JP2024047937A - Thermal equipment system, mobile terminal, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a technology capable of improving user convenience in a thermal equipment system. [Solution] A thermal equipment system disclosed in this specification comprises a thermal equipment having an operation unit capable of switching between on/off states and performing at least one operation, and a control unit for controlling the operation unit, and a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with the control unit of the thermal equipment. In response to a user's operation to perform at least one operation, the mobile terminal acquires the on/off state of the operation unit from the control unit, and, if the acquired on/off state is an off state, executes an operation complementation process in which an on command for switching the operation unit to an on state is sent to the control unit. [Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a thermal equipment system, a mobile terminal, and a program.

Patent Document 1 discloses a thermal equipment system including a thermal equipment having an operation unit capable of switching between on/off states and performing at least one operation, a control unit that controls the operation unit, and a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with the control unit of the thermal equipment. The mobile terminal is capable of performing operations to switch the on/off state of the operation unit and to perform the at least one operation.

JP 2020-85255 A

Conventionally, thermal equipment systems have been provided that allow thermal equipment to be remotely controlled via a mobile terminal. In such thermal equipment systems, it is desirable to improve the convenience of users. This specification provides technology that can improve the convenience of users in thermal equipment systems.

In a first aspect of the present technology, a thermal equipment system includes a thermal equipment having an operation unit capable of switching between on/off states and performing at least one operation, and a control unit that controls the operation unit, and a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with the control unit of the thermal equipment. The mobile terminal executes an operation complementation process in which, in response to a user's operation for performing the at least one operation, the mobile terminal acquires the on/off state of the operation unit from the control unit, and if the acquired on/off state is an off state, the mobile terminal transmits an on command to the control unit to switch the operation unit to an on state.

In a mobile device that wirelessly communicates with a thermal device, the on/off state of an operation unit displayed on the mobile device is not always the latest state. For this reason, there are situations in which the operation unit is displayed as being on on the mobile device even when it is actually off. In this situation, an operation may be performed on the mobile device to execute at least one operation when the operation unit is off. In addition, there are situations in which a user may misinterpret the display even if the on/off state of the operation unit is correctly displayed on the mobile device. Even in this situation, an operation may be performed on the mobile device to execute at least one operation when the operation unit is off.

In a conventional mobile terminal, when an operation is performed on the mobile terminal to execute at least one operation while the operation unit is in the off state, the operation is invalidated. When the operation is invalidated, the user must perform an operation to switch the operation unit to the on state and then perform an operation to execute at least one operation again. This configuration is irritating to the user, and is not convenient for the user. In contrast, according to the above configuration, when an operation is performed on the mobile terminal to execute at least one operation while the operation unit is in the off state, the operation is accompanied by switching the operation unit to the on state. This makes the operation valid, and the user does not need to perform the operation to execute at least one operation again. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the irritation felt by the user can be reduced, and the user's convenience can be improved.

In a second aspect of the present technology, in the first aspect described above, in the operation complementation process, if the acquired on/off state is the off state, the mobile terminal requests the user's consent to switching the driving unit to the on state, and if the user's consent is not obtained, the mobile terminal does not need to send the on command to the control unit, and if the user's consent is obtained, the mobile terminal may send the on command to the control unit.

If the mobile terminal is configured to send an ON command without requesting consent from the user during the operation complement process, the ON command is sent regardless of the user's will. In this configuration, the operation unit may be turned on against the user's will, which may impair user convenience. With the above configuration, the mobile terminal can determine whether or not to send an ON command after requesting consent from the user. Therefore, the operation unit will not be turned on against the user's will, improving user convenience.

In a third aspect of the present technology, in the first or second aspect, the user's operation for executing the at least one driving operation may include an operation in which the user selects the at least one driving operation, and an operation in which the user confirms the selection of the at least one driving operation after the selection operation. The operation complementation process may be executed after the confirmation operation.

At the stage where a selection operation is performed, it cannot be denied that the user may have performed an incorrect operation, so it cannot be assumed that the user wishes to perform at least one operation. Only when a confirmation operation is performed can it be assumed that the user wishes to perform at least one operation. If an operation complement process is executed before the confirmation operation, there is a risk that the operation unit will be turned on in a situation where the user does not wish to perform at least one operation. With the above configuration, the operation complement process is executed after the confirmation operation. This makes it possible to prevent the operation unit from being turned on in a situation where the user does not wish to perform at least one operation.

In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in any one of the first to third aspects, the thermal equipment may further include an equipment-side terminal connected to the control unit. The equipment-side terminal may be capable of causing the control unit to switch the on/off state of the operation unit and execute the at least one operation in response to an operation by the user. The equipment-side terminal may be capable of displaying the on/off state of the operation unit and the operating status of the at least one operation.

In the above configuration, even when no operation is being performed on the device-side terminal, the on/off state of the operation unit and the operation status of at least one operation may change due to operation via the mobile terminal. For this reason, it is desirable for the user to be able to check the on/off state of the operation unit and the operation status of at least one operation on the device-side terminal. According to the above configuration, the user can check the on/off state of the operation unit and the operation status of at least one operation on the device-side terminal. Note that the "operation status" of at least one operation here refers to information indicating whether at least one operation is "running or stopped."

In a fifth aspect of the present technology, a mobile terminal is capable of wireless communication with a control unit of a thermal device. The thermal device includes an operation unit capable of switching between on/off states and performing at least one operation, and the control unit that controls the operation unit. The mobile terminal executes an operation complementation process in which, in response to a user's operation for performing the at least one operation, the mobile terminal acquires the on/off state of the operation unit from the control unit, and, if the acquired on/off state is an off state, transmits an on command to the control unit to switch the operation unit to an on state.

In a sixth aspect of the present technology, a program is executed in a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with a control unit of a thermal device. The thermal device includes an operation unit capable of switching between on/off states and performing at least one operation, and the control unit that controls the operation unit. The program causes the mobile terminal to execute an operation complementation process that acquires the on/off state of the operation unit from the control unit in association with a user operation for performing the at least one operation, and transmits an on command to the control unit to switch the operation unit to an on state if the acquired on/off state is an off state.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of an overall configuration of a remote control system 2 according to a first embodiment. 3 is a diagram illustrating a device operation screen 300 displayed on the display operation units 102 and 104 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an operation confirmation process executed by a control unit 110 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the first embodiment. 10 is a diagram illustrating a confirmation pop-up 338 displayed on the display operation units 102 and 104 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an operation complementing process executed by a control unit 110 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the first embodiment. 10 is a diagram illustrating a proposal pop-up 342 displayed on the display operation unit 102, 104 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a bathroom section 318A displayed on the display operation unit 102, 104 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a bathroom section 318B displayed on the display operation unit 102, 104 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a bathroom section 318C displayed on the display operation section 102, 104 of the mobile terminal 100 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a bathroom section 318D displayed on the display operation section 102, 104 of a mobile terminal 100 according to a modified example. FIG.

Example 1
The remote control system 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes a thermal device 10 installed in a house, a mobile terminal 100, and a server 200.

(Configuration of thermal device 10)
The thermal equipment 10 includes a kitchen remote control 12, a dressing room remote control 14, a heat source unit 18, a panel heater unit 22, a floor heating unit 24, a bathroom heating/drying unit 26, and a hot water supply unit 28.

The heat source unit 18 is equipped with a heating device (not shown) such as a heat pump or a burner. The heat source unit 18 also has a heating circuit (not shown) for circulating and supplying a heat medium to heating terminals such as the panel heater unit 22, the floor heating unit 24, and the bathroom heating and drying unit 26. The heat source unit 18 can use the heating device to heat the heat medium flowing in the heating circuit.

The heat source controller 32 provided in the heat source unit 18 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The heat source controller 32 controls the operation of the heat source unit 18 by the CPU executing processing based on information stored in the ROM and RAM. The heat source controller 32 indirectly controls the operation of the panel heater unit 22, floor heating unit 24, bathroom heating and drying unit 26, and hot water supply unit 28 by communicating bidirectionally with controllers (not shown) provided in each of the panel heater unit 22, floor heating unit 24, bathroom heating and drying unit 26, and hot water supply unit 28.

The hot water supply unit 28 includes a heating device (not shown) such as a heat pump or a burner. The hot water supply unit 28 also includes a hot water supply circuit (not shown) for supplying hot water from a water supply source such as a water pipe to a hot water supply point (not shown) such as a bathtub or a faucet, a reheating circuit (not shown) for circulating hot water (also called bathtub water) stored in the bathtub, and a cleaning circuit (not shown) for supplying hot water to the bathtub separately from the hot water supply circuit. The cleaning circuit is provided with a cleaning unit (not shown) that can add detergent to the hot water. The hot water supply unit 28 can heat the hot water flowing in the hot water supply circuit and the hot water flowing in the reheating circuit using a heating device. In this embodiment, the hot water supply unit 28 is provided integrally with the heat source unit 18. Therefore, the heating device of the heat source unit 18 may function as the heating device of the hot water supply unit 28.

The hot water supply unit 28 can perform automatic water filling operation, reheating operation, cleaning operation, and cleaning water filling operation. Automatic water filling operation heats the hot water flowing through the hot water supply circuit and uses that hot water to fill the bathtub. Reheating operation heats the bathtub water while circulating it through the reheating circuit. Cleaning operation cleans the bathtub by supplying hot water (or hot water with detergent added) to the bathtub via the cleaning circuit. Cleaning water filling operation performs automatic water filling operation after cleaning operation.

The panel heater unit 22 includes a panel (not shown) that is installed, for example, in the living space of a house. The panel heater unit 22 can perform a panel heating operation in which the heat medium sent from the heating circuit is dissipated by the panel to heat the living space.

The floor heating unit 24 includes a floor material (not shown) that is installed, for example, in the living space of a house. The floor heating unit 24 is capable of performing floor heating operation, in which the heat medium sent from the heating circuit is dissipated by the floor material to heat the living space.

The bathroom heating and drying unit 26 is equipped with a heat exchanger (not shown) for dissipating heat from the heat medium sent from the heating circuit, a circulation fan (not shown) for circulating the air in the bathroom through the heat exchanger, and a ventilation fan (not shown) for ventilating the air in the bathroom with outdoor air. The bathroom heating and drying unit 26 can perform bathroom heating operation, bathroom drying operation, bathroom cool air operation, and bathroom ventilation operation. The bathroom heating operation is an operation in which the bathroom is heated by driving the circulation fan while dissipating heat through the heat exchanger with the ventilation fan stopped. The bathroom drying operation is an operation in which the bathroom is dried by driving the circulation fan and the ventilation fan while dissipating heat through the heat exchanger. The bathroom cool air operation is an operation in which cool air is sent to the bathroom by driving the circulation fan without dissipating heat through the heat exchanger. The bathroom ventilation operation is an operation in which the bathroom is ventilated by driving the ventilation fan without dissipating heat through the heat exchanger.

In this embodiment, the panel heater unit 22, floor heating unit 24, bathroom heating/drying unit 26, and hot water supply unit 28 are sometimes collectively referred to as "operation units 20." Each of the operation units 20 can be switched between an on state and an off state. The on state here is a state in which the operation unit 20 is permitted to perform an operation. The off state is a state in which the operation unit 20 is prohibited from performing an operation. Therefore, the user needs to set the operation unit 20 to the on state before causing the operation unit 20 to perform an operation.

The kitchen remote control 12 is installed in the kitchen. The kitchen remote control 12 can display various information including the on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28 and the operating status of each operation of the hot water supply unit 28. With the kitchen remote control 12, the user can turn the hot water supply unit 28 on/off and start/stop each operation of the hot water supply unit 28. The kitchen remote control 12 is also connected to the Internet 4 via a router (not shown) installed in the house.

The changing room remote control 14 is installed in the changing room. The changing room remote control 14 can display various information including the on/off state of the bathroom heating and drying unit 26 and the operating status of each operation of the bathroom heating and drying unit 26. Using the changing room remote control 14, the user can turn the bathroom heating and drying unit 26 on/off and start/stop each operation of the bathroom heating and drying unit 26.

The kitchen remote control 12 and the changing room remote control 14 can communicate bidirectionally with the heat source controller 32 of the heat source unit 18. In addition, the heat source controller 32 periodically transmits the various information described above to the kitchen remote control 12 and the changing room remote control 14. Therefore, the various information displayed on the kitchen remote control 12 and the changing room remote control 14 is periodically updated.

(Configuration of mobile terminal 100)
The mobile terminal 100 is a portable terminal device such as a mobile phone, a PC, or a tablet terminal. The mobile terminal 100 includes a display unit 102, an operation unit 104, a communication I/F (abbreviation of interface) 106, and a control unit 110. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 100 is a smartphone. The touch panel of the smartphone functions as both the display unit 102 and the operation unit 104. For this reason, in this embodiment, the display unit 102 and the operation unit 104 may be collectively referred to as "display operation units 102, 104."

The communication I/F 106 is an I/F for connecting to the Internet 4 via, for example, a base station (not shown) for mobile communications (3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) or a router (not shown) installed in a house. The mobile terminal 100 performs wireless communication with the thermal device 10 via the Internet 4.

The control unit 110 includes a CPU 112 and a memory 114. The CPU 112 controls the operation of each of the units 102, 104, and 106 of the mobile terminal 100 in accordance with an OS program 116 and an application program 118 stored in the memory 114. The OS program 116 is a program for executing basic processing of the mobile terminal 100. The application program 118 is provided by the vendor of the thermal device 10. In this specification, the application program 118 may be abbreviated to "app 118."

(Configuration of Server 200)
The server 200 is provided by a vendor of the thermal device 10. The server 200 is connected to the Internet 4. The server 200 mediates communication between the thermal device 10 and the mobile terminal 100. For example, the server 200 receives information about the thermal device 10 from the thermal device 10 and transmits the information to the mobile terminal 100.

(Regarding application 118)
When the application 118 is being executed, the control unit 110 of the mobile terminal 100 can display a device operation screen 300 shown in Fig. 2 on the display operation units 102, 104. The device operation screen 300 includes a screen selection area 302, a tab selection area 304, and a device operation area 306.

The screen selection area 302 includes an operation screen selection button 352, a timer screen selection button 354, a history screen selection button 356, and an account screen selection button 358. The operation screen selection button 352 is a button for displaying the device operation screen 300 on the display operation unit 102, 104. In the example of FIG. 2 in which the device operation screen 300 is already displayed on the display operation unit 102, 104, operation on the operation screen selection button 352 is invalid. The timer screen selection button 354 is a button for displaying a timer screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 102, 104. On the timer screen, the user can set the timer for each operation described above (reserve the start of operation). The history screen selection button 356 is a button for displaying a history screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 102, 104. On the history screen, the user can check various histories related to the thermal device 10. The account screen selection button 358 is a button for displaying an account screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 102, 104. On the account screen, the user can confirm and edit his/her own account information. The account information here is information assigned to each user (or mobile terminal 100), and includes settings and information related to the heating device 10 and settings and information related to the application 118. The screen selection area 302 is provided not only on the device operation screen 300, but also on the timer screen, history screen, and account screen. Therefore, the user can switch the screen displayed on the display operation unit 102, 104 between the device operation screen 300, the timer screen, the history screen, and the account screen by operating the screen selection area 302. Note that in this specification, detailed explanations of the timer screen, the history screen, and the account screen are omitted.

The tab selection area 304 includes a floor heating tab 308, a bath tab 310, and a panel heater tab 312. In the tab selection area 304, the user can select one of the floor heating tab 308, the bath tab 310, and the panel heater tab 312. The control unit 110 switches the display of the device operation area 306 in accordance with the tab selected in the tab selection area 304. Although not shown, when the floor heating tab 308 is selected, various display elements related to floor heating are displayed in the device operation area 306. For example, icons, animations, and characters indicating the on/off state of the floor heating unit 24 and the operating status of the floor heating operation are displayed. Buttons for accepting the on/off operation of the floor heating unit 24, buttons for accepting the start/stop operation of the floor heating operation, keys, sliders, pickers, etc. for adjusting the heating level by the floor heating unit 24 are also displayed. In addition, when the panel heater tab 312 is selected, various display elements related to the panel heater are displayed in the device operation area 306. For example, icons, animations, and text indicating the on/off state of the panel heater unit 22 and the operating status of the panel heating operation are displayed. Buttons for receiving an on/off operation of the panel heater unit 22, buttons for receiving an operation to start/stop the panel heating operation, and keys, sliders, pickers, and the like for adjusting the heating level by the panel heater unit 22 are also displayed. In this specification, the device operation area 306 when the floor heating tab 308 is selected and the device operation area 306 when the panel heater tab 312 is selected are only described above. Below, a detailed description of the device operation area 306 when the bath tub 310 is selected is given.

When the bath tab 310 is selected, the control unit 110 displays multiple columns in the device operation area 306, including a hot water supply unit column 314, a bathtub column 316, and a bathroom column 318. Although not shown, the control unit 110 can display other columns included in the multiple columns in the device operation area 306 in response to a scroll operation in the device operation area 306.

The hot water supply unit column 314 includes an on/off button 320. The on/off button 320 is a button for accepting the on/off operation of the hot water supply unit 28. The bathtub column 316 also includes an automatic button 322, a reheat button 324, a cleaning button 326, and a cleaning water filling button 328. The automatic button 322, the reheat button 324, the cleaning button 326, and the cleaning water filling button 328 are buttons for accepting the start/stop operation of the automatic water filling operation, the reheating operation, the cleaning operation, and the cleaning water filling operation, respectively. The bathroom column 318 also includes a heating button 330, a drying button 332, a cool breeze button 334, and a ventilation button 336. The heating button 330, the drying button 332, the cool breeze button 334, and the ventilation button 336 are buttons for accepting the stop operation of the bathroom heating operation, the bathroom drying operation, the bathroom cool breeze operation, and the bathroom ventilation operation. Each button has a corresponding picture on it. In addition, the corresponding abbreviation is written near the bottom of each button.

The control unit 110 inquires of the heat source controller 32 of the thermal equipment 10 about the on/off state of the operating unit 20 and the operating status of each operation in response to an operation (e.g., a pull refresh operation) for updating the equipment operation screen 300 or periodically. The heat source controller 32 is configured to transmit the on/off state of the operating unit 20 and the operating status of each operation to the control unit 110 in response to an inquiry from the control unit 110. The control unit 110 stores the on/off state of the operating unit 20 and the operating status of each operation received from the heat source controller 32 in the memory 114. The control unit 110 provides visual differences between the buttons according to the on/off state of the operating unit 20 and the operating status of each operation stored in the memory 114. An example in which visual differences are provided between the buttons will be described below. In FIG. 2, the image displayed in red is highlighted with a thick line in comparison with the image displayed in black.

(Regarding the buttons in the hot water supply unit field 314)
Please refer to Fig. 2. When hot water supply unit 28 is in the on state, control unit 110 displays the pattern attached to on/off button 320 in red. In this case, control unit 110 accepts an operation on on/off button 320 as an off operation. When hot water supply unit 28 is in the off state, control unit 110 displays the pattern attached to on/off button 320 in black. In this case, control unit 110 accepts an operation on on/off button 320 as an on operation.

(About the button in the bathtub column 316)
The control unit 110 displays in red the pattern attached to the button 322 corresponding to the operation being performed (in the example of FIG. 2, automatic water filling operation). The control unit 110 accepts the operation on the button 322 corresponding to the operation being performed as a stop operation. The control unit 110 also displays in black the patterns attached to the buttons 324, 326, 328 corresponding to the stopped operations (in the example of FIG. 2, re-heating operation, cleaning operation, and cleaning water filling operation). The control unit 110 accepts the operation on the buttons 324, 326, 328 corresponding to the stopped operations as a start operation.

(About the bathroom button 318)
Control unit 110 displays in red the image attached to button 330 corresponding to the operation being performed (bathroom heating operation in the example of FIG. 2). Control unit 110 accepts an operation on button 330 corresponding to the operation being performed as an operation to stop. Control unit 110 also displays in black the images attached to buttons 332, 334, 336 corresponding to the operation being stopped (bathroom drying operation, bathroom cool air operation, and bathroom ventilation operation in the example of FIG. 2), and grays out buttons 332, 334, 336 in their entirety. Control unit 110 does not accept an operation on buttons 332, 334, 336 corresponding to the operation being stopped (i.e., operation on buttons 332, 334, 336 is prohibited).

In this embodiment, the color tone of the illustrations on the buttons is different depending on the on/off state of the operation unit 20 and the operating status of each operation. In particular, in the bathroom section 318, the color tone of the buttons as a whole is different depending on the operating status of each operation.

(Regarding the series of processes accompanying the start operation)
The following describes a series of processes that the control unit 110 executes in association with the start operation of each operation. Note that in this embodiment, the description will be given taking as an example a case where an operation to start an automatic water filling operation is received.

(Operation confirmation process)
When the control unit 110 receives an operation to start the automatic water filling operation, it executes the operation confirmation process shown in Figure 3.

In S2, the control unit 110 confirms with the user whether or not it is OK to confirm the start operation. Specifically, the control unit 110 displays a confirmation pop-up 338 shown in FIG. 4 on the display operation units 102, 104. The confirmation pop-up 338 includes a first confirmation button 340 that allows the user to confirm the start operation of the automatic water filling operation. After S2, the process proceeds to S4.

In S4, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the user has performed a confirmation operation related to the start operation. If the first confirmation button 340 has been operated, the control unit 110 determines that the user has performed a confirmation operation. If an operation has been performed in an area other than the first confirmation button 340 (or if a predetermined time has passed since S4 started), the control unit 110 determines that the user has not performed a confirmation operation. If the user has performed a confirmation operation (if YES), the process proceeds to S6. If the user has not performed a confirmation operation (if NO), the process proceeds to S8.

In S6, the control unit 110 executes the operation complementation process shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later. After S6 (i.e., after the operation complementation process is completed), the process proceeds to S10.

In S8, the control unit 110 cancels the received operation to start the automatic water filling operation. After S8, the process proceeds to S10.

In S10, the control unit 110 returns the device operation screen 300 to the normal state. The normal state here is, for example, the state shown in FIG. 2, in which the confirmation pop-up 338 (see FIG. 4) and the proposal pop-up 342 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, are not displayed. In addition, when returning the device operation screen 300 to the normal state, the control unit 110 updates the device operation screen 300. After S10, the process shown in FIG. 3 ends.

(Operation Complementary Processing)
See Fig. 5. In S22, the control unit 110 inquires of the heat source controller 32 of the thermal device 10 about the on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28. In response to the inquiry from the control unit 110, the heat source controller 32 transmits the on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28 to the control unit 110. In this way, the control unit 110 obtains the current on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28. After S22, the process proceeds to S24.

In S24, the control unit 110 determines whether the on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28 obtained in S22 is the off state. If the on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28 is the off state (YES), the process proceeds to S26.

In S26, the control unit 110 suggests to the user that the hot water supply unit 28 be turned on and then the automatic hot water filling operation be started. Specifically, the control unit 110 displays a suggestion pop-up 342 shown in FIG. 6 on the display operation units 102, 104. The suggestion pop-up 342 includes a message 402 stating "The hot water supply unit is turned off. Do you want to turn the hot water supply unit on and start the automatic hot water filling operation (question mark)?". The suggestion pop-up 342 includes a second confirmation button 344 regarding turning on the hot water supply unit 28 and then starting the automatic hot water filling operation. The second confirmation button 344 can also be considered a button for confirming the user's consent. After S26, the process proceeds to S28.

In S28, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the user's consent has been obtained to start the automatic water filling operation after turning on the hot water supply unit 28. If the second confirmation button 344 is operated, the control unit 110 determines that the user's consent has been obtained. If an operation is performed in an area other than the second confirmation button 344 (or if a predetermined time has passed since S28 started), the control unit 110 determines that the user's consent has not been obtained. If the user's consent has been obtained (YES), processing proceeds to S30.

In S30, the control unit 110 sends an ON command to turn on the hot water supply unit 28 and an automatic water filling start command to start the automatic water filling operation to the heat source controller 32 of the thermal equipment 10. This starts the automatic water filling operation in the hot water supply unit 28. After S30, the processing shown in FIG. 5 ends.

If it is determined in S28 that the user's consent has not been obtained (NO), the process proceeds to S32. In S32, the control unit 110 cancels the accepted operation to start the automatic water filling operation. After S32, the process shown in FIG. 5 ends.

If it is determined in S24 that the on/off state of the hot water supply unit 28 is on (NO), the process proceeds to S34. In S34, the control unit 110 sends an automatic water filling start command to the heat source controller 32 of the thermal equipment 10 to start the automatic water filling operation. This starts the automatic water filling operation in the hot water supply unit 28. After S34, the process shown in FIG. 5 ends.

Example 2
The remote control system 2 according to the second embodiment is the same as the remote control system 2 according to the first embodiment, except that a bathroom column 318A is displayed in place of the bathroom column 318 in the device operation area 306. Therefore, in this embodiment, only the bathroom column 318A will be described, and descriptions of other components will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the bathroom section 318A includes a heating button 330A, a drying button 332A, a cool breeze button 334A, and a ventilation button 336A, instead of the heating button 330, the drying button 332, the cool breeze button 334, and the ventilation button 336 in Example 1.

The control unit 110 displays the image attached to the button 330A corresponding to the operation being performed (bathroom heating operation in the example of FIG. 7) in red. The control unit 110 displays the button 330A with a circular outer shape. The control unit 110 accepts an operation on the button 330A corresponding to the operation being performed as a stop operation.

The control unit 110 displays in black the images attached to the buttons 332A, 334A, 336A corresponding to the stopped operations (in the example of FIG. 7, the bathroom drying operation, the bathroom cool air operation, and the bathroom ventilation operation), and grays out the entire buttons 332A, 334A, 336A. The control unit 110 displays the outlines of the buttons 332A, 334A, 336A as triangles. The control unit 110 does not accept any operation on the buttons 332A, 334A, 336A corresponding to the stopped operations (i.e., operation on the buttons 332A, 334A, 336A is prohibited).

In the bathroom section 318A of this embodiment, differences in the color tone of the design, the color tone of the entire button, and the outer shape of the button are provided between each button depending on the operating conditions of each operation.

Example 3
The remote control system 2 according to the third embodiment is the same as the remote control system 2 according to the first embodiment, except that a bathroom column 318B is displayed in place of the bathroom column 318 in the device operation area 306. For this reason, in this embodiment, only the bathroom column 318B will be described, and descriptions of other components will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bathroom section 318B includes a heating button 330B, a drying button 332B, a cool breeze button 334B, and a ventilation button 336B, instead of the heating button 330, the drying button 332, the cool breeze button 334, and the ventilation button 336 in Example 1.

The control unit 110 displays the image attached to the button 330B corresponding to the operation being performed (bathroom heating operation in the example of FIG. 8) in red. The control unit 110 accepts an operation on the button 330B corresponding to the operation being performed as a stop operation.

The control unit 110 displays in black the images attached to the buttons 332B, 334B, 336B corresponding to the stopped operations (in the example of FIG. 8, the bathroom drying operation, the bathroom cool air operation, and the bathroom ventilation operation), and grays out the entire buttons 332B, 334B, 336B. The control unit 110 also displays a frame 404 surrounding the buttons 332B, 334B, 336B in the bathroom column 318B. The control unit 110 displays a message 406 within the frame 404 in the bathroom column 318B saying, "The operation start operation can only be set with the remote control." The control unit 110 does not accept operation of the buttons 332B, 334B, 336B corresponding to the stopped operations (i.e., operation of the buttons 332B, 334B, 336B is prohibited).

In the bathroom section 318B of this embodiment, the buttons are differentiated by the color tone of the design, the color tone of the entire button, and the presence or absence of a frame 404 surrounding the button, depending on the operating conditions of each operation. Also, in the bathroom section 318B, a message 406 indicates that operation of buttons 332B, 334B, and 336B is prohibited.

Example 4
The remote control system 2 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the remote control system 2 according to the first embodiment, except that a bathroom column 318C is displayed in place of the bathroom column 318 in the device operation area 306. For this reason, in this embodiment, only the bathroom column 318C will be described, and descriptions of other components will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the bathroom section 318C includes a heating button 330C, a drying button 332C, a cool breeze button 334C, and a ventilation button 336C, instead of the heating button 330, the drying button 332, the cool breeze button 334, and the ventilation button 336 in Example 1.

The control unit 110 displays the image attached to the button 330C corresponding to the operation being performed (bathroom heating operation in the example of FIG. 9) in red. The control unit 110 accepts an operation on the button 330C corresponding to the operation being performed as a stop operation.

The control unit 110 displays in black the images attached to the buttons 332C, 334C, and 336C corresponding to the stopped operations (in the example of FIG. 9, the bathroom drying operation, the bathroom cool air operation, and the bathroom ventilation operation), and grays out the entire buttons 332C, 334C, and 336C. The control unit 110 also displays a message 406 in the bathroom section 318C stating that "The operation start operation can only be set using the remote control." The control unit 110 displays a warning mark 408 near the left of each of the abbreviations written next to the buttons 332C, 334C, and 336C and the message 406. The control unit 110 does not accept any operation on the buttons 332C, 334C, and 336C corresponding to the stopped operations (i.e., operation on the buttons 332C, 334C, and 336C is prohibited).

In the bathroom section 318C of this embodiment, differences in the color tone of the design, the color tone of the entire button, and the presence or absence of a warning mark 408 are provided between each button depending on the operating situation of each operation. Also, in the bathroom section 318C, a message 406 indicates that operation of buttons 332C, 334C, and 336C is prohibited.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, the thermal equipment 10 may be provided with a remote control other than the kitchen remote control 12 and the dressing room remote control 14. For example, the thermal equipment 10 may be provided with a bathroom remote control installed in the bathroom and a living room remote control installed in the living room. The bathroom remote control may be capable of operating the hot water supply unit 28 and the bathroom heating and drying unit 26. The living room remote control may be capable of operating the panel heater unit 22 and the floor heating unit 24.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the thermal device 10 and the mobile terminal 100 perform wireless communication via the Internet 4. In another embodiment, the thermal device 10 and the mobile terminal 100 may perform wireless communication without using the Internet 4. For example, the thermal device 10 and the mobile terminal 100 may perform wireless communication via a wireless LAN provided by an access point installed in a house.

In the above embodiment, the thermal device 10 may include a clothes drying unit capable of performing a clothes drying operation to dry clothes. The clothes drying unit may be switched between an on state and an off state. In this case, the clothes drying unit is also included in the "operation unit 20".

In the above embodiment, the control unit 110 has been described as prohibiting operation of the button corresponding to a stopped operation (i.e., start operation) in the bathroom section 318, 318A, 318B, 318C. In another embodiment, the control unit 110 may permit operation of the button corresponding to a stopped operation (i.e., start operation) in the bathroom section 318, 318A, 318B, 318C.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 110 is configured to execute an operation complement process in association with the start operation of each operation of the hot water supply unit 28. In another embodiment, the control unit 110 may execute an operation complement process in association with the start operation of each operation of an operating unit 20 other than the hot water supply unit 28.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 110 has been described as executing S6 after S4 in the operation confirmation process. In another embodiment, the control unit 110 may execute S6 before S2 in the operation confirmation process. That is, after the operation confirmation process is started, the control unit 110 may execute the operation complement process without displaying the confirmation pop-up 338 on the display operation units 102 and 104. After the operation complement process is completed, the control unit 110 may display the confirmation pop-up 338 on the display operation units 102 and 104.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 110 may not execute S2, S4, and S8 in the operation confirmation process. In other words, the control unit 110 may not display the confirmation pop-up 338 on the display operation units 102 and 104 in the operation confirmation process.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 110 may not execute S26, S28, and S32 in the operation complementation process. That is, after determining YES in S24, the control unit 110 may send an ON command and an automatic water heating start command to the heat source controller 32 without displaying the suggestion pop-up 342 on the display operation units 102 and 104.

In the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which visual differences are provided between the buttons in the bathroom column 318, 318A, 318B, and 318C depending on the operating status of each operation of the bathroom heating and drying unit 26. Not limited to the above embodiment, various differences may be provided between the buttons in the bathroom column depending on the operating status. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a difference may be provided in the size of the button 330D corresponding to an operation in progress and the size of the buttons 332D, 334D, and 336D corresponding to operations that are stopped. A difference may be provided in the transparency of the button 330D corresponding to an operation in progress and the transparency of the buttons 332D, 334D, and 336D corresponding to operations that are stopped. A difference may be provided in the display location of the button 330D corresponding to an operation in progress and the display location of the buttons 332D, 334D, and 336D corresponding to operations that are stopped.

(Correspondence)
In the above embodiment, the remote control system 2 is an example of a thermal equipment system. The heat source controller 32 is an example of a control unit. An operation on each button displayed in the equipment operation area 306 is an example of a selection operation. An operation on the first confirmation button 340 is an example of a confirmation operation. The kitchen remote control 12 (or the dressing room remote control 14) is an example of an equipment side terminal. The app 118 is an example of a program.

The technical elements described in this specification or drawings have technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful.

2: Remote operation system 4: Internet 10: Heating equipment 12: Kitchen remote control 14: Dressing room remote control 18: Heat source unit 20: Operation unit 22: Panel heater unit 24: Floor heating unit 26: Bathroom heating/drying unit 28: Hot water supply unit 32: Heat source controller 100: Mobile terminal 102: Display unit 104: Operation unit 106: Communication I/F
110: Control unit 112: CPU
114: Memory 116: OS program 118: Application program 200: Server 300: Device operation screen 302: Screen selection area 304: Tab selection area 306: Device operation area 308: Floor heating tab 310: Bath tab 312: Panel heater tab 314: Hot water supply unit column 316: Bathtub column 318, 318A, 318B, 318C, 318D: Bathroom column 320: On/off button 322: Automatic button 324: Reheat button 326: Cleaning button 328: Cleaning and filling button 330, 330A, 330B, 330C, 330D: Heating button 332, 332A, 332B, 332C, 332D: Drying button 334, 334A, 334B, 334C, 334D : Cool breeze buttons 336, 336A, 336B, 336C, 336D : Ventilation button 338 : Confirmation pop-up 340 : First confirmation button 342 : Proposal pop-up 344 : Second confirmation button 402 : Message 404 : Frame 406 : Message 408 : Caution mark

Claims (6)

A thermal device including an operation unit capable of switching between on/off states and performing at least one operation, and a control unit that controls the operation unit;
a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with the control unit of the thermal device,
The mobile terminal, in association with a user's operation for executing the at least one driving,
A thermal equipment system that executes an operation complementation process to obtain the on/off state of the operating unit from the control unit, and if the obtained on/off state is an off state, to send an on command to the control unit to switch the operating unit to an on state. In the operation complementing process, the mobile terminal
A thermal equipment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the acquired on/off state is an off state, the user is asked to agree to switching the operating unit to an on state, and if the user's consent is not obtained, the on command is not sent to the control unit, and if the user's consent is obtained, the on command is sent to the control unit. The user's operation for performing the at least one driving operation includes:
An operation by the user to select the at least one driving mode;
and after the selecting operation, the user confirms the selection of the at least one driving operation,
The thermal equipment system according to claim 1 , wherein the operation complementing process is executed after the confirming operation. The thermal device further includes an equipment side terminal connected to the control unit,
The device side terminal is capable of causing the control unit to switch the on/off state of the operation unit and execute the at least one operation in response to an operation by the user,
The thermal equipment system according to claim 1 , wherein the equipment side terminal is capable of displaying the on/off state of the operating unit and an operating status of the at least one operation. A mobile terminal capable of wirelessly communicating with a control unit of a thermal device,
The thermal equipment includes an operation unit capable of switching an on/off state and performing at least one operation, and a control unit that controls the operation unit,
The mobile terminal, in association with a user's operation for executing the at least one driving,
A mobile terminal that executes an operation complementation process to obtain the on/off state of the driving unit from the control unit, and if the obtained on/off state is an off state, to send an on command to the control unit to switch the driving unit to an on state. A program executed on a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with a control unit of a thermal device,
The thermal equipment includes an operation unit capable of switching an on/off state and performing at least one operation, and a control unit that controls the operation unit,
The program is provided to the mobile terminal in response to a user's operation for performing the at least one driving operation.
A program that executes an operation complementation process, which acquires the on/off state of the operating unit from the control unit, and if the acquired on/off state is an off state, sends an on command to the control unit to switch the operating unit to an on state.

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