Robot system and robot apparatus control method

• US 7,139,642 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iijima, Kazuyuki, Ishii, Kazuo, Iijima, Yuko, Fukushima, Noriyuki, Takamura, Seiichi, Hiroi, Jun, Ikeda, Nozomu, Kamoto, Satoru, Oikawa, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke, Christine M.
• Application Number:
  US10/250,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 700/248, 700/250, 700/246, 700/86, 700/245, 706/10, 706/11, 706/4, 446/7, 446/454, 446/456, 901/1, 901/50
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/20 with pairs of legs, e.g. horses
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• 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

The present invention aims to provide an improved entertainment property. In a robot system where a plurality of robot apparatus act autonomously, each robot apparatus has wireless communication means, and when the robot apparatus make conversation between themselves, the contents of the conversation are transmitted to and received by the robot apparatus as a command and/or a semantics through the wireless communication means of both.

Claims

1. A robot system where a plurality of robot apparatus autonomously act, wherein each of said robot apparatus comprises wireless communication means, and, when said robot apparatus make conversation with each other, contents of said conversation are transmitted to and received by said robot apparatus as a command and/or a semantics through said wireless communication means of both, comprising:

a remote control device for remotely controlling robot apparatus selected out of said plurality of robot apparatus by wireless communication, wherein said remote control device displays said contents of conversation transmitted from each of said robot apparatus being control target,

wherein each of said robot apparatus comprises sensor means for detecting external circumstances and/or input from outside, update means for updating, based on said detection result, emotion and/or instinct model modeling emotion and/or instinct previously kept, and decision means for deciding emotion and/or instinct based on said updated emotion and/or instinct model, wherein the wireless communication device transmits a result decided by said decision means and name-card information unique to said robot apparatus to said remote control device; and

said remote control device selects, based on emotion and/or instinct represented by said decided result transmitted from corresponding said robot apparatus, a corresponding pictographic character among a plurality of pictographic character data previously kept, and displays a pictographic character based on said selected pictographic character data on said display means,

wherein said remote control device reproduces an LED file for each flash pattern of each LED situated on said robot apparatus and stores said each flash pattern in memory for control under said remote control device.

2. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein said remote control device displays a pictographic character based on pictographic character data selected based on emotion and/or instinct represented by said decided result transmitted from said corresponding robot apparatus, with being synchronized with said contents of conversation, on said display means.

3. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said robot apparatus comprises a speaker for outputting sound and a microphone for collecting said sound; and

one of said robot apparatus collects, through said microphone, prescribed sound output from the other said robot apparatus through said speaker, and specifies direction of the robot apparatus having output said prescribed sound based on said sound collection result when said robot apparatus are under communicating state each other through said wireless communication means of both.

4. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said robot apparatus comprises memory means for storing motion data representing prescribed motion and/or action patterns; and

one of said robot apparatus reads said motion data from said memory means to transmit to the other said robot apparatus when said robot apparatus are under communicating state each other through said wireless communication means of both.

5. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein

said decision means sets a plurality of contents of utterance based on said pictographic character to output action next to said decided result so as to randomly select one of said contents of utterance.

6. A control method for robot apparatus autonomously acting, wherein when said robot apparatus make conversation with each other, contents of said conversation are transmitted to and received by both said robot apparatus as a command and/or a semantics through wireless communication,

wherein a remote control device for remotely controlling said robot apparatus by wireless communication is arranged to display said contents of conversation transmitted from said robot apparatus, said method comprising:

a first step of making said robot apparatus update emotion and/or instinct model modeling emotion and/or instinct previously kept based on detection result of external circumstances and/or input from outside, decide emotion and/or instinct based on said updated emotion and/or instinct model, and transmitting said decided a result and name-card information unique to said robot apparatus to said remote control device; and

a second step of making said remote control device select a corresponding pictographic character among a plurality of pictographic character data previously kept based on emotion and/or instinct represented by said decided result transmitted from corresponding said robot apparatus, and display a pictographic character based on said selected pictographic character data on said display means,

wherein said remote control device reproduces an LED file for each flash pattern of each LED situated on said robot apparatus and stores said each flash pattern in memory for control under said remote control device.

7. The control method for robot apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

at said second step, said remote control device displays a pictographic character based on pictographic character data selected based on emotion and/or instinct represented by said decided result transmitted from said corresponding robot apparatus, with being synchronized with said contents of conversation, on said display means.

8. The control method for robot apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

one of said robot apparatus collects, through said microphone, prescribed sound output from the other said robot apparatus through said speaker and specifies direction of the robot apparatus having output said prescribed sound based on said sound collection result, when said robot apparatus are under communicating state each other through said wireless communication means of both.

9. The control method for robot apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

one of said robot apparatus reads said motion data representing prescribed motion and/or action patterns from said memory means to transmit to the other said robot apparatus when said robot apparatus are under communicating state each other through said wireless communication means of both.

10. The robot system according to claim 6, wherein

said first step sets a plurality of contents of utterance based on said pictographic character to output action next to said decided result so as to randomly seleot one of said contents of utterance.

11. A robot system where a plurality of robot apparatus autonomously expressing actions make wireless communication with each other based on a prescribed wireless communication standard, wherein:

each of said robot apparatus coniprises terminal means for making wireless communication based on said wireless communication standard; and

terminal means of one of said robot apparatus transmits a connection request at a prescribed timing, and, when terminal means of the other said robot apparatus having received said connection request returns a response, terminal means of both said robot apparatus transmit and receive name card information unique to said robot apparatus each other after connection establishment of said wireless communication, further comprising;

a wireless terminal device comprising terminal means for making wireless communication based on said wireless communication standard,

wherein when said wireless terminal device returns a response at reception of said connection request transmitted from terminal means of said robot apparatus, after connection establishment of said wireless communication, said terminal means transmits name-card information unique to said wireless terminal device to terminal means of said robot apparatus while terminal means of said robot apparatus transmits name card information unique to said robot apparatus to terminal means of said wireless terminal device,

wherein a remote control device reproduces an LED file for each flash pattern of each LED situated on said robot apparatus and stores said each flash pattern in memory for control under said remote control device.

12. A control method for robot apparatus making wireless communication based on a prescribed wireless communication standard between a plurality of robot apparatus autonomously expressing actions, wherein

one of said robot apparatus transmits a connection request at a prescribed timing, and, when the other said robot apparatus having received said connection request returns a response, both said robot apparatus transmit and receive name card information unique to said robot apparatus each other after connection establishment of said wireless communication;

and

wherein as for a wireless tenninal device having returned a response at reception of said connection request transmitted from said robot apparatus, after connection establishment of said wireless communication with said robot apparatus, said wireless tenninal device transmits name card information unique to said wireless terminal device to said robot apparatus while said robot apparatus transmits name card information unique to said robot apparatus to said wireless terminal device,

wherein a remote control device reproduces an LED file for each flash pattern of each LED situated on said robot apparatus and stores said each flash pattern in memory for control under said remote control device.