US 12,046,231 B2
Conversation facilitating method and electronic device using the same
David Ayllón Álvarez, Reseda, CA (US); Adam David King, Los Angeles, CA (US); Zhen Xiu, Chino Hills, CA (US); and Huan Tan, Pasadena, CA (US)
Assigned to UBKANG (QINGDAO) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Qingdao (CN)
Filed by UBKang (Qingdao) Technology Co., Ltd., Qingdao (CN)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/394,416.
Prior Publication US 2023/0041272 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. G10L 15/16 (2006.01); G10L 15/22 (2006.01); G10L 15/26 (2006.01); G10L 17/00 (2013.01); G10L 17/22 (2013.01)
CPC G10L 15/16 (2013.01) [G10L 15/22 (2013.01); G10L 2015/227 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented conversation facilitating method, comprising:
providing a robot comprises a camera, a microphone, a speaker and a processor, wherein the camera, the microphone and the speaker are electrically connected to the processor;
obtaining, through the camera, one or more images of a plurality of participants of a conversation;
identifying, through the processor, the participants based on the one or more images;
localizing, through the processor, relative positions of the participants based on the one or more images;
detecting, through the microphone, a plurality of speeches of the conversation;
matching, through the processor, one of the participants to each of the detected speeches according to the relative positions of the participants and counting participations of the matched participant in the conversation;
identifying, through the processor, a passive subject from all the participants according to the participations of all the participants in the conversation;
finding, through the processor, a topic of the conversation between the participants; and
controlling, through the processor, the robot to move to align with the passive subject according to the relative position of the passive subject, and addressing, through the speaker, the passive subject and speaking a sentence related to the topic to engage the passive subject;
wherein the conversation comprises a plurality of turns of dialogue; the counting, through the processor, the participations of the participant in the conversation comprises:
counting, through the processor, a total speaking time of the matched participant during a last αN turns of dialogue in the conversation, wherein α is an integer greater than 0, N is a total number of the participations; and
the conversation comprises a plurality of turns of dialogue; the identifying, through the processor, the passive subject from all the participants according to the participations of all the participants in the conversation comprises:
identifying, through the processor, the participant with the total speaking time below 2 standard deviations of an average speaking time in the conversation during the last αN turns of dialogue as the passive subject.