JP6527206B2 - CONTROL DEVICE, DEVICE OPERATION SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device, an apparatus operation system, a control method, and a program.

  In recent years, techniques for operating equipment installed in a house or the like from a terminal via a network have been actively developed. As this type of technology, there has been proposed one that avoids competition of operations from a plurality of terminals (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the remote controller restricts the processing request for content to the remote control target device during content processing in response to a request from the other remote controller.

JP, 2007-184745, A

  However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the size of the content is large, the processing takes time, and the time for which the processing request from the remote controller is limited also becomes long. As a result, the comfort of the user using the remote controller may be impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to avoid competition of operations from a plurality of terminals without impairing the comfort of the user.

In order to achieve the above object, the control device of the present invention is
A control device that controls an electric device by transmitting a control command to the electric device via an device network to which the electric device installed in a house is connected,
A receiving unit that receives an operation signal for operating the electric device from a plurality of terminals via a communication network and a wide area network;
Generation means for generating a control command based on the operation signal received by the reception means;
And transmitting means for transmitting one control instruction generated by the generation means to the electric device.
After the operation signal from one terminal is received by the reception unit, the generation unit restricts the operation on the electric device by another terminal, and acquires completion information indicating the completion of the operation from the one terminal. Then, when a predetermined time set in advance for the electric device has elapsed, the restriction is released.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to minimize the time during which the operation from the terminal is limited while avoiding the competition of control instructions. As a result, it is possible to avoid the competition of operations from a plurality of terminals without impairing the comfort of the user.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a device operation system according to Embodiment 1. It is a figure which shows the structure of the function of a controller. It is a figure which shows an example of a table. It is a figure which shows an example of the communication in an apparatus operation system. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of functions of a controller according to Embodiment 2. It is a flowchart which shows main processing. It is a flowchart which shows a transmission process. It is a figure which shows an example of the communication in an apparatus operation system. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of functions of a controller according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing main processing according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 21 is a flow chart showing main processing according to the fifth embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the device operation system 100 according to the present embodiment is a system for remotely operating a device installed in a house H1 via a network. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the device operation system 100 includes an electric device 10 installed in a house H1, a dedicated terminal 11 for operating the electric device 10, a controller 20 for controlling the electric device 10, and inside and outside of the house H1. It has a router 30 for relaying communication in the network, a server 40 for transmitting data related to operation, and operation terminals 51 and 52 for operating the electric device 10.

  The electric device 10, the sensor 12, and the controller 20 are connected to one another via the device network NW1. The device network NW1 is constructed as a subnetwork in a LAN (Local Area Network). This subnetwork is, for example, a network for communication according to a communication protocol such as ECHONET Lite (registered trademark). The electric device 10, the sensor 12, and the controller 20 communicate with each other via the device network NW1 by transmitting and receiving signals in accordance with this communication protocol.

  Moreover, the controller 20, the router 30, and the operation terminal 51 are mutually connected via communication network NW2. The communication network NW2 is, for example, a LAN built in the house H1. The router 30, the server 40, and the operation terminal 52 are connected to one another via the wide area network NW3. The wide area network NW3 is, for example, the Internet.

  The controller 20, the server 40, and the operation terminals 51 and 52 communicate with each other via the communication network NW2 and the wide area network NW3 by transmitting and receiving signals in accordance with a communication protocol such as HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure). However, the controller 20 and the server 40 communicate with each other by synchronizing data by polling. Also, the server 40 and the operation terminal 52 communicate with each other as a web server and a client.

  The electric device 10 is a facility device or a home electric device installed in the house H1, and is, for example, an air conditioner that adjusts the state of air in a room in the house H1. The electric device 10 may be a device other than the air conditioner. For example, the electric device 10 may be an electric water heater, an electromagnetic cooker, a floor heater or a refrigerator.

  The electric device 10 operates in accordance with control commands received from the dedicated terminal 11 and the controller 20. For example, when the electric device 10 receives a control command for starting the cooling operation while the operation is stopped, the electric device 10 starts the cooling operation and blows cold air from the outlet.

  In addition, the electric device 10 responds to the request from the controller 20. For example, when an output of a state is requested, the electric device 10 in the cooling operation notifies the controller 20 that the operation mode is “cooling” as the current state.

  The state of the electric device 10 according to the present embodiment is indicated by the value of the property in ECHONET Lite. For example, the property of the electric device 10 includes the “operation mode”, and the value of the “operation mode” is “heating”, “cooling”, “dehumidification”, or “stopped”. The state of the electric device 10 is set by control commands from the dedicated terminal 11 and the controller 20.

  The dedicated terminal 11 transmits a control command indicating the content of the operation input by the user to the electric device 10 by infrared communication, for example.

  The sensor 12 is, for example, a temperature sensor that detects the room temperature of a room in which the electric device 10 is installed, a human sensor that detects the position of a person in the house H1, or a power sensor that detects power consumed by the electric device 10. It is.

  The controller 20 is a home energy management system (HEMS) controller that controls the electric device 10. The controller 20 functions as a gateway server that relays communication in the device network NW1 and communication in the communication network NW2. The controller 20 includes a processor 21, a main storage unit 22, an auxiliary storage unit 23, an input unit 24, an output unit 25, and an interface unit 26. The main storage unit 22, the auxiliary storage unit 23, the input unit 24, the output unit 25, and the interface unit 26 are all connected to the processor 21 via the internal bus 27.

  The processor 21 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 21 executes various processes by executing the program P1 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23.

  The main storage unit 22 is configured of, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The main storage unit 22 loads the program P1 from the auxiliary storage unit 23. The main storage unit 22 is used as a work area of the processor 21.

  The auxiliary storage unit 23 is configured to include a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The auxiliary storage unit 23 stores various data used for the processing of the processor 21 in addition to the program P1. Then, the auxiliary storage unit 23 supplies the data used by the processor 21 to the processor 21 according to the instruction of the processor 21 and stores the data supplied from the processor 21.

  The input unit 24 includes, for example, an input key and a pointing device such as a mouse. The input unit 24 acquires information input by the administrator of the controller 20 and notifies the processor 21 of the information.

  The output unit 25 includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a speaker. The output unit 25 displays various graphics and characters to the administrator in accordance with the instruction of the processor 21 and reproduces an acoustic signal.

  The interface unit 26 includes a communication interface and the like for communicating via the device network NW1 and the communication network NW2. The interface unit 26 notifies the processor 21 of the information contained in the frame received via the device network NW1 and the communication network NW2. The interface unit 26 also generates a frame including the information output from the processor 21 and transmits the frame to a predetermined destination.

  The controller 20 performs various functions by executing software processing using hardware resources such as the processor 21 and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 20 generates, as its functions, a monitoring unit 210 that monitors the state of the electric device 10, a receiving unit 220 that receives an operation signal for operating the electric device 10, and a control command. Generation unit 230, a schedule storage unit 240 for storing a control schedule for the electric device 10, a schedule execution unit 250 for generating a control command based on the schedule, a buffer 260 for temporarily storing the control command, and A transmission unit 270 that transmits data to the device 10 is included.

  The monitoring unit 210 is mainly realized by the processor 21, the main storage unit 22, and the interface unit 26. The monitoring unit 210 periodically requests the electric device 10 to output a state. Then, the monitoring unit 210 acquires and holds the state of the electrical device 10 notified from the electrical device 10. Further, in response to the request from the operation terminals 51 and 52, the monitoring unit 210 notifies the operation terminals 51 and 52 of the state of the electric device 10.

  The receiving unit 220 is mainly realized by the interface unit 26. The receiving unit 220 receives an operation signal from the operation terminals 51 and 52. The operation signal is a signal indicating the content of the operation input to the operation terminals 51 and 52 by the users U1 and U2. The receiving unit 220 outputs the received operation signals to the generating unit 230 in the order of reception.

  The generation unit 230 is mainly realized by the processor 21. Based on each operation signal output from the receiving unit 220, the generation unit 230 generates a control command for realizing the operation content indicated by the operation signal. For example, the generation unit 230 decodes the content of the operation signal described in the XML format, and generates a Set command for setting the state in ECHONET Lite. Then, the generation unit 230 outputs the generated control command to the buffer 260.

  The schedule storage unit 240 is mainly realized by the auxiliary storage unit 23. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the schedule storage unit 240 stores a table 241 in which the date and time to control the electric device 10 and the content of the control to be executed on this date and time are associated. The contents of the table 241 are designated by, for example, the manager of the controller 20 and the users U1 and U2 who use the operation terminals 51 and 52.

  The schedule execution unit 250 is mainly implemented by the processor 21. The schedule execution unit 250 reads the table 241 from the schedule storage unit 240. Then, schedule execution unit 250 generates a control command for executing the content of control associated with the date and time stored in table 241, and outputs the control command to buffer 260.

  The buffer 260 is mainly realized by the main storage unit 22 or the auxiliary storage unit 23. The buffer 260 is a first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer that stores control commands generated by the generation unit 230 and the schedule execution unit 250. The buffer 260 stores control commands generated based on the operation signal in the order in which the operation signal is received by the receiving unit 220. However, the control command generated by the schedule execution unit 250 is stored as generated based on the operation signal received at the date and time specified in the table 241.

  The transmission unit 270 is mainly realized by the interface unit 26. The transmission unit 270 reads the control command stored in the buffer 260 and sequentially transmits the control command to the electric device 10. However, when transmitting one control command, the transmitting unit 270 waits until receiving a response from the electric device 10 to the control command, and then transmits the next control command. That is, the transmitting unit 270 sequentially transmits control commands while setting a time required from transmission of one control command to reception of a response to the control command.

  The response from the electric device 10 to the control command is, for example, simply a signal indicating that the control command has reached the electric device 10 regardless of the progress of the operation according to the control command. The response according to the present embodiment indicates that the property value indicating the state to be set in the electric device 10 is written in the storage device of the electric device 10 or not written, for example, the Set_Res response in ECHONET Lite It is.

  Returning to FIG. 1, each of the operation terminals 51 and 52 is a portable terminal possessed by each of the users U1 and U2, and is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The operation terminals 51 and 52 generate operation signals based on the operation content input by the users U1 and U2. Then, the operation terminal 51 transmits an operation signal to the controller 20 via the communication network NW2, and the operation terminal 52 transmits an operation signal to the controller 20 via the wide area network NW3, the server 40, the router 30, and the communication network NW2. Send

  Subsequently, communication among the electric device 10, the dedicated terminal 11, the controller 20, and the operation terminals 51 and 52 will be described with reference to FIG. In the sequence diagram of FIG. 4, an example in which the state of the electric device 10 is set by the dedicated terminal 11 and the operation terminals 51 and 52 is shown.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the initial state of the electric device 10 is the state A (step S1). A control command for setting the state R1 is transmitted from the dedicated terminal 11 to the electric device 10 at a certain timing (step S2). Thereby, the state of the electric device 10 changes from the state A to the state R1 (step S3).

  At another timing, a control command for setting the state R2 is transmitted from the dedicated terminal 11 (step S4). As a result, the state of the electric device 10 changes from the state R1 to the state R2 (step S5).

  The controller 20 periodically requests the electric device 10 to output a state (steps S11 and S13). The electric device 10 notifies the controller 20 of the state by responding to each of the requests (steps S12 and S14). In the example shown in FIG. 4, the state A is notified in step S12, and the state R1 is notified in step S14.

  The operating terminal 51 starts a series of operations RC1 at a certain timing. A series of operations RC1 is started by the user U1 opening the operation screen. When the operation screen is opened, the operation terminal 51 acquires the current state of the electric device 10 and displays it on the operation screen. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation terminal 51 requests the controller 20 to notify of the state of the electric device 10 (step S <b> 21). The controller 20 responds to the request to notify the operating terminal 51 of the state A as the state of the electric device 10 (step S22).

  Next, the operation terminal 51 transmits an operation signal for setting the state B as the state of the electric device 10 to the controller 20 based on the input from the user U1 (step S23). Thereby, a control command for setting the state B is generated and stored in the buffer 260 (step S24).

  Further, the operation terminal 52 starts a series of operations RC2 at a timing different from the series of operations RC1 by the operation terminal 51. Specifically, the operation terminal 52 requests the controller 20 to notify the state of the electric device 10 after the step S22 (step S31). The controller 20 responds to the request to notify the state R1 as the state of the electric device 10 (step S32).

  Next, the operation terminal 52 transmits an operation signal for setting the state C as the state of the electric device 10 to the controller 20 based on the input from the user U2 (step S33). Thus, a control command for setting the state C is generated and stored in the buffer 260 (step S34).

  After that, the schedule is executed at the time designated in the table 241 (step S40). Specifically, a control command for setting the state of the electric device 10 to the state T is generated and stored in the buffer 260.

  Next, the controller 20 transmits the control command initially stored in the buffer 260 to the electrical device 10. Specifically, a control command for setting the state C is transmitted (step S51). Thereafter, the electric device 10 responds to the control command (step S52). Then, the electric device 10 changes the state to the state C according to the control command (step S53).

  Next, after confirming that the response in step S52 has been received, the controller 20 transmits the control command stored in the buffer 260 to the electrical device 10. Specifically, a control command for setting the state B is transmitted (step S54). Thereafter, the electric device 10 responds to the control command (step S55). Then, the electric device 10 changes the state to the state B (step S56).

  Next, after confirming that the response in step S55 has been received, the controller 20 transmits the control command stored in the buffer 260 to the electrical device 10. Specifically, a control command for setting the state T is transmitted (step S57). Thereafter, the electric device 10 responds to the control command (step S58). Then, the electric device 10 changes the state to the state T (step S59).

  As described above, the transmission unit 270 according to the present embodiment transmits the next control command after the response from the electric device 10 to one control command is received. Thus, when the electric device 10 rewrites the data stored in the internal storage device in accordance with the control command, the electric device 10 responds to the controller 20 indicating that the data has been rewritten normally, and then the following occurs. Receive control command. In addition, when the electric device 10 does not rewrite data according to the control command (when it does not receive the control command), the electric device 10 responds to the controller 20 indicating that the process related to the control command has ended normally. Receive control commands for

  When the electric device 10 receives the next control command before making a response to the control command, another rewriting process may be executed before the data rewriting process ends normally. In this case, there is a possibility that a plurality of control commands may conflict. In particular, as a result of the control command for performing contradictory operations being input to the electric device 10, the operation of the device operation system 100 may be broken.

  However, the controller 20 according to the present embodiment sequentially transmits a plurality of control commands at intervals of the time required for the rewriting process of the electric device 10. For this reason, the data rewriting process in the electric device 10 is normally finished normally. This makes it possible to avoid control command conflicts. As a result, it is possible to avoid competition of operations from multiple terminals.

  Also, the transmission of the control command by the controller 20 and the reception of the response to the control command are performed on a very short time scale as compared with the operation by the users U1 and U2. For this reason, in the sense of the users U1 and U2, the delay due to the controller 20 storing the control command in the buffer 260 hardly occurs. Therefore, the comfort of the users U1 and U2 is not impaired.

  Further, the controller 20 transmits the control command generated based on the operation signal in the order in which the operation signal is received. Thereby, the order of the operation content transmitted from the operation terminals 51 and 52 to the electric device 10 does not change in the controller 20. For this reason, the device operating system 100 can transmit the content of the operation smoothly.

Second Embodiment
Subsequently, the second embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the above-described first embodiment. In addition, while using a code | symbol equivalent about the structure the same as that of the said Embodiment 1, or equivalent, the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  The apparatus operation system 100 according to the present embodiment relates to the first embodiment in that the operation of the electric device 10 from another terminal is restricted while the electric device 10 is operated from one terminal. It is different from

  FIG. 5 shows the functional configuration of the controller 20 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the controller 20 includes a generation unit 230 having an exclusion module 231, a notification unit 280, and an information acquisition unit 290.

  The exclusion module 231 excludes the operation signal received by the receiving unit 220 from another terminal from the operation signal for generating the control command when the electric device 10 is operated from one terminal. Hereinafter, a period in which the electric device 10 is operated from one terminal and the operation from another terminal is limited is referred to as a time limit.

  In addition, when an operation signal from a terminal other than the terminal operating the electric device 10 is received during the time limit, the exclusion module 231 notifies the notification unit 280 of the terminal that has transmitted the operation signal.

  The notification unit 280 notifies the terminal notified from the exclusion module 231 that the operation has been canceled. Further, when the time limit period ends, the notification unit 280 notifies the terminal notified from the exclusion module 231 that the restriction has been released.

  The information acquisition unit 290 acquires completion information indicating that the operation has been completed from a terminal operating the electric device 10, and notifies the exclusion module 231 of acquisition of the completion information.

  Subsequently, main processing executed by the controller 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. The main process starts when the controller 20 is powered on. The processes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are basically executed by the processor 21. The following description will be made using components of the functions shown in FIG. 5 as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the processor 21 determines whether or not the operation signal has been received by the receiving unit 220 (step S61). When it is determined that the operation signal is not received (step S61; No), the processor 21 repeats the determination of step S61.

  If it is determined that the operation signal has been received (step S61; Yes), the generation unit 230 determines whether the operation is restricted (step S62). Specifically, based on the information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23, the exclusion module 231 determines whether the operation from the terminal that has transmitted the operation signal is restricted by the operation from another terminal.

  If it is determined that the operation is restricted (step S62; Yes), the notification unit 280 notifies that the operation has been canceled (step S63). Specifically, the notification unit 280 notifies the terminal that has transmitted the operation signal that the operation by the operation signal determined to be received in step S61 is canceled. Thereby, the user can recognize that the operation which he / she input to the terminal has been canceled by the operation from the other terminal. After that, the processor 21 repeats the process after step S61.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation is not restricted (step S62; No), the exclusion module 231 starts a transmission process of transmitting a control command based on the operation signal determined to be received in step S61. (Step S64). This transmission process is performed in parallel with the main process. After that, the processor 21 repeats the process after step S61.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the transmission process, the exclusion module 231 restricts the operation by another terminal (step S71). Specifically, the exclusion module 231 writes in the auxiliary storage unit 23 a terminal operating the electric device 10 and information indicating that the time limit is in progress. This will start the time limit.

  Next, the generation unit 230 generates a control command based on the operation signal determined to be received in step S61 (see FIG. 6) (step S72). Thereafter, the transmitting unit 270 transmits a control command to the electric device 10 (step S73).

  Next, the exclusion module 231 determines whether the operation has been completed (step S74). Specifically, the exclusion module 231 determines whether acquisition of completion information has been notified from the information acquisition unit 290. If it is determined that the operation has been completed (Step S74; Yes), the exclusion module 231 shifts the processing to Step S76.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation is not completed (step S74; No), the exclusion module 231 determines whether or not a certain upper limit time has elapsed since the operation was limited in step S71 (step S75).

  This upper limit time means the upper limit value of the time limit. For example, the upper limit time is preset based on the maximum time taken for an operation from one terminal. For example, the time taken to feed back the operation result to the terminal, the time to try another feedback when this feedback communication fails (retransmission processing time), and the maximum value of the delay time of each process , Set as the upper limit time. The upper limit time is, for example, 10 seconds.

  If it is determined that the upper limit time has not elapsed (step S75; No), the exclusion module 231 repeats the process after step S74. As a result, the time limit will continue until the operation is completed or the upper limit time has elapsed, whichever is earlier.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the upper limit time has elapsed (step S75; Yes), the exclusion module 231 releases the restriction (step S76). Specifically, the exclusion module 231 writes in the auxiliary storage unit 23 information indicating that the time limit is not in progress. This ends the time limit.

  Next, the exclusion module 231 determines whether or not there has been an operation canceled during the time limit (step S77). That is, the exclusion module 231 determines the presence or absence of an operation signal from a terminal not operating the electric device 10 among the operation signals received by the receiving unit 220 during the time limit. If it is determined that there is no canceled operation (Step S77; No), the processor 21 ends the transmission process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is an operation that has been canceled (step S77; Yes), the notification unit 280 notifies of the release of the restriction (step S78). Specifically, the notification unit 280 notifies the terminal whose operation has been restricted that the restriction has been released. Thereby, in addition to the notification in step S63 (see FIG. 6), the terminal to which the operation is limited is notified that the operation is possible.

  After that, the processor 21 ends the transmission process.

  The controller 20 executes monitoring processing for periodically acquiring and monitoring the state of the electric device 10 in parallel with the main processing and transmission processing shown in FIGS. Furthermore, the controller 20 executes scheduled execution processing for executing a schedule at a predetermined time in parallel with the main processing, the transmission processing, and the monitoring processing. As a result, the contents of the control stored in the schedule storage unit 240 are executed at a designated time regardless of the presence or absence of an operation from another terminal.

  Subsequently, communication among the electric device 10, the dedicated terminal 11, the controller 20, and the operation terminals 51 and 52 will be described with reference to FIG. In the sequence diagram of FIG. 8, an example in which the operation by the operation terminal 51 is canceled is shown. The same processes as those shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the series of operation RC1 by the operation terminal 51 starts earlier than the series of operations RC2 by the operation terminal 52. However, the operation terminal 52 transmits the operation signal earlier than the operation terminal 51. Specifically, step S33 is executed earlier than step S23. Therefore, the controller 20 starts restriction after step S33 (step S101).

  During the time limit started in step S101, the controller 20 receives an operation signal from the operation terminal 51 (step S23). Then, the controller 20 notifies the operation terminal 51 that the operation has been canceled (step S102).

  Further, in the present embodiment, after transmitting the operation signal in the series of operation RC2, the operation terminal 52 requests the controller 20 to notify of the state of the electric device 10 (step S103). In the example shown in FIG. 8, in step S52, a response indicating that the control command for setting the state C has been successfully received is made. Therefore, the controller 20 responds to the request in step S103 by notifying the state C as the state of the electric device 10 (step S104).

  Next, the operation terminal 52 displays the state of the electric device 10 for the user U2, and notifies the controller 20 of the completion of the operation when it is determined by the user U2 that the operation is completed (step S105). Note that the operation terminal 52 may notify itself of the completion of the operation by determining that the state of the electric device 10 is equal to the state set in step S33 without waiting for the determination of the user U2.

  Next, since the controller 20 is notified of the completion of the operation, the controller 20 releases the restriction (step S106). Then, the controller 20 notifies the operating terminal 51 that has transmitted the operation signal during the time limit that the restriction has been released (step S107). The operation terminal 51 having received the notification displays a screen for performing the operation again to the user U1 (step S108).

  On the screen for performing the re-operation, for example, information for comparing the content of the restricted operation and the state of the electric device 10 set at the time limit is presented. In addition, on this screen, a button or the like for selecting whether to perform the restricted operation again or to cancel the operation on the electric device 10 may be displayed. As a result, the user U1 can try the operation again immediately after the expiration of the time limit.

  As described above, the controller 20 according to the present embodiment generates the control signal from the operation signal and transmits it except the operation signal received during the time limit from the terminal not operating the electric device 10 . Therefore, the electric device 10 does not receive remote control from two or more places via the communication network NW2. This makes it possible to avoid conflicts of multiple operations. In particular, as a result of the conflicting operations being performed simultaneously, the operation of the device operating system 100 can be prevented from being broken.

  In addition, the controller 20 can prevent the user from performing an operation unintended. For example, if the operation from another terminal starts before the operation from one terminal is completed, the state of the electrical device 10 is intended only by the user using one of the terminals, and the other user It is considered not to be intended by However, the controller 20 according to the present embodiment restricts the operation by the other terminal when the electric device 10 is operated from one terminal so that the state of the electric device 10 is not intended by the user. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the state of the electric device 10 is displayed to the user, and the user determines the completion of the operation. Thus, the user can confirm the content of the erroneous operation when the user makes an erroneous operation. Also, the operation can be modified before the operation is completed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a certain upper limit is provided for the time limit. As a result, for example, even when the user fails to confirm the completion of the operation, the time limit ends, and another user can operate the electric device 10.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the contents of control for which the time is specified in advance are executed at the specified time without being restricted by the exclusion module 231. Thus, scheduled control content can be reliably executed at a designated time.

Third Embodiment
Subsequently, the third embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the above-described second embodiment. In addition, about the structure the same as that of the said Embodiment 2, or equivalent, while using a code | symbol equivalent, the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  The device operation system 100 according to the present embodiment is different from that according to the second embodiment in that the completion of the operation is defined by the operation of the electric device 10.

  FIG. 9 shows the functional configuration of the controller 20 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the information acquisition unit 290 acquires, from the sensor 12, operation information indicating that the electric device 10 has started the operation according to the control command. For example, when the electric device 10 is an air conditioner and the sensor 12 is a temperature sensor, the start of the operation according to the control command for starting the cooling operation means a decrease in the detected room temperature. Then, the information acquisition unit 290 notifies the exclusion module 231 that the operation information has been acquired.

  The time limit according to the present embodiment ends at the earlier of the time when acquisition of operation information is notified from the information acquisition unit 290 or the time when the upper limit time has elapsed since the start of the time limit.

  As described above, the time limit according to the present embodiment ends when the operation information is acquired. Thereby, the operation from the terminal which is not operating the electric device 10 can be restricted until the electric device 10 reliably starts the operation by the operation from one terminal.

  The operation information may be information indicating that the electric device 10 has ended the operation according to the control command. For example, the end of the operation according to the control command for starting the cooling operation means that the detected room temperature has become the temperature set by the control command. When the electric device 10 incorporates the sensor 12, the information acquisition unit 290 may acquire the operation information from the electric device 10.

Fourth Embodiment
Subsequently, the fourth embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the above-described second embodiment. In addition, about the structure the same as that of the said Embodiment 2, or equivalent, while using a code | symbol equivalent, the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  The device operation system 100 according to the present embodiment is different from that according to the second embodiment in that the operation by the user is limited only when the user can not visually recognize the electric device 10.

  FIG. 10 shows main processing according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, when the determination in step S62 is negative, the processor 21 determines whether the terminal that has transmitted the operation signal is in a position where the electric device 10 can be viewed (step S110). . For example, the processor 21 detects, as a transmission source address included in the operation signal, an address in the communication network NW2 as information indicating that the terminal is in a position where the electric device 10 can be viewed. Thereby, it is detected whether or not the user using the terminal can view the electric device 10.

  When it is determined that the position is not visible (step S110; No), the exclusion module 231 starts transmission processing (step S64). On the other hand, when it is determined that the position is in the visible position (step S110; Yes), the generation unit 230 generates a control command (step S111). Next, the transmitting unit 270 transmits a control command (step S112). Then, the processor 21 repeats the process after step S61.

  As described above, when the terminal that has transmitted the operation signal is at a position where the electric device 10 can be viewed, the operation from this terminal does not restrict the operation from another terminal. Thereby, the operation performed from the terminal in the vicinity of the electric device 10 through the communication network NW2 is executed in the same manner as the operation by the dedicated terminal 11 according to the second embodiment.

Embodiment 5
Subsequently, the fifth embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the above-described second embodiment. In addition, about the structure the same as that of the said Embodiment 2, or equivalent, while using a code | symbol equivalent, the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  The device operation system 100 according to the present embodiment differs from that according to the second embodiment in that the operation is limited based on whether the terminal has a key for operating the electric device 10 or not. The key is data (access right) indicating that the operation on the electric device 10 is permitted, and is distributed by the server 40, for example.

  FIG. 11 shows main processing according to the present embodiment. In the main processing, when the determination in step S61 is affirmed, the processor 21 determines whether the terminal that has transmitted the operation signal has a key, based on the operation signal (step S113). In other words, the processor 21 determines whether the operation signal determined to be received in step S61 is transmitted from a terminal having a key. For example, when the key is a common key in the common key encryption and the operation signal is encrypted, the processor 21 may decrypt the operation signal using the key stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23. Determine if you can.

  If it is determined that the terminal does not have the key (Step S113; No), the processor 21 shifts the processing to Step S63. On the other hand, when it is determined that the terminal has a key (step S113; Yes), the generation unit 230 generates a control command based on the operation signal (step S114). Thereafter, the transmission unit 270 transmits a control command (step S115). Then, the processor 21 repeats the process after step S61.

  As described above, the controller 20 according to the present embodiment limits the operation using the key. Thereby, when distributing the key, it is possible to arbitrarily select a terminal capable of operating the electric device 10.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited by the said embodiment.

  For example, although the time limit according to the second embodiment ends at the earlier of the time when the operation is completed or the time when the upper limit time has elapsed since the start of the time limit, it is not limited thereto. For example, instead of the time when the operation is completed, the time limit may be defined using a time when a certain delay time has elapsed since the completion of the operation.

  When the time limit is set using the time when a certain delay time has elapsed, it is assumed that the delay time T1 from the execution of step S105 shown in FIG. 8 to the execution of step S106 is somewhat long. Become. In this case, for example, when the user U2 erroneously determines the completion of the operation, the operation can be corrected. Further, it is considered that the time required for the correction of the operation corresponds to the model and function of the electric device 10. Therefore, the delay time is preferably set in advance for the electric device 10.

  In addition, the operation terminal 52 may communicate with the controller 20 via the server 40 or may directly communicate with the controller 20 without passing through the server 40.

  In addition, even when the controller 20 receives an operation signal for operating a plurality of devices, the controller 20 executes the same process as the process according to the above-described embodiment for each device, thereby achieving operation conflict. Can be prevented.

  In the fourth embodiment, the processor 21 detects the transmission source address in the communication network NW2 as information indicating that the user using the terminal is in a position where the electric device 10 can be viewed. Is not limited. For example, data transmitted from the electric device 10 by infrared communication and added to the operation signal may be used to detect that the user is in a position where the electric device 10 can be viewed. Further, information included in an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag disposed in the vicinity of the electric device 10 may be detected from the operation signal. In addition, it may be detected that the user using the terminal has been photographed by the built-in camera (sensor 12) of the electric device 10.

  Moreover, in the said Embodiment 4, although step S110 was performed after step S62, you may replace this order (refer FIG. 10). That is, step S62 may be performed when the determination in step S110 is negative, and step S64 may be performed when the determination in step S62 is negative. In this way, the operation from the terminal in the vicinity of the electric device 10 is not limited by the operation from the other terminal, and therefore, the operation from the dedicated terminal 11 according to the second embodiment is performed equivalently. Ru.

  Further, the determination (see FIG. 11) of the presence or absence of the key according to the fifth embodiment may be executed instead of the determination of step S110 (see FIG. 10) in the fourth embodiment.

  The functions of the controller 20 according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by dedicated hardware or by a normal computer system.

  For example, the program P1 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 is stored and distributed in a computer readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), etc. By installing the program P1 in a computer, an apparatus for executing the above-described processing can be configured.

  Alternatively, the program P1 may be stored in a disk device or the like included in a predetermined server device on a network such as the Internet, for example, superimposed on a carrier wave and downloaded to a computer.

  The above-described process can also be achieved by executing and executing the program P1 while transferring the program via the network.

  Furthermore, the above-described processing can also be achieved by executing all or part of the program P1 on the server device and executing the program P1 while transmitting and receiving information related to the processing via the network.

  When the OS (Operating System) shares and realizes the above functions, or when the OS and an application cooperate to realize it, etc., only the part other than the OS may be stored and distributed in the medium. You may download it to a computer.

  The means for realizing the function of the controller 20 is not limited to software, and part or all of the means may be realized by dedicated hardware (circuit or the like).

  100 device operation system, 10 electric devices, 11 dedicated terminals, 12 sensors, 20 controllers, 21 processors, 22 main storage units, 23 auxiliary storage units, 24 inputs units, 25 outputs units, 26 interfaces units, 27 internal buses, 210 monitoring Unit, 220 receiver unit, 230 generator unit, 231 exclusive module, 240 schedule storage unit, 241 table, 250 schedule execution unit, 260 buffer, 270 transmitter unit, 280 notification unit, 290 information acquisition unit, 30 routers, 40 servers, 51 , 52 operation terminal, H1 house, NW1 equipment network, NW2 communication network, NW3 wide area network, P1 program, RC1, RC2 series operation, U1, U2 users.

Claims (9)

A control device that controls an electric device by transmitting a control command to the electric device via an device network to which the electric device installed in a house is connected,
A receiving unit that receives an operation signal for operating the electric device from a plurality of terminals via a communication network and a wide area network;
Generation means for generating a control command based on the operation signal received by the reception means;
And transmitting means for transmitting one control instruction generated by the generation means to the electric device.
After the operation signal from one terminal is received by the reception unit, the generation unit restricts the operation on the electric device by another terminal, and acquires completion information indicating the completion of the operation from the one terminal. Then, the control device cancels the restriction when a predetermined time set for the electric device elapses.   The control device according to claim 1, wherein the generation means discards operation signals from the other terminals received while the other terminals are restricted in operation.   3. The information acquisition means for acquiring operation information indicating that the operation of the electric device according to the control command has started or ended from the electric device or a detection unit that detects the operation of the electric device. Control device as described.   The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether a terminal that has transmitted an operation signal is permitted to operate the electric device. Storage means for correlating and storing a scheduled time for controlling the electric device and a content of control to be executed at the scheduled time;
Scheduled execution means for generating a control command based on the content of control associated with the scheduled time at the scheduled time;
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transmission means transmits the control command generated by the schedule execution means to the electric device.   The transmission means is a control instruction generated by the schedule execution means, generated based on the operation signal received by the reception means at the scheduled time, in the order in which the operation signals are received by the reception means The control device according to claim 5, wherein the control command generated based on the operation signal is transmitted by the generation means and the schedule execution means. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A plurality of terminals for transmitting an operation signal for operating the electric device to the control device. A control method for controlling an electric device by transmitting a control command to the electric device via a device network to which an electric device installed in a house is connected,
Receiving an operation signal for operating the electric device from a plurality of terminals via a communication network and a wide area network;
Generating a control command based on the operation signal received in the receiving step;
Transmitting the one control instruction generated in the generation step to the electric device;
In the generation step, after the operation signal from one terminal is received in the reception step, the operation on the electric device by another terminal is restricted, and completion information indicating the completion of the operation is acquired from the one terminal Then, the control method cancels the restriction when a predetermined time set for the electric device elapses. A computer that controls the electric device by transmitting a control command to the electric device via an equipment network to which the electric device installed in a house is connected;
A receiving unit configured to receive an operation signal for operating the electric device from a plurality of terminals via a communication network and a wide area network;
Generating means for generating a control command based on the operation signal received by the receiving means;
Function as transmission means for transmitting one control instruction generated by the generation means to the electric device;
After the operation signal from one terminal is received by the reception unit, the generation unit restricts the operation on the electric device by another terminal, and acquires completion information indicating the completion of the operation from the one terminal. The program which cancels | releases the said restriction | limiting when the fixed time preset about the said electric equipment passes since it.

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