Information processing device, robot, service providing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

An information processing unit (2) according to the present disclosure is an information processing device that controls a robot (1) that comprises a movable unit (3) and provides a service to a user by operating the movable unit (3), the information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit (21) that acquires user information including at least one of a state of the user and the environment around the user; a determination unit (22) that uses the user information to determine a timing at which to provide the service; and an operation control unit (23) that generates a command on the basis of the determined timing for making the robot (1) provide the service at the determined timing.

Description

Information processing device, robot, service providing system, information processing method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a robot, a service providing system, an information processing method, and a program for controlling a robot that provides a service.

[0002] Robots are expected to be used in various situations, such as at home and in the workplace. Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled robot having a multi-joint arm and a hand connected to the tip of the arm for grasping an object. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, instructions from a user are associated in advance with robot actions corresponding to the instructions, and when the user inputs an instruction such as "I want to drink juice," the robot performs the action associated with the instruction.

[0003] Patent No. 5380630

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Literature 1, when a user gives an instruction, the robot performs an action corresponding to the instruction. Therefore, the user needs to explicitly give the robot an instruction corresponding to the desired action, which causes a problem that it is time-consuming for the user to receive a service provided by the robot.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device that enables a robot to provide a service to a user while saving the user effort.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the information processing device disclosed herein is an information processing device that controls a robot that has a movable part and provides a service to a user by operating the movable part, and is equipped with an acquisition unit that acquires user information including at least one of the user's state and the user's surrounding environment, a determination unit that uses the user information to determine the timing of providing the service, and a command generation unit that generates a command for the robot to provide the service at the determined timing based on the determined timing.

[0007] The information processing device according to the present disclosure has an effect of enabling a robot to provide a service to a user while saving the user effort.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a service providing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of service provision by a robot according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a robot according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of a service providing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system realizing an information processing device according to the first embodiment.

[0009] An information processing device, a robot, a service providing system, an information processing method, and a program according to embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] First Embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a service providing system according to a first embodiment. The service providing system 100 of this embodiment includes a robot 1 capable of providing a service to a user, a detection device 4 that detects user information including at least one of the user's state and the user's surrounding environment, and an information providing device 5 that provides the user information. In FIG. 1 , two types of sources, the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, are illustrated as sources from which the robot 1 obtains the user information. However, the source of the user information may include at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, and the service providing system 100 does not necessarily have to include either the detection device 4 or the information providing device 5. Furthermore, although two detection devices 4 are illustrated in FIG. 1 , the number of detection devices 4 may be one or more when the detection device 4 is used, and is not limited to this example.

[0011] In this embodiment, the robot 1 determines the timing for providing a service using the user information and performs an action to provide the service based on the determined timing. Therefore, the user does not need to give instructions to the robot 1 in order to receive the service from the robot 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the robot 1 can provide the service to the user without the user having to do anything, thereby improving the comfort of the user's life.

[0012] The user information is information including, for example, at least one of the user's status and the user's surrounding environment. Specifically, the information indicating the user's status includes, for example, information indicating at least one of the user's vital signs, the user's schedule, the user's movement speed, the user's location, the status of the user's work, the user's voice, the user's facial expression, etc. The user's vital signs include, for example, at least one of the pulse (heart rate), respiratory rate, blood pressure, body temperature, etc. Furthermore, the information indicating the user's surrounding environment is, for example, information indicating at least one of the temperature, humidity, weather, the location of objects in an area where the robot 1 provides services (e.g., an area used or managed by the user), the time of day, the area where the user receives services from the robot 1 (e.g., the area where the user is currently located), etc.

[0013] The user information may further include attribute information indicating the attributes of the user. Specifically, the attribute information is information indicating at least one of the user's nationality, the language used by the user, the user's gender, the user's age, the user's religion, etc. The specific content of the user information is not limited to the above examples. The attribute information may be used to select the type of service to be provided, or may be used to set the service content, such as the mode, of the service to be provided. The attribute information may also be used to determine the timing of providing the service, together with at least one of the user's state and the user's surrounding environment.

[0014] The detection device 4 is a sensor that detects user information, such as a sensor that detects vital signs, a camera that captures images, videos, etc., a microphone that detects sound, a position sensor that detects the position of an object, etc. The information provision device 5 is a computer system, and may be a mobile terminal that can be carried by the user, a server, etc., or may be built on a cloud system.

[0015] When the user information includes vital data that indicates the user's vital signs, for example, a wearable terminal incorporating a sensor capable of detecting vital signs, or a non-contact sensor capable of detecting vital signs, is used as the detection device 4. Then, the vital sign data that indicates the vital signs detected by the detection device 4 is transmitted from the detection device 4 to the robot 1.

[0016] When the user information includes information indicating the user's moving speed and information indicating the user's location, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet carried by the user is used as the information providing device 5. In this case, the information providing device 5 has a position detection function that detects its own location using, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and detects its own location. The position detected by the information providing device 5 is used as user information indicating the location of the user carrying the information providing device 5. The position detection is not limited to an example performed using a GPS receiver, but may be performed using a gyroscope, the reception strength of radio waves transmitted and received between multiple other devices, or other methods. Note that the information providing device 5 may be a wearable device. The user's moving speed may be calculated by the information providing device 5 using the user's location at multiple times, and information indicating the user's moving speed may be transmitted from the information providing device 5 to the robot 1. Alternatively, information indicating the user's location at multiple times may be transmitted from the information providing device 5 to the robot 1 as information indicating the user's moving speed. Alternatively, an information providing device 5 may be provided separately from the portable terminal carried by the user, and the information providing device 5 may receive information indicating the location from the portable terminal and transmit the received information as user information of the user corresponding to the portable terminal to the robot 1. Similarly, information indicating the user's moving speed may be transmitted from the portable terminal carried by the user to the robot 1 via the information providing device 5.

[0017] Furthermore, when the user information includes information indicating the user's moving speed or the user's position, a position sensor, a camera, or the like may be used as the detection device 4. When a camera is used as the detection device 4, photographic data of the user is transmitted from the detection device 4 to the robot 1 as user information. The robot 1 can determine the user's position by performing image analysis of the photographic data using the position of the detection device 4 and the photographic data.

[0018] When the user information includes information indicating the user's schedule, for example, a terminal device used by the user is used as the information providing device 5. This terminal device may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet carried by the user, or a terminal device installed at home or at work. Furthermore, the information providing device 5 may be an information providing device 5 that manages the schedules of multiple users, and may be, for example, a device built on a cloud system. The information providing device 5 manages the schedule input by the user and transmits schedule information indicating the schedule to the robot 1 as user information.

[0019] When the user information includes information indicating the status of work being performed by the user, for example, a terminal device (computer system) used by the user for work, a machine other than the terminal device used by the user for work, an attendance management system that manages the user's attendance, or an entrance / exit system that manages entry and exit to the room area where the user works may be used as the information providing device 5. The information indicating the status of work being performed by the user may be information indicating that the user has finished the work, information indicating that the user has suspended the work, or both.

[0020] When the user information includes voice data indicating the user's voice, for example, a microphone is used as the detection device 4. This microphone may be provided independently, may be built into a terminal device used by the user, or may be provided in the robot 1. When a microphone is used as the detection device 4, voice data acquired by the detection device 4 is transmitted from the detection device 4 to the robot 1. When the user information includes voice data indicating the user's voice, a terminal device that acquires the user's voice data may be used as the information provision device 5. In this case, the information provision device 5 acquires voice data from a built-in or external microphone and transmits the acquired voice data to the robot 1.

[0021] When the user information includes information indicating the user's facial expression, for example, a camera is used as the detection device 4. This camera may be provided independently, may be built into a terminal device used by the user, or may be provided in the robot 1. The camera captures an image of the user's face, and shooting data indicating the captured image or video is transmitted from the detection device 4 to the robot 1 as information indicating the user's facial expression. Furthermore, when the user information includes information indicating the user's facial expression, a terminal device that acquires the user's shooting data may be used as the information provision device 5. In this case, the information provision device 5 acquires the shooting data from a built-in or external camera and transmits the acquired shooting data to the robot 1.

[0022] When the user information includes information indicating temperature, a thermometer installed in the user's vicinity is used as the detection device 4. When the user information includes information indicating humidity, a hygrometer installed in the user's vicinity is used as the detection device 4. The user's vicinity may be, for example, the user's room, the building in which the user is located, or the area, such as the city, town, or village, in which the user is located. At least one of the information indicating temperature and humidity may be provided from an information providing device 5 that provides weather information. The weather information may be an actual measurement value or a forecast value, but it is preferable that the information be information for a time close to the time when the user information is acquired. When the user information includes information indicating weather, the information is provided, for example, from the information providing device 5 that provides weather information. When the user information indicates the location of an object in an area where the robot 1 provides service, for example, a camera that captures the area is used as the detection device 4. When the user information includes information indicating a time zone (for example, information indicating a time zone corresponding to the current time, such as whether it is daytime or nighttime), the robot 1 may acquire the information indicating the time zone from a built-in clock unit (not shown) or from the information providing device 5.

[0023] If the user information includes information indicating the area where the user receives services from the robot 1, the robot 1 may acquire its own location from a built-in location detection unit (not shown) and obtain the information by using the acquired location information and map information. The information indicating the area where the user receives services from the robot 1 may be used when acquiring temperature, humidity, and weather from the information providing device 5. The area may be a city, town, village, prefecture, country, or other area.

[0024] When the user information includes attribute information, the information may be input by the user to the information providing device 5 and transmitted from the information providing device 5 to the robot 1. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 21 of the information processing unit 2, which will be described later, may also function as an input receiving means and receive the information input from the user. The above-mentioned region may also be treated as attribute information.

[0025] The above-described method for acquiring user information is merely an example, and the specific means for acquiring user information is not limited to the above-described example.

[0026] The user of the robot 1 may be one or more users. For example, if the robot 1 is used at home, all family members may be users. If the robot 1 is used at work, the users may be employees of the workplace to which the service is provided, or all people at the workplace. When there are multiple users, the attribute information may be set for each user, or only items common to all users may be set. For example, when attribute information is set for each user and the robot 1 serves drinks to multiple users, the robot 1 may identify each user to whom the drink is to be served using photographic data or the like, and serve the drink to the user while speaking to the user in the user's language based on the attribute information corresponding to the identified user. In other words, the robot 1 may determine the language to use in the service based on information indicating the user's language. Alternatively, when attribute information is set as items common to all users and the common items include the user's language, when the robot 1 serves drinks to multiple users, the user may not be identified, but may serve drinks to all users to whom the drink is to be served while speaking to them in the same language based on the attribute information.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, the robot 1 includes an information processing unit 2, which is an information processing device, and a movable unit 3 that executes a service. The robot 1 provides a service to a user by operating the movable unit 3. The service provided by the robot 1 is a service that performs work involving movement. For example, the service may be at least one of housework, various tasks in the office, serving food and drink, etc., but is not limited to these. The robot 1 may be a robot that provides a specific service, or a general-purpose robot that can provide multiple types of services.

[0028] The information processing unit 2 is an information processing device that controls the robot 1. The information processing unit 2 includes an acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, and an operation control unit 23. The acquisition unit 21 acquires user information and outputs the acquired user information to the determination unit 22. The acquisition unit 21 acquires the user information, for example, by receiving the user information from at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5. As described above, the acquisition unit 21 also functions as an input receiving means and may receive input of user information from a user.

[0029] The determination unit 22 determines the timing to provide the service using the user information received from the acquisition unit 21, and when the determined timing arrives, instructs the operation control unit 23 to start providing the service. For example, the determination unit 22 determines that the provision of the service will be executed when the user information satisfies a predetermined condition or when an index calculated using the user information satisfies a predetermined condition. In this case, the timing when the user information satisfies the predetermined condition or the index calculated using the user information satisfies the predetermined information becomes the timing to execute the provision of the service (the timing to start providing the service).

[0030] The movement control unit 23 generates a command for providing a service based on an instruction from the determination unit 22 and outputs the generated command to the movable unit 3. That is, the movement control unit 23 generates a command for the robot 1 to provide a service at the timing determined by the determination unit 22, and outputs the generated command to the movable unit 3. The movable unit 3 performs an operation in accordance with the command, thereby providing a service to the user. Note that "outputting to the movable unit 3" does not only include output directly from the movement control unit 23 in the robot 1 to the movable unit 3, but also includes transmission via at least one of another functional unit and another device, such as output to the movable unit 3 via a functional unit having a transmission / reception function, or transmission to the movable unit via another device. Note that the movement control unit 23 controls the operation of the movable unit 3 even while the service is being executed.

[0031] The movable unit 3 includes a moving mechanism 31, which is a drive mechanism for moving the position of the robot 1, i.e., a mechanism for the robot 1 to propel itself, and a working mechanism 32, which is a drive mechanism for performing work to provide a service. The moving mechanism 31 may be, for example, a wheeled moving mechanism including wheels and a drive unit for driving the wheels, or a crawler moving mechanism including crawlers and a drive unit for driving the crawlers. Furthermore, if the robot 1 is a humanoid robot or a multi-legged robot, the moving mechanism 31 may be a moving mechanism including two or more legs and drive units for driving the legs, thereby enabling the robot 1 to walk. The moving mechanism 31 is not limited to these and may have any configuration.

[0032] The moving mechanism 31 includes sensors such as a camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. Using data acquired by the sensors, the operation control unit 23 generates commands for controlling the operation of the moving mechanism 31, and the moving mechanism 31 operates based on the commands. The movement destination is determined by the operation control unit 23 depending on the content of the service. This allows the robot 1 to travel autonomously.

[0033] The working mechanism 32 is, for example, a manipulator, but is not limited to this. The manipulator includes, for example, an arm with one or more joints and a hand (also called an end effector) connected to the tip of the arm and capable of grasping an object. The working mechanism 32 may be composed of two or more manipulators. The working mechanism 32 may also be a combination of a manipulator and a component dedicated to a specific task. The component dedicated to a specific task may be, for example, a component dedicated to wiping, a component dedicated to sweeping, a component for vacuuming dirt, a component with a function as a coffee maker, or something else.

[0034] The working mechanism 32 includes, for example, a hand camera attached to the periphery of the hand. In the robot 1, the operation control unit 23 uses data acquired by the hand camera to generate commands for controlling the operation of the working mechanism 32, and the working mechanism 32 operates based on the commands. The operation control unit 23 determines the position and orientation of the hand according to the content of the work corresponding to the service, and fine-tunes the position and orientation of the hand based on the data acquired by the hand camera.

[0035] Note that the operation of the moving mechanism 31 and the working mechanism 32 can be controlled by any method by the operation control unit 23 and is not limited to the above-mentioned example. Also, here, an example has been described in which the operation control unit 23 also controls the moving mechanism 31 and the working mechanism 32 while they are in operation, but the operation control unit 23 may simply instruct the start of an operation corresponding to the service, and the control of the moving mechanism 31 and the working mechanism 32 after the start of operation may be performed by a control unit (not shown) in the movable unit 3.

[0036] Next, the operation of the robot 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the provision of a service by the robot 1 according to this embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, user information is acquired by the detection device 4 and transmitted to the robot 1 as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2. The communication line between the detection device 4 and the robot 1 may be a wired line, a wireless line, or a combination of these. Here, the robot 1 moves to the user's location to provide a service. When the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines to provide a service based on the user information, it instructs the movement mechanism 31 to move to the user's location and perform an operation corresponding to the service. As a result, the robot 1 moves to the user's location by the movement mechanism 31 and provides the service by the working mechanism 32. This allows the user to receive a service from the robot 1 without instructing the robot 1 to perform an operation. Furthermore, the robot 1 may also provide a service when the user explicitly instructs it to provide the service.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the robot 1 according to the present embodiment. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires user information (step S1). Specifically, the acquisition unit 21 acquires the user information by receiving the user information from at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, and outputs the acquired user information to the determination unit 22. For example, at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, which is the device that transmitted the user information, may voluntarily transmit the user information periodically. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 21 may periodically request the device that transmitted the user information to acquire the user information, and the device that transmitted the user information may transmit the user information in response to the request. If the user information includes attribute information, the acquisition unit 21 may accept input of the attribute information from the user. Since the attribute information remains the same once it is set until it is changed, the attribute information may not be periodically acquired, but may be retained by the determination unit 22 or stored in a storage unit (not shown).

[0038] Next, the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines whether the service provision conditions are satisfied (step S2). Specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the predetermined service provision conditions are satisfied using the user information received from the acquisition unit 21. The service provision conditions are conditions related to the user information or to indicators calculated using the user information. For example, a condition may be defined as a service providing a drink when the temperature exceeds a threshold. Another condition may be defined as a service providing a service to put away (return) a specific object in a pre-specified room if the object moves from a reference position and remains in the new position for a certain period of time. In this case, the indicator calculated using the user information is the time the object remains in the new position. The reference position may be defined in advance, or the determination unit 22 may learn the reference position using photographic data acquired by the detection device 4. If the robot 1 can provide multiple types of services, a service provision condition may be defined for each service (each type of service).

[0039] Furthermore, multiple types of information may be used as user information, and the service provision condition may be defined as a combination of conditions related to each type of user information. For example, the service provision condition may be defined as a condition that a drink service is provided when the temperature exceeds a temperature threshold and the humidity exceeds a humidity threshold. Alternatively, the service provision condition may be defined as a condition that at least one of the conditions that the temperature exceeds a temperature threshold and the humidity exceeds a humidity threshold is satisfied. In this way, when the service provision condition is a combination of multiple conditions, the service provision condition may be defined as an AND condition of the multiple conditions, or as an OR condition. Furthermore, when the service provision condition is a combination of three or more conditions, the service provision condition may be a combination of an AND condition and an OR condition.

[0040] The service provision conditions may also include conditions regarding the time when execution of the service is prohibited or the time when execution of the service is permitted (date, time, time period, etc.). For example, conditions regarding the time when execution of the service is prohibited or permitted may be set, such as permitting execution of the service only on weekdays, permitting execution of the service only between 8:00 and 17:00, or prohibiting execution of the service between 12:00 and 13:00.

[0041] Furthermore, a time period during which the execution of a service is prohibited or permitted may be determined based on the user information. For example, the determination unit 22 may set a permitted time period, which is a time period during which the provision of a service is permitted, based on information indicating the region in which the user is located, and may instruct the operation control unit 23 to generate a command to provide the service if the timing of the provision of the service determined based on user information other than the region falls within the permitted time period. For example, times during which eating and drinking are prohibited may be determined depending on the region or religious belief. In such an example, a service provision condition for providing food and drink may be set such that both a first condition regarding temperature and a second condition that, if the region in the user information is a region with a time period during which eating and drinking is prohibited, the service is provided (the service is provided) during a time during which eating and drinking is not prohibited are satisfied. As a result, the determination unit 22 determines that the service provision condition is not satisfied if the second condition is not satisfied even if the first condition is satisfied. Conversely, for a service that is required to be provided only during a specific time period, a condition for allowing the execution of the service may be set as a service provision condition for the service. Although the conditions according to region are given here as an example, the conditions are not limited to this, and may include conditions regarding other user information such as the user's nationality, religious belief, age, etc. Specific examples of service provision conditions are not limited to the above examples, and the indicators are not limited to the above examples either.

[0042] If the service provision conditions are not satisfied (step S2: No), the processing from step S1 is repeated. If the service provision conditions are satisfied (step S2: Yes), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide the service (step S3). In detail, when the determination unit 22 determines that the service provision conditions are satisfied, it generates command information instructing the start of service provision and outputs the generated command information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates a command to provide the service based on the command information and outputs the generated command to the movable unit 3. If the robot 1 can provide multiple types of services, the determination unit 22 also includes information specifying the type of service to be provided in the command information.

[0043] Furthermore, when it is determined that the service provision conditions are met, the determination unit 22 may determine the content of the service, such as the mode and object of the service, based on the user information. １ Over the limit T ２ (T ２ >T １ ) degrees, a cold drink is delivered to the user, and the temperature is ２ The setting information may include settings according to the temperature, such as delivering ice cream to the user in addition to a drink if the temperature is above 100°C. The determination unit 22 may then use the temperature and setting information in the user information to determine an object to be provided to the user as part of the service. If the robot 1 is capable of speaking multiple languages ​​and a language mode (language mode) can be set, the determination unit 22 may set the language mode in which the robot 1 speaks, depending on the language in the user information (the language used by the user). The determination unit 22 may also estimate the user's emotions based on the user information, and determine the content of the service based on the estimated emotions.

[0044] After step S3, the robot 1 provides a service (step S4), and the process from step S1 is repeated. Specifically, in step S4, the movable unit 3 starts operating in response to a command received from the operation control unit 23, thereby providing the service to the user. The robot 1 provides a service using the movable unit 3, but may also provide a service by transmitting a signal. For example, when the temperature around the user is above a certain value, the robot 1 may provide a cold drink and turn on the air conditioner (air conditioner) in the user's room by pressing a switch, thereby causing the air conditioner to operate in cooling mode. Alternatively, the robot 1 may provide a cold drink and transmit a signal to the air conditioner to operate in cooling mode. In this way, when operating a device to provide a service, the robot 1 may use the movable unit 3 to operate an input means or an operation screen on behalf of the user, or may transmit a signal to the device to instruct the device to start operating.

[0045] The user information may also be used to control the operation of the robot 1 while the robot 1 is performing an operation to provide a service. For example, the detection device 4 may include a camera, and the operation control unit 23 may determine the condition of the route to the user (e.g., whether there are any unevenness or sharp curves) based on the photographic data captured by the camera, and control the movable unit 3 to move along a route in good condition so that the robot 1 can approach the user quietly.

[0046] 1, the determination unit 22 that determines the timing of providing a service is provided within the robot 1, but the determination unit 22 may be provided separately from the robot 1. That is, in FIG. 1, the information processing unit 2, which is an information processing device, is provided within the robot 1, but an information processing device may be provided separately from the robot 1, and the information processing device may have at least some of the functions of the information processing unit 2.

[0047] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the service providing system according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the service providing system 100a includes an information processing device 6 and a robot 1a instead of the robot 1 in Fig. 1. Components having the same functions as those in Fig. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0048] In the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 6 includes the acquisition unit 21, determination unit 22, and operation control unit 23 in the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1. The information processing device 6 further includes a transmission unit 24 that transmits a command generated by the operation control unit 23 to the robot 1a. The robot 1a includes a movable unit 3 similar to the example shown in FIG. 1, and further includes a receiving unit 33 that receives a command from the information processing device 6. The receiving unit 33 outputs the received command to the movable unit 3. As a result, the movable unit 3 operates in accordance with the command, and a service is provided by the movable unit 3 in the same manner as in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 6 also controls the movable unit 3 while the service is being executed after the provision of the service has started.

[0049] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the service providing system according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 5, a service providing system 100b includes an information processing device 6a and a robot 1b instead of the robot 1 in Fig. 1. Components having the same functions as those in Fig. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0050] In the configuration example shown in FIG. 5 , the information processing device 6a includes the acquisition unit 21 and the determination unit 22 in the information processing unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 . The information processing device 6a further includes a command generation unit 25, which has the function of generating a command to instruct execution of a service (to instruct the start of service provision), among the functions of the operation control unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 , and a transmission unit 24 that transmits the command generated by the command generation unit 25 to the robot 1b. The robot 1b includes a movable unit 3 similar to the example shown in FIG. 1 , and further includes a receiving unit 33 that receives commands from the information processing device 6a and an operation control unit 23a that controls the operation of the movable unit 3 during service execution. The receiving unit 33 outputs the received command to the operation control unit 23a. Upon receiving the command from the receiving unit 33, the operation control unit 23a controls the movable unit 3 to perform an operation to provide the service based on the received command. This allows the movable unit 3 to start operating in accordance with the command generated by the information processing device 6a, and the service is provided by the movable unit 3 in the same manner as in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1 .

[0051] As described above, in the example shown in Fig. 5, a command to start providing a service is generated by the command generating unit 25, and the movable unit 3 is controlled by the movement control unit 23a of the robot 1b during execution of the service after the start of providing the service. In other words, the movement control unit 23 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 has both the function of the command generating unit 25 shown in Fig. 5 and the function of the movement control unit 23a shown in Fig. 5. That is, in the configuration example shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, the movement control unit 23 also functions as the command generating unit 25.

[0052] 4 and 5 are merely examples, and the division of functions among the devices is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 as long as the robot includes the movable unit 3 and the information processing device generates a command to start providing a service. For example, the operation control unit 23a in the configuration example of FIG. 5 may be provided in a device separate from the information processing device 6a and the robot 1b. Furthermore, the operation control unit 23a may be provided within the movable unit 3.

[0053] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing device (information processing unit 2 and information processing devices 6, 6a) of this embodiment will be described. In the information processing device of this embodiment, a program (computer program) describing processing in the information processing device is executed on the computer system, causing the computer system to function as the information processing device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a computer system realizing the information processing device of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a memory unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0054] In FIG. 6 , the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program describing the processing of the information processing device of this embodiment. The input unit 102 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and is used by a user of the computer system to input various information. The memory unit 103 includes various memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) and a storage device such as a hard disk, and stores programs to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained during processing, etc. The memory unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for programs. The control unit 101 and the memory unit 103, for example, constitute a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be a single circuit or multiple circuits. The display unit 104 is composed of a display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), etc., and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. The input unit 102 and the display unit 104 may be integrated and realized as a touch panel, etc. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a printer, a speaker, etc. Note that Fig. 6 is an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of Fig. 6. For example, the computer system may not include one or more of the input unit 102, the display unit 104, and the output unit 106.

[0055] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the program of this embodiment is ready to be executed will be described. In a computer system having the above configuration, for example, a program is installed in storage unit 103 from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM inserted in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). Then, when the program is executed, the program read from storage unit 103 is stored in the main storage area of ​​storage unit 103. In this state, control unit 101 executes processing as the information processing device of this embodiment in accordance with the program stored in storage unit 103.

[0056] In the above explanation, a program describing the processing in the information processing device is provided using a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as a recording medium, but this is not limited to this. Depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, etc., it is also possible to use a program provided via a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105.

[0057] The program of this embodiment, for example, causes the information processing unit 2, which is a computer system that controls the robot 1, to execute the steps of acquiring user information, determining the timing of providing a service using the user information, and generating instructions for the robot 1 to provide the service at the determined timing based on the determined timing.

[0058] The determination unit 22 and the operation control unit 23 shown in Fig. 1 are realized by the control unit 101 shown in Fig. 6 executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 6. The storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 6 is also used to realize the determination unit 22 and the operation control unit 23 shown in Fig. 1. The acquisition unit 21 shown in Fig. 1 is realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Fig. 6. The acquisition unit 21 shown in Fig. 1 may further include the input unit 102. The acquisition unit 21 shown in Fig. 1 may further include the control unit 101 and the storage unit 103.

[0059] The determination unit 22 and the operation control unit 23 shown in Fig. 4 are realized by the control unit 101 shown in Fig. 6 executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 6. The storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 6 is also used to realize the determination unit 22 and the operation control unit 23 shown in Fig. 4. The acquisition unit 21 and the transmission unit 24 shown in Fig. 4 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Fig. 6. The acquisition unit 21 shown in Fig. 4 may further include the input unit 102. The acquisition unit 21 shown in Fig. 4 may further include the control unit 101 and the storage unit 103.

[0060] The determination unit 22 and the command generation unit 25 shown in FIG. 5 are realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 6. The storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 6 is also used to realize the determination unit 22 and the command generation unit 25 shown in FIG. 5. The acquisition unit 21 and the transmission unit 24 shown in FIG. 5 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 6. The acquisition unit 21 shown in FIG. 5 may further include the input unit 102. The acquisition unit 21 shown in FIG. 5 may further include the control unit 101 and the storage unit 103. The receiving unit 33 and the operation control unit 23a of the robot 1b shown in FIG. 5 are also realized by, for example, a computer system, and the operation control unit 23a is realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 6. The operation control unit 23a is also realized by the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 6.

[0061] Furthermore, the information processing device 6 shown in Fig. 4 and the information processing device 6a shown in Fig. 5 may each be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the information processing device 6 shown in Fig. 4 and the information processing device 6a shown in Fig. 5 may be realized by a cloud system.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, the information processing device (information processing unit 2, information processing device 6, 6a) uses user information to determine the timing for providing a service, and generates a command to cause the moving part 3 of the robot (robot 1, 1a, 1b) to perform an operation for providing the service based on the determined timing. Therefore, the user does not need to give instructions to the robot in order to receive the service provided by the robot. Therefore, in this embodiment, the robot can provide the service to the user without the user having to do anything. This improves the comfort of the user's life.

[0063] Second Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a service provided by a service providing system 100 according to a second embodiment. In this embodiment, a specific example of the service provided by the robot 1 described in the first embodiment and the service provision conditions will be described. The configuration of the service providing system 100 according to this embodiment and the configuration of each device constituting the service providing system 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Here, the service providing system 100 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment will be described as an example. However, the operation of this embodiment can also be similarly applied to the configuration examples shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, the division of functions of each device is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 7, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the robot 1 provides a service based on the volume of comments made by a user online or in person. Note that Fig. 7 shows an example in which a user makes a comment in an online conference, but the situation in which a user makes a comment is not limited to this example and may be, for example, a face-to-face conference, or a situation other than a conference, such as an online or face-to-face seminar, lecture, educational event, or informal discussion.

[0065] In this embodiment, the robot 1 can provide a drink delivery service that delivers a drink 71 to the user. The robot 1 may also deliver food such as fruit 72 to the user. In this embodiment, the determination unit 22 determines the timing of providing the drink delivery service based on the amount of speech made by the user.

[0066] 7 , a specific example of the detection device 4 described in the first embodiment is a web camera with a microphone 41 used by a user for an online conference, and audio data indicating audio detected by the web camera with microphone 41 is acquired by the acquisition unit 21 in the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1. The audio data is an example of utterance information that is the detection result of a user's utterance, and may be transmitted from the web camera with microphone 41 to the robot 1 via a computer system used by the user for the online conference, or may be transmitted from the web camera with microphone 41 to the robot 1 via a computer system used by the user for the online conference and a network (e.g., a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN)), etc.).

[0067] Although FIG. 7 illustrates a webcam 41 with a microphone as a specific example of the detection device 4, the detection device 4 for acquiring voice data is not limited to this. It may be a microphone built into a computer system used by the user for online conferences, a headset connected to the computer system, or a microphone connected to the computer system. A microphone may also be mounted on the robot 1 and used as the detection device 4. The computer system used by the user for online conferences is not limited to a laptop computer system and may be a desktop computer system, a smartphone, a tablet, or the like. While FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the user speaks using a computer system, if the computer system is a teleconferencing system or a telephone or other communication system capable of acquiring voice data, the communication system may also be used as the detection device 4. In the case of a face-to-face conference, the detection device 4 may be a microphone installed near the user, a microphone built into the computer system operated by the user, a microphone externally attached to the computer system operated by the user, a microphone mounted on the robot 1, or the like.

[0068] 7, a thermometer 42 that acquires the temperature around the user is further used as the detection device 4, but the temperature may be acquired from an information providing device 5 that provides weather information. Also, while FIG. 7 shows an example in which voice data and temperature are acquired as user information, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user information may be voice data only, or voice data and data other than temperature may be used, or voice data, temperature, and data other than temperature may be used.

[0069] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the robot 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires voice data (step S11). In detail, the acquisition unit 21 acquires voice data of the user from at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, and outputs the acquired voice data to the determination unit 22. Note that Fig. 8 shows an example in which voice data is acquired as user information, but as described with reference to Fig. 7, temperature or data other than temperature may also be acquired as user information.

[0070] The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines whether the amount of speech has exceeded a threshold value (step S12). In particular, the determination unit 22 calculates the amount of speech using the voice data and determines whether the calculated amount of speech has exceeded a threshold value. The amount of speech may be the total time spent speaking or the number of characters spoken. When the number of characters spoken is used as the amount of speech, the determination unit 22 converts the speech into characters using voice recognition processing and counts the number of characters. The starting point for calculating the amount of speech may be the last time a drink was delivered to the user, i.e., the last time a service was provided to the user, or the start of a meeting, or any other time.

[0071] In a conference, the detection device 4 may detect the voice of a person other than the user. The determination unit 22 may perform speaker identification processing to recognize the user's voice and calculate the user's speech volume, or may calculate the total speech volume of all participants in the conference. In the latter case, the threshold value may be set to a value smaller (lower) than the threshold value set in the former case. When performing speaker identification, for example, the user's voice data may be learned in advance, and the determination unit 22 may use the learned results to perform speaker identification. The speaker identification learning may be performed by the determination unit 22, or a learning device other than the robot 1 may perform the learning, and the determination unit 22 may use the learned results. Furthermore, when a service is provided to multiple people, the determination unit 22 may perform speaker identification and calculate the total speech volume of multiple users, or may calculate the speech volume of each of multiple users and determine whether the speech volume of one or more users exceeds the threshold. The processing in step S12 is a specific example of the processing in step S2 described in embodiment 1 to determine whether the service provision conditions are met. In this embodiment, the index calculated using user information is the message volume, and the condition for providing the service is that the message volume exceeds a threshold value.

[0072] If the message volume does not exceed the threshold (step S12: No), the process from step S11 is repeated. If the message volume exceeds the threshold (step S12: Yes), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide a drink delivery service (step S13). Specifically, when the determination unit 22 determines that the message volume exceeds the threshold, the determination unit 22 generates instruction information instructing the robot 1 to start providing a drink delivery service and outputs the generated instruction information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates an instruction to provide the service based on the instruction information and outputs the generated instruction to the movable unit 3. As shown in FIG. 7 , fruit 72 may be provided in addition to a drink, or food other than fruit 72 may be provided. The location of the user to whom the drink is to be delivered may be acquired as user information or may be set in advance. Even if the user's location is set in advance, the user or an operator may be able to change the user's location.

[0073] Furthermore, when the determination unit 22 determines that the message volume has exceeded the threshold, the determination unit 22 may determine the content of the drink delivery service based on the user information. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the temperature may also be acquired as user information, and if the temperature is T １ Over the limit T ２ If the temperature is below T, serve cold drinks. ２ The setting information may be set to a setting content according to the temperature, such as providing ice cream if the temperature is above 100°C. In step S11, the temperature may be acquired in addition to the voice data, and the determination unit 22 may determine a drink to be provided to the user in the service using the temperature in the user information and the setting information. If the robot 1 is capable of speaking multiple languages ​​and a language mode can be set, the determination unit 22 may also acquire attribute information as user information and set a language mode when the robot 1 delivers a drink to the user and speaks to the user, depending on the language used by the user. When the robot 1 delivers a drink, the robot 1 may deliver multiple drinks so that the user can select one, or a drink appropriate to the user may be delivered. For example, a drink desired to be provided at a meeting may be set as one item of the attribute information, and the drink desired to be provided at the meeting may be set in advance by the user. This allows the determination unit 22 to include, in the instruction information, information specifying the provision of the drink set in the attribute information.

[0074] After step S13, the robot 1 provides a drink delivery service (step S14), and the process from step S11 is repeated. Specifically, in step S14, the movable unit 3 starts operating in response to the command received from the operation control unit 23, thereby providing the drink delivery service.

[0075] Although an example in which the service provision condition is that the message volume exceeds a threshold has been described in FIG. 8 , the service provision condition is not limited to this example. For example, the service provision condition may be that the message volume exceeds a threshold, and the threshold may be changed depending on the temperature. For example, when the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the threshold may be lower than when the temperature is below the predetermined value. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 may determine the content of the service depending on the temperature, such as delivering a hot drink to the user when the temperature is below the predetermined value, and delivering only a cold drink to the user when the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined value. User information used to determine the content of the service may be humidity, weather, region, etc., and is not limited to temperature.

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, a condition using the amount of speech is set as a service provision condition. This eliminates the need for the user to issue an instruction to the robot 1 in order to receive the service of a drink from the robot 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the user can receive the service of a drink without having to go through the trouble of doing so. For example, if the user starts talking a lot during a meeting and becomes thirsty, the user can receive the service of a drink without issuing an instruction to the robot 1. This improves the comfort of the user's life.

[0077] Third Embodiment. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a service provided by a service providing system 100 according to a third embodiment. In this embodiment, a specific example of the service provided by the robot 1 described in the first embodiment and the service provision conditions will be described. The configuration of the service providing system 100 according to this embodiment and the configuration of each device constituting the service providing system 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Here, the service providing system 100 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment will be described as an example. However, the operation of this embodiment can also be similarly applied to the configuration examples shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, the division of functions of each device is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

[0078] 9, in this embodiment, a PC (Personal Computer) 43, which is a computer system used by a user, is used as the detection device 4. The PC 43 may also be considered as an information providing device 5. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires, as user information, information indicating the operating state of the PC 43, such as shutdown or transition to sleep mode, from the PC 43, and determines the timing of service provision by the robot 1 based on the information acquired from the PC 43.

[0079] The information indicating the operating status of the PC 43 is an example of work status information indicating the status of a user's work. The work status information includes at least one of completion information indicating whether a user's work has been completed or interruption information indicating whether the user's work has been interrupted. The completion information is, for example, shutdown information indicating that the PC 43 has been shut down, and the interruption information is, for example, sleep information indicating that the PC 43 has transitioned to sleep (sleep state). The work status information is not limited to this, and as described in embodiment 1, attendance information managed by an attendance management system may also be used.

[0080] In the example shown in Fig. 9, the user is working using the PC 43, and when the robot 1 receives sleep information from the PC 43, it determines that the user has stopped working, and provides a service of offering a drink to the user (drink delivery service), as shown in the lower left of Fig. 9. When the sleep information is not transmitted, the robot 1 can determine that the PC 43 has not transitioned to a sleep state, and when the sleep information is transmitted, it can determine that the PC 43 has transitioned to a sleep state (hereinafter also referred to as sleep).

[0081] When the conditions for transitioning to sleep are satisfied, the PC 43 transitions to sleep and transmits a signal indicating the transition to sleep to the robot 1. The PC 43 may transition to sleep when the user inputs an instruction to transition to sleep, or may transition to sleep when a predetermined condition is satisfied, such as no input for a certain period of time.

[0082] Furthermore, when the robot 1 receives shutdown information from the PC 43, it determines that the user has finished their work, and provides a service of tidying up the user's desk, as shown in the lower right of Fig. 9. For example, when the PC 43 receives an input from the user indicating that the robot 1 will be shut down, it starts the process of shutting down the robot 1 and transmits shutdown information indicating that the robot 1 has been shut down to the robot 1. The signal indicating that the robot 1 has been shut down is an example of shutdown information.

[0083] The PC 43 may periodically transmit information indicating whether it is in a normal state or a sleep state, and this information may be used as the sleep information. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 21 may periodically inquire of the PC 43 about its current state (whether it is in a normal state, a sleep state, or is undergoing shutdown processing), and the response to the inquiry from the PC 43 may be used as the sleep information and the shutdown information.

[0084] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the robot 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires work status information (step S21). Specifically, the acquisition unit 21 acquires the work status information from at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, and outputs the acquired work status information to the determination unit 22.

[0085] The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines whether the work has been interrupted (step S22). Specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the work status information indicates that the user's work has been interrupted. The information indicating that the user's work has been interrupted is, for example, sleep information acquired from the PC 43 as described above.

[0086] If the work is interrupted (Yes in step S22), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide a drink delivery service (step S23). In particular, when the determination unit 22 determines that the work is interrupted, it generates instruction information instructing the robot 1 to start providing a drink delivery service, as in the second embodiment, and outputs the generated instruction information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates an instruction to provide the service based on the instruction information and outputs the generated instruction to the movable unit 3. Furthermore, as in the second embodiment, food may be provided in addition to drinks.

[0087] After step S23, the robot 1 provides a drink delivery service (step S24), and the process from step S21 is repeated. Specifically, in step S24, the movable unit 3 starts operating in response to a command received from the motion control unit 23, thereby providing the drink delivery service to the user. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the drink delivery destination is a user near the PC 43. The robot 1 delivers the drink to the PC 43 as a target. When the robot 1 is within a certain distance from the PC 43, the robot 1 may detect the user based on image data captured by a camera mounted on the robot 1 and deliver the drink to the detected user. Alternatively, the robot 1 may detect a user based on image data captured by a camera mounted on the PC 43 or a camera mounted near the PC 43 at the start or during delivery, and deliver the drink to the detected user. Furthermore, if multiple people are detected from the image data, a pre-registered user may be identified from among the multiple people and the drink may be delivered to the identified user. Alternatively, the robot 1 may provide drinks to all of the detected people without identifying the user. When identifying a pre-registered user from among a plurality of people, for example, the operation control unit 23 learns images of the user in advance by machine learning or the like.

[0088] If the work is not interrupted (No in step S22), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines whether the work has been completed (step S25). Specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the work status information indicates that the user's work has been completed. The information indicating that the user's work has been completed is, for example, shutdown information acquired from the PC 43, as described above.

[0089] If the work has not been completed (step S25: No), the process from step S21 is repeated. If the work has been completed (step S25: Yes), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide a tidying up service (step S26). In detail, when the determination unit 22 determines that the user's work has been completed, the determination unit 22 generates instruction information instructing the robot 1 to start providing a tidying up service to tidy up the user's desk, and outputs the generated instruction information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates an instruction to provide the service based on the instruction information, and outputs the generated instruction to the movable unit 3.

[0090] After step S26, the robot 1 provides a tidying up service (step S27), and ends the process of providing a service according to the user's work status. Specifically, in step S27, the movable unit 3 starts operating in response to the command received from the operation control unit 23, thereby providing the tidying up service to the user. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 9 , the target of tidying up is the desk on which the PC 43 to be tidyed up is placed, but the target of tidying up is not limited to this. For example, the location where the user will tidy up when the work is finished may be set in advance.

[0091] 10, the process ends after step S27, but when providing services to multiple users, the process from step S21 may be performed after step S27 with another user's PC as the monitoring target. Also, while FIG. 10 shows an example in which both a service to be provided when work is interrupted and a service to be provided when work is completed are available, the robot 1 may provide only one of the services. For example, if step S22 returns No, the process from step S21 may be repeated, or after step S21, the process from step S25 onward may be performed without performing step S22.

[0092] The processes of steps S22 and S25 are specific examples of the process of determining whether the service provision condition of step S2 described in embodiment 1 is satisfied. The services provided when the user's work is interrupted and when the work is completed are not limited to the examples shown in Figures 9 and 10, and may be determined in advance. For example, the robot 1 may provide a service of transporting exercise goods when work is interrupted, or, if the user is working at a workplace, a service of transporting the user's belongings from a locker or the like when work is completed. Services other than the examples shown in Figures 9 and 10 may also be provided.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, the determination unit 22 determines whether the user work has been completed based on the completion information, and if it determines that the user work has been completed, determines to provide a first service, which is a predetermined service to be performed when the user work has been completed, and instructs the operation control unit 23 to generate a command to provide the first service. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 determines whether the user work has been interrupted based on the interruption information, and if it determines that the user work has been interrupted, determines to provide a second service, which is a predetermined service to be performed when the user work is interrupted, and instructs the operation control unit 23 to generate a command to provide the second service. For example, the first service includes a service of tidying up the user's desk, and the second service includes a service of delivering drinks.

[0094] Furthermore, the robot 1 may be configured to perform both the operation described in the second embodiment and the operation described in the third embodiment. That is, the robot 1 may provide the service described in the second embodiment when the service provision conditions are met based on the message volume, and may provide the service described in this embodiment when the service provision conditions are met based on the work status information.

[0095] As described above, in this embodiment, the service provision conditions include at least one of the following: the work status information indicates that the user's work has been interrupted; and the work status information indicates that the user's work has been completed. This allows the user to receive the service when the user interrupts or completes work without having to give instructions to the robot. This improves the comfort of the user's life.

[0096] Fourth Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a service provided by a service providing system 100 according to a fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, a specific example of the service provided by the robot 1 described in the first embodiment and the service provision conditions will be described. The configuration of the service providing system 100 according to this embodiment and the configuration of each device constituting the service providing system 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Note that, while the service providing system 100 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment will be described as an example, the operation of this embodiment can also be similarly applied to the configuration examples shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, the division of functions of each device is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines that the user is busy based on the user information, it provides a housekeeping service as shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 illustrates an example of the housekeeping service in which the robot 1 performs laundry, but the specific content of the housekeeping service is not limited to this example and may include cleaning, cooking, tidying up, or other services. Furthermore, the housekeeping service may be a service that performs a combination of multiple housework tasks, such as cleaning and laundry.

[0098] In this embodiment, busyness information indicating the user's busyness level is calculated from user status information indicating the user's status. The user status information in this embodiment is an example of user information, and the user status information is information indicating the user's busyness. The user status information in this embodiment is, for example, information indicating the user's movement speed. More specifically, the user status information may be, for example, information indicating the user's location at multiple times. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the information indicating the user's movement speed is acquired by one or more of the detection device 4, which is a wearable terminal 44 worn by the user and is a detection device 4, and the portable terminal 45, which is a detection device 4 carried by the user, and transmitted to the robot 1. Furthermore, when the robot 1 is located near the user, the information indicating the user's movement speed may be image data acquired by a camera 46 mounted on the robot 1, or may be image data acquired by another camera (not shown).

[0099] The determination unit 22 in the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 calculates the user's busyness level using the user status information. When the busyness level exceeds a threshold, the determination unit 22 determines to provide a housekeeping service and instructs the operation control unit 23 to generate a command to provide the housekeeping service. The busyness level is expressed in two stages (binary values) of "busy" and "unbusy" in the following example, but the busyness level may be expressed in three or more stages. The determination unit 22 acquires the busyness information by calculating busyness information indicating the busyness level based on the movement speed acquired as the user information and the corresponding information. Furthermore, when information indicating the user's positions at multiple times is acquired as the information indicating the user's movement speed, the determination unit 22 calculates the movement speed using the information indicating the user's positions at the multiple times, and calculates the busyness information indicating the busyness level based on the calculated movement speed and the corresponding information. The movement speed may be, for example, but is not limited to, an average speed over a predetermined period of time.

[0100] Furthermore, if the moving speed exceeds the speed assumed for walking, it may be assumed that the person is moving by vehicle such as a car or airplane, and busyness determination using the moving speed may not be performed. For example, a moving speed higher than the speed assumed for walking may be set as an upper limit, and if the moving speed exceeds the upper limit, busyness determination using the moving speed may not be performed. Alternatively, no upper limit may be set for the moving speed, and corresponding busyness levels may be defined in the correspondence information for the range of moving speeds assumed for moving by vehicle.

[0101] The user status information may also be schedule information registered in the mobile terminal 45 or a computer system (not shown) other than the mobile terminal 45. The schedule information indicates the user's schedule. In this case, for example, the schedule information is transmitted to the robot 1 from the mobile terminal 45 (information providing device 5) or a computer system (not shown) other than the mobile terminal 45. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 may determine, for example, based on the schedule information, that the user is busy if the number of events registered within a predetermined unit time exceeds a threshold, or if the free time between events is less than a threshold. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 may also determine, for example, based on the schedule information, that the user is busy if a time period during which a specific predetermined event is scheduled is a time period during which the user is busy, or may determine whether the user is busy using other methods. As with the movement speed, correspondence information may be defined that indicates the degree of busyness and conditions related to the schedule information (conditions related to the number of events, etc.), and the determination unit 22 may calculate busyness information indicating the degree of busyness using the correspondence information and the schedule information. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 may calculate busyness information indicating the degree of busyness using both the schedule information and the moving speed. In this case, for example, the correspondence information may be defined as a correspondence between a condition related to the schedule information and a range of moving speed for each degree of busyness. In this manner, in this embodiment, the user information includes information indicating the user's busyness, and the information indicating the user's busyness includes at least one of information indicating the user's moving speed and information indicating the user's schedule.

[0102] Furthermore, the determination unit 22 of the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 may estimate the user's emotion and further use the estimated emotion to determine the user's level of busyness. For example, the user status information may include at least one of the user's vital data and image data captured by a camera, and the determination unit 22 may estimate the user's emotion using at least one of the user's vital data and image data captured by a camera. Any method may be used to estimate the user's emotion from at least one of the user's vital data and image data captured by a camera. For example, a method may be used in which a relationship between the user's emotion and at least one of the user's vital data and image data captured by a camera is learned by machine learning, and the learning results are used. For example, the determination unit 22 may determine that the user is busy if the moving speed is equal to or greater than a threshold and the user's emotion is estimated to be irritated. The method of determining busyness using emotion is not limited to this example. Although emotion is used to determine busyness here, emotion may also be used in the second and third embodiments. For example, in the second and third embodiments, when serving a drink, if the user is feeling angry or anxious, a drink that alleviates the anxiety or tension may be served.

[0103] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the robot 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires user state information (step S31). Specifically, the acquisition unit 21 acquires the user state information from at least one of the detection device 4 and the information providing device 5, and outputs the acquired user state information to the determination unit 22.

[0104] The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires busyness information (step S32). More specifically, the determination unit 22 acquires the busyness information by calculating the busyness information using the user state information. Next, the determination unit 22 determines whether the user is busy (step S33). More specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the user is busy using the busyness information. In this embodiment, the index calculated using the user state information is the degree of busyness of the user, and the service provision condition is the condition that the user is busy (the condition that the degree of busyness of the user exceeds a threshold value).

[0105] If the user is not busy (step S33: No), the process from step S31 is repeated. If the user is busy (step S33: Yes), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide the housekeeping service (step S34). In detail, when the determination unit 22 determines that the user is busy, it generates instruction information instructing the robot 1 to start providing the housekeeping service and outputs the generated instruction information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates an instruction to provide the housekeeping service based on the instruction information and outputs the generated instruction to the movable unit 3.

[0106] Furthermore, when the busyness information indicates the degree of busyness in three or more stages, the determination unit 22 may determine Yes in step S33 if the degree of busyness exceeds a threshold value, and may determine No in step S33 if the degree of busyness is equal to or less than the threshold value. Here, it is assumed that the higher the value of the degree of busyness, the busier the person is. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 may determine the content of the housekeeping service according to the degree of busyness. For example, when the degree of busyness is indicated by three numerical levels from 1 to 3, the determination unit 22 may determine that a housekeeping service that performs laundry is provided when the degree of busyness is 2, and may determine that a housekeeping service that performs laundry and cleaning is provided when the degree of busyness is 3.

[0107] After step S34, the robot 1 provides the housekeeping service (step S35), and the process from step S31 is repeated. Specifically, in step S35, the movable part 3 starts to operate in response to the command received from the operation control part 23, thereby providing the housekeeping service.

[0108] In the above example, the housekeeping service is provided when the user is busy. However, if the housekeeping service includes at least one of tidying up and cleaning a specified target area, the determination unit 22 may use information indicating the state of the target area to determine the timing of providing the service. The target area is an area for which the service is provided, and is an example of an area managed by the user. The information indicating the state of the target area is also an example of user information.

[0109] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a target area tidying service according to this embodiment. In FIG. 13, a reference image showing a reference state of the target area is shown at the top, and an image of the target area is shown at the bottom. For example, image data showing an image of the target area captured by the camera 46 mounted on the robot 1 or another camera (not shown) capable of capturing an image of the target area is acquired as user information.

[0110] The determination unit 22 of the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 pre-stores an image of the target area in a reference state as the reference image. The user may instruct the robot 1 to acquire the reference image when the target area is in a tidy state, causing the determination unit 22 of the robot 1 to acquire the reference image via the acquisition unit 21. That is, the reference image may be learned by providing correct answer data indicating that the target area is in a tidy state and acquiring corresponding image data. Alternatively, for example, the determination unit 22 may acquire image data of the target area over a certain period of time, such as one week or one month. The determination unit 22 may then classify the image data into groups of similar images and use the image data of a group estimated to have the largest amount of floor space in the target area as the reference image. The method for determining the reference image is not limited to the example described above. Furthermore, the determination of the reference image is not limited to the example in which the determination unit 22 determines the reference image. The determination may be performed by a learning device separate from the robot 1, and the reference image determined by the learning device may be stored by the determination unit 22 of the robot 1.

[0111] The determination unit 22 determines whether the target area has changed from a predetermined reference state based on the image data. If it determines that the target area has changed from the reference state, it decides to provide at least one of cleaning and tidying services and instructs the operation control unit 23 to generate a command to provide the determined service. For example, the determination unit 22 determines to perform a tidying service if it determines, using image data indicating the current state of the target area, that the state of objects in the target area has changed from the reference state. For example, the determination unit 22 determines that the state of objects in the target area has changed from the reference state if it determines that objects have been present in an area that was empty of objects but was floor in the reference image for a certain period of time or more. In the example shown in FIG. 13 , the image shown at the bottom (image represented by the image data) shows objects scattered more than in the reference state (the state corresponding to the reference image). If this state continues for a certain period of time or more, the robot 1 performs a tidying service. In addition, the judgment unit 22 may determine that a tidying up service will be performed if it determines that the user is busy and that the state of the objects in the target area has changed from the reference state, or may determine that a tidying up service will be performed if it determines that the state of the objects in the target area has changed from the reference state, regardless of whether the user is busy or not.

[0112] Furthermore, a reference position may be set in advance as a reference state for each object to be tidied up. The determination unit 22 may determine to execute the tidying up service when it determines, based on the photographed data, that the object has been away from the reference position by a certain distance or more for a certain period of time or more.

[0113] The determination unit 22 may also use video images showing a dirty state and the image data of the target area to determine whether or not the target area is dirty, and if it determines that the target area is dirty, determine to provide a service to clean the area determined to be dirty. For example, the determination unit 22 may learn video images of dirty states, and when it determines that the target area is dirty based on the image data, determine to perform a cleaning service to remove the dirt and instruct the operation control unit 23 to perform the cleaning service. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which liquid has been spilled on the floor in the target area in this embodiment. By previously learning video images of spilled liquid as images of a dirty state, the determination unit 22 may determine that a cleaning service to clean the dirt should be performed when liquid is spilled on the floor and instruct the operation control unit 23 to perform the cleaning service to clean the dirt. Furthermore, by learning separately states where liquid dirt has occurred and states where solid dirt such as soil or powder has occurred, the determination unit 22 may determine the cleaning content, such as wiping or vacuuming, depending on the state of the target area. The method for determining whether or not there is dirt may be, for example, a method for determining whether or not there is dirt in the target area using the detection results of a sensor that measures the dirt itself, such as a dust sensor, or a method for determining whether or not there is dirt in the target area using an image representing the dirt itself (an image of dust or dirt) and photographic data of the target area. That is, the determination unit 22 only needs to determine whether or not there is dirt in the target area using, for example, the detection results of the state of the target area, and the method for determining whether or not there is dirt is not limited to the example described above.

[0114] Furthermore, the determination unit 22 may determine whether a specific area set by the user among the target areas has changed from a predetermined reference state based on image data obtained by photographing the specific area. If it is determined that the specific area has changed from the reference state, the determination unit 22 may decide to provide at least one of a cleaning service and a tidying service for the specific area. For example, the user may set a specific area that the user wants to keep tidy at all times. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a specific area according to this embodiment. For example, assume that the target area that the robot 1 cleans consists of two rooms shown in FIG. 15. For example, if an infant is often found in the room on the left side of FIG. 15, the user may specify the specific area 401 to be kept free of objects to prevent the infant from picking up dropped objects and putting them in their mouths. Thus, if the determination unit 22 determines that an object is present in the specific area 401 based on the image data obtained by photographing the specific area 401, the determination unit 22 may determine to execute a tidying service to tidy up the objects and instruct the operation control unit 23 to execute the tidying service to tidy up the objects.

[0115] The robot 1 may also perform at least one of the operations of the second embodiment and the third embodiment, and the operation described in the fourth embodiment. For example, the robot 1 may provide the service described in the second embodiment when a service provision condition based on the message volume is satisfied, the service described in the present embodiment when a service provision condition based on the work status information is satisfied, and the service described in the present embodiment when a service provision condition that the user is busy is satisfied. For example, the robot 1 may provide the service described in the second embodiment when a service provision condition based on the message volume is satisfied, and may also provide the service when a service provision condition based on the state of the target area or the specific area is satisfied (for example, when a change from the reference state occurs, when it is determined that there is dirt, etc.). The robot 1 may also provide the service when a service provision condition based on the work status information is satisfied, and when a service provision condition based on the state of the target area or the specific area is satisfied (for example, when a change from the reference state occurs, when it is determined that there is dirt, etc.).

[0116] As described above, in this embodiment, the condition for providing the service is that the user is busy, and the robot 1 provides the housekeeping service when the user is busy. This allows the user to receive the housekeeping service when they are busy without having to give instructions to the robot. This improves the comfort of the user's life.

[0117] Furthermore, if the state of the target area changes from the reference state, the robot 1 may provide a housekeeping service, and in this case, the user can receive the housekeeping service without giving instructions to the robot 1. This improves the comfort of the user's life.

[0118] Fifth Embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the robot 1 according to the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, a specific example of the services and service provision conditions provided by the robot 1 described in the first embodiment will be described. The configuration of the service providing system 100 according to this embodiment and the configuration of each device constituting the service providing system 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Note that, while the service providing system 100 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment will be described as an example, the operation of this embodiment can also be similarly applied to the configuration examples shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, the division of functions of each device is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

[0119] In this embodiment, the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 determines whether the user is sleeping based on at least one of the user's vital data and photographed data of the user. If the user is sleeping, the robot 1 provides a work service under conditions suitable for the user when sleeping. The conditions suitable for the user when sleeping may be to set a quiet mode that produces less noise than the normal mode, or to provide a service in a second area far from the first area where the user is present. The work service may be, for example, a housekeeping service, but is not limited to this as long as it uses the moving part 3 of the robot 1. At least one of the user's vital data and photographed data of the user is an example of user information.

[0120] The process shown in Fig. 16 is performed before the start of a work service, for example, when the robot 1 determines, based on user information, that the service provision conditions for starting a work service have been met. For example, the process shown in Fig. 16 is started when the target area changes, as described in embodiment 4. Alternatively, the process shown in Fig. 16 may be performed when the robot 1 performs a predetermined task at a fixed time every day or when it performs a task reserved by a user.

[0121] 16 , the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires user state information (step S41). In step S41, specifically, the acquisition unit 21 acquires user state information as user information from the detection device 4 and outputs the acquired user state information to the determination unit 22. In this embodiment, the user state information includes, for example, at least one of vital data of the user and image data of an image of the user. The vital data is acquired by the detection device 4, which may be, for example, a wearable terminal 44 incorporating a sensor capable of detecting vital signs, or a non-contact sensor capable of detecting vital signs, as described in the first embodiment.

[0122] The information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 acquires sleep information (step S42). Specifically, the determination unit 22 estimates the user's sleep state (whether the user is sleeping or not sleeping) using the user state information, thereby acquiring sleep information indicating the user's sleep state. Next, the determination unit 22 determines whether the user is sleeping (step S43). Specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the user is sleeping using the sleep information. In this embodiment, the index calculated using the user information is the user's sleep state, and the service provision condition is that the user is sleeping.

[0123] If the user is asleep (step S43: Yes), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide a work service under conditions corresponding to sleep (step S44). Specifically, when the determination unit 22 determines that the user is asleep, it generates instruction information instructing the robot 1 to start providing a work service under conditions corresponding to sleep and outputs the generated instruction information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates an instruction to provide a work service under conditions corresponding to sleep based on the instruction information and outputs the generated instruction to the movable unit 3. The condition corresponding to sleep is a condition for performing work so as not to wake the sleeping user. For example, if the work service is a cleaning service using a vacuum cleaner, the condition corresponding to sleep may be a condition to clean a room (second area) far from the room where the sleeping user is located (first area), a condition to clean in a quiet mode quieter than normal operation, or a combination of these.

[0124] After step S44, the robot 1 provides the work service under the conditions corresponding to when the robot is asleep (step S45), and the process from step S41 is repeated. In detail, in step S45, the movable part 3 starts to move in response to the command received from the movement control part 23, thereby providing the work service under the conditions corresponding to when the robot is asleep.

[0125] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of service provision by the robot 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17 , assume that a user wearing a wearable device 44 capable of acquiring vital data is sleeping in the room in the upper left corner of the page. In this case, the robot 1 cleans the room in the lower right corner of the page, which is the farthest from the room in the upper left corner. The robot 1 may also clean the second-furthest room in addition to the room in the lower right corner, which is the farthest from the room in the upper left corner. For example, a predetermined number of rooms may be allowed to be cleaned in ascending order of distance, or a distance condition may be defined, such as cleaning rooms that are a certain distance or greater from the room where the sleeping user is located. For example, as shown in FIG. 17 , the determination unit 22 of the robot 1 retains information indicating a floor plan of the area to be cleaned and determines the room to be cleaned based on the user's location and the floor plan.

[0126] Returning to the description of FIG. 16 , if the user is not asleep (step S43: No), the information processing unit 2 of the robot 1 generates a command to provide a normal work service (step S46). In particular, when the determination unit 22 determines that the user is not asleep, it generates instruction information instructing the robot 1 to provide a normal work service and outputs the generated instruction information to the operation control unit 23. The operation control unit 23 generates an instruction to provide the normal work service based on the instruction information and outputs the generated instruction to the movable unit 3. For example, if the work service is a cleaning service using a vacuum cleaner, the normal work service may include a condition that the robot cleans a room including a sleeping user, or may include a condition that the robot cleans in a normal operating mode, or may be a combination of these.

[0127] After step S46, the robot 1 provides a normal work service (step S47), and the process from step S41 is repeated. Specifically, in step S47, the movable part 3 starts to operate in response to the command received from the operation control part 23, thereby providing a normal work service.

[0128] In this embodiment, when the service provision conditions are satisfied and the robot 1 performs a task, it determines whether the user is asleep, and if it determines that the user is asleep, it provides the task service under conditions corresponding to the user being asleep. This allows the user to receive the task service under conditions corresponding to the user being asleep without having to give instructions to the robot while sleeping. This allows the user to receive the task service without disturbing the user's sleep.

[0129] 16 is performed when the robot 1 performs a predetermined task at a fixed time every day or a task scheduled by the user, the robot 1 determines the timing to execute a task service that is performed under conditions corresponding to sleep based on an index calculated based on user information. In this case, the condition for providing the service is that the user is asleep, and when it is determined that the user is asleep, the robot 1 provides a task service under conditions corresponding to sleep. In this case, the robot 1 may also perform at least one of the operations of the second embodiment, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment, as well as the operation described in the fifth embodiment.

[0130] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

[0131] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1a, 1b Robot, 2 Information processing unit, 3 Movable unit, 4 Detection device, 5 Information providing device, 6, 6a Information processing device, 21 Acquisition unit, 22 Determination unit, 23, 23a Operation control unit, 24 Transmission unit, 25 Command generation unit, 31 Moving mechanism, 32 Working mechanism, 33 Receiving unit, 41 Web camera with microphone, 42 Thermometer, 44 Wearable terminal, 45 Portable terminal, 46 Camera, 100, 100a, 100b Service providing system.

Claims

1. An information processing device that controls a robot that has a movable part and provides a service to a user by operating the movable part, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires user information including at least one of the state of the user and the environment around the user; a judgment unit that uses the user information to determine the timing of providing the service; and a command generation unit that generates a command for the robot to provide the service at the timing based on the determined timing.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable part comprises: a movement mechanism which is a drive mechanism for moving the position of the robot; and a working mechanism which is a drive mechanism for performing work to provide the service.

3. The information processing device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the user information includes utterance information which is a detection result of the user's utterances, and the determination unit calculates the amount of utterances using the utterance information and determines the timing of providing the service based on the calculated amount of utterances.

4. An information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the services include a drink delivery service for delivering drinks to the user.

5. The information processing device described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the user information includes completion information indicating whether or not a user operation, which is an operation of the user, has been completed, and the judgment unit determines whether or not the user operation has been completed based on the completion information, and when it determines that the user operation has been completed, decides to provide a first service, which is a predetermined service to be performed when the user operation has been completed, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the first service.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first service includes a service for tidying up the user's desk.

7. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the user information includes interruption information indicating whether or not a user operation, which is an operation of the user, has been interrupted, and the judgment unit judges whether or not the user operation has been interrupted based on the interruption information, and when it determines that the user operation has been interrupted, decides to provide a second service, which is a predetermined service to be performed when the user operation is interrupted, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the second service.

8. An information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the second service includes a drink delivery service for delivering a drink to the user.

9. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the user information includes information indicating the busyness of the user, and the judgment unit judges the degree of busyness of the user based on the information indicating the busyness, and determines the timing of providing the service based on the degree of busyness.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9, characterized in that the judgment unit decides to provide a housekeeping service as the service when the degree of busyness exceeds a threshold value, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the housekeeping service.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the information indicating the user's busyness includes at least one of information indicating the user's moving speed and information indicating the user's schedule.

12. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the determination unit determines the content of the service based on the user information.

13. The information processing device according to claim 12, characterized in that the judgment unit judges whether the user is sleeping or not based on the user information, and if the user is sleeping, decides to provide the service in a quiet mode which is quieter than normal mode, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the service in the quiet mode.

14. The information processing device described in claim 12, characterized in that the judgment unit determines whether the user is sleeping based on the user information, and if the user is sleeping, decides to provide the service in a second area far from the first area in which the user is located, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the service in the second area.

15. The information processing device according to claim 12, characterized in that the determination unit estimates the user's emotion based on the user information, and determines the content of the service based on the estimated emotion.

16. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the user information includes photographed data obtained by photographing a target area for which the service is to be provided, and the determination unit determines whether the target area has changed from a defined reference state based on the photographed data, and if it determines that the target area has changed from the reference state, decides to provide at least one of cleaning and tidying services as the service, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the determined service.

17. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the user information includes photographing data obtained by photographing a specific area set for the user within a target area for which the service is to be provided, and the judgment unit judges whether the specific area has changed from a defined reference state based on the photographing data, and if it is determined that the specific area has changed from the reference state, decides to provide at least one of the services of cleaning and tidying up the specific area as the service, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the determined service.

18. The information processing device described in claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the judgment unit uses the detection result of the state of the target area to judge whether or not there is dirt in the target area, and if it is determined that there is dirt, decides to provide a service of cleaning the area determined to be dirty as the service, and instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the determined service.

19. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the user information includes information indicating the language used by the user, and the determination unit determines the language to be used by the robot in the service based on the information indicating the language used by the user.

20. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the user information includes information indicating the area in which the user receives the service, and the judgment unit sets an allowed time period during which provision of the service is permitted based on the information indicating the area in which the user is located, and when the determined timing is within the allowed time period, instructs the command generation unit to generate the command for providing the service.

21. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the user information includes information indicating at least one of the user's vital signs, the user's location, the user's voice, the status of the work being performed by the user, the user's facial expression, the temperature around the user, and the humidity around the user.

22. A robot having a movable part and providing a service to a user by operating the movable part, characterized in that it comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires user information including at least one of the state of the user and the environment around the user; a judgment unit that uses the user information to determine the timing of providing the service; and an operation control unit that generates an instruction for the robot to provide the service at the timing based on the determined timing, and outputs the generated instruction to the movable part.

23. A service provision system comprising: a robot having a movable part and providing a service to a user by operating the movable part; and a detection device that detects user information including at least one of the state of the user and the environment surrounding the user, wherein the robot comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires the user information from the detection device; a judgment unit that uses the user information to determine a timing for providing the service; and an operation control unit that generates an instruction for the robot to provide the service at the timing based on the determined timing, and outputs the generated instruction to the movable part.

24. An information processing method in an information processing device that controls a robot that has a movable part and provides a service to a user by operating the movable part, comprising the steps of: acquiring user information including at least one of the state of the user and the environment around the user; using the user information to determine the timing of providing the service; and generating an instruction for the robot to provide the service at the timing based on the determined timing.

25. A program that causes a computer system that controls a robot that has a movable part and provides a service to a user by operating the movable part to execute the following steps: acquiring user information including at least one of the state of the user and the environment around the user; using the user information to determine the timing of providing the service; and generating an instruction for the robot to provide the service at the timing based on the determined timing.

Images