INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR USE IN ROBOT

• US 20080013958A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimi, Takashi, Katsuki, Rie
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

An information communication system for use in a robot communicates a full-color light flux between a transmitting device and a receiving device separated from each other. The transmitting device receives a sensor signal to generate an optical information signal including a color signal based on a sensor identifying information and a brightness signal based on an output level of the sensor signal, and irradiates a light flux (an optical signal) enabling a user to recognize it through the optical information signal from a color LED. The receiving device is arranged away from the transmitting device, in which an analysis unit generates an identifying signal and an output level of a sensor on the basis of color information and brightness information extracted from an image processor from image data including the optical information signal imaged by an imaging unit.

Claims

1. An information communication system for use in a robot which has a movable portion, comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device:

the transmitting device including;

at least one sensor provide at the movable portion, which generates a sensor signal;

a signal processing unit which converts brightness signal which corresponds to an output level of the sensor signal, and color signal used for identifying the sensor; and

a light emitting unit which emits an optical signal having the color signal and the brightness signal, respectively, and a reference optical signal,

the receiving device including;

an imaging unit which images the optical signal and the reference optical signal emitted by the transmitting device;

an image processing unit which extracts the color signal and the brightness signal from image data generated by the imaging unit; and

an analyzing unit which analyzes the color signal and the brightness signal to output an information for identifying the sensor and the output level of the sensor signal.

2. The information communication system according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit includes:

a first light emitting unit provided for the movable portion, located near the sensor, and having an exposed light emitting portion which emits the optical signal including at least one of colors;

a second light emitting unit provided for the movable portion, located adjacent to the first light emitting unit, and emitting a reference light beam having predetermined color and brightness.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the optical signal emitted by the first light emitting unit have at least three colors which are one of:

a transparent color;

a single color; and

a synthetic color of a number of colors.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein before the transmitting device operates, the image processing unit calculates a relative level, used for eliminating adverse effects which an optical environment of the robot has on the optical signal, based on the optical signal and the reference optical signal, and corrects the image data generated by the imaging unit, based on the relative level.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of light emitting units, each of which is identical to the light emitting unit, are arranged near the sensor, such that at least one of the light emitting units is within a angle of view of the imaging unit when the movable portion is moved along with the sensor provided thereon.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit further includes:

a plurality of light emitting windows provided on the movable portion such that at least one of the light emitting windows is within an angle of view of the imaging unit when the movable portion is moved along with the sensor provided thereon;

a distributing unit which distributes the optical signal emitted from the light emitting unit; and

a light guide member which guides the optical signal distributed by the distributing unit to the light emitting windows.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first light emitting unit emits optical signals of at least three colors based on the sensor signal individually or at a time, thereby outputting one of colored optical signal.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first light emitting unit emits optical signals successively or at predetermined intervals.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit uses a robot imaging unit provided for the robot and functioning as an eye of the robot when the robot is operated.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first light emitting unit includes a plurality of light emitting portions that emit optical signals of different colors depending upon manners in which the movable portion is moved, and a change in the manners in which the movable portion is indicated by a change in the color of the optical signal.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first light emitting unit emits the optical signal at predetermined intervals, and different pieces of information are indicated by how many times the first light emitting unit emits the optical signal within a unit time.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first light emitting unit emits the optical signal at predetermined intervals, and different pieces of information are indicated by how long the predetermined intervals.