Information processing device and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12222719-B2
Application number	US-202117905242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a crowd characteristic estimator and a plan controller. The crowd characteristic estimator estimates information regarding a characteristic of a crowd on the basis of a sensing result of an external environment. The crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment. The plan controller controls a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment on the basis of at least the information regarding the characteristic.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
a central processing unit (CPU) configured to:
receive a sensing result associated with an external environment;
generate first information, associated with a plurality of characteristics of a crowd, based on the received sensing result, wherein the crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment; and
control, based on at least the generated first information, a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment, wherein the action plan includes a first route of movement of the movable body that passes between the collection of the individuals inside the crowd; and

a display screen configured to display at least the action plan of the movable body.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of characteristics includes information associated with at least one of a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd, a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals, or a randomness of moves of the collection of the individuals.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of characteristics includes information associated with a movement characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the crowd.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the movement characteristic of the crowd includes information associated with at least one of a direction of a movement of the crowd, a speed of the movement of the crowd, a second route of the movement of the crowd, or a region which the crowd passes based on the movement of the crowd.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to:
cluster the collection of the individuals based on the sensing result; and
recognize the crowd based on the clustered collection of the individuals.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to generate the action plan for the movable body based on the creation mode.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the CPU is further configured to control, as the creation mode, at least one of an algorithm or a parameter, and
the at least one of the algorithm or the parameter is associated with the generation.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the CPU is further configured to control the at least one of the algorithm or the parameter based on second information, and
the second information is associated with a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the CPU is further configured to:
control a selection of one of a machine-learning-based algorithm or a rule-based algorithm based on second information;
control the creation mode of the action plan based on the selection of the one of the machine-learning-based algorithm or the rule-based algorithm, and

the second information is associated with a randomness of a plurality of moves of the collection of the individuals in the crowd.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the CPU is further configured to control a recognition of a region as passable based on second information,
the region is between the collection of the individuals in the crowd, and
the second information is associated with a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals in the crowd.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the CPU is further configured to generate the action plan based on a second route of movement of the crowd, and
the second route of movement of the crowd is independent of the first route of movement of the movable body.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the CPU is further configured to control, based on the creation mode, the movable body to be out of the second route of movement of the crowd.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the CPU is further configured to control the creation mode of the action plan for the movable body based on second information,
the second information is associated with one of a specific characteristic associated with the movable body or a task associated with the movable body, and
the specific characteristic associated with the movable body includes a speed of the movable body.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 , the CPU is further configured to generate the action plan based on
an interference between the first route of movement of the movable body and a second route of movement of the crowd, and
the task associated with the movable body is a specific content.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the CPU is further configured to optimize the creation mode based on the interference between the second route of movement of the crowd and the first route of movement the movable body.

16. An information processing method, the method comprising:
receiving a sensing result associated with an external environment;
generating information, associated with a characteristic of a crowd, based on the received sensing result, wherein
the crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment, and
the characteristic of the crowd is associated with at least one of a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd, a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals, or randomness of moves of the collection of the individuals;

controlling, based on at least the generated information, a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment, wherein the action plan includes a route of movement of the movable body that passes between the collection of the individuals inside the crowd; and
displaying at least the action plan of the movable body on a display screen.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a sensing result associated with an external environment;
generating information, associated with a characteristic of a crowd, based on the received sensing result, wherein
the crowd is a collection of individuals present in the external environment, and
the characteristic of the crowd is associated with at least one of a density of the collection of the individuals in the crowd, a mutual social connection degree of the collection of the individuals, or randomness of moves of the collection of the individuals;

controlling, based on at least the generated information, a creation mode of an action plan for a movable body in the external environment, wherein the action plan includes a route of movement of the movable body that passes between the collection of the individuals inside the crowd; and
displaying at least the action plan of the movable body on a display screen.

Assignees

• Sony Group Corp

Inventors

• Endo Yuki
• Maeda Keisuke

Classifications

• G05D1/646

  Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path · CPC title

• G05D1/227

  Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• G06V10/762

  using clustering, e.g. of similar faces in social networks · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title