Robot control system and robot control method

• US 20030114959A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Makoto, Takagi, Tsuyoshi, Sakamoto, Takayuki, Hosonuma, Naoyasu
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40304 Modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

To control articulated robots by dynamically modifying a combination of a hardware-dependent middleware layer and a hardware-independent application layer.

An interface and a database for semantically performing operation are prepared between a middleware layer which depends upon the hardware configuration of a robot and an application layer which does not depend upon the hardware configuration, thereby making it possible to always guarantee normal operation even if a combination of the middleware and the application which is to be introduced onto the robot is modified. The application can acquire appropriate input data via the middleware, and can issue an appropriate command.

Claims

1. A robot control system for controlling motions of a robot which comprise a combination of a plurality of hardware components, comprising:

a first control unit for performing a process which does not depend upon hardware configuration information of the robot;

a second control unit for performing a process which depends upon the hardware configuration information of the robot; and

a communication unit for providing communication between said first and second control units.

2. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said first control unit is realized by executing application software which determines a behavior sequence of the robot using a model in which a configuration or motion of the robot is abstracted.

3. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said first control unit comprises at least one of an emotion model which models an emotion of the robot, an instinct model which models the instinct, a learning model which sequentially stores a causal relationship between an external event and a behavior taken by the robot, and a behavior model which models a behavior pattern.

4. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said second control unit is realized by executing middleware software which provides a basic onboard function of the robot.

5. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said second control unit includes a recognition processor unit which receives input data detected from hardware of the robot via a system control layer to detect external factors such as distance detection, posture detection, and contact, and an output processor unit for processing an onboard motion control for the robot based on a command from said first control unit.

6. A robot control system according to claim 5, wherein said communication unit notifies said first control unit of the information detected by the recognition processor unit, and transfers the command of said first control unit to the output processor unit.

7. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit comprises an information communication interface which aids in notifying said first control unit of the information from said second control unit.

8. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit comprises a command interface which aids said first control unit in controlling said second control unit.

9. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit comprises an information database in which said first control unit semantically designates information to be retrieved from said second control unit, and

a target record in the information database is registered to transfer target information from said second control unit to said first control unit.

10. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit comprises a command database in which said first control unit semantically designates a command to be issued to said second control unit, and said first control unit uses the command database to semantically select a command.

11. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit comprises a feedback interface which aids in notifying said second control unit of the recognition result of said first control unit, and which aids in notifying said first control unit of the relationship between the recognition result and the behavior feasible in said second control unit.

12. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said first control unit and said second control unit are structured so as to be capable of being independently handled.

13. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit notifies said first control unit of a system event detected by said second control unit.

14. A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit comprises:

means for notifying said first control unit of a shutdown factor which is detected by said second control unit; and

means for notifying said second control unit of a resume condition with respect to the shutdown which is set by said first control unit.

15. A circuit according to claim 13, wherein said communication unit further includes means for notifying said first control unit of a recommended resume condition which is set by said second control unit.

16. A robot control method for controlling motions of a robot which comprise a combination of a plurality of hardware components using a first control module for performing a process which does not depend upon hardware configuration information of the robot, and a second control module for performing a process which depends upon the hardware configuration information of the robot,

said robot control method comprising a communication step of providing communication between the first and second control modules.

17. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein the first control module is implemented by application software which determines a behavior sequence of the robot using a model in which a configuration or motion of the robot is abstracted.

18. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein the first control module comprises at least one of an emotion model which models an emotions of the robot, an instinct model which models the instinct, a learning model which sequentially stores a causal relationship between an external event and a behavior taken by the robot, and a behavior-model which models a behavior pattern.

19. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein the second control module is implemented by middleware software which provides a basic onboard function of the robot.

20. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein the second control module includes a recognition processor module which receives input data detected from hardware of the robot via a system control layer to detect external factors such as distance detection, posture detection, and contact, and an output processor module for processing an onboard motion control for the robot based on a command from the first control module.

21. A robot control method according to claim 20, wherein in said communication step, the first control module is notified of the information detected by executing the recognition processor module, and the command by executing the first control module is transferred to the output processor module.

22. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein in said communication step, an information communication interface which aids in notifying said first control module of the information from the second control module is used.

23. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein in said communication step, a command interface which aids the first control module in controlling the second control module is used.

24. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein in said communication step, an information database in which the first control module semantically designates information to be retrieved from the second control module is used to register a target record in the information database, thereby transferring the target information from the second control module to the first control module.

25. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein in said communication step, using a command database from which the first control module semantically designates a command to be issued to the second control module, the first control module semantically selects the command.

26. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein in said communication step, a feedback loop is executed to notify the second control module of the recognition result of the first control module, and to notify the first control module of the relationship between the recognition result and the behavior feasible in the second control module.

27. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein the first control module and the second control module are structured so as to be capable of being independently handled.

28. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein said communication step includes a substep of notifying the first control module of a system event detected by the second control module.

29. A robot control method according to claim 16, wherein said communication step comprises:

a substep of notifying the first control module of a shutdown factor which is detected by the second control module; and

a substep of notifying the second control module of a resume condition with respect to the shutdown which is set by the first control module.

30. A robot control method according to claim 29, wherein said communication step further comprises a substep of notifying the first control module of a recommended resume condition which is set by the second control module.

31. A robot control system which is configured by an object-oriented program, comprising:

an application object for executing a process which does not depend upon a hardware configuration of a robot;

a middleware object for executing a process which depends upon the hardware configuration of the robot;

an information database registered with information which is used for said middleware object and which corresponds to a semantic command from said application object; and

object control means for controlling communication between said application object and said middleware object on the basis of said information database.

32. A robot control system according to claim 31, wherein said information database which hierarchically describes a semantic aspect of the registered information.

33. A robot control system according to claim 31, wherein the format of said information database at least includes an information identification information field, a classification field, and a sensor information identification field.