Picture taking mobile robot

• US 20050041839A1
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sakagami, Yoshiaki, Shimada, Takamichi, Kawabe, Koji, Gotou, Tomonobu, Saitou, Youko
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00164 at a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A mobile robot that is fitted with a camera and can be controlled from a remote terminal such as a mobile phone moves about in an event site to detect and track a moving object such as a visitor and entertainer. Because the camera along with the robot itself can change its position freely autonomously and/or according to a command from the mobile terminal, a desired frame layout can be accomplished by moving the position of the robot. Therefore, the operator is not required to execute a complex image trimming process or other adjustment of the obtained picture image so that a desired picture can be obtained quickly and without any difficulty. If the user is allowed access the managing server, the user can download the desired picture images and have them printed out at will. Also, because the selected picture images can be transmitted to the managing server, the robot is prevented from running out of memory for storing the picture images.

Claims

1. An image capturing system for taking a picture of a mobile object, comprising:

a mobile robot, said mobile robot including a wireless transceiver, a camera and a control unit connected to the wireless transceiver and camera; and

a managing server;

wherein said control unit is adapted to temporarily store a plurality of picture images obtained by said camera, transmit the obtained picture images to a mobile terminal incorporated with a display via said wireless transceiver, and transmit a selected one of the pictures images according to a request signal transmitted from said mobile terminal to said managing server.

2. An image capturing system according to Claim 1, wherein said images include human images.

3. An image capturing system according to claim 2, wherein said control unit includes a means for cutting out an image of a face from at least one of the picture images obtained by said camera and a means for adjusting a picture taking parameter of said camera so as to put said face image within a frame.

4. An image capturing system according to claim 2, wherein said control unit is provided with a means for detecting a human as a moving object and having said robot track said moving object, and is adapted to take a picture of said moving object while tracking said moving object.

5. An image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is adapted to change a position or moving direction of said robot in response to a command from said mobile terminal.

6. An image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is provided with a means for detecting a human and having said robot track said human, and is adapted to take a picture of said human while tracking said human.

7. An image capturing system according to claim 6, wherein said control unit detects a human as a moving object.

8. An image capturing system according to claim 6, wherein said control unit detects a human by optically or electromagnetically detecting an insignia attached to said human.

9. An image capturing system according to claim 2, wherein said first robot is provided with a means for communicating with a second robot, and said control unit is adapted to take a picture of a person requesting a picture taking with said second robot.

10. An image capturing system according to claim 2, wherein said control unit is adapted to transmit a background frame for combining with an obtained picture image to the remote terminal and to superimpose said background frame on the obtained picture image.

11. An image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a charging station for supplying power to said robot, and said robot is provided with a means for detecting power remaining in said robot and a position of said charging station so that the robot is capable of moving to said charging station and receives a supply of power charge before the power of said robot runs out.

12. An image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is adapted to detect a personal identification signal in said request from the mobile terminal and accept said request only when an authentic personal identification signal is detected in said request from the mobile terminal.

13. An image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit charges a cost to the person requesting a picture taking when the selected picture image is transmitted to the managing server.