Notification control device, notification control system, and notification control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11748177-B2
Application number	US-202117772435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A notification control device includes: a sound notification controller that sends a first notification control signal for causing a first device to provide a first notification, obtains first response information to the first notification, and determines whether the first response information is in response to notification information; an image notification controller that sends a second notification control signal for causing a second device to provide a second notification, when the first response information is determined not to be in response to the notification information, obtains second response information to the second notification, and determines whether the second response information is in response to the notification information; and a canceller that sends, to the first and second devices, a cancellation process signal for cancelling the notifications, when the first response information or the second response information is determined to be in response to the notification information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A notification control device comprising:
an obtainer that obtains notification information relating to an operation performed by a device;
a first notification controller that: sends a first notification control signal for causing a first device to provide a first notification indicating details of the notification information; obtains first response information to the first device that has provided the first notification; and determines whether the first response information is in response to the notification information;
a second notification controller that: sends a second notification control signal for causing a second device to provide a second notification indicating the details of the notification information, when the first notification controller determines that the first response information is not in response to the notification information, the second notification being implemented in a form different from a form of the first notification; obtains second response information to the second device that has provided the second notification; and determines whether the second response information is in response to the notification information; and
a canceller that sends, to the first device and the second device, a cancellation process signal for cancelling the notifications indicating the details of the notification information, when the first notification controller determines that the first response information is in response to the notification information or the second notification controller determines that the second response information is in response to the notification information.

2. The notification control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first notification controller resends the first notification control signal when determining, within predetermined time after sending the first notification control signal, that neither the first response information nor the second response information is in response to the notification information.

3. The notification control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first notification controller sends, as the first notification control signal, a signal for causing the first device to provide the first notification by sound output, and
the second notification controller sends, as the second notification control signal, a signal for causing the second device to provide the second notification by image display.

4. The notification control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cancellation process signal that is sent when the first notification controller obtains a sound signal as the first response information is a cancellation process signal that is sent when the first notification controller obtains an operation signal as the first response information, the operation signal indicating an operation performed on the device in response to the first notification.

5. The notification control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cancellation process signal that is sent when the second notification controller obtains an operation signal as the second response information is a cancellation process signal that is sent when the second notification controller obtains the operation signal as the second response information, the operation signal indicating an operation performed on the device in response to the second notification.

6. A notification control system comprising:
the notification control device according to claim 1 ;
the first device that provides the first notification; and
the second device that provides the second notification.

7. A notification control method performed by a notification control device, the notification control method comprising:
obtaining notification information relating to an operation performed by a device;
sending a first notification control signal for causing a first device to provide a first notification indicating details of the notification information; obtaining first response information to the first device that has provided the first notification; and determining whether the first response information is in response to the notification information;
sending a second notification control signal for causing a second device to provide a second notification indicating the details of the notification information, when the first response information is determined not to be in response to the notification information, the second notification being implemented in a form different from a form of the first notification; obtaining second response information to the second device that has provided the second notification; and determining whether the second response information is in response to the notification information; and
sending, to the first device and the second device, a cancellation process signal for cancelling the notifications indicating the details of the notification information, when the first response information is determined to be in response to the notification information or the second response information is determined to be in response to the notification information.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohashi Yoshiki
• Tahara Kohei
• Sugimoto Hiroko

Classifications

• G06F9/542 Primary

  Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications · CPC title

• D06F33/30 Primary

  Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control  (controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50) · CPC title

• G06F3/167 Primary

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• D06F2105/60

  Audible signals · CPC title

• D06F2105/58

  Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user · CPC title