Apparatus control system, mobile terminal and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804655-B2
Application number	US-201214115199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2012
Priority date	May 24, 2011
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus control system includes control device controlling operation of apparatuses and portable mobile terminal communicable with the control device. In the control device, control unit controls each apparatus in accordance with control schedule stored in device-side storage unit and control request from the mobile terminal. In the mobile terminal, date and time setting unit sets arbitrary date and time as set date and time. Terminal-side storage unit stores terminal-side schedule in which control contents are associated with control dates and times for each apparatus. Simulation unit simulates operating state of each apparatus assuming that the apparatus is operating at the set date and time set by the date and time setting unit, using the terminal-side schedule. Apparatus state reflection unit outputs control request to the control device to cause the control device to control each apparatus such that the apparatus is in the operating state simulated by the simulation unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus control system for controlling a plurality of apparatuses located in a predetermined area, comprising:
a control device installed in a place different from the predetermined area and configured to control operation of each of the plurality of apparatuses by communication; and
a portable mobile terminal configured to communicate with the control device, wherein the control device includes:
a device-side storage unit configured to store a control schedule in which control contents are associated with control dates and times for each of the plurality of apparatuses; and
a control unit configured to control the plurality of apparatuses in accordance with the control schedule and, when a control request is received from the portable mobile terminal, in accordance with the control request from the portable mobile terminal, and
wherein the portable mobile terminal includes:
a terminal-side storage unit configured to store a terminal-side schedule in which control contents are associated with control dates and times for each of the plurality of apparatus;
a date and time setting unit configured to set an arbitrary date and time as an arbitarily set date and time;
a simulation unit configured to simulate operating states of the plurality of apparatuses, the simulated operating states being states in which the plurality of apparatuses operate at the arbitrarily set date and time, using the terminal-side schedule;
a display unit configured to display the operating state at the arbitrarily set date and time simulated by the simulation unit, and
an apparatus state reflection unit configured to generate the control request in relation to the simulated operating states, and to output the control request to the control device to cause the control device to control the plurality of apparatuses to operate in the simulated operating states rather than in their operation states according to the control schedule.

2. The apparatus control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device includes a scheduled control suppression unit configured to disable control in accordance with the control schedule by the control unit, when the
control request is output from the apparatus state reflection unit to the control device.

3. The apparatus control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the portable mobile terminal includes:
an input unit configured to receive input of change information by a GUI, the change information being information for changing the terminal-side schedule; and
a schedule editing unit configured to edit the terminal-side schedule using the change information input to the input unit.

4. The apparatus control system according to claim 3 , wherein the display unit is configured to display the operating state simulated by the simulation unit for each of the plurality of apparatuses by an icon.

5. The apparatus control system according to claim 4 , wherein the display unit is configured to display, for each of the plurality of apparatuses, the icon in a superimposed manner on a map on which a location of the apparatus is indicated.

6. The apparatus control system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the input unit is configured to allow selection of the icon displayed on the display unit and to allow to receive the change information for the apparatus corresponding to the selected icon through the display unit, and
the schedule editing unit changes a control content of the terminal-side schedule for the apparatus corresponding to the icon selected with the input unit.

7. The apparatus control system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the terminal-side storage unit stores the same control contents for at least two apparatuses among the plurality of apparatuses in the terminal-side schedule, with the at least two apparatuses referred to as grouped apparatuses, and
the portable mobile terminal includes an informing unit configured to inform that the remainder of the grouped apparatuses will be affected, when the icon corresponding to any of apparatuses in the grouped apparatuses is selected with the input unit and a control content of the grouped apparatuses is to be deleted from the terminal-side schedule by the schedule editing unit.

8. The apparatus control system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the terminal-side storage unit stores the same control contents for at least two apparatuses among the plurality of apparatuses in the terminal-side schedule, with the at least two apparatuses referred to as grouped apparatuses, and
the schedule editing unit causes, when the icon corresponding to any of apparatuses in the grouped apparatuses is selected with the input unit and a control content of the apparatus corresponding to the icon is to be deleted from the terminal-side schedule, remainder of the grouped apparatuses to be referred to as new grouped apparatuses.

9. The apparatus control system according to claim 6 , wherein the schedule editing unit adds to the terminal-side schedule, when at least two of the icons are selected with the input unit, the same control content for at least two apparatuses corresponding to the at least two icons selected with the input unit.

10. The apparatus control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the portable mobile terminal includes a terminal-side transmission control unit configured to transmit information of the terminal-side schedule to the control device, and
the control device includes a schedule updating unit configured to change information of the control schedule to the information of the terminal-side schedule transmitted from the portable mobile terminal.

11. The apparatus control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control device includes a device-side transmission control unit configured to transmit information of the control schedule to the portable mobile terminal, and
the portable mobile terminal includes a schedule setting unit configured to set the information of the control schedule transmitted from the control device into the terminal-side schedule.

12. The apparatus control system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the input unit is configured to be input operation information for changing the control schedule by the GUI,
the portable mobile terminal includes a terminal-side transmission control unit configured to transmit information of the terminal-side schedule to the control device in response to input through the input unit, and
the control device includes a schedule updating unit configured to change information of the control schedule to the information of the terminal-side schedule transmitted from the portable mobile terminal.

13. A portable mobile terminal, capable of communicating with a control device that controls operation of a plurality of apparatuses by communication in accordance with an external control request, the plurality of apparatus being located in a predetermined area, the control device being installed in a place different from the predetermined area, the portable mobile terminal comprising:
a terminal-side storage unit configured to store a terminal-side schedule in which control contents are associated with control dates and times for each of the plurality of apparatuses;
a date and time setting unit configured to set an arbitrary date and time as an arbitrily set date and time;
a simulation unit configured to simulate operating states of the plurality of apparatuses, the simulated operating states being states in which the plurality of apparatuses operate at the arbitrarily set date and time, using the terminal-side schedule;
a display unit configured to display the operating state at the arbitrarily set date

Assignees

• Sugiyama Takeshi
• Kazuno Hiroki
• Nakao Toshiaki
• Murakami Yoshifumi
• Shimotsuma Toru
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sugiyama Takeshi
• Kazuno Hiroki
• Nakao Toshiaki
• Murakami Yoshifumi
• Shimotsuma Toru

Classifications

• G08C2201/93

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

• G06F1/3203 Primary

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title