IP Library Granted Patent US 8,406,926
Granted Patent B1
US 8,406,926 · App. 13/464,193 · Granted Mar 26, 2013

Methods and systems for robotic analysis of environmental conditions and response thereto

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,406,926
App. No.
13/464,193
Granted
Mar 26, 2013
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods and systems for robotic analysis of an ambient environment, as well as a user, are provided. In some examples, a robotic device may provide a personalized interaction or response to a user based on a determined state of the environment (such as local weather), and a state of the user.

Claims (46)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a robotic device that includes at least one sensory device and at least one processor, an environmental input including data relating to an environmental condition about an environment in a vicinity of the robotic device;

receiving, at the robotic device, a user-related input including data relating to a user in a vicinity of the robotic device;

processing the environmental input to obtain information about a state related to a weather condition from an informational source containing environmental information;

processing, by the processor of the robotic device, the user-related input to obtain information about a state of a user;

determining an output function based on a relation between the state of the user and the weather condition; and

performing, by the robotic device, the output function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensory device is configured to capture image data of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the environmental input to obtain information about the state of the environmental condition comprises:

accessing a cloud computing system;

obtaining environmental information related to the environmental input; and

receiving the environmental information at the robotic device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising obtaining collateral information related to the environmental input in addition to the environmental information.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining, by a first device associated with the robotic device, the user-related input from a second device, wherein the user-related input includes data about communication between the user and the second device; and

processing the user-related input with the environmental input to determine the output function to perform.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second device includes one or more of a personal computer, a mobile telephone, a tablet computer, and a landline telephone.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the environmental input, determining a time of day; and

wherein performing the output function comprises determining a given output function, from among a database of output functions, based on the time of day.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device is configured to communicate with the user, and wherein the environment input includes data relating to an environmental condition about an environment in a vicinity of the user.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining clothing of the user; and

wherein the output function comprises providing a suggestion of clothing for the user to wear based on the state of the environmental condition and the user-related input.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the clothing of the user comprises determining the clothing based on one or more of an image of the user and communication with an object of the clothing.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the output function comprises the robotic device operating in a mode configured to adapt to the environmental condition.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a robotic device that includes at least one sensory device to cause the robotic device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, at the robotic device, an environmental input including data relating to an environmental condition about an environment in a vicinity of the robotic device;

receiving, at the robotic device, a user-related input including data relating to a user in a vicinity of the robotic device;

processing the environmental input to obtain information about a state related to a weather condition from an informational source containing environmental information;

processing the user-related input to obtain information about a state of the user;

determining an output function based on a relation between the state of the user and the weather condition; and

performing, by the robotic device, the output function.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein functions further comprise performing an output function based on the weather condition.

14. A robotic device comprising:

one or more processors;

at least one sensor coupled to the one or more processors and configured to capture environmental data about an environment in a vicinity of the sensor or a user; and

memory including instructions stored thereon executable by the one or more processors to perform functions comprising:

obtaining user-related data from an electronic device, wherein the user-related data relates to communication between the user and the electronic device;

obtaining, from the at least one sensor, environment sensory data about a sensed environment condition;

processing the environment sensory data to determine environment information about a state related to a weather condition from an informational source containing environment information;

processing the user-related data to obtain information about a state of the user; and

determining an output function based on a relation between the state of the user and the weather condition.

15. The robotic device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises one or more of an image capture device, an acoustic sensor device, and an electronic data acquisition device.

16. The robotic device of claim 14 , further comprising a communication interface configured to communicate with the informational source.

17. The robotic device of claim 14 , wherein the environment sensory data includes information about a sensed ambient environment of the robotic device.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2025
From: GOOGLE LLC
To: GDM HOLDING LLC
Reel/Frame 071109/0342 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 064658/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECTIVE BY NULLIFICATIONTO CORRECT INCORRECTLY RECORDED APPLICATION NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 044142 FRAME 0357. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Nov 14, 2018
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 047837/0678 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2018
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 047631/0671 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 6, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044142/0357 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2016
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 039900/0610 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2012
From: LEWIS, THOR
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 028164/0916 →