Storage medium, robot, information processing device and electronic pet system

• US 6,449,518 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yokoo, Naohiro, Fujita, Masahiro, Kitano, Hiroaki, Hattori, Masakazu, Kato, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/135,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 700/86, 700/1, 700/11, 700/17
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/005 characterised by the type of game, e.g. ball games, fighting games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• 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: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

An electronic pet having reality by various machines is implemented. An IC card stores a matter to be renewed in accordance with an action when an electronic pet takes the action on the basis of an internal status parameter which contains the feeling of the electronic pet and represents the internal status thereof, and it is detachably mounted in a device functioning as the body of the electronic pet. A virtual pet device functions as the body of the electronic pet and performs processing to display the electronic pet, and it has a slot in which the IC card is detachably mounted. A pet type robot functions as the body of the electronic pet, and it has a slot in which the IC card is detachably mounted.

Claims

1. A storage medium detachably mounted in a body machine, the body machine serving as a body for a virtual living-body object, the storage medium comprising:

an internal status parameter representing an internal status of the virtual living-body object including a feeling of the virtual living-body object;

renewable data to be renewed in accordance with an action taken by the virtual living-body object, the action being based on the internal status parameter; and

character/action tendency information for defining at least one of a character tendency and an action tendency of the virtual living-body object, wherein the virtual living-body object takes a further action based on both the character/action tendency information and the internal status parameter.

2. The storage medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of the virtual living-body object.

3. The storage medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy when said virtual living-body object takes a prescribed action.

4. The storage medium as claimed in claim 3, wherein said virtual living-body object takes a prescribed action when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the prescribed action.

5. The storage medium as claimed in claim 4, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of said virtual living-body object, and when said virtual living-body object takes the action because the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the prescribed action, the internal status parameter is renewed on the basis of the renewal information corresponding to the action which is taken by said virtual living-body object.

6. The storage medium as claimed in claim 4, wherein when said internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to plural actions, said virtual living-body object selects one of the plural actions and takes the selected action.

7. The storage medium as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to plural actions, if two or more of the plural actions can be taken at the same time, said virtual living-body object takes two or more of the actions at the same time.

8. The storage medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein the character/action information tendency information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

9. The storage medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make said virtual living-body object take a prescribed action, and information of the condition information which is associated with an action as a trick is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

10. The storage medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make said virtual living-body object take a prescribed action, and the condition information corresponding to a new action is added in accordance with an input from the external.

11. The storage medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein the character/action tendency information used to make said virtual living-body object take an action is renewed in accordance with a time lapse.

12. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein plural character/action tendency information pieces are stored, and an information piece used to make said virtual living-body object take an action is selected from the plural character/action tendency information pieces in accordance with the time lapse.

13. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein plural character/action tendency information pieces are stored, and an interpolation is performed on the basis of the plural character/action tendency information to generate character/action tendency information used at each time.

14. The storage medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage medium comprises an IC (integrated circuit) card or a magnetic disk.

15. A robot functioning as a body of a virtual living-body object, the robot comprising a detachably mounted storage medium which stores renewable data and character/action tendency information, the renewable data being renewed in accordance with an action taken by the virtual living-body object based on an internal status parameter, the internal status parameter representing an internal status of the virtual living-body object including a feeling of the virtual living-body object, and the character/action tendency information defining at least one of a character tendency and an action tendency of the virtual living-body object, wherein the virtual living-body object takes a further action based on both the character/action tendency information and the internal status parameter.

16. The robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of said virtual living-body object.

17. The robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make said virtual living-body object take a prescribed action.

18. The robot as claimed in claim 17, wherein said virtual living-body object takes a prescribed action when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the prescribed action.

19. The robot as claimed in claim 18, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of said virtual living-body action, and the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to a prescribed action and thus said virtual living-body object takes the action, the internal status parameter is renewed on the basis of the renewal amount information corresponding to the action which said virtual living-body object takes.

20. The robot as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to plural actions, said virtual living-body object selects one of the plural actions and takes the selected action.

21. The robot as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the plural actions, if two or more of the plural actions can be simultaneously performed, said virtual living-body object takes the two or more actions at the same time.

22. The robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the character/action tendency information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

23. The robot as claimed in claim 22, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter satisfies to make the virtual living-body object take a prescribed action, and information on actions as tricks in the condition information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

24. The robot as claimed in claim 22, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make the virtual living-body take a prescribed action, and the condition information corresponding to a new action is added in accordance with an input from the external.

25. The robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the character/action tendency information used to make the virtual living-body object take an action is renewed in accordance with a time lapse.

26. The robot as claimed in claim 25, wherein said storage medium stores plural character/action tendency information, and information to make said virtual living-body object take an action is selected from the plural character/action tendency information in accordance with the time lapse.

27. The robot as claimed in claim 25, wherein said storage medium stores plural character/action tendency information, and character/action tendency information used at each time is generated by performing interpolation on the basis of the plural character/action tendency information.

28. The robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein said storage medium comprises an IC (integrated circuit) card or a magnetic disk.

29. An information processing device which functions as a body of a virtual living-body object and which performs processing to display the virtual living-body object, the information processing device comprising a detachably mounted a storage medium which stores renewable data and character/action tendency information, the renewable data being renewed in accordance with an action taken by the virtual living-body object based on an internal status parameter, the internal status parameter representing an internal status of the virtual living-body object including a feeling of the virtual living-body object, and the character/action tendency information defining at least one of a character tendency and an action tendency of the virtual living-body object, wherein the virtual living-body object takes a further action based on both the character/action tendency information and the internal status parameter.

30. The information processing device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of said virtual living-body object.

31. The information processing device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make said virtual living-body object take a prescribed action.

32. The information processing device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said virtual living-body object takes a prescribed action when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the prescribed action.

33. The information processing device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of said virtual living-body action, and the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to a prescribed action and thus said virtual living-body object takes the action, the internal status parameter is renewed on the basis of the renewal amount information corresponding to the action which said virtual living-body object takes.

34. The information processing device as claimed in claim 32, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to plural actions, said virtual living-body object selects one of the plural actions and takes the selected action.

35. The information processing device as claimed in claim 32, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the plural actions, if two or more of the plural actions can be simultaneously performed, said virtual living-body object takes the two or more actions at the same time.

36. The information processing device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the character/action tendency information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

37. The information processing device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter satisfies to make the virtual living-body object take a prescribed action, and information on actions as tricks in the condition information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

38. The information processing device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make the virtual living-body take a prescribed action, and the condition information corresponding to a new action is added in accordance with an input from the external.

39. The information processing device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the character/action tendency information used to make the virtual living-body object take an action is renewed in accordance with a time lapse.

40. The information processing device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said storage medium stores plural character/action tendency information, and information to make said virtual living-body object take an action is selected from the plural character/action tendency information in accordance with the time lapse.

41. The information processing device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said storage medium stores plural character/action tendency information, and character/action tendency information used at each time is generated by performing interpolation on the basis of the plural character/action tendency information.

42. The information processing device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said storage medium comprises an IC (integrated circuit) card or a magnetic disk.

43. An electronic pet system, comprising:

a storage medium for storing renewable data to be renewed in accordance with an action taken by an electronic pet, the action being based on an internal status parameter which represents an internal status of the electronic pet including a feeling of the electronic pet, the storage medium capable of being detachably mounted in a device functioning as a body of the electronic pet;

a robot which functions as a first body of the electronic pet, and in which the storage medium may be detachably mounted; and

an information processing device which functions as a second body of the electronic pet by performing processing to display the electronic pet and in which the storage medium may be detachably mounted;

wherein the storage medium further stores character/action tendency information for defining at least one of a character tendency and an action tendency of the electronic pet and the electronic pet takes a further action based on both the character/action tendency information and the internal status parameter.

44. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 43, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount in accordance with the action of the electronic pet.

45. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 43, wherein said character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter satisfies to make the electronic pet take an action.

46. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 45, wherein the electronic pet takes a prescribed action when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to the prescribed action.

47. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the character/action tendency information has renewal amount information on a renewal amount when the internal status parameter is renewed in accordance with the action of the electronic pet, and when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to a prescribed action and thus the electronic pet takes the action, the internal status parameter is renewed on the basis of the renewal amount information corresponding to the action which the electronic pet takes.

48. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 46, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to plural actions, the electronic pet selects one of the plural actions, and takes the selected action.

49. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 46, wherein when the internal status parameter satisfies the condition information corresponding to plural actions, if two or more of the plural actions can be simultaneously performed, the electronic pet takes the two or more actions at the same time.

50. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 43, wherein the character/action tendency information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

51. The electronic pet system as claim in claim 50, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make the electronic pet take a prescribed action, and information on actions as tricks in the condition information is renewed in accordance with an input from the external.

52. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 50, wherein the character/action tendency information has condition information on a condition which the internal status parameter should satisfy to make the electronic pet take a prescribed action.

53. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 43, wherein the character/action tendency information used to make the electronic pet take an action is renewed in accordance with a time lapse.

54. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 53, wherein said storage medium stores plural character/action tendency information pieces, and an information piece used to make the electronic pet take an action is selected from the plural character/action tendency information pieces in accordance with the time lapse.

55. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 53, wherein said storage medium stores plural character/action tendency information, and character/action tendency information at each time is generated by performing interpolation on the plural character/action tendency information.

56. The electronic pet system as claimed in claim 43, wherein said storage medium comprises an IC (integrated circuit) card or a magnetic disk.