Free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus, free-space optical communication apparatus control system, and free-space optical communication apparatus control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12574115-B2
Application number	US-202318385486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2023
Priority date	Nov 17, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus includes: a detecting section for detecting an impediment to laser communication of a free-space optical communication apparatus; and a judging section for judging, in accordance with the state of the impediment to the laser communication, whether pruning of a tree is necessary.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus for controlling a free-space optical communication apparatus, the free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus comprising
at least one processor, the at least one processor carrying out: a detecting process of detecting an impediment to laser communication of the free-space optical communication apparatus; and a judging process of judging, in accordance with a state of the impediment to the laser communication, whether pruning of a tree is necessary.

2 . The free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor further carries out a notifying process of notifying a result of judgment made in the judging process.

3 . The free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in the judging process, the at least one processor judges, in accordance with at least one selected from the group consisting of a period of the impediment to the laser communication and image information indicating the state of the impediment to the laser communication, whether pruning of the tree is necessary.

4 . The free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
in the judging process, the at least one processor judges that pruning of the tree is necessary, in a case where the period of the impediment to the laser communication is equal to or longer than a first predetermined period.

5 . The free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
in the judging process, the at least one processor judges that pruning of the tree is necessary, in a case where at least a part of the tree is imaged in a proportion equal to or greater than a predetermined proportion in a predetermined area of the image information.

6 . The free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
in the judging process, the at least one processor judges, in accordance with moving image information included in the image information, whether pruning of the tree is necessary, in a case where the period of the impediment to the laser communication is equal to or longer than a second predetermined period.

7 . The free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor further carries out: a forming process of forming connection paths in a meshed form by forming one or more connection paths each connecting free-space optical communication apparatuses to each other, among a plurality of free-space optical communication apparatuses including the free-space optical communication apparatus, the one or more connection paths including a path of the laser communication that is currently conducted; and a determining process of determining, in accordance with the state of the impediment to the laser communication, alternative paths which are selected from among the one or more connection paths except the path of the laser communication that is currently conducted and to which the path of the laser communication that is currently conducted is to be switched.

8 . A free-space optical communication apparatus control system comprising a free-space optical communication apparatus and a free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus for controlling the free-space optical communication apparatus,
the free-space optical communication apparatus including a communicating section for conducting laser communication, the free-space optical communication apparatus control apparatus including: at least one processor, the at least one processor carrying out:
a detecting process of detecting an impediment to the laser communication of the free-space optical communication apparatus; and
a judging process of judging, in accordance with a state of the impediment to the laser communication, whether pruning of a tree is necessary.

9 . A free-space optical communication apparatus control method for controlling a free-space optical communication apparatus, the free-space optical communication apparatus control method comprising:
at least one processor detecting an impediment to laser communication of the free-space optical communication apparatus; and the at least one processor judging, in accordance with a state of the impediment to the laser communication, whether pruning of a tree is necessary.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Hirota Shingo
• Mizumoto Hisashi

Classifications

• H04B10/503

  Laser transmitters · CPC title

• A01G17/005

  Cultivation methods · CPC title

• H04B10/075

  using an in-service signal (H04B10/071 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01G23/00

  Forestry · CPC title

• A01G3/08

  Other tools for pruning, branching or delimbing standing trees · CPC title