# US 10,478,971 B2 · Spherical robot having a driving mechanism for indicating amount of stored electric power > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,971 B2 - Document ID: US10478971B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/806,097 - Filed: 2017-11-07 - Published: 2018-03-01 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-06 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kento Ogawa; Ryouta Miyazaki; Michiko Sasagawa; Yuji Kunitake; Seiya Higuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478971B2 ## CPC - B25J 11/0015: {Face robots, animated artificial faces for imitating human expressions} - A63H 3/28: Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds - A63H 5/00: Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical (musical tops A63H1/28; {sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14}; music, sound or noise production in general G10) - A63H 11/00: Self-movable toy figures - A63H 33/005: {Motorised rolling toys} - B25J 5/00: Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; program-controlled manipulators B25J9/00) - B25J 19/021: {Optical sensing devices} - B25J 19/026: {Acoustical sensing devices} - B60L 58/13: Maintaining the SoC within a determined range - A63H 2200/00: Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A robot includes a main casing, a first spherical cap and a second spherical cap, and a shaft linking the spherical caps. The robot further includes a display, a first driving mechanism causing the first and second spherical caps to be rotated by the shaft, and a second driving mechanism that causes the main casing to be rotated. The robot also includes a control circuit and an electric power source, charged by electric power from an external charger. If the remaining electric power of the electric power source is lower than or equal to a predetermined value, the second driving mechanism is controlled to stop rotation of the main casing, and the first driving mechanism is controlled to switch a rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, causing the display to be reciprocally moved in a vertical direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot, comprising: a spherical body, including: a spherical-band-shaped main casing where a first side portion of a sphere and a second side portion opposing the first side portion have been removed, a first spherical cap corresponding to the first side portion, and a second spherical cap corresponding to the second side portion; a shaft linking the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap; a display attached to the shaft via an arm and displays at least a part of a face of the robot; a first driving mechanism that causes the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap to be rotated by a rotation of the shaft; a second driving mechanism, independent from the first driving mechanism, that causes the main casing to be rotated, the main casing being centered on the shaft; an electric power source that is charged by electric power from an external charger, and supplies the electric power to the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism; and a control circuit, when an amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to a predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, controls the second driving mechanism to stop a rotation of the main casing and controls the first driving mechanism to switch a rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, thereby causing the display to be reciprocally moved in a vertical direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a camera attached to at least one of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, and an image taken by the camera is recognized as including a part of a user, the control circuit controls the second driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing and controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, thereby causing the display to be reciprocally moved in the vertical direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot according to claim 2, wherein the part of the user is a face. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a camera attached to at least one of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, and an image taken by the camera is recognized as including a part of a user, the control circuit controls the second driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing in a state with the display facing the face of the user, and controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, thereby causing the display to be reciprocally moved in the vertical direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a camera attached to at least one of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, and an image taken by the camera is recognized as including a part of a user, the control circuit controls the second driving mechanism and to stop the rotation of the main casing in a state with the display facing a position lower than the face of the user, and controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, thereby causing the display to be reciprocally moved in the vertical direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a camera attached to at least one of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap; and a microphone that collects sound is provided, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, an image taken by the camera is recognized as including a part of a user, and sound collected by the microphone is recognized as including voice of the user, the control circuit controls the second driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing, and controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, thereby causing the display to be reciprocally moved in the vertical direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a camera attached to at least one of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap; and a microphone that collects sound is provided, wherein, when the amount of remaining electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, an image taken by the camera is recognized as not including a part of a user, and sound collected by the microphone is recognized as including voice of the user, the control circuit controls the second driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing, and controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, thereby causing the display to be reciprocally moved in the vertical direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a camera attached to at least one of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap; and a microphone that collects sound is provided, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, an image taken by the camera is recognized as not including a part of a user, and sound collected by the microphone is recognized as not including voice of the user, the control circuit controls the second driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing, and controls the first driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap during a period of the display moving reciprocally in the vertical direction for two reciprocal movements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is decreased, the control circuit increases a frequency of the switching the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is decreased, the control circuit increases an amount of movement of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap by switching the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, the control circuit controls the first driving mechanism to switch the rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, and thereafter controls the second driving mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a speaker to output sound, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, the control circuit outputs audio information indicating the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining, via the speaker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein, when the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining is lower than or equal to the predetermined value while the electric power source is disconnected from the charger, the control circuit displays expression display information indicating the amount of electric power of the electric power source remaining, using the display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the at least part of the face of the robot displayed on the display is an eye. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the at least part of the face of the robot displayed on the display is a mouth. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, wherein the expression display information is an image of a facial expression. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, wherein the expression display information is an image of an emoji.