Enhancements to mechanical robot

• US 7,047,108 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Russo, Christopher Daniel, Frazier, Milton Massey, Wieck, Christopher Peter, Rainier, Rajiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC, MCDIEUNEL
• Application Number:
  US11/069,405
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/253, 700/257, 700/262, 700/275, 700/264, 700/248, 700/247, 700/249, 700/250, 318/800, 318/805, 297/83, 297/84, 901/1, 901/42, 901/10, 901/46, 340/522, 340/231, 340/565, 340/359.1, 340/359.14
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/194 using image scanning and comparing systems

Abstract

A mechanical robot can detect intruders using a camera or other motion sensor or aurally using a microphone, and then alert a user in response.

Claims

1. A mechanical robot, comprising:

a body;

at least one processor mounted on the body;

at least one electro-mechanical mechanism controlled by the processor to cause the body to ambulate; and

a sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a sound sensor, and a motion sensor, the sensor being electrically connected to the processor, wherein the processor undertakes logic including comparing a sensed sound and/or image from the sensor with predetermined criteria and selectively generating an intruder alert in response thereto, at least one predetermined criterion being a sound of a clock at a predetermined time of day, the intruder alert not being generated in response thereto.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a camera.

4. The robot of claim 3, wherein the processor compares an image from the camera with data stored in the processor to determine whether a match is established.

5. The robot of claim 4, wherein the intruder alert is generated if a match is not established.

6. The robot of claim 4, wherein the intruder alert is generated if a match is established.

7. A mechanical robot, comprising:

a body;

at least one processor mounted on the body;

at least one electro-mechanical mechanism controlled by the processor to cause the body to ambulate;

means on the robot for sensing a visible and/or aural disturbance and generating a signal in response thereto;

means on the robot for comparing a sensed sound and/or image represented by the signal with predetermined criteria;

means on the robot for correlating a sensed image to a person, the person being associated with preprogrammed audio and/or image data; and

means on the robot for playing the audio and/or image data in response to the means for correlating.

8. The robot of claim 7, wherein the means for comparing and means for selectively generating are established by logic executable by the processor.

9. The robot of claim 7, wherein the means for sensing is a microphone.

10. The robot of claim 7, wherein the means for sensing is a camera.

11. The robot of claim 10, wherein the processor compares an image from the camera with data stored in the processor to determine whether a match is established.

12. The robot of claim 11, wherein the intruder alert is generated if a match is not established.

13. The robot of claim 11, wherein the intruder alert is generated if a match is established.

14. A mechanical robot, comprising:

a body;

at least one processor mounted on the body;

at least one electro-mechanical mechanism controlled by the processor to cause the body to ambulate; and

a sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a sound sensor, and a motion sensor, the sensor being electrically connected to the processor, wherein the processor undertakes logic including comparing a sensed sound and/or image from the sensor with predetermined criteria and selectively playing music in response thereto.

15. The robot of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

16. The robot of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a camera.

17. The robot of claim 16, wherein the processor compares an image from the camera with the predetermined criteria to determine whether a match is established.

18. The robot of claim 17, wherein the music is played if a match is established, the music being correlated to the predetermined criteria.