Communication system and terminal device

Abstract

To enable flexible and efficient communication to meet the needs of various users concerning communication between a tele-presence robot and a remote control terminal device.SOLUTION: A communication system includes: unfixed robots; and at least one of computers communicable with the robots. Each one of the computers includes a communication changeover section for allowing a communication method between the computers and the robots to be changed over between the first communication method for exchanging data via a data center connected to a communication network in response to a predetermined condition and the second communication method for directly exchanging data with the robot via the communication network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system and a terminal device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, video conferencing systems using the Internet have become widespread, and telepresence robots are being used that not only allow users to talk face-to-face, but also allow users in remote locations to control the direction and position of a camera.

[0003] For example, the following Patent Document 1 describes a camera-equipped mobile body (telepresence robot) that includes a camera that provides a captured image to a remote operator, and a mask processing unit that performs mask processing to hide at least a portion of the captured image from the remote operator and switches the mask processing depending on the application. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-062308 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Communication methods between terminals in a communication network can be broadly divided into the so-called cloud method, in which data is sent and received via a data center connected to the communication network, and the so-called P2P (Peer-to-Peer) method, in which data is sent and received directly between terminals connected to the communication network.

[0006] The cloud approach has the advantage of storing data on a cloud server and being able to use the stored data as big data, but it also has the disadvantage of high operational costs. On the other hand, the P2P approach has the advantage of being low cost, but as data is simply exchanged between two terminals, it cannot be said to be suitable for effective data utilization.

[0007] Telepresence robots are expected to be used in a wide variety of fields in the future. However, there is a problem that the needs of various users cannot be met if only one communication method is adopted for communication between a telepresence robot and a terminal device that remotely controls the robot.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention provides a communication system and a terminal device that enable flexible and efficient communication between a telepresence robot and a terminal device for remote control that can meet the needs of a variety of users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a communication system comprising an unfixed robot and at least one computer capable of communicating with the robot, wherein the robot has a camera and a drive unit capable of remotely controlling the robot, and the computer has an input unit that accepts input of instructions from a user, a display unit that displays images captured by the camera, a communication unit that transmits and receives data with the robot via a communication network, and a communication switching unit that switches the communication method between the computer and the robot between a first communication method that transmits and receives data via a data center connected to the communication network and a second communication method that transmits and receives data directly with the robot via the communication network, in accordance with predetermined conditions.

[0010] According to this aspect, the computer switches the communication method with the remotely operated robot between a first communication method (the so-called cloud method) in which data is sent and received via a data center connected to a communication network, and a second communication method (the so-called P2P method) in which data is sent and received directly with the robot via the communication network, according to specified conditions, thereby making it possible to send and receive data while taking advantage of the advantages of each communication method.

[0011] In the above aspect, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method according to the use of the robot selected based on an instruction input to the input unit. In this case, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method to the second communication method when the robot is used for communication between specific individuals. Also, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method to the first communication method when the robot is used to provide services to unspecified users. Alternatively, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method according to a fee plan for connecting to the robot.

[0012] In the above aspect, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method for each piece of data depending on the type or format of the data transmitted and received between the computer and the robot.

[0013] According to the above aspect, the communication switching unit switches the communication method in the background depending on the purpose of the robot and the type or format of data, so that communication can be performed using an appropriate method without the user being aware of the communication method.

[0014] In the above aspect, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method in accordance with an instruction to switch the communication method input to the input unit. According to this aspect, since the communication method is switched in accordance with an explicit instruction from the user, communication can be performed in a method that is easy for the user to use.

[0015] In the above aspect, the communication switching unit may switch to the first communication method when the computer is connected to multiple robots simultaneously, and switch to the second communication method when the computer is connected to only one robot. According to this aspect, for example, even when a computer is connected to multiple robots simultaneously, the load on the communication network can be reduced.

[0016] In the above aspect, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method to the first communication method for a predetermined period at a predetermined cycle while communication is being performed in the second communication method. According to this aspect, even when communication is being performed in the second communication method, data can be sampled by switching to the first communication method for a predetermined period at a predetermined cycle.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is a terminal device for remotely operating a mobile or wearable robot having a camera and a remotely controllable drive unit, and includes an input unit that accepts input of instructions from a user, a display unit that displays images captured by the camera, a communication unit that transmits and receives data with the robot via a communication network, and a communication switching unit that switches the communication method between the terminal device and the robot between a first communication method that transmits and receives data via a data center connected to the communication network, and a second communication method that transmits and receives data directly with the robot via the communication network, in accordance with specified conditions.

[0018] According to this aspect, the computer switches the communication method with the remotely operated robot between a first communication method (the so-called cloud method) in which data is sent and received via a data center connected to a communication network, and a second communication method (the so-called P2P method) in which data is sent and received directly with the robot via the communication network, according to specified conditions, thereby making it possible to send and receive data while taking advantage of the advantages of each communication method. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, flexible and efficient communication that can meet the needs of a variety of users is possible in communication between a telepresence robot and a terminal device for remote operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a network configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the physical configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a physical configuration of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by a computer according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a computer according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar configurations.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a network configuration of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 100 includes unfixed robots 20, 21, 22 and computers 10, 11 capable of communicating with the robots 20, 21, 22. Here, the robots 20, 21, 22 and the computers 10, 11 being capable of communicating with each other includes being capable of wireless communication or wired communication, and including being capable of communication via the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a telephone line, or the like, or being capable of short-distance wireless communication. Although Fig. 1 illustrates three robots 20, 21, 22 and two computers 10, 11, the number of the computers is arbitrary.

[0023] The communication methods for transmitting and receiving data between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22 include a so-called cloud method (first communication method N1) for transmitting and receiving data via a data center connected to a communication network, and a so-called P2P method (second communication method N2) for directly transmitting and receiving data between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22 via the communication network. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the computers 10, 11 switch the communication method for communicating with the robots 20, 21, 22 under a predetermined condition.

[0024] The robots 20, 21, and 22 each have a camera and a driving unit that can be remotely controlled by the computers 10 and 11. The robots 20, 21, and 22 each may be configured as, for example, a telepresence robot or an avatar robot, and may have a moving unit such as wheels.

[0025] The robots 20, 21, and 22 may be placed in various locations and used for various purposes. For example, the robots 20, 21, and 22 may be placed in private homes, remotely controlled only by a computer (e.g., the computer 10) that has been granted special access rights, and used only for communication between specific individuals. The robots 20, 21, and 22 may be placed in public spaces such as train stations and museums, and remotely controlled from any computer 10 or 11 without user authentication if the robots are available. Alternatively, the robots 20, 21, and 22 may be placed in service providers such as department stores, medical institutions, and English conversation schools, and remotely controlled by the computers 10 and 11 that have successfully authenticated registered users, and used for services such as shopping, online medical treatment, and online lessons.

[0026] The robots 20, 21, and 22 being not fixed include a case where the robots 20, 21, and 22 are mobile robots having a moving part such as wheels, and a case where the robots 20, 21, and 22 are wearable robots that can be worn by a person and have a driving part such as a manipulator. Mobile robots are shown in, for example, Patent Document 1. The moving parts of mobile robots include those that run on one wheel, two wheels, or multiple wheels, those that run on caterpillar tracks, those that run on rails, those that move by jumping, those that walk on two legs, four legs, or multiple legs, those that navigate on or underwater with a screw, and those that fly with a propeller or the like. Wearable robots are published, for example, in MHD Yamen Saraiji, Tomoya Sasaki, Reo Matsumura, Kouta Minamizawa and Masahiko Inami, “Fusion: full body surrogacy for collaborative communication,” Proceeding SIGGRAPH '18 ACM SIGGRAPH 2018 Emerging Technologies Article No. 7. Furthermore, the robots 20, 21, and 22 include vehicles and heavy machinery capable of automatic or semi-automatic driving, drones, and airplanes. The robots 20, 21, and 22 also include robots equipped with cameras that are installed in sports stadiums and capable of moving on rails. The robots 20, 21, and 22 also include satellite-type robots that are launched into outer space and that can control their attitude and the shooting direction of the camera.

[0027] The computers 10 and 11 have an input unit that accepts input of instructions from a user, a display unit that displays images captured by the cameras of the robots 20, 21 and 22, a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the robots 20, 21 and 22 through a communication network, and a communication switching unit that switches the communication method by which the computers 10 and 11 communicate with the robots 20, 21 and 22 between a cloud method and a P2P method according to a predetermined condition. The computers 10 and 11 are, for example, smartphones, but may also be personal computers or the like. A user of the computer 10 and 11 can communicate with other users in remote locations where the robots 20, 21 and 22 are located, via the robots 20, 21 and 22.

[0028] Each computer 10, 11 may be connected to only one robot 20, 21, 22 at a time, or may be connected to multiple robots 20, 21, 22 at a time. An example of the latter is a use in which a user 1 of the computer 10 holds an online conference with users at multiple remote locations through the robots 20, 21, 22 that are respectively placed at the remote locations.

[0029] The conditions under which the communication switching unit switches the communication method can be set as appropriate. For example, the communication switching unit may switch the communication method according to the purpose of the robots 20, 21, and 22 selected based on an instruction input to the input unit.

[0030] As an example, when the robots 20, 21, 22 are used for interpersonal communication such as between family members or friends (hereinafter also referred to as "interpersonal use"), the communication method may be switched to the P2P method, which is less expensive. Also, when the robots 20, 21, 22 are used for purposes such as meetings, the communication method may be switched to the P2P method if there is no need to store data on the cloud. Of course, even when used for purposes such as meetings, the communication method may be switched to the cloud method if convenience is increased by storing minutes and videos of the meetings recorded on the cloud.

[0031] As another example, when the robots 20, 21, and 22 are used to provide services to unspecified users (hereinafter, also referred to as "unspecified use"), the communication method may be switched to the cloud method. In this case, data detected or transmitted / received during the process of using the robots 20, 21, and 22 can be accumulated in a cloud server, and the accumulated data can also be utilized.

[0032] For example, when the robots 20, 21, 22 are installed in a facility such as a museum, when a user remotely controls the robots 20, 21, 22 to view exhibits, the computers 10, 11 may be set to communicate with the robots 20, 21, 22 in a cloud-based manner. In this case, data transmitted and received between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22, the behavior history (log data) of the robots 20, 21, 22 remotely controlled by the computers 10, 11, and environmental information (temperature, humidity, weather, surrounding congestion) of the robots 20, 21, 22, etc., can be collected and stored in a cloud server. On the other hand, when the robots 20, 21, 22 installed in the same museum are used for night security, the computers 10, 11 operated by the users (e.g., security company personnel) may be set to communicate with the robot 20 in a P2P manner.

[0033] As yet another example, in the case where the robots 20, 21, 22 are placed in a department store, when a user remotely controls the robots 20, 21, 22 to go around the sales floor and make desired purchases, the computers 10, 11 may be set to communicate with the robots 20, 21, 22 in a cloud-based manner. In this case, in addition to log data and surrounding environmental information of the robots 20, 21, 22, information on the user's purchases and preferences can also be accumulated in the cloud server.

[0034] The communication switching unit may also switch the communication method according to a fee plan when using the robots 20, 21, 22 via the computers 10, 11. For example, the cloud method may be used when the robots 20, 21, 22 are used under a flat-rate plan, and the P2P method may be used when the robots 20, 21, 22 are used under a pay-per-use plan, such as a certain amount per unit time.

[0035] The communication switching unit may also switch the communication method for each piece of data depending on the type or format of data transmitted and received between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22. For example, when a command is transmitted from the computers 10, 11, the amount of data is small, so the cloud method may be used. For example, when a conference is held between the user 1 of the computer 10 and the user 2 at a remote location where the robot 20 is located, real-time video may be transmitted and received using the P2P method, and slide materials (e.g., PPT files) and minutes (e.g., text files) to be shared on the screen may be transmitted and received using the cloud method.

[0036] Alternatively, when transmitting and receiving video between the computer 10, 11 and the robot 20, 21, 22, the communication method may be switched for each data, so that audio data is transmitted and received by the cloud method and video data is transmitted and received by the P2P method. In this case, the received video data and audio data are synchronously played back in each of the computer 10, 11 and the robot 20, 21, 22. Here, video data has a larger amount of data than audio data, so communication delays are likely to occur. Therefore, audio data, which has a relatively small amount of data, is transmitted and received by the cloud method, and video data, which has a relatively large amount of data, is transmitted and received by the P2P method, thereby reducing the difference in timing of receiving both data.

[0037] The communication switching unit may switch to the P2P method when one computer 10 is connected to only one robot 20 (so-called 1:1 connection), and may switch to the cloud method when one computer (e.g., the computer 10) is connected to multiple robots 20, 21, 22 simultaneously, or when multiple computers 1, 11 are connected to one robot 20 simultaneously (so-called 1:n connection). As an example, the cloud method may be switched to when one user connects to the robot 20 from the computer 10 to remotely control it, and multiple other users connect to the robot 20 from multiple other computers 11, respectively, to share images captured by the robot 20.

[0038] The communication switching unit may switch the communication method to the cloud method at a predetermined cycle for a predetermined period even while communication is being performed in the P2P method. In this case, data transmitted and received between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22 can be sampled at a predetermined rate to accumulate the data in the cloud server. For example, map information of the movement route of the robot 20 can be obtained by sampling data while the robot 20 is moving by remote control.

[0039] The communication switching unit may also switch the communication method between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22 in response to a user's instruction to switch the communication method, which is input to the input unit.

[0040] Furthermore, when the cloud server goes down, the communication switching unit may automatically switch the communication method between the computers 10, 11 and the robots 20, 21, 22 to the P2P method. Whether or not the cloud server goes down can be determined by using, for example, the results of monitoring the cloud server by a monitoring system (not shown).

[0041] According to the communication system 100 of this embodiment, the computers 10 and 11 switch the communication method with the remotely controlled robots 20, 21 and 22 between the cloud method and the P2P method in accordance with a predetermined condition, so that data can be transmitted and received by taking advantage of the advantages of each communication method. This enables efficient communication between the robots 20, 21 and 22 and the computers 10 and 11.

[0042] Hereinafter, the computers 10 and 11 will be collectively referred to as the computer 10. Moreover, the robots 20, 21, and 22 will be collectively referred to as the robot 20.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the physical configuration of a computer 10 according to this embodiment. The computer 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10a corresponding to a calculation unit, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10b corresponding to a storage unit, a ROM (Read only Memory) 10c corresponding to a storage unit, a communication unit 10d, an input unit 10e, and a display unit 10f. These components are connected to each other via a bus so that data can be transmitted and received. In this example, the computer 10 is configured by one computer, but the computer 10 may be realized by combining multiple computers. The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the computer 10 may have other configurations than these, or may not have some of these configurations.

[0044] The CPU 10a is a control unit that controls the execution of programs stored in the RAM 10b or the ROM 10c and performs data calculations and processing. The CPU 10a is a calculation unit that executes a program (communication program) that controls communication via a robot. The CPU 10a receives various data from the input unit 10e and the communication unit 10d, and displays the calculation results of the data on the display unit 10f or stores them in the RAM 10b.

[0045] The RAM 10b is a rewritable part of the storage unit, and may be composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory element. The RAM 10b may store data such as programs executed by the CPU 10a and user information. Note that these are merely examples, and the RAM 10b may store data other than these, or may not store some of these.

[0046] The ROM 10c is a storage unit from which data can be read, and may be configured, for example, with a semiconductor memory element. The ROM 10c may store, for example, a communication program and data that is not rewritten.

[0047] The communication unit 10d is an interface that connects the computer 10 to other devices and may be connected to a communication network such as the Internet or a telephone line.

[0048] The input unit 10e receives data input from a user and may include, for example, a keyboard and a touch panel, and may also include a microphone for voice input.

[0049] The display unit 10f visually displays the results of the calculations performed by the CPU 10a, and may be configured with, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 10f may display images captured by the camera 20h of the robot 20.

[0050] The communication program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as RAM 10b or ROM 10c, or may be provided via a communication network connected by the communication unit 10d. In the computer 10, the CPU 10a executes the communication program to realize various operations for controlling the robot 20 and an operation as a communication switching unit for switching the communication method between the computer 10 and the robot 20. Note that these physical configurations are merely examples and do not necessarily have to be independent configurations. For example, the computer 10 may include an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) in which the CPU 10a is integrated with the RAM 10b and ROM 10c.

[0051] 3 is a diagram showing the physical configuration of the robot 20 according to this embodiment. The robot 20 has a CPU 20a corresponding to a calculation unit, a RAM 20b corresponding to a storage unit, a ROM 20c corresponding to a storage unit, a communication unit 20d, an input unit 20e, a display unit 20f, a drive unit 20g, and a camera 20h. Each of these components is connected via a bus so that data can be transmitted and received between them. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the robot 20 may have other components than these, or may not have some of these components.

[0052] The CPU 20a is a control unit that controls the execution of programs stored in the RAM 20b or the ROM 20c and calculates and processes data. The CPU 20a is a calculation unit that executes a program (communication program) that controls communication via the robot. The CPU 20a receives various data from the input unit 20e and the communication unit 20d, and displays the calculation results of the data on the display unit 20f and stores them in the RAM 20b. The CPU 20a also controls the drive unit 20g to control the operation of the robot 20.

[0053] The RAM 20b is a rewritable part of the storage unit, and may be composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory element. The RAM 20b may store a program executed by the CPU 20a. Note that these are merely examples, and the RAM 20b may store data other than these, or may not store some of these.

[0054] The ROM 20c is a storage unit from which data can be read, and may be configured, for example, with a semiconductor memory element. The ROM 20c may store, for example, a communication program and data that is not rewritten.

[0055] The communication unit 20d is an interface that connects the robot 20 to other devices. The communication unit 20d may be connected to a communication network such as the Internet.

[0056] The input unit 20e receives data input from a user and may include, for example, a touch panel, and may also include a microphone for voice input.

[0057] The display unit 20f visually displays the results of the calculations performed by the CPU 20a, and may be configured with, for example, an LCD. If the computer 10 includes a camera, the display unit 20f may display an image captured by the camera of the computer 10.

[0058] The driving unit 20g includes a remotely controlled actuator, and includes a moving unit such as wheels, a manipulator, etc. When the robot 20 is a mobile robot, the driving unit 20g includes at least a moving unit such as wheels, but may also include a manipulator. When the robot 20 is a wearable robot, the driving unit 20g includes at least a manipulator.

[0059] The camera 20h includes an imaging element that captures still images or moving images, and transmits the captured still images or moving images to the computer 10 via the communication unit 20d.

[0060] The communication program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as the RAM 20b or the ROM 20c, or may be provided via a communication network connected by the communication unit 20d. In the robot 20, the CPU 20a executes the communication program to realize various operations for controlling the robot 20. Note that these physical configurations are merely examples and do not necessarily have to be independent configurations. For example, the robot 20 may include an LSI in which the CPU 20a is integrated with the RAM 20b and the ROM 20c.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the computer 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0062] When the computer 10 receives an instruction to connect to the robot 20 at the input unit 10e (S10), it selects a communication method according to an instruction from a user or a system setting (S11). Here, it is assumed that the system is set to, for example, "P2P method for interpersonal use" or "Cloud method for unspecified use."

[0063] <For personal use> In a state where the above settings have been made, when the computer 10 receives an instruction to connect to the robot 20 for interpersonal use, the computer 10 selects the P2P method as the communication method with the robot 20 (S12).

[0064] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a destination selection screen displayed on the display unit 10f when a connection instruction to a robot 20 intended for interpersonal use is received. On this call destination selection screen, icons 111 to 114 are displayed, each of which indicates a previously registered individual connection destination. When the computer 10 detects that the icon 111 displaying "Mr. A" has been operated, for example, the computer 10 selects P2P as the communication method and starts P2P communication with the robot 20 placed in Mr. A's house to transmit and receive data.

[0065] Thereafter, the computer 10 judges whether or not an operation to switch the communication method has been performed (S13). If an operation to switch the communication method has not been performed (S13: No), the computer 10 continues to communicate with the robot 20 in the P2P method and transmits and receives data. Thereafter, the computer 10 judges whether or not a disconnection operation has been detected (S16). If the computer 10 does not detect a disconnection operation (S16: No), the computer 10 returns to S11 and repeats the above-mentioned series of processes, whereas if the computer 10 detects a disconnection operation (S16: Yes), the computer 10 disconnects communication with the robot 20 (S17) and ends the process.

[0066] On the other hand, in S13, when the computer 10 detects that an operation to switch the communication method has been performed (S13: Yes), the computer 10 selects the cloud method to switch the communication method from the P2P method (S14). For example, when the computer 10 detects an operation on the icon 115 for inputting an instruction to switch the communication method illustrated in Fig. 5, the computer 10 switches the communication method from the P2P method to the cloud method.

[0067] As a result, for example, when communicating between individuals on a daily basis, the P2P method, which has lower communication costs, will generally be selected, but if the user wishes to store records on a cloud server, they can switch to the cloud method.

[0068] <In the case of unspecified use> On the other hand, when the computer 10 receives an instruction to connect to the robot 20 for unspecified use rather than interpersonal use, with the above settings made, the computer 10 selects the cloud method as the communication method with the robot 20 (S14).

[0069] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a service selection screen displayed on the display unit 10f when an instruction to connect to the robot 20 intended for unspecified use is received. On this service selection screen, icons 121 to 123 representing services such as English conversation, medical consultation, and shopping are displayed. When the computer 10 detects an operation on the icon 121 displayed as "English conversation", for example, the computer 10 selects the cloud method as the communication method, starts communication with the robot 20 arranged in the English conversation classroom by the cloud method, and transmits and receives data. In this case, for example, data such as English conversation lesson materials and lesson records can be stored in the cloud server, and data stored in the cloud server can be used. Also, when the computer 10 detects an operation on the icon 123 displayed as "shopping", the computer 10 starts communication with the robot 20 arranged in the department store by the cloud method, and transmits and receives data. In this case, the behavior history of the robot 20 remotely controlled by the computer 10, product information purchased by the user, environmental information around the robot 20, and the like can be stored in the cloud server.

[0070] Thereafter, the computer 10 judges whether or not an operation to switch the communication method has been performed (S15). If the operation has not been performed (S15: No), the computer 10 continues to communicate with the robot 20 using the cloud method to transmit and receive data. Thereafter, the computer 10 judges whether or not a disconnection operation has been detected (S16). If the computer 10 does not detect a disconnection operation (S16: No), the computer 10 returns to S11 and repeats the above-mentioned series of processes, whereas if the computer 10 detects a disconnection operation (S16: Yes), the computer 10 disconnects communication with the robot 20 (S17) and ends the process.

[0071] On the other hand, in S15, when the computer 10 detects that an operation to switch the communication method has been performed (S15: Yes), the computer 10 selects the P2P method in order to switch the communication method from the cloud method to the P2P method (S12). For example, when the computer 10 detects an operation on the icon 124 for inputting an instruction to switch the communication method illustrated in Fig. 6, the computer 10 switches the communication method from the cloud method to the P2P method.

[0072] To explain this with a specific example, when the computer 10 detects an operation on the icon 122 displayed as "medical consultation" shown in Fig. 6, it first selects the cloud-based system, and searches for a doctor to consult (connect to) while communicating via the cloud-based system according to the user's operation, and connects to the robot 20 located near the doctor. After that, the communication system can be switched to P2P according to the user's operation.

[0073] In this manner, in this embodiment, the communication method is automatically set to the P2P method or the cloud method according to the system settings, which enables flexible and efficient communication. At this time, the user of the computer 10 can efficiently use the robot 20 by remote control without being aware of the communication method that has been set.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user can switch the communication method from the default setting to a P2P method or a cloud method as appropriate, so that the robot 20 can be remotely controlled using a communication method that meets the needs of a variety of users.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the communication method with the robot 20 is set in the computer 10, but the communication method may be set in a cloud server. For example, the robot 20 used for a specific service such as shopping may be set so that it can connect to the computer 10 only via the cloud method and the communication method cannot be switched by an operation on the computer 10 side.

[0076] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The elements of the embodiments, as well as their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those shown as examples and can be changed as appropriate. In addition, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1,2...user, 10,11...computer, 10a,20a...CPU, 10b,20b...RAM, 10c,20c...ROM, 10d,20d...communication unit, 10e,20e...input unit, 10f,20f...display unit, 20g...drive unit, 20h...camera, 20e...input unit, 20,21,22...robot, 100...communication system, 111-115,121-124...icon

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a non-fixed robot and at least one computer capable of communicating with said robot, The robot comprises: Camera and A drive unit that can be remotely controlled by the computer; having The computer includes: an input unit for receiving input of instructions from a user; a display unit that displays an image captured by the camera; A communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the robot through a communication network; a communication switching unit that switches a communication method between the computer and the robot between a first communication method for transmitting and receiving data via a data center connected to the communication network and a second communication method for directly transmitting and receiving data with the robot through the communication network in accordance with a predetermined condition; having the communication switching unit switches the communication method to the first communication method at a predetermined cycle for a predetermined period while communication is being performed using the second communication method; A communications system in which the computer samples transmitted and received data at a predetermined rate during the predetermined period and stores the data in the data center.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication switching unit switches the communication method depending on an application of the robot that is selected based on an instruction input to the input unit.

3. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the communication switching unit switches the communication method to the second communication method when the robot is used for communication between specific individuals.

4. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the communication switching unit switches the communication method to the first communication method when the robot is used to provide a service to unspecified users.

5. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the communication switching unit switches the communication method depending on a fee plan for connecting to the robot.

6. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication switching unit switches the communication method for each piece of data in accordance with a type or format of the data exchanged between the computer and the robot.

7. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication switching unit switches the communication method in accordance with an instruction to switch the communication method inputted to the input unit.

8. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication switching unit switches to the first communication method when the computer is connected to a plurality of the robots simultaneously, and switches to the second communication method when the computer is connected to only one of the robots.

9. A terminal device for remotely controlling a mobile or wearable robot having a camera and a remotely controllable driving unit, an input unit for receiving input of instructions from a user; a display unit that displays an image captured by the camera; A communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the robot through a communication network; a communication switching unit that switches a communication method between the terminal device and the robot between a first communication method for transmitting and receiving data via a data center connected to the communication network and a second communication method for directly transmitting and receiving data with the robot through the communication network in accordance with a predetermined condition; having the communication switching unit switches the communication method to the first communication method at a predetermined cycle for a predetermined period while communication is being performed using the second communication method; The terminal device samples transmitted and received data at a predetermined rate during the predetermined period, and accumulates the data in the data center.

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