Automatic apparatus, information server, robotic apparatus and commercial transaction method

• US 20040049317A1
• Filed: 07/09/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Otsuki, Tadashi, Konishi, Tetsuya, Kasuga, Tomoaki, Matsuoka, Tsunetaro, Ogura, Toshiya, Takemoto, Kunio, Okita, Ayako, Fujita, Yaeko
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).

Claims

1. An automatic apparatus comprising:

an attribute storage unit to store information on the attribute of a product;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of at least two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

an information comparator to make a comparison between the information stored in the attribute storage unit and information read from the product-related information reader;

the automatic apparatus being arranged to act in a predetermined manner when there is found a coincidence between the information as the result of comparison made in the information comparator.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined action is based on the information read from the product-related information reader.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information on the attribute of the product includes information on at least a supply source of the product and action-generation information corresponding to information on the source-related information, the source having made a predetermined contract with a manufacturer or distributor of the automatic apparatus; and

the predetermined action is based on the action-generation information.

4. The device according to claim 1, being an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

5. A method for generating an action of an automatic apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

reading, from a product, at least one of two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

making a comparison between information pre-stored in an attribute storage unit and information read in the product-related information reading step; and

allowing the automatic apparatus to act in a predetermined manner when there is found a coincidence between the information as the result of comparison made in the information comparing step.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

7. An information server comprising a sender to send information on the attribute of a product, cumulatively stored in an attribute storage unit included in an automatic apparatus, to a communication unit also included in the automatic apparatus;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

the attribute storage unit to store information on the attribute of a product;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of at least two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

an information comparator to make a comparison between information stored in the attribute storage unit and information read from the product-related information reader; and

the communication unit to store information into the attribute storage unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the information on the attribute of the product includes information on at least a supply source of the product and action-generation information corresponding to the source-related information, the source having made a predetermined contract with a manufacturer or distributor of the automatic apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

10. An information serving method in which information on the attribute of an product is sent to a communication unit included in an automatic apparatus;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

an attribute storage unit to store information on the attribute of a product;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of at least two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

an information comparator to make a comparison between information stored in the attribute storage unit and information read from the product-related information reader; and

the communication unit to store information into the attribute storage unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

12. An information server which reads attribute information sent from a communication unit included in an automatic apparatus and sends, to the communication unit, action-generation information intended to generate a predetermined action of the automatic apparatus when the read attribute information coincides with predetermined information;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

a controller to generate an action; and

the communication unit to supply the controller with information intended to generate an action of the automatic apparatus, acquire the attribute information read by the product-related information reader and send the acquired attribute information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the information on the attribute of the product includes information on at least a supply source of the product and action-generation information corresponding to the source-related information, the source having made a predetermined contract with a manufacturer or distributor of the automatic apparatus.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

15. An information serving method comprising steps of:

reading attribute information sent from a communication unit included in an automatic apparatus; and

sending, to the communication unit, action-generation information intended to generate a predetermined action of the automatic apparatus when the read attribute information coincides with predetermined information;

the automatic apparatus comprising;

a product-related information reader to read, from a product, at least one of two pieces of information stored on the product and which concern the attribute of the latter;

a controller to generate an action; and

the communication unit to supply the controller with information intended to generate an action of the automatic apparatus, acquire the attribute information read by the product-related information reader and send the acquired attribute information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

17. A robotic apparatus of an autonomous type which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or an internal factor, the robotic apparatus comprising:

a memory having stored therein information on a contract made between a manufacturer or distributor of the robotic apparatus and a third party;

the robotic apparatus reading information stored on a product and which concerns at least a supply source of the product; and

the robotic apparatus generating a predetermined action or reaction when the supply source is found from the contract-related information to have made a predetermined contract with the manufacturer or distributor.

18. A method for generating an action of an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor, in which:

the robotic apparatus has a memory having stored therein information on a contract made between a manufacturer or distributor of the robotic apparatus and a third party;

the method comprising steps of;

reading information stored on a product and which concerns at least a supply source of the product; and

generating a predetermined action or reaction when the supply source is found from the contract-related information stored in the memory to have made a predetermined contract with the manufacturer or distributor.

19. A commercial transaction system comprising:

a robotic apparatus manager that manages a robotic apparatus so that the robotic apparatus acts or reacts when it detects predetermined information;

a product distributor that acquires the predetermined information under a contact having been made with the robotic apparatus manager, appends it to a product for sale to a user of the robotic apparatus; and

the robotic apparatus which detects the predetermined information appended to the product purchased by the user and acts or reacts in a predetermined manner based on the detected predetermined information.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the automatic apparatus is an autonomous type robotic apparatus which acts autonomously based on an external factor and/or internal factor.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein:

the robotic apparatus manager is a manufacturer or distributor of the robotic apparatus; and

the manufacturer or distributor manages the robotic apparatus so that the latter acts or reacts in the predetermined manner based on the detected predetermined information acquired and sold under the contract with the product distributor.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein:

the robotic apparatus is adapted to act or react based on action information stored in a storage unit provided therein;

the manufacturer or distributor stores, into the storage unit, predetermined-action information according to the contract with the product distributor; and

the robotic apparatus acts or reacts in the predetermined manner based on the predetermined action information read from the storage unit upon detection of the predetermined information appended to the product.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein:

the robotic apparatus has a memory having stored therein information on the contract made between the manufacturer or distributor and the product distributor; and

the robotic apparatus reads information stored on the product and including at least information on a supply source of the product and acts or reacts when the supply source is found based on the contract-related information stored in the memory to have made a predetermined contract with the manufacturer or distributor and the product distributor.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein:

the predetermined information includes at least two pieces of information on the attribute of a product available from the product distributor; and

the robotic apparatus detects at least one of the two pieces of information appended to the product and acts or reacts in the predetermined manner based on the detected information.

25. A commercial transaction method in which a product distributor that sells a product makes a contract with a robotic apparatus manager that manages a robotic apparatus so that the robotic apparatus acts or reacts based on detected predetermined information;

the product distributor acquires predetermined information under the contract and appends it to the product for sale to a user; and

the robotic apparatus detects the predetermined information appended to the purchased product and acts or reacts in a predetermined manner on the basis of the detected predetermined information.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein:

the robotic apparatus manager is a manufacturer or distributor of the robotic apparatus; and

the manufacturer or distributor manages the robotic apparatus so that the latter acts or reacts in the predetermined manner upon detection of the predetermined information acquired and sold under the contract with the product distributor, on the assumption that the robotic apparatus will act or react based on the detected predetermined information.