Communicative self-guiding automation

{
  "publication_number": "US10814487B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Communicative self-guiding automation",
  "abstract": "A self-guiding automaton includes sensors, a hardware processor, and a memory storing a self-guidance software code. The hardware processor executes the self-guidance software code to detect a location and/or travel path of one or more human being(s) in a pedestrian environment using the sensors, and identify a self-guided path forward in the pedestrian environment based on the location and/or travel path of each human being(s). The self-guidance software code also determines a social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward to the human being(s), detects any change in the location and/or travel path of each human being(s) using the sensors, determines a pedestrian safety score of the self-guided path forward based on the location and/or travel path and any change in the location and/or travel path of each human being(s), and moves the automaton along the self-guided path forward if the pedestrian safety score satisfies a safety threshold.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A self-guiding automaton comprising: one or more sensors; a hardware processor and a memory having a self-guidance software code stored therein, the hardware processor configured to execute the self-guidance software code to: detect, using the one or more sensors, at least one of a location or a travel path of at least one human being in a pedestrian environment; identify a self-guided path forward in the pedestrian environment based on the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being; determine a social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward to the at least one human being, wherein determining the social cue includes determining a cultural setting of the self-guiding automaton, and obtaining the social cue from a cultural cueing database based on the cultural setting; perform the social cue to communicate the self-guided path forward to the at least one human being, wherein the social cue includes one or more of a head motion, a body motion, modifying a shape of an eye, or a gesture using a limb by the self-guiding automaton; detect, using the one or more sensors, a change in the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being, in response to the social cue; determine a pedestrian safety score of the self-guided path forward based on the change in the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being; and move the self-guiding automaton along the self-guided path forward when the pedestrian safety score at least satisfies a safety threshold.",
    "2. The self-guiding automaton of claim 1, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the head motion by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "3. The self-guiding automaton of claim 1, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the body motion by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "4. The self-guiding automaton of claim 1, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises modifying the shape of the eye by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "5. The self-guiding automaton of claim 1, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the gesture using the limb by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "6. The self-guiding automaton of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to execute the self-guidance software code to: detect, using the one or more sensors, a presence of an assistance device used by the at least one human being in the pedestrian environment; and further determine the pedestrian safety score based on the presence of the assistance device.",
    "7. The self-guiding automaton of claim 1, wherein the cultural setting varies based on a geographic location of the pedestrian environment.",
    "8. A method for use by a self-guiding automaton including one or more sensors, a hardware processor, and a system memory having self-guidance software code software code stored therein, the method comprising: detecting, using the hardware processor and the one or more sensors, at least one of a location or a travel path of at least one human being in a pedestrian environment; identifying, using the hardware processor, a self-guided path forward in the pedestrian environment based on the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being; determining, using the hardware processor, a social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward to the at least one human being, wherein determining the social cue includes determining a cultural setting of the self-guiding automaton, and obtaining the social cue from a cultural cueing database based on the cultural setting; performing, using the hardware processor, the social cue to communicate the self-guided path forward to the at least one human being, wherein the social cue includes one or more of a head motion, a body motion, modifying a shape of an eye, or a gesture using a limb by the self-guiding automaton; detecting, using the hardware processor and the one or more sensors, a change in the at least one of the location and the travel path of the at least one human being, in response to the social cue; determining, using the hardware processor, a pedestrian safety score of the self-guided path forward based on the change in the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being; and moving, using the hardware processor, the self-guiding automaton along the self-guided path forward when the pedestrian safety score at least satisfies a safety threshold.",
    "9. The method of claim 8, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the head motion by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "10. The method of claim 8, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the body motion by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "11. The method of claim 8, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises modifying the shape of the eye by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "12. The method of claim 8, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the gesture using the limb by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: detecting, using the hardware processor and the one or more sensors, a presence of an assistance device used by the at least one human being in the pedestrian environment; and further determining, using the hardware processor, the pedestrian safety score based on the presence of the assistance device.",
    "14. The method of claim 8, wherein the cultural setting varies based on a geographic location of the pedestrian environment.",
    "15. A computer-readable non-transitory medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by a hardware processor of a self-guiding automaton, instantiate a method comprising: detecting, using one or more sensors, at least one of a location or a travel path of at least one human being in a pedestrian environment; identifying a self-guided path forward in the pedestrian environment based on the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being; determining a social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward to the at least one human being, wherein determining the social cue includes determining a cultural setting of the self-guiding automaton, and obtaining the social cue from a cultural cueing database based on the cultural setting; performing the social cue to communicate the self-guided path forward to the at least one human being, wherein the social cue includes one or more of a head motion, a body motion, modifying a shape of an eye, or a gesture using a limb by the self-guiding automaton; detecting, using the one or more sensors, a change in the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being, in response to the social cue; determining a pedestrian safety score of the self-guided path forward based on the change in the at least one of the location or the travel path of the at least one human being; and moving the self-guiding automaton along the self-guided path forward when the pedestrian safety score at least satisfies a safety threshold.",
    "16. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: detecting a presence of an assistance device used by the at least one human being in the pedestrian environment; and further determining the pedestrian safety score based on the presence of the assistance device.",
    "17. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the cultural setting varies based on a geographic location of the pedestrian environment.",
    "18. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the head motion by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "19. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the body motion by the self-guiding automaton.",
    "20. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the social cue for communicating the self-guided path forward comprises the gesture using the limb by the self-guiding automaton."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Autonomous vehicles, such as robots and self-driving cars for example, may analyze their environment to determine safe paths for future motion. Moreover, advanced systems may try to anticipate or predict the movements of other objects in their environment. Minor errors or miscalculations in route selection in environments shared by other vehicles may result in injury to an occupant of a vehicle involved in a collision, but are more likely to result in property damage. However, in pedestrian environments in which an autonomous vehicle navigates a space shared by human beings on foot, the consequences of even a minor miscalculation could result in serious injury or death. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a self-guidance solution for autonomous vehicles that enables such autonomous vehicles to navigate pedestrian environments safely.\n\nThere are provided communicative self-guiding automatons and methods for use by such automatons, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, and as set forth more completely in the claims.\n\nFIG. 1A shows an exemplary implementational environment for a communicative self-guiding automaton, according to one implementation; FIG. 1B shows an exemplary implementational environment for a communicative self-guiding automaton, according to another implementation; FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an exemplary communicative self-guiding automaton, according to one implementation; FIG.",
  "cpc": [
    "B25J 9/1676",
    "B25J 9/162",
    "B25J 9/1679",
    "G05D 1/0214",
    "G05D 1/028",
    "G06K 9/00362",
    "G06V 20/10",
    "G06V 40/10",
    "H04W 4/024",
    "H04W 4/33",
    "H04W 4/38"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 9/16",
    "G06K 9/00",
    "H04W 4/024",
    "H04W 4/33",
    "H04W 4/38"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "DISNEY ENTPR INC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "HONECK MICHAEL R",
    "SHORT SHELLEY O",
    "REES JERRY",
    "FREEMAN KYLE G",
    "ROUSE CORY J",
    "MIKA JEREMY A",
    "FUSCO MICHAEL"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-01-22",
  "publication_date": "2020-10-27",
  "grant_date": "2020-10-27",
  "priority_date": "2018-01-22",
  "application_number": "US-201815877192-A",
  "family_id": "67298407",
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}