JP2013229668A - Communication device and television receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device and a television receiver which can perform operation control on an apparatus capable of wirelessly communicating with the communication device according to a request sent from an external device via a communication network.SOLUTION: A portable terminal 2 requests a cloud server 3 via a network N to perform operation control on an apparatus 4, 5, 6 and/or 7 capable of wirelessly communicating with a television receiver 1. The cloud server 3 requests the television receiver 1 via the network N to perform the operation control on the corresponding apparatus 4, 5, 6 and/or 7 according to the request. The television receiver 1 authenticates a user who has sent the request whether the user has appropriate authority, and when the user is authenticated, the television receiver 1 transmits a control signal corresponding to the requested operation control to the corresponding apparatus 4, 5, 6 and/or 7 via wireless communication. The 4, 5, 6 and/or 7 having received the control signal performs processing according to the control signal.

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device and a television receiver capable of communication and wireless communication via a network.

  In recent years, portable terminals such as smartphones and tablet terminals have become widespread, and a recording apparatus that can make a reservation for recording a TV program via a network using a portable terminal from outside is provided. Further, Patent Document 1 proposes a system capable of exchanging operation status information between home appliances and controlling the operation status of each home appliance based on the exchanged information.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-215067

  In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, it is possible to control the operation of the washing machine via a television remote controller, but it is necessary to mount a microprocessor on each home appliance. Therefore, it is difficult to control a device that is difficult to incorporate a microprocessor and a communication function, such as a lighting device. Moreover, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a user who is away cannot control the operating status of each home appliance.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. The object is to provide a communication device and a television receiver that enable an operation control execution instruction for the first device capable of wireless communication with the communication device to be performed from the second device via the communication network. There is to do.

  The communication device according to the present invention includes a first communication unit that performs wireless communication with a plurality of first devices, a second communication unit that communicates with a second device via a communication network, and each of the first devices. A storage unit for storing information of an authorized person having authority to execute operation control, and a control request for acquiring operation control request for one of the first devices and information relating to the requester in the second communication unit. The requester is authenticated based on whether the information related to the requester acquired by the acquisition unit and the control request acquisition unit matches any of the authority information stored in the storage unit When authenticated by the authentication unit and the authentication unit, the first communication unit transmits a control signal to the corresponding first device based on the operation control request acquired by the control request acquisition unit. And a transmission unit that performs the above-described process.

  According to the present invention, the communication device can wirelessly communicate with the plurality of first devices and can communicate with the second device via the communication network. The communication device stores information on an authorized person who has the authority to execute operation control for each of the first devices. When the communication device acquires the operation control request for one of the first devices and the information related to the requester from the second device via the communication network, the acquired information related to the requester is stored in the authorized person The requester is authenticated based on whether it matches any of the information. If the communication device is authenticated, the communication device transmits a control signal to the corresponding first device based on the acquired request for operation control. Therefore, operation control for the first device configured to be able to perform wireless communication with the communication device can be performed from the second device via the communication network. Further, by authenticating the requester who has requested the operation control of the first device, the users who can control the operation of each first device can be limited. Moreover, since a communication apparatus communicates with each 1st apparatus by radio | wireless communication, the freedom degree of the arrangement place or installation place of each 1st apparatus increases. In recent years, electric devices (home appliances) having a wireless communication function have become widespread, and operation control of such electric devices can be performed by a communication device. In addition, development of short-range wireless communication technology that is inexpensive, compact, and consumes less power, such as the ZigBee standard, is progressing, and devices that could not be equipped with conventional communication functions, such as lighting equipment, are also equipped with wireless communication functions. It is possible to control many electric devices.

  A television receiver according to the present invention includes a communication device described above, a receiving unit that receives a television broadcast, and a display unit that displays an image based on the television broadcast received by the receiving unit. When the authentication unit authenticates the receiver, the fact that the operation control is executed for the corresponding first device based on the operation control request acquired by the control request acquisition unit A display control unit that displays on the display unit; and a reception unit that receives execution permission for operation control on the first device; and the transmission unit receives the execution permission from the first device. And a control signal is transmitted.

  According to the present invention, when the television receiver having the above-described configuration can authenticate the requester, the operation control is executed on the first device corresponding to the operation control request acquired from the second device. The effect is displayed on the display unit. Then, when the television receiver receives permission to execute the operation control on the first device, the television receiver transmits a control signal to the corresponding first device. Therefore, the operation of the corresponding first device can be controlled only when execution is permitted for the operation control requested from the second device via the communication network.

  The television receiver according to the present invention is characterized in that the transmitting unit does not transmit a control signal to the first device when the receiving unit does not accept execution permission.

  According to the present invention, the television receiver does not transmit a control signal to the first device when the execution permission of the operation control for the first device is not accepted. Therefore, when the execution control is not permitted for the operation control requested from the second device via the communication network, the operation control for the corresponding first device is not executed. Thereby, even when there is a request for stopping the operation of the first device such as an air conditioner or lighting equipment from the second device, for example, if the operation stop is refused by a user in the room where the first device is installed, 1 The operation of the device is not stopped. Therefore, the convenience for the user who is using the first device is not impaired.

  The television receiver according to the present invention includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the first device to which the transmission unit has transmitted a control signal has performed an operation in accordance with the control signal, and wherein the determination unit When it is determined that one device has performed an operation according to the control signal, the second communication unit notifies the second device that has transmitted the operation control request to the second device that has transmitted the operation control request. It is characterized by providing.

  According to the present invention, the television receiver determines whether or not the first device that has transmitted the control signal has performed an operation in accordance with the control signal. Is notified to the second device that has transmitted the operation control request, that is, the requester. Therefore, the requester who has requested the operation control for the first device can confirm that the first device instructed by the requester has been appropriately controlled.

  When the transmitter does not transmit a control signal, the television receiver according to the present invention indicates that the requested operation control has not been executed, to the second device that has transmitted the operation control request. The communication unit includes a notification unit that notifies the communication unit.

  According to the present invention, when the television receiver does not transmit a control signal to the first device, that is, when the operation control for the first device is rejected, the second device that has transmitted a request for operation control. That is, the requester is notified that the operation control has not been executed. Therefore, the requester who requested the operation control for the first device can grasp that the first device that he / she directed was not controlled.

  The communication device according to the present invention includes a first communication unit that performs wireless communication with a plurality of first devices, a second communication unit that communicates with a second device via a communication network, and each of the first devices. A storage unit that stores information of an authorized person who has an authority to view the operation state, a state acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating the operation state of the first device in the first communication unit, and the first device. The browsing request acquisition unit that acquires information related to the browsing request and requester of the operation state in the second communication unit, and information related to the requester acquired by the browsing request acquisition unit is stored in the storage unit. And a status notification unit that notifies the second device that has transmitted the browsing request to the second device that has transmitted the browsing request using the second communication unit.

  According to the present invention, the communication device can wirelessly communicate with a plurality of first devices, and obtains state information indicating the operation state of each first device from each first device. Further, the communication device can communicate with the second device via the communication network. The communication device stores information of an authorized person who has the authority to view the operating state for each of the first devices. When the communication device acquires the request for viewing the operating state of the first device and the information related to the requester from the second device via the communication network, the information related to the acquired requester is stored in the authority information The second apparatus that has transmitted the browsing request, that is, the requester is notified of the operating state acquired from the first apparatus that matches the above. Therefore, the operating state of the first device configured to be able to perform wireless communication with the communication device can be viewed from the second device via the communication network. Moreover, the requester who has requested browsing of the operating state of the first device notifies only the operating state of the first device having the viewing authority, thereby limiting the users who can browse the operating state of each first device. Moreover, since a communication apparatus communicates with each 1st apparatus by radio | wireless communication, the freedom degree of the arrangement place or installation place of each 1st apparatus increases. In recent years, electric devices (home appliances) having a wireless communication function have become widespread, and the operation state of such electric devices can be confirmed via a communication device. In addition, development of short-range wireless communication technology that is inexpensive, compact, and consumes less power, such as the ZigBee standard, is progressing, and devices that could not be equipped with conventional communication functions, such as lighting equipment, are also equipped with wireless communication functions. And many electrical devices can be viewed.

  A television receiver according to the present invention includes the communication device described above, a receiving unit that receives a television broadcast, and a display unit that displays an image based on the television broadcast received by the receiving unit. Features.

  According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to browse the operating state of the first device via the television receiver.

  In the present invention, it is possible to issue an operation control execution instruction to the first device configured to be capable of wireless communication with the communication device from the second device via the communication network. Further, the user who can perform the operation control on the first device can be limited to a user having a legitimate authority by the authentication process.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the apparatus control system containing the television receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structural example of a television receiver and an air conditioner. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of management information DB. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structural example of a portable terminal and a cloud server. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of user information DB. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the operation control process of the household appliances by an apparatus control system. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the operation control process of the household appliances by an apparatus control system. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the operation control process of the household appliances by an apparatus control system.

  Hereinafter, a communication device and a television receiver according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a device control system including a television receiver according to the present invention. The device control system of the present embodiment includes a television receiver (communication device) 1, a portable terminal (second device) 2, a cloud server 3, and the like. In the following, a system including one television receiver 1, portable terminal 2, and cloud server 3 will be described as an example, but any or all of the television receiver 1, portable terminal 2, and cloud server 3 are each Multiple units may be provided. The television receiver 1, the mobile terminal 2, and the cloud server 3 can be connected to a network (communication network) N such as the Internet.

  The television receiver 1 is capable of short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee, Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and the like. Wireless communication with the device. In the present embodiment, an air conditioner 4, a lighting device 5, a stereo (sound reproduction device) 6, and a ventilation fan 7 are given as examples of home appliances with which the television receiver 1 performs wireless communication. However, the television receiver 1 may be configured to perform wireless communication with various home appliances used in the home, such as a refrigerator and a microwave oven, in addition to these devices.

In the device control system of the present embodiment, for example, the television receiver 1 and various home appliances (air conditioner 4, lighting device 5, stereo 6 and ventilation fan 7) are installed in a house or facility, and the mobile terminal 2 Is carried by the resident (family) or someone of the owner of this house or facility. Moreover, the cloud server 3 is managed by the service provider of the service which controls operation | movement of the household appliance in a house or a facility using the apparatus control system of this embodiment, for example.
Below, the structure which controls operation | movement of the household appliances installed in the home of a certain family using an apparatus control system is demonstrated to an example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of the television receiver 1 and the air conditioner 4. The television receiver 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, an operation unit 12, a display unit 13, a tuner unit 14, an external device connection unit 15, a communication unit 16, a wireless communication unit 17, a remote control signal reception unit 18, and the like. .
The control unit 10 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit). The control unit 10 is connected to the above-described hardware units included in the television receiver 1 and controls the operation of each unit.

The storage unit 11 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores a control program executed by the control unit 10 and various data. The control unit 10 causes the television receiver 1 to operate as the communication device and the television receiver according to the present invention by sequentially executing the control programs stored in the storage unit 11.
Further, the storage unit 11 stores a management information database (hereinafter referred to as a management information DB) 11a.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the management information DB 11a. In the management information DB 11a, information such as a device name, an installation location (arrangement location), an operation state, a user, and an administrator is stored in association with each home appliance that the television receiver 1 can wirelessly communicate with. The device name, installation location, user, and administrator information stored in the management information DB 11a are stored in the control unit when the user of the television receiver 1 operates the operation unit 12 to instruct registration, change, or deletion. 10 is updated as appropriate. Moreover, the information on the operation state stored in the management information DB 11a is updated each time the control unit 10 acquires from each home appliance.
The user information stored in the management information DB 11a is, for example, information on a user (authorized person) who is permitted to use each home appliance and view the operation state. In the example illustrated in FIG. Someone is registered. Moreover, the administrator information stored in the management information DB 11a is, for example, information on an administrator (authorized person) who is permitted to control the operation of each home appliance, and someone who is registered as a user be registered. Note that the control of the operation of the home appliance means, for example, execution of operation start / end (on / off), setting of conditions that can be set for each home appliance such as a set temperature in the case of the air conditioner 4 and the like. To do.

The operation unit 12 includes various operation keys necessary for the user to operate the television receiver 1, receives information based on the operation keys operated by the user, and sends the received information to the control unit 10.
The display unit 13 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL panel, or the like, and displays various types of information according to instructions from the control unit 10.

The tuner unit 14 is a receiving unit that receives a broadcast signal of television broadcasting.
The external device connection unit 15 can be connected to an external device such as a BD (Blu-ray Disc) recorder, a hard disk recorder, a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a game machine, a PC (Personal Computer), and a portable terminal. .
The broadcast signal received by the tuner unit 14 is decoded into video data by a decoding unit (not shown) and output to the display unit 13. Further, the external device connection unit 15 outputs video data transmitted from the connected external device to the display unit 13. Therefore, the display unit 13 displays a video based on television broadcast or a video based on video data stored in an external device.

The communication unit (second communication unit) 16 is an interface for connecting to the network N, and communicates with an external device (second device) connectable to the network N via the network N.
The wireless communication unit (first communication unit) 17 is an interface for performing wireless communication such as ZigBee, Bluetooth, and wireless LAN, and wirelessly communicates with an external device (first device) configured to be able to perform wireless communication. Communicate. In the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 17 performs wireless communication with home appliances such as the air conditioner 4, the lighting device 5, the stereo 6, and the ventilation fan 7.

  The remote control signal receiver 18 receives a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) for operating the television receiver 1 from a remote location. The remote control signal receiving unit 18 sends the received remote control signal to the control unit 10, and the control unit 10 analyzes the remote control signal and controls the operation of each unit of the television receiver 1 according to the remote control signal. The remote control signal receiving unit 18 performs wireless communication such as IrDA (Infrared Data Association), wireless LAN, and Bluetooth using infrared rays with the remote control.

The air conditioner 4 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 41, an air conditioning unit 42, a wireless communication unit 43, a remote control signal receiving unit 44, and the like. The control unit 40 is, for example, a CPU or MPU. The control unit 40 is connected to each hardware unit as described above included in the air conditioner 4 and controls the operation of each unit.
The storage unit 41 is a ROM, a flash memory, or the like, and stores a control program executed by the control unit 40, various data, and the like. The control unit 40 executes the operation as the air conditioner 4 by sequentially executing the control programs stored in the storage unit 41.

The air conditioning unit 42 includes a heat exchanger (not shown), and performs a cooling operation or a heating operation by exchanging heat between outdoor air and indoor air.
The wireless communication unit 43 has the same configuration as the wireless communication unit 17 of the television receiver 1 and performs wireless communication with an external device configured to be capable of short-range wireless communication.
The remote control signal receiving unit 44 has the same configuration as that of the remote control signal receiving unit 18 of the television receiver 1 and is transmitted from a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a remote control) for operating the air conditioner 4 from a remote location. Receive a signal. The remote control signal receiving unit 44 sends the received remote control signal to the control unit 40, and the control unit 40 analyzes the remote control signal and controls the operation of each unit of the air conditioner 4 according to the remote control signal.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of the mobile terminal 2 and the cloud server 3.
The portable terminal 2 is a portable information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a portable computer, a portable game machine, or a cellular phone. The portable terminal 2 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an operation panel 22, a communication unit 23, and the like.

The control unit 20 is, for example, a CPU or MPU. The control unit 20 is connected to each hardware unit described above included in the mobile terminal 2 and controls the operation of each unit.
The storage unit 21 is a ROM or a flash memory, and stores a control program executed by the control unit 20 and various data. The control unit 20 executes the operation as the mobile terminal 2 by sequentially executing the control programs stored in the storage unit 21. A web browser is stored in the storage unit 21 and can be connected to the web server (cloud server 3) via the network N when the control unit 20 executes the web browser.

  The operation panel 22 is a touch panel in which an operation unit and a display unit are integrated. The operation unit includes various operation keys necessary for the user to operate the mobile terminal 2, receives information based on the operation keys operated by the user, and sends the received information to the control unit 20. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL panel, or the like, and displays information to be notified to the user, information necessary for operation, and the like according to an instruction from the control unit 20. In addition, you may provide an operation part and a display part separately, without using a touch panel.

  The communication unit 23 is an interface for connecting to the network N, and communicates with an external device connectable to the network N via the network N. For example, when the mobile terminal 2 is a mobile phone, the communication unit 23 is an interface for connecting to a mobile phone line network connected to the network N, and connects to the network N via the mobile phone line network.

The cloud server 3 is a server computer that provides a cloud service. In this embodiment, the cloud server 3 provides a device control service that performs operation control of home appliances in each home via the network N. The cloud server 3 includes a control unit 30, a storage unit 31, a communication unit 32, and the like.
The control unit 30 is, for example, a CPU or MPU. The control unit 30 is connected to the above-described hardware units included in the cloud server 3 and controls the operation of each unit.
The communication unit 32 has the same configuration as the communication unit 16 of the television receiver 1 and communicates with an external device via the network N.

The storage unit 31 is a storage device such as an HDD, and stores a control program executed by the control unit 30 and various data. The control unit 30 executes the operation as the cloud server 3 by sequentially executing the control programs stored in the storage unit 31.
The storage unit 31 stores a user information database (hereinafter referred to as user information DB) 31 a and a web page for using a cloud service provided by the cloud server 3.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the user information DB 31a. In the user information DB 31a, the user ID and login password of a user who has registered as a user with the cloud service (device control service) provided by the cloud server 3 are registered in association with each other. In the cloud server 3, when the communication unit 32 receives a change or addition of registration information in the user information DB 31 a via the network N, the control unit 30 updates the registration information in the user information DB 31 a.

  In the cloud server 3, when the communication unit 32 receives a request for using the device control service together with the user ID and the login password via the network N, the control unit 30 performs an authentication process based on the registration content of the user information DB 31 a. Do. Specifically, the control unit 30 compares the user ID and login password received by the communication unit 32 with registration information in the user information DB 31a, and determines whether or not the user ID and registration password are registered in the user information DB 31a. When the received user ID and login password are registered in the user information DB 31a, the control unit 30 uses the service provided by the cloud server 3 to the external device (user) that has requested use of the device control service. Allow.

  Below, the process which each apparatus performs when a user operates the portable terminal 2 and utilizes the apparatus control service which the cloud server 3 provides is demonstrated. 6 to 8 are flowcharts showing the procedure of the home appliance operation control processing by the device control system. 6 to 8, the process on the left indicates the process by the mobile terminal 2, the process on the center indicates the process by the cloud server 3, and the process on the right indicates the process by the television receiver 1.

  A user who wants to use the device control service provided by the cloud server 3 tries to access the cloud server 3 by operating the mobile terminal 2. The control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 executes a web browser, connects to the network N via the communication unit 23, and accesses the cloud server 3 via the network N (S1). The control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 reads a predetermined web page for providing the device control service from the storage unit 31, and transmits the web page from the communication unit 32 to the mobile terminal 2 (S2).

  The control unit 20 of the mobile terminal 2 displays a display screen on the operation panel 22 based on the web page acquired from the cloud server 3. The display screen here is a screen for requesting login to the cloud server 3, and has an input field for inputting authentication information (user information) for login. The user of the portable terminal 2 operates the operation panel 22 to input authentication information (user ID and login password) and instruct transmission to the cloud server 3.

  The control unit 20 of the mobile terminal 2 transmits the authentication information input by the user to the cloud server 3 via the network N (S3), and the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 adds the authentication information received from the mobile terminal 2 to the authentication information. On the other hand, an authentication process based on the registered contents of the user information DB 31a is performed (S4). The control unit 30 determines whether or not the authentication is successful (S5). If the authentication is not successful (S5: NO), that is, if the received authentication information is not registered in the user information DB 31a, the control can be performed. The mobile terminal 2 is notified via the network N of the absence (S6). For example, the control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 displays a message indicating that authentication could not be performed on the operation panel 22 to notify the user (S7), and ends the process.

When the authentication is successful (S5: YES), the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 transmits the user ID of the authenticated user to the television receiver 1 via the network N and the device that can be browsed by the user ( Request status information indicating the operating status of the home appliance) (S8).
The control unit (browsing request acquisition unit) 10 of the television receiver 1 sends a request for device status information (browsing request) and the user ID of the requesting user (information about the requester) via the network N. get. When requested for the status information of the device, the control unit 10 identifies a device that can be browsed by the user with the user ID received from the cloud server 3 based on the registered content of the management information DB 11a. Specifically, the control unit 10 specifies a device in which the received user ID is registered in the user column of the management information DB 11a. And the control part (state acquisition part) 10 requests | requires state information with respect to the specified apparatus by the wireless communication by the wireless communication part 17, collects state information from each apparatus of a request destination (S9), Based on the status information collected from the devices, the stored contents (operation status of each device) of the management information DB 11a are updated.

  For example, when the received user ID is the user ID of “Father”, the control unit 10 collects status information from the lighting device 5, the air conditioner 4, the stereo 6, and the refrigerator. Each device (home appliance) transmits state information indicating its own operation state to the television receiver 1 by wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 43 in response to a request from the television receiver 1. The operation state is, for example, an operation state / stop state (on / off).

  In response to a request from the cloud server 3, the control unit (status notification unit) 10 of the television receiver 1 transmits the status information of each device collected in step S9 to the cloud server 3 via the network N ( S10). As described above, the control unit 10 returns the operating state to the cloud server 3 by returning only the device status information registered in the management information DB 11a to the user ID received by the television receiver 1 from the cloud server 3. Only the status information (operating status) of the device to which the user who has requested viewing is authorized.

  The control unit 10 obtains status information from all devices, not just the devices that can be browsed by the user, and updates the stored content of the management information DB 11a, and from the management information DB 11a, only the status information of the devices that can be browsed by the user. May be configured to extract and transmit to the cloud server 3. In addition, the control unit 10 periodically acquires the status information of each device and updates the management information DB 11a, and when the cloud server 3 requests the status information, the user can browse from the management information DB 11a. A configuration in which only state information of a simple device is read and transmitted to the cloud server 3 may be used.

  Based on the state information received from the television receiver 1, the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 notifies the mobile terminal 2 of the operation state of each device (S11). Specifically, the control unit 30 transmits a web page for displaying the operation state of each device to the mobile terminal 2 via the network N. The control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 displays a display screen on the operation panel 22 based on the web page received from the cloud server 3, and notifies the user of the operation state of each device (S12). The display screen here is a screen for displaying an operation state of a device (home appliance) that is set to be viewable by the user of the mobile terminal 2 and receiving an operation control execution request for any of the devices.

For example, when the user of the mobile terminal 2 wants to stop the operating device or to operate the stopped device, the user of the mobile terminal 2 operates the operation panel 22 and requests execution of operation control on the desired device. For example, the operating air conditioner 4 is requested to stop.
The control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 determines whether or not an operation control execution request for any of the devices has been received via the operation panel 22 (S13). When the execution request is not received (S13: NO), the process is terminated. For example, when the user of the mobile terminal 2 ends access to the cloud server 3 without requesting execution of operation control for any of the devices, the control unit 20 ends the process.

  When the execution request is received (S13: YES), the control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 requests the cloud server 3 to execute the operation control for the requested device (S14). When the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 is requested to execute the operation control on any of the devices, the control unit 30 transmits the user ID authenticated in step S4 to the television receiver 1 via the network N and executes the execution request. A request is made to execute operation control on the device (S15).

  The control unit (control request acquisition unit) 10 of the television receiver 1 acquires, from the cloud server 3 via the network N, an operation control execution request for any device and the user ID of the requesting user. . When the control unit 10 is requested to perform operation control on any device, the user with the user ID received from the cloud server 3 performs operation control on the device to be controlled based on the registered content of the management information DB 11a. It is determined whether or not the administrator has authority to execute (S16). That is, the control unit 10 functions as an authentication unit that authenticates a user who has requested execution of operation control. Specifically, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the user ID received from the cloud server 3 is registered in the column of the administrator of the device to be controlled in the management information DB 11a. It is determined that the administrator has execution authority.

  When it is determined that the user does not have the execution authority (S16: NO), the control unit 10 of the television receiver 1 indicates that the operation control cannot be executed because the execution authority is not acquired through the network N. (S17). Based on the notification from the television receiver 1, the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 notifies the portable terminal 2 that the operation control cannot be executed because the user does not have the execution authority (S 18). For example, the control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 displays a message indicating that the operation control cannot be executed because the user does not have the execution authority, notifies the user of the operation panel 22 (S19), and ends the process.

  If it is determined that the user (administrator) has the execution authority (S16: YES), the control unit (display control unit) 10 of the television receiver 1 will now perform operation control on the device for which operation control is requested. Is displayed on the display unit 13 (S20). For example, the control unit 10 displays a message such as “I will stop the air conditioner from now on”. When the television receiver 1 is stopped, the control unit 10 temporarily activates the television receiver 1 to display a message. Accordingly, it is possible to notify a user in the home where the television receiver 1 is installed that operation control is performed on any home appliance installed in the home.

  For example, the control unit 10 displays an OK button and a cancel button on the display unit 13, “If the air conditioner can be stopped, select the OK button with the TV remote control. Please select the cancel button ". The user in the home operates the remote control of the television receiver 1 according to the display message of the television receiver 1, selects the OK button or the cancel button, and permits or rejects the execution of the operation control to be executed from now on. .

  Based on the remote control signal received by the remote control signal receiver 18, the control unit (accepting unit) 10 of the television receiver 1 accepts execution permission / inhibition (permission or rejection) of operation control to be performed from now on and should be performed from now on. It is determined whether or not the execution of the operation control is rejected (S21). When the execution is rejected (S21: YES), that is, when the cancel button displayed on the television receiver 1 is selected, the control unit (notification unit) 10 is rejected by the user currently at home. Therefore, the cloud server 3 is notified via the network N that the operation control could not be executed (S17). Based on the notification from the television receiver 1, the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 notifies the mobile terminal 2 that the operation control could not be executed (S18). The control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 displays a message indicating that the operation control could not be performed on the operation panel 22 to notify the user (S19), and ends the process.

When the execution is not rejected (S21: NO), the control unit (transmission unit) 10 transmits a control signal to the device to be controlled by wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 17 (S22). The device that has received the control signal performs an operation (processing) according to the control signal.
For example, when the stop control for the air conditioner 4 is requested, the control unit 10 of the television receiver 1 transmits a stop signal for instructing the air conditioner 4 to stop. The control unit 40 of the air conditioner 4 stops the air conditioner 4 by performing a process of stopping each part of the hardware according to the control signal (stop signal) received from the television receiver 1 by the wireless communication unit 43.

Note that when the execution of the operation control is not rejected, for example, when the OK button displayed on the television receiver 1 is selected, or neither the OK button nor the cancel button is selected for a predetermined time. This is the case. It is assumed that a user who wants to control the operation of home appliances at home using the device control service is out of the office. Therefore, there is a possibility that no one is in the house, and in such a situation, neither the OK button nor the cancel button is operated via the remote control of the television receiver 1. Therefore, when neither the OK button nor the cancel button is selected for a predetermined time, it is determined that the operation control for the device is permitted, and a control signal may be transmitted to the device to be controlled.
When the television receiver 1 that has been stopped in step S20 is temporarily activated to display a message, the control unit 10 of the television receiver 1 displays the message after the determination process in step S21. 1 is returned to the stopped state.

  The control part 10 of the television receiver 1 requests | requires state information with respect to the apparatus which transmitted the control signal by the wireless communication by the wireless communication part 17, and acquires state information (S23). Based on the acquired state information, the control unit 10 determines whether the device that transmitted the control signal has performed an operation according to the control signal. That is, the control unit (determination unit) 10 determines whether or not the execution of the operation control requested from the cloud server 3 has been completed (S24). When it is determined that the control signal has not been completed (S24: NO), that is, when the device that has transmitted the control signal has not completed the operation according to the control signal, the control unit 10 returns the process to step S22, and step S22. The process of S24 is repeated. If it is determined that the execution of the operation control requested from the cloud server 3 has been completed (S24: YES), the control unit (completion notification unit) 10 indicates that the requested operation control has been completed via the network N. The cloud server 3 is notified (S25). Note that when the requested operation control is completed, the control unit 10 updates the stored content (the operation state of the corresponding device) of the management information DB 11a.

  Based on the notification from the television receiver 1, the control unit 30 of the cloud server 3 notifies the mobile terminal 2 that the requested operation control has been completed via the network N (S26). Based on the notification from the cloud server 3, the control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 displays a message indicating that the requested operation control is completed on the operation panel 22 and notifies the user (S27). The notification screen (display screen) at this time is a screen for receiving an operation control execution request for one of the devices or an end instruction.

  The control unit 20 of the portable terminal 2 determines whether or not an end instruction has been received via the operation panel 22 (S28). When the end instruction is received (S28: YES), the process ends. When the end instruction has not been received (S28: NO), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S13, and further determines whether or not an operation control execution request for any device has been received (S13), and step S13. The process of S28 is repeated. Thereby, operation control with respect to a some apparatus can be performed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the operation state of each device (home appliance) capable of wireless communication with the television receiver 1 can be viewed on the mobile terminal 2 via the network N. Therefore, the user who is away can check the operation state of the device in his / her home with the mobile terminal 2. In addition, by notifying each user of only the operating state of the device for which each user has the viewing authority, the users who can view the operating state of each device can be restricted.

As described above, in the present embodiment, execution of operation control of each device capable of wireless communication with the television receiver 1 can be instructed from the portable terminal 2 via the network N. Therefore, the user who is away from home can control the operation of the device in the home with the mobile terminal 2. Moreover, the user who can be performed can be restrict | limited by performing user authentication whether operation control of each apparatus can be performed. Therefore, for example, malfunction by a child can be prevented.
Further, in the present embodiment, when the operation control of each device is executed, the television receiver 1 can be notified to that effect so that the user at home can be notified. Further, when the execution of the operation control is rejected as a result of the notification, the convenience of the user who is actually using is not impaired by not performing the operation control.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the television receiver 1 confirms whether the device that transmitted the control signal has actually performed an operation according to the control signal, and confirmed that the device has performed an appropriate operation. If it is possible, the user of the portable terminal 2 is notified of the completion of the operation control. Therefore, a user who has instructed execution of operation control for a device at home using the mobile terminal 2 can confirm that the instructed operation has been appropriately performed. In addition, when the television receiver 1 is denied execution by a user at home, the television receiver 1 notifies the user of the mobile terminal 2 that the operation control cannot be performed. Therefore, the user who has instructed execution of the operation control for the device in the home using the mobile terminal 2 can confirm that the instructed operation has not been performed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the television receiver 1 and each device perform wireless communication, the arrangement location or installation location of each device is not limited. In addition, it is possible to process a device having a wireless communication function, and it has been conventionally communicated like the lighting device 5 by developing a short-range wireless communication technology that is inexpensive, small, and consumes less power as in the ZigBee standard. Devices that could not be equipped with functions can also be processed.
In addition, each device may perform state information transmission processing and processing according to a control signal in response to a request from the television receiver 1, and the managed device needs to possess complex information. There is no need to perform complicated processing.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the user of the mobile terminal 2 accesses the cloud server 3, the operation state acquired by the television receiver 1 from each device is acquired via the cloud server 3, and then the cloud server 3. It is the structure which requests | requires execution of the operation control with respect to either apparatus via this. The present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, when the user of the mobile terminal 2 accesses the cloud server 3, the operation state acquired by the television receiver 1 from each device via the cloud server 3. You can just get it. In other words, the device control system may be configured only to notify the mobile terminal 2 of the operation state of each device via the network N.

In the above-described embodiment, when the user of the mobile terminal 2 requests execution of operation control for any of the devices via the cloud server 3, whether the requested operation control is properly completed or failed (can be executed). It was configured to be notified. In addition to this, for example, the mobile terminal 2 may only request execution of operation control for any of the devices via the cloud server 3. That is, a configuration for notifying whether or not the operation control is completed is not essential.
In this case, the cloud server 3 requests the television receiver 1 to execute the operation control for the corresponding device in accordance with the request from the portable terminal 2, and the television receiver 1 performs user authentication, execution permission, or execution refusal. As a result of acceptance, a control signal may be transmitted to the corresponding device.

  In the above-described embodiment, as the operation control requested by the user of the mobile terminal 2 for the device in the home, the start instruction for the stopped device or the stop instruction for the operating device has been described as an example. In addition to this, for example, in the case of a start instruction for the air conditioner 4, an operation type (cooling or heating), a set temperature, a set time of a turn-off timer for instructing a stop time, and an input for instructing an operation start time. You may comprise so that complicated instructions, such as the setting time of a timer, can be performed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the home appliance is managed by the single television receiver 1. In addition to this, for example, when a plurality of television receivers 1 are installed at home, devices managed by each television receiver 1 are set, and each television receiver 1 is registered. In addition, each device may be managed. Moreover, when the television receiver 1 is installed in each room, you may make it manage the apparatus of each room with each television receiver 1. FIG.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above. However, each configuration, operation, and the like can be changed as appropriate, and are not limited to the above-described embodiments.

1 Television receiver (communication device)
2 Mobile terminal (second device)
3 Cloud server 4 Air conditioner (first device)
5 Lighting equipment (first device)
6 Stereo (first device)
7 Ventilation fan (first device)
10 Control unit (browsing request acquisition unit, status acquisition unit, status notification unit, control request acquisition unit, authentication unit, transmission unit, display control unit, reception unit, determination unit, completion notification unit, notification unit)
11 Storage Unit 13 Display Unit 14 Tuner Unit (Receiving Unit)
16 Communication unit (second communication unit)
17 Wireless communication unit (first communication unit)

Claims (7)

A first communication unit that performs wireless communication with a plurality of first devices;
A second communication unit that communicates with the second device via a communication network;
For each of the first devices, a storage unit that stores information of an authorized person who has the authority to perform operation control;
A request for operation control for any of the first devices and a control request acquisition unit for acquiring information related to the requester in the second communication unit;
An authentication unit that authenticates the requester based on whether or not the information related to the requester acquired by the control request acquisition unit matches any of the authority information stored in the storage unit;
A transmission unit that transmits a control signal in the first communication unit to the corresponding first device based on the operation control request acquired in the control request acquisition unit when authenticated by the authentication unit; A communication apparatus comprising: A communication device according to claim 1;
A receiver for receiving television broadcasts;
A television receiver comprising: a display unit configured to display an image based on a television broadcast received by the receiving unit;
Display that displays on the display unit that the operation control is executed for the corresponding first device based on the operation control request acquired by the control request acquisition unit when authenticated by the authentication unit A control unit;
A reception unit that receives permission to execute operation control on the first device,
The television receiver, wherein the transmission unit transmits a control signal to the first device when the reception unit receives execution permission.   The television receiver according to claim 2, wherein the transmission unit is configured not to transmit a control signal to the first device when the reception unit does not accept execution permission. A determination unit that determines whether the first device to which the transmission unit has transmitted a control signal has performed an operation in accordance with the control signal;
When the determination unit determines that the first device has performed an operation according to the control signal, the second communication unit notifies the second device that has transmitted the operation control request that the operation control has been completed. The television receiver according to claim 2, further comprising: a completion notification unit that notifies at the point.   When the transmission unit does not transmit a control signal, the second communication unit notifies the second device that has transmitted the operation control request that the requested operation control has not been executed. The television receiver according to claim 3. A first communication unit that performs wireless communication with a plurality of first devices;
A second communication unit that communicates with the second device via a communication network;
For each of the first devices, a storage unit that stores information on an authorized person who has the authority to view the operating state;
A state acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating an operation state of the first device in the first communication unit;
A browsing request acquisition unit that acquires, in the second communication unit, a request for browsing the operating state of the first device and information related to the requester;
The information regarding the requester acquired by the browsing request acquisition unit matches the information of the authorized person stored in the storage unit, and the operating state of the first device is transmitted to the second device that has transmitted the browsing request. A communication device, comprising: a state notification unit that is notified by the second communication unit. A communication device according to claim 6;
A receiver for receiving television broadcasts;
A television receiver, comprising: a display unit configured to display an image based on the television broadcast received by the receiving unit.

Images