Robot apparatus

• US 6,381,515 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Makoto, Hosonuma, Naoyasu, Sabe, Kotaro, Furumura, Kyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/646,723
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 700/253, 700/245, 700/246, 700/247, 700/248, 700/249, 700/250, 700/257, 700/762, 700/275, 700/302, 700/112, 704/9, 704/1, 704/10, 701/23, 901/1, 901/46, 901/47, 318/800, 318/805, 29/389, 295/63, 348/94
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23417 Read program from pluggable memory card

Abstract

In a robot device, its functions and performance can be improved with ease. According to the present invention, control device detachably mounted on a prescribed component unit for driving and controlling each of the component units in a prescribed state is provided and thereby, the control device can be easily exchanged for a new one. Thus the robot device in which its functions and performance can be improved can be realized. Further, according to the present invention, a robot device comprises storing device detachably mounted on the prescribed component unit for storing desired behavior type information and thereby, the storing device can be readily exchanged for storing device storing behavior type information different from the behavior type information stored in the former storing device. Thus, the robot device in which its functions and performance can be improved with ease can be realized.

Claims

1. A robot apparatus which actuates a movable portion based on a predetermined control program to autonomously perform actions, said robot apparatus comprising:

fixed storage means fixed at a predetermined position in said robot apparatus;

removable storage means removably disposed at a predetermined position of said robot; and

control means for storing control data used to operate said control program in said fixed storage means or in said removable storage means in accordance with the type of said control data or for reading control data from said fixed storage means or from said removable storage means in accordance with the type of said control data.

2. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores information related to hardware of said robot apparatus itself in said fixed storage means by said control means in addition to said control data.

3. The robot apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said information related to the hardware includes calibration information for actuating said movable portion.

4. The robot apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said information related to the hardware includes calibration information on a sensor mounted to said robot apparatus.

5. The robot apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said information related to the hardware includes product type information of said robot apparatus.

6. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said removable storage means stores said control program, and said fixed storage means stores an error action execution program operable when said movable portion does not actuate in response to said control program to instruct said movable portion to execute an operation for notifying an error state.

7. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores learning data generated by causing said movable portion to autonomously perform a predetermined action in response to an external input, and personality data providing each said robot apparatus with different characteristics in said fixed storage means as said control data by said control means.

8. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus comprises imaging means, and image data of surroundings imaged by said imaging means is stored in said removable storage means as said control data by said control means.

9. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus comprises sound collecting means, and audio data of surroundings collected by said sound collecting means is stored in said removable storage means as said control data by said control means.

10. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores error information, generated when an error occurs in said removable storage means, by said control means in addition to said control data.

11. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores still image data representative of a predetermined imaged object in said removable storage means as said control data, and said control means compares image data of surroundings imaged by predetermined imaging means disposed at a predetermined position with said still image data to recognize said predetermined imaged object.

12. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores color data of a color to be recognized in said removable storage means as said control data, and said control means recognizes a color represented by image data imaged by a predetermined imaging means disposed at a predetermined position, based on said color data.

13. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores audio data corresponding to audio outputted from predetermined audio output means in said removable storage means as said control data by said control means.

14. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said removable storage means stores action data in accordance with an action pattern for actuating said movable portion based on said control program as said control data.

15. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores an operation program associated with a signal processing unit for changing the action of said movable portion in said removable storage means as said control data by said control means by rewriting said operation program for actuating said movable portion.

16. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said robot apparatus stores learning data, generated by causing said movable portion to autonomously perform a predetermined action in response to an external input, in said removable storage means as said control data by said control means.

17. A robot apparatus which actuates a movable portion based on a predetermined control program to autonomously perform actions, said robot apparatus comprising:

storage means disposed at a predetermined position of said robot apparatus; and

control means for storing said control program and control data used to execute said control program in said storage means in accordance with the type of said control data, and for reading said control data from said storage means in accordance with the type of said control data,

wherein said storage means stores a change in internal states caused by said control means when said movable portion is actuated.

18. The robot apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said storage means comprises a plurality of types of emotion models for modeling a plurality of types of emotions; and

said control means stores a history of changes in an emotion level in a predetermined emotion model within said emotion models, and a history of operations when said robot apparatus itself is actuated, in said storage means as said change in internal states.