Information gathering robot

• US 7,693,514 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saito, Yoko, Sakagami, Yoshiaki, Higaki, Nobuo, Shimada, Takamichi, Kawabe, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US10/915,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/457, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/3.03, 455/414.4, 455/418, 455/420, 455/419, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/515, 455/517, 455/556.2, 455/556.1, 455/414.2, 700/259, 700/245, 700/258, 700/246, 700/247, 382/103, 382/153
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

In an event site or the like, a visitor may waste time and effort trying to find a spot where an event of interest may be taking place because the visitor is unable to look through the entire site from any particular spot. An information gathering robot roams in such an event site typically along a prescribed route, and notes spots of interest to transmit this information to a data server. The visitor can access the data server to find a spot of interest of his or her choice substantially on a real time basis.

Claims

1. An information gathering robot, comprising:

traveling means for enabling the robot to move about within a prescribed area in a predefined route;

information acquiring means for acquiring information comprising at least one of sound information or image information at one or more predefined locations on said predefined route; and

wireless communication means for transmitting acquired information to a data server,

wherein the information acquiring means comprises a camera for acquiring image information, means for identifying human faces from the acquired image information, means for cutting out an image of each identified human face, and means for acquiring congestion information of a relevant spot by counting the number of the human faces that have been cut out.

2. An information gathering robot according to claim 1, wherein the information acquiring means includes a microphone and is configured to have an interview with a person walking away from the relevant spot.

3. An information gathering robot according to claim 1, wherein the robot is configured to travel along the predefined route under normal condition, but when a request for specific information is made from a user, to follow an improvised route that is suited for gathering the requested specific information.

4. An information gathering robot according to claim 1, wherein the information acquiring means includes a microphone and means for detecting sound having a prescribed feature.

5. An information gathering robot according to claim 4, wherein the information acquiring means is configured to have an interview with a person walking away from the relevant spot.

6. An information gathering robot according to claim 4, wherein the information acquiring means is additionally provided with a camera for taking a picture of a spot at which a prescribed feature is detected in the acquired sound information.

7. An information gathering robot, comprising:

traveling means for enabling the robot to move about within a prescribed area;

information acquiring means for acquiring sound information or image information;

and wireless communication means for transmitting acquired information to a data server,

wherein the information acquiring means comprises a camera for acquiring image information, means for identifying human faces from the acquired image information, means for cutting out an image of each identified human face, and means for acquiring congestion information of a relevant spot by counting the number of the human faces that have been cut out.

8. An information gathering robot according to claim 7, wherein the information acquiring means includes a microphone and is adapted to have an interview with a person walking away from the relevant spot.