WO1997040599A2

WO1997040599A2 - Remote control system using visual images

Info

Publication number: WO1997040599A2
Application number: PCT/US1997/006696
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edwin E. Klingman
Original assignee: Klingman Edwin E
Priority date: 1996-04-22
Filing date: 1997-04-22
Publication date: 1997-10-30
Also published as: WO1997040599A3; AU3115297A

Abstract

The present invention includes a suitable local user input device (10) used in association with a data transmission system to couple the user input into a telecom system (14) for communication to a remote receiver/decoder apparatus (16/17) and a multi-axis actuator device (18) responsive thereto, for driving a multi-axis controllable mechanism (19), such as a telescopic lens system (26) and associated video camera (22), to generate a selectable view of a remote scene or object. Remote video signal capture and return transmission means (24) completely decoupled from the input signal communication system receive the digitized camera output and communicate image data via a telecom network (26) or other communications media (28) back to a local video data receiver (30) having a display screen (32) viewable by the user and operative to display the remote image selected by the user in response to his input to the local input device.

Description

Specification

REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM USING VISUAL IMAGES AS LOOP-CLOSING MECHANISM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to remote control systems, and more particularly to a system providing multi-axis remote control using means available on most telephony equipment, either POTS (plain old telephone system) or ISDN (integrated services digital network). Additionally, the present invention provides a financial dimension to a remote viewing application which has heretofore been basically uneconomic in nature in the sense that no profits have been generated in association with past and current implementations.

Discussion of the Prior Art The advent of low-cost video equipment, combined with low-cost, medium bandwidth communications has resulted in a proliferation of video telephony applications including both point-to- point and point-to-multipoint communication. For point-to-point video telephony, the H.320 ITU protocol provides for camera position commands, although most video telephony applications do not make use of such commands. Non-H.320 implementations do not in general provide for remote camera control, nor do point-to-multipoint systems. A specific example of point-to-multipoint applications would be a video camera connected to the Internet for broadcasting an image to many parties over the Internet. For example, one of the first reported such applications was a camera mounted at Hollywood and Vine that broadcast images "live" to the Internet. As implemented today, all Internet-connected cameras broadcast their images freely into the Internet and there is no user control of the imaged field of view. This severely limits the quality of the broadcast images merely because the old real estate formula of "location, location, location" applies to the cameras attached to the Internet. The best images are typically viewed from the best locations, and such locations are generally beyond the means of the hobbyist amateurs who currently attach cameras to the Internet. If this location expense problem could be solved, then the increasing percentage of mankind that accesses the Internet would gain access to better quality images. This applies to the micro- as well as to the macro-world. If the images originate from a microscope, the more expensive the microscope, the better the image in general. Therefore, if mankind is to have access to the best images, then there should be a means of funding access to these images. Such means would allow funding to occur via charges assessed when a user gains control over the imaging system. One such mechanism might be based on the assignment ofa 900 number to the remote control system. Using such feature, access to the image controller would automatically fund the image generation process, and market mechanisms would, by definition, result in the "best" image sources being rewarded the most. Note that unlike true "broadcast" media in which the user has no control over the image source, such applications would allow even small market segments to fund their preferred sources. This is the key to avoiding the "lowest common denominator" feature associated with true passive broadcast systems. Using the example of the Internet-connected video camera at Hollywood and Vine, there are several specific problems that have not heretofore been solved. First, there is no general mechanism for controlling the position of the camera from a remote Internet node. Second, there is no means of obtaining a profit from this setup, the consequence being that such applications are usually very low-cost, non- professional imaging systems, since any serious undertaking would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, the utility of such remote viewing has been compromised by the amateurish and hobby-like nature of the early implementations. Third, there has been no means of selecting one of many multi-point viewers to control the orientation of the viewing system. Fourth, there is no contention mechanism to allow conflict resolution between two or more remote controllers, assuming that two or more could remotely control the view (contrary to the third problem statement). Two situations in which a local viewer is presently able to access or view a remote scene can be distinguished; the first case, representative of most video telephony, involves a direct connection between the "remote" camera and the "local" viewer with no "loop-closing" provision. The H.320 protocol was designed for this type of connection. The second case, representative of many video "broadcast" systems which utilize the Internet, involves direct or "virtual" connections between the remote camera source and the many "local" viewers, again having no feedback or loop closure feature. Some examples of remotely "directed" and perhaps "controlled" applications include the following: 1. Wire bonding (chip to lead frame) using video or microscope feedback: a. local, not remote control, b. no local-to-remote telco connection, c. no financial dimension; 2. Mobile robots (MIT labs, etc.): a. local robots trail wiring behind them, b. video not used as control feedback by humans, c. no financial dimension; 3. "Telerobotics" in nuclear unsafe materials handling: a. local robots, locally controlled, no telco connection, b. local video used for feedback to humans, c. no financial mechanism built in; 4. NASA's telerobots for Mars exploration or point cameras: a. no DTMF, POTS, or ISDN control path to remote, b. video store and forward, not realtime control, c. no financial control mechanism built in; 5. Under-sea robots for exploration: a. typically direct connect via trailing cable, b. no financial access mechanism built in, c. no POTS, ISDN, DTMF control; 6. 800# used to purchase items to be shipped to buyer: a. example: CD-ROM's "Music of the 50's", etc., b. no real-time control aspect involved, c. most 800#s depend on credit card purchase; 7. 900# used to reach "Psychic" or "Porno" phone connection: a. no "real-time control of apparatus" aspect involved, b. no contention mechanism in place, c. no visual feedback involved, no multi-cast, d. no decoupling of control and feedback paths, e. no DTMF, X25/D, TCP-IP/B, or other control signals; 8. CU-seeme over Internet: a. accessed via IP address, no control path available, b. no 900# involved, no "Pay per control" aspect, c. no DTMF or other control signal path established, d. multi-cast: one-to-many,..., several to many.

The CU-SeeMe system prior art discussion is available at ftp://CU-seeme.corneli.edu/pub/CU-seeme/PC.CU-SeeMe/... CU-SeeMe, a desktop video conferencing program for MAC and PC, is available free from Cornell University (under copyright). CU-seeme provides a one-to-one conference, or, by use of a reflector, a one- to-many, a several-to-several, or a several-to-many conference, depending on user needs and hardware capabilities. Using 4-bit grayscale, it shows 160x120 pixels (or double) video windows and includes audio. CU-seeme is possibly the first real-time multi-party video conferencing over the Internet. Receiving requires only a PC with 256 color screen. Sending requires the same plus a camera and digitizer. CU-seeme uses IP connections and allows each participant to be a sender, receiver, or both. It was released April 1994. While CU-seeme is a powerful Intemet-based video conferencing system, it does not offer an orthogonal control path through a financial gate. There is thus a need for a closed-loop remote control viewing system that requires no special equipment or new or special purpose communication links. There is also a need for such a system that includes means allowing an appropriate charge to be assessed and collected from the user. The closest known prior art system is the TCI cable TV system that uses a POTS line to query usage for pay-per-view systems accounting, thereby enabling view content selection and payment. This system is strictly for accounting purposes. The POTS line is used to query remote history, not to exercise remote control. There are no commercially available systems that allow remote control with visual (video, constructed or reconstructed) images as the loop-closing mechanism, for "viewing control" of the type permitted by the present invention. Nor are there remote control systems with pay-per-remote-control-access features of the type permitted by the present invention. The means described herein in accordance with the present invention clearly address the first, or direct, connection. However, the real focus of the present invention is toward solving problems that relate to the second, virtual connections. It is my belief that any solution should use generally available equipment, be intuitive and easy to use, and they should also provide a financial return as a means to reward those viewing systems that viewers find most valuable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a principal objective of the present invention to provide a remote control system that uses state-of-the-art computer telecom, optics and video technology to provide accurate and reliable remote control of a variable apparatus. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a device of the type described wherein the remotely controlled apparatus includes a video camera device to provide the source of feedback or loop closure signal. Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a system of the type described which uses the 900 number system, or a similar system, to assess and collect user tolls for use of the system. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system of the type described wherein data corresponding to visually instructive images can be generated at a remote location as a sensory input and can be communicated back to a local observer for reconstruction and use of an indicator of remotely controlled operation. Briefly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a suitable local user input device used in association with a data transmission system to couple the user input into a telecom system for communication to a remote receiver/decoder apparatus and a multi-axis actuator device responsive thereto, for driving a multi-axis controllable mechanism, such as a telescopic lens system and associated video camera, to generate a selectable view of a remote scene or object. Remote video signal capture and return transmission means completely decoupled from the input signal communication system receive the digitized camera output and communicate image data via a telecom network or other communications media back to a local video data receiver having a display screen viewable by the user and operative to display the remote image selected by the user in response to his input to the local input device. The telecommunication system used to link the user input device to the remotely controlled device may also include a 900 number billing system for assessing and collecting fees charged for use of the system. In addition, some means of contention resolution may be provided. A principal advantage of the present invention is that it provides a state-of-the-art (yet simply configured) system for enabling a local user to control the position/orientation/state of an electronically controllable device remotely located anywhere on earth, or off, and communicatively accessible using existing telecommunication techniques and equipment. Another advantage of the present invention is that it is not directly tied to any particular type of technology and can be implemented using a wide variety of commercially available components and communication systems. Still another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system for enabling a local user to control a remotely positioned video camera or other apparatus having position and/or orientation signal developing capability with substantially the same accuracy that he would enjoy if he were physically present at the location of the camera. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated in the several figures of the drawing.

IN THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a block diagram generally illustrating a remote control system in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of a remote control system in accordance with the present invention, including means for assessing and collecting a usage fee; Fig. 3 illustrates how a 3x4 telephone-type touchpad can be used to control multi-axis motion; Fig. 4 illustrates how equivalent implementations of the control path can be used alternatively in the same system; Fig. 5 illustrates that the various subsystems of the remote control system are decoupled from each other; Fig. 6 depicts a preferred implementation of a remote terminal in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 7 illustrates a specific implementation of a remote control system in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 8 is a state transition diagram illustrating a contention detection and resolution algorithm in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an end-to-end POTS implementation of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a block diagram of an implementation of the present invention using a reconstructed image as the user-observable feedback image; Fig. 1 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile remote-controlled unit in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile local controller unit in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows in conceptual diagrammatic form a remote control system comprising a user input device or subsystem 10, a calling subsystem 12, a local telecom connection 13 to a central switching system or network 14, a remote telecom connection 15 to a remotely located control subsystem including a receiver 16 for terminating the connection, a decoder or control interpreter 17, and an actuator or output control subsystem 18. The output of the subsystem 18 will provide position/orientation/state control signals that may be used to control a mechanically or electromechanically adjustable device such as the remote viewing system 19. A typical remote viewing system 19 might include an electromechanically controllable optical means 20 associated with a sensor device such as an electronic camera 22. A video capture and transmit means 24 monitors the output of camera 22 and generates transmittable data commensurate therewith. The remote system 19 might communicate the captured video data back to the user via a suitable remote communications medium 26, an optional network 28, a local receiver 30, and a video display 32. In the case of broadcast systems, there would of course be a multiplicity of receivers 30 and displays 32 linked via the network 28. However, note that the forward transmission system including components 10-18 is completely decoupled from the reverse or feedback transmission and display system including the components 19-32. But because effective remote control requires an error signal, the control loop is closed through the viewer who uses changes in the remotely viewed scene as "error signals" with which to adjust the control inputs as appropriate to obtain a desired view or image. Fig. 2 depicts an alternative embodiment of the present invention including means for implementing a pay-for-view system. In this figure, the user asserts local control ofa remote camera by manipulating a device such as a simple key pad or touch screen 40, the output of which is then encoded in an encoder 42 and transmitted via a suitable transmitter 44 over a telecom medium 45 to a local POTS or ISDN switch 46, and from there over a telecom medium 48 to a remote station 49 including a receiver 50, the output of which is decoded by a decoder 52, and a motion control or actuator control subsystem 54 that responds to the decoder output to energize mechanical drivers. The drivers alter the position, orientation and/or state of an optical device 58, thereby changing its field of view and thus the image 60 viewed through the optical device and captured by a camera 62 that forms the input stage of a remote viewing system 61. The image captured by the camera is encoded by an image encoder 64, and the encoded data is transmitted by a transmitter 66 over a medium 68 to an ISDN or other communications network 70, and thence optionally over routers to a switch (which incidentally may be the same as 46), then retransmitted over a medium 72 to an image data receiver 74 which receives and couples the image data to an image data decoder 76, and then to a display 78 to be viewed by the user. In the illustrated system, most of the subsystems can take any of several forms without significantly altering the function of the overall system. This allows a local viewer to input signals to the local encoder subsystem 39, transmit the encoded signals over a local telecom medium 45 to a network, switch or router 46, such that the encoded signals are subsequently received and retransmitted (possibly incurring further encoding) over a real or virtual connection 48 to the remote control subsystem 49 that is physically linked to the viewing mechanism 58 in such a manner that the focus or the field of view, or the direction of view, is modified in response to the signals input by and received from the local user. When the controlled change has occurred, the remote viewing subsystem 61 captures and transmits view data, possibly through an Internetwork 70 to a local network 72 and hence to a local viewing subsystem 71 which generates an image (an error signal) that is presented to the user (human or machine). Note that the control inputting and response receiving "user" could just as well be a programmed machine as a human being. The table on the following page illustrates some of the components that might be used to implement various embodiments of the present invention. As indicated by way of example in Table 1, there are a great many possible components that can be used to implement the signal input mechanism of the present invention. However, the preferred implementation makes use of the most universal signalling system, namely, the Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) or "touch-tone" signalling system, thereby extending control to the largest volume of users and requiring no additional expenditures for control equipment. Thus, the preferred implementation will involve manual input to a DTMF key pad on a POTS or ISDN phone, or a mouse click on a simulated and CRT or LCD displayed DTMF pad (or equivalent) displayed on a computer terminal having an ISDN terminal adaptor (TA) or equivalent. The control signal generated in either case can be sent as an X.25 data packet on the ISDN D channel, a TCP/IP packet on a B channel, or a DTMF signal on a B channel. The local switch need not be an ISDN switch, but in the preferred embodiment the switch that connects to the terminating control subsystem will be ISDN. This implies that the terminating control system will be an ISDN system with DTMF detector capability, as exemplified by the "CyberSpace Enterprise" card for IBM PC clones available from ISDN*tek Incoφorated of San Gregorio, California. The control decoder and the inteφreter should be linked to a stepper motor motion control subsystem such as the CY550 Interactive Stepper System Controller available from CyberSpace Micro Systems, Inc. of San Gregorio, California. The controlled stepper motors should be mechanically linked to the optical subsystem (microscope, telescope, etc.), or to a movable platform carrying a video camera, in such a manner that the horizontal "x", vertical "y", and focal length "z" control axes are physically decoupled so that they may be independently controlled by "local buttons." This means that horizontal or vertical motions may be selected independently via the control inputs, as illustrated in Fig. 3 which depicts at "A" a standard 3x4 telephone touch pad and at "B" the corresponding control motions which occur in response to depression of one of the keys on the touch pad A. The touch pad may be an actual telephone touch pad or a corresponding image developed on a display screen with "keys" selectable by a mouse or other input means. Alternatively, the viewing screen ofa computer display device might be overlaid with a transparent grid defining image "directions" toward which the camera may be pointed or "zoomed" into by mouse selection. 0 control input hand manipulator (via mouse push button), voice input, observer output, mouse, buttons, phonepad, microphone 2 encoder DTMF tone generator, X.25 data packet, TCP/IP packets, IPX packets, etc. 4 transmitter POTS phone, ISDN, CDPD, etc. 5 local Tx media copper wire, cable, fiberoptics, IR, wireless radio, D channel, B channel, etc. 6 local switch POTS or ISDN or Ethernet hub or FRAD, etc. 8 remote Tx media copper wire, cable, fiberoptics, IR, wireless radio, D channel, B channel, etc. 0 remote receiver ISDN TA (2B+D) or other

2 remote decoder hardware or software (WinlSDN-based driver & Cybernetic's CY123) 4 remote controller Cybernetic Microsystems' CY550 motor controller or equivalent

5-57 remote actuators motor/driver per axis, linear actuators, D/A converters

8 remote optics microscope, telescope, camera lens, radar dish, etc. 0 remote image any view in any frequency, IR-visible, radar, etc.

2 remote capture video camera, etc. 4 remote image encoder EIDOS/Domark algorithm, other H.320 algorithm or TV camera

6 remote transmitter ISDN TA (2B+D) or other 8 remote Rev media copper wire, cable, fiberoptics, IR, wireless radio, D channel, B channel, etc. 0 network ISDN, POTS, cable, radio, etc., optionally including riders such as those manufactured by Cisco, Ascend, Xyplex, Shiva, 3COM, etc. 2 local Rev media copper wire, cable, fiberoptics, IR, wireless radio, D channel, B channel, etc.

74,76 local video Rcvr and IBM PC, TV system, EIDOS/Domark, or H.320 algorithm decoder

78 display CRT, LCD, LED, plasma, cold cathode, etc.

TABLE 1

There is no preferred optical subsystem; i.e., the use of microscopic or telescopic optics is a "don't care". Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the controlled device may even be some type of remotely controllable robot responsive to the control signals and having a video camera affixed thereto to provide motion and/or position/orientation feedback to the system user. Similarly, the controlled device may be an object disposed within the field of view of the video camera such that the image developed at the local viewing system reflects the new position/orientation, etc. of the object. The preferred characteristic of the remainder of the system components is integrity or appropriateness. For example, if the image capture means 62 (Fig. 2) feeds into a cable TV system at the local end, then the preferred local viewing system will be a television receiver connected to the local receive media 72 and tuned to the correct channel. Or if the remote capture system 62 sends the image data (compressed or not) directly over a circuit connection to the local receiver 74, then the receiver 74 should be of a type matching the transmitter 66. For example, a remote modem image transmitter should be connected to a modem (hardware or software) receiver at the local end of the connection. Similarly, an ISDN remote image transmission system should be connected through ISDN switches to a local ISDN terminal adaptor to allow local reception and display of the image data. If the connection from remote transmitter to local receiver is virtual, both ends should implement the same protocol. That is, if the remote image capture system transmits TCP/IP packets, the local receiver should receive TCP/IP packets and handle them properly; this means properly decoding the remotely encoded image data. For example, if the remote data is compressed by EIDOS/Domark proprietary algorithms, then the decompression should use EIDOS/Domark. Of course, any compatible encoding/decoding means is an allowed implementation. However, EIDOS/Domark software has been shown to perform well over the preferred ISDN*tek Enteφrise subsystem, and therefore this software is the preferred implementation. In such implementation, the EIDOS/Domark compressed video data is sent in TCP/IP packets to the NetManage WinSock.DLL or equivalent to the ISDN*tek WinlSDN.DLL/VxD or equivalent, and transported either via direct ISDN connection or virtual Internet connection to the decompression software in the local receiver. The decompression software can be made downloadable. A major advantage of the present invention is the possible decoupling of the input control path and the image data path. In the simplest case, this allows any "touch-tone" phone or equivalent to function with any image connection technology, including modem-to-modem, ISDN-to-ISDN, cable TV, direct TV, wireless telephony, etc. The only requirement is that the remote viewing system be capable of coupling to the image-connection system, and the local image receiver must be capable of displaying images received from the connection terminal. The decoupling of the control path and the image path is achieved via the mechanical coupling to the optics. The image control signal follows a communication path that is uncoupled from the communication path of the controlled image signals. This is different from H.320 camera control signals that flow over the same communication path as the image data. This decoupling confers significant advantages to the present invention. Fig. 4 illustrates equivalent alternative implementations of the control path. The system behavior is independent of whether the DTMF control signals are encoded as analog tones, or digitized, or sent as X.25 packets on the D-channel, or as TCP/IP packets on the B-channel of an ISDN communication system. The near ubiquity of existing plant (i.e., the DTMF signalling equipment in use worldwide) and its very low cost means that advantages flowing from the present invention will be available to the greatest segment of the population. The above argument does not limit or constrain the local user control systems. Although the preferred implementation is based on the ubiquitous touch-tone phone, any particular user can augment such embodiment using computer controlled push buttons, or voice input, or other input subsystems. By using a local computer to generate DTMF tones in response to control inputs, the user input mechanisms are effectively decoupled from the control connections technology, thus extending the range of implementation in such a manner that the invention is input-sensor independent as long as the transformed sensor input is mapped into DTMF tones (or allowable states). Fig. 5 schematically illustrates that the several subsystems of the entire remote control system are in fact decoupled. This allows the system to evolve in sections without having to replace or reconfigure the entire system. For example, a system using ISDN channels for both control and image or feedback paths can subsequently be upgraded in terms of control input and/or output display devices without suffering the cost of upgrading the communication channels, while conversely, the ISDN system may evolve to ATM (B-ISDN) without necessarily having to change the input sensor or output displays. The decoupling also allows systems to be economically optimized. For example, low-cost displays might be used with POTS lines and expensive displays with ATM channels since usable bandwidth and resolution are generally related. A further advantage of the present invention lies in the present commercial availability of the component subsystems. The preferred implementation of the remote control subsystem includes use of the ISDN*tek CyberSpace Enteφrise card. The ISDN terminal adaptor receives ISDN calls and detects both DTMF/B- channel and X.25/D-channel signals capable of being decoded to control motors based on the above- referenced Cybernetics CY550 motion control devices when linked with the appropriate software. A system in which the remote control portion of the system is based on the use of these components is the preferred implementation, as such components work with POTS, ISDN, stepper motors, and the Internet, and are suitable for implementing the entire remote terminal portion of the system. In Fig. 6, such remote terminal implementation is depicted in an IBM PC platform 79 with Windows operating system and includes a CyberSpace Enteφrise card 80, a board 82 containing three Cybernetic 550 Stepper Motor Controllers, and a suitable video capture card 84, together with appropriate software as depicted at 86. The ISDN*tek (E)ISA-bus busses the CyberSpace Enteφrise card with S/T or U interface will connect to the remote ISDN connection and receive the incoming control signals, either in the form of DTMF signals on a B-channel or X.25 data packets on the D-channel. Thus, the user can generate control inputs with a POTS phone or another Enteφrise TA or equivalent. While considerable emphasis has been placed above on the fact that the control and image data communication paths are completely decoupled, it is quite possible that these paths could coexist in a single ISDN basic rate interface since both B-channels and the D-channei are completely independent communication channels in spite of the fact that they may share the same copper wire. For example, an implementation using commercially available components is illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing wherein the local control transmitter and local image receiver are implemented using an ISDN*tek Enteφrise card (and a WinlSDN driver for the card) in a local IBM PC clone, including a display monitor and a point-and-click mouse. The local control transmit channel is BI, and the local image receive channel is channel B2 of the local ISDN loop. The local ISDN switch connects to the remote control BI channel via a 900# system, and the remote image data B2 channel. The remote control receiver is likewise implemented using a second ISDN*tek Enteφrise card in a PC at the remote control site, again using WinlSDN device driver software. A DTMF decode program written in C, C++ or VisualBasic performs the decode functions on the remotely received control signals and communicates with a motor driver that issues appropriate commands to a motor driver "card" containing three Cybernetic Microsystems' CY550 Stepper System Controllers. The controlled motors Mx, My and Mz are coupled to an image capture assembly which is caused thereby to change its field of view, for example, of the viewed object depicted. The assembly includes a digital camera interfaced to a standard video capture card and appropriate driver software. EIDOS/Domark video encoding software encodes and writes video image data via the WinlSDN driver to the Enteφrise card transmitter and terminal adaptor, and then over the B2 channel to the remote (possibly local) ISDN switch and to the connected Internet router or routers. The image data is routed over the Internet until it reaches the local ISDN switch, and then travels via the B2 channel to the receiver portion of the local Enteφrise terminal adaptor card where it is read by the WinlSDN driver and transferred to the EIDOS/Domark video decoder which decodes and displays an image of the remote object on the local PC display device. In this system, the remote receiver, decoder, controller, viewing system and image transmitter are, as depicted in Fig. 6, implemented on three cards coupled to the (E)ISA-bus and therefore are capable of implementation in a single low-cost IBM PC clone. The ISDN*tek Enteφrise cards in the local and remote systems allow the end-to-end control signal to be either DTMF on the B-channel, or X.25 on the D-channel, or TCP/IP on a B-channel. The function of the system will be unchanged with respect to this choice. As illustrated by the dashed boxes in Fig. 7, WinSock layers can also be inserted into the visual feedback path. It is also possible to insert WinSock layers into the control path, but the two are completely decoupled. Using the WinlSDN layer, the video driver software can send H.320 frames, streaming data bytes, IPX packets, or proprietary packets to be received at the local WinlSDN layer in the visual feedback path. If the optional WinSock layers are present, TCP-IP packets will be transferred between the WinSocks and the WinlSDN layers. This is the preferred implementation if the Internet is the feedback path. Before describing the operation of the entire system of the preferred implementation, operation of key subsystems and interfaces are described as follows.

Interfaces in the Preferred Implementation The Windows Interface: The "Windows" API is the Application Programming Interface developed by Microsoft Coφoration. It is well known to those skilled in the art, and is described in hundreds of books in the public domain. The Winsock Interface: The "Winsock" Interface was developed by Netmanage Coφoration and others, and is supplied by Netmanage, Spry/Compuserve, FTP Software, Frontier Technologies, Microsoft Coφoration, and others. The Winsock description is in the public domain, and has been available over the Internet for free downloading at: ftp. netmanage. com/pubs/win standards/winsock. The WinlSDN Interface: The "WinlSDN" Interface was developed by Netmanage and ISDN*tek, Inc., and Performance Systems International (PSI) and is supported by Netmanage, ISDN*tek, IBM, FTP Software, Shiva Coφoration, Frontier Technology, Digi International, US Robotics, Yamaha, and other public coφorations. WinlSDN is in the public domain and has been available via the Internet for free downloading at: ftp. netmanage. com/pubs/win standards/winisdn/winisdn.doc and is described in the Software Developers Kit (SDK) available from ISDN*tek. The (E)ISA Interface: The (E)ISA bus was developed by IBM and is in the public domain. It is well described in numerous publications and texts in the public domain, and is well known to one skilled in the art. It is an electrical and mechanical specification for designing adapter boards for interface to IBM PCs and clone computers. The "S/T" or "U" Interface: The "S/T" interface is specified by the CCITT/ITU recommendations, and is available worldwide as the primary interface to ISDN networks for Basic Rate Interface circuits. These recommendations are in the public domain, ln addition, the 2B1Q based "U"- interface is available in North America, and is also well known to one skilled in the art. The TCP/IP Interface: The TCP/IP protocol is the primary interface to the Internet routers and is in the public domain and is well known. The TCP/IP protocol stack is accessed via the Winsock interface in the preferred implementation of the present invention. The financial/monetary (900#) interface: The only public domain financial interface available today is the 900 number system available from Recognized Private Operating Agencies (RPOAs) such as PacBell, Bell Atlantic, etc. Therefore, the preferred implementation uses the 900# financial interface. However, the present invention encompasses any financial interface capable of transferring funds from a local user to an owner/operator of the remote viewing control system while supporting free broadcast over the image data path. A brief indication of the present state of the art appeared in a Wall Street Journal article (February 15, 1996, page B3) entitled "Microsoft Teams Up With Visa on System Of Electronic Banking" wherein it is stated: "... the Visa-Microsoft pact might actually get more interested in the general concept of on-line banking. " If this and other ventures produce financial subsystems capable of supporting funds transfers triggered by the control access, then these will also be included within the scope of the invention.

Problems with Electronic Funds Transfer 1. How does seller know buyer? 2. How does seller know buyer's credit? 3. How is the privacy of the transfer protected? 4. How is "cash in transit" (or credit card # or signature) protected? 5. How is "bidding auction" held to resolve contention for purchase? 6. How is audit trail established? 7. How are "actual" funds moved from buyer to seller? 8. Which, if any, encryption scheme is to be used? (PPP negotiated?) 9. Which, if any, credit/purchase software scheme is to be used? 10. How are POTS, ISDN, etc. to be allowed access to system?

Problems Solved bv the Present Invention 1. Caller ID identifies buyer to seller. 2. Telco handles buyer's credit. 3. Direct connection from buyer to seller protects privacy. 4. There is never any "cash in transit"; access initiates billing cycle. 5. See "contention resolution". 6. Telco maintains audit trails. 7. Telco takes care of billing, accounting, collection and distribution of funds. 8. Encryption is unnecessary, but allowed. 9. No credit/purchase software is necessary (DTMF control!). 10. POTS, ISDN, have access via DTMF over 900#s.

Major Subsystems The Local Control Subsystem: The local control subsystem is comprised ofa user input subsystem (mouse, keypad, etc.) and the encoding and transmission subsystems. The user subsystem can consist of any finite state transducer or detector system, but the preferred implementation of the input subsystem is the common DTMF or "touch-tone" keypad supplied on most telephones, or the 3x4 or 4x4 extended keypad that spans the DTMF signal space. An analog or POTS telephone is one implementation ofa local control subsystem. An ISDN Terminal Adapter combined with a mouse based "Keypad" is another implementation. The preferred implementations couple an input matrix (preferably 3x4 or 4x4) to a signalling device that produces either analog (DTMF tones) or digital (X.25 packets) control signals for transmission to a decoding subsystem in a remote controller subsystem in such a way that source and destination inteφretations of the encoded control signals match. Remote Controller Subsystem: The remote controller subsystem is comprised of a connection to the appropriate network, and a financial dimension (described below). The subsystem consists of a receiver coupled to the network and capable of detecting control signals transmitted by the local input subsystem, after successful establishment of either a circuit-based or a virtual connection between the local control system and the remote controller system. In the preferred implementation, the control access, or establishment of the connection between local and remote control systems, initiates the financial transaction, preferably based upon an open standard. The current preferred implementation of the financial subsystem is the 900 number "pay call" system available worldwide from most Public Telephone and Telegraph service providers (PTTs). This system offers "out-of-band" control access. The principal puφose of the remote control subsystem is to detect encoded signals from the local user and to translate these signals into mechanical or other coupling to a remote (co-located) viewing subsystem. As indicated above, the preferred implementation utilizes CY550 Motion Control Systems available from Cybernetic Micro Systems, Inc. The mechanical coupling should allow at least three axis control (x, y, zoom) of the field of view with variable resolution. The variable resolution may be obtained using the "N" steps per "G" command of the CY550 as described elsewhere. The preferred implementation uses the (2D+l)-based control mapping where the "2D" uses the arrow keys (see Fig. 3) for (x,y) positioning and the in/out keys ("5", "0") control the "zoom" or focal distance of the viewing plane. The CY550 is a microcontroller chip that performs timing and calculations necessary to control the power control circuits that drive stepper motors (Mx, My and Mz in Fig. 7). The CY550 implements a motion and position based command system designed for flexible control of motion systems using stepper motors. The commands are single byte (eight bit) commands capable of accepting either ASCII of binary parameters (of command-specific length, ranging from eight bits to twenty-four bits, allowing, for example, step rate resolution of l-in-256 and positioning resolution of 1-in-sixteen million). The commands that are most relevant to the invention are: Nn = set Number of steps given by the 24-bit parameter "n" Pp = move to (pre-calibrated) absolute Position "p" (24-bit) Ff = set initial (First) step rate to 8-bit parameter "f ' + = set CW direction for stepping - = set CCW direction for stepping G = Go "n" steps where "n" was preset by the N command Normal operation of the remote positioning subsystem is as follows. The CY550s are initialized by the motion control software which specify the step rates, the slope or acceleration parameters, the location of "zero" in the CY550 coordinate system, and any other relevant parameters. Of special significance is the parameter "n" which accompanies the Number-of-steps command, N. This will determine the number of steps to be taken, for the relevant axis when a G command is issued to the CY550. Note that each CY550 can be issued a different value of "n", thereby altering the scale of the motion for the different axes. The default system will use the same value of "n" for all CY550s. Note that this parameter defines the spatial resolution (per axis) that establishes the incremental change in the field of view when the local user sends motion commands to the remote control system. Details of the Motion Control Procedure Assume in the following that the clockwise (CW) direction is positive for each axis, and the CCW direction is negative with respect to the local axis. In this case, the commands to be issued to the CY550s when a given key is selected by the user can be specified as follows, using (x, y, zoom) coordinates:

(-.+.<>) __ (0.⁺.°) (+.+.<»

(0,-,0) *. -(0,0,+) → (+,0,0)

(-,-,0) ^ (0.-.0) (+,-,0)

(0,0,-)

In the foregoing diagram the zero (0) means that no command is issued to the CY550 corresponding to the relevant axis. For example, (0,0,+) indicates that no command is to be issued to either the x-axis CY550 or the y-axis CY550, but that a CW command (+) should be issued to the CY550 that drives the "zoom" axis, as per the meaning of key "5" in the local control subsystem. In the same sense, the result of the user selecting key "3" on the DTMF keypad is indicated by (+,+,0) which means that CW commands should be sent to the x-axis and y-axis CY550s but no command should be sent to the CY550 associated with the "zoom" axis. It is a very simple procedure well understood by those skilled in the art to detect which key has been selected, and to take the appropriate action of sending the appropriate direction commands to the appropriate CY550 controllers, followed by the "G" command to each of the appropriate CY550s. This will cause the motors to Go "n" steps in the selected directions. Note that if a zero occurs in the appropriate triple, then no "G" command is sent to the corresponding CY550. The procedure would normally be implemented by "C" programmers using "CASE" statements as follows: Case "I ": //procedure for DTMF signal "I " issue - to the x-axis CY550; issue + to the y-axis CY550; issue "G" to the x-axis CY550; issue "G " to the y-axis CY550; break;

Case "2": //procedure for DTMF signal "2" issue + to the y-axis CYS 50; issue "G" to the y-axis CY550; break; etc. System Operation In all of the implementations described above, it is assumed that the viewing is established first, independently of the control. For example, the local system would be initiated and a connection would be made (either directly or via the Internet) to the remote camera. This connect is made directly by calling the Directory Number (DN) of the remote camera control system, or it is made via the Internet by first connecting to the local Internet Service Providers' router by dialing the DN of the router, and then signing on with the appropriate password, as is usual for Internet access. Once connected, the EIDOS or other viewing software is engaged by establishing a virtual connection via "sockets" or some other equivalent mechanism, to the viewing source; that is, the remote camera system is connected to the Internet and begins broadcasting captured images. Once the image data communication path is established, a second call is placed to the "900" Directory Number provided by the View Provider. This call established the control connection to the viewing source. Upon connection, the DTMF tones are sent over the B-channel (or the equivalent X.25 data packets are sent over the D-channel) where they are decoded and used to change the field of view as described above. The control access via the 900 number automatically invokes the accounting and billing functions which financially sustain the remote viewing system.

Contention for Control In some cases there may be contention for control of the system. One mechanism for resolving such cases is the use of multiple 900 numbers, with different associated costs. In this case, the remote control receiver can detect a second incoming call, and compare the incoming called number with the "current" called number. The system can then choose the user who has dialed the highest cost 900 number, thereby allowing the "highest bidder" to win the contention. If two or more clients attempt to gain control over the same remote subsystem at the same time, the remote subsystem can use either the Caller ID or the Called number to resolve the contention. If the Caller ID is used, then the remote system can simply perform a table lookup for both parties, and use the results to decide which caller has priority. If the Called number is used, then it is possible to assign different costs to 900 Directory Numbers. The calling party that calls the more expensive (higher cost) 900 access number can be granted access. The party that loses the contended access can either be dropped or held in a queue until the winning party has terminated access. An algorithm describing this contention mechanism is as follows: 1. Assume incoming call on channel k (900#k => $k) 2. Connected control already on channel j (900#j => $j) 3. The contention detection occurs when the ^"incoming Q.931 SETUP message on the D- channel, accompanied by the "Called DN" info element. The contention algorithm is as shown in Fig. 8. An End-to-End POTS Implementation of the Invention Although the preferred implementation uses an ISDN system at the remote control subsystem, it is also possible to use a 100% POTS control path as depicted in Fig. 9. In this system a POTS phone calls a 900# Directory Number that accesses a POTS line connected to a remote subsystem with a DTMF detector such as the Fujitsu MB87017B that will produce an enabling signal upon detection of DTMF tones on the POTS line when the caller/controller presses the "touch tone" keypad on the local calling phone. The enabling signal can enable the coded digital DTMF output lines which can be input to a I -of- 16 decoder chip that can also be enabled by the DTMF detected enabling signal. Since each of the 16 possible DTMF tone pairs is mapped into a unique control output using the l-of-16 decoder, these signals can be put into correspondence with the DTMF key "map" and used to drive the remote motor controllers in an appropriate fashion.

Illustration of Visual Feedback Using "Constructed" View In the implementation illustrated in Fig. 10, a single axis remote control is achieved by X25 ASCII data packets on the D-channel sent to a Cy550 ASCII commanded motor controller in the remote subsystem. 1. End-to-End ASCII commands sent via D-channel control path. The position commands can be input either via an ASCII keyboard, or via a pre-programmed sequence in the local control console, or via the use ofa "slider" or analog input whose output is converted to ASCII motion commands. All of these mechanisms have been implemented in a prototype. The preferred implementation uses VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language). 2. The local controller issues "Position N" commands that instruct the remote control system to move to a position (step) "N" steps from a zero position. 3. The local controller issues "Position Query" commands to the remote control subsystem over the D-channel control path. 4. The remote Cy550 Motion controller responds with the "current" position, representing the position of the motor when the position query was received. 5. The response from the Cy550 is returned on the "feedback" channel (X25/D in this example). 6. The local display system receives the position information and draws (constructs) a visual image of the remote motor's position or the position of the relevant apparatus.

Mobile Control The remote control system will also work with mobile terminals, either local or remote.

Mobile Remote Control For example, a (fixed) local controller can access a mobile remote unit (see Fig. 1 1) via X.25 packets on the RAM Mobitec packet radio network for both the control access path and the feedback response path. Alternately, a CDPD cellular data packet link to the remote mobile control unit (possibly re- directed through a 900#) will allow control signals. Most cellular phones have DTMF capabilities and can call 900# Directory Numbers. Current data rates suggest a requirement for highly efficient feedback encoding; however, wireless data rates should quickly increase in bandwidth and decrease in cost to allow feasible mobile remote control systems with significantly improved visual response. Examples of Mobile Remote Control Applications: Viewing: Remotely controllable camera on tour bus or traffic helicopter Control: Remotely controllable farm equipment or other mobile telerobotic

Mobile Local Control The system may access a fixed site from a mobile local control platform (see Fig. 12). In this case, the wireless or cellular phone connection to the remote controller allows the mobile local controller to call a 900# and send DTMF tones over the cellular phone. The return signal/feedback response may be sent via the same wireless link as the control, or it may use a path orthogonal to the control path, such as the RAM Mobitec X.25 data path, etc. A Remote Control Subsystem based on the ISDN*tek Enteφrise card can detect DTMF and issue feedback to the RAM radio network via X.25 packets sent over the D- channel.

Mobile Connectivity Both major wireless radio networks, RAM Mobile Network and ARDIS, now have good national footprints. RAM Mobitex wireless data is available in over 6000 cities and 33 countries, and provides standard interfaces for customer fixed host connectivity through a variety of protocols, including TCP/IP, LU2, X.25, POS and AT. Mobitex packet switching is a very efficient way to transfer data, since in packet switching, no end-to-end connection is established. IBM, Motorola, and US Robotics provide wireless PC cards that access the RAM Mobile Network. The US Robotics "AHPoints" card uses a DLL driver that allows WinSock calls to be replaced by calls to the AHPoints DLL for TCP/IP communications. Data transfer speeds currently range from 4.8 kbps to 19.2 kbps. The new Cellular Digital Packet Data network currently supports TCP/IP at 19,200 bits/sec and is based on proven cellular technology. It uses off the shelf component technologies, and offers seamless nationwide roaming, with broadcast and multicast capability. Unlike modem over cellular, CDPD is packet based. In addition, ISDN Radio is also in the works, and comes in two flavors: satellite and radio. Satellite ISDN can span continents, while Radio ISDN's range is limited. The GSM wireless service has existed in Europe, but PacBell Mobile Services is in process of rolling out its GSM based Network. While the speeds of these wireless technologies limit video applications, they support "constructed view" applications such as VRML images of remote apparatus very well. In these applications, the VRML packets are sent over the air, and the local display draws the three-dimensional constructed views. Future increases in both wireless transfer rates, and video-encoding algorithms will make video applications more practical.

In all of the above cases, the separation of control and feedback paths is possible. In the simplest case, a normal cellular phone can place the control call and issue DTMF tones while the packet based service can transmit over the feedback channel. Note that the 900# billing feature is retained in this case.

End-to-End Protocols and Orthogonal Communication Paths

The present invention supports end-to-end protocols of almost any variety, as long as both ends of the control path employ the same protocol, and as long as both ends of the feedback path employ the same protocol; however, there is no necessary connection between the control path protocol and the feedback path protocol. This is believed to be unique to this invention, and it is primarily responsible for the financial gate feature that is crucial to most economic applications.

Examples of End-to-End protocols supported by the present invention:

End-to-End DTMF Protocols

End-to-End ASCII Protocols

End-to-End Cyxxx Protocols

End-to-End X.25 Protocols

End-to-End TCP-IP with PPP or Multi-Link Protocols

End-to-End JAVA byte codes and/or VRML commands Discussion of JAVA End-to-End Protocol Local Remote

JAVA Control JAVA

Byte Byte

Code 900#|PPP Code

Local Remote JAVA Feedback JAVA Byte Byte Code PPP, etc. Code

While DTMF is perhaps the most universal signalling system, and therefore well suited to control signal generation on both POTS and ISDN lines, many local system will utilize computer based terminals, for which DTMF is possible, but not natural. In case DTMF is not used, the question arises as to what the appropriate protocol is. Clearly, the most universal remote control system should be platform-independent with respect to both CPU architecture and Operating System software. The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and its Multi-Link extension was designed as part of TCP/IP to negotiate protocols between arbitrary endpoints, and can be used to access Remote Control Facilities either directly (allowing 900# access) or indirectly (through the Internet). Either the control path or the feedback path, or both can be established in a platform-independent manner via the use of PPP or a Multi-Link derivative protocol negotiation procedure. Once PPP-TCPIP access is established (possibly via a 900# access control gate), the question arises as to the preferred control protocol. Today the most platform-independent language designed for Internet or Intranet applications is SUN Microsystems JAVA (TM) language as represented using JAVA byte codes for a virtual JAVA machine. While, in general, cross-platform tools typically yield uneven results across different user interfaces, requiring that applications be recompiled for different platforms, JAVA virtual machines or inteφreters were designed to be machine-independent. This will allow a single program to run unchanged on a range of platforms, and therefore the invention is designed to support JAVA byte codes on either the control path, the feedback path, or both. How can the remote control system adapt to either DTMF tones, PPP protocol negotiation, JAVA bytes codes, etc.? The Edwin Klingman US Patent Application Serial Number 08/590,370 filed January 24, 1996, entitled "Universal Input Call Processing System" describes how a remote control system based on the CyberSpace enteφrise card can detect what type of local controller access is being attempted. This will support 900# access to controllers, etc.

VRML for Constructed Views The use of Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) invented by Silicon Graphics, Incoφorated (and offered as an open standard for 3-D representation) is the preferred implementation for visual feedback using constructed views. This has the advantage of open standard interfaces and of sending small packets that are expanded by the local computer into three-dimensional scenes that would require much more bandwidth if sent pixel by pixel. Although the present invention has been described above in terms of a specific embodiment, it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the following claims be inteφreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. What is claimed is:

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising: a local control subsystem disposed at a local location and accessible to a user, said local control subsystem being responsive to a user input and operative to generate control data corresponding thereto; means establishing a telecom link for communicating said control data to a remote location; a remote control subsystem located at said remote location for receiving the communicated control data and for developing position/orientation control signals commensurate therewith; adjustable means disposed at said remote location and changeable in position/orientation/state in response to said position/orientation/state control signals, sensor means affected by changes in position/orientation/state of said adjustable means and operative to develop sense data corresponding to said changes; a remote monitoring subsystem responsive to said sense data and operative to generate transmittable data corresponding thereto; means establishing a communications link for communicating said transmittable data to said local location; and a local display subsystem disposed at said local location, said local display subsystem being responsive to said transmittable data and operative to generate a display corresponding to said sense data for presentation to said user.

2. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensor means includes video camera means for capturing an image of at least a part of its surrounding environment.

3. A remote control system as recited in claim 2 wherein said adjustable means includes an adjustable magnification lens system associated with said video camera means and adjustable in response to said control signals to change the field of view of said video camera.

4. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 and further comprising financial means associated with at least one of said telecom link and said communications link for assessing and collecting a usage fee from the user.

5. A remote control system as recited in claim 4 wherein said financial means utilizes a 900 numbering system in which a telephone company performs the accounting functions, billing functions, funds collection and distribution, and the audit trail documentation necessary for the conductance of legal business.

6. A remote control system as recited in claim 5 and further comprising contention resolution means associated with said remote subsystem, wherein different 900 numbers have different cost structures and a caller using a higher cost number to gain control over a particular remote control subsystem will be given precedence over a caller calling the same remote control subsystem using a lower cost 900 number.

7. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 and further comprising contention Esolution means associated with said remote subsystem and whereby in the event two callers attempt to control said remote subsystem, said remote subsystem uses the caller IDs to perform a table lookup in a table setting forth predetermined priorities between callers having particular caller IDs.

8. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem includes a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) keypad having at least a 3x4 array of keys mapped such that the location of a key in the array corresponds to a predetermined directional control, and such that actuation of one of said keys causes corresponding control data to be generated.

9. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem includes a computer mouse and a visual image corresponding to a keypad having at least a 3x4 array of keys selectable by said computer mouse with each key being mapped such that the location of the key in the array corresponds to a predetermined directional control, and such that selection of one of said keys causes corresponding control data to be generated.

10. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem includes user input means in the form of a transparent grid overlaying an image developed on a computer display screen and dividing the image into segments mapped in such a manner that a mouse or other user input means selecting a particular area of the image causes predetermined control signals assigned to each grid location to be generated.

1 1. A remote control system as recited in any of claims 8-10 wherein said keys/grid areas correspond to DTMF signals mapped into a three-axis control diagram.

12. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem includes an encoder capable of generating Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones forming said control data for transmission over said telecom link.

13. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem includes an encoder for converting said control data into digitized packet data ofa type selected from the group consisting of X.25 packets, TCP/IP packets and IPX packets for transmission over a packet-based communications channel included within said telecom link.

14. A remote control system as recited in claim 13 wherein said remote control subsystem includes a remote decoder for detecting and decoding packet data received from said local control subsystem via said telecom link.

15. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said adjustable means is adjustable relative to multiple axes and wherein said remote control subsystem includes means for receiving said communicated control data and for translating such data into specific and separate output control signals for respectively controlling adjustment of said adjustable means relative to each of said axes.

16. A remote control system as recited in claim 15 wherein said adjustable means is adjustable over at least three dimensions of motion.

17. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said adjustable means includes an electromechanically controlled optical subsystem optically coupled to an electronic imaging means forming said sensor means.

18. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means establishing said telecom link and said communication link are selected from the group consisting of radio transmission media, telephone transmission media, cable TV media, satellite TV media, and Internet transmission media.

19. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local display subsystem includes a particular type of data-receiving and data-decoding means, and said remote monitoring subsystem includes a particular type of encoding and transmitting means compatible with said particular type of data-receiving and data-decoding means such that sense data encoded and transmitted by said remote monitoring subsystem will be accurately received and decoded by said particular type of data-receiving and data- decoding means.

20. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user input means is a telephone keypad and said local display means is selected from the group consisting ofa television receiver, a computer display terminal and a mechanical indicator.

21. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said adjustable means includes remote manipulator means responsive to said position/orientation/state control signals.

22. A remote control system as recited in claim 21 wherein said sensor meansincludes an electronic imaging device.

23. A remote control system as recited in claim 22 wherein said manipulator means manipulates an object within the field of view of said imaging device, resulting in change in the sense data transmitted from the remote monitoring subsystem to the local display subsystem.

24. A remote control system as recited in claim 22 wherein said manipulator means manipulates an imaging device to alter the field of view of the imaging device, resulting in a change in the sense data transmitted from the remote monitoring subsystem to said local display subsystem.

25. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensor means is ofa type selected from the group consisting of optical imaging means, thermal imaging means, radar imaging means, acoustic imaging means, pressure-based imaging means, and any other type of imaging means by which a field of view may be imaged, encoded and transmitted back to said local display subsystem for reconstruction and display.

26. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said telecom link is selected from the group consisting of POTS and ISDN, and said means establishing a communications link is selected from the group consisting of POTS and ISDN.

27. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein there is complete electrical and protocol decoupling between said telecom link and said communications link.

28. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means establishing a communications link also establishes links to locations other than local location.

29. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem, said telecom link, said remote monitoring system, and said communications link are completely decoupled from each other.

30. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said remote control subsystem, said adjustable means, said sensor means, and said remote monitoring subsystem are mobile.

31. A remote control system as recited in claim 30 wherein at least one of said telecom link and said communications links include transmission through a cellular telephone network.

32. A remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local control subsystem and said local display subsystem are mobile.