ROBOT, ROBOT CONTROL METHOD, AND ROBOT CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20090312869A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ohnaka, Shinichi
• Application Number:
  US12/306,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20090312869A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/003 by means of an audio-responsive input audible safety signals B25J19/061
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

A robot 100 includes an image input means 201 that receives an image and outputs image data, an image processing means 202 that receives the image data and generates and outputs an image recognition result, a restraint processing means 204 that outputs an operation instruction for altering a behavior while the image processing means 202 performs a process for identifying or registering a person'"'"'s face, and an operation means 205 that is operated on the basis of the operation instruction.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A robot comprising:

an operation unit that operates each part of a robot;

an image input unit that receives an image and outputs image data;

an image processing unit that receives said image data and generates and outputs an image recognition result; and

an operation deciding unit outputting an operation instruction that restrains an operation for moving a portion on which said image input unit is mounted while said image processing unit performs a process for identifying or registering a person'"'"'s face, and does not restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face,

wherein said operation unit operates each part of said robot on the basis of said operation instruction.

17. The robot according to claim 16,

wherein the image processing unit identifies said person'"'"'s face that is included in said image data;

registers said person'"'"'s face;

generates restraint information showing that an operation can be restrained while said process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face is performed, and showing that an operation cannot be restrained while said process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face is not performed; and

outputs said image recognition result that includes said restraint information, and

said operation deciding unit includes;

a behavior processing unit that receives said image recognition result, decides a behavior on the basis of said image recognition result, and outputs a behavioral instruction, and

a restraint processing unit that receives said image recognition result and said behavioral instruction, and alters said behavioral instruction to restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted when said restraint information shows that the operation can be restrained, and not to restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted when said restraint information shows that the operation cannot be restrained, and outputs the altered behavioral instruction as an operation instruction.

18. The robot according to claim 17,

wherein said image processing unit detects said person'"'"'s face that is included in said image data;

identifies which registered face said person'"'"'s face corresponds to;

generates state recognizing information showing whether a person exists in said image data, the position of a person, and a registered ID of a person; and

outputs said image recognition result that is included in said state recognizing information, and

the behavior processing unit includes

a storage unit that stores a plurality of behavioral instructions corresponding to said state recognizing information, and

a behavior deciding unit that receives said image recognition result, decides said behavioral instruction corresponding to said state recognizing information with reference to said storage unit, and outputs said behavioral instruction.

19. The robot according to claim 17,

wherein while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, the restraint processing unit alters the behavioral instruction so that an operating range of said image input unit is limited to prevent said person'"'"'s face from deviating from the image input by said image input unit or so that the moving speed of said image input unit caused by the execution of said operation instruction has a predetermined value as an upper limit, and outputs the altered behavioral instruction as said operation instruction.

20. The robot according to claim 16,

wherein said operation unit includes a plurality of actuators that moves each of the parts of the robot, and a control unit that controls said plurality of actuators on the basis of said operation instruction,

said image input unit is a CCD camera,

said CCD camera is mounted in a head of said robot,

said image processing unit includes an image recognition unit that identifies or registers the person'"'"'s face of said image data output from said CCD camera and outputs restraint information, which requires the alteration or restraint of an operation if a process for identifying or registering a person'"'"'s face is being performed,

said operation deciding unit includes:

a microphone that collects voice and output voice data;

a voice recognition unit that receives said voice data, recognizes voice, and output the voice as a voice recognition result;

a behavior deciding unit that sequentially decides behaviors on the basis of said voice recognition result and outputs the behavior as a behavioral instruction; and

an operation restraining unit that outputs an operation instruction which is obtained by altering said behavioral instruction so as to restrain the operation for moving said head if said behavioral instruction and said restraint information are input, and

said control unit of said operation unit controls the actuator, which moves said head, so as to restrain the operation for moving said head on the basis of said operation instruction output from said operation deciding unit.

21. The robot according to claim 16, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores a first operation instruction that can be executed while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and a second operation instruction that can be executed while processes for identifying and registering the person'"'"'s face are not performed;

a behavior deciding unit that receives said image recognition result, selects and outputs said first operation instruction from said storage unit if said image processing unit is performing the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and selects and outputs said second operation instruction from said storage unit if said image processing unit is not performing the processes for identifying and registering the person'"'"'s face; and

an operation unit that is operated on the basis of said first or second operation instruction.

22. The robot according to claim 16,

wherein said operation unit includes:

a plurality of actuators that moves each of the parts of the robot, and

a control unit that controls said actuators on the basis of said operation instruction,

said image input unit is a CCD camera,

said CCD camera is mounted in a head of said robot,

said image processing unit includes an image recognition unit that identifies or registers the person'"'"'s face of the image data output from said CCD camera and outputs an image recognition result,

said robot includes a storage unit that stores an operation instruction that restrains an operation for moving said head and can be executed while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and an operation instruction that does not restrain an operation for moving the head and can be executed while processes for identifying and registering the person'"'"'s face are not performed,

said operation deciding unit includes;

a microphone that collects voice and output voice data,

a voice recognition unit that receives said voice data, recognizes voice, and outputs the voice as a voice recognition result, and

a behavior deciding unit that selects and outputs an operation instruction, which restrains the operation for moving said head and can be executed while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, from said storage unit if it is determined from said image recognition result that the image processing means is performing the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and selects and outputs an operation instruction, which does not restrain the operation for moving said head and can be executed while processes for identifying and registering the person'"'"'s face are not performed, from said storage unit if it is determined that processes for identifying and registering the person'"'"'s face are not being performed, and

said control unit of said operation unit controls the actuator, which moves said head, so as to restrain the operation for moving said head on the basis of said operation instruction output from said operation deciding unit.

23. A robot control method of controlling a robot including an operation unit that operates each part of a robot, an image input unit that receives an image and outputs image data, and an image processing unit that receives said image data and generates and outputs an image recognition result, the robot control method comprising:

receiving an image and outputting image data by said image input unit;

receiving said image data and generating and outputting an image recognition result by said image processing unit;

outputting an operation instruction that restrains an operation for moving a portion on which said image input unit is mounted while said image processing unit performs a process for identifying or registering a person'"'"'s face, and does not restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face; and

moving each of the parts of said robot by said operation unit on the basis of said operation instruction.

24. The robot control method according to claim 23, further comprising:

identifying said person'"'"'s face that is included in said image data;

registering said person'"'"'s face;

generating restraint information showing that an operation can be restrained while said process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face is performed, and showing that an operation cannot be restrained while said process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face is not performed;

outputting said image recognition result that includes said restraint information;

deciding a behavior on the basis of said image recognition result, and outputting a behavioral instruction;

receiving said image recognition result and said behavioral instruction, and altering said behavioral instruction to restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted when said restraint information shows that the operation can be restrained, and not to restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted when said restraint information shows that the operation cannot be restrained, and outputting the altered behavioral instruction as an operation instruction; and

moving each of the parts of said robot by said operation unit on the basis of said operation instruction.

25. The robot control method according to claim 24, further comprising:

detecting said person'"'"'s face that is included in said image data;

identifying which registered face said person'"'"'s face corresponds to;

generating state recognizing information showing whether a person exists in said image data, the position of a person, and a registered ID of a person;

deciding said behavioral instruction corresponding to said state recognizing information and outputting the behavioral instruction as said behavioral instruction; and

altering said behavioral instruction and outputting the altered behavioral instruction as an operation instruction.

26. The robot control method according to claim 24, further comprising:

altering the behavioral instruction so that an operating range of said image input unit is limited to prevent said person'"'"'s face from deviating from the image input by said image input unit or so that the moving speed of said image input unit caused by the execution of the operation instruction has a predetermined value as an upper limit while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and outputting the altered behavioral instruction as the operation instruction.

27. A robot control program executed by a computer and controlling a robot, the robot including an operation unit that operates each part of a robot, an image input unit that receives an image and outputs image data, and an image processing unit that receives said image data and generates and outputs an image recognition result,

wherein said computer functions as:

a means that makes said image input unit receive an image and output image data,

a means that makes said image processing means receives said image data and generate and output an image recognition result,

a means that outputs an operation instruction that restrains an operation for moving a portion on which said image input unit is mounted while said image processing unit performs a process for identifying or registering a person'"'"'s face, and does not restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and

a means that moves each of the parts of said robot by said operation unit on the basis of said operation instruction.

28. The robot control program according to claim 27,

wherein said computer functions as:

a means that identifies said person'"'"'s face included in said image data,

a means that registers said person'"'"'s face,

a means that generates restraint information showing that an operation can be restrained while said process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face is performed, and showing that an operation cannot be restrained while said process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face is not performed,

a means that outputs said image recognition result including said restraint information,

a means that decides a behavior on the basis of said image recognition result, and outputting a behavioral instruction,

a means that receives said image recognition result and said behavioral instruction, and altering said behavioral instruction to restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted when said restraint information shows that the operation can be restrained, and not to restrain the operation for moving the portion on which said image input unit is mounted when said restraint information shows that the operation cannot be restrained, and outputting the altered behavioral instruction as an operation instruction, and

a means that moves each of the parts of the robot by said operation unit on the basis of said operation instruction.

29. The robot control program according to claim 28,

wherein said computer functions as:

a means that identifies said person'"'"'s face that is included in said image data,

a means that identifies which registered face said person'"'"'s face corresponds to,

a means that generates state recognizing information showing whether a person exists in said image data, the position of a person, and a registered ID of a person,

a means that decides said behavioral instruction corresponding to said state recognizing information and outputting the behavioral instruction as said behavioral instruction, and

a means that alters said behavioral instruction and outputting the altered behavioral instruction as an operation instruction.

30. The robot control program according to claim 28,

wherein said computer functions as:

a means that alters the behavioral instruction so that an operating range of said image input unit is limited to prevent said person'"'"'s face from deviating from said image input by said image input unit or so that the moving speed of said image input unit caused by the execution of the operation instruction has a predetermined value as an upper limit while said image processing unit performs the process for identifying or registering the person'"'"'s face, and outputs the altered behavioral instruction as the operation instruction.