JP4263636B2 - Robot content playback system, robot and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot content reproduction system, a robot, and a program that include a robot and an external device that manages content for multimedia information reproduction including physical operations of the robot.

  SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) is an XML (eXtencible Markup Language) application markup language that describes screen layout design and playback timing control for arranging multimedia information such as images and sounds. An equal spatial concept is included (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Also known is software (Real Player) that reproduces multimedia content described in SMIL described above on a PC.

On the other hand, a system has been proposed in which a robot is connected to a PC and the image on the PC and the operation of the robot are linked (for example, see Patent Document 1). Here, cooperation is realized by having a scenario for controlling the movement of the image and a scenario for controlling the operation of the robot.
[Search February 7, 2004] Internet <URL: http://www.doraneko.org/misc/smile10/> JP 2002-66156 A

By the way, when the multimedia content including the physical operation of the robot is tried to be reproduced using the above-described background technology, the following problems occur.
First, according to the technology disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, the execution means and the external reception means are limited to each character, image, video, audio, and key input, and the physical operation of the robot Cannot describe the sensor attached for the execution of events and the reception of events and the reception of voice recognition.
Further, according to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the robot is fixedly assigned to the operation and the PC is responsible for the image display, the robot is equipped with a module capable of executing all of the functions such as the display assignment. Reproduction with is impossible.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a robot content reproduction system, a robot, and a program capable of executing and managing content that temporally links physical operations of a robot together with images and sounds. The purpose is to do.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a robot content reproduction system, a robot, and a program that can use content suitable for the capability of the robot on any robot having different operation performance.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is a content reproduction system for a robot comprising a robot and an external device that manages content for multimedia information reproduction including physical operation of the robot. The apparatus receives a content acquisition request from the robot, performs selection based on the execution capability list of the robot that accompanies the request, and the necessary capability list necessary for the execution of each managed content, and acquires the content The content suitable for the request is distributed to the robot, and the robot receives the content acquisition request and transmits the content acquisition request to the external device with the generated execution capability list attached thereto. To the execution capability list and each execution of each managed content. A content acquisition unit that acquires content selected by comparison with a necessary necessary capability list, and content execution timing control including physical operation of the robot while detecting an event from the input device based on the acquired content A content execution unit that performs the search, and the content acquisition unit searches for the presence of an available input / output device in the surroundings via the network when creating the execution capability list, and the capability of the searched input / output device Is integrated with its own ability to dynamically generate the execution ability list .

  Further, in the present invention, the required capability list has information on media used in the content and a required value regarding the attribute, or a required value and a recommended value. The content satisfying the essential value or the content satisfying the recommended value is selected and distributed to the robot.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the robot in a content reproduction system for a robot comprising a robot and an external device that manages content for multimedia information reproduction including physical operations of the robot. The content acquisition request is received, and the content acquisition request is transmitted to the external device with the generated execution capability list attached, and the execution capability list and each managed content are held from the external device. A content acquisition unit that acquires content selected by comparison with a necessary capability list necessary for each execution, and content that includes physical operations of the robot while detecting an event from the input device based on the acquired content comprising of a content execution unit for performing an execution timing control, the front When the content acquisition unit creates the execution capability list, the content acquisition unit searches for the presence of an available input / output device in the vicinity via the network, and integrates the capability of the searched input / output device with its own capability. A feature list is dynamically generated .

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a program used for a robot connected to an external device that manages content for multimedia information reproduction including physical operation of the robot, and that requests content acquisition. A process of receiving and transmitting a content acquisition request to the external device with the generated execution capability list attached thereto, and the execution capability list from the external device and each execution of each managed content Processing for acquiring content selected by comparison with a necessary capability list necessary for the content, and execution timing control of content including physical operation of the robot while detecting an event from the input device based on the acquired content a process of performing, in preparing the execution capabilities list, around over the network Searching presence of the use can be input and output devices, characterized in that to execute a process of dynamically generating said execution capability list of capabilities of the retrieved input device integrated with its own capabilities, to the computer And

  According to the present invention, an external device to which a robot is connected is a content (hereinafter referred to as a robot) that describes arrangement of multimedia information such as audio and video, playback timing control, and conditional branching by input from keys and sensors. The list of robot capabilities required to execute the content acquired from the robot (hereinafter referred to as the required capability list), and the robot-side capability that requests the content (hereinafter referred to as the execution capability list). Content can be distributed to the user on any robot with different operation performance, and an environment that makes it possible to use content suitable for the ability of the robot can be provided.

At that time the robot, in preparing the execution capability list, searching for the presence of the surrounding available input and output devices via a network, executes the capabilities of the retrieved device integrated with its ability capability list By dynamically generating, you can use peripheral resources to perform more than you can.
Furthermore, by adding elements that describe the robot's physical motion to the language system and defining attributes related to the robot's unique movement, the robot can coordinate its physical motion with each other in time with images and sounds. Can be played.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a robot content reproduction system of the present invention.
The content reproduction system for a robot according to the present invention includes a robot 1 and a content server 2 as an external device connected to the robot 1 via a communication network 3.

The robot 1 includes a user interface (I / F) 11, a content acquisition unit 12, a content execution unit 13, a module management unit 14, event detection modules 15 and 16, and playback modules 17 and 18.
The user I / F 11 is a robot application that serves as an interface with the user, for example. The content acquisition unit 12 receives the content acquisition request via the user I / F 11, attaches the generated execution capability list to the content server 2, transmits the content acquisition request to the content server 2, and executes the content acquisition request from the content server 2. It has a function of acquiring content selected by comparing the capability list with a necessary capability list necessary for each execution of each managed content.

Content acquisition unit 12, in preparing a run capability list, searching for the presence of the surrounding available input and output devices via the communication network 3, performed by integrating the retrieved device itself ability abilities ability It also has the ability to generate lists dynamically. The content acquired by the content acquisition unit 12 is supplied to the content execution unit 13.
The content execution unit 13 detects an event from an input device such as a key or a sensor that is externally connected via the event detection modules 15 and 16 based on the acquired content, and via the playback modules 17 and 18 while detecting an event from an input device such as a key or a sensor. Also, it has a function of controlling the execution timing of content including physical operation of the robot via an externally connected playback module 41. Here, it is assumed that the reproduction module 17 in the robot 1 reproduces sound, the reproduction module 18 reproduces text, and the reproduction module 41 (external device 4) in the vicinity reproduces images.

  The module management unit 14 is used to facilitate the addition or change of the event detection modules 15 and 16 and the playback modules 17, 18, and 41. Here, the content execution unit 13 is connected via the module management unit 14. The case of linking to is shown.

FIG. 2 is a sequence chart showing a schematic operation of the embodiment of the present invention. Here, the flow of the operation between the user, the robot 1 and the content server 2 is shown.
The general operation flow will be described as follows. First, a content acquisition request is issued from the user or robot application to the robot 1 (S11). At that time, the robot 1 searches the content server 2 for connection with the execution capability list attached, and issues a content acquisition request to the connection destination (S12). In response to this, the content server 2 compares the execution capability list with the necessary content capability list of the content managed by itself, selects the content having the necessary capability appropriate to the execution capability, and passes through the communication network 3. The content is distributed to the requested robot 1 (S13).
The robot 1 that has received the selected content executes (reproduces) the content, and notifies the content server 2 of the end as necessary (S14).

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the detailed flow of the operation of the content server, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show the operation of the robot. The flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 also show the processing procedure of the program of the present invention.
The operation of the content server 2 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The content server 2 manages each of the robot contents and also manages a list of robot capabilities (necessary capability list) necessary for executing the content. The necessary capability list has information (hereinafter referred to as a test attribute) regarding media used in the content, and a recommended value and a required value regarding the attribute value.

When the content acquisition request is issued from the robot 1 and received (S31, Yes), the content server 2 selects the content for the content group managed by itself, for example, in the English conversation level for children, etc. In addition, the “required capability list” of each content is selected while comparing with the “execution capability list” of the robot accompanying the acquisition request from the robot (S32 to S34), and appropriate content is distributed to the robot. (S35).
Here, in the comparison process (S33) between the “necessary ability list” and the “execution ability list”, by default, the contents having the “execution ability list” that satisfies all the required values are selected from the necessary ability lists. However, it may be possible to select one satisfying all the recommended values in response to a request from the robot 1.
In addition, when generating the “necessary ability list”, it is conceivable that the content creator automatically generates it from a content file, in addition to the method that the content creator creates manually.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the content acquisition unit 12 of the robot 1, when there is a content acquisition request from a user or a robot application (application program) in the robot 1 (Yes in S 41), the “execution capability list” of the robot 1 is attached and the content server A content acquisition request is transmitted to 2 (S45).
When the content distribution is received from the content server 2, it is transferred to the content execution unit 13 (S46, S47).

For connection to the content server 2, in addition to the case where connection information (server name, address, etc.) to the content server 2 is fixedly given, for example, UDDI (Universal Discovery and Directory Integration: XML) is applied. It is also conceivable that the content server 2 is dynamically searched and connected using an online directory service such as a Web service search query system existing on the Internet (S44). Further, for acquisition of content, SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) or the like is used.
Furthermore, when generating the “execution capability list”, a protocol such as UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is used, for example, in addition to a method in which the robot seller, administrator, and user manually generate it, via a network. It is also conceivable to dynamically generate an execution capability list by combining the capabilities of devices that have been able to search for surrounding available devices with their own capabilities (S42, S43).

The content execution unit 13 that has received the content transfer from the content acquisition unit 12 connects the playback module and the event detection module used in the content (S48), for example, an event connected via the module management unit 14 The content is executed according to the contents described in the content while using the detection modules 15 and 16 and the reproduction modules 17, 18 and 41 (S 49).
Here, the content execution timing control is, for example, in accordance with a timing control method for SMIL. In this case, a <ACTION> element is newly prepared for describing a physical action, and a test attribute specific to the robot 1 is additionally defined. FIG. 6 shows a description example of contents and the capability list defined in FIG. .

In other words, the content description language used here is an extension of SMIL, which is an XML-based description language for screen layout design and playback timing control for arranging multimedia information such as characters, images, video, and audio. Yes.
Specifically, a new file format for robot motion description is defined, the file can be called as one of the basic media in SMIL, and a new sensor input or speech recognition result as a conditional branch for content transition Is used.

The format of the operation description file describes an operation set of units to be executed in synchronization with other media, for example, a WAV file. The operation description file is a set of (operation name, operation parameter list) and the operation name is “forward”. , “Back”, “right”, “left”, and the like.
SMIL defines seven elements such as image (img), video (video), and audio (audio) as basic media. In addition to this, a new element for action (action) is newly added. The action description file defined and defined above is referred to by the src attribute. Furthermore, as a conditional branch for content transition, in addition to the conventional key input, the recognition result of the voice input and the sensor input result are also handled as SMIL events. For this reason, the event detection modules 15 and 16 have all or a part of key input, voice recognition, and sensors, and the playback modules 17, 18, and 41 control the operation of the robot 1, voice playback, image playback, and video. It shall have all or part of playback and character output.

The various event detection modules 15 and 16 and the playback modules 17, 18, and 41 may be directly connected to the content execution unit. However, considering these new additions and changes, the module detection unit 15 is routed. It is more efficient to cooperate with the content execution unit 13. However, it is not essential to implement the present invention.
Returning to FIG. 5, after the content execution by the content execution unit 13 and the end of reproduction timing control (S50, Yes), an end notification is sent to the content server 2 as necessary (S51), and the operation is ended.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the service usage form of the present invention. Here, a plurality of robots manufactured by different vendors are connected to a content server on a network, and provide services to users while dynamically acquiring content.

An example of an English education service for young children is as follows. That is, the robot 1 displays an apple image on the display of the robot 1 or the adjacent robot 1 or the screen of the liquid crystal TV and asks “What do you see on the display?”, Or puts out both hands and gives “Please”. It is understood by using motion, sound, image output, sensor input, etc. at appropriate timing, such as waiting for input from the right hand touch sensor by pointing out “to touch my right hand” and “Please touch my right hand”. Provide easy English conversation services.
In addition, by managing the progress of learning on the content server 2 side, the user receives education from an A vendor robot at school and then reviews with a B vendor robot at home. Use of the service becomes possible.

As described above, according to the present invention, an external device 2 such as a content server to which the robot 1 is connected allows conditional arrangement by the arrangement and reproduction timing control of multimedia information such as audio and video, and input from keys and sensors. Is used to manage a list of robot capabilities (hereinafter referred to as a necessary capability list) required to execute the content acquired from the robot 1 and request the content. By providing content according to the ability on the robot side (hereinafter referred to as the execution capability list), an environment for using content suitable for the ability of the robot 1 on any robot 1 having different operation performance is provided. It is.
At that time, when creating the execution capability list, the robot 1 searches for the presence of available input / output devices around the network 3 and integrates the capabilities of the searched devices with its own capabilities. By dynamically generating an execution capability list, it is possible to use a peripheral resource to demonstrate performance beyond capability. At this time, by adding elements that describe the physical movement of the robot to the language system and defining attributes related to the movement specific to the robot, the robot temporally links its own physical movement with images and sounds. Content can be played back.

  1 is executed by each of the user interface (I / F) 11, the content acquisition unit 12, the content execution unit 13, the module management unit 14, the event detection modules 15 and 16, and the playback modules 17, 18, and 41 shown in FIG. 1. The robot content reproduction system and the robot of the present invention can be realized by recording the procedure on a computer-readable recording medium, causing the computer system to read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium. The computer system here includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.

Further, the “computer system” includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is used.
The program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the “transmission medium” for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.
The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the gist of the present invention.

It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of this invention. It is an operation | movement sequence diagram of this invention embodiment. It is an operation | movement flowchart of this invention embodiment. It is an operation | movement flowchart of this invention embodiment. It is an operation | movement flowchart of this invention embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a description of the content used by this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a description of the capability list | wrist used by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the service utilization form of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Robot, 2 ... Content server (external device), 3 ... Network, 4 ... External device, 11 ... User interface (I / F), 12 ... Content acquisition part, 13 ... Content execution part, 14 ... Module management part, 15, 16 ... event detection module, 17, 18, 41 ... reproduction module

Claims (4)

A content reproduction system for a robot comprising a robot and an external device that manages content for multimedia information reproduction including physical operation of the robot,
The external device receives a content acquisition request from the robot, performs selection based on the robot's execution capability list associated with the request and the necessary capability list necessary for each execution of each managed content, Deliver content suitable for content acquisition requests to the robot ,
The robot is
The content acquisition request is received, the generated execution capability list is attached, and the content acquisition request is transmitted to the external device. From the external device, the execution capability list and each managed content have A content acquisition unit for acquiring content selected by comparison with a necessary capability list necessary for execution of
A content execution unit that controls execution timing of content including physical operation of the robot while detecting an event from the input device based on the acquired content;
The content acquisition unit
In creating the execution capability list, the presence of available input / output devices in the vicinity is searched via the network, and the capability of the searched input / output devices is integrated with its own capability to dynamically execute the execution capability list. To generate,
The content reproduction system for robots characterized by this.   The necessary capability list has information on media used in the content and a mandatory value, or a mandatory value and a recommended value regarding the attribute, and satisfies the essential value in the necessary capability list at the time of the selection. The robot content reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein either the content or the content satisfying the recommended value is selected and distributed to the robot. The robot in a content reproduction system for a robot comprising a robot and an external device that manages content for multimedia information reproduction including physical operation of the robot,
The content acquisition request is received, the generated execution capability list is attached, and the content acquisition request is transmitted to the external device. From the external device, the execution capability list and each managed content have A content acquisition unit for acquiring content selected by comparison with a necessary capability list necessary for execution of
A content execution unit that controls execution timing of content including physical operation of the robot while detecting an event from the input device based on the acquired content ;
The content acquisition unit
In preparing the execution capability list, searching for the presence of the surrounding available input and output devices via a network, the capabilities of the retrieved input device integrated with its ability dynamic said execution capability list A robot characterized by the generation. A program used for the robot to be connected to an external apparatus for managing content for multimedia information reproduction including physical movement of the robot,
A process of receiving a content acquisition request and transmitting the content acquisition request to the external device with the generated execution capability list attached thereto;
A process of acquiring content selected from the external device by comparing the execution capability list with a necessary capability list required for execution of each managed content,
Based on the acquired content, processing for performing execution timing control of the content including the physical operation of the robot while detecting an event from the input device;
In creating the execution capability list, the presence of available input / output devices in the vicinity is searched via the network, and the capability of the searched input / output devices is integrated with its own capability to dynamically execute the execution capability list. Processing to generate
A program that causes a computer to execute.

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