, a first set of candidate actions based on the first objective; prior to causing the first robot to execute the first set of candidate actions, determining, by the control model of the first robot, whether the current level of autonomy in the control model is sufficient to cause the first robot to execute the first set of candidate actions autonomously; in response to determining that the current level of autonomy in the control model is insufficient to cause the first robot to execute the set of candidate actions autonomously, causing, by the control model of the first robot, the first robot to collect first ancillary data for the first set of candidate actions; causing, by the control model of the first robot, the first robot to transmit a request for instructions to an external system communicatively coupled to the first robot, the request for instructions comprising the first set of candidate actions and the first ancillary data; receiving, by the first robot, a set of instructions from the external system; causing, by the control model of the first robot, the first robot to execute the set of instructions; and updating, by the control model of the first robot, the current level of autonomy in the control model of the first robot based on a performance of the first robot on executing the set of instructions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the external system comprises other robots in a fleet of robots, and wherein the request for instructions is transmitted to the other robots in the fleet of robots directly via peer-to-peer communication. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the external system comprises other robots in a fleet of robots, and wherein the request for instructions is transmitted to the other robots in the fleet of robots indirectly via a tele-operation system communicatively coupled to the fleet of robots. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising wherein receiving, by the first robot, the objective comprises receiving the objective from a tele-operation system communicatively coupled to the first robot. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot belongs to a fleet of robots, and wherein receiving, by the first robot, the objective comprises receiving the objective from one of the other robots in the fleet of robots. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein causing, by the control model of the first robot, the first robot to execute the set of instructions comprises causing an actuator of the first robot to execute a movement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising learning, by the control model of the first robot, from the set of instructions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein learning, by the control model of the first robot, from the set of instructions comprises adjusting one or more of a classifier, a model, a policy, an algorithm, a rule, or a parameter of the control model of the first robot based on the set of instructions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting, by the first robot, an update to the control model of the first robot based on the learning to the external system.