JP2016146100A - Information provision system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information provision system capable of allowing a user to safely provide apparatus information, thereby more apparatus information can be collected.SOLUTION: The information provision system according to an embodiment includes an external apparatus capable of transmitting data to an external storage device through the Internet, and a household electric appliance connected to the external apparatus. The household electric appliance includes a communication unit for communicating with the external apparatus, and a control unit for controlling the household electric appliance. The household electric appliance is configured so as to transmit, to the external storage device through the external apparatus, apparatus information including any information of working history information on the household electric appliance, operation history information, and control information held by the control unit. The household electric appliance includes apparatus information provision stop means for stopping at least either the transmission of the apparatus information from the household electric appliance or the storage of the apparatus information to the external storage device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an information providing system.

  Currently, there is a service that collects a plurality of user information (such as operation history of various home appliances) by a server and uses secondary information obtained by statistical processing as big data. As big data, as the amount of data to be collected increases, more useful secondary information can be generated.

JP 2013-166331 A

Conventionally, proposals have been made to develop various services using various data collected from users, but the viewpoint from the user side of data collection is insufficient. That is, when collecting information from a user and generating big data, the user may become unsuspectingly implied that information is being collected unintentionally. Therefore, some users feel resistance to providing information with peace of mind.
Therefore, an information providing system is provided that enables a user to provide information with peace of mind, and as a result, allows more device information to be collected.

  An information providing system according to an embodiment includes an external device capable of transmitting data to an external storage device via the Internet, and a home appliance connected to the external device. The home appliance has a communication unit for communicating with the external device, and a control unit for controlling the home appliance. The household electrical appliance, via the external device, device information including any information of operation history information of the household electrical appliance, operation history information, and control information held by the control unit to the external storage device And can be transmitted. The home appliance includes a device information provision stop unit that stops at least one of transmission of the device information from the home appliance and storage of the device information in the external storage device.

The figure which shows an example of a structure of the information provision system by embodiment The figure which shows an example of a structure of the household appliances by embodiment

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments according to an information providing system will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same element in each embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
(First embodiment)
The information providing system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes various home appliances A, B, and C. The home appliances A, B, and C are, for example, a washing / drying machine, a warm water toilet seat, a cleaner (vacuum cleaner), a microwave oven, an IH cooking device, a rice cooker, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a lighting device, an AV device, and other home appliances. . And these household appliances A, B, C, and the home terminal 12 are connected so that communication is possible mutually via the home gateway (external device) 14 which is an example of an information terminal device. In addition, the information providing system 10 includes a portable terminal 19 that is connected to the home appliances A, B, and C wirelessly. The home appliances A, B, C, the home terminal 12, the mobile terminal 19, and the home gateway 14 constitute a home network 15. The home terminal 12 is a personal computer, for example, and the mobile terminal 19 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a mobile phone. The home appliances A, B, and C have a wireless connection unit 24 that enables wireless communication with the mobile terminal 19 as will be described later. The home terminal 12 and the mobile terminal 19 can be connected to the home appliances A, B, and C, and various settings and operations of the home appliances A, B, and C can be performed via the display devices of the home terminal 12 and the mobile terminal 19. It can be carried out.

  The home network 15 is connected to the Internet 16 via the home gateway 14. A cloud server (external storage device) 17 is connected to the Internet 16. The cloud server 17 stores various types of information collected from the home appliances A, B, and C, and performs, for example, statistical processing on the information to generate secondary information (big data). Further, another cloud server 18 is connected to the Internet 16. The cloud server 18 is used to provide various services using the big data generated by the cloud server 17.

  In the information providing system 10 configured as described above, the operation information and driving history information of the home appliances A, B, and C, and the device information of the surrounding environment information (temperature, human information, illuminance, etc.) detected by the home appliance are It is stored in the cloud server 17 via the gateway 14 and the Internet 16. The cloud server 17 performs, for example, statistical processing on the acquired device information as it is or the device information to generate secondary information. The secondary information is used for various services.

  The secondary information (big data) described above is utilized as follows. For example, the fact that the number of cooling operations of an air conditioner in a certain area has increased rapidly can be obtained from air conditioner operation history information and operation information. The device information shows that the user is beginning to feel that the hot summer has come, and the secondary information is expected to increase sales of ice cream and other products. The number and the number of shipments can be increased. In addition, it is possible to promote sales of air conditioners and electric fans used in association with the air conditioners, and it is possible to promote sales of products using, for example, a cool sensation cloth at a clothing distributor. Moreover, when the operation of the heating operation of an air conditioner begins to increase, the sales promotion activity of a heating appliance and a humidifier can be promoted by recognizing this through statistical analysis.

  Alternatively, in the method of using the washing and drying machine in each home, when the number of rinses is, for example, about 2 times in the past, the number of rinses has become sufficient due to the appearance of the evolved detergent. In this case, the transition of the detergent used can be estimated by converting the number of times of rinsing actually performed in the washing machine into big data. Thereby, adjustments, such as increasing the sales ratio of the detergent which can make the frequency | count of a rinse once, can be performed. In addition, when the rate of drying operation has increased, it can be assumed that the situation where it cannot be dried outside is increasing, and it is effective to promote sales of detergents for drying rooms and sales of dehumidifiers. . In addition, the secondary information is generated by statistically processing the transition of the operating time information of the washing machine. Thereby, for example, when the ratio of washing at night is increasing, it is possible to actively promote a “sleeping course” that can be operated quietly at night, and to promote sales of the washing machine itself.

  In matters related to eating habits, for example, it is possible to infer the ratio of cooked rice and bread from the use of rice cookers, and to propose recipe menus according to the eating habits of the user Can do. For example, it is possible to make a proposal such as increasing the Japanese menu in a home with a lot of rice, or increasing the Western menu in a home with a lot of bread. It is also possible to estimate the meal time from the secondary information generated from the operation time of the rice cooker, and to broadcast the CM of the food on the TV according to the time. In addition, by collecting the number of times the door of the refrigerator is opened and closed, the frequency of use of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can be estimated, and the refrigerator can be used to develop a refrigerator that optimizes each storage space.

  As described above, by collecting device information from the user, information that has not been understood before can be seen. Thereby, it can expand to new product development and service development. For example, by using the secondary information, sales promotion activities such as products and services that are affected by the season, temperature, weather, etc. can be implemented in a timely manner.

  As described above, according to the information providing system 10 according to the present embodiment, secondary information (big data) useful in the cloud server 17 based on the device information acquired from the home appliances A, B, and C. ) Can be generated. The secondary information is expanded to another cloud server 18 via the Internet 16, and the secondary information can be used for various purposes by accessing the cloud server 18 from various terminals (not shown).

  Here, when collecting device information from the user, the user's personal information (for example, when using the washing machine, what to wash, what to wash, etc.) Are stored in the cloud server 17 such as when the user is using, when the user is at home, what menu is used in the microwave oven, and the like. Therefore, the user may become uneasy that various information may be known to the outside without intention. Big data services require a large amount of device information to be collected. To that end, it is important to have users provide information with peace of mind.

  In the present embodiment, for this purpose, the home appliances A, B, and C have the following functions. Hereinafter, the home appliance A will be described as a representative, but the description of the home appliance A also applies to the home appliances B and C. In addition, FIG. 1 shows only three home appliances using home appliances A, B, and C as an example, and in this embodiment, more home appliances may be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the home appliance A includes a control device 20, sensors 21, a communication unit 23, an operation panel 25, a wireless connection unit 24, and a clock 22. The control device 20 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and implements various functions exemplified below by performing various controls by executing a program stored in the ROM, for example. The ROM is configured by a flash memory, for example. The operation panel 25 is provided integrally with the main body of the home appliance A, for example, and functions as an operation unit. Usability is improved by enabling operation with the operation panel 25 provided integrally with the home appliance A. The operation panel 25 may be configured to be removable.

  The sensors 21 have a function of detecting and measuring environmental information such as temperature, humidity, and illuminance around the home appliance A. Device information such as operation information of the home appliance A, driving history information, and ambient environment information detected and measured by the sensors 21 is transmitted to the cloud server 17 via the communication unit 23, the home gateway 14, and the Internet 16, It is collected and stored here. The home gateway 14 is a network device that bridges a public network (Internet) and a home network.

  The operation panel 25 includes an information provision selection unit 26 and an information provision stop unit 27. The operation panel 25 is constituted by a liquid crystal display device having a touch panel function, for example. The information provision selection unit 26 and the information provision stop unit 27 are, for example, touch panel buttons displayed on the operation panel 25. Signals input from the information provision selection unit 26 and the information provision stop unit 27 are transmitted from the operation panel 25 to the control device 20. The operation panel 25 is not limited to this, and may have a mechanical button. In this case, the information provision selection unit 26 and the information provision stop unit 27 may be mechanical operation buttons provided on the operation panel 25, for example.

  The information provision selection unit 26 has a function of selecting transmission of the device information of the home appliance A to the cloud server 17. The information provision stop unit 27 has a function of selecting stop of transmission of the device information of the home appliance A to the cloud server 17. The user can select the transmission of the device information of the home appliance A to the cloud server 17 or the stop of the transmission by executing the information provision selection unit 26 or the information provision stop unit 27.

  Thereby, since it can be selected whether apparatus information is transmitted to the cloud server 17 by a user's intention, a user can provide information in comfort. Thereby, the user feels relieved that the device information is provided, and as a result, the provision of the device information to the cloud server 17 is selected, and more device information can be collected. If secondary information is generated from more device information, the secondary information becomes more accurate and reliable information, and the usefulness increases. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to generate secondary information that is more useful.

  Here, when the home appliance A is connected to the cloud server 17 and performs services such as operation of the home appliance A by remote operation and confirmation of the state of the home appliance A in addition to the information collection described above. There is. In this case, it is also possible to maintain the connection with the cloud server itself, stop only the transmission of the device information to the cloud server 17, and implement services using other cloud servers. Thereby, the usability of the information providing system 10 including the home appliances A, B, and C is improved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. Here, the home terminal 12 or the mobile terminal 19 is connected to the home appliance A, and the information provision selection means 26 and the selection part of the information provision stop means 27 are displayed on the display part of the home terminal 12 or the mobile terminal 19 to obtain the equipment information. Whether to transmit to the cloud server 17 is selected. In this case, the home terminal 12 and the portable terminal 19 serve as the function of the operation panel 25, that is, the information provision selection means 26 and the information provision stop means 27.

  The above functions are provided in each of the home appliances A, B, and C. Therefore, by selecting whether or not to transmit the device information to the cloud server 17 for each of the home appliances A, B, and C, for example, only the home appliance A or only the home appliance B Stopping transmission (providing) can also be easily performed. Thereby, the usability of the information providing system 10 including the home appliances A, B, and C is improved.

  In addition, the user temporarily stops transmitting the device information of the home appliance A to the cloud server 17 by executing the information provision stop unit 27, and then transmits the device information to the cloud server 17 (information provision selection). Means 26) can be selected. Thereby, it is possible to resume transmission of the device information once stopped. Therefore, the usability of the information providing system 10 including the home appliances A, B, and C is improved, and the user can provide information according to the situation. As a result, the device information collected in the cloud server 17 The amount of increases.

  The following control may be performed when transmission of the device information of the home appliance A to the cloud server 17 is once stopped and then transmission of the device information to the cloud server 17 is selected. That is, the device information for the period from the stop of transmission to the retransmission may be stored in, for example, the RAM, ROM, or the storage unit of the home terminal 12 included in the control device 20. Then, when the transmission of the device information is executed (re-transmission), that is, when the information provision selection unit 26 is executed, the device information from the stop to the re-transmission may be transmitted to the cloud server 17. Thereby, the usability of the information providing system 10 including the home appliances A, B, and C is improved, and as a result, the amount of device information collected in the cloud server 17 is increased.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the time information acquired by the clock 22 is added to the device information transmitted from the home appliances A, B, and C to the cloud server 17. By adding the time information to the device information, the operation timing information of the user's home appliances A, B, and C can be obtained. Thereby, more useful secondary information can be generated. In the embodiment, the time information is acquired by the clock 22 provided in the home appliance A in the control device 20, but the home gateway 14 connected to the home network 15 is provided with a clock function so that the home gateway 14 Time information may be added when information is transmitted. The cloud server 17 may be provided with a clock function, and time information may be added when device information is stored in the cloud server 17. Thereby, the usability of the information providing system 10 including the home appliances A, B, and C is improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the device information is classified into operation history, driving information, sensor information, and the like, and whether to transmit to the cloud server 17 can be selected for each classified device information (providing information selection) means). The device information of the home appliances A, B, and C includes operation history, driving information, environmental information such as outside temperature, and the like. For example, the operation history of home appliances may be related to personal information, so that it is possible to select the content of the device information to be provided for each user, for example, by setting to not provide information. . As a result, the maximum amount of device information can be obtained compared to the case where the provision of all information is rejected, and as a result, the amount of device information that can be collected in the cloud server 17 can be increased.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, it is assumed that the device information stored in the cloud server 17 can be confirmed for the type and content of the device information according to a user request. Since the user can always grasp what kind of information is provided from his / her home appliance, the information can be provided with more peace of mind. Furthermore, it is good also as enabling deletion of the information regarding the user's household appliances. The device information to be deleted can be selected. As a result, the user provides device information as intended by the user, and when this is inconvenient, the specific device information can be deleted at any time after the fact. Therefore, device information can be provided with more peace of mind, and as a result, the amount of device information that can be collected in the cloud server 17 can be increased.

  The above-described device information confirmation / deletion operations can be performed by displaying the operation unit on the operation panel 25, the home terminal 12, the portable terminal 19 or the like (device information confirmation unit, device information deletion unit). . Thereby, the usability of the information providing system 10 including the home appliances A, B, and C is improved, and the user can provide information according to the situation. As a result, the devices collected in the cloud server 17 The amount of information can be increased.

  For example, when the device information is temporarily stored in the home terminal 12 and transmitted to the cloud server 17 at regular intervals, the above-described device information stored in the home terminal 12 Similarly, the device information may be deleted.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, consideration is paid to the user according to the amount of device information provided by the user or the provided period (time). Here, the value is, for example, valuable points, provision of consumables for home appliances, reduction or exemption of monthly fee. Thereby, a user's willingness to provide device information is promoted, and the amount of device information collected in the cloud server 17 can be increased.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

    In the drawings, 10 is an information providing system, 12 is a home terminal, 14 is a home gateway (external device), 15 is a home network, 16 is the Internet, 17 and 18 are cloud servers (external storage devices), and 19 is a wireless terminal ( Operation panel, device information provision selection unit, device information provision stop unit, device information confirmation unit, device information deletion unit), 20 a control device, 21 sensors, 22 a clock, 23 a communication unit, 24 a wireless connection unit , 25 is an operation panel (operation unit, device information provision selection means, device information provision stop means, equipment information confirmation means, equipment information deletion means), 26 is equipment information provision selection means, and 27 is equipment information provision stop means.

Claims (8)

An external device capable of transmitting data to an external storage device via the Internet;
In an information providing system having a household electrical appliance connected to the external device,
The home appliance is a communication unit for communicating with the external device;
A control unit for controlling the home appliance,
The household electrical appliance, via the external device, device information including any information of operation history information of the household electrical appliance, operation history information, and control information held by the control unit to the external storage device Are configured to be able to send
The home appliance has information provision stop means for stopping at least one of transmission of the device information from the home appliance and storage of the device information in the external storage device. system. The home appliance further includes an operation unit,
The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the device information provision stopping unit can be executed by the operation unit provided in a main body of the home appliance.   The transmission of the device information from the household electrical appliance can be resumed when the transmission of the device information from the household electrical appliance is stopped by the device information provision stop unit. Information provision system.   4. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein time information is added to the device information. 5.   The device information is classified, and for each of the classified device information, the transmission of the device information from the household electrical appliance can be stopped and the transmission of the device information from the household electrical appliance can be restarted. 5. The information providing system according to any one of 4.   The information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising device information deleting means capable of deleting the device information stored in the external storage device.   Compensation is paid to the user according to the amount of data of the device information stored in the external storage device or the length of time for which the device information stored in the external storage device is provided. The information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a device information confirmation unit capable of confirming the content of the device information stored in the external storage device.

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