WO2018174289A1

WO2018174289A1 - Conversation control system, and robot control system

Info

Publication number: WO2018174289A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/011914
Authority: WO
Inventors: 雄介柴田; 智彦大内; 麻莉子矢作; 浩平小川; 雄一郎吉川; 石黒　浩
Original assignee: 株式会社ゼンショーホールディングス; 国立大学法人大阪大学
Priority date: 2017-03-24
Filing date: 2018-03-23
Publication date: 2018-09-27
Also published as: JP2018161704A

Abstract

Provided are: a conversion control device capable of carrying on a proper conversation with a customer; and a robot control system. This conversion control device is provided with a staying state determination unit, an information acquisition unit, and a conversation control unit. The staying state determination unit determines a staying state in the restaurant of a customer visiting the restaurant. The information acquisition unit acquires conversation scenario information according to the staying state of the customer determined by the staying state determination unit. The conversation control unit carries on a conversation with the customer on the basis of the conversation scenario information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

Description

Dialog control system and robot control system

The present invention relates to a dialog control system and a robot control system.

In recent years, there have been cases where humanoid robots are used as guides for visitors in restaurants and other public facilities (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-66623). A technology for performing communication (dialogue) with such a robot using a dedicated operation terminal has been studied. According to this technology, a user can enjoy a dialogue with a robot via an operation terminal, or guide information can be obtained. Can be obtained.

For example, when installing a robot in a restaurant, a service is conceivable in which the robot installed at the table seat interacts directly or indirectly via a tablet or the like. In this case, customer satisfaction can be improved by presenting a recommended menu or chatting.

However, if the dialogue is not suitable for the customer's current state, for example, before ordering, before serving meals, during meals, etc., the dialogue may be distracted or the customer may feel uncomfortable. It can also reduce customer satisfaction.

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a dialog control device and a robot control system capable of performing an appropriate dialog with a customer.

The dialogue control device according to an embodiment determines a stay state of the customer who entered the restaurant in the restaurant, and a stay state determination unit that determines the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit. An information acquisition unit that acquires the corresponding dialogue scenario information; and a dialogue control unit that performs a dialogue with the customer based on the dialogue scenario information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

The stay state determination unit may determine the stay state of the customer in the restaurant based on information from the store system.

The dialogue control apparatus may further include a reception unit that receives a signal indicating that the customer has ordered food and drink from the store system, and the stay state determination unit is configured to receive the signal at the reception unit. When the signal is received, it may be determined that the customer is waiting for the ordered food and drink.

The stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit may be a state that changes over time.

The stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit is a state from when the customer enters or sits in the restaurant until an order for food and drink, and the food and drink ordered by the customer are provided. At least one of the following states: a state until the customer completes eating and drinking of the food and drink, and a state until the customer leaves the restaurant after completing the eating and drinking of the food and drink You may go out.

The dialogue control device may include a recommended menu providing unit that provides a recommended menu of food and drink to the customer when the customer does not order food and drink, and the information acquisition unit When the customer selects the recommended menu and the customer selects another menu without selecting the recommended menu in the dialog with the customer regarding menu selection of May be.

The dialog control apparatus may include a scenario storage unit that stores a plurality of different dialog scenario information, and the information acquisition unit includes a dialog scenario according to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit. Information may be acquired from the scenario storage unit.

The information acquisition unit may acquire dialogue scenario information according to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit via a communication network.

A robot control system according to an embodiment includes a robot that performs an operation according to an instruction signal, and an operation terminal that generates the instruction signal and transmits the instruction signal to the robot. Based on the information, a stay state determination unit that determines a stay state of the customer who entered the restaurant in the restaurant, and a dialogue scenario according to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit An information acquisition unit that acquires information, and a dialog control unit that performs a dialog with the customer based on the dialog scenario information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

The operation terminal may include a receiving unit that receives the customer order information from the store system, and the stay state determination unit receives the order information at the receiving unit. It may be determined that the customer is waiting for the ordered food or drink.

The store system includes, in addition to the order information, first information indicating that the customer has entered the store, second information indicating that the customer has been seated, and the ordered food and drink being provided to the customer. The third information to be displayed and the stay information including at least one of the fourth information indicating that the food and drink provided by the customer have been completed may be wirelessly transmitted, and the receiving unit of the operation terminal may The order information and the stay information transmitted by the store system are received, and the stay state determining unit determines the stay state of the customer based on the order information and the stay information received by the receiving unit. You may do it.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dialog control device and a robot control system capable of performing an appropriate dialog with a customer.

The block diagram which shows an example of the robot control system which concerns on one Embodiment. The block diagram which shows an example of the scenario control part which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which shows the process of the scenario control in the dialog control which concerns on one Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process of the dialog control which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the dialogue which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the dialogue of the recommendation menu provision which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the dialogue at the time of the recommendation menu selection concerning one embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the dialog at the time of the recommendation menu non-selection which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the dialogue after the order which concerns on one Embodiment. The block diagram which shows another example of the scenario control part which concerns on one Embodiment. The block diagram which shows an example of the robot control system which concerns on a modification. The figure which shows an example of the dialog which concerns on a modification. The block diagram which shows an example of the robot control system which concerns on a modification.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the dialogue control system and the robot control system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment shown below is an example of embodiment of this invention, This invention is limited to these embodiment, and is not interpreted. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference symbols or similar symbols, and repeated description thereof may be omitted. In addition, the dimensional ratio in the drawing may be different from the actual ratio for convenience of explanation, or a part of the configuration may be omitted from the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a robot control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the robot control system 1 includes a robot 2, an operation terminal 3 that is an example of a robot control device, a handy terminal 4, and a store system 5 such as a POS (Point など of Sales) system. . The robot control system 1 is, for example, a system for a restaurant customer (hereinafter referred to as a user) to interact with the robot 2 via the operation terminal 3 that operates the robot 2.

1 is a machine having a human-like appearance and dialogue function, that is, a humanoid. Note that the robot 2 may have a dissimilar appearance to humans such as animals and characters. Further, the robot 2 may be a virtual robot based on an image displayed on the display unit 35.

(Robot 2)
As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 2 includes a robot drive unit 21 and a robot control unit 22 that is an example of a drive control unit. The robot 2 may be driven by electric power supplied from a commercial power source or may be driven by a battery.

The robot drive unit 21 includes a voice output device that outputs the speech voice of the robot 2. By driving the robot drive unit 21 as necessary, the robot 2 can speak to perform a dialogue with the user. A drive control signal for controlling the drive of the robot drive unit 21 is input from the robot control unit 22 to the robot drive unit 21. The robot drive unit 21 is driven according to the drive control signal. In addition, the robot drive unit 21 may include an actuator that drives a portion of the robot 2 having a degree of freedom, a lighting device that lights the eyeball unit of the robot 2, and the like.

The robot control unit 22 receives a robot control command, which is an example of a command signal, from the operation terminal 3. The robot control unit 22 generates the above-described drive control signal based on the received robot control command, and outputs the generated drive control signal to the robot drive unit 21. That is, the robot 2 can operate according to the robot control command. Note that the command for causing the robot 2 to speak includes data indicating the content of the utterance (scenario data described later).

The robot control unit 22 includes, for example, at least one memory storing software such as an application program and an operating system that operates the application program, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the software stored in the memory. The drive control signal may be generated by the CPU executing software stored in the memory.

(Operation terminal 3)
The operation terminal 3 is carried by the user and is, for example, a tablet terminal having a touch function. In addition, the operation terminal 3 may be a smartphone, a desktop display type terminal, or the like. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the operation terminal 3 includes an orientation sensor 31 that is an example of a sensor, and an operation generation unit 32 that is an example of a command signal generation unit and a transmission unit. The operation terminal 3 is driven by electric power supplied from the built-in battery.

The azimuth sensor 31 outputs an azimuth detection signal indicating the azimuth of the operation terminal 3 to the motion generation unit 32. The direction sensor 31 outputs a direction detection signal indicating the detected direction of the operation terminal 3 to the motion generation unit 32. For example, the motion generation unit 32 generates a robot control command for controlling the posture of the robot 2 so as to face the direction in which the operation terminal 3 exists based on the direction detection signal from the direction sensor 31.

The motion generation unit 32 generates a robot control command for controlling the motion of the robot 2 based on the output of the direction sensor 31. The motion generation unit 32 transmits the generated robot control command to the robot control unit 22 via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi, for example. The robot control unit 22 receives the robot control command from the motion generation unit 32, and outputs a drive control signal corresponding to the received robot control command to the robot drive unit 21, thereby controlling the operation of the robot 2. Do.

The operation of the robot 2 includes an interactive operation in which a conversation with the user is performed using voice. As a configuration for performing a dialogue between the user and the robot 2, the operation terminal 3 includes a scenario DB (database) 33, a scenario control unit 34, and a display unit 35 in addition to the motion generation unit 32 described above. And an input unit 36 such as a touch panel, and an audio output unit 37.

The scenario DB 33 stores a plurality of pieces of dialogue scenario information for carrying out a dialogue between the user and the robot 2. The dialogue scenario information includes a plurality of dialogue scenarios. The dialogue scenario is a story of dialogue exchanged between the user and the robot 2. A customer who enters a restaurant changes a plurality of staying states after entering the restaurant and before leaving the store. Therefore, a separate dialogue scenario is accumulated in the scenario DB 33 for each transition state. Further, when a customer selects a specific option from among a plurality of options while the dialog scenario executed in a certain stay state is in progress, there may be a case of switching to another dialog scenario. Each dialogue scenario is composed of robot-side scenario data that the robot 2 uses for dialogue (ie, utterance) and user-side scenario data that the user uses for dialogue (ie, selection on the operation terminal 3). The user-side scenario data is data that collects user-side options and the like for the utterances of the robot 2 in each dialogue scenario. The user-side scenario data is used for displaying options and the like on the display unit 35 of the operation terminal 3 in accordance with the progress of the conversation scenario. The user can select a specific option from the displayed options using the input unit 36.

Further, different (lower) robot-side scenario data different from each other are associated with each of the dialogue scenario options shown in the user-side scenario data. That is, the dialogue scenario data has a tree structure in which the robot side scenario data and the user side scenario data are alternately coupled as nodes. In the tree structure, a predetermined series of nodes ranging from the highest level to the lowest level are managed as basic scenarios used for typical dialogue, for example, and the other node groups are managed as correction scenarios for correcting the basic scenarios. May be.

For example, dialogue scenario data for restaurants may be divided into a plurality of scenario groups according to status data (stay information) indicating a user's stay status at the restaurant. The status data in the example of FIG. 1 is information indicating that the user has performed the following actions: sitting, ordering, food and drink provision, meal termination, and accounting. The dialogue scenario data is provided from the scenario group classified by these status data.

The scenario control unit 34 controls the scenario based on the data output from the store system 5. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the scenario control unit 34. As shown in FIG. 2, the scenario control unit 34 includes a reception unit 341, a stay state determination unit 342, an information acquisition unit 343, and a dialogue control unit 345. Further, the scenario control unit 34 may include a recommended menu providing unit 344. Thus, the recommended menu providing unit 344 is not an essential configuration.

The receiving unit 341 receives information including status data output from the store system 5. The status data can be input, for example, at the handy terminal 4 for ordering carried by the store staff of the restaurant. The status data is transmitted from the handy terminal 4 to the store system 5 and then transmitted from the store system 5 to the receiving unit 341 of the scenario control unit 34. Further, the status data may be transmitted from the handy terminal 4 directly to the operation terminal 3 via the receiving unit 341 without passing through the store system 5.

Examples of status data include, in addition to order information indicating that the user has ordered food and drink, the first state indicating that the user has entered the store, the second state indicating that the user has been seated, and the ordered food and drink. There is a third state indicating that the user has been provided to the user, a fourth state indicating that the user has finished eating and drinking food and drink. The status data is not limited to this, and the status data may include a leaving state indicating that the user has left the seat, a conversation state in which the users are having a conversation, or a state in which the user has ordered dessert after eating. Good. Thus, the status data is information indicating the staying state of the user that changes with the passage of time.

The stay state determination unit 342 determines the stay state of the user based on the status data among the information received by the reception unit 341. When the stay state determination unit 342 receives a second state signal indicating that the user has been seated, for example, via the reception unit 341, the stay state determination unit 342 determines that the user is in the stay state before ordering after sitting. When the order information is received via the reception unit 341, the stay state determination unit 342 determines that the user is in a stay state waiting for food and drink after the order is placed. Similar to the above-described status data, the staying state is information indicating the state of the user that changes over time.

It should be noted that the relationship between the status data and the staying state may be a configuration other than those described above. For example, the store staff may input the stay state itself as the status data. That is, instead of inputting the user's action as a trigger, the state itself may be input. Specifically, the store staff may not directly input the act of being seated or ordered, but directly input the state of being seated or ordering and waiting for food or drink. . In this case, stay state determination unit 342 determines that the received status data itself is a stay state. This difference in input is basically a matter of design matters.

The information acquisition unit 343 acquires, from the scenario DB 33, dialogue scenario information corresponding to the stay state determined by the stay state determination unit 342. The dialogue scenario information refers to information on a scenario group that changes depending on the stay state, or individual scenario data included in the scenario group. There may be no scenario group, and the dialogue scenario information may be composed of data of a plurality of dialogue scenarios.

The scenario group is a bundle of scenario data suitable for the staying state of the user, and includes various scenario data according to the staying state. For example, when the user's staying state is the state before ordering, the scenario group includes scenario data that presents a menu that matches each time, and the content of the conversation and the way the conversation changes depending on the number of adults and children Data and other scenario data according to various situations are included. Further, a plurality of dialogue scenario data that can be selected according to the operation of the operation terminal 3 may be provided even in the same staying state.

The information acquisition unit 343 may acquire scenario data for dialogue according to the staying state of the user, or after the scenario information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 343, scenario data to be used for dialogue from the scenario group. You may make it select and output. The information acquisition unit 343 or the dialogue control unit 345 may select the scenario data used for the dialogue from the scenario group.

The recommended menu providing unit 344 transmits recommended menu information related to the recommended menu to the information acquisition unit 343 when there is a recommended menu in the menu. The information acquisition unit 343 acquires dialogue scenario information related to the recommended menu from the scenario DB 33.

For example, the recommended menu providing unit 344 may output the recommended menu based on the dialogue scenario information regarding the recommended menu acquired by the information acquiring unit 343 when the user is in the stay state before ordering after sitting. .

As another method, the information acquisition unit 343 checks the recommended menu providing unit 344 for the presence of a recommended menu when acquiring the dialogue scenario information. If there is a recommended menu, the scenario data recommending the recommended menu is acquired from the scenario DB 33. Then, the acquired scenario data is output to the dialogue control unit 345. When there are a plurality of recommended menus, the plurality of recommended menus may be transmitted to the information acquisition unit 343, and information that there is another recommended menu in addition to the first recommended menu is also acquired by the information acquisition unit 343. You may send to.

The dialogue control unit 345 outputs information including scenario data used for the dialogue acquired according to the staying status of the user to the action generation unit 32. Further, the dialogue control unit 345 may output data used for the dialogue to the display unit 35 of the operation terminal 3 if necessary. The data used for the dialogue is basically information on the user side scenario data used for responding to the robot side scenario data.

The motion generation unit 32 that has received the scenario data used for the dialogue transmits a signal obtained by converting the dialogue data into a voice to the robot control unit 22, thereby generating a voice from the robot 2. At this time, it is also possible to send a signal for opening / closing or lighting the mouth of the robot 2 to the robot control unit 22 to open / close or light the robot 2. Further, instead of appropriately transmitting the voice data from the operation terminal 3 to the robot control unit 22 as described above, the voice data is stored in the robot 2 and an identification signal associated with each voice data is transmitted. Thus, the robot 2 may be uttered. The voice output from the robot 2 may be an utterance that includes a meaningful word, or may be an artificial sound that does not include a word.

Note that the data output by the dialogue control unit 345 is not limited to the user-side scenario data, and when the user selects a menu, an image or video of food or drink may be output to the display unit 35. . That is, not only information about words and characters used for dialogue, but also data that can be used for display, such as images and moving images, may be output to the display unit 35 as appropriate.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to this, and sound may be output from the operation terminal 3 or the operation terminal 3 may be vibrated as necessary. In this case, the sound data, vibration data, and the like are output. You may do it. Further, when the robot 2 utters a sound, the sound uttered by the robot 2 may be output to the display unit 35 as characters. On the other hand, the user makes an arbitrary selection at the input unit 36 from the options displayed on the display unit 35 based on the user-side scenario data displayed on the display unit 35.

Then, the dialogue control unit 345 outputs the robot side scenario data for responding to the data selected by the user to the display unit 35 and the motion generation unit 32. At this time, the user's selection may be output as audio information from the operation terminal 3 via the audio output unit 37.

When the recommended menu is displayed on the display unit 35 and there are a plurality of recommended menus, the dialogue control unit 345 is based on a user input indicating that another recommended menu is to be presented from the input unit 36. A signal may be output to the information acquisition unit 343 so as to present a different recommended menu.

In this case, as indicated by the dotted line, a new recommended menu may be notified to the information acquisition unit 343 via the recommended menu providing unit 344. Upon receiving the instruction of the new recommended menu, the information acquisition unit 343 transmits the dialog scenario related to the new recommended menu acquired from the scenario DB 33 or the recommended menu providing unit 344 in advance to the dialog control unit 345. Good.

As another example, the information acquisition unit 343 acquires a dialogue scenario related to the new recommended menu from the scenario DB 33 or the recommended menu providing unit 344 at a timing when a notification that a new recommended menu is output has been received. It may be. Furthermore, the recommended menu can be set not only on the store side or on the chain side of the store, but also, for example, a menu with high sales or a popular menu.

In FIG. 2, the input unit 36 is connected to the dialogue control unit 345, but is not limited thereto, and may be connected to the recommended menu providing unit 344 together. In this case, when the user desires to present other recommended menus, the recommended menu providing unit 344 does not go through the dialogue control unit 345 but sends a signal regarding the other recommended menus to the information acquisition unit 343 based on the input. Is output.

As described above, the scenario control unit 34 acquires appropriate data from the various scenario data stored in the scenario DB 33 based on the staying state of the user input to the handy terminal 4 by the store staff, and the motion generation unit 32, and output to the display unit 35. Further, the scenario control unit 34 reads out new robot-side scenario data that responds to the dialogue scenario selected by the dialogue scenario selection signal from the scenario DB 33 in accordance with the dialogue scenario selection signal input from the input unit 36.

Then, the scenario control unit 34 outputs the read new robot side scenario data to the motion generation unit 32 for speech. By repeating this process, it is possible to perform a dialogue between the user and the robot 2.

With the above configuration, the dialogue between the user and the robot 2 can be performed using the dialogue scenario data.

(Stay status)
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the processing from the operation of the handy terminal 4 by the store staff to the selection of the scenario data together with the time series. In FIG. 3, solid arrows indicate data and signal input / output, and broken arrows indicate the passage of time. As described above and as shown in FIG. 3, the process up to the scenario data selection is executed by the store system 5, the scenario DB 33, and the scenario control unit 34.

The transition of status data and scenario group will be described with reference to FIG. First, the first information that the user has entered the handy terminal 4 or the second information that the user has been seated is input to the handy terminal 4 as the stay information A1 by the operation of the store staff. When the stay information A1 is transmitted to the scenario control unit 34 via the store system 5, the stay state determination unit 342 indicates that the current stay state of the user has entered the restaurant or seated. It is determined that the stay state P1 is a state from when the order is placed to when the order is placed. And the information acquisition part 343 acquires the scenario data which belongs to the scenario group 1 according to this stay state P1 from scenario DB33, and performs a dialog with a user. When the store staff inputs status data, the handy terminal 4 may transmit, for example, a table number or the like on which the user is seated as a key. By doing so, it is possible to associate the status data typed from the handy terminal 4 with the user.

Next, after a lapse of time, the store staff transmits the user's order to the store system 5 via the handy terminal 4, that is, the order information indicating that the order has been transmitted is transmitted as the stay information A2. Then, the stay state determination unit 342 waits for the food and drink ordered by the user to be provided from the stay state P1 before the order, that is, the order is provided and the food and drink are provided. It is determined that the state has shifted to the waiting stay state P2. And the information acquisition part 343 acquires the scenario data which belongs to the scenario group 2 according to this stay state P2 from scenario DB33, and performs a dialog with a user.

Similarly, when stay information A3 for providing food and drink is transmitted, the state shifts to a state until the user completes eating and drinking of the food and drink, that is, stay state P3 being eaten and drink, and scenario data belonging to scenario group 3 When the staying information A4 at the end of eating and drinking is transmitted, the state transitions to the staying state P4, which is a state from when the user completes eating and drinking until the user leaves the store, and interacts with scenario data belonging to the scenario group 4 I do. As described above, as the store staff appropriately inputs the user status data as time passes, the staying state changes, and a dialog using the scenario data corresponding thereto is performed.

The stay status is not limited to the above-mentioned information, just like the stay information described above. As a staying state, for example, when dessert is ordered, the waiting state is waiting for the dessert to be served, and after the ordered dessert is served, the staying state is that the dessert is being eaten or eaten. It may be included. The scenario group is not limited to the above, and may include a scenario group according to the dessert standby state, a scenario group according to the dessert eating and drinking state, and the like. As another example, when an additional order is received, the user may return to the staying state P2.

The input of status data is not limited to that input via the handy terminal 4. For example, when the user makes a checkout and leaves the store, status data indicating that the checkout has been made may be transmitted to the operation terminal 3 from the POS terminal (store system 5) at the time of checkout. The operation terminal 3 that has received the status data indicating that the transaction has been made may return the staying state to the initial state.

(Operation example)
Next, a main operation example of the robot control system 1 of FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of scenario data acquisition processing and dialogue processing in the operation terminal 3 according to the present embodiment. An example of operation will be described with reference to FIGS. As an initial stay state, for example, a null value may be entered, and the state may be left uninput, or a stay state that is not yet entered or not seated may be set. In the following description, it is assumed that a stay state of not entering or not seating is set as an initial state.

First, the stay state determination unit 342 acquires status data (stay information) from the store system 5 via the reception unit 341 (step S10). The stay state determination unit 342 receives, for example, status data A1 that the store is entered in FIG.

Next, the stay state determination unit 342 determines the stay state of the user based on the received status data (step S11). For example, when the status data A1 is received, the stay state determination unit 342 determines that the stay state is the stay state P1 that is the state before the user places an order. The stay state determination unit 342 outputs the obtained stay state P1 to the information acquisition unit 343.

Next, the information acquisition unit 343 determines whether or not the staying state of the user has been changed (step S12). For example, when the state is changed from a non-entry or unoccupied state to the stay state P1, the information acquisition unit 343 determines that the state has changed to a new stay state (step S12: YES), and a scenario acquisition step Migrate to

The information acquisition unit 343 that has determined that the stay state has been changed selects a scenario group (step S13). For example, in the stay state P1, the information acquisition unit 343 selects the scenario group 1 as a group for acquiring a scenario.

Next, the information acquisition unit 343 selects scenario data used for the dialogue from the scenarios belonging to the scenario group 1 (step S14). For example, if you transition from the non-seated state to stay state P1, the user, immediately after visiting, or, since there is likely to be immediately after being guided to the seat, tailored to the time "Good morning", "Hello", etc. It is also possible to select a scenario for greeting and a scenario for menu selection.

The recommended menu information may be provided from the recommended menu providing unit 344 at the timing of selecting this scenario. In this case, the information acquisition unit 343 selects a scenario when there is a recommended menu, and outputs a scenario based on the recommended menu provided from the recommended menu providing unit 344 to the dialogue control unit 345.

Next, the dialogue control unit 345 executes a dialogue process with the user via the robot 2 (step S15). If the stay state has not changed (step S12: NO), this process is performed without the processes of steps S13 and S14.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an interaction between the robot 2 and the user, and is a diagram illustrating an example when the recommended menu providing unit 344 provides recommended menu information. As shown in FIG. 5, the dialogue is performed using the robot 2 and the operation terminal 3. The operation terminal 3 is, for example, a tablet-type portable terminal that includes a display unit 35 and a touch panel type input unit 36 integrated into the display unit 35. From the robot 2, for example, an utterance “What to order?” Is executed based on the robot-side scenario data selected by the information acquisition unit 343.

Then, at the timing of replying to the utterance of the robot 2, the display unit 35 of the operation terminal 3 has options of “view menu” and “tell me a recommended menu!” As an answer to the above robot side scenario data. Including user-side scenario data is displayed. By performing selection from the options via the input unit 36, the user executes a dialog with the robot 2. When a selection is made by the input unit 36, the selected content may be uttered by automatic voice. Thereby, the feeling of interaction with the robot 2 can be further enhanced.

The dialogue control unit 345 determines whether or not a scenario used for the subsequent dialogue is changed based on an answer from the user (step S16). For example, in FIG. 5, it is assumed that a scenario that recommends a recommended menu is selected as the scenario data. Here, when the user selects the option “view menu”, the scenario needs to be changed. In such a case, the dialog control unit 345 determines that the scenario needs to be changed (step S16: YES), returns to step S14, and selects the scenario that shows the menu from the scenario group 1. The acquisition unit 343 is notified.

On the other hand, when the user selects the option “Tell me a recommended menu!”, There is no need to change the scenario (step S16: NO), and the dialogue between the user and the robot 2 is continued.

When the user performs a dialogue based on the user-side scenario data, the stay state determination unit 342 acquires the stay information of the user (step S17). This is a process for dealing with such a situation because the store staff may input the stay information of the user using the handy terminal 4 during the dialogue. The operation terminal 3 may be configured so that the stay information can be acquired during the dialogue in this way.

Next, the dialogue control unit 345 determines whether or not to terminate the dialogue with the robot 2 (step S17). When the dialogue is terminated by the option selected by the user (step S17: YES), the dialogue control unit 345 terminates the dialogue. At this time, the robot 2 may utter “Let's talk again”. On the other hand, when the dialogue is continued by the option selected by the user (step S17: NO), the process returns to step S11, and the dialogue is continued according to the above-described procedure.

Hereinafter, the processing procedure following the description of FIG. 5 will be described in detail through the interaction between the robot 2 and the user.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the display unit 35 when “Tell me a recommended menu!” In FIG. 5 is selected by the user. As shown in FIG. 6, the letters “Italian cheese hamburger” provided by the recommended menu providing unit 344 are displayed together with images and videos as the recommended menu for today. At the same time, other recommended menus may be displayed together. Further, regarding the explanation of the Italian cheese hamburger from the robot 2, the contents of the menu, the reason for recommendation, etc. may be spoken. Here, when the user selects a menu for ordering Italian cheese hamburger, that is, when “select this menu” is selected, the scenario is not changed (step S16: NO), and the dialog is performed. Will continue.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of dialogue when the recommended menu is selected. First, the robot 2 utters a message such as “Thank you for choosing the recommended menu. Thank you!” For the user's selection. Then, on the display unit 35, as an answer to the utterance, options such as “of course!” And “change after all” are displayed. Here, when “of course!” Is selected by the user, the robot 2 utters, for example, “Recommended menu is ... Good choice!”, Followed by “Call the store staff. "Let's place an order!"

On the other hand, when “view other menu” is selected in FIG. 6, a signal indicating that the scenario is changed is notified from the dialogue control unit 345 to the information acquisition unit 343 (step S16: YES). The information acquisition unit 343 that has received the signal returns to step S14 and selects another scenario. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example when another scenario is selected. As shown in FIG. 8, the robot 2 speaks, for example, “I made a different menu”. On the display unit 35, as an answer to the utterance, options such as “I'm sorry” and “I'll change after all” are displayed. Here, when “I ’m sorry” is selected by the user, the robot 2 may utter a message such as “See another recommended menu?” And recommend another recommended menu to the user. .

In this way, the dialog control unit 345 determines whether to change the scenario according to the option selected by the user, and the information acquisition unit 343 obtains new scenario data from the scenario DB 33 based on the determination result. get. When acquiring new scenario data, there is another recommended menu, and when it is displayed, the information acquiring unit 343 can also exchange information with the recommended menu providing unit 344. In FIG. 6, even when “Kuroge Wagyu beef sukiyaki” or the like, which is another recommended menu, is selected, the information acquisition unit 343 acquires new recommended menu information from the recommended menu providing unit 344, and the scenario DB 33 Another scenario may be acquired from the recommended menu.

Since stay information is not updated between FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 described above, the stay state is not updated by the stay state determination unit 342 even if the stay information is acquired in step S17 after the user answers. There is no scenario group selection. On the other hand, for example, after the state of FIG. 7, order information that the user has ordered food and drink and the user has placed an order via the handy terminal 4 is received via the receiving unit 341 of the scenario control unit 34. This case will be described below.

In this case, in step S17, the stay information A2 that the handy terminal 4 ordered in FIG. 3 is transmitted from the handy terminal 4 to the stay state determination unit 342 via the store system 5 and the reception unit 341. If it is not determined that the dialogue has ended (step S18: NO), then the stay state determination unit 342 detects the stay state (step S11). The stay state determination unit 342 is based on having received the stay information A2, and the current stay state is a state in which the user completes the order and is waiting for the ordered food and drink to be provided. It is determined that transition to P2 has occurred.

Next, the information acquisition unit 343 notified of the transition from the stay state determination unit 342 to the stay state P2 selects the scenario group 2 corresponding to the stay state P2 as a scenario group for acquiring scenario data (step S13). ). Subsequently, the information acquisition unit 343 selects and acquires the dialogue scenario information belonging to the scenario group 2 from the scenario DB 33 (step S14). And based on the dialogue scenario information acquired by the information acquisition unit 343, the dialogue control unit 345 executes a dialogue with the user via the robot 2 (step S15). The stay state determination unit 342 may simply notify that the current stay state is the stay state P2. In this case, the information acquisition unit 343 determines that the stay state has changed, and selects the scenario group 2 You may make it do.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of dialogue when scenario data belonging to scenario group 2 is selected by the information acquisition unit 343. As shown in FIG. 9, the robot 2 performs a dialogue suitable for a state where the order is finished and the user is waiting to provide food and drink, such as “Let's talk until the food comes!”.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a customer who visits a restaurant can perform an appropriate dialogue with the robot 2 installed in the restaurant and the operation terminal 3. That is, in the present embodiment, the staying state of the customer can be grasped based on information input by the store staff via the handy terminal 4. And by acquiring dialogue scenario information according to the staying state of the customer that changes in a relatively short time, it is suitable for the state of the customer, for example, the state before ordering or the state of eating and drinking It is possible to have a dialogue and increase customer satisfaction.

In the above description, it is assumed that the stay state changes when the store staff inputs from the handy terminal 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after a user's order is confirmed, after the waiting time until the average provision of the food and drink ordered by the user has elapsed, the state may transition to a staying state during eating and drinking. Further, for example, after the provision of food and drink is completed, the user may automatically transition to a stay state in which the user has finished eating after a predetermined time such as 30 minutes or 45 minutes.

In particular, when an order is received, the store staff does not forget to update the stay status in order to operate the handy terminal 4, but other stay information is confirmed by the store staff and operated by the handy terminal 4. Since it is necessary, the stay information may not be updated via the handy terminal 4. In such a case, it is effective to automatically change the stay state after a predetermined time has elapsed.

(First modification)
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the scenario control unit 34 according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 10, the scenario control unit 34 includes a reception unit 341, a stay state determination unit 342, an information acquisition unit 343, and a dialogue control unit 345. However, unlike the above-described embodiment, The recommended menu providing unit 344 is not provided. As described above, the recommended menu providing unit 344 is not an essential component of the scenario control unit 34.

In this case, the information acquisition unit 343 acquires scenario data without obtaining recommended menu information in step S14 in FIG. By performing the following steps in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, the user can interact with the robot 2 through the scenario control unit 34 according to the staying state of the user. Even in such a configuration, when it is desired to recommend a recommended menu, scenario data including a recommended menu may be stored in the scenario DB 33.

According to this modification, it is possible to simplify the structure of the scenario control unit as compared with the embodiment described above. The store may appropriately select the structure shown in FIG. 2 and the structure shown in FIG. 10 according to the situation of the scenario DB 33 and the scenario control unit 34.

(Second modification)
FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the robot control system 1 according to the second modification. In the embodiment described above, the scenario DB 33 is installed in the operation terminal 3, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the scenario DB 33 may be outside the operation terminal 3. The scenario control unit 34 is connected to the scenario DB 33 via the network 6.

The scenario DB 33 may be provided in a predetermined server outside the operation terminal 3, or a database (including a distributed database) existing on a so-called cloud connected via the network 6 instead of a specific server. It may be. The network 6 and the operation terminal 3 or the scenario DB 33 are connected via wired or wireless communication.

According to this modification, by having the scenario DB 33 outside the operation terminal 3, it is possible to secure the capacity of the operation terminal 3 and to centrally manage scenario data. . In addition, the scenario DB 33 exists in the cloud, and it is possible to select more interactive content by setting it so that a specific number of editors can edit or add scenario data. Is also possible.

(Third Modification)
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state of the display unit 35 in the conversation according to the third modification. In the above-described embodiment, the robot 2 is an indispensable component, but this modification is an example in which the robot 2 does not physically exist.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a robot serving as a substitute for the robot 2 may be drawn on the display unit 35 of the operation terminal 3. By doing so, the user can interact with the virtual robot displayed in the operation terminal 3. In this case, by setting a plurality of robot candidates to be displayed in advance, the user may be able to select a favorite robot as a partner to interact with.

In addition, it is not restricted to what is displayed on the display part 35 in this way. For example, it is possible not to display the robot itself on the display unit 35, that is, to display the robot-side scenario data using characters. As a more specific example, a dialogue with a virtual robot may be performed using a balloon character or the like.

In another example, using AR (Augmented Reality) technology, a camera mounted on the operation terminal 3 is displayed on the display unit 35 on the table on which the user is seated. You may project so that the robot 2 may exist on a table. An AR marker may be provided at a predetermined position on or around the table, or a markerless AR may be used. In this case, similarly to the above-described example, a plurality of robot candidates to be displayed as AR may be set in advance so that the user can select a favorite robot as a conversation partner.

According to this modification, the robot 2 is not essential, and the user can enjoy a dialogue according to the staying state using the operation terminal 3. By doing so, the cost can be reduced and the table used by the user can be widely used. In these cases, the voice of the robot may be uttered from the operation terminal 3. When the robot to be displayed can be selected by the user, the robot may be uttered by changing the voice pitch, voice quality, voice color, etc. according to the selected robot.

(Fourth modification)
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the robot control system 1 according to the fourth modification. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the motion generation unit 32, the scenario control unit 34, and the scenario DB 33 may be provided in the robot 2 instead of the operation terminal 3. That is, the main control function may be provided not in the operation terminal 3 but in the robot 2. The operations of the operation generation unit 32 and the scenario control unit 34 are not significantly different from the operations in the above-described embodiment, and in this modification as well, the dialogue process is executed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

According to the present modification, the configuration of the operation terminal 3 can be simplified, and the communication fee transmitted from the operation terminal 3 to the robot 2 can be reduced, so that the performance of the communication line between the operation terminal 3 and the robot 2 can be reduced. Even when the value is low, dialogue with the robot 2 can be performed without any trouble. The motion generation unit 32 may be provided outside the operation terminal 3 and the robot 2. For example, the motion generation unit 32 may be built in the store system 5 or provided in a communication device separate from the store system 5. May be.

In all the embodiments and modifications described above, the dialogue is described as a state in which the user or the robot 2 outputs some information, but is not limited thereto. For example, since it is less necessary to interact with the robot 2 during a meal, a silent scenario may be prepared in advance and the silent scenario may be output. .

The robot control system 1 according to all the embodiments and modifications described above can be suitably applied to the food and beverage service as described above, but may be applied to various services other than the food and beverage service.

The robot control system 1 according to all the embodiments and modifications described above is a system in which software processing is specifically executed by hardware according to a program recorded in a computer such as a CPU and a memory. Alternatively, each unit may be configured by an analog circuit or a digital circuit to execute a function, or a function may be realized by mixing a computer and a circuit.

The aspects of the present invention are not limited to the individual embodiments described above, but include various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to the contents described above. That is, various additions, modifications, and partial deletions can be made without departing from the concept and spirit of the present invention derived from the contents defined in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1 robot control system, 2 robot, 21 robot drive unit, 22 robot control unit, 3 operation terminal, 31 direction sensor, 32 motion generation unit, 33 scenario DB, 34 scenario control unit, 341 reception unit, 342 stay state determination unit, 343 Information acquisition part, 344 Recommended menu provision part, 345 Dialog control part, 35 Display part, 36 Input part, 37 Voice output part, 4 Handy terminal, 5 Store system, 6 Communication network

Claims

A stay state determination unit for determining a stay state of the customer who entered the restaurant in the restaurant;
An information acquisition unit that acquires dialogue scenario information according to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit;
A dialogue control unit for conducting a dialogue with the customer based on the dialogue scenario information acquired by the information acquisition unit;
A dialogue control device comprising:
The dialogue control device according to claim 1, wherein the stay state determination unit determines a stay state of the customer in the restaurant based on information from a store system.
Receiving a signal indicating that the customer has ordered food and drink from the store system, further comprising a receiving unit;
The dialogue control device according to claim 2, wherein the stay state determination unit determines that the customer is waiting for the ordered food and drink when the signal is received by the reception unit.
3. The dialogue control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit is a state that changes with the passage of time.
The stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit is:
A state from when the customer enters or sits in the restaurant to order food or drink,
Waiting for food and drink ordered by the customer to be provided,
The state until the customer completes eating and drinking of food and drink, and
The dialogue control device according to claim 4, comprising at least one state among states from when the customer completes eating and drinking of food and drink until the customer leaves the store.
When the customer has not ordered food and drink, the recommended menu providing unit for providing a recommended menu of food and drink to the customer,
In the dialogue with the customer regarding the menu selection of food and drink, the information acquisition unit, when the customer selects the recommended menu, and when selecting another menu without selecting the recommended menu, respectively 6. The dialogue control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein different dialogue scenario information is acquired.
A scenario storage unit that stores a plurality of different dialogue scenario information,
The dialogue according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires, from the scenario storage unit, dialogue scenario information corresponding to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit. Control device.
The dialogue according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires, via a communication network, dialogue scenario information according to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit. Control device.
A robot that performs an action according to the instruction signal;
An operation terminal that generates and transmits the instruction signal to the robot,
The operation terminal is
Based on information from the store system, a stay state determination unit that determines a stay state in the restaurant of the customer who entered the restaurant,
An information acquisition unit that acquires dialogue scenario information according to the stay state of the customer determined by the stay state determination unit;
Based on the dialogue scenario information acquired by the information acquisition unit, a dialog control unit that performs a dialog with the customer;
A robot control system.
The operation terminal has a receiving unit that receives the customer order information from the store system,
The robot control system according to claim 9, wherein the stay state determination unit determines that the customer is waiting for ordered food and drink when the order information is received by the reception unit.
The store system includes, in addition to the order information, first information indicating that the customer has entered the store, second information indicating that the customer has been seated, and the ordered food and drink being provided to the customer. Wirelessly transmitting stay information including at least one of the third information to be displayed and the fourth information indicating that the customer has completed the food and drink provided by the customer;
The receiving unit of the operation terminal receives the order information and the stay information transmitted by the store system,
The stay state determining unit determines the stay state of the customer based on the order information and the stay information received by the receiving unit.
The robot control system according to claim 10.