State space navigation system, user system and business methods for machine to machine business

• US 7,451,126 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Otani, Shigeko, Hisano, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/978,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,581 Days
• Field of Search: 706/50, 607/73, 348/308, 600/365, 700/30, 250/234, 701/29
• US Class Current: 706/50
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/028 using expert systems only
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to provide a system which could make general use of a large set of previously accumulated knowledge data and provide an optimal solution for a problem based on these knowledge data. To achieve the aforesaid objectives, this invention uses state space navigator logic. The fundamental capability of a state space navigator is finding the optimal route in a state space to get from the current state to the target state. A state space is a space whose axes are a number of state variables. The points in this space represent the characteristic states of a system. The actual action from a state space to the next state space is determined according to the knowledge data base which was made based on an actual experience etc.

Claims

1. A knowledge application system comprising:

a user'"'"'s system; and

a knowledge application device,

wherein the knowledge application system is configured to change a current state of said user'"'"'s system to a target state based on a knowledge data base,

said user'"'"'s system comprising;

a user'"'"'s sensor unit configured to detect an electrical sensing signal, the electrical sensing signal being an output of said user'"'"'s system, the electrical sensing signal being an input to said knowledge application device;

a conversion unit configured to convert the detected electrical sensing signal by said user'"'"'s sensor unit into a universal state variable which is compatible with a reference output data detected by a reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base;

a comparison unit configured to compare said universal state variable representing said current state with said reference output data detected by said reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base; and

a user state changing unit configured to change said current state of said user'"'"'s system to said target state based on an output of said comparison unit,

said knowledge application device comprising;

a receiving means to receive a request from said user'"'"'s system, and predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system via a communication network;

a state route map memory means to store a plurality of state route maps in said knowledge data base;

a state route map reading means to read a specific state route map based on said received predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system, and store said specific state route map in a buffer area;

an access information memory means to store address information of said user'"'"'s sensor unit which outputs a state variable, and sensing model identification information to identify a sensing model which modifies said state variable of said detected sensing signal from said user'"'"'s sensor unit, said address information of said user'"'"'s sensor unit and sensing model identification information being defined based on said received predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system;

a sensing model memory means to store a plurality of sensing models in said knowledge data base, said sensing models corresponding to a sensing model identification information;

an information reading means to read said sensing model identification information, and said address information of said user'"'"'s sensor unit based on said predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system;

a sensing model reading means to read said sensing model based on said sensing model identification information;

a state variable generating means to read said detected sensing signal by said user'"'"'s sensor unit defined by said address information, and generate said universal state variable which represents said current state of said user'"'"'s system;

a state space navigator which determines series of actions according to said request from said user'"'"'s system based on said universal state variable and said state route map stored in said buffer area; and

an action output means to output a series of actions which are determined by said state space navigator,

wherein said target state corresponds to a desired state of said user'"'"'s system as determined by a user of said user'"'"'s system, and

wherein an actual selection of said user'"'"'s sensor unit installed in said user'"'"'s system and an actuator to perform said series of actions which are determined by said state space navigator, is determined by a Web software installed in said knowledge application device according to input specifications of said sensor and said actuator which are required for said user system.

2. A knowledge application system comprising:

a user'"'"'s system; and

a knowledge application device,

wherein the knowledge application system is configured to change a current state of said user'"'"'s system to a target state based on a knowledge data base,

said user'"'"'s system comprising;

a user'"'"'s sensor unit configured to detect an electrical sensing signal, the electrical sensing signal being an output of said user'"'"'s system, the electrical sensing signal being an input to said knowledge application device;

a conversion unit configured to convert the detected electrical sensing signal by said user'"'"'s sensor unit into a universal state variable which is compatible with a reference output data detected by a reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base;

a comparison unit configured to compare said universal state variable representing said current state with said reference output data detected by said reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base; and

a user state changing unit configured to change said current state of said user'"'"'s system to said target state based on an output of said comparison unit,

said knowledge application device comprising;

a receiving means to receive a request from said user'"'"'s system, and predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system via a communication network;

a state route map memory means to store a plurality of state route maps in said knowledge data base;

a state route map reading means to read a specific state route map based on said received predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system, and store said specific state route map in a buffer area;

an access information memory means to store address information of said user'"'"'s sensor unit which outputs a state variable, and sensing model identification information to identify a sensing model which modifies said state variable of said detected sensing signal from said user'"'"'s sensor unit, said address information of said user'"'"'s sensor unit and sensing model identification information being defined based on said received predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system;

a sensing model memory means to store a plurality of sensing models in said knowledge data base, said sensing models corresponding to a sensing model identification information;

an information reading means to read said sensing model identification information, and said address information of said user'"'"'s sensor unit based on said predetermined information to identify said user'"'"'s system;

a sensing model reading means to read said sensing model based on said sensing model identification information;

a state variable generating means to read said detected sensing signal by said user'"'"'s sensor unit defined by said address information, and generate said universal state variable which represents said current state of said user'"'"'s system;

a state space navigator which determines series of actions according to said request from said user'"'"'s system based on said universal state variable and said state route map stored in said buffer area; and

an action output means to output a series of actions which are determined by said state space navigator,

wherein said target state corresponds to a desired state of said user'"'"'s system as determined by a user of said user'"'"'s system,

wherein an actual installation method of said user'"'"'s sensor unit installed in said user'"'"'s system and an actuator to perform said series of actions which are determined by said state space navigator, is displayed on a display monitor in said user system, and

wherein said system is equipped with a direct communication function to receive an actual installation image of said sensor unit and said actuator in said user system, said image is captured by a camera unit installed in said user system, and said direct communication function is capable of communicating manually with said user system for sending an instruction from said device.

3. A knowledge application device to change the current state of a user'"'"'s system to a target state based on a knowledge data base, the device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an electrical sensing signal corresponding to an output of said user'"'"'s system, the electrical sensing signal being an input to said knowledge application device;

a conversion unit configured to convert the detected electrical sensing signal by said user'"'"'s sensor unit into a universal state variable which is compatible with a reference output data detected by a reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base;

a comparison unit configured to compare said universal state variable representing said current state with said reference output data detected by said reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base; and

a user state changing unit configured to change said current state of said user'"'"'s system to said target state based on an output of said comparison unit;

wherein said target state corresponds to a desired state of said user'"'"'s system as determined by a user of said user'"'"'s system, and

wherein said user'"'"'s system corresponds to a cooking device, and wherein said electrical sensing signal corresponds to at least one of a temperature within said cooking device and a pressure within said cooking device.

4. A knowledge application device to change a current state of a user'"'"'s system to a target state based on a registered knowledge data base using a sensing signal detected by a user'"'"'s sensor unit installed in said user'"'"'s system, wherein said detected sensing signal by said user'"'"'s sensor unit is converted into a universal state variable which is compatible with a reference output data detected by a reference sensor unit used in said registered knowledge data base, and said universal state variable representing said current state is compared with said reference output data detected by said reference sensor unit used in said knowledge data base for changing said current state of said user'"'"'s system to said target state, said knowledge application device, comprising:

a knowledge data base equipped with a state route map memory means to store a state route map which defines how to change a plurality of states between said current state to said target state, each change being indicated by an arc which connects two states between said current state to said target state;

a state space navigator, comprising;

an arc estimation means to extract an attribute of each arc in said state route map which defines each change of states, and calculates an estimation value of said extracted attribute of each arc;

a route estimation means to select a plurality of routes starting from a current state zone of said current state to a target state zone of said target state, and calculate each total estimation value of said plurality of routes;

an optimal route search means to compare each total estimation value of said selected plurality of routes selected by said route estimation means, and search an optimal route; and

an actuator to execute a series of actions specified in a series of arcs defined in said optimal route searched by said state space navigator.

5. The knowledge application device according to claim 4, further comprising means to execute a predetermined service or action in a specific state zone before reaching the said target state zone, or notification of specific information to a user of said user'"'"'s system.

6. The knowledge application device according to claim 4, further comprising a nearby function to execute a predetermined service or action at a neighbor space of said selected optimal route before reaching the said target state zone, or notification of specific information to a user of said user'"'"'s system.

7. The knowledge application device according to claim 4, wherein an actual selection of said user'"'"'s sensor unit installed in said user'"'"'s system and an actuator to perform said series of actions which are determined by said state space navigator, is determined by Web software installed in said knowledge application device according to input specifications of said user'"'"'s sensor unit and said actuator which are required for said user system.

8. The knowledge application device according to claim 4, wherein an actual installation method of said user'"'"'s sensor unit installed in said user'"'"'s system, and an actuator to perform said series of actions which are determined by said state space navigator, is displayed on a display monitor in said user system.

9. The knowledge application device according to claim 8, wherein said device is equipped with a direct communication function to receive an actual installation image of said sensor unit and said actuator in said user system, said image is captured by a camera unit installed in said user system, and said direct communication function is capable of communicating manually with said user system for sending an instruction from said device.

10. A state space navigator of a series of actions specified in a series of arcs defined in an optimal route, said series of arcs being directed from a current state zone representing a current state of a user'"'"'s system to a target state zone representing a target state, said state space navigator being used in a knowledge application device according to claim 4, to change said current state of said user'"'"'s system to said target state based on a registered knowledge data base using a sensing signal detected by a user'"'"'s sensor unit installed in said user'"'"'s system, said state space navigator comprising:

a state variable reading means to read one or more state variables representing said current state of said user'"'"'s system periodically or on demand;

a state zone reading means to read a plurality of state zones in a state space used for said user'"'"'s system, said plurality of state zones being stored in a state zone memory means;

a service action reading means to read a service action to be executed in each state zone;

a state zone detecting means to detect a current state zone having a current state position identified by said read state variables out of said plurality of read state zones; and

a service action control means to control said service action if said service action reading means reads executable service action in said current state zone.

11. A terminal control device which is an input/output means installed in a user system, and used for operating said user system by re-using a knowledge data stored in a knowledge application device according to claim 4, which is connected to the Internet, wherein said terminal control device is used for installing and adjusting a user'"'"'s sensor unit and an actuator in said user system.

12. A rental or lease rate adjusting method to adjust a rental or lease rate of an equipment or device, which calculates said rental or lease rate according to an actual usage data of said equipment or device, said actual usage data being obtained from a sensor signal of a sensor unit installed in said equipment or device, and a knowledge application device according to claim 4, which is connected to said equipment or device via the Internet.

13. A remote maintenance method to determine a maintenance of an equipment or device, which determines a necessary maintenance for said equipment or device according to an actual usage data of said equipment or device, said actual usage data being obtained from a sensor signal of a sensor unit installed in said equipment or device, and a knowledge application device according to claim 4, which is connected to said equipment or device via the Internet.

14. A verifying method to verify data concerning a condition of used equipment or device, which verifies an actual usage data of said used equipment or device, said actual usage data being obtained from a sensor signal of a sensor unit installed in said equipment or device, and a knowledge application device according to claim 4, which is connected to said equipment or device via the Internet.