Child-care robot and a method of controlling the robot

• US 20050215171A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Oonaka, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,376,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

A child-care robot for use in a nursery school associates child behavior patterns with corresponding robot action patterns, and acquires a child behavior pattern when a child behaves in a specified pattern. The robot selects one of the robot action patterns, which is associated with the acquired child behavior pattern, and performs the selected robot action pattern. Additionally, the robot associates child identifiers with parent identifiers, and receives an inquiry message from a remote terminal indicating a parent identifier. The robot detects one of the child identifiers, which is associated with the parent identifier of the inquiry message, acquires an image or a voice of a child identified by the detected child identifier, and transmits the acquired image or voice to the remote terminal. The robot further moves in search of a child, measures the temperature of the child, and associates the temperature with time of day at which it was measured.

Claims

1. A child-care robot comprising:

memory means for associating a plurality of child behavior patterns with a plurality of robot action patterns;

sensor means for acquiring a child behavior pattern when a child behaves in a specified pattern;

processor means for selecting one of said robot action patterns which is associated in said memory means with said acquired child behavior pattern; and

acting means for performing the selected robot action pattern.

2. The child-care robot of claim 1, further comprising a robot housing in which said memory means, said sensor means, said processor means and said acting means are provided inside said robot housing.

3. The child-care robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a robot housing in which said sensor means, said processor means and said acting means are provided inside said housing;

first wireless communication means in said robot housing; and

second wireless communication means in a fixed location for establishing a wireless link with said first wireless communication means,

wherein said memory means is provided in said fixed location so that said processor means is accessible to the memory means via said wireless link.

4. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said second wireless communication means comprises a wireless LAN.

5. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said memory means further associates a plurality of child identities with said plurality of child behavior patterns.

6. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said plurality of child behavior patterns includes a plurality of image patterns.

7. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said plurality of child behavior patterns include a plurality of voice patterns.

8. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said acting means includes communication means for establishing a communication channel to a remote terminal via a communications network.

9. The child-care robot of claim 8, wherein said communication means transmits an image or voice of said child to said remote terminal.

10. The child-care robot of claim 8, wherein said acquired child behavior pattern indicates a request from a child for communication with a parent of the child,

wherein said memory means further associates a plurality of parents terminals to said plurality of child identities, and

wherein said communication means identifies one of said parents terminals which is associated with the identity of said child as said remote terminal in response to said request.

11. The child-care robot of claim 10, wherein said communication means includes a loudspeaker for reproducing a voice signal transmitted from said remote terminal.

12. The child-care robot of claim 11, wherein said communication means includes a screen for displaying a video signal transmitted from said remote terminal.

13. The child-care robot of claim 8, wherein said communication means is responsive to an inquiry message from said remote terminal for transmitting an image or a voice of said child to said remote terminal.

14. The child-care robot of claim 11, wherein said memory means includes a plurality of entries corresponding to said plurality of child behavior patterns, each of said entries including a plurality of prioritized robot actions, and

wherein said processor means identifies one of said entries of the memory means corresponding to said acquired child behavior pattern and detects each of the prioritized robot actions of the identified entry in descending order of priority if one of the robot actions is not successfully performed by said acting means.

15. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said acting means comprises means for moving the robot around an area according to a control signal from said processor means.

16. The child-care robot of claim 1, further comprising position detector means for detecting a plurality of geographic positions of objects,

wherein said memory means comprises:

a position memory for associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and

a map memory,

wherein said processor means is configured to create a map in said map memory for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.

17. The child-care robot of claim 16, wherein said objects are children, and wherein said position detector means detects said plurality of geographic positions of said children when said robot is moving around said area in search of said children.

18. The child-care robot of claim 16, wherein said objects are nursery school teachers, and wherein said position detector means detects said plurality of geographic positions of said teachers when said robot is moving around said area in search of said teachers.

19. The child-care robot of claim 16, wherein said moving means moves the robot around said area in search of an object according to the geographic position of the object indicated in said map memory.

20. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises a voice recognizer for producing a voice pattern as said child behavior pattern from a recognized voice of said child.

21. The child-care robot of claim 20, wherein said memory means comprises:

a children data memory for associating a plurality of voice patterns with a plurality of child behavior patterns, and

wherein said processor means is configured to identify one of said child behavior patterns associated with the voice pattern produced by said voice recognizer and detect said one robot action associated with the identified child behavior pattern.

22. The child-care robot of claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises means for measuring a body temperature of said child to produce a temperature indicating signal as said child behavior pattern identified child behavior pattern.

23. The child-care robot of claim 22, wherein said memory means comprises a temperature memory for associating the measured temperature with said child and data indicating time of day at which the temperature is measured.

24. The child-care robot of claim 22, wherein said processor means determines whether the measured temperature is higher than a predetermined, and wherein said communication means communicates an unfavorable condition of said child to one of a nearby caretaker and said remote terminal when said processor determines that the measured temperature is higher than said predetermined value.

25. The child-care robot of claim 15, wherein said sensor means comprises means for measuring a body temperature of said child, and

wherein said processor means controls said moving means to move the robot around said area in search of a plurality of children to enable said temperature measuring means to measure the body temperature of each of the children.

26. The child-care robot of claim 15, wherein said temperature measuring means comprises an infrared light sensor for detecting infrared radiation from each of said children and means for converting the detected infrared radiation to the measured body temperature of each of said children.

27. The child-care robot of claim 13, wherein said memory means comprises a parents data memory for associating a plurality of parent identities with a plurality of child identities,

wherein said processor means is responsive to said inquiry message for detecting a parent identity from said parents data memory and detecting the child identity of said child associated with the detected parent identity,

wherein said sensor means is responsive to the detection of the child identity by said processor means for acquiring an image or a voice of the identified child,

wherein said communication means transmits the acquired image or voice to said remote terminal.

28. A child-care robot comprising:

memory means for associating a plurality of child identifiers with a plurality of parent identifiers;

communication means for receiving an inquiry message from a remote terminal indicating a parent identifier;

processor means for detecting one of said child identifiers which is associated with the parent identifier of said inquiry message; and

sensor means for acquiring an image or a voice of a child identified by the detected child identifier,

said communication means transmitting the acquired image or voice to said remote terminal.

29. A child-care robot comprising:

acting means for moving the robot around until a target child is identified,

temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the identified child; and

memory means for associating the measured temperature of the identified child with data indicating time of day at which the temperature is measured.

30. A child-care robot comprising:

acting means for moving the robot around an area in search of a plurality of objects and detecting a plurality of geographic positions of said objects;

memory means for associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and

processor means for creating a map for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.

31. A method of controlling a child-care robot, comprising:

associating a plurality of child behavior patterns with a plurality of robot action patterns;

acquiring a child behavior pattern when a child behaves in a specified pattern;

selecting one of said robot action patterns which is associated with said acquired child behavior pattern; and

performing the selected robot action pattern.

32. A method of controlling a child-care robot, comprising:

associating a plurality of child identifiers with a plurality of parent identifiers;

receiving an inquiry message from a remote terminal indicating a parent identifier;

detecting one of said child identifiers which is associated with the parent identifier of said inquiry message;

acquiring an image or a voice of a child identified by the detected child identifier; and

transmitting the acquired image or voice to said remote terminal.

33. A method of controlling a child-care robot, comprising:

moving the robot around until a target child is identified;

measuring the temperature of the identified child; and

associating the measured temperature of the identified child with data indicating time of day at which the temperature is measured.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

determining whether the measured temperature is higher than a predetermined; and

communicating an unfavorable condition of said identified child to one of a nearby caretaker and a remote terminal if the measured temperature is determined to be higher than said predetermined value.

35. A method of controlling a child-care robot, comprising:

moving the robot around an area in search of a plurality of objects and detecting a plurality of geographic positions of said objects;

associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and

creating a map for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising moving the robot around an area in search of an object according to the geographic position of the object indicated in said map memory.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

moving the robot around until a target child is identified;

measuring the temperature of the identified child; and

associating the measured temperature of the identified child with data indicating time of day at which the temperature is measured.

37. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for controlling a child-care robot, said program comprising the steps of:

associating a plurality of child behavior patterns with a plurality of robot action patterns;

acquiring a child behavior pattern when a child behaves in a specified pattern;

selecting one of said robot action patterns which is associated with said acquired child behavior pattern; and

performing the detected robot action pattern.

38. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for controlling a child-care robot, said program comprising the steps of:

associating a plurality of child identifiers with a plurality of parent identifiers;

receiving an inquiry message from a remote terminal indicating a parent identifier;

detecting one of said child identifiers which is associated with the parent identifier of said inquiry message;

acquiring an image or a voice of a child identified by the detected child identifier; and

transmitting the acquired image or voice to said remote terminal.

40. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for controlling a child-care robot, said program comprising the steps of:

determining whether the measured temperature is higher than a predetermined; and

communicating an unfavorable condition of said identified child to one of a nearby caretaker and a remote terminal if the measured temperature is determined to be higher than said predetermined value.

41. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for controlling a child-care robot, said program comprising the steps of:

moving the robot around an area in search of a plurality of objects and detecting a plurality of geographic positions of said objects;

associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and

creating a map for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, further comprising the step of moving the robot around an area in search of an object according to the geographic position of the object indicated in said map memory.