Robot apparatus for executing a monitoring operation

• US 20050096790A1
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimi, Takashi, Ogawa, Hideki, Tamura, Masafumi, Hirokawa, Junko, Kawabata, Shunichi, Miyazaki, Tomotaka
• Application Number:
  US10/946,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096790A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• 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

Abstract

A robot apparatus executes a monitoring operation. The robot apparatus includes an operation mode switching unit that switches an operation of the robot apparatus between a first operation mode and a second operation mode, and a control unit that controls the operation of the robot apparatus, causes the robot apparatus to execute a first monitoring operation in the first operation mode, which is corresponded to a dynamic environment where a user is at home, and causes the robot apparatus to execute a second monitoring operation in the second operation mode, which is corresponded to a static environment where the user is not at home.

Claims

1. A robot apparatus for executing a monitoring operation, comprising:

an operation mode switching unit that switches an operation mode of the robot apparatus between a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and

a control unit that controls the operation of the robot apparatus, causes the robot apparatus to execute a first monitoring operation in the first operation mode, which is corresponded to a dynamic environment where a user is at home, and causes the robot apparatus to execute a second monitoring operation in the second operation mode, which is corresponded to a static environment where the user is not at home.

2. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second monitoring operation has a higher security level than the first monitoring operation.

3. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a movement mechanism that moves a main body of the robot apparatus,

wherein the second monitoring operation includes an operation in which the robot apparatus patrols an inside of a house by using of the movement mechanism.

4. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a voice recognition unit that executes a voice recognition process for recognizing a voice of the user,

wherein the operation mode switching unit is configured to switch the operation mode between the first operation mode and the second operation mode in accordance with the voice of the user that is recognized by the voice recognition unit.

5. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second monitoring operation includes an operation in which the robot apparatus recognizes the face of a person who is present in a house and thereby determines whether the person is the user, and an operation in which the robot apparatus issues information, when it is determined that the person is not the user, to an outside about the presence of the person in the house.

6. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the robot apparatus further includes a third operation mode,

the operation mode switching unit includes a unit that switches the operation mode of the robot apparatus to the third operation mode, and

the control unit is configured to cause the robot apparatus to execute in the third operation mode an operation for informing the user of check items for safety confirmation by the user.

7. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device that executes wireless communication;

a movement mechanism that moves, when a remote-control command from an external terminal is received by the communication device, a main body of the robot apparatus to a location that is designated by the remote-control command;

a camera unit that images the designated location; and

a video data transmission unit that transmits video data, which is acquired by the camera unit, to the external terminal by communication between the communication device and the external terminal.

8. A robot apparatus for executing a monitoring operation, comprising:

a main body including an auto-movement mechanism;

a sensor that is provided on the main body and detects occurrence of abnormality in a house;

an operation mode selection unit that selects one of an at-home mode corresponding to a case where a user is at home and a not-at-home mode corresponding to a case where the user is not at home; and

a monitoring operation execution unit that executes, when the at-home mode is selected, a monitoring operation using the movement mechanism and the sensor at a first security level, and executes, when the not-at-home mode is selected, a monitoring operation using the movement mechanism and the sensor at a second security level that is higher than the first security level.

9. The robot apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation mode selection unit includes a voice recognition unit that executes a voice recognition process for recognizing a voice of the user, and a unit that selects one of the at-home mode and the not-at-home mode in accordance with the voice of the user that is recognized by the voice recognition unit.

10. The robot apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a communication device that executes wireless communication,

wherein the monitoring operation execution unit includes a unit that recognizes the face of a person who is present in the house and thereby determines whether the person is the user or a person other than the user, and a unit that issues information, when it is determined, while the not-at-home mode is selected, that the person is a person other than the user, to an outside about the presence of the person in the house.

11. A robot apparatus for executing a monitoring operation, comprising:

means for switching an operation mode of the robot apparatus between a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and

means for controlling the operation of the robot apparatus to execute a first monitoring operation in the first operation mode, which is corresponded to a dynamic environment where a user is at home, and execute a second monitoring operation in the second operation mode, which is corresponded to a static environment where the user is not at home.

12. The robot apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second monitoring operation has a higher security level than the first monitoring operation.

13. The robot apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a movement mechanism that moves a main body of the robot apparatus,

wherein the second monitoring operation includes an operation in which the robot apparatus patrols an inside of a house by using of the movement mechanism.

14. The robot apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for executing a voice recognition process for recognizing a voice of the user,

wherein the means for switching includes means for switching the operation mode between the first operation mode and the second operation mode in accordance with the voice of the user that is recognized by the voice recognition process.

15. The robot apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second monitoring operation includes an operation in which the robot apparatus recognizes the face of a person who is present in a house and thereby determines whether the person is the user, and an operation in which the robot apparatus issues information, when it is determined that the person is not the user, to an outside about the presence of the person in the house.