Medical tele-robotic system with a master remote station with an arbitrator

A robotic teleconferencing system, comprising:

• a first teleconferencing device and a second teleconferencing device that each has a camera that can generate video and be remotely controlled in at least three degrees of freedom, a monitor, a speaker, and a microphone that can generate audio;
• a first remote station that can access the first or second teleconferencing device, the first remote station including a camera, a monitor that can receive video from the first or second teleconferencing device, a microphone, a speaker that can produce audio provided by the first or second teleconferencing device, and an input device that can be used to control the camera of the first or second teleconferencing device;
• a second remote station that can access the first or second teleconferencing device, the second remote station including a camera, a monitor that can receive video from the first or second teleconferencing device, a microphone, a speaker that can produce audio provided by the first or second teleconferencing device, and an input device that can be used to control the camera of the first or second teleconferencing device;
• and,
• a server coupled to the first and second teleconferencing devices and the first and second remote stations, the server allows exclusive access to the first teleconferencing device by the first remote station wherein the camera of the first teleconferencing device is controlled by the input device of the first remote station, the video and audio from the first teleconferencing device is provided to the first remote station, the image and audio are not provided to the second remote station, and the camera of the first teleconferencing device is not controlled by the input device of the second remote station, and even though the second remote station is prevented from accessing the first teleconferencing device the server allows the second remote station to access the second teleconferencing device.

A method for controlling access to a plurality of teleconferencing devices, comprising:

• providing a first teleconferencing device and a second teleconferencing device that each have a monitor, a camera that can generate video and be remotely controlled in at least two degrees of freedom, a speaker, and a microphone that can generate audio;
• providing a plurality of remote stations, including a first remote station and a second remote station, each remote station including a camera, a monitor that can receive video from the first or second teleconferencing device, a microphone, a speaker that can produce audio provided by the first or second teleconferencing device, and an input device that can be used to control the camera of the first or second teleconferencing device;
• transmitting a request to access the first teleconferencing device from the first remote station;
• transmitting a request to access the first teleconferencing device from the second remote station;
• allowing exclusive access to the first teleconferencing device by the first remote station wherein the video and audio from the first teleconferencing device is provided to the first remote station and the image, the camera of the first teleconferencing device is controlled by the input device of the first remote station, the video audio are not provided to the second remote station, and the camera of the first teleconferencing device is not controlled by the input device of the second remote station;
• transmitting a request to access the second teleconferencing device from the second remote station;
• and,
• accessing the second teleconferencing device by the second remote station.