Communication system and communication control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10680990-B2
Application number	US-201615759414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the present application provide a communication system that includes a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit is configured to receive, from a communication source, a scheduling request for scheduling transmission of a message to a specific communication destination. The control unit is configured to perform control such that the communication destination is notified of existence of the message at a predetermined timing in accordance with content of the message and a current or past psychological situation of a user corresponding to the specific communication destination received by the communication unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
receive, from a source terminal, a scheduling request for scheduling transmission of a current message to a destination terminal associated with a user;
determine a time slot for the transmission of the current message according to content of the current message and a past psychological situation of the user, the past psychological situation being measurable according to a heartbeat history of the user; and
within the determined time slot, determine a timing for the transmission of the current message according to the content of the current message and a current psychological situation of the user, the current psychological situation being measurable according to heartbeat information of the user.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the time slot according to a schedule of the user in a transmission period designated by the source terminal and a relation between a past schedule or a behavior recognition result of the user and the past psychological situation.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the past schedule includes reception date and time of a same type of a past message received by the user as the content of the current message.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the timing according to a current behavior recognition result of the user.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the time slot according to weather forecast information in a transmission period designated by the source terminal, and a relation between past surrounding weather information of the user and the past psychological situation.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the weather forecast information and the surrounding weather information include weather, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, or a discomfort index.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the time slot according to an estimated psychological situation of the user estimated on a basis of a schedule of the user or weather forecast information in a transmission period designated by the source terminal, content of the current message, and a relation between content of a past message received by the user and the past psychological situation.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to notify the destination terminal existence of the current message the determined timing.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the past psychological situation of the user is estimated further based on a basis of a result of a questionnaire answered by the user.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the past psychological situation of the user is estimated on a basis of change in heartbeats of the user before and after receiving a past message.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to insert a text into the message, the text describing an event occurred after receiving the scheduling request.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to change content of the current message on a basis of content of a past message received by the user and the past psychological situation at a time the past message is received.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in response to the receiving the scheduling request, the processing circuitry is configured to transmit a control signal to a communication device associated with the user, the control signal activating a sensor for detecting a psychological situation of the user.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a current time within the determined time slot as the timing for the transmission of the current message when the current psychological situation of the user at the current time matches a predetermined psychological situation that is determined according to the content of the current message.

15. A communication method, comprising:
receiving, from a source terminal, a scheduling request for scheduling transmission of a current message to a destination terminal associated with a user;
determining, by processing circuitry of a communication apparatus, a time slot for the transmission of the current message according to content of the current message and a past psychological situation of the user, the past psychological situation being measurable according to a heartbeat history of the user; and
within the determined time slot, determining, by the processing circuitry of the communication apparatus, timing for the transmission of the current message according to the content of the current message and a current psychological situation of the user, the current psychological situation being measurable according to heartbeat information of the user.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Ono Hideyuki

Classifications

• A61B5/165

  Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety · CPC title

• H04L51/22

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F16/24578

  using ranking · CPC title

• H04M1/72563

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M11/00 Primary

  Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems · CPC title