Indoor device, home system, control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9928729-B2
Application number	US-201414908574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2014
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A remote operation receiver ( 111 ) is configured to communicate with a communication terminal and receive a remote operation from outside a home. A remote operation monitor ( 112 ) is configured to monitor a state of communication with the communication terminal at the remote operation receiver ( 111 ) during an operation based on the remote operation. A notifier ( 114 ) is configured to provide in the home guidance to urge a user to conduct a manual operation on a manual operation receiver ( 121 ) when the remote operation monitor ( 112 ) detects that the communication with the communication terminal is discontinued. Then, an indoor device ( 10 ) is configured to make a shift to normal operation upon reception of the manual operation within a reference time period. An abnormal remote operation processor ( 124 ) is configured to set an extended time period corresponding to an operation state and then make a transition of the indoor device ( 10 ) to a safe operation when no manual operation is received even if the reference time period has elapsed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An indoor device installed in a home and configured to operate a predetermined main function, the indoor device comprising:
a remote operation receiver configured to communicate with a communication terminal and to receive a remote operation from outside the home;
an operation receiver configured to receive an operation from inside the home;
a main function controller configured to control an operation of the main function based on the remote operation received by the remote operation receiver or the operation received by the operation receiver;
a communication monitor configured to monitor a state of communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device during execution of an operation based on the remote operation; and
a notifier configured to provide notice that the remote operation is disabled or guidance to urge a user to conduct an operation on the operation receiver when the communication monitor detects that the communication with between the communication terminal and the indoor device is discontinued.

2. The indoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the main function controller is configured to terminate the remote operation when the operation receiver receives an operation within a reference time period after the notifier provides the notice or the guidance, and to control the operation of the main function based on the operation received by the operation receiver.

3. The indoor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an abnormal event processor configured to control the main function controller to make a transition to a predetermined safe operation when the operation receiver receives no operation after elapse of a reference time period after the notifier provides the notice or the guidance.

4. The indoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication monitor is configured to cut off a transmission path connecting the remote operation receiver to the main function controller when the communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device is detected to be discontinued.

5. The indoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
a unit including at least the remote operation receiver and communication monitor is separate from a unit including at least the operation receiver and the main function controller.

6. The indoor device according to claim 3 , wherein
the abnormal event processor is configured to set an extended time period to make a transition to the safe operation based on an operation state of the main function, and
the main function controller is configured to make a transition to the safe operation after elapse of the extended time period.

7. The indoor device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a device monitor configured to collect a device state collectable from the communication terminal in place of the communication terminal,
wherein the abnormal event processor is configured to control the main function controller to immediately make a transition to the safe operation without waiting for the elapse of the extended time period when occurrence of an abnormal device event is determined from the device state collected by the device monitor.

8. A home system including an indoor device installed in a home and configured to operate a predetermined main function, a control device configured to manage the indoor device in the home, and a communication terminal configured to be used outside the home, wherein
the indoor device comprises:
a remote operation receiver configured to receive a remote operation from the communication terminal;
an indoor operation receiver configured to receive an operation from inside the home via the control device;
a main function controller configured to control an operation of the main function based on the remote operation received by the remote operation receiver or an indoor operation received by the indoor operation receiver;
a communication monitor configured to monitor a state of communication with the communication terminal at the remote operation receiver during execution of an operation based on the remote operation; and
a notification requestor configured to request the control device to provide notice that the remote operation is disabled or guidance to urge an indoor operation when the communication monitor detects that the communication with the communication terminal is discontinued, and
the control device comprises:
an outdoor communicator configured to relay communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device;
an operator configured to be operated by a user in the home;
an indoor communicator configured to send the indoor operation corresponding to an operation on the operator to the indoor device and to receive a notification request sent from the indoor device; and
a notifier configured to provide notice that the remote operation is disabled or guidance to urge a user to conduct an operation on the operator when the indoor communicator receives the notification request.

9. A control method for an indoor device installed in a home and configured to operate a predetermined main function, the control method comprising:
a remote operation reception step of communicating with a communication terminal and receiving a remote operation from outside the home;
an operation reception step of receiving an operation from inside the home;
a main function control step of controlling an operation of the main function based on the remote operation received in the remote operation reception step or the operation received in the operation reception step;
a communication monitoring step of monitoring a state of communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device during execution of an operation based on the remote operation; and
a notification step of providing notice that the remote operation is disabled or guidance to urge a user to conduct the operation in the operation reception step when the communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device is detected to be discontinued in the communication monitoring step.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program, the program causing a computer installed in a home and configured to operate a predetermined main function to function as:
a remote operation receiver configured to communicate with a communication terminal and to receive a remote operation from outside the home;
an operation receiver configured to receive an operation from inside the home;
a main function controller configured to control an operation of the main function based on the remote operation received by the remote operation receiver or the operation received by the operation receiver;
a communication monitor configured to monitor a state of communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device during execution of an operation based on the remote operation; and
a notifier configured to provide notice that the remote operation is disabled or guidance to urge a user to conduct an operation on the operation receiver when the communication monitor detects that the communication between the communication terminal and the indoor device is discontinued.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Komatsu Masayuki
• Minezawa Satoshi
• Yabe Masaaki
• Endo Satoshi
• Maruyama Ichiro
• USHIROSAKO Hiroaki
• Yano Hirotoshi

Classifications

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• G08C2201/42

  Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network · CPC title

• G08C2201/51

  Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

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

• G08C2201/20

  Binding and programming of remote control devices · CPC title