JP2018148547A - Device identification method and device identification equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device identification method and device identification equipment capable of accurately identifying a device corresponding to a user, even if a plurality of devices exist on the same network.SOLUTION: A server 100 includes: a communication unit 101 for receiving operating information which indicates current operation modes for a plurality of devices including a first device through a network 200; a consumer device input data storage unit 105 for storing potential operation modes to be executed by the plurality of devices; an operation calculation unit for specific device 104 for extracting a first mode other than the current modes of the plurality of devices within a plurality of potential operation modes by the plurality of devices, based on the operation modes stored in the consumer device input data storage unit 105 and the operating information; and an operation information management unit 102 for identifying the first device as a device corresponding to a user if first information, indicating that the user has given a direction to operate the first device in the first mode to the first device, is received from the first device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a device identification method and a device identification device for identifying a device, for example, a device identification method for identifying a device connected to a local area network such as a home network or a wide area network such as the Internet, and The present invention relates to a device identification device.

  As appliances have become IoT (Internet of Things), home appliances such as home air conditioners and lighting fixtures are increasingly equipped with a function of connecting to a home network and the Internet. Accordingly, technology for remotely operating and monitoring a device connected to a server via a network has become widespread.

  Here, in order to remotely operate and monitor various devices in each home, it is necessary to specify the device desired by the user. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for identifying a device by storing a device identifier and device state information in association with each other, and detecting that the device state has changed from the device state information received from the device. Has been.

JP, 2006-001777, A

  However, in the method of Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to the case where there are a plurality of devices having the same device state on the same network, and the device identification method when there are a plurality of devices on the same network. There was a need for further improvement.

  The present disclosure has been made in order to solve the above-described problem. Even when there are a plurality of devices on the same network, a device specifying method and device that can specify a device corresponding to the user with high accuracy. The object is to provide a specific device.

  A method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a method for identifying a device, and receives operation information indicating a current operation mode for the plurality of devices from a plurality of devices via a network, and the plurality of devices are first devices. And a first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices is extracted based on the operation mode that can be taken by the plurality of devices stored in the memory and the operation information. The first information is received from the first device, which is included in the operation modes that the device can take, and indicates that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode to the first device. In this case, the first device is identified as a device corresponding to the user.

  According to the present disclosure, even when there are a plurality of devices on the same network, the device corresponding to the user can be identified with high accuracy.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a network system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the server shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner, and a terminal. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation information of the air conditioner memorize | stored in the operation information storage part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the household appliance input data of the air conditioner memorize | stored in the household appliance input data storage part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the remote control shown in FIG. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the household appliances specific process in the server, air conditioner, and terminal which are shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the household appliance identification process in the server shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation information of the washing machine memorize | stored in the operation information memory | storage part shown in FIG. 2 when a household appliance is a washing machine. It is a figure which shows an example of the household appliance input data of the washing machine memorize | stored in the household appliance input data storage part shown in FIG. 2 in case a household appliance is a washing machine. It is a figure which shows an example of the external appearance of a washing machine. It is a figure which shows an example of the input part (operation button) of a washing machine in case a household appliance is a washing machine. It is the schematic which shows an example of a structure of the home network system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this indication.

(Knowledge that became the basis of this disclosure)
In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, when there are a plurality of devices having the same device state on the same network, the device cannot be specified when a change in the device state is detected at the same time. For example, when the network to which the device is connected is the Internet and the remotely monitored device is an air conditioner, the number of devices to be connected is very large, and a change in the status of a plurality of devices may be detected at the same time.

  Even if the network to which the device is connected is a home network that is narrower than the Internet, there may be multiple air conditioners and lighting fixtures installed in the home, and the user can connect the device at the same time. It is possible to operate and detect changes in the status of multiple devices.

  Accordingly, the inventors of the present application have completed the present disclosure as a result of intensive studies on a device identification method when a plurality of devices exist on the same network.

  A method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a method for identifying a device, and receives operation information indicating a current operation mode for the plurality of devices from a plurality of devices via a network, and the plurality of devices are first devices. And a first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices is extracted based on the operation mode that can be taken by the plurality of devices stored in the memory and the operation information. The first information is received from the first device, which is included in the operation modes that the device can take, and indicates that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode to the first device. In this case, the first device is identified as a device corresponding to the user.

  With such a configuration, the operation information indicating the current operation mode for the plurality of devices is received from the plurality of devices including the first device via the network, and the operation modes that can be taken by the plurality of devices stored in the memory are received. Based on the operation information, the first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices is extracted from the operation modes that the plurality of devices can take, and an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode is given to the user. Is received from the first device, since the first device is identified as a device corresponding to the user, a plurality of devices are located on the same network. Even if it exists, the device corresponding to the user can be specified with high accuracy.

  When the first information is received from the first device together with an identifier for identifying the first device, the identifier transmitted from the first device is identified as an identifier of a device corresponding to the user. It may be.

  With such a configuration, when the first information is received from the first device together with the identifier for identifying the first device, the identifier transmitted from the first device is specified as the identifier of the device corresponding to the user. Therefore, even when there are a plurality of devices on the same network, the identifier of the device corresponding to the user can be specified with high accuracy without handling the user's personal information.

  The first mode may be set by an operation button for operating the first device.

  With such a configuration, the first mode is set by the operation button for operating the first device, so that the first device can be operated in the first mode using the existing operation button of the first device. An instruction can be input, and the user can easily input an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode.

  The plurality of devices may include an air conditioner, and operation modes that the plurality of devices can take may include at least two of an automatic mode, a cooling mode, a heating mode, a dehumidifying mode, and a stop mode.

  With such a configuration, at least two modes among the automatic mode, the cooling mode, the heating mode, the dehumidification mode, and the stop mode of the air conditioner can be used as operation modes that can be taken by a plurality of devices. Using the operation buttons of the automatic mode, cooling mode, heating mode, dehumidification mode, and stop mode provided in the user, the user can easily input an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode. .

  The plurality of devices may include a washing machine, and operation modes that the plurality of devices can take may include at least two of a washing / drying mode, a drying mode, a dewatering mode, a washing mode, and a stop mode.

  With such a configuration, at least two modes among the washing / drying mode, the drying mode, the dewatering mode, the washing mode, and the stop mode of the washing machine can be used as operation modes that can be taken by a plurality of devices. The user easily inputs an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode using the operation buttons of the washing / drying mode, the drying mode, the dewatering mode, the washing mode, and the stop mode provided in the input unit. be able to.

  The operation information further includes a current parameter value set for operating the plurality of devices. When the first mode does not exist, the parameter value range that the parameter value can take, the operation information, The first parameter value other than the current parameter value is extracted based on the first parameter value, and indicates that the user has input an instruction to operate the first device with the first parameter value to the first device When the second information is received from the first device, the first device may be specified as a device corresponding to the user.

  With such a configuration, when the first mode does not exist, the plurality of devices is based on the parameter value range that the parameter value can take and the operation information including the current parameter value set for operating the plurality of devices. The first parameter value other than the current parameter value is extracted, and second information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device with the first parameter value to the first device, the first device If the first device is identified as a device corresponding to the user, there are a large number of devices on the same network, and there is no first mode other than the current operation mode of a plurality of devices. However, the device corresponding to the user can be specified with high accuracy.

  The first parameter value may be set by an operation button for operating the first device.

  With such a configuration, since the first parameter value is set by the operation button for operating the first device, the first device is operated with the first parameter value using the existing operation button of the first device. The user can easily input an instruction for operating the first device with the first parameter value.

  The plurality of devices includes an air conditioner, and a current parameter value set to operate the plurality of devices includes at least one of a temperature value at which the plurality of devices operate and an airflow value at which the plurality of devices operate. You may make it.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to use at least one of the temperature value and the airflow value at which the air conditioner operates as the current parameter value set for operating a plurality of devices. The user can easily input an instruction to operate the first device with the first parameter value using the operation button for the temperature or the operation button for the air volume.

  The plurality of devices may include a washing machine, and the current parameter value set for operating the plurality of devices may include at least one of a washing time, a rinsing time, a dewatering time, a drying time, or a water amount.

  With such a configuration, at least one of a washing time, a rinsing time, a dewatering time, a drying time, or a water amount can be used as a current parameter value set for operating a plurality of devices. Using at least one operation button for washing time, rinsing time, dehydration time, drying time, or water amount provided in the input unit, the user can easily give an instruction to operate the first device with the first parameter value. Can be entered.

  The operation information further includes a current first type parameter value and a current second type parameter value set to operate the plurality of devices, and when the first mode does not exist, Based on the parameter value range that the first type parameter value can take and the operation information, a first parameter value other than the current first type parameter value is extracted, and the first parameter value is used as the first parameter value. When the second information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the device to the first device is received from the first device, the first device is a device corresponding to the user. If the first parameter value does not exist, the current second type parameter value is determined based on the parameter value range that the second type parameter value can take and the operation information. The third information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device with the second parameter value and extracting the second parameter value outside the first device to the first device. The first device may be identified as a device corresponding to the user.

  With this configuration, when the first mode does not exist, the operation includes the parameter value range that can be taken by the first type parameter value and the current first type parameter value set to operate a plurality of devices. Based on the information, a first parameter value other than the current first type parameter value of the plurality of devices is extracted, and an instruction for operating the first device with the first parameter value is input to the first device by the user When the second information indicating that the first device has been received from the first device, the first device is identified as a device corresponding to the user. If the first parameter value does not exist, the parameter value range that can be taken by the second type parameter value and the operation information including the current second type parameter value set to operate a plurality of devices are used. Based on this, the second parameter value other than the current second type parameter value of the plurality of devices is extracted, and the user inputs an instruction for operating the first device with the second parameter value to the first device. When the 3rd information to show is received from the 1st apparatus, it has specified that the 1st apparatus is an apparatus corresponding to a user. Accordingly, there are an enormous number of devices on the same network, there is no first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices, and the first parameter other than the current first type parameter value of the plurality of devices. Even when there is no value, the device corresponding to the user can be specified with high accuracy.

  In addition, the present disclosure can be realized not only as a device identification method for executing the characteristic processing as described above, but also for device identification having a characteristic configuration corresponding to the characteristic processing executed by the device identification method. It can also be realized as a device. Therefore, also in the following other aspects, the same effect as the above-described device specifying method can be obtained.

  An apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure is an apparatus that identifies a device, and that receives operation information indicating a current operation mode for the plurality of devices from a plurality of devices including the first device via a network. And an operation mode that can be taken by the plurality of devices based on the operation mode that can be taken by the plurality of devices stored in the storage unit, and the operation information. The user inputs, to the first device, an extraction unit that extracts a first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices, and an instruction to operate the first device in the first mode. When the first information indicating this is received from the first device, the first device includes a specifying unit that specifies that the first device is a device corresponding to the user.

  In addition, you may comprise as a system which disperse | distributed a part of component of the apparatus specific device which concerns on one embodiment of this indication, and the other component to several computers.

  Each of the embodiments described below is for showing a specific example of the present disclosure. Numerical values, shapes, components, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept are described as optional constituent elements. In all the embodiments, the contents can be combined.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
[Network system configuration]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a network system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. A network system shown in FIG. 1 includes a server 100, a terminal 150, and a plurality of broadband routers 120a to 120n (hereinafter also referred to as broadband router 120) in a plurality of home environments 110a to 110n (hereinafter also referred to as home environment 110), A plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n (hereinafter also referred to as air conditioners 130) and a plurality of remote controllers 140a to 140n (hereinafter also referred to as remote controllers 140) are provided.

  Here, the home environment 110 corresponds to, for example, a user's home area where a local area network such as a home network can be used. However, the home environment 110 is not particularly limited to this example. It may be a facility where a local area network is available or an area in a corporate building.

  The server 100 is communicably connected to the terminal 150 and the plurality of broadband routers 120a to 120n via the network 200, and each of the plurality of broadband routers 120a to 120n includes air conditioners 130a to 130a in the same home environment 110a to 110n. 130n is communicably connected by radio. Each of the plurality of remote controllers 140a to 140n transmits an operation signal or the like by infrared communication or the like to the air conditioners 130a to 130n in the same home environment 110a to 110n.

  In FIG. 1, the home environments 110 a and 110 n are illustrated as home environments, but it is assumed that there are a plurality of other home environments on the same network and connected to the server 100. Further, the number of terminals 150 is not particularly limited to the illustrated example, and a plurality of terminals may be used. For example, the Internet is used as the network 200. However, the network 200 is not particularly limited to this example, and a wide area network such as a communication network of a mobile phone may be used.

  The terminal 150 is configured by a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or the like, and is an information processing apparatus used by an operator in a call center such as a device manufacturer that manufactures home appliances such as the air conditioner 130, for example.

  Each home environment 110 is provided with a broadband router 120 and an air conditioner 130. The air conditioner 130 establishes a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) connection with the broadband router 120 and communicates with the network 200 via the broadband router 120. Connected as possible. The remote controller 140 is an input device for receiving a control request from a user (user) for the air conditioner 130.

  In this embodiment, remote controller 140 is used as an input device of air conditioner 130. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this example, and is not limited to this example. A transmitter or the like may be used. In addition, since the air conditioner 130 in this embodiment has a communication function, a remote operation request is transmitted to the air conditioner 130 via the network 200 from a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal computer having the communication function. May be. In this case, a terminal that makes a remote operation request may be an input device of the air conditioner 130.

  In FIG. 1, one air conditioner 130 is shown as an example of home appliances in the home environment 110, but these are only examples, and may include a plurality of home appliances and a plurality of types of home appliances. Various devices such as home appliances and business devices can be used as devices to which the embodiment is applied. For example, a washing machine, an air purifier, a dehumidifier, or the like may be used.

  In FIG. 1, the broadband router 120 and the air conditioner 130 establish a direct Wi-Fi connection and are connected to the network 200. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this example, and the home appliances in the home environment 110 are not limited to this example. A HEMS (Home Energy Management System) controller that combines control and network connection may be used. If the home appliance does not have a wireless communication function, the home appliance may be connected to the broadband router 120 by wire connection to a relay device having a network function. In FIG. 1, the broadband router 120 exists. However, when the home appliance has a function of connecting to the Internet independently, a configuration in which the network is connected directly without using the broadband router 120 may be used.

  The network system of FIG. 1 constitutes a server client model in which the server 100 is a server and the air conditioner 130 is a client. The server client model is a form in which a request is transmitted from the client to the server, the server processes it (returns a response depending on the purpose of the system), and the server and the client cooperate with each other via the network. The network system according to the present embodiment performs cooperative processing in which operation information is transmitted from the air conditioner 130 to the server 100, and the server 100 receives and stores the operation information.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the server 100, the air conditioner 130, and the terminal 150 illustrated in FIG. With reference to FIG. 2, the cooperation processing of the server client model of the network system in the first embodiment will be described. In FIG. 2, for ease of illustration and description, only the air conditioner 130 is illustrated, the illustration of the broadband router 120 is omitted, and the air conditioner 130 is described as being connected to the server 100.

  The server 100 includes a communication unit 101, an operation information management unit 102, and an operation information storage unit 103 in order to realize a server function. The air conditioner 130 includes a communication unit 131, an input unit 132, a home appliance control unit 133, and an operation information change detection unit 134 in order to realize a client function.

  The air conditioner 130 receives an operation of the remote controller 140 by the user by the input unit 132 and performs a control corresponding to the operation of the remote control 140 by the home appliance control unit 133. The operation information change detection unit 134 periodically refers to the operation information of the home appliance control unit 133 or receives the notification from the home appliance control unit 133 to confirm the operation information of the home appliance control unit 133 and use the operation information as the operation information. Detect if there has been a change. When the operation information change detection unit 134 detects that the operation information has changed, the operation information change detection unit 134 transmits the changed operation information to the server 100 together with the home appliance identifier for identifying the air conditioner 130 using the communication unit 131.

  The operation information transmission method is not particularly limited to the above example. When the operation information change detection unit 134 is omitted and the home appliance control unit 133 performs control corresponding to the operation of the remote controller 140, the control is performed. Various changes such as transmitting the corresponding operation information using the communication unit 131 are possible.

  The communication unit 101 of the server 100 receives operation information indicating the current operation mode (for example, operation mode) for the device from the air conditioner 130 via the network 200. Specifically, the communication unit 101 receives the operation information and the home appliance identifier and outputs them to the operation information management unit 102. The operation information management unit 102 stores the received operation information and home appliance identifier in the operation information storage unit 103. Store.

[Information stored in the operation information storage unit 103]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation information of the air conditioner 130 stored in the operation information storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 2. For example, the operation information storage unit 103 stores an operation information table 300 shown in FIG. The operation information stored in the operation information table 300 is an example of operation information when the home appliance connected to the network 200 is the air conditioner 130. The operation information is information changed by an operation of a user (user) of the home appliance and is information indicating a current operation mode for the device.

  Specifically, the operation information table 300 stores each information of the operation mode, the air volume, and the set temperature as the operation information, and stores the home appliance identifier of the air conditioner 130 that transmitted the operation information. The operation information in the operation information table 300 is used when remotely monitoring the operation status of the home appliance (air conditioner 130) connected to the network 200.

  For example, the first line of the operation information table 300 shown in FIG. 3 stores “Aircon 1” as the home appliance identifier, “Auto” as the operation mode, “Air volume 1” as the air volume, and “23” (° C.) as the set temperature. Has been. The operation information is not particularly limited to the above example. For example, information to be handled is increased / decreased according to the operation content supported by the home appliance, or time information indicating the time when the operation information is acquired is added. May be. As the home appliance identifier for identifying the device, various information can be used as long as the device can be identified. For example, a product number, a serial number, or a MAC (Media Access Control address) address of the home appliance may be used.

[Processing of server 100 related to home appliance identification processing]
Again, with reference to FIG. 2, the structure which concerns on the process which specifies the air conditioner 130 which is an example of household appliances is demonstrated. The server 100 further includes a device specifying operation calculation unit 104 and a home appliance input data storage unit 105 in order to specify the user's air conditioner 130. The terminal 150 includes an operation input unit 151, a communication unit 152, and an operation display unit 153. Note that each function of the server 100 can be realized by a memory, a processor, and the like.

  The operation input unit 151 of the terminal 150 is operated by, for example, an operator of a service center and accepts an input such as a home appliance specification request from the operator, and the communication unit 152 specifies the home appliance specification input using the operation input unit 151. Various information such as requests is transmitted to the server 100.

  The home appliance input data storage unit 105 of the server 100 includes a memory, an external storage device, or the like. Data is stored in advance.

  When the communication unit 101 receives a home appliance specification request from the terminal 150, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 selects a plurality of operation modes that can be taken by the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the home appliance input data storage unit 105. The plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n take on the basis of the home appliance input data including the setting information to be shown and the operation information indicating the current operation mode of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the operation information storage unit 103. The first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n is extracted from the plurality of operation modes. The device specifying operation calculation unit 104 transmits the first mode to the terminal 150 via the communication unit 101.

  Thereafter, the operation information management unit 102 receives first information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the user's air conditioner 130 in the first mode to the air conditioner 130, and the communication unit 101 receives information from the air conditioner 130. When received as operation information, the air conditioner 130 that has transmitted the first information is identified as a home appliance corresponding to the user.

  Further, the operation information further includes current parameter values set for operating the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n, and the device specifying operation calculation unit 104, when the first mode does not exist, Operation including parameter value ranges that can be taken by the parameter values of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the storage unit 105 and current parameter values of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the operation information storage unit 103 Based on the information, first parameter values other than the current parameter values of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n are extracted. The device specifying operation calculation unit 104 transmits the first parameter value to the terminal 150 via the communication unit 101.

  Thereafter, the operation information management unit 102 provides second information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the user's air conditioner 130 with the first parameter value to the air conditioner 130, and the communication unit 101 provides the air conditioner 130. When the air conditioner 130 receives the second information as the operation information, the air conditioner 130 that has transmitted the second information is identified as a home electric appliance corresponding to the user.

  Further, the operation information further includes a current first type parameter value and a current second type parameter value set to operate the plurality of devices, and the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 includes: When one mode does not exist, the parameter value range that can be taken by the first type parameter values of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the home appliance input data storage unit 105 and the plurality of parameters stored in the operation information storage unit 103 The first parameter values other than the current first type parameter values of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n are extracted based on the operation information including the current first type parameter values of the air conditioners 130a to 130n. The device specifying operation calculation unit 104 transmits a first parameter value other than the current first type parameter value to the terminal 150 via the communication unit 101.

  Thereafter, the operation information management unit 102 indicates that the user has input an instruction for operating the air conditioner 130 with the first parameter value other than the current first type parameter value to the air conditioner 130. When the communication unit 101 receives the information as the operation information from the air conditioner 130, the air conditioner 130 that has transmitted the second information is identified as a home appliance corresponding to the user.

  On the other hand, if the first parameter value does not exist, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 can take a parameter value that can be taken by the second type parameter values of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the home appliance input data storage unit 105. Based on the range and the operation information including the current second type parameter value of the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n stored in the operation information storage unit 103, the second value other than the current second type parameter value. Two parameter values are extracted. The device specifying operation calculation unit 104 transmits a first parameter value other than the current second type parameter value to the terminal 150 via the communication unit 101.

  Thereafter, the operation information management unit 102 indicates that the user has input to the air conditioner 130 an instruction to operate the user's air conditioner 130 with a second parameter value other than the current second type parameter value. When the communication unit 101 receives the 3 information as the operation information from the air conditioner 130, the air conditioner 130 that has transmitted the third information is identified as a home appliance corresponding to the user.

  The operation information management unit 102 transmits the home appliance identifier of the air conditioner 130 identified as the home appliance corresponding to the user to the terminal 150 via the communication unit 101 as described above.

  The communication unit 152 of the terminal 150 receives various information from the server 100 such as the first mode, the first parameter value, the second parameter value, the home appliance identifier of the air conditioner 130, and outputs the received information to the operation display unit 153. The operation display unit 153 displays a device-specific procedure and result to the operator.

  Therefore, an operator who uses the network system of the first embodiment accesses the server 100 from the terminal 150 to remotely monitor the operation information of a plurality of home appliances (air conditioners 130) connected to the server 100, It is possible to request a device identification process or acquire a household appliance identifier of a household appliance corresponding to the user identified by the device identification process.

[Information stored in home appliance input data storage unit 105]
4 is a diagram showing an example of home appliance input data of the air conditioner 130 stored in the home appliance input data storage unit 105 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the remote control 140 shown in FIG. It is. For example, the home appliance input data storage unit 105 stores a home appliance input data table 400 shown in FIG. The home appliance input data stored in the home appliance input data table 400 is an example of home appliance input data when the home appliance connected to the network 200 is the air conditioner 130 and an operation by the remote controller 140 is input.

  Specifically, the household appliance input data table 400 includes, as household appliance input data, an input name for each input using the operation buttons of the remote controller 140, setting information set in the air conditioner 130 using the operation buttons, and the setting thereof. An operation information change item indicating the type of operation information to be changed and a feature amount set in advance for each operation information change item are stored. The feature amount is a value indicating the ease of input by the user of the remote controller 140. The larger the feature amount value is, the easier the user can input, and the easier operation of the user's input operation described later can be prevented. Become. The feature amount is not particularly limited to the above example, and various changes can be made.

  For example, in the first line of the home appliance input data table 400 shown in FIG. 4, the input name is “stop”, the setting information is “stop” mode, the operation information change item is “operation mode”, and the feature amount is “3”. Is remembered. Similarly, input names “automatic”, “heating”, “cooling”, “dehumidification”, setting information “automatic” mode, “ A “heating” mode, a “cooling” mode, and a “dehumidification” mode are stored.

  Also, setting information “16” to “30” (° C.) is associated with the input name “above temperature” or “below temperature”, “set temperature” as an operation information change item, and feature amount “2” is stored in association with each other. In this example, the setting information “16” to “30” (° C.) is a parameter value range that the parameter value (temperature value) can take. The parameter value range is not particularly limited to this example, and various changes can be made. For example, only the minimum value and the maximum value may be stored.

  Further, setting information “air volume 1” to “air volume 3” is associated with the input name “air volume”, “air volume” is associated with the operation information change item, and “1” is associated with the feature quantity. It is remembered. In this case, the setting information “air volume 1” to “air volume 3” is a parameter value range that the parameter value (air volume value) can take.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the remote controller 140 includes, as operation buttons, a stop button B1, an automatic button B2, a heating button B3, a cooling button B4, a dehumidifying button B5, a temperature up button B6, a temperature down button B7, and an air volume. Button B8 is provided. That is, the remote controller 140 of the air conditioner 130 has a physical button (stop button B1) for stopping operation, a physical button (automatic button B2 to dehumidifying button B5) for each operation mode of automatic, heating, cooling, and dehumidification. Each time the air volume level is pressed, the air volume 1 → the air volume 2 → the air volume 3 → the air volume 1 is circulated. And a physical button (air volume button B8) to be changed.

  Therefore, for the input names “stop”, “automatic”, “heating”, “cooling”, “dehumidification”, “over temperature”, “under temperature”, “air volume” of the home appliance input data table 400, A stop button B1, an automatic button B2, a heating button B3, a cooling button B4, a dehumidifying button B5, a temperature up button B6, a temperature down button B7, and an air volume button B8 are assigned, and each mode and each parameter value are assigned to the stop button B1 It is set by the air volume button B8. In addition, feature quantities are assigned to the stop button B1 to the air volume button B8 of the remote controller 140 in the order of increasing physical feature quantities (in order of increasing button area), and the feature quantities of the home appliance input data table 400 are 3, 2 1 are stored in order.

  Note that in this embodiment, the information of the input unit of the home appliance is managed in order by the value of the feature amount, but this is an example for ease of explanation, and is not particularly limited to this example. The home appliance input data may be handled in the order in which they are stored without handling the quantity and managing the order.

  Moreover, household appliance input data is not specifically limited to said example, For example, you may increase / decrease the information handled according to the operation button of household appliances. In addition, the operation buttons of home appliances are not particularly limited to the above-described physical operation buttons, but use operation buttons composed of icons displayed on a touch panel or the like, or a user's voice corresponding to an operation instruction of the operation buttons Various changes such as inputting voice by voice recognition are possible.

[Household appliance identification method]
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of home appliance identification processing in the server 100, the air conditioner 130, and the terminal 150 illustrated in FIG. With reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 6, for example, when a call center operator receives an inquiry about an air conditioner from a user by telephone and wants to specify the user's air conditioner 130 connected to the network 200, the user's air conditioner 130 is selected. The details of the process of specifying the will be described.

  First, when the operator accesses the server 100 using the terminal 150 and inputs a home appliance specifying request, the terminal 150 transmits the home appliance specifying request to the server 100 (step M001).

  Next, the server 100 receives the home appliance specifying request, and the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 executes the following home appliance specifying operation calculation process (step M002). Specifically, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 extracts the same data with the same operation information change items from the home appliance input data storage unit 105 in descending order of the feature amount, and matches the extracted operation information change items. The operation information is extracted from the operation information storage unit 103. In addition, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 determines setting information other than the extracted current operation information, and an input name indicating an operation button of the remote controller 140 used to set the setting information in the air conditioner 130. To decide.

  Next, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 uses the communication unit 101 to input an input name (including setting information if necessary) indicating an operation button for setting setting information other than the current operation information. Output to terminal 150 (step M003). The communication unit 152 of the terminal 150 receives an input name or the like and outputs it to the operation display unit 153, and the operation display unit 153 displays the input name or the like. The operator instructs the user by telephone to input setting information by operating the operation button indicated by the input name using the remote controller 140 in accordance with the displayed input name (setting information as necessary).

  Next, when the user operates the operation button of the remote controller 140 and inputs the setting information according to the operator's instruction, the remote controller 140 transmits the setting information to the air conditioner 130 (step M004). Further, after the input of the setting information using the remote controller 140 is completed, the user notifies the operator that the input operation has been completed by telephone. In the above description, the user is instructed by telephone from the operator to operate the air conditioner 130. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this example, and other contact means such as e-mail, An operator who maintains the equipment may be informed to perform the input operation work and report that the input operation has been completed. When the operator can remotely operate the home appliance using the server 100, the operator may set the setting information in the home appliance by remote operation.

  Next, when the input unit 132 of the air conditioner 130 receives the setting information and the home appliance control unit 133 changes the operating state of the air conditioner 130 to an operating state corresponding to the setting information, the operation information change detection unit 134 The operation information of the unit 133 is confirmed to detect that the operation information has changed, and the changed operation information is transmitted to the server 100 together with the home appliance identifier for identifying the air conditioner 130 using the communication unit 131 (step 100). M005).

  Next, the communication unit 101 of the server 100 receives the changed operation information and home appliance identifier and outputs the received operation information and home appliance identifier to the operation information management unit 102. The operation information management unit 102 receives the received operation information and home appliance identifier as an operation information storage unit. 103 (step M006).

  Next, when the operator notified that the input operation is completed is input to the operation input unit 151 of the terminal 150 by the operator, the communication unit 152 transmits the input operation completion to the server 100 (step M007). ).

  Next, the server 100 accepts the completion of the input operation, and the operation information management unit 102 acquires the device specifying setting information corresponding to the input operation from the device specifying operation calculating unit 104 and matches the acquired setting information. The home appliance identifier of the operation information is extracted from the operation information storage unit 103, and the user's air conditioner 130 is specified (step M008).

  Next, the operation information management unit 102 transmits the identified home appliance identifier of the air conditioner 130 to the terminal 150 using the communication unit 101, and the communication unit 152 of the terminal 150 receives the home appliance identifier of the air conditioner 130. It outputs to the operation display part 153, and the operation display part 153 displays the household appliance identifier of a user's air conditioner 130 (step M009). An operator specifies a user's air conditioner 130 by the displayed household appliance identifier.

  In the above processing, the operator receives an inquiry from the user, but is not particularly limited to this example, and various changes can be made. For example, when the server 100 has an artificial intelligence function and can interact with the user, the server 100 receives an inquiry from the user and transmits an operation instruction to the user, and the server 100 acts as a proxy for the operator. You may do it.

  Next, among the above-described home appliance specifying processes, the home appliance specifying process of the server 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of home appliance identification processing in the server 100 illustrated in FIG.

  First, when the operator transmits a home appliance specifying request using the terminal 150, the communication unit 101 of the server 100 receives the home appliance specifying request and outputs it to the device specifying operation calculating unit 104 (step S001).

  Next, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 collectively collects data having the same operation information change items from the home appliance input data storage unit 105 in descending order of the feature amount (step S002). For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 4, when data having the same operation information change item is extracted in descending order of feature amount, the input names are “stop”, “automatic”, “heating”, “cooling”, and “dehumidification”. Five pieces of data are extracted, and the operation information change item of the extracted data is “operation mode”. In the process of step S002, data is extracted based on the feature amount, but stored data may be extracted in ascending or descending order instead of the feature amount.

  Next, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 extracts data for one column of operation information that matches the extracted operation information change item from the operation information storage unit 103 (step S003). For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 3, data for one column of the operation information “operation mode” that matches the operation information change item “operation mode” is extracted.

  Next, the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 determines whether there is setting information that does not correspond to the operation information of any home appliance in the extracted setting information of the operation information change item (step S004). If there is no setting information that does not correspond to the operation information of the device (NO in step S004), the process returns to step S002 to refer to another operation information change item having the next largest feature amount and collect the data having the same operation information change item. And the subsequent processing is continued. If the flow returning to step S002 is repeated and there is no setting information that does not correspond to the operation information of any home appliance with respect to the last operation information in the home appliance input data storage unit 105, the first operation information having the largest feature amount is displayed. It returns and continues the process after step S002.

  On the other hand, when there is setting information that does not correspond to the operation information of any home appliance (YES in step S004), the device specifying operation calculation unit 104 determines the setting information as setting information other than the current operation information, As an input name for specifying the device, an input name indicating an operation button for setting the determined setting information is transmitted from the communication unit 101 to the terminal 150 (step S005).

  For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the operation information “operation mode” includes operation information “automatic”, “cooling”, “dehumidification”, and “stop”, but the operation information corresponding to the setting information “heating”. Therefore, it is determined that there is setting information that does not correspond to the operation information of any home appliance, and the input name “heating” is transmitted.

  In addition, when the “operation mode” of the operation information storage unit 103 includes all setting information of “stop”, “automatic”, “heating”, “cooling”, and “dehumidification”, the next largest feature amount is “ The “set temperature” data is collectively extracted from the home appliance input data storage unit 105, and the “set temperature” in the operation information storage unit 103 is within a range (16 to 30 ° C.) of the extracted “set temperature”. It is determined whether there is a first parameter value other than the current parameter value. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the operation information “set temperature” includes operation information “23”, “26”, and “25”, but there is no operation information corresponding to the setting information “24”. The input name “above temperature” or “below temperature” and setting information “24” are transmitted.

  Furthermore, if the “set temperature” in the operation information storage unit 103 includes all setting information within the range (16 to 30 ° C.) that can be taken by the “set temperature” in the home appliance input data storage unit 105, Large “air volume” data is collectively collected from the home appliance input data storage unit 105, and the “air volume” of the operation information storage unit 103 is within the range (air volume 1 to 3) of the extracted “air volume”. It is determined whether there is a second parameter value other than the current parameter value. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the operation information “air volume” includes the operation information “air volume 1” and “air volume 2”, but there is no operation information corresponding to the setting information “air volume 3”. “Air volume” and setting information “air volume 3” are transmitted.

  Here, when an input name or the like is transmitted to the terminal 150 by the above processing, the operator instructs the user on the telephone the input name (setting information if necessary) displayed on the terminal 150. When the home appliance is the air conditioner 130, the user inputs setting information by operating the operation buttons of the remote controller 140 without inputting character string information for identifying the device. Therefore, the air conditioner 130 transmits the operation information changed by the setting information to the server 100 together with the home appliance identifier that identifies the air conditioner 130. Further, after the input of the setting information using the remote controller 140 is completed, the user notifies the operator that the input operation has been completed by telephone.

  Next, the communication unit 101 receives the changed operation information and home appliance identifier and outputs the received operation information and home appliance identifier to the operation information management unit 102. The operation information management unit 102 stores the received operation information and home appliance identifier in the operation information storage unit 103. (Step S006).

  Next, when the operator transmits an input operation completion from the terminal 150 to the server 100, the communication unit 101 receives the input operation completion and outputs it to the operation information management unit 102 (step S007).

  Next, the operation information management unit 102 acquires device specifying setting information corresponding to the input operation from the device specifying operation calculation unit 104, and sets the home information identifier of the operation information that matches the acquired setting information to the operation information storage unit. The user's home appliance is taken out from 103 and specified (step S008).

  Next, the operation information management unit 102 transmits the home appliance identifier of the specified home appliance to the terminal 150 using the communication unit 101 (step S009). Therefore, the operator can specify the home appliance identifier of the home appliance displayed on the terminal 150 as the home appliance identifier of the user's home appliance, and remote failure diagnosis or the like can be performed using the specified home appliance identifier.

  Note that although the case where the home appliance is an air conditioner has been described, the present embodiment can also be applied to a case where the home appliance is other than an air conditioner. Only the contents different from the air conditioner will be described below.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the operation information of the washing machine stored in the operation information storage unit 103 when the home appliance connected to the network 200 is a washing machine. For example, the operation information storage unit 103 stores an operation information table 800.

  Specifically, in the operation information table 800, course information, washing time, rinsing time, dehydration time, drying time, and water amount information are stored as the operation information, and the information on the washing machine that has transmitted the operation information is stored. A home appliance identifier is stored. The operation information in the operation information table 800 is used when the operation status of the washing machine connected to the network 200 is remotely monitored.

  9 shows an example of home appliance input data of the washing machine stored in the home appliance input data storage unit 105, FIG. 10 shows an example of the appearance of the washing machine, and FIG. 11 shows an input unit of the washing machine ( Operation buttons).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the washing machine 1000 includes a display panel 1001 and an input unit 1002. As shown in FIG. 11, the input unit 1002 includes various operation buttons. Here, buttons other than “power on” and “power off” are toggle buttons, and the value changes each time the button is pressed. For example, “washing”, “rinsing”, “dehydration”, “drying” buttons change values each time the button is pressed, such as none → automatic → 1 → ・ ・ ・ → 15 → none. The data is output to the display panel 1001. Further, the “water amount” button changes every time the button is pressed, such as “automatic → lower → higher → automatic” in the course of using water, and the value is output to the display panel 1001. Depending on the washing machine, there is a touch panel type in which the display panel 1001 also serves as an input unit.

  In the household appliance input data table 900 shown in FIG. 9, specifically, as household appliance input data, an input name for each input using the operation buttons of the input unit 1002 and setting information set in the washing machine 1000 using the operation buttons. In addition, an operation information change item indicating the type of operation information that changes depending on the setting, and a feature amount set in advance for each operation information change item are stored.

  As described above, even when the home appliance is a washing machine, it is possible to execute the above processing using the same data as the air conditioner.

  With the above processing, in the present embodiment, the user's home appliance can be specified without handling the user's personal information, and remote failure diagnosis and the like can be performed. Also, without adding new operation buttons and functions to home appliances or using dedicated applications, just giving the user the minimum necessary operation instructions within the normal operation range that is easy for the user to operate. The user's home appliance can be identified.

(Embodiment 2)
In Embodiment 1 described above, an example in which the server 100 and the plurality of air conditioners 130a to 130n are connected via the Internet has been described. However, the network connecting the server and the plurality of home appliances is narrower than the Internet. In some cases, it is a home network. In the present embodiment, a network system using a home network instead of the Internet will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a home network system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that in FIG. 12, an air conditioner is illustrated as an example of the home appliance, but is not particularly limited to this example, and various modifications can be made as in the first embodiment.

  The home network system shown in FIG. 12 is a network system in the home environment 110A, and includes a plurality of air conditioners 130A and 130B, a plurality of remote controls 140A and 140B, a terminal 150, a home appliance controller 160, and a router 170. . Here, the home environment 110A corresponds to, for example, a user's home area where a local area network such as a home network can be used, but is not particularly limited to this example. It may be an area within a facility or corporate building where a local area network is available.

  In the present embodiment, in the home environment 110A, communication is performed via the router 170, and the plurality of air conditioners 130A and 130B and the home electrical appliance controller 160 exchange. The router 170 may be incompatible with broadband connection or compatible with broadband connection as long as a home network can be constructed.

  The home appliance controller 160 in the home can collectively monitor and operate home appliances in the home, for example, the air conditioners 130A and 130B, and has the function of the server 100 shown in FIG. That is, the home appliance controller 160 includes an operation information management unit, an operation information storage unit, an apparatus specifying operation calculation unit, in addition to the configuration of a communication unit and the like for batch monitoring and operation of ordinary home appliances in the home, And a home appliance input data storage unit (not shown).

  In the present embodiment, by providing home appliance controller 160 in the home instead of the server, air conditioners 130A and 130B and home appliance controller 160 in the home can configure a system by a server client method. That is, in the first embodiment, the server 100 connected via the Internet includes a processing unit necessary for device identification. However, in the present embodiment, the processing unit necessary for device identification included in the server 100. Is provided in the home appliance controller 160 in the home, the same processing as the home appliance specifying process described in the first embodiment can be performed.

  For example, in the case of an elderly care facility, an air conditioner 130A or 130B is installed in each room in the home environment 110A, and a user lives in each room. When the manager of the facility receives an inquiry about the air conditioner from the user, the manager accesses the home appliance controller 160 using the terminal 150, and the home appliances shown in FIGS. Device identification processing is executed, and the administrator can identify the user's air conditioner. Therefore, in this embodiment, even when there are a plurality of home appliances on the home network, the home appliance corresponding to the user can be specified with high accuracy.

  As mentioned above, although the apparatus identification method which concerns on the some aspect of this indication was demonstrated based on several embodiment, this indication is not limited to these embodiment. Unless it deviates from the gist of the present disclosure, forms constructed by combining components in different embodiments may also be included within the scope of one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

In addition, in this disclosure, all or part of a unit, device, member, or part, or all or part of the functional blocks in the block diagrams shown in the drawings may be a semiconductor device, a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), or an LSI (Large). It may be performed by one or more electronic circuits including Scale Integration. The LSI or IC may be integrated on a single chip, or may be configured by combining a plurality of chips. For example, the functional blocks other than the memory element may be integrated on one chip. Here, the term “LSI” or “IC” is used, but the name changes depending on the degree of integration, and a system LSI, VLSI (Very Large) is used.
It may be referred to as “Scale Integration” or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), which is programmed after manufacturing the LSI, or a Reconfigurable Logic Device capable of reconfiguring the junction relationship inside the LSI or setting up a circuit partition inside the LSI can be used for the same purpose.

  Furthermore, all or part of the functions or operations of the unit, apparatus, member, or unit can be executed by software processing. In this case, the software is recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as one or more ROMs, optical disks, hard disk drives, etc., and is specified by the software when the software is executed by a processor. Functions are executed by a processor and peripheral devices. The system or apparatus may include one or more non-transitory recording media on which software is recorded, a processor, and a required hardware device such as an interface.

  The device specifying method according to an aspect of the present disclosure does not require input of character string information for identifying a device, and when a plurality of devices having the same function are connected to the same server via a network for remote monitoring This is useful for identifying the equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Server 101 Communication part 102 Operation | movement information management part 103 Operation | movement information storage part 104 Operation calculation part 105 for apparatus specification Home appliance input data storage part 120a-120n Broadband router 130a-130n, 130, 130A, 130B Air conditioner 131 Communication part 132 Input part 133 Home Appliance Control Unit 134 Operation Information Change Detection Units 140a to 140n, 140A, 140B Remote Controller 150 Terminal 151 Operation Input Unit 152 Communication Unit 153 Operation Display Unit 160 Home Appliance Controller 170 Router

Claims (11)

A method of identifying a device,
Receiving operation information indicating a current operation mode for the plurality of devices from a plurality of devices via a network, the plurality of devices including a first device;
A first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices is extracted based on the operation mode that can be taken by the plurality of devices stored in the memory and the operation information, and the plurality of devices take the first mode. Included in the operating mode
When receiving from the first device first information indicating that a user has input an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode to the first device, the first device Identify that the device is compatible with
Method. When the first information is received from the first device together with an identifier for identifying the first device, the identifier transmitted from the first device is specified as an identifier of a device corresponding to the user.
The method of claim 1. The first mode is set by an operation button for operating the first device.
The method according to claim 1 or 2. The plurality of devices includes an air conditioner,
The operation modes that the plurality of devices can take include at least two of an automatic mode, a cooling mode, a heating mode, a dehumidification mode, and a stop mode.
The method according to claim 1. The plurality of devices includes a washing machine,
The operation modes that the plurality of devices can take include at least two of a washing / drying mode, a drying mode, a dewatering mode, a washing mode, and a stop mode.
The method according to claim 1. The operation information further includes a current parameter value set for operating the plurality of devices,
If the first mode does not exist, a first parameter value other than the current parameter value is extracted based on a parameter value range that the parameter value can take and the operation information;
When receiving from the first device second information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device with the first parameter value to the first device, the first device Identifying the device as corresponding to the user;
The method of claim 1. The first parameter value is set by an operation button for operating the first device.
The method of claim 6. The plurality of devices includes an air conditioner,
The current parameter value set to operate the plurality of devices includes at least one of a temperature value at which the plurality of devices operate or an airflow value at which the plurality of devices operate.
The method according to claim 6 or 7. The plurality of devices includes a washing machine,
The current parameter value set to operate the plurality of devices includes at least one of a washing time, a rinsing time, a dewatering time, a drying time, or a water amount.
The method according to claim 6 or 7. The operation information further includes a current first type parameter value and a current second type parameter value set to operate the plurality of devices,
When the first mode does not exist, a first parameter value other than the current first type parameter value is extracted based on a parameter value range that can be taken by the first type parameter value and the operation information. And
When receiving from the first device second information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device with the first parameter value to the first device, the first device Identify the device as corresponding to the user,
When the first parameter value does not exist, a second parameter value other than the current second type parameter value is determined based on a parameter value range that can be taken by the second type parameter value and the operation information. Extract and
When receiving from the first device third information indicating that the user has input an instruction for operating the first device with the second parameter value to the first device, the first device Identifying the device as corresponding to the user;
The method of claim 1. A device for identifying a device,
A receiving unit for receiving operation information indicating a current operation mode for the plurality of devices from a plurality of devices including the first device via a network;
A storage unit for storing operation modes that the plurality of devices can take;
A first mode other than the current operation mode of the plurality of devices out of the operation modes that the plurality of devices can take based on the operation mode that can be taken by the plurality of devices stored in the storage unit and the operation information. An extraction unit for extracting
When receiving from the first device first information indicating that a user has input an instruction for operating the first device in the first mode to the first device, the first device Including a specifying unit that specifies that the device corresponds to
apparatus.

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