AUTOMATED PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20120136666A1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecare Global, LLC
• Original Assignee: Harmone-Celeste, Inc.
• Inventors: Corpier, Greg L., Boyer, Katie J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/024 having particular operating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered

Abstract

An automated personal assistance system employing artificial intelligence technology that includes speech recognition and synthesis, situational awareness, pattern and behavioral recognition, and the ability to learn from the environment. Embodiments of the system include environmental and occupant sensors and environmental actuators interfaced to an assistance controller having the artificial intelligence technology incorporated therein to control the environment of the system. An embodiment of the invention is implemented as a vehicle which reacts to voice command for movement and operation of the vehicle and detects objects, obstructions, and distances. This invention provides the ability to monitor for the safety of operation and modify dangerous maneuvers as well as to learn locations in the environment and to automatically find its way to them. The system may also incorporate communication capability to convey patterns of environmental and occupant parameters and to a monitoring center.

Claims

1. An automated personal assistance system comprising:

(a) a plurality of environmental sensors positioned at a residence and sensing respective environmental parameters of an environment of said residence;

(b) a plurality of occupant sensors sensing occupant parameters of an occupant of said residence including a current location of said occupant within said residence and a history of locations of said occupant;

(c) a plurality of environmental actuators controllable to vary said environmental parameters of said residence;

(d) a speech recognition unit including a microphone operable to receive and interpret vocal commands from said occupant;

(e) an assistance controller having said environmental and occupant sensors, said environmental actuators, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto; and

(f) said assistance controller being programmed to control said environmental parameters by way of said environmental actuators in response to values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said environmental and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said assistance controller is programmed with artificial intelligence to enable said assistance controller to learn patterns of values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said residential and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant to thereby adapt control of said environmental parameters in response to said patterns of values and vocal commands.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 and including:

(a) a telecommunication device interfaced to said assistance controller and operative to regularly communicate reports of said environmental and occupant parameters to a remote monitoring center, to report selected patterns of values of said environmental and occupant parameters to said monitoring center, and to communicate with said monitoring center in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said assistance controller is programmed to construct a map of said residence and to update said map in response to detecting structures and objects within said residence.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 and including:

(a) an automated personal assistance vehicle including;

(1) a vehicle frame including an occupant seat mounted thereon and vehicle wheels rotatably mounted thereon;

(2) a vehicle motor mounted on said frame and engaged with said wheels in such a manner as to propel and steer said vehicle when selectively activated by a battery coupled with said motor;

(3) a position coordinate system mounted on the frame to determine a position of said vehicle;

(4) a navigation sensor mounted on said frame and operative to detect objects in a path of said vehicle;

(5) a vehicle speech recognition unit mounted on said frame and operative to convert vocal input from an occupant of said seat to coded commands; and

(6) a vehicle controller having said motor, said position coordinate system, said environmental sensor, and said vehicle speech recognition unit interfaced thereto, said vehicle controller being programmed to control navigation of said vehicle in cooperation with said position coordinate system in response to learned paths between locations of said environment, in response to said coded commands, and in response to obstacles sensed by said navigation sensor; and

(b) a communication interface between said vehicle controller and said assistance controller to enable coordination between said system and said vehicle.

6. An automated personal assistance vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle frame;

(b) an occupant seat mounted on said frame;

(c) vehicle wheels rotatably mounted on said frame;

(d) a vehicle motor mounted on said frame and engaged with said wheels in such a manner as to propel and steer said vehicle when activated;

(e) a battery coupled with said motor in such a manner as to selectively activate said motor;

(f) a position coordinate system mounted on the frame to determine a location of said vehicle;

(g) a navigation sensor mounted on said frame and operative to detect objects in a path of said vehicle and to derive navigational parameters therefrom in cooperation with said position coordinate system;

(h) a speech recognition unit mounted on said frame and operative to convert vocal input from an occupant of said seat to coded vocal commands; and

(i) a vehicle controller having said motor, said position coordinate system, said navigation sensor, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto, said controller being programmed to control navigation of said vehicle in cooperation with said position coordinate system in response to learned paths between locations of said environment, in response to said coded vocal commands, and in response to obstacles sensed by said navigation sensor.

7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6 wherein:

(a) said vehicle controller is programmed to construct a map of an environment of said vehicle and to update said map in response to detecting structures and objects within said environment by said navigation sensor and position coordinate system and in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6 wherein:

(a) said vehicle controller is programmed with artificial intelligence to enable said vehicle controller to learn patterns of values of locations and navigational parameters of said vehicle sensed by said position coordinate system and navigation sensors and in response to vocal commands from said occupant to thereby adapt navigation of said vehicle in response to said patterns of values and vocal commands.

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6 and including:

(a) a telecommunication device interfaced to said vehicle controller and operative to regularly communicate reports of locations and navigational parameters of said vehicle and to a remote monitoring center, to report selected patterns of values of said locations and navigational parameters to said monitoring center, and to communicate with said monitoring center in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

10. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6 in combination with:

(a) an automated personal assistance system including;

(1) a plurality of environmental sensors positioned at a residence and sensing respective environmental parameters of an environment of said residence;

(2) a plurality of occupant sensors sensing occupant parameters of an occupant of said residence including a current location of said occupant within said residence and a history of locations of said occupant;

(3) a plurality of environmental actuators controllable to vary said environmental parameters of said residence;

(4) a residence speech recognition unit including a microphone operable to receive and interpret vocal commands from said occupant;

(5) an assistance controller having said environmental and occupant sensors, said environmental actuators, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto and said vehicle controller remotely interfaced thereto; and

(6) said assistance controller being programmed to control said environmental parameters by way of said environmental actuators in response to values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said environmental and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

11. An automated personal assistance system comprising:

(a) a plurality of environmental sensors positioned at a residence and sensing respective environmental parameters of an environment of said residence;

(b) a plurality of occupant sensors sensing occupant parameters of an occupant of said residence including a current location of said occupant within said residence and a history of locations of said occupant;

(c) a plurality of environmental actuators controllable to vary said environmental parameters of said residence;

(d) a speech recognition unit including a microphone operable to receive and interpret vocal commands from said occupant;

(e) an assistance controller having said environmental and occupant sensors, said environmental actuators, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto;

(f) said assistance controller being programmed to control said environmental parameters by way of said environmental actuators in response to values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said environmental and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant;

(f) said assistance controller being programmed with artificial intelligence to enable said assistance controller to learn patterns of values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said residential and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant to thereby adapt control of said environmental parameters in response to said patterns of values and vocal commands; and

(h) a telecommunication device interfaced to said assistance controller and operative to regularly communicate reports of said environmental and occupant parameters to a remote monitoring center, to report selected patterns of values of said environmental and occupant parameters to said monitoring center, and to communicate with said monitoring center in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11 and including:

(a) an automated personal assistance vehicle including;

(1) a vehicle frame including an occupant seat mounted thereon and vehicle wheels rotatably mounted thereon;

(2) a vehicle motor mounted on said frame and engaged with said wheels in such a manner as to propel and steer said vehicle when selectively activated by a battery coupled with said motor;

(3) a position coordinate system mounted on the frame to determine a position of said vehicle;

(4) a navigation sensor mounted on said frame and operative to detect objects in a path of said vehicle;

(5) a vehicle speech recognition unit mounted on said frame and operative to convert vocal input from an occupant of said seat to coded commands; and

(6) a vehicle controller having said motor, said position coordinate system, said environmental sensor, and said vehicle speech recognition unit interfaced thereto, said vehicle controller being programmed to control navigation of said vehicle in cooperation with said position coordinate system in response to learned paths between locations of said environment, in response to said coded commands, and in response to obstacles sensed by said navigation sensor; and

(b) a communication interface between said vehicle controller and said assistance controller to enable coordination between said system and said vehicle.

13. An automated personal assistance vehicle comprising:

(a) a vehicle frame;

(b) an occupant seat mounted on said frame;

(c) vehicle wheels rotatably mounted on said frame;

(d) a vehicle motor mounted on said frame and engaged with said wheels in such a manner as to propel and steer said vehicle when activated;

(e) a battery coupled with said motor in such a manner as to selectively activate said motor;

(f) a position coordinate system mounted on the frame to determine a location of said vehicle;

(g) a navigation sensor mounted on said frame and operative to detect objects in a path of said vehicle and to derive navigational parameters therefrom in cooperation with said position coordinate system;

(h) a speech recognition unit mounted on said frame and operative to convert vocal input from an occupant of said seat to coded vocal commands;

(i) a vehicle controller having said motor, said position coordinate system, said navigation sensor, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto, said controller being programmed to control navigation of said vehicle in cooperation with said position coordinate system in response to learned paths between locations of said environment, in response to said coded vocal commands, and in response to obstacles sensed by said navigation sensor;

(j) said vehicle controller being programmed with artificial intelligence to enable said vehicle controller to learn patterns of values of locations and navigational parameters of said vehicle sensed by said position coordinate system and navigation sensors and in response to vocal commands from said occupant to thereby adapt navigation of said vehicle in response to said patterns of values and vocal commands; and

(j) a telecommunication device interfaced to said vehicle controller and operative to regularly communicate reports of locations and navigational parameters of said vehicle and to a remote monitoring center, to report selected patterns of values of said locations and navigational parameters to said monitoring center, and to communicate with said monitoring center in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13 wherein:

(a) said vehicle controller is programmed to construct a map of an environment of said vehicle and to update said map in response to detecting structures and objects within said environment by said navigation sensor and position coordinate system and in response to vocal commands from said occupant.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13 in combination with:

(a) an automated personal assistance system including;

(1) a plurality of environmental sensors positioned at a residence and sensing respective environmental parameters of an environment of said residence;

(2) a plurality of occupant sensors sensing occupant parameters of an occupant of said residence including a current location of said occupant within said residence and a history of locations of said occupant;

(3) a plurality of environmental actuators controllable to vary said environmental parameters of said residence;

(4) a residence speech recognition unit including a microphone operable to receive and interpret vocal commands from said occupant;

(5) an assistance controller having said environmental and occupant sensors, said environmental actuators, and said speech recognition unit interfaced thereto and said vehicle controller remotely interfaced thereto; and

(6) said assistance controller being programmed to control said environmental parameters by way of said environmental actuators in response to values of said environmental and occupant parameters sensed by said environmental and occupant sensors and/or in response to vocal commands from said occupant.