INTERACTIVE ROBOT INITIALIZATION

• US 20120316676A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fouillade, Jean Sebastien, Sanchez, Russell, Papaefstathiou, Efstathios, Chalabi, Malek M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/246
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0005 Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means
• 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 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

Initial interaction between a mobile robot and at least one user is described herein. The mobile robot captures several images of its surroundings, and identifies existence of a user in at least one of the several images. The robot then orients itself to face the user, and outputs an instruction to the user with regard to the orientation of the user with respect to the mobile robot. The mobile robot captures images of the face of the user responsive to detecting that the user has followed the instruction. Information captured by the robot is uploaded to a cloud-storage system, where information is included in a profile of the user and is shareable with others.

Claims

1. A robot, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory comprises a plurality of components that are executable by the processor, the components comprising;

a search component that causes a camera on the robot to capture images of surroundings of the robot;

a recognizer component that recognizes existence of at least one user in at least one of the captured images;

an orientor component that causes a body of the robot to be oriented towards the at least one user; and

an image capture component that causes the camera to capture an image of a face of the user subsequent to the orientor component causing the body of the robot to be oriented towards the at least one user.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components further comprises:

a face recognizer component that identifies the user based at least in part upon the image of the face captured by the camera.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components further comprises:

a transmitter component that transmits the image of the face of the user to a cloud-based data store, the image of the face retained in the data store as a portion of a profile of the user.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the search component causes the camera on the robot to capture a 360 degree scan of the surroundings, and wherein the recognizer component recognizes the existence of the at least one user in the captured images subsequent to the camera capturing the 360 degree scan of the surroundings.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the search component causes the camera on the robot to capture images of the surroundings until the recognizer component recognizes the existence of the at least one user in the at least one captured image, and wherein the search component causes the camera on the robot to continue capturing images of the surroundings subsequent to the image capture component causing the camera to capture the image of the face of the user.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components further comprises:

an instructor component that outputs an instruction to the user to provide a voice sample subsequent to the orientor component causing the body of the robot to be oriented towards the at least one user; and

a voice capture component that captures the voice sample of the user and retains the name of the user in computer-readable storage.

7. The robot of claim 6, wherein the plurality of components further comprises:

a voice recognizer component that receives an audio signal from the user and recognizes the user based at least in part upon the captured voice sample.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components further comprises an instructor component that outputs a request to the user for information pertaining to the user.

9. The robot of claim 8, wherein the plurality of components further comprises a voice recognizer component that recognizes a voice command from the user as a response to the request.

10. The robot of claim 8, further comprising a keypad that receives a response to the request from the user.

11. The robot of claim 8, further comprising an antenna that receives a response to the request from a portable computing device.

12. The robot of claim 8, wherein the plurality of components further comprises a gesture recognizer component that recognizes a gesture of the user as a response to the request.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein the camera is an infrared camera and the image is an infrared image.

14. A method performed by a mobile robot, comprising:

using a camera to capture a plurality of images of surroundings of the robot;

locating an individual in at least one of the images;

orienting the robot to cause the individual to be in a center of a field of view of the camera;

outputting an instruction to the individual pertaining to orientation of the individual with respect to the robot;

detecting that the individual has responded to the instruction; and

capturing an image of the individual responsive to detecting that the individual has responded to the instruction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the instruction comprises an audible command output by the robot.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the instruction comprises a visual instruction displayed on a display screen of the robot.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the instruction comprises a projected instruction that is projected from a projector on the robot.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

capturing a second image of the individual subsequent to capturing the image of the individual responsive to detecting that the individual has responded to the instruction; and

recognizing the individual based at least in part upon a comparison between the second image and the first image.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

subsequent to capturing the image of the individual, capturing data at a sensor on the robot;

recognizing an event based at least in part upon the image of the individual and the data at the sensor on the robot; and

causing the robot to initiate an action responsive to recognizing the event.

20. A robot that comprises computer-readable data storage that includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the robot to perform acts comprising:

performing a 360 degree video scan of surroundings of the robot;

analyzing images in the video scan to recognize an individual that is in proximity to the robot;

rotating a body of the robot to face the individual recognized in the video scan;

outputting an instruction to the individual pertaining to orientation of the individual with respect to the robot;

detecting that the individual has followed the instruction;

responsive to detecting that the individual has followed the instruction, capturing an image of the individual; and

extracting features from the image that are indicative of an identity of the individual.