US 6,230,111 B1Granted

Control system for controlling object using pseudo-emotions and pseudo-personality generated in the object

AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorTakashi Mizokawa

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Abstract

An autonomous device behaving adaptively to a user includes a sensing unit; a recognition unit for recognizing user's command, a current user-related status, and a current user-unrelated status based on the sensed signals; a pseudo-personality-forming unit for establishing a pseudo-personality based on the result of the preceding recognition; a pseudo-emotion-forming unit for establishing pseudo-emotions based on the result of the preceding recognition and the pseudo-personality; an autonomous behavior-establishing unit for selecting autonomous behavior based on the result of the preceding recognition, the pseudo-personality, and the pseudo-emotions; a commanded behavior-establishing unit for constituting commanded behavior in accordance with the user's command; a behavior control unit for controlling behavior by combining the autonomous behavior and the commanded behavior; and an output device outputting the controlled behavior. The device comes to be viewed as a “pet” or a “friend” with the passage of time.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An autonomous device behaving adaptively to a user, comprising:

a sensing unit which senses signals of a user's command and predetermined user-related signals relevant to accomplishment of the command but not part of the command;
a recognition unit which recognizes the user's command and a current user-related status based on the sensed signals of the command and the sensed predetermined signals;
a first memory which stores the recognized command and the recognized user-related status;
a pseudo-personality-forming unit which establishes each element of predetermined pseudo-personality elements based on the user-related status accumulated for a predetermined period of time in the first memory to form pseudo-personality, said pseudo-personality-forming unit memorizing a predetermined relationship between the predetermined pseudo-personality elements and the user-related status;
a second memory which stores the formed pseudo-personality;
a pseudo-emotion-forming unit which establishes each element of predetermined pseudo-emotion elements based on the user-related status stored in the first memory and the pseudo-personality stored in the second memory to form pseudo-emotions, said pseudo-emotion-forming unit memorizing a predetermined relationship between the predetermined pseudo-emotion elements, the user-related status, and the pseudo-personality;
an autonomous behavior-establishing unit which selects a pattern of autonomous behavior based on the user-related status, the pseudo-personality, and the pseudo-emotions, said autonomous behavior-forming unit memorizing a predetermined relationship between patterns of autonomous behavior, the user-related status, the pseudo-personality, and the pseudo-emotions;
a commanded behavior-establishing unit which constitutes a pattern of commanded behavior in accordance with the recognized user's command;
a behavior control unit which controls behavior by combining the selected pattern of autonomous behavior and the constituted pattern of commanded behavior based on a predetermined priority order;
and
an output device which outputs the controlled behavior.

8 more elements

A method for adapting behavior of a device to a user's characteristics, comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing signals of a user's command and predetermined user-related signals relevant to accomplishment of the command but not part of the command;
(b) recognizing the user's command and a current user-related status based on the sensed signals of the command and the sensed predetermined signals;
(c) storing and updating the recognized command and the recognized user-related status;
(d) establishing each element of predetermined pseudo-personality elements based on the user-related status accumulated for a predetermined period of time in step (c) to form pseudo-personality, with the use of a memory storing a predetermined relationship between the predetermined pseudo-personality elements and the user-related status;
(e) storing and updating the formed pseudo-personality, wherein updating takes place under predetermined conditions;
(f) establishing each element of predetermined pseudo-emotion elements based on the user-related status stored in step (c) and the pseudo-personality stored in step (e) to form pseudo-emotions, with the use of a memory storing a predetermined relationship between the predetermined pseudo-emotion elements, the user-related status, and the pseudo-personality;
(g) selecting a pattern of autonomous behavior based on the user-related status, the pseudo-personality, and the pseudo-emotions, with the use of a memory storing a predetermined relationship between patterns of autonomous behavior, the user-related status, the pseudo-personality, and the pseudo-emotions;
(h) constituting a pattern of commanded behavior in accordance with the recognized user's command;
(i) controlling behavior by combining the selected pattern of autonomous behavior and the constituted pattern of commanded behavior based on a predetermined priority order;
and
(j) outputting the controlled behavior.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.