Function managing device, remote control system, method for controlling function managing device, and recording medium storing control program therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9507330-B2
Application number	US-201414198673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

In a remote control system that causes a controlled appliance to perform a function specified with use of a terminal device, a function managing device manages functions including a first function and a second function associated with the first function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A function managing device for, in a remote control system that causes a controlled appliance to perform a function specified with use of a terminal device, managing the specified function,
the remote control system including:
a function memory section for storing the specified function therein in association with a function that is paired with and opposite in effect to the specified function; and
a function information memory section for storing information on the specified function in a state where the terminal device is capable of reading out and specifying the information on the specified function,

the function managing device comprising a processor configured to
(i) identify, as a first function to be processed so as to be specifiable with use of the terminal device, a function selected in advance with use of the terminal device, and (ii) identify, as a second function to be processed so as to be specifiable with use of the terminal device, a paired function stored in the function memory section in association with the first function;
register information on the first and second functions in the function information memory section so as to process the first and second functions in such a manner that the first and second functions are each specifiable with use of the terminal device; and
in a response to a request from the terminal device, (i) delete, from the function information memory section, information in a function specified in the request, and in a case where the function specified in the request for deletion is the second function and the function information memory section stores, registered therein, the information on the first function associated with the second function as the paired function, (ii) delete the information on the first function together with the information on the second function.

2. The function managing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the information on the specified function is an image with which one or more functions are associated; and
the processor is configured to register information on the first and second functions, each associated with a predetermined image, in the function information memory section to process the first and second functions in the manner.

3. The function managing device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the processor is configured to (i) identify, as a first function group, a plurality of functions selected in advance with use of the terminal device and (ii) identify, as a second function group, a plurality of functions that are paired with and opposite in effect to the respective functions of the first function group; and
the processor is configured to register, in the function information memory section, information on the first and second function groups each associated with a predetermined image.

4. The function managing device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the first function group further includes a third function that is independent and that is not associated with a paired function; and
the processor is configured to exclude the third function from the second function group.

5. The function managing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the function memory section stores, as the paired function, a single kind of the second function in association with a plurality of kinds of the first function; and
the processor is configured to (i) delete, together with information on the single kind of the second function, information on any first function corresponding to the single kind of the second function specified for deletion, and (ii) in a case where one of the plurality of kinds of the first function has been specified for deletion and the function information memory section stores, registered therein, information on any other first function of the plurality of kinds of the first function, to not delete the information on the single kind of the second function.

6. The function managing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is configured to, in response to a request from the terminal device, generate a screen including the first function as an option and the second function as and option; and
the screen is displayed on the terminal device so that either of the first function and the second function is specifiable.

7. The function managing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first function includes an ON-function of operating the controlled appliance; and
the second function includes an OFF-function of counteracting the operation of the controlled appliance.

8. A remote control system comprising:
a function managing device according to claim 1 ,
the terminal device including a plurality of terminal devices,
the remote control system further comprising:
a message board server is configured to manage an electric message board that at least one of the plurality of terminal devices is capable of using,
the message board server, in a case where the at least one of the plurality of terminal devices has posted onto the electric message board a comment including information read out from the function information memory section, informing the function managing device of a function associated with the information included in the comment posted,
the function managing device commanding the controlled appliance to perform the function of which the function managing device has been informed.

9. A function managing device for, in a remote control system that causes a controlled appliance to perform a function specified with use of a terminal device, managing the specified function,
the remote control system including:
a function memory section for the storing the specified function therein in associated with a function that is paired with and opposite in effect to the specified function,

the function managing device comprising a processor configured to
(i) identify, as a first function to be processed so as to be specifiable with use of the terminal device, a function selected in advance with use of the terminal device, and (ii) identify, as a second function to be processed so as to be specifiable with use of the terminal device, a paired function stored in the function memory section in association with the first function;
in response to the terminal device specifying the function that the remote control system causes the controlled appliance to perform, (i) convert the specified function into a command sequence including one or more statements that the controlled appliance is capable of executing, and (ii) transmit the command sequence to the controlled appliance;
in a case where the function memory section stores, as the paired function, the second function in association with the first function, and the second function has not been processed in such a manner that the second function is specifiable with use of the terminal device, perform a process for preventing the conversion of the first function or the transmission of the command sequence for the first function; and
in a case where (i) the first and second function have been processed in such a manner that the first and second functions are specifiable and (ii) the terminal device has specified the second function after the conversion of the first function and the transmission of the command sequence for the first function are preformed in response to the terminal device specifying the first function, perform the conversion of the second function and the transmission of the command sequence for the second function.

10. A method for controlling a function managing device for, in a remote control system that causes a controlled appliance to perform a function specified with use of a terminal device, managing the spec

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Nagamatsu Takayuki
• Hideishi Chie
• Hashiura Masaki

Classifications

• G08C17/00 Primary

  Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link · CPC title

• H04N21/4227

  {Providing} Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work · CPC title

• H04N21/4131

  home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices (home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807) · CPC title

• H04N5/4403

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title