Remote conference support system, method, and program

Abstract

To make it possible to adjust a conference schedule, an agenda, and the like in consideration of the communication status of a communication terminal used in a remote conference by a conference participant who moves on board a mobile body.SOLUTION: A remote conference support system (400) according to the present invention includes: a setting unit (441) that sets conference schedule information including a scheduled execution time zone and participants of a remote conference; an estimation unit (443) that, when a participant plans to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal by boarding a mobile body, estimates the position of the participant in the scheduled execution time zone, and estimates communication quality of the communication terminal at the position; a determination unit (444) that determines whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition; and a change unit (445) that changes the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy the predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a remote conference support system, method, and program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a conference system. The technology in Patent Document 1 measures the time that a specific discussion is being held among the participants in the conference, and when the measured time has passed a predetermined time, outputs an instruction to stop the discussion.

[0003] Furthermore, in recent years, it has become increasingly common for participants to participate in remote conferences from different locations using communication terminals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-62930 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] With the development of network environments and the spread of transportation with conference environments, such as self-driving vehicles, it is expected that opportunities to participate in remote conferences while traveling at high speeds will increase in the future. However, when participating in a remote conference using a communication terminal while traveling at high speeds, there is a problem that changes in the communication environment of the communication terminal can significantly affect the progress of the conference, such as interrupting the conference.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a remote conference support system, method, and program that allows conference participants traveling on a mobile vehicle to adjust conference dates, agendas, etc., taking into account the communication conditions of the communication terminals used for remote conferences. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a remote conference support system including a setting unit that sets conference schedule information including a scheduled time period for the remote conference and participants; an estimation unit that, if the participant is scheduled to join the remote conference via a communication terminal on a mobile body, estimates the location of the participant during the scheduled time period and estimates the communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; a determination unit that determines whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a specified condition; and a modification unit that modifies the conference schedule information if the communication quality does not satisfy the specified condition.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a remote conference support method including the steps of: a computer setting conference schedule information including a scheduled time period for the remote conference and participants; estimating the location of participants who plan to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while on board a mobile vehicle during the scheduled time period; estimating the communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; determining whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a specified condition; and changing the conference schedule information if the communication quality does not satisfy the specified condition.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a remote conference support program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: setting conference schedule information including a scheduled time period for the remote conference and participants; estimating the location of participants who plan to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while on a mobile vehicle during the scheduled time period; estimating the communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; determining whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a specified condition; and changing the conference schedule information if the communication quality does not satisfy the specified condition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present disclosure provides a remote conference support system, method, and program for conference participants traveling on a mobile vehicle to adjust conference dates, agendas, etc., taking into account the communication conditions of the communication terminals used for the remote conference. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including a remote conference support system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a remote conference support system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a remote conference support process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a remote conference support process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of conference schedule information at the time of setting according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of time periods during which each participant can participate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the scheduled time periods for each agenda item and the available time periods for each participant according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of changed conference schedule information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a remote conference support process during a conference according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and for clarity of explanation, duplicated explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0013] <Embodiment 1> The remote conference support system according to the first embodiment is an information system for supporting the coordination of conference schedules, agendas, and the like before and during a conference when a person traveling on a mobile vehicle participates in a remote conference using a communication terminal. Here, the mobile vehicle is assumed to be one in which at least the remote conference participants among the passengers do not need to drive themselves. The mobile vehicle is assumed to have a space in which participants can participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal. Examples of mobile vehicles include public transportation such as automobiles, self-driving vehicles, trains, and airplanes driven by people other than the participants. It is assumed that public transportation has a space isolated from other passengers, at least to the extent that it can withstand a remote conference, and participants participate in the remote conference within this space via a communication terminal.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including a remote conference support system 400 according to the present embodiment 1. The remote conference support system 400 is connected to an automated driving system 21, a navigation system 22, communication terminals 31 to 34, a traffic condition management system 25, and a communication condition management system 26 via a network N. Here, the network N is a communication network including wireless communication lines and may include the Internet.

[0015] Furthermore, conference participants X, Y, Z, and W are scheduled to participate in a remote conference on a specific date. The remote conference is scheduled to discuss multiple agenda items, and at least two of conference participants X through W are required participants for each agenda item. The number of required participants varies for each agenda item. It is assumed that the remote conference has at least one agenda item and at least two required participants.

[0016] The self-driving car 11 is a vehicle in which a conference participant X carrying a communication terminal 31 rides, and is a mobile body that does not require the conference participant X to drive. The self-driving car 11 is equipped with an self-driving system 21. Therefore, the self-driving car 11 is a mobile body that moves the self-driving system 21, the communication terminal 31, and the conference participant X together from a departure point to a destination. It is assumed that the conference participant X plans to connect the communication terminal 31 to a network N to participate in a remote conference.

[0017] The autonomous driving system 21 is an information system that controls the driving of the autonomous vehicle 11 in accordance with predetermined instructions and moves the autonomous vehicle 11 from a departure point to a destination. The autonomous driving system 21 may be implemented using publicly known technology. The autonomous driving system 21 may also have a GPS (Global Positioning System) function and periodically acquire current location information from GPS satellites. The autonomous driving system 21 may also be equipped with a car navigation system. That is, the autonomous driving system 21 may receive input of a departure point, a destination, and a scheduled departure time, and calculate route information from the departure point to the destination. The route information includes at least information on the route between the departure point and the destination and information on intermediate points. The autonomous driving system 21 may also acquire congestion information 251 for the route included in the route information after the scheduled departure time from the traffic condition management system 25 via the network N. The congestion information 251 includes the latest information on road congestion in each location, as well as forecast information on future congestion. The autonomous driving system 21 may also calculate the scheduled arrival time at each intermediate point based on the route information and the congestion information. Similarly, the autonomous driving system 21 may calculate an estimated time of arrival at the destination based on the route information and traffic congestion information. Then, the autonomous driving system 21 transmits travel-related information including at least the user information of the conference participant X and the departure point, destination, and estimated departure time to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N. Here, the user information includes at least information that can uniquely identify the conference participant X. Furthermore, the autonomous driving system 21 may include the route information, traffic congestion information, estimated times to pass through each intermediate location, and estimated time of arrival at the destination in the travel-related information.

[0018] The automobile 12 is a vehicle in which a conference participant Z carrying a communication terminal 32 rides, and is a mobile body driven by at least a driver other than the conference participant Z. The automobile 12 is equipped with a navigation system 22. Therefore, the automobile 12 is a mobile body that moves the navigation system 22, the communication terminal 32, and the conference participant Z together from the departure point to the destination. It is assumed that the conference participant Z plans to connect the communication terminal 32 to the network N to participate in the remote conference. It is assumed that the navigation system 22 has the same functions as the car navigation system described above.

[0019] Base 13 is the location where conference participant Y, who has a communication terminal 33, is staying. It is assumed that conference participant Y plans to connect the communication terminal 33 to the network N and participate in the remote conference. Furthermore, base 14 is the location where conference participant W, who has a communication terminal 34, is staying. It is assumed that conference participant W plans to connect the communication terminal 34 to the network N and participate in the remote conference. It is assumed that bases 13 and 14 are seats or conference rooms at a company's base, spaces with a telework environment, etc. It is also assumed that conference participants Y and W may also participate in the remote conference while traveling on a mobile vehicle.

[0020] The communication terminals 31 and 32 are at least mobile terminals, such as wireless communication information terminals with wireless communication functions, such as laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, etc. The communication terminals 33 and 34 are either wireless communication information terminals similar to the communication terminals 31 and 32, or information processing devices such as wired desktop computers.

[0021] The communication terminals 31 to 34 connect to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N and perform a predetermined process for participating in a remote conference. The communication terminals 31 to 34 can be realized by known technology.

[0022] The traffic condition management system 25 is an information system that manages traffic conditions on roads in various locations, and may be a known system. The traffic condition management system 25 includes a database that manages at least congestion information 251. When the traffic condition management system 25 receives a request to acquire congestion information on a specific location or road via the network N, it returns the corresponding congestion information 251 to the requestor.

[0023] The communication status management system 26 is an information system that manages the communication status of wireless base stations installed in each area and may be a publicly known system. A communication status management system 26 may exist for each communication carrier. The communication status management system 26 includes at least a database that manages a communication environment map 261. The communication environment map 261 is information that indicates the distribution of coverage areas of multiple wireless base stations installed in a specific region and the reception status of radio waves from the wireless base stations at wireless communication terminals located in each coverage area. The communication environment map 261 includes, for example, the received radio wave strength of the wireless communication terminal for each coverage area. For example, at multiple points within the coverage area of ​​a specific wireless base station installed in a specific location, i.e., at measurement positions, the wireless communication terminal receives radio waves transmitted from the specific wireless base station and measures the radio wave strength. The communication status management system 26 then associates the measurement positions measured by the wireless communication terminal with the measured radio wave strength and registers them in the communication environment map 261. Furthermore, when the communication status management system 26 receives a request to acquire the communication environment map 261 of a specific area via the network N, it returns the corresponding communication environment map 261 to the requester.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a remote conference support system 400 according to the present embodiment 1. The remote conference support system 400 is an information system that performs remote conference support processing according to the present embodiment 1. The remote conference support system 400 in Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a case where the remote conference support system 400 is realized by one information processing device. However, the remote conference support system 400 may be made redundant with multiple servers, and each functional block may be realized by multiple computers.

[0025] The remote conference support system 400 includes a storage unit 410, a memory 420, a communication unit 430, and a control unit 440. The storage unit 410 is an example of a storage device such as a hard disk, a flash memory, or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 410 stores a program 411 and conference schedule information 412. The program 411 is an example of a remote conference support program, and is a computer program that implements the processing of the remote conference support method according to the first embodiment.

[0026] The conference schedule information 412 is information for managing the schedule, agenda content, and order of progress of a remote conference. The conference schedule information 412 includes agenda information 51, 52, ... 5n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1). The conference schedule information 412 is registered in the storage unit 410 for each conference. The conference schedule information 412 includes at least one agenda information.

[0027] The agenda information 51 is information that associates an agenda item 511, a scheduled time slot 512, required participants 513, a priority 514, and a scheduled order 515. The agenda item 511 is information about an agenda item to be discussed in a remote conference and includes at least identification information for the agenda item information 51. The agenda item 511 may also include text information about the title and summary of the agenda item. The scheduled time slot 512 is information indicating a time slot during the remote conference when the discussion of the agenda item 511 is scheduled to be held. Specifically, the scheduled time slot 512 is information defined by a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time, including the date and time. The required participants 513 are information about participants of the conference who are required to participate in the agenda item information 511 among those scheduled to participate in the corresponding remote conference. Note that the required participants 513 may simply be information about conference participants, regardless of whether they are required. The required participants 513 include the user information described above, i.e., information that can uniquely identify conference participants. The priority 514 is information indicating the priority of the agenda item to be discussed in the corresponding remote conference. The priority 514 may be, for example, a priority order. The priority 514 may also include the same priority as other agenda items in the same remote conference. Note that the priority 514 is not essential. The scheduled order 515 is the order in which the agenda items 511 are scheduled to be discussed in the relevant remote conference. The scheduled order 515 may be changed by a remote conference support process before the conference starts, or may be changed by a remote conference support process during the conference. Note that the agenda information 51 may also include time weight information for the agenda items.

[0028] Each of the agenda information 52 to 5n has the same configuration as the agenda information 51. The agenda information 51, etc. may also include the scheduled time slot for the entire remote conference. In that case, the agenda information 51, etc. does not need to include the scheduled time slot for each agenda item.

[0029] The memory 420 is a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is a storage area for temporarily storing information during operation of the control unit 440. The communication unit 430 is a communication interface with the network N. Specifically, the communication unit 430 is a module including an antenna for communicating with other devices, and may be realized in cooperation with other components.

[0030] The control unit 440 is a processor, i.e., a control device, that controls each component of the remote conference support system 400. The control unit 440 loads the program 411 from the storage unit 410 into the memory 420 and executes the program 411. As a result, the control unit 440 realizes the functions of a setting unit 441, an acquisition unit 442, an estimation unit 443, a determination unit 444, a change unit 445, and a conference progress support unit 446.

[0031] The setting unit 441 sets conference schedule information including the agenda items to be handled in the remote conference, the scheduled time period, and the required participants. Specifically, the setting unit 441 receives the conference schedule information from the communication terminal 31 or the like via the network N, sets the priority and weight for each agenda item as necessary, and registers the conference schedule information 412 in the storage unit 410.

[0032] The acquisition unit 442 acquires travel-related information from the automatic driving system 21 and the navigation system 22 via the network N. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 442 acquires congestion information 251 based on the travel-related information from the traffic condition management system 25 via the network N, as necessary. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 442 acquires a communication environment map 261 based on the travel-related information from the communication condition management system 26 via the network N.

[0033] The estimation unit 443 derives route information based on the travel-related information when route information is not included in the travel-related information acquired by the acquisition unit 442. Furthermore, when the travel-related information acquired by the acquisition unit 442 does not include the scheduled time of passing through a route position in the route information or the scheduled time of arrival at the destination, the estimation unit 443 calculates the scheduled time of passing through a route position and the scheduled time of arrival at the destination based on the route information and congestion information.

[0034] Furthermore, the estimation unit 443 identifies, from the conference schedule information, agenda items for which the user information included in the travel-related information is a mandatory participant and the scheduled time period for holding the agenda items. Then, the estimation unit 443 estimates, from the route information, intermediate locations corresponding to the scheduled time period as the locations of the mandatory participants. Therefore, when a mandatory participant plans to board a mobile object and participate in a remote conference via a communication terminal, the estimation unit 443 estimates the locations of the mandatory participants during the scheduled time period.

[0035] Furthermore, the estimation unit 443 estimates the communication quality of the communication terminal at the location. Specifically, the estimation unit 443 estimates the radio wave intensity at the estimated location as the communication quality based on the communication environment map 261.

[0036] Furthermore, the estimation unit 443 may estimate a first location of the mandatory participant at the scheduled start time of the scheduled holding time slot and a second location of the mandatory participant at the scheduled end time of the scheduled holding time slot. In this case, the estimation unit 443 estimates the communication quality in the section between the first location and the second location. This improves the accuracy of estimating the communication quality.

[0037] The estimation unit 443 may estimate the communication quality of the communication terminal based on the distance between the location and a plurality of measurement locations where the communication quality was measured in advance. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the communication quality by comprehensively taking into account the communication quality measured in the vicinity, even if the communication quality at the location has not been measured in advance.

[0038] The determination unit 444 determines whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition. Here, the predetermined condition is, for example, that the radio wave strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, the determination unit 444 determines whether the estimated radio wave strength is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. If the radio wave strength is less than the predetermined value, the determination unit 444 determines that the estimated communication quality does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0039] The change unit 445 changes the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition. Specifically, the change unit 445 calculates the participation time slots of the required participants based on the route information and the estimated future communication quality. Then, the change unit 445 changes the conference schedule information based on the participation time slots of each participant of the relevant remote conference. For example, the change unit 445 changes the order of the agenda items scheduled for the remote conference. Alternatively, the change unit 445 adjusts the scheduled implementation time slot of a specific agenda item by increasing or decreasing it. Alternatively, the change unit 445 changes the scheduled implementation time slot of the remote conference.

[0040] The conference progress support unit 446 establishes a connection with each communication terminal via the network N and starts a specific remote conference. This allows conference participants using each communication terminal to participate in the remote conference. The conference progress support unit 446 also selects agenda information according to the scheduled order of the conference schedule information 412, and notifies each participating communication terminal of the agenda 511, scheduled time slot 512, required participants 513, etc. included in the selected agenda information.

[0041] The conference progress support unit 446 also calculates and manages information necessary for the progress of the conference during the conference. If the available time slots of required participants are changed during the conference, the conference progress support unit 446 calculates the remaining time available for discussing the current agenda. The conference progress support unit 446 sends a predetermined notification to each communication terminal according to the remaining time. The conference progress support unit 446 also accepts responses from each communication terminal.

[0042] The change unit 445 determines a change proposal for the conference schedule information, and also changes the conference schedule information in response to the notification.

[0043] 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the flow of the remote conference support process according to the first embodiment. Here, it is assumed that X, Y, Z, and W plan to participate in a remote conference scheduled to be held on a predetermined date. Y is the moderator and a person who has registered the conference schedule information. It is also assumed that X and Z plan to participate in the remote conference while traveling. Then, FIGS. 3 and 4 explain the remote conference support process before the conference is held.

[0044] First, the conference participant Y inputs conference schedule information to the communication terminal 33 and registers it in the remote conference support system 400. Specifically, the communication terminal 33 receives, from the conference participant Y, information about one or more agenda items to be discussed in the remote conference. For example, the communication terminal 33 receives, for each of agenda items A to D, the content of the agenda item, the scheduled start time and scheduled end time, and user information of the required participants. At this time, the communication terminal 33 may receive information such as the priority and scheduled order of each agenda item, and time importance information for each agenda item. The communication terminal 33 may also receive information such as whether required participants are requested to participate even in the time period before or after travel. The communication terminal 33 may also receive the scheduled time period for the entire remote conference. Furthermore, the communication terminal 33 may receive not only the screen operation by the conference participant Y using an input device, but also the speech of the conference participant Y and use the speech recognition results as conference schedule information. The communication terminal 33 then generates the conference schedule information, including the received information, and transmits the conference schedule information to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N.

[0045] In response to this, the setting unit 441 of the remote conference support system 400 receives conference schedule information from the communication terminal 33 via the network N and sets the conference schedule information 412 in the storage unit 410 (S101). At this time, the setting unit 441 may generate agenda information 51 to 5n for each agenda and include the agenda information 51 to 5n in the conference schedule information 412. For example, the setting unit 441 generates agenda information 51 by associating the agenda 511, scheduled time slot 512, required attendees 513, priority 514, and scheduled order 515 included in the received conference schedule information. Thereafter, the setting unit 441 similarly generates agenda information 52 to 5n. Note that if the received conference schedule information does not include the priority or scheduled order for each agenda, the setting unit 441 may set the priority or scheduled order for each agenda. Then, the setting unit 441 registers the conference schedule information 412 including the generated agenda information 52 to 5n in the storage unit 410.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of meeting schedule information 412 at the time of setting according to the first embodiment. The meeting schedule information 412 indicates that four items of agenda information 51 to 54 are set, and the scheduled order is 1 to 4. The agenda information 51 indicates that the priority is 1, agenda A, the scheduled time period is 13:10 and 13:30, and the required participants are X, Y, Z, and W. The agenda information 52 indicates that the priority is 1, agenda B, the scheduled start time is 13:30, the scheduled end time is 14:00, and the required participants are X, Y, and Z. In other words, the agenda information 52 indicates that W may not attend. The agenda information 53 indicates that X may not attend. The agenda information 54 indicates that the priority is 5, the agenda is D, the scheduled start time is 14:30, the scheduled end time is 15:00, and the required participants are X, Y, and W. In other words, the agenda information 54 indicates that it is okay for Z not to attend.

[0047] Next, the acquisition unit 442 of the remote conference support system 400 acquires travel-related information about conference participants X and Z, who plan to participate in a remote conference while traveling in a mobile vehicle (S102). For example, before conference participant X boards the autonomously driven vehicle 11, the communication terminal 31 accepts conference participant X's travel plan using the autonomously driven vehicle 11. Specifically, the communication terminal 31 accepts input from conference participant X of the departure point, destination, and scheduled departure time of the autonomously driven vehicle 11. Then, the communication terminal 31 transmits the conference participant X's user information, departure point, destination, and scheduled departure time as travel-related information to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N. Alternatively, the communication terminal 31 may acquire route information and traffic congestion information based on the input information, calculate the scheduled time of passing through each waypoint and the scheduled time of arrival at the destination, and include these in the travel-related information. Note that the traffic congestion information acquired by the communication terminal 31 may be information of a narrower range than the traffic congestion information 251, but it is preferable that it be more up-to-date.

[0048] Alternatively, once conference participant X has boarded autonomous vehicle 11, autonomous driving system 21 accepts input of the departure point, destination, and scheduled departure time of autonomous vehicle 11 from conference participant X, and transmits travel-related information including this to remote conference support system 400 via network N. Alternatively, autonomous driving system 21 may obtain route information and traffic congestion information based on the input information, calculate the scheduled time of passing through each intermediate location and the scheduled time of arrival at the destination, and include these in the travel-related information.

[0049] Furthermore, before the conference participant Z gets into the automobile 12, the communication terminal 32, like the communication terminal 31, transmits the travel-related information to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N. Furthermore, after the conference participant Z gets into the automobile 12, the navigation system 22, like the automatic driving system 21, transmits the travel-related information to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N.

[0050] The communication terminal 33 at the base 13 and the communication terminal 34 at the base 14 may transmit travel-related information about the conference participants Y and W to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N. In this case, however, the travel-related information includes the time periods during which the conference participants Y and W are staying at the bases 13 and 14 and can participate in the remote conference.

[0051] In response to these, the acquisition unit 442 of the remote conference support system 400 acquires travel-related information from each communication terminal, the autonomous driving system 21, and the navigation system 22 via the network N. The subsequent steps S102 to S114 may be executed for each conference participant. For example, the case of conference participant X will be described. The determination unit 444 of the remote conference support system 400 determines whether traffic congestion information for conference participant X during his / her travel has been acquired (S103). Specifically, the determination unit 444 determines whether traffic congestion information is included in the travel-related information for conference participant X acquired in step S102. If traffic congestion information has been acquired (YES in S103), the traffic congestion information included in the travel-related information, or in some cases, information of a narrower area than the traffic congestion information 251, is used as the traffic congestion information thereafter.

[0052] If the congestion information has not been acquired (NO in S103), the acquisition unit 442 acquires congestion information 251 for the route corresponding to the route information included in the travel-related information from the traffic condition management system 25 via the network N (S104). If the travel-related information does not include route information, the remote conference support system 400 predicts the route and travel time period during travel based on the departure point, destination, and scheduled departure time included in the travel-related information. Then, the acquisition unit 442 acquires the congestion information 251 corresponding to these.

[0053] After step S103: YES or S104, the determination unit 444 determines whether or not the route information of the conference participant X has been acquired (S105). Specifically, the determination unit 444 determines whether or not the route information is included in the travel-related information of the conference participant X acquired in step S102. If the route information has been acquired (YES in S105), the route information included in the travel-related information is used thereafter.

[0054] If the route information has not been acquired (NO in S105), the estimation unit 443 derives route information based on the departure point, destination, scheduled departure time of the conference participant X, and traffic congestion information. At this time, the estimation unit 443 derives route information including the locations and order of stops along the way when traveling from the departure point to the destination. Note that the processing order of steps S103 and S104 and steps S105 and S106 may be reversed.

[0055] After step S105 is YES or S106, the determination unit 444 determines whether the scheduled time of passage at the route location and the scheduled time of arrival at the destination have been acquired (S107). Specifically, the determination unit 444 determines whether the scheduled time of passage and the scheduled time of arrival are included in the travel-related information of the conference participant X acquired in step S102. If the scheduled time of passage and the scheduled time of arrival have been acquired (YES in S107), the scheduled time of passage and the scheduled time of arrival included in the travel-related information are used thereafter.

[0056] If the estimated passage time and estimated arrival time have not been acquired (NO in S107), the estimation unit 443 calculates the estimated passage time at each intermediate location and the estimated arrival time at the destination based on the estimated departure time, route information, and congestion information (S108).

[0057] After the determination of YES in step S107 or S108, the acquisition unit 442 acquires the communication environment map 261 corresponding to the route information from the communication status management system 26 via the network N (S111). Specifically, the acquisition unit 442 acquires the communication environment map 261 corresponding to the area including each waypoint included in the route information. It should be noted that the acquisition unit 442 acquires the communication environment map 261 from the communication status management system 26 corresponding to the communication carrier used by the communication terminal corresponding to the user information included in the movement-related information.

[0058] In addition to step S111, the estimation unit 443 also identifies an agenda item and a scheduled time period for which the user information is a required participant from the conference schedule information 412 (S112). For example, the estimation unit 443 identifies an agenda item 511 and a scheduled time period 512 for which conference participant X is a required participant 513 from the agenda information 51 and the like in the conference schedule information 412.

[0059] Then, the estimation unit 443 estimates, from the route information of the conference participant X, a passing location corresponding to the identified scheduled holding time period 512 as the location of the essential participant (S113). In other words, the estimation unit 443 estimates the location of the conference participant X in the scheduled holding time period 512 based on the passing location in the route information, rather than the current location.

[0060] After steps S111 and S113, the estimation unit 443 estimates the radio wave intensity at the location estimated in step S113 as communication quality based on the communication environment map 261 acquired in step S111 (S114). Note that various methods can be applied as the means for estimating communication quality.

[0061] An example of a communication quality estimation unit is as follows. For example, the estimation unit 443 may perform statistical processing on radio wave intensities at multiple measurement positions around the estimated location in the communication environment map 261, and estimate the result of the statistical processing as the communication quality at the estimated location. Here, the statistical processing may be, for example, calculation of an average value. That is, the estimation unit 443 identifies multiple measurement positions Pa and Pb within a predetermined range from the estimated location Pu in the communication environment map 261. Then, the estimation unit 443 may calculate an average value RSavg of the radio wave intensity RSa, which is a measurement value at the measurement position Pa, and the radio wave intensity RSb at the measurement position Pb, and set the average value RSavg as the radio wave intensity RSu at the location Pu. This is because it can be assumed that the communication quality changes in proportion to the estimated radio wave intensity. This simplifies the estimation process and reduces the processing load.

[0062] An example of an estimation method with higher accuracy in estimating communication quality is as follows. First, at various measurement positions within a predetermined area, radio wave strength from a radio base station for communication is measured by a radio communication terminal or a measuring instrument. It is assumed that radio wave strength and communication quality are proportional to each other. Generally, radio wave strength decreases in inverse proportion to the square of the distance between the location of the radio base station and the location of the radio communication terminal. Here, the location of the radio communication terminal can also be referred to as the user's location. Therefore, it is assumed that the measurement position where radio wave strength was measured in advance is the location of the radio base station. Then, with respect to the user's location Pu, the traveling direction 443 of the route in the route information identifies measurement positions Pa and Pb that are located before and after the user's location Pu in the traveling direction of the route in the route information. The measurement positions Pa and Pb are the locations of the radio base stations. The estimation unit 443 then calculates the average value of the radio wave strength RSa and the radio wave strength RSb as the radio wave strength RSc of a point Pc that is located in the middle between the measurement positions Pa and Pb. Here, it is assumed that the user's location Pu is between the measurement position Pa and the middle point Pc. Therefore, the estimation unit 443 calculates the square of the distance d between the central point Pc and the user's location position Pu. Then, the estimation unit 443 calculates the radio wave strength PSu of the location position Pu by multiplying the radio wave strength RSc of the central point Pc by the reciprocal of the square of the distance d. In other words, it is assumed that the radio wave strength PSu is inversely proportional to the square of the distance d with respect to the radio wave strength RSc of the central point Pc. It is also assumed that the communication quality at the user's location position Pu changes in proportion to the radio wave strength PSu. Therefore, the estimation unit 443 estimates the radio wave strength PSu as the communication quality at the user's location position Pu. In other words, the estimation unit 443 estimates the communication quality of the communication terminal based on the distance between the location position Pu and measurement positions Pa and Pb where the radio wave strengths RSa and RSb were measured in advance.

[0063] In step S114, for example, the estimation unit 443 may estimate a first location P1 of the conference participant X at a scheduled start time of 13:30 during the scheduled time period, and a second location P2 of the conference participant X at a scheduled end time of 14:00. In this case, the estimation unit 443 estimates the communication quality in the section between the first location P1 and the second location P2.

[0064] The communication quality can be judged using the Quality of Service (QoS) that indicates network performance or the Quality of Experience (QoE) that is a measure of the service quality from the user's perspective.

[0065] After step S114, the determination unit 444 determines whether the communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition (S115). Specifically, the determination unit 444 determines whether the radio wave strength PSu at the user's location Pu is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the communication quality does not satisfy the predetermined condition (NO in S115), the change unit 445 calculates the mandatory participant's participation time slot based on the route information, the estimated departure, passage, and arrival times, and the time slot during which the communication quality does not satisfy the predetermined condition (S116). For example, if it is estimated that the communication quality of the communication terminal 31 is poor at the location Pu through which the conference participant X is scheduled to pass while traveling in the autonomously driven vehicle 11, the time slot before and after passing the location Pu is set as the non-participation time slot. Therefore, the change unit 445 calculates the participation time slot by excluding the non-participation time slot from the time slot during which the conference participant X is traveling in the autonomously driven vehicle 11. Of course, the participation time slot may include the time slot before and after boarding the autonomously driven vehicle 11.

[0066] The acquisition unit 442, the estimation unit 443, the determination unit 444, and the change unit 445 perform steps S102 to S116 for at least the mandatory participants who plan to travel by mobile object among all the planned participants of the remote conference corresponding to the conference schedule information set in step S101. That is, the change unit 445 calculates the participation time slots for all mandatory participants who plan to travel by mobile object. Note that the change unit 445 may perform steps S102 to S116 for all mandatory participants regardless of whether they plan to travel. Furthermore, the change unit 445 may perform steps S102 to S116 for all planned participants of the corresponding remote conference. Therefore, the change unit 445 may calculate the participation time slots for all mandatory participants or all planned participants.

[0067] The change unit 445 stores the calculated available participation time slots in the storage unit 410 or the memory 420 in association with the participants. The change unit 445 may also store the calculated unavailable participation time slots in the storage unit 410 or the memory 420 in association with the participants. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of available participation time slots for each participant according to the first embodiment. Here, available participation time slots 6X1 and 6X2 are associated with conference participant X, available participation time slot 6Y1 is associated with conference participant Y, available participation time slots 6Z1 and 6Z2 are associated with conference participant Z, and available participation time slot 6W1 is associated with conference participant W.

[0068] For example, the route information for the autonomous vehicle 11 carrying the conference participant X may include points with low signal strength, such as points outside the coverage area in the communication environment map 261 or mountainous areas, or the route information may include a long tunnel. The change unit 445 calculates the time period during which the conference participant X is scheduled to pass through these points as the unavailable participation time period. For example, assume that the unavailable participation time period for the conference participant X is estimated to be from 13:40 to 13:55. Therefore, the available participation time period for the conference participant X is divided into 6X1 and 6X2. Specifically, the available participation time period 6X1 is 13:00 to 13:40, and the available participation time period 6X2 is 13:55 to 15:50. It is assumed here that the scheduled arrival time of the conference participant X at the destination is 15:50.

[0069] 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the scheduled implementation time period of each agenda item and the participation time period of each participant according to the first embodiment. The scheduled implementation time period of agenda item A, 13:10-13:30, is a time period during which all of required participants X, Y, Z, and W can participate. The scheduled implementation time period of agenda item B, 13:30-14:00, includes a time period 6X3 during which X, one of required participants X, Y, and Z, cannot participate. The scheduled implementation time period of agenda item C, 14:00-14:30, includes a time period 6Z3 during which Z, one of required participants Y, Z, and W, cannot participate. The scheduled implementation time period of agenda item D, 14:30-15:00, is a time period during which all of required participants X, Y, and W can participate.

[0070] After step S116, the change unit 445 changes the conference schedule information based on the available time slots for each participant (S117). Specifically, if the scheduled time slots for each agenda item include time slots during which required participants cannot participate, the change unit 445 changes the scheduled time slots for the agenda items to time slots that avoid the unavailable time slots. In the example of FIG. 7, there are time slots during which required participants cannot participate for agenda items B and C. Here, if the scheduled order of agenda items B and C is swapped, all required participants will be able to participate for each agenda item. Therefore, in this example, the change unit 445 changes the conference schedule information by swapping the scheduled order of agenda items B and C. The change unit 445 updates the storage unit 410 with the changed conference schedule information 412.

[0071] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of changed meeting schedule information according to embodiment 1. Compared to Fig. 5 described above, Fig. 8 shows that the scheduled order of agenda information 53a for agenda C and agenda information 52a for agenda B has been swapped.

[0072] In step S117, the change unit 445 may change the scheduled time slots of agenda B and agenda C to the previous or next time slot, for example, to a later date. For example, the change unit 445 may delay the scheduled start time of agenda B to 2:00 p.m. Furthermore, the change unit 445 may delay the scheduled start time of agenda C to 3:00 p.m. Alternatively, the change unit 445 may change the schedule for all scheduled time slots of agendas A to D together. Furthermore, the change unit 445 may change the scheduled order and scheduled time slots of each agenda in the meeting schedule information, taking into account the priority and time weight information of each agenda.

[0073] After the answer in step S115 is YES or step S117, the conference progress support unit 446 notifies the communication terminals 31 to 34 of the final conference schedule information of each participant (S118).

[0074] Thereafter, near the scheduled start time of the remote conference, 13:10, the conference progress support unit 446 receives connection requests from the communication terminals 31 to 34 via the network N and establishes connections with each communication terminal. Then, when the conference progress support unit 446 receives a start request from a moderator who is one of the planned participants of a specific remote conference, for example, conference participant Y, the conference progress support unit 446 starts the remote conference. In response, the conference progress support unit 446 allows the communication terminals 31, 32, and 34 authorized by conference participant Y, i.e., the planned participants, to participate in the remote conference as conference participants X, Z, and W. The conference progress support unit 446 then selects the agenda information 51 in the scheduled order 1 of the conference schedule information 412 and notifies each participating communication terminal of the agenda 511, the scheduled time slot 512, the required participants 513, and the like. In response, each communication terminal displays the received agenda, etc., on its screen. This allows more effective support for the remote conference. The conference progress support unit 446 may control the notification content for each communication terminal depending on the role and position of the conference participant. For example, the conference progress support unit 446 may notify the chairperson of all information such as the agenda, and notify higher-ranking participants and required participants of details of the agenda, the scheduled time slot, a list of required participants, etc. On the other hand, the conference progress support unit 446 may notify non-required participants of the agenda, the scheduled time slot, and a list of subsequent agenda items and their scheduled time slots. In other words, the conference progress support unit 446 may notify each participant of content optimized for them.

[0075] The conference schedule information may also be changed during the remote conference through the remote conference support process. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the remote conference support process during a conference according to the first embodiment. First, the acquisition unit 442 acquires travel-related information of participants who are traveling among the required participants for the current and scheduled agenda items (S201). For example, the acquisition unit 442 acquires travel-related information of conference participant X, who is participating in the remote conference while traveling in the autonomous vehicle 11, from the autonomous driving system 21 via the network N during the time period when agenda item A is being discussed. Similarly, the acquisition unit 442 acquires travel-related information of conference participant Z, who is participating in the remote conference while traveling in the automobile 12, from the navigation system 22 via the network N.

[0076] Then, the estimation unit 443 estimates the future locations and communication quality of the moving mandatory participants (S202). For example, the acquisition unit 442 and the estimation unit 443 estimate the future locations and communication quality of the conference participants X and Z by the processes of S103 to S114 described above. Then, the change unit 445 calculates the participation time slots of the mandatory participants taking into account the future communication quality (S203). For example, if it is predicted that the estimated communication quality will deteriorate in the future, that is, if the determination in the above-mentioned step S115 is NO, the change unit 445 calculates the future participation time slots of the conference participants X and Z.

[0077] Then, the conference progress support unit 446 calculates the remaining time for discussing the current agenda item based on the available participation time slots (S204). For example, suppose there is a traffic jam on the route of autonomous vehicle 11, and a concentration of vehicles equipped with communication terminals causes a predicted deterioration in communication quality at the future location of autonomous vehicle 11. Furthermore, suppose that the route of autonomous vehicle 11 is changed to avoid the predicted traffic jam, and that autonomous vehicle 11 is now scheduled to travel through a mountainous region, causing autonomous vehicle 11's future location to be outside the coverage area of ​​a wireless base station. In these cases, suppose that, for example, around 13:15 during the discussion of agenda item A, the scheduled end time of available participation time slot 6X1 of conference participant X, a required participant, is brought forward from the original 13:40 to 13:20. Therefore, the conference progress support unit 446 calculates the remaining time for agenda item A to be 5 minutes.

[0078] Then, the determination unit 444 determines whether the remaining time is less than a predetermined time (S205). Specifically, the determination unit 444 determines whether the remaining time calculated in step S204 is less than 10 minutes. Here, the remaining time is assumed to be 5 minutes, and since it is less than 10 minutes, the process proceeds to step S206.

[0079] Therefore, the change unit 445 determines a change proposal for the conference schedule information (S206). Specifically, the change unit 445 determines a proposal to suspend the discussion of the current agenda item and change it to a later time slot, a proposal to extend the scheduled end time, a proposal to change it to another agenda item, a proposal to change the order of later agenda items, etc. For example, the change unit 445 may determine a change proposal to suspend the discussion of agenda item A and resume it at 13:55, the scheduled start time of conference participant X's available time slot 6X2. In addition, the change unit 445 determines a change proposal for the conference schedule information based on the latest available time slot of each participant.

[0080] Then, the conference progress support unit 446 notifies the remaining time calculated in step S204 and the proposed changes decided in step S206 to the communication terminals of the participants via the network N (S207). For example, the conference progress support unit 446 may notify the communication terminal 33 of conference participant Y, who is the moderator, but not the communication terminals of the other participants. Alternatively, the conference progress support unit 446 may notify the communication terminals of the other participants only of the remaining time. Furthermore, the conference progress support unit 446 may notify the communication terminals of the other participants of the current conference schedule information, including a list of each agenda item. The list of each agenda item may include the agenda content, scheduled time period, scheduled order, and priority.

[0081] The communication terminal 33 then displays the notified remaining time and proposed changes on the screen. This allows the conference participant Y, who is the moderator, to check the remaining time and proposed changes for agenda A via the communication terminal 33 and consider whether to continue or suspend the discussion on agenda A, change the time slot, etc. In particular, displaying the priority of each agenda item can more effectively support the conference participant Y's consideration.

[0082] Then, the communication terminal 33 accepts a response to the change proposal from the conference participant Y and transmits the content of the response to the remote conference support system 400 via the network N. For example, the communication terminal 33 accepts, as a change proposal, an agreement to the change proposal from the conference participant Y. Alternatively, the communication terminal 33 may accept, as a response, a response other than the change proposal from the conference participant Y, such as a continuation or extension of the discussion, a change to another agenda item, a change in the scheduled order of subsequent agenda items, a shortening of the scheduled time slot for, cancellation of, or deletion of a subsequent agenda item with a lower priority, etc. Note that the communication terminal 33 may accept the voice of the conference participant Y and use the voice recognition result as a response, in addition to a screen operation by the conference participant Y using an input device.

[0083] The conference progress support unit 446 then receives a response to the change proposal from the communication terminal 33 via the network N. The change unit 445 then changes the conference schedule information in accordance with the response to the change proposal (S208). For example, the change unit 445 suspends the discussion on agenda item A, changes the scheduled time slot for the next agenda item B from 13:20 to 13:50, and changes the scheduled resumption time for agenda item A to 13:55. In other words, the change unit 445 updates the scheduled time slots of the agenda items 51 and 52 in the conference schedule information 412. Similarly, in the case of other responses, the change unit 445 updates the conference schedule information 412 in accordance with the content of the response.

[0084] Thereafter, the conference progress support unit 446 notifies the communication terminals of the participants of the changed conference schedule information (S209). For example, the conference progress support unit 446 transmits the changed agenda order and scheduled time slots to the communication terminals 31 to 34 via the network N.

[0085] If the remaining time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time in step S205 (NO in S205), the conference progress support unit 446 notifies the communication terminals of the participants of the remaining time (S210). The conference progress support unit 446 notifies at least the communication terminal 33 of conference participant Y, who is the moderator, of the remaining time.

[0086] As described above, when a remote conference includes participants who are traveling, changes in the communication conditions of the communication terminals used by the participants in the remote conference may cause the ongoing proceedings to be interrupted or the conference to be terminated. For example, if the mobile vehicle carrying the conference participants travels through an area with weak radio wave strength, such as a long tunnel or a mountainous region, or if the mobile vehicle travels outside the coverage area of ​​a wireless base station, the communication quality of the wireless communication terminals used by the conference participants in the remote conference may deteriorate, resulting in poor communication or disconnection. Therefore, in this embodiment, the location of the planned conference participants who are traveling during the remote conference is estimated from route information and traffic congestion information of the mobile vehicle, and the communication quality of the communication terminals is estimated from the location. Then, if the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition, i.e., if it is predicted that the communication quality will not be maintained at a certain level, the schedule of the remote conference, the order of proceedings, etc., are changed. This allows conference participants traveling on mobile vehicles to adjust the conference schedule, agenda, etc., taking into account the communication conditions of the communication terminals used in the remote conference, thereby supporting the remote conference.

[0087] Furthermore, even during a remote meeting, changes in communication quality during the meeting can be estimated from the current location and planned route of the moving vehicle carrying the participants, and the meeting schedule can be changed to a time period where communication quality can be maintained. In other words, changes to the meeting schedule can be proposed in real time during a remote meeting, supporting flexible changes to the agenda and time period.

[0088] <Other embodiments> The present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-mentioned embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment, and naturally includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that a person skilled in the art can make within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims of this application.

[0089] Although the above-described embodiment has been described as a hardware configuration, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Any processing in the present disclosure can also be realized by causing a CPU to execute a computer program.

[0090] In the above examples, the program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 11 Self-driving cars 12. Automobiles 13 and 14 locations 21 Autonomous Driving System 22 Navigation system 31~34 Communication terminals 25 Traffic Condition Management System 251 Traffic Information 26 Communication Status Management System 261 Communication Environment Map N Network X, Y, Z, W Conference Participants 400 Remote Meeting Support System 410 Storage section 411 Program 412 Meeting Schedule Information 51, 52,...5n Agenda information 511 Agenda 512 Scheduled implementation time 513 Required participants 514 Priority 515 Scheduled Order 420 memory 430 Communications Department 440 Control Unit 441 Settings 442 Acquisition Department 443 Estimation Department 444 Judgment section 445 Changes 446 Conference Progress Support Department 6X1, 6X2, 6Y1, 6Z1, 6Z2, 6W1 Participation time slots 6X3, 6Z3 Unavailable time slots

Claims

1. a setting unit that sets conference schedule information including a scheduled time period and participants of the remote conference; an estimation unit that, when the participant is scheduled to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while riding in a moving object, estimates a location of the participant during the scheduled time period and estimates a communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; a determination unit that determines whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition; a change unit that changes the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition; Equipped with The estimation unit estimating a first location of the participant at a scheduled start time of the scheduled event time period and a second location of the participant at a scheduled end time of the scheduled event time period; Estimating the communication quality in a section between the first location and the second location. Remote meeting support system.

2. a setting unit that sets conference schedule information including a scheduled time period and participants of the remote conference; an estimation unit that, when the participant is scheduled to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while riding in a moving object, estimates a location of the participant during the scheduled time period and estimates a communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; a determination unit that determines whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition; a change unit that changes the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition; Equipped with The estimation unit The communication quality of the communication terminal is estimated based on the distance between the location and a plurality of measurement locations where communication quality has been measured in advance. Remote meeting support system.

3. The computer setting conference schedule information including a scheduled time period and participants for the remote conference; estimating locations of the participants who plan to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while riding in a mobile vehicle during the scheduled time period; estimating a communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; determining whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition; changing the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition; Including, The step of estimating the location includes: estimating a first location of the participant at a scheduled start time of the scheduled event time period and a second location of the participant at a scheduled end time of the scheduled event time period; The step of estimating communication quality includes: Estimating the communication quality in a section between the first location and the second location. How to support remote meetings.

4. The computer setting conference schedule information including a scheduled time period and participants for the remote conference; estimating locations of the participants who plan to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while riding in a mobile vehicle during the scheduled time period; estimating a communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; determining whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition; changing the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition; Including, The step of estimating communication quality includes: The communication quality of the communication terminal is estimated based on the distance between the location and a plurality of measurement locations where communication quality has been measured in advance. How to support remote meetings.

5. setting conference schedule information including a scheduled time period and participants for the remote conference; estimating locations of the participants who plan to participate in the remote conference via a communication terminal while riding in a mobile vehicle during the scheduled time period; estimating a communication quality of the communication terminal at the location; determining whether the estimated communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition; changing the conference schedule information when the communication quality does not satisfy a predetermined condition; on the computer, The step of estimating communication quality includes: The communication quality of the communication terminal is estimated based on the distance between the location and a plurality of measurement locations where communication quality has been measured in advance. A remote meeting support program.

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