Robot managing system, robot managing method, and information managing device

• US 6,577,924 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Otsuki, Tadashi, Konishi, Tetsuya, Kasuga, Tomoaki, Matsuoka, Tsunetaro, Ogura, Toshiya, Takemoto, Kunio, Okita, Ayako, Fujita, Yaeko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/958,363
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/246, 700/253, 700/257, 700/264, 700/213, 700/218, 700/228, 700/229, 340/7.2, 340/3.1, 340/7.21, 340/7.29, 340/870.28, 340/870.11, 340/683, 702/56, 702/188, 901/31, 901/37, 235/379, 235/375, 399/8, 399/9, 379/49, 379/91.02
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A robot-related information held at a robot user ad data held at a robot manufacturer as well as to enhance the user'"'"'s sense of attachment to the robot. Each of personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) has both a function to send information on a robot 1 to a telecommunication line (39) and a function to receive answer information sent from a server (38) to the robot user via the telecommunication line, and the server (38) generates answer information on the basis of robot-related information sent from the personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) via the telecommunication line and reference information previously stored in an information storage device and corresponding to the robot-related information and sends the answer information to the personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) via the telecommunication line. The answer information is a diagnostic report on the robot.

Claims

1. A robotic device management system comprising:

a transmitter to send, to a telecommunication line, information on an autonomous type robotic device which acts autonomously according to an external factor and/or internal factor;

an answer generator to generate answer information based on the robotic device-related information sent from the transmitter via the telecommunication line and reference information previously stored in an information storage means and corresponding to the robotic device-related information and send the answer information to a user of the robotic device via the telecommunication line; and

a receiver to receive the answer information sent from the answer generator to the robotic device user via the telecommunication line.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the robotic device is a one whose growth level is changed according to the external factor and/or internal factor and which acts in a different manner correspondingly to the changed growth level;

the transmitter sends information indicative of the changed growth level of the robotic device as the robotic device-related information; and

the answer generator generates information indicative of a growth transition as the answer information on the basis of the robotic device growth level information and the reference information.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the robotic device is a one whose character is changed according lo the external factor and/or internal factor and which acts in a different manner correspondingly to the changed character;

the transmitter sends information indicative of the changed character of the robotic device as the robotic device-related information; and

the answer generator generates information used to correct the robotic device character as the answer information on the basis of the robotic device character information and the reference information.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter sends information on the states of moving parts of the robotic device;

and

the answer generator generates information indicative of a diagnosis result as the answer information on the basis of the state information on the moving parts and reference information indicative of information on the normal operating state of the robotic device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the answer generator sends a list of servicemen for repair according to the diagnosis result along with the diagnosis result to the robotic device user via the telecommunication line.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter sends information indicative of a sending date;

and

the answer generator sends a greeting card to the robotic device user on a predetermined date on the basis of the sending date information.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter sends a plurality of the robotic device-related information;

and

the answer generator generates the answer information based on the robotic device-related information sent from the transmitter via the telecommunication line and the reference information taken out of the information storage means on the basis of a result of differentiation between the plurality of the robotic device-information.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter automatically generates the robotic device-related information for sending.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter sends information generated by the robotic device user as the robotic device-related information.

10. A robotic device management method comprising steps of:

sending, to a telecommunication line, information on an autonomous type robotic device which acts autonomously according to an external factor and/or internal factor;

preparing answer information based on the robotic device-related information sent in the sending step via the telecommunication line and reference information previously stored in an information storage device and corresponding to the robotic device-related information and sending the answer information to a user of the robotic device via the telecommunication line; and

receiving the answer information sent in the answer preparing step to the robotic device user via the telecommunication line.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the robotic device is a one whose growth level is changed according lo the external factor and/or internal factor and which acts in a different manner correspondingly to the changed growth level;

in the sending step, there is sent information indicative of the changed growth level of the robotic device as the robotic device-related information; and

in the answer generating step, there is generated information indicative of a growth transition as the answer information on the basis of the robotic device growth level information and the reference information.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the robotic device is a one whose character is changed according to the external factor and/or internal factor and which acts in a different manner correspondingly to the changed character;

in the sending step, there is sent information indicative of the changed character of the robotic device as the robotic device-related information; and

in the answer generating step, there is generated information used to correct the robotic device character as the answer information on the basis of the robotic device character information and the reference information.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein in the sending step, there is sent information on the states of moving parts of the robotic device;

and

in the answer generating step, there is generated information indicative of a diagnosis result as the answer information on the basis of the state information on the moving parts and reference information indicative of information on the normal operating state of the robotic device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the answer generating step, there is sent a list of servicemen for repair according to the diagnosis result along with the diagnosis result to the robotic device user via the telecommunication line.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein in the sending step, there is sent information indicative of a sending date;

and

in the answer generating step, there is sent a greeting card to the robotic device user on a predetermined date on the basis of the sending date information.

16. An information management apparatus comprising:

means for communicating, via a telecommunication line, with a user of an autonomous type robotic device which acts autonomously according to an external factor and/or internal factor; and

means for receiving information on the robotic device via the communicating means, preparing answer information based on the robotic device-related information and reference information previously stored in an information storage means and corresponding to the robotic device-related information, and sending the answer information to the robotic device user via the communicating means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the robotic device is a one whose growth level is changed according to the external factor and/or internal factor and which acts in a different manner correspondingly to the changed growth level;

and

the answer generator generates information indicative of a growth transition as the answer information on the basis of the robotic device growth level information as the robotic device-related information and the reference information.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the robotic device is a one whose character is changed according to the external factor and/or internal factor and which acts in a different manner correspondingly to the changed character;

and

the answer generator generates information used to correct the robotic device character as the answer information on the basis of the robotic device character information and the reference information.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the answer generator generates information indicative of a diagnosis result as the answer information on the basis of the state information on the moving parts of the robotic device as the robotic device-related information and reference information indicative of information on the normal operating state of the robotic device.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the answer generator sends a list of servicemen capable of a repair according to the diagnosis result along with the diagnosis result to the robotic device user via the communicating means.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the answer generator sends a greeting card to the robotic device user via the communicating means on a predetermined date on the basis of the sending date information sent from the robotic device user via the telecommunication line.

22. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the answer generator generates the answer information based on a plurality of the robotic device-related information as the robotic device-related information and the reference information taken out of the information storage means on the basis of a result of differentiation between the plurality of the robotic device-information.

23. A robotic device management method comprising steps of:

sending, by a user of an autonomous type robotic device which acts autonomously according to an external factor and/or internal factor, information on the robotic device, and receiving, by means of an information management apparatus, the robotic device-related information sent from the autonomous type robotic device;

managing the robotic device by the information management apparatus based on the robotic device-related information received in the receiving step; and

sending, by means of the information management apparatus, information on the state of the robotic device, generated in the managing step to the robotic device user.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising steps of:

making, to the information management apparatus, a request having been made by the robotic device user according to the robotic device state information sent in the sending step; and

making measures corresponding to an matter requested in the requesting step and to be effected by the information management apparatus.