Patent Publication Number: US-10759049-B2

Title: Service providing system, database, and service providing device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-114604 filed on Jun. 9, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a service providing system, a database, and a service providing device that provide at least information using a robot. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     A regional information discovery system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-191355 addresses the problem of utilizing a mobile body as an information collecting means, resulting in the discovery of information embedded within a region. 
     In order to solve this problem, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-191355 discloses that the mobile body records an in-vehicle image and an in-vehicle voice of the passenger, and using at least one from among a predetermined action, a predetermined utterance, or a predetermined operation of the passenger as a trigger, the in-vehicle image and the in-vehicle voice at that time are recorded as in-vehicle information in association with position information of the mobile body, and an outside-of-vehicle image captured by the mobile body at that time. 
     The mobile body management server receives and collects the in-vehicle information recorded in the mobile body, analyzes the in-vehicle image and the in-vehicle voice included in the in-vehicle information, correlates the outside-of-vehicle image with the position information of the image capturing location of the outside-of-vehicle image when the passenger makes the predetermined action, the predetermined utterance, or the predetermined operation, and stores it in a region discovery information database. Further, in the in-vehicle information recorded at this time, character information entered by the passenger at that location is included as additional information. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As discussed above, the regional information discovery system implemented by the mobile body described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-191355 is an information collecting system implemented by a mobile body (automatically driven vehicle), and collects information of the region on the basis of a momentary particular voice or a momentary particular action of the passenger. More specifically, the system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-191355 is a system for collecting information by a direct instruction made by the passenger. 
     On the other hand, events are held in which a person instructs a robot to perform various actions (walking, jumping, or the like). The aforementioned actions are performed in all cases by an instruction issued from a person. 
     In this manner, conventionally, the following matters are not assumed to take place. More specifically, it is not assumed that, without a person directly providing an instruction, information of an activity which has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority, is obtained by the robot taking actions by itself during a time period when the robot is idle. 
     Stated otherwise, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-191355 and the conventional art, there is no disclosure concerning voluntary actions and learning utilizing a robot. 
     The present invention has been devised with the aim of solving the aforementioned problem, and has the object of providing a service providing system and a service providing device in which, without a person directly providing an instruction, information of an activity which has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority, can be obtained by the robot taking voluntary actions and learning during a time period when the robot is idle, and such information can be presented to the person. 
     Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a database capable of providing information acquired or learned by the above-described robot to other robots, whereby information can be shared among a plurality of robots. 
     [1] A service providing system according to a first aspect of the invention includes a robot equipped with at least a sensor, a recognition unit, and a drive device, and a robot management device having at least a computer, and which is configured to manage and control the robot on the basis of at least an instruction from a subject, the robot management device including an idle time specifying unit configured to specify a time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot itself, an activity specifying unit configured to specify an activity that has yet to be experienced by the robot itself or the subject and that is of high priority, and an activity location specifying unit configured to specify a location where the activity is performed, wherein, on the basis of an instruction from the robot management device, in the specified time zone, the robot moves to the specified location, performs the specified activity, and provides information obtained through the activity, to the subject. 
     In accordance with these features, when an activity is specified, which has yet to be experienced by the robot itself or the subject and which is of high priority, the location where the activity is performed is specified. In addition, in the time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot itself, the robot itself moves to the specified location and performs the specified activity. The robot provides the information obtained through the activity of the robot itself to the subject. 
     Stated otherwise, by voluntary actions and learning utilizing the robot, without the subject directly providing an instruction, information of an activity which has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority, can be obtained by the robot taking actions by itself during a time period when the robot is idle, and such information can be presented to the subject. 
     [2] In the first aspect, there may further be provided a mobile body idle time specifying unit configured to specify an idle time period of a mobile body used for movement of the subject, wherein the robot may move to the specified location using the mobile body in the specified time zone and during the idle time period of the mobile body. 
     By using the mobile body, the range of movement of the robot is expanded. Moreover, if the mobile body is, for example, an automatically driven vehicle, various sensors provided in the automatically driven vehicle, and various sensors provided in the robot operate in cooperation, and are capable of sharing or complementing the travel information, action plans, etc., during driving, whereby it is possible to reduce the load for collecting information required for automated driving, and the time for collecting such information can be shortened. 
     [3] In the first aspect, the robot may measure an amount of exercise in the case that the subject performs the activity, and provides information concerning the amount of exercise to the subject. 
     [4] In the first aspect, the activity performed by the robot may be specified on the basis of a dialog that took place in the past between the robot and the subject. 
     [5] In the first aspect, the time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot itself may be specified on the basis of at least one of the content of an instruction by the subject, a schedule of the subject, and a lifestyle of the subject learned by the robot. 
     [6] In the first aspect, there may further be provided a server configured to carry out communications with the robot management device via a network, and a database connected to the server, and configured to store data collected by at least the robot management device. 
     In accordance with this feature, information obtained through activities of the robot itself can be accumulated in the database via the server, and therefore, there is no need to accumulate such information in the robot management device itself, and the storage capacity of the robot management device can be reduced. 
     [7] In the first aspect, instead of the robot management device, the server may be equipped with a portion of functions possessed by the robot management device. In accordance with this feature, it is possible to increase the processing speed of the robot management device. 
     [8] A database according to a second aspect of the invention is applied to the service providing system described above, wherein the database is configured to receive information acquired or learned by the robot, and to provide the information to another robot under a predetermined condition. 
     In accordance with this feature, by providing the information acquired or learned by the above-described robot to other robots, information can be shared among a plurality of robots. As a result, it becomes unnecessary for the plurality of robots to perform the same actions, and it is possible to easily obtain information of locations which are difficult to access, such as remote islands or overseas locations or the like, thereby enhancing the convenience of the service providing system. 
     [9] A service providing device according to a third aspect of the invention includes a memory configured to store therein an action plan for the robot itself, an arithmetic device configured to retrieve an idle time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot itself, by using information stored in the memory, an input device configured to receive content of utterance of a subject, an arithmetic device configured to specify an activity for obtaining information desired by the subject, based on the received content of utterance, an arithmetic device configured to access the memory installed in the robot or a storage device installed externally of the robot, to thereby specify a location where the activity is performed, a control device configured to cause the robot to, in the retrieved idle time zone, move to the specified location and perform the specified activity, a sensor configured to collect information obtained by the robot performing the activity, and an output device configured to provide the collected information to the subject through images or audio. 
     With the above features, it is possible to construct a service in which, by voluntary actions and learning utilizing the robot, things that the subject is normally thinking, and information desired by the subject can be obtained by the robot taking actions on its own, and such information can be presented to the subject. 
     The content of utterance by the subject includes the content of what the subject speaks, the content of what the subject shows by characters or pictures, characters or images displayed on a display screen of a portable information terminal or the like through operation made by the subject. 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a service providing system (service providing device) according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a configuration diagram showing an example of a robot in the service providing system (service providing device); 
         FIG. 3  is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case in which the robot itself collects information while walking or running; 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case in which the robot itself boards a public vehicle (a bus, a train, or the like) and collects information while riding thereon; 
         FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case in which the robot itself boards an automatically driven vehicle and collects information while riding thereon; 
         FIG. 6  is a configuration diagram showing another example of the service providing system (service providing device); 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing process operations of the service providing system (service providing device); 
         FIG. 8A  is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example in which a robot directly provides data and the like to a nearby robot; 
         FIG. 8B  is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example in which a robot provides data and the like to one or a plurality of robots via a network; and 
         FIG. 9  is a configuration diagram showing an example in which a robot management device is installed externally of a robot. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of a service providing system, a database, and a service providing device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 9 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the service providing system  10  (service providing device  1000 ) according to the present embodiment includes at least one robot  12  which is installed, for example, in one or more homes. 
     The robot  12  is a humanoid robot having a drive device  300  (see  FIG. 2 ) for a head  12   a , a torso  12   b , two arm portions  12   c , two leg portions  12   d , and the like, and the robot  12  is an autonomous traveling robot which can move by itself. The robot  12  moves the arm portions  12   c  and the leg portions  12   d , for example, according to an action schedule and action plans stored in a memory  14  (see  FIG. 2 ), and performs movements and various operations. 
     The robot  12  provides assistance to a subject  16  on a daily basis. As examples of the subject  16 , there may be cited an owner of the robot  12 , a family member of the owner, or the like. As examples of providing assistance, there may be cited, for example, house cleaning, car cleaning, garden cleaning, cooking, dropping off or picking up children, etc. (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 5170565, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-026092, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2014-011951, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-363956). 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the robot  12  is equipped with various recognition units  100 , various sensors  200 , and various input devices  400 . As the recognition units  100 , there are included a text recognition unit  102 , an image recognition unit  104 , a voice recognition unit  106 , an emotion recognition unit  108 , a degree of fatigue recognition unit  110  that recognizes the degree of fatigue of the subject  16 , and the like. As the sensors  200 , there are included an electromagnetic wave sensor  202  for recognizing emotions of the subject  16 , a movement distance sensor  204  for measuring the distance that the robot  12  moves, a GPS sensor  206  for detecting the current position of the robot  12 , and the like. As the input devices  400 , there are included a camera  402  that captures images in the surrounding vicinity, an image memory  404  that records the captured surrounding images, and a microphone  406  that collects, for example, ambient sounds. 
     The text recognition unit  102  recognizes characters in the surrounding vicinity, grasps the content of written documents, and recognizes text data input by the subject  16 . For example, the text recognition unit  102  recognizes the surrounding characters from the images recorded in the image memory  404 , by using, for example, a pattern matching method or the like. Further, the text recognition unit  102  also grasps the content of written documents, and recognizes text data input by the subject  16 , on the basis of the recognized characters, previously incorporated dictionary data, translation software, and the like. 
     Based on the content recognized by the text recognition unit  102 , the emotion recognition unit  108  recognizes the emotions of the subject  16  from documents written, or text data input by the subject  16  (refer, for example, to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-514220 (PCT). 
     The image recognition unit  104  recognizes objects (roads, buildings, automobiles, furniture, people, animals, etc.) in the surrounding vicinity. For example, the image recognition unit  104  recognizes the surrounding objects from the images recorded in the image memory  404 , by using, for example, a pattern matching method or the like. 
     The emotion recognition unit  108  recognizes the emotions of the subject  16 , for example, from facial expressions of the subject  16  which are recognized by the image recognition unit  104 . On the basis of facial expressions of the subject  16  as recognized by the image recognition unit  104 , and a table or the like, in which there are recorded a correspondence relationship between the emotions and previously stored facial expressions, the emotion recognition unit  108  recognizes the emotions of the subject  16 . 
     In addition to recognizing ambient sounds, the voice recognition unit  106  recognizes words uttered by the subject  16 . The voice recognition unit  106  recognizes the words that are uttered by the subject  16 , for example, on the basis of ambient sounds input through the microphone  406 , and previously incorporated dictionary data, translation software, and the like. The emotion recognition unit  108  recognizes the emotions of the subject  16 , for example, from sounds (words) uttered by the subject  16  and recognized by the voice recognition unit  106 . 
     Further, the emotion recognition unit  108  recognizes the emotions of the subject  16 , for example, on the basis of data detected by the electromagnetic wave sensor  202  (see, http://news.mit.edu/2016/detecting-emotions-with-wireless-signals-0920). 
     On the basis of the movement distance of the robot  12  measured by the movement distance sensor  204 , the degree of fatigue recognition unit  110  detects an amount of exercise exerted in the case that the subject  16  has moved such a distance, converts the detected amount of exercise into calories, and recognizes the degree of fatigue of the subject  16  as a numerical value. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the robot  12  includes a robot management device  18  incorporated therein. The robot management device  18  includes a needs recognition functional unit  20  (an activity specifying unit  20   a  and a location specifying unit  20   b ), a schedule management functional unit  22 , an action plan functional unit  24 , an information collecting functional unit  26 , and an information outputting functional unit  28 . 
     The robot management device  18  includes a computer  19  constituted by one or a plurality of CPUs (central processing units), and is equipped with various functional units (the above-described needs recognition functional unit  20  and the like) in addition to a non-illustrated main memory. Moreover, according to the present embodiment, the various functional units are software based functional units, in which the various functions thereof are realized by the CPUs executing programs stored in the main memory. However, the various functions thereof can also be realized by hardware based functional units made up from integrated circuits such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or the like. 
     Further, the robot management device  18  is connected via a network  30  to a cloud type database (hereinafter referred to as the cloud  32 ). The cloud  32  carries out exchange of data between the robot  12  and a database  36  through the network  30  and a server  34  which is connected to the network  30 . 
     The needs recognition functional unit  20  realizes a function of recognizing what is necessary for enhancing the ability of the robot  12  itself from the standpoint of a need of the subject  16 . 
     For example, from cases of past failure, e.g., the case that the emotional state of the subject  16  changes in a minus direction due to an action of the robot  12  itself, the robot  12  itself specifies information that is missing. 
     Information desired by the subject  16  is specified from a dialog that took place in the past with the subject  16 , for example, from keywords with high frequency, or keywords accompanying emotional changes. Past behavior information (including conversation information) of the subject  16  may be obtained from a mobile terminal, a wearable device, a mobile body or the like of the subject  16 , and information desired by the subject  16  may be estimated thereby. 
     Whether or not the specified information exists in the memory  14  or the cloud  32  is confirmed, and information that is absent or missing is recognized as information that is necessary for “self-development”, or more specifically, as information of an activity that has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority. The activity specifying unit  20   a  accesses the memory  14  or the cloud  32  to thereby specify an “activity” which is needed in order to obtain the information. The location specifying unit  20   b  (activity location specifying unit) accesses the memory  14  or the cloud  32  to thereby specify a “location” related to the specified “activity” which is needed in order to obtain the information. If the “activity” and the “location” do not exist in the memory  14  or the cloud  32 , a dialog is initiated with the subject  16  or a cloud administrator, whereby the “activity” and the “location” are specified. In addition, the information of the specified “activity” and “location” is stored in the memory  14 . 
     As the “activity” and “location”, for example, there may be cited an action that differs from one that occurs ordinarily or on a daily basis for the subject  16 , for example, going to a specific golf course and playing golf, or traveling to a specific sightseeing spot with a handicapped person. 
     The schedule management functional unit  22  includes a robot time zone management unit  22   a  (idle time specifying unit) and a mobile body time zone management unit  22   b  (mobile body idle time specifying unit). As the mobile body, there may be cited, for example, an automatically driven vehicle  42  (see  FIG. 5 ) or the like, which is used by the subject  16  and the robot  12 . 
     The robot time zone management unit  22   a  manages a routine time zone during which normal routine actions (such as providing assistance to the subject  16  on a daily basis) are executed, and a non-routine time zone during which non-routine actions that are not normal routine actions are executed. 
     The non-routine time zone signifies a time zone, from within the idle time period of the robot  12  itself, in which the robot acts for the purpose of collecting information, based on the “activity” and the “location” specified by the above-described needs recognition functional unit  20 . In the case that the robot  12  collects information using a mobile body, such a time zone is specified on the basis of the idle time period of the robot  12 , and an idle time period of the mobile body, which is specified by the mobile body time zone management unit  22   b.    
     The idle time period of the robot  12  is specified on the basis of at least an instruction from the subject  16  (for example, a household chore such as cleaning or the like), a schedule of the subject  16  (for example, a schedule recorded in a mobile terminal), and a lifestyle of the subject  16  as learned by the robot  12  (for example, a time of departure or returning home, a time of picking up or dropping off children, ways in which leisure time is spent, or the like). The routine time zone, the non-routine time zone, the idle time period, and the idle time period of the mobile body are stored in the memory  14 . 
     The mobile body time zone management unit  22   b  manages the time period during which the mobile body is used. For example, based on the schedule of the subject  16 , the time zone during which the subject  16  uses the automatically driven vehicle  42  is specified. In accordance with this specification, the idle time period of the mobile body, and in this case, the idle time period of the automatically driven vehicle  42  is also specified. Of course, there may be a plurality of mobile bodies. 
     The action plan functional unit  24  includes a routine action plan creation unit  24   a  and a non-routine action plan creation unit  24   b.    
     The routine action plan creation unit  24   a  creates action plans required for the robot  12  to perform routine actions. For example, operation procedures of the arm portions, the leg portions, or the like, which are necessary for realizing preset daily assistance, are created. The operation procedures related to such routine actions are also stored in the memory  14 . 
     The non-routine action plan creation unit  24   b  creates an action plan necessary in order to execute a new action, which differs from daily occurrences, and which is executed in the non-routine time zone specified by the schedule management functional unit  22 , and more specifically, an action (non-routine action) for the purpose of collecting information on the basis of the “activity” and the “location” specified by the aforementioned needs recognition functional unit  20 . As described above, the non-routine action is an action based on the “activity” and “location” specified by the needs recognition functional unit  20 , and is indicative of an action that differs from daily occurrences. 
     Also, in the non-routine action plan creation unit  24   b , for example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , an action plan for a case in which the robot  12  itself walks or runs to go to the specified “location”, as shown in  FIG. 4 , an action plan for a case in which the robot  12  itself boards a public vehicle  40  (a bus, a train, or the like) to go to the specified “location”, and as shown in  FIG. 5 , an action plan for a case in which the robot  12  itself boards the automatically driven vehicle  42  to go to the specified “location” are also created. The operation procedures related to such non-routine actions are also stored in the memory  14 . 
     Moreover, based on the current position of the robot  12  as shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , instructions and corrections of the actions of the robot  12  on the basis of the created action plans are performed by the robot management device  18 . Of course, instructions and corrections of the actions of the robot  12  may be transmitted from the cloud  32  to the robot  12  via the network  30 , based on information such as the current position of the robot  12  or the like. As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the automatically driven vehicle  42  is used, the instructions and corrections are also transmitted to the automatically driven vehicle  42  from the robot management device  18  and the cloud  32 . 
     In this instance, upon creating the non-routine action plan, in the case that the time period during which the robot  12  operates in order to execute the non-routine actions does not fit within the non-routine time zone, the non-routine action is divided into a plurality of partial actions, which are executed in order from the highest priority (portions which could not be executed at the present time are performed the next time). Alternatively, the time zone of a routine action of low priority may be modified, and the non-routine time zone may be enlarged so that execution of the non-routine action can be completed therein. In such a case, in order to confirm the priority of the actions to be performed by the robot  12 , before execution of the non-routine action, whether to execute the plan that was set up by the robot  12  itself may be confirmed with the subject  16 . 
     The information collecting functional unit  26  obtains traffic conditions for a case in which the subject  16  makes a round trip between the location where the subject  16  is situated and the above-described specified “location”, using various sensors provided in the robot  12  corresponding to the five human senses, and calculates the degree of fatigue of the subject  16  assuming a case in which the subject  16  makes such a round trip. 
     In particular, in the case that the robot  12  performs an action by boarding the automatically driven vehicle  42 , the various sensors of the robot  12  cooperate with the various sensors provided in the automatically driven vehicle  42 , whereby collection of information may be shared or supplemented therebetween. In addition, the energy (for example, electric power) necessary for activities such as collection of information or the like by the robot  12  may be supplied from the automatically driven vehicle  42  to the robot  12 . 
     In addition to general information, the information to be collected includes specialized information for the subject  16 , for example, information conforming to the physical constitution and hobbies or the like of the subject  16 . The collected information is stored in the memory  14 . 
     Further, in the case that the specified “activity” is executed at a specified “location”, the procedure therefor, and information concerning, for example, in the case of golf play, the sense of distance to the green, the sense of distance to the bunker, and actions that deserve special attention (e.g., how to deal with the ball falling into the bunker, actions regarded as breach of the manners of golf play, or the like) are collected. Further, the degree of fatigue or the like in a case of playing nine holes or eighteen holes of golf is calculated. 
     If traveling with a handicapped person, information concerning routes to go to a sightseeing spot or barrier-free points at the sightseeing spot, information on positions of points where walking is difficult such as a staircase or the like, and information concerning the arrival and departure of fixed route buses or specialized temporary buses are collected. In addition, the degree of fatigue of the subject  16  due to walking or the like at the sightseeing spot is also calculated. 
     The information outputting functional unit  28  provides the information collected by the information collecting functional unit  26  to the subject  16  by way of only audio or only images or both of images and audio, etc. For example, to the robot management device  18 , an output device  506  having at least one of a speaker  500 , a display  502 , and a projector  504  is connected. The information outputting functional unit  28  provides the information collected by the information collecting functional unit  26  to the subject  16  by way of images and audio or the like through the output device  506 . Of course, in addition to images and audio, the robot  12  may convey the information with a mixture of body and hand gestures. 
     In providing such information, in the event there are plural pieces of information, priorities may be assigned to the information in advance, and the information may be provided in a descending order of priority. The order of priority may be determined based on, for example, the degree of similarity with preferences of the subject  16 . In the case that questions have been asked from the subject  16 , information matching with the answers to the questions may be provided, and the order of priority of such information may be rearranged based on the degree of similarity with the questions. 
     The various information stored in the memory  14  is transmitted to the cloud  32  via the network  30 , and is stored in the cloud  32 . More specifically, the data (including learned AI) acquired or learned by the robot  12  can be uploaded to the cloud  32 . In this case, an incentive (including money) may be granted to the subject  16  (for example, the owner of the robot  12 ) as a condition for such uploading of data. 
     If a plurality of robots  12  are connected to the cloud  32  via respective robot management devices  18 , it is also possible to download the data acquired or learned by other robots  12 . In this case, as a condition for downloading of data, it may be conditioned on the subject  16  (for example, the owner of the robot  12 ) paying compensation or consideration to the cloud administrator. Such incentives and considerations may be changed in accordance with the value of the information exchanged (the difficulty in obtaining, the novelty, etc., of the data). 
     By being conditioned in this manner, the cloud administrator can use the difference between the aforementioned income (consideration) and expenditures (incentives) as an operation cost, and an individual cloud-based business can be constructed which utilizes the robots  12  (and the automatically driven vehicle  42 ). 
     In the examples discussed above, an example was illustrated in which the needs recognition functional unit  20 , the schedule management functional unit  22 , the action plan functional unit  24 , the information collecting functional unit  26 , and the information outputting functional unit  28  are provided in the robot management device  18  that is incorporated in the robot  12 . However, the invention is not limited to this feature, and a portion or all of the aforementioned functions may be possessed by the server  34  of the cloud  32 . For example, as shown in the service providing system  10   a  (service providing device  1000   a ) according to the modified example shown in  FIG. 6 , the server  34  of the cloud  32  may possess the needs recognition functional unit  20  and the schedule management functional unit  22 . Of course, either one of the needs recognition functional unit  20  and the schedule management functional unit  22  may be provided in the server  34 . In accordance with this feature, it is possible to increase the processing speed of the robot management device  18 , as well as reduce the storage capacity of the memory  14 . 
     Next, process operations of the service providing system  10  according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 7 . 
     First, in step S 1  of  FIG. 7 , the needs recognition functional unit  20  specifies information desired by the subject  16  from keywords with high frequency, or keywords accompanying emotional changes, which were acquired, for example, through a dialog that took place in the past between the subject  16  and the robot  12 . 
     In step S 2 , the needs recognition functional unit  20  confirms whether or not the information specified in step S 1  exists in the memory  14  or the cloud  32 , and recognizes information that is absent or missing as information necessary for “self-development”, or more specifically, as information of an activity that has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority. 
     In step S 3 , the activity specifying unit  20   a  accesses the memory  14  or the cloud  32  to thereby specify an “activity” needed in order to obtain the recognized information necessary for “self-development”, and the location specifying unit  20   b  accesses the memory  14  or the cloud  32  to thereby specify a “location” related to the specified “activity” which is needed in order to obtain the information. If the “activity” and the “location” do not exist in the memory  14  or the cloud  32 , for example, a dialog is initiated with the subject  16  or a cloud administrator, whereby the “activity” and the “location” are specified. 
     In step S 4 , from within an idle time period of the robot  12  itself, the schedule management functional unit  22  specifies a non-routine time zone in which an act for the purpose of collecting information on the basis of the “activity” and the “location” specified by the needs recognition functional unit  20  is performed. 
     In step S 5 , the non-routine action plan creation unit  24   b  creates an action plan necessary in order to execute a non-routine action (an action for the purpose of collecting information on the basis of the “activity” and the “location” specified by the aforementioned needs recognition functional unit  20 ) which is executed in the non-routine time zone. 
     In step S 6 , in accordance with the created action plan, the information collecting functional unit  26  executes an action for collecting information on the basis of the specified “activity” and “location”. 
     In step S 7 , the information outputting functional unit  28  provides the information collected by the information collecting functional unit  26  to the subject  16 , for example, by way of images and audio or the like. 
     In the foregoing manner, the service providing system  10  according to the present embodiment comprises the robot  12  which acts on the basis of at least an instruction from the subject  16 , the robot time zone management unit  22   a  that specifies a time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot  12  itself, the activity specifying unit  20   a  that specifies an activity that has yet to be experienced by the robot  12  itself or the subject  16  and that is of high priority, and the location specifying unit  20   b  that specifies the location where the activity is performed, wherein, in the specified time zone, the robot  12  moves to the specified location, performs the specified activity, and provides information obtained by the activity to the subject  16 . 
     In accordance with these features, when an activity is specified, which has yet to be experienced by the robot  12  itself or the subject  16  and which is of high priority, the location where the activity is performed is specified. In addition, in the time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot  12  itself, the robot  12  itself moves to the specified location and performs the specified activity. The robot  12  provides the information obtained through the activity of the robot  12  itself to the subject  16 . 
     By voluntary actions and learning utilizing the robot  12 , without the subject  16  directly providing an instruction, information of an activity which has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority, can be obtained by the robot  12  taking actions by itself during a time period when the robot  12  is idle, and the information can be presented to the subject  16 . 
     Stated otherwise, it is possible to construct a service in which, by voluntary actions and learning utilizing the robot  12 , things that the subject  16  is normally thinking, and information desired by the subject  16  can be obtained by the robot  12  taking actions on its own, and such information can be presented to the subject  16 . 
     In addition, in the present embodiment, there may further be provided the mobile body time zone management unit  22   b  configured to specify an idle time period of a mobile body (for example, the automatically driven vehicle  42 ) used for movement of the subject  16 , wherein the robot  12  moves to the specified location using the mobile body in the specified time zone and during the idle time period of the mobile body. 
     By using the mobile body, the range of movement of the robot  12  is expanded. Moreover, if the mobile body is, for example, the automatically driven vehicle  42 , the various sensors provided in the automatically driven vehicle  42 , and the various sensors provided in the robot  12  operate in cooperation, and are capable of sharing or complementing the travel information, action plans, etc., during driving. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the load for collecting information required for automated driving, and the time for collecting such information can be shortened. 
     Further, in the present embodiment, there are included the robot  12  equipped with at least a sensor, a recognition unit, and a drive device, and the robot management device  18  having at least a computer, and which is configured to manage and control the robot  12  on the basis of at least an instruction from the subject  16 , the robot management device  18  including the robot time zone management unit  22   a  configured to specify a time zone in which there is no action plan, the activity specifying unit  20   a  configured to specify an activity that has yet to be experienced by the robot  12  itself or the subject  16  and that is of high priority, and the location specifying unit  20   b  configured to specify the location where the activity is performed, wherein, on the basis of an instruction from the robot management device  18 , in the specified time zone, the robot  12  moves to the specified location, performs the specified activity, and provides information obtained through the activity to the subject  16 . 
     Stated otherwise, by voluntary actions and learning utilizing the robot  12 , without the subject  16  directly providing an instruction, information of an activity which has not yet been experienced, and which is an activity of high priority, can be obtained by the robot  12  taking actions by itself during a time period when the robot  12  is idle, and the information can be presented to the subject  16 . 
     Further, in the present embodiment, there may further be included the server  34  configured to carry out communications with the robot management device  18  via the network  30 , and the database  36  connected to the server  34 , and configured to store the data collected by at least the robot management device  18 . 
     In accordance with this feature, information obtained through activities of the robot  12  itself can be accumulated in the database  36  via the server  34 , and therefore, there is no need to accumulate such information in the robot management device  18  itself, and the storage capacity of the robot management device  18  can be reduced. 
     Further, in the present embodiment, instead of the robot management device  18 , the server  34  may be equipped with a portion of the functions possessed by the robot management device  18 . In accordance with this feature, it is possible to increase the processing speed of the robot management device  18 . 
     Further, the cloud  32  according to the present embodiment is a database which is applied to the service providing system  10   a , wherein the cloud  32  receives information acquired or learned by the robot  12 , and provides the information to another robot under a predetermined condition. 
     In accordance with this feature, by providing the information acquired or learned by the robot  12  to other robots  12 , information can be shared among a plurality of robots  12 . As a result, it becomes unnecessary for the plurality of robots to perform the same actions, and it is possible to easily obtain information of locations that are difficult to access, such as remote islands or overseas locations or the like, thereby enhancing the convenience of the service providing system  10   a.    
     According to the present embodiment, the service providing device  1000  ( 1000   a ) includes the memory  14  configured to store therein an action plan for the robot  12  itself, an arithmetic device (the robot management device  18  having the robot time zone management unit  22   a , or the server  34 ) configured to retrieve an idle time zone in which there is no action plan for the robot  12  itself, by using information stored in the memory  14 , an input device  400  configured to receive content of utterance of the subject  16 , an arithmetic device (the robot management device  18  having the activity specifying unit  20   a , or the server  34 ) configured to specify an activity for obtaining information desired by the subject  16 , based on the received content of utterance, the arithmetic device (the robot management device  18  having the location specifying unit  20   b , or the server  34 ) configured to access the memory  14  installed in the robot  12  or a storage device  36  installed externally of the robot  12 , to thereby specify a location where the activity is performed, a control device (the robot management device  18  having the action plan functional unit  24 ) configured to cause the robot  12  to, in the retrieved idle time zone, move to the specified location and perform the specified activity, a sensor  200  configured to collect information obtained by the robot  12  performing the activity, and an output device  506  configured to provide the collected information to the subject  16  through images or audio. 
     With the above features, it is possible to construct a service in which, by voluntary actions and learning utilizing the robot  12 , things that the subject  16  is normally thinking, and information desired by the subject  16  can be obtained by the robot  12  taking actions on its own, and such information can be presented to the subject  16 . 
     Moreover, it is a matter of course that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be freely modified within a range that does not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
     For example, information of a foreign country may be collected using robots performing activities in such a foreign country, and the information may be reflected, for example, in the robot management device  18  of a robot  12  owned by a subject  16  in his or her home country. For example, an action plan or the like for the purpose of collecting information over the foreign country may be reflected therein. Further, the robot  12  may be made to interact with a celebrity or a prominent figure, the robot  12  may grow or undergo development, and data, learned AI, or the like of the robot  12  that has undergone development may be provided to another robot for a fee. In this case, for example, as shown in  FIG. 8A , the robot  12  that has undergone development may directly provide the data, or the learned AI, etc., to a nearby robot  12 A, or as shown in  FIG. 8B , the robot  12  that has undergone development may provide the data, the learned AI, etc., to one robot  12 A or a plurality of robots  12 A,  12 B, etc., via the network  30 . 
     Further, in the examples discussed above, an example was illustrated in which the robot management device  18  is provided in the robot  12 , however, in addition thereto, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the robot management device  18  may be installed externally of the robot  12 , and the robot  12  and the robot management device  18  may communicate with each other via the network  30 . In this case, it is possible to increase the signal processing speed of the robot  12 . Of course, it is also possible to increase the number and types of the various recognition units and the various sensor units that are mounted on the robot  12 .