Information processing device and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11327467-B2
Application number	US-201716335124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2016
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

An information processing device including a communication portion capable of receiving sensor data detected from a plurality of sensors arranged in predetermined regions and transmitting control signals to a plurality of actuators arranged around the sensors such that the actuators are, at least one by one, associated with each of the sensors. The information processing device further includes a control portion that performs control such that the sensor arranged in a specific region determined not to have an ideal situation is specified on the basis of the sensor data detected from the plurality of sensors, the actuator corresponding to the specified sensor is specified from the plurality of actuators, and the control signal for bringing the specific region into the ideal situation is generated and transmitted to the specified actuator through the communication portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information processing device, comprising:
a communication portion configured to:
receive sensor data from a plurality of sensors in a plurality of regions; and
transmit a plurality of control signals to a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator of the plurality of actuators is associated with at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors; and

a control portion configured to:
calculate an average value of a plurality of excitement degrees of people in a first specific region of the plurality of regions based on the received sensor data;
determine a result of a comparison between a first reference value and the average value of the plurality of excitement degrees of the people in the first specific region;
determine whether the first specific region has an ideal situation based on the result of the comparison between the first reference value and the average value of the plurality of excitement degrees of the people in the first specific region, wherein the ideal situation includes a specific situation that corresponds to at least one of a flow of a specific number of the people, a motion line of the people, a conversation among the people, or continued presence of the people;
specify a first sensor, of the plurality of sensors, in the first specific region based on the determination that the first specific region does not have the ideal situation;
specify a first actuator, corresponding to the specified first sensor, from the plurality of actuators, wherein the first actuator is a speaker;
generate information, in the first specific region, that includes a conversation topic;
generate a first control signal of the plurality of control signals to control the specified first actuator, such that the first specific region has the ideal situation, wherein
the specified first actuator is controlled to output the generated information in the first specific region, and
the generated information is output to initiate the conversation among the people in the specified first region; and

control the communication portion to transmit the generated first control signal to the specified first actuator.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of sensors includes at least one of a plurality of cameras or a plurality of microphones.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control portion is further configured to:
determine that, in a second specific region of the plurality of regions, a first number of people one of equal to a second reference value or more than the second reference value are expected to be present;
detect that the first number of people in the second specific region is lower than the second reference value, based on the received sensor data corresponding to the second specific region;
specify a second actuator from the plurality of actuators based on the detection, wherein
the second actuator corresponds to a second sensor, of the plurality of sensors, in the second specific region; and

generate a second control signal to control a movement of a second number of people such that the first number of people present in the second specific region satisfies the second reference value.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3 , wherein
the control portion is further configured to control the communication portion to transmit the second control signal to the second actuator and a third control signal of the plurality of control signals to a third actuator of the plurality of actuators,
the third actuator is in a third specific region of the plurality of regions,
the third specific region is different from the second specific region,
the third control signal and the second control signal are transmitted to guide the second number of people from the third specific region to the second specific region, and
the third control signal is transmitted to the third actuator and the second control signal is transmitted to the second actuator such that a situation in the second specific region is more comfortable than a situation in the third specific region.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the control portion is further configured to:
detect, based on the received sensor data corresponding to the third specific region, that a third number of people in the third specific region is one of equal to a specific value or more than the specific value; and
control the communication portion to transmit the third control signal to the third actuator and the second control signal to the second actuator based on the detection that the third number of people in the third specific region is one of equal to the specific value or more than the specific value.

6. The information processing device according to claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of sensors are people-flow sensors,
the second actuator is an air conditioning device, and
the control portion is further configured to:
generate the second control signal to control at least one of an air volume or a humidity for comfortability in the second specific region; and
control the communication portion to transmit the generated second control signal to the air conditioning device.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control portion is further configured to:
determine whether a second specific region of the plurality of regions is in the ideal situation for the motion line of the people, based on the received sensor data corresponding to the second specific region;
specify a second sensor, of the plurality of sensors, in the second specific region based on the determination that the second specific region is not in the ideal situation for the motion line of the people;
generate a second control signal of the plurality of control signals such that the second specific region has the ideal situation for the motion line of the people in the second specific region; and
control the communication portion to transmit the generated second control signal to a second actuator of the plurality of actuators, wherein the second actuator corresponds to the second sensor.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the control portion is further configured to:
generate a third control signal of the plurality of control signals such that the second specific region has the ideal situation for the motion line of the people in the second specific region; and
control the communication portion to transmit the generated third control signal, to a third actuator in a third specific region outside the second specific region, wherein
the plurality of actuators includes the third actuator, and
the plurality of regions includes the third specific region.

9. The information processing device according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of sensors are people-flow sensors,
the second actuator is at least one of an escalator or an air conditioning device, and
the control portion is further configured to:
generate the second control signal to control at least one of comfortability in a space or a movement direction of the escalator; and
control the communication portion to transmit the generated second control signal to the at least one of the escalator or the air conditioning device.

10. An information processing method, comprising:
receiving, by a communication portion, sensor data from a plurality of sensors in a plurality of regions;
transmitting, by the communication portion, a plurality of control signals to a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator of the plurality of actuators is associated with at least one sensor of the plura

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Ono Hideyuki

Classifications

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G08B13/19602

  Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction · CPC title

• G08B13/19615

  wherein said pattern is defined by the user · CPC title