JP2013063489A - Interaction system, interactive system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change execution contents of cyclic operation processing and asynchronous event processing so as to maintain consistency of interaction in an interaction system, an interactive system and a program.SOLUTION: The interaction system is configured to be provided with: a receiving unit for receiving asynchronous event information on a state of an interactive device; an acceptance unit for accepting a cyclic operation processing definition for defining cyclic operation processing that is cyclically executed and outputs an action instruction for instructing an action of the interactive device, an event processing definition for updating operation information describing contents of interaction in detail according to the event information and an operation information definition for defining the operation information; and an update processing unit for collectively updating the cyclic operation processing definition, the event processing definition and the operation information definition.

Description

  The present invention relates to an interaction system, an interactive system, and a program.

  In a system that generates the behavior (or behavior) of a communication robot that interacts with the user, the content of various interactions according to the lifestyle of the user and the situation where the robot is placed is provided by network distribution or content distribution By doing so, it is proposed to provide services such as healing and watching. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the proposed system.

  A system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a server 2, an interaction system 3, and a robot 4. The server 2 and the interaction system 3 are connected via a wired or wireless network. The interaction system 3 and the robot 4 are connected via a wired or wireless network. The interaction system 3 includes an event reception unit 11, an operation information management unit 12, and a cycle processing unit 13. The operation information management unit 12 includes event processing 12-1 and operation information 12-2. The periodic processing unit 13 includes a periodic operation process 13-1.

  In the interaction system 3, the event receiving unit 11 receives sensing information or the like output asynchronously from a sensor (not shown) in the robot 4 as an event. The event process 12-1 of the operation information management unit 12 calls the event received by the event reception unit 11, and updates the operation information 12-2 according to the result of interpreting the event. The periodic operation process 13-1 of the periodic processing unit 13 is periodically executed and outputs an action instruction that instructs the behavior (or action) of the robot 4. The periodic operation process 13-1 determines the behavior in each period by referring to the operation information 12-2. During the execution of the periodic operation process 13-1, exclusive control of the periodic operation process 13-1 and the event process 12-1 is performed so that the operation information 12-2 is not changed, or immediately before the periodic operation process 13-1. If necessary, the operation information 12-2 updated asynchronously by the event processing 12-1 and the operation information changed by the periodic operation processing 13-1 are synchronized.

  The periodic operation process 13-1 changes the behavior of the robot 4 by changing an action instruction including an instruction to a motor, a speaker, etc. (not shown) of the robot 4. Here, since the periodic motion process 13-1 determines the behavior of the robot 4, the parameters used in the periodic motion process 13-1 are changed to change the behavior of the robot 4. The robot 4 that moves like a creature does not operate for the first time triggered by the occurrence of an event, but performs an autonomous operation regardless of whether or not an event has occurred. In addition, it is desirable that such a robot 4 can perform different operations depending on a plurality of events or combinations of time series of events.

  On the other hand, there are a variety of interactions that we want to achieve with communication robots. In order to replace (or switch) various interactions of the robot 4 from the network, not only the periodic operation process 13-1 but also an asynchronous event process 12-1 that interprets an event received from the robot 4 by the event receiving unit 11. Also need to be replaced. This is because the same event can be interpreted differently depending on the content of the interaction. For this reason, when the periodic operation process 13-1 is executing an interaction between the user and the system 1, the execution contents of the periodic operation process 13-1 and the execution contents of the asynchronous event process 12-1 are changed according to the situation. There is a need to. In such a case, there is a possibility that the execution content of the event process 12-1 for the event received by the event receiving unit 11 before the change of the execution content of the periodic operation process 13-1 cannot be appropriately performed. As a result, there is a possibility that the execution contents of the periodic operation process 13-1 and the event process 12-1 cannot be changed so as to maintain the consistency of interaction.

JP 2002-178282 A JP 2005-199402 A

  The conventional robot has a problem that it is difficult to change the execution contents of the periodic operation process and the asynchronous event process so as to maintain the consistency of the interaction.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an interaction system, an interactive system, and a program capable of changing the execution contents of the periodic operation process and the asynchronous event process so as to maintain the consistency of the interaction.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a receiving unit that receives asynchronous event information related to a state of an interactive device and a periodic operation process that is periodically executed to output an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device are defined. A periodic operation process definition, an event process definition that updates operation information represented in detail of the content of the interaction according to the event information, and a reception unit that receives an operation information definition that defines the operation information, the periodic operation process definition, An interaction system is provided that includes an update processing unit that updates the event processing definition and the operation information definition at once.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, an interactive device includes: an interactive device that can communicate with a server and the interactive device, and outputs an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device. The interaction system includes the interactive device. And a periodic operation process definition for defining a periodic operation process that is delivered from the server and outputs an action instruction that is periodically executed and instructs an action of the interactive device. An event process definition for updating operation information represented in detail of the content of the interaction according to the event information, a reception unit for receiving an operation information definition for defining the operation information, the periodic operation process definition, and the event process definition And interactive system comprising the update processing unit that updates collectively the operation information definitions are provided.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes an computer to execute an action control process for controlling an interaction of the interactive device by outputting an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device, and relates to a state of the interactive device. A reception procedure for receiving asynchronous event information, a periodic operation process definition for defining a periodic operation process that is periodically executed and outputs an action instruction for instructing an action of the interactive device, and the interaction information according to the event information The event process definition for updating the operation information expressed in detail, the reception procedure for receiving the operation information definition for defining the operation information, and the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition are updated at once. Update to A program characterized by executing the management procedure to the computer is provided.

  According to the disclosed interaction system, interactive system, and program, it is possible to change the execution contents of the periodic operation process and the asynchronous event process so as to maintain the consistency of the interaction.

It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of the proposed system. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of the system in 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining an operation information definition, an event process definition, and a periodic operation process definition. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process in 1st Example. It is a figure explaining an example of processing of a comparative example. It is a figure explaining an example of the process in 1st Example. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process in 2nd Example of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the update process of an action definition update part. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process in 3rd Example of this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of the system in 4th Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining the flow of the data in 4th Example. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process in 4th Example. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of an interaction system. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a robot.

  In the disclosed interaction system, interactive system, and program, the execution contents of the periodic operation process and the asynchronous event process are changed so as to maintain the consistency of the interaction. Specifically, the periodic action process definition, the event process definition, and the action information definition, which are specific data describing the content of the interaction, are updated in a batch or simultaneously.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosed interaction system, interactive system, and program will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
There are a variety of interactions that we want to achieve with communication robots. Interactions that the communication robot wants to realize include, for example, real-time response to user interaction, behavior changes according to the interpretation of multiple different events, behavior changes due to event time-series judgments, robot behavior and event time-series Changes in behavior due to judgment are included. The real-time reaction to the action from the user is, for example, a reaction that causes the robot to perform a reflex action when the robot is touched, or to focus attention on something that moves the robot. The behavior changes according to the interpretation of multiple different events, for example, when the robot is being held, if the robot's head is stroked, the robot will behave comfortably. It is a change that returns a smile when it finds a smile. The change in behavior based on the judgment of the time series of events, for example, causes the robot to laugh when the user's smile is reduced, or causes the robot to hate if the same part of the robot is touched continuously for a long time. , And so on. For example, if there is a response from the user to the utterance of the robot, the robot changes the behavior due to the determination of the robot movement and the time series of the event. It is a change that makes the robot perform an operation that makes the robot happy.

  In order to cope with such various interactions, various asynchronous event processes are required depending on the content (or content) of the interaction desired to be realized by the robot. When dealing with an unknown interaction, the contents of the interaction distributed from the network by network distribution or content distribution may not be known in advance. Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, what kind of motion information is generated based on what kind of asynchronous event, and what kind of interaction is caused to be performed by the robot based on that kind of motion information (ie, the robot General purpose switching of behavior, behavior, or operation). Specifically, the periodic action process definition, the event process definition, and the action information definition, which are specific data describing the content of the interaction, are updated in a batch or simultaneously. Thereby, the diversity and versatility of the content of interaction can be improved. By realizing the interaction related to the periodic motion by the periodic motion processing and making the action instruction indicating the behavior (or action) of the robot as an asynchronous instruction, the response of the robot to the user or the situation, that is, the real-time property of the interaction is achieved. Can be improved. The action instruction includes, for example, control of a motor that drives each movable part of the robot 24 shown in FIG. 2 described later, control of speech, control of display on a display device, and the like.

  The periodic motion process definition is data defining a periodic motion process that determines and instructs an action of the robot 24 based on motion information. The event processing definition is data defining event processing for updating operation information in response to an event such as sensing information output asynchronously from a sensor (not shown) in the robot 24. The motion information definition is data that defines the motion of the robot 24 that is the content of the interaction. On the other hand, the motion information is a specific value such as an expression representing the success or failure of the motion of the robot 24 or the motion defined by the motion information definition, and is detailed information representing details of the interaction. Therefore, the periodic motion processing by the periodic processing unit 33 determines and instructs the action of the robot 24 (including the case where nothing is performed) based on the motion information updated by the event processing. In the following description, the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition are collectively referred to as an operation definition.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a system in the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the flow of action definition information is indicated by thick solid arrows, the flow of event information is indicated by thin solid lines, the process call is indicated by thick broken arrows, and the flow of processing is indicated by thin broken arrows. A system 21 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a server 22, an interaction system 23, a robot 24, and other systems 25. The server 22 and the interaction system 23 are connected via a wired or wireless network. The interaction system 23, the robot 24, and the other system 25 are connected via a wired or wireless network. The robot 24 is a communication robot, for example.

  The server 22 can be formed by a general-purpose computer system such as a web server on the Internet. In this case, the interaction system 23 can be formed with the same hardware as a general-purpose computer system that can access the Web server by connecting to the Internet, and functions as a control center for controlling the robot 24 and other systems 25. Also good. The interaction system 23 and the robot 24 form an example of a robot system. The robot 24 is an example of an interactive device, and the robot system is an example of an interactive system including an interaction system and an interactive device.

  The interaction system 23 includes an event reception unit 31, an operation information management unit 32, a periodic processing unit 33, an operation definition reception unit 34, an operation definition update unit 35, an operation definition update determination unit 36, and an event queue 37. The other system 25 includes a robot other than the robot 25, for example. An example of the hardware configuration of the interaction system 23 and the robot 24 will be described later.

  The event receiving unit 31 receives sensing information and the like output asynchronously from a sensor (not shown) in the robot 24 as event information, and passes it to the operation information management unit 32 when the received asynchronous event information is called. Even if the sensor is an external sensor that detects the external state (or environment) of the robot 24 and outputs sensing information indicating the external state, the sensor detects the internal state of the robot 24 and indicates the internal state. It may be an internal sensor that outputs information. The external sensor is not particularly limited as long as it detects the environment around the robot 24. The external sensor detects, for example, the operating status of home appliances (for example, lighting, television, etc.) around the robot 24. On the other hand, the internal sensor is not particularly limited as long as it detects an event of the robot 24. The internal sensor may be formed of, for example, a touch sensor that detects a sensor event, an acceleration sensor, or the like. In addition, the internal sensor includes an image processing result event (for example, a person, a smile, a movement, a gesture, etc.), a voice processing result event (for example, speech, life sound, voice recognition, etc.), an internal state event of the robot 24 (for example, It may be formed by a camera, a microphone, a sensor, or the like that detects an emotional state, a motor state, etc.).

  The motion information management unit 32 manages and holds the motion information 32-3, and holds the motion information definition 32-2 and the event processing definition 32-1. The operation information management unit 32 receives the event information received by the event reception unit 31, updates the operation information 32-3 by applying event processing according to the event information, and stores the event information in the event queue 37. The event queue 37 holds unprocessed event information in the queue. In response to the request for the operation information synchronization processing from the period processing unit 33, the operation information management unit 32 returns the operation information at that time to the period processing unit 33 as the request source, and clears the event queue 37 at that time. . When a new operation definition is passed from the operation definition update unit 36 (operation definition update processing), the operation information management unit 32 updates the operation definition, acquires all event information from the event queue 37, and sequentially sets each event information. Process the event. These three processes of the operation information management unit 32, that is, the event process, the process of returning the operation information to the periodic processing unit 33 as the request source, and the operation definition update process are exclusively controlled by the operation information management unit 32, respectively.

  The periodic processing unit 33 calls the operation information 32-3 of the operation information management unit 32 and manages and holds the operation information 33-3, which is a copy of the operation information 32-3, before executing the periodic operation processing. Keep the latest operation information. Further, the periodic processing unit 33 holds a periodic operation process definition 33-2 and an operation information definition 33-1. The periodic processing unit 33 performs periodic operation processing periodically (or periodically). The periodic processing unit 33 executing the periodic operation process means that an action instruction for causing the robot 24 to perform a periodic operation is output based on the operation information updated by the event process. The action information definition 33-1 is updated by the action definition update unit 35 (action definition update process).

  The action definition update determination unit 36 determines whether or not to update the action definition for each period of the periodic action. The operation definition includes operation information definitions 32-2 and 33-1, an event process definition 32-1, and a periodic operation process definition 33-2. Although the determination method is not particularly limited, for example, a method for confirming whether or not a new motion definition is distributed from the server 22, for example, based on information generated by the periodic motion processing and the like, the next motion definition is determined. A method of making a request to the server 22, a method of making an inquiry to the server 22 every time together with such information, and the like, may be used.

  The action definition receiving unit 34 receives the content of the interaction related to the periodic action of the robot 24 distributed from the server 22, that is, the action definition (periodic action process definition, event process definition, and action information definition). The method for receiving the operation definition from the server 22 is not particularly limited. The operation definition update unit 35 is called when the operation definition update determination unit 36 determines to update the operation definition, passes the operation definition to be updated received by the operation definition reception unit 34 to the operation information management unit 32, and operates. The operation definition update process in the information management unit 32 is executed, and the operation definition to be updated is passed to the cycle process unit 33 to execute the operation definition update process in the cycle process unit 33. Note that a configuration in which post-processing of the previous motion definition, pre-processing of a new motion definition, or the like may be performed.

  The action definition update unit 35 and the action definition update determination unit 36 include a periodic action process definition that defines a periodic action process, an event process definition that updates action information represented in detail of the content of an interaction according to event information, and action information. An example of an update processing unit that updates operation information definitions to be defined in a batch or simultaneously is formed. In other words, the update processing unit also functions as a switching processing unit that switches the operation of the robot 24 by changing the execution contents of the periodic operation processing and the asynchronous event processing.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining operation information definition, event process definition, and periodic operation process definition. In this example, the event processing definition 32-1 defines event processing X, Y, Z,..., And the operation information definitions 32-2 and 33-1 include operations A, B, C,. The motion information 32-3, 33-3 includes success or failure or values of the motions A, B, C,..., And the periodic motion processing definition 33-2 is an action P that causes the robot 24 to perform a periodic motion. , ... are defined.

  For communication between the server 22 and the interaction system 23, for example, HTTP (Hyper Test Transfer Protocol) may be used. In this case, content such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language) can be exchanged between the server 22 and the interaction system 23 by HTTP communication, and pseudo push (Push) by HTTP or something in the periodic operation included in the content By requesting the next content from the interaction system 23, the next content is delivered from the server 22 to the interaction system 23. As described above, by using HTTP for communication between the server 22 and the interaction system 23, the content of the interaction can be described in, for example, XML (registered trademark) + JavaScript (registered trademark), and the frame of the existing Web application. By using the work, it is possible to more easily provide various services that flexibly respond to user requests.

  In the action definition update process by the action definition update unit 35, the contents of the event process to be executed are also updated. Therefore, by holding the event information in the event queue 37, the event process can be performed retroactively. It becomes. In addition, the operation information management unit 32 does not wait until the operation information reflecting the event information is used in the periodic operation processing of the period processing unit 33 so as to discard the event information already reflected in the operation information at that time. To clear.

  Only when the operation information that reflects asynchronous event information is used in periodic operation processing, event information that has already been reflected in the operation information at that time can be discarded to ensure that event information is processed. The content of the interaction can be changed dynamically including the part. As a result, it is possible to achieve both reduction in calculation time by asynchronous processing and completeness of event processing when switching the content of interaction. Event process integrity means that all target event processes are guaranteed to be performed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing in the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, step S1 determines whether or not the operation definition is updated by the operation definition update determination unit 36, and step S2 determines whether or not there is an update. If the decision result in the step S2 is YES, a step S3 requests the action definition update unit 35 to update the action definition from the action definition update determination unit 36. In step S <b> 4, the operation definition update unit 35 acquires the operation definition from the operation definition accepting unit 34. In step S <b> 5, the operation definition update process of the periodic processor 33 is executed to update the operation definition in the periodic processor 33. In step S6, the operation definition update process of the operation information management unit 32 is executed to update the operation definition in the operation information management unit 32, and new event processes are collectively applied to events in the event queue 37.

  After step S6 or if the determination result in step S2 is NO, step S7 requests the motion information management unit 32 to perform motion information synchronization processing in the cycle processing unit 33. In step S8, in response to this request, the event information 37 is cleared by the operation information management unit 32, and the latest operation information used by the periodic operation processing is returned to the periodic processing unit 33. In step S9, the periodic operation process is executed by using the operation information acquired from the operation information management unit 32 by the periodic processing unit 33, and the process returns to step S1.

  Next, pipeline processing of asynchronous events will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing in the comparative example, and FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing in the first embodiment. 5 and 6, (a) shows a processing pipeline, and the left side of (b) shows input data on a vertical time axis, and the data processing status corresponding to each processing of (a). Indicates.

  The processing pipelines of FIGS. 5A and 6A are the same, and processing A (event processing) in the operation information management unit 32 and intermediate data (operation information) in the operation information management unit 32 with respect to the input. Management and retention, operation information processing C (copy) between the operation information management unit 32 and the periodic processing unit 33, management and retention of intermediate data (operation information) in the periodic processing unit 33, and processing B in the periodic processing unit 33 An output (action instruction) is obtained through (periodic operation processing).

  In FIG. 5B, as indicated by being surrounded by P1, the process A for the data D1 indicated by the third coarse cross-hatching from the top on the time axis has been completed, but the process B has not been completed. When the processes A and B and the intermediate data are exchanged, it can be seen that the event of the data D1 is lost as shown by P2.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 6B, even if the processes A and B and the intermediate data are replaced, the process C is executed by applying the new process A to the event queue 37 as shown by P3. By clearing the event queue 37 later (that is, after completion), it is understood that the event of the data D1 is not lost as in the comparative example as shown by P4. In other words, the event queue 37 is cleared so that event information reflected in the operation information at that time is discarded only when the operation information reflecting the event information is used in the periodic operation processing.

(Second embodiment)
A functional block diagram showing an example of a system in the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that in FIG.

  When the interaction system 23 requests the operation information via the network and acquires it from the server 22 when updating the operation information, the acquisition time of the requested operation information may be relatively long. In this case, it is unnatural if the operation of the robot 24 stops until the operation information is acquired. Further, the operation definition update process from the operation definition update determination unit 36 to the operation definition update unit 35 is performed asynchronously, and the cyclic operation process is continued with the old operation definition until the operation definition update process is completed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the following processing is performed in order to ensure the continuity of the operation of the robot 24 at the time of switching the content of the interaction. First, the periodic operation by the periodic processing unit 33 before the operation definition (periodic operation process definition, event process definition, and operation information definition) is updated so that the operation of the robot 24 is not interrupted when switching the content of the interaction. The process is executed in parallel with the update process for updating the periodic action process definition, the event process definition, and the action information definition at the same time or simultaneously, or the switching process for switching the content of the interaction. Also, during the action definition update process, the event queue 37 is not cleared by the action information synchronization process, but the event queue 37 is cleared during the action definition update process. During asynchronous operation definition update processing, old and new operation information exists simultaneously. Also, immediately before the cyclic operation processing after the asynchronous operation definition update processing is completed, the event batch processing is performed again, and the updated event processing and cyclic operation processing are executed. Thereby, the integrity of event processing can be maintained.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing in the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, step S11 determines whether the operation definition update determination unit 36 is updating the operation definition or the update is finished, and step S12 determines whether the operation definition is being updated. If the decision result in the step S12 is NO, a step S13 decides whether or not the operation definition has been updated, and if the decision result in the step S13 is NO, the step S14 is an operation definition update determining unit 36. In step S15, it is determined whether or not the operation definition is being updated. If the determination result in step S15 is YES, the process proceeds to step S21 described later, and if the determination result is NO, the process proceeds to step S18 described later. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S12 is YES, the process proceeds to step S23 described later, and if the determination result in step S13 is YES, the process proceeds to step S16 described later.

  Steps S16 and S17 execute an update process end process ST1. Steps S18 to S20 execute a normal process ST2. Steps S21 and S22 execute update start processing ST3, and steps S23 to S25 execute update processing ST4.

  In the update start process ST3, in step S21, the operation definition update determination unit 36 requests the operation definition update unit 35 for the operation update process. In step S22, the operation definition update unit 35 notifies the operation information management unit 32 of the start of update of the operation definition, and the process proceeds to the update process ST4.

  In the update process ST4, the event queue is not cleared. In the update process ST4, in step S23, the cycle processing unit 33 requests the operation information management unit 32 to perform operation information synchronization processing. In step S24, in response to the request, the latest operation information used by the periodic operation processing in the operation information management unit 32 is returned to the periodic processing unit 33. In step S25, the periodic operation process is executed using the operation information acquired by the periodic processing unit 33, and the process returns to step S11.

  In the update end process ST1, in step S16, the operation definition update unit 35 notifies the operation information management unit 32 of the end of the update of the operation definition, and new operation information is applied to the operation information management unit 32 after batch processing of the remaining events. To do. In step S17, the motion information management unit 32 applies new motion information to the periodic processing unit 33, and the process proceeds to the normal process ST2.

  In the normal process ST2, in step S18, the periodic processing unit 33 requests the operation information management unit 32 to perform operation information synchronization processing. In step S19, in response to the request, the event information 37 is cleared by the motion information management unit 32, and the latest motion information used by the periodic motion processing is returned to the periodic processing unit 33. In step S20, the periodic operation process is executed using the operation information acquired by the periodic processor 33, and the process returns to step S11.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the update process of the action definition update unit. In FIG. 8, in step S <b> 31, the operation definition update unit 35 acquires the operation definition from the operation definition reception unit 34. In step S <b> 32, the operation definition update unit 35 executes the operation definition update process of the periodic processing unit 33 and distributes the operation definition to the periodic processing unit 33. In step S33, the operation definition update unit 35 executes the operation definition update process of the operation information management unit 32, distributes a new operation definition to the operation information management unit 32, and batches new event processes for events in the event queue 37. The event to which the new event processing is applied is deleted from the event queue 37. In step S34, the action definition update unit 35 notifies the action definition update determination unit 36 of the update completion of the action definition, and the process ends.

  In this embodiment, an event process, an operation information synchronization process, and an operation definition update start process ST3 are implemented in the operation information management unit 32, and these processes are exclusively controlled by the operation information management unit 32.

  The operation definition update start process ST3 notifies the operation information management unit 32 of the start of operation definition update in step S22 shown in FIG. The motion information management unit 32 may set (for example, turn on) a flag indicating that the motion information is being updated in response to the notification of the update start of the motion definition.

  In step S33 shown in FIG. 8, the action definition update process ST4 executes the action definition update process in the action information management unit 32, distributes a new action definition to the periodic process unit 33, and adds a new event definition to the event queue 37. Event processing is applied in a batch, and the event to which the event processing is applied is deleted from the event queue 37. In step S16 shown in FIG. 7, in the operation definition update end process ST1, the action definition update unit 35 notifies the action information management unit 32 of the update of the action definition, and the action information management unit 32 performs batch processing of the remaining events. Apply new motion information to The motion information management unit 32 may reset (for example, turn off) a flag indicating that the motion information is being updated in response to the notification of the update completion of the motion definition. The processing is collectively applied and the applied event is deleted from the event queue 37, but the contents of the event queue 37 are not deleted.

  In this example, the operation definition update start process ST3 does not operate an event and therefore does not require exclusive control. However, the operation information and the event queue 37 may be exclusively controlled.

(Third embodiment)
The functional block diagram showing an example of the system in the third embodiment of the present invention is the same as that shown in FIG.

  Immediately after switching the content of the interaction, the robot 24 may react erroneously to an old event. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the information managed as the operation information is given the attribute of the lifetime (for example, until the change of the content of the persistence and the interaction, until the cyclic operation processing), and thus according to the attribute (or suitable). ) Perform periodic operation processing. Thereby, immediately after switching the content of the interaction, it is possible to prevent an erroneous reaction to an old event of the robot 24 by suppressing an action instruction that requires real-time characteristics.

  In order to describe various interactions, in this example, any one of permanent action information, action definition information, and real-time information is added to the action information as an attribute. The permanent action information is information that is retained even when the action definition is updated, and is defined in advance for the system 21 or stored in the system area in the storage unit of the interaction system 23 in association with the name. It is possible to refer to the cage name as a key. The action definition information is information discarded when the action definition is updated (or when the content of the interaction is switched). Real-time information is information that is discarded once the operation information is used in a periodic operation process (that is, a periodic operation).

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing in the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, step S40 determines whether or not the operation definition is updated by the operation definition update determination unit 36, and step S41 determines whether or not the operation definition is being updated. If the decision result in the step S41 is YES, a step S42 requests the action definition update unit 35 to update the action definition from the action definition update determination unit 36. In step S <b> 43, the operation definition update unit 35 acquires the operation definition from the operation definition accepting unit 34. In step S44, the operation definition is updated by executing the operation definition update process in the cycle processing unit 33. In step S45, the operation definition update unit 35 executes the operation definition update process of the operation information management unit 32 to update the operation definition, and the new event process is collectively applied to the events in the event queue 37. In step S46, the operation information management unit 32 clears (that is, initializes) the real-time information of the operation information.

  After step S46 or if the determination result in step S41 is NO, step S47 requests the operation information management unit 32 to perform operation information synchronization processing in the cycle processing unit 33. In step S48, the event information 37 is cleared by the motion information management unit 32 in response to the request, and the latest motion information used by the periodic motion processing is returned to the periodic processing unit 33. In step S49, the periodic operation process is executed using the operation information acquired by the periodic processor 33, and the process returns to step S40.

  The permanent motion information is information such as “A: is the curtain open?”, For example. The action definition information is, for example, information such as “B: Are you sleepy / C: Have you already greeted”, “D: Have you already been greeted / E: Number of interactions”. The real-time information is information such as “F: Called / G: Touched”.

  In addition, the event processing includes, for example, “curtain opening / closing event → update A”, “touch sensor event → update G / increment E”, “utterance detection event → update F / increment E”, “greeting detection event → This includes processing such as “Update D / Increment E”.

In this case, the periodic operation process includes the following process, for example.
・ (! A && B &&! C &&! D &&! F &&! G)
→ Randomly perform sleepy actions.
・ (A && B &&! C &&! D &&! F &&! G)
→ Randomly perform dazzling actions.
・ (! A && B &&! C &&! D && (F || G))
→ Randomly perform surprising actions.
・ (A && B &&! C && D &&! F &&! G)
→ Say hello, update C.
・ (A && B && C &&! D &&! F &&! G)
→ Randomly perform actions that seem lonely if there is no response for a long time.
・ (A && B && C && D && (F || G))
→ Perform random actions.
・ (! A &&! B && C && D &&! F &&! G)
→ Randomly perform the action you want to open the window.
・ (A &&! B && C && D &&! F &&! G)
→ Randomly perform actions that seem comfortable.

The interaction when the robot 24 wakes up includes, for example, the following behavior.
・ Does sleepy.
-Say a greeting when you find the user's face.
・ When you are sleepy, you will be surprised if you can speak or touch it before finding your face.
・ We are pleased if there is an exchange of greetings.
・ After a certain amount of interaction, you will wake up and be sure to come.
・ After greeting, I want you to open the curtain.
・ Looks comfortable when exposed to sunlight.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a system in the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same parts as those in FIG. In FIG. 10, the meanings of arrows such as solid lines and broken lines are the same as in FIG.

  When generating motion information from multiple events, or when obtaining difference information between the previous periodic motion and the current periodic motion, it is difficult to perform efficient processing by updating the motion information by judging each event. . Therefore, in this embodiment, the operation information is updated when the operation information is extracted in the operation information synchronization process. Specifically, the operation information update processing definition 32-4 is added to the operation definition in the operation information management unit 32, and the operation information is updated at the timing when the operation information management unit 32 performs the operation information synchronization processing. Interaction can be defined.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the flow of data in the fourth embodiment, and shows an operation information definition, an event process definition, and a periodic operation process definition. In this example, the event processing definition 32-1 defines event processing X (a, b,...), And the operation information definitions 32-2 and 33-1 include operation information A, B, C,. . And the operation information update process definition 32-4 defines operation information C, A, B,. The motion information 32-3, 33-3 includes the values of the motion information A, B, C,..., And the periodic motion process definition 33-2 is an action P,. An instruction is defined.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing in the fourth embodiment. The motion information synchronization process shown in FIG. 13 is executed by the motion information management unit 32. In FIG. 13, step S51 performs exclusive control of event processing. A step S52 executes an operation information update process for updating the operation information when the operation information to which the operation information update process definition 32-4 is added is taken out. Step S53 creates a copy of the operation information updated in the update process, and step S54 clears (ie, initializes) the real-time information of the operation information. Step S55 clears the event queue 37, and step S56 releases the exclusive control of the event process. In step S57, a copy of the operation information created in step S53 is returned to the requesting periodic processing unit 33, and the process ends.

  According to each of the embodiments described above, various interaction contents can be distributed from the server to the robot via the interaction system, and the interaction contents can be switched smoothly. It is possible to provide an interaction with contents that match the life rhythm, life scene, personal preference, etc., and this is suitable when a service is provided by a symbiotic robot that watches the user while living with the user. Furthermore, since the execution contents of the periodic operation processing and asynchronous event processing are changed so as to maintain the consistency of interaction, the communication robot or other interactive device (or network device) dynamically changes the operation to change the environment or request. It is possible to easily construct an application that adapts to.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the interaction system. The interaction system 23 shown in FIG. 14 has the same configuration as a general-purpose computer system. The interaction system 23 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, which is an example of a processor connected as shown in FIG. 14, a storage unit 502, an input unit 503 including a numeric keypad, a display unit 504, and a communication unit 505. In this example, the storage unit 502, the input unit 503, the display unit 504, and the communication unit 505 are connected to the CPU 501 via the bus 507, but the storage unit 502, the input unit 503, and the display unit are not used without using the bus 507. 504 and the communication unit 505 may be directly connected to the CPU 501. When signals are directly transmitted to and received from the CPU 501 without going through the bus 507, the problem of traffic on the bus 507 can be reduced.

  The CPU 501 controls the entire interaction system 23 and outputs various action programs including an interaction control program for controlling the interaction of the robot 24 by outputting an action instruction for instructing the action of the robot 24. Can be realized. The storage unit 502 includes a program executed by the CPU 501 and intermediate data such as a calculation process executed by the CPU 501, an event queue 37, an event processing definition 32-1, operation information definitions 32-2 and 33-1, and operation information 32-3. , 33-3, synchronous operation processing definition 33-2, and the like. The storage unit 502 can be formed by, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. The input unit 502 is operated by the user when inputting commands and data to the interaction system 23. A display unit 503 displays input information from the input unit 502, a message to the user, various operation menus, and the like. The communication unit 505 includes a transmitter and a receiver, and performs communication with the server 22, the robot 24, the other system 25, and the like via a wired or wireless network.

  A program for causing the interaction system 23 to have at least an interaction control function (interaction control program) causes the CPU 501 to execute an interaction control process. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium is limited to, for example, a semiconductor storage device such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card memory, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. It includes various recording media that can be accessed by the CPU 501. Further, a computer-readable storage medium may be formed by the storage unit 502, for example.

  FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the robot. The robot 24 shown in FIG. 15 includes the same configuration as that of a general-purpose computer system. The robot 24 is an example of a processor connected as shown in FIG. 15, a CPU 601, a storage unit 602, an input unit 603 including a numeric keypad, an output unit including a display unit (including a display device such as a light emitting element), a speaker, and the like. 604, a communication unit 605, and a sensor unit 606 including an external sensor such as a camera, a microphone, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, and an internal sensor such as a motor rotation angle sensor. The microphone may be included in the input unit 603. In this example, the storage unit 602, the input unit 603, the output unit 604, the communication unit 605, and the sensor unit 606 are connected to the CPU 601 via the bus 607, but the storage unit 602 and the input unit are not used without using the bus 607. 603, the output part 604, the communication part 605, and the sensor part 606 may each be directly connected to the CPU 601. When signals are directly transmitted to and received from the CPU 601 without going through the bus 607, the problem of traffic on the bus 607 can be reduced. In addition, illustration of the movable part of the robot 24, the motor that drives the movable part, and the like is omitted. The robot 24 itself having a hardware configuration as shown in FIG. 15 is well known.

  The CPU 601 controls the entire robot 24 and can implement each function of the robot 24 by executing various programs including an action control program for controlling the action of the robot 24 based on an action instruction. The storage unit 602 stores various data including a program executed by the CPU 601 and intermediate data such as a calculation process executed by the CPU 601. The storage unit 602 can be formed by, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. The input unit 602 is used to input commands and data to the robot 24. The output unit 603 outputs a message to the user. The communication unit 605 includes a transmitter and a receiver, and performs communication with the interaction system 23 via a wired or wireless network. The communication unit 605 may perform wired communication with the interaction system 23 and perform wireless communication with the other system 25, for example.

  A program for causing the robot 24 to have at least an action control function (action control program) causes the CPU 601 to execute an action control process. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium is limited to, for example, a semiconductor storage device such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card memory, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. It includes various recording media that can be accessed by the CPU 601 instead of those. Further, a computer-readable storage medium may be formed by the storage unit 602, for example.

  Needless to say, the CPU 601 may further realize various functions such as a conversation function and a position estimation function of the robot 24 by executing various programs in addition to the action control function.

  In each of the above embodiments, the robot is an example of an interactive device, and the disclosed interaction system may control the interaction of an interactive device other than the robot. In this case, the interactive device may include a portable terminal such as a smart phone, and the smart phone may be attached to the main body to form a robot. Therefore, an interaction system and a robot system having such a combination of a smart phone and a main body are also examples of interactive systems.

  Further, two or more of the first to fourth embodiments described above may be appropriately combined as necessary.

The following additional notes are further disclosed with respect to the embodiment including the above examples.
(Appendix 1)
A receiver for receiving asynchronous event information related to the state of the interactive device;
A periodic operation process definition that defines a periodic operation process that periodically executes and outputs an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device, and an event that updates operation information expressed in detail of the content of the interaction according to the event information A reception unit that receives a process definition and an operation information definition that defines the operation information;
An interaction system, comprising: an update processing unit that collectively updates the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition.
(Appendix 2)
A first process for updating the operation information definition by applying an event process according to the event information and storing the event information in an event queue at the same time, and in response to a request for the operation information synchronization process, A second process for returning the operation information to the source of the request and clearing the event queue, and when a new operation definition is passed, the operation definition is updated and all event information is acquired from the event queue in order. An operation information management unit that performs a third process that performs event processing of event information is further provided, and the first, second, and third processes are exclusively controlled by the operation information management unit, respectively. The interaction system according to appendix 1.
(Appendix 3)
When the operation information reflecting the event information is used in a periodic operation process that determines and instructs an action of the interactive device based on the operation information updated by the event process, the operation information management unit The interaction system according to appendix 2, wherein the event information already reflected in the operation information is discarded.
(Appendix 4)
The system further includes a periodic processing unit that performs the periodic operation processing before the update of the periodic operation definition, the event processing definition, and the operation information definition in parallel with the update by the update processing unit. 3. The interaction system according to 3.
(Appendix 5)
In the operation information, any one of permanent operation information, operation definition information, and real-time information is added as an attribute of the lifetime.
The permanent motion information is information that is retained even when the motion definition is updated, the motion definition information is information that is discarded when the motion definition is updated, and the real-time information is the motion information once in a periodic motion process. Information that is discarded when used,
The interaction system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the periodic processing unit outputs an action instruction for causing the interactive device to perform a periodic operation according to an attribute added to the operation information, by the periodic operation process. .
(Appendix 6)
The operation information management unit adds an operation information update process definition to the operation definition, and updates the operation information at a timing when the operation information synchronization process is performed. The described interaction system.
(Appendix 7)
An interactive device,
An interaction system capable of communicating with a server and the interactive device and outputting an action instruction for instructing an action of the interactive device;
The interaction system is:
A receiver for receiving asynchronous event information related to the state of the interactive device;
A periodic operation process definition that defines a periodic operation process that outputs an action instruction that is periodically executed and instructs an action of the interactive device, distributed from the server, and details of the content of the interaction according to the event information An event process definition for updating the operation information to be represented, and a reception unit for receiving the operation information definition for defining the operation information;
An interactive system, comprising: an update processing unit that updates the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition in a batch.
(Appendix 8)
The interaction system applies an event process corresponding to the event information to update the operation information definition and simultaneously stores the event information in an event queue, and in response to a request for the operation information synchronization process A second process for returning the operation information at that time to the source of the request and clearing the event queue; when a new operation definition is passed, the operation definition is updated and all event information from the event queue is updated. An operation information management unit that performs a third process for performing event processing of each event information in order after acquisition is further provided, and the first, second, and third processes are exclusively controlled by the operation information management unit, respectively. The interactive system according to appendix 7, wherein
(Appendix 9)
When the operation information reflecting the event information is used in a periodic operation process that determines and instructs an action of the interactive device based on the operation information updated by the event process, the operation information management unit 9. The interactive system according to appendix 8, wherein event information already reflected in the operation information is discarded.
(Appendix 10)
The interaction system further includes a periodic processing unit that performs periodic operation processing before the periodic operation definition, the event processing definition, and the operation information definition are updated in parallel with the update by the update processing unit. The interactive system according to appendix 9, which is characterized.
(Appendix 11)
In the operation information, any one of permanent operation information, operation definition information, and real-time information is added as an attribute of the lifetime.
The permanent motion information is information that is retained even when the motion definition is updated, the motion definition information is information that is discarded when the motion definition is updated, and the real-time information is the motion information once in a periodic motion process. Information that is discarded when used,
The interactive system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the periodic processing unit outputs an action instruction for causing the interactive device to perform a periodic operation according to an attribute added to the operation information, by the periodic operation process. .
(Appendix 12)
The operation information management unit adds an operation information update process definition to the operation definition and updates the operation information at a timing when the operation information synchronization process is performed. The interactive system described.
(Appendix 13)
A program for causing a computer to execute an action control process for controlling an interaction of the interactive apparatus by outputting an action instruction for instructing an action of the interactive apparatus,
A receiving procedure for receiving asynchronous event information regarding the state of the interactive device;
A periodic operation process definition that defines a periodic operation process that periodically executes and outputs an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device, and an event that updates operation information expressed in detail of the content of the interaction according to the event information A reception procedure for receiving a process definition and an operation information definition for defining the operation information;
A program causing the computer to execute an update processing procedure for updating the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition in a batch.
(Appendix 14)
A first process for updating the operation information definition by applying an event process according to the event information and storing the event information in an event queue at the same time, and in response to a request for the operation information synchronization process, A second process for returning the operation information to the source of the request and clearing the event queue, and when a new operation definition is passed, the operation definition is updated and all event information is acquired from the event queue in order. Further causing the computer to execute a management procedure for performing a third process of performing event processing of event information;
The program according to appendix 13, wherein the first, second, and third processes are exclusively controlled by the management procedure.
(Appendix 15)
When the operation information reflecting the event information is used in a periodic operation process in which an action of the interactive device is determined and instructed based on the operation information updated by the event process, the management procedure is the operation information at that time 15. The program according to appendix 14, characterized in that event information already reflected in is discarded.
(Appendix 16)
Causing the computer to further execute a periodic processing procedure in which the periodic motion processing before the periodic motion definition, the event processing definition, and the motion information definition are updated is performed in parallel with the update by the update processing procedure. The program according to appendix 15.
(Appendix 17)
In the operation information, any one of permanent operation information, operation definition information, and real-time information is added as an attribute of the lifetime.
The permanent motion information is information that is retained even when the motion definition is updated, the motion definition information is information that is discarded when the motion definition is updated, and the real-time information is the motion information once in a periodic motion process. Information that is discarded when used,
The program according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the periodic processing procedure outputs an action instruction for causing the interactive apparatus to perform a periodic operation according to an attribute added to the operation information, by the periodic operation process.
(Appendix 18)
18. The management procedure according to any one of appendices 14 to 17, wherein the management procedure adds a motion information update process definition to the motion definition and updates the motion information at a timing of performing the motion information synchronization process. program.
(Appendix 19)
The program according to any one of appendices 13 to 18, further causing the computer to execute a procedure for requesting the server to distribute the content of the interaction.
(Appendix 20)
The program according to appendix 19, wherein HTTP (Hyper Test Transfer Protocol) is used for communication between the server and the computer.

  Although the disclosed interaction system, interactive system, and program have been described above by way of the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and improvements can be made within the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

21 System 22 Server 23 Interaction System 24 Robot 31 Event Receiving Unit 32 Operation Information Management Unit 33 Periodic Processing Unit 34 Operation Definition Accepting Unit 35 Operation Definition Update Unit 36 Operation Definition Update Determination Unit 37 Event Queues 501 and 601 CPU
502,602 storage unit

Claims (7)

A receiver for receiving asynchronous event information related to the state of the interactive device;
A periodic operation process definition that defines a periodic operation process that periodically executes and outputs an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device, and an event that updates operation information expressed in detail of the content of the interaction according to the event information A reception unit that receives a process definition and an operation information definition that defines the operation information;
An interaction system, comprising: an update processing unit that collectively updates the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition.   A first process for updating the operation information definition by applying an event process according to the event information and storing the event information in an event queue at the same time, and in response to a request for the operation information synchronization process, A second process for returning the operation information to the source of the request and clearing the event queue, and when a new operation definition is passed, the operation definition is updated and all event information is acquired from the event queue in order. An operation information management unit that performs a third process that performs event processing of event information is further provided, and the first, second, and third processes are exclusively controlled by the operation information management unit, respectively. The interaction system according to claim 1.   When the operation information reflecting the event information is used in a periodic operation process that determines and instructs an action of the interactive device based on the operation information updated by the event process, the operation information management unit The interaction system according to claim 2, wherein event information reflected in the operation information is discarded.   The apparatus further comprises a periodic processing unit that performs periodic operation processing before the update of the periodic operation definition, the event processing definition, and the operation information definition in parallel with the update by the update processing unit. Item 4. The interaction system according to item 3. In the operation information, any one of permanent operation information, operation definition information, and real-time information is added as an attribute of the lifetime.
The permanent motion information is information that is retained even when the motion definition is updated. The motion definition information is information that is discarded when the motion definition is updated. Information that is discarded when used,
5. The interaction according to claim 3, wherein the periodic processing unit outputs an action instruction for causing the interactive apparatus to perform a periodic operation according to an attribute added to the operation information, by the periodic operation process. 6. system. An interactive device,
An interaction system capable of communicating with a server and the interactive device and outputting an action instruction for instructing an action of the interactive device;
The interaction system is:
A receiver for receiving asynchronous event information related to the state of the interactive device;
A periodic operation process definition that defines a periodic operation process that outputs an action instruction that is periodically executed and instructs an action of the interactive device, distributed from the server, and details of the content of the interaction according to the event information An event process definition for updating the operation information to be represented, and a reception unit for receiving the operation information definition for defining the operation information;
An interactive system, comprising: an update processing unit that updates the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition in a batch. A program for causing a computer to execute an action control process for controlling an interaction of the interactive apparatus by outputting an action instruction for instructing an action of the interactive apparatus,
A receiving procedure for receiving asynchronous event information regarding the state of the interactive device;
A periodic operation process definition that defines a periodic operation process that periodically executes and outputs an action instruction that instructs an action of the interactive device, and an event that updates operation information expressed in detail of the content of the interaction according to the event information A reception procedure for receiving a process definition and an operation information definition for defining the operation information;
A program causing the computer to execute an update processing procedure for updating the periodic operation process definition, the event process definition, and the operation information definition in a batch.

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