System and method for generating an action of an automatic apparatus

• US 6,615,109 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• 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:
  US09/958,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/3, 700/215, 700/216, 700/221, 700/223-227, 700/234, 700/253, 700/258, 700/259, 700/232, 700/236, 705/1, 705/96, 705/67, 705/40, 705/50, 705/26, 705/64, 705/39, 705/14, 705/27, 705/52, 705/53, 705/80, 713/200, 713/201, 709/203, 709/218, 709/316
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).

Claims

1. An automatic apparatus comprising:

an attribute storage unit to store information on the attribute of a product;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of at least two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

an information comparator to make a comparison between the information stored in the attribute storage unit and information read from the product-related information reader;

the automatic apparatus being arranged to act in a predetermined manner when there is found a coincidence between the information as the result of comparison made in the information comparator.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined action is based on the information read from the product-related information reader.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information on the attribute of the product includes information on at least a supply source of the product and action-generation information corresponding to information on the source-related information, the source having made a predetermined contract with a manufacturer or distributor of the automatic apparatus; and

the predetermined action is based on the action-generation information.

4. The device according to claim 1, being an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

5. A method for generating an action of an automatic apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

reading, from a product, at least one of two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

making a comparison between information pre-stored in an attribute storage unit and information read in the product-related information reading step; and

allowing the automatic apparatus to act in a predetermined manner when there is found a coincidence between the information as the result of comparison made in the information comparing step.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

7. An information server comprising a sender to send information on the attribute of a product, cumulatively stored in an attribute storage unit included in an automatic apparatus, to a communication unit also included in the automatic apparatus;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

the attribute storage unit to store information on the attribute of a product;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of at least two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

an information comparator to make a comparison between information stored in the attribute storage unit and information read from the product-related information reader; and

the communication unit to store information into the attribute storage unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the information on the attribute of the product includes information on at least a supply source of the product and action-generation information corresponding to the source-related information, the source having made a predetermined contract with a manufacturer or distributor of the automatic apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

10. An information serving method in which information on the attribute of an product is sent to a communication unit included in an automatic apparatus;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

an attribute storage unit to store information on the attribute of a product;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of at least two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

an information comparator to make a comparison between information stored in the attribute storage unit and information read from the product-related information reader; and

the communication unit to store information into the attribute storage unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

12. An information server which reads attribute information sent from a communication unit included in an automatic apparatus and sends, to the communication unit, action-generation information intended to generate a predetermined action of the automatic apparatus when the read attribute information coincides with predetermined information;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

a controller to generate an action; and

the communication unit to supply the controller with information intended to generate an action of the automatic apparatus, acquire the attribute information read by the product-related information reader and send the acquired attribute information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the information on the attribute of the product includes information on at least a supply source of the product and action-generation information corresponding to the source-related information, the source having made a predetermined contract with a manufacturer or distributor of the automatic apparatus.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

15. An information serving method comprising steps of:

reading attribute information sent from a communication unit included in an automatic apparatus; and

sending, to the communication unit, action-generation information intended to generate a predetermined action of the automatic apparatus when the read attribute information coincides with predetermined information;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

a controller to generate an action; and

the communication unit to supply the controller with information intended to generate an action of the automatic apparatus acquire the attribute information read by the product-related information reader and send the acquired attribute information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.