TWI896554B - Household appliance system, control method, and control program - Google Patents

Abstract

A household appliance system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring the installation location of the household appliance; a condition determination unit for determining the conditions for using the measurement value from at least one sensor included in the household appliance based on the installation location and the operating time of the household appliance; and a household appliance control unit for controlling the household appliance using the action content based on the installation location and the judgment result obtained from the measurement value.

Description

Household appliance system, control method, and control program

This disclosure relates to home appliance systems, etc.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology that enables a humidifier to sense the surrounding illumination and control the humidification operation based on the sensed illumination.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-281504

In the humidifier described in Patent Document 1, when the illuminance sensed by the sensor is lower than the reference illuminance, the humidifier operates in a sleeping mode with a low humidification amount.

One aspect of the present disclosure, for example, implements a home appliance system that controls home appliances with efficient operational content based on measurement values from sensors corresponding to the installation location of the home appliances and the operating time of the home appliances.

A home appliance system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring the installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit for determining a usage condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the installation location and the operating time of the home appliance; and a home appliance control unit for controlling the home appliance using an action based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

A method for controlling a home appliance system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition step for acquiring the installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination step for determining a usage condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the installation location and the operating time of the home appliance; and a home appliance control step for controlling the home appliance using an action determined based on the installation location and the measurement value.

A control program for a home appliance system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure implements: an acquisition function for acquiring the installation location of the home appliance; a condition determination function for determining a usage condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the installation location and the operating time of the home appliance; and a home appliance control function for controlling the home appliance using an action based on the installation location and the determination result obtained from the measurement value.

100: Server (information processing device)

105: Air Conditioner (Home Appliance)

110a: Smartphone (user terminal)

110b: Notebook PC (user terminal)

120: Home Appliance System

121: Information Processing System

201: Ministry of Communications

202: Memory

210: Control Department

211: Set up the position acquisition unit (acquisition unit)

212: Operation Time Acquisition Department

213: Measurement Value Acquisition Unit

214: Conditional Decision Section

215: Measurement value selection unit

216: Response Determination

217: Judgment Department

218: Action Decision Department

219: Home Appliance Control Department

220: Operation Information Acquisition Department

221: Study Department

222: Sound output control unit

701:Input department

702: Ministry of Communications

703: Sensor unit

703a: Human sensor

703b: Illumination sensor

703c: Odor and dust sensor

704: Memory

705:Output Department

705a: Wetting Unit

705b: Air supply unit

705c: Sound output unit

705d: Display unit

710: Control Department

711: Set up the position acquisition unit (acquisition unit)

711: Set up the location acquisition unit

712: Operation Time Acquisition Department

713: Measurement Value Acquisition Unit

714: Conditional Decision Section

715: Measurement value selection unit

716: Response Determination Unit

717: Judgment Department

718: Action Decision Department

719: Home Appliance Control Department

720: Operation Information Acquisition Department

721: Study Department

722: Sound output control unit

Figure 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the configuration of a home appliance system and an information processing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG2 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of a server according to the first embodiment.

FIG3A shows an example of information showing the installation location and operating conditions of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment.

Figure 3B shows an example of information showing the type of operation mode based on the above-mentioned installation location and the above-mentioned operation time.

FIG3C shows an example of information indicating the operation details of the air conditioner corresponding to the types of the operation modes.

Figure 4A shows an example of the operation content when the air conditioner is installed in the "bedroom" position.

Figure 4B shows an example of the operation content when the air conditioner is installed in the "living room" and "entrance".

Figure 5 is an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal according to the first embodiment.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the server.

FIG7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main components of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment.

[Implementation Method 1]

The first embodiment (Embodiment 1) is described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 . Throughout the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are designated by identical reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

(Overview of Server 100)

FIG1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a home appliance system 120 and an example of the configuration of an information processing system 121.

As shown in Figure 1, home appliance system 120 can be, for example, a system including server 100 and air conditioner (home appliance) 105, or a system consisting solely of server 100 (a system including server 100). In the latter case, server 100 operates as home appliance system 120, controlling external air conditioner 105.

Furthermore, the information processing system 121 can be, for example, a system that adds a smartphone (user terminal) 110a to the home appliance system 120. Furthermore, as shown in FIG1 , the information processing system 121 can also include a laptop PC (user terminal) 110b. In other words, the number of user terminals included in the information processing system 121 can be one or more.

Air conditioner 105 is a home appliance that has a humidity adjustment function, such as humidification and dehumidification. While this embodiment describes air conditioner 105 as an example of a home appliance, any type of appliance with the aforementioned humidity adjustment function is acceptable (for example, the home appliance may be a humidifier, air purifier, air conditioner, etc.).

Conventional air conditioners determine the presence of a person based on measurements from sensors included in the air conditioner, and then operate according to the results of these measurements. However, if the air conditioner cannot determine the presence of a person based solely on the measurements from the sensors, there is a concern that it may not be able to operate with appropriate actions.

Therefore, server 100 obtains the installation location of air conditioner 105 and, based on the installation location and the operating time of air conditioner 105, determines a usage condition for using the measurement value from at least one sensor included in air conditioner 105. Server 100 then operates air conditioner 105 based on the installation location and the action content derived from the measurement value corresponding to the usage condition.

Thus, for example, server 100 can determine which sensor's measurement value to use to determine the presence of a person based on the installation location and operating time, and can then determine appropriate actions corresponding to the installation location and the human presence determination result. In other words, server 100 can determine the appropriate method of using the sensor included in air conditioner 105 based on the installation location and operating time, thereby effectively determining appropriate actions corresponding to that method of use.

Furthermore, the air conditioner 105 can determine a usage condition for using the measurement value from at least one sensor based on the installation location and the operating time, determine an action based on the installation location and the result of the determination based on the measurement value obtained based on the usage condition, and operate according to the action condition.

This allows the air conditioner 105 to determine the appropriate sensor usage based on its installation location and operating time, even when not connected to the server 100, and to operate with appropriate action content corresponding to the usage.

(Configuration of Server 100)

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the main components of a server. As shown in Figure 2, server 100 may include, for example, a communication unit 201, a memory unit 202, and a control unit 210. Control unit 210 may include, for example, a location acquisition unit 211, an operation time acquisition unit 212, a measurement value acquisition unit 213, a condition determination unit 214, a measurement value selection unit 215, a responsiveness determination unit 216, a judgment unit 217, an action determination unit 218, a home appliance control unit 219, an operation information acquisition unit 220, a learning unit 221, and a sound output control unit 222.

The control unit 210 has the function of uniformly controlling the various functions of the server 100 and is implemented by a controller (processor) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Communication unit 201, for example, transmits and receives various data between the air conditioner 105 and a user terminal (e.g., smartphone 110a, laptop PC 110b) via a network. Communication unit 201 can also be, for example, hardware capable of communicating with the outside world via a network using a predetermined communication method. It only needs to have the essential function of enabling communication with external devices, and the communication line, communication method, and communication media are not limited.

The receiving unit 201a may receive various information from, for example, the air conditioner 105 or the smartphone 110a (or the notebook PC 110b), and output the information to the various components included in the control unit 210.

The transmission unit 201b may be, for example, a unit that transmits various information input from various components included in the control unit 210 to the air conditioner 105 or the smartphone 110a (or the notebook PC 110b).

The installation location acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 211 acquires the installation location of the air conditioner 105. Here, the installation location refers to, for example, a location in the home of the user who installed the air conditioner 105, specifically, a bedroom, living room, entryway, or children's room.

Alternatively, the installation location acquisition unit 211 may acquire the installation location by associating a device ID (e.g., user ID, serial number, manufacturing number, etc.) that identifies the air conditioner 105 with the installation location.

The operating time acquisition unit 212 acquires the operating time indicating the time when the air conditioner 105 is operated, for example.

The measurement value acquisition unit 213 acquires, for example, a measurement value measured by at least one sensor included in the air conditioner 105. Furthermore, the measurement value acquisition unit 213 acquires, for example, a plurality of measurement values from a plurality of sensors included in the air conditioner 105.

Alternatively, the installation location acquisition unit 211, the operating time acquisition unit 212, and the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may directly acquire various information (e.g., installation location, operating time, and measurement value) from the air conditioner 105 communicating with the server 100, or may acquire the information via the smartphone 110a (or the notebook PC 110b).

The condition determination unit 214 determines the usage conditions for using the measurement value from at least one sensor included in the air conditioner 105 based on the installation location and the operating time of the air conditioner 105 (hereinafter referred to as the "operating time").

Furthermore, the condition determination unit 214 may, for example, determine conditions for using a plurality of measurement values from a plurality of sensors included in the air conditioner 105 as the use conditions.

Furthermore, the condition determination unit 214 may determine, for example, that the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor included in the air conditioner 105 is used as the use condition when the installation location is the entrance.

The measurement value selection unit 215 selects and acquires, for example, a measurement value corresponding to the usage condition determined by the condition determination unit 214 from among the plurality of measurement values obtained by the measurement value acquisition unit 213.

For example, when obtaining a judgment result from a measurement value, the responsiveness determining unit 216 determines a responsiveness indicating the degree to which the measurement value is reflected based on the relationship between the installation location and the operating time. Furthermore, the responsiveness determining unit 216 may, for example, replace the usage condition for not using the measurement value of a certain sensor with a usage condition for reducing the responsiveness of the measurement value of the sensor, based on the relationship between the installation location and the operating time, among the usage conditions determined by the condition determining unit 214. The responsiveness is then associated with the sensor type and output to the judgment unit 217.

Determination unit 217, for example, determines whether a person is present at the installation location based on the measurement value as a determination result. Specifically, determination unit 217 determines whether a person is present based on whether the measurement value from the sensor is greater than a predetermined value as a determination result. Alternatively, determination unit 217 may determine whether a person is present based on the measurement value corrected by the reflectivity, for example.

The action determination unit 218 determines, for example, an action for adjusting the humidification amount or air flow based on a combination of the judgment result obtained from the measurement value, the installation position, and the operation time as the action content.

The home appliance control unit 219 controls the air conditioner 105 using an action based on the installation location and the results of a determination obtained from the measurement values. Alternatively, the home appliance control unit 219 may control the air conditioner 105 using an action based on a determination obtained from a combination of multiple measurement values. Furthermore, if the installation location is a bedroom and the operation time is nighttime, the home appliance control unit 219 may control the air conditioner 105 by setting an action to humidify at a lower amount than the reference amount or to blow air at a lower air volume than the reference air volume as an action.

The operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires information related to user operations on the air conditioner 105, for example. For example, after the air conditioner 105 starts operating according to the action content determined by the action determination unit 218, the operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires information related to the user operations that adjusted the action content.

For example, the learning unit 221 starts operating the air conditioner 105 according to the action content determined by the action determination unit 218, and then provides feedback to the user to adjust the action content, thereby changing the correspondence between the judgment result obtained from the measurement value and the action content.

For example, after the sound output control unit 222 starts the operation of the air conditioner 105 according to the determined operation content, it causes the air conditioner 105 to output a predetermined sound based on the judgment result obtained from the measurement value and the operation time.

The memory unit 202 can be a memory device that can store any information, for example, a hard drive, an SSD (Silicon State Drive), a semiconductor memory, a DVD, etc.

(Method for determining the usage conditions for obtaining measurement values from sensors)

Figures 3A to 3C show examples of information showing usage conditions based on sensor measurement values and the details of air conditioner 105's operation. Figure 3A shows an example of information showing these usage conditions based on the installation location and operating time. Figure 3B shows an example of information showing the type of operation mode based on the installation location and operating time. Figure 3C shows an example of information showing the details of air conditioner 105's operation corresponding to the type of operation mode.

Condition determination unit 214 determines the usage conditions for using the measurement values from multiple sensors (e.g., occupancy sensors, illuminance sensors, odor and dust sensors, etc.) based on the installation location (e.g., bedroom, living room, entryway, etc.) and the operating time (e.g., morning, noon, evening, etc.).

As shown in FIG3A , condition determination unit 214 determines, for example, that when the installation location is "bedroom" and the operating time is "night," the measurement values from the human presence sensor, illumination sensor, and odor and dust sensor are not used. Furthermore, condition determination unit 214 determines, for example, that even when the installation location is "entrance" and the operating time is any time, the measurement values from the human presence sensor and illumination sensor are not used, but the measurement values from the odor and dust sensor are used. Furthermore, condition determination unit 214 determines, for example, that even when the installation location is "living room" and the operating time is any time, the measurement values from all sensors are used.

Furthermore, the condition determination unit 214 may, for example, replace the aforementioned usage conditions with selection conditions indicating which measurement value is selected from the measurement values obtained by the sensors, or an acquisition condition indicating which measurement value is to be acquired from which sensor. Specifically, the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may acquire measurement values from all sensors included in the air conditioner 105, and the measurement value selection unit 215 may select, from among all the sensor measurement values, only the measurement values from the sensors that meet the selection conditions based on the installation location and operating time. Furthermore, the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may acquire only the measurement values from the sensors that meet the aforementioned acquisition conditions, and the measurement value selection unit 215 may select the acquired measurement values.

Alternatively, the server 100 may transmit the type of sensor using the measurement value corresponding to the aforementioned usage condition to the air conditioner 105 via the communication unit 201. The air conditioner 105 then obtains the measurement value from the sensor corresponding to the received usage condition and transmits the measurement value to the server 100. The measurement value acquisition unit 213 then obtains the received measurement value.

This allows the server 100 to obtain and use measurement values from a plurality of sensors, specifically from the appropriate sensor that matches the installation location and operating time. Furthermore, the server 100 can use the measurement values from the appropriate sensor to appropriately determine the presence of a person.

(How to determine the action mode based on the setting position and operation timing)

The action determination unit 218 determines the presence of a person based on the sensor's measurement values corresponding to the aforementioned usage conditions and determines the action mode based on the determination result, the installation location, and the operating time.

Specifically, if the server 100 receives the installation location "dormitory" and the operating time "night," the measurement value selection unit 215, based on the aforementioned usage conditions, does not use the measurement values from the human sensor, illumination sensor, and odor and dust sensor (see Figure 3A). Next, the determination unit 217 may determine the presence of a person without using the measurement values, and instead obtain a determination result ("person present") assuming the presence of a person.

As shown in Figure 3B , action determination unit 218 then determines "Mode 3" as the action mode based on the determination result of "person present," the installation location "bedroom," and the operation mode "night." Alternatively, action determination unit 218 may always determine "Mode 3" as the action mode, regardless of the determination result of whether a person is present, when the installation location is "bedroom" and the operation mode is "night."

Furthermore, if the server 100 obtains, for example, that the installation location is "entrance" and the operating time is "noon," the measurement value selection unit 215, based on the aforementioned usage conditions, does not use the measurement values from the human sensor and the illuminance sensor, but uses the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor (see FIG3A ). Next, the determination unit 217 determines whether the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor is higher than a predetermined value. If the measurement value is higher than the predetermined value, it determines whether a person is present, and obtains the determination result "person present." For example, the determination unit 217 may determine that a person is present if the measurement value of either the odor or dust is higher than a predetermined value.

Next, the action determination unit 218 sets the location to "entrance," the operating time to "noon," and the judgment result to "person present" to determine "mode 2" as the action mode. If the judgment result is "person absent," it determines "mode 4" as the action mode.

Thus, the server 100 can determine an appropriate operation mode based on the determination results based on the setting position and operation timing and the measurement values of appropriate sensors.

(How to determine the action content corresponding to the action mode)

The operation determination unit 218 determines the operation details (e.g., humidity, air volume) of the air conditioner 105 corresponding to the determined operation mode.

As shown in FIG3C , when the determined operation mode is "Mode 1," the operation determination unit 218 may determine the humidification level to be "high" and the air volume to be "high" as the operation content. Similarly, when the operation mode is "Mode 2," the operation determination unit 218 may determine the humidification level to be "medium" and the air volume to be "medium," when the operation mode is "Mode 3," the operation determination unit 218 may determine the humidification level to be "low" and the air volume to be "low," and when the operation mode is "Mode 4," the operation determination unit 218 may determine the humidification level to be "stop" and the air volume to be "medium."

Here, for example, when operating at a humidification amount less than the reference humidification amount (e.g., a medium humidification amount within the humidification capacity of the air conditioner 105), the action determining unit 218 determines an action with "weak" humidification. Similarly, when operating at a humidification amount greater than the reference humidification amount, the action determining unit 218 determines an action with "strong" humidification, and when operating at a humidification amount equal to the reference humidification amount, the action determining unit 218 determines an action with "medium" humidification.

Furthermore, the action determination unit 218 determines the action content of the air volume "weak" when operating at an air volume smaller than the reference air volume (e.g., a medium air volume within the air supply capacity of the air conditioner 105). Similarly, the action determination unit 218 determines the action content of the air volume "strong" when operating at an air volume larger than the reference air volume, and determines the action content of the air volume "medium" when operating at an air volume equal to the reference air volume.

This allows the server 100 to determine appropriate action details based on the installation location, operating time, and the measurement values of appropriate sensors, and to operate the air conditioner 105 efficiently using the determined action details.

(Specific examples of the determined action content)

Figures 4A and 4B show examples of specific actions determined by server 100 upon obtaining the device ID, device location, and operating time of a home appliance. Figure 4A shows an example of actions when air conditioner 105 is located in the "bedroom." Figure 4B shows an example of actions when air conditioner 105 is located in the "living room" and "entrance."

As shown in Figure 4A , the installation location acquisition unit 211 acquires the device ID "K1" and the installation location "Bedroom" of the air conditioner 105, and the operating time acquisition unit 212 acquires the operating time "23:00." The condition determination unit 214 determines the operating time "23:00" as "evening," and determines the usage condition not to use the measurement values from the occupancy sensor, illuminance sensor, and odor and dust sensor (see Figure 3A ), based on the installation location "Bedroom" and the operating time "evening." For example, the condition determination unit 214 may determine the operating time from 4:00 to 11:00 as "morning," from 11:00 to 17:00 as "noon," and from 17:00 to 4:00 as "evening."

Furthermore, based on the aforementioned usage conditions, the measurement value selection unit 215 may not use the measurement values from the human presence sensor, illuminance sensor, and odor and dust sensor. For example, the determination unit 217 may determine the presence of a human without using the measurement values, and instead obtain a determination result assuming the presence of a human being: "Human presence." Next, the action determination unit 218 determines the action mode "Mode 3" (see Figure 3B) corresponding to the determination result "Human presence," the installation location "bedroom," and the operating time "night." It also determines the humidity level "weak" and air volume "weak" corresponding to "Mode 3" (see Figure 3C).

As a result, server 100 can always operate air conditioner 105 quietly at low humidity and low air flow in the bedroom at night, regardless of the sensor readings. This prevents the operating noise of air conditioner 105 from disturbing the user's sleep. Specifically, conventional air conditioners, for example, detect the presence of a person using a occupant sensor and operate according to the environmental conditions (e.g., humidity and temperature) at their installation location. However, server 100 can operate air conditioner 105 quietly even when it is installed in a bedroom and operating at night, which is when a person is actually present.

Furthermore, conventional air conditioners operate in bed humidification mode when the illuminance sensor's measurement value falls below a predetermined value. For example, if a user dims the lights slightly while sleeping rather than completely turning them off, the illuminance sensor's measurement value does not fall below the predetermined value, preventing the air conditioner from operating in bed humidification mode. However, server 100 can operate air conditioner 105 quietly at any time, regardless of the bedroom's brightness, by setting the server's location to "bedroom" and operating at "nighttime."

As shown in Figure 4B , the installation location acquisition unit 211 acquires the device ID "K2" and installation location "Entrance" of the air conditioner 105. The operating time acquisition unit 212 acquires the operating time "8:00." The condition determination unit 214 determines the operating time "8:00" as "morning," and determines the use condition to use only the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor, corresponding to the installation location "Entrance" and the operating time "morning" (see Figure 3A).

Furthermore, if the determination result of determination unit 217 is "person present," action determination unit 218 determines action mode "Mode 1" (see FIG. 3B ) based on the determination result of determination unit 217, the installation location "entrance," and the operation time "morning." It then determines the corresponding humidification level "High" and air volume "High" (see FIG. 3C ). Similarly, if the determination result of determination unit 217 is "person absent," action determination unit 218 determines "Mode 4" (see FIG. 3B ), setting the humidification level "Stop" and air volume "Medium" (see FIG. 3C ).

This allows server 100 to determine the appropriate action when the location is "entrance" based solely on the measurement results from the odor and dust sensor. In other words, conventional air conditioners set in the entrance switch their actions based on the measurement results of the occupancy sensor or illuminance sensor, such as each time a person enters or leaves the entrance, or when the entrance lighting turns on and off. However, server 100 can switch to the appropriate action based solely on the measurement results from the odor and dust sensor, based on changes in the air quality, such as an increase in odor or dust in the entrance. As a result, the server 100 can avoid wasting time operating the air conditioner 105, allowing it to operate efficiently and reducing power consumption.

Furthermore, the installation location acquisition unit 211 acquires the air conditioner 105's device ID "K3" and installation location "Living Room." The operating time acquisition unit 212 acquires the operating time "13:00." The condition determination unit 214 determines the operating time "13:00" as "noon," associates it with the installation location "Living Room" and the operating time "noon," and determines the usage conditions for using the measured values from the occupancy sensor, illuminance sensor, and odor and dust sensor (see Figure 3A). Similarly, the action determination unit 218 determines the humidity and airflow corresponding to the human presence determination result, the installation location "Living Room," and the operating time "noon."

As a result, server 100 can determine appropriate actions based on the measurement values from appropriate sensors based on the installation location and operating time, regardless of the installation location and operating time.

(Method for determining the degree of reflection of measured values)

For example, before the determination unit 217 determines the presence of a person based on the measurement values from the sensor, the reflection level determination unit 216 determines the degree of reflection, indicating the degree to which the obtained measurement values should be reflected, based on the installation location and operating time. The determination unit 217 then determines the presence of a person based on the measurement values corrected by the reflection level.

In other words, the responsiveness determining unit 216 may also, based on the relationship between the installation location and the operating time, replace the usage condition of not using the measurement value of a certain sensor with a usage condition of reducing the responsiveness of the measurement value of that sensor, among the usage conditions determined by the condition determining unit 214, associate the sensor type with the responsiveness, and output the result to the determining unit 217.

Specifically, in the case of a usage condition that does not use the illuminance sensor's measurement value, responsiveness determination unit 216 associates the illuminance sensor with a low responsiveness of "0.2" and outputs this to determination unit 217. Determination unit 217 then uses the illuminance sensor's measurement value multiplied by the responsiveness of "0.2" as a correction, and determines the presence of a person based on this corrected measurement value. In other words, by correcting the illuminance sensor's measurement value to a low value, determination unit 217 reduces the consideration of the illuminance sensor's measurement value when determining the presence of a person.

This allows the server 100 to appropriately determine the presence of a person using an appropriate measurement value level corresponding to the usage conditions based on the installation location and operation time.

(Feedback processing of user operations)

After the air conditioner 105 begins operating according to the action content received from the server 100, if the user performs an operation on the air conditioner 105 to adjust the action content, the air conditioner 105 transmits this user operation to the server 100. Furthermore, the operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires this user operation from the air conditioner 105. Then, the learning unit 221, for example, changes the correspondence between the judgment result obtained from the measurement value and the action content based on this user operation.

Furthermore, after the learned unit 221 changes the correspondence between the judgment result and the action content, when the server 100 determines the action content based on the acquired installation location and operation time, the action determination unit 218 refers to the correspondence between the judgment result and the action content fed back to the user operation and determines the action content corresponding to the acquired measurement value judgment result, installation location, and operation time.

For example, if the server 100 starts operating the air conditioner 105 with the humidity level "weak" and air volume "weak" as the operation content corresponding to the installation location "bedroom" and the operating time "night," and the user performs an operation to set the humidity level to "high," the operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires this operation content. Next, the learning unit 221 changes the operation content of the humidity level "weak" corresponding to the operation mode "Mode 3" corresponding to the installation location "bedroom," the operating time "night," and the determination result "human presence" by the determination unit 217 to the humidity level "high." Furthermore, when determining the action content corresponding to the same conditions of the installation location "bedroom", the operating time "night", and the judgment result "human presence", the server 100 determines the humidification level to be "strong".

In this way, the server 100 can provide feedback on user operations on the air conditioner 105, allowing the user to determine appropriate action content.

Here, the learning unit 221 may also change the correspondence between the judgment result obtained from the measurement value and the action content based on the user operation when the same user operation is received a predetermined number of times or more (for example, two or more times) at the same installation location and the same operating time. In other words, the learning unit changes the correspondence based on the number of times the user operation is fed back.

As a result, server 100 can avoid feedback on user operations in the event of an incorrect operation of the air conditioner 105. Instead, server 100 can reflect the user's operation when determining the action content, only when the user actually performs the same operation a predetermined number of times or more (for example, the same operation three or more times in a row, or the same operation at the same time on different dates). Based on this user operation, server 100 can determine the appropriate action content.

(Sound output processing from air conditioner 105)

For example, the sound output control unit 222 may transmit a predetermined sound to the air conditioner 105 after starting the air conditioner 105 to operate according to the determined action content. Alternatively, the sound output control unit 222 may retrieve sound information corresponding to the action content determined by the action determination unit 218 from the memory unit 202, start the air conditioner 105 to operate according to the action content, and then transmit the sound information to the air conditioner 105. Furthermore, the air conditioner 105 outputs the received sound information from the sound output unit included in the air conditioner 105.

Specifically, the sound output control unit 222 transmits the determined action content, namely, the sound information "Set the humidification level to low, set the air volume to low" corresponding to the humidification level "low" and the air volume "low," to the air conditioner 105, and the air conditioner 105 outputs this sound information from the sound output unit.

As a result, the server 100 can output the action content in audio when the air conditioner 105 starts an action based on the determined action content, allowing the user to easily understand the action content.

(Processing performed in information processing system 121)

Figure 5 shows an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal (e.g., smartphone 110a). As shown in Figure 5, when the user sets up the air conditioner 105 and connects smartphone 110a to the air conditioner 105, a screen for entering configuration information, including the location of the air conditioner 105, is displayed. Furthermore, when smartphone 110a enters "Send," the configuration location information entered in the "Configuration Location" input field is sent to server 100.

Here, smartphone 110a may also associate home appliance information identifying air conditioner 105 (e.g., device ID, model name, manufacturing number, etc.) with its installation location and transmit it to server 100. Furthermore, smartphone 110a may receive the operating time of air conditioner 105 and user operations to adjust the operation of air conditioner 105 from air conditioner 105, and transmit the operating time and user operations to server 100.

This allows server 100 to manage multiple home appliances by associating each appliance with its location and the specific actions it performs. Furthermore, when a home appliance installed at a certain location is replaced with another home appliance, server 100 can reference the action of the home appliance installed at that location and set the same action as the replacement home appliance.

(Processing executed in server 100)

FIG6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the server 100.

Initially, the installation location acquisition unit 211 receives and acquires the installation location of the air conditioner 105 from the air conditioner 105 or smartphone 110a (or laptop PC 110b) communicatively connected to the server 100 (S101). Next, the operating time acquisition unit 212 receives and acquires the operating time of the air conditioner 105 from the air conditioner 105 or smartphone 110a (or laptop PC 110b) communicatively connected to the server 100 (S102).

Furthermore, the condition determination unit 214 determines the usage conditions for using the measurement values from the sensors included in the air conditioner 105 based on the installation location and operating time (S103). Next, the measurement value selection unit 215 selects a measurement value from the sensor measurement values acquired by the measurement value acquisition unit 213 based on the usage conditions (S104).

Furthermore, the determination unit 217 determines whether a person is present at the installation location based on the selected measurement values as a determination result (S105). Next, the action determination unit 218 determines the action content (e.g., humidification amount, air volume) based on the determination result (S106). Furthermore, the home appliance control unit 219 controls the air conditioner 105 to operate according to the determined action content (S107).

(Effects of Server 100)

Server 100 can obtain measurement values from appropriate sensors corresponding to the installation location and operating time of air conditioner 105 and can use these measurement values to appropriately determine whether a person is present. In other words, server 100 can determine the appropriate use of the sensors included in air conditioner 105 based on the installation location and operating time.

Therefore, server 100 can determine appropriate action details based on the installation location, operating time, and the results of determination using appropriate sensor measurements. Consequently, server 100 can control air conditioner 105 with efficient action details appropriate to the installation location.

[Implementation Method 2]

The second embodiment (Embodiment 2) will be described with reference to FIG7 . In Embodiment 2, descriptions are added to the configuration of Embodiment 1, which differs from that configuration. In other words, if the content of Embodiment 1 overlaps with that of Embodiment 2, the description of that content will be omitted.

(Differences from Implementation Method 1)

In the first embodiment, the server 100 obtains measurement values from the air conditioner 105 using sensors corresponding to the installation location and operating time. It then transmits an action decision based on the installation location and the measurement value decision to the air conditioner 105, thereby controlling the air conditioner 105. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the air conditioner 105 may perform the processing that determines the action decision by the server 100 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the home appliance system may also be the air conditioner 105.

(Structure of air conditioner 105)

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the main components of air conditioner 105. As shown in Figure 7, air conditioner 105 may include, for example, an input unit 701, a communication unit 702, a sensor unit 703, a memory unit 704, an output unit 705, and a control unit 710. Control unit 710 may include, for example, a location acquisition unit 711, an operation time acquisition unit 712, a measurement value acquisition unit 713, a condition determination unit 714, a measurement value selection unit 715, a responsiveness determination unit 716, a judgment unit 717, an action determination unit 718, a home appliance control unit 719, an operation information acquisition unit 720, a learning unit 721, and a sound output control unit 722.

The control unit 710 has the function of uniformly controlling the various functions of the air conditioner 105 and is implemented by a controller (processor) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

The input unit 701 receives user input via, for example, buttons provided on the outside of the air conditioner 105, a display device with a touch panel, a remote control, or the like.

The communication unit 702 obtains the installation location from, for example, a user terminal (e.g., smartphone 110a, notebook PC 110b).

Sensor unit 703 may include, for example, a human presence sensor 703a, an illuminance sensor 703b, and an odor and dust sensor 703c. Human presence sensor 703a is, for example, a sensor that detects the presence of a person. Illuminance sensor 703b is, for example, a sensor that detects ambient brightness. Odor and dust sensor 703c is, for example, a sensor that detects odor and dust in the surrounding air. Each sensor outputs a measurement value to control unit 710 upon detection. These measurement values include, for example, a value indicating the presence of a person, a value indicating brightness, a value indicating odor, and a value indicating the amount of dust.

The installation location acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 711 acquires the installation location from the user terminal (e.g., smartphone 110a, notebook PC 110b). Alternatively, the installation location acquisition unit 711 may acquire the installation location input from the input unit 701.

The operating time acquisition unit 712 measures and acquires the operating time indicating the time when the air conditioner 105 is operating, for example.

The measurement value acquisition unit 713 acquires the measurement values measured when the human sensor 703a, the illuminance sensor 703b, and the odor and dust sensor 703c detect a person, for example.

Condition determination unit 714, measurement value selection unit 715, responsiveness determination unit 716, judgment unit 717, action determination unit 718, and learning unit 721 are similar to condition determination unit 214, measurement value selection unit 215, responsiveness determination unit 216, judgment unit 217, action determination unit 218, and learning unit 221 of server 100, and their description is omitted.

The home appliance control unit 719 controls the air conditioner 105 by outputting the operation details (e.g., humidification amount or air volume) based on the installation position and the judgment results obtained from the measurement values from the output unit 705 (e.g., humidification unit 705a or ventilation unit 705b).

For example, after the sound output control unit 722 starts operating the air conditioner 105 according to the determined operation content, it outputs a predetermined sound from the sound output unit 705c based on the judgment result obtained from the measurement value and the operation time.

For example, after the air conditioner 105 starts operating according to the operation content determined by the operation determination unit 718, the operation information acquisition unit 720 acquires information related to the user's operation input from the input unit 701.

The output unit 705 includes, for example, a humidifying unit 705a for humidification, a ventilation unit 705b for ventilation, a sound output unit 705c for sound output, and a display unit 705d for display, and is controlled by the control unit 710.

The memory unit 704 can be a memory device that can store any information, for example, a hard drive, an SSD (Silicon State Drive), a semiconductor memory, etc.

(Effect of air conditioner 105)

Air conditioner 105 can obtain measurement values from appropriate sensors that correspond to the location and operating time of air conditioner 105 and can use these measurement values to appropriately determine the presence of a person. In other words, air conditioner 105 can determine the appropriate use of its sensors based on its location and operating time.

Therefore, the air conditioner 105 can determine appropriate operating details based on its installation location, operating time, and the results of determinations based on the measurements of appropriate sensors. This allows the air conditioner 105 to operate efficiently according to its installation location.

(Notes)

Although the above-mentioned implementation method can also be described as follows, it is not limited to the following.

The home appliance system of the first aspect of the present disclosure may, for example, include: an acquisition unit for acquiring the installation location of the home appliance; a condition determination unit for determining a usage condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the installation location and an operating time for operating the home appliance; and a home appliance control unit for controlling the home appliance using an action based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

The home appliance system according to the second aspect of the present disclosure may be, in the first aspect, for example, wherein the condition determination unit determines conditions for using measurement values from a plurality of sensors included in the home appliance as the usage conditions; and the home appliance control unit controls the home appliance according to the action content based on the determination result obtained from the combination of the plurality of measurement values.

The home appliance system of the third aspect of the present disclosure may be, for example, the first or second aspect described above, further comprising: a determination unit that determines, based on the measurement value, whether a person is present at the installation location, as the determination result.

The home appliance system of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure may be such that, in the first to third aspects described above, the home appliance control unit, for example, is located in a bedroom and, when the operating time is nighttime, sets as the operation content an action of humidifying at a smaller amount than a reference humidification amount or an action of blowing air at a smaller air volume than a reference air volume, thereby controlling the home appliance.

The home appliance system of the fifth aspect of the present disclosure may be, for example, the first to fourth aspects described above, further comprising: an action determination unit that determines, as the action content, an action for adjusting the humidification amount or airflow rate based on a combination of the determination result, the installation location, and the operating time.

The home appliance system according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure may be, for example, the system according to the first to fifth aspects, further comprising: a reflection degree determination unit configured to determine a reflection degree indicating the degree to which the measured value is reflected based on the relationship between the installation location and the operating time during the process of obtaining the determination result from the measured value.

The home appliance system of the seventh aspect of the present disclosure may be, for example, the system according to the first to sixth aspects above, further comprising: a learning unit that, after initiating the operation of the home appliance using the action content, provides feedback to the user to adjust the action content, thereby changing the correspondence between the judgment result and the action content.

The home appliance system of the eighth aspect of the present disclosure may be, for example, the system according to the first to seventh aspects, further comprising: a sound output control unit that, after initiating the operation of the home appliance according to the action content, causes the home appliance to output a predetermined sound based on the determination result and the operation time.

The home appliance system of the ninth aspect of the present disclosure may be such that, in the first to eighth aspects, the condition determination unit determines, for example, that when the installation location is the entrance, a condition for using a measurement value from an odor and dust sensor included in the home appliance as the usage condition.

The home appliance system control method of the tenth aspect of the present disclosure may include: an acquisition step of acquiring the installation location of the home appliance; a condition determination step of determining a usage condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the installation location and the operating time of the home appliance; and a home appliance control step of controlling the home appliance using an action content based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

The control program of the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure may implement, in a home appliance system,: an acquisition function for acquiring the installation location of the home appliance; a condition determination function for determining a usage condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the installation location and the operating time of the home appliance; and a home appliance control function for controlling the home appliance using an action content based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

[Through software implementation example]

The control module (the various components of the control unit 210) included in the server 100 can also be implemented by software using a controller (processor) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Specifically, the server 100 includes a CPU that executes commands from a control program, software that implements various functions; a ROM (Read Only Memory) or storage device (collectively, "recording media") that stores the control program and various data in a manner readable by a computer (or CPU); and RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores the control program. Furthermore, the computer (or CPU) reads the control program from the recording medium and executes it, thereby achieving the purpose of one embodiment of the present disclosure. As the recording medium, a "non-transitory tangible medium" such as a magnetic tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, or programmable logic circuit can be used. Furthermore, the control program can be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the control program (such as a communication network or broadcast waves). One aspect of the present invention can also be implemented as a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, embodied by the control program through electronic transmission. Furthermore, the control program can be implemented using any programming language. For example, the control program can be implemented using a scripting language such as ActionScript or JavaScript (registered trademark), an object-oriented programming language such as Objective-C or Java (registered trademark), or a markup language such as HTML5. Furthermore, information processing terminals (e.g., smartphones and personal computers) including components that implement the functions implemented by the control program and servers including components that implement additional functions other than the aforementioned functions also fall within the scope of this disclosure.

100: Server (Information Processing Device) 105: Air Conditioner (Home Appliance) 110a: Smartphone (User Terminal) 110b: Laptop PC (User Terminal) 120: Home Appliance System 121: Information Processing System

Claims (10)

A home appliance system includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring the installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit for determining, based on the installation location and an operating time at which the home appliance is operated, a usage condition indicating whether to use a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance; a home appliance control unit for controlling the home appliance based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value corresponding to the usage condition; and a reflection degree determination unit for determining, in the process of obtaining the determination result from the measurement value, a reflection degree indicating the degree to which the measurement value is reflected based on the relationship between the installation location and the operating time. The home appliance system of claim 1, wherein: the condition determination unit determines conditions for using, as the usage conditions, a plurality of measurement values from a plurality of sensors included in the home appliance; the home appliance control unit controls the home appliance based on the action content of the determination result obtained from a combination of the plurality of measurement values. The home appliance system of claim 1 or 2 further includes: A determination unit that determines, based on the measurement value, whether a person is present at the installation location, as the determination result. The home appliance system of any one of claims 1 to 3 further includes: An action determination unit that determines, as the action content, an action for adjusting the humidification amount or airflow rate based on a combination of the determination result, the installation location, and the operating time. The home appliance system of any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprises: A learning unit that, after initiating the home appliance operation using the action content, provides feedback to adjust the action content based on user operations, thereby changing the correspondence between the judgment result and the action content. The home appliance system of any one of claims 1 to 5 further includes: A sound output control unit, after initiating the operation of the home appliance according to the action content, causes the home appliance to output a predetermined sound based on the determination result and the operation timing. The home appliance system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The condition determination unit determines, when the installation location is a foyer, a condition for using a measurement value from an odor and dust sensor included in the home appliance as the usage condition. A home appliance system includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring the installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit for determining, based on the installation location and an operating time at which the home appliance is to be operated, a usage condition indicating whether to use a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance; a home appliance control unit for controlling the home appliance based on an action content determined based on the installation location and the measurement value corresponding to the usage condition; and if the installation location is a bedroom and the operating time is nighttime, the home appliance control unit controls the home appliance by setting, as the action content, an action of humidifying at a lower amount than a reference humidification amount or an action of blowing air at a lower air volume than a reference air volume. A method for controlling a home appliance system comprises: an acquisition step of acquiring the installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination step of determining, based on the installation location and the operating time at which the home appliance is operated, a usage condition indicating whether to use a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance; a home appliance control step of controlling the home appliance using an action based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value corresponding to the usage condition; and a reflection degree determination step of determining, in the process of obtaining the determination result from the measurement value, a reflection degree indicating the degree to which the measurement value is reflected based on the relationship between the installation location and the operating time. A control program, wherein: a home appliance system implements: an acquisition function for acquiring the setting position of a home appliance; a condition determination function for determining a usage condition indicating whether to use a measurement value from at least one sensor included in the home appliance based on the setting position and an operating time at which the home appliance is operated; a home appliance control function for controlling the home appliance with an action content based on the setting position and a determination result obtained from the measurement value corresponding to the usage condition; and a reflection degree determination function for determining a reflection degree indicating the degree to which the measurement value is reflected based on the relationship between the setting position and the operating time in obtaining the determination result from the measurement value.