Robot behavior control system, behavior control method, and robot device

• US 7,813,835 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohtani, Shinya, Fujita, Masahiro, Takagi, Tsuyoshi, Horinaka, Rika
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US10/477,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,766 Days
• Field of Search: 700/31, 700/245, 700/248, 700/258, 700/259, 700/253, 700/255, 318/565, 318/568.11, 318/568.2, 318/569, 318/567, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 318/580, 318/587, 348/121, 704/207, 704/209, 704/270, 901/1, 901/15, 901/47, 901/46, 342/125, 342/174, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/50, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 180/168, 180/169, 382/153, 382/154, 702/150, 702/152, 702/153
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/003 by means of an audio-responsive input audible safety signals B25J19/061
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33052 Subsumption architecture, behavioral modules in layers, override older ones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39254 Behaviour controller, robot have feelings, learns behaviour
• 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

A behavior control system for a robot apparatus that operates autonomously. The behavior control system includes a plurality of behavior description sections for describing motions of the robot and an external environment recognition section. The system also includes an internal state management section for managing an internal state of the robot in response to the recognized external environment and/or a result of execution of a behavior, and for managing emotions. A behavior evaluation section evaluates execution of behaviors in response to the external environment and/or the internal state.

Claims

1. A behavior control system for a robot apparatus that operates autonomously, comprising:

a plurality of behavior description sections for describing motions of a machine body of said robot;

an external environment recognition section for recognizing an external environment of said machine body;

an internal state management section for managing an internal state of said robot in response to the recognized external environment and/or a result of execution of a behavior, and for managing emotions each of which is an index to the internal state in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers; and

a behavior evaluation section for evaluating execution of behaviors described in said behavior description sections in response to the external environment and/or the internal state,

wherein said behavior description sections are arranged in a tree structure form in accordance with implementation levels of the machine body motions,

wherein said behavior evaluation section simultaneously and concurrently evaluates a plurality of ones of said behavior description sections from above to below in the tree structure, and

wherein said internal state management section divides the emotions into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and further divides the primary emotions into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

2. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 1, wherein

said external environment recognition section performs at least one of visual recognition of the outside, auditory recognition of sound generated outside said robot and contact recognition of contact applied from the outside to said robot.

3. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 1, wherein

said internal state management section manages an instinct model and/or a feeling model of said robot.

4. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a behavior selection section for selectively executing, when evaluation of each of said behavior description sections is performed by said behavior evaluation section in response to new recognition by said external environment recognition section and/or a variation of the internal state by said internal state management section, a behavior described in the behavior description section based on the evaluation values.

5. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 4, further comprising:

a resource management section for managing conflict of a resource on said machine body when behaviors described in a plurality of ones of said behavior description sections are executed simultaneously,

said behavior selection section permits said resource management section to simultaneously select two or more ones of said behavior description sections in response to a conflict relationship of a resource.

6. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 4, wherein,

when a result of execution of evaluation for each of said behavior description sections by said behavior evaluation section based on new recognition by said external environment recognition section reveals appearance of a behavior description section which exhibits an evaluation value higher than that of the behavior being currently executed, said behavior selection section stops the behavior being currently executed and preferentially executes the behavior described in the behavior description section having the higher evaluation value.

7. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 6, wherein

said behavior selection section causes the behavior stopped once to be resumed after the behavior executed preferentially comes to an end.

8. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 4, wherein

said behavior selection section can successively select a same one of said behavior description sections in response to a variation of each different external environment, and

said behavior control system further comprises a working space management section for allocating an individual working space for each external environment every time the behavior described in the behavior description section is executed.

9. A behavior control system for a robot that operates autonomously, comprising:

one or more behavior modules each including a state machine which describes a motion of a machine body of said robot and a behavior evaluator for evaluating an activity level of a current machine body motion state of said state machine and a machine body resource to be used upon starting of the machine body motion state;

a behavior state control section for issuing an instruction to calculate an activity level and a use resource to said behavior evaluator of each of said behavior modules, selecting one of said behavior modules to be activated in response to the activity levels and the use resources of said behavior modules and issuing an instruction to said state machine of the selected behavior module to execute the state machine thereby to control behavior states of said behavior modules, and

an internal state management section for managing emotions each of which is an index to an internal state of the robot in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers,

wherein said internal state management section divides the emotions into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and further divides the primary emotions into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

10. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 9, wherein

said behavior evaluator evaluates the activity level of said state machine in response to an external environment of said machine body and/or an internal state of said robot.

11. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 9, wherein

said behavior modules are arranged in a tree structure form in accordance with implementation levels of the machine body motions, and

said behavior state control section is mounted in each of said behavior modules and issues an instruction to evaluate the activity level and the use resource, an instruction to select a behavior module and an instruction to execute the state machine to another one of said behavior modules which is positioned in a lower order in the tree structure.

12. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 9, wherein

said behavior state control section places one of said behavior modules whose activity level exhibits a drop from an active state into a standby state, and places another one of said behavior modules whose activity level exhibits a rise from a standby state into an active state.

13. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for storing, when any of said behavior modules is placed from an active state into a standby state, data necessary to resume the behavior module and activating a behavior necessary to place the behavior model into a standby state; and

means for regenerating, when the behavior model is placed back from the standby state into the active state, the stored data to initialize the state of the behavior module and activating a motion necessary to place the behavior module into the active state.

14. A behavior control system for a robot that operates autonomously, comprising:

one or more behavior modules each formed from a combination of a command for causing said robot to move and a behavior evaluator for evaluating a resource of a machine body of said robot necessary to execute the command;

means for detecting a machine body resource or resources in a released state;

means for selectively activating those of said behavior modules which can be executed with the released machine body resources in accordance with a predetermined priority order;

two or more ones of said behavior modules with which conflict of a resource does not occur being capable of being executed concurrently; and

an internal state management section for managing emotions each of which is an index to an internal state of the robot in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers,

wherein said internal state management section divides the emotions into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and further divides the primary emotions into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

15. A behavior control system for a robot that operates autonomously in response to an internal state thereof, comprising:

an internal state management section for managing emotions each of which is an index to the internal state in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers; and

a behavior selection section for selectively executing a behavior for satisfying one of the emotions in each of said layers,

wherein said internal state management section divides the emotions into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and further divides the primary emotions into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

16. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 15, wherein

said behavior selection section preferentially selects a behavior which satisfies a comparatively low order primary emotion.

17. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 16, wherein

said behavior selection section suppresses selection of a behavior which satisfies a comparatively low order primary emotion where a comparatively high order primary emotion exhibits significant shortage when compared with the comparatively low order primary emotion.

18. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 15, further comprising:

an external environment recognition section for recognizing a variation of an external environment of said robot,

said behavior selection section selecting a behavior based on an index to the external environment in addition to the index to the internal state.

19. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 15, wherein

said internal state management section changes the index to the internal state in response to passage of time.

20. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 15, wherein

said internal state management section changes the index to the internal state in response to execution of a behavior selected by said behavior selection section.

21. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 15, further comprising:

an external environment recognition section for recognizing a variation of an external environment of said robot,

said internal state management section changing the index to the internal state in response to a variation of the external environment.

22. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 15, further comprising:

an external environment recognition section for recognizing a variation of an external environment of said robot and an associative memory section for associatively storing a variation of the internal state from the external environment,

said internal state management section changing the index to the internal state based on a variation of the internal state recalled from the external environment by said associative memory section.

23. A behavior control system for a robot according to claim 22, wherein

said associative memory section associatively stores a variation of the internal state for each object article to be recognized.

24. A behavior control method for a robot which operates autonomously, a plurality of behavior description modules which describe motions of a machine body of said robot being prepared, said behavior control method comprising:

an external environment recognition step of recognizing an external environment of said machine body;

an internal state management step of managing an internal state of said robot in response to the recognized external environment and/or a result of execution of a behavior, and of managing emotions each of which is an index to the internal state in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers;

a behavior evaluation step of evaluating execution of behaviors described in said behavior description modules in response to the external environment and/or the internal state,

an arranging step of arranging said behavior description modules in a tree structure form in accordance with implementation levels of the machine body motions,

wherein at the behavior evaluation step, simultaneously and concurrently evaluating a plurality of ones of said behavior description modules from above to below in the tree structure, and

wherein at the internal state management step, the emotions are divided into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and the primary emotions are further divided into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

25. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 24, wherein,

at the external environment recognition step, at least one of visual recognition of the outside, auditory recognition of sound generated outside said robot and contact recognition of contact applied from the outside to said robot is performed.

26. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 24, wherein,

at the internal state management step, an instinct model and/or a feeling model of said robot is managed.

27. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 24, further comprising:

a behavior selection step of selectively executing, when evaluation of each of said behavior description modules is performed at the behavior evaluation step in response to new recognition at the external environment recognition step and/or a variation of the internal state at the internal state management step, a behavior described in the behavior description module based on the evaluation values.

28. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 27, further comprising:

a resource management step of managing conflict of a resource on said machine body when behaviors described in a plurality of ones of said behavior description section are executed simultaneously,

simultaneous selection of two or more ones of said behavior description section in response to a conflict relationship of a resource being permitted at the behavior selection step.

29. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 27, wherein,

when a result of execution of evaluation of each of said behavior description modules at the behavior evaluation step based on new recognition at the external environment recognition step reveals appearance of a behavior description module which exhibits an evaluation value higher than that of the behavior being currently executed, at the behavior selection step, the behavior being currently executed is stopped and the behavior described in the behavior description section having the higher evaluation value is preferentially executed.

30. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 29, wherein

said behavior selection step causes the behavior stopped once to be resumed after the behavior executed preferentially comes to an end.

31. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 27, wherein,

at the behavior selection step, a same one of said behavior description modules can be successively selected in response to a variation of each different external environment, and

said behavior control method further comprises a working space management step of allocating an individual working space for each external environment every time the behavior described in the behavior description module is executed.

32. A behavior control method for a robot that operates autonomously in response to an internal state thereof, comprising:

an internal state management step of managing emotions each of which is an index to the internal state in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers; and

a behavior selection step of selectively executing a behavior for satisfying one of the emotions in each of said layers,

wherein at the internal state management step, the emotions are divided into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and the primary emotions are further divided into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

33. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, wherein,

at the behavior selection step, a behavior which satisfies a comparatively low order primary emotion is preferentially selected.

34. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, wherein,

at the behavior selection step, selection of a behavior which satisfies a comparatively low order primary emotion is suppressed where a comparatively high order primary emotion exhibits significant shortage when compared with the comparatively low order primary emotion.

35. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, further comprising:

an external environment recognition step of recognizing a variation of an external environment of said robot,

a behavior being selected, at the behavior selection step, based on an index to the external environment in addition to the index to the internal state.

36. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, wherein,

at the internal state management step, the index to the internal state is changed in response to passage of time.

37. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, wherein,

at the internal state management step, the index to the internal state is changed in response to execution of a behavior selected at the behavior selection step.

38. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, further comprising:

an external environment recognition step of recognizing a variation of an external environment of said robot,

the index to the internal state being changed, at the internal state management step, in response to a variation of the external environment.

39. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 32, further comprising:

an external environment recognition step of recognizing a variation of an external environment of said robot and an associative memory step of associatively storing a variation of the internal state from the external state,

the index to the internal state being changed, at the internal state management step, based on a variation of the internal environment recalled from the external environment by the associative memory.

40. A behavior control method for a robot according to claim 39, wherein,

at the associative memory step, a variation of the internal state is associatively stored for each object article to be recognized.

41. A robot apparatus that generates a motion based on an internal input or an external input, comprising:

one or more behavior modules for determining a behavior of said robot,

wherein the behavior modules each includes a state machine which describes a motion of a machine body of said robot and a behavior evaluator for evaluating an activity level of a current machine body motion state of said state machine and a machine body resource to be used upon starting of the machine body motion state;

behavior module management means for managing said behavior modules;

state storage means for storing current states of said behavior modules;

one or more state machines corresponding to the states stored in said state storage means for outputting a behavior instruction based on an external or internal input; and

an internal state management section for managing emotions each of which is an index to an internal state of the robot in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers,

wherein said internal state management section divides the emotions into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and further divides the primary emotions into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association, and

wherein said behavior module management means managing said behavior modules such that, when outputting of a behavior instruction from any of said state machines is stopped and behavior outputting is to be resumed thereafter, said behavior module management means causes the state machine to resume the behavior outputting after said behavior module management means causes said robot to execute a predetermined behavior based on the states stored in said state storage means.

42. A robot apparatus according to claim 41, wherein

said state storage means and said state machines are provided in said behavior modules, and

said behavior module management means is accommodated in another behavior module which cooperates with said behavior modules to form a hierarchical structure and is positioned in a comparatively higher layer in the hierarchical structure.

43. A robot apparatus that operates autonomously, comprising:

a behavior module including means for discriminating a situation based on an external stimulus and an internal environment to calculate an activity level and means for outputting a behavior in response to an input and a state based on a predetermined state machine;

a behavior state control section for selecting said behavior modules to be activated in response to the activity levels and the use resource of said behavior module and issuing an instruction to said state machine of the selected behavior module to execute the state machine thereby to control behavior states of said behavior modules, and

an internal state management section for managing emotions each of which is an index to an internal state of the robot in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of layers,

wherein said internal state management section divides the emotions into a layer of primary emotions necessary for individual preservation and another layer of secondary emotions which vary depending upon excess/deficiency of the primary emotions, and further divides the primary emotions into low order primary emotions by innate reaction, high order primary emotions by homeostasis and primary emotions by association.

44. A robot apparatus according to claim 43, state setting means for setting said behavior module to one of ready, active and standby states in response to the activity level.

45. A robot apparatus according to claim 43, wherein

two or more two behavior modules are arranged in a hierarchical structure, and further comprising

state setting means is configured such that one of said behavior modules which is positioned in a comparatively high layer in the hierarchical structure selects another one of said behavior modules which is positioned in a lower layer in the hierarchical structure.