Communication system

Abstract

To provide a communication system that can form a secure communication path between a handset and a base unit with simple settings.SOLUTION: A communication system 1 includes a handset 10, a base unit 40 that receives a call from the handset 10, a first communication unit 30 provided on the handset 10 side to establish communication between the handset 10 and the base unit 40, and a second communication unit 60 provided on the base unit 40 side to establish communication between the handset 10 and the base unit 40. The first communication unit 30 is configured to communicate with the second communication unit 60 by establishing a tunnel connection with the second communication unit 60 using real-time communication technology.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to communication systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses that in a nurse call system, in order to provide an encrypted connection function between a nurse call base unit and a mobile terminal, an encrypted connection is established in advance between the nurse call base unit and the mobile terminal using encryption, for example, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), thereby automatically encrypting communication between the nurse call base unit and the mobile terminal. Patent document 2 also discloses an information processing system configured such that a nurse call server and a care information server installed at an external institution are connected to each other via a VPN so that the nurse call server and the care information server can be linked together and processed in association with each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-106303 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-133028 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Systems using VPN technology such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 require the use of expensive connection devices, and the settings required to establish connections between devices are complicated.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system used in an intercom system or a nurse call system, which is capable of forming a secure communication path between a handset and a base unit with simple settings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the communication system of the present invention comprises: A communication system used in an intercom system or a nurse call system, The handset and a base unit that receives a call from the handset; a first communication unit provided on the slave device side for establishing communication between the slave device and the master device; a second communication unit provided on the base unit side for establishing communication between the slave unit and the base unit; Equipped with The first communication unit is configured to communicate with the second communication unit by establishing a tunnel connection with the second communication unit using a real-time communication technique.

[0007] According to the above configuration, by establishing a tunnel connection between the first communication unit and the second communication unit using real-time communication technology, a secure communication path can be formed between the slave unit and the master unit with simple settings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a communication system used in an intercom system or a nurse call system, which is capable of forming a secure communication path between a handset and a base unit with simple settings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication management device included in the communication system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the communication system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (Overall system configuration) A communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 1 is a system in which a nurse call handset 10, which is a terminal device at a site A, communicates with a nurse call base unit 40, which is a terminal device at another site B, via a communication network 2. For example, a user at site B can view the situation at site A in real time by participating in a predetermined event such as remote communication provided by the communication system 1, thereby receiving audio, video, etc. delivered from site A, which is a remote location, at site B. Here, the predetermined event includes a telephone call, remote medical treatment, consultation, or remote location monitoring realized by communication between remote sites via the communication system 1.

[0011] 1, communication system 1 according to the present embodiment includes nurse call handset 10 (an example of a handset), camera 20 (an example of a first camera), and communication adapter device 30 (an example of a first communication unit) installed at base A. Communication system 1 also includes nurse call base unit 40 (an example of a base unit), camera 50 (an example of a second camera), and communication adapter device 60 (an example of a second communication unit) installed at base B. Communication system 1 also includes communication management server 70 installed at a location different from base A and base B.

[0012] Each of the communication adapter devices 30, 60 can communicate with the communication management server 70 via a communication network 2. The communication network 2 is constructed using, for example, the Internet, a mobile communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network), etc. Note that the communication network 2 may include not only wired communication networks but also wireless communication networks such as 3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0013] Nurse call handset 10 is a terminal device installed at base A. Base A is, for example, a hospital in a remote area such as an isolated island or a patient's home. Nurse call handset 10 includes a call button 11, a microphone 12, a speaker 13, a handset CPU (Central Processing Unit) 14, and a communication interface (communication IF) 15. For example, a patient hospitalized in a remote island hospital can call a nurse or caregiver at remote location B by pressing call button 11 on nurse call handset 10 installed in the patient's room and communicate with the nurse or caregiver via microphone 12 and speaker 13. Handset CPU 14 performs processing to control each component of nurse call handset 10. Communication IF 15 forms a bidirectional signal transmission path with handset CPU 14. This forms a signal transmission path between handset CPU 14 and camera 20 or communication adapter device 30 via communication IF 15. Handset CPU 14 also has a function of transmitting a call signal to communication adapter device 30 upon receiving an operation of call button 11 by a patient or the like at location A.

[0014] Camera 20 is installed near nurse call terminal 10 and is capable of capturing an image of the surroundings of nurse call terminal 10 (for example, an image of a patient at site A). The communication adapter device 30 is installed in the site A where the nurse call handset 10 is installed. The functional configuration of the communication adapter device 30 will be described later.

[0015] Nurse call base unit 40 (an example of a base unit) is a terminal device installed at base B. Base B is, for example, a base hospital in an urban area, and nurse call base unit 40 is installed in the nurse's station of the base hospital. The nurse call base unit 40 includes a response operation unit 41, a microphone 42, a speaker 43, a base unit CPU 44, and a communication IF 45. The response operation unit 41 is operated to respond to calls from a nurse call handset (not shown) installed in a patient's room in a base hospital, as well as calls from a nurse call handset 10 installed at a remote site, Site A. When the response operation unit 41 begins responding to a call from the nurse call handset 10, a nurse at Site B can communicate with the patient at Site A via the microphone 42 and speaker 43. The base unit CPU 44 performs processing to control each component of the nurse call base unit 40. The communication IF 45 forms a bidirectional signal transmission path with the base unit CPU 44. This forms a signal transmission path between the base unit CPU 44 and the camera 50 or communication adapter device 60 via the communication IF 45. Furthermore, the master CPU 44 has a function of transmitting a response signal to the communication adapter device 60 based on the reception of an operation of the response operation unit 41 by the nurse at the site B.

[0016] Camera 50 is installed near nurse call master unit 40 and is capable of capturing images of the surroundings of nurse call master unit 40 (for example, images of a nurse operating nurse call master unit 40). The communication adapter device 60 is installed in the base B where the nurse call base unit 40 is installed.

[0017] In this embodiment, a tunnel is established between the communication adapter device 30 and the communication adapter device 60, and communication is performed between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 via this tunnel. The type of communication between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 is not limited to a specific type and may be any communication format, such as data, video, voice, or text. Furthermore, the communication protocol between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 is also not limited to a specific type. The form of the tunnel established between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 is, for example, a tunnel using P2P (Peer to Peer) communication between the communication adapter devices 30 and 60.

[0018] The communication management server 70 according to this embodiment has, for example, a Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) signaling server function (web server function), which enables real-time communication on a web browser. The communication management server 70 includes, for example, functions for determining whether a tunnel connection is possible, determining whether communication is possible between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40, and performing processing for establishing a tunnel. In this example, the communication management server 70 is a public cloud server, a cloud storage server that serves as the basis for cloud storage services provided by cloud vendors. Examples of cloud storage services include Amazon Web Services (AWS) (registered trademark), Azure (registered trademark), and Google Cloud Platform (registered trademark). The cloud storage service used by the communication management server 70 may be a storage service belonging to another type of cloud (e.g., a private cloud) instead of a public cloud. The communication management server 70 may, for example, be an information processing device having a computer configuration or multiple computers.

[0019] The communication management server 70 can set up a tunnel between the communication adapter device 30 and the communication adapter device 60 using web-based technology. The administrator of each communication adapter device 30, 60 can establish a tunnel by accessing the communication management server 70, which includes web server functionality, using a web browser. Specific examples of this technology will be described later. In this embodiment, communication between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 is possible using this easily set up tunnel. Note that in this embodiment, WebRTC is cited as an example of a web-based two-way communication technology, but this is merely an example, and other communication technologies such as WebSocket can also be used.

[0020] (Functional configuration of communication adapter device 30) Next, the functional configuration of the communication adapter device 30 on the nurse call handset 10 side will be described with reference to Figure 1. The communication adapter device 30 includes a communication IF 32, a connection determination unit 34, a data conversion unit 36, and a tunnel connection unit 38. The communication adapter device 60 on the nurse call base unit 40 side has the same functional configuration as the communication adapter device 30, so the communication adapter device 30 will be described as a representative. Note that the communication adapter device 60, like the communication adapter device 30, includes a communication IF 62, a connection determination unit 64, a data conversion unit 66, and a tunnel connection unit 68.

[0021] The communication IF32 is connected to the network on the nurse call handset 10 side, and has the function of receiving communication data (packets) sent from the nurse call handset 10 side, and transmitting communication data received from the tunnel side to the nurse call handset 10 side.

[0022] The connection determination unit 34 has a function of receiving communication data from the communication IF 32 and determining whether or not to transmit the communication data through a tunnel based on header information and the like included in the communication data. The connection determination unit 34 then passes the communication data to the data conversion unit 36 ​​only if the communication data is transmittable. For example, the connection determination unit 34 can hold address information for the application of the other party (nurse call base unit 40 or communication adapter device 60) and determine transmission is permitted if the destination address of the communication data is an address included in the address information. The connection determination unit 34 may also perform a similar determination based on the source address or a combination of the source address and the destination address. Furthermore, the connection determination unit 34 may determine transmission of the communication data only if the protocol identified by the header information of the communication data is a predetermined protocol.

[0023] The connection determination unit 34 may make the above determination based on address information and protocol information stored in advance in its own recording means. Alternatively, the connection determination unit 34 may transmit header information to the communication management server 70, which may then make a determination, and the connection determination unit 34 may receive the determination result from the communication management server 70 to determine whether transmission is permitted or not.

[0024] The connection determination unit 34 also performs the same determination as above on communication data received from the data conversion unit 36, and if the communication data is transmittable, it can also perform an operation of passing the communication data to the communication IF 32. Note that, for communication data received from the data conversion unit 36, since the determination has already been made on the other party's communication adapter device 60 side, the communication data may be passed to the communication IF 32 without performing any determination.

[0025] In communications via tunnels, connections may not be limited to local networks that users can trust. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the possibility that unauthorized terminals or applications created by attackers may be present on the network of the destination communication adapter device. Therefore, by performing the above-mentioned transmission permission determination, it is possible to exclude terminals and applications that have not been pre-registered.

[0026] The data conversion unit 36 ​​converts the communication data received from the connection determination unit 34 into a format suitable for processing by the tunnel connection unit 38. As described above, in this embodiment, a tunnel is set up using Web-based technology with a simple operation for the user, but the type of data that can be sent and received through a tunnel using such Web-based technology may be limited to a predetermined format. The predetermined format may be, for example, text or image (video).

[0027] Therefore, the data conversion unit 36 ​​converts the communication data so that it conforms to a data format that can be transmitted and received via the tunnel connection between the communication adapter device 30 and the communication adapter device 60. For example, if the tunnel connection unit 38 transmits and receives video data, the data conversion unit 36 ​​converts the communication data into a media data format similar to that of video data. Also, for example, if the tunnel connection unit 38 transmits and receives text data, the data conversion unit 36 ​​converts the communication data into a data format similar to that of text data.

[0028] When the data conversion unit 36 ​​receives communication data from the tunnel connection unit 38, it performs the reverse conversion to generate data in a format that can be transmitted to the nurse call master unit 40 side.

[0029] The tunnel connection unit 38 may be equipped with a web browser, and for example, uses the WebRTC method to set a tunnel (connection) with the tunnel connection unit 68 of the counterpart communication adapter device 60. In WebRTC, the tunnel connection unit 38 realizes UDP (User Datagram Protocol) tunneling with the counterpart tunnel connection unit 68 by P2P.

[0030] The WebRTC method generally includes a media channel and a data channel. The media channel is a data communication method for video and audio, and this media channel uses a protocol to transmit video and audio data in real time. The data channel is a communication method that can transmit any data, and uses a protocol to transmit character strings and binary data (data other than video data) with low latency.

[0031] The communication adapter devices 30 and 60 according to this embodiment can realize the above-described functions by causing a computer to execute a program describing the processing details described in this embodiment. That is, the functions of the communication adapter devices 30 and 60 can be realized by executing a program corresponding to the processing performed by the communication adapter devices 30 and 60 using hardware resources such as a CPU, memory, and hard disk built into the computer. The above-described program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium (such as a portable memory) and can be saved or distributed. The above-described program can also be provided via a network such as the Internet or email.

[0032] It is common for the communication system 1 to also include STUN / TURN servers, SFUs (Selective Forwarding Units), MCUs (Multipoint Control Units), and other media servers, which are basic components of a WebRTC-based system; however, these components are not shown in Figure 1 because they have little relevance to the configuration and functions of this embodiment.

[0033] (Functional configuration of communication management server 70) Next, the functional configuration of the communication management server 70 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In this embodiment, a tunnel is established between the communication adapter devices 30 and 60 using WebRTC technology. When P2P communication is adopted as the communication configuration using WebRTC, the communication management server 70 is realized as a signaling server or an authentication server for establishing P2P communication between the devices included in the communication system 1. Note that when WebRTC is used, the communication configuration is not limited to communication via P2P, and may be communication via an SFU or an MCU.

[0034] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the communication management server 70. As shown in Fig. 2, the communication management server 70 includes a communication unit 72, an authentication unit 74, a Web data storage unit 76, and a connection information storage unit 78.

[0035] The communication unit 72 has a web server function and a function for performing web-based communication processing such as WebRTC. In this example, to establish a tunnel, the communication adapter device 30, 60 first accesses the communication unit 72 from a web browser (tunnel connection unit 38, 68) via the communication network 2, and obtains from the communication unit 72 a web page including programs and the like necessary for communication.

[0036] For example, when the authentication unit 74 is accessed by the tunnel connection unit 38, 68 to establish a tunnel, or when a connection destination is specified thereafter, the authentication unit 74 has a function of determining whether the access source (request source) is a pre-registered device based on the identification information (address, ID, etc.) of the access source (request source) to perform authentication. If the authentication is successful, the authentication unit 74 permits a tunnel connection between the tunnel connection unit 38 and the tunnel connection unit 68, and returns a response to the effect that the tunnel connection is permitted to the tunnel connection unit 38, 68 via the communication network 2.

[0037] The Web data storage unit 76 stores Web pages (HTML data), programs (scripts, etc.) to be sent to the communication adapter devices 30 and 60. The connection information storage unit 78 stores, for example, information (addresses, names, etc.) of the communication adapter devices 30 and 60 that are accessing the communication management server 70.

[0038] (Processing sequence of communication system 1) 3 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence when a tunnel connection is established using WebRTC between the tunnel connection unit 38 and the tunnel connection unit 68 in the communication system 1. Note that this sequence is merely an example, and a tunnel between the tunnel connection units 38 and 68 may be established by another processing sequence.

[0039] 3, first, the administrator of the communication system 1 uses a computer that implements the communication adapter device 30 to access the communication management server 70 via the tunnel connection unit 38 and transmits a request for tunnel connection processing (step S1). Next, the communication unit 72 of the communication management server 70 transmits a web page to the tunnel connection unit 38 (step S2). In this example, this web page includes a program for WebRTC connection processing, and subsequent processing for tunnel connection is performed by the function of this program (and the function of the web browser). Note that this program may be present in the communication adapter device 30 in advance.

[0040] The administrator of the communication system 1 uses a computer that realizes the communication adapter device 60 to access the communication management server 70 in the same manner as in the tunnel connection unit 68, and transmits a request for tunnel connection processing (step S3). Next, the communication unit 72 of the communication management server 70 transmits a web page including a program for WebRTC connection processing to the tunnel connection unit 68 (step S4).

[0041] As an example, the Web page sent to each tunnel connection unit 38, 68 displays information about the communication adapter device that accessed the communication management server 70. Specifically, the Web page screen received by the communication adapter device 30 displays information about the communication adapter device 60, and the Web page screen received by the communication adapter device 60 displays information about the communication adapter device 30.

[0042] Next, for example, assume that the administrator desires to establish a tunnel connection with the communication adapter device 60 in the communication adapter device 30 and selects the communication adapter device 60 on the web page screen. In this case, the tunnel connection unit 38 transmits a connection request signal to the communication adapter device 60 to the communication management server 70 (step S5). In this example, this connection request signal includes communication information of the communication adapter device 30 (for example, the address of the tunnel connection unit 38, etc.). Next, the communication unit 72 of the communication management server 70, which has received the connection request signal from the communication adapter device 30, transfers the connection request signal (communication information) to the communication adapter device 60, which is the connection destination (step S6).

[0043] The tunnel connection unit 68 of the communication adapter device 60, which has received the connection request signal from the communication management server 70, transmits a response signal to the communication management server 70 in response to the connection request (step S7). The response signal includes communication information (such as the address of the tunnel connection unit 68) of the communication adapter device 60. The communication unit 72 of the communication management server 70, which has received the response signal, transfers the response signal (communication information) to the communication adapter device 30 (step S8).

[0044] Next, negotiation is carried out between the tunnel connection unit 38 of the communication adapter device 30 and the tunnel connection unit 68 of the communication adapter device 60 (step S9). This negotiation includes negotiation of, for example, an encryption key, a NAT (Network Address Translation) passing method, and the like.

[0045] When negotiation is achieved, a tunnel is established between tunnel connection unit 38 of communication adapter device 30 and tunnel connection unit 68 of communication adapter device 60 (step S10). This establishes P2P communication via the tunnel between communication adapter device 30 and communication adapter device 60. That is, a secure communication path that allows continuous communication between communication adapter device 30 and communication adapter device 60 is established without going through communication management server 70. This establishes a secure communication path that allows continuous communication between nurse call handset 10 and nurse call base unit 40 via communication adapter device 30 and communication adapter device 60.

[0046] As described above, when a tunnel is established between tunnel connection unit 38 of communication adapter device 30 and tunnel connection unit 68 of communication adapter device 60, packet communication can be performed between nurse call handset 10 and nurse call base unit 40. In this example, packet communication may be, for example, a voice call or a video call between nurse call handset 10 and nurse call base unit 40. Specifically, a data channel is established between communication adapter device 30 and communication adapter device 60, and packets generated on the nurse call handset 10 side are transmitted from communication adapter device 30 to nurse call base unit 40 through this data channel. Alternatively, packets generated on the nurse call base unit 40 side are transmitted to nurse call handset 10 through this data channel. The data channel is established, for example, using the RTCDataChannel API.

[0047] 3, for example, suppose a patient at site A presses call button 11 on nurse call handset 10 installed at site A to perform a call operation. At this time, a call signal is sent as a packet from nurse call handset 10 to communication adapter device 30 (step S11). The call signal includes, for example, a sender address (source address) and a destination address (destination address). In this example, the sender address included in the call signal is the address of nurse call handset 10, and the destination address is the address of nurse call master unit 40 installed at site B.

[0048] Next, the communication adapter device 30 that has received the call signal determines whether or not the call signal can be transmitted by inquiring of the communication management server 70 as necessary based on information such as the source address and destination address included in the call signal (packet) in the connection determination unit 34 (step S12). If the call signal can be transmitted, the connection determination unit 34 passes the call signal to the data conversion unit 36. The data conversion unit 36 ​​converts the call signal into data in a format that can be transmitted by the tunnel connection unit 38 (step S13) and passes the converted packet to the tunnel connection unit 38. The tunnel connection unit 38, which has received the converted packet, transmits the packet to the tunnel connection unit 68 of the destination communication adapter device 60 via the data channel (tunnel) (step S14). Note that if the call signal cannot be transmitted, the connection determination unit 34 may be configured to discard the call signal, generate an error signal, and return the error signal to the nurse call handset 10.

[0049] Next, tunnel connection unit 68 of communication adapter device 60, which receives the packet via the data channel, passes the packet to data conversion unit 66. In data conversion unit 66, communication adapter device 60 converts the packet, if necessary, into data in a format that can be sent to nurse call base unit 40 (step S15), and then sends the data-converted packet to nurse call base unit 40 at site B (step S16).

[0050] The processing sequence in Figure 3 is an example of packet communication from nurse call handset 10 to nurse call base unit 40, but packet communication from nurse call base unit 40 to nurse call handset 10 also follows a similar procedure. Upon receiving the packet, nurse call base unit 40 performs a predetermined process, such as sounding an alarm through speaker 43 based on the call signal. Then, a response signal (packet) is sent to nurse call handset 10 via communication adapter device 60 and communication adapter device 30, for example, by a nurse operating response operation unit 41 of nurse call base unit 40. Then, voice and video calls become possible between nurse call handset 10 and nurse call base unit 40 via the WebRTC data channel established between communication adapter device 30 at site A and communication adapter device 60 at site B.

[0051] By performing tunnel communication as described above, data communication can be performed between the nurse call handset 10 at site A and the nurse call base unit 40 at site B, which is remote from site A, in the same way as communication on the same network. There are no limitations on the communication protocol between these devices; for example, any communication protocol that allows data communication between these devices in an environment as if they were on the same network can be used. Note that if communication is explicitly disconnected by the nurse call handset 10 or the nurse call base unit 40, the communication path between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 is interrupted.

[0052] Furthermore, when video captured by camera 20 at site A is viewed on nurse call base unit 40 at site B, real-time communication can be performed using the WebRTC technology described above. For example, nurse call base unit 40 accesses camera 20 via communication adapter devices 60 and 30 and requests the video from camera 20. Camera 20 transmits the captured video to nurse call base unit 40 via communication adapter devices 30 and 60. Nurse call base unit 40 displays the video received from camera 20 on a display unit (not shown). This allows the nurse at site B to view the video from camera 20 in real time. When video captured by camera 50 at site B is viewed on nurse call base unit 10 at site A, real-time communication can be performed using WebRTC technology in the same manner as described above.

[0053] As described above, the communication system 1 of this embodiment is a communication system 1 used, for example, in a nurse call system, and includes a nurse call handset 10, a nurse call base unit 40 that receives calls from the nurse call handset 10, a communication adapter 30 (an example of a first communication unit) provided on the nurse call handset 10 side to establish communication between the nurse call handset 10 and the base unit 40, and a communication adapter 60 (an example of a second communication unit) provided on the base unit 40 side to establish communication between the nurse call handset 10 and the base unit 40. The communication adapter 30 is configured to communicate with the communication adapter 60 by establishing a tunnel connection with the communication adapter 60 using a real-time communication technology such as WebRTC. With this configuration, a tunnel connection is established between the communication adapter 30 and the communication adapter 60 using the real-time communication technology, thereby forming a secure communication path between the nurse call handset 10 and the base unit 40 with simple settings.

[0054] Furthermore, the communication adapter device 30 establishes P2P (Peer-to-Peer) communication with the communication adapter device 60 by using a data channel of real-time communication technology such as WebRTC. This configuration enables data transmission and reception between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 without the need to install a server as a hardware device in either the facility where the nurse call handset 10 is located or the facility where the nurse call base unit 40 is located. Therefore, compared to the so-called client-server method in which communication is performed via a specific server, a secure and low-cost communication path can be established. Furthermore, by using a WebRTC data channel, P2P communication, including NAT traversal, can be easily achieved.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the facility where the nurse call handset 10, camera 20, and communication adapter device 30 are installed (an example of a first facility) is, for example, a hospital in a remote area or a patient's home, and the facility where the nurse call base unit 40, camera 50, and communication adapter device 60 are installed (an example of a second facility) is, for example, a central hospital in an urban area. In other words, the facility where the nurse call handset 10 and communication adapter device 30 are installed is located in a remote location, separate from the facility where the nurse call base unit 40 and communication adapter device 60 are installed. This configuration allows communication between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40, which are installed in remote locations, to be easily performed without the need for complicated settings such as a VPN connection. Therefore, there is no need for an administrator to directly visit the site where the nurse call handset 10 is installed to configure communication settings for the nurse call handset 10 installed in a remote area, leading to cost reduction. In addition, the nurse call base unit 40 can quickly respond to calls from nurse call handsets 10 in remote locations, which helps to alleviate staff shortages and improve convenience.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be freely modified, improved, etc. The material, shape, dimensions, numerical values, form, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the camera 20 and the communication adapter device 30 are shown as separate devices as shown in FIG. 1 , but this is not a limitation. For example, the camera 20 and the communication adapter device 30 may be integrated, with the camera 20 having the functions of the communication adapter device 30 (communication IF 32, connection determination unit 34, data conversion unit 36, and tunnel connection unit 38). Similarly, on the base unit side, the camera 50 and the communication adapter device 60 may be integrated, with the camera 50 having the functions of the communication adapter device 60 (communication IF 62, connection determination unit 64, data conversion unit 66, and tunnel connection unit 68). With this configuration, by incorporating the functions of the communication adapter devices 30 and 60 into the camera 20 on the nurse call handset 10 side and the camera 50 on the nurse call base unit 40 side, a communication connection between the nurse call handset 10 and the nurse call base unit 40 can be easily and securely established using existing equipment.

[0058] Alternatively, the nurse call handset 10 and the communication adapter device 30 may be integrated, with the nurse call handset 10 having the functions of the communication adapter device 30, and the nurse call base unit 40 and the communication adapter device 60 may be integrated, with the nurse call base unit 40 having the functions of the communication adapter device 60.

[0059] 1 illustrates a configuration in which one handset communication adapter device 30 can communicate with one base communication adapter device 60 via a tunnel connection, but this is not a limitation. Multiple handset communication adapter devices 30 may be configured to communicate with one base communication adapter device 60 via a tunnel connection. That is, a communication adapter device 30 may be provided for each of multiple nurse call handset devices 10 located at a distance from one another, and the communication adapter device 60 on the nurse call base device 40 side may be configured to communicate with each of the multiple communication adapter devices 30 using real-time communication technology. This configuration allows a communication network between multiple nurse call handset devices 10 and a single nurse call base device 40 to be established with simple settings using WebRTC.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration is described in which communication between a nurse call handset 10 and a nurse call master 40 installed in remote locations is established via a tunnel connection using WebRTC, but this is not limited to this example. For example, the configuration described in the above embodiment may be used when establishing communication via a tunnel connection using WebRTC between a handset as a reception terminal installed at the reception desk of a company or shared facility and a master unit installed in the management room of such a facility and functioning as a management terminal for responding to calls from the handset. Alternatively, the configuration described in the above embodiment may be used when establishing communication via a tunnel connection using WebRTC between a front door handset installed at the front door of a detached house or the entrance to an apartment building and a room master unit installed in a room of the house. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1. Communication Systems 10 Nurse call handset 11 Call button 12,42 Mike 13,43 Speaker 14 Child CPU 15, 45, 32, 62 communication interface 20,50 camera 30,60 Communication adapter device 34,64 Connection determination section 36,66 Data conversion section 38,68 Tunnel Junction 40 Nurse call base unit 41 Response operation unit 44 Main CPU 70 Communication Management Server 72 Communications Department 74 Authentication Section 76 Web data storage section 78 Connection information storage section

Claims

1. A communication system used in an intercom system or a nurse call system, The handset and a base unit that receives a call from the handset; a first communication unit provided on the slave device side for establishing communication between the slave device and the master device; a second communication unit provided on the base unit side for establishing communication between the slave unit and the base unit; Equipped with A communication system, wherein the first communication unit is configured to communicate with the second communication unit by establishing a tunnel connection with the second communication unit using real-time communication technology.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication unit establishes P2P (Peer to Peer) communication with the second communication unit by using a data channel of the real-time communication technology.

3. a first camera provided on the slave device side and capable of capturing an image of the surroundings of the slave device; a second camera provided on the parent device side and capable of capturing an image of the surroundings of the parent device; Furthermore, the first communication unit is mounted on the first camera, The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the second communication unit is mounted on the second camera.

4. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein a first facility where the slave unit is installed and a second facility where the master unit is installed are separated from each other.

5. the first communication unit is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of slave units arranged apart from each other, The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the second communication unit is configured to communicate with each of the plurality of first communication units by using the real-time communication technology.

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