Communication system, communication apparatus, communication method, communication program and electric device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9331749-B2
Application number	US-201214343343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 9, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A first communication unit transmits, to an electrical home appliance, request information that requests electrical home appliance specifying information for specifying the electrical home appliance after an approach instructing screen is displayed on a display unit, and receives response information including at least the electrical home appliance specifying information from the electrical home appliance after the first communication unit and the electrical home appliance have approached each other within a communicable range, and a display control unit switches a display screen to a menu screen that is unique to the electrical home appliance on the basis of the response information received by the first communication unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication method for a portable device comprising:
displaying, on a display unit, an approach instructing screen that instructs a user to cause a first communication unit and one of a plurality of electric devices to approach each other, the first communication unit communicating with each of the plurality of electric devices using near- field wireless communication, and the one electric device being a communication object among the plurality of electric devices;
in conjunction with the approach instructing screen being displayed on the display unit, transmitting, by the first communication unit, request information that requests start of near-field wireless communication, to the one electric device that is the communication object;
receiving, by the first communication unit from the one electric device that is the communication object, response information including at least electric device specifying information for specifying the electric device after the first communication unit and the one electric device that is the communication object become communicable due to the first communication unit approaching the one electric device;
communicating by the control unit of the portable device, the electric device specifying information, and information that identifies the portable device or information that identifies the user to a server, wherein the server stores data that defines an association between the first communication unit and the portable device to a database, or an association between the first communication unit and the user;
receiving, by the control unit, menu screen information from the server; and
displaying, on the display unit, a menu screen based on the menu screen information prepared in accordance with the one electric device that is the communication object, the menu screen including at least one of an item for viewing information related to an electric device specified by the electric device specifying information included in the received response information and an item for inputting settings of the electric device specified by the electric device specifying information.

2. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein
the menu screen is customized differently for electric devices different than the one electric device that is the communication object.

3. The communication method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
storing, in a storage unit, information for constituting the menu screen to be provided; and
displaying a screen that is constituted on the basis of the information for constituting the menu screen that is stored in the storage unit, without displaying the first screen, when the information for constituting the menu screen is stored in the storage unit.

4. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein
the response information further includes state information indicating a state of the electric device, and
the menu screen includes an item indicating a state of the one electric device that is the communication object based on the state information.

5. The communication method according to claim 4 , wherein the state information includes error information of the one electric device that is the communication object.

6. The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the electric device specifying information included in the received response information to the server by a second communication unit that communicates with the server via a network; and
displaying, on the display unit, a communication status notification screen which is a screen to be displayed on the display unit and which indicates that communication is being performed with the server at least after the electric device specifying information is transmitted to the server until the menu screen is displayed on the display unit.

7. A communication apparatus comprising:
a first communication unit configured to communicate with each of a plurality of electric devices using near-field wireless communication, transmit request information that requests start of communication using near-field wireless communication, to one electric device that is a communication object among the plurality of electric devices, and receive, from the electric device, response information that includes at least electric device specifying information that specifies the one electric device that is the communication object after the first communication unit and the electric device become communicable due to the first communication unit approaching a mark which is provided on the electric device and indicates a position of an antenna;
a control unit in communication with the first communication unit configured to:
communicate the electric device specifying information and information that identifies the communication apparatus or information that identifies the user to a server, wherein the server stores data that defines an association between the first communication unit and the communication apparatus to a database, or an association between the first communication unit and the user; and
receive menu screen information from the server; and

a display unit that displays screens; and
where the control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the menu screen in accordance with the one electric device that is the communication object, the menu screen including at least one of an item for viewing information related to the electric device and an item for inputting settings of the electric device, and the electric device being specified by the electric device specifying information included in the response information received by the first communication unit wherein
the control unit causes the display unit to display an approach instructing screen that instructs a user to cause the first communication unit and one electric device to approach each other, the one electric device being the communication object, and,
in conjunction with the approach instructing screen being displayed on the display unit, the first communicating unit transmits the request information.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the menu screen is customized differently for electric devices different than the one electric device that is the communication object.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, the computer program causing a communication apparatus including a first communication unit, a display unit and a control unit, and communicating with each of a plurality of electric devices, to function as a communication apparatus which:
displays, on a display unit, an approach instructing screen that instructs a user to cause a first communication unit and one of a plurality of electric devices to approach each other, the first communication unit communicating with each of the plurality of electric devices using near- field wireless communication, and the one electric device being a communication object among the plurality of electric devices;
in conjunction with the approach instructing screen being displayed on the display unit, transmits request information that requests start of near-field wireless communication, to the one electric device that is the communication object among the plurality of electric devices;
receives, from the one electric device that is the communication object, response information including at least electric device specifying information for specifying the electric device after a range between the first communication unit and the one electric device that is the communication object becomes a communicable range due to the first communication unit approaching the one electric

Assignees

• Kuroyama Kazuhiro
• Kurimoto Kazunori
• Nakatani Naofumi
• Yoshimura Yasuo
• Kamon Kenichi
• Yamaoka Masaru
• Ohnishi Toshiaki
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuroyama Kazuhiro
• Kurimoto Kazunori
• Nakatani Naofumi
• Yoshimura Yasuo
• Kamon Kenichi
• Yamaoka Masaru
• Ohnishi Toshiaki

Classifications

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04B5/24

  Inductive coupling · CPC title

• G08C2201/91

  Remote control based on location and proximity · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• H04B5/0031 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic