Control method for information apparatus and computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9507493-B2
Application number	US-201514698174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

In the case where selection of a device icon that represents an air conditioner and that is displayed in a region corresponding to one room on a floor plan is sensed in the region corresponding to the one room, an operation screen for operating the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device icon is displayed. In the case where a temperature is set on the basis of an operation of the operation screen, a control command for setting to the air conditioner the set temperature is output to the network, and information related to an operation state of the air conditioner is displayed in the region corresponding to the one room based on the operation of the operation screen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, over which one or more target devices are controlled,
the method causing a computer of the information apparatus to:
display a display screen representing a floor plan on the display;
display each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, the one or more target devices including an air conditioner;
in a case where a selection of a device icon that represents the air conditioner and that is displayed in a region corresponding to one room on the floor plan is sensed in the region corresponding to the one room, display on the display screen an operation screen for operating the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device icon, over the floor plan and on the outside of the region corresponding to the one room, and display an effect range of the air conditioner within the region corresponding to the one room;
in a case where a temperature is set on a basis of an operation of the operation screen, output to the network a control command for setting to the air conditioner the set temperature; and
display information related to an operation state of the air conditioner based on the operation of the operation screen in the region corresponding to the one room.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the operation screen includes a setting screen for setting the set temperature to the air conditioner, and
in a case where the set temperature is set on a basis of an operation of the operation screen, a control command for setting to the air conditioner the set temperature and for controlling the air conditioner with an operation mode that corresponds to the set temperature is outputted to the network.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein
the information related to the operation state of the air conditioner includes changing of a display color within the region corresponding to the one room in accordance with the operation mode.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where the operation screen is displayed on the display region of the display screen representing the floor plan, the device icons representing the one or more target devices are moved out of a display region of the operation screen.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case where a selection of a region outside the display region of the operation screen is sensed, a display control is performed to erase a display of the operation screen, and
the device icons representing the one or more target devices, moved out of the display region of the operation screen, are moved back to display the device icon representing the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case where a selection of an icon representing the air conditioner among the device icons that are moved out of the display region of the operation screen is sensed,
a display control is performed to erase a display of the operation screen.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein
the operation mode includes a heating mode or a cooling mode.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the display is a touch-panel display; and
the selection of the device icon is sensed by a contact to the touch-panel display.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection of the device icon is performed by clicking a mouse pointer.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a program to be executed in an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, over which one or more target devices are controlled,
the program causing a computer of the information apparatus to:
display a display screen representing a floor plan on the display;
display each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, the one or more target devices including an air conditioner;
in a case where a selection of a device icon that represents the air conditioner and that is displayed in a region corresponding to one room on the floor plan is sensed in the region corresponding to the one room, display on the display screen an operation screen for operating the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device icon, over the floor plan and on the outside of the region corresponding to the one room, and display an effect range of the air conditioner within the region corresponding to the one room;
in a case where a temperature is set on a basis of an operation of the operation screen, output to the network a control command for setting to the air conditioner the set temperature; and
display information related to an operation state of the air conditioner based on the operation of the operation screen in the region corresponding to the one room.

11. A method for controlling an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, over which one or more target devices are controlled,
the method causing a computer of the information apparatus to:
display a display screen representing a floor plan on the display;
display each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, the one or more target devices including an air conditioner;
in a case where a selection of a device icon that represents the air conditioner and that is displayed in a region corresponding to one room on the floor plan is sensed in the region corresponding to the one room, display on the display screen an operation screen for operating the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device icon, over a boundary line of the region corresponding to the one room, and display an effect range of the air conditioner within the region corresponding to the one room;
in a case where a temperature is set on a basis of an operation of the operation screen, output to the network a control command for setting to the air conditioner the set temperature; and
display information related to an operation state of the air conditioner based on the operation of the operation screen in the region corresponding to the one room.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a program to be executed in an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, over which one or more target devices are controlled,
the program causing a computer of the information apparatus to:
display a display screen representing a floor plan on the display;
display each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, the one or more target devices including an air conditioner;
in a case where a selection of a device icon that represents the air conditioner and that is displayed in a region corresponding to one room on the floor plan is sensed in the region corresponding to the one room, display on the display screen an operation screen for operating the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device icon, over a boundary line of the region corresponding to the one room, and display an effect range of the air conditioner within the region corresponding to the one room;
in a case where a temperature is set on a basis of an operation of the operation screen, output to the network a control command for setting to the air conditioner the set temperature; and
display information related to an operation state of the air conditioner based on the operation of the operation screen in the region co

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Sasaki Takamitsu
• Nagata Minehisa

Classifications

• F24F11/02

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• G06F3/04817 Primary

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• F24F2011/0091

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H04L12/2818

  from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007) · CPC title

• F24F2011/0068

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic