Communication band calculation device and control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication band calculation device for calculating a communication band of a communication network for remote work in an environment in which a digital device and a work machine are connected via the communication network. The communication band calculation device comprises: a communication band calculation unit that calculates a communication band for communication for the remote work over the communication network so that perceptual digitized data, which is digitized data of perceptual information to be received by the worker via the digital device, is transmitted over the communication network and quality of the perceptual information is better than a lower limit value of said quality; a network quality control unit that carries out control with respect to the communication network so that the network quality on the communication network in which the communication band is reserved reaches a value that is better than a degradation limit value corresponding to the lower limit value; and a remote work intervention control unit that carries out control for stopping work by the work machine when the network quality has become worse than a prescribed value.

Description

Communication bandwidth calculation device and control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for calculating a communication bandwidth in a communication network.

[0002] Conventionally, for communication services provided via a communication network, regardless of whether the communication is via a fixed line (wired) or wireless communication using a mobile terminal, QoS (Quality of Service) or QoE (Quality of Experience) can be defined as the quality of communication service required by users. Communication service providers design, operate, and manage communication networks to achieve such communication service quality.

[0003] In order to achieve the required quality of communication services, communication networks regularly measure the traffic volume of the communication services they provide, and at the same time, analyze and evaluate the traffic characteristics specific to each communication service, thereby acquiring and accumulating knowledge about the traffic characteristics of each communication service.In order to provide communication services economically and to timely build just the right amount of communication resources, a technology is required that utilizes the knowledge thus obtained to predict future communication traffic volume and calculate the appropriate amount of communication equipment.

[0004] Due to the evolution of IoT (Internet of Things) technology and the shortage of highly skilled workers, it is expected that tasks that previously could only be performed by workers on-site will now be accomplished by remotely operating on-site devices via a communication network from a control room located far from the site.

[0005] In this case, the intervening communication network must be able to reliably provide QoS, which is the quality of communication service required for workers located far from the site to accomplish the desired work using remotely operated work machines.

[0006] Furthermore, the communication network is also expected to provide possible support for accomplishing a desired task in response to unexpected quality degradation of the QoS of the communication service. Prior art documents relating to communication bandwidth calculation techniques include, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0007] JP 2020-150524 JP 2018-157311

[0008] In the prior art, there are many techniques for calculating the appropriate amount of communication equipment required to maintain the QoS of communication services in the future, for communication networks that provide a variety of multiplexed communication services, including fixed-line telephone services, video distribution services, and Internet connection services, and for mobile communication networks that provide mobile communication services.

[0009] However, in the prior art, there was no technology that could control the deterioration of the quality of sensory information provided to workers performing remote operations through communication services provided over a communication network, and that could avoid work failures or accidents caused by the effects of unexpected deterioration in the quality of sensory information.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a technology that can control the deterioration of the quality of sensory information provided to workers performing remote operations through communication services provided over a communication network, and that can avoid work failures or accidents caused by the effects of unexpected deterioration in the quality of sensory information.

[0011] According to the disclosed technology, there is provided a communication bandwidth calculation device that calculates the communication bandwidth of a communication network in an environment in which a digital device and a work machine are connected via a communication network, in remote work in which a worker uses the digital device to remotely operate the work machine, the communication bandwidth calculation device comprising: perceptual digitized data, which is digitized data of perceptual information received by the worker by the digital device, transmitted over the communication network; a communication bandwidth calculation unit that calculates the communication bandwidth for communication for the remote work over the communication network so that the quality of the perceptual information becomes better than a lower limit value of the quality; a network quality control unit that controls the communication network so that the network quality over the communication network in which the communication bandwidth is reserved becomes better than a degradation limit value corresponding to the lower limit value; and a remote work intervention control unit that controls to stop work by the work machine when the network quality deteriorates below a predetermined value.

[0012] The disclosed technology makes it possible to control the deterioration of the quality of sensory information provided to workers performing remote operations through communication services provided over a communication network, and provides technology that can avoid work failures or accidents caused by the effects of unexpected deterioration in the quality of sensory information.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining "on-site work" and "perceptually digitized work". FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining "remote work". FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a communication terminal for supporting remote work and a communication bandwidth calculation device for controlling it. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the effect of intervention in remote work in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an overall block diagram showing the configuration of a communication bandwidth calculation device in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between a perceptual quality lower limit value and a NW quality degradation limit value. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a calculation processing unit in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flow diagram (part 1) showing the processing of the calculation processing unit. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram (part 2) showing the processing of the calculation processing unit. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram (part 3) showing the processing of the calculation processing unit. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram (part 4) showing the processing of the calculation processing unit. FIG. 12 is a flow diagram (part 5) showing the processing of the calculation processing unit. FIG. 13 is a flow diagram (part 6) showing the processing of the calculation processing unit. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device.

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and the embodiment to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0015] In the following, we will explain a technology that targets communication equipment in a communication network where communication traffic volume increases (decreases) while fluctuating, and predicts and calculates the amount of bandwidth equipment required at a future design target time in order to provide the communication service quality required by users.

[0016] More specifically, we will explain a technology that can control the degradation of the quality of sensory information provided to workers performing remote operations through communication services provided over a communication network, and that can avoid work failures and accidents caused by the effects of unpredictable degradation of the quality of sensory information.

[0017] Below, first, the problem will be described in more detail, and then the technology according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0018] (Regarding the Issues) As mentioned above, in the prior art, there are many techniques for calculating the appropriate amount of communication equipment required to maintain the QoS of communication services at a future point in time, for communication networks that multiplex and provide a variety of communication services, including fixed-line telephone services, video distribution services, and Internet connection services, and for mobile communication networks that provide mobile communication services.

[0019] However, in the prior art, there was no technology that could control the degradation of the quality of sensory information provided to workers performing remote operations through communication services provided over a communication network, and that could avoid work failures or accidents caused by the effects of unexpected degradation of the quality of sensory information.

[0020] First, definitions (prerequisites) will be explained to clarify the problems associated with the present embodiment. Note that the definitions explained below are those related to the embodiment, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following definitions.

[0021] The target work in this embodiment is defined as "a work in which a human worker uses a device to achieve a desired work objective, and all of the various decisions and operations during the work are performed by the human worker, and are not left to robots or AI."

[0022] Furthermore, the work targeted in this embodiment can be divided into simple "piecemeal tasks" such as lifting, lowering, rotating, and moving the work object, and the entire work is a series of such "piecemeal tasks" combined together.

[0023] In one piecemeal task, the object whose position changes within the workspace is limited to one object. Furthermore, the speed at which the worker moves the object must be "slow."

[0024] When a worker moves an object at a "low speed," it means that the speed at which the object is moved and its trajectory up to a short future point in time are fully manageable based on the human's ability to process perceptual information and the motor ability to respond to it. "Fully manageable" here means that any deviation from the worker's intentions is at a level that is almost negligible, and the desired "piecemeal work" can be accomplished by the work machine.

[0025] Furthermore, the worker may proceed with the work while moving, provided that the operating machine operated by the worker is slow enough to accomplish and complete the desired piecemeal work.

[0026] In addition to the above, the conditions assumed in this embodiment may be expanded to include a condition where it can be assumed that the speed at which an object other than the target object moves within the work space is sufficiently slow so that unwanted interference or collision between the objects does not occur. In other words, the present embodiment covers tasks such as stacking a target object on top of another object or placing it adjacent to another object as a desired task objective.

[0027] Specifically, operating machines include, for example, robotic arms in factories, production machines in factories, machine tools in factories, agricultural machines in farms, tractors in farms, construction machines in construction sites, various heavy machines in construction sites, and surgical machines in hospital operating rooms.

[0028] To clearly indicate that a worker is present at the site where the work is to be performed, the work at the site will be referred to as "on-site work." In the on-site work targeted in this embodiment as defined above, all of the various decisions and operations that a human worker must make during the work involve input information (video, audio, weight and direction on the control stick, etc.) through the worker's perception (audio, tactile, etc.), i.e., "perceptual information." Therefore, the quality of the perceptual information affects the achievement and success of the work objective.

[0029] An image of on-site work is shown in Figure 1(a). "On-site work" refers to work that is based on the worker's direct perception through visual and auditory means.

[0030] To perform on-site work remotely, it is necessary as a preliminary step to digitize the input information for the visual, tactile, and other perceptual information of the worker during the on-site work. Specifically, video, audio, and the force and direction applied to the control stick must each be digitally encoded, and then decoded and played back using digital devices such as a display, headphones, and control stick. This digitization of perceptual information is referred to here as "perceptual digitization." Specific digitization conditions for visual, tactile, and other perceptual information (encoding method, encoding bit rate, etc.) are referred to as perceptual digitization conditions.

[0031] In other words, a "perceptually digitized" task is a task based on perception that has undergone digitization of audio-visual and tactile information. Figure 1(b) shows an image of a "perceptually digitized" task.

[0032] The total amount of data (total of video data, audio data, and control stick data) that is digitally encoded according to the perceptual digitization conditions and includes "video, audio, and the weight and direction of the control stick" is called the perceptual digitized data amount. Also, the amount of perceptual digitized data generated per unit time is called the perceptual digitized data rate.

[0033] At this time, delays and other delays occur due to the digital encoding and decoding of perceptual information that accompanies perceptual digitization, and the quality of the perceptual information input to the worker is adversely affected (degraded) by the digitization. Specifically, factors such as unclear images, noisy audio, and reduced sensitivity of the control stick operability can hinder the worker from carrying out the work they are trying to do.

[0034] In this embodiment, the case where work is performed by operating from a remote location away from the site is referred to as "remote work." In remote work, the above-mentioned sensory information is transferred from a remote control room to the site via a communication network. Also, in remote work, the sensory information perceived by the worker (specifically, the data that is the source of the sensory information) is transferred from the site to the remote control room via the communication network.

[0035] In this case, due to the network delay (propagation delay) that occurs depending on the distance, the quality of the perceptual information is affected more poorly in remote work than in perceptual digitization. The network delay increases as the distance between the remote workroom and the site increases. When the network delay increases, it becomes difficult to accomplish and complete the desired work.

[0036] In other words, "remote work" is work that is carried out at a site far from the worker, using "perception digitization" and a communication network. An image of "remote work" is shown in Figure 2.

[0037] Compared to "on-site work," in "digitized sensory work," the quality of sensory information deteriorates due to digitization processing, and in "remote work," the quality of sensory information further deteriorates due to the influence of network quality and distance. Such deterioration in the quality of sensory information makes it difficult to smoothly achieve and complete the desired "remote work." This results in issues such as slower work speeds, the need to redo work, and even increased risk of work-related accidents.

[0038] In addition, if an unexpected deterioration in the quality of sensory information occurs during "remote work," the greater the distance between the remote control and the site, the longer it will take to catch up on the sensory information, which increases the likelihood of work failure (requiring increased costs to recover) or accidents (work results that cannot be recovered due to increased costs alone).

[0039] The technology according to the present embodiment aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. Specifically, the technology according to the present embodiment aims to provide a communication bandwidth calculation device 10 that can control degradation of the quality of sensory information for a remote operator in order to achieve a desired remote operation goal, and that can avoid work failures or accidents caused by the influence of unexpected degradation of the quality of sensory information.

[0040] (Outline of the embodiment) First, an outline of the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, a communication bandwidth calculation device 10 is provided that calculates the amount of communication equipment required to provide a communication service.

[0041] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 is capable of controlling the degradation of the quality of sensory information for a remote operator and is also capable of avoiding work failures and accidents due to the influence of unforeseen degradation of the quality of sensory information. Note that the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 may be configured to be capable of only one of "controlling the degradation of the quality of sensory information for a remote operator" and "avoiding work failures and accidents due to the influence of unforeseen degradation of the quality of sensory information."

[0042] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 includes an information acquisition unit 16A, a perceived quality lower limit setting unit 16B, a NW quality limit setting unit 16C, a background traffic prediction unit 16D, a communication bandwidth calculation unit 16E, an operation system setting unit 16F, a NW quality observation control unit 16G, a NW quality fixing control unit 16H, a remote work intervention control unit 16I, and an application setting unit 16J.

[0043] The information acquisition unit 16A acquires network equipment configuration information, equipment unit traffic information, and remote work information, as well as a perceptual digitization quality value, which is the quality degradation associated with perceptual digitization, which is the digitization of perceptual information, and a perceptual digitization data rate, which is the amount of data per unit time due to that perceptual digitization.

[0044] The perceptual quality lower limit setting unit 16B sets a perceptual quality lower limit value that is the minimum perceptual quality required to achieve the objective of the remote work.

[0045] The NW quality limit setting unit 16C sets a NW quality degradation limit value, which is the NW quality that is allowed for the communication of the remote control in order to satisfy the perceptual quality lower limit value.

[0046] The background traffic prediction unit 16D predicts the background traffic of each communication facility through which the communication for the remote work passes, at the date and time of the remote work.

[0047] The communication bandwidth calculation unit 16E calculates the required bandwidth (or required resources) for remote operation, which is information specifying the communication bandwidth (or the quality class or capacity of the communication resources) that can provide communication quality better than the NW quality degradation limit value under the condition that the total traffic of the background traffic prediction and the perceived digitized data rate is placed as a load on the communication equipment through which the remote operation communication passes. Note that "communication resources" may also be used as a term that includes "communication bandwidth."

[0048] The operation system setting unit 16F instructs the operation system on the communication equipment side through which the communication for the remote operation passes to reserve the required bandwidth (or required resources) for the remote operation, and also instructs the communication terminal side that performs the communication for the remote operation to configure the communication settings for the remote operation so as to use the reserved communication bandwidth or communication resources.

[0049] The NW quality observation control unit 16G controls an application of a communication terminal that performs communication for remote work to observe the NW quality during the communication.

[0050] The NW quality fixing control unit 16H controls an application of a communication terminal that performs communication for remote work to fix the NW quality during the communication to a constant value that is better than the NW quality degradation limit value.

[0051] The remote work intervention control unit 16I controls the application of the communication terminal that is performing the remote work communication so that when it observes that the network quality during the communication has deteriorated beyond a certain value, it immediately intervenes in the remote work and safely stops the work.

[0052] The application setting unit 16J generates application setting information for controlling the communication terminal application.

[0053] In addition, the communication bandwidth calculation method executed by the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 includes an information acquisition step, a perceived quality lower limit setting step, a NW quality limit setting step, a background traffic prediction step, a communication bandwidth calculation step, an operation system setting step, a NW quality observation control step, a NW quality fixed control step, a remote work intervention control step, and an application setting step.

[0054] In the information acquisition step, the information acquisition unit 16A acquires network equipment configuration information, equipment unit traffic information, remote work information, as well as a perceptual digitization quality value, which is the quality degradation associated with perceptual digitization, which is the digitization of perceptual information, and a perceptual digitization data rate, which is the amount of data per unit time due to that perceptual digitization.

[0055] In the perceptual quality lower limit setting step, the perceptual quality lower limit setting unit 16B sets a perceptual quality lower limit value that is the minimum perceptual quality required to achieve the objective of the remote work.

[0056] In the NW quality limit setting step, the NW quality limit setting unit 16C sets a NW quality degradation limit value, which is the NW quality that is allowed for the communication of the remote control in order to satisfy the perceptual quality lower limit value.

[0057] In the background traffic prediction step, the background traffic prediction unit 16D predicts background traffic of each communication facility through which communication for the remote work passes, on the date and time of the remote work.

[0058] In the communication bandwidth calculation step, the communication bandwidth calculation unit 16E calculates the required bandwidth (or required resources) for remote operation, which is information specifying the communication bandwidth (or the quality class or capacity of the communication resources) that can provide communication quality better than the NW quality degradation limit value under conditions where the total traffic of the background traffic prediction and the perceived digitized data rate is placed as a load on the communication equipment through which the remote work communication passes.

[0059] In the operation system setting step, the operation system setting unit 16F instructs the operation system on the communication equipment side through which the communication for the remote work passes to reserve the required bandwidth (or required resources) for the remote operation, and also instructs the communication terminal side that performs the communication for the remote operation to configure the communication settings for the remote work so as to use the reserved communication bandwidth or communication resources.

[0060] In the NW quality observation control step, the NW quality observation control unit 16G controls the application of the communication terminal that performs the remote work communication to execute observation of the NW quality during the communication.

[0061] In the NW quality fixing control step, the NW quality fixing control unit 16H performs control for the application of the communication terminal performing the remote work communication to fix the NW quality during the communication to a constant value better than the NW quality degradation limit value.

[0062] In the remote work intervention control step, the remote work intervention control unit 16I controls the application of the communication terminal that performs the remote work communication so that when it observes that the network quality during the communication has deteriorated beyond a certain value, it immediately intervenes in the remote work and safely stops the work.

[0063] In the application setting step, the application setting unit 16J generates application setting information for controlling the communication terminal application.

[0064] (General configuration of communication system) An example of the general configuration of a communication system in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, this communication system has communication terminals Y1 and Y2 for connecting each device in a remote control room X1 with a remotely operated work machine X2 at a site via a communication network 20. The communication terminals Y1 and Y2 include functions for supporting remote work.

[0065] Furthermore, this communication system includes a communication band control device 10. The communication band control device 10 controls the communication terminals Y1 and Y2. As shown in Fig. 3, the communication band control device 10 acquires information within the communication network 20 required to control the communication terminals Y1 and Y2, and transmits setting information to each of the communication terminals Y1 and Y2. The internal configuration and operation of the communication band control device 10 will be described in detail later. The process executed by the communication band control device 10 is outlined below.

[0066] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 in this embodiment designs the quality of the worker's perceptual information required to accomplish the desired remote work for the communication service provided between the remote workroom X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2.

[0067] In addition, the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 sets a network quality limit value, which is the tolerable limit of network quality degradation caused by the communication network, taking into account the quality degradation due to perceptual digitization for the quality of the perceptual information, and calculates the communication bandwidth for communication for the remote work so that the network quality limit value can be achieved.

[0068] In addition, the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 monitors the network quality of the communication while the worker is performing the remote work, and maintains a constant network quality necessary to achieve the purpose of the work by the remote operation. Furthermore, if the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 detects that the network quality has deteriorated to a level worse than the network quality limit, it intervenes in the remote work and stops the remote work.

[0069] The effect of intervention in remote work in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. As a specific example, the effect of intervention will be described in a case where, during remote work via communication network 20, a quality deterioration worse than the NW quality limit is detected by an in-communication terminal app in communication terminal Y2 at the site (shown on the right side of Figure 4 as "★1" in Figure 4). Note that "application" may also be referred to as "app."

[0070] In this embodiment, the factors described below are assumed to be factors that contribute to the delay time that occurs before work is stopped during remote work.

[0071] First, in the remote work targeted in this embodiment, we will model the worker's decision to stop work. Specifically, the worker's decision to stop work is assumed to be based on perception, which is achieved through the worker's sense of hearing and touch in the remote control room X1, followed by the worker's understanding and judgment of the situation in his or her brain (information processing), and then the worker's action to stop work (reaction). The time for "perception, information processing, and reaction" can be determined experimentally for an individual worker, and empirically determined and set as a worker standard. The above-mentioned "perception, information processing, and reaction" is represented as deterioration recognition indicated by "★2" in Figure 4.

[0072] Furthermore, what is input to the worker's auditory, visual, and tactile organs is analog information (video, audio, and weighting are all analog information). Therefore, in addition to the time required for decoding the "perceptually digitized digital information," which is data transferred over the communication network 20, into analog, it also requires time for playback to the worker's auditory, visual, and tactile organs.

[0073] In the reverse direction (from the worker to the machine), analog information is digitized, which causes a delay due to digital encoding and input processing of that digital information.

[0074] In addition, it is necessary to consider the network delay time depending on the distance between the work site and the remote workroom X1 and network congestion. The order of the process of the network delay is located between the digital encoding and input processing described above, as shown in FIG.

[0075] Under these conditions, if the on-site communication terminal app in communication terminal Y2, shown on the right side of Figure 4, detects a quality deterioration worse than the network quality limit (★1), the time required for the three elements mentioned above is required for the worker in remote control room X1 to decide to stop work (★3).

[0076] In other words, as shown on the time axis in Figure 4, the required time is "(decoding and playback time of perceptual digitized information) + (time required for worker's perception, information processing, and reaction: ★2) + (encoding time of perceptual digitized information) + (network transfer delay time) + (input processing time of perceptual digitized information)."

[0077] In contrast, in the case of intervention in remote work according to this embodiment, when the on-site communication terminal app in communication terminal Y2 detects a quality deterioration worse than the network quality limit (★1), as shown on the right side of Figure 4, a work stop command is issued directly to the remotely operated work machine X2 from the on-site communication terminal app in communication terminal Y2 without inquiring about the worker's judgment (without going through ★2).This reduces the time for the above three elements to zero, significantly shortening the time until work is stopped (★3).

[0078] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 that performs the above-mentioned control makes it possible to control the deterioration of the quality of sensory information for the remote operator, and also makes it possible to avoid work failures and accidents caused by the effects of unexpected deterioration in the quality of sensory information.

[0079] (Overall Configuration of Communication System) Fig. 5 is an overall block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system including a communication bandwidth calculation device 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, a fixed-line communication network that provides data communication services will be described as an example of the target communication network 20. However, it is also possible to implement part or all of the network using a mobile communication network. Furthermore, this embodiment assumes that data communication is performed using the IP protocol, but data communication using the IP protocol is only an example, and the technology according to the present invention is applicable regardless of the type of protocol.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 5, a data communication service is provided by a communication network 20 to PC terminals 411, 421, 431, and 441, which are user-owned data communication terminals, via communication terminals 41, 42, 43, and 44, which are network termination devices.

[0081] Any user-owned data communication terminal using communication network 20 can communicate with a desired server or any data communication terminal by passing through bandwidth facilities 30 to 37, nodes 21 and 22, access nodes 23 and 24, gateway router 25, and then through the Internet 26.

[0082] As a specific example of remote work performed with the communication system of this embodiment, it is assumed that remote control room X1 is connected to communication terminal 41, and remotely operated work machine X2 is connected to communication terminal 44. To clearly indicate this relationship, communication terminals 41 and 44 will also be referred to as communication terminals Y1 and Y2, respectively. An application that enables communication terminals Y1 and Y2 to be controlled by communication bandwidth calculation device 10 is installed in communication terminals Y1 and Y2. In this way, communication bandwidth calculation device 10 supports the achievement of desired work by remote operation by an operator as a function or communication service provided by communication network 20.

[0083] Note that nodes, access nodes, and bandwidth facilities are all examples of communication facilities, and specifically, nodes are mainly routers, and access nodes are mainly switches, etc. Furthermore, bandwidth facilities are fixed transmission paths (communication lines) such as optical lines, or wireless transmission paths (communication lines).

[0084] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 is configured as an information processing device using a computer, and performs calculation processing using, for example, the following information 61 to 68 as input.

[0085] Network equipment configuration information 61, Equipment unit traffic information 62, Remote operation information 63, Perceived digitized quality value 64, Perceived digitized data rate 65, Perceived quality lower limit value 66, NW quality degradation limit value 67, NW quality degradation value 68. Each piece of information will be explained below.

[0086] The network equipment configuration information 61 is information on the configuration and interconnection relationships of network equipment that is held and updated within the operation system 51. The network equipment configuration information 61 includes all information on the communication equipment in the communication network 20, such as information on the nodes, access nodes, and line bandwidths accommodated in the communication network 20, and information on the connection relationships between the nodes / access nodes and lines.

[0087] Next, the facility-based traffic information 62 will be described. For example, the facility-based traffic information 62 relating to the band facility 30 is measurement data obtained by measuring at regular time intervals the amount of traffic flowing out of or into the band facility 30 in connection with the node 21. The facility-based traffic information 62 includes traffic information relating to all communication facilities constituting the communication network 20, and is accumulated for a certain period of time within the operation system 51.

[0088] Next, we will explain the remote work information 63. The remote work information 63 is information about the remote work to be undertaken, and specifically includes, for example, the following information (1) to (5).

[0089] (1) Position information including latitude and longitude of the remote control room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 (2) Map information regarding the entire work site (3) Information regarding the work environment at the work site, such as gradient, inclination, geology, and soil (4) Information specifying the work period (date and time) (5) The physical locations within the communication network 20 and logical addresses (IP addresses) within the communication network 20 of the communication terminal Y1 (41) to which the remote control room X1 is connected and the communication terminal Y2 (44) to which the remotely operated work machine X2 is connected. The above information makes it possible to determine the IP addresses of the remote control room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2. Therefore, it is possible to identify the communication connection for remote operation, as well as the amount of communication traffic that acts as a background load on the communication path for remote operation.

[0090] The remote work information 63 is stored and updated within the user / contract management system 52 together with contractor information, communication terminal ID, contract details, and the like.

[0091] Next, the perceptual digitized quality value 64 will be described.

[0092] As mentioned above, input information to the senses of sight, hearing, touch, etc., which is perceptual information to be digitized, is digitally coded and input processed, or analog decoded and played back, according to the perceptual digitization conditions determined by the implementation of the remote control room X1 and the remotely controlled work machine X2.

[0093] This results in quality degradation due to information compression (number of pixels and frame rate of video data) caused by digitization, processing delay time due to encoding and decoding, etc. Information (or a numerical value) corresponding to the degree of this quality degradation is called the perceptual digitization quality value 64.

[0094] Next, the perceived digitized data rate 65 will be described.

[0095] The entire data (video data, audio data, and control stick data) containing digitally encoded perceptual information such as video, audio, and the weight and direction of the control stick in accordance with the perceptual digitization conditions is called perceptual digitized data.

[0096] Perceptual digitized data rate 65 is the amount of perceptual digitized data generated per unit time (bit / sec).

[0097] The perceptual digitization conditions are determined only for the remote work room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2, regardless of "the skill of the worker, the perceptual ability of the worker, the location of the work site, and the distance between the work site and the remote control room," and are therefore fixed before the work is carried out. In that sense, the perceptual digitization quality value 64 and the perceptual digitization data rate 65 are both fixed values.

[0098] Next, the perceptual quality lower limit 66 and the NW quality degradation limit 67 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the perceptual quality lower limit 66 and the NW quality degradation limit 67.

[0099] First, a description will be given of the perceptual quality lower limit 66. In order for a worker to accomplish a desired task, information that serves as input to the worker's perception (visual, tactile, etc.) is important.

[0100] In addition to the "work content" itself, the likelihood of achieving and completing the desired work is greatly influenced by the "conditions for operating the work machine," "conditions for digitalizing and remotely managing perception," and "conditions for the worker."

[0101] Here, the "conditions for operating a work machine" include the functions and performance of the work machine, the work environment at the work site (work site), and the work period (season).

[0102] "Conditions for digitalization and remote operation of perception" include the conditions for digitalization of perception, the distance between the site and the remote control room, the network environment, etc. "Conditions for workers" include the skills of the workers and the capabilities of their auditory and tactile senses.

[0103] Therefore, the minimum quality of the perceptual digital information required to accomplish a specific "task content" given the "conditions for operating the work machine," "conditions for digitalization and remote control of perception," and "conditions for the worker" is defined as the perceptual quality lower limit 66. In FIG. 6, the perceptual quality lower limit 66 is shown as a fixed value. Note that perceptual quality may also be called "quality of perceptual information." The perceptual quality lower limit may also be called "lower limit of the quality of perceptual information."

[0104] For example, suppose a specific worker is attempting to complete a specific task by operating a specific work machine in a remote workroom located zero distance from the work site, and the visual information used is video encoded at 10 Mbps in HD quality. In this case, if it is empirically or experimentally determined that the task is likely to be completed if the decoded image quality has a packet loss rate of less than 1%, then the perceptual quality lower limit 66 of the visual information can be determined to be "decoded image quality with a packet loss rate of less than 1%" under the above conditions.

[0105] Next, an example of a case where degradation in the quality of perceptual information occurs will be described using the distance between the remote control room and the work site as a factor that affects the perceptual quality.

[0106] As the distance increases, the delay time also increases, and the quality of the information perceived by the worker gradually deteriorates. When the quality finally exceeds the threshold value of the lower limit of perceptual quality 66 (in the above example, the decoded image quality with a packet loss of less than 1% under given conditions), the possibility of failure of the desired work and accidents becomes too great to ignore.

[0107] The left side of FIG. 6 shows that failure of the desired task can occur if the quality of the perceptual information deteriorates beyond a lower perceptual quality limit 66 .

[0108] Conversely, remote work under conditions that do not exceed the lower perceptual quality limit 66 (for example, when the critical distance is not exceeded or when no network fluctuations occur) increases the likelihood of achieving the desired work objective.

[0109] Since the detailed specifications of the "desired work content, work location (site), and work period (season)" and conditions such as the worker's skills and perceptual abilities are determined before the work is carried out, the perceptual quality lower limit value 66 is a determined value (fixed value).

[0110] Next, we will explain the NW quality degradation limit value 67. As mentioned above, the NW quality degradation limit value 67 is defined as the permissible limit value (worst value) of the communication service quality provided by the communication network 20 for communication for performing a desired task using the remotely operated work machine X2 from the remote operation room X1 in accordance with the perceptual digitization conditions.

[0111] Next, we will explain the NW quality degradation value 68. The NW quality degradation value 68 is a numerical value obtained by quantifying, over a short time period, degradation in communication quality caused by the communication network through which the communication passes, such as delay time or packet loss that occurs in communication between specific originating and terminating communication terminals.

[0112] More specifically, in this embodiment, the NW quality degradation value 68 corresponds to the numerical value of NW quality degradation measured over a short time period between the communication terminal Y1 (41) to which the remote control room X1 is connected and the communication terminal Y2 (44) to which the remotely operated work machine X2 is connected, in relation to communication by a remote control application between the remote control room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 (communication via the communication network 20).

[0113] While the NW quality degradation limit value 67 is a constant (fixed value) based on a model or theory of NW quality for remote work, the NW quality degradation value 68 is considered to be a random variable measured at each measurement period of the realized communication.

[0114] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, if each numerical value of the NW quality degradation value 68 measured during remote work is smaller than the NW quality degradation limit value 67, it means that the degradation of the NW quality is small and sufficiently good, and it is considered likely that the desired work objective will be achieved in the remote work.

[0115] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 controls the degradation of the quality of the sensory information for the remote operator by performing the processes described below using the above various information and numerical values ​​as input. The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 also executes processes to avoid the occurrence of work failures or accidents due to the influence of unexpected degradation of the quality of the sensory information.

[0116] (Internal Configuration of Communication Bandwidth Calculation Device 10) Next, the internal configuration of the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0117] The configuration of the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 shown in Fig. 5 is an example of a hardware configuration when it is realized by a computer. The computer may be a physical machine or a virtual machine, and when the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 is realized by a virtual machine, the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 5 becomes a virtual hardware configuration.

[0118] 5, the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 has, as its main components, a communication interface unit 11 (hereinafter referred to as the communication I / F unit 11), an operation input unit 12, a screen display unit 13, an information database unit 14 (hereinafter referred to as the information DB unit 14), a storage unit 15, and an arithmetic processing unit 16. These components are connected via an internal communication bus, and can transmit and receive information to and from each other.

[0119] The communication I / F unit 11 is made up of a dedicated data communication circuit and has the function of communicating with the operation system 51 and with the user / contract management system 52 .

[0120] The operation input unit 12 is made up of operation input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and has the function of detecting input operations from an operator and outputting operation information to the arithmetic processing unit 16 .

[0121] The screen display unit 13 is a screen display device such as a display, and has a function of displaying various information such as operation menus and calculation results on the screen in response to instructions from the calculation processing unit 16.

[0122] The information DB unit 14 is made up of storage devices such as a hard disk and memory, and has the function of transmitting, receiving, and storing various data used for each process in the arithmetic processing unit 16. The information DB unit 14 accumulates and timely updates network facility configuration information 61, facility-unit traffic information 62, remote operation information 63, perceptual quality lower limit value 66, perceptual digitization degradation value 55, perceptual digitization data rate 65, and NW quality degradation limit value 67.

[0123] The storage unit 15 is made up of a storage device such as a hard disk or memory, and has the function of storing various programs and data used in the various processes in the arithmetic processing unit 16 .

[0124] The calculation processing unit 16 has a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and its peripheral circuits, and by operating the information DB 14 or the operation input unit 12, reads the program and data from the memory unit 15 and executes the program, thereby obtaining network equipment configuration information 61, equipment-unit traffic information 62, remote work information 63, perceived quality lower limit value 66, perceived digitized quality value 64, perceived digitized data rate 65, and NW quality degradation limit value 67 required for the calculation processing from the information DB unit 14, and stores the results of the calculation processing in the information DB unit 14.

[0125] The program that realizes the processing in the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 is provided by a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a memory card. The program read from the recording medium is stored in the memory unit 15, for example, and is read and executed by the arithmetic processing unit 16. The program may also be downloaded from a server or the like via a communication network.

[0126] (Configuration of the arithmetic processing unit 16) Next, the internal functional configuration of the arithmetic processing unit 16 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing each processing unit of the arithmetic processing unit 16. Each processing unit is a functional processing unit that is realized by executing a program by the arithmetic processing unit 16. Note that, for the sake of convenience, with regard to the drawings referred to in the following description, only a reference numeral (e.g., 61) may be used for information (e.g., network equipment configuration information 61).

[0127] As shown in FIG. 7 , the calculation processing unit 16 includes, as main processing units, an information acquisition unit 16A, a perceived quality lower limit setting unit 16B, a NW quality limit setting unit 16C, a background traffic prediction unit 16D, a communication bandwidth calculation unit 16E, an operation system setting unit 16F, a NW quality observation control unit 16G, a NW quality fixing control unit 16H, a remote work intervention control unit 16I, and an application setting unit 16J.

[0128] The communication bandwidth calculation device 10 may not include all of the above-mentioned processing units. That is, some of the processing units may be located outside the communication bandwidth calculation device 10. For example, a processing unit that sets a fixed value may be located outside the communication bandwidth calculation device 10. Furthermore, the NW quality fixing control unit 16H may be called a NW quality control unit.

[0129] The operation of each processing unit will be described below.

[0130] (Information Acquisition Unit 16A) The operation of the information acquisition unit 16A will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0131] <S110 (Step 110)> In S110, the information acquisition unit 16A acquires network facility configuration information 61 and facility-specific traffic information 62 required for the calculation process from the operation system 51. The information acquisition unit 16A also acquires remote work information 63 from the user / contract management system 52. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 16A acquires a perceived digitization quality value 64 and a perceived digitization data rate 65 using the communication I / F unit 11.

[0132] <S120> In S120, the information acquisition unit 16A stores the network facility configuration information 61, facility-specific traffic information 62, remote operation information 63, perceived digitized quality value 64, and perceived digitized data rate 65 in the information DB unit 14.

[0133] (Perceptual Quality Lower Limit Setting Unit 16B) The operation of the perceptual quality lower limit setting unit 16B will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0134] <S210> In S210, the perceptual quality lower limit setting unit 16B acquires the remote work information 63 using the communication I / F unit 11.

[0135] <S220> In S220, the perceived quality lower limit setting unit 16B calculates and sets a perceived quality lower limit value 66, which is the minimum perceived quality required to achieve the purpose of the remote work, from the desired “remote work content, work location (site), work period (season)” and the skill and perceptual ability of the worker, which are information included in the remote work information 63, using a computer simulation of human interface performance, a theoretical model, or a preliminary experiment.

[0136] <S230> In S230, the perceptual quality lower limit setting unit 16B stores the perceptual quality lower limit value 66 in the information DB unit 14.

[0137] (NW Quality Limit Setting Unit 16C) The operation of the NW quality limit setting unit 16C will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0138] <S310> In S310, the NW quality limit setting unit 16C acquires the perceptual quality lower limit value 66 and the perceptual digitized quality value 64 from the information DB unit 14.

[0139] <S320> In S320, the NW quality limit setting unit 16C sets the NW quality degradation limit value 67 from the perceptual quality lower limit value 66 and the perceptual digitized quality value 64. For example, the NW quality limit setting unit 16C can simply determine the numerical value obtained by subtracting the perceptual digitized quality value 64 from the perceptual quality lower limit value 66 as the NW quality degradation limit value 67.

[0140] <S330> In S330, the NW quality limit setting unit 16C stores the set NW quality degradation limit value 67 in the information DB unit 14.

[0141] (Background Traffic Prediction Unit 16D) The operation of the background traffic prediction unit 16D will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0142] <S410> In S410, the background traffic prediction unit 16D acquires the network facility configuration information 61, the facility-specific traffic information 62, and the remote operation information 63 from the information DB unit 14.

[0143] <S420> In S420, the background traffic prediction unit 16D identifies the communication path within the communication network 20 connecting the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2, and further identifies the communication facilities on that communication path, using the network equipment configuration information 61 and the remote work information 63. Furthermore, the background traffic prediction unit 16D uses the time-series data of the facility-by-facility traffic information 62 and the work date and time (period) in the remote work information 63 to generate background traffic prediction information 69 of the traffic that forms the background to the work date and time, for each communication facility on the communication path at that work date and time.

[0144] As a specific example of a method for deriving the background traffic prediction information 69, linear regression prediction using the least squares method will be described.

[0145] For a certain communication facility E on the communication path, ０ From t Ｎ The amount of time-series traffic data corresponding to ０ ,.... ,x Ｎ}, then at future time t ＊ The predicted value of the traffic data volume in t ＊ ) can be expressed as

[0146] Here, if a simple regression model is used, the parameters a and b are used to calculate the time t ｉ The traffic volume of (0≦i≦N) is a+bt ｉ The actual traffic volume is x ｉThe sum of squared residuals is defined as E(a, b). That is, E(a, b) is as follows:

[0147] The least squares method estimates the parameters a and b so as to minimize the residual sum of squares. Therefore, the estimated quantities of the parameters a and b are calculated as the solution of the following simultaneous equations, which are partially differentiated with respect to each other: ＾ a, ＾ b can be found.

[0148] In this case, the prediction function F(t ＊ ) is defined below.

[0149] The method for deriving the prediction function F may be a multiple regression prediction model, or more complex prediction methods such as a generalized linear model, a generalized linear hybrid model, or a hierarchical Bayesian model. References describing these prediction methods include, for example, "Takuya Kubo, Introduction to Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis: Generalized Linear Models, Hierarchical Bayesian Models, MCMC, Iwanami Shoten, 2012."

[0150] <S430> In S430, the background traffic prediction unit 16D stores the calculated background traffic prediction information 69 in the information DB unit 14.

[0151] (Communication Band Calculation Unit 16E) The operation of the communication band calculation unit 16E will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0152] <S510> In S510, the communication bandwidth calculation unit 16E acquires the network facility configuration information 61, the remote operation information 63, the perceived digitized data rate 65, the NW quality degradation limit value 67, and the background traffic prediction information 69 from the information DB unit 14.

[0153] The communication bandwidth calculation unit 16E uses the network equipment configuration information 61 and the remote work information 63 to identify the communication path within the communication network 20 connecting the remote control room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2, and further identifies the communication equipment on that communication path.

[0154] <S520> In S520, communication band calculation unit 16E calculates necessary band for remote control information 70. Hereinafter, necessary band for remote control information 70 and an example of a method for calculating the information will be described.

[0155] The required bandwidth information 70 for remote operation is information relating to the required communication facility resources within the network.

[0156] More specifically, the remote operation required bandwidth information 70 is information that specifies the communication bandwidth required to satisfy the NW quality degradation limit value 67 for the communication path within the communication network 20 connecting the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 under conditions where the background traffic prediction 69 in addition to the perceived digitized data rate 65 simultaneously becomes a traffic load, as well as the packet priority class or quality-specific slice that accommodates the communication.

[0157] Generally, network quality can be estimated using two parameters: the amount of communication equipment and the amount of traffic load. Here, we will explain an example of estimating network quality using a computer-based network simulation based on the technology in the reference document "ns-3 a discrete-event network simulator for internet systems, https: / / www.nsnam.org."

[0158] Specifically, the series E of a certain communication facility on the communication path ｋ (0≦k≦M), the bandwidth of each communication facility is W ｋ (0≦k≦M), and the perceived digitized data rate 65 is Y ｋ (0≦k≦M), and the background traffic prediction information 69 is F ｋ (t ＊ ) (0≦k≦M), the total traffic volume is Y ｋ +F ｋ (t ＊ Based on these two conditions, a computer-based network simulation can be performed, and as a result, the network quality degradation Q between the remote control room and the field can be estimated. This network simulation allows the amount of communication equipment W ｋThe mapping function G to the NW quality as an evaluation result by computer network simulation, which has two parameters, the number of connections and the traffic volume, can be defined as follows:

[0159] Therefore, the NW quality degradation limit value 67 is Q ｌｏｗ When this is the case, the bandwidth of the communication equipment, W, is used until the following formula is satisfied. ｋ By increasing the number of k's (0≦k≦M), it is possible to derive the necessary bandwidth information 70 for remote operation that is required to satisfy the NW quality degradation limit value 67 .

[0160] The above calculation can be expressed as follows:

[0161] If the NW quality estimation result shows a quality degradation greater than the NW quality degradation limit value 67 (if the perceived quality lower limit value 66 cannot be achieved), it is possible to determine the optimal communication equipment amount (i.e., remote operation required bandwidth information 70) that satisfies the NW quality degradation limit value 67 by increasing the communication equipment amount.

[0162] The method of estimating network quality for calculating the required bandwidth information for remote operation 70 may be a method using theoretical formulas based on mathematical modeling of communication equipment control, traffic, and communication protocols. For example, the method disclosed in the reference "Sundarapandian, V. (2009). "7. Queueing Theory". Probability, Statistics and Queueing Theory. PHI Learning. ISBN 978-8120338449." may be used.

[0163] <S530> In S530, the communication band calculation unit 16E stores the required band for remote operation information 70 in the information DB unit 14.

[0164] (Operation System Setting Unit 16F) The operation of the operation system setting unit 16F will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0165] <S610> In S610, the operation system setting unit 16F acquires the network equipment configuration information 61, the remote operation information 63, and the required bandwidth information for remote operation 70 from the information DB unit 14.

[0166] <S620> In S620, the operation system setting unit 16F identifies the communication equipment on the communication path between communication terminal Y1 and communication terminal Y2 that will perform remote control communication, based on the network equipment configuration information 61 and the information contained in the remote work information 63.

[0167] Furthermore, the operation system setting unit 16F generates remote operation communication facility reservation information 71 for each identified communication facility at the date and time when the remote operation communication occurs, from the information included in the remote work information 63. The remote operation communication facility reservation information 71 is information for reserving the "communication bandwidth or communication resources required to satisfy the NW quality degradation limit value 67" included in the remote operation required bandwidth information 70.

[0168] <S630> In S630, the operation system setting unit 16F transfers the remote operation communication equipment reservation information 71 to the operation system 51, and uses the operation system 51 to reserve communication resources at each communication equipment for the communication of the remote work.

[0169] <S640> In S640, the operation system setup unit 16F generates remote operation communication setup information 72 from the information included in the remote operation information 63 for each of the applications of the communication terminal Y1 and the communication terminal Y2.

[0170] The remote control communication setting information 72 is information that sets communication conditions so that communication for remote control between the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 can utilize communication resources reserved based on the remote control communication equipment reservation information 71.

[0171] <S650> In S650, the operation system setting unit 16F transfers the remote control communication setting information 72 to each of the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2, and executes communication condition setting so that remote work communication between the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 can reliably utilize the communication resources reserved based on the remote control communication equipment reservation information 71.

[0172] <S660> In S660, the operation system setting unit 16F stores the remote control communication facility reservation information 71 and the remote control communication setting information 72 in the information DB unit 14.

[0173] (NW Quality Observation Control Unit 16G) The operation of the NW quality observation control unit 16G will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0174] <S710> In S710, the NW quality observation control unit 16G acquires the remote operation information 63 and the NW quality degradation limit value 67 from the information DB unit 14.

[0175] <S720> In S720, the NW quality observation control unit 16G causes the application of the communication terminal Y1 and the application of the communication terminal Y2 to observe the NW quality, with the NW quality degradation limit value 67 as a threshold, in the communication path used for remote work between the remote control room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2.

[0176] <S730> For the observation in S720, the NW quality observation control unit 16G uses the application setting unit 16J to generate and transmit application setting information 73 for the applications of the communication terminal Y1 and the communication terminal Y2.

[0177] (NW Quality Fixing Control Unit 16H) The operation of the NW quality fixing control unit 16H will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0178] <S810> In S810, the NW quality fixing control unit 16H acquires the remote operation information 63 and the NW quality degradation limit value 67 from the information DB unit 14.

[0179] <S820> In S820, the NW quality fixation control unit 16H causes the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 to control the NW quality of the communication path used for remote operation between the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 to fix the quality to a value smaller than the NW quality degradation limit value 67, regardless of the actual time change in the NW quality of the communication path. The fixed numerical value can be selected from values ​​(intermediate values) between the NW quality degradation limit value 67 and the average value of the NW quality measured on the communication path.

[0180] <S830> For the control of S820 described above, the NW quality fixing control unit 16H uses the application setting unit 16J to generate and transmit application setting information 73 for the applications of the communication terminal Y1 and the communication terminal Y2.

[0181] In the above example, in order to clearly explain the effect, the NW quality fixing control unit 16H performs control to fix the NW quality to a value smaller than the NW quality degradation limit value 67, but this is just an example. The NW quality fixing control unit 16H may cause each application of the communication terminal Y1 and the communication terminal Y2 to control the NW quality to be smaller than the NW quality degradation limit value 67 and to allow fluctuations within a narrow fluctuation range.

[0182] (Remote Work Intervention Control Unit 16I) The operation of the remote work intervention control unit 16I will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0183] <S910> In S910, the remote work intervention control unit 16I acquires the remote work information 63 and the NW quality degradation limit value 67 from the information DB unit 14.

[0184] <S920> In S920, the remote work intervention control unit 16I causes the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 to intervene in the remote work between the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 and stop / interrupt the remote work the moment it detects that the NW quality during work has deteriorated below the NW quality degradation limit value 67 due to a fluctuation in the NW quality of the communication path used for remote work between the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 (for example, an unpredictable sudden increase in traffic).

[0185] In the above example, intervention is performed when the NW quality deteriorates below the NW quality deterioration limit value 67, but this is just one example. Intervention may also be performed when the NW quality deteriorates below a "predetermined value better than the NW quality deterioration limit value 67." The NW quality deterioration limit value 67 or the "predetermined value better than the NW quality deterioration limit value 67" may also be called a constant value or a predetermined value.

[0186] <S930> In order to perform the control of S920, the remote work intervention control unit 16I uses the application setting unit 16J to generate and transmit application setting information 73 for the applications of the communication terminal Y1 and the communication terminal Y2.

[0187] In the above-described control, for the purpose of immediate intervention to stop or suspend the worker's remote work, an I / F for sending a command signal to stop work is secured between the application on communication terminal Y2 and remotely operated work machine X2. At the same time, an I / F for sending a signal to notify the worker that work has been stopped is secured between the application on communication terminal Y1 and remote control room X1.

[0188] The above control makes it possible to stop or suspend work without the need for worker judgment, thereby shortening the time until work actually stops and increasing the possibility of avoiding risks.

[0189] (Application Setting Unit 16J) The operation of the application setting unit 16J will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

[0190] <FIG. 11, S1010> In S1010, as described above, the application setting unit 16J uses the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 to generate application setting information 73 for observing NW quality, with the NW quality degradation limit value 67 as a threshold, for the communication path used for remote work between the remote control room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2, and transmits the application setting information 73 to the applications of communication terminal Y1 and communication terminal Y2.

[0191] <FIG. 12, S1020> In S1020, as described above, the application setting unit 16J uses the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 to generate application setting information 73 for controlling the communication path used for remote work between the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 to fix the NW quality to a value smaller than the NW quality degradation limit value 67, regardless of the actual time change of the NW quality of the communication path, and transmits the application setting information 73 to the applications of communication terminal Y1 and communication terminal Y2.

[0192] <FIG. 13, S1030> In S1030, as described above, the application setting unit 16J uses the application of communication terminal Y1 and the application of communication terminal Y2 to generate application setting information 73 for intervening in the remote work between the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 and stopping or interrupting the remote work the moment it detects that the NW quality during work has deteriorated below the NW quality degradation limit value 67 due to a fluctuation in the NW quality of the communication path used for remote work between the remote operation room X1 and the remotely operated work machine X2 (for example, an unpredictable sudden increase in traffic), and transmits the application setting information 73 to the applications of communication terminal Y1 and communication terminal Y2.

[0193] (Effects of the Technology Relating to the Embodiment) As described above, the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 in the present embodiment can control the deterioration of the quality of sensory information for the worker performing remote operation, and can also avoid work failures or accidents due to the effects of unexpected deterioration of the quality of sensory information.

[0194] (Supplementary Note) For convenience of explanation, the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 according to the present embodiment is described using a functional block diagram, but the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 according to the present embodiment may be realized by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the functional units may be used in combination as necessary. Furthermore, the method according to the present embodiment may be performed in an order different from that shown in the embodiment.

[0195] (Hardware Configuration Example) A more specific example of a hardware configuration will be described below. Any of the devices described in this embodiment (such as the communication bandwidth calculation device 10 and the communication terminals Y1 and Y2) can be realized, for example, by causing a computer to execute a program. This computer may be a physical computer or a virtual machine on the cloud.

[0196] That is, the device can be realized by executing a program corresponding to the processing performed by the device using hardware resources such as a CPU and memory built into a computer. The program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium (such as a portable memory) and stored or distributed. The program can also be provided via a network such as the Internet or email.

[0197] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer. The computer in Fig. 14 includes a drive device 1000, an auxiliary storage device 1002, a memory device 1003, a CPU 1004, an interface device 1005, a display device 1006, an input device 1007, an output device 1008, and the like, all of which are interconnected by a bus BS. The computer may further include a GPU.

[0198] The program that realizes the processing on the computer is provided by a recording medium 1001, such as a CD-ROM or a memory card. When the recording medium 1001 storing the program is set in the drive device 1000, the program is installed from the recording medium 1001 to the auxiliary storage device 1002 via the drive device 1000. However, the program does not necessarily have to be installed from the recording medium 1001, but may be downloaded from another computer via a network. The auxiliary storage device 1002 stores the installed program as well as necessary files, data, etc.

[0199] The memory device 1003 reads and stores the program from the auxiliary storage device 1002 when an instruction to start the program is received. The CPU 1004 realizes the functions related to the device 10 in accordance with the program stored in the memory device 1003. The interface device 1005 is used as an interface for connecting to a network, etc. The display device 1006 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or the like according to the program. The input device 1007 is composed of a keyboard, mouse, buttons, a touch panel, etc., and is used to input various operation instructions. The output device 1008 outputs the results of calculations.

[0200] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0201] <Additional Notes> (Additional Item 1) A communications bandwidth calculation device for calculating the communications bandwidth of a communications network in an environment in which a digital device and a work machine are connected via a communications network, in remote work in which a worker uses the digital device to remotely operate the work machine, the communications bandwidth calculation device comprising: perceptual digitized data, which is digitized data of perceptual information received by the worker by the digital device, transmitted over the communications network; a communications bandwidth calculation unit that calculates the communications bandwidth for communications for the remote work in the communications network so that the quality of the perceptual information becomes better than a lower limit value of the quality; a network quality control unit that controls the communications network so that network quality in the communications network for which the communications bandwidth is reserved becomes better than a degradation limit value corresponding to the lower limit value; and a remote work intervention control unit that controls to stop work by the work machine when the network quality deteriorates below a predetermined value. (Additional Item 2) The communications bandwidth calculation device according to Additional Item 1, wherein the communications bandwidth calculation unit calculates the communications bandwidth under conditions in which the perceptual digitized data and background traffic simultaneously constitute traffic loads. (Supplementary Item 3) The communication bandwidth calculation device according to Supplementary Item 1 or 2, wherein the remote work intervention control unit performs control to issue a work stop command to the work machine without inquiring of the worker.(Supplementary Item 4) A control method executed by a communication bandwidth calculation device that calculates the communication bandwidth of a communication network in an environment where a digital device and a work machine are connected via a communication network, in remote work in which a worker uses the digital device to remotely operate the work machine, the control method comprising: a communication bandwidth calculation step of calculating the communication bandwidth for communications for the remote work in the communication network so that the quality of the perception information received by the worker by the digital device is improved above a lower limit value of the quality, a network quality control step of controlling the communication network so that the network quality of the communication network in which the communication bandwidth is reserved is improved above a deterioration limit value corresponding to the lower limit value, and a remote work intervention control step of controlling the communication network to stop work by the work machine when the network quality deteriorates below a predetermined value. (Supplementary Item 5) A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to function as the communication bandwidth calculation device described in any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 3.

[0202] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0203] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Communication bandwidth calculation device 11 Communication I / F unit 12 Operation input unit 13 Screen display unit 14 Information DB unit 15 Memory unit 16 Arithmetic processing unit 16A Information acquisition unit 16B Perceived quality lower limit setting unit 16C NW quality limit setting unit 16D Background traffic prediction unit 16E Communication bandwidth calculation unit 16F Operation system setting unit 16G NW quality observation control unit 16H NW quality fixed control unit 16I Remote work intervention control unit 16J Application setting unit 20 Communication network 21, 22 Node 23, 24 Access node 25 Gateway router 26 Internet 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 Bandwidth equipment 41 Communication terminal Y1 42, 43 Communication terminal 44 Communication terminal Y2 411 Remote operation room X1 421, 431 PC terminal 441 Remotely operated work machine X2 51 Operation system 52 User / contract management system 61 Network equipment configuration information 62 Equipment unit traffic information 63 Remote work information 64 Perceived digitized quality value 65 Perceived digitized data rate 66 Perceived quality lower limit value 67 NW quality degradation limit value 68 NW quality degradation value 69 Background traffic prediction information 70 Remote operation required bandwidth information 71 Remote operation communication equipment reservation information 72 Remote operation communication setting information 73 Application setting information 1000 Drive device 1001 Recording medium 1002 Auxiliary storage device 1003 Memory device 1004 CPU 1005 Interface device 1006 Display device 1007 Input device 1008 Output device

Claims

1. A communications bandwidth calculation device for calculating the communications bandwidth of a communications network in an environment in which a digital device and a work machine are connected via a communications network, in remote work in which a worker uses the digital device to remotely operate the work machine, the communications bandwidth calculation device comprising: perception digitized data, which is digitized data of perception information received by the worker by the digital device, is transmitted over the communications network; a communications bandwidth calculation unit calculates the communications bandwidth for communication for the remote work in the communications network so that the quality of the perception information becomes better than a lower limit value of the quality; a network quality control unit that controls the communications network so that the network quality of the communications network in which the communications bandwidth is reserved becomes better than a degradation limit value corresponding to the lower limit value; and a remote work intervention control unit that performs control to stop work by the work machine when the network quality deteriorates below a predetermined value.

2. The communications bandwidth calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the communications bandwidth calculation unit calculates the communications bandwidth under conditions in which the perceptual digitized data and background traffic simultaneously constitute a traffic load.

3. A communication bandwidth calculation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the remote work intervention control unit performs control to issue a work stop command to the work machine without inquiring of the worker.

4. A control method executed by a communication bandwidth calculation device for calculating the communication bandwidth of a communication network in an environment in which a digital device and a work machine are connected via a communication network and a worker uses the digital device to remotely operate the work machine, the control method comprising: a communication bandwidth calculation step for calculating the communication bandwidth for communication for the remote work in the communication network so that the quality of the perception information is improved above a lower limit value of the quality, in which perception digitized data, which is digitized data of perception information received by the worker by the digital device, is transmitted over the communication network; a network quality control step for controlling the communication network so that the network quality of the communication network in which the communication bandwidth is reserved is improved above a degradation limit value corresponding to the lower limit value; and a remote work intervention control step for controlling to stop work by the work machine when the network quality deteriorates below a predetermined value.

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