Electrical equipment and equipment control systems

Abstract

The electrical device includes: an action unit that can execute multiple action modes; and a control unit that causes the action unit to execute one of the multiple action modes, wherein the action mode is determined based on first information obtained from the electrical device and second information obtained from another electrical device different from the electrical device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical device and an equipment control system. Background Art

[0002] An electrical device that can perform an action according to a situation is known. As an example, an electrical device that can perform a speech according to a situation is known.

[0003] For example, it is disclosed in Patent Gazette No. 2018-133045 that when any one of the multiple doors provided in the refrigerator is opened, an advertisement corresponding to the opened door and the date and time is retrieved in the server, and the retrieved advertisement is output from the refrigerator. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-133045 outputs information corresponding to which of the multiple doors of the refrigerator are opened and the time. However, the information corresponding to the type of door opened and the time may not be suitable for the actual user situation (e.g., the user's behavior pattern, lifestyle, etc.).

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical device and a device control system, wherein the electrical device can perform actions suitable for actual user conditions.

[0006] An electrical device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an action unit that can execute multiple action modes; and a control unit that causes the action unit to execute one of the multiple action modes, wherein the one action mode is determined based on first information obtained from the electrical device and second information obtained from another electrical device different from the electrical device.

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention involves an equipment control system that includes at least a first electrical device and a second electrical device different from the first electrical device. The equipment control system comprises: an action determination unit that determines any one action mode from multiple action modes executable by the first electrical device based on first information obtained from the first electrical device and second information obtained from the second electrical device; and an execution control unit that causes the first electrical device to execute the determined one action mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of the device control system according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of various devices included in the device control system.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the device information database.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the speech pattern table.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the refrigerator in the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 6A This is a diagram showing an example of a speech pattern of a refrigerator.

[0013] Figure 6B This is a diagram showing an example of a speech pattern of a refrigerator.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control unit of a server in the second embodiment.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the server according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the control mode determination table.

[0017] Figure 10 This figure shows an example of the data structure of the control mode table.

[0018] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the server according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0020] (First embodiment)

[0021] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the device control system 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, device control system 100 includes, for example, a refrigerator 101, a server 102, multiple electrical devices 103, and a portable terminal 104. Refrigerator 101, for example, has multiple doors 110 and stores food and other items in its internal storage compartment. Server 102 is a computer primarily used to collect and manage data from various devices. Each of the multiple electrical devices 103 has at least a specified main function and a communication function. Portable terminal 104 is a wireless communication device that can be carried and operated by a user, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet computer.

[0022] In the device control system 100 of this embodiment, a refrigerator 101 and multiple electrical devices 103 are installed in a user's home 10. The refrigerator 101 and multiple electrical devices 103 are connected to an access point 108 via wired or wireless communication. These devices can connect to a network 109, such as the Internet, via access point 108. Examples of the multiple electrical devices 103 include home appliances such as air conditioners, lighting equipment, televisions, door locks, air purifiers, and electric cookers. A server 102 is also connected to the network 109. A portable terminal 104 can connect to the network 109 via access point 108 or a base station.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of various devices included in the device control system 100. The refrigerator 101 includes, for example, a control unit 211, a storage unit 212, a communication unit 213, a notification unit 214, and a detection unit 215. The control unit 211 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and performs various information processing according to the program stored in the storage unit 212, thereby controlling the refrigerator. The control unit may also be an MCU, an MPU, or the like. The storage unit 212 is a non-temporary storage medium that can store programs and data, such as a flash memory or RAM. The communication unit 213 is an interface for communicating with the server 102 via the network 109 wirelessly or by wire.

[0024] The operation unit 214 has multiple operation modes capable of executing various functions related to the refrigerator 101 (e.g., cooling function, voice function, display function, etc.), and includes, for example, a compressor, fan, speaker, display, etc. The detection unit 215 can detect the usage status and control status of the refrigerator 101, and includes, for example, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the storage room (the so-called refrigerator interior), an open / close sensor for detecting whether the door 110 is open or closed, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the refrigerator 101, an item sensor for detecting items in the storage room, a human body sensor for detecting the presence of people around the refrigerator 101, and a timer for measuring time.

[0025] In this embodiment, the control unit executes a program to implement the following functional modules: The control unit causes the operation unit 214 to execute an operation mode determined from a plurality of operation modes, wherein the operation mode is determined based on first information obtained from the refrigerator 101 and second information obtained from another electrical device 103 other than the refrigerator 101 (a plurality of electrical devices 103 and the portable terminal 104). The operation unit 214 can output multiple pre-set speech patterns by voice. The control unit 211 causes the operation unit 214 to output the speech pattern determined based on the first information and the second information by voice.

[0026] For example, the first information includes information indicating the usage status of refrigerator 101. The second information includes information indicating the usage status of other electronic devices (multiple electrical devices 103 and portable terminal 104). An operation mode is determined based on the first and second information and corresponds to the lifestyle of the user using refrigerator 101.

[0027] The server 102 includes, for example, a control unit 221, a storage unit 222, and a communication unit 223. The control unit 221 includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM, and controls the server 102. The storage unit 222 is a non-transitory storage medium capable of storing programs and data, and is, for example, a large-capacity non-volatile memory such as an HDD. The control unit 221 executes various processes based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit 222. The communication unit 223 is an interface for communicating with various devices (e.g., the refrigerator 101, the electrical device 103, and the portable terminal 104) via the network 109.

[0028] Each of the plurality of electrical devices 103 includes, for example, a control unit 231, a main function unit 232, and a communication unit 233. The control unit 231 is a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU and memory, and controls the electrical device 103. Within the control unit 231, the CPU 310 executes various information processing operations based on programs and data stored in the memory. The control unit 231 can be composed of, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM.

[0029] The main function unit 232 executes various functions of the electrical device 103. For example, if the electrical device 103 is an air conditioner, the main function unit 232 controls the well-known indoor and outdoor units to perform the air conditioning function. If the electrical device 103 is a lighting device, the main function unit 232 controls a light source such as an LED to perform the lighting function. If the electrical device 103 is a door lock device, the main function unit 232 controls the locking mechanism to lock and unlock the door. The communication unit 233 is similar to the communication unit 213.

[0030] The portable terminal 104 includes, for example, a control unit 241, a storage unit 242, a communication unit 243, an input unit 244, and an output unit 245. The control unit 241 controls the portable terminal 104. Furthermore, the control unit 241, storage unit 242, and communication unit 243 are similar to the control unit 211, storage unit 212, and communication unit 213 described above, and therefore their description is omitted. The input unit 244 includes, for example, physical keys, a microphone, a touch panel, etc. The output unit 245 includes, for example, a display, a light, a speaker, etc.

[0031] Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the device information database 300. In this embodiment, the user pre-registers each of the refrigerator 101, the server 102, the plurality of electrical devices 103, and the portable terminal 104 in the server 102 as a monitoring target device. Each monitoring target device automatically sends device information indicating the operation content or control content to the server 102 when triggered by a prescribed device operation or device control. In the server 102, the device information received from each monitoring target device is stored in the device information database 300 (see FIG. 1 ) provided in the storage unit 222, for example, in chronological order. Figure 3 )middle.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown in the example, each device information registered in the device information database 300 includes a device ID, device type, operation date and time, and status data. The device ID is unique identification information of the monitored device. The device type is the type of the monitored device. The operation date and time indicates the date and time when the status data of the monitored device was acquired. The status data indicates the details of the operation or control of the monitored device.

[0033] In this embodiment, the cases where the user has registered a device with ID "S241" and device type "smart phone", a device with ID "C011" and device type "air conditioner", a device with ID "L022" and device type "living room lighting", a device with ID "R821" and device type "refrigerator", and a device with ID "D009" and device type "entrance lock" are taken as examples. Figure 1 In the example, the “refrigerator” corresponds to the refrigerator 101 . The “air conditioner,” “living room lighting,” and “entrance lock” correspond to the plurality of electrical devices 103 . The “smartphone” corresponds to the mobile terminal 104 .

[0034] For example, device information 301 to 303 represents the device operation history performed by the user upon waking up. Device information 301 indicates the device type "smartphone" and the status data "alarm action on" corresponding to the user activating the cooling mode of the air conditioner, electrical device 103, at a set temperature of 26°C. Device information 302 indicates the device type "air conditioner" and the status data "power on (cooling mode, 26°C)" corresponding to the user turning on the power of the living room lighting, electrical device 103. Device information 303 indicates the device type "living room lighting" and the status data "power on" corresponding to the user turning on the power of the living room lighting, electrical device 103.

[0035] Device information 304 and 305 represent the device operation history for a specified period of time (e.g., one hour or longer) after the user wakes up. For example, if the user opens or closes refrigerator door 110 in refrigerator 101, device information 304 and 305 indicate the device type "refrigerator" and the status data "refrigerator door open" and "refrigerator door closed." The opening and closing of refrigerator door 110 can be detected by the open / close sensor of detection unit 215.

[0036] Device information 306 to 309 represents the device operation history performed by the user before leaving the house. Device information 306 indicates that the user turned off the air conditioner. Device information 307 indicates that the user turned off the living room lighting. Device information 308 indicates the device type "Hallway Lock" and the status data "Unlocked," corresponding to the user unlocking the hallway lock, an electrical device 103, to open the hallway door. Device information 309 indicates the device type "Hallway Lock" and the status data "Locked," corresponding to the user closing the hallway door to lock the hallway lock.

[0037] Figure 4 This figure shows an example of the data structure of speech pattern table 400. Refrigerator 101 of this embodiment has a speech function, in which operation unit 214 outputs multiple speech patterns by voice. Speech pattern table 400 stored in storage unit 212 defines multiple speech patterns.

[0038] like Figure 4 In the illustrated speech pattern table 400, a speech ID, speech conditions, and speech-enabled states are defined for each of the multiple speech patterns. The speech ID is unique identification information for the speech pattern. The speech conditions indicate the conditions for outputting the speech pattern by voice. The speech-enabled state indicates the user's state for outputting the speech pattern by voice. For example, if the speech condition "door 110 is open between 5:00 and 10:00" is met and the user's state is "upon waking up," which indicates a state in which speech can be output, the speech pattern "Good morning" with speech ID "01" will be output. In this example, each speech pattern can be output up to once per day.

[0039] An example of the flow of processing executed in the first embodiment will be described. Figure 5 FIG1 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the refrigerator 101 in the first embodiment. For example, when the power of the refrigerator 101 is turned on, the control unit 211 starts Figure 5 The processing flow shown.

[0040] like Figure 5As shown, the control unit 211 determines whether a speech condition is satisfied (S101). For example, based on the detection result of the detection unit 215, the control unit 211 determines whether any one of the multiple speech conditions defined in the speech pattern table 400 is satisfied. If any one of the speech conditions is satisfied (S101: Yes), the control unit 211 refers to the speech pattern table 400 and identifies the speech pattern that satisfies the speech condition (S102).

[0041] Next, the control unit 211 sends a status request to the server 102 (S103). The status request is a command to inquire about the user's predicted status. In this embodiment, when the server 102 receives the status request, it determines the user's behavior pattern based on the multiple device information registered in the device information database 300. The server 102 predicts the current user status based on the determined behavior pattern. The server 102 returns the predicted user status and the predicted status to the refrigerator 101, which is the source of the status request. The control unit 211 obtains the predicted status returned from the server 102 (S104).

[0042] After executing S104, or if the speech conditions are not met (S101: No), control unit 211 refers to speech pattern table 400 to determine whether the acquired predicted state is a state in which speech can be delivered according to the speech pattern determined in S102 (S105). If the predicted state is a state in which speech can be delivered (S105: Yes), control unit 211 causes operation unit 214 to execute speech control according to the determined speech pattern (S106). As a result, refrigerator 101 outputs the speech pattern determined in S102 by voice. After executing S106, or if the predicted state is not a state in which speech can be delivered (S105: No), processing returns to S101.

[0043] The operation mode of the refrigerator 101 executed based on the above-described processing flow in the appliance control system 100 of the first embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 6A and Figure 6B This is a diagram showing an example of a speech pattern of the refrigerator 101.

[0044] As a first example, it is assumed that the user wakes up at 6:00 am and performs a short period of time corresponding to the device database 300 (see Figure 3 ) device information 301 to 303 device operation, and also open and close the door 110 of the refrigerator 101. In this case, the speech pattern table 400 (refer to Figure 4 ) in the speech condition that the speech ID is "H01" (S101: Yes), determines the speech pattern "good morning" (S102), and sends a status request to the server 102 (S103).

[0045] Server 102 refers to device information database 300, analyzes the user's behavior patterns, and predicts the user's current state based on these patterns. In the above example, device information 301 to 303 indicates a standard behavior pattern for waking up, so the user's state is determined to be "waking up," and this predicted state is returned to refrigerator 101 (S104). The predicted state "waking up" satisfies the speech condition for speech ID "H01" (S105: Yes), so the speech pattern "Good morning" is output (S106).

[0046] As a second example, it is assumed that after the user performs the device operations corresponding to the device information 301 to 303, the door 110 of the refrigerator 101 is opened for the first time at 9:23 am. This switch operation corresponds to the device information 304, 305 (refer to Figure 3 In this case, the speech pattern "Good morning" is determined (S101: Yes, S102, S103). In server 102, the door switch in device information 304 and 305 is a device operation that occurred more than several hours after the user woke up, so "awake" is determined as the user state (S104). The predicted state "awake" is not an utterance condition for speech ID "H01" (S105: No), so the speech pattern "Good morning" is not voice-outputted.

[0047] As a third example, assume that the user performs a Figure 3 ) device operation. Device information 310 to 312 is the history of device operations performed by the user when he returns home. Specifically, device information 310 and 311 indicate that the user unlocked and locked the entrance door in order to open and close the entrance door. Device information 312 indicates that the user turned on the living room lighting power. Device information 313 and 314 indicate that the user turned on the living room lighting power at 22:38 immediately after the above device operation. Figure 6A The door of the refrigerator 101 is shown as open or closed.

[0048] In this case, the speech conditions for speech IDs "H04" and "H05" in speech pattern 400 are satisfied (S101: Yes), the speech patterns "Welcome home" and "Good night" are determined (S102), and a status request is sent to server 102 (S103). In server 102, device information 310 to 312 are standard action patterns performed when returning home, so the user status is determined to be "when returning home", and this predicted status is returned to refrigerator 101 (S104). The predicted status "when returning home" is a speech condition for speech ID "H04" (S105: Yes), so, if Figure 6A As shown, the speech pattern "Welcome home" is outputted by voice (S106).

[0049] As a fourth example, assume that the user performs a Figure 3 ) after operating the device, such as Figure 6B As shown, the door 110 of refrigerator 101 was opened and closed. Device information 315 and 316 represent the history of device operations performed by the user before going to bed. Specifically, device information 315 indicates that the user changed the air conditioner's operating mode to sleep mode. Device information 316 indicates that the user turned off the living room lights. In this case, the speech patterns "Welcome home" and "Good night" are determined (S101: Yes, S102, S103).

[0050] In the server 102, the device information 315 and 316 are standard action patterns before going to bed, so the user state is determined to be "before going to bed", and the predicted state is returned to the refrigerator 101 (S104). The predicted state "before going to bed" is a speech condition for the speech ID "H05" (S105: Yes), so, if Figure 6B As shown, the speech pattern "Good night" is outputted by voice (S106).

[0051] (Second embodiment)

[0052] The second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Differences from the first embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the speech mode is determined by server 102, which differs from the first embodiment in that refrigerator 101 determines the speech mode.

[0053] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 221 of the server 102 in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 221 executes a program to realize Figure 7 The control unit 221 of this embodiment includes, for example, an action determination unit 701 and an execution control unit 702. The speech pattern table 400 (see Figure 4 ) is not stored in the refrigerator 101, but is stored in the storage unit 222 of the server 102.

[0054] Based on first information received from a first electrical device (e.g., refrigerator 101) and second information received from a second electrical device (e.g., multiple electrical devices 103 and portable terminal 104), action determination unit 701 determines one of multiple action modes (e.g., multiple speech modes) executable by the first electrical device. Execution control unit 702 causes the first electrical device to execute the determined action mode.

[0055] An example of a process flow executed in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 8This is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the server 102 of the second embodiment. For example, when the power of the server 102 is turned on, the control unit 221 starts Figure 8 The processing flow shown.

[0056] like Figure 8 As shown, the control unit 221 obtains device information from each monitoring target device (for example, the refrigerator 101, the plurality of electrical devices 103, and the portable terminal 104) (S201). The obtained device information is registered in the device information database 300 (see Figure 3 ). Similar to S101, action determination unit 701 determines whether a speech condition is satisfied (S202). For example, based on the device information of refrigerator 101, action determination unit 701 determines whether any of the multiple speech conditions defined in speech pattern table 400 is satisfied. If any of the speech conditions is satisfied (S202: Yes), similar to S102, action determination unit 701 refers to speech pattern table 400 to determine a speech pattern (S203).

[0057] Next, the action decision unit 701 determines the user's predicted state (S204). For example, the action decision unit 701 analyzes the user's behavior pattern with reference to the device information database 300 and predicts the current user state based on the behavior pattern. Similar to S105, the action decision unit 701 determines whether the determined predicted state is a state in which speech can be spoken (S205). If the determined predicted state is a state in which speech can be spoken (S205: Yes), the execution control unit 702 sends an execution instruction for the speech mode determined in S203 to the refrigerator 101 (S206). In the refrigerator 101, the control unit 211 causes the action unit 214 to execute speech control for the speech mode according to the execution instruction for the speech mode. After executing S206, or if the determined predicted state is not a state in which speech can be spoken (S205: No), the process returns to S201.

[0058] (Third embodiment)

[0059] The third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Differences from the second embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, cooling control and speech control are determined as the operating mode of refrigerator 101. This differs from the second embodiment, in that the speech mode is determined as the operating mode of refrigerator 101.

[0060] Similar to the second embodiment, the control unit 221 of this embodiment includes an action determination unit 701 and an execution control unit 702 (see Figure 7In the refrigerator 101 that cools the interior of the refrigerator, the operation unit 214 can execute a plurality of pre-set cooling controls. The execution control unit 702 causes the operation unit 214 to execute a cooling control determined based on the first information and the second information.

[0061] The storage unit 222 of the server 102 stores a device information database 300 (see Figure 3 ), control mode determination table 500 (refer to Figure 9 ), control mode table 510 (refer to Figure 10 ). Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the control mode determination table 500 . Figure 10 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the control mode table 510 .

[0062] like Figure 9 As shown, in the control mode determination table 500, each of the plurality of control modes 504 is associated with a plurality of state evaluation information. The plurality of state evaluation information is information that evaluates various states of the corresponding devices, for example, refrigerator information 501, other device information 502, and other information 503.

[0063] Refrigerator information 501 includes user operations, operating status, and external environment. User operations are information about user operations on refrigerator 101 (e.g., opening and closing of door 110, controlling the set temperature of refrigerator 101, etc.). Operating status is information about the operating state of refrigerator 101 (e.g., internal temperature, damper opening and closing, ice making / water storage function, operating period, etc.). External environment is information about the external environment of refrigerator 101 (e.g., ambient temperature).

[0064] Other device information 502 also includes user operations, operating status, and external environment information regarding the corresponding electrical device 103 or refrigerator terminal 104. Other information, in addition to refrigerator information 501 and other device information 502, is information relevant to determining control mode 504, such as the GPS location of portable terminal 104, season, and event. Control mode 504 indicates the execution mode of refrigerator 101's operational control and corresponds to at least one combination of refrigerator information 501, other device information 502, and other information 503.

[0065] like Figure 10 As shown, the control mode table 510 defines the corresponding control content, ie, the operation mode 505, for each of the plurality of control modes 504 defined in the control mode determination table 500. The following describes the correspondence between the control mode determination table 500 and the control mode table 510.

[0066] (1) In control mode determination table 500, when the user operation of refrigerator information 501 is "frequent door opening and closing times," the operating state of refrigerator information 501 is "high refrigerator internal temperature," and the user operation of other device information 502 is "pre-cooking operation present," control mode "P01" 504 is determined. Pre-cooking operation refers to device operations that predict the user will perform cooking, such as unlocking the entrance door upon returning home, searching the menu of an electric cooker, or turning on the power of a gas water heater.

[0067] In control mode table 510, "pre-cooling operation" is selected as action mode 505 corresponding to control mode 504 "P01" to suppress a rise in the refrigerator's internal temperature. Generally, during cooking, the door of refrigerator 101 opens and closes more frequently, and the internal temperature of the refrigerator tends to rise. Therefore, if it is predicted that the user will be cooking, executing pre-cooling operation in refrigerator 101 can suppress a rise in the internal temperature of the refrigerator during cooking.

[0068] (2) In the control mode determination table 500, when the user operation of the refrigerator information 501 is "no door switch", the operating state of the refrigerator information 501 is "refrigerator internal temperature is stable", the user operation of the other device information 502 is "pre-sleep operation", and the external environment of the other device information 502 is "late night time", the control mode 504 of "P02" is determined. Pre-sleep operation refers to device operation that predicts that the user will go to sleep, for example, turning off the power of the TV or lighting equipment, setting the alarm of the mobile terminal 104, and setting a timer for automatically turning off the power of the air conditioner (so-called sleep timer).

[0069] In control mode table 510, "Quiet Operation" is set as operation mode 505 corresponding to control mode 504 "P02" to suppress driving noise during operation. Thus, if it is predicted that the user will be sleeping, quiet operation can be performed in refrigerator 101 to prevent the user from sleeping.

[0070] (3) In the control mode determination table 500, when the user operation of the refrigerator information 501 is "few door openings and closings", the user operation of the other device information 502 is "pre-outing operation", the action status of the other device information 502 is "no response from the human sensor (installed in the electrical device 103)", and the other information 503 is "GPS location is far away", the control mode 504 of "P03" is determined. Pre-outing operation is an operation of the device that can predict the user's departure, such as locking the entrance door or turning off the air conditioner. "GPS location is far away" means that the GPS location of the portable terminal 104 is more than a specified distance away from the home 10.

[0071] In control mode table 510, "Defrost Operation" is selected as action mode 505 corresponding to control mode 504 "P03" to defrost the cooler of refrigerator 101. Therefore, when it is predicted that the user will be away from home, there is a high probability that refrigerator 101 will be temporarily unused. Therefore, defrosting refrigerator 101 can be performed by effectively utilizing this period. Furthermore, if a predetermined period has not passed since the last defrost operation, defrosting refrigerator 101 can be omitted.

[0072] (4) In control mode determination table 500, if the user operation of refrigerator information 501 is "Refrigerator set temperature is low", the operating state of refrigerator information 501 is "Few damper switches", the external environment of refrigerator information 501 is "Ambient temperature is low", the user operation of other device information 502 is "No product search operation", and other information 503 is "GPS location is far away", control mode 504 of "P04" is determined. "Product search operation" is a device operation in which the user searches for products (e.g., food and beverages) or menu items that are highly likely to be used by refrigerator 101, such as searching the menu of an electric cooker or searching for products using a shopping application on mobile terminal 104.

[0073] In control mode table 510, "defrost operation" is selected as action mode 505 corresponding to control mode 504 "P04." Normally, when the damper of refrigerator 101 is rarely opened or closed, cold air stagnates in the refrigerated compartment (particularly the low-temperature portion). In this case, freezing of the cold air ducts may occur inside the chill compartment and the vegetable compartment. As a countermeasure, if it is predicted that the user will be out while the damper of refrigerator 101 is rarely opened or closed, the defrost operation of refrigerator 101 is performed during this period, thereby preventing freezing of the cold air ducts.

[0074] (5) In the control mode determination table 500, when the user operation of the refrigerator information 501 is "almost no door opening and closing", the action state of the refrigerator information 501 is "little or no damper opening and closing", the external environment of the refrigerator information 501 is "relatively low ambient temperature", and the user operation of the other device information 502 is "no product retrieval operation", the control mode 504 of "P05" is determined.

[0075] In control mode table 510, "Voice control prompting door opening and closing" is defined as action mode 505 corresponding to control mode 504 "P05." If refrigerator information 501 and other device information 502 indicate this information, it is predicted that the user is unlikely to open or close the door of refrigerator 101 at the current time or in the future. In this case, refrigerator 101 outputs a voice prompting door opening and closing. This allows, for example, the temperature compensation heater in the vegetable compartment to be suppressed when the user opens or closes door 110.

[0076] (6) In control mode determination table 500, if the operating status of refrigerator information 501 is "no ice storage or ice making," user operation in other device information 502 is "there is a purchase history of products using ice cubes (e.g., noodles, whiskey, etc.)," ​​and other information 503 is "summer," control mode 504 of "P06" is determined. In control mode table 510, "voice control prompting water tank water supply and ice making" is determined as action mode 505 corresponding to control mode 504 of "P06." Thus, when there is a high probability that the user will use the ice cubes in refrigerator 101, refrigerator 101 outputs a voice prompting water tank water supply and ice making, thereby ensuring that there are ice cubes in refrigerator 101.

[0077] (7) In the control mode determination table 500, when the operating state of the refrigerator information 501 is "a long time has passed during operation", the user operation of the other device information 502 is "the frequency of use of the air purifier has increased", and the other information 503 is "the general cleaning period", the control mode 504 of "P07" is determined. In the control mode table 510, as the action mode 505 corresponding to the control mode 504 of "P07", the "voice control to prompt cleaning around the refrigerator" is determined. When the refrigerator 101 is used for a long time, the ventilation of the back and sides may be blocked by dust, etc. Therefore, the voice output from the refrigerator 101 is a voice mode for prompting cleaning around the refrigerator at a specific time, thereby ensuring proper ventilation around the refrigerator 101.

[0078] An example of a process flow executed in the third embodiment will be described. Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the server 102 of the third embodiment. For example, when the power of the server 102 is turned on, the control unit 221 starts Figure 11 The processing flow shown.

[0079] like Figure 11As shown, similar to S201, the control unit 221 obtains device information from each monitoring target device (e.g., refrigerator 101, multiple electrical devices 103, portable terminal 104) (S301). The action decision unit 701 determines the device information based on the information registered in the device information database 300 (see Figure 3 ) to obtain state assessment information (S302). In this embodiment, action decision unit 701 statistically analyzes the device information of refrigerator 101 to obtain refrigerator information 501. Action decision unit 701 statistically analyzes the device information of electrical device 103 and portable terminal 104 to obtain other device information 502. Action decision unit 701 obtains other information 503 as state assessment information in addition to refrigerator information 501 and other device information 502.

[0080] Based on the acquired state evaluation information, the action decision unit 701 determines whether a control mode to be executed exists (S303). Specifically, the action decision unit 701 refers to the control mode decision table 500, and if a control mode 504 corresponding to the acquired combination of the portable information 501, the other device information 502, and the other information 503 exists, the action decision unit 701 determines the control mode 504 as the control mode to be executed (S303: Yes).

[0081] In this case, execution control unit 702 transmits an instruction to execute the control mode determined in S303 to refrigerator 101 (S304). This instruction to execute a control mode is a command that causes refrigerator 101 to execute an action mode 505 corresponding to the control mode to be executed, among the multiple action modes 505 defined in control mode table 510. In refrigerator 101, control unit 211 causes action unit 214 to execute the action mode 505 in accordance with the instruction to execute the control mode. After S304 is executed, or if the control mode to be executed is not determined (S303: No), processing returns to S301.

[0082] (Remark)

[0083] According to the embodiment described above, the action unit 214 can execute multiple pre-set action modes (voice output in multiple speech modes and / or multiple cooling controls). The control unit 211 or the execution control unit 702 causes the action unit 214 to execute an action mode (speech mode or control mode) determined based on the first information obtained from the refrigerator 101 and the second information obtained from other electrical devices 103 other than the refrigerator 101 (multiple electrical devices 103 and the portable terminal 104). This allows the refrigerator 101 to execute actions that are appropriate for the actual user's situation.

[0084] Specifically, as shown in the example of speech pattern table 400, an action mode (speech mode) is an action mode determined based on the first information and the second information, corresponding to the life rhythm of the user using refrigerator 101 (for example, when getting up, when waking up, when returning home, before going to bed, etc.). As shown in the example of control mode determination table 500, an action mode (control mode) is an action mode determined based on the first information and the second information, corresponding to whether the user is located in a predetermined refrigerator installation location (for example, home 10). As shown in the examples of speech pattern table 400 and control mode determination table 500, an action mode (speech mode and control mode) is an action mode determined based on the first information and the second information, corresponding to the user's action mode (for example, device operation corresponding to device information). Therefore, refrigerator 101 can execute an action mode that suits at least one of the user's life rhythm, position relationship, and action mode.

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be replaced by a configuration that is substantially the same as the configuration shown in the above-mentioned embodiments, a configuration that achieves the same effect, or a configuration that can achieve the same purpose. For example, in the first and second embodiments, a portion of the processing performed by the refrigerator 101 can be performed by a device other than the refrigerator 101. In the third embodiment, a portion of the processing performed by the server 102 can also be performed by a device other than the server 102. The refrigerator 101 can also have the function of serving as the server 102. For example, when the condition is a preset time, etc., the server 102 sends an instruction related to a message corresponding to the condition such as a time period in advance to the refrigerator 101. The refrigerator 101 temporarily stores the instruction about the message received from the server 102. The refrigerator 101 outputs a message based on the first information and the second information.

[0086] In the above embodiment, multiple speech modes and multiple control modes are exemplified as the multiple operational modes executable by refrigerator 101. However, for example, multiple image modes displayed on refrigerator 101 may also be included. While the above embodiment illustrates the application of the present invention to refrigerator 101, the present invention can be applied to electronic devices other than refrigerator 101. For example, the present invention can be applied to electrical appliances such as electric cookers, televisions, personal computers, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines.

Claims

1. An electrical device, characterized in that: have: An action unit capable of outputting a plurality of pre-set speech modes by voice; a control unit configured to cause the operating unit to output, by voice, one of the plurality of speech patterns, wherein the one speech pattern is determined based on first information acquired from the electrical device and second information acquired from another electrical device different from the electrical device; The plurality of speech patterns are associated in advance with a plurality of speech conditions indicating conditions for outputting the speech pattern by voice and a plurality of speech-enabled states indicating states of users who can output the speech pattern by voice. The first information includes information indicating the usage status of the electrical device. The second information includes information indicating the usage status of the other electrical equipment. The control unit acquires a predicted state of the user based on the second information when the first information satisfies any one of the plurality of utterance conditions. When the predicted state matches the utterance-enabled state corresponding to the utterance condition satisfied by the first information, the action unit is caused to voice-output the utterance pattern corresponding to the utterance condition.

2. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein The control unit acquires the predicted state from a server.

3. The electrical device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The electrical device is a refrigerator for cooling the interior of the refrigerator, The action unit can execute a plurality of pre-set cooling controls. The control unit causes the operation unit to execute one cooling control determined based on the first information and the second information.

4. The electrical device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The electrical device is a refrigerator for cooling the interior of the refrigerator, and the interior of the refrigerator can be opened and closed by a door. The plurality of utterance conditions respectively represent time periods during which the door is opened.

5. A device control system comprising at least a first electrical device and a second electrical device different from the first electrical device, wherein the device control system comprises: an action determination unit that determines, based on first information acquired from the first electrical device and second information acquired from the second electrical device, any one speech mode from a plurality of speech modes that can be voice-output by the first electrical device; an execution control unit that causes the first electrical device to voice-output the determined one speech pattern, The plurality of speech patterns are associated in advance with a plurality of speech conditions indicating conditions for outputting the speech pattern by voice and a plurality of speech-enabled states indicating states of users who can output the speech pattern by voice. The first information includes information indicating a usage status of the first electrical device. The second information includes information indicating a usage status of the second electrical device. The action determination unit acquires a predicted state of the user based on the second information when the first information satisfies any one of the plurality of utterance conditions. When the predicted state matches the utterance-enabled state corresponding to the utterance condition satisfied by the first information, the execution control unit causes the first electrical device to voice-output the utterance pattern corresponding to the utterance condition.

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