Method, controller, telepresence robot, and storage medium for controlling communications between first communication device and second communication devices

• US 10,397,750 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• 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, Matsuura, Shun
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez, Julio R
• Application Number:
  US15/865,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20180213362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/38 Outdoor scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A communication controlling method includes: (A) receiving, from second communication devices, device identification information items for identifying the second communication devices, and situation information items for grasping situations around the second communication devices; (B) when at least one of the received situation information items includes an information item on a user, updating a neighborhood information database indicating which second communication device is around which user, based on the information item on the user and the at least one of the device identification information items; (C) when receiving a request for connection to a target user from the first communication device, selecting, from among the second communication devices, a second communication device present around the target user with reference to the neighborhood information database; and (D) communicably connecting the selected second communication device and the first communication device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling communications between a first communication device and second communication devices, the method comprising:

(A) receiving, from the second communication devices, device identification information items for identifying the second communication devices, and situation information items for grasping situations around the second communication devices;

(B) when at least one of the received situation information items includes an information item on a user, updating a neighborhood information database indicating which second communication device is around the user, based on the information item on the user and the at least one of the device identification information items;

(C) when receiving a request for connection to the user from the first communication device, selecting, from among the second communication devices, a second communication device present around the user with reference to the neighborhood information database; and

(D) communicably connecting the selected second communication device and the first communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the (B) includes

(b1) when the at least one of the received situation information items includes a feature information item on a feature of a person, determining the user corresponding to the person from among users by comparing the feature of the person with features of the users registered in a user database, and

(b2) generating at least one neighborhood information item in which the determined user is associated with at least one of the second communication devices being present around the user.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the (B) further includes

(b3) in a case where two or more neighborhood information items related to the same user are generated within a latest predetermined period, determining, from the two or more neighborhood information items, a neighborhood information item related to the second communication device nearest to the user among the second communication devices, and

(b4) storing the determined neighborhood information item to the neighborhood information database.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the (b2) includes

(b21) acquiring, from the user database, a user identification information item for identifying the determined user, and

(b22) associating the acquired user identification information item with the at least one device identification information item for identifying the at least one second communication device being present around the user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the connection request includes a target user identification information item for identifying the user as a target user, and

the (C) includes

(c1) determining, from user identification information items in the neighborhood information database, a user identification information item matching the target user identification information item, and

(c2) identifying, from the neighborhood information database, the device identification information item associated with the determined user identification information item.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the situation information items are image data items obtained by capturing images of neighborhoods of the second communication devices,

the feature of the person is a feature of a face of the person included in the image data items, and

the features of the users are features of faces of the users.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the situation information items are image data items obtained by capturing images of neighborhoods of the second communication devices,

the feature of the person is a feature of a face of the person included in the image data items, and

the features of the users are features of faces of the users, and

the (b3) includes

(b31) extracting, from two or more image data items including the face of the same user, two or more face image areas on which the face of the user are captured,

(b32) comparing the two or more face image areas, and determining the image data item including the largest face image area among the two or more image data items, and

(b33) regarding a second communication device obtaining the determined image data item as the second communication device which is the nearest to the user.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the situation information items are voice data items obtained by recording voices in neighborhoods of the second communication devices,

the feature of the person is a feature of a voice of the person included in the voice data items, and

the features of the users are features of voices of the users.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the situation information items are voice data items obtained by recording voices in neighborhoods of the second communication devices,

the feature of the person is a feature of a voice of the person included in the voice data items, and

the features of the users are features of voices of the users, and

the (b3) includes

(b31) analyzing two or more voice data items including the voice of the same user, and obtaining two or more position information items on relative position relationships between a voice source of the voice of the user and two or more second communication devices obtaining the two or more voice data items, and

(b32) determining the second communication device nearest to the user by referring to the two or more position information items.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the information item on the user is a signal information item on a beacon signal transmitted from the user, and

the (B) includes

(b1) when the at least one of the received situation information items includes the signal information item, determining the user from among users by comparing the signal information item with signal information items on users registered in a user database, and

(b2) generating at least one neighborhood information item in which the determined user is associated with at least one of the second communication devices being present around the user.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the (B) further includes

(b3) in a case where two or more neighborhood information items related to the same user are generated within a latest predetermined period, obtaining, from two or more signal information items on the beacon signal transmitted from the same user, respectively, intensity information items on intensities of the beacon signal,

(b4) determining the second communication device nearest to the user among the two or more second communication devices by referring to the two or more intensity information items, and

(b5) storing a neighborhood information item related to the determined second communication device to the neighborhood information database.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(E) storing, to a communication history database, a communication history information item in which a user identification information item for identifying the user as a target user is associated with a communication time information item indicating a time when the selected second communication device and the first communication device communicate with each other, and

(F) deploying at least one of the second communication devices around the target user in a case where a communication frequency of the target user is higher than a predetermined value by referring to the communication history database.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the (F) includes, in a case where the communication frequency of the target user in a time range is higher than the predetermined value, deploying at least one of the second communication devices around the target user for the time range.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(G) each time the device identification information item and the situation information item are received, updating device position information items on positions of the second communication devices and user position information items on positions of users, and

(H) based on the device position information items and the user position information items, moving the second communication devices such that the second communication devices are deployed dispersedly around the users.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the (H) includes moving at least two of the second communication devices, which are not engaging in communication with the first communication device, such that the at least two second communication devices are deployed dispersedly around at least two of the users who are not engaging in communication with any users.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

(I) after the (B), sending the second communication devices at least partial information of the updated neighborhood information database.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein

each of the second communication devices is a telepresence robot, and

the second communication device includes

a pair of wheels or a pair of legs,

a communicator,

a display,

a speaker, and

a microphone.

18. A controller that controls communications between a first communication device and second communication devices, the controller comprising:

a memory in which a program for performing the method according to claim 1 is recorded; and

a processor which executes the program.

19. A telepresence robot comprising:

the controller according to claim 18;

at least one of the second communication devices;

a pair of wheels or a pair of legs;

a communicator;

a display;

a speaker; and

a microphone.

20. A non-transitory storage medium recording a program which causes a processor to perform the method according to claim 1.