Abstract: A movement information calculator calculates a moving direction and a speed of the moving person from a position history database. An approach time calculator calculates an approach time at which an autonomous running apparatus and the moving person approach to each other within a predetermined distance from the moving person's position, moving direction, and speed, and the running information. A gaze position obtaining unit obtains a moving person's gaze position from the moving person's position and moving direction, and the position of an obstacle recorded in an obstacle database. A gaze region calculator calculates a moving person's gaze region from the moving person's position, moving direction, and gaze position. A running information generator generates running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run to the gaze region at a predetermined time earlier than the approach time from the obstacle's position, the approach time, and the gaze region.

Abstract: An attribute about person's mobility capability is judged by a human movement attribute acquisition unit. Candidate paths for a detected person to move along are created by a human path candidate creation unit based on information about the person and a predicted time left for a collision between the autonomous locomotion apparatus and the person. A movement load for each candidate path is evaluated by a human path load evaluation unit based on an attribute of person's movement. A path which imposes a minimum movement load on the person, i.e., a path suitable for the person's mobility capability and the easiest for the person to avoid the autonomous locomotion apparatus is selected by a human path determination unit. A path for the autonomous locomotion apparatus to guide the person to the selected path is planned by a guide path planning unit.

Abstract: The autonomous locomotion apparatus has a human information acquisition unit which detects a person. When there is probability of contact between the detected person and the autonomous locomotion apparatus based on movement information of the person, the autonomous locomotion apparatus controls a traveling speed or a rotational speed of the autonomous locomotion apparatus to perform a guide operation which presents a path of the autonomous locomotion apparatus which is intended to cause the person to predict, so that it causes the person to avoid the path without giving the person a sense of uneasiness.

Abstract: In a running control method of a running apparatus, person moving direction and speed are estimated based on a person position history for predetermined time. It is decided whether contact with a person is likely to be made based on the estimation and running information about the running apparatus. When it is decided that the contact is likely to be made, a first route where the running apparatus avoids the person is generated for controlling running of the running apparatus therealong. It is decided whether the person has the intention to contact with the running apparatus based on the decision in the contact possibility deciding unit after the running along the first route. When it is decided that the person has the contact intention, a second route where the running apparatus approaches the person is generated for controlling the running of the running apparatus therealong.

Abstract: In a case of receiving, from an audio input device, instruction information including first audio information indicating operation instructions for a cooking appliance when first and second cooking units are executing first and second cooking programs, respectively, operation instructions are recognized from the first audio information. In a case where it is determined that the instruction information includes second audio information related to the first cooking menu information or the second cooking menu information, a control command is transmitted to the cooking appliance to cause the cooking appliance to execute a process corresponding to the operation instructions, without executing a process according to the first cooking program or the second cooking program corresponding to one of the first cooking menu information or the second cooking menu information to which the second audio information is related.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a supply device according to a user's speech in a speech-based equipment control system. The s system periodically updates a current quantity of a material that has already been supplied, and ascertains an already-supplied quantity. A first specific quantity is stored in the system, which is a quantity of the prescribed material to be supplied as designated by a user using speech. The instruction is received to change the first specific quantity to a second specific quantity, and if the second specific quantity is greater than the already-supplied quantity at the current time, the prescribed material is supplied until the already-supplied quantity reaches the second specific quantity.

Abstract: An exemplary electronic device is in a housing to be gripped by both hands, and measures the potentials of first and second fingers of respectively different hands. The device includes: a first electrode group provided in a position to come in contact with the first finger, including a first main electrode and at least one first auxiliary electrode provided in a position away from the first main electrode; a second electrode group provided in a position to come in contact with the second finger, including a second main electrode and at least one second auxiliary electrode provided in a position away from the second main electrode; a biological signal processor for, from potential values measured at the first and second electrode groups, determining respective contact states concerning the first and second fingers; and a transmission circuit for presenting information concerning a finger contact state based on a result of determination.

Abstract: An exemplary electronic device is in a housing to be gripped by a right hand and a left hand of a user, and has a plurality of manipulable portions. The electronic device includes: electrodes placed at positions which come in contact with the right hand and left hand of the user gripping the housing; an extractor for extracting an electrocardiographic component of the user from a potential difference between the electrodes; a determination section for determining whether the extracted electrocardiographic component is in a positive direction or a negative direction by referring to a prestored criterion; and a change section for, in accordance with a result of determination by the determination section, changing assignment between each of the plurality of manipulable portions and a manipulation signal generated in response to a manipulation.

Abstract: An attribute about person's mobility capability is judged by a human movement attribute acquisition unit. Candidate paths for a detected person to move along are created by a human path candidate creation unit based on information about the person and a predicted time left for a collision between the autonomous locomotion apparatus and the person. A movement load for each candidate path is evaluated by a human path load evaluation unit based on an attribute of person's movement. A path which imposes a minimum movement load on the person, i.e., a path suitable for the person's mobility capability and the easiest for the person to avoid the autonomous locomotion apparatus is selected by a human path determination unit. A path for the autonomous locomotion apparatus to guide the person to the selected path is planned by a guide path planning unit.

Abstract: The autonomous locomotion apparatus has a human information acquisition unit which detects a person. When there is probability of contact between the detected person and the autonomous locomotion apparatus based on movement information of the person, the autonomous locomotion apparatus controls a traveling speed or a rotational speed of the autonomous locomotion apparatus to perform a guide operation which presents a path of the autonomous locomotion apparatus which is intended to cause the person to predict, so that it causes the person to avoid the path without giving the person a sense of uneasiness.

Abstract: A person is detected by an observer device. A person detection history is recorded in a person detection history database. A position where the person is detected for the first time is estimated by a first-time detection position estimating unit, to be stored in a first-time detection position history database. The position of the door of the room in terms of local coordinates is estimated by a doorway position estimating unit. The calibration information as to the position of the observer device is calculated by a position calibration information calculating unit based on the door position in terms of local coordinates and that in terms of global coordinates.

Abstract: An object-state change determination unit calculates a correspondence relationship between each of a plurality of observed values obtained from a plurality of objects and each of a plurality of the latest object states to be recorded in an object state information storage unit, and determines presence or absence of a change in the object state so that only in a case where there is a change in the object state, an object position is estimated with high precision by using a batch estimation unit, while in the case of no change in the object state, the result of a position estimation of the object with high precision, recorded in the object state information storage unit, is outputted as a result of an object position estimation.

Abstract: A person is detected by an observer device. A person detection history is recorded in a person detection history database. A position where the person is detected for the first time is estimated by a first-time detection position estimating unit, to be stored in a first-time detection position history database. The position of the door of the room in terms of local coordinates is estimated by a doorway position estimating unit. The calibration information as to the position of the observer device is calculated by a position calibration information calculating unit based on the door position in terms of local coordinates and that in terms of global coordinates.

Abstract: A text edit apparatus which presents, based on language analysis information regarding a text, a portion of the text where voice quality may change when the text is read aloud has advantages of predicting likelihood of the voice quality change and judging whether or not the voice quality change will occur.

Abstract: A text edit apparatus which presents, based on language analysis information regarding a text, a portion of the text where voice quality may change when the text is read aloud has advantages of predicting likelihood of the voice quality change and judging whether or not the voice quality change will occur.

Abstract: A speech synthesis system for storing in advance a degree of modification of prosodic data in a prosodic data modifying rule apparatus, the degree of modification corresponding to an approximate cost and being stored as a modifying rule, a prosodic data retrieving section for retrieving a prosodic data stored corresponding to a key data for use in retrieval, the prosodic data retrieved according to a degree of matching between the input data and the key data, the degree of matching represented by the approximate cost, a modifying section for modifying the retrieved prosodic data based on the degree of matching and the modifying rule stored in the prosodic data modifying rule means, and an output section for outputting synthesized speech based on the input data and the modified prosodic data.