Apparatus and method for assisting in achieving desired behavior patterns

• US 8,565,922 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Automata Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Automata Inc.
• Inventors: Kidd, Cory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/492,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-265, 901 1- 50, 446/97, 446/85, 446/139, 446/137, 446/142, 446/141, 446268-367
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/00 Systems controlled by a computer G05B13/00, G05B19/00 take precedence; automatic controllers with particular characteristics G05B11/00
• 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 method and system for assisting an individual in achieving a desired pattern of behavior. A robot is provided that includes a moving head and eyes and is programmed to make eye contact with the individual, such robot also having an interface for communicating with the individual. The robot includes a relationship management module that measures state of a relationship with the individual to determine a current state of the relationship. The robot also includes an interaction module that implements a behavior model for the robot'"'"'s interaction with the individual. The behavior model causes a change in interaction of the robot with the individual based on what the relationship management module determines to be the current state of the relationship, so that the behavior model assists the individual in effecting the pattern of behavior.

Claims

1. A computer controlled robot implemented method of assisting an individual in achieving a desired pattern of behavior, the robot including a processor, a camera, a head, eyes in the head and moveable relative to the head, and an interface for communicating with the individual, the interface including at least one of:

a display, a speech interface and physical movement of the robot, the method comprising;

receiving data from the camera, the data representing a field of view of the camera;

detecting a location of a face of the individual within the field of view of the camera;

moving the eyes, relative to the head, based on the location of the face of the individual within the field of view of the camera, so as to make eye contact with the individual;

interacting with the individual via the interface in a plurality of interactions;

calculating, based on the plurality of interactions, a current state of a relationship with the individual;

implementing a behavior model for the robot'"'"'s interaction with the individual; and

causing a change in interaction of the robot with the individual based on the current state of the relationship, so as to assist the individual in effecting the pattern of behavior.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern of behavior relates to health of the individual.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the pattern of behavior relates to desired weight loss of the individual.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the desired pattern of behavior is long-term behavior.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the current state of the relationship comprises calculating a working alliance value, the value indicating an extent to which the individual and the robot work collaboratively and purposefully.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing a plurality of questions;

on each of a plurality of days, asking the individual a different subset of the stored plurality of questions;

receiving answers to the asked questions; and

calculating the working alliance value based on the received answers.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein storing the plurality of questions comprises storing a Working Alliance Inventory.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the robot includes a movable head controllable by the processor, and moving the eyes comprises moving the eyes at a first speed, the method further comprising:

after moving the eyes, moving the head at speed less than the first speed and based on the location of the face of the individual, so as to face the movable head toward the face of the individual.

5. A robot for assisting an individual in achieving a desired pattern of behavior, the system comprising:

a processor;

a head;

eyes in the head and moveable, relative to the head, under control of the processor;

a camera coupled to the processor; and

an interface configured to communicate with the individual, the interface being coupled to the processor and including at least one of;

a display, a speech interface and physical movement of the robot;

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive data from the camera, the data representing a field of view of the camera;

detect a location of a face of the individual within the field of view of the camera;

move the eyes, relative to the head, based on the location of the face of the individual within the field of view of the camera, so as to make eye contact with the individual;

interact with the individual via the interface in a plurality of interactions;

calculate, based on the plurality of interactions, a current state of a relationship with the individual;

implement a behavior model for the robot'"'"'s interaction with the individual; and

cause a change in interaction of the robot with the individual based on the current state of the relationship, so as to assist the individual in effecting the pattern of behavior.

6. A robot according to claim 5, wherein the pattern of behavior relates to health of the individual.

7. A robot according to claim 6, wherein the pattern of behavior relates to desired weight loss of the individual.

8. A robot according to claim 5, wherein the desired pattern of behavior is long-term behavior.

12. A robot according to claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to:

calculate a working alliance value, the value indicating an extent to which the individual and the robot work collaboratively and purposefully; and

calculate the current state of the relationship with the individual based at least in part on the calculated working alliance value.

13. A robot according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:

store a plurality of questions;

on each of a plurality of days, ask the individual a different subset of the stored plurality of questions;

receive answers to the asked questions; and

calculate the working alliance value based on the received answers.

14. A robot according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of questions comprises a Working Alliance Inventory.

16. A robot according to claim according to claim 5, further comprising:

a movable head controllably coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

move the eyes at a first speed; and

after moving the eyes, move the head at a speed less than the first speed and based on the location of the face of the individual, so as to face the movable head toward the face of the individual.