# US 12,222,719 B2 · Information processing device and information processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,719 B2 - Document ID: US12222719B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/905,242 - Filed: 2021-02-12 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Sony Group Corporation - Applicants: Sony Group Corporation - Inventors: Yuki Endo; Keisuke Maeda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222719B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G06V 20/53: {Recognition of crowd images, e.g. recognition of crowd congestion} - B25J 13/08: by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/0214: {in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13)} - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - G05D 1/028: {using a RF signal} - G05D 1/227: Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements - G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path - G06V 10/762: using clustering, e.g. of similar faces in social networks - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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}) ## Abstract An information processing apparatus includes a crowd characteristic estimator and a plan controller. The crowd characteristic estimator estimates information regarding a characteristic of a crowd on the basis of a sensing result of an external environment. The crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment. The plan controller controls a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment on the basis of at least the information regarding the characteristic. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus, comprising: a central processing unit (CPU) configured to: receive a sensing result associated with an external environment; generate first information, associated with a plurality of characteristics of a crowd, based on the received sensing result, wherein the crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment; and control, based on at least the generated first information, a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment, wherein the action plan includes a first route of movement of the movable body that passes between the collection of the individuals inside the crowd; and a display screen configured to display at least the action plan of the movable body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes information associated with at least one of a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd, a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals, or a randomness of moves of the collection of the individuals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes information associated with a movement characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the crowd. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the movement characteristic of the crowd includes information associated with at least one of a direction of a movement of the crowd, a speed of the movement of the crowd, a second route of the movement of the crowd, or a region which the crowd passes based on the movement of the crowd. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is further configured to: cluster the collection of the individuals based on the sensing result; and recognize the crowd based on the clustered collection of the individuals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is further configured to generate the action plan for the movable body based on the creation mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the CPU is further configured to control, as the creation mode, at least one of an algorithm or a parameter, and the at least one of the algorithm or the parameter is associated with the generation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the CPU is further configured to control the at least one of the algorithm or the parameter based on second information, and the second information is associated with a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the CPU is further configured to: control a selection of one of a machine-learning-based algorithm or a rule-based algorithm based on second information; control the creation mode of the action plan based on the selection of the one of the machine-learning-based algorithm or the rule-based algorithm, and the second information is associated with a randomness of a plurality of moves of the collection of the individuals in the crowd. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the CPU is further configured to control a recognition of a region as passable based on second information, the region is between the collection of the individuals in the crowd, and the second information is associated with a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals in the crowd. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the CPU is further configured to generate the action plan based on a second route of movement of the crowd, and the second route of movement of the crowd is independent of the first route of movement of the movable body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the CPU is further configured to control, based on the creation mode, the movable body to be out of the second route of movement of the crowd. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the CPU is further configured to control the creation mode of the action plan for the movable body based on second information, the second information is associated with one of a specific characteristic associated with the movable body or a task associated with the movable body, and the specific characteristic associated with the movable body includes a speed of the movable body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, the CPU is further configured to generate the action plan based on an interference between the first route of movement of the movable body and a second route of movement of the crowd, and the task associated with the movable body is a specific content. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the CPU is further configured to optimize the creation mode based on the interference between the second route of movement of the crowd and the first route of movement the movable body. ### Claim 16 An information processing method, the method comprising: receiving a sensing result associated with an external environment; generating information, associated with a characteristic of a crowd, based on the received sensing result, wherein the crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment, and the characteristic of the crowd is associated with at least one of a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd, a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals, or randomness of moves of the collection of the individuals; controlling, based on at least the generated information, a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment, wherein the action plan includes a route of movement of the movable body that passes between the collection of the individuals inside the crowd; and displaying at least the action plan of the movable body on a display screen. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute operations, the operations comprising: receiving a sensing result associated with an external environment; generating information, associated with a characteristic of a crowd, based on the received sensing result, wherein the crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment, and the characteristic of the crowd is associated with at least one of a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd, a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals, or randomness of moves of the collection of the individuals; controlling, based on at least the generated information, a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment, wherein the action plan includes a route of movement of the movable body that passes between the collection of the individuals inside the crowd; and displaying at least the action plan of the movable body on a display screen.