Electronic pet system, network system, robot, and storage medium

• US 6,560,511 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yokoo, Naohiro, Fujita, Masahiro, Hattori, Masakazu, Hosonuma, Naoyasu, Kato, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/720,760
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 700/31, 700/245, 700/248, 700/258, 700/259, 318/568.1, 318/568.2, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/569, 318/16, 318/565, 901/1, 901/15, 901/47, 704/207, 704/209, 704/270, 348/121, 713/200, 701/23, 369/77.2, 709/203, 709/217-219, 709/223, 709/224, 340/436
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• 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

Abstract

An electronic pet with more reality using various types of devices. Specifically, a virtual electronic pet 202 and a pet-type robot 204 change the state of the emotion and the state of the instinct as the internal state of the electronic pet (information included in pet characteristic information 203) in accordance with surrounding information and internal information, and act in accordance with the state of the emotion and the state of the instinct. Transmission/reception of the internal state of the electronic pet (pet characteristic information 203) is made possible among the virtual electronic pet 202, the pet-type robot 204, and a personal computer 201. Thus, the action of the electronic pet is implemented by each device in accordance with the internal state of the electronic pet changed by another equipment.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

one or more implementation devices having transmission/reception means for transmitting and receiving the internal state of a living body object, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the living body object to act, and the identification information of the living body object, thus implementing the living body object;

a server device having management means for managing the internal state of the living body object and the identification information of the living body object, and transmission/reception means for transmitting/receiving at least the internal state and the identification information;

wherein the implementation devices and the server device are connected with each other via a network.

2. The network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal state of the implementation devices is stored in storage means, and

the internal state stored in the storage means is transmitted and received by the transmission/reception means.

3. The network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implementation device is an information processing device for carrying out processing for implementing the living body object by image display means, or a robot which controls a motion section to carry out processing for implementing the living body object as an existence in the real world.

4. The network system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the robot actually carries out an action based on the internal state via a posture or a motion to which the motion section can made transition from the current posture.

5. The network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal state indicates at least one of the state of the emotion and the state of the instinct.

6. The network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input information is at least one of surrounding information and internal information.

7. The network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal state is an internal state parameter expressed by a parameter, and

the internal state parameter is updated in accordance with the input information and the updated internal state parameter is stored into the storage means.

8. The network system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the internal state parameter has reached a threshold value, a predetermined action is selected and the action is actually carried out.

9. The network system as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the internal state parameter has reached a threshold value, a plurality of actions are selected and one of the actions is actually carried out.

10. A network system comprising:

an implementation device having transmission/reception means for transmitting and receiving the internal state of a living body object, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the living body object to act, thus implementing the living body object; and

an information processing device having transmission/reception means for transmitting and receiving the internal state of the living body object, the information processing device controlling the action of the living body object acting in a virtual world on the basis of the internal state of the living body object, the information processing device carrying out processing for displaying at least the virtual world and the living body object;

wherein information is transmitted and received between the implementation device and the information processing device via a network.

11. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the implementation device has storage means in which the living body object is stored, and

the internal state stored in the storage means is transmitted and received by the transmission/reception means.

12. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the implementation device and the network have radio transmission/reception means employing a Bluetooth radio interface, respectively, and are connected to each other via radio waves so as to carry out transmission/reception of information.

13. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the implementation device is an information processing device for carrying out processing for implementing the living body object by image display means, or a robot which controls a motion section to carry out processing for implementing the living body object as an existence in the real world.

14. The network system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the robot actually carries out an action based on the internal state via a posture or a motion to which the motion section can made transition from the current posture.

15. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the internal state indicates at least one of the state of the emotion and the state of the instinct.

16. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the input information is at least one of surrounding information and internal information.

17. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the internal state is an internal state parameter expressed by a parameter, and

the internal state parameter is updated in accordance with the input information.

18. The network system as claimed in claim 17, wherein when the internal state parameter has reached a threshold value, a predetermined action is selected and the action is actually carried out.

19. The network system as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the internal state parameter has reached a threshold value, a plurality of actions are selected and one of the actions is actually carried out.