JP2002123404A - Entertainment robot and entertainment robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To newly write an extension program on the side of an entertainment robot or to erase a stored program. SOLUTION: In the entertainment robot provided with a read/write memory for storing a plurality of programs and a running means for running a variety of programs stored on the read/write memory, this robot is provided with a selecting means for selecting a program to be erased on the basis of the concern degree of a user or running frequency of a program corresponding to the attribute of the program under running by the running means and an erasing means for erasing the program selected by the selecting means and when writing a new program in the read/write memory, the program selected by the selecting means is erased by the erasing means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an entertainment robot and an entertainment robot system such as a pet robot for erasing unnecessary programs from stored programs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, entertainment robots have
It is used for a user's personal entertainment and the like, and among them is, for example, a pet robot shaped like a dog. A pet robot or the like has a built-in read / write memory for storing a program, and a function has been added to allow a user to freely write a prepared extension program and have the entertainment robot execute the program.

Further, since the capacity of the read / write memory is finite, when the remaining capacity is small, a program already stored is erased and then a new extended program is written.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, the user has to write a new extension program to the entertainment robot or erase a program already stored in the entertainment robot. They couldn't do that on the robot side.

For this reason, the user has to check the contents of the program stored in the read / write memory each time. However, such a work is troublesome. It has been desired to be able to erase a program that has been used.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of writing a new extension program on the entertainment robot side,
It is an object to enable erasure of a program already stored.

[0007]

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a read / write memory for storing a plurality of programs, and an execution means for executing various programs stored in the read / write memory. A selection means for selecting a program to be erased based on a degree of user's interest in the program or a frequency of execution of the program during execution of the program by the execution means, and a program selected by the selection means. Erasing means for erasing the program selected by the selecting means when writing a new program into the read / write memory.

[0008] More specifically, for example, the user has a low degree of interest in the attributes of a program whose execution has been stopped by the user, and is likely to select a program to be erased. On the other hand, when the user is near the entertainment robot that is executing the program or when the user speaks to the entertainment robot, the user is highly interested in the attributes of the program and is selected as the program to be deleted. Unlikely.

Further, an entertainment robot system according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned entertainment robot and a computer for transmitting a new program to the entertainment robot.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Description of Configuration) FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the exterior of an entertainment robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the inside of the entertainment robot of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1A shows a personal computer 109 which is a computer for transmitting an extension program provided by an entertainment robot vendor to the entertainment robot.
A microphone 101 that collects sounds around the entertainment robot, a camera 102 that captures an image around the entertainment robot, a remote controller 103 that registers user information in the entertainment robot, and a remote controller 103 and a personal computer 109. Communication unit 104 that performs communication by
And a switch 105 for inputting an instruction to execute or delete various programs stored in the entertainment robot.

The remote controller 103 is provided with a button or the like so that the user can register an age group or a gender, a button for registering any one of male, female and unspecified, a button for a teenager, a teenager, a twenty Teens, thirties, forty
A button is provided so that any of the following items can be registered: a person in his or her 50s or more, or no designation.

The user information transmitted from the remote controller 103 is encoded by an entertainment robot. Specifically, for example, if the user information is “male” and “20s”, for example, “40” is attached as a code indicating “male”, and “20”
For example, "50" is assigned as a code indicating "interchange".

FIG. 1B shows a storage unit 107 for storing various kinds of information including a program input in advance and an extension program transmitted from an external computer, and various programs stored in the storage unit 107. And a timer 108 that measures the timing to start driving of the extension program acquisition unit provided in the execution unit 106.

The extension program transmitted from an external computer or the like is provided with each code based on the attribute of the extension program, the applicable age, and the applicability. Specifically, for example, if the extension program is a program that introduces a cooking recipe, for example, “01” is added as a code indicating “home”, and if the extension program is a program that introduces current affairs news, “01” is added. For example, “02” is assigned as a code.

Further, when the extension program has a plurality of attributes, a plurality of codes or a code indicating "high complexity" is added according to the attributes. Further, instead of the type of the content held by the extension program, the characteristic of the extension program itself can be used as the attribute.

Further, for example, "10" may be added as a code indicating "high complexity", or a code indicating "interactive" may be provided if the extension program is of an interactive format with the user. For example, "11"
Is attached.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the execution unit 106 and the storage unit 107 in FIG. 1B. The storage unit 107 includes a determination result storage medium 1, a user information storage medium 2, and a program storage medium 9, and the execution unit 106 includes other units. The maximum capacity of the program storage medium 9 is, for example, 10
As 0 megabytes, a plurality of programs can be written.

FIG. 2 shows a user information receiving means 4 for receiving the user information transmitted from the remote controller 103, a user information storage medium 2 for storing the user information received by the user information receiving means 4, and a microphone 101 Determining means for determining a user's interest level in an attribute of a program stored in a program storage medium 9 based on various information output from a camera 102, a switch 105, and user information stored in a user information storage medium 2. 3 shows a discrimination result storage medium 1 for storing the discrimination result of the discrimination means 3.

FIG. 2 shows an extended program attribute determining means for determining the attribute of an extended program requested to be transmitted to the personal computer 109 or the like based on a user's command or at least the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1. 6 and an extended program transmission requesting unit 15 for requesting an external computer or the like to transmit an extended program based on the determination of the extended program attribute determining unit 6.

Further, FIG. 2 shows an extension program receiving means 8 for receiving an extension program of various contents transmitted in response to a transmission request of the extension program transmission request means 15 or voluntarily from the personal computer 109 or the like, Select whether or not to store each extended program spontaneously transmitted from the personal computer 109 or the like received by the program receiving means 8 in the program storage medium 9 based on at least the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1. And an extension program selection means 5 to be executed.

FIG. 2 shows a program storage medium 9 in which various programs stored in advance in the entertainment robot and extension programs transmitted from the personal computer 109 and the like, and at least a determination result storage medium 1 are stored. A program erasing means 7 for selecting a program to be erased from the programs stored in the program storage medium 9 based on the result of the judgment and erasing the selected program.

Further, FIG. 2 shows an instruction acquisition means 10 for acquiring an instruction such as a program execution instruction or a transmission request instruction inputted by a user, and a program storage medium 9 based on the instruction acquired by the instruction acquisition means 10. And a program execution means 16 for executing the program stored in the program.

(Explanation of Operation) First, the operation when the extension program spontaneously transmitted from the personal computer 109 or the like is received will be described. When the extension program of various contents is spontaneously transmitted from the personal computer 109 or the like, the wireless unit 104 (the extension program receiving unit 8) receives this and outputs it to the extension program selecting unit 5.

When the output expansion program is input, the expansion program selection means 5 refers to the storage capacity of the program storage medium 9 by using the input expansion program as a trigger and refers to the free space sufficient to store the expansion program in the program storage medium 9. Determine if there is. Then, if the free space of the program storage medium 9 is sufficient, an instruction to store the extension program transmitted from the personal computer 109 in the program storage medium 9 is sent to the extension program receiving means 8. Then, the extension program receiving means 8 responds to this instruction, and the personal computer 10
The extension program transmitted from the storage medium 9 is stored in the program storage medium 9.

On the other hand, if the free space of the program storage medium 9 is not sufficient, the extension program selecting means 5 notifies the program erasing means 7 to that effect. The program erasing means 7 selects a program to be erased based on the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1 and the user information stored in the user information storage medium 2 based on the notification, and executes the program. Is erased from the program storage medium 9, and thereafter, a notification to the effect that the erasure is completed is returned to the extension program selecting means 5. The specific contents of the determination result and the method of erasing the program will be described later.

If the free space of the program storage medium 9 is not sufficient, the user is notified of the fact, and the user is allowed to select which of the programs stored in the program storage medium 9 is to be deleted. Regardless of whether or not there is an inquiry to the extension program, the extension program transmitted from the personal computer 109 may be erased as necessary, or may be erased based on an attribute attached to the extension program.

Incidentally, the user responds to the inquiry by using the microphone 101 and the switch 105. When the response is recognized by the command acquiring means 10, the program erasing means 7 is driven to drive the program storage medium. 9 are erased from the programs stored by the user and selected by the user as unnecessary.

Next, the operation when the extension program returned in response to the extension program transmission request from the personal computer 109 or the like will be described.
First, for example, the user instructs to acquire a new extension program through the microphone 101 or the switch 105, or the extension program attribute determination means 6 is activated when a predetermined time is measured by the timer 108.

Incidentally, here, for example, when the user issues the contents, attributes, names, and the like of the extension program, it is recognized that the acquisition command of the extension program has been issued. For example, a transmission request of the extension program is issued every week. The timer 108 is set so that it can be performed.

Then, the activated extended program attribute determining means 6 transmits from the personal computer 109 or the like based on the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1 and the user information stored in the user information storage medium 2. The attribute of the extension program desired to be determined is determined and output to the extension program transmission request unit 15.

More specifically, the extended program attribute determining means 6 determines that the discrimination result stored in the discrimination result storage medium 1 indicates, for example, that "news" and "high complexity" If the degree is high,
Symbols “02” and “10” indicating these attributes
Is output to the extension program transmission request means 15. Similarly, if the user information stored in the user information storage medium 2 is, for example, “male” and “20s”, the codes “40” and “50” are sent to the extension program transmission requesting unit 15. Output.

The extension program transmission request means 15 responds to the attribute output from the extension program attribute determination means 6 by, for example, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).
l) According to http: //xxx.yyy.co.jp/entertainment robot /
An HTTP address such as determination result = 02 && determination result = 10 / user information = 40 && user information = 50 is designated, and a transmission request of the extension program is made to the personal computer 109 or the like.

Then, the personal computer 109
By running an HTTP server program used on Internet search sites, etc.,
A packet corresponding to the transmitted HTTP address is returned. If there is no extended program that satisfies the request transmitted by the entertainment robot, the personal computer 109 selects and returns an extended program that emphasizes discrimination information compared to user information. I just need. That is, if “news” and “high complexity” are satisfied, an extended program that does not consider user information such as “male” or “20s” may be returned.

When the extension program is returned from the personal computer 109 in response to the transmission request, the extension program receiving means 8 receives the extension program and outputs it to the extension program selecting means 5. The operations of the extended program selecting means 5 and the program erasing means 7 are as follows.
The operation is the same as the operation when the extension program spontaneously transmitted from the personal computer 109 or the like is received.

Next, the specific contents of the determination result will be described. First, for example, when the user issues an instruction to execute any program stored in the program storage medium 9 and the microphone 101 inputs this instruction, the microphone 101 outputs an electric signal related to a sound signal. Is output to the instruction acquisition means 10.

When the command obtaining means 10 recognizes that the user has instructed to execute the program based on the output electric signal, the command obtaining means 10
The program specified by the user is stored in the program storage medium 9
Send an instruction to read from Program execution means 16
Reads out a required program from the program storage medium 9 based on the instruction, executes the program, and outputs an identifier for selecting the program to the determination means 3.

When the program is being executed, the sound around the entertainment robot collected by the microphone 101, the image around the entertainment robot captured by the camera 102, and the electric current based on the depression of the switch 105. A signal is output to the determination means 3. The determining unit 3 determines whether the user has a required response to the movement of the entertainment robot based on each of the input electric signals, thereby determining the degree of interest of the user in the attribute of the program, The determination result is digitized and stored in the determination result storage medium 1. For example, numerical values indicating the degree of interest in the attribute of the user are set as [0 to 100], and the initial value is set as [10].

More specifically, if the user speaks or moves his hand in response to a question from the entertainment robot, it is determined that the user has a high degree of interest in the attribute, and the attribute assigned to the program is determined. For example, 1 is added to the numerical value which is the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1. Conversely, when the user asks the entertainment robot, the user does not speak,
If the user does not move his hand or presses the switch 105 to forcibly stop the program being executed, it is determined that the user is not interested in the attribute, and the attribute assigned to the program is determined. For example, 1 is subtracted from the numerical value that is the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1.

In the present embodiment, if the command acquisition means 10 can easily recognize the voice uttered by a human or the movement of a human, regardless of whether or not the user, the degree of interest in the attribute of the user is reduced. It is determined to be high.

When the program is being executed, the user can use the microphone 101 and the switch 105 to input to the entertainment robot that he / she is not interested. For example, 1 may be subtracted from the numerical value that is the determination result stored in the determination result storage medium 1 for the attribute assigned to the program. Furthermore, a program executed many times by the user may be regarded as having a high degree of interest in the attribute of the user, and the identification result may be weighted according to the execution frequency of the program.

When each program stored in the program storage medium 9 is executed according to such a procedure,
Since the numerical value that is the determination result of a program with a high degree of interest in the attribute of the user relatively increases, and the numerical value of the determination result of a program with a low degree of interest in the attribute relatively decreases, the determination result is relatively small. , The degree of interest in each attribute of the user can be determined.

Next, a procedure for erasing a program will be described. When erasing any program to be stored in the program storage medium 9 based on, for example, an instruction from the extended program selection means 5, the program erasing means 7 assigns [10] to the numerical value as the attribute determination result.
If there is even one smaller than that, the program with that attribute is set to be erased, or the average value, maximum value or minimum value of each numerical value does not exceed a predetermined threshold, The numbers with the smallest sum are deleted.

In the determination result storage medium 1, the determination results may be stored in a rearranged order, for example, in the order of the sum of the numerical values, for easy reference by the extension program selecting means 5 and the like. .

The program erasing means 7 includes a code signifying an attribute assigned to each program stored in the program storage medium 9 and a code obtained by coding user information stored in the user information storage medium 2. May be extracted and compared, and a program in which these do not match may be erased.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the extension program transmitted from the personal computer 109 is stored in the entertainment robot,
Of the programs already stored in the entertainment robot, those that have been selected to be deleted based on the degree of interest in the user's attributes and the frequency of program execution are deleted, and the attributes of the user's high interest in the entertainment robot are deleted. Such an extension program is newly stored.

[0048]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, the program erasing means 7 is provided with a memory D30 for storing an identifier attached to a program extracted from the program recording medium 9, and is spontaneously transmitted from the personal computer 109 or the like. The operation of the entertainment robot when the extension program is transmitted will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the entertainment robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the entertainment robot of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Personal computer 109
For example, when various extension programs are transmitted spontaneously, the entertainment robot receives these extension programs by the extension program receiving means 8 (step S1) and outputs the extension programs to the extension program selecting means 5.

Upon input of the output extension program, the extension program selecting means 5 refers to the attributes attached to the extension program and the user information stored in the user information storage medium 2 to store the program. Medium 9
Is determined (step S2). If it is determined not to store, the process proceeds to step S9,
The extended program is erased by the program erasing means 7.

On the other hand, if it is determined that storage is necessary,
Referring to the storage capacity of the program storage medium 9, it is determined whether or not the program storage medium 9 has enough free space to store the extension program (step S3).

If the free space of the program storage medium 9 is sufficient, the process proceeds to step S10, and the personal computer 1
An instruction to store the extension program transmitted from the program 09 in the program storage medium 9 is sent. Upon receiving the instruction, the extension program receiving means 8 sends the information to the personal computer 109.
The extension program transmitted from the program storage medium 9
To memorize.

On the other hand, if the free space of the program storage medium 9 is not sufficient, the extension program selecting means 5 notifies the program erasing means 7 to that effect. The program erasing means 7 clears the memory D30 based on this notification (step S4), and thereafter extracts the identifier attached to the extension program stored in the program recording medium 9 and stores it in the memory D30. (Step S5).

Subsequently, the program erasing means 7 sorts the information in the discrimination result recording medium 1 in ascending order of numerical values which are the discrimination results of the attributes (step S6), for example, the numerical values in the discrimination result recording medium 1 are large. If up to three attributes are selected, and the identifier of the extension program having at least one of those attributes is in the memory D30, all such identifiers are deleted from the memory D30 (step S7).

Next, the code of the user information is extracted from the user information recording medium 2, and if the identifier of the extension program having at least one code matching the code of the user information exists in the memory D30, all such codes are extracted. Is deleted from the memory D30 (step S8).

Then, the extension program corresponding to the identifier remaining in the memory D30 is deleted from the program recording medium 9 (step S9). Thereafter, a notification to the effect that the erasure has been completed is returned to the extension program selecting means 5.

Upon receiving this notification, the extension program selecting means 5 sends an instruction to the extension program receiving means 8 to store the extension program transmitted from the personal computer 109 in the program storage medium 9. Upon receiving the extension program, the extension program receiving means 8 stores the extension program in the program storage medium 9 (step S10).

(Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, the extended program attribute determining means 6 is provided with a memory D20 for storing the discrimination result and user information extracted from the discrimination result storage medium 1 and the user information storage medium 2, respectively. Personal computer 10 upon request of entertainment robot
9 will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the entertainment robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the entertainment robot of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, for example, the timer 108
Is timed out and the extended program attribute determining means 6 is activated, the extended program attribute determining means 6 clears the memory D20 based on this activation (step S1).
1) Then, the code of the attribute stored in the determination result storage medium 1 is extracted and newly stored in the memory D20 (step S12).

Next, the extended program attribute determining means 6
Rearranges the information in the memory D20 in ascending order of numerical values, which are the determination results corresponding to the attribute codes, leaving, for example, up to three codes with large numerical values and erasing the rest from the memory D20 (step S13). . Next, the code of the user information stored in the user information recording medium 2 is stored in the memory D.
20 and stored (step S14). As a result, attributes of high user interest are left in the memory D20. Here, for example, if the attributes of the extension program with a high degree of user interest are “home” and have “interactivity”, and the user information has not been input, these attributes are meant. The codes “01” and “11” are left in the memory D20, and are output to the extension program transmission requesting means 15.

The extension program transmission request unit 15 responds to the attribute output from the extension program attribute determination unit 6 by, for example, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).
l) According to http: //xxx.yyy.co.jp/entertainment robot /
By specifying an HTTP address of determination result = 01 && determination result = 11, a transmission request of the extension program is made to the personal computer 109 or the like (step S15).

Then, the personal computer 109
By running an HTTP server program used on Internet search sites, etc.,
The packet is returned as an extension program corresponding to the transmitted HTTP address.

When the extension program is returned from the personal computer 109 in response to the transmission request, the extension program receiving means 8 receives the extension program and outputs it to the extension program selecting means 5. Then, Example 1
Similarly to the above, it is determined whether or not the transmitted extension program is stored in the program storage medium 9 (step S16).
Alternatively, it is determined whether there is free space in the program storage medium 9 (step S17), and based on the determination result, the extension program is deleted (step S21) or stored (step S22), and the memory D30 is cleared (step S1).
8), storing the identifier of the extension program (step S1)
Perform 9).

Subsequently, the program erasing means 7 selects the program to be erased based on the user information and determines whether or not to erase based on the determination result, thereby selecting the program to be erased ( Step S20). After that, the selected program is deleted (step S21), and a notification to the effect that the deletion has been completed is returned to the extension program selecting means 5.

Upon receiving this notification, the extension program selecting means 5 sends an instruction to the extension program receiving means 8 to store the extension program transmitted from the personal computer 109 in the program storage medium 9. Upon receiving the extension program, the extension program receiving means 8 stores the extension program in the program storage medium 9 (step S22).

[0067]

As described above, according to the present invention, a program to be erased is selected based on the user's interest in the attributes of the program or the execution frequency of the program during execution of the program, and a new program is selected. Since the program selected at the time of writing to the read / write memory is erased, it is possible to newly write the extension program on the entertainment robot side or to erase the already stored program.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the outside and inside of an entertainment robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing each internal configuration of an execution unit and a storage unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the entertainment robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the entertainment robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 determination result storage medium 2 user information storage medium 3 determination means 4 user information receiving means 5 extended program selecting means 6 extended program attribute determining means 7 program erasing means 8 extended program receiving means 9 program storage medium 10 command obtaining means 15 extended program transmission Requesting means 16 Program executing means 101 Microphone 102 Camera 103 Remote controller 104 Wireless unit 105 Switch 106 Executing unit 107 Storage unit 108 Timer 109 Personal computer

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An entertainment robot, comprising: a read / write memory for storing a plurality of programs; and an execution unit for executing various programs stored in the read / write memory. Selecting means for selecting a program to be erased based on the degree of interest of the user in the attribute of the program or execution frequency of the program; and erasing means for erasing the program selected by the selecting means. An entertainment robot, wherein the program selected by the selecting means is erased by the erasing means when writing to the read / write memory. 2. The entertainment robot according to claim 1, wherein the program stored in the read / write memory has at least an attribute indicating the content of the program, an applicable age, and an applicable gender. 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the selection unit further selects the program to be deleted based on user information registered by the user, an attribute indicating the content of the program, an application age, and an application gender. Item 3. The entertainment robot according to item 1 or 2. 4. The selection means includes a microphone that collects sounds around the entertainment robot main body, and a camera that captures an image around the entertainment robot main body, wherein the microphone is used when executing a program. The entertainment robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the program to be erased is selected based on whether a human voice is collected or whether the camera captures a human image. . 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for numerically storing a degree of user's interest in an attribute of the program or an execution frequency of the program during execution of the program stored in the read / write memory. The entertainment robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the degree of interest in the attribute of the user whose execution frequency of the program is periodically rewritten or quantified is rewritten each time the program is executed. 6. The entertainment robot according to claim 1, further comprising transmission request means for requesting transmission of the new program to an external computer. 7. The transmission requesting means determines a program to be requested for transmission based on at least a user's interest in an attribute of the program during execution of the program by the execution means or an execution frequency of the program. An entertainment robot according to claim 6. 8. An entertainment robot system comprising: the entertainment robot according to claim 1; and a computer that transmits a new program to the entertainment robot.