JP2021134963A - Bathroom control device and bathroom control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a bathroom control device and a bathroom control system capable of appropriately controlling bathroom related apparatuses in the case of receiving operation requests for a plurality of bathroom related apparatuses from a plurality of terminal devices.SOLUTION: According to an embodiment, a bathroom control device includes: a reception part for receiving operation start requests to a plurality of bathroom related apparatuses related to a bathroom from a plurality of terminal devices; a determination part for determining whether to start an operation of the bathroom related apparatus corresponding to the operation start request received by the reception part, on the basis of apparatus relation information showing relations between a function of the bathroom related apparatus and a function of the other bathroom related apparatus different from the bathroom related apparatus; and an apparatus control part for controlling the operation of the bathroom related apparatus corresponding to the operation start request on the basis of determination result by the determination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The disclosed embodiments relate to bathroom control devices and bathroom control systems.

Conventionally, various techniques have been proposed in which a water heater provided in a bathroom is controlled to fill a bathtub in the bathroom with hot water (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, in the prior art, the operation of the water heater is controlled to be remotely controlled from a terminal device such as a smartphone.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-115816

By the way, in addition to the water heater, a plurality of bathroom-related devices related to the bathroom (for example, a heater for the bathroom, a cleaning device for cleaning the bathtub and the bathroom, etc.) are provided in the bathroom. Further, in the case of a plurality of bathroom-related devices, it is desirable that the devices are configured so that the operation can be started by, for example, operation start requests from a plurality of terminal devices.

However, with the above configuration, for example, a plurality of bathroom-related devices may operate at the same time due to operation start requests from a plurality of terminal devices, whereby some or all functions of the plurality of bathroom-related devices may be operated. Was at risk of being damaged. That is, for example, if the bathtub is washed by the washing device and the bathtub is filled with hot water by the water heater at the same time among a plurality of bathroom-related devices, the functions of each other may be impaired, and the bathroom-related devices are appropriately used. There was room for improvement in terms of control.

One aspect of the embodiment is to provide a bathroom control device and a bathroom control system capable of appropriately controlling a bathroom-related device when an operation request for a plurality of bathroom-related devices is received from a plurality of terminal devices. And.

The bathroom control device according to one aspect of the embodiment includes a reception unit that receives operation start requests for a plurality of bathroom-related devices related to the bathroom from a plurality of terminal devices, and the operation start request corresponding to the operation start request received by the reception unit. A determination unit that determines whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device based on the device-related information indicating the relationship between the function of the bathroom-related device and the function of another bathroom-related device different from the bathroom-related device. It is characterized by including an equipment control unit that controls the operation of the bathroom-related equipment corresponding to the operation start request based on the determination result by the determination unit.

As a result, when operation requests for a plurality of bathroom-related devices are received from a plurality of terminal devices, the bathroom-related devices can be appropriately controlled. That is, for example, when the user is outside the home, he / she cannot directly check the operating status of the bathroom-related equipment. When a bathroom-related device is controlled by a terminal device by a user in such a situation, when the bathroom control device receives operation requests for a plurality of bathroom-related devices from a plurality of terminal devices, the bathroom control device performs the operation of the bathroom-related device. Since it is determined whether or not to start based on the device-related information and the operation of the bathroom-related device is controlled based on the determination result, the bathroom-related device can be appropriately controlled.

Further, the determination unit determines whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request based on the device-related information and the operation status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices. It is a feature.

As a result, the bathroom-related equipment can be appropriately controlled according to the operating status of the bathroom-related equipment. For example, in the bathroom, it is possible to prevent the bathtub from being washed during hot water filling, and the function of the water heater is not impaired, so that the bathroom-related equipment can be appropriately controlled.

Further, the determination unit determines whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request by a predetermined time before the reception time when the device-related information and the reception unit receive the operation start request. It is characterized in that the determination is made based on the operating status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices.

As a result, the bathroom-related equipment can be appropriately controlled according to the operation status before a predetermined time from the reception time when the operation start request is received. For example, in the bathroom, it is possible to prevent the bathtub from being washed immediately after filling with hot water, and the function of the water heater is not impaired, so that the bathroom-related equipment can be appropriately controlled.

Further, the operation start request includes a reservation for operation start for the bathroom-related device, and the determination unit stores a plurality of the operation start requests received by the reception unit in the storage unit, and the operation start is started. Immediately before starting the operation of the bathroom-related device in response to the operation start request including the reservation, it is determined whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request.

As a result, it is possible to execute the determination process for all the stored operation start requests at the timing when the reserved time arrives first, and perform an appropriate determination according to all the operation start requests. As a result, it is possible to prevent a plurality of bathroom-related devices from operating erroneously.

Further, the operation start request includes an operation start reservation for the bathroom-related device, and the determination unit newly accepts the operation start request including the operation start reservation when the reception unit newly accepts the operation start request. Whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request is determined by the function of the bathroom-related device and the function of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request already received by the reception unit. It is characterized in that the determination is made based on the device-related information indicating the relationship between.

This makes it possible to execute both the newly accepted operation start request for the bathroom-related equipment and the operation start request for the bathroom-related equipment that has already been accepted, and as a result, the bathroom-related equipment can be appropriately controlled. can.

Further, the bathroom control system according to one aspect of the embodiment is characterized by including the above-mentioned bathroom control device and a plurality of bathroom-related devices controlled by the bathroom control device.

As a result, in the bathroom control system, when operation requests for a plurality of bathroom-related devices are received from a plurality of terminal devices, the bathroom-related devices can be appropriately controlled.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, when operation requests for a plurality of bathroom-related devices are received from a plurality of terminal devices, the bathroom-related devices can be appropriately controlled.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a bathroom control system including the bathroom control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the bathroom control device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of operation start request information. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of device-related information. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit according to the modified example. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit according to the modified example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the bathroom control device and the bathroom control system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below.

First, the configuration of the bathroom control system including the bathroom control device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a bathroom control system including the bathroom control device according to the embodiment.

In a block diagram such as FIG. 1, only the components necessary for explaining the features of the present embodiment are represented by functional blocks, and the description of general components is omitted.

In other words, each component shown in the block diagram such as FIG. 1 is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. For example, the specific form of distribution / integration of each functional block is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and all or part of the functional blocks are functionally or physically distributed in arbitrary units according to various loads and usage conditions. -It is possible to integrate and configure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bathroom control system 1 includes a bathroom-related device 10, a bathroom control device 20, a terminal device 30, a wireless router 40, a communication device 50, a communication hub 60, a remote controller 70, and a power supply. Equipped with 80. Further, the bathroom control device 20, the terminal device 30, and the wireless router 40 are communicably connected via a communication network N such as an Internet network.

In the bathroom control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the bathroom-related device 10, the wireless router 40, the communication device 50, the communication hub 60, the remote control 70, and the power supply 80 are arranged in a building 100 such as a house (home). NS. Further, as will be described later, since the terminal device 30 includes a mobile terminal device used by the user, it may exist outside the building 100 or may exist inside the building 100.

The bathroom-related device 10 is a bathroom-related device (not shown). In the example of FIG. 1, there are a plurality of bathroom-related devices 10, and there are a bathroom dryer / heater 11, a washroom heater 12, a bathtub cleaning device 13, a bathroom cleaning device 14, a bathroom floor heater 15, an automatic drain plug 16, and a water heater. 17 and the like are included. The various bathroom-related devices 10 specifically shown above are merely examples and are not limited.

The bathroom dryer / heater 11 is an air conditioner, for example, a heating function that blows warm air to warm the inside of the bathroom, a drying function that blows air such as warm air to dry clothes hung in the bathroom, and a bathroom. It has a ventilation function to ventilate the inside. The bathroom dryer / heater 11 may have a configuration having any of the above-mentioned functions.

The washroom heater 12 is an air conditioner for a washroom adjacent to the bathroom. The washroom heater 12 has, for example, a heating function of blowing warm air to warm the inside of the washroom.

The bathtub cleaning device 13 is provided in the bathtub of the bathroom and has a cleaning function for cleaning the bathtub. For example, the bathtub cleaning device 13 can clean the bathtub by spraying detergent or water (or hot water) into the bathtub.

The bathroom cleaning device 14 has a cleaning function for cleaning the bathroom. For example, the bathroom cleaning device 14 can clean the bathroom by spraying disinfectant water or water (or hot water) on the floor of the bathroom.

The bathroom floor heater 15 is provided in the bathroom and has a heating function for warming the floor of the bathroom. For example, the bathroom floor heater 15 can heat the bathroom floor by operating a heater embedded in the bathroom floor.

The automatic drain plug 16 is provided in the bathtub. When the automatic drain plug 16 is opened, water (or hot water) in the bathtub is discharged, and when the automatic drain plug 16 is closed, for example, hot water filling in the bathtub can be started.

The water heater 17 is provided outside the bathroom. The water heater 17 supplies hot water to the bathtub and the shower faucet. For example, the water heater 17 can fill the bathtub with hot water.

The bathroom control device 20 is a server device capable of controlling the operation of the bathroom-related device 10. For example, the bathroom control device 20 is, but is not limited to, a cloud server configured by cloud computing including one or a plurality of information processing devices.

The terminal device 30 is a terminal device used by the user. As the terminal device 30, a terminal device (that is, a mobile terminal device) that can be carried by a user such as a smartphone can be used, but the terminal device 30 is not limited to this, and other devices such as a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, and a personal computer can be used. It may be a terminal device. The terminal device 30 can also be said to be an operating device.

The terminal device 30 can transmit an operation start request for the bathroom-related device 10 to the bathroom control device 20. For example, the terminal device 30 activates an application for controlling the bathroom-related device 10 by the user's operation, and transmits a signal indicating an operation start request to the bathroom-related device 10 to the bathroom control device 20. The operation start request includes, but is not limited to, a request for immediately starting the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 and a reservation for starting the operation for the bathroom-related device 10.

Therefore, even if the user is outside the home (building 100) and cannot directly check the operating status of the bathroom-related device 10, the user can control the bathroom-related device 10 by using the terminal device 30. Is possible.

There are a plurality of (for example, two) terminal devices 30. In the following, the two terminal devices 30 may be referred to as "first terminal device 30a" and "second terminal device 30b", but when these are described without particular distinction, "terminal device 30" is used. 30 ”is described. Further, the first terminal device 30a and the second terminal device 30b are used by different users, and can output operation start requests of a plurality of bathroom-related devices 10. Although two terminal devices 30 are shown in FIG. 1, this is merely an example, and the number of terminal devices 30 may be one or three or more.

When the bathroom control device 20 receives the operation start request from the terminal device 30, the bathroom control device 20 controls the operation of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 based on the operation start request, which will be described later with reference to FIG. The bathroom control device 20 transmits a control signal for controlling the operation of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 to the wireless router 40.

The wireless router 40 receives the control signal transmitted from the bathroom control device 20, and transmits the received control signal to the communication device 50 by wireless communication. As the wireless communication in the wireless router 40, for example, WiFi (registered trademark) or the like can be used, but the wireless communication is not limited to this, and other types of wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used.

The communication device 50 receives the control signal from the wireless router 40 via wireless communication, and transmits the received control signal to the bathroom-related device 10 (to be exact, the communication hub 60) via wired communication. As the communication device 50, for example, a gateway device can be used.

The communication hub 60 functions as a hub for connecting the communication device 50 and various bathroom-related devices 10. For example, the communication hub 60 is wiredly connected to the communication device 50 and various bathroom-related devices 10. The communication hub 60 transmits a control signal transmitted by wire communication from the communication device 50 to the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the control signal.

The remote controller 70 is a device that controls various bathroom-related devices 10. The remote controller 70 transmits a control signal for controlling the bathroom-related device 10 by the operation of the user. The control signal transmitted from the remote controller 70 is output to the corresponding bathroom-related device 10 via the communication hub 60, whereby the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 is controlled.

The power supply 80 is a common power supply. For example, the power supply 80 supplies electric power to various bathroom-related devices 10, a communication device 50, a communication hub 60, a remote controller 70, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

Next, the configuration of the bathroom control device 20 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the bathroom control device 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the bathroom control device 20 includes a control unit 21 and a storage unit 22. The control unit 21 includes a reception unit 21a, a determination unit 21b, and a device control unit 21c.

Here, the control unit 21 includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, an input / output port, and various circuits.

The CPU of the computer functions as a reception unit 21a, a determination unit 21b, and a device control unit 21c of the control unit 21, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

Further, at least a part or all of the reception unit 21a, the determination unit 21b, and the device control unit 21c of the control unit 21 shall be configured by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). You can also.

Further, the storage unit 22 is a storage unit composed of a storage device such as a non-volatile memory or a hard disk drive. The operation start request information 22a, device-related information 22b, various programs, and the like are stored in the storage unit 22.

The operation start request information 22a is reservation information for completing the bathing preparation in the bathroom at the completion time. Here, the operation start request information 22a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of operation start request information 22a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation start request information 22a includes items such as "request ID", "contents of operation start request", and "reservation information", and the information of each of these items is associated with each other. ..

The "request ID" is identification information that identifies the information of the operation start request. The “content of the operation start request” is information indicating the content of the operation start request transmitted from the terminal device 30. For example, the "contents of the operation start request" include bath cleaning by the bath cleaning device 13, bathroom cleaning by the bathroom cleaning device 14, hot water filling by the water heater 17, bathroom heating by the bathroom drying heater 11, and bathroom heater 12. Information indicating at least one of bathroom heating and bathroom floor heating by the bathroom floor heater 15 is included, but is not limited thereto.

The "reservation information" includes information indicating the reservation time for starting the operation of the bathroom-related device 10. For example, the "reservation information" is registered when the operation start request includes a reservation for operation start for the bathroom-related device 10. In other words, the "reservation information" is not registered when the operation start request includes a request to immediately start the operation of the bathroom-related device 10.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the data identified by the request ID "A11" is that the content of the operation start request is "hot water filling (water heater)", and the operation start request is a request to immediately start the operation. It is shown that. The data identified by the request ID "A12" indicates that the content of the operation start request is "bathtub cleaning (bathtub cleaning device)" and the reservation information is "February 1, 2020 19:00". There is.

Returning to the description of FIG. 2, the device-related information 22b is information indicating the functional relationship between the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10. As will be described later, such device-related information 22b is used when determining whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request. Therefore, the device-related information 22b includes information indicating the relationship between the function of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request and the function of another bathroom-related device 10 different from the bathroom-related device 10.

Here, the device-related information 22b will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of device-related information 22b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the device-related information 22b includes priority information in the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 and information on the inability to start operation. The priority information is set according to, for example, the content of the function of the bathroom-related device 10, but the priority information is not limited to this and may be set arbitrarily.

The priority information is, for example, information indicating the order of the bathroom-related devices 10 for which the operation is prioritized and started when the operation start request is made to each of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 and the plurality of operation start requests are received. be. For example, when the bathroom control device 20 receives the operation start request of the bathroom dryer / heater 11 and the operation start request of the water heater 17, the operation of the water heater 17 having a higher priority is prioritized based on the priority information. To start.

The operation start impossible information in the device-related information 22b is information about the bathroom-related device 10 in which one or both functions are impaired when the operation is started due to the relationship between the functions of the bathroom-related device 10.

Specifically, the bathroom control device 20 according to the present embodiment can receive an operation start request from the first terminal device 30a and the second terminal device 30b, respectively. Here, as an example, both the user who uses the first terminal device 30a and the user who uses the second terminal device 30b are outside the home (building 100), and the operating status of the bathroom-related device 10 is shown. It is assumed that the situation cannot be confirmed directly, but the situation is not limited to this. Therefore, for example, the bathroom control device 20 starts the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 in response to the operation start request received from the first terminal device 30a, and then operates from the second terminal device 30b to another bathroom-related device 10. May accept start request. In such a case, one or both functions of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request from the first terminal device 30a and the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request from the second terminal device 30b are performed. It may be damaged.

For example, when the bathtub is filled with hot water in response to the operation start request from the first terminal device 30a, or after the hot water is filled, the bathtub is filled in response to the operation start request from the second terminal device 30b. When the washing is started, the hot water in the bathtub filled with hot water is discharged, and the function of the water heater 17 is impaired. Information about the bathroom-related equipment 10 having such a relationship is set in the operation non-startable information.

As an example, the bathtub cleaning device 13 is set with the information that "the operation during and after the bathtub is filled" is set, and the water heater 17 is set to "the operation during the bathtub cleaning is impossible". Information is set. The device-related information 22b including the priority information and the operation start impossible information is set in advance, but may be arbitrarily set by a user or the like.

Returning to the description of FIG. 2, the reception unit 21a of the control unit 21 receives the operation start request of the bathroom-related device 10. For example, the reception unit 21a can receive operation start requests for the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 from the plurality of terminal devices 30. The reception unit 21a stores the received operation start request in the storage unit 22.

The determination unit 21b determines whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request received by the reception unit 21a based on the device-related information 22b (see FIG. 4). The determination unit 21b outputs the information indicating the determination result to the device control unit 21c.

Then, the device control unit 21c controls the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request based on the determination result by the determination unit 21b.

Thereby, in the present embodiment, when the operation request for the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 is received from the plurality of terminal devices 30, the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled.

Here, the processing from the reception of the above-mentioned operation start request to the operation control of the bathroom-related device 10 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit 21, and is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 in response to the operation start request.

As shown in FIG. 5, for example, at time T11, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request (hot water filling request) for the water heater 17 from the first terminal device 30a. Since there is no other operation start request, the determination unit 21b determines to start the operation of the bathroom-related device (here, the water heater 17) corresponding to the operation start request. As a result, the device control unit 21c starts the operation of filling the water with the water heater 17.

Subsequently, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request (bathtub cleaning request) for the bathtub cleaning device 13 from the second terminal device 30b, for example, at time T12. Then, the determination unit 21b acquires information indicating the operating status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 (here, the current operating status of the water heater 17).

The determination unit 21b determines whether or not to execute the operation start request for the bathtub cleaning device 13 based on the device-related information 22b and the acquired operation status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10.

Here, since the relationship between the function of the bathtub cleaning device 13 and the function of the water heater 17 currently in operation is included in the operation start impossibility information of the device-related information 22b (see FIG. 4), the determination unit 21b , It is determined that the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is not started, that is, the start of the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is prohibited.

By performing exclusive control by the control unit 21 in this way, the hot water filling is continued in the bathroom, the function of the water heater 17 is not impaired, and therefore the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled. can. At this time, the determination unit 21b may execute a process of notifying the user of the second terminal device 30b that the start of the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is prohibited.

Further, in the above, the operation start request for the bathtub cleaning device 13 is received from the second terminal device 30b, but this is an example and is not limited. For example, when the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request (bathroom heating request) for the bathroom dryer / heater 11 from the second terminal device 30b at time T12, the function of the bathroom dryer / heater 11 and the current operation are performed. Since the relationship with the function of the water heater 17 is not included in the operation start impossible information of the device-related information 22b (see FIG. 4), even if the determination unit 21b determines that the operation of the bathroom dryer / heater 11 is started. good. As a result, the device control unit 21c starts the operation of bathroom heating by the bathroom drying heater 11.

In the above, it is determined whether or not the bathtub cleaning device 13 can be operated based on the current operating condition of the bathroom-related device 10. However, for example, even if the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is started immediately after the completion of the above-mentioned hot water filling to clean the bathtub, the function of the water heater 17 may be impaired.

Therefore, in the determination unit 21b according to the present embodiment, whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related equipment corresponding to the operation start request is determined by a predetermined time before the reception time when the operation start request is received by the reception unit. The determination may be made based on the operating status of the bathroom-related device 10 (that is, the past operating status of the bathroom-related device 10). This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, for example, at time T21, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request (hot water filling request) for the water heater 17 from the first terminal device 30a, and the determination unit 21b receives the operation start request for the bathroom. It is determined to start the operation of the related device (here, the water heater 17). As a result, the device control unit 21c starts the operation of filling the water with the water heater 17. Then, at time T22, the hot water filling is completed.

Subsequently, the reception unit 21a is assumed to receive an operation start request (bathtub cleaning request) for the bathtub cleaning device 13 from the second terminal device 30b, for example, at time T23. At this time, the water heater 17 is not operating, but the determination unit 21b determines the operating status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 before the reception time (time T23) when the reception unit 21a receives the operation start request (time T23). Here, information indicating the operating status of the water heater 17 before a predetermined time) is acquired. Specifically, the determination unit 21b acquires information indicating the operating status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 from a predetermined time before the reception time to the reception time.

Then, the determination unit 21b is a bathtub cleaning device based on the device-related information 22b and the operating status of the bathroom-related device 10 before the acquired predetermined time (specifically, from the predetermined time before the reception time to the reception time). It is determined whether or not to execute the operation start request for 13.

In the example of FIG. 6, the relationship between the function of the bathtub cleaning device 13 and the function of the water heater 17 operating before a predetermined time is included in the operation start impossible information of the device-related information 22b (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the determination unit 21b determines that the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is not started, that is, prohibits the start of the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13.

As a result, in the bathroom, the bathtub is not washed immediately after the hot water is filled, so that the function of the water heater 17 is not impaired, and thus the bathroom-related equipment 10 can be appropriately controlled. The predetermined time described above can be set to an arbitrary value. For example, the predetermined time is set to a time during which the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 (here, the water heater 17) is completed and the bathroom ready for bathing may be used. Further, the predetermined time may be set longer or shorter depending on the type of the bathroom-related device 10.

Further, as described above, the operation start request includes the reservation of the operation start for the bathroom-related device 10. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled even when the operation start request including the reservation is received. This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit 21.

As shown in FIG. 7, for example, at time T31, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request for the water heater 17 including a reservation from the first terminal device 30a. Here, for example, it is assumed that the time T33 is the reserved time for starting the operation of the water heater 17.

Subsequently, for example, at time T32, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request from the second terminal device 30b to the bathtub cleaning device 13 including the reservation. Here, for example, it is assumed that the time T33 or later is the reserved time for starting the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13.

Here, the determination unit 21b stores a plurality of received operation start requests (operation start request for the water heater 17 and operation start request for the bathtub cleaning device 13) in the storage unit 22, and at the timing of time T32, the determination unit 21b determines. Do not execute the process.

Then, the determination unit 21b executes the determination process for all the stored operation start requests at the timing when the reservation time arrives earlier among the plurality of operation start requests including the reservation.

Specifically, the determination unit 21b makes an operation start request immediately before starting the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 (water heater 17) in response to a plurality of operation start requests including reservations (here, an operation start request for the water heater 17). It is determined whether or not to start the operation of the water heater 17 and the bathtub cleaning device 13 corresponding to the above.

Here, the relationship between the function of the bathtub cleaning device 13 and the function of the water heater 17 is included in the operation start impossibility information of the device-related information 22b (see FIG. 4), but the priority is determined because the water heater 17 has a higher priority. The unit 21b determines that the hot water filling of the water heater 17 is started, while it determines that the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is not started, that is, prohibits the start of the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13.

In this way, by executing the determination process for all the stored operation start requests at the timing when the reserved time arrives first, it is possible to make an appropriate determination according to all the operation start requests. As a result, it is possible to prevent the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 from operating erroneously.

Next, the process executed by the control unit 21 of the bathroom control device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit 21.

For convenience of understanding, FIG. 8 shows the processing of the control unit 21 when the operation start request does not include a reservation, and FIG. 9 shows the processing of the control unit 21 when the operation start request includes a reservation. Shown. Further, in the explanation of the flowchart below, when the reception unit 21a receives two operation start requests, the operation start request received first is the "first operation start request", and the operation start request received later is the "second operation start request". Operation start request "may be described.

First, FIG. 8 will be described. The control unit 21 receives the first operation start request from the terminal device 30 (step S10). Subsequently, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the second operation start request has been received from the other terminal device 30 (step S11). When it is determined that the control unit 21 has received the second operation start request (step S11, Yes), the control unit 21 makes the first operation start request and the second operation start request based on the priority information of the device-related information 22b and the like. The operation start determination process of the corresponding bathroom-related device 10 is executed (step S12). Next, the control unit 21 controls the bathroom-related device 10 based on the determination result in step S12 (step S13).

When it is determined that the second operation start request is not accepted (step S11, No), the control unit 21 starts the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 in response to the first operation start request (step S14).

Subsequently, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the second operation start request is accepted during the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the first operation start request (step S15). When it is determined that the second operation start request has been accepted (step S15, Yes), the control unit 21 executes the operation start determination based on the operation start impossible information for the second operation start request (step S16). Then, the control unit 21 controls the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the second operation start request in step S13 based on the determination result in step S16. For example, in the process of step S13, if the determination result in step S16 is that the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the second operation start request is not started, the bathroom-related device corresponding to the second operation start request is not started. Control is performed so that the operation of 10 is not started.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the control unit 21 has not received the second operation start request during the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 (steps S15, No), the bathroom-related device 21 subsequently responds to the first operation start request. It is determined whether or not the second operation start request has been accepted after the operation of the device 10 (step S17).

When it is determined that the second operation start request has been accepted (steps S17, Yes), the control unit 21 proceeds to the process after step S16 described above. If it is determined that the second operation start request has not been accepted (steps S17, No), the control unit 21 ends the process as it is.

Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the control unit 21 receives the first operation start request including the reservation from the terminal device 30 (step S20). Subsequently, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the second operation start request has been received from the other terminal device 30 (step S21). When it is determined that the control unit 21 has not received the second operation start request (steps S21, No), the control unit 21 starts the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 in response to the first operation start request including the reservation (step S21, No). S22).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the second operation start request has been received from the other terminal device 30 (step S21, Yes), the control unit 21 determines whether or not the second operation start request includes a reservation. (Step S23). When it is determined that the second operation start request does not include a reservation (step S23, No), the control unit 21 makes the first operation start request and the first operation start request based on the priority information of the device-related information 22b and the like. The operation start determination process of the corresponding bathroom-related device 10 is executed for the operation start request of 2 (step S24). Next, the control unit 21 controls the bathroom-related device 10 based on the determination result in step S24 (step S25).

When it is determined that the second operation start request includes a reservation (step S23, Yes), the control unit 21 stores all the operation start requests (step S26), that is, the first operation start request and The second operation start request is stored. Subsequently, the control unit 21 determines whether or not any of the reserved reservation times included in the first operation start request and the second operation start request has arrived (step S27).

When it is determined that the reserved time has not arrived (steps S27, No), the determination unit 21b repeats the process of step S27. On the other hand, when it is determined that the reserved time has arrived (step S27, Yes), the determination unit 21b operates the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the stored first operation start request and second operation start request. The start determination process is executed based on the priority information of the device-related information 22b and the operation start impossible information (step S28). Then, the control unit 21 controls the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 in step S25 based on the determination result in step S28.

As described above, the bathroom control device 20 according to the embodiment includes a reception unit 21a, a determination unit 21b, and an equipment control unit 21c. The reception unit 21a receives operation start requests for a plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 related to the bathroom from the plurality of terminal devices 30. The determination unit 21b determines whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request received by the reception unit 21a between the function of the bathroom-related device 10 and another bathroom different from the bathroom-related device 10. The determination is made based on the device-related information 22b indicating the relationship with the function of the related device 10. The device control unit 21c controls the operation of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the operation start request based on the determination result by the determination unit 21b.

Thereby, when the operation request for the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 is received from the plurality of terminal devices 30, the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled. That is, when the bathroom-related device 10 is controlled by the terminal device 30 by a user who cannot directly check the operating status of the bathroom-related device 10, such as outside the home (building 100), as described above. According to the configured bathroom control device 20, when the operation requests for the plurality of bathroom-related devices 10 are received from the plurality of terminal devices 30, the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled.

(Modification example)
Next, a modified example will be described. In the following description, the same parts as those already described will be designated by the same reference numerals as those already described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

When a plurality of operation start requests including reservations are received, the determination unit 21b according to the modified example has already accepted whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related equipment corresponding to the newly accepted operation start request. Judgment was made based on the relationship with the operation start request. Thereby, in the modified example, the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled.

This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the control unit 21. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, at time T41, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request for the water heater 17 including a reservation from the first terminal device 30a. Here, for example, it is assumed that the time T44 is the reserved time for starting the operation of the water heater 17.

Subsequently, for example, at time T42, the reception unit 21a receives an operation start request from the second terminal device 30b to the bathtub cleaning device 13 including the reservation. Here, it is assumed that the time T42 is before the reserved time (time T44) for starting the operation of the water heater 17, and for example, the time T45 is the reserved time for starting the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13.

Here, at the time T45, the bathtub cleaning device 13 cannot execute the bathtub cleaning at the time T45 because the hot water filling is scheduled to be performed in response to the operation start request from the first terminal device 30a. do.

The determination unit 21b indicates the relationship between the function of the bathtub cleaning device 13 corresponding to the newly received operation start request and the function of the water heater 17 corresponding to the already received operation start request at the time T42. Based on the information 22b, the operation start determination of the bathtub cleaning device 13 is performed. For example, since the determination unit 21b cannot start the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 at the time T45 based on the device-related information 22b, the bathtub is at the timing of the time T43 before the time T44 when the operation of the water heater 17 is started. It is determined whether or not to start the operation of the cleaning device 13. Specifically, the determination unit 21b changes the time for starting the operation of the bathtub cleaning device 13 from the reserved time T45 to the time T43, and operates the bathtub cleaning device 13 at the changed reserved time (time T43). To determine whether to start. Here, since the time T43 is set to a time at which the bathtub cleaning is completed before the reserved time (time T44) for starting the operation of the water heater 17, the determination unit 21b cleans the bathtub at the timing of the time T43. It is determined that the operation of the device 13 is started.

As a result, the bathtub cleaning, which could not be performed at time T45, can be performed at time T43. That is, in the modified example, both the operation start request for the water heater 17 and the operation start request for the bathtub cleaning device 13 can be executed, and as a result, the bathroom-related device 10 can be appropriately controlled.

Next, with reference to FIG. 11, a process executed by the control unit 21 of the bathroom control device 20 according to the modified example will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit 21 according to the modified example. Since steps S20 to S25 are the same processes as those in the embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, when it is determined that the second operation start request includes a reservation (step S23, Yes), the control unit 21 corresponds to the newly accepted second operation start request. The operation start determination of the bathroom-related device 10 is performed based on the device-related information 22b indicating the relationship with the function of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the first operation start request already received (step S29). In step S29, the operation start determination of the bathroom-related device 10 corresponding to the first operation start request may be performed. Next, the control unit 21 controls the bathroom-related device 10 in step S25 based on the determination result in step S29.

Further effects and variations can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. For this reason, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the particular details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Thus, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1 Bathroom control system 10 Bathroom-related equipment 20 Bathroom control device 21 Control unit 21a Reception unit 21b Judgment unit 21c Equipment control unit

Claims (6)

A reception unit that accepts operation start requests for multiple bathroom-related devices related to the bathroom from multiple terminal devices,
Whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request received by the reception unit is determined by the function of the bathroom-related device and the function of another bathroom-related device different from the bathroom-related device. A judgment unit that makes a judgment based on device-related information that indicates the relationship,
A bathroom control device including a device control unit that controls the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request based on a determination result by the determination unit. The determination unit
The first aspect of claim 1 is to determine whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request based on the device-related information and the operating status of the plurality of bathroom-related devices. The bathroom control device described. The determination unit
Whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request is determined by the device-related information and the plurality of bathroom-related devices that are predetermined time before the reception time when the operation start request is received by the reception unit. The bathroom control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination is made based on the operating condition of the above. The operation start request is
Including reservation for start of operation for the bathroom-related equipment
The determination unit
A plurality of the operation start requests received by the reception unit are stored in the storage unit, and the operation starts immediately before the operation of the bathroom-related device is started in response to the operation start request including the reservation for the operation start. The bathroom control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein it is determined whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the request. The operation start request is
Including reservation for start of operation for the bathroom-related equipment
The determination unit
When the reception unit newly receives the operation start request including the reservation for the start of the operation, whether or not to start the operation of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the newly accepted operation start request is determined by the bathroom. Any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the determination is made based on the device-related information indicating the relationship between the function of the device and the function of the bathroom-related device corresponding to the operation start request already received by the reception unit. The bathroom control device described in one. The bathroom control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A bathroom control system including a plurality of bathroom-related devices controlled by the bathroom control device.

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