CN109310224B - Power command device and operation management system - Google Patents

Abstract

Electric equipment, such as a rice cooker, has a highly convenient structure that can confirm whether or not the operation has been completed according to the reservation through the information communication terminal device, and can also automatically adjust the operation start time. Equipped with: electric heater; input operation part, which can designate the reservation operation mode to start cooking operation at a predetermined time; transmission part, which transmits the completion and incomplete report signal of cooking operation to the outside; receiving part, receives the reservation cooking status from the outside an inquiry signal; and a control device that detects whether the operation according to the reservation is completed, and the control device transmits a signal reporting that the cooking operation is not completed from the transmitting unit when the reservation cooking operation is not performed at the time point when the preset time has elapsed. , and automatically send a signal to report the completion of cooking after the cooking action is completed. Furthermore, the current position of the information communication terminal device is grasped, and the timing of the cooking operation is automatically adjusted.

Description

Power command device and operation management system

technical field

The present invention relates to a rice cooker, a household appliance, a power command device, and an operation management system for the household appliance.

Background technique

In a typical home, power is supplied to a plurality of kitchen home appliances such as induction heating cookers via one circuit breaker. Among them, the maximum power consumption of the induction heating cooking device is as large as 4800W (or 5800W), which accounts for a large proportion of the household electric power. In addition, as other household appliances, the maximum power consumption of rice cookers and air conditioners (air conditioners) is also large. Therefore, various devices and systems for collectively managing the power of these household electrical appliances have been proposed in the past. Among household electrical appliances, such as a rice cooker, for example, a user can reserve the start time of operation from a destination. In this case, there is a problem in that it is not possible to know whether or not the driving operation is performed reliably from the destination.

On the other hand, when preparing to cook and after going out without instructing the start of cooking from the remote control from the destination, if the user forgets that the cooking is not done when returning home, the user will not be able to wait until the user The user did not notice that the rice soaked in water remained in the rice cooker until he saw that the rice cooker was in the rice cooker next time. When water and rice are left in the rice cooker for a long time, problems such as rotting and mildew are caused. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to send a report from the rice cooker to the information communication terminal held by the user when the user does not actually give an operation command from the destination within a predetermined period from the time when the rice cooker can be remotely controlled. A scheme in which a warning is given by a signal (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, in order to realize that the rice cooker itself can switch the operation content of a heating cooker such as a rice cooker based on information from an information communication terminal device carried by a user without relying on an instruction from the user, an information communication terminal device based on a basis has been proposed. The distance information calculated from the current position information of the heating cooker and the position information of the installation place of the heating cooker determines, for example, the timing of starting the operation of the reserved cooking function (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Furthermore, a home electric power control system has been proposed in which information on the estimated time of returning home is requested from an information communication terminal device carried by a user to a server for searching time of arrival via a communication network, and the estimated returning time is obtained as a result. The information is transmitted from the information communication terminal device to the electrical equipment, and the operation start time of the household electrical appliance for which the scheduled operation is set is corrected (for example, refer to Patent Document 3).

prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-226236 (page 1, FIG. 5 )

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-8804 (page 2, FIG. 3 )

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-96877 (page 82, Fig. 61, Fig. 62)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, in the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, a report signal from the rice cooker side is transmitted at the destination of going out, so when the time until returning home is long, it is assumed that the user of the rice cooker may forget the received information at the destination of going out. Pay attention to the report of the reminder, and it is still not noticed that the rice soaked in water is left in the rice cooker, so it is not an effective improvement measure. This is a problem that also exists in other home appliances other than rice cookers.

In addition, in the heating cooker of Patent Document 2, regarding the start of cooking in the reserved cooking program, the user transmits a signal of permission from the information communication terminal device to the heating cooker at the destination of going out, but after that, until When the time until returning home is longer than expected, and when it is late for returning home, it is assumed that the user of the heating cooker forgets to instruct the start of cooking at the destination, and there is the same problem as Patent Document 1. .

In addition, in the home power control system of Patent Document 3, the information communication terminal device requests the server for arrival time search to provide the expected time information of the return time, and as a result, the information communication terminal device obtains the expected arrival time to the home or the like. information and send it to the power command device (power control device). In addition, the power command device itself identifies the home appliance for which the scheduled operation operation is set, and instructs the home appliance to change the operation start time. Therefore, the power command device is required, the entire system may be complicated, and it is difficult to realize the autonomy of each home appliance. scheduled operation control.

The 1st subject of this invention is to report to the outside that a rice cooking operation is performed from the rice cooker in the rice cooker which has a reservation cooking function.

A second problem of the present invention is to report the scheduled operation from the household electrical appliance to the outside in the household electrical appliance having a scheduled operation function.

The third problem of the present invention is to report the operation status of the home appliance to be reserved in the power command device for controlling the electric power of the home appliance having the scheduled operation function.

The fourth subject of the present invention is to reliably report the operation status of the reserved household electrical appliance to the user and the occupant in an operation management system for the household electrical appliance having a reservation operation function.

The rice cooker as the 1st invention relates to the 1st subject, It is characterized by being provided with:

electric heating source;

Input the operation part, you can choose the time reservation cooking mode and the position corresponding reservation cooking mode, these two reservation cooking modes;

The sending part sends a report signal of cooking completion to the outside in a wireless manner;

a receiving unit that wirelessly receives from an external information communication terminal device an inquiry signal for execution of cooking reservation and a distance determination information signal of the information communication terminal device; and

a control device that accepts selection of a cooking reservation mode from the input operation unit, and controls the electric heating source,

When the position corresponds to the reserved cooking mode, the control device adjusts the cooking start time according to the distance obtained based on the distance determination information signal,

Furthermore, the control device transmits the scheduled cooking operation from the transmitting unit when the cooking operation in the scheduled cooking mode is completed when receiving the inquiry signal for the scheduled cooking execution from the receiving unit. Done reporting signal.

According to the rice cooker of the first invention, in response to an external inquiry, when a reserved cooking operation is performed, a completion report signal of the reserved cooking operation can be transmitted and notified to the user or the like.

The rice cooker as the 2nd invention relates to the 1st subject, It is characterized by being provided with:

electric heating source;

Input the operation part, you can choose the time reservation cooking mode and the position corresponding reservation cooking mode, these two reservation cooking modes;

The sending part wirelessly sends a report signal of cooking completion and incompleteness to the outside;

a receiving unit that wirelessly receives from the outside an inquiry signal for execution of cooking reservation and a distance determination information signal of the information communication terminal device; and

a control device for accepting selection of a cooking reservation mode from the input operation unit, and controlling the electric heating source to detect whether the cooking operation in the cooking reservation mode is completed,

When the position corresponds to the reserved cooking mode, the control device adjusts the cooking time according to the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal,

Furthermore, when the cooking operation in the scheduled cooking mode is completed, the control device transmits a cooking operation completion report signal from the transmission unit, and when receiving an inquiry signal for scheduled cooking execution and, when the cooking operation set in the reserved cooking mode is not performed, a cooking operation incomplete report signal is transmitted from the transmitting unit.

According to the rice cooker of this 2nd invention, when the rice cooking operation which is reserved is performed, a predetermined report signal can be transmitted from the rice cooker side, and the user etc. can be notified that cooking is completed. In addition, when the cooking operation is not performed, the rice cooker can transmit the incomplete report signal of the cooking operation to the user in response to an external inquiry signal.

The rice cooker which is the 3rd invention relates to the 1st subject, and is provided with:

electric heating source;

The input operation part can designate two reserved cooking modes, namely, the time reserved cooking mode and the position corresponding reserved cooking mode, which start the operation at the time point that becomes the predetermined time;

a transmitting unit, which transmits a cooking operation completion report signal to the outside; and

a control device for accepting the designation of the cooking reservation mode from the input operation unit, and controlling the electric heating source to detect whether the operation in the designated cooking cooking mode is completed,

The control device transmits a cooking operation completion report signal from the transmission unit when the cooking operation in the reserved cooking mode is completed,

Furthermore, the control device has a function of receiving the distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device, and approximating the timing of completion of the cooking operation based on the estimated time that the occupant who has the information communication terminal device has moved to the living space. The manner of the arrival time determines the timing to start the cooking operation.

According to the rice cooker of the third aspect of the invention, the function of determining the time when the occupant with the information communication terminal device returns to the place where the rice cooker is located and adjusting the timing for starting the cooking operation, and when the cooking operation is performed, can A predetermined report signal is transmitted from the rice cooker side to notify a user or the like that cooking is completed.

The household electrical appliance as the fourth invention, which relates to the second problem, is characterized by being provided with:

Electric heating source or power source;

The input operation unit can select two reserved operation modes, namely, a reserved time operation mode and a position corresponding operation mode, which start the operation at a predetermined time;

a sending unit for wirelessly sending a completion report signal and an incomplete report signal of the scheduled operation to the outside;

a receiving unit that wirelessly receives from an external information communication terminal device an inquiry signal for execution of the scheduled operation and a distance determination information signal of the information communication terminal device; and

a control device for receiving an instruction of a reservation operation mode from the input operation unit, controlling the heating source or the power source, and detecting whether the operation in the reservation operation mode is completed,

In the case where the position corresponding operation mode is designated, the control device adjusts at least one of a start time or an end time of the operation according to the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal,

Furthermore, the control device may transmit the incomplete report signal from the transmitting unit when the operation in the reserved operation mode is performed when receiving an inquiry signal for the execution of the reserved operation from the receiving unit, Then, when the operation in the reserved operation mode is completed, the completion report signal is transmitted from the transmission unit.

According to the household electrical appliance of the fourth invention, the household electrical appliance itself has the function of determining the time when the occupant returns to the place where the rice cooker is located and adjusting the timing for starting the cooking operation, and when the scheduled operation operation is performed, the household electrical appliance sends the The scheduled operation completion report signal is transmitted to the outside, and when the scheduled operation operation is performed, the scheduled operation completion report signal can be transmitted from the household electrical appliance to the outside in response to an external inquiry and reported.

The power command device according to the fifth invention, which relates to the third problem, is characterized by comprising:

The electric power control unit transmits an electric power reduction command signal to limit the total electric power in the household to the household electrical appliance that can receive the remote operation signal and the distance judgment information signal from the information communication terminal equipment to execute the scheduled operation operation;

a receiving unit for receiving a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device, and a setting signal for a scheduled operation operation and a completion signal for the scheduled operation operation from the household electrical appliance;

a reporting unit, which separately reports power information such as power consumption of the household and information for identifying home appliances for which scheduled operation is set; and

a central control unit that controls the power control unit and the reporting unit,

The central control unit calculates the condition of the scheduled operation based on the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal in the household electrical appliance, or when the central control unit itself calculates the condition based on the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal. The required time until returning home, and if information indicating that the home appliance has adjusted the conditions of the scheduled operation is transmitted as a result of transmitting the information of the required time to the household electrical appliance, the information indicating the adjusted scheduled operation conditions is stored. information, and report the adjustment result of the conditions of the reserved operation to the information communication terminal device,

The central control unit is configured to be able to report, through the reporting means, information identifying the home electric appliance when a completion signal of the scheduled operation has not been received from the home appliance that has issued the scheduled operation start signal.

According to the electric power command device of the fifth aspect of the invention, when the household electrical appliance estimates the home time of the occupant and adjusts the conditions of the scheduled operation, or when the central control unit itself calculates the time required to return home, and If the result of transmission to the home appliance is that the home appliance adjusts the conditions of the scheduled operation and transmits information indicating the adjusted conditions, it is possible to store the information indicating the adjusted scheduled operation conditions, and further adjust the conditions of the scheduled operation. report to the information communication terminal equipment.

Furthermore, when a signal indicating that the occupant has returned home is received, and when there is a household electrical appliance that is not operating in the reserved operation mode, information that can identify the household electrical appliance can be reported.

The power command device according to the sixth invention, which relates to the third problem, is characterized by comprising:

The electric power control unit sends an electric power reduction command signal to the household electrical appliance that can set the scheduled operation action to limit the total electric power in the household;

a receiving unit for respectively receiving a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal from an information communication terminal device with respect to the household electrical appliance, information indicating the scheduled operation setting status of the household electrical appliance, and homecoming detection information of a resident;

a reporting unit, which separately reports power information such as power consumption of the household and information for identifying home appliances for which scheduled operation is set; and

a central control device that controls the power control section and the reporting unit,

The central control device adjusts the reserved operation condition based on the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal of the information communication terminal device, or when the central control device determines the information based on the distance of the information communication terminal device When the distance indicated by the signal is adjusted to the reserved operation condition, the reporting unit reports information indicating the adjusted reserved operation condition,

Furthermore, when the household electrical appliance for which the scheduled operation operation is set has not completed the operating operation, the central control device reports the household electrical appliance through the reporting unit in response to an input operation by the occupant.

According to the power command device of the sixth aspect of the invention, when the household electrical appliance estimates the home time of the occupant and adjusts the conditions of the scheduled operation, or when the central control unit itself calculates the time required to return home, and If the result of transmission to the home appliance is that the home appliance adjusts the conditions of the scheduled operation and transmits information indicating the adjusted conditions, it is possible to store the information indicating the adjusted scheduled operation conditions, and further adjust the conditions of the scheduled operation. report to the information communication terminal equipment.

Furthermore, when the resident performs an input operation, when there is a household electrical appliance that is not operated in the reserved operation mode, information that can identify the household electrical appliance can be notified.

The operation management system for household electrical appliances according to the seventh invention relates to the fourth problem, and is characterized by comprising:

A home appliance including a first communication unit for wireless communication and a heating source or a power source that operates using electric energy;

an information communication terminal device that transmits a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal that enable the household electrical appliance to perform a scheduled operation; and

The overall management device obtains the operation information signal from the household electrical appliance,

The household electrical appliance includes: a control device that controls a heating source or a power source; and an operation input unit that inputs, to the control device, a preset setting input signal for starting operation at a predetermined time,

The overall management device has a display unit that displays the operating status of the household electrical appliance,

The household electrical appliance has a function of adjusting the reserved operation condition according to the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device,

The said overall management apparatus acquires the information which shows the adjustment result of the reservation operation condition of the said household electrical appliance, and displays it on the said display means.

According to the operation management system for household electrical appliances according to the seventh aspect of the invention, in the overall management device that acquires the operation information from the household electrical appliances, the result of changing the conditions of the scheduled operation can be displayed to the user for the household electrical appliances for which the scheduled operation has been set. Provides a system with high convenience.

The operation management system for household electrical appliances according to the eighth invention, which relates to the fourth problem, is characterized by comprising:

A plurality of household electrical appliances including a first communication unit for wireless communication and a heating source or a power source that operates using electric energy;

an information communication terminal device that transmits a remote operation signal that enables the household electrical appliance to perform a scheduled operation and transmits a distance determination information signal; and

an electric power command device including a second communication unit that performs wireless communication with the first communication units of the plurality of household electrical appliances, and obtains an operation information signal,

The household electrical appliance includes: a control device that controls a heating source or a power source; and an operation input unit that sets a reservation operation mode that starts operation at a predetermined time point,

The electric power command device has a selection operation unit capable of selecting an at-home mode and an out-of-home mode,

The household electrical appliance has a function of changing the reserved operation condition according to the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device,

The power command device acquires information indicating a result of changing the reserved operating conditions of the household electrical appliance,

In the electric power command device, when a resident performs a switching operation from the out-of-office mode to the home mode on the selection operation unit, and in the case where there are household appliances in the reserved operation mode that have not yet been operated Next, the information that can identify the household electrical appliance is displayed on the display unit.

According to the operation management system for household electrical appliances according to the eighth invention, it is possible to obtain the condition change result of the scheduled operation of the household electrical appliance whose scheduled operation conditions have been changed by using the integrated management device that acquires the operation information signals of the plurality of household appliances.

In addition, when the resident operates the selection operation unit from the out-of-office mode to the home mode, and if there is a household electrical appliance that is not operated in the reserved operation mode, it is possible to provide information capable of reporting information that can identify the household electrical appliance. A system with high convenience.

According to the rice cooker of the 1st invention, in response to the inquiry from the outside, when the reserved cooking operation is performed, the completion report signal of the reserved cooking operation can be transmitted and notified to the user or the like.

According to the rice cooker of the 2nd invention, when the rice cooking operation which is reserved is performed, a predetermined report signal can be transmitted from the rice cooker side, and the user etc. can be notified that rice cooking is completed. In addition, when the cooking operation is not performed, the rice cooker can transmit the incomplete report signal of the cooking operation to the user in response to an external inquiry signal.

According to the rice cooker of the 3rd invention, when the rice cooking operation which is reserved is performed, a predetermined report signal can be transmitted from the rice cooker side, and the user etc. can be notified that rice cooking is completed. In addition, when the cooking operation is not performed, the rice cooker can transmit the incomplete report signal of the cooking operation to the user in response to an external inquiry signal.

According to the household electrical appliance of the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to transmit the scheduled operation completion report signal from the household electrical appliance to the outside when the scheduled operation operation is performed, and to respond to an inquiry from the outside when the scheduled operation operation is performed. The scheduled operation completion report signal is sent to the outside from the home appliance.

According to the power command device of the fifth invention, when a signal indicating that the occupant has returned home is received, when there is a home appliance that is not operating in the reserved operation mode, information that can identify the home appliance can be reported.

According to the power command device of the sixth aspect of the invention, when the occupant performs a predetermined input operation, the household electrical appliance for which the scheduled operation operation is set has not completed the operation operation, and can report the household electrical appliance.

According to the operation management system of the household electrical appliance of the seventh aspect of the invention, the result of changing the conditions of the scheduled operation can be acquired by the overall management device.

In addition, when the resident operates the selection operation unit from the out-of-home mode to the home mode, and if there is a household electrical appliance that is not operated in the reserved operation mode, it is possible to report information that can identify the household electrical appliance, A system with high convenience can be provided.

According to the operation management system of the household electrical appliance of the eighth invention, by displaying the result of changing the conditions of the reserved operation by the overall management device, it is possible to provide a system with high user convenience.

In addition, when the resident operates the selection operation unit from the out-of-home mode to the home mode, and if there is a household electrical appliance that has not been operated in the reserved operation mode, it is possible to provide a notification that the household electrical appliance can be identified. A system with high convenience of information.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a household according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of an external communication circuit to which the operation management system of the household electrical appliance of FIG. 1 is connected.

3 is a configuration diagram of a power command device and a household electrical appliance according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

4 is an external view of various household electrical appliances according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

5 is a perspective view of a state in which the lid of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is opened.

6 is an enlarged plan view showing a part of the lid body of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

7 is a control circuit diagram of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control circuit configuration of the rice cooker of FIG. 7 .

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a cooking process of the rice cooker of FIG. 7 .

10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control circuit of the information communication terminal device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

11 is an explanatory diagram 1 showing a power control operation of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

12 is an explanatory diagram 2 showing a power control operation of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

13 is a flowchart 1 showing the operation of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

14 is a flowchart 1 showing the operation of the power command device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

15 is a flowchart 2 showing the operation of the power command device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram 1 showing the operation of the power control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in time series.

17 is an explanatory diagram 2 showing the operation of the power control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in time series.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram 3 showing the operation of the power control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in time series.

19 is an explanatory diagram 4 showing the operation of the power control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in time series.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram 5 showing the operation of the power control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in time series.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram 6 showing the operation of the power control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in time series.

Fig. 22 is a front view 1 of the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 23 is a front view 2 of the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 24 is a front view 3 of the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 25 is a front view 4 of the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 26 is a front view 5 of the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart 1 showing the operation of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

28 is a flowchart 2 showing the operation of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a flowchart 3 showing the operation of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

30 is a flowchart 4 showing the operation of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

31 is a plan view of a lid body of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the operation of the control unit until the reservation cooking mode of the rice cooker of FIG. 31 is set and determined.

33 is a front view showing a liquid crystal display screen and an input operation unit in the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation procedure of the central control unit of the power command device of FIG. 33 .

35 is a front view showing a liquid crystal display screen and an input operation unit in the display panel of the power command device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation procedure of the central control unit of the power command device of FIG. 35 .

(Symbol Description)

AS1: Power reduction request signal; AS2: Power reduction command signal; BK: Circuit breaker; EE: Home appliance; EP: AC 200V power supply (commercial power supply); ES: Abnormal occurrence report signal; H1: Preheating process; H2: Burn-in Rice process; H2A: High-fire process (the execution time of the cooking menu is given priority); H2B: Low-fire process; H3: Rice cooking process; H4: Heat preservation process; HA: Living space; KP: Household appliances in the kitchen; Permission signal; L1～L8: Operation information signal; LN: Reservation cooking failure report signal; SL: Ceiling; SB: Wall; 1: Power cord (main line); 2: TV receiver; 3: Electric insulation rice cooker ;4: Air conditioner; 5A: Lighting fixture; 5B: Lighting fixture; 6: Power command device (overall management device); 6A: Power command device main body; 7: Composite sensor; 8: Composite sensor; 9: Temperature sensor; 10: human perception sensor; 11: human perception sensor; 12: outdoor antenna; 13: router; 13A: router A; 13B: router B; 14: external institution; 14A: external institution; 14B: external institution; 15: wide area Communication line network; 15A: Wide area communication line network; 15B: Wide area communication line network; 16: Electricity meter; 17: ASP server (information server); 18: Relay server; 19: Use power control unit; 20: Information communication terminal equipment; 21: base station; 22: facility; 23: power control unit; 24: display panel; 25: input operation unit; 26: liquid crystal display screen; 27: central control unit; 27A: first storage unit; 27B: first storage unit 2 storage unit; 28: storage device; 29A: input/output unit; 29B: input/output unit; 29C: input/output unit; 30: environment detection unit; 31: person sensing unit; 32: home detection unit; 33: electronic lock; 34: personal authentication device; 35: earthquake determination unit; 36: seismic intensity sensor; 37: input/output unit; 38: input/output unit; 39: hot water supply device; 40: NFC input/output unit; 41: clock circuit; 50: kitchen furniture; 51: induction heating cooker; 52: grill cooker; 53: stove; 54: tableware cleaning and drying machine; 55: rice cooker body shell; 56: cover body; 57: steam treatment device; 59: burner Rice start button; 60: Inner tank; 61: Heating unit (heater); 62: Inner lid; 63: Steam generating port; 64: Liquid crystal display; 65: Steam pipe; 66: Tank lid; 67: Steam inlet ;68: Main power switch; 68A: Operation button of main power switch; 69: Display information; 70: Display information; 71: Operation part; 72: Keep warm key; 73: Menu key; 74: Meter key; 75: Voice guide Use key; 76: Schedule key; 77: Off/Cancel key; 78: Cooking mode key; 79: Power saving switch; 80: Health information display key; 81: NFC input and output; 82: Wireless tag (NFC label 83: control unit; 84: power supply part; 85: control part; 85R: storage part; 86: inner tank temperature detection part; 88: water level sensor; 89: water temperature sensor; 90: wireless communication part (input and output part ) (first communication section); 91: temperature detection circuit; 92: inverter circuit; 93: heater for heat preservation; 94: drive circuit; 95: drive circuit; 96: voice synthesis device; 97: speaker; 98: Power cable; 99: timing unit (clock circuit); 100: remote control unit; 101: standby judgment unit; 102: storage unit; 110: maximum allowable power information; ;114: Use device display information; 115: Use display part; 116: Information key; 117: Help mode key; 118: Abnormal display part; : selection key (selection operation part of the absent mode); 122: display area; 123: selection key (batch power OFF key); 124: 1st scheduled operation confirmation information; 125: 2nd scheduled operation confirmation information; 126: 130: display unit; 130A: liquid crystal display screen; 131: operation input unit (operation unit); 132: communication unit; 132A: wireless interface unit; 132B: wireless interface unit; 133: posture detection unit ; 134: control unit; 135: central arithmetic processing unit (CPU); 136: storage unit; 137: ROM, RAM unit; 138: application software unit; 139: reception processing unit; 140: transmission processing unit; part; 142: display control part; 143: selection determination part; 144: report part; 145: position detection part; 146: position information storage part; 147: distance information calculation part; 148: GPS satellite; 150: time reservation cooking Mode selection key; 151: Position corresponding reservation cooking mode selection key; 152: NFC input and output part; 153: NFC input and output part; 154: Release key; 155A～155F: Device selection key; Fixed key (touch input part); 161: NFC input and output part (for monitoring mode selection).

Detailed ways

Embodiment 1.

Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 26 .

(definition)

In the present invention, "home appliances" EE refers to electrical appliances designed mainly for home use, including household appliances KP in kitchens such as electric heat-insulating rice cookers (hereinafter referred to as "rice cookers") 3, which will be described later, and television reception. Video equipment such as machine 2, air conditioner 4, air purifiers, air purifiers and other air treatment equipment, electric stoves and other heating equipment, electric vacuum cleaners, electric washing machines (including electric washing machines with drying function), and those used in the rain Hot water supply equipment (including hot water supply equipment with hot water pipes) 39 . In addition, in the following description, the rice cooker 3 is included unless otherwise specified when it is referred to as the household electrical appliance EE.

"Heating source" refers to a heating source that consumes electrical energy to generate heat. Radiant electric heaters, induction heating heaters (heaters including induction heating coils), and the like are an example.

In addition, the "power source" refers to an electric motor, an electric compressor, an electric blower, an electric pump, and the like driven by the motor. In general, such a power source is built in home appliances such as automatic laundry (clothing) dryers and dishwashing dryers. In addition, there is also a case where one household electrical appliance includes both a heating source and a power source.

In the present invention, the "identification information" of the household electrical appliance EE refers to information for identifying the household electrical appliance EE, is unique to the household electrical appliance EE, and is important information necessary for reliable repair and inspection. For example, the following examples are specifically included in the identification information, but are not limited to these. Note that the home appliance EE will be described in detail later.

(1) The name of the manufacturer of the household electrical appliance

(2) Model

(3) Form number

(4) Manufacturing number (body number)

(5) Rated power consumption

(6) Date of purchase (usually the start date of the warranty period of the manufacturer and seller)

(7) Date of start of use (in the case of a tableware cleaning and drying machine, it is the date from which the legal inspection period starts)

(8) Quality assurance certificate number

The statutory inspection in (7) above refers to inspections based on the "Long-term Use Product Safety Inspection System" newly established in the "Consumer Household Product Safety Act" amended and implemented on April 1, 2009. In addition, in the "Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act", which is independent of this law, a long-term use product safety display system was established through the revision of the technical standards provincial ordinance. For specific products of consumer products for daily use, the design standards are Deterioration during use and over years makes it obligatory to display a caution reminder or the like to remind consumers of appropriate maintenance inspections. Therefore, the information of "the date of manufacture of the product" and "the number of years since the manufacture date" displayed to consumers may be included in the "identification information" of the household electrical appliance EE as a reference for the period of use of the standard.

In addition, whether or not it is a “specific household electrical appliance” (environmental improvement device) such as the air conditioner 4 to be described later is also a part of the identification information, in the case of wireless communication with the overall management device (also referred to as a “power command device”) 6 , the identification information is provided from the side of the specific household electrical appliance (environmental improvement appliance) to the side of the overall management apparatus 5 .

In the present invention, the home appliance "time reservation operation mode" refers to a control method in which the user designates a desired time, and designates the start or completion of the operation before the time. For example, it is suitable to start the operation of the air conditioner (air conditioner) automatically when the scheduled time is reached, and to automatically end the cooking operation of the rice cooker before the scheduled time. It is also suitable to stop the operation of the air conditioner (air conditioner) automatically in the stage when the scheduled time is reached. This is generally called timer operation, and although the length of the operation time such as 1 hour and 2 hours is often specified, the operation may be stopped at a specified time.

In the present invention, the "time-reserved cooking mode" of the rice cooker is also referred to as a timer cooking mode, and refers to a control method in which the user designates a desired (cooking completion) time and designates the cooking to be completed before that time. . In addition, when the cooking operation is started at a desired time, the cooking is usually completed within one hour, although the cooking amount varies depending on the amount of cooking, so the starting time can also be specified. In addition, in the stage of confirming the cooking reservation, an elapsed time such as "8 hours from now" can also be specified for reservation, so it is called "time reservation" in the meaning including both time reservation and time reservation.

In addition, "cooking time" means either one or both of the time at which the cooking operation is started and the time at which the cooking operation is completed.

In the present invention, the "reserved cooking mode corresponding to the position" of the rice cooker refers to the following control method: according to the information communication terminal device and the rice cooker that transmit the inquiry signal for the execution of the scheduled cooking, the input signal of the cooking mode, etc. to the rice cooker The cooker itself, the distance of its installation place, and the start time of the cooking operation are automatically selected on the side of the rice cooker. When this mode is designated, it is automatically adjusted so that cooking can be completed in accordance with the return time of the occupant who owns the information communication terminal device. However, this automatic adjustment does not guarantee that the time to go home and the time to finish cooking are exactly the same. In the case of returning home at 20:00, the cooking may be completed at 19:40, or the cooking action may be completed just after returning home. The intention is that if the time of returning home is as close as possible, the consumption of wasted electric energy is small and the delicious meal that is freshly prepared can be enjoyed.

The "integrated management device" 6 referred to in the present invention refers to a device for causing two or more household electrical appliances EE to cooperate. For example, it is an apparatus which cooperates with the operation of the rice cooker 3 and other household electrical appliances EE, such as the air conditioner 4, the TV receiver 2, etc. which are the object of this invention. The "cooperative operation" means that one of the household electrical appliances uses the information indicating the operating state of the other household electrical appliance or the acquired data for operation, display, or the like. Therefore, the overall management device 6 has a function of acquiring information on current conditions such as the operation, stop, and standby state of the household electrical appliance EE from the household electrical appliance EE using a wired or wireless signal.

The "power command device" referred to in the present invention refers to a device having a function of limiting power consumption and a function of limiting the upper limit of total power consumption in one household in the "overall management device" 6 . In one household electrical appliance, there are cases where the "integrated management device" is also used as the "power command device". In addition, the "power command device" 6 of one household electrical appliance is not limited to being a power command device for other household electrical appliances.

In the present invention, the “environmental information” of the environmental detection unit 30 refers to “environmental data” itself detected by the environmental detection unit 30 to be described later, and “environmental evaluation information” created from such environmental data collectively. The information includes, but is not limited to, the following types of information that affect the living comfort of the house.

(1) Temperature information

(2) Humidity information

(3) Dust scattering degree (amount of dust per unit air volume) information

(4) Pollen scattering amount information

(5) Light Quantity (Visible Light Quantity) Information: In other words, information on the brightness of the living space.

(6) Noise information ... is information on the quietness of the living space.

In the present invention, the “environmental data” acquired by the environment detection unit 30 refers to data itself representing a physical state, such as measured temperature and humidity. For example, an air temperature of 35°C is comparable to environmental data. Information obtained by classification, ranking, or other processing through arbitrary evaluation criteria, calculation processing, and the like based on the temperature of 35° C. corresponds to the “environmental evaluation information” as described above. For example, information such as "room temperature is high" and "standard temperature" corresponds to the above-mentioned "environmental evaluation information".

In addition, in this Embodiment 1, the "use of environmental information" means that various household electrical appliances EE described later use the above environmental information for efficient operation or efficient operation of the household electrical appliance EE, or operation in consideration of the environment, Include the following examples.

(1) When the temperature is high, the heat preservation function of the rice cooker 3 is started to operate following the end of the rice cooking process.

(2) In the case of humidity, operate a dehumidifier which is one type of household electrical appliance EE. Alternatively, start the operation of the ventilation fan. The operating conditions (target room temperature, etc.) of the air conditioner 4 are changed.

(3) When the fine dust floating in the air is scattered, the air purifier is operated. Alternatively, start the operation of the ventilation fan.

(4) In the case of the amount of scattered pollen, the operation of the air cleaner is started.

(5) In the case of the amount of light (the amount of visible light), the lighting fixtures 5A and 5B are turned on.

(6) In the case of noise, it is determined that it is a silent period such as late night based on the state of no noise, and the operation of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner that generates the operation sound of the blower motor, the traveling sound, and the rotation of the washing and drying drum are avoided. The operation of the washing and drying machine of the operation sound of the electric motor.

In addition, the operation of the air conditioner 4 is started by calculating a so-called "discomfort index" based on the relationship between the air temperature and the humidity.

In the first embodiment, the "home inspection unit" 34 (also referred to as "home inspection unit") includes the following forms, but in the description of the following embodiments, not all forms but only representative forms will be described in detail.

(1) The way the occupant returns home is detected based on the electronic lock 33 installed outside the entrance (entrance) of the house, the password input to the electronic lock, and biometric information (for example, fingerprint information).

(2) Magnetically or optically, or by short-range communication or other communication methods, the power command device 5 directly reads the personal identification information recorded in the unique ID card, ID card, etc. held by the occupant, and interprets the read The information entered is determined to be the way in which he is at home.

(3) The power command device 6 directly reads the personal identification information recorded in the information communication terminal device 20 such as a mobile phone held by the occupant by using short-range communication or other communication methods, and interprets the read information to determine the person himself. way at home.

(4) The specific household electrical appliance EE is made to read the personal identification information recorded in the personal identification document, ID card, etc., the information communication terminal device 20, etc., or the household electrical appliance EE is made to read the ID number, password or the like that is known only to the individual. An ID number and a password known only to the individual are input using the input key, the individual identification information and the password are decoded by the power command device 6, and it is determined that the read-in person is at home.

In the first embodiment, "occupants" refer to persons who live in a house described later, including parents and children, brothers, sisters, etc. who are related by blood, but include those who are temporarily staying in the living space HA described later during the planned period. Visitors, other people living together. Also includes persons who borrow one or more living spaces by one or more persons. In addition, when using the rice cooker 3 and other household electrical appliances EE, a resident is called a "user".

In the first embodiment, a "household" refers to one house managed by a specific manager, and may include an apartment in which a plurality of rooms are accommodated by a plurality of family members. That is, even if it is such an apartment, if the upper limit of commercial power is collectively managed by one power cutoff device (one breaker BK or a plurality of power cutoffs, etc.) as in the case of one house, it is considered to be for the family referred to here.

In the first embodiment, the “operation information” of the overall management device (also referred to as “power command device”) 6, which will be described later, refers to information indicating the total amount of electric power set at the upper limit of one household, and indicating the currently used power Information on the amount of electric power used, information indicating the difference between the total amount of electric power and the amount of electric power used, information that specifically identifies the name of the household electrical appliance EE to be controlled by the power command device 6, and information indicating the use state of the household electrical appliance EE, Information on the amount of electric power used in each household electrical appliance EE (for example, the average amount of electric power per minute), etc., is not limited to these.

In the first embodiment, the “power limitation information on the side of the household electrical appliance” refers to information related to an arbitrary signal related to the power consumption amount received by the household electrical appliance from the power command device 6, and includes the power reduction request signal AS1, Information related to the command, such as the power reduction command signal AS2. These information include information indicating the reception period of the signal (time in units of years, months and seconds) and the meaning of the signal. For example, the power reduction command signal AS2 for an arbitrary time point of the induction heating cooker 51 described later is information such as "receive time: 2% reduction in maximum power consumption instantaneously at 17:00 on April 1, 2016". In addition, the electric power limitation information on the household electrical appliance side is stored in time series in the storage device of the control device in the household electrical appliance such as the rice cooker 3, and does not disappear even when the main power is turned ON or OFF. Turning the main power ON and then OFF is considered as one cooking time, and at least an amount corresponding to the number of times is stored and held. The amount exceeding it will be automatically deleted in turn.

In the first embodiment, the "position information on the home appliance side" refers to information (code) indicating which room in the living space HA the home appliance is present. For example, the living room is code 001, the kitchen code 002, and the bedroom In the form of 003, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 preliminarily regulates the position information and the identification of the home appliance when the household electrical appliance EE is used as the (electrical) control object of the power command device 6 The information is registered to the power command device 6 together. Moreover, even if it is the household electrical appliance EE which is not the object of the (electricity) control of the electric power command device 6, the latest positional information which shows the installation location and the usage place can be transmitted.

For home appliances EE whose initial installation positions do not change (non-portable) such as the built-in induction heating cooker 51 installed in kitchen furniture and the air conditioner 4 used fixed to the wall In this case, the position information can be directly and continuously used.

However, in the case of a (portable) household electrical appliance EE that a user can easily carry to an arbitrary place, in the case of performing wireless communication with the power command device (overall management device) 6, for example, the calculation is performed by the power command device 6. its latest location. When the position is calculated by the power command device (coordinated management device) 6, the identification code of the living space at that time and the data of the operation of the household electrical appliance EE (for example, the operation start time and end time) are stored in the coordinator as a pair. A storage unit (second storage unit to be described later) 27A of the control unit 27 of the management device 6 .

With regard to home appliances that establish an electrical connection or a communication session with the power command device 6, various techniques have been proposed for determining the position of the home appliance from the power command device 6 side.

For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-79036, in order to solve the problem that the user of the household electrical appliance had to manually register the information in order to manage the relation information between the newly introduced household electrical appliance and the "power outlet", the following technique is proposed: When a home appliance is connected to a power outlet, a device connection detection event is notified from the power outlet, and a startup completion event is notified from the home appliance, and the home appliance (information home appliance) management device that has received both notifications registers the power cable of the home appliance in the table. The line's power plug is inserted into the connection port's candidate information.

In this prior art, a power-off instruction for the corresponding connection port is then given to the power outlet from the home appliance management device, and the communication state of the information appliance related to the assumption is monitored, and the result of the power-off instruction is related to the assumption. When the communication of the related home appliance is cut off, the power-on instruction to the corresponding port is re-instructed, and the home appliance and the port are registered so that the assumed correlation is correct.

In the home appliance management device of the related art, a technique has been proposed that can perform automatic registration processing by automatically detecting the correct connection relationship between the connection port and the home appliance without manual operation. That is, by grasping the connection port, it is possible to specify the place where the household electrical appliance is used.

In the description of this Embodiment 1, detailed description is abbreviate|omitted about the form which grasp|ascertains the latest position of the rice cooker 3 and each other portable household electrical appliance. In addition, instead of transmitting the device connection detection event information from the power outlet, the device connection detection event information may be transmitted from the household electrical appliance EE itself.

(the whole frame)

FIG. 1 shows an example of one house using the rice cooker 3 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, HA1 represents the living space (bedroom) of one house. HA2 represents an adjacent living space (kitchen) partitioned from the living space HA1 described above by a wall SB. In addition, in the case of collectively referring to the living space, HA is used as a symbol. In addition, although not shown in this FIG. 1, in addition to the living space, there are "living room", "bathroom", etc., and also the room which has a toilet. There are also other rooms available.

For example, all living spaces HA are supplied with electric power having a voltage of 200V from a commercial power supply EP of an electric power company located outside the house. This electricity is introduced into the interior of the house via the electricity meter 16 . 1 is a power supply line (main line) connected to the above-mentioned commercial power supply EP having a voltage of 200V via a circuit breaker BK. The power cord 1 is connected to a television receiver (hereinafter referred to as a "TV receiver") 2 capable of receiving various broadcasts, a rice cooker 3, an air conditioner 4, lighting fixtures 5A and 5B, and kitchen electrical equipment (hereinafter referred to as a "TV receiver"), respectively. Referred to as "kitchen household appliances") KP, hot water supply equipment 39. In addition, in FIG. 1, although only one TV receiver 2, the air conditioner 4, and the in-kitchen household electrical appliance KP are each shown, it may be several. In addition, the lighting fixtures are not only two of 5A and 5B, and the illustration of the other lighting fixtures is omitted.

6 is a power command device (also used as an overall management device) to which power is supplied via a circuit breaker BK, and is installed in a wall-mounted state in a place where family members can easily access such as the wall of the living space HA2 (kitchen), or is installed on the ground . In addition, as other household appliances, there are a plurality of dishwashing and drying machines 54 (see FIG. 4 ), automatic washing and drying machines (not shown), and other household appliances, which will be described later.

In Figure 1, AD is the above-mentioned "power outlet". In addition, in Embodiment 1, since identification codes such as location information and room information indicating the installed living space HA are transmitted from each household electrical appliance EE in the living space to the power command device 6, the power outlet can be omitted.

In FIG. 1, SL represents the wall surface which comprises the ceiling of the living space HA. Numeral 7 is a composite sensor (temperature and humidity sensor) that detects the indoor air temperature and humidity of the living space HA1, which is a type of environmental sensor. 8 is a composite sensor (temperature and humidity sensor) for detecting the indoor air temperature and indoor humidity of the living space HA2, which is a type of environmental sensor. 9 is a temperature sensor installed in the outer space of the house (outer surface of an outer wall, etc.), which is a type of environmental sensor.

The composite sensors 7 and 8 and the temperature sensor described above have a function of transmitting the measured temperature and humidity to the environment detection unit 30 of the power command device 6 described later by wireless or electric signals. In addition, this power supply may be a charged battery, or the electric power from the said power supply cord 1 may be sufficient as it. In addition, the power consumption of these sensors is a small power of about 1 W (watt) to several watts, so even if they are operated with the power from the power supply line 1 described above, they are not subject to the power limitation of the power command device 6 . The measurement data is continuously transmitted to the power command device 6 at a predetermined timing.

Although not shown, as one type of environmental sensors, a pollen sensor that measures the amount of pollen scattered in the air, a noise sensor that detects the magnitude of indoor noise, and an illuminance sensor that detects indoor brightness are installed in each residence. appropriate locations within the space. In addition to the above-described composite sensors 7 and 8, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor for detecting outdoor air temperature and humidity may be provided, and a pollen sensor may be provided not only indoors but also outdoors (for example, the outer wall surface of a house, a window frame, balcony, etc.).

The environment detection unit 30 itself is installed in a place away from the main body 6A of the power command device 6 or in another living space, is connected to the main body 6A by wireless or wired, and is controlled by the central control unit 27 built in the main body 6A. Since the environmental detection information is acquired, it is defined as "a part of the power command device 6" in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In FIGS. 1 and 6 , reference numeral 10 denotes a human-sensing sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of a human being in the living space HA1 by detecting infrared rays naturally emitted by a human. 11 is also a human-sensing sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of a human being in the living space HA2 by detecting infrared rays naturally emitted by a human. In addition, such a person-sensing sensor may also be provided in other living spaces HA. These human detection sensors 10 and 11 have a function of transmitting a result obtained by detecting the presence or absence of a human being to a human detection unit 31 of the power command device 6 to be described later by wirelessly or by an electric signal. In addition, the power source may be a battery charged in advance, or may be an electric power branched and supplied from the above-mentioned power supply line 1 . In addition, the power consumption of these sensors is a small power of about 1 W to several W, so even if they are operated with the power from the power supply line 1 described above, they are not subject to the power limitation of the power command device 6, so the predetermined timing The measurement data is continuously transmitted to the power command device 6 (for example, every 10 seconds).

Next, Fig. 1 will be described. 12 is an outdoor antenna connected to a tuner (not shown) of the above-mentioned TV receiver, and 13A is a router A connected to the above-mentioned power command device 6, the router A connecting the power command device 6 via the Internet etc. The domain communication line network (sometimes referred to as a "communication network" or "Internet") 15 is connected to an external organization 14A such as a power company and a local earthquake information provider that transmits information to the area of the house.

13B is a router B connected to the TV receiver 2, and the router B connects the TV receiver 2 to the external organization 14A or an external organization 14B (not shown) independent of the wide area communication line network 15.

The above-mentioned external organization 14B is, for example, a television station that provides broadcast programs, a public organization that provides medical and health information, a private company, or the like, but may be other than these. The above-mentioned two external mechanisms 14A and 14B are independent, and may be the same mechanism. In the case of collectively referring to two routers, "13" is used as a reference numeral, and when two external mechanisms are collectively referred to, "14" is used as a reference numeral.

The above-mentioned hot water supply facility 39 includes a heat source machine 39H and a tank 39T that stores hot water produced by the heat of the heat source machine. The heat source machine 39H is, for example, a heat pump type heat source machine. That is, the hot water supply facility of the first embodiment is a natural refrigerant heat pump hot water supply device.

Next, referring to FIG. 2 , a communication environment outside the home will be described. In addition, the power command device 6 of the first embodiment is connected to the external organization 14A via the network via the router A13A, but a device generally called a home gateway may be used. In this case, the home gateway refers to a device for home use installed between various digital information media such as Internet connection, digital broadcasting, and IP telephone, and terminal equipment such as the power command device 6 and household electrical appliances EE, and is responsible for these power commands. The devices 6 and the like are networked to control or transmit information received from communication and broadcast media to these power command devices 6 and household electrical appliances. When an always-on broadband service provides IP telephony and content distribution services in addition to Internet connection, a router lent by a carrier to a resident (user) of such a home is often referred to as a "home gateway".

The power command device 6 described above is connected to the external organization 14A via the wide area communication line network 15 in FIG. 1 , but as shown in FIG. 2 , the wide area communication line network 15 actually includes two or more of 15A and 15B. In addition, an ASP (referred to as "application service provider") server 17 which is one of the external organizations is accessed via the relay server 18 and the respective wide area communication line networks 15A and 15B. The ASP server 17 is provided with databases 17M and 17U described later, and is configured to store various information described later in correspondence with many houses.

The above-mentioned ASP server 17 is hereinafter referred to as an "information server". This information server functions as a main control unit and an information providing unit of various household appliances EE, and is set up individually or by two or more organizations such as manufacturers (manufacturers), sellers, repairers, or information service providers of household appliances EE. It is provided in common, and various services related to the household electrical appliance EE are provided to the user via the communication line networks 15A and 15B.

The above-mentioned information server 17 is provided with: a central processing unit 17CP, which functions as a host computer of the server; a communication unit 17IF as a communication unit, which is connected to the communication network 15 to exchange information; an improvement software (countermeasure program) providing unit 17S, application software of the above-mentioned household electrical appliance EE is stored, and improvement software is also accumulated; a user identification database (also referred to as a "user information database") 17U, a user of the household electrical appliance EE is identified; the manufacturer side information database 17M, the household electrical appliance is accumulated The technical information provided by the manufacturer (manufacturer) of the appliance EE; and the determination unit 17H receives physical data from the home appliance EE during operation and stoppage, and determines whether or not there is an abnormality.

The above-mentioned information server 17 may be generally referred to as a "Web server" (hereinafter referred to as "WEB server"). A web server refers to an information communication terminal device 20, located in each home, etc., which is provided with an information communication function, in accordance with HTTP (a protocol for exchanging data such as HTML documents and images between a web server and a web browser). The web browser of the information processing device (client) side software of the "side that receives the information" such as the above-mentioned power command device 6 or another personal computer provides a service program for displaying information of HTML and objects (images, etc.), and the service Action server computer. In addition, a WEB browser is also called an "Internet browser" or a "WWW browser", and is a browser provided for the utilization of "World Wide Web".

In the database 17U for user identification described above, as information received by so-called user registration from users of household electrical appliances EE such as the rice cooker 3 , for example, user-specific information such as a login ID and a password to the information server 17 are stored, Setting information such as the network address (MAC address) of the router A13A, and specific information (including the above-mentioned "identification information") such as the network address, type, and model of the specific household electrical appliance EE. That is, it has a function of accumulating user information of each of the above-mentioned household electrical appliances EE in many households in a searchable state.

The above-mentioned improvement software providing unit 17S stores and stores a control function that enables remote control of the power command device 6 or the household electrical appliance EE from a remote place such as the occupant's work place and outing destination from outside the living space HA. application. Thus, the remote control described above can be realized by accessing the information server 17 from a cellular phone terminal (information communication terminal device) 20 which is a type of information communication terminal device described later, and downloading (loading) the control application software.

The information server 17 stores “improvement software” that improves the content of the operation program of the household electrical appliance EE in correspondence with the specific model model of the household electrical appliance EE, and obtains it from the power command device 6 via the wide area communication line network 15 In this case, the improvement software is supplied from the power command device 6 to the household electrical appliance EE side via the above-mentioned input/output unit 29A. In addition, the "improvement software" referred to here is also referred to as "countermeasure software". The improvement software is not only produced once, but an upgraded version for further improvement may be prepared as needed.

The information communication terminal device 20 referred to in Embodiment 1 is a terminal device that a user can carry easily and can perform calls and data (including mail information) communication indoors, outdoors, or at other destinations. Devices that cannot make phone calls but can use the Internet to download information, send emails, or send remote operation signals are called "portable communication devices". Portable and portable small personal computers are also one type of portable communication terminal devices.

The "information communication terminal device" 20 in the first embodiment has a function of exchanging signals by short-range communication with the input/output portion of each household electrical appliance EE approaching (or contacting) by several centimeters. In addition, the short-range communication refers to an international standard technology of wireless communication known as Near Field Communication (abbreviation: NFC).

In this NFC communication, a so-called wireless tag (NFC tag) 82 (see FIG. 6 ) is embedded on the side of the household electrical appliance EE. The NFC tag 82 includes a communication control IC for NFC (hereinafter referred to as an "NFC control circuit"), an antenna connected to the control circuit to generate electric power for the control circuit when wireless of a predetermined frequency is received from the outside, and an antenna connected to the control circuit. The microchip memory (hereinafter referred to as "NFC storage unit") to which the NFC control circuit is connected.

On the other hand, on the side of the information communication terminal device 20 such as a mobile phone terminal, data can be read (status information acquired) from the NFC storage unit (not shown) of the rice cooker 3 which is one of the household electrical appliances EE via the NFC tag. ), and in turn sends control data (control commands) from the side of the information communication terminal device 20 to the NFC storage unit (not shown) of the above-mentioned rice cooker 3, and the control device 85 of the rice cooker 3 stores in the above-mentioned NFC storage unit according to the The above-mentioned control command of the NFC tag performs the control action (sometimes such a form of NFC tag is referred to as an "active tag").

The household electrical appliance EE other than the rice cooker 3 also has the same structure. That is, the NFC according to the first embodiment not only has the function of reading out the information stored in the internal storage device of the household electrical appliance EE on the side of the information communication terminal device 20 (there is a case where the NFC tag with such a function is called a "simple tag"), It also has a function of enabling an operation on the side of the household electrical appliance EE to be started according to a control command from the information communication terminal device 20 . In other words, the information communication terminal device 20 not only has a function of reading various kinds of information from the household electrical appliance EE, but also has a function of writing to the NFC storage unit, and has two functions of a reader and a writer.

In addition, the advantage of NFC can be said that the form of data that can be exchanged by communication is generally not limited, and of course, text data can be exchanged, and animation, XML data, and the like can be exchanged.

By connecting the base station 21 of the information communication terminal device 20 to the wide area communication line network 15B via the relay server 18 and the wide area communication line network 15A, the information communication terminal device 20 can access the information server 15A and the router A 13A via the base station 21 .

As shown in FIG. 2, if the information communication terminal device 20 owned by the resident of the household is connected to the wide area communication line network 15A from the outgoing destination, as shown in FIG. The information server 17 downloads the application software for control of the power command device 6 or the electrical equipment EE, thereby enabling remote control from the facility 22 away from the home.

In this Embodiment 1, the direct remote operation with respect to the rice cooker 3 and other electric equipment EE from the information communication terminal device 20 cannot be performed. The reason for this is that, among household appliances EE, there are appliances that emit radiant heat directly into the room, such as electric heating cookers. Therefore, for safety reasons, remote operation from outside the house via a communication circuit used by many people is not used. All operations are performed via the power command device 6 . In addition, inside the house (living space HA), the information communication terminal device 20 is restricted so that only both the TV receiver 2 and the rice cooker 3 can be operated also from a remote place outdoors. Details of the remote control will be described later.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the power command device 6 according to the first embodiment. In this FIG. 3, 6A is the main body of the said electric power command device 6, and an external appearance shape is a box shape. Inside the main body 6A, a power control unit 23 to be described later, and a usage limit setter (not shown) for determining the upper limit of the total power consumption of the household and the upper limit of the power consumption of each household electrical appliance to be controlled are stored. (shown in the figure), a comparator (not shown) that compares the upper limit value with the amount of power used by household appliances and monitors so as not to exceed the upper limit value, and a setting unit that determines the priority of power supply among a plurality of household appliances All of the main components of the power command device 6 such as (not shown).

The display panel 24 for inputting an input for determining the upper limit value of power consumption to the above-mentioned usage limit setting device includes an input operation unit 25 having a touch input function, and a liquid crystal display screen 26 capable of displaying the input operation arbitrarily. The input result of the unit 25 and the “operation information” of the power command device 6 .

The above-mentioned display panel 24 has a portable box shape, and can be freely attached to and detached from the main body 6A of the power command device 6 . Information exchange with the central control unit 27 inside the main body 6A is performed via the input/output unit (interface unit) 37 . For this purpose, an input/output unit 38 is provided on the main body 6A side.

The central control unit 27 , which will be described later, located inside the main body 6A of the power command device 6 , provides a display signal to be displayed on the liquid crystal display screen of the display panel 24 and a sound to an audio guidance device (not shown) built in the display panel 24 . The command signals are output to the display panel 24 by wireless, so even if the display panel 24 is separated from the main body 6A of the power command device 6, as long as it is inside the living space HM, it is enough for the display signal and the voice command signal to arrive. In addition, conversely, an input signal is wirelessly transmitted from the display panel 24 side to the main body side of the power command device 6, and the signal is recognized by the central control unit 27 described above. The exchange of these wireless signals is performed via the pair of input/output units 37 and 38 shown in FIG. 3 .

The display panel 24 may be provided at the entrance so that the occupant can immediately know the status of the living space HA and the status of various household appliances EE when he returns home.

The main body 6A of the power command device 6 is provided with information on the state of power usage in the area where the house is located, particularly power shortage information, from an external organization 14A such as a power company via the wide area communication network 15 and the router A13A. That is, the main body 6A of the power command device 6 can automatically receive a power reduction request signal or the like from a power company or another public institution.

27 is a central control unit (control device) having the function of a host computer of the power command device 6, and centrally controls the power control unit 23 (and the above-described components such as the comparator and the priority setting unit), and controls the power limitation object. The household electrical appliance of the device instructs the transmission of the power reduction request signal AS1 and the power reduction command signal AS2.

28 is a storage device (mass memory) built in the TV receiver 2, for example, a DVD, various semiconductor memories, a hard disk drive device (HDD), or the like.

In FIG. 3 , 29A, 29B, and 29C are input/output units (also referred to as “interface units”) for exchanging wired or wireless signals.

29A is an input/output unit for wireless communication provided in common to each household electrical appliance EE, and 29B is an input/output unit for wireless communication provided for the above-mentioned router A13A. In addition, 29C is an input/output unit for the TV receiver 2 .

Even when the main power of the TV receiver 2 is turned on, the TV display screen is not driven and no video is displayed. (Cable) is connected to the power command device 6 .

The TV receiver 2 is connected to external organizations 14A and 14B via the router B13B and the wide area communication network 15 via an input/output unit (not shown) independent of the input/output unit 29C. Therefore, when urgent information, for example, request information for urgent reduction (peak shaving) of the total electric power of the household reaches the TV receiver 2 from the external organizations 14A and 14B during the daytime in summer, or when emergency earthquake information is sent from the Meteorological Agency , when the disaster prevention center, earthquake warning center, etc. of the area in charge of the residential area arrives, etc., the occupant in the living space HA can know the information early.

Conventionally, various TV receivers have been proposed that activate and report information based on the emergency cutoff information even when the TV receiver 2 is not being viewed, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

In FIG. 3, 27A is a memory|storage device which stores the data concerning the electric power control part 23, and a control program. Various data transmitted from the rice cooker 3 and the household electrical appliance EE, and an "operation information signal" described later are also stored in an area designated by a unique address in the storage device 27A, respectively. In addition, information on the upper limit value of electric power set in the circuit breaker BK, data on the upper limit value of electric power for limiting the power consumption of various household electrical appliances EE, and further set for each occupant are respectively stored. Information such as the upper limit value of power usage (permission).

27B is a storage device, which stores data from the environment detection unit 30 described later, a control program for judging the comfort of the environment of the living space HM, and the like. In addition, abnormality monitoring data transmitted from home appliances EE such as the rice cooker 3 and other heating cookers (including induction heating cookers) and the air conditioner 4, and a judgment program for abnormality judgment are stored.

The above-mentioned storage devices 27A and 27B may be various types of RAM (Random Access Memory) and hard disks. In addition, other semiconductor memories, CDs, DVDs, optical cards, etc. may be used, and other types of memories may be used as long as they are nonvolatile memories that retain stored contents even when the power supply is turned off.

In FIG. 3 , reference numeral 30 denotes an environment detection unit that receives information on temperature and humidity measured by the composite sensors 7 and 8 and the temperature sensor 9 that measures the outdoor air temperature.

Although not shown, in each of the above-mentioned residential areas HA1 and HA2, a sensor for detecting the dust scattering degree in the space, a sensor for detecting the scattering amount of pollen, an illuminance sensor for detecting the amount of light (the amount of visible light), and a noise sensor are provided, respectively. The environmental detection unit 30 receives detection information of these various environmental sensors.

The above-mentioned illuminance sensor is a sensor for judging whether the living space HA is bright or dark. For example, the illuminance sensor shows a bright state when the later-described person sensing unit 31 determines that no one exists in a certain living space HA2. Next, it is considered that there is a possibility that the occupant forgot to keep the lighting fixture 5B on. Therefore, in such a case, even if the total power usage amount at this point in time is less than the upper limit value set by the usage limit setter with sufficient margin, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 From the viewpoint of eliminating wasted power, the occupants in the other living spaces HA1 (via the TV receiver 2 ) are notified of the extinguishing of the lighting fixture 5B. After that, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 transmits a turn-off command signal to the lighting fixture 5B (however, the lighting fixture needs to be connected so that the power command device 6 is subject to power reduction).

31 is a human detection unit that receives human perception information from the human detection sensors 10 and 11 . Reference numeral 32 denotes a home detection unit (also referred to as a home detection unit), and is configured to receive a detection signal for detecting the presence or absence of a person from the above-described person detection unit 31 .

The environment detection unit 30 transmits a signal of the "first alarm" level to the central control unit 27 when the temperature is 29°C and the humidity is 70%, and when the room temperature is 30°C or higher and the humidity exceeds 75% A signal of the "second alarm" level is sent to the central control unit 27 . The central control unit 27 performs processing for outputting the following “first alarm” when the above-mentioned “first alarm” is output in the living space where the human detection unit 31 detects the presence of any occupant or the like .

Countermeasure 1: Output an alarm on the liquid crystal display screen 25 of the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 .

Countermeasure 2: If the TV receiver 2 is being watched, an alarm is output in characters on the display screen.

Countermeasure 3: Output an alarm signal to the information communication terminal device 20 via the above-mentioned router A13A and the wide area communication line network 15 .

Since it is also assumed that the person in the living space does not feel the heat if the temperature is not improved to less than 29°C or the humidity is less than 70% within 5 minutes after the output of the action commands for the above-mentioned measures 1 to 3. In this case, the central control unit 27 performs processing for outputting the following "second alarm".

Countermeasure 4: In the environment improvement facility in the living space, forcibly start the operation of the air conditioner 4 having the cooling capability (temperature rise suppressing effect) (for example, the indoor target temperature at this time is 27°C).

In the first embodiment, the case where the air conditioner 2 is located in the living space naturally includes the case where the device itself is located inside the living space. In addition, although the apparatus itself may be located outside the living space, the case where the treated air is supplied into the living space is also included. When there is no air conditioner 2 in the living space, or when it is found that the plug of the power cable is disconnected from the connection port, etc. and the operation cannot be performed, use other environment improvement equipment (the other environment improvement equipment described later, such as a ventilator, an air purifier, etc.) etc.) start running.

In addition, regardless of whether the "first alarm" is output, the environment detection unit 30 immediately outputs the "second alarm" to the central control unit 27 when the room temperature is 30 degrees or higher and the humidity exceeds 75%. The central control unit 27 instructs the process of the above-mentioned countermeasure 4 when the above-mentioned "second alarm" is output in the living space where the human detection unit 31 detects the presence of any occupant or the like. The environment detection unit 30 measures and monitors the latest environmental conditions of the living space in which the alarm is output every minute after the countermeasure 4 is instructed.

An electronic lock 33 (not shown) is provided on the outside of the entrance (not shown) serving as an entrance and exit shared by the living space HA, and is equipped with a password and biometric information (for example, fingerprint information) inputted to the electronic lock to detect residence The personal authentication device 34 where the person goes home. The personal authentication device 34 is configured to determine whether or not it is a resident based on an input of a password from the resident, and to transmit the determination result to the home detection unit 32 described above. In addition, the above-mentioned electronic lock 33 and the personal authentication unit for electronically locking the door of the entrance have been proposed since many structural examples have been proposed, and therefore will not be described in detail. Each name is assigned a unique password. For example, it is instructed to all occupants that the password is determined according to the rule of "the number 2 characters after the 4-digit (common) number". The password of resident A is "123401", the password of resident B is "123402", and the password of resident A is "123403". In addition, the password is input with 10 input keys (numeric keys) provided in the electronic lock of the entrance door.

When the occupant enters the living space HA after entering the above-mentioned password and then goes out from the entrance, the password does not need to be input, but the person detection unit 31 fails to detect it from all the living spaces HA within a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes). When a person is present, the home detection unit 32 determines that all the occupants are out, cancels the password input records of all the occupants previously input, and changes the detection information from the home state to the absent state. Therefore, when the occupant returns home afterward, it is necessary to re-enter the password. In addition, if each occupant goes out to the above-mentioned personal authentication device 34 when going out from the entrance, the detection of the home state is more accurate. In addition, as described above, in order to omit the input of a password, it is possible to switch to a method of detecting the occupant's return based on biometric information (for example, fingerprint information), or to directly read the occupant in the personal authentication device 34 using a magnetic method or an optical method. Detailed descriptions of methods such as personal identification information recorded in an inherent identity document, an ID card, etc. that are held are omitted.

In FIG. 3, the reference numeral 35 denotes an earthquake determination unit that determines the occurrence of an earthquake, and is used in response to a source from a predetermined position installed in a living space, such as a refrigerator, a built-in (built-in) dishwasher, or an induction heating cooker. When the seismic intensity (acceleration) information of the seismic intensity sensor 36 built in the household electrical appliance EE is a predetermined level of seismic intensity, the earthquake sensing information is instantaneously transmitted to the central control unit 27 . In addition, when the seismic intensity sensor 36 is installed in a portable or portable household electrical appliance EE such as an electric vacuum cleaner that moves on the ground, there is a possibility of erroneously detecting the vibration during such movement as the vibration of an earthquake, which is not preferable. .

In FIG. 3, 40 is an NFC input/output unit, when the wireless communication unit (also referred to as a "wireless input/output unit"; not shown) of the above-mentioned information communication terminal device 20 approaches a predetermined distance (about 10 cm). In the next state, the communication establishment state (beginning of a communication session) in which information can be exchanged is established, and information can be exchanged.

41 is a clock circuit called a real-time clock (hereinafter referred to as a "timer"), which is always supplied with power from a commercial power source or a battery (not shown), and is driven for a long time. It may be, for example, a radio clock, which notifies the current date and time in seconds, and is set to the exact date and time in the manufacturing stage or the setting stage of the power command device 6 . Therefore, various operations of the power command device 6 (each operation of start and end) can be preset and set on a predetermined date and time. For example, the operation of acquiring useful information from the external organizations 14A and 14B and the information server 17 and replacing the old data in the storage unit 27A with the latest information is automatically performed.

Next, FIG. 4 will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the induction heating cooker 51 , the rice cooker 3 , and the like are used in a kitchen serving as one living space HA.

The inside of the housing|casing 50A which comprises the housing of the said system kitchen (also called "sink", "kitchen furniture") 50 is comprised so that the following five household electrical appliances may be assembled. That is, the household electrical appliance in the kitchen includes the induction heating cooker 51, the rice cooker 3, A grill cooker (electric fish grill) 52 , an electric range with an electric heater (hereinafter referred to as a “hob”) 53 , and a tableware cleaning and drying machine 54 . The grill cooker 52 may be constituted separately, but in the first embodiment, it is integrally assembled with the above-mentioned induction heating cooker 2, and is constituted as one heating of a combined induction heating cooker using both electric heating and induction heating methods. department. Therefore, when the main power supply circuit of the induction heating cooker 2 is cut off, the power supply to the grill cooker 52 is also cut off at the same time. In addition, other kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and ventilating fans are not described here.

The above-mentioned household appliances KP in the kitchen are connected to the power source EP of AC 200V via one circuit breaker BK. The kitchen household appliance KP and the power command device 6 are connected in a relationship of transmitting and receiving infrared or wireless signals, and between each used power control unit 19 (illustrated in FIG. It transmits information such as required electric power, cooking status of each cooker, permitted electric power, etc., and uses the electric power control unit 19 to individually control the electric power of each household electrical appliance KP in the kitchen within the electric power permitted by the electric power command device 6 .

In the first embodiment, the used power control unit 19 is a unit that utilizes a frequency band called the 2.4 GHz ISM band defined by the "international standard IEEE802.11b" which is one of the wireless LAN-related standards in the center frequency band. In addition, in all the household electrical appliances KP in the kitchen including the rice cooker 3, the actual use center frequency is set to 2.412GHz (2412MHz) - 2.472GHz.

The appliances KP in the kitchen, ovens, electric hot plates on the table, water boilers (electric kettles) and other equipment with a maximum rated power of about 1000W are all equipments with a maximum rated power of about 1000W, but they are not shown in detail in order to simplify the description. In addition, it is also possible to control the connection between the household electrical appliance KP in the kitchen and the above-described power command device 6 by using a power line transmission technology that also serves as a signal line connection of a power line.

(structure of rice cooker 3)

As shown in FIGS. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 , the rice cooker 3 in the first embodiment includes a rice cooker main body case 55 , a lid 56 , and a steamer whose planar shape is a vertically long rectangle or square. Processing device 57 . This cooker has, on the surface of the lid body 56 or the main body case 55, an operation part 71 which is operated by the user when inputting, and the operation part has a cooking start button 59 (refer to FIG. 6 ), as is known in the art. When the rice-cooking start button 59 is pressed, rice-cooking is automatically started, and the rice-cooking process is completed at once in the boiling process through the water absorption process, and the rice is ready. In addition, after cooking, the rice is kept warm for a predetermined time (for example, 7 hours) by a heat-retaining heater (not shown) so as to maintain a predetermined temperature (for example, 70° C.). Since the rice cooker 3 can be freely carried by the user, it can be used in places other than the system kitchen 1 .

In FIG. 5, the rice cooker 3 is demonstrated.

Inside the main body case 55, a magnetic metal or carbon inner pot 60 having a circular planar shape and an open top surface is provided; The one side edge part of the rear part of the said main body case 55 is supported by a hinge mechanism, and the heating unit 61 heats the said inner pot 60 (refer FIG. 7). This heating unit uses a heater (heating coil) of an induction heating system, and the heater is provided so as to be in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the inner pot 60 in a wide range or face to face with a minute gap therebetween.

Inside the lid body 56, a circular inner lid 62 made of a metal with good thermal conductivity is detachably fixed to attach a ring-shaped rubber lid seal to the outer peripheral portion so that the lid body 56 is closed when the lid body 56 is closed. In this case, the steam will not leak to the outside from between the upper surface of the inner pot 60 and the cover body 56 . A steam generating port 63 for discharging the steam generated in the inner pot 60 to the outside is formed in a part of the inner cover 62 .

The said cover body 56 accommodates the liquid crystal display part 64 (refer FIG. 6) so that the upper surface may be faced. On the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit, various conditions setting information before the start of cooking, information on the cooking process to be executed, and the like are displayed in a visually recognizable manner by characters, symbols, illustrations, and the like. In addition, the operation state of the heating unit 61 and related information for reference during cooking (including information for alerting abnormal use and notifying occurrence of abnormal operation state) are also appropriately displayed on the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 64 .

Reference numeral 65 is a steam pipe having one end connected to the above-mentioned steam generating port 63, and a steam discharge port 66 is formed at the end portion, and is provided in the cover body 56 in a substantially horizontal direction.

The above-mentioned steam treatment device 57 includes a water tank (not shown) with an upper surface open, which can store water for the treatment of condensing the steam discharged from the steam generation port 63, and a tank cover 66 which can be opened and closed to cover the water. The upper opening of the tank.

67 is a steam introduction port provided in the said tank cover 66 in the position corresponding to the said steam discharge port 66. As shown in FIG. Below the introduction port, a communication pipe (described later) that communicates with the introduction port is provided. When the lid body 56 is closed, the upper surface opening of the inner pot 60 is sealed by the inner lid 62 , and the steam inlet port 67 is in close contact with the steam outlet port 66 .

The communication pipe (not shown) has an upper end fixed to the lower surface of the tank cover 66, and is installed vertically so that most of it is submerged in water in a water tank (not shown). The relationship between the vertical length of the communication pipe and the size (height) of the water tank is considered so that the lower end of the communication pipe is positioned at a certain depth (H) from the water surface of the water stored in the water tank. Thereby, the steam released from the lower end opening of the communication pipe sufficiently contacts the water in the water tank, and is cooled and returned to water.

Therefore, the above-mentioned constant depth position (H) is set so that all the steam generated from the steam generating port 63 can be condensed even when the heating unit 61 is energized with the maximum heating power, and the steam at high temperature can be discharged from the above-mentioned communication pipe by the high-temperature steam. The speed at which the steam bubbles are ejected from the water and the speed at which the steam cools and returns to water in the stage when the lower end opening is output to the water is determined. The "steam" referred to here refers to the steam generated inside the inner pot 60 and introduced into the communication pipe in the "rice cooking step" and the "rice stewing step" described later, and in the present embodiment, the "water absorption step" can be ~ All the steam in the "heat preservation process" is recovered. In addition, in the present embodiment, the heat retention process means until 7 hours after the completion of the "rice stewing process", but the length of the time can be appropriately changed.

In addition, when the lid body 56 is closed, the sealing member of the steam discharge port 66 at the end of the steam pipe 65 is in close contact with the steam inlet port 67 of the tank lid 66, and passes through the inside of the lid body 56. The high-temperature steam does not communicate to the outside, but reliably reaches the inside of the communication pipe of the water tank (not shown).

Next, in FIG. 6, the lid|cover 56 of the rice cooker 3 is demonstrated. 6 : is the figure which looked at the rice cooker 3 from the top, 64 is the said liquid crystal display part.

68A is an operation button of the main power switch 68 .

69 is the display information which shows the state which performed the "strong fire" process of the "rice cooking process" mentioned later, and is displayed as "boiling" in characters.

70 is display information which shows that this household electrical appliance (rice cooker 3) has entered into the process of securing electric power with priority (strong flame heating of a rice cooking process) at this time. While the display information 70 is displayed, the power command reduction command signal is not output from the power command device 6, and the supply of power is not forcibly restricted. In other words, it is information indicating that the rice cooker 3 guarantees that commands such as the power reduction request signal AS1 and the power reduction command signal AS2 are not output from the power command device 6. In addition, when the rice cooker 3 receives the power reduction instruction signal AS2, it becomes a display, such as "power reduction", which is one type of the above-mentioned "power limitation information on the household electrical appliance side".

71 is the operation part of the rice cooker 3, which is respectively provided with: a "cooking start button" 59, which starts the cooking operation or confirms the reservation; ; "Menu button" 73, to select various cooking menus such as usual cooking, porridge, and rice with condiments; "Rice button" 74, select and input the type of rice for cooking such as white rice and brown rice; Use the key "75" to report the state of the rice cooker 3 and the next required operation with sound, or adjust the volume of the report, or switch the sound mode; "Reservation key" 76, carry out the setting of the reservation cooking function; " The “off/cancel key” 77 is used to cancel or close various input operations and modes; the “cooking mode key” 78 can be used to select the “normal”, “hard”, and Usually cook a different "porridge".

Each of these keys 72 to 78 may be any of a mechanical switch or an electrostatic capacitive touch switch that generates an input signal by closing the built-in electrical contact when the user presses, or may be used in combination.

The selection of the "time reservation cooking mode" and the "location-based reservation cooking mode" can be performed by the reservation key 76 for setting the reservation cooking function. For example, when the reservation key 76 is pressed once, the "time reservation cooking mode" can be selected, and when the reservation key 76 is pressed once again, the "position corresponding reservation cooking mode" can be selected. When pressing it again, the "time reservation cooking mode" can be selected again. In addition, the touch key for input for time setting is displayed on the liquid crystal display part 64 in the state before "time reservation cooking mode" and "position correspondence reservation cooking mode" are selected.

In addition, in the information communication terminal device 20 to be described later, any one of the "time reservation cooking mode" and the "location-based reservation cooking mode" may be selected (in the "time reservation cooking mode", a desired cooking mode is also specified. Completion time), in this state, the information communication terminal device 20 is brought into contact with or brought close to the NFC input/output unit 81, so that the cooking mode can be easily input.

79 is a power saving switch capable of reducing power consumption by a predetermined amount with one push. For example, when the power saving switch is pressed in the preheating process, the power consumption is reduced by an amount corresponding to the first few minutes, but the time required for the preheating process is correspondingly increased, so the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 64 shows A precaution to this effect is displayed, and even if the above-mentioned key 75 for voice guidance (guidance) is not pressed every time, the guidance of "Power saving mode selected. The time of the preheating process is extended by several minutes" is guided.

80 is a health information display key which displays information related to healthy cooking on the liquid crystal display part 64 with one push. In addition, when this key is pressed, information, such as rice, a cooking method, etc. may be acquired from the information server 17 and external institutions 14A and 14B via the power command device 6 .

Reference numeral 81 denotes an NFC input/output unit for enabling short-range wireless communication by approaching the information communication terminal device 20 having the NFC input/output unit, and is inserted into the interior of the cover body 56 by being close to the upper surface. Furthermore, on the upper surface of the cover body 56, the information communication terminal device 20 is displayed with characters such as "touch" so that the user can easily visually recognize the position of the wireless tag (NFC tag) 82 of the NFC input/output unit 81. Approaching or touching the target location.

Next, in FIG. 7, the structure of the main control means of the rice cooker 3 is demonstrated. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the main control means constituting the rice cooker 3 .

83 is a control unit in charge of the overall control function of the rice cooker 3 , and includes a power supply unit 84 and a control unit 85 . The control unit 85 is mainly composed of one or a plurality of microcomputers. The microcomputer includes four parts: an input part, an output part, a storage part, and a CPU (calculation control part), and is supplied with DC power via the above-mentioned power supply part 84, and plays a central role in controlling the heating unit 61 and the liquid crystal display part 64.

In the above-mentioned control unit 85, as the operating conditions of the heating unit 61, a nonvolatile semiconductor storage unit 85R (not shown) stores a correlation table of the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot 60 and the temperature of the rice, the Rice menu (choice of white rice, no-wash rice, "normal", "hard" with adjustment of cooking level, "porridge" which is different from normal cooking).

Furthermore, in the said storage part 85R, the control program which sequentially performs 4 processes of "preheating process", "rice cooking process", "rice stewing process", and "warm-keeping process" is memorize|stored as the process of cooking. In addition, as one of the "operation conditions" referred to here, there is an energization condition, which is an electrical and physical condition of the heating unit 61, and includes the energization time of the heating unit 61, the energization amount, the energization mode (continuous energization, A general term for intermittent energization, energization rate, etc.), etc.

In FIG. 7 , the inner pot temperature detector 86 is press-fitted to the bottom surface of the inner pot 60 from below by a compression spring or the like, detects the temperature of the inner pot 60 bottom surface and outputs a detection signal, and uses a thermistor type temperature sensor. 71 is an operation part provided in the front part of the upper surface of the cover body 56 of the said main body 1. FIG.

In FIG. 7, 99 is a timing unit (clock circuit) for measuring time, and the timing signal output by the timing signal is input to the control unit 85, and the current time and set time information are output to the liquid crystal display unit 64, so these times are displayed in on the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 64 . Even if the power supply cable of the rice cooker 3 is pulled out (cut off) from the power supply port, the timer unit can be operated for a long time by the battery (not shown) built in the rice cooker 3 . In addition, it may have a function of acquiring time information from the outside like a radio-controlled clock during operation, and self-correcting so that it does not deviate from the current time.

In FIG. 7, 88 is a water level sensor that detects the water level of the water stored in the water tank, and grasps the water level of the water tank by light, weight, and other physical conditions. The part of the tank facing each other.

In FIG. 7, 89 is a water temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the water stored in the said water tank, and is provided in the part facing the water tank wall surface so that water temperature may be detected through the side wall of the said water tank.

Next, FIG. 8 will be described.

19 is the above-mentioned use power control unit, which receives the command signal from the power command device 6 and controls the power of the rice cooker 3 . In addition, in order to transmit the operation information signals L1 to L8 (refer to FIG. 12 ) described later to the power command device 6 , a wireless communication unit 90 (input/output unit) is built in. The actual use center frequency of the wireless communication unit 90 is set to 2.412 GHz (2412 MHz) to 2.472 GHz.

In FIG. 8, 91 is a temperature detection circuit, which includes three of the above-mentioned water temperature sensor 89, a temperature sensor (not shown) installed above the inner lid 62 to detect the internal temperature of the inner pot 60, and the inner pot temperature detection unit 86 The temperature detection signals are respectively received, and the detected temperatures are sent to the control unit 85 .

92 is an inverter circuit which supplies a high frequency electric power to the said heating means (induction heating type heater) 61. In addition, description of a DC power supply circuit is abbreviate|omitted in this figure.

93 is a heater for heat preservation which is installed in the space above the inner cover 62 and heats the inner cover, and 94 is a drive circuit thereof. In the heat-retaining step to be described later, the heat-retaining heater 93 is energized.

95 is a drive circuit which drives the liquid crystal display part 64 mentioned above. 96 is a voice synthesizer that guides the cooking conditions input from the operation unit 71, information at the occurrence of an abnormality, etc. by the voice guidance key 75, and 97 is a speaker that reports the sound from the voice synthesizer. 98 is a power supply cable drawn out arbitrarily from the rice cooker main body case 55, and a power supply plug is provided at the front end portion thereof.

In FIG. 8 , 100 denotes a remote control unit, which transmits a command from the power command device 6 received via the wireless communication unit 90 (input/output unit) to the control unit 85 .

101 is a standby determination unit. However, when the content of the command from the above-described power command device 6 is to start the operation at a predetermined time, the standby state is set for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes ago) from the current time to the designated time. The power supply unit 84 of the device 85 is cut off. In such a standby state, the power supply of the DC current from the power supply unit 84 to the control unit 85 is temporarily cut off, and the operation of the liquid crystal display unit 64 is also stopped. Thereby, the power consumption on the side of the control unit 85 is eliminated, and only the side of the power control device 19 is used to continue the process of calculating the time until the arrival of the designated time in the standby determination unit 101 .

Numeral 102 is a temporary storage unit that stores data (including data acquired from the control unit 85 when an abnormality occurs) necessary for the operation of the standby determination unit 101 and the remote control unit 100 for at least 12 hours. When the main power switch 68 is turned ON and the power supply unit 84 is activated at the start of the next cooking operation, the stored contents are automatically deleted.

(Basic action of rice cooker)

Next, FIG. 9 will be described. The rice cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 will be described, but the case where the user immediately starts cooking, rather than making a reservation for cooking, will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the rice cooker of this Embodiment 1 has the control program memorize|stored in the said control part 85 so that 4 processes of a preheating process, a rice cooking process, a rice stewing process, and a heat retention process may be sequentially performed.

First, the power plug of the power cable 98 is connected to the power supply unit, the lid 66 of the water tank removed from the main body case 55 is removed, and water is added to the water tank from the outside. Then, rice and water are added in prescribed amounts in the inner pot 60 .

When the operation button 68A of the main power switch 68 is pressed, the liquid crystal display unit 64 is activated to perform a desired display, and the information related to the setting of cooking conditions is guided by voice from the speaker 97 which is a part of the voice guidance device.

Next, the cooking start button 59 on the upper surface of the lid 56 of the main body case 55 is pressed to start cooking. Thereby, the heating unit 61 is heated and cooked. In this initial stage, since it is still a water absorption step, a display message (not shown) indicating "there is a possibility of power reduction" in characters is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 64 . Thereby, the user knows that the household electrical appliance performs the power reduction operation according to the command from the outside in the first stage of using the rice cooker 3 .

In FIG. 9 , in the preheating step H1, the heating unit 61 is initially energized in the continuous energization mode so as to have a high thermal power, but the temperature detection unit 86 detects that the temperature inside the inner pot 60 reaches a predetermined temperature (55° C. ), this information is input to the control unit 85, the energization amount is suppressed so as to maintain 55°C, and the energization is intermittently performed, so that almost no steam is generated, and the steam treatment (condensation treatment) in the water tank is not performed. The state maintained at 55° C. is continued for a certain period of time or longer. The clock circuit 87 measures the elapsed time from the time when the temperature reaches 55° C., and the timing signal is input to the above-mentioned control unit 85 to control the end time of the preheating step H1 .

Next, when entering the rice cooking process H2, the heating power of the heating unit 61 is increased in the first strong heat process H2A, the water temperature in the inner pot 60 gradually rises, and the water in the inner pot 60 boils. When the boiling becomes intense and the amount of steam increases, the pressure in the inner pot 60 increases compared to the atmospheric pressure, the steam generated in the inner pot 60 is pushed out by the pressure, and enters the inside of the lid body 56 from the steam generating port 63 . The closed space formed by the steam pipe 65. After that, steam is ejected from the steam pipe 65 to the water tank serving as the steam treatment device 57 . That is, the rice cooking process H2 includes two of the high heat process H2A heated with the maximum heating power, for example, 1300 W, and the subsequent low heat process H2B.

When the above-mentioned cooking step is entered, the display message (not shown) indicating "there is a possibility of power reduction" disappears from the liquid crystal display unit 64, and a display indicating "power supply priority" is displayed instead as shown in FIG. 6 . The information 70 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 64 .

Thereby, the user is informed that the cooking operation is performed by securing the electric power with priority. In addition, the content of the same meaning may be reported by voice through the voice synthesis device 96 . In addition, from the power command device 6, even if the power command device 6 transmits a command corresponding to the power reduction request signal AS1 or the power reduction command signal AS2 to the used power control unit 19 when entering the first strong fire process H2A Since the control unit 85 ignores such a command signal, the electric power used in the high-heating process H2A is not reduced. In other words, the control unit 85 executes the strong heating step H2A with a predetermined heating power.

Then, the steam that has flowed into the water tank serving as the steam treatment device 57 is ejected into the water from the lower end opening of the communication pipe (not shown), and thus comes into contact with the water in the water tank, the heat is taken away by the water, and dew condensation occurs. Back to water.

By treating the steam in this way, it is possible to prevent the steam generated from the inner pot 60 from leaking to the outside, and to prevent the steam during cooking from being directly released to the indoor space and causing an unpleasant increase in moisture.

In addition, the heating power of the heating unit 61 becomes the low-fire step H2B from the time point in the middle of the cooking process (which is realized by the control unit 85 measuring the elapsed time from the time point when the boiling state is reached), and at the end of the steaming process H2B The amount of water in the inner pot 60 released by the melting decreases, and the temperature inside the inner pot 60 rapidly rises to about 130° C. from the state where the temperature exceeds 100 degrees before. Then, the temperature detection means 86 detects such a rapid temperature rise, and after the temperature detection information is input from the temperature detection circuit 91 to the control part 85, the control part 85 determines that cooking is completed.

In addition, at the time of entering into the above-mentioned low-fire step H2B, the display information indicating "power priority" displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 64 disappears. In addition, when the electric power reduction request signal AS1 is received from the electric power control device 6 in this low-fire process and the above-mentioned preheating process, this is displayed on the above-mentioned liquid crystal display unit 64 .

Next, when entering into the rice cooking process H3 and cooking rice, the steam generation amount gradually decreases with the passage of time, and the inner pot 60 cools and the pressure decreases when the rice cooking is completed. In addition, although the pressure inside the steam pipe 65 is reduced by this, a check valve is provided at the upper part of the communication pipe (not shown) where most of the water in the water tank (not shown) is submerged in the water tank (not shown) below the tank cover 66 (not shown), the external air is sucked through the check valve, and the pressure in the inner pot 60 is returned to a state close to the original atmospheric pressure, so the water in the water tank is sucked to the side of the lid 56 and flows toward the inner pot 60 . Occasional situations such as side reverse flow can be prevented.

In addition, the amount of steam generated during cooking varies depending on the type of rice (white rice, no-wash rice, etc.), cooking method (hardness, viscosity), menu (normal cooking, porridge), etc. In any case, the water volume inside is set so that the steaming process can be reliably performed until the cooking menu is finished, and the water temperature in the water tank after cooking is completed is also a temperature that does not cause scalding. For example, Below 55℃.

After the rice cooking is completed, the process proceeds to the heat preservation step H4 , and the temperature of the inner pot 60 is maintained at a predetermined temperature, for example, 70° C. by the heat preservation heater 93 provided independently from the heating unit 61 .

As described above, steam is mainly generated in the rice cooking step H2 and the rice stewing step H3, so in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the amount of steam released in these steps is determined by calculation, experiment, etc., and the Water volume and water level. From this, it can be seen that even if there is a sufficient amount of water, when steam is sprayed into the water at a shallow position in the water, the steam will rise in a bubble-like state and be released from the water surface in a state where the steam and the water are not always in sufficient contact. atmosphere. Therefore, in this Embodiment 1, the said control part 85 judges whether the water quantity inside the water tank is sufficient based on the detection information of the water level sensor 88 before the start of the initial water absorption process of a rice cooking process by the water level sensor 88.

Furthermore, since the water temperature sensor 89 for detecting the temperature of the water stored in the water tank is provided, the temperature information of the water tank is sent from the temperature detection circuit 91 to the control unit 85 by receiving the output of the water temperature sensor, and the control unit 85 can determine Whether the temperature of the water in the water tank is higher than a predetermined temperature. In the case where the assumption is abnormally high, the above-mentioned control unit 85 does not execute the operation of starting the energization of the heating unit 61, and therefore does not even execute the preheating process.

Furthermore, although the temperature of the water in the water tank is set to be within a predetermined temperature range after the rice-cooking step is entered and until the rice-cooking process is completed, even if the room temperature of the installation space of the cooker suddenly rises for any reason If the temperature of the water in the water tank is higher than a predetermined temperature, the water temperature sensor can also detect this situation. In this case, the control unit 85 changes the energization condition of the heating unit 61 to change the actual heating power. In the mode of weak operation, the control program of the above-mentioned control unit 85 is set. However, this degree of heat suppression is performed within a range that does not interfere with the original cooking operation and completion of cooking. In addition, as a method of reducing the heating power, an appropriate method such as reducing the amount of electric power to be supplied or reducing the energization rate may be used.

In the first embodiment, when the water temperature at the start of cooking is 35°C or lower, the cooking operation is started, and when the temperature exceeds 35°C, the cooking operation is not entered. Among them, it is considered to prevent the temperature of the water temperature of the water tank from reaching an abnormally high temperature region at the end of cooking.

Among the above-mentioned rice cookers 3, the first high-fire step H2A of the rice cooking step H2 has the greatest influence on the rice cooking performance. Therefore, in this rice cooker 3, the control part 85 designates this high heat process H2A as "the execution time period of the priority cooking menu". That is, it has a function of always grasping whether the cooking menu being executed is in the "execution period of the priority cooking menu" and reporting the meaning to the power command device 6 via the power usage control unit 19 assuming that it is in the execution period. Thereby, inadvertent power reduction is prevented. In addition, when entering into this high-fire process H2A, the display information 70C is displayed on the liquid crystal display part 64, and the user is informed that the electric power is secured with priority and the cooking operation is performed.

The rice cooker according to the first embodiment is a type of rice cooker in which the steam generated during cooking is recovered by the above-described steam processing device 57, but such a steam processing device 57 may not be provided, and the steam may be released into the room during cooking. A rice cooker of the type of space.

(Structure of Information Communication Terminal Equipment)

Next, with reference to FIG. 10 , the configuration of the information communication terminal device 20 will be described.

The information communication terminal device 20 is a high-performance mobile phone called a smartphone, a portable tablet-type personal computer, or the like.

The information communication terminal device 20 includes: a display unit 130 having a liquid crystal display screen 130A; an operation input unit (operation unit) 131 having a plurality of input keys operated by a user; a wireless interface unit (communication unit) 132; a posture detection unit 133; The control unit 134 has a built-in microcomputer; and the reporting unit 143 outputs a plurality of types of synthesized sounds according to the operation situation, and has a built-in small vibrator that vibrates as necessary. When the vibrator outputs (beeps) sound, it can be made to vibrate in synchronization with the sound, so that even in a situation where the operation status and the like cannot be reliably conveyed to the user only through the display unit 130, the sound and vibration can be expected to be used. supplement it.

The communication unit 132 includes two input/output units, one of which is a wireless interface unit 132A that performs predetermined communication with the wide area communication line network (communication network) 15 . The other is the wireless interface unit 132B that performs short-range wireless communication with the NFC input/output unit 40 of the power command device 6 and the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3 described above.

The display unit 130 , the operation unit 131 , the wireless input/output unit 132 , the posture detection unit 133 , the control unit 134 described later, and the notification unit 143 are connected to each other by signal lines (not shown). The posture detection unit 133 includes a gyro sensor, detects the posture when the user tilts the information communication terminal device 20 (in the left-right and front-rear directions), and outputs a signal indicating the posture to the control unit 134 .

The control unit 134 roughly includes a central processing unit (CPU) 135 and a storage unit 136 in which a semiconductor memory element is formed in the main body. The CPU 135 executes the entire process of the information communication terminal device 20 in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM and RAM parts 137 of the storage part 136, reads data from the ROM and RAM parts 137 required for the execution of the process, or stores data in the ROM and RAM parts 137. Data generated during the execution of the process is stored in the ROM and RAM unit 137 described above.

In the said storage part 136, there exists the application processing part 138 which can store the application software for the household electrical appliance EE (at least the rice cooker 3 in Embodiment 1). The application processing unit 138 also stores application software for the display panel 24 of the power command device 6. The software of the application processing unit 138 may be installed from the outside of the information communication terminal device 20, or may be stored in the storage unit 136 from the time of manufacture and delivery of the information communication terminal device 20.

The information communication terminal device 20 can download desired application software from the information server 17 via the wide area communication network 15 and store it in the application processing unit 138 of the storage unit 136 .

When the CPU 135 executes processing in accordance with the application processing unit 138, the predetermined functions of the reception processing unit 139, the transmission processing unit 140, the communication establishment unit 141, the display control unit 142, and the selection determination unit 143 are realized. The operations of these parts will be described later.

The information communication terminal device 20 includes a position detection unit 145 for detecting the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 itself, a position information storage unit 146 , and a distance information calculation unit 147 , respectively.

The aforementioned position detection unit 145 has a function of receiving GPS signals transmitted from the GPS satellites 148 , analyzing the received signals, and calculating the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 on the earth. That is, the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 on the earth is grasped in real time by the position detection unit 145 .

The distance information calculation unit 147 has a function of calculating the distance to the target based on the position information of an object (referred to as “target”) previously registered in the position information storage unit 146 and the information on the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 . Information on the calculated distance is output to the control unit 134 as a "distance determination information signal". Then, the distance determination information signal is transmitted from the control unit 134 to the outside via the wireless input/output unit 132 . In addition, in the present embodiment, the information of the calculated distance is, for example, in units of 100 m, but other information may be used. Of these, the user can operate the input unit 131 to select and set from certain units.

When the information communication terminal device 20 is registered and set as one of the objects, the above-mentioned power command device 6 is set, because all household electrical appliances EE, such as a rice cooker, exist in the living space HA where the power command device 6 is installed. The distance of 3 is only a few meters, so it is not necessary to set and register each household electrical appliance EE as a target. However, in the first embodiment, the information communication terminal device 20 transmits, to each household electrical appliance EE, a “remote operation signal indicating a scheduled operation condition”, an “inquiry signal for scheduled cooking execution”, and “an inquiry for scheduled operation execution”, which will be described later. signal", so each household electrical appliance EE is set and registered as a target. As long as the information communication terminal device 20 is not changed or the living space HA is changed due to moving, this setting registration may be performed once for each household electrical appliance EE, which will be described in detail later.

In the case of using the power command device (overall management device) 6, it is not necessary to individually register the information of the installation position of each household electrical appliance EE in the information communication terminal device 20, and the information communication terminal device 20 may read only 1 The installation position information of the secondary power command device (overall management device) 6 is also registered.

The control unit 134 also has a function of monitoring the temporal change of the distance determination information signal, and a function of calculating the moving speed of the information communication terminal device 20 based on the value of the change per predetermined time. For example, the following operation is performed: the change in the distance indicated by the distance judgment information signal is calculated at 1-minute intervals, and the "moving speed information" such as "100m per minute" and "300m per minute" is generated, and the "distance judgment information signal" is simultaneously generated. Send, or send after the signal is sent. Therefore, in the power command device 6 that has received the “distance determination information signal” and the “moving speed information” from the information communication terminal device 20 , the power command device 6 can calculate the distance that the information communication terminal device 20 has moved to reach itself. The estimated time of the location.

In the first embodiment, the power command device 6 is interposed between the information communication terminal device 20 and the rice cooker 3, and direct communication is not configured. The rice cooker 3 side of 1 also has a function of being able to obtain the time required for the information communication terminal device 20 to move to the installation position of the rice cooker 3 by receiving the above-mentioned "distance determination information signal" and "moving speed information".

(Initial setting of information communication terminal equipment and household electrical appliances)

When the “remote operation signal indicating the reservation operation condition”, the “inquiry signal for the execution of the reservation cooking”, and the “inquiry signal for the execution of the reservation operation” are transmitted from the specific information communication terminal device 20, in the first embodiment Since it is not the household electrical appliance EE such as the rice cooker 3, but the power command device 6 that directly receives these various signals, the central control unit 27 can read and register the first identification information communication terminal via the NFC input/output unit 40 of the power command device 6. Intrinsic information of the device 20 . As a result, various types of communication can be performed with the power command device 6 from the wide area communication line network 15 via the router A (13A) in the future. In addition, the information communication terminal device 20 is also equipped with a control program for performing a cooperative operation from the power command device 6 side, and can also acquire specific information of the power command device 6 .

In the first embodiment, the information communication terminal device 20 transmits, to each household electrical appliance EE, a “remote operation signal indicating a reservation operation condition”, an “inquiry signal for reservation cooking execution”, and “inquiry signal for reservation operation execution”, which will be described later. , so the rice cooker 3 is set and registered as one of the target objects. In this case, the unique information which identifies the information communication terminal device 20 first can be read and registered by the control part 85 via the NFC input/output part 81 of the rice cooker 3 . In addition, a control program for cooperating with the rice cooker 3 is also installed on the side of the information communication terminal device 20, whereby various communications can be performed from the wide area communication line network 15 via the router A (13A) and the power command device 6 in the future. . The information communication terminal device 20 can also acquire unique information and identification information of the rice cooker 3 .

The information communication terminal device 20 may make the information communication terminal device 20 access the information server 17 as described in FIG. 2 , download the application software for controlling the power command device 6 and the rice cooker 3 , and install the application software for communication with the power command device 6 and the rice cooker 3 . A control program for the rice cooker 3 to perform a cooperative operation.

In one method of setting and registering the rice cooker 3 and the power command device 6 as objects, the information communication terminal 20 is used in the living space HA, and the current position information detection function of the information communication terminal 20 is used. Then, since the current position information is displayed on the display unit 130 in the information communication terminal device 20, the control unit 85 is read and registered via the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3 in this state. Thereby, the installation position information of the rice cooker 3 is registered in the information communication terminal device 20 .

Similarly, in this method, the information communication terminal 20 reads the current position information, and the central control unit 27 reads and registers the current position information via the NFC input/output unit 40 of the power command device 6 . Thereby, the installation position information of the power command device 6 is registered in the information communication terminal device 20 . In addition, as another method, there is a method of directly inputting the information (latitude and longitude information, address code based on accurate address information, etc.) of the house in which the living space is actually located into the control unit through the input unit 131 of the information communication terminal device 20 134 method.

(Basic operation of the power command device)

Next, the basic operation of the power command device 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 11 .

In one kitchen appliance KP, for example, the above-mentioned rice cooker 3, there is an "execution period of the priority cooking menu".

In addition, in the induction heating cooker 51, there are a plurality of heating units (heating ports) 51L, 51R, and one of them is in the "execution period of the priority cooking menu" and is actually in the execution of cooking, and the other heating units are not. In the case of the "execution period of the priority cooking menu", the power is maintained for the heating unit in the "execution period of the priority cooking menu", and the power of the other heating units is subject to reduction.

Regarding the priority of securing electric power, the rice cooker 3 and the induction heating cooker 51 are high. Next, the priority of securing electric power is determined in the order of the air conditioner 7 , the hot water supply device 39 , and the dishwashing and drying machine 54 , thereby preventing the user's workability from being impaired.

Although the air conditioner 4 is not installed in the kitchen, it is set to a lower order than the rice cooker 3 and the induction heating cooker 51 because the electric power is cut off via the same circuit breaker BK. In addition, the priority is set higher than that of the dishwashing and drying machine 54 .

Next, when one air conditioner 4, the induction heating cooker 51, and the rice cooker 3 are used at the same time, the case where the command to reduce the total electric power is issued from the power command device 6 will be described.

In FIG. 11 , a case will be described in which the total electric power does not exceed the total electric power obtained by summing the electric power demand results from each kitchen household electrical appliance KP and the air conditioner 4 by the electric power demand adder (not shown) of the electric power command device 6 The capacity of the circuit breaker (eg, 8000W), but the user voluntarily lowers the upper limit of the power usage by viewing the display screen (display screen 26 of the display panel 24 ) of the above-mentioned usage limit setting device.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 11 , the power command device 6 determines in the first step 1 that a command to reduce the total power has been supplied from the outside ( ST1 ).

Then, a comparator (not shown) is used to compare the new upper limit value (the second upper limit capacity. For example, 7000W) with the power request result from each kitchen household appliance KP and the air conditioner 4 (ST2), and when the upper limit is exceeded In the case of the value, the power reduction width is determined by the used power reduction width determination means (not shown) ( ST3 ).

Then, a power reduction command is transmitted to the air conditioner 4 in use in accordance with the priority. In response to this command, the air conditioner 4 reduces power usage ( ST4 ). When the above-mentioned power reduction range is 300W, the air conditioner 4 reduces the rotation speed of the electric compressor (not shown) that consumes the most power in the air conditioner 4 by changing the cooling target temperature from 26°C to 28°C. , and change to energy-saving operation that reduces power consumption. In addition, the amount of electric power used when the rotational speed of the electric compressor is reduced by experiments or the like is obtained in advance from the correlation between the target temperature and the current indoor temperature, and this data is stored on the air conditioner 7 side, so according to the power source The power reduction request of the command device 6 instantaneously determines the operating conditions of the electric compressor (not shown) for the power reduction operation.

When it is assumed that the above-mentioned air conditioner 4 is not in use, neither the rice cooker 2 nor the induction heating cooker 51 becomes the target of power reduction immediately. The reason for this is that the rice cooker 3 is in the process of executing the high heat process (boiling process) H2A, and the induction heating cooker 51 is also in the "execution period of the priority cooking menu".

After that, the air conditioner 4 reports to the power command device 6 that the power usage is reduced by 300W. In the electric power command device 6, as a result of summing up the electric power demand results from the respective kitchen home appliances KP and the air conditioner 4 again (ST5), the electric power demand total value is small and there is a margin that exceeds the electric power reduction range of 300W In the case of the above-mentioned new upper limit value (7000W), for example, if the total power demand value at this point does not exceed 6500W, there is a margin of 500W, so the air conditioner 4 is notified (reported) to use the previous The power usage of the air conditioner 4, which has been reduced by 300W, is returned to the original level. The air conditioner 4 automatically returns to the operation in which the target temperature is lowered to 26° C. within a predetermined time from the report ( ST6 ). In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 , the air conditioner 4 transmits the information of the used power to the power command device 6, respectively, when the operation to reduce the power usage and the operation to increase the power are performed, respectively.

In this way, the operation information (execution of the cooking menu, setting of heating power, etc.) is transmitted to the power command device 6 at any time during the entire process from the power-on to the power-off of each kitchen home appliance KP. In addition, in the air conditioner 4, the operation information (execution of the cooling and heating operation menu, setting of the target temperature, etc.) is also transmitted to the power command device at any time during the entire process from the power-on to the power-off. 6. Therefore, the power usage status of the plurality of household electrical appliances EE can be grasped at all times. It will be described in detail below.

12 shows that the rice cooker 3 is a representative example, and operation information (execution of a cooking menu, setting of heating power, etc.) is transmitted to the power command device 6 at any time during the entire process from the power-on to the power-off of the rice cooker 3 . timetable of the situation. In other kitchen appliances KP and air conditioners 4, the operation information is transmitted to the power command device 6 at any time basically in the same manner.

In FIG. 12 , L1 to L8 are operation information signals transmitted from the rice cooker 3 to the power command device 6 . L1 is a signal indicating that the main power is turned on (ON), and is transmitted when the operation button 68A of the main power switch 68 is pressed. In addition, the abnormality occurrence report signal ES described later is also one of the operation information signals.

L2 indicates that the reservation cooking mode is selected. L3 is advance notice information (also referred to as a "start request signal") that is transmitted when the reservation time to start cooking is approaching (for example, 5 minutes before the setting time of the reservation for cooking). In addition, the information of this L2 includes a recognizable code as to which of the time reservation cooking mode and the position corresponding reservation cooking mode is specified, and the power command device 6 side can recognize by the code. Except for this L2 information, the operation information signals L1, L3 to L8 transmitted from the rice cooker 3 are the same in the time reservation cooking mode and the position correspondence reservation cooking mode.

In FIG. 12 , KS is a “heating cooking start permission signal” transmitted from the power command device 6 within a short time (usually within several seconds) from the above-mentioned start notice information (also referred to as a “start request signal”) L3. As long as the letter does not reach the rice cooker 3, the rice cooker 3 does not start the actual cooking action.

L4 is one of the operation information signals, which indicates that the inverter circuit 92 is actually driven, the induction heating operation is started, and the preheating step H1 is started.

L5 is an operation information signal which shows that the cooking process H2A has started. L6 is an operation information signal which shows that the cooking process H2A is complete|finished. In the execution period of this cooking process H2A, the reduction of electric power is not performed according to the operation and instruction|command from the outside. That is, it is determined whether this rice cooker 3 is actually in the "execution period of the priority cooking menu" according to whether it is after this information L5 (however, the following information L6 is not received).

L6 represents the operation information signal that the cooking process H2A is completed. L7 indicates that the cooking process H3 ends. L8 is information indicating that the main power switch 68 is turned off (OFF). The current time is included in each of these pieces of information L1 to L8 in units of seconds. In addition, there are response signals from the power command device 6 side with respect to each operation information signal, but detailed descriptions are omitted.

The electric power command device 6 has the highest priority for the electric power demanded by the rice cooker 3, and ensures the electric power demanded by the rice cooker 3 with the highest priority, so even if the capacity of the circuit breaker BK exceeds 8000W or exceeds the electric power capacity of the upper limit specified by the user (for example, 7000W), the power will not be reduced in the boiling process H2A, and delicious rice can be cooked.

(Reserved cooking action of rice cooker)

Next, with reference to FIG. 13, the operation|movement of the rice cooker 3 which is one of the characteristics of this Embodiment 1 is demonstrated.

Steps S1 to S8 show operations up to the setting of reservation cooking, and are operations of the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 .

When the user sequentially presses the button 68 of the operation unit 71, the reservation key 76, and finally the cooking start button 59, a setting confirmation signal for the reservation cooking is generated, and the setting for the reservation cooking is confirmed (S1).

In response to the confirmation signal, an operation information signal L2 indicating the setting of the reserved cooking mode is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 90 to the power command device 6 (S2). At this time, the cooking operation start time information is sent together so as to be displayed on a 24-hour basis like "20:00". In addition, the information of the reservation setter (presumed to be the user) may be transmitted by including, for example, a code number indicating "resident B" in these data.

Next, the time interval between the cooking start time set by the user and the current time is calculated. In addition, when the user sets the desired cooking time, the "cooking completion time" is set. That is, the set time is set to "20:00" in consideration of the desire to finish cooking when returning home, but the control unit 85 accepts the input and calculates the cooking step (in this case, as shown in FIG. 9 ) The time required for the preheating process H1, the rice cooking process H2, and the rice stewing process H3) is calculated, and the start time of the preheating process H1 is calculated (S3).

When there is more than 15 minutes of time according to the calculation result of step S3, it is YES in next step S4, and it progresses to next step S5. The "standby process" in step S5 refers to a predetermined time from the current time to the specified time when the standby determination unit 101 built in the power usage control unit 19 receives information on the cooking start time from the control unit 85 . During the period (for example, 5 minutes ago), since the standby state is set, the power supply unit 84 to the control device 85 is turned off, and the operation of the liquid crystal display unit 64 is also stopped. Thereby, the power consumption on the control part 85 side is eliminated.

The standby determination unit 101 uses the time information from the clock circuit 99 to check whether it is a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) before a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) from the current time when cooking (starts) at predetermined time intervals (for example, 1 minute). Description of subsequent operations is omitted.

On the other hand, when there is no time for 15 minutes or more based on the calculation result of step S3 described above, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, it is checked whether it is a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) before the designated time at certain time intervals, and when "Yes" is obtained in this step, the process proceeds to the next step S7.

In step S7 , an operation information signal (announcement signal) L3 indicating the start of cooking in the reserved cooking mode is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 90 to the power command device 6 . At this time, the cooking operation start time information is sent together so as to be displayed on a 24-hour basis like "20:00".

In the next step S8, the voice synthesis device 96 and the liquid crystal display unit 64 report the start of the cooking operation by voice and characters. Description of subsequent operations is omitted.

(Remote operation to reserve cooking time)

Next, the case of changing the reservation time of the "operation start time (starting reservation time A)" of the household electrical appliance EE such as the rice cooker 3 and the change of the household electrical appliance EE (rice cooker 3 ) as one of the features of the first embodiment will be described. These two are the case of the reservation time of the "operation end time (end reservation time A)".

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 . The basic operation program (information processing program) shown in this flowchart is stored in a semiconductor memory (ROM) inside a microcomputer (not shown) constituting the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 .

An example of a case where the resident B (user B) makes a cooking reservation for the rice cooker 3 in the "time reservation cooking mode" and makes a reservation at 20:00 (8:00 pm) as the "operation end time" will be described as an example.

The above-mentioned resident B goes out after making a reservation for cooking, and changes the expected time to return to 22 from the facility 22 in a remote place as shown in FIG. : 00, in this case, the information of the scheduled (anticipated) time to return home is transmitted from the information communication terminal device 20 and reaches the power command device 6 via the wide area communication line network 15 . Specifically, it reaches the central control unit 27 via the router A13A and the input/output unit 29B (step 1. Hereinafter, the "step" is described as "SU"). In addition, the remote operation signal such as changing the expected time of returning home to 22:00 is also one of the "remote operation signals from the information communication terminal device for the household electrical appliance" referred to in the present invention.

Next, the central control unit 27 compares the reservation time acquired in advance from the rice cooker 3 with the above-mentioned scheduled return home time (SU2).

Based on the comparison results, it is judged whether there is a difference of 30 minutes or more (SU3), and if there is a time difference of 30 minutes or more, the meal is set so that the reservation time matches the above-mentioned scheduled (expected) time for returning home. Pot 3 outputs a change command (SU4). Therefore, in the case of the above-mentioned rice cooker 3, the cooking completion reservation time is changed to 22:00.

In addition, the reason why the deviation of 30 minutes or more is set as the threshold here is that there is a possibility that an inappropriate operation is performed on the household electrical appliance side every time a change shorter than that is made. For example, since the rice cooker 3 takes about 30 minutes from the start of cooking the rice to the end of the boiling process as described above, even if the "operation end time" is advanced by 20 minutes by rapidly increasing the time for returning home by about 20 minutes, it is not possible to make a reservation at the time of returning home. Finish cooking before time. If there is no difference of 30 minutes or more according to the comparison result of SU3, SU4 is skipped, and the change command of the reservation time is not issued.

In the first embodiment, when there is a time difference of 30 minutes or more, a change command is output to the rice cooker 3 so that the reserved time matches 22:00 of the above-mentioned scheduled (predicted) time to return home. Previously, the unit price of electricity applied at the time after the change (specified in the contract with the power company) is compared with the unit price of electricity applied at the time before the change (SU4). In addition, in this comparison, instead of comparing the electricity rates themselves, indexes such as "cheap" and "expensive" may be prepared based on the unit price of charges by time period, and the indexes may be used for comparison. In addition, the information on the unit price of the electricity bill may be acquired in advance by the power command device 6 from the external organizations 14A and 14B, or may be acquired from the outside every time.

If the unit price of the fee is in an upward direction according to the above comparison result (if there is no economic benefit), the central control unit 27 sends the information (22:00) of the sender of the scheduled (anticipated) time to go home to the sender. The information communication terminal device 20 reports that it is in a time period when there is no benefit in electricity bills. For example, a predetermined e-mail (SU6) such as "The cooking reservation time of the rice cooker will be postponed according to the time of returning home is late, but the electricity bill will be raised from 'cheap' to 'moderate'" is sent (SU6), and this e-mail arrives at Infocomm Terminal equipment 20. There is also a case where the resident B reads the mail and sends a new scheduled time to return home.

In the case of the above-mentioned rice cooker 3, the cooking completion reservation time is changed from 20:00 to 22:00, but before 20:00 and before 22:00 are the above-mentioned "morning and evening hours", so the change will not affect the electricity bill. There will be no benefit and there will be no benefit.

When any electrical equipment at the reserved time (operation start time or operation end time) is changed to the scheduled return home time, it is determined whether the "operation avoidance period" set for the specific household electrical equipment has entered (SU7). The "operation avoidance period" referred to here refers to, for example, from the middle of the night at 10:00 ( 22:00) to 6:00 the next morning. The reason for this is that, in the case of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner described above, the operation of the blower motor occurs due to the operation, although the target household electrical appliance and the time period can be individually set by the user (occupant) through the power command device 6 . Sound, etc., of course, disturb the sleep of the occupants, and in the case of an apartment, it may also disturb the occupants of the adjacent rooms with noise.

In the case of the rice cooker 3 described above, since the "operation avoidance period" is not set, the determination step (SU7) is YES, and the process proceeds to the next step SU8. This SU8 is a step of judging whether or not it is suitable for various environmental conditions when the target household electrical appliance operates at the time after the change. For example, in the case of the said rice cooker 3, based on the information of the environment detection part 30, the said central control part 27 judges as "suitable" when room temperature is 2 degreeC - 35 degreeC. That is, when it is assumed that the temperature of the kitchen is 4° C. at the cooking start time (eg, 21:20), the cooking operation is started at 21:20 (the first water absorption step starts at 21:20). Assuming that it is 0° C., the water in the steam recovery device of the rice cooker freezes and the generated steam cannot be recovered. Therefore, whether or not to start cooking rice is determined based on such a temperature range.

As described in the example of FIG. 9 , from the completion of cooking, the process is usually automatically transferred to the heat preservation process, and the heat preservation operation is continued for a maximum of 7 hours. When the heat-retaining process is stopped, the electrical consumption is also reduced in accordance with the amount of energization of the heat-retaining heater. However, when the room temperature is high, the cooked rice may rot, so the central control unit 27 judges the case where the room temperature is 2°C to 23°C as "suitable" based on the information from the environment detection unit 30 . That is, for example, when the room temperature of the kitchen at the time point before the start of the heat preservation process after the boiling process is completed is assumed to be 30° C., the heat preservation operation does not stop even if the mode of “Keep Warm Off” is selected, and the process automatically transfers to the heat preservation process. Actions.

As described above, SU8 in Fig. 15 is a process of judging whether the reservation time should be changed based on the room temperature and other environmental conditions of the living space HA where various household appliances are installed. The "permission condition" that is the basis of this determination is set by the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 and stored in the second storage unit 27B in advance.

SU9 of FIG. 15 is the check processing of the possibility of correction. Here, for example, in the case of the air conditioner 4 that is not suitable for the environmental conditions (for example, when the room temperature is too low for cooling), it is only necessary to shift to the energy saving control for raising the target indoor air temperature or lowering the cooling capacity. It is determined whether or not the operating conditions (heating amount, motor output, cooling capacity, etc.) can be corrected. Then, when correction processing is possible, correction processing (SU10) is performed, and a command for changing the operating conditions is output from the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 to the relevant household electrical appliance (in this case, the air conditioner 7). In the case of this rice cooker 3, step SU9 is "Yes".

When it is determined in the above-mentioned step SU8 that the environmental conditions are suitable, and after the change process SU10 to the energy saving control is performed, the change process of the reserved time (operation start time or operation end time) is performed. Specifically, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 outputs a change command of the operation start time or the operation end time to the relevant household electrical appliance (SU11), and the household electrical appliance EE changes the operation start or end time according to the change command. processing. In the case of the above-mentioned rice cooker 2, the reservation content is rewritten so that cooking is completed at 22:00.

On the other hand, in the case of performing the change processing of the reservation time (operation start time or operation end time), when the operation is in the operation avoidance period, such change of the reservation time cannot be permitted, so the response processing of disapproval is performed. SU12. Actually, the information indicating the reason for disapproval is transmitted from the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 , and the transmitted information reaches the information communication terminal device 20 via the wide area communication line network 15 . Therefore, the intended occupant who uses the home appliance EE that emits an operating sound, such as a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, can understand, based on the information from the electric power command device 6, that his/her home time is late at night and cannot start autonomous operation from the viewpoint of noise prevention. Operation of a traveling vacuum cleaner (not shown).

Even if the process SU8 for judging "whether it is suitable for environmental conditions" is "inappropriate" and the correction process SU10 is also impossible, the process proceeds to the same step SU12, and the power command device 9 transmits information specifying the reason for the disapproval. And end a series of processing. In addition, in the disapproved answer processing SU12, various answer contents are considered depending on the type of electrical equipment and environmental conditions, these answers are modeled in advance and stored in the second storage unit 27B, and the central control unit 27 selects and stores the answers each time. Send the appropriate response content. In addition, the content of the answer may be simply expressed as "the operation is prohibited because it is late at night" or "the operation cannot be performed because the indoor temperature is low", for example, when the operation avoidance period is used as the reason. The purpose of transmitting such a disapproval reason is to avoid misunderstanding by a resident (user). That is, if the reservation time (operation start time or operation end time) of the household electrical appliance cannot be automatically changed by the notification of the time to return home, the situation is reported, so that the resident (user) is informed in the stage before returning home. It is possible to predict the operation state of the household electrical appliance by receiving a notification of disapproval. According to the situation, the notification of disapproval is notified, and the home time is advanced or the reservation content of the electrical equipment is changed.

If the result is that the reservation time should be changed through the above-described steps, the central control unit 27 also issues a change from the information communication terminal to the reservation time (operation start time or operation end time) acquired in advance from the target household electrical appliance. The device 20 then notifies the incoming command of the scheduled time to return home (SU11 in FIG. 15 ). In the above-mentioned example, in the case of the rice cooker 2, the reservation content is rewritten so that cooking is completed at 22:00 (therefore, the preheating process is started before 22:00).

16 to 19 are diagrams for explaining the time-series operations of the rice cooker 3 , the air conditioner (air conditioner) 4 , the power command device 6 , the information communication terminal device 20 , and the power control system and the operation management system of the household electrical appliance including them. Illustrating.

In FIGS. 16 to 19 , the various processes (command signal transmission, report signal transmission, etc.) executed by the power command device 6 , the household electrical appliance EE, and the information communication terminal device 20 are performed in a sequence with an additional generation order such as T1 , T2 , and T3 . number indicated. 16 to 19, arrows indicate that various reports, commands, etc. have been issued.

16 to 19 assume that the reservation setting of the rice cooker 3 is made while the occupant A and the occupant B are at home, and then both the occupant A and the occupant B go out and the occupant B carries the information communication terminal Example of device 20.

FIG. 16 is a situation in the case where the setting of the rice cooker 3 is performed in a state in which the air conditioner 4 is operating.

When the air conditioner 4 starts to operate, the operation state signal is sent to the power command device 6 (T1). In the first storage unit 27 of the power command device 6, there is an area for recording the basic database of the household electrical appliances EE to be controlled by electric power, and the operation conditions (including information on the maximum power consumption, the scheduled operation end time, etc.) performed by the household electrical appliances EE are displayed. ) are written and updated at any time.

In this basic database, the operation information of the air conditioner 4 is additionally recorded (T2).

Next, after setting the cooking reservation of the rice cooker 3 with the operation unit 71, the cooking reservation setting is confirmed at the time when the cooking start button 59 is pressed as described above (T3).

Then, the cooking reservation setting information L2 is transmitted from the rice cooker 3 to the electric power command device 6 (T4). In the first storage unit 27 of the power command device 6, there is a basic database (hereinafter referred to as "absence mode setting database") for electrical equipment having a reservation time (operation start time or operation end time). Among them, the reservation setting conditions of the rice cooker 3 are recorded (T5). At the time point of T5, the information specifying which of the time scheduled cooking mode and the position corresponding scheduled cooking mode is recorded in the database for setting the absent mode. That is, in the case of the time reservation (timer) cooking mode, the information of the cooking start time (eg, 20:00) desired by the user (for example, the occupant B) is recorded in the setting of the away-from-home mode. database. In addition, when the position corresponds to the reserved cooking mode, for example, the scheduled time to return home is similarly recorded. In addition, the scheduled time to return home may be an approximate time, and a time slot of 8:00 pm (a range from 8:1 to 59) may be designated.

Next, the power command device 6 reports the cooking reservation setting to the information communication terminal device 20 (referred to as "report A". T6). Here, information specifying which of the time-reserved cooking mode and the position-corresponding scheduled cooking mode is set is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 . However, when it is detected that the owner of the information communication terminal device 20 is still in the living space HA, this step T6 may be omitted. The power command device 6 also has a function of being able to grasp the home situation of the occupant, and this function will be described later. In addition, the electric power command device 6 notifies the rice cooker 3 that the content of the reservation cooking setting is registered in the database for setting the absent mode (T7). At this time, it is also reported which of the time reservation cooking mode and the position-corresponding cooking reservation mode is designated to be registered.

When the rice cooker 3 receives the report signal T7, the standby determination part 101 cuts off the power supply part 84 to the control device 85, and the liquid crystal display part 64 also stops the operation and enters the standby state (T8). In addition, this standby state is also referred to as a "waiting power cut-off state" because the contents of reservation settings such as operation start and operation suspension are changed in accordance with a remote operation command from the power command device 6 or the information communication terminal device 20. .

When the cooking reservation of the rice cooker 3 is set as described above, and both the occupant A and the occupant B go out, at least one of the occupants A or B is instructed to power on at the stage before leaving the living space HA when going out. The display panel 24 of the device 6 is set to the "absent mode", and the operation of shutting off the power of the household electrical appliance EE is performed in order to suppress unnecessary power consumption during absence.

When the central control unit 27 senses the setting of the "absence mode" (T9), the central control unit 27 discriminates between household electrical appliances that are completely cut off when not at home and electrical appliances that are not cut off (in this case, the meal Pot 3 is compliant). For this purpose, the target electrical equipment is specified using the data of the database for setting the out-of-home mode (T10).

Next, even if the air conditioner 4 is still in operation at this point in time, a command signal for stopping the operation is output to the power usage control unit 19 (T11), and the power supply of the household electrical appliances that completely cut off the power when not at home is also cut off (T11). T12). In addition, the rice cooker 3 can make the rice cooker 3 even when the power supply from the power supply unit 84 of the power control unit 19 continues, but the power control unit 19 cannot be driven by the power from the commercial power source EP and other power sources such as rechargeable batteries are secured. The main power switch 68 of the pot 3 is OFF.

Next, the air conditioner 4 transmits an operation state signal indicating that the operation is stopped to the power command device 6 (T13). The operation stop information is also transmitted from the power command device 6 to the information communication terminal device 20 ("report B", T14). Then, the air conditioner 4 turns off the main power switch (not shown) itself (T15).

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a situation that is continuous from the state of FIG. 16 , and shows a situation from when both occupants A and B are out and no one is in their home (living space HA) to the state after returning home. In addition, the situation of this FIG. 17 shows the example of the cooking which is reserved in accordance with the reservation. However, this FIG. 17 is a case where the time reservation cooking mode is set.

The power command device 6 monitors whether or not the scheduled cooking start time of the rice cooker 3 is approaching by using the data of the database for setting the away-from-home mode, and when it is determined that it is before the scheduled time (for example, 5 minutes) as the scheduled cooking time (T16), A command signal for restoring the power from the standby power cut-off state is transmitted to the rice cooker 3 (T17).

Furthermore, the power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that a command to restore the rice cooker 3 has been issued ("report C", T18).

In the rice cooker 3, since the standby determination part 101 has returned from the standby power cutoff state, the power supply from the power supply part 84 to the control part 85 is restarted (T19).

The above-mentioned report C arrives at the information communication terminal device 20 held by the resident B at the outgoing destination, so when the predetermined approval information is returned from the information communication terminal device 20 (T20), the power command device 6 transmits the permission reservation to the rice cooker 3. A signal for the start of the cooking operation (heating cooking start permission signal KS) (T21). In addition, as a method, the step of returning the consent information may be omitted, and the heating and cooking start permission signal KS may be automatically transmitted, or if the consent information is not transmitted within a certain short period of time after waiting for a certain period of time, it may be deemed as consented. and advance processing. The reason for this is that it is also assumed that the occupant who carries the information communication terminal device 20 cannot immediately send back the information in a situation such as driving of an automobile. The signal for sending back the approval information is also one of the "remote operation signals from the information communication terminal device for the household electrical appliance" referred to in the present invention.

When the rice cooker 3 receives the permission signal KS, the control device 85 starts energization of the heating unit 61 (T23) at the stage when it is determined that it is the scheduled cooking start time (TA) (T22), and will indicate that the reservation has been started as scheduled (T23). The cooking operation information signal L5 is sent to the power command device 6 (T24).

The central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 receives the signal L5, and stores the rice cooker 3 in the monitoring target list of the basic database in order to monitor the operating state and the power amount of the rice cooker 3 (T25).

When the rice cooking process is completed and the rice stewing process is also completed, the rice cooker 3 proceeds to the heat preservation process (T26), and transmits an operation information signal L7 indicating the completion of the rice stewing process to the power command device 6 (T27).

The central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 receives the above-mentioned signal L7, updates the monitoring object list of the basic database, and the rice cooker 3 reflects the completion of the reservation cooking in the database (T28).

Furthermore, the electric power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that the reservation cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 is completed ("report D", T29).

After that, the resident B first returns home, performs an unlocking operation on the electronic lock of the entrance, and unlocks the personal authentication device 34 by outputting an unlocking operation signal based on the input data for unlocking the electronic lock 33 of the entrance. The occupant B who has returned to the living space HA in this way releases the "absent mode" on the display panel 24 and returns to the "at home mode" (T30).

At this time, upon receiving the signal for canceling the absence mode, the central control unit 27 displays on the liquid crystal display screen 26 information that can identify the household electrical appliance EE that starts to operate in the absence. In addition, it is also displayed whether or not the household electrical appliance EE, which is set to start operation when not at home, starts and ends as scheduled (T31). In addition, the display content of the liquid crystal display screen 26 in this case is demonstrated in detail in FIGS. 22-26.

16 and 17 , when the resident B cancels the absent mode when returning home, the occupant B can perform an operation to cancel the absent mode on the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 At the same time, it is possible to visually confirm the information of the household electrical appliance EE (rice cooker 3) that should be started to operate when not at home, and the information indicating whether the household electrical appliance (rice cooker 3) starts in the time reservation (timer) cooking mode as scheduled. run and end information.

FIG. 18 shows a situation that is continuous from the state of FIG. 16 , and shows a situation from a situation where both occupants A and B are out and no one is in their own home (living space HA) to a situation after returning home. In addition, the situation of this FIG. 18 shows the example of the cooking in the time reservation cooking mode in which the reservation was not made according to the reservation while going out.

In FIG. 18 , T16 to T22 are the same as those shown in FIG. 17 , so the overlapping description is omitted.

The rice cooker 3 operates as follows when the rice cooker 3 has not started the rice cooking operation for any reason after receiving the operation start permission signal KS for the reservation of rice cooking (T23). In addition, regarding the reason why the cooking operation is not started, for example, it is assumed that a predetermined amount of water is added to the water tank of the steam processing device 57 and the cooking reservation is made, but an earthquake occurs when the occupant is not at home and the rice cooker 3 The position of the above water tank moves to an abnormal position when shaking, and the water in the water tank overflows to the outside. In this way, when the amount of water is too small, the water level sensor 88 operates to take safety measures such as not starting the cooking operation.

When the control device 85 determines that the rice cooker 3 is at the scheduled cooking start time (TA) (T22), the power supply to the heating unit 61 should be started to start the rice cooking operation, but the rice cooking operation is not started. (T23), the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 checks whether or not the scheduled cooking start information is received from the rice cooker 3 (multiple times) after the scheduled cooking start time (TA) (T24).

Then, if the start information of the scheduled cooking has not been received within 5 minutes from the scheduled cooking start time (TA), it is presumed that the scheduled cooking has not been started due to the problem of the rice cooker 3 itself, and the power command device 6 The central control unit 27 stores the rice cooker 3 in the monitoring object list of the basic database (T25).

Then, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that the reservation cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 is not completed ("report D", T26). Furthermore, the central control part 27 also transmits the inquiry signal of the implementation state to the rice cooker 3 several times after that in order to confirm the "implementation state" of (rice cooking operation) (T27, T28). This inquiry is continued for a maximum of 6 hours from the cooking start time (TA) (for example, it is repeated at least at 30-minute intervals).

In the rice cooker 3, when the communication function or the like fails and cannot communicate, the control unit 85 acquires information such as prohibition of starting operation due to detection of an abnormality in the water level sensor 89 (T29).

In the rice cooker 3, the non-execution history information acquired in this way (rice cooking operation) is collectively transmitted to the power command device 6 (T30). The signal at this time is referred to as a "reserved cooking failure report signal" LN.

Upon receipt of the transmission result, the power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 information such as the reason why the reservation cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 has not been completed ("report E", T31).

After that, the occupant B (may be another occupant) returns home, performs an unlocking operation on the electronic lock of the entrance, and according to the input data for unlocking the electronic lock 33 of the entrance, the personal authentication device 34 outputs an unlocking operation signal to unlock the door. The occupant B who has returned to the living space HA in this way releases the "absent mode" on the display panel 24 and returns to the "at home mode" (T32).

At this time, in response to the signal for canceling the absence mode, the central control unit 27 displays on the liquid crystal display screen 26 information that can identify the household electrical appliance EE that has started operating while away from home (in addition, an audio notification is also made by the audio guidance device). In addition, it is also displayed whether or not the household electrical appliance EE, which is set to start operation when not at home, starts and ends as scheduled (T33). In the example of this FIG. 18, although the rice cooker 3 performed reservation cooking, it is reported that the cooking has not been completely performed. In addition, the display content of the liquid crystal display screen 26 in this case is demonstrated in detail in FIGS. 22-26.

As can be seen from the description of FIG. 18 , when the occupant B cancels the absent mode at the time of returning home, the occupant B can also display the display on the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 on which the operation to cancel the absent mode is performed. The information which can identify the home electric appliance EE (rice cooker 3 ) to be started when not at home and the information indicating whether the home electric appliance (rice cooker 3 ) starts and ends as scheduled are visually confirmed. In addition, before returning home, the resident B reported that no rice was cooked as in the two reports D and E, so the resident B who made the reservation for cooking the rice cooker B noticed the rice cooker 3 before returning home. And since it is reported when returning home, it hardly causes a situation where the rice and water are left in the rice cooker 3 for a long time in the same state as when they were added.

After that, confirmation information that the reserved cooking of the rice cooker 3 is not performed is sent again to the information communication terminal device 20 of the resident B ("report F", T34). This is a safety measure that also assumes a situation in which occupants other than occupant B go home first. The resident B who has received the report F can make appropriate confirmations such as making a phone call or sending an e-mail to the other occupants who went home first, requesting to observe the appearance of the rice cooker 3, or requesting to add water and cook rice. Improved instructions, resulting in high convenience.

19 is an example in which the reservation setting of the rice cooker 3 is performed while the occupant A and the occupant B are at home, and then both the occupant A and the occupant B go out and the occupant B carries the information communication terminal device 20 .

This FIG. 19 is the case where the setting of the reservation cooking of the rice cooker 3 was performed in the state which the air conditioner 4 was operating. However, this FIG. 19 shows the case where the position correspondence reservation cooking mode is set.

In FIG. 19, when the air conditioner 4 starts to operate, the operation state signal is sent to the power command device 6 (T41). In the basic database of the power command device 6 , as one of the operating conditions of the rice cooker 3 , data indicating that the position corresponding reservation cooking mode is selected is also written.

In this basic database, the operation information of the air conditioner 4 is additionally recorded (T42).

Next, the reservation cooking conditions of the rice cooker 3 are set by the operation part 71 . In this case, the setting is not set to the time reservation (timer) cooking mode but to the position corresponding reservation cooking mode, so the user uses the operation unit 71 to set the scheduled time to return home. Specifically, the reservation key 76 is pressed, and the scheduled return time TB is input (in this case, not the time, but the designation of a time such as "in eight hours"). After that, when the cooking start button 59 is pressed as described above, the cooking reservation setting is confirmed at that time (T43). For example, assuming that the input is 19:30, the description of the scheduled return home time TB will be continued below.

Then, the cooking reservation setting information L2 is transmitted from the rice cooker 3 to the electric power command device 6 (T44). The reservation setting conditions of the rice cooker 3 are recorded in the database for absent mode setting in the first storage unit 27 of the power command device 6 (T45). The information specifying the position corresponding to the reserved cooking mode is recorded in the above-mentioned database for setting the absence mode at the time point of T45.

Next, the electric power command device 6 reports the cooking reservation setting to the information communication terminal device 20 (referred to as "report A". T46). Here, information specifying which of the time-reserved cooking mode and the position-corresponding scheduled cooking mode is set is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 . However, when it is detected that the owner of the information communication terminal device 20 is still in the living space HA, this step T46 may be omitted. The power command device 6 also has a function of being able to grasp the home situation of the occupant, and this function will be described later. In addition, the electric power command device 6 reports to the rice cooker 3 that the content of the reservation cooking setting is registered in the database for setting the absent mode (T47). At this time, it is also reported which of the time reservation cooking mode and the position-corresponding cooking reservation mode is designated to be registered.

In the rice cooker 3, after receiving the report signal T47, the standby determination part 101 cuts off the power supply part 84 to the control apparatus 85, and the liquid crystal display part 64 also stops the operation, and enters a standby state (T48). In addition, this standby state is also referred to as a "waiting power cut-off state" because the contents of reservation settings such as operation start and operation suspension are changed in accordance with a remote operation command from the power command device 6 or the information communication terminal device 20. .

When the cooking reservation of the rice cooker 3 is set as described above, and both the occupant A and the occupant B go out, at least one of the occupants A or B is instructed to power in the stage before leaving the living space HA when going out. The display panel 24 of the device 6 is set to the "absent mode", and the operation of shutting off the power of the household electrical appliance EE is performed in order to suppress unnecessary power consumption during absence.

When the central control unit 27 senses the setting of the "absence mode" (T49), the central control unit 27 discriminates between home appliances that are completely cut off when not at home and electrical appliances that are not cut off (in this case, the meal Pot 3 is compliant). For this purpose, the target electrical equipment is specified using the data of the database for setting the out-of-home mode (T50).

Next, even if the air conditioner 4 is still in operation at this point in time, a command signal for stopping the operation is output to the power usage control unit 19 (T51), and the power supply of the household electrical appliances that completely cut off the power when not at home is also cut off. (T52). In addition, in the rice cooker 3, when the power supply of the power supply unit 84 using the power control unit 19 continues, but the use of the power control unit 19 is not driven by the power from the commercial power source EP, and another power source such as a rechargeable battery is secured, the rice cooker 3 can make the rice cooker 3. The main power switch 68 of the pot 3 is OFF.

Next, the air conditioner 4 transmits an operation state signal indicating that the operation is stopped to the power command device 6 (T53). The operation stop information is also transmitted from the power command device 6 to the information communication terminal device 20 ("report B", T54). Then, the air conditioner 4 turns off the main power switch (not shown) itself (T55).

FIG. 20 shows a situation that is continuous from the state of FIG. 19 , and shows a situation from a situation where both occupants A and B are out and no one is in their home (living space HA) to a situation after returning home. In addition, the situation of this FIG. 20 shows the example of the cooking which is reserved in accordance with the reservation. However, this FIG. 20 shows the case where the position-corresponding reservation cooking mode is set.

When going out, at least one of the occupants A or B sets the "absent mode" on the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 at the stage before leaving the living space HA, and inputs the scheduled time to return home. For example, the scheduled time to go home is set at 19:30. In addition, the scheduled time for returning home may be set or changed from the destination of going out through the information communication terminal device 20 . The scheduled time to return home is reflected in the absentee mode setting database of the power command device 6 at any time. In addition, when returning home at the same time period as every day, when setting the "absent-home mode", instead of inputting the scheduled return time every time (every day, every time), it may be set automatically. It is pre-registered in the database for setting of the absent mode for a mode of one time.

Although 19:30 is input as the scheduled return time TB of the rice cooker 3 , this time and the scheduled return time set on the display panel 24 may not match. The rice cooker 3 operates based on the data of the scheduled return time input to the rice cooker 3 .

The power command device 6 monitors whether or not the scheduled return home time TB (19:30) is approaching using the data of the database for setting the absence mode, and it is determined that it is before the scheduled time (for example, 65 minutes) as the scheduled return time (T56). ), and transmits a command signal to the rice cooker 3 to restore power from the standby power cut-off state (T57). That is, the transmission time of this T57 is 18:25. In addition, the above-mentioned 65 minutes is the time determined by adding 5 minutes of "excess time" to the maximum expected time 60 minutes required for cooking rice.

Furthermore, the power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that a command to restore the rice cooker 3 has been issued (“report C”, T58 ). At this time, for the sake of prudence, the data representing the position information indicating the installation place of the power command device 6 may not be transmitted. The reason for this is that since the information communication terminal device 20 is initially set as described above, the position information is already registered on the information communication terminal device 20 side.

In the rice cooker 3, since the standby determination part 101 has returned from the standby power cutoff state, the power supply from the power supply part 84 to the control part 85 is restarted (T59).

Since the above-mentioned report C arrives at the information communication terminal device 20 held by the resident B at the destination, when the predetermined approval information is returned from the information communication terminal device 20 (T60), the power command device 6 transmits the permission reservation to the rice cooker 3. A signal for the start of the cooking operation (heating cooking start permission signal KS) (T21). The example in FIG. 20 is a case where the position-based cooking reservation mode is set, so even if the signal KS for permitting the start of the cooking reservation operation is not transmitted, the distance information calculation unit in the information communication terminal device 20 147 automatically calculates the distance between the information communication terminal device 20 and the power command device 6, and transmits the distance determination information as the calculation result to the power command device 6 (as a distance determination information signal) (T60).

The control unit 134 of the information communication terminal device 20 also has a function of monitoring the temporal change of the “distance determination information signal” calculated by the distance information calculation unit 147 as described above, and a function of calculating the moving speed of the information communication terminal device 20 . Therefore, "moving speed information" is also transmitted at the same time as the "distance determination information signal" is transmitted. Alternatively, the operation of transmitting "moving speed information" is performed immediately after the signal is transmitted. Therefore, in the power command device 6 that has received the "distance determination information signal" and the "moving speed information" from the information communication terminal device 20, the power command device 6 can calculate and obtain the position where the information communication terminal device 20 has moved to reach itself. estimated time.

The electric power command device 6 refers to the database for setting the absentee mode, and transmits the information of the calculated estimated time until returning home to the rice cooker 3 set in the position corresponding reservation cooking mode (T61).

However, in the first embodiment, the power command device 6 is interposed between the information communication terminal device 20 and the rice cooker 3, and the communication is not configured directly. In the case of the method of direct communication between the wireless LAN device installed in the living space and the router A13A, the rice cooker 3 side of the first embodiment can also obtain information by receiving the above-mentioned "distance determination information signal" and "moving speed information" The time when the communication terminal device 20 moves and reaches the installation position of the rice cooker 3 . In other words, when the power command device 6 does not have the function of calculating the time required for the occupant to return to the living space HA (the time required for the information communication terminal device 20 to move to the living space) based on the distance determination information signal and the moving speed information , the determination of the required time is performed in the rice cooker 3 .

The rice cooker 3 calculates the time suitable for starting the cooking operation based on the relationship between the time required for the occupant to return to the living space HA (time for the information communication terminal device 20 to move to the living space) and the current time.

For example, if the current time is 18:30 and the time required to go home (estimated time) is 3 hours and 30 minutes (ie, the estimated time to go home is 22:00), even if the cooking starts to finish The time (the maximum time considering the amount of cooked rice) is assumed to be 1 hour, and it is too early to start the cooking action immediately (at 18:30). Therefore, the control part 85 determines the cooking start time TN as "21:00" which is one hour before the above-mentioned 22:00. Then, the information that the start time of the scheduled cooking is 21:00 and the scheduled completion time is 21:00 is transmitted to the power command device 6 (the timing is indicated by the symbol TG1).

Although it has been described that the distance information calculation unit 147 has the function of calculating the distance to the target object (the living space HA in this example) based on the position information of the living space HA and the information of the current position of the information communication terminal device 20, The distance information (distance determination information) calculated here does not need to be calculated in units of 1 m to several m, but may be calculated with an accuracy of about 100 m or 500 m, for example. The reason for this is that, regardless of whether the occupant is moving by public transportation means such as a private car or a bus, or when moving on foot, if the initial distance is large, the accuracy does not need to be so high. Therefore, the information indicated by the distance determination information signal first transmitted from the portable information communication device 20 to the rice cooker 3 via the power command device 6 may be used. In the case of the distance, the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 automatically changes the accuracy of the subsequent movement speed information and the unit of the grasped distance.

In addition, when the power command device 6 receives the distance determination information signal and the moving speed information from the portable information communication device 20, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 may convert it into an index corresponding to the magnitude of the distance, and convert it into an index corresponding to the magnitude of the distance. Transfer to the 3 side of the rice cooker. For example, it is defined in advance that the distance division (distance code) 1 means 100 m to 200 m, and the division 2 means 201 m to 400 m, and the division is sent to the rice cooker 3 . Similarly, the estimated speed per unit time is also graded (coded), and the estimated arrival time can be calculated from the rice cooker 3 side using two codes such as "30 to 40 minutes". In addition, the operation of calculating the estimated arrival time on the rice cooker 3 side is not only performed once, but data processing may be performed at fixed time intervals, each calculation may be performed, and subsequent processing may be performed using the last calculated distance (the cooking start time is appropriate). or not).

In this way, the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 has the time (the information communication terminal device 20 moves to the living space) which changes according to the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device 20 (the time required for the occupant to return home) The function of determining whether the cooking start time is appropriate or not based on the relationship between the time) and the current time.

In addition, it has a function of automatically changing the cooking start time according to the determination result. In addition, the actual operation time of the rice cooker 3 (times of steps H1 to H3 shown in FIG. 9 ) varies depending on the temperature of the water, the amount of water, the amount of rice, etc. in the pot in which the rice is added at the start of cooking, so even if the cooking starts The time is the same, and it is not always possible to finish cooking after a fixed time.

For example, in the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3, the "time required for cooking" from the "water absorption step" to the "rice stewing step" according to the amount of cooked rice varies slightly depending on the ambient temperature, etc. ) cooking rice is a standard cooking method and data such as 60 minutes are kept, so the time until the start of the heat preservation process can be known. However, the time required for cooking the rice is not determined before the cooking process, but is determined after the cooking is performed.

In addition, the load of the heater 61 (the amount of rice to be cooked) varies depending on the amount of rice and water added to the inner pot 60, the water temperature, and the like, so the control unit 85 cannot predict before the rice-simmering step (see H1: FIG. 9 ). The time required for cooking the rice is estimated from the rise curve of the water temperature after the start of energization of the heater 61 and the magnitude of the rise rate.

Therefore, in the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3, when determining the time required for cooking the rice and determining the time to start cooking the rice, 5 minutes are added in advance as the "excess time" as described above, and the time required for the cooking is added. 60 minutes are specified, and the cooking start time is determined on the premise of this total value (65 minutes). That is, this 65 minutes is a time which takes into consideration the variation in the amount of cooked rice and the like.

Therefore, using the distance obtained from the distance determination information signal, the time required for the resident to return home is obtained, and the cooking operation is started within the required time (for example, 3 hours and 30 minutes = 210 minutes in the above example). When the time TQ required for cooking is set to be 60 minutes, the cooking start time that matches the timing of the completion of the cooking operation and the timing of the return home time is 150 minutes from that time (=210 minutes - TQ60 minutes). Using the distance obtained from the distance determination information signal in this way, the control unit 85 calculates the estimated time for the occupant B who has the information communication terminal device 20 to move to the living space HA, and estimates the time when the occupant returns to the living space based on the estimated time. "The Moment of Arrival". In addition, there is a method that determines the timing to start the rice cooking operation (in the above example, the start time is 21:00) so that the rice cooking operation including the rice cooking process is completed at the estimated time (for example, 9:00 p.m.). Function.

The process of setting the start time of cooking is performed so that the time until the time of returning home (arrival) assumed in this way is as short as possible. In the case where the above adjustment operation is not performed, for example, when the rice cooker 3 automatically starts the cooking operation at 19:30 at the scheduled return time TB set when going out, at 20:30 The cooking action is completed before and after, and the rice cooker 3 continues the heat preservation process for about 1 hour and 30 minutes from now until 22:00. This is also not preferable from the viewpoint of energy saving, and may also affect the taste of the rice.

The electric power command device 6 reflects the information of the cooking scheduled start time TN (eg, 20:00) and the cooking completion scheduled time (21:00) obtained in this way in the absentee mode setting database (TG2). When the registration to the database is completed, the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 preferably displays the result that the time when the cooking operation is started or completed is automatically adjusted in characters and numbers. 24 will be described later, while the LCD screen 26 displays the second reservation operation confirmation information 125 indicated by the characters of "reservation" during the home mode on the liquid crystal display screen 26. Here, in addition to the character information of "reservation", the second reservation operation confirmation information 125 may be displayed. A part of the reservation cooking conditions such as "20:00 cooking start time" is displayed. That is, since the result of adjusting the reservation operation (rice cooking) condition of the rice cooker 3 is thereby reported, the user's confirmation can also be easily performed. In addition, it is preferable that this 2nd reservation operation confirmation information 125 is performed immediately after reservation cooking conditions are changed.

The power command device 6 transmits the information of the scheduled cooking start time TN (21:00) and the scheduled completion time (22:00) to the information communication terminal device 20 (reports C1, TG3).

Furthermore, in the rice cooker 3, after the information of the scheduled cooking start time TN (21:00) and the cooking completion scheduled time (22:00) is sent to the power command device 6, the standby determination unit 101 makes the The power supply unit 84 of the control device 85 is cut off, and the liquid crystal display unit 64 also stops its operation and enters a standby state (TG4).

The power command device 6 monitors whether or not the start time TN (21:00) of the rice cooker 3 is close to the scheduled cooking time using the data of the database for setting the absent mode, and when it is determined to be the scheduled cooking time (for example, 5 minutes) Previously, a command signal (TG5) for restoring the power from the standby power cutoff state is transmitted to the rice cooker 3.

In the rice cooker 3, since the standby determination part 101 has returned from the standby power cutoff state, the power supply from the power supply part 84 to the control part 85 is restarted (TG6).

The rice cooker 3 starts to energize the heating unit 61 (T63), and transmits an operation information signal L5 indicating that the reserved cooking is started at 20:00 as scheduled to the power command device 6 (T64).

The central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 receives the signal L5, and stores the rice cooker 3 in the monitoring target list of the basic database in order to monitor the operating state and the power amount of the rice cooker 3 (T65).

When the rice cooking process is completed and the rice stewing process is also completed, the rice cooker 3 proceeds to the heat preservation process (T66), and transmits the operation information signal L7 indicating the completion of the rice stewing process to the power command device 6 (T67).

The central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 receives the above-mentioned signal L7, updates the monitoring object list of the basic database, and the rice cooker 3 reflects the completion of the scheduled cooking in the database (T68).

Furthermore, the electric power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that the reservation cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 is completed ("report D", T69).

After that, the resident B first returns home, performs an unlocking operation on the electronic lock of the entrance, and unlocks the personal authentication device 34 by outputting an unlocking operation signal based on the input data for unlocking the electronic lock 33 of the entrance. The occupant B who has returned to the living space HA in this way releases the "absent mode" on the display panel 24 and returns to the "at home mode" (T70).

At this time, upon receiving the signal for canceling the absence mode, the central control unit 27 displays on the liquid crystal display screen 26 information that can identify the household electrical appliance EE that has started its operation during the absence. In addition, it is also displayed whether or not the household electrical appliance EE, which is set to start operation when not at home, starts and ends as scheduled (T71). In addition, the display content of the liquid crystal display screen 26 in this case is demonstrated in detail in FIGS. 22-26.

19 and FIG. 20 , when the resident B cancels the absent mode when returning home, the occupant B can perform an operation on the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 for canceling the absent mode. And visually confirm the information that can identify the home appliance EE (rice cooker 3) that should start operating when not at home, and the information indicating whether the home appliance (rice cooker 3) starts and ends in the location-based cooking mode according to the reservation. information.

When it is assumed that the cooking operation is not performed after step T63, the rice cooker 3 cooperates with the power command device 6 as described in FIG. 18, and transmits the fact that the cooking operation is not performed to the information communication terminal device 20 .

Hereinafter, this operation procedure will be described with reference to FIG. 21 .

In FIG. 21 , the power command device 6 monitors whether or not the proper cooking start time TN, which is the scheduled cooking start time TN calculated in advance by the rice cooker 3 using the data of the absentee mode setting database, is approaching, and it is determined that it is the time. Before the predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) of TN (T56), a command signal for restoring the power from the standby power-off state is transmitted to the rice cooker 3 (T57). As described above, when the start time TN of the reserved cooking is 21:00, T57 is 20:55.

Furthermore, the power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that a command to restore the rice cooker 3 has been issued (“report C”, T58 ).

In the rice cooker 3, since the standby determination part 101 has returned from the standby power cutoff state, the power supply from the power supply part 84 to the control part 85 is restarted (T59).

The above-mentioned report C arrives at the information communication terminal device 20 held by the resident B at the destination, so when the predetermined approval information is returned from the information communication terminal device 20 (T60), the power command device 6 transmits the permission reservation to the rice cooker 3. A signal for starting the cooking operation (heating cooking start permission signal KS) (T61). In addition, as a method, the step of returning the consent information may be omitted and the heating and cooking start permission signal KS may be automatically transmitted, or if the consent information is not sent after waiting for a certain short period of time, it may be deemed that the consent has been received. Advance processing. The reason for this is that there is also a case where the resident B who carries the information communication terminal device 20 cannot immediately return the information in a situation such as driving a car. The signal for sending back the approval information is also one of the "remote operation signals from the information communication terminal device for the household electrical appliance" referred to in the present invention.

When the rice cooker 3 receives the permission signal KS, the control device 85 starts energizing the heating unit 61 (T63) at the stage when it is determined that it is the scheduled cooking start time (TN) (T62), and starts cooking.

However, even if the rice cooker 3 does not start the cooking operation for any reason even after receiving the operation start permission signal KS for the reservation of cooking rice (T63), the operation is performed as follows. In addition, the reason why the cooking operation is not started is explained in FIG. 18 , so the explanation is omitted.

When the control device 85 determines that the rice cooker 3 is at the scheduled cooking start time (TN) (T62), the power supply to the heating unit 61 should be started to start the cooking operation, but the rice cooking operation is not started. (T63), the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 checks whether or not the start information for the scheduled cooking is received from the rice cooker 3 (multiple times) after the scheduled cooking start time (TN) (T64).

Then, if the start information of the scheduled cooking has not been received within 5 minutes from the scheduled cooking start time (TN), it is presumed that the scheduled cooking has not been started due to the problem of the rice cooker 3 itself, and the power command device 6 The central control unit 27 of the basic database stores the rice cooker 3 in the monitoring object list of the basic database (T65).

Then, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 reports to the information communication terminal device 20 that the reservation cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 is not completed ("report D", T66). Furthermore, the central control part 27 also transmits the inquiry signal of the implementation state to the rice cooker 3 several times after that in order to confirm the "implementation state" of (rice cooking operation) (T67, T68). This inquiry is continued for a maximum of 6 hours from the cooking start time (TN) (for example, it is repeated at least at 30-minute intervals).

In the rice cooker 3, when the communication function etc. fail and cannot communicate, the control part 85 acquires the information, such as prohibiting the start of operation, for example because the water level sensor 89 detects abnormality (T72).

The rice cooker 3 integrates the acquired (rice cooking operation) non-execution history information to the power command device 6 (T73). The signal at this time is the "reservation cooking failure report signal" LN.

Upon receipt of the transmission result, the power command device 6 reports information such as the reason why the rice cooker 3 has not completed the reservation cooking operation to the information communication terminal device 20 ("report E", T74).

After that, the occupant B (may be another occupant) returns home, performs an unlocking operation on the electronic lock of the entrance, and according to the input data for unlocking the electronic lock 33 of the entrance, the personal authentication device 34 outputs an unlocking operation signal to unlock the door. The occupant B who has returned to the living space HA in this way releases the "absent mode" on the display panel 24 and returns to the "at home mode" (T75).

At this time, in response to the signal for canceling the absence mode, the central control unit 27 displays on the liquid crystal display screen 26 information that can identify the household electrical appliance EE that has started operating while away from home (in addition, an audio notification is also made by the audio guidance device). In addition, it is also displayed whether or not the household electrical appliance EE, which is set to start operation when not at home, starts and ends as scheduled (T76). In the example of this FIG. 21, although the rice cooker 3 has made the reservation to cook, it is reported that the cooking has not been completed. In addition, the display content of the liquid crystal display screen 26 in this case is demonstrated in detail in FIGS. 22-26.

As can be seen from the description of FIG. 21 , when the resident B cancels the absent mode at the time of returning home, the occupant B can also simultaneously view the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 on which the operation to cancel the absent mode is performed. The information which can identify the home electric appliance EE (rice cooker 3 ) to be started when not at home and the information indicating whether the home electric appliance (rice cooker 3 ) starts and ends as scheduled are visually confirmed. In addition, before returning home, the resident B reported that no rice was cooked as in the two reports D and E. Therefore, the resident B who performed the cooking reservation for the rice cooker B noticed that the rice cooker 3, In addition, since it is reported when returning home, there is almost no situation where the rice and water are left in the rice cooker 3 in the same state as when they were added for a long time without forgetting.

After that, confirmation information that the reserved cooking of the rice cooker 3 is not performed is transmitted again to the information communication terminal device 20 of the resident B ("report F", T77). This is a safety measure that also assumes a situation where occupants other than occupant B go home first. The resident B who has received the report F can make appropriate confirmations such as making a phone call or sending an email to the other resident who went home first, requesting to observe the appearance of the rice cooker 3, or requesting to refill water and cook rice, etc. Improved instructions, resulting in high convenience.

(The liquid crystal display screen of the display panel 24)

20 to 24 are diagrams showing the details of the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 . In these figures, 110 is the maximum allowable electric power information indicating the value of the rated capacity (first upper limit capacity: 8000 W) of the circuit breaker BK permitted to be used in the home, and 111 is the current use of the home. Displays information about the current power usage of the power usage. In addition, power margin value information 112 (not shown) indicating the margin of the currently used power value with respect to the maximum allowable power value may be displayed.

113 is a setting key which can select one of four levels of the maximum allowable electric power of the household, and each key 113 displays the electric power amount indicating the content of each setting key. In the state of Fig. 22, only the 4000W key is displayed with white characters, so the power usage limit is half of the predetermined capacity (8000W) of the circuit breaker BK.

These setting keys 113 include touch keys of an electrostatic capacitance type or the like, and only in the case of touchable input, characters (eg, 4000W) indicating the outline and part of the function of the keys are visually displayed. In other words, in a state where input is impossible, the input key itself is not displayed or is displayed slightly to the extent that it is almost impossible to visually recognize. In fact, a capacitive input key is formed on the glass plate covering the surface of the liquid crystal display screen 26, and when a key at a predetermined position is touched, an input signal corresponding to the key is supplied from the operation input unit 25 to the central control unit 27.

114 is used equipment display information indicating the name and abbreviation of the household electrical appliance EE that is the control target of the electric power command device 6, including the name 114A of the induction heating cooker 51, the name 114B of the rice cooker 3, and the like, which are displayed in the display area 122. displayed in a list. The farther the left side of the used device display information 114 is displayed, the higher the priority in terms of power securing.

115 is a use display part which lights up when electric power is being used, ie, when it is currently being used. In FIG. 20 , it can be seen that the air conditioner 4 and the lighting fixture are used. In addition, the numerical value displayed in the vicinity of the usage display unit 115 is the amount of electric power used, for example, the average electric power value of the past one minute is displayed for every one minute. In addition, when the priority of the household electrical appliance EE is set, the screen display structure may be such that the names of the respective household electrical appliances set to be set are displayed from left to right in the order of the highest priority. Thereby, the user can immediately recognize the household electrical appliance with a high priority.

116 is an information key. When the user touches the information key, the liquid crystal display screen 26 displays information such as power-related information for reference to the user in this situation, a cooking method for efficiently using power, a temperature setting method for an air conditioner, and the like. .

When it is displayed on the liquid crystal display screen 26 that an abnormality or failure occurs in the household electrical appliance EE, when the information key 116 is pressed, the failure, Abnormal content.

117 is a help mode key, and when the user touches this key, information for reference to the user's operation in this situation is displayed, and the correct operation method is reported by voice through a voice guidance device (not shown) provided separately. In addition, when the key is pressed multiple times, the viewing method, input method, and the like of the liquid crystal display screen 26 are displayed on the entire liquid crystal display screen 26 by a schematic diagram and characters.

In FIG. 22 , it can be seen that the induction heating cooker 51 is currently stopped due to an abnormality. Unlike the usage device display information of other home appliances, only the induction heating cooker 51 is displayed in white characters, and the usage display unit 115 is changed to an abnormality display unit 118 that displays characters indicating that an abnormality has occurred.

In the display area 122 for displaying information using equipment, there is an advice area 119 for displaying checkpoints for power saving, abnormalities, failures, safety information, and the like of other household electrical appliances EE. In this advice area 119 , as shown in FIG. 22 , the presence of the household electrical appliance EE (for example, the induction heating cooker 51 ) that has occurred an abnormality and has been stopped urgently is displayed in characters.

In FIG. 22 , the selection key (operation unit) 120 is a key for selecting the stay-at-home mode for setting the optimal living environment when the occupant returns home. In the vicinity of the right side of the selection key 120, a selection key 121 for switching to an away-from-home mode (also referred to as "outgoing mode") is arranged.

By pressing the selection key 120, a predetermined setting command of the absent mode is given to the control unit 27, so the selection key is hereinafter referred to as "absent mode selection means". Further, by pressing the selection key (operation unit) 121, a predetermined home mode setting command is given to the central control unit 125, and hence the selection key will be referred to as "home mode selection means" hereinafter.

The above-mentioned absentee mode selection unit 121 will be described. This key is a key that is convenient to use when all the occupants go out, for example, when the family goes out shopping or traveling together.

When the absent mode selection unit 121 is pressed from the state of FIG. 22 , the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 operates as shown in FIG. 23 , and the display content of the liquid crystal display screen 26 changes.

A case where the resident wants to set the absence mode in order to go out will be described.

In FIG. 23 , when the above-mentioned absentee mode selection unit 121 is pressed, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 starts to operate according to a predetermined control program to set the absentee mode. Then, the central control unit 27 checks whether or not there is a record of the acquisition of abnormality monitoring data in the first storage unit 27A.

Then, if there is a record of acquiring the abnormality monitoring data, it means that the equipment in the household electrical equipment EE has abnormality in the past. Therefore, before going out of the whole house, in order to confirm the latest situation, the center of the power command device 6 The control unit 27 transmits a status confirmation signal at the current time from the above-described power command device 6 to the induction heating cooker 51 similarly to the command signal for the reduction of the total electric power of the household electrical appliance EE (the induction heating cooker 51 , etc.).

Next, a notification signal (response signal) indicating that the operation has been stopped is sent from the induction heating cooker 51 side, or the power supply has been completely cut off and there is no response. From this, it can be seen that the induction heating cooker 51 has also been stopped at the latest time point on the power command device 6 side.

Next, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 completes the setting of the away-from-home mode in the stage where the stop of the induction heating cooker 51 is confirmed, and after a predetermined period of time (for example, 10 minutes later), starts to "Batch power OFF operation" to cut off the power of household electrical appliances EE in the house at the same time.

The power supply of all the household electrical appliances EE is not cut off at the same time, but the timing of cutting off the power supply may be delayed for lighting fixtures and the like that are preferably turned on when the occupant goes out, such as lighting in front of the entrance. In other words, the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 shuts off the household appliances that are exceptions set by the occupant in advance, that is, household appliances that should continue to operate with power supply except when going out (for example, refrigerators, seawater insulation for tropical ornamental fish, etc.) Power supply to other household electrical appliances other than electric heaters and electrical appliances for lighting, etc. (in addition, some household electrical appliances are not completely cut off, and some household appliances are placed in a so-called standby mode to supply small power).

Next, the central control unit 27 checks whether or not an occupant remains in the living space with the human detection unit 31 having a human-sensing sensor, and in the case of detecting the presence of a human, the central control unit 27 uses the speaker ( not shown) to issue an alarm. For example, there are cases where a large pet (animal) is left in a room and goes out, or the person detection unit 31 erroneously detects the pet as an occupant. In such a case, a specific human sensor sensor is changed. Input operations such as sensitivity to avoid false detection of such pets. In addition, the required time from when the above-mentioned absent mode selection key 121 is pressed to when the above-mentioned alarm is issued may be within 1 minute. The reason for this is that if the alarm timing is slow, when the alarm is received, all the occupants go outside and the alarm is not detected.

Next, when the presence of the occupant is not detected by the person detection unit 31 and the central control unit 27 confirms that the locking of the electronic lock 33 of the entrance is completed based on the signal from the home detection unit 32, the central control unit 27 stores the storage device of the database managed at home. Part of the data change in 28, regarding all occupants, instructs to change the data from "at home" to "absence". At this point in time, the central control unit 27 enters the "absent-home mode".

In this "absent-home mode", the central control unit 27 maintains the cutoff of the power supply to the various household electrical appliances EE, or maintains a forced hold state in which the minimum power supply is permitted (so-called standby state), but It does not accept the actual operation start input for making the original functions (heating, air conditioning) of various household appliances work.

After entering the absence mode, the central control unit 27 outputs an operation command of the monitoring mode to the environment detection unit 30 while the absence mode is being executed so as to monitor whether there is any abnormality in the living space HA. Correspondingly, the environment detection unit 30 performs measurement and monitoring of the temperature, humidity, etc. of the living space and recording operations of the measurement data at predetermined time intervals (for example, every few minutes). In addition, regarding the environmental measurement data, the internal memory of the environmental detection unit 30 may temporarily store a certain amount of information, and then the stored data may be automatically transferred to the second storage unit 27B or the storage device 28 described above.

On the other hand, when the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 confirms that the lock of the electronic lock of the entrance has been released based on the signal from the home detection unit 32 and the presence of a person is detected by the person detection unit 31, the central control The unit 27 determines that the occupant has returned home, and automatically cancels the above-mentioned "absence mode" partially, and lights the entrance lighting or the like. When the occupant touches the "home mode selection means" 120 located on the front of the housing of the display panel 24, the home mode is completely restored, so that each household electrical appliance EE in the home can be used (but not all occupants can use all household electrical appliances, Rather, only specific occupants can use dedicated home appliances).

Next, the selection key 121 and the use status display information area 122 in the case where the above-mentioned "absent-home mode" is set will be described.

In the state of the home mode (ie, before switching to the home mode), the push-button keys (operation part) 120 clearly display the outline of the keys and the names of the keys as shown in FIG. 22 . On the other hand, the absence mode selection unit 121 is displayed in an inconspicuous state on the surface of the display panel 24 as shown in FIG. 22 . Although the outline representing the operation part of the selection key 121 is barely visible, characters representing a function such as "selecting the absent mode" are clearly displayed.

Next, when the absent mode selection unit 121 is touched from this state, as shown in Fig. 23, a selection key 123 displaying a character representing the function of "batch power OFF" appears first.

Although the user can already confirm the abnormality of the induction heating cooker 51 by the display of the abnormality display information 118 in the use state display information area 122 in the state of FIG. 22 , the liquid crystal display screen 26 is switched to the state of FIG. The display of the abnormal display information 118 is continued even in the stage, so there is almost no possibility that the user (occupant) will miss it.

In this way, the abnormality display information 118 corresponding to the abnormality-occurring device display information refers to one or more pieces of information that can be used to identify abnormal home appliances (including exercise measurement devices and health management devices, etc.) through visual information such as characters and graphics. .

In the example of FIG. 23 , in order to indicate that the induction heating cooker 51 is abnormal, abnormality display information 118 is displayed just above the name display part of the induction heating cooker 51 .

Therefore, the user can go directly to the site to confirm the state of the induction heating cooker 51 . Then, when it is confirmed that the induction heating cooker 51 has definitely stopped based on the result of the actual confirmation, the user touches the above-mentioned selection key 123 (hereinafter referred to as "batch power OFF key").

Next, as shown in FIG. 24 , on the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24, the information 114B indicating the name of the induction heating cooker 51 described above has disappeared. Therefore, when the absence mode selection unit 121 is then touched in this state, the display of the batch power OFF key is changed to a state where the display of the batch power OFF key is slightly visible, and the operation part of the absence mode selection unit 121 is changed to the “absence mode” instead. "Confirm" characters are clearly displayed in the form, so the user can easily understand that the setting of the away-from-home mode is complete.

As shown in FIG. 24 , the reason for disappearing the information 114B indicating the name of the induction heating cooker 51 is that when the batch power OFF is set, if such information 114B is displayed, the user may misunderstand that there is a The power supply of the above-mentioned induction heating cooker 51 can be unconditionally turned off by remote operation in the stages of "batch power OFF key" and "absent-home mode determination".

In Fig. 23, 124 is the first reserved operation confirmation information indicated by the characters "reservation operation completed". This information indicates that the rice cooker 3 has been set as a result of making a reservation to cook the rice, and the rice cooker has ended at that point in time.

Next, FIG. 24 shows the liquid crystal display screen 26 in the case where the away mode is set from the at home mode. In this FIG. 24, 125 is the 2nd reservation operation confirmation information shown by the character of "reservation". This information indicates that the rice cooker 3 has not yet finished cooking at that time, as a result of making the cooking reservation setting for the rice cooker 3 .

Next, FIG. 25 shows the liquid crystal display screen 26 in the case where the occupant returns from the outgoing destination and releases the away mode and switches to the stay mode. In this FIG. 25, 126 is the 3rd reserved operation confirmation information shown by the character of "uncompleted". This information indicates that the rice cooking has not been completed at the time when the rice cooker 3 is scheduled to cook.

Next, FIG. 26 shows the liquid crystal display screen 26 in the case where the occupant returns from the outgoing destination, cancels the away mode and switches to the stay mode, similarly to FIG. 25 . In this Fig. 26, 126 is the third reserved operation confirmation information as described above.

In this FIG. 26, different from the display content of the advice area 119 of FIG. 25, the meaning that the rice cooker 3 has not completed the reservation cooking is displayed in characters, and the attention to the resident returning home is realized.

(Summary of Embodiment 1)

As can be seen from the above description, the rice cooker 3 in Embodiment 1 is the following rice cooker, characterized in that it includes:

The (induction heating type) heater 61 becomes an electric heating source;

The input operation unit 71 can designate a reservation operation mode in which the operation starts at a predetermined time, and includes a dedicated reservation key 76;

The wireless transmission unit 90 transmits the cooking operation completion report signal to the outside (Fig. 12. The operation information signal L7);

a receiving unit 90 for wirelessly receiving an inquiry signal of the cooking reservation status from the outside; and

The control unit 83 receives the designation of the reservation operation mode from the input operation unit 71, controls the heater 61, and detects whether the operation in the reservation operation mode is completed or not,

When the control unit 83 receives from the receiving unit 90 (transmitted from the information communication terminal device 20 or the power command device 6 ) an inquiry signal ( FIG. 18 . Timing T27 ) of the cooking reservation status (transmitted from the information communication terminal device 20 or the power command device 6 ), the control unit 83 sends the information from the transmitting unit 90 A report signal indicating the operation status of the above-mentioned reserved operation mode is transmitted (refer to T30. FIG. 18 ).

Furthermore, the control unit 83 of the rice cooker 3 calculates the time required for the occupant to return to the living space HA based on the distance determination information signal and the moving speed information transmitted from the information communication terminal device 20 (the information communication terminal device 20 time to move to the living space).

Moreover, it has the function which calculates the time suitable for starting the cooking operation based on the relationship between the time required for the occupant to return to the living space HA and the current time ( FIG. 20 . TG1 ). Then, when the calculated time TB is reached, the cooking operation is started ( FIG. 19 . T63 ).

Furthermore, in the rice cooker 3 of Embodiment 1,

The transmitting unit 90 and the receiving unit 90 described above are configured as one power control unit 19,

The above-mentioned used power control unit 19 is configured to transmit the command signal AS2 for power reduction received from the above-mentioned receiving unit 90 to the above-mentioned control unit 85 .

Furthermore, the rice cooker 3 according to the first embodiment further includes the NFC input/output unit 81 which is in a state of establishing short-range wireless communication with the communication unit of the information communication terminal device 20 independently of the transmission unit 90 and the reception unit 90 described above. .

The control unit 83 is configured to transmit a predetermined operation information signal ( FIG. 12 . L2 ) from the transmission unit 90 when the user selects the reservation cooking mode with the reservation key 76 .

The said control means 83 has the structure which transmits the predetermined operation information signal (refer L3, step S7 of FIG. 13) for advance notice before starting the cooking operation according to the reservation cooking mode designated by the user.

The control unit 83 is configured to transmit a predetermined operation information signal (refer to L5, Fig. 12 ) for reporting the start of the process when the cooking process is started in accordance with the scheduled cooking mode, and during the cooking process, Even if the power reduction command signal from the outside is received, the power is not reduced.

Furthermore, the power command device 6 in the first embodiment is characterized by including:

the electric power control unit 23, to limit the total electric power in the household by sending a power reduction command signal to the household electrical appliances (including the rice cooker 3) that can set the scheduled operation operation;

The receiving unit (input/output unit) 29A receives the remote operation signal and the distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device 20 and the setting signal for the scheduled cooking operation from the above-mentioned rice cooker 3 (refer to FIG. 16 . Including the reference to start cooking Information of time TA. T4) and the completion signal of the reservation cooking action (refer to Fig. 17. T27. Fig. 20. T67);

a reporting unit (display panel) 24 for reporting power information such as the power consumption of the household and information specifying the household electrical appliances for which the scheduled operation is set, respectively; and

The central control unit 27 controls the above-mentioned power control unit 23 and the above-mentioned reporting unit 24,

The central control unit 27 changes the conditions for the reservation of cooking (the start time of the cooking operation) based on the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal of the information communication terminal device 20 in the rice cooker 3, or when the central control unit 27 The distance indicated by the distance determination information signal of the above-mentioned information communication terminal device 20 calculates the required time until returning home and transmits the required time information to the rice cooker 3. The result of the transmission indicates that the rice cooker 3 has changed the reservation for cooking. In the case of information on the condition (starting time of the cooking operation) (refer to Fig. 20. TG1), the information indicating the changed pre-cooking condition is stored (registered in the database: refer to Fig. 20. TG2), and then the pre-cooking condition is stored. The change in the conditions of the meal is reported to the above-mentioned information communication terminal device 20 (refer to FIG. 20. Reports C1 and TG3),

The central control unit 27 has not received the completion signal of the scheduled cooking operation (refer to FIG. 17 . T27 and T67 of FIG. 20 ) after the rice cooker 3 that has issued the setting signal (refer to FIG. 16 . T4 ) for the scheduled cooking operation. ), the information specifying the rice cooker 3 can be reported by the reporting unit 24 (114A and 126 in FIGS. 22 to 26 ) (see FIGS. 23 and 24 ).

Furthermore, the electric power command device 6 in the first embodiment includes the stay-at-home detection unit 32 that receives the stay-at-home detection information (refer to FIG. 17 . T30 ) of the occupant,

The said central control part 27 is equipped with the structure which notifies the existence of the rice cooker 3 which has not completed the reservation cooking operation|movement by the said reporting means 24, when the said home detection part 32 receives a homecoming detection signal.

Furthermore, the operation management system of the household electrical appliance in Embodiment 1 is configured to include:

The rice cooker 3, which is one type of household electrical appliance, includes a first communication unit 90 for wireless communication and a heating source (induction heating heater) 61 that operates with electric energy;

The information communication terminal device 20 transmits a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal indicating the predetermined operating conditions of the rice cooker; and

The overall management device 6 acquires the operation information signals ( L1 to L8 ) from the above-mentioned rice cooker 3 ,

The above-mentioned rice cooker 3 includes: a control unit 83 for controlling the induction heating type heater 61;

The said overall management apparatus 6 has the display means (liquid crystal display screen) 26 which displays the operation state of the said rice cooker 3,

The above-mentioned rice cooker 3 has a function of receiving a distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device 20 via the above-mentioned overall management device 6, and changing the above-mentioned reserved operation conditions according to the distance indicated by the signal,

The said overall management apparatus 6 acquires the information which shows the change result of this reservation operation condition from the said rice cooker 3, and displays it on the said display means (liquid crystal display screen) 26.

Furthermore, the operation management system of the household electrical appliance in Embodiment 1 is characterized in that it includes:

The rice cooker 3, which is one type of household electrical appliance EE, includes a first communication unit 90 for wireless communication and a heating source (induction heating heater) 61 that operates with electric energy;

The power command device 6, which transmits the power reduction command signal AS2 to the first communication unit 90 of the household electrical appliance to limit the total power in the home; and

The information communication terminal device 20 transmits a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal indicating the reservation cooking conditions of the above-mentioned rice cooker 3,

The above-mentioned rice cooker 3 includes: a control unit 83 for controlling the above-mentioned heating source; and an operation input unit 71 for inputting a reservation setting input signal to the above-mentioned control unit 83 by operating a reservation key 76 in order to start the operation at a predetermined time. ,

Furthermore, the said rice cooker 3 has the function of judging whether the cooking start time is appropriate or not based on the distance indicated by the distance judgment information signal from the information communication terminal device 20, and the function of changing the cooking start time,

The electric power command device 6 has a display unit (liquid crystal display screen) 26 that acquires information indicating the change result of the reservation cooking conditions of the rice cooker 3 and displays the change result,

When there is a rice cooker 3 for which the reservation for cooking is not completed, the electric power command device 6 displays information ( 114A, 126 ) that can identify the rice cooker 3 on the display unit 26 according to the operation of the occupant.

Furthermore, the power command device 6 of the operation management system of the household electrical appliance according to the first embodiment is configured to include selection operation units 120 and 121 which can select the home mode and the home mode.

Furthermore, the operation management system of the household electrical appliance according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which, when the resident operates the selection operation units 120 and 121 when returning home, the display unit 26 displays the household electrical appliance (rice) indicating that the reservation setting is made. The information (114A, 125) of the pot 3) and the information (114C, 115) showing the household electrical appliance (air conditioner 4) in operation.

Furthermore, the operation management system of another household electrical appliance in Embodiment 1 is configured to include:

The rice cooker 3 includes a first communication unit 90 for wireless communication and a heating source (induction heating heater) 61 that operates using energy;

The power command device 5 has the second communication unit 29A that performs wireless communication with the first communication unit 90 of the rice cooker 3, and acquires the operation information signals L1 to L8; and

The information communication terminal device 20 transmits a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal indicating the reservation cooking conditions of the above-mentioned rice cooker 3,

The above-mentioned rice cooker 3 includes: a control unit 83 for controlling the heating source 61; and an operation input unit 71 for selecting a time-reserved (timer) cooking mode for starting a cooking operation at a predetermined time and a position-based cooking mode Rice Mode These two reserved cooking modes,

Furthermore, the above-mentioned rice cooker 3 has a function of judging whether the cooking start time is appropriate or not based on the distance indicated by the distance judgment information signal from the information communication terminal device 20 in the case of the position corresponding reservation cooking mode, and a function of adjusting the cooking start time. Function,

The above-mentioned electric power command device 5 includes: selection operation parts 120 and 121, which can select the home mode and the absent mode;

The overall management device 6 indicates whether or not the rice cooker 3 has completed cooking during the reservation operation mode when the resident performs a switching operation from the away mode to the home mode on the selection operation units 120 and 121. The operation information ( 114A, 126 ) is displayed on the above-mentioned display unit (liquid crystal display screen) 26 .

Furthermore, in the operation management system of the household electrical appliance according to the first embodiment, the overall management device 6 includes the acquisition of the operation information signal from the household electrical appliance (the induction heating cooker 51 ) that is stopped due to an abnormality while the stay-at-home mode is set (Abnormal occurrence report signal) ES displays information ( 114B, 118 ) that can identify the household electrical appliance (induction heating cooker 51 ) on the above-mentioned liquid crystal display screen 26 .

Furthermore, in the operation management system of the household electrical appliance according to the first embodiment, the overall management device 6 can specify the household electrical appliance when the household electrical appliance (rice cooker 3 ) in the reserved operation mode is provided while the stay-at-home mode is set. The device information (114A, 125) is displayed in the structure of the above-mentioned display unit.

In Embodiment 1 described above, from the side of the rice cooker 3 and the induction heating cooker 51 whose power consumption is limited by the power command device 6, whenever there is a change in operation such as the main power is turned on or heating cooking is started, a transmission as shown in the figure is sent. The operation information signals L1 to L8 described in Section 12 receive these signals, and the electric power command device 6 grasps the main power on, the selection of the cooking menu, the progress of the cooking process, etc. about the household electrical appliance EE such as the rice cooker 3, etc. In addition to this, a signal such as inquiring about the operation status may be transmitted from the power command device 6 side at regular time intervals. For example, the power command device 6 side may issue a command to request information such as required power and cooking progress status to the power usage control unit 19 at intervals of several seconds to 30 seconds.

In addition, the power control unit 19 described in Embodiment 1 may be fixed to the inside of the main body or the outer wall surface of the rice cooker 3 and the induction heating cooker 51 in the form of a communication adapter and used. The communication adapter may be a form of directly connecting to the power supply line (main line) 27 independently of the household electrical appliances EE such as the rice cooker 3 and the induction heating cooker 51 to obtain electric power from the power supply line, or may be an adapter of the household electrical appliance EE. A method in which the power supply circuit is branched in the middle and connected by a connecting unit such as a connector to obtain electric power. Since multiple adapters are used in one household, an identification number (adapter ID) unique to each adapter is added to each adapter, and only a specific adapter of the communication partner can be identified when viewed from the power command device 6 side.

The information transmitted from the above-mentioned information server 17 to the power command device 6 and the information communication terminal device 20 may include information (for the user) useful (for the user) related to the abnormality of the household electrical appliance EE, the response to the emergency automatic stop, and the recovery ( Including instructions and explanations of the special operation method for the restoration of the household electrical appliance EE, analysis results of the cause of the abnormality of the household electrical appliance EE, and useful information (for the user) related to prevention of recurrence, repair and inspection requests.

The wide area communication line network 15 is an arbitrary communication network capable of bidirectional communication. The communication network can be, for example, the Internet, a wired communication network, or a satellite communication network. In addition, different communication networks may be used for the transmission path from the home to the information server 17 (referred to as an “upstream communication path”) and conversely for the transmission path from the information server 17 to the home (referred to as a “downstream communication path”). .

In addition, the information communication terminal device 20 such as the high-performance mobile phone terminal described in Embodiment 1 can be used for either of the above-mentioned "uplink communication path" and "downlink communication path". For example, the rice cooker 3 and the induction heating cooker 51 may transmit signals indicating their own operating states, abnormality monitoring information, and the like to the power command device 6, and the power command device 6 may convert the power command device 6 into an appropriate state to indicate the operating state of the household electrical appliance EE. The high-speed communication signal is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 , and the information communication terminal device 20 reports the operating status of the rice cooker 3 , the induction heating cooker 51 and the like to the information server 17 via the wide area communication network 15 . Alternatively, the power command device 6 may report the operating state of the rice cooker 3 and the like to the information server 17 via the wide area communication line network 15 without interposing the information communication terminal device 20 .

Embodiment 2.

Next, Embodiment 2 shown in FIGS. 27 to 30 will be described.

27-30 is a flowchart which shows the operation|movement of the rice cooker 3 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Figs. 27 and 28 show operations in the "time-reserved cooking mode", and Figs. 29 and 30 illustrate operations in the "position-based scheduled cooking mode". In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the part which is the same as or equivalent to Embodiment 1, and the repeated description is abbreviate|omitted.

In the second embodiment, the overall management device (power command device) 6 shown in the first embodiment is not used, and the rice cooker 3 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to a communication terminal (an example of which is a home gateway) installed in the home. , and is connected to an external (outside living space) wide area communication line network 15 via the communication terminal.

In FIG. 27 , steps SV1 to SV19 are operations of the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 and the used power control unit 19 .

When the user connects the plug of the power cable to the power connection port and presses the operation button 68A of the main power switch 68, the main power switch 68 is turned ON (closed) (SV1). Then, the liquid crystal display unit 64 is activated (SV2).

Next, the reservation key 76 of the rice cooker 3 is pressed, and the "time reservation cooking mode" or the "position correspondence reservation cooking mode" is selected (SV3). In the case of the former mode, the cooking completion setting time TF is input. In addition, when the "location-based cooking reservation mode" is selected, the expected return time TB and the approximate conditions that the return time is several hours later are input.

When the time-reserved cooking mode is selected and the cooking start button 59 is finally pressed, a setting confirmation signal of the time-reserved cooking mode is input to the control unit 85, and the setting of the time-reserved cooking is finalized (SV4).

Assuming a case where the cooking completion setting time TF is set to 21:00, the following description will be given.

Upon receipt of the confirmation signal, in the next step SV5, the operation information signal L2 indicating the setting of the reserved cooking mode is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 90 to the outside. Finally, the transmission of the operation information signal L2 is confirmed by the information communication terminal device 20 initially set to communicate with the rice cooker 3 .

When the said operation information signal L2 is transmitted, the information which shows the cooking completion setting time TF is transmitted at the same time. In addition, the information of the reservation setter (presumed to be the user) may be included in these data by, for example, a code number indicating "resident B" and the like and transmitted.

In the above-described step SV5, after the operation completion information signal L2 is transmitted, the standby determination unit 101 cuts off the power supply unit 84 to the control device 85, and the operation of the liquid crystal display unit 64 also stops. Thereby, the power consumption on the control part 85 side is eliminated. Therefore, this step SV5 corresponds to the step S5 described in FIG. 13 of the first embodiment.

In the next step SV6, the time interval between the cooking completion set time TF set by the user and the current time is calculated. In addition, when the user sets the time at which cooking is completed, the user does not know the time at which cooking is actually started. However, it is considered that it is desirable to finish cooking before returning home, and it is set to "21:00". The control unit 85 receives this input, calculates the time required for the cooking process (in this case, three of the preheating process H1 , the cooking process H2 , and the cooking process H3 shown in FIG. 9 ), and calculates the preheating process H1 . start time.

Then, based on the result of calculating the time until the start time, the start time of the actual preheating process H1 is calculated as "20:10", and it is determined whether it is 5 minutes before the time (that is, 20 minutes) at regular intervals. 05:00) for inspection. When "Yes" in this step, the process proceeds to the next step SV7.

In step SV7 , the standby determination unit 101 cancels the standby state, and thus restores the power supply from the power supply unit 84 to the control unit 85 . The control unit 85 is activated, and the water level sensor 88 determines whether or not the water level of the water tank in the steam treatment device 57 is within a predetermined range (SV8).

In step SV8, when the control unit 85 determines that there is no water level abnormality (SV9), the process proceeds to the next step SV10. However, when it is unexpectedly detected that the water level has dropped abnormally, the process proceeds to step SV20.

In step SV20 , a response to the occurrence of an abnormality is performed, and a report signal ES indicating that an abnormality has occurred is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 . This report signal (hereinafter referred to as “abnormality occurrence report signal”) ES is generated by the control unit 85 analyzing a detection signal of a predetermined voltage indicating a result of water level measurement by the water level sensor 88 .

The control unit 85 compares the detection output (voltage) of the water level sensor 88 with the abnormality determination table (comparison data), identifies the content of the abnormality, extracts information classified in advance, and learns the cause corresponding to the type of abnormality (for example, the water level is abnormally low). Then, the abnormality determination date and time and the identification information of the rice cooker 3 (at least the model number, the model number, and the manufacturing number) are set, and are transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 as the abnormality occurrence report signal ES. In this case, the reason for adding the identification number is to facilitate the transmission of the unique information contained in the abnormality occurrence signal ES described above to the information server 17 via the information communication terminal device 20.

When there is no abnormality in the water level, in the next step SV10, the information communication terminal device 20 is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 as a cooking operation start advance notice signal L3. Then, it progresses to the next step SV11.

In SV11, the control unit 85 repeatedly determines whether or not the set start time TA of the cooking operation is reached. When it is assumed that it is this time, the step SV11 is "Yes", and the energization to the heater 61 is started (SV12).

Proceeding to the next step, after the heater 61 heats the inner pot 60, as described in Embodiment 1, the preheating step H1 for water absorption is started, and then the process proceeds to the cooking step H2. Then, in step SV13, it is determined whether or not the preheating process H1, the rice cooking process H2, and the rice stewing process H3 are completed. When completed, it progresses to the next process SV14.

In step SV14, the operation information signal (corresponding to the signal L7 shown in FIG. 12 of Embodiment 1) which shows that the rice cooking process is complete|finished is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20. In addition, since the liquid crystal display unit 64 has been activated, the completion of cooking is displayed, and the completion of cooking is also reported by voice through the synthetic sound device 96 and the speaker 97 .

Next, when the user sets the heat preservation step H4, this step SV15 is "Yes", and the heat preservation step is started (SV16).

The next step SV17 is a step of judging whether or not an inquiry signal indicating whether or not a cooking reservation operation has been performed is received from the information communication terminal device 20 . When there is an inquiry, a report signal indicating the completion of cooking, for example, a signal corresponding to the operation information signal L7 shown in Fig. 12 of the first embodiment (SV18) is transmitted.

In step SV17, when the inquiry signal of whether or not to make a cooking reservation is not received, it progresses to the next step SV19. In this step, it is determined whether or not the user has given an instruction to stop the heat preservation process. When there is no instruction to stop, for example, the control program is such that the heat preservation is continued for a maximum of 12 hours after the completion of the rice cooking process H2, and is automatically stopped after that. Therefore, in this case, when receiving the inquiry signal of whether or not to make a cooking reservation from the information communication terminal device 20 during the above-mentioned 12-hour period, it automatically responds several times (step SV18).

Next, FIG. 28 will be described.

In FIG. 28 , steps SV20 to SV25 are operations of the control unit 85 and the power control unit 19 when the occurrence of abnormality is detected in the rice cooker 3 .

In step SV20 , the determination result of the abnormality occurrence by the control unit 85 and the determination target data (abnormal decrease in the water level of the water tank) are temporarily stored in the storage unit 102 . This operation corresponds to "reservation cooking history data collection" T29 (see FIG. 18 ) in the first embodiment.

In the next step SV21 , the remote control unit 100 transmits these data to the information communication terminal device 20 via the wireless communication unit 90 . The operation at this time corresponds to the transmission of the "reserved cooking history signal" T30 (refer to FIG. 18 ) in the first embodiment, and the "reserved cooking non-execution report signal" LN is transmitted.

In step SV22, since the standby determination unit 101 is set to the standby state, the power supply from the power supply unit 84 to the control unit 85 is cut off.

The next step SV23 is a step of judging whether or not an inquiry signal indicating whether the cooking reservation is completed is received from the information communication terminal device 20 . When there is an inquiry, a predetermined report signal indicating that cooking is not completed is sent back to the information communication terminal device 20 . In step SV21, the determination result of the abnormality occurrence and the determination target data have already been transmitted, so the same data is not transmitted, but the water level sensor detects the abnormality and informs again that the cooking was not performed according to the reservation.

The automatic response as described above continues for 12 hours after the control unit 85 determines that there is an abnormal water level, and ends automatically thereafter. After 12 hours have elapsed, even if an inquiry signal indicating whether the cooking reservation is completed is received from the information communication terminal device 20, the power control unit 19 does not respond to the completion of the cooking reservation operation. In addition, this 12 hours may be extended, and it may continue until the time point when the cooking operation (including the operation other than the reservation cooking) is performed.

Next, the basic operation|movement of the rice cooker 3 in the case where "position correspondence reservation cooking mode" is selected is demonstrated.

In FIG. 27, steps SP1-SP19 are the operation|movement of the control part 85 of the rice cooker 3, and the usage-power control means 19.

The user turns on the main power switch 68 ( SV1 ), the liquid crystal display unit 64 is activated ( SV2 ), and selects the “position-dependent cooking mode” ( SP1 ).

Next, the user (occupant) inputs the expected return time TB after going out, and the approximate condition that the return time is several hours later ( SP2 ).

It is assumed that the expected return time TR is set to 21:00, and the following description will be given.

When the position-appropriate reserved cooking mode is selected and the cooking start button 59 is finally pressed, a setting confirmation signal of the position-appropriate reserved cooking mode is input to the control unit 85, and the reserved cooking setting is finalized (SP3).

Upon receipt of the confirmation signal, in the next step SP4, the operation information signal L2 indicating the setting of the reserved cooking mode is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 90 to the outside. Finally, the transmission of the operation information signal L2 is confirmed by the information communication terminal device 20 initially set to communicate with the rice cooker 3 .

When the above-mentioned operation information signal L2 is transmitted, the information indicating the expected return home time TR is transmitted at the same time. In addition, the information of the reservation setter (presumed to be the user) may be transmitted by including, for example, a code number indicating "resident B" in these data.

In the above-mentioned step SP4, after the operation completion information signal L2 is transmitted, the standby determination unit 101 cuts off the power supply unit 84 to the control device 85, and the liquid crystal display unit 64 also stops the operation. Thereby, the power consumption on the control part 85 side is eliminated. Therefore, this step SP4 corresponds to step S5 described in FIG. 13 of the first embodiment.

In the next step SP5, it is determined whether it is 120 minutes before the expected return time TR input to the rice cooker 3 by the user. In this step, it is assumed that the step of acquiring the information indicating the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 carried by the user to the outgoing destination starts two hours before the expected time of returning home. In addition, the 2 hours may be extended to 3 hours, and the reverse may be shortened to 90 minutes. What is necessary is just to determine suitably according to a user's outing action, mode, and the like.

In the next step SP6, the standby determination unit 101 cancels the standby state, so that the power supply from the power supply unit 84 to the control unit 85 is resumed.

In the next step SP7, a request signal for requesting the provision of information on the current position and the provision of information on the calculation result of the moving speed is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 90 to the information communication terminal device 20.

As described in Embodiment 1, the information communication terminal device 20 includes the position detection unit 145 for detecting its own current position, the position information storage unit 146 , and the distance information calculation unit 147 , respectively.

The aforementioned position detection unit 145 has a function of receiving GPS signals transmitted from the GPS satellites 148 , analyzing the received signals, and calculating the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 on the earth. That is, the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 on the earth is grasped in real time by the position detection unit 145 .

The distance information calculation unit 147 has a function of calculating the distance to the target based on the position information of the living space HA previously registered in the position information storage unit 146 and the information on the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 . Information of the calculated distance is output as a "distance determination information signal".

Furthermore, as described in Embodiment 1, the information communication terminal device 20 has a function of monitoring the temporal change of the distance determination information signal, and a function of calculating the moving speed of the information communication terminal device 20 from the value of the time change.

Therefore, for example, the following operation is performed: the change in the distance indicated by the distance judgment information signal is calculated at 1-minute intervals, and "moving speed information" such as "100 m per minute" and "300 m per minute" is generated, and the "distance judgment information signal" "Send to rice cooker 3 at the same time. Therefore, in the rice cooker 3 that has received the "distance determination information signal" and the "moving speed information" from the information communication terminal device 20, it is possible to calculate and obtain an estimation that the information communication terminal device 20 has moved to reach the installation position of the rice cooker. time.

In the rice cooker 3, the time required to return to the rice cooker 3 from the current time as described above is compared with the time required to cook the rice (the preheating step H1, the cooking step H2, and the cooking step shown in FIG. 9 are performed). H3 the time required for these three).

For example, when it is assumed that the time required for returning home is 70 minutes and the time required for cooking is 60 minutes, it is determined by the calculation of the control unit 85 that the cooking operation should be started 10 minutes from the current time. .

Then, based on the result of calculating the time until the start time, the start time of the actual preheating step H1 is calculated as "20:10", which is the time 5 minutes before the time (that is, 20:05) Click to go to the next step SP8.

In step SP8 , the already activated control unit 85 checks the water level of the water tank in the steam treatment device 57 via the water level sensor 88 .

In step SP8, when the control part 85 determines that there is no water level abnormality (SP9), it progresses to the next step SP10. However, when it is unexpectedly detected that the water level has dropped abnormally, the process proceeds to step SP30.

In step SP30 , a response to the occurrence of an abnormality is performed, and a report signal ES indicating that an abnormality has occurred is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 . This report signal (abnormal occurrence report signal) ES is generated by the control unit 85 analyzing a detection signal of a predetermined voltage indicating a water level measurement result of the water level sensor 88 .

The control unit 85 compares the detection output (voltage) of the water level sensor 88 with the abnormality determination table (comparison data), identifies the content of the abnormality, extracts information classified in advance, and learns the cause corresponding to the type of abnormality (for example, the water level is abnormally low). Then, the abnormality determination date and time and the identification information of the rice cooker 3 (at least the model number, the model number, and the manufacturing number) are set, and are transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 as the abnormality occurrence report signal ES. In this case, the reason for adding the identification number is to facilitate the transmission of the unique information contained in the abnormality occurrence signal ES described above to the information server 17 via the information communication terminal device 20.

When there is no abnormality in the water level, in the next step SP10, a cooking operation start advance notice signal L3 is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20. Then, it progresses to the next step SP11.

In SP11, the control part 85 repeatedly determines whether it is 5 minutes (that is, 20:05) before the start time (20:10) of the preheating process H1. When it is assumed that it is this time, the step SV11 is YES, and the energization of the heater 61 is started (SP12).

Proceeding to the next step, after the heater 61 heats the inner pot 60, as described in Embodiment 1, the preheating step H1 for water absorption is started, and then the process proceeds to the cooking step H2. Then, in step SP13, it is determined whether or not the preheating process H1, the rice cooking process H2, and the rice stewing process H3 are completed. When completed, it progresses to the next process SP14.

In step SP14, the operation information signal (corresponding to the signal L7 shown in FIG. 12 of Embodiment 1) which shows the completion of the rice cooking process is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20. In addition, since the liquid crystal display unit 64 has been activated, the completion of cooking is displayed, and the completion of cooking is also reported by voice through the synthetic sound device 96 and the speaker 97 .

Next, when the user has set the heat preservation process H4, this step SP15 is "Yes", and the heat preservation process is started.

The next step SP17 is a step of judging whether or not an inquiry signal indicating whether or not a cooking reservation operation has been performed is received from the information communication terminal device 20 . When there is an inquiry, a report signal indicating that the cooking is scheduled to be completed, for example, a signal corresponding to the operation information signal L7 shown in FIG. 12 of the first embodiment, is transmitted.

In step SP17, when the inquiry signal indicating whether or not the cooking reservation is performed has not been received, the process proceeds to the next step SP19. In this step, it is determined whether or not the user has given an instruction to stop the heat preservation process. When there is no instruction to stop, for example, the control program is such that the heat preservation is continued for a maximum of 12 hours after the completion of the cooking step H2, and then automatically stops. Therefore, in this case, when the inquiry signal of whether or not to make a cooking reservation is received from the information communication terminal device 20 during the above-mentioned 12-hour period, it automatically responds several times.

Next, FIG. 30 will be described.

In FIG. 30 , steps SP30 to SP35 are operations of the control unit 85 and the power usage control unit 19 when the rice cooker 3 detects the occurrence of abnormality.

In step SP30 , the determination result of the abnormality occurrence by the control unit 85 and the determination target data (abnormal decrease in the water level of the water tank) are temporarily stored in the storage unit 102 . This operation corresponds to "reservation cooking history data collection" T29 (see FIG. 18 ) in the first embodiment.

In the next step SP31 , the remote control unit 100 transmits these data to the information communication terminal device 20 via the wireless communication unit 90 . The operation at this time corresponds to the transmission of the “reserved cooking history signal” T30 (see FIG. 18 ) in the first embodiment, and the “reserved cooking non-execution report signal” LN is transmitted.

In step SP32, since the standby determination unit 101 is set to the standby state, the power supply from the power supply unit 84 to the control unit 85 is cut off.

The next step SP33 is a step of judging whether or not an inquiry signal indicating whether the cooking reservation is completed is received from the information communication terminal device 20 . When there is an inquiry, a predetermined report signal indicating that cooking is not completed is sent back to the information communication terminal device 20 . In step SP31, the determination result of the abnormality occurrence and the determination target data have already been sent, so the same data is not sent, but the water level sensor detects the abnormality and notifies again that the cooking was not performed according to the reservation.

The automatic response as described above continues for 12 hours after the control unit 85 determines that there is an abnormal water level, and ends automatically thereafter. After 12 hours have elapsed, even if an inquiry signal indicating whether the cooking reservation is completed is received from the information communication terminal device 20, the power control unit 19 does not respond to the completion of the cooking reservation operation. In addition, this 12 hours may be extended, and it may continue to the time point when the cooking operation|movement (the time other than making a cooking reservation is also included) is performed next.

(Summary of Embodiment 2)

As described above, the rice cooker 3 shown in the second embodiment is configured to include:

The heater 61 becomes an electric heating source;

The input operation unit 71 can designate two reserved cooking modes, namely, a time reserved cooking mode and a position corresponding reserved cooking mode, which start operation at a time point that becomes a predetermined time;

The transmitting unit 90 transmits the cooking operation completion report signal to the outside in a wireless or wired manner; and

The control unit 83 receives the designation of the above-mentioned reserved cooking mode from the above-mentioned input operation unit 71, and controls the above-mentioned heater 61 to detect whether the operation in the designated reserved cooking mode is completed or not,

When the cooking operation in the scheduled cooking mode is completed, the control unit 83 transmits a cooking operation completion report signal from the transmitting unit (see L7. SV14. Fig. 27).

Furthermore, the control unit 83 has a function of receiving the "distance determination information signal" and the "moving speed information" from the information communication terminal device 20, and calculating the movement of the occupant possessing the information communication terminal device 20 to arrive at the living space HA The estimated time of , compares the "time required to go home" and the time required to cook rice (the time required to perform three preheating process H1, rice cooking process H2, and rice cooking process H3 shown in FIG. 9), The timing at which the cooking operation can be started is determined.

According to the rice cooker of this structure, when a resident and the like perform a reserved cooking operation before returning home, a report signal indicating that the reserved cooking is performed is transmitted from the rice cooker. Therefore, by using this report signal, a resident and the like can know in advance the completion of the cooking operation.

Furthermore, the transmitting unit 90 wirelessly transmits both the cooking operation completion report signal (refer to L7, Fig. 27) and the reservation cooking non-execution report signal (refer to SV21, Fig. 26) to the outside,

The control unit 85 is configured to transmit a cooking operation completion report signal from the transmission unit 90 when the inquiring signal for the cooking reservation status is received from the reception unit 90 and when the operation in the reservation operation mode is completed. L7, when the cooking operation is not completed in any of the two designated cooking modes, the transmission unit transmits a cooking operation non-execution report signal LN (see SV21, Fig. 28, Fig. 30).

According to the rice cooker 3 of this configuration, for example, when a resident or the like receives an inquiry signal for confirming whether or not a reserved cooking operation is performed before returning home, the rice cooker transmits both the reserved cooking and the non-reserved cooking. report signal. Therefore, as long as this report signal is used, the resident or the like can know in advance whether the cooking operation is completed or not.

Furthermore, it has a function of calculating the return home ( Estimate the required time, and compare the "time required to go home" with the time required to cook rice (the time required to perform three preheating process H1, rice cooking process H2, and rice cooking process H3 shown in FIG. 9 ) ) to determine the timing at which the cooking action can be started.

Embodiment 3.

Next, Embodiment 3 shown in FIGS. 31 to 34 will be described.

Fig. 31 shows a plan view of the lid body 56 of the rice cooker 3, and is a state in which the liquid crystal display unit 64 is activated and all the keys for input are also displayed.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the control unit 85 until the reserved cooking mode of the rice cooker 3 of FIG. 31 is set and determined.

FIG. 33 is a front view showing the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 and the input operation unit 25 .

34 : is a figure which shows a part of the operation procedure of the central control part 27 of the electric power command apparatus 6 of FIG. 33, and is a figure which shows the operation|movement which sets the reservation mode of household electrical appliances, such as a rice cooker 3, in stages. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the part which is the same as or equivalent to Embodiment 1, and an overlapping description may be abbreviate|omitted.

In FIG. 31, 71 is the operation part of the rice cooker 3, and has the reservation key 76 which performs the setting of the reservation cooking function. It is necessary to press this reservation key when the time reservation cooking mode is set as the reservation cooking mode of the rice cooker 3 or the reservation cooking mode corresponding to the setting position is set. The reservation key 76 is a mechanical switch that generates an input signal to the control unit 85 by closing the built-in electrical contact when the user presses it.

"The above-mentioned time-reserved cooking mode" refers to a mode of use in which the user designates a desired time and completes cooking by that time, as in the first embodiment. In addition, two modes are included: the case of inputting the desired time and the case of completing the cooking operation after the specified time from the current time, but in the following description, the case of inputting the time as "19:30" will be described. .

When the reservation key 76 for setting the reservation cooking function is pressed, the activated liquid crystal display unit 64 displays a key 150 for selecting the time reservation cooking mode and a user interface as shown in FIG. 31 in an arrayed state. The selected position corresponds to the key 151 of the reserved cooking mode.

The liquid crystal display unit 64 also functions as an operation unit 71 , and constitutes a capacitive touch switch that generates an input signal to the control unit 85 when the user touches the display portion of the keys 150 and 151 .

Hereinafter, the above-mentioned two keys 150 and 151 are referred to as reservation mode selection keys. In addition, the cooking mode selection keys 150 and 151 automatically disappear when the cooking start button 59 is pressed to actually start the cooking operation, and the selection keys 150 and 151 are displayed even if the selection keys 150 and 151 are displayed in the state of disappearing in this manner. On the surface of the liquid crystal display portion 64 , no operation input signal is generated to the control portion 85 .

Reference numeral 81 denotes an NFC input/output unit for enabling short-range wireless communication by approaching the information communication terminal device 20 having the NFC input/output unit, and is inserted into the interior of the cover body 56 by being close to the upper surface.

Next, FIG. 32 will be described.

In FIG. 32 , steps SW1 to SW12 are operations of the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 and the used power control unit 19 . In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the part which is the same as or equivalent to Embodiment 1 together.

When the user connects the plug of the power cable to the power connection port and presses the operation button 68A of the main power switch 68, the main power switch 68 is ON (closed) (SW1). Then, the liquid crystal display section 64 is activated ( SW2 ).

The liquid crystal display unit 64 simultaneously displays the reservation mode selection keys 150 and 151 (SW3). Then, it is checked whether the reservation mode selection key 150 for selecting the "time reservation cooking mode" is touched (SW4), and if it is touched, the process proceeds to the next step (SW5).

The user brings the information communication terminal device 20 such as a mobile phone terminal close to the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3 in advance, establishes short-range wireless communication (NFC communication session), and transmits the MAC address of the information communication terminal device 20 to the rice cooker. 2. Since the initial setting is completed, the predetermined application software in the information communication terminal device 20 is activated, for example, "cooking time 20:00" is input by voice.

At the stage of the above-mentioned step SW5, the information communication terminal device 20 whose cooking reservation time as described above is registered as "20:00" is brought close to the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3. Thereby, the NFC communication session is established again, and the cooking reservation time registered in the information communication terminal device 20 is read into the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 .

Next, when it is detected that the cooking start button 59 is pressed ( SW6 ), the process proceeds to the next step, the setting determination signal of the time reservation cooking mode is input to the control unit 85 , and the setting of the cooking reservation is determined ( SW7).

In the next step SW8, the standby determination unit 101 shuts off the power supply unit 84 to the control device 85, and the liquid crystal display unit 64 also stops the operation. Thereby, the power consumption on the control part 85 side is eliminated.

Upon receipt of the confirmation signal, the operation information signal L2 indicating the setting of the scheduled cooking mode (including an identification signal indicating that it is the scheduled cooking mode) is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 90 to the power command device 6 at that time. At this time, the cooking operation start time information is transmitted as data indicating "20:00". In addition, the information of the reservation setter (presumed to be the user) is transmitted by including, for example, a code number indicating "resident B" registered in the information communication terminal device 20 in these data.

On the other hand, when the reservation mode selection key 150 of the time reservation cooking mode is not touched, the process proceeds to step SW9, and it is checked whether the reservation mode selection key 151 for selecting the position corresponding reservation cooking mode is touched, and when the In the case of , go to the next step (SW10).

The user registers in the information communication terminal device 20 in advance the information of "the scheduled time to return home at 20:00" and the time to return home.

By bringing the information communication terminal device 20 close to the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3 as described above, the scheduled time to return home of the resident B registered in the information communication terminal device 20 is read into the control unit 85 of the rice cooker 3 (SW10).

Next, when the pressing of the cooking start button 59 is detected ( SW11 ), the process proceeds to the next step, the setting determination signal of the time reservation cooking mode is input to the control unit 85 , and the setting of the cooking reservation is determined ( SW12).

In the next step SW8, the standby determination unit 101 shuts off the power supply unit 84 to the control device 85, and the liquid crystal display unit 64 also stops the operation. Thereby, the power consumption on the control part 85 side is eliminated.

Upon receipt of the confirmation signal, the wireless communication unit 90 transmits the operation information signal L2 indicating the setting of the reserved cooking mode (also including the identification signal indicating the position corresponding reserved cooking mode) to the power command device 6 from the wireless communication unit 90 at that time. At this time, the scheduled return time information is transmitted as data indicating "20:00". In addition, the information of the reservation setter (presumed to be the user) is transmitted by including, for example, a code number indicating "resident B" registered in the information communication terminal device 20 in these data.

As described above, although the step ( SW10 ) of bringing the information communication terminal device 20 close to the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3 in the position-based cooking mode is not essential, in the present embodiment, the first In the stage where the control unit 85 determines that the scheduled return home time (20:00) of the resident B registered in the information communication terminal device 20 is the cooking completion time of the rice cooker 3 until the scheduled return time (20:00) 00 points) Until a certain level of time is approaching, the rice cooker 3 does not prepare for the cooking action. For example, the determination operation of the current position of the information communication terminal device 20 is started at a stage two hours before the scheduled return home time (20:00). The reason why the scheduled time to return home of the resident B in this way is the initial reference information is that the resident B knows that the time to return home has not changed significantly from the history of the past return home time. This can be realized by transmitting the information of the completion time of the cooking operation from the rice cooker 3 every time in correspondence with the scheduled return home time registered in the information communication terminal device 20 . In addition, in Embodiment 1, the information of the completion time of such a cooking operation is transmitted from the rice cooker 3 to the information communication terminal device 20 via the power command device 6b (refer to "Report D" and T29 in the first embodiment), which means The same applies to the third embodiment. Furthermore, even when the cooking reservation is performed in the information communication terminal device 20 without going through the power command device 6, the information of the time when the cooking operation is completed is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 every time.

Next, FIG. 33 will be described.

In FIG. 33 , on the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 of the power command device 6, the device selection keys 155A to 155F are displayed in a list in the display area 122 instead of the used device display information 114 shown in the first embodiment. The appliance selection keys 155A to 155F are formed of capacitive touch keys, and when the keys are touched, a scheduled operation (reservation of cooking) can be input for the household electrical appliance (for example, the rice cooker 3 ) corresponding to the touched key. .

In the state of FIG. 33, since the use display part 115 arrange|positioned just above the apparatus selection key 155A of a rice cooker is not lit, it turns out that the rice cooker 3 does not perform a cooking operation.

Numerals 152 and 153 are NFC input/output units arranged side by side on the outer side (lower side) of the display area 122, respectively, and are the same as the NFC input/output unit 40 in the first embodiment. In addition, the NFC input/output units 152 and 153 can exchange information with the information communication terminal device 20 by NFC communication similarly to the NFC input/output unit 81 of the rice cooker 3. 152A, 153A are wireless tags (NFC tags). It is the same as the wireless tag 82 of the rice cooker 3 shown in Embodiment 1.

In FIG. 33 , 154 is a cancel key that can cancel the settings of various scheduled operations (including scheduled cooking) of the household electrical appliance EE in the power command device 6 , and is formed of a capacitive touch key. When this key is touched, it is possible to cancel the reservation of the household electrical appliance whose scheduled operation (reservation of cooking, etc.) was set before the touch. For example, in FIG. 33 , when “reservation” is displayed on the use display unit 115, if the device selection key 155E of the dishwashing and drying machine 54 that has not been started is touched, and then the cancel key 154 is pressed, the dishwashing and drying machine 54 The display of "reservation" of the use display part 115 of 1 disappears, and it returns to the state where nothing is displayed like the rice cooker 3. In addition, the cancel key 154 has a function of canceling all the reservations for the reserved operation received by the power specifying device 6 from the outside of the living space HA through the information communication terminal device 20, based on the fact that the occupants who are actually in the living space HA are released. The idea of operation first.

Next, FIG. 34 will be described. The central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 including the liquid crystal display screen 26 and the input operation unit 25 shown in FIG. 33 can easily set the reservation mode of the household electrical appliance such as the rice cooker 3 through the operation procedure shown in FIG. 34 .

First, in the stage of setting the home mode (SY1) as shown in FIG. 33, touch the device selection key of the household electrical appliance displayed as "in operation" on the usage display unit 115 (for example, the air conditioner 4 key 155C). Alternatively, a device selection key (eg, key 155A of the rice cooker 3 ) of a household electrical appliance that is not displayed on the usage display unit 115 is touched. Thereby, the selection step (SY2) of a household electrical appliance is complete|finished.

Next is the step of selecting the mode of the reserved operation.

The user brings the information communication terminal device 20, such as a mobile phone terminal, into close proximity to either one of the two NFC input/output units 152 and 153 of the power command device 6, and establishes short-range wireless communication (NFC communication session) in order to communicate with the information. The initial setting is completed in such a manner that the terminal device 20 and the power command device 6 can recognize each other.

When a device selection key (for example, the key 155C of the air conditioner 4) is touched, and then such an information communication terminal device 20 is brought close to the NFC input/output unit 152, the conditions for the reserved operation registered in the information communication terminal device 20 (power ON time and power-off time information) are read into the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 .

When the NFC input/output unit 152 detects that the NFC communication is being performed (SY3), the process proceeds to the next step, the setting determination signal of the time reservation operation mode is input to the control unit 85 (SY5), and the air conditioner becomes a predetermined The operation will be stopped at the reserved time. In addition, the use display part 115 of the air conditioner 4 continues the display of "in operation".

On the other hand, after the step SY2, when the selection key 155A of the rice cooker 3 is touched and the information communication terminal device 20 is then brought close to the NFC input/output unit 153, the information communication terminal device 20 indicates that the position correspondence reservation mode is set. The factual information (setting date and time, time, registered user name of the information communication terminal device 20, etc.) is read into the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6, and the rice cooker 3 can be reserved in the location-based reservation mode (SY4). ). After that, "reservation" is displayed on the use display part 115 of the rice cooker 3 . Then, it progresses to the next step, and the setting determination signal of the position correspondence reservation operation mode is input to the control part 85 (SY6).

In this way, the time reservation operation mode can be easily performed for each household electrical appliance by simply bringing the information communication terminal equipment 20 whose reservation conditions for touch operation and voice input are registered in advance to the NFC input/output units 152 and 153 of the power command device. The setting and position correspond to the setting of the reserved operation mode.

(Summary of Embodiment 3)

As described above, the rice cooker 3 shown in the third embodiment is configured to include:

The heater 61 becomes an electric heating source;

The input operation unit 71 can select two reserved cooking modes, namely, the time reserved cooking mode and the position-corresponding reserved cooking mode;

The transmitting unit 90 transmits the cooking operation completion report signal to the outside in a wireless manner;

a receiving unit 90 for wirelessly receiving an inquiry signal for cooking reservation execution and a distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device 20 from an external information communication terminal device 20; and

The control unit 83 receives the selection of the reserved cooking mode from the input operation unit 71 and controls the heater 61,

When the position corresponds to the reserved cooking mode, the control unit 83 adjusts the cooking time according to the distance obtained from the position information signal,

Furthermore, when the control unit 83 receives an inquiry signal for the execution of the cooking reservation from the receiving unit 90, and when the cooking operation in the cooking reservation mode is completed, the transmission unit 90 transmits the completion of the cooking reservation operation. report signal.

Furthermore, the structure is characterized in that the input operation part 71 is arranged on the lid body 56 which opens and closes the upper part of the inner pot 60,

The cover body 56 is configured with:

Press keys 150 and 151 to select the above-mentioned two scheduled cooking modes: the time scheduled cooking mode and the location-corresponding scheduled cooking mode; and

The cooking start input key (cooking start button) 59 is supplied with a predetermined input signal to the control unit 83 in order to determine the preset cooking mode selected by the keys 150 and 151 .

Furthermore, the cover body 56 is configured such that a display unit (liquid crystal display unit) 64 is arranged,

When the above-mentioned reserved cooking mode is selected, the keys 150 and 151 for selecting the above-mentioned two reserved cooking modes, namely, the above-mentioned time reserved cooking mode and the position corresponding reserved cooking mode, are respectively displayed on the display means.

According to the above configuration, the scheduled cooking mode can be selected by directly touching the selection key 150 of the time scheduled cooking mode displayed on the display unit (liquid crystal display portion) 64 and the selection key 151 of the scheduled cooking mode corresponding to the position, and then the scheduled cooking mode can be selected by operating The cooking start is determined by the input key (cooking start button) 59 to determine the cooking reservation mode, so that the cooking reservation operation can be simplified.

Furthermore, the rice cooker 3 shown in this Embodiment 3 is comprised so that it may be equipped with:

The heater 61 becomes an electric heating source;

The input operation unit 71 can select two reserved cooking modes, namely, the time reserved cooking mode and the position-corresponding reserved cooking mode;

The liquid crystal display screen 26 serving as a display unit displays the input result by the above-mentioned input operation unit 71;

The transmitting unit 90 transmits the operation completion report signal to the outside by wireless;

The first receiving unit 90 wirelessly receives from the external information communication terminal device 20 an inquiry signal for executing a cooking reservation and a distance determination information signal of the information communication terminal device 20;

The NFC input/output unit 81 serving as the second receiving unit automatically communicates with each other when the above-mentioned information communication terminal device 20 approaches or contacts; and

The control unit 83 receives the selection of the reserved cooking mode from the input operation unit 71 and controls the heater 61,

When the position corresponds to the reserved cooking mode, the control unit 83 adjusts the start time of the cooking operation according to the distance obtained from the distance determination information signal,

Furthermore, when the control unit 83 receives an inquiry signal for the execution of the scheduled cooking from the reception unit 90, and when the operation in the scheduled cooking mode is completed, the control unit 83 transmits the scheduled cooking operation completion report signal from the transmission unit 90. .

Furthermore, the control unit 83 is configured to acquire data identifying the information communication terminal device 20 when the information communication terminal device 20 and the NFC input/output unit 81 communicate with each other after the cooking reservation mode is selected in the input operation unit 71 . , and the reservation cooking mode is determined with respect to the information communication terminal device.

According to the above configuration, after selecting the time reservation cooking mode selection key 150 displayed on the display unit (liquid crystal display portion) 64 and the selection key 151 for the reservation cooking mode corresponding to the position and selecting the reservation cooking mode, the above-mentioned When the information communication terminal device 20 approaches or touches the above-mentioned NFC input/output unit 81 and a predetermined communication session is established, the reservation operation mode can be determined, and the reservation operation can be easily transmitted from the heating device such as the rice cooker 3 to the information communication terminal device 20 information such as this setting.

Embodiment 4.

Next, the contents shown in FIGS. 35 to 36 relate to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a front view showing the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 and the input operation unit 25 . FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a part of the operation procedure of the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 of FIG. 35 , and shows in stages that the monitor mode can be selected in addition to the reservation operation mode of the household electrical appliance such as the rice cooker 3 . action. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the part which is the same as or equivalent to Embodiment 1, and an overlapping description may be abbreviate|omitted.

In Embodiment 4 of the present invention, in addition to the time reservation operation mode and the position correspondence reservation mode, the "monitoring mode" can be selected.

Here, the "monitoring mode" refers to monitoring from various electrical equipment EE located in the living space HA, the hot water supply device 39 located outdoors, and the outside of the entrance (entrance) of the house (the entry door is locked). ) of the electronic locks 33 and the like (they are collectively referred to as "monitoring target devices") states (including the continuation time and period of a certain state), power consumption patterns, and the like.

First, in order to clarify the meaning and content of "monitoring", typical prior art related to monitoring will be described.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-227699 describes a system for checking living conditions using a television receiver. The television compares the stored data of the operation information storage unit with the operation of the television, detects an abnormality of the occupant when there is a discrepancy, and sends an e-mail to the monitor. Specifically, an abnormal message notifying that "the start/stop switch of the television set is not turned on at the set time." is sent by mail.

In this prior art, in the message generating apparatus that transmits the message, as reference information, not the power information consumed by the household appliance but the appliance information including the status information and operation information generated by the household appliance is also introduced as 1 embodiment. This state information is information indicating the current state of the household electrical appliance. In addition, the operation information refers to information related to the operation performed by the household electrical appliance according to the instruction from the user.

As another prior art document, there is Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-293774. This document discloses that a light-receiving sensor detects a light signal emitted from a remote control when a single-occupant or the like operates a remote control to turn on the power of home appliances such as television receivers and air conditioners. Invention of the "Stability Confirmation Device".

In addition, this patent document discloses that the lid part of the electric kettle includes an optical signal transmitter (light emitting diode) that emits an optical signal detectable by a light receiving sensor when a switch is pressed.

As yet another prior art document, there is Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-86383. In this patent document, it is disclosed that the operation state (continuous operation time, continuous non-operation time, etc.) of household electrical appliances in the residence of the occupant who is the monitoring target person is detected based on the energization information, and the information is managed by a management organization outside the residence. A life monitoring system that sends information to relevant persons.

In the life monitoring system disclosed in this patent document, a predetermined value for abnormality detection is determined in advance for each household electrical appliance, and the detected continuous operation time or continuous non-operation time is compared with the predetermined value.

In Embodiment 4 of the present invention, the above-mentioned prior art is also referred to, and the mode in which the overall management device (power command device) 6 detects the presence or absence of the following states is the "monitor mode".

(1) In the rice cooker 3, when the power is turned on, and the menu key 73, the cooking reservation key 76, the reservation mode selection key 76 (see FIG. 31), etc. are pressed, even if a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes or more elapses) in this state, ) has not been detected that its subsequent input operations have been performed. For example, when the overall management device (power command device) 6 receives the operation information signal L1 indicating that the main power is turned on (ON) from the rice cooker 3 , other operation information signals are not received even after 5 minutes have passed in this state.

(2) In the rice cooker 3, although the operation information signal L6 indicating the end of the scheduled cooking process is received, the heat preservation operation is not set, and the operation information signal L8 indicating that the main power is turned off has not been received even after 2 hours or more has passed. Happening. Among them, for example, it is assumed that a user (resident) forgets to cook a meal.

(3) Although the operation information signal indicating that the heating cooking by the grill cooker 52 is completed within the time set by the timer (for example: 30 minutes) is received, the grill cooking is not displayed even after one hour has passed. information that the door of the device 52 is opened. Among them, for example, it is assumed that a user (occupant) forgets to perform heat cooking.

(4) Although the induction heating cooker 51 in the kitchen has received the operation information signal indicating the start of heating cooking, the operation indicating the start of the operation has not been received from the ventilation device in the kitchen even after 5 minutes have passed since that time. the case of information signals. It is assumed that there is a failure of the ventilation device which detects the operation of the induction heating cooker 51 and starts automatically.

(5) The information key 116 and the help mode key 117 of the input operation unit 26 provided on the display panel 24 of the overall management device (power command device) 6 are frequently pressed multiple times (repeatedly) in a short period of time. It is assumed that the operation is performed by a child who is not the occupant who performs the operation, such as a cohabiting child.

(6) The case where the environmental condition of the living space HA such as the kitchen acquired by the environmental detection unit 30 changes. For example, when the induction heating cooker 51 , the grill cooker 52 , the rice cooker 3 and other heating appliances in the kitchen have not been operated at all within the past one hour, or when one hour or more has passed since the end of the operation, the environment detection unit The measurement result of the atmosphere of the kitchen obtained at 30 shows that the humidity has risen sharply. For example, when the dishwashing and drying machine 54 is in operation at this point in time, there is a possibility that hot air (for drying dishes) that is high temperature for any reason is released from the dishwashing and drying machine 54 into the air in the kitchen (it is also assumed that there is a possibility Insufficient latching of the opening/closing door that closes the dishwashing tub, or deformation of the sealing package on the inside of the door, resulting in loss of sealing performance).

In the monitoring mode, for example, regarding the rice cooker 3 , the power command device 6 also grasps once the state is set to the reserved cooking mode and the cooking operation has not yet started until the rice cooking is completed and the state is shifted to the keep warm operation.

Furthermore, this state can also be grasped secondary by the information communication terminal device 20 such as a mobile phone. In addition, in the monitoring mode, as in the absence mode, the central control unit 27 outputs to the environment detection unit 30 whether or not there is an abnormality in the living space HA and a monitoring operation command. Correspondingly, the environment detection unit 30 measures the temperature, humidity, etc. in the living space in which the monitoring target device is installed at predetermined time intervals, temporarily stores the measurement data in the internal memory of the environment detection unit 30 , and then stores the measurement data in the internal memory of the environment detection unit 30 . The stored data is sent to the central control unit 27 . The transmission data is stored in the second storage unit 27B or the storage device 28 described above.

In the "monitoring mode", a plurality of occupants can simultaneously know the state of a monitoring target device such as one household electrical appliance EE.

Next, FIG. 35 will be described. The display panel 24 includes a liquid crystal display screen 26 and an input operation unit 25 so that the operation of the power command device (overall management device) 6 can be set centrally.

The central control unit 27 of the electric power command device 6 can easily set the monitoring mode of the monitoring target device such as the rice cooker 3 through the operation procedure shown in FIG. 36 .

In FIG. 35 , on the liquid crystal display screen 26 of the display panel 24 of the power command device 6, instead of the used device display information 114 shown in Embodiment 1, device selection keys 155A to 155F are displayed in a list in the display area 122. The device selection keys 155A to 155F are formed of capacitive touch keys, and when the keys are touched, a mode input to a monitoring target device (eg, rice cooker 3 ) corresponding to the touched key can be performed.

In the state of FIG. 35, the use display part 115 arrange|positioned just above the apparatus selection key 155A of a rice cooker changes to the display part 162 which displays the character of "monitor". That is, it turns out that the rice cooker 3 does not perform a rice cooking operation. In the dishwashing-drying machine 54, the display part 162 which displays the character of "monitor" is closely displayed.

160 is a touch input unit (key) arranged at the rightmost position on the outer side (lower side) of the display area 122, and when touched, a signal for setting or canceling the monitoring mode and the reserved operation mode is input to the above-mentioned central control unit 27.

Numeral 161 denotes an NFC input/output unit arranged on the outer side (lower side) of the display area 122, and when touched by the information communication terminal device 20, a monitoring mode for constantly monitoring the operation of the monitoring target device is selected. Further, at this time, regarding the transmission destination of the monitoring data, the information communication terminal device 20 is registered with the central control unit 27 . Further, 152 and 153 are the same NFC input/output units as the example described in the third embodiment.

The key for selecting the "monitoring mode" corresponding to the key 150 for time-reserved cooking mode selection and the key 151 for selecting the scheduled cooking mode according to the position shown in Embodiment 3 is not provided on the side of the household electrical appliance EE.

Next, the mode setting operation shown in FIG. 36 will be described.

First, in the stage where the home mode is set as shown in FIG. 35 , the touch input unit (key) 160 ( SX1 ) is touched.

Next, touch the device selection key of the home appliance displayed as "in operation" on the use display unit 115 (eg, key 155C of the air conditioner 4), and touch the appliance of the home appliance displayed as "reservation" on the use display unit 115 Select a key (eg, key 155G of the hot water supply device 39). Alternatively, touch a device selection key (eg, key 155A of the rice cooker 3 ) of a household electrical appliance that is not displayed on the usage display unit 115 . Thereby, the selection step (SX2) of a household electrical appliance is complete|finished. In addition, in FIG. 35, "monitor" is displayed in the key 155A of the rice cooker 3, and "monitor" is displayed also in the tableware cleaning and drying machine 54, and these show the state displayed after monitoring mode setting.

Next is the step of selecting a specific mode.

The user brings the information communication terminal device 20, such as a mobile phone terminal, into close proximity to either one of the two NFC input/output units 152 and 153 of the power command device 6, and establishes short-range wireless communication (NFC communication session) in order to communicate with the information. The initial setting is completed in such a manner that the terminal device 20 and the power command device 6 can recognize each other.

When a device selection key (for example, the key 155A of the rice cooker 3 ) is touched, and then such an information communication terminal device 20 is brought close to the NFC input/output unit 152 , the conditions for the reserved operation registered in the information communication terminal device 20 (power ON time and power-off time information) are read into the central control unit 27 of the power command device 6 . In addition, without setting the conditions for the scheduled operation, the NFC input/output unit 152 may be approached first, and after the time schedule operation mode is determined (step: SX4 ), the information communication terminal device 20 may be activated, and the conditions of the scheduled operation may be input to the rice cooker 3 . (Information of the time when the power is turned on and the time when the power is turned off).

When the NFC input/output unit 152 detects that the NFC communication is being performed ( SX3 ), the process proceeds to the next step, the setting confirmation signal of the time reservation operation mode is input to the control unit 85 ( SX4 ), and the rice cooker 3 confirms that the setting is Time reservation operation (cooking) mode. Then, in the use display part 115 arrange|positioned just above the key 155A of the rice cooker 3, the character of "reservation" (it is not shown in FIG. 35) is displayed.

On the other hand, after step SX2, when the selection key 155A of the rice cooker 3 is touched and then the information communication terminal device 20 is brought close to the NFC input/output unit 153, the fact that the cooking reservation is registered in the information communication terminal device 20 is displayed. The central control unit 27 read into the electric power command device 6 can reserve the rice cooker 3 in the position correspondence reservation mode (SX5).

After that, "reservation" is displayed on the use display part 115 of the rice cooker 3 . Then, it progresses to the next step, and the setting determination signal of the position correspondence reservation operation mode is input to the control part 85 (SX6).

In this way, it is possible to easily perform the setting of the time reservation operation mode and the position correspondence reservation operation for each household electrical appliance by simply bringing the information communication terminal device 20 owned by the resident close to the NFC input/output units 152 and 153 of the power command device. mode setting.

Next, after step SX2, when the information communication terminal device 20 possessed by the resident is brought close to or touched on the NFC input/output unit 161 that selects the monitor mode, a signal indicating that the monitor mode is selected is input to the central control unit 27 ( SX7). Then, the central control unit 27 displays the character "monitor" on the use display unit 115 of the rice cooker 3, whereby the setting of the monitor mode (only the rice cooker 3 and the specific information communication terminal 20) is determined (SX8). When it is assumed that the monitor mode is also desired to be set for the dishwashing and drying machine 54, if the device selection key 155E of the dishwashing and drying machine 54 is touched first, and then the information communication terminal device 20 is brought close to or touched the NFC input/output unit 161, the Like the rice cooker 3, the use display part 115 of the dishwashing-drying machine 54 displays the character information of "monitor", and it turns out that it is set to monitor mode.

In the display area 122 for displaying information using equipment, there is an advice area 119 for displaying checkpoints for power saving, abnormalities, failures, safety information, and the like of other household electrical appliances EE. In this advice area 119, as shown in FIG. 35, in order to perform the setting operation of monitoring mode, the registered monitoring target equipment is displayed in characters, and when there is a registered household electrical appliance EE, in this advice area, characters are displayed in characters. displayed (see Figure 35).

In the fourth embodiment, the electronic lock 33 installed on the outside of the entrance (entrance) of the house is also one of the monitoring target devices. In the case of the electronic lock 33, when the monitor mode is set, even if the occupant remains in the living space HA, at the time when the door of the entrance is opened or closed by another occupant or outsider, every predetermined time The open signal or the lock signal is also input to the home detection unit 32 (see FIG. 3 ). Therefore, for example, even when the occupant A is in the living space HA (ie, the state of returning home) or the state of going out, the "database for monitoring setting" in the first storage unit 27 of the power command device 6 is stored. In the middle, the monitoring target devices such as the rice cooker 3 and the information communication terminal device 20 that reports the monitoring status are also registered, so the monitoring information is transmitted to the information communication terminal device 20 in real time.

Even if all the occupants go out and set the "absent-home mode" on the display panel 24 of the power command device 6, the setting of the above-mentioned "monitoring mode" does not disappear. Therefore, for example, when information such as starting the operation of the hot water supply equipment 39 or starting the operation of the dishwashing machine 54 while away from home is assumed to arrive at the information communication terminal device 20 of the resident of the outgoing destination, there is a case where forgetting "No. It is possible to go out by setting the "At-Home Mode", so it is possible to respond to the home and other occupants by calling and confirming them by e-mail. In addition, after confirmation, the operation can be terminated by sending a command signal to cancel the start of the operation from the information communication terminal device 20 to the power command device 6 .

In addition, since the database for monitoring setting and the database for setting off-home mode are partly common, these databases can also be constructed in an integrated manner.

(Summary of Embodiment 4)

As described above, the operation management system for household electrical appliances shown in Embodiment 4 relates to the fourth problem, and is configured to include:

Home appliances EE, the first communication unit 90 for wireless communication, and a heating source or a power source that operates using electrical energy;

The information communication terminal device 20 transmits a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal capable of performing the scheduled operation of the household electrical appliance EE; and

The overall management device 6 acquires the operation information signal from the above-mentioned household electrical appliance EE,

The above-mentioned household electrical appliance EE includes a control unit 85 that controls a heating source or a power source, and an operation input unit 71 that inputs a preset setting input signal for starting the operation at a predetermined time to the control unit 85,

The said overall management apparatus 6 has the display panel 24 which displays the operating state of the said household electrical appliance EE,

The above-mentioned household electrical appliance EE has a function of adjusting the above-mentioned reserved operation conditions according to the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal from the above-mentioned information communication terminal device 20,

The said overall management apparatus 6 acquires the information which shows the adjustment result of the reservation operation condition of the said household electrical appliance EE, and displays it on the said display panel 24.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned overall management device 6 includes a central control unit 27 that acquires various operation information signals L1 to L8,

The above-mentioned overall management device 6 includes an input operation unit 25 for setting the monitoring mode and the reserved operation mode,

The input operation unit includes NFC input/output units 152 , 153 , and 161 for supplying signals specifying the monitoring mode and the reserved operation mode to the central control unit 27 .

According to the operation management system of the household electrical appliance, in the overall management device 6 that acquires operation information from the household electrical appliance, the reservation operation mode and the monitoring mode can be easily set in the input operation unit 25 .

In addition, in this system, as shown in FIGS. 35 and 36 , with respect to the household appliances for which the monitoring mode and the reserved operation mode are desired to be set, the corresponding appliance selection keys 155A to 155G are provided, and the resident can directly select the above-mentioned keys to select the household appliances. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the setting error of the occupant, and the convenience is high.

In Embodiment 4, the case where only one information communication terminal device 20 receives monitoring information has been described, but the information communication terminal device 20A carried by the resident A and the information communication terminal device 20B carried by the resident B may be registered at the same time Go to the overall management device 6.

In addition, the information recorded in the monitoring database of the overall management apparatus 6 may be set to be automatically transferred to the information server 17 . As a result, even if a resident outside the living space HA wishes to monitor the state of the monitoring target device in the living space HA when he is not at home, he/she can access the device by using the information communication terminal device 20 such as a smartphone that each carries. The information server 17 downloads (reads) the application software for control, and can know the monitoring information in the information server. In addition, the remote operation (including operation condition change and operation stop) can also be performed with respect to a desired household electrical appliance.

In the above description, the rice cooker 3 has been described as a representative of the household electrical appliances that can be operated on a reservation. However, the present invention can be applied to other household electrical appliances, so the following description will be given.

For example, in the tableware cleaning and drying machine 54 (refer to FIG. 4 ) provided with an electric heater for drying, there is a case in which the tableware to be cleaned is put into the cleaning tank and cleaned when the user goes out. In this case, the user selects a normal cleaning procedure, a procedure that takes time and finely cleans, and the like, and determines the scheduled operation.

There is an example in which the start of the operation can be scheduled and set at a predetermined time or after a predetermined time from the setting time. The present invention can also be applied to such a dishwashing and drying machine 54. That is, if the scheduled cleaning operation (including the drying step) is completed before the occupant returns from the destination, if the scheduled cleaning operation is to be completed before the predetermined time, the scheduled cleaning operation is set before the resident returns home. When the dishwashing and drying machine 54 receives the inquiry signal for confirming whether or not the scheduled cleaning operation is performed, the dishwashing and drying machine 54 transmits a report signal that both the scheduled cleaning has been performed and the scheduled cleaning has not been performed. Therefore, by using this report signal, a resident and the like can know in advance whether the cleaning operation (reserved operation) of the dishwashing and drying machine 54 has been completed or not.

In the case of a dishwashing and drying machine, the steps of cleaning and rinsing are usually determined by time. Therefore, the time from the start of operation to the stop of operation (at the end of the drying step of dishes) is determined according to whether washing is performed once or twice. . For example, from the beginning of the operation, mist (fog) is blown out to raise the stains on the surface of the tableware, then the cleaning process, the washing process (one or two times), the heating and washing process (one time or two times) are performed, and finally The drying process takes about 90 minutes in the standard process and about 120 minutes in the fine cleaning process.

For such a dishwashing and drying machine 54, the return home of the occupant who owns the information communication terminal device 20 to the place where the dishwashing and drying machine 54 and the living space HA of the rice cooker 3 are located from a distant place or the like is calculated and obtained. The (estimated) required time is compared with the time required for cleaning (including the drying process), and the timing at which the cleaning operation can be started is determined.

In addition, there is a rotary drum (washing tank) in which laundry is placed, a motor for rotationally driving the drum, and a warm air generating unit (electric heater, gas, heat pump type) for supplying warm air to the laundry in the drum. An automatic washing and drying machine (automatic washing and drying machine) such as a heat exchanger, etc., has a function of automatically performing a predetermined series of steps from washing to dehydration and drying while the occupant is out, and there is a function of performing a predetermined series of steps at a predetermined time or from An example in which such an operation start can be reserved and set after a predetermined time from the setting time. The present invention can also be applied to the scheduled operation (reserved washing and drying) of such household electrical appliances.

In addition, the present invention can also be applied to the hot water supply facility 39 shown in Embodiment 1 ( FIG. 1 ).

The hot water supply facility 39 includes a heat source unit 39H and a tank 39T for storing hot water produced by the heat of the heat source unit. The heat source unit 39H is, for example, a heat pump type heat source unit. Such hot water supply equipment. In this prior art, the heat pump water storage type hot water supply facility is configured to be controlled by a power command device (HEMS controller), and the heat source machine 39H heats the water in the tank 39T into hot water with a predetermined heating capacity, so it has A unit for calculating the heating start time.

Therefore, when the resident remotely controls the above-mentioned power command device from the information communication terminal device 20 to reserve and set the heating start time, it can be configured to supply hot water before the resident returns home, as in the rice cooker 3 described above. When the supply device 39 receives an inquiry signal for confirming whether or not the reserved heating operation is performed, the hot water supply device 39 transmits both a report signal that the reserved heating is performed and that the reserved heating is not performed. Therefore, by using this report signal, a resident and the like can know in advance whether the hot water supply operation (heating operation) of the hot water supply facility 39 has been completed or not. In addition, if the occupant's return time is late, the start timing of the hot water supply operation (heating operation) corresponding to this can also be changed, so that unnecessary heating operation can be avoided and energy saving performance can be improved. This can also be applied to the case where the operation of "supplying hot water" for storing hot water in the bathtub is performed. Therefore, it is possible to realize a convenient usage method in which hot water can be stored in the bathtub in accordance with the timing when the occupant returns home.

(Other Embodiments)

At least a part of the control part 85 of the rice cooker 3 in Embodiment 1-4 may be comprised as hardware by the logic circuit formed in the integrated circuit, and may be implemented by software using CPU etc..

In addition, the temperature detection circuit 91, the clock circuit 99, and the usage power control unit 19 may be realized by software.

For example, when the use of the power control unit 19 is implemented by software, the power control unit 19 is configured to include a CPU that executes commands for executing a control program for realizing each function, a ROM that stores the program, a RAM that develops the program, and a memory that stores the program and various data. A storage device (recording medium) such as a memory, etc.

In addition, in Embodiments 1 to 4, command signals are exchanged between the used power control unit 19 and the control unit 85 by wireless communication, but such a wireless communication unit may not be used, but a logic circuit formed on an integrated circuit may be used. The function using the power control unit 19 is configured as hardware, and the circuit is directly connected to the control unit 85 on an integrated circuit, and the configuration of the control unit 85 may be integrated with hardware.

Regarding the power command device 6, at least a part of the central control unit 27 may be configured as hardware by a logic circuit formed on an integrated circuit, or may be realized by software using a CPU or the like.

In addition, the power control unit 23 and the central control unit 27 may be constituted by a CPU serving as one host computer and a logic circuit formed on an integrated circuit, and may be integrally structured as hardware. At least a part of the presence detection unit 32 , the person detection unit 31 , and the storage device 28 may be configured as hardware by a logic circuit formed on an integrated circuit, or may be realized by software using a CPU or the like.

In addition, in Embodiments 1 to 4, the case where the operation start time and end time of one household electrical appliance EE such as the rice cooker 3 and the like are automatically adjusted is described. Operation timing correlation. For example, the rice cooker 3 described in Embodiments 1 to 3 is configured so that high-temperature steam is not directly released into the room when cooking rice, but in the case of a rice cooker that emits steam, the reservation cooking operation is performed during going out. , the vapors released into the kitchen can stagnate and also increase humidity, potentially compromising the comfort of the occupants returning home. Therefore, it is preferable that the power command device 6 instructs the operation of the ventilation device in the kitchen to start the ventilation of the kitchen when a predetermined time (for example, the time required for the water absorption step) elapses from the start of the operation of the rice cooker 3 . In order to realize such interlocking, it is only necessary to preliminarily store in the "database for setting of the absent mode" in the first storage unit 27 of the electric power command device 6, the scheduled cooking operation of the rice cooker 3 and the start of the operation of the ventilation device or the It is sufficient to stop the conditions for the interlocking of actions. For example, if the operation of the rice cooker 3 has elapsed for 15 minutes, the operation of the ventilator may be started, and if the operation of the rice cooker 3 is completed, the operation may be automatically stopped for 5 minutes after the rice cooking process is completed.

In Embodiment 1, at least one of the occupants A or B enters the plan to return home when the “absence mode” is set on the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 at the stage before leaving the living space HA when going out. moment, but without necessarily such input.

For example, the information communication terminal device 20 may be caused to touch the liquid crystal display during the setting of the absent mode so that the electric power command device 6 of the scheduled time to return is automatically reflected in the database for setting the absent mode when going out. When any of the NFC input/output units 152 and 153 (see Embodiment 3. FIG. 33 ) on the screen 26 is used, the instant time is stored in the power command device 6, and time measurement starts automatically from that time point. For example, during a period of 6 hours from the touch time point, an email or the like inquiring about the scheduled time to return home is automatically sent from the power command device 6 to the information communication terminal device 20, and the resident who owns the information communication terminal device 20 When B returns the scheduled return time to this, the scheduled return time is registered in the absentee mode setting database of the power command device 6, and the scheduled return time is reflected in all household electrical appliances whose scheduled operation is set by the resident B. information.

Alternatively, when the power command device 6 sets the non-home mode while going out and goes out, the power command device 6 may automatically use the time when 8 hours have elapsed from the time information at the time as the (temporary) return home schedule. The time is registered in the database for setting the absent mode. In addition, the occupant can easily select the 8 hours as 10 hours, 12 hours, or the like using the power command device 6 .

In addition, in Embodiment 1, the information communication terminal device 20 monitors the time change of the distance determination information signal, and calculates the moving speed of the information communication terminal device 20 . Then, "moving speed information" per unit time (for example, 1 minute) is generated, and the rice cooker 3 obtains the estimated time that the information communication terminal device 20 reaches the living space HA using this and the "distance judgment information signal". The method for predicting the time to return home is not limited by Embodiment 1 at all. For example, in order to improve the accuracy of the return time, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-267487 describes a return time prediction system using a portable terminal (information communication terminal device), a fixed station, and a return time prediction device, but it is also possible to Such a dedicated system is used between the information communication terminal device 20 and the rice cooker 3, the power command device 6, and the like to improve the prediction accuracy of the time to return home.

In the input operation unit 25 on the display panel 24 of the power command device 6 , the setting keys 113 for input and the like are touch keys of a capacitance type or the like. In addition, each key 72-78 of the rice cooker 3 is formed by any switch among the mechanical switch or the touch switch of an electrostatic capacitance type which generate|occur|produces an input signal by closing the built-in electric contact when a user presses. However, in the present invention, the manner of performing various inputs is not limited to such mechanical switches, touch switches, keys, and the like. For example, a non-contact input method can also be used. Such a typical method is the proximity detection type information input method described in Japanese Patent No. 5501992 and Japanese Patent No. 4766340 .

In addition, a voice input method can also be used. Such a representative method is an information input method (suitable for information terminal equipment) described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-71477 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-103536.

The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered only as an illustration and not restrictive in every respect. The essential scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that the meaning of the claims and the equivalents and all modifications within the scope are included.

The operation management system for household electrical appliances of the present invention can be widely used not only in homes, but also in shops, small-scale factories, and the like in which electrical appliances for business use are installed.

Claims (22)

1. An operation management system comprising an electric rice cooker and a power command device which perform wireless communication with each other,

the electric rice cooker comprises:

an electrical heating source;

an input operation unit capable of selecting 2 scheduled cooking modes, namely a time scheduled cooking mode for starting cooking at a time point of scheduled time and a position corresponding to the position of the information communication terminal equipment;

a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits start information indicating that the cooking operation is started to the power command device when the cooking operation in the reserved cooking mode is started, and wirelessly transmits a cooking operation completion report signal to the power command device when the cooking operation in the reserved cooking mode is completed;

a receiving unit that wirelessly receives an inquiry signal for reserving cooking execution from the power command device; and

a control device for receiving the selection of the cooking-reserving mode from the input operation part and controlling the electric heating source,

The control device is provided with an adjusting function for calculating the time for starting the cooking operation according to the position of the information communication terminal equipment and starting the cooking operation at the time when the position-corresponding cooking reservation mode is selected,

the control device transmits information of a start time of the changed rice cooking from the transmission unit to the power command device when the start time of the rice cooking is changed by the adjustment function in the position-corresponding reserved rice cooking mode, and transmits non-completion information from the transmission unit when the rice cooking operation in the position-corresponding reserved rice cooking mode is not completed when the inquiry signal is received from the reception unit after the elapse of the changed start time of the rice cooking,

the electric power instruction device judges whether the start information is received from the electric rice cooker within a first predetermined time after the start time of the cooking operation received from the electric rice cooker, and if the start information is not received, the electric power instruction device reports 1 st report that the cooking operation in the position-corresponding reserved cooking mode is not completed to the information communication terminal equipment,

The electric power instruction device sends the inquiry signal to the electric rice cooker after the 1 st report is carried out,

the power command device performs a 2 nd report of a reason why the cooking operation in the position-corresponding cooking reservation mode is not completed to the information communication terminal device when the incomplete information is received from the rice cooker,

when the resident returns home, the display panel of the power command device displays that the cooking operation in the reserved cooking mode is not completed at the position.

2. The operation management system according to claim 1,

when the control device detects an abnormality before a cooking process is started when the polling signal is received, the transmission unit transmits the detected abnormality information as the incompletion information to the power command device.

3. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

the control device is provided with a control program for executing a water absorption process, a boiling process and a stewing process in sequence,

the processing of changing the start time of cooking is executed so that the cooking step is ended at the timing when the estimated required time is ended, by calculating the estimated required time for the information communication terminal device to move to reach the installation place of the rice cooker based on the distance determination information signal and the movement speed information received from the information communication terminal device.

4. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

the transmission unit and the reception unit are configured as 1 power use control unit,

the power consumption control means transmits the command signal for power reduction received from the receiving unit to the control device.

5. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

the rice cooker further comprises an NFC input/output unit which is independent of the transmission unit and the reception unit and is set to a state of establishing the near field communication with the communication unit of the information communication terminal device.

6. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

the control device transmits a predetermined operation information signal from the transmission unit when the user selects the scheduled cooking mode.

7. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

the control device transmits a predetermined operation information signal for notifying the start of the cooking operation before the cooking operation is started in accordance with the cooking reservation mode designated by the user.

8. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

The control device transmits a predetermined operation information signal for reporting the start of the cooking process when the cooking process is started according to the reserved cooking mode, and does not reduce power even if an external power reduction command signal is received during the cooking process.

9. The operation management system according to claim 1 or 2,

the input operation part is arranged on a cover body which opens and closes the upper part of the inner container,

the lid is configured with: a key for selecting 2 of the reserved cooking modes corresponding to the reserved cooking modes of the time reserved cooking mode and the position; and a cooking start input key for providing a predetermined input signal to the control device to determine the reserved cooking mode selected by the key.

10. The operation management system according to claim 9,

the cover body is provided with a display unit,

in a case where the reserved cooking mode is selected, the keys for selecting 2 of the reserved cooking modes, the time reserved cooking mode and the position-corresponding reserved cooking mode, are displayed through the display unit, respectively.

11. An operation management system comprising a home appliance and a power command device that perform wireless communication with each other,

The home appliance device includes:

an electrical heating source or power source;

an input operation unit capable of selecting 2 reserved operation modes, namely a time reserved operation mode for starting operation at a time point which is a predetermined time and a position corresponding reserved operation mode corresponding to the position of the information communication terminal equipment;

a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits start information indicating that the operation is started to the power command device when the operation in the reserved operation mode is started, and wirelessly transmits a completion report signal of the reserved operation to the power command device when the operation in the reserved operation mode is completed;

a receiving unit that wirelessly receives an inquiry signal for performing a scheduled operation from the power command device; and

a control device for receiving selection of the scheduled operation mode from the input operation unit and controlling the electric heating source or the power source,

the control device has an adjustment function of calculating a time for starting the reserved operation based on the position of the information communication terminal device when the position-corresponding reserved operation mode is selected, and starting the reserved operation at the time,

The control device transmits information of a start time of the reserved operation after the change from the transmission unit to the power command device when the start time of the reserved operation is changed by the adjustment function in the position-corresponding reserved operation mode, and transmits non-completion information from the transmission unit when the operation in the reserved operation mode is not completed when the inquiry signal is received from the reception unit after the elapse of the start time of the reserved operation after the change,

the power command device determines whether or not the start information is received from the home appliance within a first predetermined time after a start time of the operation received from the home appliance, and performs a 1 st report to the information communication terminal device that the operation in the location-based reservation operation mode is not completed when the start information is not received,

the power command device sends the query signal to the home appliance after the 1 st report is made,

the power command device performs, when receiving the uncompleted information from the home appliance device, a 2 nd report that reports a reason why the operation in the location-based reservation operation mode has been uncompleted to the information communication terminal device,

When the resident returns home, a display panel of the power command device indicates that the operation in the position-corresponding reserved operation mode has not been completed.

12. The operation management system according to claim 11,

the transmission unit and the reception unit are constituted by 1 power control unit,

the power consumption control means transmits the command signal for power reduction received from the receiving unit to the control device.

13. The operation management system according to claim 11,

the home appliance further includes an NFC input/output unit that establishes a near field communication with the communication unit of the information communication terminal device independently of the transmission unit and the reception unit.

14. A power command device is characterized by comprising:

a power control unit that transmits a power reduction command signal to limit the total amount of power in a home to a home appliance that can receive a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal from an information communication terminal device and execute a reserved operation;

a receiving unit that receives the remote operation signal and the distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device, and a setting signal of a scheduled operation and a completion signal of the scheduled operation from the home appliance device;

A reporting unit that reports power information including power consumption of a home and information specifying the home appliance set to perform a scheduled operation, respectively; and

a central control unit that controls the power control unit and the report unit,

the central control unit stores information indicating the adjusted reserved operation condition when the household electrical appliance adjusts the condition for reserved operation based on the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal, and reports the adjustment result of the condition for reserved operation to the information communication terminal device,

the central control part transmits an inquiry signal for reserved operation execution to the home appliance when a completion signal of reserved operation is not received from the home appliance even after a second predetermined time elapses from a time point at which reserved operation is started, and then receives abnormality information detected as the incomplete information when the home appliance detects an abnormality before the start of reserved operation when incomplete information of reserved operation execution is received from the home appliance, and controls the reporting unit to transmit the incomplete information to the information communication terminal device,

determining whether or not start information indicating start of the operation is received from the home appliance within a first predetermined time after start time of the operation of the reserved operation received from the home appliance, and performing a 1 st report to report that the operation is not completed to the information communication terminal device when the start information is not received,

Transmitting the query signal to the home device after the 1 st report is made,

when the unfinished information is received from the home appliance, a 2 nd report is made to the information communication terminal device, the 2 nd report reporting the reason why the operation of the reserved operation is unfinished,

when the resident returns home, the display panel of the power command device displays that the operation in the reserved operation is not completed.

15. The power command device according to claim 14,

the case where the condition for reserved operation is adjusted by the home appliance based on the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal includes: the central control unit calculates a required time until the home appliance returns from the distance indicated by the distance determination information signal, and transmits information on the required time to the home appliance, and as a result, transmits information indicating that the condition for the reserved operation of the home appliance is adjusted.

16. The power instruction device according to claim 14 or 15,

the home appliance is a heating cooker and,

the heating cooker has an execution period of a priority cooking menu in an operation period,

The power control unit does not transmit a command signal for power reduction to the heating cooker in the execution period of the priority cooking menu.

17. The power command device according to claim 14 or 15,

the central control part receives the operation information signal sent from the heating cooker and provides the permission signal of the start of the operation to the heating cooker, and the central control part is also provided with a storage part for storing the report signal indicating the completion of the reserved operation.

18. An operation management system for a home appliance, comprising:

a household electrical appliance having a 1 st communication unit for wireless communication and a heating source or a power source operated by electric energy;

an information communication terminal device for transmitting a remote operation signal and a distance determination information signal which enable the home appliance device to perform a reserved operation; and

a population management device for acquiring an operation information signal from the home appliance,

the home appliance device includes: a control device for controlling the heating source or the power source; and an operation input unit for inputting a reservation setting input signal for starting operation at a predetermined time to the control device,

The overall management device includes a display unit for displaying the operating state of the home electric appliance,

the home appliance has a function of adjusting a reserved operation condition according to a distance indicated by a distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device,

the overall management device acquires information indicating a result of adjusting the reserved operating conditions of the home appliance and displays the information on the display unit,

further, the overall management device transmits an inquiry signal for execution of the reserved operation to the home appliance when a completion signal for execution of the reserved operation is not received from the home appliance even after a second predetermined time elapses from a time when the home appliance starts operating according to the reserved operation condition adjustment result, and then receives incomplete information for execution of the reserved operation from the home appliance, receives the detected abnormal information as the incomplete information when the home appliance detects an abnormality before the start of the reserved operation, and controls to transmit the incomplete information to the information communication terminal device,

determining whether or not start information indicating start of the operation is received from the home appliance within a first predetermined time after start time of the operation of the reserved operation received from the home appliance, and performing a 1 st report to report that the operation is not completed to the information communication terminal device when the start information is not received,

Transmitting the query signal to the home device after the 1 st report is made,

when the unfinished information is received from the home appliance, a 2 nd report is made to the information communication terminal device, the 2 nd report reporting the reason why the operation of the reserved operation is unfinished,

when the resident returns home, the display means displays that the operation in the reserved operation is not completed.

19. An operation management system for a home appliance, comprising:

a plurality of household electrical appliances, which are provided with a 1 st communication part for wireless communication and a heating source or a power source operated by electric energy;

an information communication terminal device for transmitting a remote operation signal enabling the home appliance device to perform a reserved operation and transmitting a distance determination information signal; and

a power command device having a 2 nd communication unit which wirelessly communicates with the 1 st communication units of the plurality of home electric appliances, the power command device acquiring the operation information signal,

the home appliance device includes: a control device for controlling the heating source or the power source; and an operation input unit for setting a reserved operation mode for starting operation at a predetermined time,

The power command device has a selection operation unit capable of selecting a home mode and an out mode,

the home appliance has a function of changing a reserved operating condition according to a distance indicated by a distance determination information signal from the information communication terminal device,

the power command device acquires information indicating a result of changing a reserved operating condition of the home appliance,

the power command device displays information that can identify the home appliance when the home appliance has not been operated in the reserved operation mode when a switching operation from the outgoing mode to the home mode is performed by a resident on the selection operation unit and when the home appliance has not been operated in the reserved operation mode,

further, the power command device transmits an inquiry signal of reserved operation execution to the home electric appliance when a completion signal of reserved operation is not received from the home electric appliance even after a second predetermined time elapses from a time point at which operation is started according to the reserved operation condition change result, and then receives, when an uncompleted information of reserved operation execution is received from the home electric appliance, and an abnormality is detected before the home electric appliance starts reserved operation, receives the detected abnormal information as the uncompleted information, and controls to transmit the uncompleted information to the information communication terminal apparatus,

Determining whether or not start information indicating start of the operation is received from the home electric appliance within a first predetermined time after start time of the operation of the reserved operation received from the home electric appliance, and performing a 1 st report for reporting that the operation is not completed to the information communication terminal device when the start information is not received,

transmitting the query signal to the home device after the 1 st report is made,

when the unfinished information is received from the home appliance, a 2 nd report is made to the information communication terminal device, the 2 nd report reporting the reason why the operation of the reserved operation is unfinished,

when the resident returns home, the display means displays that the operation in the reserved operation is not completed.

20. The operation management system for home electric appliances according to claim 19,

when the resident operates the selection operation unit when returning home, the display unit displays information indicating the home appliance for which the reservation setting is made and information indicating the home appliance in operation.

21. The system for managing operation of an electric home appliance according to claim 19,

The power command device acquires an abnormality occurrence report signal from the home appliance stopped due to an abnormality occurrence while the home mode is set, and displays information enabling identification of the home appliance on the display unit.

22. The operation management system for home electric appliances according to claim 19,

the power command device displays, on the display unit, information that enables identification of the home appliance when the home appliance in the reserved operation mode is present during a home mode.

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