Communication system, communication processing method, and program

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention makes it possible to provide, to an underwater apparatus located in an underwater area, an environment for communicating with an external communication apparatus or Internet connection. [Solution] The present invention is a communication system comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires information relating to an underwater communication system for providing, to an underwater object located underwater, an environment in which a communication connection to an Internet connection or the like is possible; at least one unmanned watercraft that is capable of navigating on the water surface and is provided with a communication unit capable of communicating with the underwater object and / or the underwater communication system; a communication path determination unit that determines, on the basis of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, a relay communication path for a communication line for establishing a relay connection between the underwater object and the Internet connection by using the unmanned watercraft and the underwater communication system; and an unmanned watercraft command determination unit that determines, on the basis of the determined relay communication path, an unmanned watercraft control command for configuring the relay communication path.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires information about an underwater communication system that provides an environment capable of communication with an internet line or an external device to an underwater object or underwater target area located underwater, or provides information about the location of the underwater object to the underwater object; at least one unmanned vessel that is navigable on the water surface and equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with at least one of the underwater object and the underwater communication system; a communication path determination unit that determines a relay communication path for a communication line to relay connection of the underwater object to the internet line or the external device, or to provide information about the location of the underwater object to the underwater object, using the unmanned vessel and the underwater communication system, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and an unmanned vessel command determination unit that determines control commands for the unmanned vessel to constitute the relay communication path, based on the determined relay communication path.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information acquired by the information acquisition unit includes information relating to at least one of the number, location, communication performance, and communication destination of communication relay units installed on the surface, underwater, or at the bottom of the underwater communication system.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information acquired by the information acquisition unit includes at least one of the following: request information regarding the underwater object for which a communication environment is provided; request information regarding the underwater area for which a communication environment is provided; a time, date, time, or period for which communication is requested; and a request for the provision of position coordinate information of the underwater object.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information acquired by the information acquisition unit includes communication quality, including at least one of the communication strength, upload communication speed, download communication speed, communication delay time, and communication capacity of the communication environment provided to the underwater object or the underwater target area, or request information regarding line redundancy of the communication path of the communication environment provided to the underwater object or the underwater target area.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication path determination unit determines a communication path for relaying communication between the underwater object or the underwater target area and a communication relay unit installed on the surface, underwater, or at the bottom of the underwater communication system, by the unmanned vessel, as the relay communication path.

6. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein the communication relay unit is a floating buoy on the water, and the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to relay communication between the underwater object or the underwater target area and the floating buoy, using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

7. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein, when the communication relay unit is an underwater buoy floating in water or a bottom buoy in contact with the seabed, the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to relay communication between the underwater object or the underwater target area and the underwater buoy or the bottom buoy, using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

8. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication path determination unit determines a communication path for relaying communication between a communication relay unit installed on the surface, underwater, or at the bottom of the underwater communication system and a communication satellite, communication aircraft, or ground base station connected to the Internet line, using the unmanned vessel, as the relay communication path.

9. A communication system according to claim 8, wherein the communication relay unit is a floating buoy on the water, and the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to relay communication between the communication satellite or the communication aircraft and the floating buoy, using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

10. A communication system according to claim 8, wherein the communication relay unit is an underwater buoy floating in water or a bottom buoy installed on the seabed, and the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to relay communication between the communication satellite or the communication aircraft or the ground base station and the underwater buoy or the bottom buoy, using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

11. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the underwater communication system has a plurality of communication relay units installed on the water surface, underwater, or on the seabed, and the communication path determination unit determines a communication path for relaying communication between the plurality of communication relay units by the unmanned vessel as the relay communication path.

12. A communication system according to claim 11, wherein, when a plurality of communication relay units include a first surface buoy and a second surface buoy, the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command to relay communication between the first surface buoy and the second surface buoy using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

13. A communication system according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of the communication relay units include a surface buoy and an underwater buoy or a bottom buoy, the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to relay communication between the surface buoy and the underwater buoy or the bottom buoy using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

14. A communication system according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of communication relay units include a first underwater buoy or a first submersible buoy and a second underwater buoy or a second submersible buoy, wherein the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to relay communication between the first underwater buoy or the first submersible buoy and the second underwater buoy or the second submersible buoy, using the communication unit of the unmanned vessel.

15. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the underwater communication system has a plurality of communication relay units installed on the water surface, underwater, or on the seabed, the communication path determination unit determines a communication path in which communication between the communication relay units and the external device is relayed by the unmanned vessel as the relay communication path.

16. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control command for the unmanned vessel determined by the unmanned vessel command determination unit includes a command relating to at least one of the following: the number of unmanned vessels, the deployment formation of the plurality of unmanned vessels, the movement path of the unmanned vessels, the movement speed, the tracking pattern of the underwater object, the exchange, towing, recovery, lifting and lowering of the unmanned vessels, and the power supply to the unmanned vessels.

17. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control command relating to the unmanned vessel determined by the unmanned vessel command determination unit includes a control command relating to a detection and determination process for a communication partner with the unmanned vessel, or an authentication process for initiating communication, when initiating communication relay using the relay communication path.

18. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control command for the unmanned vessel determined by the unmanned vessel command determination unit includes a command to disconnect the communication connection with the underwater communication system or terminate data transmission after the unmanned vessel has completed transmitting the data it has received from the communication partner to another communication partner, upon receiving a communication relay termination command for the termination of communication relay using the relay communication path.

19. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein when the unmanned vessel communicates with the underwater object, the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines the control commands relating to the unmanned vessels, including at least one of the positions of the plurality of unmanned vessels, deformation of the deployed shape, expansion or contraction of the deployed range, and spacing between them, according to the current or future expected position of the underwater object or the underwater target area, whether or not it is moving, its speed of movement, and its acceleration of movement.

20. A communication system according to claim 19, wherein the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines the control command to move a plurality of unmanned vessels so that the spacing between them becomes narrower when the position of the underwater object or the position of the underwater target area moves in the downward direction, or determines the control command to move a plurality of unmanned vessels so that the spacing between them becomes wider when the position of the underwater object or the position of the underwater target area moves in the upward direction.

21. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein when an underwater object communicating with the unmanned vessel performs a predetermined task including searching for, investigating, tracking, monitoring, or inspecting a predetermined object, the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines a command relating to the unmanned vessel, including at least one of the positions, deployment shapes, and spacing of a plurality of the unmanned vessels, according to the status or alert level of the underwater object relating to the predetermined task.

22. A communication system according to claim 1, comprising a communication connection maintenance control unit that updates the relay communication path determined by the communication path determination unit.

23. A communication system according to claim 22, wherein when the unmanned vessel communicates with the underwater object, the communication connection maintenance control unit updates the relay communication path when it determines, based on the position, movement status, movement speed, and movement acceleration of the underwater object, that there is an indication that the underwater object is about to deviate from the communication range of the unmanned vessel.

24. A communication system according to claim 22, wherein the communication connection maintenance control unit updates the relay communication path according to the measurement result or estimation result of the communication quality in the relay communication path determined by the communication path determination unit.

25. A communication system according to claim 1, comprising a user input receiving unit for receiving user input information, wherein when the user input receiving unit receives user input information relating to the relay communication path, the communication path determination unit determines the relay communication path according to the user input information.

26. A communication system according to claim 1, comprising a user input receiving unit for receiving user input information, wherein when the user input receiving unit receives user input information relating to the control command for the unmanned vessel, the unmanned vessel command determination unit determines the control command according to the user input information.

27. A communication system according to claim 1, comprising a position estimation unit that estimates the relative position of the unmanned vessel with respect to the surface buoy, or the relative position of the unmanned vessel with respect to the other unmanned vessel, based on the received intensity and receiving direction of a wireless communication signal including at least one of a radio wave signal, an optical signal, or an acoustic wave signal received from a surface buoy equipped with the underwater communication system that communicates wirelessly with the unmanned vessel, or from another unmanned vessel that communicates with the unmanned vessel.

28. An information processing method for providing an environment for communication connection with an internet line or external device to an underwater object or underwater target area, or for providing information regarding the location of an underwater object, using an underwater communication system equipped with a communication relay unit installed on the water surface, underwater, or on the seabed, and at least one unmanned vessel capable of navigating on the water surface, the method comprising: an information acquisition step in which a computer acquires information about the underwater communication system; a communication path determination step in which, based on the information acquired in the information acquisition step, the computer determines a relay communication path for a communication line to relay connection of the underwater object to the internet line or external device, or for providing information regarding the location of the underwater object to the underwater object, using the unmanned vessel and the underwater communication system; and an unmanned vessel command determination step in which, based on the determined relay communication path, the computer determines a control command for the unmanned vessel to constitute the relay communication path.

29. A program used in a communication system that provides an environment for communication connection with an internet line or external device to an underwater object or underwater target area, or provides information regarding the location of the underwater object, using an underwater communication system equipped with a communication relay unit installed on the water surface, underwater, or on the seabed, and at least one unmanned vessel capable of navigating on the water surface, the system, the program, causes a computer to execute: an information acquisition command to acquire information about the underwater communication system; a communication path determination command to determine a relay communication path for a communication line to relay connection of the underwater object to the internet line or external device, or to provide information regarding the location of the underwater object, using the unmanned vessel and the underwater communication system, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition command; and an unmanned vessel command determination command to determine a control command for the unmanned vessel to constitute the relay communication path, based on the determined relay communication path.

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