Child-Care Robot and a Method of Controlling the Robot

Abstract

A child-care robot for use in a nursery school associates child behavior patterns with corresponding robot action patterns, and acquires a child behavior pattern when a child behaves in a specified pattern. The robot selects one of the robot action patterns, which is associated with the acquired child behavior pattern, and performs the selected robot action pattern. Additionally, the robot associates child identifiers with parent identifiers, and receives an inquiry message from a remote terminal indicating a parent identifier. The robot detects one of the child identifiers, which is associated with the parent identifier of the inquiry message, acquires an image or a voice of a child identified by the detected child identifier, and transmits the acquired image or voice to the remote terminal. The robot further moves in search of a child, measures the temperature of the child, and associates the temperature with time of day at which it was measured.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The child-care robot of  claim 30 , further comprising position detector means for detecting a plurality of geographic positions of objects,
 wherein said memory means comprises:   a position memory for associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and   a map memory,   wherein said processor means is configured to create a map in said map memory for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.   
     
     
         17 . The child-care robot of  claim 16 , wherein said objects are children, and wherein said position detector means detects said plurality of geographic positions of said children when said robot is moving around said area in search of said children. 
     
     
         18 . The child-care robot of  claim 16 , wherein said objects are nursery school teachers, and wherein said position detector means detects said plurality of geographic positions of said teachers when said robot is moving around said area in search of said teachers. 
     
     
         19 . The child-care robot of  claim 16 , wherein said moving means moves the robot around said area in search of an object according to the geographic position of the object indicated in said map memory. 
     
     
         20 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A child-care robot comprising:
 acting means for moving the robot around an area in search of a plurality of objects and detecting a plurality of geographic positions of said objects;   memory means for associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and   processor means for creating a map for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.   
     
     
         31 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method of controlling a child-care robot, comprising:
 moving the robot around an area in search of a plurality of objects and detecting a plurality of geographic positions of said objects;   associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and   creating a map for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising moving the robot around an area in search of an object according to the geographic position of the object indicated in said map memory. 
     
     
         37 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , further comprising the steps of:
 moving the robot around until a target child is identified;   measuring the temperature of the identified child; and   associating the measured temperature of the identified child with data indicating time of day at which the temperature is measured.   
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for controlling a child-care robot, said program comprising the steps of:
 moving the robot around an area in search of a plurality of objects and detecting a plurality of geographic positions of said objects;   associating said detected geographic positions of objects with a plurality of identities of the objects; and   creating a map for indicating said geographic positions of said objects and said identities of the objects on a floor layout of an architecture.   
     
     
         42 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of moving the robot around an area in search of an object according to the geographic position of the object indicated in said map memory.