Robot device and control method thereof

• US 6,374,157 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takamura, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/700,984
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/275, 700/251, 700/259, 701/200, 701/167, 701/169, 701/23, 701/25, 701/208, 701/220, 318/587, 901/1, 901/3, 901/9
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/088 with position, velocity or acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic

Abstract

Acceleration information, rotation angle information and rotation angular velocity information are detected by an acceleration sensor and a rotation angle sensor, and detected signals are stored into a storage section in time series. Specific information such as dispersion is calculated from the stored time series signals, and the state of the robot device is determined from the specific information. When it is detected as the state of the robot device that the robot device is lifted up, the movement of a predetermined movable part which acts to the outside is stopped.

Claims

1. A robot device comprising:

detection means for detecting the acceleration and/or the rotation angular velocity by an acceleration sensor and/or a gyro sensor;

storage means for storing, in time series, signals detected by the detection means as time series signals;

calculation means for calculating specific information from the time series signals stored in the storage means;

recognition means for recognizing its own state from the specific information calculated by the calculation means; and

output means for outputting an action based on its own state recognized by the recognition means.

2. The robot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calculation means calculates a dispersion value from the time series signals, and

the recognition means recognizes its own state on the basis of the dispersion value calculated by the calculation means.

3. The robot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calculation means performs digital filtering on the time series signals to calculate a specific frequency component, and

the recognition means recognizes its own state on the basis of the frequency component calculated by the calculation means.

4. The robot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein if its own state recognized by the recognition means is a state of being lifted up, the output means stops the operation of a predetermined movable part which acts to the outside.

5. The robot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein if its own state recognized by the recognition means is a state of being lifted up, the output means stops reading/writing of various information from/to external storage means.

6. The robot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein if its own state recognized by the recognition means is a state of being lifted up, the output means shifts the posture to such a posture that the user can easily hold the robot device.

7. The robot device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising contact state detection means for detecting the contact state with the ground,

wherein the recognition means recognizes its own state on the basis of the result of detection by the contact state detection means.

8. A control method for a robot device comprising:

a first step of detecting the acceleration and/or the rotation angular velocity by an acceleration sensor and/or a gyro sensor;

a second step of storing, in time series, signals obtained by detection as time series signals;

a third step of calculating specific information from the stored time series signals;

a fourth step of recognizing its own state from the calculated specific information; and

a fifth step of controlling an action of the robot device on the basis of its own recognized state.

9. The control method for a robot device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at the third step, a dispersion value as the specific information is calculated from the stored time series signals, and

at the fourth step, its own state is recognized on the basis of the calculated dispersion value.

10. The control method for a robot device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at the third step, digital filtering is performed on the stored time series signals to calculate a specific frequency component as the specific information, and

at the fourth step, its own state is recognized on the basis of the calculated frequency component.

11. The control method for a robot device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at the fifth step, if its own recognized state is a state of being lifted up, the operation of a predetermined movable part which acts to the outside of the robot device is stopped.

12. The control method for a robot device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at the fifth step, if its own recognized state is a state of being lifted up, reading/writing of various information from/to external storage means is stopped.

13. The control method for a robot device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at the fifth step, if its own recognized state is a state of being lifted up, the posture of the robot device is shifted to such a posture that the user can easily hold the robot device.

14. The control method for a robot device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at the fourth step, the contact state with the ground is detected and its own state is recognized on the basis of the result of detection.