Robot apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20010021882A1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oyama, Kazufumi, Fukushima, Noriyuki, Hosonuma, Naoyasu
• Granted Patent: US 6,542,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31365 Send message to most appropriate operator as function of kind of error
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33056 Reinforcement learning, agent acts, receives reward, emotion, action selective
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33209 Protocol, mailbox, email, mail system
• 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 robot apparatus capable of further enhancing an amusement property and a control method for the robot apparatus are disclosed. A robot apparatus and a control method for the robot apparatus which are configured to select a transmission destination and transmit predetermined information to the above described selected transmission destination, thereby being capable of enhancing a probability of notification by selection of the transmission destination. Furthermore, the robot apparatus and the control method for the robot apparatus are configured to acquire information of a surrounding environment and/or an internal state and then transmit the above described acquired information to a predetermined transmission destination, thereby making it possible to communicate with the transmission destination even when the transmission destination is not at a short distance.

Claims

1. A robot apparatus comprising:

selecting means for selecting a transmission destination; and

transmitting means for transmitting predetermined information to said transmission destination selected by said selecting means.

2. The robot apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said predetermined information comprises a recognition result of an internal state.

3. The robot apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

format converting means for converting said predetermined information into a format corresponding to said transmission destination.

4. The robot apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said selecting means selects another transmission destination other than said transmission destination previously selected when transmission of said predetermined information from said transmitting means to said transmission destination selected by said selecting means fails.

5. A robot apparatus comprising:

information acquiring means for acquiring information of a surrounding environment and/or an internal state; and

transmitting means for transmitting said information acquired by said information acquiring means to a predetermined transmission destination.

6. The robot apparatus according to

claim 5

, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving a command given from an external appliance, wherein said information acquiring means acquires said information of said surrounding environment or internal state in correspondence to said command given from said external appliance.

7. The robot apparatus according to

claim 5

wherein said command is described in a natural language, and said information acquiring means analyzes said command on the basis of said natural language and acquires said information of said surrounding environment and/or internal state in accordance with a result of said analysis.

8. The robot apparatus according to

claim 5

wherein said information acquiring means spontaneously acquires said information of said surrounding environment and/or internal state.

9. The robot apparatus according to

claim 5

wherein said transmitting means transmits said information at random.

10. The robot apparatus according to

claim 5

wherein said transmitting means transmits said information when the surrounding environment and/or internal state changes over a predetermined level.

11. The robot apparatus according to

claim 5

wherein said transmitting means transmits said information at a predetermined time.

12. A control method for robot apparatus comprising:

a first step of selecting a transmission destination and

a second step of transmitting predetermined information to said selected transmission destination.

13. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 12

wherein said information comprises a recognition result of an internal state.

14. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 12

wherein said predetermined information is converted into a format corresponding to said transmission destination and said predetermined information after said format conversion is transmitted to said selected transmission destination at said second step.

15. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 12

wherein another transmission destination other than said transmission destination previously selected is selected at said first step when transmission of said predetermined information to said selected transmission destination fails at said second step.

16. A control method for robot apparatus comprising:

a first step of acquiring information of a surrounding environment or an internal state; and

a second step of transmitting said acquired information to a predetermined transmission destination.

17. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 16

wherein said information of said surrounding environment and/or internal state is acquired after receiving a command given from an external appliance and in accordance with said command given from said external appliance at said first step.

18. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 16

wherein said command is described in a natural language, and contents of said command are analyzed on the basis of said natural language and said information of said surrounding environment and/or internal state is acquired in accordance with a result of said analysis at said first step.

19. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 16

wherein said information of said surrounding environment and/or internal state is acquired spontaneously at said first step.

20. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 16

wherein said information is transmitted at random at said second step.

21. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 16

wherein said information of the surrounding information or internal state is transmitted when said surrounding environment and/or internal state changes over a predetermined level at said second step.

22. The control method for robot apparatus according to

claim 16

wherein said information is transmitted at a predetermined time at said second step.