Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing system

Abstract

To obtain an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing system that can control multiple mobile objects to be remotely controlled with a single device or fewer devices than the number of mobile objects. [Solution] The information processing device refers to a database in which the identification information of each of a plurality of mobile bodies and the access information of each of the systems that manage each of the plurality of mobile bodies are stored in association, retrieves the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the plurality of access information, uses the retrieved access information to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body, and controls the specified mobile body after the access has been performed.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing system. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a robot remote control system including a plurality of robots connected to a network, a central control device, and a plurality of operation terminals. In this robot remote control system, when a call is received from a robot, the central control device selects the most appropriate operation terminal and requests the operation terminal to perform remote control. [[Prior Art Literature]] [[Patent Literature]]

[0003] [[Patent Literature 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-190659 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Literature 1 is based on the premise that the plurality of moving objects to be controlled operate according to the same protocol, such as being all manufactured by the same company. Accordingly, apparatuses for remotely controlling a plurality of moving objects also differ for each robot, resulting in a plurality of types of apparatuses.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing system that can control a plurality of remotely controlled moving objects with a single apparatus or fewer apparatuses than the number of moving objects. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] The information processing device of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit that refers to a database in which identification information of each of a plurality of mobile bodies and access information of each of the systems that manage each of the plurality of mobile bodies are stored in association with each other, and acquires access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the plurality of access information; an execution unit that uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body; and a control unit that controls the specified mobile body after the access has been performed.

[0007] The information processing method disclosed herein involves referring to a database in which identification information for each of a plurality of mobile bodies and access information for each of the systems managing each of the plurality of mobile bodies are stored in association; obtaining the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the plurality of access information; using the obtained access information to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body; and after the access is performed, the computer performs a process to control the specified mobile body.

[0008] The information processing system disclosed herein is an information processing system including a plurality of mobile bodies and an information processing device, comprising: an acquisition unit that refers to a database in which identification information of each of the plurality of mobile bodies and access information of each of the systems that manage each of the plurality of mobile bodies are stored in association with each other, and acquires access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the plurality of access information; an execution unit that uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body; and a control unit that controls the specified mobile body after the access has been performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, multiple mobile objects to be remotely controlled can be controlled with a single device or fewer devices than the number of mobile objects. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of an access information database. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a module database. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the user interface. [Figure 7] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of remote control processing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, examples of embodiments for carrying out the technology of this disclosure will be described in detail.

[0012] First, the configuration of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 10 includes a plurality of robots 11A, 11B, 11C, a plurality of robot control systems 12A, 12B, 12C, and an information processing device 20. Hereinafter, when robots 11A, 11B, and 11C are referred to collectively without distinction, the final alphabet will be omitted and they will be referred to as robot 11. Similarly, when robot control systems 12A, 12B, and 12C are referred to collectively without distinction, the final alphabet will be omitted and they will be referred to as robot control system 12. Robot 11 is installed in a building such as an office and moves around inside the building. Robot 11 is an example of a mobile robot. Examples of robot 11 include reception robots, guidance robots, and security robots. Note that the installation location of robot 11 is not limited to inside a building, but may be outdoors, etc.

[0013] Each of the multiple robots 11 is manufactured by a different company and is remotely controlled via each of the multiple different robot control systems 12. In the example in Figure 1, robot 11A is a controlled object remotely controlled by robot control system 12A, robot 11B is a controlled object remotely controlled by robot control system 12B, and robot 11C is a controlled object remotely controlled by robot control system 12C. Robot control system 12 is an example of a system that manages robots 11.

[0014] Robot 11 is connected to a robot control system 12 that manages it, via a function originally installed in robot 11. The robot control system 12 and the information processing device 20 are connected to a network N such as the Internet. The information processing device 20 can communicate with the robot control system 12 via the network N.

[0015] Furthermore, each of the multiple robots 11 is equipped with a monitoring module 13. The monitoring module 13 includes sensors 14 that detect the surrounding conditions of the robot 11, such as a camera, a human presence sensor, and a temperature sensor, and a communication unit 15. The monitoring module 13 outputs sensor data detected by the sensors 14 via the communication unit 15. The communication unit 15 communicates with the information processing device 20 via a mobile phone network. Alternatively, the communication unit 15 may communicate with the information processing device 20 via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0016] The monitoring modules 13 mounted on each robot 11 are capable of detecting the same information and communicating using the same communication protocol. Therefore, a single information processing unit 20 can receive sensor data detected by the monitoring modules 13 mounted on each of the multiple robots 11. Furthermore, the single information processing unit 20 can perform monitoring based on the sensor data.

[0017] The robot control system 12 is accessible via a protocol such as Https (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), for example. In order to control the robot 11 via the robot control system 12, user authentication using authentication information such as an ID and password is required. Note that the authentication information is not limited to an ID and password, and may be a public key, biometric information of the user, or the like.

[0018] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The information processing apparatus 20 is, for example, a computer such as a personal computer or a server computer.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a memory 22, a storage 23, an input device 24, a display device 25, a communication I / F (InterFace) 26, and a communication I / F 27. Each of the CPU 21, the memory 22, the storage 23, the input device 24, the display device 25, the communication I / F 26, and the communication I / F 27 is communicatively connected to each other via a bus 29.

[0020] The CPU 21 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each unit. The CPU 21 is an example of a processor. The memory 22 temporarily stores programs or data as a work area. The storage 23 is configured of a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and stores various programs and various data.

[0021] An information processing program 30 is stored in the storage 23. The CPU 21 reads the information processing program 30 from the storage 23, and executes the information processing program 30 using the memory 22 as a work area.

[0022] The input device 24 includes a keyboard, mouse, various buttons, and a microphone, etc. The input device 24 is used to input various types of information.

[0023] The display device 25 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and displays various types of information. The input device 24 may include a touch panel integrated with the display device 25.

[0024] The communication interface 26 is an interface for connecting the information processing device 20 to the network N. The information processing device 20 communicates with the robot control system 12 via the communication interface 26 using wired or wireless communication.

[0025] The communication interface 27 is an interface for communicating with the communication unit 15 of the monitoring module 13 mounted on the robot 11. The information processing device 20 receives sensor data measured by the sensor 14, which is transmitted from the monitoring module 13 via the communication interface 27.

[0026] Furthermore, storage 23 stores an access information DB (Database) 32 in which access information for accessing the robot control system 12 is stored. An example of the access information DB 32 is shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the access information DB 32 is a database in which robot IDs, which are identification information for identifying robots 11, and access information for the robot control system 12 that manages robots 11 are stored in association with each other. In this embodiment, the access information DB 32 stores each robot ID of multiple robots 11 and each access information for multiple robot control systems 12 in a one-to-one association. The access information is, for example, the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a website for logging into the robot control system 12. For example, a user inputs a robot ID and access information via an input device 24, and the CPU 21 associates the input robot ID and access information and stores it in the access information DB 32. The access information DB 32 may be stored in external storage such as cloud storage.

[0027] Furthermore, storage 23 stores a module DB 34 for managing the monitoring modules 13 mounted on the robot 11. An example of the module DB 34 is shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the module DB 34 is a database in which robot IDs, which are identification information for identifying the robot 11, and module IDs, which are identification information for identifying the monitoring modules 13 mounted on the robot 11, are stored in association with each other. In this embodiment, the module DB 34 stores a one-to-one association between the robot ID of each of the multiple robots 11 and the module ID of the monitoring module 13 mounted on each of the multiple robots 11. For example, a user inputs the robot ID and module ID via the input device 24, and the CPU 21 associates the input robot ID and module ID and stores them in the module DB 34. The module DB 34 may be stored in external storage such as cloud storage. The module ID is attached to the sensor data transmitted from the monitoring module 13, making it possible to identify which monitoring module 13 the sensor data was transmitted from.

[0028] Next, the functional configuration of the information processing device 20 will be described with reference to Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the information processing device 20 includes a receiving unit 40, a display control unit 42, a specific unit 44, an acquisition unit 46, an execution unit 48, and a control unit 50. The CPU 21 executes the information processing program 30, thereby enabling the receiving unit 40, the display control unit 42, the specific unit 44, the acquisition unit 46, the execution unit 48, and the control unit 50 to function.

[0029] The receiving unit 40 receives sensor data transmitted from monitoring modules 13 mounted on each of the multiple robots 11 via the communication interface 27. In other words, the receiving unit 40 receives sensor data transmitted from the monitoring modules 13 without going through the robot control system 12. This makes it possible to suppress delays in the reception of sensor data.

[0030] The display control unit 42 controls the display device 25 to display an operation screen that shows the sensor data received by the receiving unit 40. An example of the operation screen is shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, in the operation screen according to this embodiment, the display device 25 displays the video captured by the camera included in the sensor 14 of the monitoring module 13 mounted on each robot 11. The user checks the video and, for example, if determines that there is a situation that requires operation of the robot 11, such as a problem with the robot 11 or the detection of a suspicious person, selects the video as sensor data and selects button B to access the robot control system 12.

[0031] The identification unit 44 refers to the module DB 34 stored in the storage 23 and identifies the robot 11 corresponding to the monitoring module 13 that detected the sensor data specified by the user.

[0032] The acquisition unit 46 refers to the access information DB 32 stored in the storage 23 and acquires access information corresponding to the robot 11 identified by the identification unit 44 as the specified robot 11 from among the multiple access information stored in the access information DB 32.

[0033] The execution unit 48 uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit 46 to access the robot control system 12 corresponding to the specified robot 11. As a result, the operation screen transitions to the login screen for the robot control system 12. The user enters authentication information on the login screen and performs the login operation. As a result, the operation screen transitions to the input screen for entering operation commands for the robot 11. The user enters operation commands on the input screen. Examples of actions that the robot 11 performs in response to operation commands include providing voice guidance if it is a reception robot, and displaying a map on the LCD screen if it is a navigation robot.

[0034] Furthermore, the access information may also include authentication information. In this case, the execution unit 48 may perform the login process using RPA (Robotic Process Automation) or the like. In this case, user login is not required.

[0035] The control unit 50 controls the designated robot 11 after the access by the execution unit 48 is performed. Specifically, the control unit 50 generates control signals for the robot 11 corresponding to the operation commands entered by the user, and transmits the generated control signals to the robot 11 via the robot control system 12. The robot 11 receives the control signals transmitted from the information processing device 20 and operates according to the received control signals. The control unit 50 may also transmit the generated control signals via the communication interface 27. In other words, the control unit 50 may transmit the generated control signals to the robot 11 without going through the robot control system 12.

[0036] Next, the operation of the information processing system 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of remote control processing performed by the information processing system 10.

[0037] In step S10 of Figure 7, the receiving unit 40 receives sensor data transmitted from monitoring modules 13 mounted on each of the multiple robots 11 via the communication interface 27. In step S12, the display control unit 42 controls the display device 25 to display an operation screen showing the sensor data received in step S10. The user checks the image displayed on the operation screen and, if it determines that operation of the robot 11 is required, selects the image as sensor data and selects button B to access the robot control system 12.

[0038] In step S14, the identification unit 44 refers to the module DB 34 and identifies the robot 11 corresponding to the monitoring module 13 that detected the sensor data specified by the user. In step S16, the acquisition unit 46 refers to the access information DB 32 and acquires the access information corresponding to the robot 11 identified in step S14 from among the multiple access information stored in the access information DB 32.

[0039] In step S18, the execution unit 48 uses the access information obtained in step S16 to access the robot control system 12 corresponding to the specified robot 11. As a result, the operation screen transitions to the login screen for the robot control system 12. The user enters authentication information on the login screen and performs the login operation. As a result, the operation screen transitions to the input screen for entering operation commands for the robot 11. The user enters operation commands on the input screen.

[0040] In step S20, the control unit 50 generates a control signal for the robot 11 corresponding to the operation command entered by the user, and transmits the generated control signal to the robot 11 via the robot control system 12. As a result, the designated robot 11 operates based on the control signal.

[0041] As described above, according to this embodiment, multiple mobile objects to be remotely controlled can be controlled with a single device or fewer devices than the number of mobile objects. Furthermore, multiple mobile objects with different control methods can be centrally managed by a small number of users. In addition, since multiple different mobile objects can be operated on the same UI (User Interface) screen, convenience can be enhanced. Moreover, by linking access information with mobile object identification information in advance, users can easily log in to the mobile object they want to access when controlling it.

[0042] In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the user determines whether or not it is necessary to operate the robot 11 based on sensor data, but the disclosed technology is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the CPU 21 may determine whether or not it is necessary to operate the robot 11 based on sensor data. For example, the CPU 21 may determine that it is necessary to operate the robot 11 when it detects from the image that a person has entered outside of business hours.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mobile object to be remotely controlled is not limited to a robot, but may be a drone, an IoT (Internet of Things) camera, or something that is mounted on a wall.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the CPU 21 may perform exclusive control so that only one user can operate the robot 11 at a time. In this case, multiple users may still be able to view the sensor data display screen.

[0045] Furthermore, the various processes that the CPU 21 reads and executes in the above embodiment can also be implemented by dedicated hardware circuits. In this case, the processes may be implemented by one piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0047] Furthermore, the operation of the processor in the above embodiment may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in the above embodiment, but may be changed as appropriate.

[0048] Furthermore, the program in the above embodiment may be provided on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or it may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable non-temporary recording medium is usually transferred to memory or storage and stored therein. This program may also be provided, for example, as a standalone application software, or it may be incorporated into the software of each device as a function of the device.

[0049] The program disclosed herein is available as a program product. A program product includes any form of product for providing the program. For example, a program product includes a program provided over a network such as the Internet, and a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium on which the program is stored.

[0050] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the embodiments described above. (Note 1) An acquisition unit refers to a database in which the identification information of each of several mobile bodies and the access information of each of the systems that manage each of the several mobile bodies are stored in association, and acquires the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the multiple access information; An execution unit that uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body, After the aforementioned access is performed, a control unit controls the specified mobile body, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

[0051] (Note 2) Each of the aforementioned multiple mobile bodies is equipped with a monitoring module that outputs sensor data. A specific unit refers to a database in which the identification information of each of the plurality of mobile bodies and the identification information of the monitoring module mounted on each of the plurality of mobile bodies are associated and stored, and identifies the mobile body corresponding to the monitoring module that detected the sensor data, based on the specified sensor data. An information processing device as described in Appendix 1, further comprising the following:

[0052] (Note 3) A receiving unit that receives sensor data transmitted from the monitoring module without going through the system. An information processing device as described in Appendix 2, further comprising the above.

[0053] (Note 4) The system references a database in which the identification information of each of the multiple mobile bodies and the access information of each system managing each of the multiple mobile bodies are associated and stored, and retrieves the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the multiple access information. Using the acquired access information, access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile object is performed. After the aforementioned access is performed, control the specified mobile body An information processing method in which a computer performs the processing.

[0054] (Note 5) An information processing system including multiple mobile bodies and information processing devices, An acquisition unit refers to a database in which the identification information of each of the plurality of mobile bodies and the access information of each of the systems that manage each of the plurality of mobile bodies are stored in association, and acquires the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the plurality of access information. An execution unit that uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body, After the aforementioned access is performed, a control unit controls the specified mobile body, An information processing system equipped with the following features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 10 Information Processing Systems 11 Robots 12 Robot control systems 13 Monitoring Modules 20 Information Processing Devices 21 CPU 23 Storage 30 Information Processing Programs 32 Access Information Database 34 Module DB 40 Receiver 42 Display Control Unit 44 Specific part 46 Acquisition Department 48 Execution Department 50 Control Unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit refers to a database in which the identification information of each of the multiple mobile bodies and the access information of each of the systems that manage each of the multiple mobile bodies are stored in association, and acquires the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the multiple access information; An execution unit that uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body, After the aforementioned access is performed, a control unit controls the specified mobile body, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. Each of the aforementioned multiple mobile bodies is equipped with a monitoring module that outputs sensor data. A specific unit refers to a database in which the identification information of each of the plurality of mobile bodies and the identification information of the monitoring module mounted on each of the plurality of mobile bodies are associated and stored, and identifies the mobile body corresponding to the monitoring module that detected the sensor data, based on the specified sensor data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. A receiving unit that receives sensor data transmitted from the monitoring module without going through the system. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The system references a database in which the identification information of each of the multiple mobile bodies and the access information of each system managing each of the multiple mobile bodies are associated and stored, and retrieves the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the multiple access information. Using the acquired access information, access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile object is performed. After the aforementioned access is performed, control the specified mobile body An information processing method in which a computer performs the processing.

5. An information processing system including multiple mobile bodies and information processing devices, An acquisition unit refers to a database in which the identification information of each of the multiple mobile bodies and the access information of each system managing each of the multiple mobile bodies are stored in association, and acquires the access information corresponding to a specified mobile body from among the multiple access information; An execution unit that uses the access information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform access to the system corresponding to the specified mobile body, After the aforementioned access is performed, a control unit controls the specified mobile body, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

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