Robot for participating in a joint performance with a human partner

Abstract

For a joint performance of a dialogue between a human partner and a robot, the robot analyzes phrase and action of the partner to detect a recognized behavior of the partner and analyzes a state of audience listening to utterances from the partner and the robot to detect a recognized state of the audience. A scenario describing the dialogue is stored in entries of a memory. The memory is successively referenced entry by entry and a check is made for a match between an utterance by the partner or the robot to a reaction from the audience. Responsive to a currently detected audience state, a corresponding robot behavior is determined. Preferably, possible partner's behaviors and expected audience states are mapped in a database to specified robot behaviors. The database is searched for a specified robot behavior corresponding to a currently sensed partner behavior or a currently sensed audience state.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
   
   
       38 . A computer-readable storage medium containing a stored scenario describing a dialogue between a human partner and a robot and a program for controlling the robot, said program performing the steps of:
 a) analyzing phrase and action of a human partner to detect a recognized behavior of the partner and analyzing a state of a plurality of people listening to utterances from said partner and said robot to detect a recognized state of said people; and   b) making reference to a portion of said stored scenario according to at least one of the recognized behavior of said partner and the recognized state of said people and determining a behavior of said robot according to the referenced portion of said scenario.   
   
   
       39 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 38 , wherein said scenario memory includes a plurality of entries, each of said entries contains a portion of said scenario to be uttered by one of said partner and said robot, and
 wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:   successively making reference to each of said entries of said scenario memory;   producing a predetermined utterance from the robot according to the referenced portion of the scenario; and   determining said behavior of said robot according to one of a currently recognized behavior of said partner and a currently recognized state of said people.   
   
   
       40 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 38 , wherein a robot behavior database is provided for mapping a plurality of recognized behaviors of said partner which will be detected to a plurality of predetermined robot behaviors, and wherein each of said entries indicates an expected state of said people,
 wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:   comparing a currently recognized state of said people to said expected state for a match or mismatch; and   determining said behavior of the robot according to the referenced portion of said scenario if there is a match between said recognized and expected states and according to one of said predetermined robot behaviors of said database corresponding to a currently recognized behavior of said partner if there is a mismatch between said recognized and expected states.   
   
   
       41 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 39 , wherein each of said entries of said scenario memory indicates which one of said partner and said robot has the right to speak, and
 wherein step (b) comprises the step of determining said behavior of said robot according to a currently recognized behavior of said partner if the referenced entry indicates that said partner has the right to speak and according to a currently recognized state of said people if said referenced entry indicates that said robot has the right to speak.   
   
   
       42 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 41 , wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:
 comparing a currently recognized behavior of said partner to a predetermined behavior if the referenced entry indicates that said partner has the right to speak; and   producing an utterance from the robot for urging the partner to perform said predetermined behavior if there is a mismatch between said recognized behavior said predetermined behavior.   
   
   
       43 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 40 , wherein each of said entries of said scenario memory indicates which one of said partner and said robot has the right to speak, and wherein said database further maps a plurality of recognized states of said people which will be detected by said second analyzer to said plurality of predetermined robot behaviors,
 wherein step (b) comprises the step of determining said behavior of said robot according to one of said predetermined robot behaviors corresponding to a currently recognized behavior of said partner if the referenced entry indicates that said partner has the right to speak and according to one of said predetermined robot behaviors corresponding to a currently recognized state of said people if the referenced entry indicates that said robot has the right to speak.   
   
   
       44 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 43 , wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:
 comparing a currently recognized behavior of said partner to a predetermined partner's behavior if the referenced entry indicates that said partner has the right to speak; and   producing an utterance from the robot for urging the partner to perform said predetermined partner's behavior if there is a mismatch between said recognized behavior said predetermined partner's behavior.   
   
   
       45 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 39 , wherein a robot behavior database is provided for mapping a plurality of recognized states of said people which will be detected to a plurality of predetermined robot behaviors, and
 wherein step (b) comprises the step of determining said behavior of the robot according to one of said predetermined robot behaviors of said database corresponding to a currently recognized state of said people.   
   
   
       46 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 38 , wherein said dialogue stored in said scenario memory is a comic dialogue.