Product presentation robot

• US 7,636,045 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Taizou, Sugiyama, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US11/167,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A product presentation biped robot implementing presentation of products such as vehicles through explanation of at least one among performance, specifications and operation of the products, is provided. The robot has a communication unit being capable of communicating with a database located externally of the robot and storing information including at least data needed for implementing the presentation of the products, a data acquirer accessing the database through the communication unit to acquire the data needed for implementing the presentation of one from among the products interested by a customer, and a product presentation implementor implementing the presentation of the one from among the products to the customer based on the acquired data presentation robot that implements product presentation, thereby enabling to ease the work of a salesperson.

Claims

1. A product presentation robot implementing presentation of products through explanation of at least one among performance, specifications and operation of the products, comprising:

a communication unit being capable of communicating with a database located externally of the robot and storing information including at least data needed for implementing the presentation of the products;

a data acquirer accessing the database through the communication unit to acquire the data needed for implementing the presentation of one from among the products interested by a customer; and

a product presentation implementor implementing the presentation of the one from among the products to the customer based on the acquired data.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the data acquirer includes:

an IC tag signal database storing IC tag signals transmitted by IC tags placed in the products;

an IC tag signal retriever retrieving one from among the IC tag signals, stored in the IC tag signal database, that is corresponding to the one from among the products interested by the customer;

an IC tag identification implementor identifying one from among the IC tags that transmits a signal corresponding to the retrieved IC tag signal; and

a product identification implementor identifying the one from among the products from the identified IC tag, and

wherein the data acquirer acquires the data from the database needed for implementing the presentation of the identified product.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the data acquirer includes:

a camera taking and producing images of surrounding of the robot; and

a product identification implementor identifying the one from among the products by analyzing the taken images, and

wherein the data acquirer acquires the data from the database needed for implementing the presentation of the identified product.

4. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the product presentation implementor includes:

a voice recognition unit recognizing a voice of the customer;

an utterance generator generating synthesized voice signals for utterance to the customer; and

a response generator recognizing a question raised from the customer and generating a spoken reply to the recognized question by operating at least one of the utterance generator and a member constituting the robot.

5. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the products are vehicles, wherein the robot further includes:

a map database storing information on a map of a region including a test-driving course, and

wherein the product presentation implementor implements the presentation of the one from among the products to the customer based on the acquired data, while directing along the test-driving course to the customer in accordance with the stored map information.

6. The robot according to claim 1, further including:

a self-position estimator estimating own position based on at least one of a GPS receiver built in the robot and a GPS receiver installed in the vehicles,

wherein the product presentation implementor implements the presentation of the one from among the products to the customer based on the acquired data, while directing along the test-driving course to the customer in accordance with the stored map information.

7. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit accesses the database through via an internet.

8. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the robot comprises a biped robot having a body and a pair of legs connected to the body.