JP2005333495A - Electronic apparatus management robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network robot which easily realizes various requests from a user with respect to a plurality of home network apparatuses, while lightening burdens of the user. <P>SOLUTION: The home network robot 1 is connected to the plurality of home network apparatuses through a network 11, and is equipped mainly with a peripheral environment DB(database) 34 and a home network apparatus DB 35 for storing the functions of individual home network apparatuses and request items of the user relating them to each other, a microphone 25 for inputting requests from the user, and a general control unit 33 which interprets the inputted requests on the basis of the contents of the databases, and controls the operation of this plurality of home network apparatuses. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device management robot that manages a plurality of electronic devices connected through a network.

  Coupled with the remarkable development of information communication technology in recent years, home network devices in which a function for connecting to a network is added to home appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, air conditioners, digital TVs, hard disk recorders, and the like are gradually spreading. Along with this, a home appliance control system has been proposed that can simplify a setting operation when a user requests a service for a home network device by uniformly managing a plurality of home network devices (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

That is, in this home appliance control system, for example, when a desired service is requested from a mobile terminal possessed by the user, a request for selecting a home network device among selection candidates that can provide the service, and control of the selected home network device. The content input request is displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal, and an input operation to the user is prompted. Further, in this system, the home network device selected by the user through the portable terminal is controlled by the input control content, thereby providing the service desired by the user.
JP 2003-153348 A

  Here, in the home appliance control system, for example, when the user desires temperature adjustment in the room and requests this from the system side, in detail, an air conditioner device, a refrigeration device, a hot water supply device, etc. are selected as home network devices for selection. Since the user terminal is requested to select a device, the user needs to select a desired home network device by himself / herself. Furthermore, in this system, there is a need to input a setting item according to the function of the selected home network device, that is, a numerical value such as 25 ° C. as a desired room temperature on the user side. Therefore, in the conventional home appliance control system, the user needs to know to some extent the general functions of a plurality of selectable home network devices and the input setting items related to the functions. We have problems in terms of sex.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device management robot that easily realizes various requests from a user for a plurality of electronic devices while reducing the burden on the user side. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electronic device management robot according to the present invention is an electronic device management robot connected to a plurality of electronic devices through a network, and includes the functions of the electronic devices and user requirements. Storage means for storing in association, input means for inputting a request from a user, and interpreting the request input by the input means based on the storage contents of the storage means to control operations of the plurality of electronic devices And a control means.

  That is, in the electronic device management robot of the present invention, the request input from the user is interpreted with reference to the information that associates the function of each electronic device with the request item, and each electronic device is controlled. It becomes unnecessary for the user to grasp in advance the functions of the electronic device and the setting items according to the function, and the burden on the user can be reduced. Further, according to the present invention, when the user's request cannot be achieved by the function of one electronic device, the insufficient function is replaced or supplemented by the function of another electronic device on the network to achieve the user's request. be able to.

  The electronic device management robot of the present invention further includes an operation state monitoring unit that monitors an operation state of each electronic device, and the control unit operates the operation state of each electronic device monitored by the operation state monitoring unit. Further, the operation of the plurality of electronic devices is dynamically controlled.

  In other words, according to the present invention, the operation status of electronic devices on the network is acquired as needed, and this information is reflected in the operation control of each electronic device. It becomes possible to automatically compensate for the failure of the device with the function of the other electronic device, and thus it is possible to continuously fulfill the request from the user.

  Furthermore, the electronic device management robot of the present invention further includes user position detection means for detecting the position of the user, the storage means further stores installation position information of each of the electronic devices, and the control means includes: The operation of the plurality of electronic devices is controlled by further referring to the position information of the user detected by the user position detecting means and the installation position information of the individual electronic devices.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to selectively control an electronic device that realizes a user's request quickly and effectively in consideration of the current position of the user and the installation position of each electronic device. In the case of indoor temperature management in a residence, when the user moves from the current room to another room, the air conditioner in the original room is automatically stopped, and the air conditioner in the destination room is further stopped. It is possible to control the operation of the electronic device such as starting the device. Thereby, a user's request | requirement is realizable continuously. Further, in this case, since the use of electric power with little waste is realized, an economic effect and the like can be expected. Furthermore, at this time, if the air conditioner of the room where the user was originally set to, for example, 25 ° C. by acquiring the operating state of the air conditioner of the room where the original was located, the room of the destination is also the same 25 ° C. It is also possible to automatically control the air conditioner so as to achieve the temperature environment.

The electronic device management robot according to the present invention further includes environment information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the surrounding environment of each electronic device, and the control means includes the information on each electronic device acquired by the environment information acquisition means. Further, the operation of the plurality of electronic devices is controlled by further referring to information on the surrounding environment.
In the present invention, for example, when the user's request is to adjust the temperature of the room and the temperature of the room in which the air conditioner where the user is located is, for example, 5 ° C. which is considerably lower than the target temperature 25 ° C. By controlling the operation of the air conditioner so as to increase the output, etc., the user's request can be realized efficiently and quickly.

Furthermore, in the electronic device management robot of the present invention, the user position detecting unit further detects a plurality of users so that each user can be discriminated, and the storage unit stores information on the preferences of the plurality of users for each user. Further storing the information in association with each user, the control means further refers to the detection result detected so as to be discriminable for each user by the user position detection means and the information relating to the preference associated with each user. The operation of each electronic device is controlled.
In the present invention, the operation of each electronic device is controlled so that the request is realized under the optimum conditions for the user who actually requested the plurality of electronic devices. For example, in the room where the air conditioner is installed. When the user's request is to adjust the temperature in the room, for example, the room temperature is adjusted to 24 ° C. for a relatively hot user, and the room temperature is 26 ° C. for a relatively cold user, for example. It is possible to control the air conditioner so as to adjust to the above.

  Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device management robot capable of easily realizing various requests from a user for a plurality of electronic devices while reducing the burden on the user side.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a home network system including a home network robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a house where the home network system is installed, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram functionally showing the configuration of the home network robot in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing each database in the storage unit included in the home network robot in FIG. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a home network system 2 including a home network robot (hereinafter referred to as “robot”) 1 includes a first digital TV (television) 3, a second digital TV 4, a first air conditioner 5, and a second air conditioner. 6, a plurality of home network devices such as a refrigerator 7, a microwave oven 8, and an HDD (hard disk) recorder 9, and the robot 1 to which a request of a user 10 is input is connected via a (premises) network 11. Consists of. Examples of the network 11 include a wireless LAN established by IEEE 802.11 and the like, and a wireless transmission method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The plurality of home appliances excluding the robot 1 may be network-connected by a wired transmission method such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) established by IEEE 802.3 or IEEE 1394, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first digital TV 3 is installed in the dining kitchen of the residence 12, and the second digital TV 4 is installed in the reception room. Here, the (premises) network 11 is further connected to a public network (not shown) such as the Internet, and the first and second digital TVs 3 and 4 are distributed over the Internet, for example, music or movies. It is possible to search for digital contents such as these and receive the contents. The HDD recorder 9 is installed in the vicinity of the first digital TV 3 in the dining kitchen, and is directly connected to the first digital TV 3 through a dedicated signal line capable of inputting digital sound and images. That is, the HDD recorder 9 is capable of recording / reproducing functions such as digital contents received by the first digital TV 3, and so-called digital program reservation through the public network.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first air conditioner 5 is installed in the living room 12 and the second air conditioner 6 is installed in the dining kitchen. Each of the first and second air conditioners 5 and 6 includes a temperature sensor, and can monitor the temperature of the room in which each air conditioner is installed (specifically, the ambient temperature around the installation position of the air conditioner itself). Furthermore, these air conditioners have a calendar function, a clock function, an outside air temperature detection function, and the like. Moreover, the refrigerator 7 and the microwave oven 8 are installed in the dining kitchen. For example, when the cooking requested by the user is completed, the microwave oven 8 broadcasts this fact on the network.

Next, the configuration of the robot 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5.
As shown in these drawings, a robot 1 as an electronic device management robot is an autonomously traveling robot that travels around a residence 12 and monitors the position and state of the user and the operation of the home network device. . The robot 1 mainly includes a casing 15 that forms its outer shell, a moving mechanism (wheel) 16 for autonomously moving a robot main body including the casing 15, and a moving mechanism (wheel) 16. A battery 17 serving as a driving source for the vehicle, a plurality of distance sensors 18 for measuring the distance to indoor walls and articles placed in the room, and a recess for detecting a recess appearing in the travel path during the indoor tour A plurality of fall prevention sensors 19 and the like are provided.

  The distance sensor 18 is a non-contact type sensor, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser distance sensor, or the like. As shown in FIG. At least one is disposed in each of the (attachment direction) and both sides (left and right). The fall prevention sensor 19 is a non-contact type sensor such as a photo sensor, for example, and is disposed at least one on each side (left and right) and forward of the robot 1. Here, the robot 1 does not have wiring for supplying power from the outside, and operates with the battery 17. That is, the robot 1 periodically returns to a charging station (not shown) installed at a predetermined reference position in the residence 12, and makes its battery 17 contact the charging electrode of this station. It is configured to perform automatic charging.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the robot 1 includes a camera unit 21, a display unit 23 including a display (LCD) 22, an operation button 24, a microphone 25, A speaker 20 and a communication unit 27 including a communication antenna 26 are provided, and an image processing unit 28, a person authentication unit 29, a voice recognition unit 30, a movement control unit 31, and a storage unit 32 are provided inside the housing 15. And an overall control unit 33 that controls these hardware in an integrated manner.

  The camera unit 21 captures the situation around the robot 1. The image processing unit 28 performs image processing on the video captured by the camera unit 21 and converts it into a digital image. Here, in this embodiment, a plurality of residents residing in the residence 12 correspond to users. That is, in the storage unit 32, face images of a plurality of users who live in the residence 12 are registered in advance as a face dictionary. Therefore, under the control of the overall control unit 33, the person authentication unit 29 compares and collates the user's face image in the face dictionary with the face image captured through the camera unit 21 and the image processing unit 28, so that One user is discriminated (identified) from among the users, and user authentication of the user is performed. Of course, when the captured face image is not in the face dictionary, it is determined as a non-user (non-resident).

  The movement control unit 31 controls driving of the movement mechanism (wheel) 16. Further, the movement control unit 31 detects the amount of movement of the robot 1 by the movement mechanism (wheel) 16 and generates information for acquiring the current position of the robot 1 with respect to the reference position (the position of the charging station). To do. The display unit 23 displays an image and a message on the display 22 as visible guidance information for the user. The speaker 20 outputs a voice message or notification sound to the user. The operation button 24 is an operation unit for a user to input information by key operation based on information output from the speaker 20 or the display unit 23. The communication unit 27 exchanges information with the plurality of home network devices described above via the network 11. The microphone 25 collects sounds around the robot 1 and voices of people. The voice recognition unit 30 recognizes the voice of the person collected by the microphone 25 as a voice.

  In the storage unit 32, in addition to the face dictionary for personal authentication described above, the position of the wall in each room, the position of the door, the position of the furniture, etc. in the residence 12 are coordinate positions (X, Y coordinates) from the reference position. Is stored. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the storage unit 32 stores a peripheral environment DB (database) 34, a home network device DB 35, a command / behavior DB 36, and a human state / hobby / preference DB 37.

Here, the structure of the memory | storage part 32 with which the robot 1 is provided is demonstrated based on FIG. 6 thru | or FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the peripheral environment DB 34 stores information related to the peripheral environment of the individual home network devices described above. In FIG. 6, as the information regarding the surrounding environment of the first air conditioner 5 or the second air conditioner 6, for example, the current time, season, outside temperature, and room temperature are illustrated. These pieces of information are acquired by exchanging information between the robot 1 and individual home network devices (first and second air conditioners 5 and 6 including a temperature sensor and a clock in this embodiment).

  In the home network device DB 35, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the device name of each home network device described above, the installation position of the name device (the position of the X, Y, Z coordinates with respect to the reference position in the residence 12, The orientation θ of the front of the device, the room name), the executable function (command name) of each device, the settable range of setting items corresponding to the function (for example, 10 to 40 ° C. which is the settable temperature of the air conditioner), and Detailed setting items of setting items (for example, channel, TIME of recording of HDD recorder, etc.) and the operation status (operating state) of the device are stored in association with each other. Such information is acquired by exchanging information between each home network device and the robot 1. That is, the robot 1 monitors the operation status of each home network device as needed. Here, the robot 1 requests a response of the operation status to a predetermined home network device, but a response signal to the response request is not returned from the device side, and the self-diagnosis of the predetermined home network device. When a failure signal due to a function is received, the target home network device is determined as a failure. In this case, in the robot 1 of the present embodiment, the overall control unit 33 automatically searches the network 11 for other devices that can substitute for the function of the failed home network device, and newly operates the retrieved device. In the robot 1 of this embodiment, when a home network device is already in use and the user's request cannot be realized by the device, an alternative device that can realize the user's request is controlled over the network 11. The unit 33 automatically searches and operates the searched device. That is, since the robot 1 can dynamically control the operation of each device on the network 11 in accordance with the operation status of the home network device, the request from the user can be realized continuously. .

  As shown in FIG. 8, the command / behavior DB 36 includes user request items (commands) input via the microphone 25, the operation buttons 24, and the like that collect voices uttered by the user, and devices that can achieve the request. A name (device candidate) and a setting item (command candidate) corresponding to the function of the device that can achieve the request are stored in association with each other. Here, in the present embodiment, the instruction (request) “hot” from the user is associated with “(ON of the first or second air conditioner), cooling, lowering the set temperature, increasing the air volume, etc.”. In addition, an instruction (request) “cold” is associated with “ON (first or second air conditioner) ON, heating, set temperature rise, air volume up…”, and further “recording” The “reservation set” of the HDD recorder 9 is associated with the command (request).

  In addition, information indicating “ON, cooling, set temperature rise, air volume down,...” In the air conditioner command candidate corresponding to the command “cold” refers to, for example, the “season” item in the surrounding environment DB 34, Is stored in such a manner that it is applied instead of “ON, heating...” When “SUMMER” or the like is used. Further, information indicating “wind direction change” in the air conditioner command candidates corresponding to “hot” and “cold” is stored as information to be applied with reference to the human state / hobby / preference DB 37 described later. ing.

  In addition, information regarding the device candidates “fan”, “fan heater”, “PC”, etc. in the command / behavior DB 36 is additionally connected to the network 11 shown in FIG. The overall control unit 33 determines and selects a home network device that can implement the command (request) by the user such as “hot”, “cold”, and “record” most quickly and effectively. Remember to be able to do it. That is, for example, when an air conditioner and a fan heater are connected to the network 11 as device candidates corresponding to the command “cold” and a failure of the air conditioner is recognized by the overall control unit 33, the fan heater is automatically set. Will be selected. In addition, information on the device candidates “window”, “fan”, “clothes”, etc. in the command / behavior DB 36 includes opening / closing windows and wearing clothes in response to user requests such as “hot” and “cold”. It is stored as auxiliary information for enabling the robot 1 to notify the user through a speaker or the like of recommendation. As described above, the command / behavior DB 36 stores the executable function of each home network device and the user request items (service items requested by the user) in association with each other.

  In the person's state / hobby / preference DB 37, each user's name, each user's current position (X, Y coordinate position, user face orientation θ, room name from the reference position in the house 12), each user Information related to each user's preferences (information such as hot / cold, music prefers Japanese / Western music, etc.) It is remembered. Here, the “wind direction change” of the air conditioner command candidate in the command / behavior DB 36 described above is appropriately adjusted so that, for example, hot air or cold air is blown in the direction in which the user is present.

  Therefore, in the robot 1 having such a plurality of databases, a home network device selected in response to a request from a user (a request for a service that can be provided from the device side) and operation control of the device are uniquely determined. Is done.

Next, the basic operation of the robot 1 configured as described above will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 and a specific example of the operation control of each device by the robot 1 will be described. Here, FIG. 10 mainly shows processing performed by the overall control unit 33.
As shown in FIG. 10, when a request from the user is input through, for example, the microphone 25 (YES in S1), the overall control unit 33 of the robot 1 performs processing relating to user discrimination and authentication (S2). That is, the face image of the person who actually made the request is captured through the camera unit 21 and the image processing unit 28. Further, the overall control unit 33 controls the person authentication unit 29 to compare and collate the captured face image with the face images of a plurality of users registered in the face dictionary in the storage unit 32 in advance. One user is identified (discriminated) from a plurality of users. At this time, if the captured face image of the person is not in the face dictionary (NO in S2), it is determined as a non-user (non-resident), and the request for the person is invalidated.

  When the user identification and authentication are completed successfully (YES in S2), the overall control unit 33 interprets the request from the user (S4) while referring to the home network device DB 35 and the command / behavior DB 36 (S3). In addition, the person's state / hobby / preference DB 37 and the surrounding environment DB 34 are referred to (S5). As a result, the overall control unit 33 determines a device to be operated and a control content thereof from a plurality of home network devices participating on the network 11 (S6), and as a result, corresponds to the specified control content. The home network device is controlled to operate (S7). Thereby, the request is easily realized without the user grasping the functions and operations of the plurality of home network devices in the residence 12.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 when receiving a request from the user that it is “hot (I want it to be cool because it is hot)” will be described.
When the user 10 informs the robot 1 that the user 10 is “hot”, the robot 1 interprets the request with reference to the home network device DB 35 and the command / action DB 36. Further, the robot 1 refers to the surrounding environment DB 34 and the human condition / hobby / preference DB 37 to turn on the first air conditioner 5 installed in the living room and set the target temperature to 21 ° C. for cooling. Start driving. In this example, the user 10 is Taro Toshiba and is hot (see FIG. 9), so the target temperature is set to a relatively low 21 ° C. Here, as a result of the robot 1 referring to the surrounding environment DB 34, if the current temperature of the living room where the user is is 35 ° C. or the like, which is considerably higher than the target temperature 21 ° C., the output of the cold air is increased. In addition, the operation of the first air conditioner 5 is controlled. Thereby, the request | requirement of the user 10 is realizable rapidly. Further, when the user 10 who has issued the request falls asleep later and the robot 1 detects this, the target temperature is reset to be slightly higher than 21 ° C.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 will be described by taking as an example the situation that “the microwave oven 8 installed in the dining kitchen calls a user in the living room because cooking is finished”. Here, “cooking end” is stored as a command (request item), “microwave oven 8” is stored as a device candidate, “notice of the end of cooking on digital TV” is stored as a command candidate in the command / action DB 36, and The description will be made assuming that the positions and functions of the first and second digital TVs 3 and 4 are stored in the home network device DB 35 in advance.
First, when the microwave 8 finishes cooking specified by the user 10, it broadcasts this through the network 11 and declares the end of cooking on the network. The robot 1 that has acquired the information refers to each database, grasps the position of the user 10 and the position of each digital TV, and notifies the first digital TV 3 near the user 10 in order to notify the end of cooking. Information indicating the end of cooking in the range 8 is visually displayed. Furthermore, when the user 10 does not notice this, the robot 1 moves close to the user, utters the end of cooking by voice synthesis, and notifies the user of this. That is, according to the robot 1 in this example, even if the microwave oven 8 does not have a high volume notification function, the robot sequentially monitors the operation status of each home network device on the network 11. By performing the functions of other home network devices as alternatives, information indicating the end of cooking can be transmitted to a user located away from the microwave oven 8.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 will be described by taking as an example a case where “the user who has moved from the dining kitchen to the living room does not feel the temperature change as much as possible”.
That is, when the robot 1 detects that the user 10 has moved from the dining kitchen to the living room, the user 10 refers to each database and confirms the operating status of the second air conditioner 6 in the dining kitchen where the user 10 originally resided. For example, when the second air conditioner 6 is operating at a temperature set to 25 ° C. as the operating state, the first air conditioner 5 in the living room is set at the same set temperature 25 ° C. so that the living room at the moving destination has the same temperature environment. Start. Thereby, a user's request | requirement is realizable continuously.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 will be described by taking the user's request to “watch a movie” as an example.
Here, at least “I want to watch a movie” as a command (request item), “Digital TV, HDD recorder” as a device candidate, and “Play movie” as a command candidate are stored in the command / action DB 36, Description will be made assuming that the positions and functions of the first and second digital TVs 3 and 4 and the HDD recorder 9 are stored in the home network device DB 35 in advance.
The robot 1 that has received the request “I want to watch a movie” refers to each database. Since the user does not designate a recorded movie or a live broadcast movie, for example, all home network devices that can view the movie are searched through the network 11. Next, the robot 1 grasps the position of a device that can watch a movie, the current position of the user, and the like, and automatically plays a movie that matches the user's hobby, for example, on the first digital TV 3. In the case of a digital TV, a high-quality live broadcast movie received by a digital tuner can be viewed. Here, for example, instead of automatic movie playback, a user's favorite movie list may be displayed and a movie selected from this list may be played. When the HDD recorder 9 is searched as a playback device, a movie recorded on its own HDD is played back. In this example, a device that has a video reception function and a video recording function is operated, and the operation becomes relatively complicated. The request “I want to see” is easily realized by the robot 1.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 will be described by taking as an example the case where the user 10 who has watched the television during the reception moves to the dining kitchen.
When the robot 1 detects the movement of the user 10, the robot 1 refers to each database and confirms the operation status of the second digital TV 4 during the reception where the user 10 was present before the movement. In this operation situation, when the channel that the user 10 was watching is 12, for example, the robot 1 uses the first digital TV 3 in the dining kitchen so that the same program can be viewed in the dining kitchen at the destination. Set the same channel number 12 and turn on the power. At the same time, the robot 1 turns off the second digital TV 4 when it is confirmed that no one is around the second digital TV 4 during the reception.
In this example, the user 10 can move and can watch the program he / she watched at the destination even without operating the device. Selection and control of the home network device according to the user's movement Is realized. Further, as described above, since the second digital TV 4 between the receptions where the user 10 was before moving is stopped at the same time as the user moves, the use of electric power with less waste is realized, and economic effects and the like are also achieved. I can expect.

  As described above, according to the robot 1 according to the present embodiment, the request input from the user 10 is mainly interpreted with reference to the database in which the function of each home network device is associated with the request item. Since each device is controlled, it becomes unnecessary for the user to grasp in advance the functions of the individual home network devices and the setting items according to the functions, and the burden on the user can be reduced. Further, according to the robot 1 according to the present embodiment, when the request of the user 10 cannot be achieved by the function of one home network device, the insufficient function is replaced or supplemented by the function of another device on the network 11. The user's request can be achieved.

  Although the present invention has been specifically described above by the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, authentication of a user is performed by capturing a face image. Instead, authentication of a user is performed using biometric information such as a fingerprint, a voice, and an eyeball pattern. You may make it perform. Further, instead of the robot 1 described above, the present invention may be realized by an information processing terminal or the like to which a useful function of the robot 1 is partially added.

The block diagram of a home network system provided with the home network robot which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the inside of the residence in which the home network system of FIG. 1 was installed. The perspective view which shows the home network robot of FIG. 1 in detail. The block diagram which shows the structure of the home network robot of FIG. 3 functionally. The block diagram which shows each database in the memory | storage part with which the home network robot of FIG. 4 is provided. The figure which shows the content of the surrounding environment database memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of FIG. The figure which shows the content of the home network apparatus database memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of FIG. The figure which shows the content of the command and action database memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of FIG. The figure which shows the content of the person's state / hobby / preference database memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of FIG. The flowchart which shows the process of the integrated control part with which the home network robot of FIG. 1 is provided.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Home network robot, 2 ... Home network system, 3 ... 1st digital TV (television), 4 ... 2nd digital TV, 5 ... 1st air conditioner, 6 ... 2nd air conditioner, 7 ... Refrigerator, 8 ... Microwave oven , 9 HDD (hard disk) recorder, 10 User, 11 Network, 12 Housing, 18 Distance sensor, 20 Speaker, 21 Camera unit, 24 Operation button, 25 Microphone, 26 Communication antenna, 27 Communication unit 28 Image processing unit 29 Person authentication unit 30 Voice recognition unit 32 Storage unit 33 Control unit 34 Peripheral environment DB (database) 35 Home network device DB 36 ... command / behavior DB, 37 ... human state / hobby / preference DB.

Claims (5)

An electronic device management robot connected to a plurality of electronic devices through a network,
Storage means for storing the functions of the individual electronic devices and the user's request items in association with each other;
An input means for inputting a request from the user;
An electronic device management robot, comprising: a control unit that interprets the request input by the input unit based on a storage content of the storage unit and controls operations of the plurality of electronic devices. An operation status monitoring means for monitoring the operation status of each electronic device;
2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further refers to the operation status of each electronic device monitored by the operation status monitoring unit and dynamically controls the operation of the plurality of electronic devices. Electronic device management robot. Further comprising user position detecting means for detecting the position of the user;
The storage means further stores installation position information of each of the electronic devices,
The control means further refers to the position information of the user detected by the user position detection means and the installation position information of the individual electronic devices, and controls operations of the plurality of electronic devices. The electronic device management robot according to claim 2. Further comprising environmental information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the surrounding environment of each electronic device;
4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit further refers to information related to a surrounding environment of each electronic device acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit and controls operations of the plurality of electronic devices. 5. Equipment management robot. The user position detecting means further detects a plurality of users for each user so as to be distinguishable,
The storage means further stores information on the preferences of the plurality of users in association with each user,
The control means further controls the operation of each electronic device by further referring to the detection result detected so as to be discriminable for each user by the user position detection means and the preference information associated with each user. The electronic device management robot according to claim 4, wherein:

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