JP2016181752A - Control device, control system, and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control device, a control system, and a control method that can improve convenience by automatically controlling an apparatus.SOLUTION: A communication unit 11 communicates with a user terminal. A determination unit 12a determines whether the user terminal has entered a prescribed area or has exited from the area according to the communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit 11. If it is determined by the determination unit 12a that the user terminal has entered the area, a control unit 12b obtains a control object apparatus within the area corresponding to identification information on the user terminal and control contents from a registration apparatus list storage unit 13a, and controls the control object apparatus within the area on the basis of the control contents. If it is determined by the determination unit 12a that the user terminal has exited from the area, the control unit obtains a control object apparatus outside the area corresponding to the identification information on the user terminal and control contents from the registration apparatus list storage unit 13a, and controls the control object apparatus outside the area on the basis of the control contents.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a control device, a control system, and a control method.

  In recent years, introduction of HEMS (Home Energy Management System) has been promoted in ordinary households. HEMS generally uses ECHONETLite as a communication system in Japan, and devices such as LED lighting and air conditioners that can be controlled by control by ECHONETLite are sold by various companies.

  In addition, HEMS controls a home gateway installed in the home and controls various home appliances via the home gateway. The home appliance is controlled by a device having a user interface such as a smartphone or a tablet. It is often realized by functions provided by the above Web browser and application.

  Therefore, for example, when the user goes home and turns on the lighting of the house or turns on the air conditioner, after the user enters the house, the HEMS application on the smartphone is started and the lighting remote control is activated. An operation of turning on the air conditioner by displaying the screen and an operation of turning on the air conditioner by displaying the remote control screen of the air conditioner were performed.

“Home IT System Toshiba HEMS”, [online], [Search March 18, 2015], Internet <http://feminity.toshiba.co.jp/feminity/index_j.html>

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a control device, a control system, and a control method that enhance the convenience by automatically controlling an apparatus.

  The control device according to the embodiment includes identification information for identifying a user terminal, an in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters a predetermined area, control contents of the in-area control target device, and the user A storage unit that associates and stores the out-of-area control target device to be controlled when the terminal leaves the predetermined area and the control content of the out-of-area control target device, a communication unit that communicates with the user terminal, In response to communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit, a determination unit that determines whether the user terminal has entered a predetermined area or has left the area, and the determination unit determines whether the user terminal has If it is determined that the vehicle has entered the area, the device to be controlled in the area and the control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, and based on the control content. If the determination unit determines that the user terminal has moved out of the area, the out-of-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are determined. A control unit that acquires the storage unit and controls the out-of-area control target device based on the control content.

  According to the control device, the control system, and the control method according to the embodiment, it can be expected to improve convenience by automatically controlling the device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an example of a control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the home gateway according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the communication range of the home gateway according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of device control processing in the home gateway according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in an EIR (Extended Inquiry Request). FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the fourth embodiment.

  A control device according to an embodiment described below includes identification information for identifying a user terminal, an in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters a predetermined area, and control of the in-area control target device The identification information for identifying the user terminal, the out-of-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal leaves the predetermined area, and the control content of the out-of-area control target device In accordance with communication between the storage unit, the communication unit that communicates with the user terminal, and the user terminal performed by the communication unit, the user terminal enters or exits the predetermined area. A determination unit that determines whether or not the user terminal has entered the area by the determination unit, and the in-area control target device corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal And the control content is acquired from the storage unit, the device to be controlled in the area is controlled based on the control content, and if the determination unit determines that the user terminal has left the area, A control unit that acquires the out-of-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information from the storage unit, and controls the out-of-area control target device based on the control content.

  In addition, the determination unit of the control device according to the embodiment determines that the user terminal found by the communication unit has entered the area, and determines that the user terminal not found by the device discovery has left the area.

  In addition, the determination unit of the control device according to the embodiment determines that the user terminal whose communication connection has been established by the communication unit has entered the area, and determines that the user terminal whose communication connection has been disconnected has left the area.

  In addition, the storage unit of the control device according to the embodiment further associates the date and time range for controlling the in-area control target device and the date and time range for controlling the out-of-area control target device in association with the identification information. Remember. When the determination unit determines that the user terminal has entered the area, the control unit obtains the date / time or day of the week range together with the in-area control target device and the control content from the storage unit, and the date / time or day of the week range. If the current date and time or the current day of the week is included, the in-area control target device is controlled, and when the determination unit determines that the user terminal has left the area, the out-of-area control target device and control Together with the contents, the date / time or day of the week range is acquired from the storage unit, and when the current date / time or the current day of the week is included in the date / day or day of the week range, the device to be controlled in the area is controlled.

  Further, the determination unit of the control device according to the embodiment uses the communication signal strength with the user terminal, for example, the transmission signal strength of the signal transmitted by the communication unit and the received signal strength of the signal received by the communication unit. The distance from the user terminal is further determined.

  In addition, the determination unit of the control device according to the embodiment determines whether a plurality of user terminals have entered a predetermined area or have left the area in accordance with communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit. When the determination unit determines that a plurality of user terminals have entered the area, the in-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information of each user terminal are respectively acquired from the storage unit, The device to be controlled in the area is controlled based on the contents, and when the determination unit determines that a plurality of user terminals have left the area, the device to be controlled outside the area corresponding to the identification information of each user terminal and The control contents are acquired from the storage unit, and the out-of-area control target device is controlled based on a plurality of control contents.

  The control system according to the embodiment is a control system having a user terminal, a device to be controlled, and a control device. The control device has identification information for identifying the user terminal, and the user terminal has a predetermined information. An in-area control target device to be controlled when entering the area and a control content of the in-area control target device are stored in association with each other, identification information for identifying the user terminal, and the user terminal in a predetermined area Performed by the communication unit that communicates with the user terminal, the storage unit that stores the association between the out-of-area control target device and the control content of the out-of-area control target device that are controlled when leaving In accordance with communication with the user terminal, a determination unit that determines whether the user terminal enters or exits the predetermined area, and the determination unit determines whether the user terminal is within the area. If it is determined that it has entered, the in-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal is acquired from the storage unit, and the in-area control target device is controlled based on the control content, When the determination unit determines that the user terminal has moved out of the area, the device to be controlled outside the area and the control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, and based on the control content, And a control unit that controls the out-of-area control target device.

  The control method according to the embodiment is a control method executed by the control device, and the control device controls the identification information for identifying the user terminal and the user terminal when entering the predetermined area. The area control target device and the control contents of the area control target device are stored in association with each other, and the identification information for identifying the user terminal and the area to be controlled when the user terminal leaves the predetermined area A storage unit that stores the control target device and the control content of the control target device outside the area in association with each other, and responds to the communication step for communicating with the user terminal and the communication with the user terminal performed by the communication step. A determination step for determining whether the user terminal enters or exits the predetermined area, and the determination step determines whether the user terminal is within the area. If it is determined that it has entered, the in-area control target device and control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal is acquired from the storage unit, and the in-area control target device is controlled based on the control content, When it is determined by the determination step that the user terminal has moved out of the area, an out-of-area control target device and control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, and the user terminal And a control step for controlling the out-of-area control target device.

[First Embodiment]
Embodiments of a control device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Example of control system configuration]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an example of a control system. With reference to FIG. 1, an example of a control system 100 including a home gateway 1 which is a control device according to the embodiment will be described. A control system 100 according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a home gateway 1, an LED illumination 2, a smartphone 3, a smartphone 4, and an LED illumination 5.

  The home gateway 1 is a device that controls the HEMS device, and is connected to the LED lighting 2 and the LED lighting 5 by any wireless or wired communication means, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) and communicates with each other by performing communication using ECHONETLite. Control instructions such as ON / OFF of lights 2 and 5, light control, and color control are performed. Moreover, the smart phone 3 and the smart phone 4 which are mentioned later connect by arbitrary communication means, for example, wireless LAN, and relay the control command to the LED illumination 2 by ECHONETLite from the smart phone 3 or the smart phone 4.

  The LED illumination 2 and the LED illumination 5 have a communication function based on ECHONETLite, receive an ECHONETLite command from the home gateway 1, the smartphone 3, or the smartphone 4, and respond with current operation information of the LED illuminations 2 and 5. It is possible to receive instruction commands such as ON / OFF of the LED illuminations 2 and 5, light adjustment, and color adjustment, and perform operations corresponding to the instruction commands.

  The smartphone 3 is a user terminal, is connected to the home gateway 1 through a wireless LAN, and displays the application program that operates on the smartphone 3 or the WEB content provided by the home gateway 1 through the home gateway 1 through the Internet browser. The LED illumination 2 or LED illumination 5 can be instructed to turn on / off the LED illumination, dimming, or toning. The smartphone 4 also has the same function as the smartphone 3.

[Example of home gateway configuration]
The configuration of the home gateway 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the home gateway. The home gateway 1 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

  The communication unit 11 is a network device for performing wireless communication processing and wired communication processing. Specifically, the communication unit 11 transmits and receives various types of information to and from the LED lights 2 and 5 and the smartphones 3 and 4 illustrated in FIG.

  The communication unit 11 communicates with user terminals such as the smartphones 3 and 4 using a short-range wireless technology such as Bluetooth or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Here, the communication range of the communication unit 11 in the home gateway 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the communication range of the home gateway according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 3, the range in which the communication unit 11 of the home gateway 1 can communicate with other devices is inside a circle 6 indicated by a dotted line, and the device entering the inside of the circle 6 is based on the home gateway and Bluetooth. Wireless communication is possible.

  3 will be described in detail, because the smartphone 3 is outside the dotted circle 6 and cannot communicate with the home gateway 1 via Bluetooth, but the smartphone 4 is inside the dotted circle 6. Since it has entered, communication with the home gateway 1 via Bluetooth is possible.

  The storage unit 13 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 13 includes a registered device list storage unit 13a.

  The registered device list storage unit 13a corresponds to identification information for identifying a user terminal, an in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters a predetermined area, and control contents of the in-area control target device. The identification information for identifying the user terminal is associated with the out-of-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal leaves the predetermined area and the control content of the out-of-area control target device. Remember.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the registered device list storage unit 13 a includes a “registered device name” that is a name of a user terminal registered in the list, a “Bluetooth address” of each user terminal, Devices to be controlled when the user terminal enters the communication area of the home gateway 1 and “control when entering”, “control when leaving” when each user terminal leaves the communication area of the home gateway 1, and each user terminal Stores an “entry flag” that is turned on when entering the communication area of the home gateway 1 and turned off when leaving. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the first embodiment.

  In the example of FIG. 4, for example, the registered device name “smartphone 3”, the Bluetooth address “AA: BB: CC: DD: EE: 33”, the entry control “LED_LIGHT_A ON”, and the exit control “LED_LIGHT_A OFF”. And the approach flag “OFF” are stored in association with each other. Here, “LED_LIGHT_A” in FIG. 4 indicates the LED illumination 2, and “LED_LIGHT_B” indicates the LED illumination 5. In addition, in the case of the entry time control “LED_LIGHT_A ON”, “LED_LIGHT_A” corresponds to the in-area control target device, and “LED_LIGHT_A” “ON” corresponds to the control content. Further, in the case of exit control “LED_LIGHT_A OFF”, “LED_LIGHT_A” corresponds to the out-of-area control target device, and “LED_LIGHT_A” “OFF” corresponds to the control content.

  For example, for the smartphone 3, the registered device list storage unit 13a defines that the home gateway 1 issues a control command to turn on the LED lighting 2 when the smartphone 3 enters the communication area of the home gateway 1. ing. Further, in the registered device list storage unit 13 a, “LED_LIGHT_A OFF” stipulates that the home gateway 1 issues a control command for turning off the LED illumination 2 when leaving the communication area of the home gateway 1. In addition, the registered device list is registered on the target device, the details of the control processing at the time of entry, and the control at the time of exit on the setting screen displayed by accessing the web content prepared on the home gateway 1 from the smartphone or the like via the Internet. The processing contents can be changed freely. Further, the device to be controlled is not limited to LED lighting, and for example, it may be defined that an air conditioner, a key, and the like are automatically controlled according to entry and exit.

  The control unit 12 is realized by an integrated circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 12 is realized, for example, by executing a program stored in an internal storage device using a RAM as a work area by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or the like. The control unit 12 includes a determination unit 12a and a control unit 12b.

  The determination unit 12a determines whether the user terminal has entered a predetermined area or has left the area according to the communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit 11. Specifically, the determination unit 12a determines that the user terminal discovered by the communication unit 11 has entered the area, and determines that the user terminal not found by device discovery has left the area. For example, when the communication unit 11 executes a Bluetooth inquiry and a response is received from a user terminal existing in the communication range, the determination unit 12a has entered the area as a user terminal that has found the user terminal. judge. If the communication unit 11 executes a Bluetooth inquiry and there is no response from the user terminal, it determines that the user terminal has left the area as a user terminal that cannot be found by device discovery. It is not always necessary to use Bluetooth for the process of determining whether the user terminal has entered or exited a predetermined area. For example, communication is performed by the communication unit 11 using a predetermined communication means. It may be determined that the user terminal that has established the connection has entered the area, and the user terminal that has lost the communication connection has been determined to have exited the area.

  When it is determined by the determination unit 12a that the user terminal has entered the area, the control unit 12b acquires the in-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal from the storage unit 13, The device to be controlled in the area is controlled based on the control content, and if the determination unit 12a determines that the user terminal has left the area, the device to be controlled outside the area corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal The control content is acquired from the storage unit 13, and the out-of-area control target device is controlled based on the control content.

  For example, when it is determined that the user terminal has entered the communication area of the home gateway 1, the control unit 12 b issues a control command to turn on the LED lighting 2, and the user terminal communicates with the home gateway 1. When leaving the area, the control command for turning off the LED illumination 2 is issued.

  In this way, for example, when a user having a user terminal such as a smartphone returns from the outside of the house and enters the house, the home gateway 1 automatically detects the entry of the smartphone and automatically controls by the control at the time of entry. When the user goes out of the house, the home gateway 1 automatically detects the exit of the smartphone and automatically executes the control based on the exit control, so that the user automatically operates without any operation. Device control can be performed.

  In addition, although the smart phone was raised to the Example as an apparatus which detects the detection of entry / exit, if it is an apparatus which can respond to Bluetooth Inquiry by the home gateway 1, for example, it is a device such as a tablet, a notebook computer, and a wearable terminal Can be registered in the device registration list and the same control can be performed. In addition, although LED lighting is used as the device controlled by the entry control and the exit control here, the present invention is not limited to this, and any device that can be controlled from the home gateway 1 such as an air conditioner or a television can be used. Is possible.

  In addition, although the case where the user terminal is detected by Bluetooth Inquiry has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the home gateway 1 sequentially performs Bluetooth link connection to the Bluetooth address on the device registration list. The home gateway 1 executes the on-entry control when it is determined that the user terminal has entered when paging is successful and the Bluetooth link is established for the target user terminal, and the target user terminal When the home gateway 1 detects disconnection of the Bluetooth link with the terminal, it may be determined that the target device has left, and the home gateway 1 may execute control at the time of leaving.

  In this case, even when the target user terminal is in the non-Discoverable mode in which no response is made to the inquiry request, automatic control of the home appliance can be realized. Alternatively, an access point or beacon may be installed inside the house, and the user terminal may determine whether the user terminal has entered or exited by communicating with the access point or beacon. Note that the detection means of the user terminal is not limited to the example of the present embodiment, and may be sufficient if it can be realized by a function corresponding to Bluetooth Inquiry.

[Home gateway processing procedure]
With reference to FIG. 5, an example of the processing flow in the home gateway 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of device control processing in the home gateway according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, first, the communication unit 11 of the home gateway 1 executes Bluetooth Inquiry (step S101). For example, the communication unit 11 executes Bluetooth Inquiry and searches for a user terminal existing in the communicable range for a certain time (for example, 30 seconds). And the communication part 11 notifies the determination apparatus 12a of the discovery apparatus list | wrist which is a list | wrist of the Bluetooth address of the user terminal which exists in the communicable range.

  Then, the determination unit 12a acquires a list of Bluetooth addresses as a discovered device list (step S102). Subsequently, the determination unit 12a collates the acquired discovery device list with the Bluetooth address of the device registration list stored in the device registration list storage unit 13a (step S103).

  As a result, the determination unit 12a determines whether the registered device is found in the discovered device list (step S104). As a result, when it is determined that the registered device is found in the discovered device list (Yes at Step S104), the determination unit 12a checks whether the status of the entry flag is ON (Step S105).

  As a result, when the entry flag is OFF (No at Step S105), the control unit 12b executes the control defined in the entry time control in the registered device list (Step S106). For example, in the case of the smartphone 3, a control “LED_LIGHT_A ON” is executed, and a command to turn on the LED illumination 2 is issued from the home gateway 1. Next, the entry flag of the device is set to “ON” (step S107), and the process of step S108 is executed. If the entry flag is “ON” in step S105 (Yes in step S105), since the vehicle has already entered, the process of step S108 is executed.

  Returning to the process of step S104, when the registered device is not found in the discovered device list (No in step S104), the determination unit 12a checks whether the status of the entry flag is ON (step S109). ).

  As a result, when the entry flag is ON (Yes at Step S109), the control unit 12b executes the control specified in the control at the time of leaving the registered device list (Step S110). For example, in the case of the smartphone 3, a command “LED_LIGHT_A OFF” is executed and a command to turn off the LED illumination 2 is issued from the home gateway 1. Next, the entry flag of the device is set to “OFF” (step S111), and the process of step S108 is executed. If the entry flag is “OFF” in step S109 (No in step S109), the process of step S108 is executed because the vehicle has already left.

  In step S108, the determination unit 12a determines whether or not to end the search for registered devices (step S108). For example, the determination unit 12a determines whether there is a registered device that has not been verified. As a result, when there is a registered device that has not been collated, the determination unit 12a determines that the search for the registered device is not terminated (No at Step S108), and the collation process at Step S103 is executed again, thereby registering the registered device. When all the collations are completed, it is determined that the search for the registered device is completed (Yes at step S108), and the inquiry at step S101 is executed again.

[Effect of the first embodiment]
As described above, the home gateway 1 according to the first embodiment includes the communication unit 11, the determination unit 12a, the control unit 12b, and the registered device list storage unit 13a. The registered device list storage unit 13a includes identification information for identifying a user terminal, an in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters a predetermined area, control contents of the in-area control target device, The out-of-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal leaves the predetermined area and the control contents of the out-of-area control target device are stored in association with each other. The communication unit 11 communicates with the user terminal. The determination unit 12a determines whether the user terminal has entered a predetermined area or has left the area according to the communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit 11. When it is determined by the determination unit 12a that the user terminal has entered the area, the control unit 12b transmits the in-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal from the registered device list storage unit 13a. Acquire, control the device to be controlled in the area based on the control content, and when the determination unit 12a determines that the user terminal has left the area, the out-of-area corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal The control target device and the control content are acquired from the registered device list storage unit 13a, and the out-of-area control target device is controlled based on the control content. For this reason, a specific household appliance can be automatically controlled.

  For example, conventionally, it has been necessary to turn on lighting, turn on an air conditioner, or operate a plurality of devices after the user returns home. Even if these devices can be connected to a home network and controlled from a smartphone via a home gateway, the operation procedure is complicated. On the other hand, in the home gateway 1 according to the first embodiment, it becomes possible to automatically control a specific home appliance, and it is not necessary for the user to perform troublesome remote control operations, so that convenience is improved. Is possible.

  Moreover, in the home gateway 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment, it determines with the user terminal which discovered the apparatus by the communication part 11 having entered into the area, and determines with the user terminal which is not found by apparatus discovery having left the area. For this reason, it is possible to easily determine whether the user terminal has entered the area or has left the area by using Bluetooth.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the entry time control and the exit time control are always executed when entry / exit is detected. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The entry time control and the exit time control may be executed when entry / exit is detected only when the current day / time or the current day of the week is included in the range of the day of the week.

  Hereinafter, as a second embodiment, in association with identification information, a time range for controlling the in-area control target device and a time range for controlling the out-of-area control target device are further stored. When it is determined that the vehicle has entered the area, the time range is acquired from the registered device list storage unit 13a together with the in-area control target device and the control content, and the current time is included in the time range. , When controlling the device to be controlled in the area and determining that the user terminal has moved out of the area, together with the device to be controlled outside the area and the control content, the time range is acquired from the registered device list storage unit 13a, When the current time is included in the time range, a case where the out-of-area control target device is controlled will be described.

  First, the registered device list stored in the registered device list storage unit 13a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in the registered device list storage unit 13a according to the second embodiment, compared to the registered device list shown in FIG. Further, “control time” and “exit control time” which is a time range for controlling the out-of-area control target device are further stored.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 6, the registered device list storage unit 13 a is associated with the registered device name “smartphone 3” and has an entry control time “17: 00-20: 00” and an exit control time “07: 0- 09:00 "is stored. This is because, in the case of the smartphone 3, the entry time control is executed only when the time is between 17:00 and 20:00, and only when the time is between 07:00 and 09:00. This means that the exit control is executed.

  When the determination unit 12a determines that the user terminal has entered the area, the control unit 12b according to the second embodiment registers the time range together with the in-area control target device and the control content, as a registered device list storage unit. When the current time is included in the time range obtained from 13a, the in-area control target device is controlled.

  In addition, when the determination unit 12a determines that the user terminal has left the area, the control unit 12b according to the second embodiment registers the time range together with the out-of-area control target device and the control content. When the current time is included in the time range obtained from the storage unit 13a, the out-of-area control target device is controlled.

  In other words, when the current time is included in the approach control time when the on-going control is executed in S106, that is, here, in the case of the smartphone 3, only the time is between 17:00 and 20:00. The time control is executed. Moreover, when the current time is included in the exit control time when executing the exit control in S110, that is, in the case of the smartphone 3 here, the exit is performed only when the time is between 07:00 and 09:00. The time control is executed. In this way, it is possible to set a time zone in which automatic control is desired, and finer control can be realized. In addition, although one time zone is set here, it is possible to set multiple time zones, or to set multiple schedules for each day of the week, day, month, etc. for finer control It is also possible to execute.

  In the process of step S106 of the device control process in the home gateway according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, when the current time is included in the approach control time when the approach control is executed, that is, here the smartphone In the case of 3, the entry time control is executed only when the time is between 17:00 and 20:00.

  Further, in the process of step S110 of the device control process in the home gateway according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, when the exit time is included in the exit control time, that is, here In the case of the smartphone 3, the exit control is executed only when the time is between 07:00 and 09:00.

  As described above, in the home gateway according to the second embodiment, it is possible to set a time zone in which automatic control is desired, and finer control can be realized. In addition, here, each time zone is set to one, but more time zones can be set, and multiple schedules can be set for each day of the week, day, month, etc. It is also possible to execute control.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, entry / exit is detected based on whether or not a user terminal registered in the registered device list is found in the Bluetooth inquiry, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to Bluetooth address using Extended Inquiry, EIR (Extended Inquiry Request) indicating received signal strength_Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) and TX Power Level indicating transmitted signal strength are used to estimate the distance to the user terminal. The device may be automatically controlled according to the distance.

  In the following, as a third embodiment, the distance from the user terminal is estimated according to the wireless communication signal strength with the user terminal using Bluetooth, and the user terminal enters the predetermined area or leaves the area. The case where it is determined will be described.

  The communication unit 11 of the home gateway according to the third embodiment uses Bluetooth to transmit a signal to the user terminal by wireless communication, and receives the signal from the user terminal by wireless communication. Specifically, the communication unit 11 acquires EIR_RSSI and TX Power Level in addition to the Bluetooth address by using Bluetooth Extended Inquiry. Here, an example of information included in the EIR will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in the EIR. As shown in FIG. 7, in addition to the Bluetooth address, EIR includes EIR_RSSI indicating received signal strength and TX Power Level indicating transmitted signal strength, so that EIR_RSSI and TX Power Level can be acquired. .

  Moreover, the determination part 12a further determines the distance with a user terminal using the communication signal strength with the user terminal by the communication part 11. FIG. Specifically, the distance is determined according to the signal strength of the signal transmitted by the communication unit 11 and the signal strength of the signal received by the communication unit 11, and the user terminal is within a predetermined area according to the distance. Determine whether you have entered or exited the area.

For example, the determination unit 12a can calculate the attenuation amount of the signal as a value related to the distance by using the following formula using EIR_RSSI and TX Power Level.
Attenuation = TX Power Level-EIR_RSSI

  If this attenuation is smaller, it can be determined that the distance between the home gateway and the discovered user terminal is short. This technique is a known technique described in 8.1.5 TX Power Level of the Bluetooth Core V2.1 + EDR specification. If the attenuation value is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the user terminal has entered the predetermined area, and the user terminal is found as a result of the attenuation value being equal to or greater than the first threshold or Inquiry. If not, it is determined that the user terminal has left the predetermined area.

  For this reason, it becomes possible to adjust the distance regarded as having entered by adjusting the attenuation threshold, and the position when the automatic control of the device is executed in consideration of the installation environment of the home gateway 1 and the like. It becomes possible to adjust, and convenience is increased.

  Further, the content of control may be changed according to the attenuation amount. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the registered device list stored in the registered device list storage unit 13 a according to the third embodiment is “control on entry (near)” when the user terminal is less than a predetermined distance. And “control upon entry (far)” when the user terminal is a predetermined distance or more. That is, when the attenuation value calculated in the above process is less than the first threshold value, but the attenuation value is less than the second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value, "Near)" is executed, and when the amount of attenuation is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, "control on entry (far)" is executed. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the third embodiment.

  If it demonstrates using the example of FIG. 8, when the distance with a home gateway is less than predetermined distance about the smart phone 3, issue of the control command which turns ON "LED_LIGHT_A" as control at the time of approach (near), for example Is executed by the home gateway 1. When the distance between the smartphone 3 and the home gateway is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the home gateway 1 issues a control command for turning on “LED_LIGHT_C” as control upon entry (far).

  Thereby, for example, “LED_LIGHT_A” is LED lighting in the house, and “LED_LIGHT_C” is LED lighting in the garden of the house. In this case, if the distance to the home gateway is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, that is, if it is not in the house but in the garden of the house, LED lighting such as a gate lamp in the house garden is automatically turned on. When the distance from the home gateway is within a predetermined distance, that is, when the user is in the house, the LED lighting in the house is automatically turned on. As described above, the control content of the home appliance can be changed according to the distance from the home gateway, and automatic control of the home appliance with higher convenience can be executed.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, as an example of the control content, a case has been described as an example in which the power ON / OFF of the device is automatically controlled in accordance with the entry or exit of the user terminal, but is not limited thereto. Instead, the set value of the device such as the set temperature of the air conditioner may be automatically controlled according to the entry or exit of the user terminal. Further, for example, when a plurality of user terminals enter the area at the same time, the contents of the on-entry control may be determined according to the on-entry control corresponding to the plurality of user terminals. Therefore, in the following, as the fourth embodiment, a process for determining the contents of the entry control according to each entry control or each exit control corresponding to a plurality of user terminals will be described.

  First, a registered device list stored in the registered device list storage unit 13a according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the registered device list storage unit according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, in the registered device list storage unit 13 a according to the fourth embodiment, “air conditioner ON 28 degrees” is used as the control when the smartphone 3 enters, and “air conditioner ON 24 degrees” is used as the control when the smartphone 4 enters. I remember. This means that when the smartphone 3 enters the area, the air conditioner is turned on and the set temperature is automatically controlled to 28 degrees. When the smartphone 4 enters the area, the air conditioner is turned on. This means that the set temperature is automatically controlled to 24 degrees.

  In addition, the determination unit 12a according to the fourth embodiment determines whether a plurality of user terminals have entered a predetermined area or have left the area in accordance with the communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit 11. judge. And the control part 12b which concerns on 4th Embodiment will determine in the area control object apparatus corresponding to the identification information of each user terminal, when the determination part 12a determines with the some user terminal having entered into the area And the control contents are respectively acquired from the registered device list storage unit 13a, the devices to be controlled in the area are controlled based on the plurality of control contents, and the determination unit 12a determines that the plurality of user terminals have left the area. In this case, the out-of-area control target device and the control content corresponding to the identification information of each user terminal are acquired from the registered device list storage unit 13a, and the out-of-area control target device is controlled based on a plurality of control details.

  For example, if it demonstrates using the example of FIG. 9, when it determines with the smart phone 3 and the smart phone 4 having entered into the area, the control part 12b will be the control at the time of entrance of the smart phone 3 "air conditioner ON 28 degrees" Based on the control “air conditioner ON 24 degrees” when the smartphone 4 enters, the average value of “28 degrees” and “24 degrees” is calculated, and the temperature of the air conditioner that is the average value is automatically set to “26 degrees”.

  Further, for example, priority may be set for the smartphone 3 and the smartphone 4, respectively, and the higher priority entry control may be applied preferentially. For example, when the priority level is set in advance for the father who is the user who owns the smartphone 3 and the mother who is the user who owns the smartphone 4, and the smartphone 3 and the smartphone 4 enter or leave at the same time. The higher priority entry control may be preferentially applied.

  In this way, since the content of the entry-time control is determined according to each entry-time control or each exit-time control corresponding to a plurality of user terminals, it is possible to execute automatic control of home appliances considering a plurality of users. Is possible.

[program]
In addition, the home gateway 1 can implement | achieve a general purpose computer apparatus as basic hardware, for example. That is, the determination unit 12a and the control unit 12b can be realized by causing a processor mounted on the computer device to execute a program. For example, the determination unit 12a and the control unit 12b cause a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a program, that is, may be realized by software, or realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit). Alternatively, software and hardware may be used in combination.

  At this time, the home gateway 1 may be realized by installing the above program in the computer device in advance, or by distributing the above program via a network and installing the program in the computer device as appropriate. It may be realized. The determination unit 12a and the control unit 12b can be realized by appropriately using a storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk built in or externally attached to the computer device.

  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 embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Home gateway 2, 5 LED lighting 3, 4 Smartphone 11 Communication part 12 Control part 12a Determination part 12b Control part 13 Memory | storage part 13a Registered apparatus list memory | storage part 100 Control system

Claims (8)

The identification information for identifying the user terminal, the in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters the predetermined area, and the control contents of the in-area control target device are stored in association with each other, and the user A storage unit that associates and stores identification information for identifying a terminal, an out-of-area control target device that is controlled when the user terminal leaves the predetermined area, and control contents of the out-of-area control target device;
A communication unit for communicating with the user terminal;
A determination unit that determines whether the user terminal has entered a predetermined area or has left the area in response to communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit;
When it is determined by the determination unit that the user terminal has entered the area, an in-area control target device and control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, and the control content is included in the control content. The control target device within the area is controlled based on the result, and when the determination unit determines that the user terminal has left the area, the control target device outside the area corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal and the control content From the storage unit, and a control unit that controls the out-of-area control target device based on the control content;
A control device comprising:   The control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the user terminal found by the communication unit has entered the area, and determines that the user terminal not found by the device discovery has left the area.   The control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the user terminal whose communication connection has been established by the communication unit has entered the area, and determines that the user terminal whose communication connection has been disconnected has left the area. . The storage unit further stores, in association with the identification information, a date and day range for controlling the in-area controlled device and a date and day range for controlling the out-of-area controlled device,
When the determination unit determines that the user terminal has entered the area, the control unit acquires the date / time or day of the week range from the storage unit together with the in-area control target device and the control content. When the current date and time or the current day of the week is included in the date and time or the day of the week, the device to be controlled in the area is controlled, and the determination unit determines that the user terminal has left the area Together with the out-of-area control target device and the control contents, the date / time or day of the week range is acquired from the storage unit, and if the date / time or day of the week includes the current date / time or current day of week, The control apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3 which controls the control object apparatus in an area.   The control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further determines a distance from the user terminal using a communication signal strength of the communication unit with the user terminal. The determination unit determines whether a plurality of user terminals have entered a predetermined area or have left the area in response to communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit,
When it is determined by the determination unit that the plurality of user terminals have entered the area, an in-area control target device and control content corresponding to the identification information of each user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, respectively. The device to be controlled in the area is controlled based on the control content of the area, and when the determination unit determines that the plurality of user terminals have left the area, the out-of-area corresponding to the identification information of each user terminal The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a control target device and control contents are acquired from the storage unit, and the out-of-area control target device is controlled based on a plurality of control contents. A control system having a user terminal, a device to be controlled, and a control device,
The control device is
The identification information for identifying the user terminal is stored in association with the in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters the predetermined area and the control content of the in-area control target device, and A storage unit that associates and stores identification information for identifying a user terminal, an out-of-area control target device that is controlled when the user terminal leaves a predetermined area, and control contents of the out-of-area control target device;
A communication unit for communicating with the user terminal;
A determination unit that determines whether the user terminal has entered a predetermined area or has left the area in response to communication with the user terminal performed by the communication unit;
When it is determined by the determination unit that the user terminal has entered the area, an in-area control target device and control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, and the control content is included in the control content. The control target device within the area is controlled based on the result, and when the determination unit determines that the user terminal has left the area, the control target device outside the area corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal and the control content From the storage unit, and a control unit that controls the out-of-area control target device based on the control content;
A control system comprising: A control method executed by a control device, comprising:
The control device associates and stores identification information for identifying a user terminal, an in-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal enters a predetermined area, and control contents of the in-area control target device In addition, the identification information for identifying the user terminal is stored in association with the out-of-area control target device to be controlled when the user terminal leaves the predetermined area and the control content of the out-of-area control target device. A storage unit;
A communication step of communicating with the user terminal;
A determination step of determining whether the user terminal has entered a predetermined area or has left the area in response to the communication with the user terminal performed in the communication step;
When it is determined by the determination step that the user terminal has entered the area, an in-area control target device and control content corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal are acquired from the storage unit, and the control content is included in the control content. The control target device within the area is controlled based on the control result, and when the determination step determines that the user terminal has left the area, the control target device outside the area corresponding to the identification information of the user terminal and the control content A control step of controlling the device to be controlled outside the area based on the control content;
Control method.

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