Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-05
2001-09-18
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S257000, C700S264000, C029S703000, C029S720000, C029S784000, C219S124020, C345S440000, C345S520000, C345S520000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292714
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot cooperation device with connected robots moving according to control to provided images according to the passage of time, and to move the robots in cooperation with the provided images; and to a robot cooperation program storage medium storing robot cooperation programs to operate a computer as the above robot cooperation device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been well-known multimedia contents software, which provides information (images, voices and the like) using multimedia such as images, voices and the like. Generally, in multimedia contents software editing execution system which performs editing or execution on the above multimedia contents software, a keyboard and a mouse are used as an input device, and a display screen is mainly used as an output device. Media such as images (still pictures, dynamic images and texts), and voices are assumed to be operated by the above multimedia contents software editing execution system. An idea, itself, of execution of external media different from the above images and voices has been existed, but, a multimedia contents software editing execution system using robots as an output device has never been existed so far as a product. Moreover, there have been proposed only some ideas for a method to perform only start and termination of software for execution of the external media other than robots, simultaneously with time characteristics of the multimedia contents software.
A current multimedia contents editing execution system has an internal structure (Macromedical Director and the like), where new media may be handled by addition of modules due to a configuration in which parts for control of respective media have modules corresponding to respective media. In such a system, media control modules are required to have the following functions, the above system executes multimedia contents by proper calling of the above functions according to given scenarios.
At execution: a function to operate media according to time.
a function to add means (such as a script function) to the main body; and
a function to send events caused in the media to multimedia contents software; and
at editing: a function to edit the media.
There have been the following problems, as robots are different from usual media, when operation of the robots is added to the multimedia contents editing execution system by using the above structure of modules.
It is unsuitable for control of the robots requiring strict time management as the time management depends on the main body system side.
The numbers and kinds of the motion parts and sensors and the like are different from each other according to the robots. That is, as there are many changes in the hardware in the case of the robots, compared with those of the media, it is required to create the modules to the above changes at every change.
Considering the above circumstances, the present invention has an object to provide a robot cooperation device with a capability to operate robots in cooperation with motions of images; and a robot cooperation program storage medium storing robot cooperation programs to operate a computer as the above robot cooperation device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to realize the above object, a robot cooperation device according to the present invention comprises:
a robot control part connected to a robot moving according to control for controlling the motion of the robot; and
a media reproduction part to keep scenarios, which describes changes in the images to the passage of time, and are corresponding to events; present images according to the passage of time, following the scenario; and notify the passage of time at each frame to the above robot control part, characterized in that
the above robot control part keeps motion procedures denoting changes, which are corresponding to the frame, in the postures of the above robot to the passage of time; receives notifications of the passage of time from the above media reproduction part; and moves the above robot according to the above motion procedures, in the corresponding frame.
The robot cooperation device according to the present invention has a configuration where it has motion procedures for time management of the robot control, independent of the scenario to control the motions of images; receives notifications of the passage of time from the scenario; and moves the robot according to the motion procedures. Thereby, free motion control of the robot linked to the motions of the images may be realized according to the robot cooperation device of the present invention.
Here, preferably, in the robot cooperation device of the above present invention, the above robot connected to the above robot control part comprises a sensor to transmit a sensor detection signal to the above robot control part;
the above robot control part transmits events corresponding to the sensor detection signals which are transmitted to the above media reproduction part; and
the above media reproduction part starts or branches the above scenario according to the events which has been transmitted from the above robot control part.
As described above, further more cooperative motion between the robot cooperation device and the robot may be realized as they influence each other by provision of the sensor in the robot, and by starting or branching the scenario mainly to control the images according to the detection signal of the sensor of the robot.
It is also preferable that, in the robot cooperation device of the above present invention, the media reproduction part further keeps the scenario where the voice instruction to the passage of time is described, other than changes of the images to the passage of time; presents the images and the voices to the passage of time according to the scenario; and notifies the passage of time for each frame to the robot control part.
Cooperative motions much richer in expression may be realized by presentation of not only images but also voices.
Moreover, in the above robot cooperation device according to the present invention, the above media reproduction part notifies the passage of time for each frame to the above robot control part, and requests the robot motion.
Preferably, the above robot control part receives the request for the robot motion from the above media reproduction part to perform a motion corresponding to the motion request.
An robot motion according to the circumstances, that is, not only previously determined robot motion for each frame, but also, for example, motion by instruction from a user may be possible by a configuration where motion request for the robot motion to the robot control part from the media reproduction part.
Preferably, in the above case, priority is given to the motions of the above robot, and the above robot control part continues or switches the motions, according to comparison results between the priority of the motion under execution and that of the motion corresponding to the requested motion, when the request for the robot motion from the above media reproduction part is received during motion of the above robot.
When it is assumed that the request for the robot motion may be possible from the media control part, there may be a possibility to receive the motion request from the media reproduction part, during control of the robot motion by the robot control part. In the above case, collision of the motion instructions for the robot motion may be avoided, by continuation or switching of the motion according to the priority which has been previously given to the motion as described above.
Moreover, in the above robot cooperation device of the present invention, the above robot control part comprises: a robot proper module which is activated according to the type of the robot connected to the robot control part to control the motion of the robot; and a robot common module to keep the above motion procedures, and to give the above robot proper module instructions
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Fujitsu Limited
Marc McDieunel
LandOfFree
Robot cooperation device, and robot cooperation program... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Robot cooperation device, and robot cooperation program..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Robot cooperation device, and robot cooperation program... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2502243