Interaction system, interaction method, and program

{
  "publication_number": "US11210060B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Interaction system, interaction method, and program",
  "abstract": "An interaction system capable of making a user form an attachment to a particular interaction model is provided. A first interaction model is configured so that a communication function expressed to a user is improved from an initial state through communication with the user. A second interaction model is configured to interact with the user by a communication function better than the initial state of the first interaction model, and to make a speech for the user, the speech being made so as to support the improvement of the communication function of the first interaction model.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An interaction system configured to communicate with a user at least through an interaction with the user, comprising a control unit having a central processing unit configured to execute at least a first interaction model and a second interaction model each of which is configured to at least interact with the user, wherein the first interaction model is configured so that a communication function expressed to the user is improved from an initial state through communication with the user, and the second interaction model is configured to interact with the user by a communication function better than the initial state of the first interaction model, and to make a speech for the user, the speech being made so as to support the improvement of the communication function of the first interaction model, wherein the speech indicates an action that the user should perform in order to improve the communication function of the first interaction model, and wherein the second interaction model is configured so that a communication function expressed to the user is not improved from an initial state.",
    "2. The interaction system according to claim 1, wherein the second interaction model acquires a state of the first interaction model and provides a support according to the state.",
    "3. The interaction system according to claim 2, wherein the second interaction model provides a support when it is determined that the improvement of the communication function of the first interaction model is stagnating.",
    "4. The interaction system according to claim 1, wherein the second interaction model makes the speech for indicating the action to the user by using a character string.",
    "5. The interaction system according to claim 1, wherein at least the first interaction model is implemented in the form of a virtual character in a user terminal, and the interaction system further comprises an information transmission unit configured to transmit information about the improved communication function of the first interaction model to an actual communication robot corresponding to the first interaction model.",
    "6. An interaction method performed by using an interaction system comprising a control unit having a central processing unit configured to execute a first interaction model and a second interaction model, the interaction system configured to communicate with a user at least through an interaction with the user, comprising: implementing, with the central processing unit, the first interaction model configured so that a communication function expressed to the user is improved from an initial state through communication with the user, and implementing, with the central processing unit, the second interaction model configured to interact with the user by a communication function better than the initial state of the first interaction model, and to make a speech for the user, the speech being made so as to support the improvement of the communication function of the first interaction model, wherein the speech indicates an action that the user should perform in order to improve the communication function of the first interaction model, and wherein the second interaction model is configured so that a communication function expressed to the user is not improved from an initial state.",
    "7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for performing an interaction method performed by using an interaction system configured to communicate with a user at least through an interaction with the user, the program being adapted to cause a computer to execute: a function of implementing a first interaction model configured so that a communication function expressed to the user is improved from an initial state through communication with the user, and a function of implementing a second interaction model configured to interact with the user by a communication function better than the initial state of the first interaction model, and to make a speech for the user, the speech being made so as to support the improvement of the communication function of the first interaction model, wherein the speech indicates an action that the user should perform in order to improve the communication function of the first interaction model, and wherein the second interaction model is configured so that a communication function expressed to the user is not improved from an initial state."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to an interaction system, an interaction method, and a program. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an interaction system, an interaction method, and a program for interacting with a user.\n\nAn interaction system that autonomously interacts with a user has been known. In relation to this technique, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-207693 discloses an interaction system that leads, by means of two agents (robots), user's speech (i.e., user's talk) to within a range in which conditions for enabling the interaction system to acquire the user's speech are satisfied, and thereby continue the interaction (i.e., the conversation) with the user for a long time.\n\nIn the interaction system according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-207693, after a first agent presents a first speech, a second agent presents a speech for encouraging the user to speak in response to the first speech. As a result, by the speech of the second agent, the user's speech is led to within the range in which the conditions for enabling the interaction system to acquire the user's speech are satisfied. Therefore, by interacting with the user by using the two agents (two interaction models), the interaction system can smoothly interact with (i.e., smoothly talk with) the user.\n\nThere are cases in which it is necessary to induce a user to have a strong attachment to a particular robot (a particular interaction model) by a sales promotion of the robot or the like. However, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 3/167",
    "B25J 11/0005",
    "B25J 13/06",
    "G05B 19/042",
    "G06F 16/3329",
    "G06N 20/00",
    "G06N 3/006",
    "G06N 3/008"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 11/00",
    "G06F 3/048",
    "G06F 3/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Toyota Motor Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Mina FUNAZUKURI",
    "Tomoya Takatani"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-02-07",
  "publication_date": "2021-12-28",
  "grant_date": "2021-12-28",
  "priority_date": "2019-02-26",
  "application_number": "US-202016784853-A",
  "family_id": "72142951",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US20150193111A1",
    "JP2017207693A",
    "US20190332400A1",
    "US20200075007A1",
    "US20200097247A1"
  ]
}