COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To provide a communication device, a communication method, and a program which contribute to realization of a safety confirmation system which is at low cost and can be easily introduced.SOLUTION: There is provided a communication device comprising: a receiving unit which receives a packet from a communication terminal; a measuring unit which measures an amount of the packet received in a predetermined period by the receiving unit; a determination unit which determines whether or not to confirm safety of a user according to a measuring result by the measuring unit; and a confirmation unit which confirms the safety according to a determination result by the determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing need to check the safety of people recovering at home from the coronavirus and elderly people living alone. As a means of solving this problem, systems that implement a monitoring function in home appliances and notify the user's family and solutions for monitoring functions provided by security companies are known. However, in order to introduce such systems, it is necessary to build a large-scale system on the server side and to prepare a dedicated device on the terminal side, which creates an issue of the cost burden involved in introducing them.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses the following safety confirmation system. In this system, emergency contacts are stored in a digital television device, and whether or not the user is in an abnormal state is determined based on the usage status of the device. If the determination results in an abnormality, an emergency contact signal is sent to the emergency contact stored in the emergency contact means. The signal is received by the terminal device of the emergency contact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-314714 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The disclosures of the above-mentioned prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. The following analysis has been carried out by the present inventors.

[0006] However, the above-disclosed invention requires the purchase of a new digital television device equipped with hardware and software that realizes the above-mentioned functions as a terminal. In addition, media usage is nowadays diverse, and it is not necessarily appropriate to detect user abnormalities based only on the usage status of the digital television device. In such a diverse media usage situation, it becomes necessary to introduce devices equipped with so-called monitoring functions not only in a single device but also in other devices, resulting in increased introduction costs. In addition, it is necessary to perform settings, etc., for each device individually, which makes introduction time-consuming.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device, a communication method, and a program that contribute to the realization of a safety confirmation system that is low cost and can be easily introduced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention or disclosure, there is provided a communication device having a receiving unit that receives packets from a communication terminal, a measuring unit that measures the amount of packets received by the receiving unit in a specified period of time, a judgment unit that determines whether to check the safety of a user based on the measurement result by the metering unit, and a confirmation unit that performs the safety confirmation based on the judgment result by the judgment unit.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention or disclosure, there is provided a communication method having the steps of receiving packets from a communication terminal, measuring the amount of packets received in a specified period of time, determining whether or not to check the safety of a user based on the measurement result of the received packets, and performing the safety check based on the determination result.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention or disclosure, a program is provided for causing a computer to execute the following processes: receiving packets from a communication terminal; measuring the amount of packets received in a specified period of time; determining whether or not to check the safety of a user based on the measurement result of the received packets; and performing the safety check based on the determination result. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to each aspect of the present invention or disclosure, the present invention provides a communication device, a communication method, and a program that contribute to realizing a safety confirmation system that is low cost and can be easily introduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a conceptual diagram for illustrating an overview of processing, particularly in a determination unit, of the communication device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a conceptual diagram for illustrating an overview of another process, particularly in a determination unit, of the communication device in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the communication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of a communication device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a simple configuration of data stored in a memory of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another configuration of the communication device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an operation screen of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an operation screen of the communication device according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a condition for determining an operation of a communication device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of an operation screen of the communication device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] First, an outline of one embodiment will be described. Note that the reference numerals in the drawings attached to this outline are attached to each element for convenience as an example to aid in understanding, and the description of this outline is not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the connection lines between blocks in each figure include both bidirectional and unidirectional. A unidirectional arrow is a schematic representation of the flow of a main signal (data), and does not exclude bidirectionality. Furthermore, although not explicitly shown in the circuit diagrams, block diagrams, internal configuration diagrams, connection diagrams, etc. shown in the present disclosure, an input port and an output port are present at the input end and output end of each connection line. The same is true for input / output interfaces.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, a communication device 10 according to an embodiment includes a receiving unit 11, a measuring unit 12, a determining unit 13, and a confirming unit 14.

[0015] The receiving unit 11 receives packets from a communication terminal. A "communication terminal" refers to a terminal that is mainly connected via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a wired LAN, a telephone line, etc., and is capable of communication via communication packets. For example, all devices that can be connected to a network via packet communication are applicable, including general-purpose communication devices such as PCs (personal computers), tablet terminals, smartphones, smart speakers, and smart watches, as well as dedicated home appliances such as IP phones, digital television devices, video recorders, air conditioners, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and washing machines. The received packets are sent to the measuring unit 12, which will be described later.

[0016] The metering unit 12 measures the amount of packets received by the receiving unit 11 in a predetermined period. The "predetermined period" is a period determined in advance, which determines the timing for acquiring the amount of measured packets and sending them to the determining unit 13 described below. For example, if the predetermined period is determined to be one day, it is possible to grasp the amount of packets that reflects the communication usage status of the person to be confirmed about safety in one day. The "amount of packets" may be the number of packets received by the receiving unit 11, or the capacity of the received packets.

[0017] The metering unit 12 may measure packets for each IP address or MAC address that identifies the source terminal by referring to the header information of the packets. In other words, the metering may be limited to specific communication terminals. By limiting the amount of communication traffic of terminals in this way, it is possible to exclude communication terminals with large fluctuation factors and grasp the communication traffic of terminals that more accurately reflect the actual living conditions.

[0018] The determination unit 13 determines whether or not to make a report depending on the measurement result by the measurement unit 12. "Depending on the measurement result" means that the measurement result is obtained from the measurement unit 12, and a determination is made based on the measurement result in accordance with a predetermined standard or rule. For example, the configuration may apply a rule that a safety check is performed if the minimum value of the amount of packets within a predetermined period does not reach a predetermined threshold, a rule that calculates an average value of the amount of packets per predetermined period measured in advance by the measurement unit and determines whether or not to make a safety check depending on the average value, or a rule that determines whether or not to make a safety check depending on whether a numerical value indicating the amount of measured packets falls within a predetermined numerical range.

[0019] The confirmation unit 14 performs safety confirmation according to the judgment result of the judgment unit 13. "Safety confirmation" means sending a message requiring a response to the user's terminal. For example, a notification requiring a response may be displayed as a pop-up on a PC or smartphone, or a dedicated terminal may be used to prompt a response with sound or light, and a response may be made by pressing a button to confirm the safety.

[0020] Specific embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] [First embodiment] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication device according to the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, a communication device 10 according to the first embodiment has a receiving unit 11, a measuring unit 12, a determining unit 13, and a confirming unit 14, similar to the first embodiment. The communication device of this embodiment newly has a reporting unit 15. The receiving unit 11 has the same configuration as the above-mentioned first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for illustrating an overview of the process of the communication device 10 in the first embodiment, particularly the determination unit 13. FIG. 3 illustrates the cumulative packet amount measured by the measurement unit 12. In this figure, the "predetermined period" is 24 hours from 0:00 to 23:59. The series 31 illustrated by a thin solid line illustrates the amount of communication packets measured on a certain day. The amount illustrated by the series 33 illustrated by a dotted line is a threshold for the total volume of packets in one day, and as an example, the determination unit 13 determines whether the cumulative packet amount is equal to or greater than this threshold at 23:59 when the predetermined period has elapsed. If the result is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that the time is normal, and if it is below the threshold, as illustrated by the series 32 illustrated by a dotted line, it is determined that the time is abnormal, and the confirmation unit 14 executes a safety confirmation. The above threshold may be a representative value calculated as a result of tallying up the average value of the total packet usage during normal times, or the like.

[0023] The thick solid line in series 34 indicates the reference value of the cumulative packet amount at each time. As an example, the cumulative packet amount of series 31 exceeds the reference value shown in series 34 at each time, and the result is that the person being checked for safety is operating normally. On the other hand, the cumulative packet amount of series 32 is below the reference value of series 34 at around noon, and the judgment unit 13 An abnormality is found in the subject, and it can be determined that a safety check should be performed. The straight line showing the reference value of this series 34 may be calculated by measuring the cumulative packet amount in a certain period of time and calculating the average value, etc. Although series 34 is a straight line, if it is a curved line, it is possible to provide a reference value that is closer to the cumulative packet amount under normal circumstances, and a highly reliable determination can be made.

[0024] In addition to the above criteria, a numerical range as shown in 35 may be set, and if the value does not deviate from the range, it is determined that the value is normal and no report is to be sent, and if the value deviates from the range, it is determined that an abnormality has been detected and a report is to be sent.

[0025] FIG. 4 is also a conceptual diagram for illustrating an overview of another process in the communication device 10 in the first embodiment, particularly in the determination unit 13. FIG. 4 shows the amount of packets at each time metered by the metering unit 12. The solid line series 41 shows the amount of packets in normal times. The dotted line series 42 shows the amount of packets in abnormal times, with the amount of packets decreasing in the evening hours. At 19:00, the minimum amount of packets for this day is shown, and is below the reference value of the minimum value shown in the thick dotted line series 45. For this reason, it is determined that a safety check should be performed. In this way, the determination unit 13 may be configured to obtain the minimum amount of packets within a predetermined period (one day in this example) and determine whether or not to perform a safety check based on the minimum value.

[0026] The series 43 shown by the thick solid line is a model acquired by learning the transition of the amount of packets measured over a certain period of time under normal conditions. For example, as shown in 44, if there is a predetermined deviation from this transition, it may be determined that there is an abnormality. In addition, the deviation between the transition of the amount of packets measured at each time and the transition of the model shown in series 43 may be integrated, and if the deviation reaches a certain standard, it may be determined that there is an abnormality and a safety check may be performed.

[0027] When the subject is out, the amount of packets decreases, which can cause a problem that it is difficult to distinguish from an abnormality. However, a configuration may be adopted that allows a setting not to execute a judgment in the judgment unit 13 when the subject is out. Also, a configuration may be adopted in which the communication device 10 acquires location information that the communication terminal acquires to determine whether the subject is at home or not. That is, the communication device 10 has a location information acquisition unit (not shown). The location information can be acquired in various ways, such as based on a GPS (Global Positioning System) possessed by the communication terminal, location information of a base station of a mobile phone network, radio beacon and short-distance wireless, a sensor connected to the communication device 10, or Wi-Fi sensing.

[0028] The confirmation unit 14 executes the safety confirmation according to the judgment of the judgment unit 13, but may be configured to continue the safety confirmation until a response to the safety confirmation is received. For example, in the case of a setting to call a specified telephone number as the confirmation destination, the configuration may be such that the call continues until the telephone goes from on-hook to off-hook. Also, a configuration may be such that multiple confirmation means are set, and if there is no response, the confirmation is switched to another confirmation means to confirm the safety.

[0029] The reporting unit 15 reports to a contact point stored in advance according to the result of the safety confirmation by the confirmation unit 14. "Reporting" refers to attempting to connect to a specified destination by a communication terminal. For example, possible destinations for reporting include family members, medical institutions, public institutions such as local governments, fire departments, police, and even security companies. The means of reporting may be executed by calling up the destination and report content stored in advance in the communication device 10.

[0030] [Explanation of operation] An example of the operation of the communication device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0031] When the device starts operating, it receives packets from the communication terminal (step S51). Next, it counts the received packets (step S52). Next, it judges whether a predetermined period has passed (step S53). If it is judged that the predetermined period has not passed (step S53, N), it repeats the process of receiving packets again (step S51). If it is judged that the predetermined period has passed (step S53, Y), it judges whether the amount of counted packets has reached a predetermined standard (step S54). Specifically, for example, it executes a process of judging whether the minimum value of the amount of packets received and measured within a predetermined period is equal to or less than a threshold value that is a standard. If the minimum value of the amount of packets is equal to or more than the threshold value (step S54, N), it returns to the process of receiving packets again (step S51). If the minimum value of the amount of packets is less than the threshold value (step S54, Y), it is judged that a safety check should be performed, and the safety check is performed (step S55). If there is a response as a result of the safety check (step S56, Y), the process returns to the process of receiving packets again (step S51). If there is no response (step S56, N), a report is sent to the stored contact information (step S57).

[0032] [Hardware configuration] The communication device 10 of the present embodiment can be configured by an information processing device (computer) and has the configuration exemplified in Fig. 6. For example, the communication device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, a memory 62, an input / output interface 63, and a NIC (Network Interface Card) 64 as a communication means, which are interconnected by an internal bus 65.

[0033] However, the configuration shown in Fig. 6 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the communication device 10. The communication device 10 may include hardware not shown, and may not include the input / output interface 63 as necessary. In addition, the number of CPUs and the like included in the communication device 10 is not intended to be limited to the example shown in Fig. 6, and for example, the communication device 10 may include multiple CPUs.

[0034] The memory 62 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or an auxiliary storage device (such as a hard disk).

[0035] The input / output interface 63 is a means for interfacing with a display device and an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc. The input device is, for example, a device for accepting user operations such as a keyboard and a mouse.

[0036] The functions of the communication device 10 are realized by a group of programs (processing modules) stored in the memory 62, such as a receiving program, a measuring program, a judgment program, a confirmation program, a reporting program, and the like, and a group of data, such as data storing judgment criteria such as a threshold value for the amount of packets, a list of report destinations, and contact information data for the report destinations. The processing modules are realized, for example, by the CPU 61 executing each program stored in the memory 62. The programs can be downloaded via a network or updated using a storage medium that stores the programs. Furthermore, the processing modules may be realized by a semiconductor chip. That is, it is sufficient to have some means for executing the functions performed by the processing modules using some hardware and / or software.

[0037] [Hardware operation] When the communication device 10 starts operating, the reception program is called from the memory 62 and is executed by the CPU 61. The program receives communication packets from the terminal device via the NIC 64 and passes the packet data to the metering program and the transfer program.

[0038] The metering program is also running in the CPU 61 together with the receiving program, and acquires packets from the receiving program. When a packet arrives, the metering program counts up and measures the number of received packets.

[0039] The judgment program is called from the memory 62 when the communication device 10 starts operating, and is put into execution by the CPU 61. The program executes a timekeeping process to detect the passage of a predetermined period. When the passage of the predetermined period is detected, data on the amount of packets measured by the measurement program is read. Next, it is determined whether the amount of packets read reaches a predetermined standard. For example, the minimum value of the measured amount of packets within the predetermined period is compared with a threshold value stored in the memory 62 as a criterion for judging the minimum value of the amount of packets within the predetermined period, and if the minimum value of the amount of packets within the predetermined period is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the passage of the predetermined period is again detected by timekeeping. If the minimum value of the amount of packets within the predetermined period does not reach the threshold value, a signal is sent to a confirmation program described later, triggering a safety confirmation.

[0040] The triggered confirmation program is called from memory 62 and goes into execution state in CPU 61. The program calls the user's telephone and waits for a response. When the user notices the call, lifts the receiver, and goes from on-hook to off-hook, it is determined that the user is safe, the safety confirmation process is completed, and the program returns to the process of receiving communication packets by the reception program. On the other hand, if there is no response within a predetermined period of time, it is determined that there is an abnormality and the reporting program is triggered.

[0041] The reporting program is called from memory 62 and is initially in a standby state in CPU 61, but goes into an execution state when it receives a trigger signal from the confirmation program. The reporting program reads the data of the report destination stored in memory 62, and executes control of a device or application program according to the report destination. For example, if the report destination is a phone number, it starts a call program and executes a call process. Or, for example, if the report destination is a smart speaker connected to a PC, it starts a messenger program and sends the report contents via NIC 64.

[0042] [Effect description] The communication device according to the first embodiment makes it possible to configure a safety confirmation system that is low-cost and easy to introduce by utilizing existing communication terminals. In addition, since the amount of communication packets is measured, it is possible to comprehensively know the communication status of all communication terminals, not just a specific device, and to perform highly valid safety confirmation.

[0043] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, a system capable of confirming the safety of elderly people and people receiving medical treatment at home using a Home Gate Way (HGW) device having a packet monitoring function and an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone will be described.

[0044] The communication device 701 of this embodiment has the following configuration. That is, the communication device 701 according to the second embodiment includes a CPU 704, a memory 711, a timer 710, a telephone unit 705, a WAN (Wide Area Network) unit 712 as a network control unit 702, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) unit 708, and a wired LAN unit 709, as shown in FIG.

[0045] The CPU 704 controls the external interface, memory 711, and timer 710. It also has a processing function for monitoring packet communication and determining whether the communication volume is equal to an expected value.

[0046] The timer 710 is used when the CPU 704 counts time or specifies a date and time. For example, it is used when a device developer or a user specifies a time. In this specification, the timer 710 is described separately from the CPU 704, but in general, the timer function may be incorporated into the CPU 704.

[0047] Assume that a communication device 701 having a wireless LAN section 708 and a wired LAN section 709 is associated with a terminal 703 such as a smartphone, tablet, PC, or game machine. The amount of communication (amount of packets) generated when using the terminal 703 is monitored by a CPU 704, and daily communication is managed by a timer 710 and stored in a memory 711. The CPU 704 produces statistics on the amount of communication for a certain number of days and learns the amount of communication for one day.

[0048] If the daily communication volume does not meet the expected value, a call is made to a telephone 706 via a telephone unit 705 to confirm the safety of the user (person whose safety is to be confirmed). At this time, if the telephone 706 goes off-hook, it is determined that there is no problem, but if it remains on-hook, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred. When it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, the WAN unit 712 contacts the user's family, the police, an ambulance, or an emergency contact 707 such as a local government or an ambulance via the network.

[0049] 8 shows a simple configuration of data stored in the memory 711. The memory 711 stores an audio file 801, a monitoring function activation decision 802, an emergency contact storage area 803, a power supply signal detection start time 804, a power supply signal detection end time 805, a power supply signal detection interval 806, a control program 807 for the CPU 704, a packet monitoring program 808, a packet amount learning program 809, and a packet processing amount storage area 810.

[0050] The WAN unit 712 indicates an interface for connecting to the Internet including a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server 714. Negotiation and call setup between the SIP server 714 and an IP telephone are performed via the ONU 713. In addition, an optical signal from the Internet including the SIP server 714 is terminated at the ONU (Optical Network Unit) 713, converted into a digital signal, and delivered to the WAN unit 712.

[0051] The wireless LAN unit 708 communicates with a terminal 703 having a function of performing wireless LAN communication, such as a smartphone or home appliance. The wireless LAN unit is defined as a general term including functions such as an integrated circuit that processes high-frequency signals and an antenna. Wireless LANs use frequency bands such as 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, but are not limited to these.

[0052] A wired LAN unit 709 communicates with a terminal 703 having a function of performing wired LAN communication, such as a PC or home appliance. There are various standards for wired LAN, such as 10Base-T and 1000Base-T, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0053] The telephone unit 705 is connected to a telephone or a telephone with a FAX function 706 and has a function to realize IP telephone functions. It has a function to convert voice (analog) signals from the telephone 706 into digital signals (IP conversion), a function to convert digital signals from the call destination into analog signals, and a function to send a call signal to the telephone. The signal digitized by the telephone unit 705 is connected to the call destination via the CPU 704, WAN unit 712, and SIP server 714 on the Internet, and a call can be made. All of these functions are collectively defined as the telephone unit.

[0054] [Explanation of operation] An example of the operation of the communication device 701 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication device 701 according to the second embodiment. First, a terminal 703 that can be connected to a wireless LAN unit 708 or a wired LAN unit 709 is assigned to the communication device 701. Next, the user accesses a WEB GUI (Graphical User Interface) as shown in Fig. 8 of the communication device 701, selects whether to enable the monitoring function, and registers emergency contact information and notification possible times. At this time, the registered data is stored in the memory 711. This enables the monitoring function.

[0055] The CPU 704 stores the daily packet communication volume in the packet processing volume storage area 810 according to the packet monitoring program 808 stored in the memory 711. After accumulating data for about one month, the CPU 704 processes the packet volume learning program 809 stored in the memory 711. The packet volume learning program 809 collects packet volume statistics, calculates the minimum packet processing volume per day, and determines a threshold value for sending a safety confirmation to the user (step S901). Note that the process described here does not operate for the first month, but there is a method of notifying when the volume falls below a user-specified threshold, and a method of notifying when the volume falls below a developer-specified threshold.

[0056] The CPU 704 uses the timer 110 to check whether the designated time stored in the memory 711 is within the start time 804 and end time 805 of the power supply signal detection. If it is not within the designated time, a certain amount of time is allowed to pass (step S903), and a check is made again to see if it is within the designated time (step S902). There are various ways for the certain amount of time to be specified, such as a method in which the user specifies it, a method in which the developer specifies it, and there is no particular restriction. If the designated time is the start time 804 and end time 805, the CPU 704 checks whether the amount of packets used by the user per day meets the threshold value using the packet monitoring program 808 (step S904). If the packets do not meet the threshold value, the CPU 704 controls the telephone unit 705 to send a call signal to the telephone set 706 (step S905).

[0057] When the user responds to the dial tone by taking the telephone 706 off-hook (the receiver is lifted), the CPU 704 plays the audio file 801, which has been stored in advance in the memory 711, into the receiver. If the telephone is off-hook when the call signal is sent, the call signal is stopped (step S907). Since the user's safety has been confirmed by the telephone 706 being off-hook or switching from on-hook to off-hook, the process returns to the loop for confirming the user's safety again (steps S902 and S903).

[0058] If the call signal is sent but the phone is still on-hook, a notification is sent to the emergency contact (step S906). The emergency contact is notified by calling a destination previously registered in the emergency contact storage area 803, and reporting the situation registered in the audio file 801, and the flow ends (step S908). Note that the priority of the emergency contact can be changed depending on the communication situation.

[0059] [Variations] The communication device 1001 of this embodiment can also be implemented as follows.

[0060] The notification by the telephone in Fig. 9 (step S905) may be replaced by a smart speaker 1005 using the USB unit 1003 or a smart speaker 1006 using the wireless transceiver unit 1004 in Fig. 10. The basic flow is the same as in Fig. 9, but in this case, a call signal is not sent. The audio file is played to the smart speaker, and is released by taking the telephone off-hook.

[0061] The notification by the telephone in Fig. 9 (step S905) may be replaced by a speaker 1007 built into the communication device 1001 as shown in Fig. 10. The basic flow is the same as in Fig. 9, but in this case, no call signal is sent (step S905). The audio file is played back to the built-in speaker. The notification is released by taking the telephone off-hook.

[0062] In Figure 8, examples of emergency contacts are given as family, emergency services, and local government, but since contacting emergency services suddenly can cause social confusion, a configuration in which priorities can be set may be used. An example of how to determine priorities is shown in Figure 11. With this method, a communication volume threshold is set for each contact, and each contact may be contacted if the volume is below the threshold.

[0063] In Fig. 8, examples of emergency contacts are given as family, emergency services, and local government, but since contacting emergency services suddenly can cause social confusion, a configuration in which priorities can be set in the same way as above may be used. Another example of a method for determining priorities is shown in Figs. 12 and 13. In this method, by selecting automatic selection on the WEB GUI (Fig. 12), the range of contacts is determined according to Fig. 13. The method for determining contacts is based on communication volume measurements over the past 30 days, where μ is the average value and σ is the standard deviation, and if the value is less than μ-1σ and greater than μ-2σ, family members are contacted. If the value is less than μ-2σ and greater than μ-3σ, family members and local government are contacted. If the value is less than μ-3σ, all contacts may be contacted.

[0064] In the present invention, there may be cases where the amount of communication traffic increases due to an unexpected visitor. An example of a countermeasure in this case is shown in Fig. 14. A configuration may be used to prevent an increase in communication traffic due to an unexpected visitor by selecting the MAC address of the device used by the user and determining the monitoring target.

[0065] In the present invention, the presence of a target person in the vicinity may be recognized not only by the amount of packet information, but also by the assignment of a device with a MAC address stored in the HGW, or the assignment of a new IP address to the HGW's destination.

[0066] [Effect description] In the communication device 701 of this embodiment, a safety confirmation system can be easily introduced by providing a HGW device and an IP phone. Also, by changing the settings of only the HGW device as described above, it is possible to flexibly perform safety confirmation in accordance with the life style of the target person.

[0067] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as the following supplementary notes. However, the following supplementary notes are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to such cases. [Appendix 1] This is the same as the communication device according to the first aspect described above. [Appendix 2] Preferably, the communication device according to appendix 1, wherein the determination unit obtains a minimum value of the amount of packets within a predetermined period measured by the measurement unit, and determines whether or not to perform a safety check depending on the minimum value. [Appendix 3] Preferably, the communication device according to appendix 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not to perform safety confirmation based on a numerical range to which a numerical value indicating the amount of packets metered by the metering unit belongs. [Appendix 4] The metering unit further acquires a transition of the amount of packets metered during a predetermined period of time; Preferably, the communication device of appendix 1, wherein the judgment unit judges whether or not to perform a safety check based on whether or not the acquired change in the amount of packets over a specified period of time shows a specified deviation from the change in the amount of packets stored in advance. [Appendix 5] The metering unit measures the amount of packets received from a specific terminal, Preferably, the communication device according to appendix 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not to perform safety confirmation depending on a measurement result of the amount of packets from a specific terminal measured by the measurement unit. [Appendix 6] Preferably, the communication device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the confirmation unit, when performing a safety confirmation, continues to confirm the safety until a predetermined response is received. [Appendix 7] The confirmation unit performs the safety confirmation by calling the user's telephone and confirming the safety based on whether or not there is a response that the telephone changes from an on-hook state to an off-hook state, preferably a communication device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6. [Appendix 8] A communication device, preferably according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, having a notification unit that notifies a pre-stored contact point depending on the result of the safety confirmation by the confirmation unit. [Appendix 9] The notification unit determines whether or not to make a notification for each of the notification destinations held, preferably the communication device of appendix 8. [Appendix 10] Preferably, the communication device according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information from the terminal, and the reporting unit determines whether or not to report based on the location information as well. [Appendix 11] This is the same as the communication method according to the second aspect described above. [Appendix 12] This is as per the program related to the third perspective mentioned above. Note that, like Supplementary Note 1, Supplementary Note 11 and Supplementary Note 12 can be expanded into Supplementary Note 2 to Supplementary Note 10.

[0068] The disclosures of the above cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the entire disclosure of the present invention (including the scope of claims), modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible based on the basic technical ideas. Furthermore, within the scope of the entire disclosure of the present invention, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and corrections that a person skilled in the art would be able to make based on the entire disclosure including the scope of claims and the technical ideas. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described in this specification, any numerical value or subrange included in the range should be interpreted as being specifically described even if not otherwise specified. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10, 701, 1001: Communication equipment 11: Receiving section 12:Measuring part 13: Judgment department 14: Verification section 15: Reporting Department 61, 704: CPU 62, 711: Memory 63: Input / Output Interface 64:NIC 65: Internal bus 710: Timer 702: Network control unit 703: Terminal 705: Telephone department 706: Telephone 707: Emergency Contact 708:Wireless LAN section 709:Wired LAN section 712:WAN department 713:ONU 714: SIP server 801: Audio file 802: Monitoring function activation determination 803: Emergency contact information storage area 804: Start time of power supply signal detection 805: Power supply signal detection end time 806: Power supply signal detection time interval 807: Control program 808: Packet monitoring program 809: Packet volume learning program 810: Packet processing volume storage area 1001:Communication equipment 1003: USB section 1004: Radio transmitter / receiver 1005: Smart speaker 1006: Smart speaker 1007: Speaker

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives packets from a communication terminal; a measuring unit that measures a communication volume of packets received by the receiving unit during a predetermined period of time; a determination unit that determines an emergency contact according to an average value and a standard deviation of the communication volume measured by the measurement unit, and determines whether or not to confirm the safety of a user according to a measurement result of the communication volume; A confirmation unit that performs safety confirmation according to a result of the determination by the determination unit; having The communication device, wherein the confirmation unit provides a GUI that allows at least the emergency contact candidates to be selected at a time before the safety confirmation.

2. The determination unit obtains a minimum value of the amount of packets measured by the measurement unit within a predetermined period, and determines whether or not to perform a safety check based on the minimum value. The communication device of claim 1.

3. The determination unit determines whether or not to perform safety confirmation based on a numerical range to which a numerical value indicating the amount of packets metered by the metering unit belongs. The communication device of claim 1.

4. The metering unit further acquires a transition of the amount of packets metered during a predetermined period of time, The determination unit determines whether or not to perform safety confirmation based on whether or not the acquired change in the amount of packets for the predetermined period indicates a predetermined deviation from the change in the amount of packets stored in advance. The communication device of claim 1.

5. The metering unit measures the amount of packets received from a specific terminal, The determination unit determines whether or not to perform safety confirmation depending on a measurement result of the amount of packets from a specific terminal measured by the measurement unit. The communication device of claim 1.

6. When the confirmation unit has performed a safety confirmation, the confirmation unit continues the safety confirmation until a predetermined response is received.

6. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The confirmation unit performs a safety confirmation by calling the user's telephone and confirming the safety based on whether or not there is a response that the telephone goes from an on-hook state to an off-hook state.

7. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. a reporting unit that reports to a pre-stored contact address according to a result of the safety confirmation by the confirmation unit; A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The reporting unit determines whether or not to report for each of the report destinations stored. The communication device of claim 8.

10. The device further includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information from the communication terminal, The notification unit determines whether or not to make a notification based on the location information.

10. A communication device according to claim 8 or 9.

11. receiving a packet from a communication terminal; A step of measuring a communication amount of packets received in a predetermined period of time; determining an emergency contact according to an average value and a standard deviation of the measured communication volume, and determining whether or not to confirm the safety of the user according to the measurement result of the communication volume; A step of confirming safety depending on the result of the determination; having providing a GUI that allows at least the emergency contact candidates to be selected at a time point prior to the step of confirming the safety of the user; Communication methods.

12. A process of receiving a packet from a communication terminal; A process of measuring the amount of communication of packets received in a predetermined period of time; determining an emergency contact based on an average value and a standard deviation of the measured communication volume, and determining whether or not to confirm the safety of a user based on the measurement result of the communication volume; A process of confirming safety based on the result of the judgment; Run providing a GUI that allows at least the emergency contact candidates to be selected at a time point prior to the process of confirming the safety of the user; A program for a computer to execute.

Images