Control apparatus and network control method

A control apparatus for controlling communication between a plurality of operating devices and one slave robot in a telexistence system including the plurality of operating devices, the slave robot whose motion is controlled by any one of the plurality of operating devices, and a plurality of virtual routers for forming a communication path for transmitting information between the plurality of the operating devices and the slave robot, the control apparatus comprising:

• a priority operating device acquisition part that acquires priority operating device information for identifying a priority operating device which is an operating device for controlling the motion of the slave robot, from among the plurality of operating devices;
• a state acquisition part that repeatedly acquires status reports respectively from the plurality of operating devices, the slave robot, and the plurality of virtual routers while communication between the plurality of operating devices and the slave robot is established;
• a path determination part that determines a communication path for transmitting a control instruction for controlling the motion of the slave robot to the slave robot on the basis of the acquired status reports and the priority operating device information when the state acquisition part acquires the status reports;
• and
• an instruction transmitting part that transmits an instruction for forming a communication path determined by the path determination part to each of the plurality of virtual routers,
• wherein the path determination part includes:
• a score calculator that calculates a score indicating the communication capability of each communication path for each candidate for a plurality of communication paths connecting the priority operating device and the slave robot on the basis of the status reports, and
• a path selector that selects a candidate for the communication path with the score calculated by the score calculator indicating that the communication capability is high as the communication path connecting the priority operating device and the slave robot with priority over a candidate for the communication path with the score calculated by the score calculator indicating that the communication capability is low,
• the status reports include at least a statistic related to each of a bandwidth, a latency, a jitter, a packet loss rate, a packet rearrangement rate, and an error correction rate related to communication between the priority operating device and the slave robot, and the score calculator calculates the score on the basis of the statistic related to each of the bandwidth, the latency, the jitter, the packet loss rate, the packet rearrangement rate, and the error correction rate related to communication between the priority operating device and the slave robot,
• the statistic includes a maximum value, a minimum value, and an average value for each item of the bandwidth, the latency, the jitter, the packet loss rate, the packet rearrangement rate, and the error correction rate,
• the score calculator calculates a value by multiplying a value, which is obtained by normalizing a difference between the average value and the minimum value with a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value for each item, by a weighting factor that is different for each item, and calculates a total sum of the calculated values as the score, and
• the control apparatus further comprises a scenario information acquisition part that acquires operation scenario information indicating a purpose of operating the slave robot using the priority operating device, wherein the score calculator changes the weighting factor on the basis of the operation scenario information.

A network control method performed by a processor of a control apparatus that controls communication between one operating device and one or a plurality of slave robots in a telexistence system including the one or the plurality of slave robots, the operating device for controlling the motion of the one or the plurality of slave robots, and a plurality of virtual routers for forming a communication path for transmitting information between the operating device and the one or the plurality of slave robots, the method comprising:

• repeatedly acquiring status reports respectively from the operating device, the one or the plurality of slave robots, and the plurality of virtual routers while communication between the operating device and the one or the plurality of slave robots is established;
• determining a communication path for transmitting a control instruction for controlling the motion of the one or the plurality of slave robots to the one or the plurality of slave robots on the basis of the acquired status reports when acquiring the status reports;
• and
• transmitting an instruction for forming the determined communication path to each of the plurality of virtual routers,
• wherein the determining further includes:
• calculating a score indicating a communication capability of each communication path for each candidate for a plurality of communication paths connecting the operating device and the one or the plurality of slave robots on the basis of the status reports, and
• selecting a candidate for the communication path with the score indicating that the communication capability is high as the communication path connecting the operating device and the one or the plurality of slave robots with priority over a candidate for the communication path with the score indicating that the communication capability is low,
• the status reports include at least a statistic related to each of a bandwidth, a latency, a jitter, a packet loss rate, a packet rearrangement rate, and an error correction rate related to communication between the operating device and the one or the plurality of slave robots, and the calculating further includes to calculate the score on the basis of the statistic related to each of the bandwidth, the latency, the jitter, the packet loss rate, the packet rearrangement rate, and the error correction rate related to communication between the operating device and the one or the plurality of slave robots,
• the statistic includes a maximum value, a minimum value, and an average value for each item of the bandwidth, the latency, the jitter, the packet loss rate, the packet rearrangement rate, and the error correction rate,
• the calculating further includes calculating a value by multiplying a value, which is obtained by normalizing a difference between the average value and the minimum value with a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value for each item, by a weighting factor that is different for each item, and calculating a total sum of the calculated values as the score, and
• the method further comprising acquiring operation scenario information indicating a purpose of operating the one or the plurality of slave robots using the operating device, wherein the calculating further includes to change the weighting factor on the basis of the operation scenario information.

A network control method performed by a processor of a control apparatus that controls communication between a plurality of operating devices and one slave robot in a telexistence system including the plurality of operating devices, the slave robot whose motion is controlled by any one of the plurality of operating devices, and a plurality of virtual routers for forming a communication path for transmitting information between the plurality of operating devices and the slave robot, the method comprising:

• acquiring priority operating device information that identifies a priority operating device, which is an operating device for controlling the motion of the slave robot, from among the plurality of operating devices;
• repeatedly acquiring status reports respectively from the plurality of operating devices, the slave robots, and the plurality of virtual routers while communication between the plurality of operating devices and the slave robot is established;
• determining a communication path for transmitting a control instruction for controlling the motion of the slave robot to the slave robot on the basis of the acquired status reports and the priority operating device information when acquiring the status reports;
• and
• transmitting an instruction for forming the determined communication path to each of the plurality of virtual routers,
• wherein the determining further includes:
• calculating a score indicating the communication capability of each communication path for each candidate for a plurality of communication paths connecting the priority operating device and the slave robot on the basis of the status reports, and
• selecting a candidate for the communication path with the score indicating that the communication capability is high as the communication path connecting the priority operating device and the slave robot with priority over a candidate for the communication path with the score indicating that the communication capability is low,
• the status reports include at least a statistic related to each of a bandwidth, a latency, a jitter, a packet loss rate, a packet rearrangement rate, and an error correction rate related to communication between the priority operating device and the slave robot, and the calculating further includes to calculate the score on the basis of the statistic related to each of the bandwidth, the latency, the jitter, the packet loss rate, the packet rearrangement rate, and the error correction rate related to communication between the priority operating device and the slave robot,
• the statistic includes a maximum value, a minimum value, and an average value for each item of the bandwidth, the latency, the jitter, the packet loss rate, the packet rearrangement rate, and the error correction rate, and
• the calculating further includes calculating a value by multiplying a value, which is obtained by normalizing a difference between the average value and the minimum value with a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value for each item, by a weighting factor that is different for each item, and calculating a total sum of the calculated values as the score, and
• the method further comprises acquiring operation scenario information indicating a purpose of operating the slave robot using the priority operating device, wherein the calculating further includes to change the weighting factor on the basis of the operation scenario information.