Interactive home-appliance system, server device, interactive home appliance, method for allowing home-appliance system to interact, and nonvolatile computer-readable data recording medium encoded with program for allowing computer to implement the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10224060-B2
Application number	US-201515120944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2014
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A home-appliance system is provided that may alleviate user's stress or fatigue. The interactive home-appliance system includes an utterance unit, a voice input unit for accepting input of a reply to voice, a storage unit for storing an assessment criterion for assessing stress or fatigue based on conversation with an utterer and data for outputting voice alleviating stress or fatigue, a determination unit for determining the utterer's stress or fatigue based on the assessment criterion and the reply, and a drive mechanism for performing an operation for assisting in the utterer's life. The utterance unit is configured to output an utterance based on the determination result and the data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interactive home-appliance system comprising:
a speaker;
a microphone;
a memory area for storing an assessment criterion for assessing stress or fatigue based on conversation with an utterer;
the memory area further storing data for outputting voice alleviating stress or fatigue; and
a processor, the processor being configured to:
in response to detection of an event in the interactive home-appliance system, switch an operation mode of the interactive home-appliance system from a normal mode to a diagnosis mode for diagnosing an utterer;
cause the speaker to output a voice for making an inquiry;
determine stress or fatigue of an utterer, based on the assessment criterion and a response of the utterer to the inquiry output from the interactive home-appliance system, in the diagnosis mode; and
cause the speaker to output an utterance based on a result of the determination and the data, in the diagnosis mode.

2. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the utterance from the speaker in the diagnosis mode includes a question to the utterer himself/herself.

3. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein
the event includes any of:
an internal event produced inside the interactive home-appliance system;
an appliance control event based on control of the interactive home-appliance system;
an event based on input of voice to the interactive home-appliance system;
that the normal mode continues for a predefined time;
that a predefined time has elapsed since a timing when a previous diagnosis mode is executed;
that a keyword relational to diagnosis from a past dialog is detected in a current utterance; and
that an utterance to the interactive home-appliance system is no longer produced.

4. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the speaker outputs an utterance prompting the utterer to receive a doctor's diagnosis.

5. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is configured to specify an utterer, based on input to the interactive home-appliance system.

6. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to:
store history of one or more utterers to the interactive home-appliance system, and
determine stress or fatigue of the utterers, based on the history.

7. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to transmit a determination result by the determination module or a dialog situation by the interactive home-appliance system, to an information processing terminal configured to communicate with the interactive home-appliance system.

8. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiver for receiving information related to a dialog situation with an utterer.

9. The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to accumulate a determination result by the determination module and a dialog situation with an utterer.

10. A server device comprising:
one or more communication interfaces;
one or more memories for storing data and instructions; and
one or more processors, connected to the one or more memories, for executing the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to;
receive, via the one or more communication interfaces, a signal from an interactive home appliance;
transmit, via the one or more communication interfaces, a signal to the interactive home appliance;
access the one or more memories to read an assessment criterion for assessing stress or fatigue based on conversation with an utterer;
access the one or more memories to read data for outputting voice alleviating stress or fatigue;
switch, in response to detection of an event in the server device, an operation mode of the server device from a normal mode to a diagnosis mode for diagnosing an utterer;
output, via the one or more communication interfaces, a voice signal for making an inquiry;
determine stress or fatigue of an utterer to the interactive home appliance, based on the assessment criterion and a voice signal received as a response to the inquiry from the interactive home appliance, in the diagnosis mode, and
transmit, via the one or more communication interfaces, a signal for outputting an utterance based on a result of the determination and the data to the interactive home appliance.

11. The server device according to claim 10 , wherein
the server device is able to communicate with a plurality of the interactive home appliances, and
the one or more processors further configured to generate an utterance corresponding to the interactive home appliance.

12. An interactive home appliance comprising:
a voice output module for outputting voice;
a voice input module configured to accept input of voice; and
a drive mechanism responsive to an utterance to the home appliance to perform an operation for providing support in life of an utterer, wherein
when a predetermined condition is established for the interactive home appliance and an utterer, an operation mode of the interactive home appliance switches to a diagnosis mode,
the voice output module outputs voice asking about a condition of an utterer in order to diagnose the utterer, in the diagnosis mode, and
the voice output module is configured to output an utterance for alleviating stress or fatigue, based on a result of determination of stress or fatigue and voice data for alleviating stress or fatigue, the determination of stress or fatigue being performed using an assessment criterion for assessing stress or fatigue based on conversation with the utterer, and the conversation.

13. The interactive home appliance according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a transmitting module configured to transmit a signal representing a response content of the utterer to another information communication device; and
a receiving module configured to receive an utterance based on a result of the determination performed using the response content, and the data, from the information communication device.

14. A computer-implemented method for allowing a home appliance to interact, comprising:
outputting voice;
accepting input of voice;
switching an operation mode of the interactive home appliance to a diagnosis mode, based on that a predetermined condition is established for the interactive home appliance and an utterer;
outputting voice asking about a condition of an utterer in order to diagnose the utterer, in the diagnosis mode;
accessing an assessment criterion for assessing stress or fatigue based on conversation with an utterer;
accessing data for outputting voice alleviating stress or fatigue;
determining stress or fatigue of an utterer, based on the assessment criterion and a response of the utterer; and
outputting an utterance based on a result of the determination and the data.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Shinkai Makoto
• Ueda Toru
• Hirose Hitoshi
• Iwasaki Keisuke

Classifications

• G10L2015/088

  Word spotting · CPC title

• G10L25/66 Primary

  for extracting parameters related to health condition (detecting or measuring for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G10L13/00

  Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems · CPC title

• A61B2505/07

  Home care · CPC title