JP7186058B2 - Robot matching system and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a robot matching system and program.

For example, in Patent Document 1, the personal data of registered members are divided by gender and registered in a database, and when both male and female members request matching, a computer follows a compatibility diagnosis program prepared in advance, Data matching is performed on the data on both male and female members obtained from the database, and as a result of this data matching, if the desired conditions of both male and female members meet certain standards, an introduction letter is sent to both male and female members. , a marriage partner introduction system characterized by simultaneously introducing both of them.

JP-A-2001-350869

Conventionally, there are several techniques for communicating with a partner. For example, in a marriage partner introduction system, data matching is performed on both male and female members from a database according to a compatibility diagnosis program prepared in advance.
However, in these compatibility diagnosis programs, there was no choice but to limit compatibility diagnosis based on superficial information such as age, annual income, and occupation of both parties.

An object of the present invention is to determine compatibility between users based on information that is difficult to grasp with a communication tool such as a marriage partner introduction system.

Based on this purpose, the present invention provides information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, which includes the application of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and the robot is used. Information acquisition means for acquiring usage information including at least one of usage frequencies ; information on usage of one robot used by one user; The robot matching system includes a determination means for determining compatibility between the one robot and the other robot based on information on how the other robot is used.
Here, in the robot matching system, when the determination means determines that the compatibility is good, the information on the one robot and the other robot, and the information on the one user and the other user and output means for outputting at least one of the information.
Further, the determining means may determine the compatibility from commonalities between the usage information of the one robot and the usage information of the other robot.
Further, the usage information acquired by the information acquisition means may include information of a conversation between the robot and the user using the robot.
The information on the conversation may include at least one of the content of the conversation, the time period during which the conversation takes place, and the length of the conversation.
Further , the usage information acquired by the information acquisition means includes information on the main use of the robot by the user using the robot and information on the secondary use of the robot. can be
Further , the information about secondary use may be information indicating the status of maintenance of the robot by the user.
Further , the information on the secondary use may be information indicating a charging mode of the robot by the user.
Further, the information on how to use the robot acquired by the information acquisition means includes information indicating a response from the user using the robot to a predetermined expression of the robot. An inquiry is made to the user by the predetermined expression of , and the information indicating the response from the user is whether or not there is a reply to the inquiry.
Furthermore , based on this object, the present invention provides information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, which includes the application of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and Information acquiring means for acquiring usage information including at least one of frequencies of usage of the robot ; usage information of one robot used by one user; and other users Information indicating compatibility between the one robot and the other robot, and information indicating compatibility between the one user and the other user and output means for outputting information of at least one of (1) and (2).
Further , based on this object, the present invention provides information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, which includes the use of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and the Information acquisition means for acquiring information on how the robot is used including at least one of frequencies of use of the robot; information on how the robot used by one user is used; The robot matching system includes a judgment means for judging the compatibility between the one user and the other user based on the usage information of the other robot being used.
In addition , when the present invention is regarded as a program, the program to which the present invention is applied is information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used in the computer, and the application of the robot , the time period in which the robot is used, and the frequency in which the robot is used; It is a program for realizing a function of judging the compatibility between the one robot and the other robot based on the information on the user and the information on how the other robot used by the other user is used. .

According to the present invention, compatibility between users can be determined based on information that is difficult to grasp with a communication tool such as a marriage partner introduction system.

It is a figure which shows the whole structural example of the robot matching system which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the matching apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of an external appearance structure of the robot which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of a matching device concerning this embodiment. (A) and (B) are diagrams showing an example of a result of analyzing usage information. (A) and (B) are diagrams showing an example of a result of analyzing usage information. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the processing procedure by which a matching apparatus intends matching of robots. It is a figure which shows an example of the information which an output part outputs. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of information output by the output unit;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Overall configuration of robot matching system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a robot matching system 1 according to this embodiment. The robot matching system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system for matching users by matching each robot 200 used by each of a plurality of users.

As illustrated, the robot matching system 1 includes a matching device 100 , a robot 200 and a user terminal 300 . Since the robot 200 and the user terminal 300 are used by each of the plurality of users, they exist corresponding to each of the plurality of users. Also, the matching device 100 , the robot 200 , and the user terminal 300 are connected via a network 400 .

The matching device 100 is a computer device that matches the robots 200 with each other. Examples of the matching device 100 include a server device and a PC (Personal Computer).
Here, the matching device 100 acquires information on how each robot 200 is used (hereinafter referred to as "usage information"). Then, based on usage information of one robot 200 used by one user and usage information of other robots used by other users, compatibility between one robot 200 and other robots 200 is determined. to judge. Based on this compatibility determination, the matching device 100 outputs information about one robot 200 and other robots 200 considered to be compatible, or outputs information about one user and other users considered to be compatible. output.

A robot 200 is a robotic device used by a user. The robot 200 has, for example, a function of conversing with the user, a function of executing processing based on commands from the user, a function as a pet that responds when called by the user, and a pet that feels happy when the user strokes it. ing. Note that the function of executing a process based on a user's command, for example, makes an external call or orders a product on the Internet based on a user's command.

User terminal 300 is a computer device used by a user. Examples of the user terminal 300 include a mobile information terminal (so-called smart phone, tablet terminal, etc.), a PC, and the like. The user terminal 300 is installed with an application for matching users (hereinafter referred to as a “matching application”). By executing the matching application, the user terminal 300, for example, requests the matching device 100 for matching (that is, compatibility determination), and displays the matching result of the matching device 100 on the screen of the user terminal 300. or

Network 400 is communication means used for information communication among matching device 100 , robot 200 , and user terminal 300 . The network 400 is not particularly limited as long as it is a communication network used for data communication between devices, and may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, or the like. The communication line used for data communication may be wired or wireless, and both may be used. Also, a relay device such as a gateway device or a router may be used to connect each device via a plurality of networks or communication lines.

<Hardware configuration of matching device>
Next, the hardware configuration of matching device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of matching device 100 according to the present embodiment. As an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 300, the hardware configuration similar to that of the matching device 100 shown in FIG. 2 may be used.

As illustrated, the matching device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 that controls the entire device through the execution of programs (including firmware), and a ROM (Basic Input Output System) that stores programs such as BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and firmware. Read Only Memory) 102 and RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 used as a program execution area.

The matching device 100 also includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 104 that is a storage area for storing various programs such as an OS (Operating System) and applications, input data for various programs, output data from various programs, and the like.
Furthermore, the matching device 100 includes a communication interface (communication I/F) 105 for communicating with the outside, a display mechanism 106 consisting of a video memory, a display, etc., and an input device 107 such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc. Prepare.

<External configuration of the robot>
Next, the external configuration of robot 200 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the robot 200 according to this embodiment.

The robot 200 has a portion imitating a human face, as indicated by reference numeral 2A. More specifically, the robot 200 is provided with a display device 201 composed of a video memory, a liquid crystal display, or the like. In this embodiment, the display device 201 displays an image corresponding to a human face. By being displayed, a portion that imitates a person's face is displayed.

The robot 200 also has a body portion 202 that supports the display device 201 from below and an arm portion 203 attached to the body portion 202 .
Further, a motor (not shown) for moving the arm portion 203 is provided inside the body portion 202 . Also, the body portion 202 is provided with a plurality of light sources 204 that emit lights of different colors.

As an example of the hardware configuration of the robot 200, in addition to the hardware configuration of the matching device 100 shown in FIG. can be exemplified.

<Functional configuration of matching device>
Next, the functional configuration of matching device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of matching device 100 according to the present embodiment. Matching device 100 includes information acquisition unit 111 , information storage unit 112 , compatibility determination unit 113 , and output unit 114 .

The information acquisition unit 111, which is an example of information acquisition means, acquires usage information of each robot 200 used by each of a plurality of users. Here, the information acquisition unit 111 acquires usage information from each of the plurality of robots 200 connected to the network 400 .

More specifically, the information acquisition unit 111 requests the usage information from the robot 200 at a predetermined timing, and acquires the usage information from the robot 200 . The predetermined timing may be, for example, timing at regular intervals (for example, every day), timing instructed by the administrator of the matching device 100, or timing when the user requests the matching device 100 from the user terminal 300 to determine compatibility. timing and so on.
Alternatively, the robot 200 may voluntarily transmit the usage information so that the information acquisition unit 111 acquires the usage information. Also in this case, for example, the robot 200 is sent to the matching device 100 at the timing of every certain period (for example, every day), or at the timing when the user requests the matching device 100 from the user terminal 300 to determine compatibility. Send usage information.

The information storage unit 112 stores usage information of each robot 200 acquired by the information acquisition unit 111 .

The compatibility determination unit 113, which is an example of a determination unit, determines a specific robot 200 based on usage information of one robot 200 used by one user and usage information of another robot 200 used by another user. compatibility between the robot 200 and other robots 200 is determined.
More specifically, for example, upon receiving a compatibility determination request from one user, the compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information of one robot 200 used by one user from the information storage unit 112 . do. In addition, from the information storage unit 112, the usage information of the other robot 200 that is the target of compatibility determination is acquired. Then, compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 is determined based on the acquired usage information.

Here, the other robot 200 to be the compatibility determination target may be specified by the one user who requested the compatibility determination, or may be selected by the compatibility determination unit 113 regardless of the specification of the one user. good too. When one user specifies, for example, one user specifies a user whose compatibility with itself is to be determined, or specifies the robot 200 used by the user. Further, when the compatibility determination unit 113 makes a selection, any one of the robots 200 other than the one robot 200 is selected from among the plurality of robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112 . At that time, the robot 200 that satisfies the conditions specified by one user may be selected.

Note that the compatibility determination by the compatibility determination unit 113 is not limited to that performed when a request from one user is received. For example, one robot 200 used by one user may make a compatibility determination request on behalf of one user and perform compatibility determination based on the request. In addition, the compatibility determination unit 113 selects two robots 200 from among the plurality of robots 200 at a timing every fixed period (for example, every day) or at a timing instructed by the administrator of the matching device 100, and selects the two robots 200. The compatibility between the two robots 200 may be determined.

The output unit 114 as an example of output means outputs the result of determination by the compatibility determination unit 113 . Here, the output unit 114 outputs a determination result when it is determined that one robot 200 and another robot 200 are compatible based on the determination by the compatibility determination unit 113 . More specifically, the output unit 114 outputs, as a determination result, information between the one robot 200 and the other robots 200, for example, information indicating that the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 are compatible with each other. do. In addition, the output unit 114 may output information between one user and another user, for example, information indicating that the one user and another user are compatible with each other.
The determination result is output to, for example, the user terminal 300 of the one user who requested compatibility determination, or the user terminal 300 of another user who uses another robot 200 targeted for compatibility determination. . Alternatively, it may be displayed on the display mechanism 106 of the matching device 100 .

Each functional unit that configures matching device 100 is realized through the cooperation of software and hardware resources. Specifically, for example, when the matching device 100 is realized with the hardware configuration shown in FIG. , the information acquisition unit 111, compatibility determination unit 113, output unit 114, and other functional units shown in FIG. Also, the information storage unit 112 is realized by the HDD 104, for example. In this embodiment, a matching device 100 and a robot matching system 1 are used as an example of a robot matching system including information acquisition means, determination means, and output means.

<Description of used information>
Next, usage information of the robot 200 will be described.
Usage information includes, for example, information on how the robot 200 is used, information on the time zone in which the robot 200 is used, information on the frequency with which the robot 200 is used, and information on the length of time the robot 200 is used. is included.

The information about how the robot 200 is used is information indicating how the robot 200 is used by the user. More specifically, for example, the content of the conversation between the robot 200 and the user using the robot 200, the content of the instruction given to the robot 200 by the user, and the content of the operation performed by the user on the robot 200. and so on. Based on this information, for example, a conversation partner type that is used as a conversation partner of the user, a command processing type that executes processing based on the user's command, a pet type that is used as a pet, and a violent type that is used as a target for stress relief. The application of the robot 200 is determined, such as the type of stress relief that is used. In addition, the information on how the robot 200 is used can be regarded as information indicating the usage of the robot 200 .

Information on the time zone in which the robot 200 is used is, for example, information such as the time zone in which the user talks with the robot 200, the time zone in which the user touches the robot 200, the time zone in which the power of the robot 200 is turned on, and the like. is used.
Information on the frequency with which the robot 200 is used includes, for example, the frequency of conversation between the user and the robot 200, the frequency with which the user touches the robot 200, the frequency with which the user charges the robot 200, and the frequency with which the user turns on the robot 200. Information such as the frequency of
Information on the length of time the robot 200 is used is, for example, the length of time the user talks with the robot 200, the length of time the user touches the robot 200, and the length of time the robot 200 is powered on. Information such as length is used.

Additionally, the usage information includes information on the conversation between the robot 200 and the user. As described above, the conversation information includes information such as the content of the conversation between the robot 200 and the user, the time zone in which the conversation takes place, the frequency of the conversation, the length of the conversation, and the like.

It can be said that such usage information reflects a user's character and individuality. Therefore, the compatibility determination unit 113 of the matching device 100 determines compatibility between the robots 200 based on the usage information of each robot 200 .

Further, the usage information includes information about the main use of the robot 200 by the user and information about the secondary use of the robot. Here, the main use indicates the application of the robot 200, and as described above, for example, the case of being used as a conversation partner type or command processing type corresponds. On the other hand, the secondary use is ancillary use required to realize the primary use, such as maintenance of the robot 200, charging of the robot 200, updating of software installed in the robot 200, and the like. be.
The secondary usage information includes, for example, information indicating the status of maintenance of the robot 200 by the user. The maintenance status is information such as whether inspections are performed regularly, whether damaged parts are replaced, and if the robot 200 breaks down, whether it is repaired within a certain period of time. In addition to information indicating the status of maintenance, the secondary usage information includes information indicating the state of charging, such as the charging frequency of the robot 200, the charging time period, the presence or absence of over-discharging and over-charging. included. Further, the secondary usage information also includes information indicating the mode of software update, such as the frequency of software update, the time period of software update, and the period during which no software update is performed.
Such secondary usage information also indicates how the user interacts with the robot 200, and can be said to reflect the user's character and individuality. Therefore, compatibility may be determined using such information.

Further, the usage information also includes information indicating how the user touches the robot 200 . The information indicating the manner of contact is, for example, information such as the frequency of contact with the robot 200 and the strength of the user's force at the time of contact. Such information indicating contact modes also indicates how the user is in contact with the robot 200, and can be said to reflect the user's character and individuality. Therefore, compatibility may be determined using such information.

The usage information also includes information indicating the user's response to a predetermined expression of the robot 200 . The predetermined expression of the robot 200 is, for example, making an inquiry to the user by voice, changing the part imitating the face of the robot 200 (see FIG. 3), or the like. Also, the information indicating the response is, for example, when the robot 200 makes an inquiry to the user, whether or not there is a reply from the user to the inquiry. In addition, for example, when the part imitating the face of the robot 200 is changed, whether or not there is a reaction from the user to the change and the magnitude of the reaction can also be regarded as an example of information indicating the response.
It can be said that the information indicating such a response from the user also reflects the character and individuality of the user. Therefore, compatibility may be determined using such information.

<Description of Compatibility Determination by Compatibility Determining Unit>
Next, compatibility determination by compatibility determination unit 113 of matching device 100 will be described.
Compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information of one robot 200 and usage information of other robots 200 from information storage unit 112 . Then, compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 is determined based on the acquired usage information. Here, the compatibility determination unit 113 analyzes the usage information of one robot 200 and the usage information of the other robots 200, and determines the compatibility between the robots 200 from the common points of these usage information. .

FIG.5 and FIG.6 is a figure which shows an example of the result of having analyzed usage information.
In the example shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the analysis result of the usage information includes details of how the robot 200 is used, the time zone in which the robot 200 is used, the frequency in which the robot 200 is used, and the number of times the robot 200 is used. It shows the length of time it has been in service, the status of maintenance, and the responses from users. Here, FIG. 5(A) shows the analysis result of usage information of one robot 200, and FIG. 5(B) shows the analysis result of usage information of another robot 200. FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 5A, for example, conversation between the user and one robot 200 accounts for the majority (for example, 90% or more of the voice information) of the voice information included in the used information. Therefore, the usage of the one robot 200 is determined as "conversation partner type".
In addition, the time period in which one robot 200 is used, the frequency of use, and the length of time in which the robot 200 is used can be obtained, for example, by aggregating or averaging daily usage data. In this example, it is mainly used from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 19:00 to 22:00 in a day, and the frequency of use per day is 3 times, and the time of use per time is 30 minutes. .

Furthermore, the status of maintenance shows "no abnormality". This indicates that there is no problem with all of the predetermined judgment items. The judgment items are, for example, "the frequency of inspection is equal to or greater than a certain number of times", "broken parts have been replaced", and "if the robot 200 fails, it is repaired within a certain period of time". When the respective judgment items are not satisfied, the maintenance status is, for example, "requires periodic inspection", "requires replacement of damaged parts", or "repairs are required in case of failure".
Also, the response from the user indicates "good". This indicates that the inquiry from the robot 200 has been answered. For example, if the response rate to inquiries from the robot 200 is 80% or more, it is "good"; if it is 50% or more and less than 80%, it is "acceptable";

In the example shown in FIG. 5(B), the usage is "conversation partner type", it is mainly used from 19:00 to 24:00 in a day, and the usage frequency is 10 times per day. indicates that the usage time is 30 minutes. Also, the status of maintenance indicates "no problem" and the response from the user indicates "possible".

The compatibility determination unit 113 determines compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 based on the common points of these analysis results. Various methods are conceivable as a compatibility determination method.
For example, it may be determined that the two robots 200 are compatible with each other because the two robots 200 are commonly used in the "conversation partner type" by emphasizing how the robots are used. In addition, for example, common points in "conversation partner type", common use time zone from 19:00 to 22:00, common usage time of 30 minutes per use, common maintenance status Considering , there are four common items, so it may be determined that they are compatible. On the other hand, one robot 200 is used from 7:00 to 9:00, but other robots 200 are not used during that time period.

Also, the examples shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are examples in which attention is paid to the information of the conversation between the user and the robot 200 in the analysis of the usage information. In this example, as the analysis results, the content of the conversation between the user and the robot 200, the time period during which the user talks with the robot 200, the frequency of conversation between the user and the robot 200, and the length of time the user talks with the robot 200 It shows the Here, FIG. 6(A) shows the analysis result of usage information of one robot 200, and FIG. 6(B) shows the analysis result of usage information of another robot 200. FIG.

The content of the conversation is based on the user's voice information included in the usage information, for example, the topics used in the conversation, the frequency of the topics, the user's speaking style, the presence or absence of a local accent, the presence or absence of foreign languages, and the presence or absence of buzzwords. etc. will be determined.
More specifically, topics used in conversation are determined, for example, by extracting predetermined keywords from the user's utterances. For example, as keywords for the topic of "cooking", "cooking", "recipe", "lunch box", etc. are determined in advance. When these keywords appear in the conversation a certain number or more (for example, 10 times or more), it is determined that the conversation is about "cooking".
In the example shown in FIG. 6A, 80% of all conversations are about "cooking", 10% are about "fishing", and 10% are about "soccer". In the example shown in FIG. 6B, 70% of all conversations are about "cooking", 20% are about "baseball", and 10% are about "weather". there is

Here, based on the keywords extracted from the user's utterances, it may be possible to determine whether or not the user has a particular thought, or to determine the deep psychology of the user. For example, a keyword peculiar to dangerous thoughts is registered in advance, and when this keyword is extracted from a user's utterance, it is determined that the user has dangerous thoughts. Further, for example, a keyword for judging the deep psychology may be registered in advance, and the deep psychology of the user may be judged based on the keyword extracted from the user.

In addition, the user's speaking style includes, for example, a calm tone, a violent tone, a muffled tone, and a cheerful tone. The user's speaking style is determined, for example, by the user's tone of voice and speed of speech. The example shown in FIG. 6A indicates that the tone is calm. The example shown in FIG. 6B indicates that the tone is intense.
Whether or not there is a local accent is determined based on, for example, the endings and intonations of the user's words, and predetermined keywords extracted from the user's utterances. be. The examples shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B indicate that there is a local accent and that the type of accent is the Kansai dialect.

The presence or absence of a foreign language is determined by the type of foreign language such as English, Chinese, French, etc., according to the words spoken by the user. The examples shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B indicate that no foreign language is used (that is, the conversation is conducted in Japanese).
The presence or absence of buzzwords is determined, for example, by extracting predetermined buzzwords from the user's utterances. The examples shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B indicate that buzzwords are not used.
The compatibility determination unit 113 determines compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 based on the common points of these analysis results.

For example, it may be determined that the two robots 200 are compatible with each other because the topic of "cooking" is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 70% or higher) with respect to the topic of conversation. Further, for example, since the topic of "cooking" is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold and the type of accent is Kansai dialect, it may be determined that the two are compatible. On the other hand, the user's way of speaking is emphasized, and the user of one robot 200 speaks in a "gentle tone," while the user of the other robot 200 speaks in a "strong tone," which is not a good match. can be judged.

In this way, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines compatibility between the robots 200 based on common points of usage information. At that time, among the multiple items included in the usage information, items to be particularly emphasized are decided to determine compatibility, the number of items with common points among the multiple items included in the usage information, and each Compatibility is judged based on the ratio common to the items.
However, in the present embodiment, the compatibility determination method is not limited to the one based on the common point of usage information. For example, a user who often talks about overseas travel and a user who speaks a foreign language are both assumed to be interested in overseas, so it may be determined that they are compatible with each other. That is, it can be said that compatibility determination is performed based on whether or not the usage information of two robots 200 satisfies a predetermined condition, not limited to the common points of the usage information.

<Processing procedure for matching between robots>
Next, the procedure of the process by which the matching device 100 attempts to match the robots 200 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure for the matching device 100 to match the robots 200 with each other. Here, as an initial state, the information storage unit 112 stores usage information of each robot 200 . Also, in this example, it is assumed that one user requests compatibility determination.
Note that the processing shown in FIG. 7 is repeatedly performed, for example, at regular intervals (for example, every minute). Further, hereinafter, the step of processing may be denoted by the symbol “S”.

First, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines whether or not a request for determining compatibility between the robots 200 has been received (S101). If a negative determination (NO) is made in S101, this processing flow ends. If an affirmative determination (YES) is made in S101, the compatibility determining unit 113 acquires from the information storage unit 112 usage information of the one robot 200 used by the one user who made the request in S101. (S102).

Next, the compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information of the other robot 200 whose compatibility with the one robot 200 is to be determined from the information storage unit 112 (S103).
Here, when another robot 200 is specified by one user, the compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information of the specified other robot 200 . Also, if the other robot 200 is not specified by one user, one of the robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112 is selected. At that time, the robot 200 that satisfies the conditions specified by one user may be selected. The conditions specified by one user are, for example, the conditions of users using other robots 200, such as the user's place of residence, the user's sex, and the user's age.

Next, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines compatibility between the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 based on the usage information of the one robot 200 and the usage information of the other robots 200 (S104). Next, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines whether the compatibility between the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 is good (S105).
If an affirmative determination (YES) is made in S105, the compatibility determining unit 113 collects information on the one robot 200 and the other robots 200, and information on the one user and the other users using the other robots 200. and at least one of the information is to be output (S106).
On the other hand, if a negative determination (NO) is made in S105, the compatibility determination unit 113 outputs the information between the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 and the information between the one user and the other user. Not targeted (S107).

Next, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines whether compatibility determination has been performed for all the other robots 200 whose compatibility with the one robot 200 is to be determined (S108).
Here, when the other robots 200 are specified by one user, it is determined whether or not compatibility has been determined for all of the other specified robots 200 . Further, when the other robot 200 is not specified by one user, it is determined whether or not compatibility has been determined for all the robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112 . Furthermore, if one user has specified a condition for other robots 200, it is determined whether compatibility has been determined for all the other robots 200 that satisfy the specified condition.

If a negative determination (NO) is made in S108, the process proceeds to S103, and use information is acquired for other robots 200 for which compatibility determination has not yet been made.
On the other hand, if the determination in S108 is affirmative (YES), the output unit 114 outputs the information targeted for output in S106 (S109). For example, the output unit 114 outputs information indicating that one robot 200 and another robot 200 are compatible with each other to the one user who made the request in S101. Also, information indicating that one user is compatible with another user using another robot 200 is output. Furthermore, the output unit 114 may output such information to other users. Then, this processing flow ends.

<Specific example of processing by the matching device>
Next, the processing by the matching device 100 will be described with a specific example. In this example, user A using robot 200A requests matching device 100 to determine compatibility.

Upon receiving a compatibility determination request from user A, compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information of robot 200A used by user A from information storage unit 112 . Next, compatibility determination unit 113 acquires from information storage unit 112 usage information of robot 200 whose compatibility with one robot 200 is to be determined. In this example, it is assumed that the user A has specified the place of residence "Tokyo" and the age "20 to 29 years old" as the conditions of the partner for compatibility determination. In this case, the matching device 100 selects the robot 200 used by the user who satisfies the conditions of residence “Tokyo” and age “20 to 29 years old” among the plurality of robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112 . select. In this example, the compatibility determination unit 113 selects the robot 200B used by the user B because the user B satisfies the conditions that the place of residence is "Tokyo" and the age is "20 to 29 years old". Then, the compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information of the robot 200B from the information storage unit 112 .

Next, compatibility determination unit 113 determines compatibility between robot 200A and robot 200B based on the usage information of robot 200A and the usage information of robot 200B. Here, the compatibility determination unit 113 analyzes the usage information as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, and determines compatibility between the robots 200A and 200B based on the common points of the analysis results. In this example, it is assumed that usage information of the robot 200A is shown in FIG. 6A, and usage information of the robot 200B is shown in FIG. 6B.

Here, in robot 200A and robot 200B, compatibility determination unit 113 determines that robot 200A and robot 200B have a topic of “cooking” that is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 70% or higher) and that the type of accent is Kansai dialect. is good. Then, the compatibility determination unit 113 outputs at least one of the information on the robots 200A and 200B and the information on the users A and B as an output target.

Next, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines that the robots 200 other than the robot 200B, among the plurality of robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112, satisfy the conditions that the place of residence is “Tokyo” and the age is “20 to 29 years old”. Select the robot 200 used by the user. Similar to the robot 200B, compatibility between the selected robot 200 and the robot 200A is determined. In this way, the compatibility determination unit 113 determines the robots 200 of all users among the plurality of robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112 who satisfy the conditions of residence “Tokyo” and age “20 to 29 years old”. A compatibility judgment is made for . When the compatibility is determined for all the robots 200 to be determined for compatibility, the output unit 114 outputs the information to be output.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of information output by the output unit 114. As shown in FIG. This information is transmitted to, for example, user A's user terminal 300 and displayed on the screen of the user terminal 300 .
In the illustrated example, robots 200B to 200D are shown as robots 200 determined to be compatible with robot 200A. Also, users who use the respective robots 200 (users B to user D in this example) are shown as users judged to be compatible with user A. FIG.

In addition, each of the robots 200B to 200D has points in common with the robot 200A. For example, robot 200B has in common that the topic of conversation with the user is "cooking" and that the user's accent is "Kansai dialect". The robot 200C also has in common that the topic of conversation with the user is "cooking" and that the user speaks in a "gentle tone". In addition, the robot 200D has in common that the content of usage is "conversation partner type", the usage time is "19:00 to 22:00", and the maintenance status is "no abnormality". It is said that

Further, the determination result of the compatibility determination unit 113 may be output not only to user A but also to users B to user D. FIG. For example, information indicating that the robots 200B and 200A are compatible with each other or information indicating that the users B and A are compatible with each other may be output to the user B. FIG. At that time, information on points in common between the robot 200B and the robot 200A may be output.

(Other examples)
Next, another example of processing by the matching device 100 will be described. In this example, the compatibility determination unit 113 selects two robots 200 from a plurality of robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112 and determines compatibility between the two selected robots 200 .

The compatibility determination unit 113 selects two robots 200 from the plurality of robots 200 stored in the information storage unit 112, for example, at regular intervals or at timing instructed by the administrator of the matching device 100. . Here, the administrator or the like of the matching device 100 may specify two robots 200 that satisfy the specified conditions by specifying the conditions of the robots 200 that are targets for compatibility determination.
Next, compatibility determination unit 113 acquires usage information from information storage unit 112 for each of the two selected robots 200 . Then, compatibility between the two robots 200 is determined. Here, when it is determined that the two robots 200 are compatible with each other, at least one of the information of the two robots 200 and the information of each user of the two robots 200 is output. Targeted.

In this way, compatibility determination unit 113 determines all combinations of two robots 200 selected from a plurality of robots 200 stored in information storage unit 112 (conditions of robots 200 to be determined compatibility are specified). If so, compatibility is determined for all combinations of robots 200 that satisfy the specified conditions, and information to be output is determined.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of information output by the output unit 114. As shown in FIG. In the illustrated example, combinations of robots 200A and 200B, robots 200C and 200D, and robots 200C and 200E are shown as compatible robots. Also, the users (users A to E in this example) who use each robot 200 are shown. Furthermore, common points between the robots 200 are shown for each of the combinations of the robots 200 considered to be compatible. For example, the robot 200A and the robot 200B have in common that the topic of conversation with the user is "cooking" and that the user's accent is Kansai dialect. Further, for example, the robot 200C and the robot 200D have in common that they are used in a "stress-relieving" manner and that they are used five times per day. Furthermore, for example, the robot 200C and the robot 200E are used in a "conversation partner type", are used for 30 minutes each time, and receive a "good" response from the user. The common point is that

The result of such compatibility determination is displayed on the screen of the display mechanism 106 . By displaying the compatibility determination result on the screen, the administrator of the matching device 100 can grasp the information between the robots 200 considered to have good compatibility, that is, the information between users considered to have good compatibility. can. Then, the administrator can notify the user, for example, based on the grasped information. More specifically, for example, the administrator notifies users A and B of information on holding a cooking event, and notifies users C and D of information on holding a stress relief event. or
Also, the result of compatibility determination may be output to the user. For example, for user A using robot 200A, information indicating that robot 200A and robot 200B are compatible, information indicating that user A and user B are compatible, robot 200A and robot 200B is output.

As described above, the matching device 100 according to the present embodiment provides usage information of one robot 200 used by one user and usage information of another robot 200 used by another user. Based on the information, compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 is determined. In this way, by determining compatibility based on how the robot 200 used by the user is used, for example, compared to a configuration in which compatibility is determined based on superficial information such as the user's age, annual income, occupation, etc. As a result, compatibility determination that reflects the user's character and individuality is performed. In addition, in the present embodiment, since compatibility between users is determined by determining compatibility between robots 200, for example, compared to a configuration in which compatibility between users is directly determined using personal information of users, etc. , it is thought that the user's sense of distrust will fade.

In the above example, when it is determined that the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 are compatible with each other, the information about the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 is output. The configuration is not limited to outputting information in such a case.
For example, even if it is determined that the one robot 200 and the other robots 200 are not compatible with each other, information on the one robot 200 and the other robots 200, for example, the one robot 200 and the other robots Information indicating that compatibility with 200 is not good may be output. In addition to or instead of the information, information between one user and another user, for example, information indicating that the one user and another user are not compatible may be output. In addition, when the compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 satisfies a predetermined condition, it can be understood that information about compatibility is output.
Further, for example, when one user designates another robot 200 as a target of compatibility determination, information on the one robot 200 and the other robot 200 is displayed regardless of whether or not the compatibility is determined to be good. Alternatively, information on one user and other users may be output.

Furthermore, in the above example, it is determined whether or not one robot 200 and another robot 200 are compatible, but the degree of compatibility (for example, percentage) may be determined. In this case, for example, whether or not particularly important items are common among the multiple items included in the used information, the number of common items among the multiple items, the ratio of common items among the multiple items, etc. Then, the degree of compatibility is judged. In this case, the determined degree of compatibility can be regarded as an example of information indicating compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 and information indicating compatibility between one user and another user.

Matching device 100 according to the present embodiment uses usage information of one robot 200 used by one user and usage information of another robot 200 used by another user to Compatibility between one robot 200 and other robots 200 is determined, and compatibility between one user and other users is determined. That is, the compatibility determination unit 113 of the matching device 100 can be regarded as determining compatibility between users through determination of compatibility between the robots 200 .
Here, in the present embodiment, compatibility between robots 200 is not determined based on usage information of one robot 200 and usage information of another robot 200, but compatibility between users is determined directly. may That is, the compatibility determination unit 113 directly determines compatibility between one robot 200 and another robot 200 based on usage information about one robot 200 and usage information about another robot 200 . It can also be regarded as determining compatibility between the user and other users.

Further, in the present embodiment, part of the functions of matching device 100 may be realized by robot 200, user terminal 300, a server device (not shown) connected to network 400, or the like. For example, in the example described above, the compatibility determining unit 113 of the matching device 100 analyzes the usage information, but the robot 200 may analyze the usage information and then transmit it to the matching device 100 . Further, the information storage unit 112 may be provided in a server device (not shown), and the compatibility determination unit 113 may acquire usage information of each robot 200 from this server device.

Moreover, the program that implements the embodiment of the present invention can be provided not only by communication means but also by being stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, it is of course possible to combine these embodiments and modifications.
In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Robot matching system 100... Matching apparatus 111... Information acquisition part 112... Information storage part 113... Compatibility determination part 114... Output part 200... Robot 300... User terminal

Claims (12)

Information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, and includes at least one of the usage of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and the frequency in which the robot is used. an information acquisition means for acquiring information on the usage including
Based on information on how one robot used by one user is used and information on how another robot used by another user is used, the relationship between the one robot and the other robot A robot matching system comprising a judgment means for judging compatibility. at least one of information between the one robot and the other robot and information between the one user and the other user when the determination means determines that the compatibility is good; 2. The robot matching system according to claim 1, further comprising output means for outputting. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining means determines said compatibility based on a common point between said information on how said one robot is used and said information on how said other robot is used. The robotic matching system described. 4. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said usage information acquired by said information acquisition means includes information on a conversation between said robot and said user using said robot. The robot matching system according to item 1. 5. The robot matching system according to claim 4, wherein the conversation information includes at least one of the content of the conversation, the time period during which the conversation takes place, and the length of the conversation. The usage information obtained by the information obtaining means includes information about the main use of the robot by the user using the robot and information about the secondary use of the robot. The robot matching system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . 7. The robot matching system according to claim 6 , wherein the information about secondary use is information indicating the status of maintenance of the robot by the user. 7. The robot matching system according to claim 6 , wherein the information about secondary use is information indicating a mode of charging of the robot by the user. the usage information acquired by the information acquisition means includes information indicating a response from the user using the robot to a predetermined expression of the robot;
An inquiry is made to the user by the predetermined expression of the robot, and the information indicating the response from the user is whether or not there is a reply to the inquiry.
The robot matching system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , characterized by: Information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, and includes at least one of the usage of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and the frequency in which the robot is used. an information acquisition means for acquiring information on the usage including
Based on information on how one robot used by one user is used and information on how another robot used by another user is used, the relationship between the one robot and the other robot A robot matching system comprising output means for outputting at least one of information indicating compatibility and information indicating compatibility between the one user and the other user. Information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, and includes at least one of the usage of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and the frequency in which the robot is used. an information acquisition means for acquiring information on the usage including
Based on information on how one robot used by one user is used and information on how another robot used by another user is used, A robot matching system comprising a judgment means for judging compatibility. to the computer,
Information on how each robot used by each of a plurality of users is used, and includes at least one of the usage of the robot, the time zone in which the robot is used, and the frequency in which the robot is used. a function to acquire information on the usage including ;
Based on information on how one robot used by one user is used and information on how another robot used by another user is used, the relationship between the one robot and the other robot A program for realizing the function of judging compatibility.

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