US-12621356-B2 - Communication control server, communication system, and communication control method

US12621356B2US 12621356 B2US12621356 B2US 12621356B2US-12621356-B2

Abstract

A communication control server includes circuitry to receive, from a first mobile apparatus, status information indicating a status of the first mobile apparatus currently communicating with a communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal. The first mobile apparatus is movable in a real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal. The circuitry switches the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to a second mobile apparatus based on the status information. The second mobile apparatus is movable in the real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal.

Inventors

Yuichi Araumi
Hiroaki Nagatsuka
Tomoyuki Nozawa

Assignees

Yuichi Araumi
Hiroaki Nagatsuka
Tomoyuki Nozawa

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240312
Priority Date: 20230323

Claims (19)

1 . A communication control server, comprising circuitry configured to: receive, from a first mobile apparatus, status information indicating a status of the first mobile apparatus currently communicating with a communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal, the first mobile apparatus being movable in a real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to a second mobile apparatus based on the status information, the second mobile apparatus being movable in the real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal, wherein, in a case that the status information indicates that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status, the circuitry is further configured to: provide, to the communication terminal, a recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on a response from the communication terminal, the response indicating acceptance of the recommendation.
2 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined status is at least one of: a status in which an amount of battery remaining of the first mobile apparatus is less than a remaining-amount threshold; a status in which a communication speed of the first mobile apparatus is less than a communication-speed threshold; a status in which a total operation time from last maintenance of the first mobile apparatus is equal to or longer than a time threshold; or a status in which a predetermined malfunction occurs in the first mobile apparatus.
3 . The communication control server of claim 2 , wherein, in a case that the status information indicates that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a specific status that is worse than the predetermined status, the circuitry is further configured to forcibly switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus without providing the recommendation to the communication terminal.
4 . The communication control server of claim 3 , wherein the specific status is at least one of: a status in which the amount of battery remaining of the first mobile apparatus is less than another remaining-amount threshold that is less than the remaining-amount threshold; a status in which the communication speed of the first mobile apparatus is less than another communication-speed threshold that is less than the communication-speed threshold; a status in which the total operation time from the last maintenance of the first mobile apparatus is equal to or longer than another time threshold that is longer than the time threshold; or a status in which another predetermined malfunction that is worse than the predetermined malfunction occurs in the first mobile apparatus.
5 . The communication control server of claim 4 , wherein, in a case that the specific status of the first mobile apparatus is the status in which the amount of battery remaining of the first mobile apparatus is less than the another remaining-amount threshold, the circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the first mobile apparatus, an instruction to move to a charging station, after switching the communication destination of the communication terminal to the second mobile apparatus.
6 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: receive, from the first mobile apparatus, position information indicating a position of the first mobile apparatus; receive, from each of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the second mobile apparatus, additional position information indicating a position of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile apparatuses, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on the position information and the additional position information, the position information and the additional position information indicating that the position of the second mobile apparatus is within a predetermined distance from the position of the first mobile apparatus.
7 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: receive, from the first mobile apparatus, position information indicating a position of the first mobile apparatus; receive, from each of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the second mobile apparatus, additional position information indicating a position of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile apparatuses, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; and provide, to the communication terminal, the recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on the position information and the additional position information, the position information and the additional position information indicating that the position of the second mobile apparatus is within a predetermined distance from the position of the first mobile apparatus.
8 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: receive, from each of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the second mobile apparatus, additional status information indicating a status of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile apparatuses, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on the additional status information indicating that a status of the second mobile apparatus satisfies a status condition.
9 . The communication control server of claim 8 , wherein the status condition includes: a status in which an amount of battery remaining of the second mobile apparatus is equal to or greater than a reference amount; a status in which a communication speed is equal to or greater than a reference communication speed; and a proper operational status without a malfunction.
10 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: receive, from each of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the second mobile apparatus, additional status information indicating a status of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile apparatuses, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; and provide, to the communication terminal, the recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on the additional status information indicating that a status of the second mobile apparatus satisfies a status condition.
11 . The communication control server of claim 10 , wherein the status condition includes: a status in which an amount of battery remaining of the second mobile apparatus is equal to or greater than a reference amount; a status in which a communication speed is equal to or greater than a reference communication speed; and a proper operational status without a malfunction.
12 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: store, in a memory, a performance of each of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the first mobile apparatus and the second mobile apparatus, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus that has a predetermined performance the same as or similar to the first mobile apparatus, based on the performances stored in the memory.
13 . The communication control server of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined performance includes at least one of: a type of an imaging device being the same as a type of imaging device of the first mobile apparatus; or a maximum movement speed being the same as a maximum movement speed of the first mobile apparatus.
14 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: receive, from each of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the second mobile apparatus, position information indicating a position of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile apparatuses, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; receive, from one of another communication terminal and a human presence sensor, situation information indicating a congestion situation; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on the position information and the situation information, the position information and the situation information indicating that the congestion situation relating to a position of the second mobile apparatus is less than a predetermined level.
15 . The communication control server of claim 14 , wherein in a case that the status information indicates that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status, the circuitry is further configured to: provide, to the communication terminal, a recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus of which the position being in the congestion situation that is less than the predetermined level; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on a response from the communication terminal, the response indicating acceptance of the recommendation.
16 . The communication control server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: store, in a memory, one or more reservations for operation of corresponding one or more of a plurality of mobile apparatuses including the first mobile apparatus and the second mobile apparatus, each of the plurality of mobile apparatuses being movable in the real space and operable by the communication terminal; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on one of the one or more reservations, the one of the one or more reservations being a reservation with which the second mobile apparatus is remotely operable by the communication terminal.
17 . The communication control server of claim 16 , wherein, in a case that the status information indicates that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status, the circuitry is further configured to: provide, to the communication terminal, a recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus for which the one or more of reservations have been made; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on a response from the communication terminal, the response indicating acceptance of the recommendation.
18 . A communication system, comprising: a first robot configured to move in a real space; a second robot configured to move in the real space; a communication terminal to remotely operate one of the first robot configured and the second robot configured; and a communication control server to control communication between the communication terminal and each of the first robot configured and the second robot configured, the communication control server including circuitry configured to: receive, from the first robot configured, status information indicating a status of the first robot configured currently communicating with the communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first robot configured to the second robot configured based on the status information indicating that the status of the first robot configured is a predetermined status, wherein, in a case that the status information indicates that the status of the first robot is a predetermined status, the circuitry is further configured to: provide, to the communication terminal, a recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first robot to the second robot; and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first robot to the second robot based on a response from the communication terminal, the response indicating acceptance of the recommendation.
19 . A communication control method, comprising: receiving, from a first mobile apparatus, status information indicating a status of the first mobile apparatus currently communicating with a communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal, the first mobile apparatus being movable in a real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal; and switching the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to a second mobile apparatus based on the status information indicating that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status, the second mobile apparatus being movable in the real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal, wherein, in a case that the status information indicates that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status, the method further comprises: providing, to the communication terminal, a recommendation to switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus; and switching the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on a response from the communication terminal, the response indicating acceptance of the recommendation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-046375, filed on Mar. 23, 2023, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND Technical Field Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication control server, a communication system, and a communication control method. Related Art In an exhibition hall in a real space, there is a tour in which an exhibitor tours the exhibition hall together with a telepresence robot. The telepresence robot is referred to as a robot in the following. In the related art, a user who desires to remotely observe an exhibition hall can observe the exhibition hall from a remote site, with, for example, his or her personal computer (PC) through a communication network, by viewing a video from a camera mounted on a robot or listening to voice of an exhibitor from a microphone mounted on the robot. Further, in order to cover various exhibition halls, some technologies to remotely operate multiple robots by switching the robots by a single user are known. In the related art, when a first robot reaches a predetermined position (switching point) on a travel path in a real space, the first robot can be switched to a second robot. SUMMARY According to one or more embodiments, a communication control server includes circuitry to receive, from a first mobile apparatus, status information indicating a status of the first mobile apparatus currently communicating with a communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal. The first mobile apparatus is movable in a real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal. The circuitry switches the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to a second mobile apparatus based on the status information. The second mobile apparatus is movable in the real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal. According to one or more embodiments, a communication system includes a first mobile apparatus to move in a real space, a second mobile apparatus to move in the real space, a communication terminal to remotely operate one of the first mobile apparatus and the second mobile apparatus, and a communication control server to control communication between the communication terminal and each of the first mobile apparatus and the second mobile apparatus. The communication control server includes circuitry to receive, from the first mobile apparatus, status information indicating a status of the first mobile apparatus currently communicating with the communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal and switch the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to the second mobile apparatus based on the status information indicating that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status. According to one or more embodiments, a communication control method includes receiving, from a first mobile apparatus, status information indicating a status of the first mobile apparatus currently communicating with a communication terminal as a communication destination of the communication terminal. The first mobile apparatus is movable in a real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal. The method includes switching the communication destination of the communication terminal from the first mobile apparatus to a second mobile apparatus based on the status information indicating that the status of the first mobile apparatus is a predetermined status. The second mobile apparatus is movable in the real space and remotely operable by the communication terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of embodiments of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained and understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a situation of an exhibition hall in a real space according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a communication control server according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of each of an exhibitor terminal, a robot terminal, and a user terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a human presence sensor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a wide-angle im