JP2007282044A - Control apparatus, method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller that is easy to use for human beings. <P>SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a control apparatus of a remote controller for controlling a plurality of devices connected by a network, which comprises a means for selecting a target device that can be operated by the remote controller, in accordance with device conditions and remote controller conditions from among the plurality of devices connected by the network, and a means for changing a control status in accordance with a result of the selection. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a control apparatus, method, and program for controlling a plurality of devices on a network.

  Conventionally, various devices such as a television, a video recorder, a lighting device, an air conditioner, and a lighting used in a home have been developed, and these have been connected to a network together with a PC so as to be comprehensively controlled. It is very convenient to be able to control connected devices at once.

  However, the setting for connection has been troublesome that a number called an IP address has to be assigned and managed for each device. In addition, there is a problem that the power must be turned on / off when connecting a PC, a control device or a device to the network.

  Recently, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) technology is about to eliminate these troublesomeness. According to UPnP, device and control point addresses are automatically assigned by addressing, so manual address management is not required. Therefore, it is possible to connect to or disconnect from the network while the power is turned on by discovery or the like.

All devices and control devices can be easily connected to the network and disconnected without using a PC.
However, in a home network based on UPnP, device connection is facilitated, so that any device at home can be connected.

  As a result, when trying to control various types of devices in the house with a remote controller that is a control device that controls a single device, the remote controller is equipped with a GUI corresponding to a large number of devices, Will be listed.

  In this case, in order to select and operate the GUI of the target device, it is necessary to select the device, which requires a large number of procedures, which is very troublesome and takes time and effort.

  For example, even when trying to control a television in a child's room, a large number of GUIs for controlling a television in a bedroom or a living room are displayed on the remote controller, which causes great confusion. In addition, it was necessary to perform a lot of operations to identify and control the television in the children's room, and it took a lot of time and effort.

  In order to avoid this problem, there is a device in which a position detection device is attached to a device or a control device, and information displayed on the remote controller is restricted by position information of the device or the control device (for example, see Patent Document 1). ).

  With this proposal, it is possible to detect the position of the device and the remote controller, and display the GUI of the device suitable for the location where the recommon is present, depending on the position of the remote controller. For example, when the remote control is brought to the child room, a GUI for operating the TV in the child room is displayed, and the TV in the child room can be operated immediately. Also, when the remote controller is brought to the bedroom, a GUI for operating the bedroom TV is displayed, which makes it very convenient that the bedroom television can be operated immediately, and the operation time can be greatly reduced.

JP 2004-139487 A

Patent Document 1 is an invention in which provided information changes in accordance with position information, and an appropriate GUI can be displayed depending on where the remote control is.
However, with the remote controller, the position, that is, the GUI of the remote controller changes greatly every time the room is moved, and it is difficult for human senses to cope with GUIs that change frequently, and humans respond to this. Because of that I feel tired. There is also a problem that it takes a lot of time to get used to.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. The GUI display on the remote controller is not confused, an appropriate device can be controlled, and even if the room is moved, no switching operation is required. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control apparatus and method, and a program that can control a device substantially efficiently without the need for a device.

  The control apparatus according to the present invention is a control apparatus for a remote controller that controls a plurality of devices connected by a network, and includes a condition for the device and a condition for the remote controller among the plurality of devices connected by the network. Selection means for selecting the target device that can be operated by the remote controller, and control means for changing the control state in accordance with the selection result.

  The control method of the present invention is a control method of a remote controller that controls a plurality of devices connected by a network, and is based on a condition of the device and a condition of the remote controller among the plurality of devices connected by the network. Selecting a target device that can be operated by the remote control, and changing a control state according to the selection result.

  According to the present invention, even when there are a large number of devices connected via a network in a house, an appropriate device is selected according to the position of the remote controller on the remote controller to be controlled, so that the GUI display on the remote controller is confused. It is possible to control an appropriate device, and even if the room is moved, the device is switched appropriately, so no switching operation is required, and it is possible to control the device significantly more efficiently with less time and effort. It becomes.

  Further, by providing a GUI for operating devices that are not directly related to the room or position, these devices can be called regardless of the positional relationship, and the operability is greatly improved.

  Also, by providing a GUI for operating devices other than the room where the remote controller is currently located, these devices can be called regardless of the positional relationship, and the operability is greatly improved.

  In addition, the remote control selects the device to be controlled based not only on the location information but also on the specifications, performance, and status of the device, so that the user is freed from the trouble of selecting the device and can quickly move to the appropriate device control. Operability is greatly improved.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a control device and a device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
The hardware configuration of both the control device and the device is common.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU, which performs calculations for various processes, logical determinations, and the like, and controls each component connected to the bus 7.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a wireless unit, in which a control apparatus or device exchanges information with a network wirelessly.
Reference numeral 3 denotes an input / output unit for displaying information (data) to the user and inputting user information.
3 includes an LCD with a touch panel, a keyboard, and a display such as a CRT.
Reference numeral 4 denotes an infrared light receiving unit.

  An infrared light emitting device is attached to each room of the house, and the infrared light emitting device attached to each room emits infrared light with a different code for each room. The emitted infrared light is received by the infrared light receiving unit of each control device and each device, whereby each control device and each device can know the position.

In this embodiment, infrared light is used to detect the position of the device and the remote controller, but any device that can identify the position may be used, and radio waves may be used.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a program memory which stores a program for control by the CPU 1 including processing procedures to be described later.
The program memory 5 may be a ROM or a RAM in which a program is loaded from an external storage device or the like.

  A data memory 6 stores data generated by various processes. The data memory 6 is a RAM, for example, but is loaded from a non-volatile external storage medium prior to processing or referred to whenever necessary.

  Reference numeral 7 denotes an address signal for instructing each component to be controlled by the CPU 1, a control signal for controlling each component, and a bus for transferring data exchanged between the components.

FIG. 2 is a system overview diagram in the home of the present embodiment.
201 represents a living room, 202 represents a kitchen, and 203 represents a bedroom.
Reference numeral 207 denotes a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numeral 208 denotes illumination that is the device of the present invention.
Reference numeral 209 denotes a television which is the device of the present invention.
Reference numeral 210 denotes a video which is the device of the present invention.
Reference numeral 211 denotes a microwave oven which is a device of the present invention.
A refrigerator 212 is the device of the present invention.
Reference numeral 213 denotes an air conditioner which is a device of the present invention.

  Each device and remote controller includes a wireless LAN transmission / reception device, and can communicate via a wireless LAN antenna 205 and a LAN router 206.

  In addition, an infrared light emitting device 204 is attached to each room. An infrared light receiving device is attached to the devices 208 to 213 and the remote controller 207 placed in each room. The infrared light emitting device that emits light in each room has a different code, and the device and remote control in each room receive the infrared light emitted by the infrared light receiving device in each room, so that each device and remote control is located in which room. Can be recognized.

FIG. 3 is an example of a GUI of a remote controller according to the present invention. The LCD display is equipped with a touch panel.
In this embodiment, the GUI is composed of the TV device 301, the video device 302, the air conditioner device 303, and the lighting device 304, but the GUIs of other devices may be arranged side by side.

The remote controller, each device, and each room are equipped with a wireless LAN antenna, and an operation instructed by the GUI of the remote controller controls the device via the wireless LAN.
In this embodiment, communication with a device is performed by wireless LAN, but any device capable of performing communication may be used, and communication using a power line may be used.

Even if the remote control is moved to each room, the GUI display does not change, but the device to be operated by the remote control is switched to move the room.
For example, when there is a remote control in the living room, if the channel or volume that is the GUI of the TV device is operated, the TV set in the living room becomes the operation target, and the TV is controlled.

When the remote control is moved to the bedroom, the television in the bedroom is switched to the operation target, and the television in the bedroom is controlled.
Similarly, when the living room has a remote control and the GUI of the air conditioner is operated, the air conditioner of the living room is controlled, but when the remote control is moved to the kitchen and the GUI of the air conditioner is operated, the air conditioner of the kitchen is controlled.

However, the video is in the living room but not in the kitchen.
When there is a remote control in the living room and the video GUI is operated, the living video is controlled. However, when the remote control is moved to the kitchen and the video GUI is operated, the living room video is controlled.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a series of these remote controllers.
In S401, infrared light irradiated on the room is received by the infrared light receiving unit of the remote controller.
Infrared light has different codes depending on the room, so that the remote control can detect which room it is in.

When the remote control knows that the room has moved in S402, it discovers devices in the room in S403.
In S404, the device is switched.
If the room is not moved in S402, or if the GUI is not operated in S405, the process returns to S401.
When a GUI operation is performed, the corresponding device is controlled in S406 for the device switched in S404.

(Second Embodiment)
The hardware configuration of the control device of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG. The system overview in the home of this embodiment is also the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.
FIG. 5 shows a GUI screen of the remote controller of this embodiment.
The buttons of the common device 501 and the other room buttons 502 are expanded with respect to the GUI diagram of FIG. 3 of the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment, there are a video server button 503 and a surveillance camera button 504 as common buttons.
Both the video server device and the surveillance camera are not directly associated with a room, and are devices that are desired to be used from either room.
Accordingly, the use efficiency is greatly improved by providing a GUI that can be called at any time.

In this embodiment, there are a kitchen button 505 and a bedroom button 506 as other room buttons.
The kitchen and bedroom are both separate from the room where the remote is currently located, but devices from other rooms may be used.
Therefore, the use efficiency is greatly improved by providing a GUI that uses devices in other rooms.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a series of these remote controllers.
In S601, first, devices in the entire network, that is, the entire house are scanned and discovery is performed.
Later, a device is selected from the discovered device group. In the first embodiment, only a specific room is detected after the room is specified. However, as in the second embodiment, the device may be selected after the entire house is detected.
In S602, it is detected whether the kitchen button 505 button or the bedroom button 506 of the other room buttons 502 is pressed.

If these buttons are pressed, the device is limited to the device in the room in S503.
For example, if the kitchen is pressed, it is limited to the kitchen device. If the bedroom is pressed, limit it to the bedroom device.

In S604, the devices controlled by the remote controller are switched to those limited devices.
If no button in another room is pressed in S602, GUI operation is detected in S605.
If a GUI operation is detected, the corresponding device is controlled in S606.
If a GUI operation cannot be detected in S605, the process returns to S602.
Infrared light irradiated on the room is received by the infrared receiving unit of the remote control.

Infrared light has different codes depending on the room, so that the remote control can detect which room it is in.
When the remote control knows that the room has moved in S402, it discovers devices in the room in S403. In S404, the device is switched.

(Third embodiment)
In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a remote controller selects a device to be controlled based on not only position information but also a device state.
The hardware configuration of the control device of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG. The system overview in the home of this embodiment is also the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.

  When video devices are installed in the living room and bedroom, and the video recording operation is attempted using the remote control in the living room, the living room video is selected as the operation target if it is equivalent to the second embodiment. .

  However, if the living room video deck is being used for recording or the like, a warning 701 in FIG. 7 is issued to notify that the video deck is in use and no recording operation will be performed. Is not currently in use and prompts the user to use a bedroom video deck instead.

  When the user presses cancel, the operation is stopped, but when the user presses OK, the video operation target can be switched to the bedroom video while performing the recording operation while in the living room.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of a series of these remote controllers.
Similar to the second embodiment, in S801, discovery of devices in the entire home network is performed.
When a button in another room is pressed in S802, the device is limited to the device in the room designated in S803, and the device is switched in S804.
In S805, the operation of the GUI is detected. If there is no operation, the process returns to S802.
If the GUI operation is detected in S805, the process proceeds to S806. If the target device can be used in S806, the device is controlled in S811.

If the target operation cannot be performed because the device to be controlled is currently being used in S806, a substitute device is detected in S807, and a dialog is displayed in S808.
If the dialog cancel button is pressed, the process returns to S802 in S809.
When the OK button of the dialog is pressed, the device is switched to the device detected in S810, and the device is controlled in S811.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a remote controller selects a device to be controlled based on not only position information but also device performance and specifications.
The hardware configuration of the control device of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.
The system overview in the home of this embodiment is also the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.

  If a TV device is installed in each of the living room and the bedroom, and a playback operation is attempted on the bedroom TV using the bedroom video using the remote control in the bedroom, the system is the same as in the second embodiment. The bedroom video image is played on the bedroom TV.

  However, the image to be played was a high-definition video recording video, and the bedroom TV was able to play back the standard video recording but not the high-definition video quality. The case is as follows. This embodiment has a feature that the specifications and performance are compared among the devices detected by the detection so that the image can be more clearly interfered, and the device with the highest specification is recommended.

In the present embodiment, the dialog in FIG. 9 is displayed, and the user can select whether to cancel, display on the television in the bedroom, or display on the television in the living room.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a series of these remote controllers.
Similar to the second embodiment, in S1001, discovery of devices in the entire home network is performed.

When a button in another room is pressed in S1002, the device is limited to the device specified in S1003, and the device is switched in S1004.
In S1005, the operation of the GUI is detected. If there is no operation, the process returns to S1002.
If a GUI operation is detected in S1005, the process proceeds to S1006. In S1006, a device equivalent to the device specified as the control specification is detected.

If the user controls the bedroom TV, the living room TV is also listed.
In S1007, the dialog shown in FIG. 9 is displayed and can be played back on the TV in this room, but the TV in the living room can be interfered with a higher-definition high-definition image quality. Have them choose to use a room TV or a living room TV. If canceled, the process returns to S1002.

If the user chooses to watch on the TV in this room, the TV in the bedroom is controlled in S1010.
If the user chooses to watch on the living room television in S1008, the device is switched to the living room television in S1009, and the living device is controlled in S1010.

The operation according to the fourth embodiment is as follows.
The device and the remote controller that controls the device are connected by a wireless LAN network, and the remote controller having a control point is connected to the device by UPnP. The remote control is equipped with a GUI for controlling each device, and can control the device via a network.

Each room in the house is equipped with a device that emits infrared light, and the infrared code varies from room to room.
Each device and remote control is provided with an infrared light receiving unit, and by receiving the infrared light of each room, it is possible to obtain in which room of the house each device and remote control is located.

For detecting the position of each device and the remote controller, a method of dividing the wireless LAN subnet into each room without using infrared rays may be used.
The remote controller selects a device in the same room from the position information of the room obtained by inquiring the position information of the room and the device detected by the detection.

The LCD display screen with a remote control touch panel has a GUI for controlling a television, an air conditioner, lighting, and the like.
The GUI of the remote controller is set to display the same GUI even when the room is moved.
Even when the same GUI is used, the control target is switched depending on the location where the remote control is located.

The device to be operated by the remote controller is changed as the room is moved.
For example, when there is a remote control in the living room, if the channel or volume that is the GUI of the TV device is operated, the TV set in the living room becomes the operation target, and the TV is controlled.
When the remote control is moved to the bedroom, the television in the bedroom is switched to the operation target, and the television in the bedroom is controlled.

  The program codes for the steps S401 to S406 in FIG. 4, S601 to S606 in FIG. 6, S801 to S811 in FIG. 8, and S1001 to S1010 in FIG. 10 are stored in the RAM or ROM of the computer. Can be realized by operating. This program and a computer-readable storage medium storing the program are included in the embodiment of the present invention.

  Specifically, the program is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or provided to a computer via various transmission media. As a recording medium for recording the program, besides a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, a nonvolatile memory card, or the like can be used. On the other hand, as the transmission medium of the program, a communication medium (wired line such as an optical fiber, etc.) in a computer network (LAN, WAN such as the Internet, wireless communication network, etc.) system for propagating and supplying program information as a carrier wave A wireless line or the like.

  Further, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by executing a program supplied by a computer, but such programs are also included in the embodiments of the present invention in the following cases. When the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized in cooperation with an OS (operating system) or other application software running on the computer, all or part of the processing of the supplied program is performed by the computer. This is the case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by a function expansion board or a function expansion unit.

It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a system overview figure in the home of the control device concerning the present invention. It is a GUI figure of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a GUI figure of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a GUI figure of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a GUI figure of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart of the control apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU
2 Radio section
3 Input / output section
4 Infrared detector
5 Program memory
6 Data memory
7 Bus
201 Living
202 Kitchen
203 bedroom
204 Infrared light emitting device
205 LAN antenna
206 LAN router
207 remote control
208 lighting devices
209 TV device
210 Video device
211 microwave
212 refrigerator
213 air conditioner
301 TV device GUI
302 Video device GUI
303 Air conditioner device GUI
304 Lighting device GUI
501 Common device button
502 Other room buttons
701 Warning dialog
901 Warning dialog

Claims (8)

A remote control device that controls a plurality of devices connected by a network,
A selecting means for selecting the device that can be operated by the remote controller from the plurality of devices connected by the network according to the conditions of the device and the conditions of the remote controller;
And a control means for changing the control state according to the selection result.   The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control state is a GUI on a remote controller.   The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control state is a state in which the device to be controlled is selected when a GUI on a remote controller is operated. The device has a first position detection device for detecting the position of the device,
The control device according to claim 1, wherein the device condition is a position, performance, and state of the device. The remote control has a second position detection device for detecting the position of the remote control,
The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition of the remote controller is a positional relationship between the remote controller and the device.   2. The control according to claim 1, wherein the condition of the remote controller is a GUI included in the remote controller, and the device detects the position, performance, and state of the device that matches the GUI conditions included in the remote controller. apparatus. A remote control method for controlling a plurality of devices connected by a network,
Selecting the target device that can be operated by the remote controller from the plurality of devices connected by the network according to the conditions of the device and the remote controller;
And a step of changing the control state according to the selection result.   The program for making a computer perform each process of the control method of Claim 7.

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