MOBILE APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20180288609A1
• Filed: 02/21/2018
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamaya, Takashi, Nakagome, Kouichi, Shimada, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,419,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A mobile apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a voice input unit configured to detect a signal from a user. In a case where the voice input unit detects a signal from the user and as a detection result of the signal from the user, it is determined that there is a signal from the user, the mobile apparatus performs sound source localization and specifies a location or direction in which the detected signal from the user is given. In a case where it is determined that the mobile apparatus is not able to move to the location where the signal from the user is given, a voice output unit configured to output a voice signal, a driving unit configured to move the mobile apparatus, and a light emitting unit configured to emit light performs predetermined control.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus comprising:

a signal detector configured to detect a signal;

a specifier configured to specify a location or direction in which the signal detected by the signal detector is given;

a movement controller configured to move the mobile apparatus to the location or direction specified by the specifier;

a determiner configured to determine whether the mobile apparatus is able to move to the location where the signal is given by the movement controller; and

a controller configured to perform predetermined control in a case where the determiner determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notifier, wherein

in a case where the determiner determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move, the controller performs a predetermined notification by the notifier.

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the predetermined notification is a notification by which the mobile apparatus prompts a user to call.

4. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a voice outputter, wherein

the predetermined notification is a voice output to the user by the voice outputter.

5. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the predetermined notification is an operation performed for the user by the controller, the operation being operation of each part of the mobile apparatus.

6. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a light emitter, wherein

the predetermined notification is light emission by the light emitter.

7. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the predetermined notification is a notification performed for the user by the controller, the notification being a notification to prompt the user to take a predetermined action.

8. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a voice outputter, wherein

the predetermined notification is a call performed for the user by the voice outputter, the call being a call to prompt the user to move to near the mobile apparatus, a call to prompt the user to move to a location where there is no obstacle between the user and the mobile apparatus, or a call to have the user pay attention to the mobile apparatus.

9. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined notification is an operation performed for the user by the controller, the operation being an operation to prompt the user to move to near the mobile apparatus, an operation to prompts the user to move to a location where there is no obstacle between the user and the mobile apparatus, or an operation to prompt the user to pay attention to the mobile apparatus.

10. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a light emitter, wherein

the predetermined notification is light emission to prompt the user to move to near the mobile apparatus, light emission to prompt the user to move to a location where there is no obstacle between the user and the mobile apparatus, or light emission to prompt the user to pay attention to the mobile apparatus, the light emission being performed to the user by light emitter.

11. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a searcher configured to search for a movement route to the location specified by the specifier,

wherein the case where the determiner determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move includes a case where the searcher has not been able to search for a movement route to the location or direction specified by the specifier.

12. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the case where the determiner determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move includes a case where the specifier has not been able to specify the location or direction in which a signal is given.

13. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a face detector,

wherein the controller performs control on the basis of a result of face detection by the face detector.

14. The mobile apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an attention determiner, wherein the attention determiner is configured to determine whether the face detected on the basis of the result of face detection is directed to the mobile apparatus.

15. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller further includes a searcher configured to search for a movement route to the location specified by the specifier, and in a case where the determiner determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move, the mobile apparatus moves to a position with good visibility toward the location or direction specified by the specifier.

16. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a notification count determiner configured to determine the number of times of notifications by the notifier, wherein

the controller controls the mobile apparatus on the basis of a determination result of the number of times of notifications.

17. The mobile apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the determiner determines whether the mobile apparatus is able to move to the location where the signal is given on the basis of the face detection result by the face detector.

18. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determiner determines whether a movement route on which the mobile apparatus is able to move a certain distance or longer to the location from which the signal is given is found.

19. A method of controlling a mobile apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a signal;

specifying a location or direction in which the signal detected by the detecting is given;

controlling a movement to move the mobile apparatus to the location or direction specified by the specifying;

determining whether the mobile apparatus is able to move by the controlling to the location where the signal is given; and

performing predetermined control in a case where the determining determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program executable by a computer of a device, which comprises, the program controlling the computer to perform functions comprising:

detecting a signal;

specifying a location or direction in which the detected signal is given;

controlling a movement to move the mobile apparatus to the specified location or direction;

determining whether it is possible to move to the location where the signal is given; and

performing predetermined control in a case where the determining determines that the mobile apparatus is not able to move.