JP2020031333A - Home appliance control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve user convenience of a home appliance control system compared with a conventional one.SOLUTION: In a home appliance control system (1), an air conditioner (10) comprises: a sensor (12) which detects the number of organisms present in a room; and a determination unit (110) which determines whether or not a user (U) is present in the room on the basis of a detection result by the sensor (12) and generates determination result information indicating a determination result. The home appliance control system (1) comprises: a first communication unit (13) which transmits the determination result information to a smart phone (30); and a notification setting unit (310) which controls whether or not to cause the first communication unit (13) to transmit the determination result information to the smart phone (30).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to a home appliance control system that controls home appliances.

  In recent years, some home electric appliances (eg, air conditioners) have a function of monitoring users in the home. This function is also called a watching function. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology that, when a state different from a predetermined condition is detected by a human sensor included in an air conditioner provided indoors, notifies that the state is abnormal. .

JP 2000-346426 A

  However, as will be described later, there is still room for improvement in devising points for improving the convenience of the user of the home appliance control system. An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to improve the convenience of the user as compared with the related art.

  In order to solve the above problems, a home appliance control system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a home appliance provided indoors, a terminal device previously associated with the home appliance, and the home appliance via a communication network. A home appliance control system including a device and a server connected to the terminal, wherein the terminal is communicable with the home appliance via the server, and the home appliance is A sensor for detecting the number of living organisms present in the, and a determination unit that determines whether a living body is present in the room based on the detection result of the sensor, and generates determination result information indicating the determination result, A transmission unit configured to transmit the determination result information to the terminal device; and a transmission control configured to control whether the transmission unit transmits the determination result information to the terminal device. Further comprising a section, a.

  According to the home appliance control system of one embodiment of the present invention, user convenience can be improved as compared with the related art.

It is a figure showing the outline of the household appliance control system of Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the home appliance control system in FIG. 1. It is a figure showing an example of judgment result information notified to a smart phone. FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing a modification of the home appliance control system in FIG. 1. It is a functional block diagram showing composition of an important section of a household appliance control system of Embodiment 2. It is a figure showing an example of movement amount information notified to a smart phone.

[Embodiment 1]
The home appliance control system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below. For convenience of description, in the following embodiments, members having the same functions as the members described in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, description of the same matters as those in the known art will be appropriately omitted.

(Overview of Home Appliance Control System 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the home appliance control system 1. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the home appliance control system 1. The home appliance control system 1 includes an air conditioner 10 (home appliance), a cloud server 20 (server device), and a smartphone 30 (terminal device).

  The air conditioner 10 is an example of a home appliance to be controlled by the home appliance control system 1. Furthermore, the air conditioner 10 is also an example of a home electric appliance having a function of watching a user U (living body). The air conditioner 10 has a sensor 12 that detects the user U. As an example, the air conditioner 10 is provided in a predetermined room (eg, a living room) of the home of the user U. The user U is, for example, an elderly person or a child.

  In the example of FIG. 1, a wall-mounted air conditioner 10 is shown. However, the air conditioner 10 may be a ceiling-mounted type. The air conditioner 10 may be provided at a predetermined position in a room suitable for watching by the user U. More specifically, the air conditioner 10 may be provided at a predetermined position in a room suitable for detecting the user U with the sensor 12. Therefore, for example, the air conditioner 10 only needs to be arranged in the upper part of the room.

  In the example of FIG. 1, a case where the living body is a person (user U) is shown. Note that the living body of one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a human. The living body may be, for example, a dog or a cat. The living body may be any living thing whose presence can be detected by the sensor 12. Therefore, the pet can be monitored using the home appliance control system 1.

  Further, the terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the smartphone 30. The terminal device may be a remote controller for the user U to remotely control the air conditioner 10 in the living room. Alternatively, the terminal device may be a portable information processing device such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet PC. The user of the terminal device is referred to as a user V. The user V can also be expressed as a user of the home appliance control system 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the case where the user V is a different person from the user U is shown. However, the user V may be the same person as the user U.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cloud server 20 is connected to the air conditioner 10 via (i) the communication network 90a and the smartphone 30 via (ii) the communication network 90b. Therefore, the air conditioner 10 can transmit predetermined information to the smartphone 30 via the cloud server 20. In addition, the smartphone 30 can control (operate) the air conditioner 10 via the cloud server 20. Thus, the smartphone 30 can communicate with the air conditioner 10 via the cloud server 20. In the home appliance control system 1, the smartphone 30 and the air conditioner 10 are associated with each other in advance.

  The touch panel 32 of the smartphone 30 is a member in which (i) a display unit 320 that displays an image and (ii) an input unit 321 that receives an input (operation) of the user V are overlapped and integrated. However, the display unit 320 and the input unit 321 may be provided as separate members. For example, an application (hereinafter, referred to as “operation application”) for operating the air conditioner 10 via the cloud server 20 is installed in the smartphone 30 in advance. The user V can set the operating conditions of the air conditioner 10 by touching each button displayed on the touch panel 32 (the screen of the operation application).

  The communication networks 90a and 90b may be collectively referred to as a communication network 90. A known communication technology (eg, wireless LAN technology) may be used for the communication network 90. Note that a home appliance adapter (not shown) is attached to the air conditioner 10 in advance to communicate with the cloud server 20. Note that a configuration in which the air conditioner 10 and the home appliance adapter are integrated may be employed.

  Although the case of using one cloud server 20 is described in the example of FIG. 1, each function of the cloud server 20 may be realized by a plurality of servers. When a plurality of servers are applied, each server may be managed by the same company or may be managed by a different company.

  The air conditioner 10 includes a first control unit 11, a sensor 12, and a first communication unit 13 (transmission unit). The cloud server 20 includes a second control unit 21 and a second communication unit 22. The smartphone 30 includes a third control unit 31, a touch panel 32, and a third communication unit 33. The “first”, “second”, and “third” in these member names are the control unit and communication unit of “air conditioner 10”, “cloud server 20”, and “smart phone 30”, respectively. Is a wording for distinguishing

  The 1st control part 11-the 3rd control part 31 control each part of the air conditioner 10-the smart phone 30 collectively, respectively. The first communication unit 13 to the third communication unit 33 are communication interfaces for the air conditioners 10 to the smartphone 30 to communicate with an external device. The first communication unit 13 and the second communication unit 22 communicate with each other via the communication network 90a. Further, the second communication unit 22 and the third communication unit 33 communicate with each other via the communication network 90b.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the sensor 12 is arranged on the front surface of the housing of the air conditioner 10. However, the sensor 12 may be arranged at any position on the housing of the air conditioner 10 as long as the position is suitable for the detection of the user U. The sensor 12 detects whether or not the user U exists in the room. Further, the sensor 12 can detect the number of users U (the number of living organisms) present in the room (hereinafter, N). As the sensor 12, a known human sensor can be used. For example, sensor 12 may be an infrared sensor (eg, a thermopile sensor or a pyroelectric sensor). Alternatively, the sensor 12 may be a radiation sensor. As another example, an image sensor can be used as the sensor 12.

(Example of operation of home appliance control system 1)
The first control unit 11 includes a determination unit 110. The first control unit 11 determines whether the user U is present in the room based on the detection result of the sensor 12. As an example, the determination unit 110 determines whether the user U is indoors based on the value of N and a predetermined time threshold. As described above, by further considering the time and determining whether the user U is present in the room, the influence of noise included in the detection result of the sensor 12 can be reduced. The air conditioner 10 may be provided with a timer (not shown) for measuring time. Alternatively, the time may be measured using the timer function of the first control unit 11 (eg, a sensor microcomputer).

  The determination unit 110 generates determination result information indicating its own determination result. The first communication unit 13 transmits (notifies) the determination result information to the smartphone 30 via the cloud server 20. More specifically, the first communication unit 13 transmits the determination result information to the third communication unit 33 via the communication network 90a, the second communication unit 22, and the communication network 90b. In the following example, it is assumed that the first communication unit 13 is set to a notification permission state (described later) unless otherwise specified.

  As an example, the determination unit 110 determines that the user U is present in the room when the state in which N is 1 or more continues for the first time threshold or more. The first time threshold is also referred to as an occupancy determination time threshold. Hereinafter, the determination that the user U is present in the room is referred to as an in-room determination. The first time threshold is, for example, a time of about several seconds to several tens of seconds. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the determination result information notified to the smartphone 30. In the example of FIG. 3, the determination result information indicating that the occupancy determination has been made is displayed on the touch panel 32 as an image (IMG1).

  Therefore, when the state where (i) N changes from 0 to 1 or more and (i) the state where N is 1 or more continues for the first time threshold or more, the determination unit 110 determines that the living body is absent. It is determined that the state of the room has transitioned from a state where there is no living body in the room to a state where there is a living body (a state where there is a living body). For example, from the viewpoint of crime prevention, it can be said that it is preferable that the transition of the indoor state from the non-living state to the living state be determined and notified promptly (preferably in real time). Therefore, the first time threshold is set sufficiently shorter than the second time threshold described below. The second time threshold is also referred to as an absence determination time threshold.

  On the other hand, when the state in which N is 0 has continued for the second time threshold or more, the determination unit 110 determines that the user U is not present in the room. Hereinafter, the determination that the user U is not present in the room is referred to as absence determination. As an example, after the occupancy determination is performed, the determination unit 110 determines that (i) N changes from 1 or more to 0 and (i) N is 0 for the second time threshold or more. When the state is continued, it is determined that the indoor state has transitioned from the living body existing state to the living body absent state.

  For example, even when the user U is usually present in the living room, the user U may temporarily leave the living room to go to the toilet. For this reason, if it is determined in a short time that the indoor state has transitioned from the living body existing state to the living body absent state, the determination result information indicating this is notified to the smartphone 30 at high frequency. Therefore, the user V feels troublesome (the convenience of the user V is rather reduced). Based on this point, the second time threshold is set sufficiently longer than the first time threshold. As an example, the second time threshold is a time of about 30 minutes. For example, the second time threshold is preferably set to be 30 times or more the first time threshold.

  The third control unit 31 includes a notification setting unit 310 (transmission control unit). The notification setting unit 310 controls whether to cause the first communication unit 13 to perform an operation of transmitting predetermined information (eg, determination result information) to the smartphone 30. Hereinafter, a state in which the notification setting unit 310 causes the first communication unit 13 to perform predetermined information to the smartphone 30 (that is, a state in which the first communication unit 13 is permitted to transmit predetermined information to the smartphone 30) will be described. , A notification permission state. On the other hand, a state where the notification setting unit 310 does not allow the first communication unit 13 to perform the predetermined information to the smartphone 30 (that is, the first communication unit 13 is allowed to transmit the predetermined information to the smartphone 30). (Not performed) is referred to as a notification non-permitted state.

  As an example, the notification setting unit 310 may switch between the notification permission state and the notification non-permission state of the determination result information in response to the operation of the user V. For example, the user V can arbitrarily switch between the notification permission state and the notification non-permission state by touching each button displayed on the touch panel 32. That is, the necessity of notification of the determination result information can be arbitrarily switched.

  Alternatively, the notification setting unit 310 may switch between the notification permission state and the notification non-permission state for the determination result information based on a preset condition. For example, the notification setting unit 310 may set the first communication unit 13 to the notification permission state only at a predetermined date and time set in advance. As an example, the notification setting unit 310 determines the time zone of “8:00 to 18:00 on weekdays (Monday to Friday)” (the time zone in which the user U is highly likely to be absent in the room for a long time). Only in one example), the first communication unit 13 may be set to the notification permission state.

  By the way, for example, on holidays (Saturday and Sunday), it is conceivable that the user U frequently goes in and out of the room when the user U temporarily goes out. In such a case, if the determination result information indicating the presence or absence determination is notified to the smartphone 30 at a high frequency, the user V feels troublesome. Therefore, during the period excluding the time period, the first communication unit 13 is set to the notification non-permission state by the notification setting unit 310. This can prevent the user V from being notified of the determination result information at a high frequency, thereby improving the convenience of the user V.

  In addition, it is preferable that the determination unit 110 continuously determines the presence state of the living body in the room even after performing the presence determination once. This is because, in some cases, from the viewpoint of watching over the user U, it is preferable to determine that the user U has entered and exited the room a plurality of times (returned home a plurality of times). For example, consider the case where user U is a child. In the following example, it is assumed that the notification setting unit 310 has been previously set to the notification permission state in response to the operation of the user V. The user U who has returned home enters the room.

For example, a normal schedule for a certain day (weekday) of the user U is as follows:
(1) Return home from school at 15:00 (first return home);
(2) At 16:30, go from home to study school;
(3) Return home from the study school at 20:00 (second return home);
It is as follows. In this case, if the user U is acting as scheduled, it is determined that the user U has returned home twice. On the other hand, in the related art (for example, in the technique of Patent Literature 1), the determination whether the user U is present in the room is stopped after the presence determination is performed once. Therefore, conventionally, it is not possible to determine that the user U has returned home for the second time. As described above, by continuously determining whether or not the user U exists in the room, the watching of the user U can be performed more effectively than in the related art.

  By the way, conventionally, for example, in the technique of Patent Literature 1, the detection of the user by the human sensor is performed only when the air conditioner is operating. For this reason, conventionally, in the season in which the air conditioner 10 is not used for a long time (for example, spring or autumn), the user cannot monitor the air conditioner 10.

  On the other hand, in the air conditioner 10, the first control unit 11 (particularly, the determination unit 110), the sensor 12, and the first communication unit 13 are configured to operate the air conditioner 10 (more specifically, the air conditioner 10). 10 air-conditioning operation states).

  For example, the air conditioner 10 is provided with a first power supply line for supplying power to a power unit (a main part for causing the air conditioner 10 to perform an air conditioning operation) of the air conditioner 10. Further, the air conditioner 10 is provided with a second power supply line for supplying power to the first control unit 11, the sensor 12, and the first communication unit 13. The second power supply line is a power supply line different from the first power transmission line. Each of the first power transmission line and the second power transmission line is connected to a power supply (eg, a commercial power supply). Further, the first power transmission line and the second power supply line may include an arbitrary power conversion circuit. According to this configuration, even when the first power transmission line is opened (when the power supply from the power supply to the power unit is cut off), the first control unit receives the power from the power supply via the second power transmission line. Power can be supplied to 11, the sensor 12, and the first communication unit 13.

  Therefore, the first control unit 11, the sensor 12, and the first communication unit 13 can be operated even when the air conditioner 10 does not perform the air conditioning operation. That is, the determination unit 110 and the sensor 12 can determine whether the user U exists indoors. Further, the determination result information can be transmitted to the smartphone 30 by the first communication unit 13. Therefore, even in the season when the air conditioner 10 is not used for a long time, the user U can be watched over.

  When the determination unit 110 determines that the state has transitioned from the non-living state to the living state, the first communication unit 13 determines the determination result information indicating that regardless of the operation state of the air conditioner 10. Is preferably transmitted to the smartphone 30. As described above, from the viewpoint of crime prevention, among the various types of determination result information, it is highly necessary to notify the user V of the determination result information indicating that the state has transitioned from the absent state to the living state. This is because it can be said that it is one of the information.

(effect)
Conventionally (for example, in the technique of Patent Document 1), information indicating that an abnormality has occurred cannot be selectively notified (transmitted) to the user. Therefore, even when the user does not necessarily want to receive the notification of the information, the user is notified of the information. For this reason, the user may feel troublesome.

  On the other hand, according to the home appliance control system 1, the operation state of the first communication unit 13 can be switched by the notification setting unit 310. That is, regarding the determination result information, the notification permission state and the notification non-permission state can be arbitrarily switched. That is, the user V can be selectively notified of the determination result information. Thus, according to the home appliance control system 1, the convenience of the user V can be improved as compared with the related art.

  Further, according to the home appliance control system 1, when there is a concern that the determination unit 110 may make an erroneous determination, the first communication unit 13 can be set to the notification non-permission state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination result information from being transmitted to the user V.

(Modification)
FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing a modification of the home appliance control system 1 according to the first embodiment. The home electric appliance according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment. The ceiling light 10V (home electric appliance) shown in FIG. 4 is another example of the home electric appliance. The ceiling light 10V is provided on the ceiling of a room (eg, a living room). The sensor 12 is disposed at a predetermined position of the ceiling light 10V (a position suitable for detecting the user U). The same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained by the configuration in FIG.

  The space in which the home appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided is not limited to a living room. The home appliance may be provided in any space in the house suitable for watching by the user U. For example, the home appliance may be a lighting device provided at a front door of a house.

(Modification)
Unlike the first embodiment, the notification setting unit 310 may be provided in the cloud server 20 (more specifically, the second control unit 21). Alternatively, the notification setting unit 310 may be provided in the air conditioner 10 (more specifically, the first control unit 11). Notification setting section 310 may be provided as a functional section of home appliance control system 1.

  Further, unlike the first embodiment, the notification setting unit 310 may control whether to cause the second communication unit 22 to transmit the determination result information to the smartphone 30. That is, the transmission unit according to one embodiment of the present invention may be the second communication unit 22. In this case, the first communication unit 13 may always transmit the determination result information to the second communication unit 22.

  In the case of the above example, a state in which transmission of predetermined information (eg, determination result information) from the second communication unit 22 to the smartphone 30 is permitted is referred to as a notification permission state. A state in which the transmission of the predetermined information from the second communication unit 22 to the smartphone 30 is not permitted is referred to as a notification non-permission state. The transmission control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention only needs to be able to control whether or not the transmission unit (the function unit that transmits the determination result information to the smartphone 30) transmits the determination result information to the smartphone 30.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the home appliance control system 2 according to the second embodiment. The air conditioner of the home appliance control system 2 is referred to as an air conditioner 10A (home appliance). The first control unit of the air conditioner 10A is referred to as a first control unit 11A. The first control unit 11A is different from the first control unit 11 and further includes a calculation unit 111. However, the calculation unit 111 may be provided in the cloud server 20 (more specifically, the second control unit 21).

  The calculation unit 111 calculates the movement amount of the user U based on the detection result of the sensor 12. As an example, a case where a thermopile sensor is used as the sensor 12 will be considered. In the sensor 12, sensor elements (sensor elements) are arranged in an array. Specifically, in the sensor 12, X sensor elements are arranged in the horizontal direction and Y sensor elements are arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, the sensor 12 can divide the detection target area (the area to be detected by the user U) into X × Y partial areas. For example, when X = 2 and Y = 2, the detection target area can be divided into four partial areas.

  The sensor 12 can detect which of the X × Y (for example, 4) partial areas the user U exists at a position corresponding to the partial area. Accordingly, by detecting the user U by the sensor 12 at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to detect the state of the movement of the user U with the passage of time. Therefore, in this case, the detection result of the sensor 12 can be used as an index indicating the movement amount of the user U in a predetermined time range. The calculation unit 111 calculates (derives) a movement amount of the user U in a predetermined time range by analyzing a detection result of the sensor 12 by a known method.

  As another example, consider a case where a pyroelectric sensor is used as the sensor 12. In this case, the sensor 12 may be constituted by a plurality of pyroelectric sensors (for example, X × Y pyroelectric sensors). With this configuration as well, the sensor 12 can detect which of the X × Y partial areas corresponds to which position of the user U.

  As still another example, a case where an image sensor is used as the sensor 12 will be considered. In this case, the sensor 12 outputs an image including the image of the user U as a detection result. The calculation unit 111 can calculate the moving amount of the user U in a predetermined time range by analyzing the image. For example, the calculation unit 111 can calculate the movement amount by deriving the flow line of the user U. By calculating the movement amount based on the image obtained by the image sensor, the movement amount can be calculated with higher accuracy than when a thermopile sensor or a pyroelectric sensor is used.

  The calculation unit 111 generates information (movement amount information) indicating the movement amount calculated by itself. Then, the first communication unit 13 transmits (notifies) the movement amount information to the smartphone 30 via the cloud server 20. That is, the first communication unit 13 transmits the movement amount information to the third communication unit 33 via the communication network 90a, the second communication unit 22, and the communication network 90b.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the movement amount information notified to the smartphone 30. In the example of FIG. 6, the movement amount information is displayed on the touch panel 32 as an image (IMG2). As an example, IMG2 is a graph showing movement amount information (more specifically, the movement amount of user U at each time).

  In the second embodiment, the notification setting unit 310 may switch between the notification permission state and the notification non-permission state of the movement amount information in response to the operation of the user V. That is, the notification setting unit 310 may control whether to cause the first communication unit 13 to transmit the movement amount information to the smartphone 30. For example, when the first communication unit 13 is set to the notification permission state, the movement amount information is transmitted from the first communication unit 13 to the smartphone 30. On the other hand, when the first communication unit 13 is set to the notification non-permission state, the movement amount information is not transmitted from the first communication unit 13 to the smartphone 30. Thus, the necessity of the notification of the movement amount information can be arbitrarily switched.

(effect)
According to the home appliance control system 2, the movement amount of the user U can be calculated by the calculation unit 111. It can be said that the movement amount of the user U is one of the indexes indicating whether or not the user U in the room is in a healthy state (eg, a healthy state). Therefore, it can be said that the movement amount information is an example of information more specifically indicating the state (eg, health state) of the user U who is in the room than the determination result information.

  For example, when the movement amount of the user U is small during the daytime (usually a time period in which the user U is considered to be active), it is determined that the user U is in an unhealthy state (eg, an unhealthy state). I am concerned. Specifically, there is a concern that the user U is lying indoors (cannot move actively in the room) due to an accident (eg, sudden illness or injury).

  In the second embodiment, by calculating the moving amount of the user U by the calculating unit 111, more detailed information (moving amount information) on the state of the user U can be notified to the user V as compared with the first embodiment. Therefore, the watching of the user U can be performed more effectively.

(Modification)
The calculation unit 111 may determine whether or not the state in which the movement amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (movement amount threshold) continues over a predetermined time range (eg, 6 hours). When the state in which the movement amount is equal to or less than the movement amount threshold continues over a predetermined time range, the calculation unit 111 generates information (movement amount small information) indicating that. The first communication unit 13 transmits the small movement amount information to the smartphone 30.

  If the amount of movement is small for a relatively long time, there is a concern that the user U is likely to be in an unhealthy state. Therefore, it can be said that it is preferable to notify the small amount of movement to the smartphone 30 from the viewpoint of watching the user U. In addition, it is preferable that the first communication unit 13 transmits the small movement amount information to the smartphone 30 irrespective of the operation state of the air conditioner 10. This is because the accident of the user U can occur even in a season (or time zone) when the air conditioner 10 is not frequently used.

[Example of software implementation]
The control blocks (especially, the first control unit 11 / 11A, the second control unit 21, and the third control unit 31) of the home appliance control systems 1 and 2 include a logic circuit (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. ) Or by software.

  In the latter case, the home appliance control systems 1 and 2 each include a computer that executes instructions of a program that is software for realizing each function. This computer includes, for example, at least one processor (control device) and at least one computer-readable recording medium storing the program. Then, in the computer, the object of one embodiment of the present invention is achieved when the processor reads the program from the recording medium and executes the program. As the processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. Examples of the recording medium include “temporary tangible medium” such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, and a programmable logic circuit. Further, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program may be further provided. Further, the program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (a communication network, a broadcast wave, or the like) capable of transmitting the program. Note that one embodiment of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Summary]
The home electric appliance control system according to the first aspect of the present invention is connected to the home electric appliance provided in the room, the terminal device previously associated with the home electric appliance, and the home electric appliance and the terminal device via a communication network. A server device, wherein the terminal device is capable of communicating with the home appliance via the server device, and the home appliance detects a number of living organisms present in the room. And a determination unit that determines whether or not a living body is present in the room based on the detection result of the sensor, and generates determination result information indicating the determination result. A transmission unit that transmits the determination result information to the terminal device, and a transmission control unit that controls whether the transmission unit transmits the determination result information to the terminal device is further provided.

  According to the above configuration, the transmission control unit can arbitrarily switch between the notification permission state and the notification non-permission state for the determination result information. That is, the user of the terminal device (in other words, the user of the home appliance control system) (eg, the user V in FIG. 1) can be selectively notified of the determination result information. Therefore, the convenience of the user V can be improved.

  In the home appliance control system according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the determination unit may be configured such that (i) the number of living bodies detected by the sensor changes from 0 to 1 or more; and (ii) the sensor When the state in which the number of living organisms detected is 1 or more has continued for the first time threshold or more, the state of the room is changed from a state in which the living body does not exist in the room to a state in the room. When it is determined that the state has transitioned to the state where the living body is present, and when it is permitted to transmit the determination result information from the transmission unit to the terminal device by the transmission control unit, the transmission unit, It is preferable that the determination result information indicating that the indoor state has transitioned be transmitted to the terminal device regardless of the operation state of the home electric appliance.

  According to the above configuration, even when the home electric appliance is not operating, the user V can be notified that the state has transitioned from the non-living state to the living state. That is, the fact that the state transition has occurred can be more reliably notified to the user V, so that security can be improved.

  In the home appliance control system according to the third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the determination unit may be configured such that (i) the number of living bodies detected by the sensor changes from 1 or more to 0, and (ii) the sensor When the state in which the number of living bodies detected by the living body is 0 continues for a second time threshold or more, the state of the room is changed from the state in which the living body is present in the room to the state in the room. It is determined that the state has transitioned to a state in which no living body exists, and the second time threshold is preferably set to be longer than the first time threshold.

  As described above, from the viewpoint of the convenience of the user V, it can be said that the state transition from the living body existing state to the living body absence state need not be determined very frequently. According to the above configuration, since the second time threshold is set longer than the first time threshold, it is frequently determined that the state transition from the living body existing state to the living body absent state has occurred. Can be prevented. Therefore, the convenience of the user V can be further improved.

  Further, according to the above configuration, since the first time threshold is set shorter than the second time threshold, it is possible to promptly notify the user V of a state transition from the non-living state to the living state. Therefore, security can be improved.

  The home appliance control system according to an aspect 4 of the present invention, according to any one of the aspects 1 to 3, calculates a moving amount of the living body existing in the room based on a detection result of the sensor and performs the moving. A transmitting unit that transmits the moving amount information to the terminal device; and the transmission control unit transmits the moving amount information to the terminal device. It is preferable to control whether or not to transmit the data.

  As described above, the movement amount information is information that more specifically indicates the state (example: health state) of a living body (example: user U in FIG. 1) existing indoors. According to the above configuration, since the movement amount information can be notified to the user V, it is possible to more effectively monitor the living body. In addition, the movement amount information can be arbitrarily switched between a notification permission state and a notification non-permission state. Therefore, the convenience of the user V can be improved.

  In the home appliance control system according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in any one of aspects 1 to 4, it is preferable that the electrical home appliance is disposed in an upper part of the room.

  According to the above configuration, the living body can be appropriately detected by the sensor provided in the household electric appliance. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively monitor the living body.

[Appendix]
One aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, and the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Also about the obtained embodiment. It is included in the technical scope of one embodiment of the present invention. Further, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1, 2 Home appliance control system 10, 10A Air conditioner (home appliance)
10V ceiling light (home appliances)
12 sensor 13 first communication unit (transmission unit)
20 Cloud server (server device)
22 Second communication unit (transmission unit)
30 Smartphone (terminal device)
90a, 90b, 90 Communication network 110 Judgment unit 111 Calculation unit 310 Notification setting unit (transmission control unit)
U user (living body)
V user (user of home appliance control system)

Claims (5)

Home appliances installed indoors,
A terminal device previously associated with the home appliance,
A home appliance control system including: a server device connected to the home appliance and the terminal device via a communication network;
The terminal device is capable of communicating with the home appliance via the server device,
The above home appliances are
A sensor for detecting the number of living organisms present in the room,
A determination unit that determines whether a living body is present in the room based on the detection result of the sensor, and generates determination result information indicating the determination result,
The above home appliance control system,
A transmitting unit that transmits the determination result information to the terminal device,
A home appliance control system, further comprising: a transmission control unit that controls whether the transmission unit transmits the determination result information to the terminal device. The determination unit is
(I) the number of living bodies detected by the sensor changes from 0 to 1 or more, and
(Ii) when the state in which the number of living bodies detected by the sensor is 1 or more continues for a first time threshold or more,
It is determined that the state of the room has transitioned from a state where the living body is not present in the room to a state where the living body is present in the room,
When the transmission control unit is permitted to transmit the determination result information from the transmission unit to the terminal device,
2. The home appliance control system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the determination result information indicating that the indoor state has transitioned to the terminal device regardless of an operation state of the home appliance. 3. The determination unit is
(I) the number of living bodies detected by the sensor changes from 1 or more to 0, and
(Ii) When the state in which the number of living bodies detected by the sensor is 0 has continued for a second time threshold or more,
It is determined that the state of the room has transitioned from a state in which the living body is present in the room to a state in which the living body is not present in the room,
The home appliance control system according to claim 2, wherein the second time threshold is set longer than the first time threshold. The above home appliance control system,
A calculation unit that calculates a movement amount of the living body existing in the room based on the detection result of the sensor and generates movement amount information indicating the movement amount,
The transmitting unit transmits the movement amount information to the terminal device,
4. The home appliance control system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission control unit controls whether the transmission unit transmits the movement amount information to the terminal device. 5.   The home electric appliance control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the home electric appliance is arranged in an upper part of the room.

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