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-2016372138-A1
Application number	US-201515120944-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

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

1 . An interactive home-appliance system comprising:
a voice output module for outputting voice; a voice input module configured to accept input of voice; an assessment criterion storing module configured to store an assessment criterion for assessing stress or fatigue based on conversation with an utterer; a dialog data storing module configured to store data for outputting voice alleviating stress or fatigue; an operation mode selecting module 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; and a determination module configured to determine stress or fatigue of an utterer, based on the assessment criterion and a response of the utterer to voice output from the interactive home-appliance system, in the diagnosis mode, wherein the voice output module is configured 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 voice output module 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 voice output module outputs an utterance prompting the utterer to receive a doctor's diagnosis.

5 . The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , further comprising a specifying module configured to specify an utterer, based on input to the interactive home-appliance system.

6 . The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 5 , further comprising a history storing module configured to store history of one or more utterers to the interactive home-appliance system,
wherein the determination module is configured to determine stress or fatigue of the utterers, based on the history.

7 . The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmitting module 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 receiving module configured to receive information related to a dialog situation with an utterer.

9 . The interactive home-appliance system according to claim 1 , further comprising an accumulating module 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; determine stress or fatigue of an utterer to the interactive home appliance, based on the assessment criterion and a voice signal 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 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.

15 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A61B5/7465

  Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network (telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002) · CPC title

• A61B5/0816

  Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00) · CPC title

• A61B5/002

  Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building (A61B5/0017 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title

• A61B5/18

  for vehicle drivers {or machine operators} · CPC title