Information equipment, control apparatus and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016147199-A1
Application number	US-201414783408-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2014
Priority date	Apr 9, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information equipment 300 located in a consumer's facility 300 includes a reception unit 310 and a transmission unit 320 that performs transmission and reception of a command conforming to a predetermined protocol with a HEMS 200 via a network connected to the HEMS 200 , and receives an operational instruction from the HEMS 200 and a control unit 340 that controls an operation of the information equipment 300 according to the operational instruction. The transmission unit 320 transmits a breakdown notification message indicating that the network has had a breakdown to the HEMS 200 when the network is restored after the breakdown.

First claim

1 . Information equipment that is controlled by a control apparatus and located in a consumer's facility, comprising:
a communication unit configured to perform transmission and reception of a command conforming to a predetermined protocol with the control apparatus via a network connected to the control apparatus, and receives an operational instruction from the control apparatus; and a control unit configured to control an operation of the information equipment according to the operational instruction, wherein the communication unit transmits a breakdown notification message indicating that the network has had a breakdown to the control apparatus when the network is restored after the breakdown.

2 . The information equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a storage unit configured to store a network breakdown information indicating information related to the breakdown of the network, wherein the breakdown notification message includes the network breakdown information, and is an information notification command that is transmitted to the control apparatus through the communication unit when the control unit detects the restoration of the network.

3 . The information equipment according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit suspends the operation of the information equipment when the breakdown is detected.

4 . The information equipment according to claim 3 ,
wherein the network breakdown information includes a cause-associated operation state indicating an operation state of the information equipment according to a cause.

5 . The information equipment according to claim 2 ,
wherein if the information equipment is operating according to the operational instruction, when the breakdown is detected, the control unit suspends the operation of the information equipment, and if the information equipment is operating according to an instruction received without intervention of the control apparatus, even when the breakdown is detected, the control unit does not suspend the operation of the information equipment.

6 . The information equipment according to claim 2 ,
wherein if the operational instruction is an outside-consumer's facility operational instruction which the control apparatus receives from a server located outside the consumer's facility via the network, and the information equipment is operating according to the outside-consumer's facility operational instruction, when the breakdown is detected, the control unit suspends the operation of the information equipment, and if the operational instruction is an inside-consumer's facility operational instruction which the control apparatus receives via the network without intervention of the server, and the information equipment is operating according to the inside-consumer's facility operational instruction, even when the breakdown is detected, the control unit does not suspend the operation of the information equipment.

7 . The information equipment according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control unit suspends the operation of the information equipment when a predetermined period of time elapses after the breakdown is detected.

8 . The information equipment according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control unit transmits the breakdown notification message to the control apparatus when the restoration is detected after the operation of the information equipment is suspended due to the breakdown.

9 . The information equipment according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication unit repeatedly transmits the breakdown notification message until a response is received from the control apparatus after the breakdown notification message is transmitted.

10 . The information equipment according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined protocol is ECHONET Lite.

11 . The information equipment according to claim 2 ,
wherein the network breakdown information is one of properties of ECHONET equipment object specified in ECHONET Lite.

12 . The information equipment according to claim 2 ,
wherein when the communication unit receives a request command for requesting notification of a state of the information equipment from the control apparatus after the control unit detects the restoration, the communication unit includes the network breakdown information in a response command for responding to the request command, and transmits the response command to the control apparatus.

13 . A control apparatus that controls information equipment located in a consumer's facility, comprising:
a communication unit configured to perform transmission and reception of a command conforming to a predetermined protocol with the information equipment via a network connected to the control apparatus, and transmits an operational instruction to the information equipment, wherein when the network is restored after a breakdown, the communication unit transmits the operational instruction to the information equipment.

14 . The control apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising,
a storage unit configured to store the operational instruction, and wherein when a breakdown notification message indicating that the network has had a breakdown is received from the information equipment, the communication unit transmits a setting command including a latest operational instruction stored in the storage unit to the information equipment.

15 . The control apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the communication unit repeatedly transmits a request command for requesting transmission of the breakdown notification message to the information equipment when the network is restored.

16 . The control apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the predetermined protocol is ECHONET Lite.

17 . A control method used in a control system including information equipment located in a consumer's facility and a control apparatus that controls the information equipment, the control method comprising:
a step of performing, by the information equipment and the control apparatus, transmission and reception of a command conforming to a predetermined protocol via a network connected to the control apparatus; a step of operating, by the information equipment, according to an operational instruction given from the control apparatus; a step of transmitting, by the information equipment, a breakdown notification message indicating that the network has had a breakdown to the control apparatus when the network is restored after the breakdown; and a step of transmitting, by the control apparatus, the operational instruction to the information equipment when the control apparatus receives the breakdown notification message.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Kazutaka
• Inoue Takashi
• Hoshi Daisuke

Classifications

• H02J3/00

  Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks · CPC title

• H04L12/2829

  involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered · CPC title

• H02J13/333

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title

• H02J13/1331 Primary

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title