Robots comprising projectors for projecting images on identified projection surfaces

• US 8,983,662 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Douglas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US13/566,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

Robots including projectors for projecting images on identified projection surfaces are disclosed. A robot includes a housing, an electronic control unit coupled to the housing, a projector coupled to the housing, a human recognition module coupled to the housing, and a projection surface identification module coupled to the housing. The projector, the human recognition module, and the surface identification module are communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes a non-transitory memory that stores a set of machine readable instructions and a processor for executing the machine readable instructions. When executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions cause the robot to recognize a human using the human recognition module, identify a projection surface using the projection surface recognition module, and project an image on the identified projection surface with the projector.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a housing;

an electronic control unit coupled to the housing, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a non-transitory memory that stores a set of machine readable instructions and a processor for executing the machine readable instructions;

a projector coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit;

a human recognition module coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit; and

a projection surface identification module coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions cause the robot to;

recognize a human using the human recognition module;

identify a location of the human using the human recognition module;

identify a projection area based on the identified location of the human using the projection surface recognition module; and

project an image on the identified projection area with the projector.

2. The robot of claim 1 further comprising a movement mechanism coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to:

cause the movement mechanism to move the robot to a position in which the image is projected on the identified projection area.

3. The robot of claim 2, wherein the movement mechanism comprises:

a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the housing;

a drive motor coupled to the drive wheel and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit; and

a steering mechanism coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit.

4. The robot of claim 2, wherein the movement mechanism comprises a rotor and a drive motor coupled to the rotor.

5. The robot of claim 1 further comprising a wireless communicator coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to:

receive data with the wireless communicator; and

generate the projected image based on the received data.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to:

determine a distance between the robot and the projection area;

determine a size of the projection area; and

scale the projected image based on the determined distance and the determined size, such that the entire projected image is displayed on the projection area.

7. The robot of claim 1 further comprising a movement mechanism coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to:

identify an orientation of the human using the human recognition module;

identify the projection area based on the orientation of the human; and

cause the movement mechanism to move the robot to a position in which the image is projected on the identified projection area.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the human recognition module comprises a camera communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit and the recognition of the human is based on facial recognition of an image received from the camera.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein the human recognition module comprises a microphone communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit and the recognition of the human is based on a mechanical vibration received by the microphone and transformed into a signal indicative of human speech that is transmitted to the electronic control unit.

10. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projection surface identification module comprises a camera communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit.

11. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projector is a pico projector.

12. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projected image substantially resembles a human.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projected image comprises a face.

14. The robot of claim 1 further comprising a speaker for providing an audible indication of the received information to the human, wherein the speaker is communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit.

15. A robot comprising:

a housing;

an electronic control unit coupled to the housing, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a non-transitory memory that stores a set of machine readable instructions and a processor for executing the machine readable instructions;

a projector coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit; and

a camera coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions cause the robot to;

recognize a human using the camera;

identify a location of the human using the camera;

identify a projection area based on the identified location of the human using the camera; and

project an image on the identified projection area with the projector.

16. The robot of claim 15 further comprising:

a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the housing;

a drive motor coupled to the drive wheel and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit; and

a steering mechanism coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to;

cause the drive motor to rotate the drive wheel and the steering mechanism to steer the robot to a position in which the image may be projected on the identified projection area.

17. The robot of claim 15 further comprising a wireless communicator coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to:

receive data with the wireless communicator; and

generate the projected image based on the received data.

18. A robot comprising:

a housing;

an electronic control unit coupled to the housing, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a non-transitory memory that stores a set of machine readable instructions and a processor for executing the machine readable instructions;

a projector coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit;

a microphone coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit; and

a camera coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions cause the robot to;

recognize a human based on a mechanical vibration received by the microphone and transforming the mechanical vibration into a signal indicative of human speech that is transmitted to the electronic control unit;

identify a location of the human using the microphone;

identify a projection area based on the identified location of the human using the camera; and

project an image on the identified projection area with the projector.

19. The robot of claim 18 further comprising a wireless communicator coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to:

receive data with the wireless communicator; and

generate the projected image based on the received data.

20. The robot of claim 18 further comprising:

a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the housing;

a drive motor coupled to the drive wheel and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit; and

a steering mechanism coupled to the housing and communicatively coupled with the electronic control unit, wherein when executed by the processor, the machine readable instructions further cause the robot to;

cause the drive motor to rotate the drive wheel and the steering mechanism to steer the robot to a position in which the image may be projected on the identified projection area.