Affect-based robot communication methods and systems

• US 6,038,493 A
• Filed: 02/11/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vulcan Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Interval Research Corporation
• Inventors: Tow, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US09/021,780
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 901/47, 446/337, 446/338, 463/30-35, 345/952, 345/978, 706/13, 700/56, 700/61, 700/62, 700/259, 700/248, 40/411-420
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2476 Speech or voice synthesisers, e.g. using a speech chip
• 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

Abstract

An affect-based method of communication between robots is provided by displaying a visual facial expression indicative of a simulated emotional state on a display device of a first robot, and viewing the visual facial expression using a camera on a second robot. The simulated emotional state may be one of happiness, anger, or sadness, for example. The second robot determines the simulated emotional state based upon the visual facial expression. The second robot processes the simulated emotional state to redefine its own simulated emotional state, and to display a visual facial expression indicative thereof. The visual facial expression allows a human observer to discern the simulated emotional state of the robot. Optionally, the robots further communicate affect using audio tones.

Claims

1. An actual, autonomous a robot comprising:

a display device displaying a visual facial expression indicative of an internal state of the robot, the visual facial expression selected from a plurality of visual facial expressions.

2. The robot of claim 1 wherein the internal state is a simulated emotional state of the robot.

3. The robot of claim 1 wherein the plurality of visual facial expressions includes an anger expression, a sadness expression, and a happiness expression.

4. The robot of claim 1 wherein the visual facial expression is discernable by a human observer.

5. The robot of claim 1 further comprising a processor which executes a sequence of program steps to define the internal state of the robot.

6. The robot of claim 5 further comprising a camera in communication with the processor to view a visual facial expression from a like robot, wherein the processor determines an internal state of the like robot from the visual facial expression of the like robot.

7. The robot of claim 6 wherein the processor processes the internal state of the like robot to redefine the internal state of the robot.

8. The robot of claim 7 wherein the processor processes the internal state of the like robot using a genetic algorithm to redefine the internal state of the robot.

9. The robot of claim 1 further comprising a transport mechanism for positioning the robot within an environment based upon a control signal.

10. The robot of claim 9 further comprising at least one sensor to detect a position of an object within an environment of the robot, wherein the control signal is generated to position the robot based upon the position of the object.

11. The robot of claim 10 wherein the object is a human.

12. The robot of claim 11 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication with the human.

13. The robot of claim 11 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the human.

14. The robot of claim 10 wherein the object is a like robot.

15. The robot of claim 14 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication of the visual facial expression of the robot and a visual facial expression of the like robot between the robot and the like robot.

16. The robot of claim 14 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the like robot.

17. An actual robot comprising:

a processor; and

a camera in communication with the processor to view a visual facial expression from a like robot, the visual facial expression being indicative of an internal state of the like robot, wherein the processor determines the internal state of the like robot from the visual facial expression.

18. The robot of claim 17 wherein the processor processes the internal state of the like robot to define an internal state of the robot.

19. The robot of claim 18 further comprising a display device in communication with the processor for displaying a visual facial expression indicative of the internal state of the robot.

20. An actual, autonomous robot comprising:

a processor which executes a sequence of program steps to define a first internal state of the robot; and

a display device in communication with the processor, the display device displaying a first visual facial expression indicative of the first internal state of the robot, the first visual facial expression selected from a plurality of visual face expressions.

21. The robot of claim 20 further comprising a camera in communication with the processor to view a second visual facial expression from a like robot, wherein the processor determines a second internal state of the like robot from the second visual facial expression.

22. The robot of claim 21 wherein the processor processes the second internal state to redefine the first internal state.

23. The robot of claim 22 wherein the processor processes the second internal state using a genetic algorithm to redefine the first internal state.

24. The robot of claim 20 wherein the internal state is a simulated emotional state of the robot.

25. The robot of claim 20 wherein the plurality of visual facial expressions includes an anger expression, a sadness expression, and a happiness expression.

26. The robot of claim 20 further comprising a transport mechanism for positioning the robot within an environment based upon a control signal, wherein the processor generates the control signal for controlling the transport mechanism.

27. The robot of claim 26 further comprising at least one sensor in communication with the processor to detect a position of an object within the environment of the robot, wherein the processor generates the control signal to position the robot based upon the position of the object.

28. The robot of claim 27 wherein the object is a human.

29. The robot of claim 28 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication with the human.

30. The robot of claim 28 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the human.

31. The robot of claim 27 wherein the object is a like robot.

32. The robot of claim 31 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication of the visual facial expression of the robot and a visual facial expression of the like robot between the robot and the like robot.

33. The robot of claim 31 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the like robot.

34. The robot of claim 20 further comprising:

an auditory input sensor to sense a vocal signal produced by a human; and

a voice analyzer which analyzes the vocal signal to detect an affect of the human;

wherein the processor processes the affect detected by the voice analyzer to redefine the first internal state.

35. The robot of claim 34 wherein the processor processes the affect using a genetic algorithm to redefine the first internal state.

36. A method of operating a robot having an actual, autonomous display device, the method comprising:

displaying a visual facial expression on the display device indicative of an internal state of the robot, the visual facial expression selected from a plurality of visual facial expressions.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the internal state is a simulated emotional state of the robot.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the plurality of visual facial expressions includes an anger expression, a sadness expression, and a happiness expression.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the visual facial expression is discernable by a human observer.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the robot further includes a processor, the method further comprising:

executing a sequence of program steps using the processor to define the internal state of the robot.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the robot further includes a camera, the method further comprising:

viewing a visual facial expression from a like robot using the camera; and

determining an internal state of the like robot from the visual facial expression of the like robot.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising processing the internal state of the like robot to redefine the internal state of the robot.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the internal state of the like robot is processed using a genetic algorithm to redefine the internal state of the robot.

44. The method of claim 36 wherein the robot further includes a transport mechanism for positioning the robot within an environment, the method further comprising:

generating a control signal for controlling the transport mechanism; and

positioning the robot within the environment based upon the control signal.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

detecting a position of an object within the environment of the robot;

wherein the control signal is generated to position the robot based upon the position of the object.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the object is a human.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication with the human.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the human.

49. The method of claim 45 wherein the object is a like robot.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication of the visual facial expression of the robot and a visual facial expression of a like robot between the robot and the like robot.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the like robot.

52. A method of operating a robot having an actual processor and a camera, the method comprising:

viewing a visual facial expression from a like robot using the camera, the visual facial expression being indicative of an internal state of the like robot; and

determining the internal state of the like robot from the visual facial expression using the processor.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising processing the internal state of the like robot to define an internal state of the robot.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the robot further includes a display device, the method further comprising:

displaying on the display device a visual facial expression indicative of the internal state of the robot.

55. A method of operating a robot having an actual, autonomus processor and a display device, the method comprising:

executing a sequence of program steps using the processor to define a first internal state of the robot; and

displaying a first visual facial expression on the display device, the first visual facial expression indicative of the first internal state of the robot, the first visual facial expression selected from a plurality of visual facial expressions.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the robot further includes a camera, the method further comprising:

viewing a second visual facial expression from a like robot using the camera; and

determining a second internal state of the like robot from the second visual facial expression.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising processing the second internal state to redefine the first internal state.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the second internal state is processed using a genetic algorithm to redefine the first internal state.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein the first internal state is a simulated emotional state of the robot, and wherein the second internal state is a simulated emotional state of the like robot.

60. The method of claim 55 wherein the plurality of visual facial expressions includes an anger expression, a sadness expression, and a happiness expression.

61. The method of claim 55 wherein the robot further includes a transport mechanism for positioning the robot within an environment, the method further comprising:

generating a control signal for controlling the transport mechanism; and

positioning the robot within the environment based upon the control signal.

62. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

detecting a position of an object within the environment of the robot;

wherein the control signal is generated to position the robot based upon the position of the object.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the object is a human.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication with the human.

65. The method of claim 63 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the human.

66. The method of claim 62 wherein the object is a like robot.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein the transport mechanism positions the robot to facilitate communication of the first visual facial expression of the robot and a visual facial expression of a like robot between the robot and the like robot.

68. The method of claim 66 wherein the transport mechanism moves the robot in synchrony with movements of the like robot.

69. The method of claim 55 further comprising:

sensing a vocal signal produced by a human;

analyzing the vocal signal to detect an affect of the human; and

processing the affect detected by the voice analyzer to redefine the first internal state.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein the affect is processed using a genetic algorithm to redefine the first internal state.