CN118250688A - Communication system and pairing method in communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a communication system and a pairing method in the communication system, which can improve the convenience of users for pairing between cooking equipment and a range hood constituting the communication system. After pairing processing between a BLE substrate (16) of a stove (10) and a BLE substrate (160) of a range hood (100) is started by operation of an information terminal (30), an identification address of the BLE substrate is transmitted from the information terminal to the BLE substrate, and a pairing request is transmitted from the BLE substrate to the BLE substrate having the identification address. After the BLE substrate receives the pairing requirement, the smoke exhaust ventilator issues a password and sends the password to the information terminal. The password is transmitted from the information terminal to the BLE substrate, and then transferred to the BLE substrate. The range hood performs an authentication process using the issued password and the password transmitted from the BLE substrate.

Description

Communication system and pairing method in communication system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a communication system and a pairing method in the communication system, and more particularly, to pairing setting between machines in the communication system for data communication with a cooking machine.

Background

Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2020-112319 (patent document 1) describes the following structure: in a communication system including a heating cooker, a portable terminal, a hot water supply remote controller, and a server, communication (BT communication) is performed between the heating cooker and the portable terminal and the hot water supply remote controller by a Bluetooth (registered trademark) method, and the hot water supply remote controller performs communication (Wi-Fi communication) by a WiFi (registered trademark) method and is communicatively connected to the server via the internet.

Patent document 1 describes that in the communication system, when BT communication is established between the hot water remote controller and the heating cooker, recipe data stored in the server is transmitted to the heating cooker via the hot water remote controller operating as a relay device. In addition, it is described that a device disposed in the vicinity of the heating cooker, for example, a range hood, may be used as a relay device instead of the hot water supply remote controller.

[ Prior Art literature ]

[ Patent literature ]

Patent document 1 Japanese patent laid-open No. 2020-112319

Disclosure of Invention

[ Problem to be solved by the invention ]

In constructing the communication system described in patent document 1, it is necessary to perform so-called pairing as an initial setting for mutual authentication between the heating cooker and the relay device (hot water supply remote controller or range hood). In pairing, in order to connect the heating cooker and the relay device in communication, a series of processes is performed, in which a password for authentication is outputted from the relay device and displayed, the displayed password is inputted to the heating cooker, and the password is transmitted from the heating cooker to the relay device to be authenticated. Typically, the password is set to a multi-digit number, or a combination of english letters and numbers.

However, in a user interface provided in the heating cooker and the relay device, the display of the password for the user to see and the password input by the user cannot be easily performed, and there is a concern that the user convenience may be lowered.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve user convenience in the pairing between a cooking device and a range hood constituting a communication system.

[ Means of solving the problems ]

One aspect of the present invention provides a communication system. The communication system includes a cooking device including a first communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication, a range hood, and an information terminal. The range hood includes a second communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication with the first communication unit, and a third communication unit for performing communication connection with an external communication network. The information terminal is paired with the cooking device in advance, is paired with the range hood in advance, and has a function of communicating with the first communication unit and the second communication unit. After the pairing process of the cooking device and the range hood is started, the identification address of the second communication unit is transmitted from the information terminal to the first communication unit, and accordingly, after the first communication unit transmits a pairing request to the second communication unit having the identification address, a password issued by the range hood according to the pairing request is transmitted from the range hood to the cooking device at least through the information terminal, and further, the password received by the cooking device is transmitted from the first communication unit to the second communication unit. The range hood pairs the first communication unit and the second communication unit by an authentication process using the issued password and the password transmitted from the first communication unit.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a pairing method in a communication system. The communication system includes a cooking device including a first communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication, a range hood, and an information terminal. The range hood includes a second communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication with the first communication unit, and a third communication unit for performing communication connection with an external communication network. The information terminal is paired with the cooking device in advance, is paired with the range hood in advance, and has a function of communicating with the first communication unit and the second communication unit. The pairing method comprises the following steps: a step of transmitting an identification address of the second communication unit from the information terminal to the first communication unit in response to the start of the pairing process of the cooking device and the range hood in response to the operation of the information terminal; a step of transmitting a pairing request from the first communication unit to the second communication unit having the identification address transmitted from the information terminal; a step of transmitting a password for pairing from the range hood to the information terminal in response to the reception of the pairing request; the information terminal sends the password sent from the range hood to the first communication part; a step in which the first communication unit transmits the password transmitted from the information terminal to the second communication unit; and a step of pairing the first communication unit and the second communication unit by an authentication process using the issued password and the password transmitted from the first communication unit.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present invention, after the pairing process is started by the operation of the information terminal, the transmission, transmission and reception of the password are automatically performed until the authentication process, so that the user convenience in the pairing can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the arrangement of devices used in the communication system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a problem of pairing processing of the range and the range hood in the communication system shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating pairing processing of a range and a range hood in the communication system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a modification of the pairing process of the range and the range hood in the communication system according to the present embodiment.

[ Description of symbols ]

2: Communication system

5: AC power supply

10: Cooking range

11: Operation unit

11X, 105: operation part

11Y: display unit

11Z: switch

12: Burner with a burner body

15. 140: Control substrate

16. 160: Communication substrate (BLE substrate)

17: Battery cell

20: Router

30: Information terminal

40: Internet network

50: Server device

100: Fume exhaust fan

101: Frame component

102: Lighting device

110: Rectifying plate

115: Gap of

120: Fan with fan body

130: Power converter

150: Communication board (Wireless LAN communication board)

Vcc, vdc: supply voltage

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated in principle.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the arrangement of devices used in the communication system according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, the communication system of the present embodiment is configured using a range 10 and a range hood 100. The stove 10 is provided with 1 or a plurality of burners 12, and an operation unit 11 is provided corresponding to each burner 12. Further, a grill, not shown, may be provided on the stove 10. Each burner 12 and grill (not shown) are operated or stopped according to the user operation of the operation unit 11. Further, the operation unit 11 may include a switch (not shown) for turning on only a communication function described below without accompanying the operation (combustion) of the burner 12.

The stove 10 is in a "power off state" when the combustion of each burner 12 is stopped and the communication function is also turned off, and in other cases, is in a "power on state". That is, the power-on state includes a state in which the burner 12 is not burned but the communication function is turned on.

The range hood 100 is disposed above and near the range 10. The range hood 100 includes a frame member 101, an illumination 102, a rectifying plate 110, an operation portion 105, and a fan 120 (for example, a sirocco fan) built in a housing.

The rectifying plate 110 is detachably attached to an opening formed by the lower edge of the frame member 101. When the fan 120 is rotationally driven in a state where the rectifying plate 110 is attached to the opening, air is sucked in from the gap 115 between the frame member 101 and the rectifying plate 110 and discharged to the outside through a duct not shown.

The operation unit 105 includes various switches, a speaker, a display unit formed of a light emitting Diode (LIGHT EMITTING Diode), and the like for user operation. The user can instruct the operation of turning on and off the range hood 100 through the operation unit 105. The on/off state (on/off state) of the illumination 102 may be controlled according to a user operation of the operation unit 105.

At least one of the on and off of the fan 120 of the range hood 100 may be controlled in conjunction with the operation of the range 10. Specifically, the range hood 100 may be controlled in conjunction with operation and cessation of the burner 12 and/or grill.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the communication system 2 according to the present embodiment.

Referring to fig. 2, the communication system 2 is configured to be capable of communicating with a server 50 connected to an external communication network (for example, the internet 40) through a plurality of communication boards mounted on the range 10 and the range hood 100 shown in fig. 1.

The stove 10 includes an operation portion 11X and a display portion 11Y included in the operation unit 11, a control substrate 15, and a communication substrate 16 for short-range wireless communication. For example, the stove 10 is driven by supplying electric power from the battery 17.

The communication board 16 has a short-range wireless communication function such as BLE (communication according to bluetooth low energy (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark) (hereinafter BLE communication)). A communication module for short-range wireless communication is mounted on the communication board 16. The communication substrate 16 is also referred to as BLE substrate 16 hereinafter.

The control board 15 has a function of a controller for controlling the operation of the stove 10 in accordance with a user input to the operation unit 11X. For example, the control board 15 controls ignition or fire extinguishing of the burner 12 shown in fig. 1 and the fire power at the time of ignition directly corresponding to the user operation of the operation portion 11X. Or by the control board 15, the burner 12 or a grid not shown is automatically operated in accordance with a predetermined mode to control the ignition timing and the fire during ignition, in accordance with a menu selection operation to the operation unit 11X.

As described above, the operation section 11X includes the switch 11Z for turning on the communication function without accompanying the operation (combustion) of the burner 12. By opening the switch 11Z, the communication function of the BLE substrate 16 is turned on. The control board 15 also controls a communication function between the stove 10 using the BLE board 16 and the outside when the power is turned on. The BLE substrate 16 corresponds to an embodiment of the "first communication section".

The range hood 100 includes a power converter 130, a control substrate 140, a communication substrate 150, and a communication substrate 160.

The communication substrate 150 has a communication function for communicating with the router 20 for internet connection. Typically, the router 20 is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router, and the communication board 150 is mounted with a wireless LAN module for performing wireless LAN communication (for example, wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication) with the router 20. Hereinafter, the communication substrate 150 is also referred to as a wireless LAN communication substrate 150.

The communication board 160 has a similar function of short-range wireless communication to the communication board (BLE board) 16, and thus communicates with the BLE board 16. Therefore, since BLE communication is also performed with respect to communication substrate 160, it is also called BLE substrate 160.BLE substrate 160 corresponds to an embodiment of "second communication section", and wireless LAN communication substrate 150 corresponds to an embodiment of "third communication section".

Further, the distance that BLE communication (short-range wireless communication) can be performed by the communication substrate 16 and the communication substrate 160 is shorter than the distance that wireless LAN communication can be performed by the communication substrate 150, and as a result, the power consumption of each of the communication substrate 16 and the communication substrate 160 is also smaller than the power consumption of the communication substrate 150.

The power converter 130 converts an ac voltage from the ac power source 5 of a commercial system or the like into a power source voltage used in the range hood 100. As shown in fig. 2, the power supply voltage generated by the power converter 130 includes a power supply voltage Vcc (e.g., 3.3[ v ]) for the BLE communication and control board 140 of the communication board 160, and a power supply voltage Vdc (e.g., 15[ v ]) for the wireless LAN communication of the communication board 150. The power supply voltage of the fan 120 (fig. 1) may be generated by the power converter 130 in addition to the power supply voltage Vcc and the power supply voltage Vdc, or may be generated by a power supply circuit different from the power converter 130.

The control board 140 has a function of a controller for controlling the operations of the fan 120, the illumination 102, and the like so as to operate the range hood 100 in accordance with a user input to the operation unit 105. Further, the control board 140 can communicate with the wireless LAN communication board 150 and the BLE board 160, respectively, and control communication functions between the range hood 100 using the wireless LAN communication board 150 and the BLE board 160 and the outside. The communication between the control board 140 and the wireless LAN communication board 150 and the communication between the control board 140 and the BLE board 160 may be performed on the same communication line by time sharing or the like.

Thus, the control board 140 can transmit and receive data to and from a device (for example, the server 50) communicatively connected to a communication network (typically, the internet 40) via the wireless LAN communication board 150 and the router 20.

On the other hand, the control substrate 15 of the stove 10 can transmit and receive data between the pre-paired range hood 100 (BLE substrate 160) by short-range wireless communication (BLE communication) using the BLE substrate 16, and can also transmit and receive data through a BLE connection between the information terminal 30 that has activated application software (hereinafter simply referred to as "application") for controlling and/or monitoring the stove 10 by a user. Typically, the information terminal 30 includes a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or the like.

As a result, in the communication system 2 shown in fig. 2, the stove 10 can transmit and receive data for executing an application to and from the information terminal 30 through BLE communication. Further, the stove 10 can transmit and receive data to and from the server 50 connected to the internet 40 via BLE communication between the stove 10 and the hood 100 and wireless LAN communication between the hood 100 and the router 20. That is, when the power of the stove 10 is turned on, the BLE board 160 and the wireless LAN communication board 150 of the range hood 100 may serve as relay devices, and a communication path may be formed between the stove 10 and the server 50.

In order to configure the communication system 2 as described above, it is necessary to pair the range 10 with the range hood 100 functioning as a relay device as an initial setting.

Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a problem in pairing the range 10 and the range hood 100 in the communication system shown in fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 3, pairing is accomplished by transmitting a code issued by the range hood 100 from the range 10 to the range hood 100 and authenticating the code by the range hood 100. As described above, the password is usually a multi-digit number or a combination of english letters and numbers.

When the user inputs the password during pairing, as shown in fig. 3, the range hood 100 displays the password according to the pairing start instruction of the user (P10), the user inputs the displayed password into the range 10 (P11), and the range 10 transmits the password input by the user to the range hood 100 through BLE communication (P12). Accordingly, the pairing between the range 10 and the range 100 is completed by the range 100 authenticating the password (P13) inputted from the range 10, and thereafter, a communication path between the BLE substrate 16 (range 10) and the BLE substrate 160 (range 100) is formed.

However, in general, the range hood 100 does not require a detailed text message to be displayed to the user, and it is difficult to ensure a user interface for the user to see a password formed by a plurality of digits or a combination of english letters and numerals.

On the other hand, the range 10 is hardly provided with a numeric input mechanism such as a numeric keypad or an english letter input mechanism, and it is difficult to secure a user interface for a user to input a password.

Therefore, in the communication system of the present embodiment, an easy pairing method by the user operating the information terminal 30 will be described.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating pairing processing of a range and a range hood in the communication system according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 4, the pairing of the hood 100 and the range 10 is started by a step (hereinafter also simply referred to as "S") 250 according to a part of the functions of the application started in the information terminal 30.

In the pairing, it is necessary to complete pairing between the stove 10 and the information terminal 30 (S100, S200) and pairing between the information terminal 30 and the range hood 100 (S210, S300) in advance.

Further, when the information terminal 30 is paired with the range hood 100, the Bluetooth Device (BD) address of the BLE substrate 160 may be requested to be output to the range hood 100 in S220. The range hood 100 transmits the BD address of the BLE substrate 160 to the server 50 in S310 in response to the BD address output request from the information terminal 30 (S220). The BD address corresponds to an embodiment of an "identification address" of the BLE substrate 160 (second communication section).

After receiving the BD address transmitted from the hood 100 at S410, the server 50 transmits the BD address to the information terminal 30 at S420. Accordingly, the information terminal 30 receives the BD address of the BLE substrate 160 (range hood 100) transmitted from the server 50 at S230. Thereby, the information terminal 30 obtains the BD address unique to the BLE substrate 160 of the mated range hood 100.

After the pairing process of the stove 10 and the range hood 100 is started in S250, the information terminal 30 transmits the BD address of the BLE substrate 160 (range hood 100) acquired in advance to the stove 10 (BLE substrate 16) together with a start instruction of pairing in S260.

Further, the process of S250 is performed, for example, in accordance with the operation of the information terminal 30. However, the pairing process may be started in S250 according to the operation of the cooking device (range 10) or range hood 100, and the start trigger of the pairing process is not limited to the operation of the information terminal 30.

After receiving the BD address of the BLE substrate 160 transmitted from the information terminal 30 at S110, the stove 10 requests pairing at S120 with the BD address. Thus, the pairing request is transmitted from the BLE substrate 16 of the range 10 to the BLE substrate 160 of the range hood 100.

After the range hood 100 (BLE substrate 160) receives the pairing request transmitted from the range 10 at S320 (S120), the password issued by the range hood 100 is transmitted to the information terminal 30 at S330.

After receiving the code transmitted from the hood 100 at S270 (S330), the information terminal 30 transmits the code to the stove 10 (BLE substrate 16) at S280.

After receiving the password transmitted from the information terminal 30 (S280) in S130, the stove 10 (BLE substrate 16) transmits the password to the hood 100 (BLE substrate 160) in S140.

The range hood 100 (BLE substrate 160) receives the password transmitted from the range 10 through S340 (S140), and performs an authentication process of the received password. Specifically, the password issued by the range hood 100 is compared with the password received in S340, and if the two match, the authentication result is "OK", and if the two match, the authentication result is "NG". If the authentication result is "OK", the BLE substrate 16 (range 10) and the BLE substrate 160 (range hood 100) are paired.

The range hood 100 outputs the authentication result in S340 to the information terminal 30 in S350. The information terminal 30 displays the end of the pairing process in S290 based on the authentication result received from the range hood 100. The pairing process according to the present embodiment can be realized by mounting software (program) for realizing the process shown in fig. 4 on the range 10 (control board 15), the range hood 100 (control board 140), and the server 50.

As described above, in the communication system of the present embodiment, after pairing is started by the user operation on the application started in the information terminal 30, the process of outputting the code from the range hood 100 and inputting the code to the range 10, that is, P10 and P11 in fig. 3 is automatically performed without the user's work. Therefore, without using the user interface of the range 10 and the range hood 100 described in fig. 3, pairing of the range 10 and the range hood 100 can be simply performed by the user only by the start-up process in the information terminal 30. As a result, user convenience can be improved.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the pairing process shown in fig. 4.

In the modification of fig. 5, the password issued by the range hood 100 is transmitted from the range hood 100 to the information terminal 30 via the server 50 in response to a pairing request from the range 10 to the range hood 100 (S120), which is different from fig. 4.

Specifically, in S330, the range hood 100 transmits a password to the server 50 in response to a pairing request from the range 10. After receiving the password issued by the hood 100 at S430, the server 50 transmits the password to the information terminal 30 at S440.

In S270, the information terminal 30 receives the password output from the hood 100 from the server 50 instead of the hood 100. The other processes of fig. 5 are the same as those of fig. 4, and thus detailed description is not repeated.

In general, since the password is temporary data, the password may be transmitted not via the server 50 as described in fig. 4, but may be input to the information terminal 30 via the server 50 as shown in fig. 5.

By the control process shown in fig. 5, the pairing of the range 10 and the range hood 100 is achieved, which improves the user's convenience, in the same manner as in fig. 4.

In the flowcharts shown in fig. 4 and 5, the information terminal 30 may not necessarily complete the process of acquiring the BD address of the BLE substrate 160 (range hood 100) in S220 and S230 before the pairing starts (S250). That is, the information terminal 30 may execute the processing of S220, S230 after the pairing starts (S250) before executing S260.

The information terminal 30 does not necessarily need to go through the server 50 in the process of acquiring the BD address of the BLE substrate 160 (range hood 100) in S220 and S230. For example, the BD address may be directly transmitted from the range hood 100 (BLE substrate 160) to the information terminal 30.

In the present embodiment, the short-range wireless communication between the range 10 and the range hood 100 is not limited to BLE communication exemplified in the present embodiment, and other communication methods may be used as long as the communication is Bluetooth (registered trademark), zigbee (registered trademark), or the like having a multi-role function.

Similarly, the communication from the range hood 100 for connection to the server 50 may be configured by a communication system different from the wireless LAN communication (Wi-Fi communication) to the communication board 150.

The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (8)

1. A communication system, comprising:

a cooking device including a first communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication;

a range hood including a second communication unit for performing the short-range wireless communication with the first communication unit, and a third communication unit for performing communication connection with an external communication network; and

An information terminal which performs pairing with the cooking device in advance and pairing with the range hood in advance, and has a function of communicating with the first communication unit and the second communication unit,

After the pairing process of the cooking device and the range hood is started, the identification address of the second communication unit is transmitted from the information terminal to the first communication unit, accordingly, after the first communication unit transmits a pairing request to the second communication unit having the identification address, the password issued by the range hood is transmitted from the range hood to the cooking device at least through the information terminal according to the pairing request, and the password received by the cooking device is transmitted from the first communication unit to the second communication unit,

The range hood pairs the first communication unit and the second communication unit by an authentication process using the issued password and the password transmitted from the first communication unit.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein

And transmitting the identification address from the third communication unit to the information terminal via a server connected to the external communication network according to a request from the information terminal after the information terminal is paired with the range hood.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein

The password generated in response to the pairing request is transmitted from the third communication unit to the information terminal via a server connected to the external communication network.

4. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

The cooking machine is a stove.

5. A pairing method in a communication system, the communication system comprising: a cooking device including a first communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication; a range hood including a second communication unit for performing the short-range wireless communication with the first communication unit and a third communication unit for performing communication connection with an external communication network; and an information terminal having a function of communicating with the first communication unit and the second communication unit by performing pairing with the cooking device in advance and pairing with the range hood in advance,

The pairing method in the communication system comprises the following steps:

a step of transmitting an identification address of the second communication unit from the information terminal to the first communication unit in response to start of pairing processing of the cooking device and the range hood;

A step of transmitting a pairing request from the first communication unit to the second communication unit having the identification address transmitted from the information terminal;

A step of transmitting a password for pairing from the range hood to the information terminal in response to the reception of the pairing request;

The information terminal transmitting the password transmitted from the range hood to the first communication unit;

a step in which the first communication unit transmits the password transmitted from the information terminal to the second communication unit; and

And a step of pairing the first communication unit and the second communication unit by an authentication process using the issued password and the password transmitted from the first communication unit.

6. The pairing method in a communication system according to claim 5, further comprising:

After the information terminal is paired with the range hood, transmitting the identification address to a server connected to the external communication network by the third communication unit according to a request from the information terminal; and

And transmitting the identification address received by the server from the server to the information terminal.

7. The pairing method in a communication system according to claim 5, wherein

The step of transmitting the password from the range hood to the information terminal includes:

A step of transmitting the password from the third communication unit to a server connected to the external communication network; and

And transmitting the password received by the server from the server to the information terminal.

8. The pairing method in a communication system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein

The cooking machine is a stove.