Communication device

• US 10,350,761 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yuki, Mina, Yoshizawa, Shintaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Guo, Xilin
• Application Number:
  US15/722,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20180104822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/005 with self-moving head or facial features with a choice of features A63H3/365; movable eyes A63H3/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/001 with emotions simulating means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/008 Manipulators for service tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A communication device includes a display provided in a face portion; an environment information acquisition unit that acquires environment information being information about an environment around the communication device; a gaze motion generation unit that generates a gaze motion of the communication device to be expressed in the face portion, the gaze motion corresponding to the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition unit; a feeling generation unit that generates, according to a predetermined generation rule, a feeling of the communication device to be expressed in the face portion; and an integration unit that displays on the display an image of an eye expressing the gaze motion generated by the gaze motion generation unit and the feeling generated by the feeling generation unit.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a face portion;

a display provided in the face portion;

an environment measuring device configured to acquire environment information being information about an environment around the communication device, the environment information including a first direction in which a communication partner is present and a second direction in which a moving object other than the communication partner is present; and

a control device configured to

generate a gaze motion of the communication device to be expressed in the face portion, the gaze motion corresponding to the environment information and including a first gaze motion being a gaze motion to be directed toward the first direction and a second gaze motion being a gaze motion to be directed toward the second direction;

select one of the first gaze motion and the second gaze motion;

generate, according to a predetermined generation rule, a feeling of the communication device to be expressed in the face portion; and

display on the display an image of an eye expressing the selected gaze motion and the generated feeling.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein in a case where an image of a closed eye is displayed on the display when the environment measuring device acquires the environment information about the moving object, the control device is configured to

not select the second gaze motion directed toward the second direction in which the moving object is present, and

display on the display the image of the eye expressing the generated feeling.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the environment information includes a third direction being a direction of a sound generated in the environment around the communication device, and

the control device is configured to

generate a third gaze motion being a gaze motion to be directed toward the third direction;

select one of the first gaze motion, the second gaze motion, and the third gaze motion; and

display on the display the image of the eye expressing the selected gaze motion and the generated feeling.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to select the first gaze motion when the generated feeling corresponds to a predetermined feeling.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to

determine a dialogue content with the communication partner;

and

generate a third gaze motion corresponding to a determined dialogue content.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein a display screen of the display has a size and a shape corresponding to a size and a shape of the eye that is expressed in the face portion.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the display screen is formed in only portions of the face portion corresponding to eyes that are expressed in the face portion.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein portions of the face portion other than the display are formed by realistic members resembling components of the face.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the environment measuring device is disposed in a nose member of the face portion.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to

generate a third gaze motion being a gaze motion to search for the communication partner when the communication partner is not found;

and

display on the display an image of the eye expressing the third gaze motion and the generated feeling.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the generated feeling is a spontaneous feeling corresponding to an internal state of the communication device.

12. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to

generate a plurality of feelings simultaneously,

apply a weight to each of the plurality of feelings,

determine one feeling by integrating the plurality of feelings based upon the weights.

13. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to select the one of the first gaze motion and the second gaze motion based upon the generated feeling.

14. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to select the one of the first gaze motion and the second gaze motion based upon the environment information.

15. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the control device is configured to select the one of the first gaze motion, the second gaze motion, and the third gaze motion based upon a dialogue duration period with the communication partner.