# US 10,872,233 B2 · Information processing apparatus and method for changing the difficulty of opening or closing an instrument according to feelings of a user > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,233 B2 - Document ID: US10872233B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/082,790 - Filed: 2017-01-30 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-27 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Yoshinori Takagi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872233B2 ## CPC - G06V 40/20: Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition (recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16) - E06B 7/28: Other arrangements on doors or windows, e.g. door-plates, windows adapted to carry plants, hooks for window cleaners {(edge protecting devices for door leaves E06B3/88; special glazing; emergency glazing; double glazing E06B3/66)} - G06F 3/01: Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06V 40/16: Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions - G10L 15/1807: {using prosody or stress} - E05F 15/73: responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects - E05F 2015/767: {using cameras} - E05Y 2400/852: Sensors - E05Y 2900/132: Doors - G06F 2203/011: Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns - G06V 40/174: {Facial expression recognition} - G10L 25/63: for estimating an emotional state - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract [Object] To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that make it possible to intuitively convey a feeling of a person located indoors to a person located outdoors. [Solution] An information processing apparatus including: an acquisition unit that acquires a feeling of a user located indoors; and a control unit that controls an opening-closing resistance of an openable and closable instrument, according to the feeling of the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising: processing circuitry configured to acquire a feeling of a user located indoors; and control a resistance to movement of an openable and closable instrument, such that difficulty of opening or closing the instrument by another person is changed according to the feeling of the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instrument is an openable and closable fixture installed at a boundary with an outside, or a mail receiving apparatus having an openable and closable mail receiving opening. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry controls the resistance to movement to be heavier in a case where the feeling of the user is not in a good mood than in a case where the feeling of the user is in a good mood. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry controls the resistance to movement of the instrument to be a nonnal resistance in a case where the feeling of the user is in a good mood. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openable and closable instrument is an entrance door, and in a case where an entrance chime has been rune, the processing circuitry controls the resistance to movement of the entrance door to be a normal resistance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openable and closable instrument is an entrance door, and in a case where an entrance chime has not been rune, the processing circuitry controls the resistance to movement of the entrance door according to the feeling of the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openable and closable instrument is a mail receiving apparatus having an openable and closable mail receiving opening, and in a case where the feeling of the user is in a good mood, the processing circuitry closes the mail receiving opening of the mail receiving apparatus, and shows a sign of a smile. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openable and closable instrument is a mail receiving apparatus having an openable and closable mail receiving opening, and in a case where the feeling of the user is not in a good mood, the processing circuitry closes the mail receiving opening of the mail receiving apparatus, and shows a sign of rejection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openable and closable instrument is a mail receiving apparatus having an openable and closable mail receiving opening, and in a case where the feeling of the user is not in a good mood but has yet to reach a feeling of rejection of receiving a mail, the processing circuitry opens the mail receiving opening of the mail receiving apparatus and shows a normal sign. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry detects the feeling of the user on a basis of a facial image, sound information, or bio-information of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the another person is located in an area that is separated from the user by the instrument. ### Claim 12 An information processing method performed by a processor, the method comprising: acquiring a feeling of a user located indoors; and controlling a resistance to movement of an openable and closable instrument, such that difficulty of opening or closing the instrument by another person is changed according to the feeling of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The information processing method according to claim 12, wherein the another person is located in an area that is separated from the user by the instrument. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising: acquiring a feeling of a user located indoors; and controlling a resistance to movement of an openable and closable instrument, such that difficulty of opening or closing the instrument by another person is changed according to the feeling of the user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the another person is located in an area that is separated from the user by the instrument.