# US 9,517,559 B2 · Robot control system, robot control method and output control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,559 B2 - Document ID: US9517559B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/498,871 - Filed: 2014-09-26 - Published: 2015-04-02 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-27 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Koji Kawabe; Taro Yokoyama; Takayuki Kanda; Satoru Satake; Takamasa Iio; Kotaro Hayashi; Florent Ferreri - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517559B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1664: {characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning} - B25J 11/0005: {Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means} - G05D 1/0251: {extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision (stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593)} - Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot - Y10S 901/47: Optical - 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}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A robot control system detects a position and a direction of each user by a plurality of range image sensors provided in an exhibition hall. A central controller records an inspection action after a user attends the exhibition hall until the user leaves to generate an inspection action table. When the user attends again, the central controller reads a history of inspection action from the inspection action table. Then, the central controller chooses from an utterance content table an utterance content containing a phrase that mentions the inspection action included in the history at a time of last time attendance, determines the utterance content, and makes a robot output the determined utterance content to the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot control system including a robot that outputs an utterance content to a user in an exhibition hall placing an exhibition, comprising: a recording module that records to a memory device an inspection action of a user at a time of attendance of the user in the exhibition hall as a history, the history comprises the exhibition placed in the hall and an inspection time period spent by the user for inspection as to the exhibition; and a first output module that, when the user attends again, determines an appropriate utterance content by using the history associated with the attending user, and makes the robot output the determined utterance content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein the first output module makes the utterance content that is determined based on the history of inspection action at a last time attendance of the user be output. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A robot control system according to claim 2, wherein the utterance content includes a phrase that mentions the inspection action at the last time attendance of the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A robot control system according to claim 1, further comprising a second output module that makes the robot output the utterance content about the exhibition when a predetermined condition is satisfied. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A robot control system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of that the user enters a predetermined range corresponding to the exhibition and that the direction of the user turns to the exhibition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A robot control system according to claim 1, wherein the history comprises a plurality of exhibitions placed in the hall and an inspection time period spent by the user for inspection as to respective exhibitions. ### Claim 7 A robot control method performed by a computer of a robot control system including a robot that outputs an utterance content to a user in an exhibition hall placing an exhibition, comprising steps of: recording to a memory device an inspection action of the user at a time of attendance of the user in the exhibition hall as a history, the history comprises the exhibition placed in the hall and an inspection time period spent by the user for inspection as to the exhibition; when the user attends again, determining an appropriate utterance content by using the history associated with the attending user; and making the robot output the determined utterance content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A robot control method according to claim 7, wherein the history comprises a plurality of exhibitions placed in the hall and an inspection time period spent by the user for inspection as to respective exhibitions. ### Claim 9 A robot control system including a robot capable of autonomously moving in a space that an exhibition is placed, comprising: an acquiring module that acquires a position and a direction of a user in the space; a first determining module that determines whether the user enters a predetermined first range corresponding to the exhibition; a second determining module that determines whether the direction of the user turns to the exhibition; and an outputting module that makes the robot output an utterance content about the exhibition when it is determined that the user enters the predetermined first range and that the direction of the user turns to the exhibition; a third determining module that determines whether the user is out of a second range; and a stop module that stops the output of the utterance content when it is determined that the user is out of the second range, wherein the second range surrounds the predetermined first range and is broader than the predetermined first range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A robot control system according to claim 9, further comprising a presuming module that presumes a degree of intimacy between the user and the robot, and a determination module that determines an action of the robot based on the presumed degree of intimacy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A robot control system according to claim 10, wherein the determination module determines at least one of a reaction time until the robot begins to move, a movement speed when approaching, a distance to the user and a standing position, and a waiting position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A robot control system according to claim 9, further comprising a storing module storing that the utterance content is output to the user, wherein the outputting module outputs the utterance content different from the utterance content at the last time when it is determined that the user to whom it is stored that the utterance content is output and the direction of the user turns to the exhibition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A robot control system according to claim 12, wherein the utterance content that is different from the last time includes an abstract of the utterance content already output to the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A robot control system according to claim 12, wherein the storing module includes a stop storing module storing that the output of the utterance content is stopped, and the outputting module outputs the utterance content different from last time when it is determined that the user to whom it is stored that the output of the utterance content is stopped enters the predetermined range and that the direction of the user turns to the exhibition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A robot control system according to claim 12, wherein the storing module includes a completion storing module storing that the output of the utterance content is completed, and the outputting module outputs the utterance content different from last time when it is determined that the user to whom it is stored that the output of the utterance content is completed enters the predetermined range and that the direction of the user turns to the exhibition. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A robot control system according to claim 12, further comprising a fourth determining module that determines whether a further user is in a circumference when outputting the utterance content, wherein the storing module stores that the utterance content is output to the further user when it is determined that there is the further user in the circumference. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) A robot control system according to claim 9, wherein the robot comprises a pointing member for pointing to a direction, and the robot outputs the utterance content while pointing at the exhibition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A robot control system according to claim 17, wherein the robot further comprises an actuator that drives the pointing member, a moving portion that makes a body portion that the actuator is attached move, and a control portion that controls the actuator such that when making the pointing member point to a direction of the exhibition, at least a part of the pointing member extends on a straight line that connects a predetermined part of the body portion and a position of the exhibition. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A robot control system according to claim 18, wherein the control portion controls the actuator such that a state that the exhibition is located in the direction that the pointing member points to can be maintained before and after moving of the body portion by the moving portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A robot control system according to claim 18, further comprising a detection portion that detects a position of the user, wherein the control portion controls the moving portion to make the body portion keep away from the user when the body portion is in an area centering on the user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A robot control system according to claim 20, wherein the control portion controls, when controlling the moving portion to keep away the body portion from the user, the moving portion to make the body portion move without changing the direction of the body portion, and then, controls the moving portion to make the body portion turn and move to a target position that is determined based on the position of the exhibition. ### Claim 22 An output control method in a robot control system including a robot capable of autonomously moving in a space that an exhibition is placed, wherein a processor of the robot control system performing: an acquiring step that acquires a position and a direction of a user in the space; a first determining step that determines whether the user enters a predetermined first range corresponding to the exhibition; a second determining step that determines whether the direction of the user turns to the exhibition; an outputting step that makes the robot output an utterance content about the exhibition when it is determined that the user enters the predetermined first range and that the direction of the user turns to the exhibition; a third determining step that determines whether the user is out of a second range; and a stopping step that stops the output of the utterance content when it is determined that the user is out of the second range, wherein the second range surrounds the predetermined first range and is broader than the predetermined first range.