JP4629409B2 - Recording reservation system and program thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for remotely operating a home appliance using an electronic pen.

  In recent years, with the development of network technology, home appliances such as video are connected to a network, and remote operation from outside has become possible. When performing such remote operation, the user needs to operate a PC (Personal Computer) or a mobile phone from the outside.

  However, it is difficult for a user who does not have sufficient knowledge about the operation method of the PC or a user who is not good at keyboard input to use the above-mentioned remote operation well. In other words, at present, the user is required to perform a complicated operation far from the original appearance of home appliances, “anyone must be able to use it”.

  On the other hand, in recent years, pen-type input devices called “electronic pens”, “digital pens” and the like have appeared (hereinafter referred to as “electronic pens” in this specification). “Anoto pen” developed by the company is known. Anotopen is used in a pair with dedicated paper (hereinafter referred to as “dedicated paper”) on which a predetermined dot pattern is printed. In addition to the normal ink-type pen tip, the Anoto pen is equipped with a small camera for reading the dot pattern on the dedicated paper and a data communication unit. When a user writes characters on the special paper with an anotopen or checks an image that is designed on the special paper, the small camera detects the dot pattern on the special paper as the pen moves, and the user Entry data (also referred to as “stroke data”) such as written characters and images is acquired. This entry data is transmitted from the Anotopen to a terminal device such as a nearby personal computer or mobile phone by the data communication unit. The system using this anotopen can be used as an input device in place of the keyboard, and is very easy to use for users who are reluctant to use the personal computer and keyboard described above.

  Therefore, it is convenient for a user who is unfamiliar with the PC operation if the above-described remote operation can be performed by pen input to a paper form using an electronic pen.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and by automatically translating information entered with an electronic pen into operation instructions specific to a recording and recording terminal , the user can easily record and record the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording reservation system capable of remotely operating a terminal and a program thereof.

In one aspect of the present invention, the recording / recording terminal performs an electronic pen, a user's recording / recording terminal capable of recording and recording a broadcast program based on an email, and a dot pattern recognizable by the electronic pen. A server capable of communicating via a network with an operation area for recognizing an operation, and an electronic pen form printed over the program area in a program table format for recognizing the channel and time zone of the broadcast program A recording reservation system in which the server transmits an e-mail for instructing recording / recording of a broadcast program to the recording / recording terminal based on an entry in the electronic pen form by the electronic pen, and the server It is associated with the operation area and the program area provided on the electronic pen form, and respective coordinates on the dot pattern User information includes a coordinate information storage means for storing mark information, a mail address of the recording / recording terminal, and a mail format that can be recognized by the recording / recording terminal in association with pen identification information for identifying the electronic pen. User information storage means for storing, entry information acquisition means for acquiring entry information entered by the user in the form with the electronic pen, and the user from each entry information based on the coordinate information, each area Stroke extracting means for extracting the stroke data entered in the operation, operation specifying means for specifying the operation based on the stroke data entered in the operation area by the user, and a stroke entered in the program area by the user Program specifying means for specifying the channel and time zone of the program based on the data, and the previous information based on the entry information Pen identification information specifying means for specifying identification information of an electronic pen used by a user, mail extracting means for extracting an email address and mail format from the user information based on the specified pen identification information, and the operation specifying A mail creating means for creating a mail based on the operation specified by the means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, and the mail format extracted by the mail extracting means; Mail sending means for sending to the mail address extracted by the mail extracting means.

  The remote server of the present invention stores user information and coordinate information in advance. When the user performs remote operation of the recording / recording terminal, first, the user uses the electronic pen to fill in the operation area and program area constituting the form. The electronic pen reads the dot pattern on the form with the movement of the electronic pen, and acquires entry information regarding symbols and characters entered by the user. Here, the entry information includes position coordinates on the dot pattern and stroke data of the entered symbols and characters. The entry information acquired by the electronic pen is acquired by the server. The server extracts the stroke entered in the operation area and the stroke entered in the program area from the entry information by referring to the coordinate information. Then, the server specifies the operation designated by the user filling in the operation area based on the stroke. Furthermore, the server specifies the channel and time zone of the broadcast program designated by the user by filling in the program area based on the stroke.

  The server also specifies pen identification information of the electronic pen used by the user based on the entry information. Then, the server extracts the corresponding mail format and mail address from the user information based on the specified pen identification information. Here, the mail format is a format in which a recording / recording terminal that is communicably connected to the server can recognize the command, and the mail address is the mail address of the recording / recording terminal. Specifically, the recording / recording terminal includes a video, a radio, and the like that can be scheduled for recording by e-mail. Then, the server creates a mail for remotely operating the recording / recording terminal according to the extracted mail format based on the operation specified by the entry information and the coordinate table, the program channel and the time zone. Further, the server transmits the created mail to the mail address extracted from the user information.

  According to this, the server which memorize | stored beforehand the information regarding the operation command format of a recording / recording terminal and the information regarding the form which designed the user's command is provided, and the information designated by the user with the electronic pen and the form is provided. By translating it into an operation command specific to the recording / recording terminal and sending it as an e-mail, remote operation can be easily performed. That is, the user can easily remotely operate the recording / recording terminal without performing a complicated operation of a mobile phone or the like.

In one aspect of the recording reservation system, the form further includes a password area for recognizing a password, and the coordinate information storage unit associates the password area with each position coordinate on the dot pattern. The user information storage means is associated with the pen identification information and further stores the password as user information, and the server includes the pen identification information specifying means. Based on the pen identification information specified by the user, password extracting means for extracting a password from the user information, password specifying means for specifying a password based on stroke data entered in the password area by the user, and The password extracted by the password extracting means and the password specified by the password specifying means There further comprises a password determination means for determining whether or not to coincide, the said mail creation means, only when it is determined that the password determination means match, create the mail.

  In the server configured as described above, a user sets an arbitrary password in advance, and the server stores the password as user information. Then, the user enters the contents of the remote operation on the form with the electronic pen and enters the password. The server identifies the password that the user entered in the form based on the entry information and the coordinate information. The server also extracts the corresponding password from the user information based on the pen identification information specified from the entry information. Then, the server compares the identified password with the extracted password, and creates a mail for performing remote operation of the recording / recording terminal only when they match. That is, the remote operation can be performed only when the user enters an accurate password. According to this, it is possible to prevent other users from impersonating the user and remotely operating the recording / recording terminal.

In another aspect of the recording reservation system, the form further includes a quality setting area for recognizing image quality and sound quality, and the coordinate information storage means includes the quality setting area and the dot pattern, respectively. Coordinate information that associates the position coordinates with each other, and the server further includes quality specifying means for specifying image quality and sound quality based on stroke data entered by the user in the quality setting area, The mail creating means extracts the operation specified by the operation specifying means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, the image quality and sound quality specified by the quality specifying means, and the mail extracting means Create email based on email format. According to this, the server can easily create a mail based on the image quality and sound quality designated by the user. That is, the user can easily perform settings that are complicated operations on the mobile phone, such as image quality and sound quality settings, using the electronic pen and the form that is a paper medium. Further, in a preferred example, the operation area of the electronic pen form is changed to a new area for reserving a recording, a canceling area for canceling a recording reservation already performed, or a recording already performed. A change area is formed, and in the coordinate information of the coordinate information storage means, an area ID is set for each program column of the program guide, and each area on the dot pattern is set for each area of the operation area. Are associated with each other.

In another aspect of the present invention, an electronic pen, a recording record the user's terminal which can record recording a broadcast program based on the e-mail, a recognizable dot pattern by the electronic pen, the recording recording terminal performs A server capable of communicating via a network with an operation area for recognizing an operation, and an electronic pen form printed over the program area in a program table format for recognizing the channel and time zone of the broadcast program Executed by the server in a recording reservation system in which the server transmits an e-mail for instructing recording and recording of a broadcast program to the recording and recording terminal based on an entry in the electronic pen form by the electronic pen. a program to be in the an electronic pen for the operation area and the program area provided on the form, its on the dot pattern Coordinate information storage means for storing coordinate information in which each position coordinate is associated, the mail address of the recording / recording terminal and the recording / recording terminal can be recognized in association with the pen identification information for identifying the electronic pen User information storage means for storing a mail format as user information, entry information acquisition means for obtaining entry information entered in the form by the electronic pen by the user, and from the entry information based on the coordinate information Stroke extracting means for extracting stroke data entered in each area by the user; operation specifying means for specifying the operation based on stroke data entered by the user in the operation area; and Program specifying means for specifying the channel and time zone of the program based on the stroke data entered in the area, the entry Pen identification information specifying means for specifying the identification information of the electronic pen used by the user based on the information, mail extracting means for extracting the mail address and the mail format from the user information based on the specified pen identification information A mail creating means for creating a mail based on the operation specified by the operation specifying means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, and the mail format extracted by the mail extracting means; The server is made to function as mail transmitting means for transmitting the message to the mail address extracted by the mail extracting means.

By executing the program by the server , the above-described recording reservation system can be realized. Each aspect of the above-described recording reservation system can be realized in the same manner.

According to the present invention, by automatically translating the information entered with the electronic pen into an operation command specific to the recording / recording terminal , the user can easily remotely operate the recording / recording terminal of the user.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, an outline of an electronic pen used as an input device in the system of the present embodiment will be described.

[Electronic pen]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing how the electronic pen is used, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the structure of the electronic pen. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic pen 10 is used in combination with a dedicated paper 20 on which a dot pattern is printed. The electronic pen 10 includes a pen tip portion 17 similar to a normal ink pen, and a user writes characters on the dedicated paper 20 in the same manner as a normal ink pen.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic pen 10 includes a processor 11, a memory 12, a data communication unit 13, a battery 14, an LED 15, a camera 16, and a pressure sensor 18 therein. The electronic pen 10 includes an ink cartridge (not shown) as a component similar to a normal ink pen.

  The electronic pen 10 does not convert the locus of the ink drawn on the dedicated paper 20 by the pen tip unit 17, but converts the locus coordinates of the movement of the electronic pen 10 on the dedicated paper 20 into data. While the LED 15 illuminates the vicinity of the pen tip 17 on the dedicated paper 20, the camera 16 reads the dot pattern printed on the dedicated paper 20 and converts it into data. That is, the electronic pen 10 can acquire a stroke generated when the user moves the electronic pen 10 on the dedicated paper 20 as image data or vector data.

  The pressure sensor 18 detects the pressure applied to the pen tip portion 17 when the user writes characters on the dedicated paper with the electronic pen 10, that is, the writing pressure, and supplies the detected pressure to the processor 11. The processor 11 switches the LED 15 and the camera 16 on and off based on the writing pressure data given from the pressure sensor 18. That is, when the user writes characters or the like on the dedicated paper 20 with the electronic pen 10, writing pressure is applied to the pen tip portion 17. Therefore, when the writing pressure exceeding the predetermined value is detected, it is determined that the user has started the description, and the LED 15 and the camera 16 are operated.

The camera 16 reads the dot pattern on the dedicated paper 20 and supplies the pattern data to the processor 11. The processor 11 calculates X and Y coordinates on the dedicated paper 20 from the supplied dot pattern.

The processor 11 acquires writing pressure array data and X and Y coordinate data while the user's description is performed, and stores them in the memory 12 in association with a time stamp (time information). Therefore, data corresponding to the description content of the user is stored in the memory 12 in time series. The capacity of the memory 12 can be about 1 Mbyte, for example.

  All the acquired data is held in the memory 12 until a transmission instruction is given by the user. When the user issues a transmission instruction, the data communication unit 13 transmits the data in the memory 12 to the terminal device 25 within a predetermined distance from the electronic pen 10. Basically, once a transmission instruction is given, the electronic pen 10 transmits all the data stored in the memory 12 to the terminal device 25, so that the memory 12 is cleared. Therefore, when it is desired to transmit the same information to the terminal device 25 again after transmission, the user needs to write the description on the dedicated paper 20 again. In this case, the user only has to trace characters written on the dedicated paper 20 with an ink pen.

  The electronic pen 10 itself does not include a function button such as a transmission button, and a transmission instruction and other instructions are performed by a user checking the dedicated box provided at a predetermined position on the dedicated paper 20 with the electronic pen 10. Executed. A transmission instruction is associated with the position coordinates of the dedicated box in advance. When the processor 11 receives the position coordinates of the dedicated box, the processor 11 supplies data in the memory 12 to the data communication unit 13 and transmits the data to the terminal device 25. To do. The electronic pen 10 can indicate completion of data transmission by vibration of the electronic pen.

  The battery 14 is for supplying power to each element in the electronic pen 10, and the electronic pen 10 itself can be turned on / off by a cap (not shown) of the electronic pen, for example.

  As described above, the electronic pen 10 has a function of acquiring coordinate data and writing pressure data corresponding to characters and the like described on the dedicated paper 20 by the user and transmitting them to the nearby terminal device 25. Since the pen tip portion 17 is a normal ink pen, the content described on the dedicated paper 20 remains as an original original. That is, at the same time as describing the original paper, its contents can be digitized in the form of coordinate data in real time.

  According to the standard function of the electronic pen 10, data obtained by the electronic pen 10 is in principle in the form of coordinate data or vector data, and is not text data. However, as a standard function, the electronic pen 10 has a function of converting text into alphanumeric characters by describing it in a dedicated area provided on the dedicated paper 20.

  Also, the electronic pen 10 can hold property information (pen information and pen owner information) regarding the pen itself and its owner, and can be referred to from an application. As the pen information, a battery level, a pen ID, a pen manufacturer number, a pen software version, a subscription provider ID, and the like can be held. The pen owner information can hold nationality, language, time zone, email address, free memory capacity, name, address, fax / phone number, mobile phone number, and the like.

  In the data communication unit 13 in the above example, the electronic pen 10 is connected to the terminal device 25 by various methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless transmission, wired transmission using a USB cable, and data transmission by contact with a terminal. It is conceivable to perform data transmission.

Next, a method for acquiring X and Y coordinate data of contents described by the user with the electronic pen will be described. As described above, a predetermined dot pattern is printed on the dedicated paper 20. The camera 16 of the electronic pen 10 does not read the locus of ink described on the dedicated paper 20 by the user, but reads the dot pattern on the dedicated paper 20. Actually, as shown in FIG. 1, the illumination area by the LED 15 and the shooting area of the camera 16 (located in the illumination area) are deviated from the position where the pen tip 17 contacts the dedicated paper 20.

  The dot pattern is printed with a special ink containing carbon, and the camera 16 can recognize only the pattern with the special ink. Even if ruled lines or frames are printed on dedicated paper with inks other than dedicated ink (not including carbon), the electronic pen does not recognize them. Therefore, when creating forms such as various application forms using dedicated paper, input frames, ruled lines, cautions, etc. are printed with ink other than dedicated ink.

  In the dot pattern, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the position of each dot is associated with data. In the example of FIG. 3, the 2-bit information of 0 to 3 is displayed by shifting the dot position vertically and horizontally from the reference position (intersection of vertical and horizontal lines) of the grid. The position coordinates on the dedicated paper are determined by the combination of information expressed in this way. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, 36 dots are arranged in a grid within a range of 2 mm in length and width, and the data array (FIG. 4B) indicated by these dots is displayed on the dedicated paper. Are associated with the position coordinates. Therefore, when the camera 16 of the electronic pen 10 captures a dot pattern as shown in FIG. 4A, the processor 11 changes the data array shown in FIG. 4B based on the dot pattern data input from the camera 16. The position coordinates on the dedicated paper (that is, where the dot pattern is located on the dedicated paper) corresponding to the acquired position are calculated in real time. The minimum unit for recognizing the dot pattern is 2 mm × 2 mm, and the camera 16 takes about 100 shots per second.

  Next, the dedicated paper will be described. An example of the structure of the dedicated paper is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the dedicated paper 20 has a dot pattern 32 printed on a mount 30 and a design 34 such as a ruled line printed thereon. The mount 30 is usually paper, and the dot pattern 32 is printed with dedicated ink containing carbon as described above. Further, the design 34 is printed with normal ink or the like. The dot pattern and the design may be printed at the same time, or one of them may be printed first.

  An example of the design 34 is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows an example of a certain application form 36 in which a plurality of entry fields 38 and a transmission box 39 are printed. Although it is not clearly shown in FIG. 6 and will be described in detail later, a dot pattern is actually printed on the entire surface of the application form 36, and an entry box 38 and a transmission box 39 are formed on the entire surface using ordinary ink. It is printed. The user can enter the necessary items in each entry field 38 of the application form 36 using the electronic pen 10 in the same manner as a conventional application form without being aware of the dot pattern.

  The area on the dedicated paper 20 can be roughly divided into two types. One is an entry area, in which the content described by the electronic pen 10 is handled as information as it is. In the example of FIG. 6, a plurality of entry fields 38 correspond to this. The other is a functional element, and when the corresponding area is checked with the electronic pen 10, actions, instructions, etc. defined in advance for the area are executed. The transmission box 39 in the example of FIG. 6 corresponds to this.

  The transmission box 39 is used when giving an instruction to transmit data stored in the electronic pen 10 to the nearby terminal device 25 as described above. When the user checks the transmission box 39 with the electronic pen 10, the electronic pen 10 reads the dot pattern in the transmission box. The pattern is associated with a transmission instruction, and the processor 11 in the electronic pen 10 issues a command to transmit data stored in the memory 12 to the data communication unit 13.

  The assignment of dot patterns is usually performed for each application (paper type). In other words, the dot patterns in a certain application form do not overlap in one sheet, but the same dot pattern is printed on the same application form. Therefore, when the user inputs necessary items with the electronic pen 10, it can be specified from the coordinate data on the application form which item of the application form the input item is for.

  As described above, by printing a predetermined design on the dedicated paper on which the dot pattern is printed, various application forms using the dedicated paper can be created. If the user uses the electronic pen 10 and fills in necessary items in a normal manner, the electronic data is automatically acquired.

  In the above example, the dot pattern is printed on the dedicated paper with carbon-containing ink. However, the dot pattern can be printed on ordinary paper using a printer and carbon-containing ink. Furthermore, the design on the dedicated paper can also be formed by a printer instead of printing. When dot patterns are formed on paper by a printer, different dot patterns can be formed on each sheet. Therefore, it is possible to identify and distinguish each of these sheets by the difference in the formed dot patterns.

  In the present specification, the term “printing” has a concept including not only normal printing but also printing by a printer.

  Next, transmission processing of data acquired by the electronic pen will be described with reference to FIG. The data acquired by the electronic pen 10 is mainly data of items input by the user, but usually does not include information on where the service server that is the transmission destination of the data is. Instead, information specifying the application or service related to the dedicated paper is included in the dot pattern on the dedicated paper, and the information is acquired from the dedicated paper during the user's input operation. Therefore, the terminal device 25 that has received the entry data from the electronic pen 10 first makes an inquiry to the inquiry server 26 to which service server 27 the data input to the dedicated paper should be transmitted. The inquiry server 26 has information on a corresponding service server for each dedicated paper, and in response to an inquiry from the terminal device 25, information (such as a URL) of the service server 27 that performs a service related to the dedicated paper. Reply to the terminal device 25. Then, the terminal device 25 transmits the entry data acquired from the electronic pen to the service server 27.

  In the above example, the terminal device 25, the inquiry server 26, and the service server 27 are separately configured. However, some or all of them may be configured as one device. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a server described later also serves as the inquiry server 26 and the service server 27.

[Remote operation system]
Next, the remote operation system (recording reservation system) of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of the remote operation system 100. The remote operation system 100 shown in FIG. 7 translates information entered by a user into an electronic pen form (hereinafter referred to as “form”) into an operation command specific to the home appliance used by the user, Remote control of the home appliance can be performed. Specifically, the remote operation system 100 creates a mail according to a predetermined mail format based on information entered by the user in the form, and transmits the mail to a recording / recording terminal used by the user. An operation can be performed. Note that, as a recording and recording terminal that is a home appliance, a video, a radio, or the like can be considered.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the remote operation system 100 is configured by connecting a terminal device 25, a video 7, and a server 5 through a network 2. Here, one suitable example of the network 2 is the Internet. The terminal device 25 is a terminal that can exchange data via the network 2 such as a PC or a mobile phone used by a user. The video 7 is a terminal capable of recording and recording broadcast programs, and can be remotely operated by mail according to a predetermined mail format.

  The server 5 is connected to a user database (hereinafter referred to as “DB”) 6. In addition, FIG. 7 includes one terminal device 25 and one video 7 as components for convenience, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is good also as including the video 7, radio, etc. as a component.

  First, the outline of the remote operation method in this system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8A shows an example of a form for a user to enter information necessary for remote operation, and FIG. 8B shows an example of a form actually entered by the user.

  The form 3 is created as the above-mentioned dedicated paper. As shown in FIG. 8A, the form 3 includes broadcast program listings, information relating to operations performed by the video 7, information relating to image quality and sound quality, and information relating to passwords. It consists of multiple corresponding areas. Specifically, the form 3 is considered as one page of a magazine related to a broadcast program. Here, the area corresponding to the program guide is the program area, the area corresponding to the operation information is the operation area, the area corresponding to the image quality and sound quality information is the quality setting area, and the area corresponding to the password information is the password area. .

  In the program area, information indicating the channel, time zone and contents of the broadcast program is described. The operation area consists of “New”, “Cancel”, and “Change”. “New” is to make a new recording reservation, “Cancel” is to cancel a recording reservation that has already been made, and “Change” is Each represents changing a recording reservation that has already been made. The quality setting area includes image quality and sound quality, and further includes “SS” and “S”, respectively. “SS” represents high quality, and “S” represents normal quality. The password area is composed of four items. In this embodiment, the password area is an area in which a 4-digit number set at the time of user registration described later is entered. As described above, the transmission box 39 is a box used when an instruction for transmitting data stored in the electronic pen 10 to the nearby terminal device 25 is given.

  When the user wants to easily perform remote operation of the video 7, first, the user registers with the server 5. In the user registration, the user transmits the name, password, pen ID, mail address, and video type to the server 5 by using the terminal device 25 or the like. Here, the password is a four-digit number that is set so that another person cannot impersonate the user and remotely control the video 7 and can be arbitrarily set by the user during user registration. To do. The pen ID is identification information of the electronic pen 10 used by the user. The e-mail address is the e-mail address of the video 7 used by the user, and the video type is the type of the video 7. The server 5 stores the name, password, pen ID, mail address, video type, and mail format corresponding to the video type in the user DB 6 as user information using the user ID for identifying the user as a key. This completes user registration.

  When the user who has registered the user wants to record the broadcast program by operating the video 7 remotely, he / she acquires the form 3 by purchasing a magazine at a station shop or the like. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the user uses the electronic pen 10 to enter information necessary for remote operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8B, check marks are written in the program to be recorded, the contents of the remote operation, and the image quality and sound quality to be set. Also, enter a preset password in the password area. It is assumed that each electronic pen 10 is owned by each user, and the user can be identified by a pen ID that is identification information of the electronic pen 10.

  The electronic pen 10 acquires the stroke data corresponding to the entered content, temporarily stores it in the memory in the electronic pen 10, and then transmits the stroke data to the terminal device 25. The terminal device 25 receives the stroke data entered by the user from the electronic pen 10 and transmits it to the server 5 through the network 2. The server 5 acquires the stroke data as entry information relating to characters entered by the user in each area on the form 3. Furthermore, the server 5 extracts the stroke data entered in each area from the entry information acquired based on the coordinate table described later.

  And the server 5 specifies the operation content which a user designates based on the stroke data entered in the operation area. Moreover, the server 5 specifies the channel and time zone of the program designated by the user based on the stroke data entered in the program area. Further, the server 5 identifies the image quality and sound quality designated by the user based on the stroke data entered in the quality setting area. Further, the server 5 specifies a four-digit number entered by the user as a password by OCR (Optical Character Reader) based on the stroke data entered in the password area.

  Next, the server 5 specifies the pen ID of the electronic pen 10 used by the user based on the acquired entry information. And the server 5 extracts a password, a mail address, and a mail format from user DB6 based on specified pen ID. Further, the server 5 determines whether or not the extracted password and the specified password match, and only when it is determined that they match, the specified operation content, program channel and time zone, image quality and sound quality, Based on the extracted mail format, a mail necessary for remotely operating the video 7 is created. Then, the server 5 transmits the created mail to the extracted mail address.

  Video 7 receives mail from server 5. Since this e-mail is information translated into an operation command unique to the video 7, the video 7 performs a predetermined operation designated by the user based on the e-mail, for example, recording reservation of a program. Therefore, the user can easily perform remote operation of the video 7 by filling in the form using the electronic pen 10 without complicatedly operating the terminal device 25. That is, the server 5 stores in advance information on the form 3 designed with user information, device-specific operation instruction format, and instruction instruction, and information designated by the electronic pen 10 and the form 3 that is a paper medium. Can be controlled by a simple operation such as writing a check mark on the form 3 by translating the operation command unique to the device.

[Form]
Next, the form 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the area ID of each area constituting the form 3. Here, the area ID is area identification information. The form 3 is roughly divided into a program area, an operation area, a quality setting area, a password area, and a transmission box 39. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the program area is further subdivided for each program column , and an area ID starting with “A” is assigned to each. Further, the operation area and the quality setting area are further subdivided, and an area ID starting with “B” is assigned to each. In addition, the password area is subdivided for each square, and an area ID starting with “P” is assigned to each. The transmission box is assigned an area ID “C1”.

In the system of the present embodiment, the form 3 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is created as the above-described dedicated paper. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a dot pattern 32 is printed on the mount 30, and a design such as a predetermined ruled line is printed thereon. As described above, the dot pattern 32 is printed with ink containing carbon so that the electronic pen 10 can recognize it. On the other hand, the design 34 such as ruled lines is printed with normal (not including carbon) ink, and thus the electronic pen 10 does not recognize it.

  In this way, the dot pattern 32 is printed on the form 3, and the form 3 is composed of a plurality of subdivided areas, whereby the area ID and the position coordinates on the dot pattern 32 are associated with each other. Information specified by the user can be easily specified based on the coordinate table.

[server]
Next, the server 5 will be described in detail. FIG. 10 shows an internal configuration of the server 5 in the remote operation system 100, in particular. As illustrated, the server 5 includes a remote operation program 101, a user information acquisition function 102, a user registration function 103, an entry information acquisition function 104, a coordinate table 105, a user information confirmation function 106, a reservation information identification function 107, It consists of a mail creation function 108 and a mail transmission function 109.

  Each function is realized by the CPU included in the server 5 executing a program prepared in advance.

  The remote operation program 101 is a program for performing user registration. Further, the remote operation program 101 creates a mail according to a predetermined mail format based on the information entered in the form 3 by the user, the coordinate table, and the user DB 6, and the video 7 used by the user. This is a program that performs remote operation by sending the mail.

  The user information acquisition function 102 is a function for acquiring information on the name, password, pen ID, e-mail address, and video type from the user by executing the remote operation program 101.

  The user registration function 103 further has a user information storage function. The user information storage function uses a user ID for identifying a user as a key, information on the name, password, pen ID, e-mail address and video type acquired by the user information acquisition function 102, and mail corresponding to the video type. This function stores the format as user information in the user DB 6. Here, the user DB will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the data structure of the user DB 6. As shown in the figure, the user DB 6 is composed of a user ID, name, password, pen ID, mail address, video type, and mail format. That is, the user registration function 103 is a function for performing user registration by issuing a user ID and storing user information in the user DB 6.

  Here, the mail format will be described in detail. The mail format is a format in which the video 7 can recognize an operation command. Specifically, it is assumed that the format that the video 7 can recognize is that information is entered in the order of “operation content, password, channel, time zone, image quality, sound quality”. When the user designates that a 4-channel program from 19:00 to 20:45 is to be reserved for recording in the SS class for both image quality and sound quality, and enters “1121” in the password, the server 5 reads “new, 1121”. , 4ch, 1900-2045, SS, SS "is created and sent to video 7.

  The entry information acquisition function 104 is a function for acquiring entry information entered in the form 3 by the user using the electronic pen 10 by executing the remote operation program 101.

  Here, the coordinate table 105 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating the data structure of the coordinate table 105. As shown in the figure, the coordinate table 105 includes area IDs, coordinate data, contents, channels, time zones, and program names. The area ID is information for identifying each area constituting the form 3. The coordinate data is coordinate data indicating the arrangement of each area on the dot pattern printed on the form 3. The contents are information indicated by each area. For example, “program” is set for an area indicating a program, and “operation / new” is set for an area indicating an operation for newly making a recording reservation. The channel, time zone, and program name are set only when the content is “program”, and the channel, time zone, and program name of the broadcast program indicated by each area are set.

  The user information confirmation function 106 further includes a user confirmation function, an e-mail address extraction function, and a format extraction function, and a user who has filled in the form 3 using the electronic pen 10 has been registered. This is a function for checking whether or not there is a mail address and a mail format. Specifically, the user confirmation function specifies the pen ID used by the user based on the entry information acquired by the entry information acquisition function 104, and extracts the password from the user DB 6 based on the pen ID. Then, the user confirmation function determines whether or not the password specified in the reservation information specifying function described later matches the extracted password. That is, the user confirmation function is a function for confirming that the user has already registered as a user and that impersonation by another person has not been performed. The e-mail address extraction function is a function for extracting an e-mail address from the user DB 6 using the pen ID specified based on the entry information acquired by the entry information acquisition function 104. Similarly, the format extraction function is a function for extracting a mail format from the user DB 6 using a pen ID.

  The reservation information specifying function 107 extracts stroke data entered in each area from the entry information acquired by the entry information acquisition function 104 based on the coordinate table 105, and sets reservation information designated by the user based on the stroke data. It is a function to identify. Here, the reservation information is information on a password designated by the user, operation details, image quality and sound quality, program channel, and time zone.

  The reservation information specifying function 107 further includes a password specifying function, an operation specifying function, a quality specifying function, a channel specifying function, and a time zone specifying function. The password specifying function is a function for specifying the password entered by the user by OCR based on the stroke data entered by the user in the password area. The operation specifying function is a function for specifying the operation content in which the user has entered the check mark based on the stroke data entered in the operation area by the user. The quality specifying function is a function for specifying the image quality and sound quality in which the user has entered the check mark based on the stroke data entered in the quality setting area by the user. The channel specifying function is a function for specifying a channel in which the user has entered a check mark based on stroke data entered in the program area by the user. The time zone specifying function is a function for specifying the time zone of the program in which the user has entered a check mark based on the stroke data entered in the program area by the user.

  The mail creation function 108 remotely controls the video 7 according to the mail format extracted by the user information confirmation function based on the password, operation content, image quality, sound quality, program channel and time zone specified by the reservation information specifying function 107. It is a function to create a mail for.

  The mail transmission function 109 is a function for transmitting the mail created by the mail creation function 108 to the mail address extracted by the user information confirmation function.

[Remote operation processing]
Next, remote operation processing executed by the remote operation system 100 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the remote operation process. It is assumed that the user has already registered as a user.

  The user first makes a predetermined entry in each area on the form 3 using the electronic pen 10. When the entry into the form 3 is completed, the user transmits the entry information to the server 5 through the terminal device 25 by entering a check mark in the transmission box 39.

  The server 5 acquires entry information from the terminal device 25 (step S1), and first specifies a pen ID based on the entry information (step S2). Further, the server 5 specifies the password entered by the user based on the entry information and the coordinate table 105 (step S3). Then, the server 5 searches the user DB 6 based on the pen ID specified in step S2 and confirms whether or not the user has registered. If the user has registered, the password stored in the user DB 6 is extracted, and it is confirmed whether or not it matches the password specified in step S3 (step S4). If there is a problem after confirming whether the user has registered and the password matches (step S5; No), the server 5 transmits a message to that effect to the terminal device 25 and performs remote operation. The process ends.

  On the other hand, if there is no problem (step S5; Yes), the operation specified by the user is specified based on the entry information and the coordinate table 105 (step S6). Further, the server 5 specifies the image quality and sound quality designated by the user based on the entry information and the coordinate table 105 (step S7). Further, the server 5 identifies the channel and time zone of the program designated by the user based on the entry information and the coordinate table 105 (steps S8 and S9). Then, the server 5 extracts a mail address and a mail format from the user DB 6 based on the pen ID specified in Step S2 (Step S10). Further, the server 5 creates a mail necessary for remotely operating the video 7 in accordance with the extracted mail format based on the specified operation, image quality and sound quality, program channel and time zone (step S11). . Then, the server 5 transmits the created mail to the mail address extracted in step S10 (step S12), thereby completing the remote operation process.

  The video 7 operates according to the content designated by the user in accordance with the mail received from the server 5. That is, when the user designates a recording reservation for the program A, the server 5 makes a recording reservation for the program A. The video 7 that has completed the operation designated by the user transmits a completion mail notifying the server 5 of the completion of the operation. Then, the server 5 transfers the completion mail to the terminal device 25. Thereby, even when the user is away from home, the user can grasp that the operation of the video 7 has been completed by checking the mail received by the terminal device 25. Note that the completion mail may be transmitted directly from the video 7 to the terminal device 25.

  As described above, the server 5 that stores in advance the user information, the information about the operation command format unique to the device, and the information about the form 3 for which the instruction command is designed is provided, and the user instructs with the electronic pen 10 and the form 3. By translating the information into a device-specific operation command and sending it as an e-mail to the device, remote operation can be easily performed. That is, since the terminal device 25 is used only as a tool for transmitting entry information to the server 5, the user does not recognize the complicated terminal device 25, in other words, the complicated terminal device 25. The home appliances can be easily remotely controlled without any operation.

  In this embodiment, a pen ID is used as information for identifying a user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a terminal ID that is identification information of a mobile phone used by the user is used. It is also possible to identify the user by using it. In this case, the terminal ID acquired at the time of user registration is stored in the user DB 6 and used at the time of user confirmation.

  In this embodiment, the user enters a check mark (let) in the form 3, but this check mark can be an arbitrary symbol, and other check marks (◯ and Δ). It does not matter.

  In the present embodiment, the user performs user registration in advance in order for the user to use the service of the server 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if it is set on the form 3 so that the type of the video 7 can be designated and the mail address of the video 7 can be designated, the user information is not stored in the user DB 6. The server 5 can also create a mail that the video 7 can recognize based on the entry information. Therefore, the present invention can be applied without user registration in advance.

  In the present embodiment, the video held by the user is described as one unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a plurality of units. In this case, it is assumed that the user can specify which video 7 is scheduled to be recorded on the form 3.

  Thus, it is possible to provide a remote operation system that allows a user to easily perform remote operation of home appliances by automatically translating information entered with the electronic pen into operation instructions specific to home appliances. it can.

It is a figure which shows the usage pattern of an electronic pen typically. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of an electronic pen. It is a figure explaining the expression method of the information by the dot pattern printed on the exclusive paper. It is an example of a dot pattern and the information corresponding to it. The structure of a form composed of dedicated paper is shown. An example of an electronic pen form is shown. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the remote control system in this embodiment . It is an example of the form used in a remote control system. It is a figure which shows area ID of each area which comprises a form. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a server included in the remote operation system shown in FIG. 7. It is a figure which shows typically the data structure of user DB. It is a figure which shows typically the data structure of a coordinate table. It is a flowchart of the remote operation process in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Network 10 ... Electronic pen 11 ... Processor 12 ... Memory 13 ... Data communication unit 14 ... Battery 25 ... Terminal device 26 ... Inquiry server 27 ... Service server 100 ... Remote operation system

Claims (8)

An electronic pen,
Recording and recording terminals of users who can record and record broadcast programs based on emails ,
A dot pattern recognizable by the electronic pen is superimposed on an operation area for recognizing an operation performed by the recording / recording terminal, and a program table format program area for recognizing a channel and a time zone of the broadcast program. Printed electronic pen forms,
A server capable of communicating via a network ,
A recording reservation system in which the server transmits an email for instructing recording and recording of a broadcast program to the recording and recording terminal based on the entry to the electronic pen form by the electronic pen ,
The server
Wherein the electronic pen form on the operation area and the program area provided, and the coordinate information memory means for storing coordinate information associates the respective coordinates on the dot pattern,
User information storage means for storing, as user information, a mail address of the recording / recording terminal and a mail format recognizable by the recording / recording terminal in association with pen identification information for identifying the electronic pen;
Entry information obtaining means for obtaining entry information entered in the form by the electronic pen by the user;
Stroke extraction means for extracting stroke data entered in each area by the user from the entry information based on the coordinate information;
Operation specifying means for specifying the operation based on stroke data entered by the user in the operation area;
Program specifying means for specifying a channel and a time zone of the program based on stroke data entered by the user in the program area;
Based on the entry information, pen identification information specifying means for specifying identification information of the electronic pen used by the user;
A mail extracting means for extracting a mail address and a mail format from the user information based on the specified pen identification information;
Mail creating means for creating mail based on the operation specified by the operation specifying means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, and the mail format extracted by the mail extracting means;
A recording reservation system comprising: a mail transmission unit that transmits the created mail to the mail address extracted by the mail extraction unit. The form further includes a password area for recognizing a password,
The coordinate information storage means stores coordinate information in which the password area is associated with each position coordinate on the dot pattern,
The user information storage means further stores the password as user information in association with the pen identification information,
The server
Password extraction means for extracting a password from the user information based on the pen identification information specified by the pen identification information specifying means;
Based on the stroke data entered by the user in the password area, password specifying means for specifying a password;
A password determination unit that determines whether the password extracted by the password extraction unit and the password specified by the password identification unit match,
2. The recording reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the mail creating unit creates the mail only when it is determined that the password determination unit matches. The form further includes a quality setting area for recognizing image quality and sound quality,
The coordinate information storage means stores coordinate information in which the quality setting area is associated with each position coordinate on the dot pattern,
The server
Further comprising quality specifying means for specifying image quality and sound quality based on stroke data entered by the user in the quality setting area;
The mail creating means extracts the operation specified by the operation specifying means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, the image quality and sound quality specified by the quality specifying means, and the mail extracting means 3. The recording reservation system according to claim 1, wherein a mail is created based on the mail format. In the operation area of the electronic pen form, a new area for reserving a new recording, a canceling area for canceling a recording reservation that has already been made, or a change area for changing a recording that has already been made are formed. And
In the coordinate information of the coordinate information storage means, an area ID is set for each program column of the program table, and each position coordinate on the dot pattern is associated with each area of the operation area . The recording reservation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An electronic pen,
Recording and recording terminals of users who can record and record broadcast programs based on emails,
A dot pattern recognizable by the electronic pen is superimposed on an operation area for recognizing an operation performed by the recording / recording terminal, and a program table format program area for recognizing a channel and a time zone of the broadcast program. Printed electronic pen forms,
A server capable of communicating via a network ,
A program executed by the server in a recording reservation system in which the server sends an e-mail for instructing recording and recording of a broadcast program to the recording and recording terminal based on the entry to the electronic pen form by the electronic pen. There,
Coordinate information storage means for storing said operation area and the program area provided on the electronic pen form, coordinate information associates the respective coordinates on the dot pattern,
User information storage means for storing, as user information, a mail address of the recording / recording terminal and a mail format recognizable by the recording / recording terminal in association with pen identification information for identifying the electronic pen.
Entry information acquisition means for acquiring entry information entered in the form by the electronic pen by the user;
Stroke extraction means for extracting stroke data entered in each area by the user from the entry information based on the coordinate information;
Operation specifying means for specifying the operation based on stroke data entered by the user in the operation area;
Program specifying means for specifying a channel and a time zone of the program based on stroke data entered by the user in the program area;
Pen identification information specifying means for specifying identification information of the electronic pen used by the user based on the entry information;
A mail extracting means for extracting a mail address and a mail format from the user information based on the specified pen identification information;
Mail creating means for creating mail based on the operation specified by the operation specifying means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, and the mail format extracted by the mail extracting means;
A program for causing the server to function as mail transmission means for transmitting a created mail to the mail address extracted by the mail extraction means. The form further includes a password area for recognizing a password,
The coordinate information storage means stores coordinate information in which the password area is associated with each position coordinate on the dot pattern,
The user information storage means further stores the password as user information in association with the pen identification information,
The program is
Password extracting means for extracting a password from the user information based on the pen identification information specified by the pen identification information specifying means;
Password specifying means for specifying a password based on the stroke data entered in the password area by the user;
Further causing the computer to function as a password determination unit that determines whether the password extracted by the password extraction unit and the password specified by the password identification unit match,
6. The program according to claim 5, wherein the mail creation unit creates the mail only when it is determined that the password determination unit matches. The form further includes a quality setting area for recognizing image quality and sound quality,
The coordinate information storage means stores coordinate information in which the quality setting area is associated with each position coordinate on the dot pattern,
The program is
Based on the stroke data entered by the user in the quality setting area, the computer further functions as a quality specifying means for specifying image quality and sound quality,
The mail creating means extracts the operation specified by the operation specifying means, the channel and time zone of the program specified by the program specifying means, the image quality and sound quality specified by the quality specifying means, and the mail extracting means The program according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a mail is created based on a mail format. In the operation area of the electronic pen form, a new area for reserving a new recording, a canceling area for canceling a recording reservation that has already been made, or a change area for changing a recording that has already been made are formed. A program in the recording reservation system,
In the coordinate information of the coordinate information storage means, an area ID is set for each program column of the program table, and each position coordinate on the dot pattern is associated with each area of the operation area . A program according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

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