Communication control method, communication control apparatus, telepresence robot, and recording medium storing a program

• US 10,250,850 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US15/973,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20180338116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A private conversation request is received from a first communication apparatus, and a region of fixed range based on the position of a first user is set as a first conversation-listening area. Based on a position management database, a second communication apparatus positioned inside the first conversation-listening area from among one or a plurality of second communication apparatus is detected as a first evacuation communication apparatus, and an evacuation order causing the first evacuation communication apparatus to be evacuated from the first conversation-listening area is transmitted to the first evacuation communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A communication control method of a communication control apparatus that controls a first communication apparatus used by a first user inside a first space, and one or a plurality of self-propelled second communication apparatus placed inside the first space,

the communication control apparatus being provided with a position management database in which position information indicating a current position of each of the one or plurality of second communication apparatus is registered,

the method comprising:

receiving a private conversation request that requests a private conversation from the first communication apparatus;

acquiring a position of the first user when the private conversation request is input into the first communication apparatus by the first user;

setting a region of fixed range based on the position of the first user as a first conversation-listening area;

detecting, based on the position management database, a second communication apparatus positioned inside the first conversation-listening area from among the one or plurality of second communication apparatus as a first evacuation communication apparatus; and

transmitting, to the first evacuation communication apparatus, an evacuation order causing the first evacuation communication apparatus to evacuate to an outside of the first conversation-listening area.

2. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

after receiving the private conversation request, if a private conversation cancellation request that requests cancellation of the private conversation request is received from the first communication apparatus, the setting of the first conversation-listening area is canceled.

3. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

the first evacuation communication apparatus includes a second communication apparatus having an established communication connection with a third communication apparatus placed inside a second space separate from the first space.

4. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control apparatus additionally controls one or a plurality of self-propelled third communication apparatus placed in the second space, and

in the position management database, position information indicating the current position of each of the one or plurality of third communication apparatus is registered,

the communication control method further comprising:

acquiring a position of a second user inside the second space who uses the third communication apparatus in a case in which the input of the private conversation request is received from the first communication apparatus in a state of an established communication connection between the first communication apparatus and one among the one or plurality of third communication apparatus;

setting a region of fixed range based on the position of the second user as a second conversation-listening area;

detecting, based on the position management database, a third communication apparatus positioned inside the second conversation-listening area and also different from the third communication apparatus having an established communication connection with the first communication apparatus from among the one or plurality of third communication apparatus as a second evacuation communication apparatus; and

transmitting, to the second evacuation communication apparatus, an evacuation order causing the second evacuation communication apparatus to evacuate to an outside of the second conversation-listening area.

5. The communication control method according to claim 4, wherein

after receiving the private conversation request, if a disconnect request that requests disconnection of the communication connection is received from the first communication apparatus or the third communication apparatus having an established communication connection with the first communication apparatus, the communication connection between the first communication apparatus and the third communication apparatus having an established communication connection with the first communication apparatus is disconnected, and

the setting of the first conversation-listening area and the second conversation-listening area is canceled.

6. The communication control method according to claim 4, wherein

the second evacuation communication apparatus includes a third communication apparatus having an established communication connection with the second communication apparatus.

7. The communication control method according to claim 3, wherein

each of the one or plurality of second communication apparatus is configured as a telepresence robot that presents a message transmitted from the third communication apparatus with which a communication connection is established, and

the telepresence robot is provided with

a communicator that transmits the message to the third communication apparatus with which the communication connection is established,

an autonomous movement controller that causes the telepresence robot to move autonomously, and

a presenter that presents the message received from the third communication apparatus with which the communication connection is established to a user who uses the telepresence robot.

8. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

when the private conversation request is received, position information indicating the current position of the first communication apparatus additionally is received, and the position indicated by the position information of the first communication apparatus is acquired as the position of the first user.

9. The communication control method according to claim 4, wherein

when the private conversation request is received, the position of the third communication apparatus is acquired from the position management database, and the acquired position of the third communication apparatus is acquired as the position of the second user.

10. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

while the first conversation-listening area is set, if a second communication apparatus entering the first conversation-listening area is detected from among the one or plurality of second communication apparatus, an evacuation order causing the entering second communication apparatus to evacuate to the outside of the first conversation-listening area is transmitted to the entering second communication apparatus.

11. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

in the detection of the first evacuation communication apparatus, if there are multiple second communication apparatus positioned inside the first conversation-listening area, each of the multiple second communication apparatus is detected as the first evacuation communication apparatus.

12. The communication control method according to claim 4, wherein

in the detection of the first evacuation communication apparatus, if there are multiple second communication apparatus positioned inside the first conversation-listening area, each of the multiple second communication apparatus is detected as the first evacuation communication apparatus, and

in the detection of the second evacuation communication apparatus, if there are multiple third communication apparatus positioned inside the second conversation-listening area, each of the multiple third communication apparatus is detected as the second evacuation communication apparatus.

14. A telepresence robot comprising:

a communicator that communicates with the communication control apparatus according to claim 11;

an autonomous movement controller that causes the telepresence robot to move autonomously, and

a presenter that presents a message.

13. A communication control apparatus that controls a first communication apparatus used by a first user inside a first space, and one or a plurality of self-propelled second communication apparatus placed inside the first space, the communication control apparatus comprising:

a position management database in which position information indicating a current position of each of the one or plurality of second communication apparatus is registered;

a private conversation request receiver that receives a private conversation request that requests a private conversation from the first communication apparatus;

a position manager that acquires a position of the first user when the private conversation request is input into the first communication apparatus by the first user, sets a region of fixed range based on the acquired position of the first user as a second conversation-listening area, and detects, based on the position management database, a second communication apparatus positioned inside the first conversation-listening area from among the one or plurality of second communication apparatus as a first evacuation communication apparatus; and

a robot position controller that transmits, to the first evacuation communication apparatus, an evacuation order causing the first evacuation communication apparatus to evacuate to an outside of the first conversation-listening area.

15. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program,

the program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

receiving a private conversation request indicating that a first user inside a first space is requesting a private conversation input into a first communication apparatus;

acquiring a position of the first user when the private conversation request is input;

setting a region of fixed range based on the position of the first user as a first conversation-listening area;

detecting, based on position information registered in a position management database, the position information indicating a current position of each of one or a plurality of self-propelled second communication apparatus placed inside the first space, a second communication apparatus positioned inside the first conversation-listening area from among the one or plurality of second communication apparatus as a first evacuation communication apparatus; and

transmitting, to each first evacuation communication apparatus, an evacuation order causing the first evacuation communication apparatus to evacuate to an outside of the first conversation-listening area.