Robot and control method thereof

• US 8,311,672 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socle Technology Corp. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chou, Hsiao-Chung, Huang, Li-Zhang, Wang, Chuan-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US12/432,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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

The present invention relates to a robot and a control method adapted for the robot. The method includes a) measuring time; b) performing a normal biological action when the time reaches a beginning time of a biological function; c) judging whether an instruction is received while during the biological function; d) if the instruction is received while during the biological function, fetching an action adjustment parameter of the biological function and performing an output; e) after the output is finished, resuming performing the normal biological action; and f) stopping the normal biological action when the time reaches an ending time of the biological function.

Claims

1. A robot, comprising:

a clock unit for measuring time;

an input unit for generating a plurality of instructions in response to user input;

an output unit for outputting an action;

a storage unit for storing a plurality of biological functions of the robot, a plurality of first relationships among the plurality of biological functions, a plurality of time periods, and a plurality of normal biological actions, a plurality of second relationships among the plurality of biological functions, the plurality of instructions, a plurality of action adjustment parameters of the biological functions, and a plurality of outputs, wherein each time period comprises the beginning time and the ending time of each biological function;

a management module for fetching a normal biological action of a biological function by a processor unit based on one of the first relationships from the storage unit when the time of the clock unit reaches the beginning time of the biological function, and controlling the output unit to begin performing the normal biological action until the ending time of the biological function comes; and

a judgment module for judging whether the input unit generates an instruction by a processor unit while during the biological function, if the input unit generates the instruction while during the biological function, interrupting the normal biological action of the biological function, fetching an action adjustment parameter of the biological function in response to the instruction from a user based on one of the second relationships from the storage unit and controlling the output unit to perform an output corresponding to the fetched action adjustment parameter, and after the output is finished, controlling the output unit to resume performing the normal biological action.

2. The robot as recited in claim 1, wherein when the robot is not during the biological function and the input unit generates the instruction, the judging module controls the output unit to output a predetermined action from the storage unit.

3. The robot as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of actions are a plurality of body actions and/or a plurality of sounds.

4. A control method for a robot, wherein the robot stores a plurality of biological functions, a plurality of first relationships among the plurality of biological functions, a plurality of time periods, and a plurality of normal biological actions, a plurality of second relationships among the plurality of biological functions, a plurality of instructions, a plurality of action adjustment parameters of the biological functions, and a plurality of outputs, and each time period comprising the beginning time and the ending time of each biological function, the method comprising:

measuring time;

performing a normal biological action based on one of the first relationships by a processor unit when the time reaches the beginning time of a biological function;

judging whether an instruction is received while during the biological function by a processor unit;

if the instruction is received while during the biological function, interrupting the normal biological action of the biological function, fetching an action adjustment parameter of the biological function in response to the instruction from a user based on one of the second relationships and performing an output corresponding to the fetched action adjustment parameter;

after the output is finished, resuming performing the normal biological action; and

stopping the normal biological action when the time reaches the ending time of the biological function.

5. The control method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

when the robot is not during the biological function and the instruction is received, performing a predetermined action.

6. The control method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of actions are a plurality of body actions and/or a plurality of sounds.