Application program, home appliance management system, and home appliance management method

Abstract

To improve the convenience for users.SOLUTION: An application program is executed by a computer of a terminal device equipped with a display device, the computer being connected over a network to a server device that manages a home appliance. The application program includes an extended application program provided for the home appliance and configured to perform state display of the home appliance and control instruction on the home appliance. The application program causes the computer to execute a display step of displaying first shortcut information which is a shortcut of a command for control instruction on the home appliance together with a start icon for starting the extended application program, on an application home screen displayed on the display device and serving as a basic screen of the application program.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to an application program, a home appliance management system, and a home appliance management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a home appliance management system that manages one or more home appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators connected to a network, a technology for remotely controlling the home appliances using an application executed on a terminal device such as a smartphone has been known. In such an application, it is difficult to directly instruct the home appliance on an application home screen, which is the basic screen of the application, for some operations and controls, and it is difficult to immediately perform frequently used operations and controls from the home screen, which can reduce convenience for users. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6435352 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an application program, a home appliance management system, and a home appliance management method that can improve user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The application program of the embodiment is an application program for causing a computer of a terminal device connected to a server device that manages home appliances via a network and having a display device to execute the application program, the application program being provided corresponding to the home appliance and including an extended application program for displaying a state of the home appliance and issuing control instructions to the home appliance, the application program being displayed on the display device, and including a display step of displaying first shortcut information, which is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, together with a launch icon for launching the extended application program on an app home screen that is a basic screen of the application program; The computer is caused to execute the following.

[0006] In an embodiment of the application program, the server device manages a plurality of home appliances and sets priorities for the plurality of home appliances, and further causes the computer to execute a selection step of selecting one or more home appliances from the plurality of home appliances based on the priorities, and the display step displays the first shortcut information of the command of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances on the app home screen.

[0007] In an embodiment, the display step of the application program displays, on the application home screen, the first shortcut information of a predetermined command among a plurality of commands of the extensible application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances.

[0008] In an embodiment of the application program, the selection step further selects a command corresponding to a function from among multiple commands of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances based on the number of times the function is used of the home appliance, and the display step displays the first shortcut information of the selected command on the app home screen in the extended application program of each of the determined one or more home appliances.

[0009] The application program of an embodiment further causes the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user regarding the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen, and the display step changes the command to be displayed on the specified first shortcut information when a swipe operation regarding the first shortcut information is received in the input step.

[0010] The application program of the embodiment further causes the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen, and the display step reduces a size of the specified first shortcut information when a pinch-in operation on the first shortcut information is received in the input step, and enlarges a size of the specified first shortcut information when a pinch-out operation on the first shortcut information is received in the input step.

[0011] The application program of the embodiment further causes the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen, and the display step, when a long press operation and a drag-and-drop operation following the long press operation are received on the first shortcut information in the input step, moves and displays the instructed first shortcut information to a position on the application home screen where it was dropped by the drag-and-drop operation.

[0012] The application program of an embodiment further causes the computer to execute an input step of receiving operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen, and the display step, when a long press operation for the first shortcut information is received in the input step, displays a setting window displaying a list of multiple selectable commands near the first shortcut information on which the long press operation was performed, and changes the command selected from the setting window by the user in the input step and displays it on the first shortcut information.

[0013] In the application program of the embodiment, the displaying step erases the setting window when a move operation is accepted from the user in the inputting step while the setting window is being displayed.

[0014] In the application program according to an embodiment, the displaying step displays the first shortcut information in a lower right or lower left area of ​​the application home screen.

[0015] In an embodiment of the application program, the display step is displayed on the display device when the extended application program is launched, and second shortcut information, which is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, is displayed on an extended app screen, which is the screen of the extended application program, together with a control button for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance.

[0016] In the application program of the embodiment, the displaying step displays, on the extended application screen, the second shortcut information for operating a home appliance other than a home appliance corresponding to the extended application program.

[0017] In an embodiment, in the application program, the displaying step displays, on the extended application screen, the second shortcut information of a command of the extended application program corresponding to a home appliance that has been used a predetermined number of times or more.

[0018] The application program of the embodiment further causes the computer to execute an input step of accepting operation input from a user on the extended app screen, and the display step, when a long press operation on the control button is accepted in the input step, displays a confirmation message near the control button on which the long press operation was performed, confirming whether or not to generate the second shortcut information, and when an input to generate the second shortcut information is accepted from the user in the input step, generates the second shortcut information for the control button on which the long press operation was performed and displays it on the extended app screen.

[0019] The application program of the embodiment further causes the computer to execute an input step of accepting operation input from a user on the extended application screen, and the display step, when a drag-and-drop operation on the control button is accepted in the input step, generates and displays second shortcut information for the specified control button at the position on the extended application screen where the control button was dropped by the drag-and-drop operation.

[0020] An embodiment of a home appliance management system is a home appliance management system comprising a server device that manages home appliances, and an application program to be executed by a computer of a terminal device connected to the server device via a network and equipped with a display device, wherein the application program is provided corresponding to the home appliance and includes an extended application program for displaying the status of the home appliance and issuing control instructions to the home appliance, and causes the computer to execute a display step of displaying, on the display device, an app home screen that is the basic screen of the application program, first shortcut information that is a shortcut to a command for issuing control instructions to the home appliance, together with a launch icon for launching the extended application program, on an app home screen that is the basic screen of the application program.

[0021] In an embodiment of the home appliance management system, the server device receives from a plurality of home appliances, when each of the home appliances is used, a notification that the home appliance has been used along with the function that was used, counts the number of times the home appliance has been used and the number of times the function has been used, and transmits device list information to the terminal device, in which the identification information and priority of the home appliance are associated with the number of times the appliance is used and the number of times the function is used; the application program further causes the computer to execute a receiving step of receiving the device list information and a selection step of selecting one or more home appliances from the plurality of home appliances in the received device list information based on the priority; and the display step displays the first shortcut information of the command of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances on the app home screen.

[0022] In an embodiment of the home appliance management system, the selection step further selects a command corresponding to a function from among multiple commands of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances based on the number of times the function is used in the device list information, and the display step displays the first shortcut information of the selected command on the app home screen in the extended application program of each of the determined one or more home appliances.

[0023] In an embodiment of the home appliance management system, the display step is displayed on the display device when the extended application program is launched, and displays second shortcut information, which is a shortcut to a command for giving a control instruction to the home appliance, on an extended app screen, which is the screen of the extended application program, together with a control button for giving a control instruction to the home appliance, and the display step displays, on the extended app screen, the second shortcut information of a command of the extended application program corresponding to a home appliance other than the home appliance corresponding to the extended application program and which, in the device list information, has a number of times the device has been used that is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

[0024] The home appliance management method of the embodiment is a home appliance management method executed by a home appliance management system having a server device that manages home appliances, and an application program for causing a computer of a terminal device connected to the server device via a network and equipped with a display device to execute the application program, the application program being provided corresponding to the home appliance and including an extended application program for displaying a status of the home appliance and issuing control instructions to the home appliance, and including a display step of displaying, on the display device, an app home screen which is the basic screen of the application program, first shortcut information which is a shortcut to a command for issuing control instructions to the home appliance, together with a launch icon for launching the extended application program.

[0025] According to the above-described application program, home appliance management system, and home appliance management method, it is possible to eliminate the troublesome work required of the user in controlling the home appliance 10, thereby improving user convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a home electric appliance management system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the server device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of the management DB according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example of an application home screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing another example of the application home screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a display process of a control shortcut according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a button for designating automatic generation of a control shortcut is displayed on the application home screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example in which a control shortcut is displayed at a position separate from a launch icon in the first embodiment. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example in which a control shortcut is displayed in the lower right portion of the application home screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when various operations are performed on a control shortcut in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display state when the control shortcut is pinched out in the first embodiment. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a control shortcut is pressed and held and grabbed in the first embodiment. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a control shortcut has been moved in the first embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display when a swipe operation is performed on a control shortcut in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when various operations are performed on a control shortcut according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A is a diagram showing an example in which a setting window is displayed in the second embodiment. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is a diagram showing another example in which a setting window is displayed in the second embodiment. [Figure 14C] FIG. 14C is a diagram showing another example in which a setting window is displayed in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of displaying a setting window by pressing and holding a control shortcut and erasing the setting window by a move operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a plug-in application screen on which control shortcuts are displayed in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the flow of a process for displaying control shortcuts on a plug-in application screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another example in which control shortcuts are displayed on a plug-in application screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for generating a control shortcut in response to an instruction from a user according to the third embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a plug-in application screen 1701 on which a confirmation message is displayed in the third embodiment. [Figure 21A] FIG. 21A is a diagram showing another example of plug-in application screen 1701 on which a confirmation message is displayed in the third embodiment. [Figure 21B] FIG. 21B is a diagram showing an example in which control shortcuts are displayed from the screen of FIG. 21A. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when a long press operation is performed on the control button in the third embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example in which a control shortcut is generated by moving a control button by drag-and-drop operation in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an application program, a home appliance management system, and a home appliance management method according to the present disclosure will be described. In this specification, components according to the embodiments and descriptions of the components may be described in multiple ways. The components and their descriptions are merely examples and are not limited by the expressions in this specification. The components may be identified by names different from those in this specification. In addition, the components may be described by expressions different from those in this specification.

[0028] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a home appliance management system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the home appliance management system 1 according to the present embodiment mainly includes a server device 40, a terminal device 30, a refrigerator 10A, a washing machine 10B, an air conditioner 10C, an air conditioner 10D, and a microwave oven 10E. The refrigerator 10A, the washing machine 10B, the air conditioner 10C, the air conditioner 10D, and the microwave oven 10E are installed in one home.

[0029] Refrigerator 10A, washing machine 10B, air conditioner 10C, air conditioner 10D, microwave oven 10E, and terminal device 30 are connected to a network via a router or the like installed in the home. Also, refrigerator 10A, washing machine 10B, air conditioner 10C, air conditioner 10D, microwave oven 10E, and terminal device 30 are connected to server device 40 through the network. The network is composed of the Internet, a general telephone line, a mobile phone line, and the like.

[0030] Here, refrigerator 10A, washing machine 10B, air conditioner 10C, air conditioner 10D, and microwave oven 10E are examples of home appliances, and the types and numbers are not limited to these. In the following description, when refrigerator 10A, washing machine 10B, air conditioner 10C, air conditioner 10D, and microwave oven 10E are not particularly distinguished from each other, any one of them will be referred to as home appliance 10.

[0031] Terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet device, and displays information related to refrigerator 10A, washing machine 10B, air conditioner 10C, air conditioner 10D, and microwave oven 10E via server device 40 and also remotely controls them.

[0032] An application program (hereinafter, referred to as "application") for remotely controlling the home appliance 10 is installed in the terminal device 30. A user (also referred to as a consumer) launches the terminal device 30 application to remotely control the home appliance 10. The application communicates with the home appliance 10 via the server device 40 over the network. The application will be described in detail later.

[0033] The server device 40 is a device that manages the home appliance 10, and relays communication between the terminal device 30 and the home appliance 10 in order to remotely control the home appliance 10.

[0034] First, the server device 40 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the server device 40 according to the first embodiment. The server device 40 of the present embodiment mainly includes a communication unit 401, a control unit 402, and a storage unit 410.

[0035] The storage unit 410 is a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 410 of this embodiment stores a management database 411 (hereinafter referred to as a "management DB 411").

[0036] The management DB 411 is a database for managing the home electric appliances 10 . Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of the management DB 411 according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the management DB 411 registers a user ID, a device ID, a priority, a function, a function use count, and a device use count in association with each other.

[0037] The user ID is information for identifying a user. The device ID is information for identifying a home electric appliance 10 managed by a user having the user ID. In the example of Fig. 3, a user having a user ID of user A has registered the device IDs of refrigerator 10A, washing machine 10B, air conditioner 10C, air conditioner 10D, and microwave oven 10E, which are home electric appliances 10 shown in Fig. 1, in association with the user ID of user A.

[0038] The priority is a numerical value that is preset for the home appliance 10. The lower the priority numerical value, the higher the priority. The function is one or more functions of the home appliance 10 of the device ID. The function usage count is the number of times the function is used that is counted and set for each function. The device usage count is the total number of times the functions are used, which is the number of times the home appliance 10 is used. The server device 40 may be configured to set the priority to a higher value in descending order of the number of times the device is used. In this case, the priority dynamically changes according to the number of times the device is used.

[0039] 2, the control unit 402 performs various controls on the home appliance 10. Specifically, in response to an instruction from an application of the terminal device 30, the control unit 402 registers the home appliance 10 in the management DB 411 in association with the user ID of the user who manages the home appliance 10.

[0040] Furthermore, in response to a request from an application of the terminal device 30, the control unit 402 transmits to the terminal device 30 a registered device list, which is a list of home appliances 10 registered in the management DB 411 for the user ID of the requesting user. Furthermore, the control unit 402 receives a control instruction for the home appliances 10 from the application of the terminal device 30, and controls the home appliances 10. Furthermore, the control unit 402 receives a usage state from each of the home appliances 10, and transmits it to the application of the terminal device 30.

[0041] The communication unit 401 controls communication with the home appliance 10 and the terminal device 30. That is, when the control unit 402 transmits a request or instruction from the terminal device 30 or transmits information to the terminal device 30, it does so via the communication unit 401. Also, when the control unit 402 receives information from the home appliance 10 or issues a control instruction to the home appliance 10, it does so via the communication unit 401.

[0042] Next, the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the terminal device 30 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment mainly includes a display device 302, an input device 303, a communication device 304, a storage device 305, and an application 301. The terminal device 30 also includes a CPU (not shown). The hardware of the terminal device 30 is configured by the CPU (not shown), the display device 302, the input device 303, the communication device 304, and the storage device 305.

[0043] The display device 302 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescence display, etc. The input device 303 is an input device such as a touch panel or hard keys superimposed on the display device 302. The communication device 304 is an interface that performs wireless communication in accordance with each standard of wireless LAN, 4G (e.g., LTE (Long Term Evolution)), and 5G.

[0044] The storage device 305 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0045] 4, the application 301 mainly includes a communication processing unit 3011, an input processing unit 3012, a display processing unit 3013, a control unit 3014, a selection unit 3015, and one or more plug-in applications 3020 (hereinafter referred to as "plug-in apps 3020"). The application 301 is stored in a storage device 305 such as a ROM, a RAM, or a flash memory.

[0046] The application 301 is an example of an application program. The application 301 has a modular configuration including each of the above-mentioned functional units (a communication processing unit 3011, an input processing unit 3012, a display processing unit 3013, a control unit 3014, a selection unit 3015, and one or more plug-in applications 3020), and as actual hardware, the application 301 is started by a CPU reading the application 301 from a storage device 305 such as a flash memory and executing it. Then, each of the above-mentioned units is loaded onto the storage device 305 such as a RAM, and the communication processing unit 3011, the input processing unit 3012, the display processing unit 3013, the control unit 3014, and one or more plug-in applications 3020 are generated on the storage device 305 such as a RAM.

[0047] The control unit 3014 performs various controls of the application 301. In this embodiment, the control unit 3014 requests a registered device list that is a list of home appliances 10 registered by the user along with the user ID of the user of the application 301. The control unit 3014 also starts up the plug-in application 3020 in response to an instruction from the user.

[0048] The plug-in application 3020 is activated in correspondence with the home appliance 10. The plug-in application 3020 is an application program for displaying the state of the home appliance 10 corresponding to the plug-in application 3020 and for issuing control instructions to the home appliance 10. The plug-in application 3020 is an example of an extensible application program.

[0049] The communication processing unit 3011 controls communication by the communication device 304. In this embodiment, the communication processing unit 3011 transmits a request for a registered device list by the control unit 3014 to the server device 40 together with the user ID. Then, the communication processing unit 3011 receives the requested registered device list from the server device 40. Here, the registered device list is a list of device IDs, priorities, functions, function usage counts, and device usage counts of home electric appliances 10 associated with the user ID of the user in the management DB 411.

[0050] Furthermore, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a control instruction for the home appliance 10 from the user, the communication processing unit 3011 transmits the received control instruction to the server device 40.

[0051] The display processing unit 3013 controls the display of various information on the display device 302 . When application 301 is launched, display processor 3013 first displays an application home screen on display device 302. Here, the application home screen is the basic screen of the application. Then, display processor 3013 displays an array of launch icons for launching plug-in applications 3020 on the application home screen.

[0052] The display processing unit 3013 displays a control shortcut button together with a startup icon on the application home screen. Here, the control shortcut button is a shortcut of a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance 10. The control shortcut button is an example of first shortcut information, and is referred to as a control shortcut.

[0053] Fig. 5A is a diagram showing an example of an application home screen in the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 5A, a plurality of launch icons 503 of plug-in applications are displayed in an array on an application home screen 501. In addition, a plurality of various buttons 507 (including control buttons 507) are displayed in an array below the displayed launch icons 503. Furthermore, control shortcuts 503 are displayed on the launch icons 503.

[0054] The input processor 3012 accepts user input from the input device 303. The input processor 3012 accepts operation input by the user from the application home screen (i.e., the input device 303 such as a touch panel). In this embodiment, the input processor 3012 accepts operation input from the user to the home appliance 10 from the launch icon 503 of the plug-in application 3020, various buttons 507, and control shortcuts 503 displayed on the application home screen 501.

[0055] When the input processing unit 3012 receives a swipe operation on a control shortcut, the display processing unit 3013 changes the command to be displayed on the specified control shortcut.

[0056] When the input processing unit 3012 receives a pinch-in operation on a control shortcut, the display processing unit 3013 reduces the size of the specified control shortcut information, and when the input processing unit 3012 receives a pinch-out operation on a control shortcut, the display processing unit 3013 enlarges the size of the specified control shortcut.

[0057] When the input processing unit 3012 receives a long press operation on a control shortcut and a drag-and-drop operation as a moving operation following the long press operation, the display processing unit 3013 moves and displays the instructed control shortcut to the position on the app home screen where it was dropped by the drag-and-drop operation.

[0058] When a user issues an instruction to automatically generate a control shortcut button, which will be described later, the selection unit 3015 selects one or more home appliances 10 from the multiple home appliances 10 based on the priority determined by the server device 40. In this embodiment, the selection unit 3015 selects the home appliance 10 with the highest priority registered in the registered device list received by the communication processing unit 3011 from the server device 40.

[0059] When the user issues an instruction to automatically generate a control shortcut button, display processing unit 3013 displays, on the application home screen, control shortcuts 505 of commands of plug-in applications 3020 of each home appliance 10 selected by selection unit 3015. Here, display processing unit 3013 displays, on the application home screen, control shortcuts of predetermined commands among a plurality of commands of each plug-in application 3020 of the determined one or more home appliances.

[0060] Fig. 5B is a diagram showing another example of the application home screen in the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 5B, the launch icons 501 of three plug-in applications 3020, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and an air conditioner, are displayed on the application home screen 501, and among them, the launch icon 503 of the plug-in application 3020 of the refrigerator only has a control shortcut 505 displayed. That is, in this example, as shown in the example of the management DB 411 in Fig. 3, the refrigerator has the highest priority, so the selection unit 3015 selects the refrigerator as the home appliance 10, and the display processing unit 3013 displays the control shortcut 505 of the command of the plug-in application 3020 of the selected refrigerator.

[0061] Next, a home electric device management process performed by the home electric device management system 1 according to the present embodiment configured as above will be described. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a display process of a control shortcut according to the first embodiment.

[0062] When each of the plurality of home electric appliances 10 is used, it notifies the server device 40 of a usage report including its own device ID and the function used (S101a to S101c). In the server device 40, when the communication unit 401 receives a usage report from each of the home appliances 10, the control unit 402 counts and registers the number of times the function is used in association with the device ID in the management DB 411, and also registers the total number of times the functions of the home appliance 10 are used as the device usage count for the home appliance 10 (S102).

[0063] The application 301 can generate a control shortcut manually or automatically. When the user desires automatic generation of a control shortcut, the user designates automatic generation on the application home screen 501.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a button for designating automatic generation of a control shortcut is displayed on the application home screen according to the first embodiment. 7, the display processing unit 3013 displays a shortcut automatic generation instruction button 701 on the application home screen 501. If the user desires automatic generation, the user clicks the shortcut automatic generation instruction button 701 to set it to "Yes."

[0065] 6, in the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the input processing unit 3012 accepts an input to automatically generate the shortcut (S105). Then, the control unit 3014 transmits a request for the registered device list together with the user ID of the user to the server device 40 via the communication processing unit 3011 (S106).

[0066] In the server device 40 that has received the request, the control unit 402 refers to the management DB 411 and generates a registered device list from the home electric appliances 10 registered in correspondence with the user ID (S107). In this embodiment, the control unit 402 includes the priority, the number of times the function has been used, and the number of times the device has been used in the registered device list. Then, in the server device 40, the communication unit 403 transmits the registered device list to the application 301 of the terminal device 30 (S108).

[0067] In the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the communication processing unit 3011 receives the registered device list. Then, the selection unit 3015 of the application 301 refers to the registered device list and selects the home electric appliance 10 with the device ID having the highest priority (S109).

[0068] Next, the selection unit 3015 selects a command for the selected home appliance 10 (S110). Here, the number of commands to be selected is arbitrary. The selected command is determined in advance by the application 301 for each home appliance 10. Alternatively, the function of the selected command may be determined in advance by the server device 40 and shown in the management DB 411 (or the registered device list).

[0069] Then, the display processing unit 3013 displays the control shortcut 505 of the command selected in S110 on the launch icon 503 of the plug-in application 3020 of the home appliance 10 selected in S109, as shown in FIG. 5B (S111).

[0070] In the above S109, the home appliance 10 with the highest priority is selected and one control shortcut is displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the selection unit 3015 and the display processing unit 3013 may be configured to select a home appliance 10 with a device ID whose priority is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and display control shortcuts of the plug-in applications 3020 of one or more home appliances 10. In this case, instead of the priority, a configuration may be used to select a plurality of home appliances 10 that have a certain number of device usages or more.

[0071] In addition, in S111 above, the display processing unit 3013 displays the control shortcut 505 on the launch icon 503, but this is not limited to this. For example, the display processing unit 3013 can be configured to display the control shortcut 505 at a position away from the launch icon 503 of the selected plug-in application 3020.

[0072] Fig. 8A is a diagram showing an example in which control shortcut 505 is displayed at a position away from startup icon 503 in the first embodiment. The example in Fig. 8A shows a case in which the air conditioner has the highest priority. As shown in Fig. 8A, display processing unit 3013 displays control shortcut 505 for a command of plug-in app 3020 for the air conditioner in an area where various buttons 507 are arranged, at a position away from startup icon 503 for the air conditioner.

[0073] The display processor 3013 may be configured to display the control shortcut 505 in the lower right or lower left area of ​​the application home screen 501 . 8B is a diagram showing an example in which the control shortcut 505 is displayed in the lower right part of the application home screen 501 in the first embodiment. By displaying the control shortcut 505 in the lower right part or the lower left part of the application home screen 501 in this way, the user can operate the control shortcut 505 with his / her thumb while holding the terminal device 3 in one hand, thereby further improving user convenience.

[0074] Next, processing when various operations are performed on the control shortcut 505 displayed on the application home screen 501 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when various operations are performed on the control shortcut 505 in the first embodiment.

[0075] First, the input processing unit 3012 of the application 301 determines whether or not a touch input has been received from the user on the control shortcut 505 (S301). If a touch input has not been received (S301: No), the process waits for a touch input.

[0076] Then, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a touch input to the control shortcut 505 (S301: Yes), it determines the input operation (S303). When the input operation is a pinch in or pinch out (S303: pinch in / pinch out), the display processing unit 3013 enlarges or reduces the size of the control shortcut 505 that is the target of the touch input (S305).

[0077] Here, the pinch-in operation is an operation of touching two fingers at the same time and then sliding them toward each other, whereas the pinch-out operation is an operation of moving the two fingers apart so as to spread the operation target, i.e., the control shortcut 505, apart.

[0078] Specifically, in the case of a pinch-in operation, the size of the control shortcut is reduced in the direction of the pinch-in operation, and in the case of a pinch-out operation, the size of the control shortcut is expanded in the direction of the pinch-out operation.

[0079] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display state when the control shortcut 505 is pinched out in the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 10, the user pinches out two fingers vertically on the control shortcut 505, and in response to this, the display processing unit 3013 expands the control shortcut 505 vertically to increase its height. This makes the characters of the control shortcut 505 easier to see.

[0080] In S103, if the input operation is a long press operation (S103: long press), the long pressed control shortcut 505 is held by the user's finger. Fig. 11A is a diagram showing a state in which the control shortcut 505 is grabbed by a long press operation in the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 11A, the control shortcut 505 of the plug-in application 3020 for the air conditioner is grabbed by a long press operation.

[0081] Next, the display processing unit 3013 and the input processing unit 3012 determine whether or not a drag-and-drop operation has been accepted following the long press (S307). Here, the drag-and-drop operation is an operation of dragging and moving the control shortcut 505, which is the operation target, while holding it, and releasing the finger from the control shortcut 505 at the target destination. The operation of dragging and moving the control shortcut 505, which is the operation target, while holding it, is called a drag operation, and the operation of releasing the finger from the control shortcut 505 at the target destination is called a drop operation.

[0082] When the input processing unit 3012 accepts a drag-and-drop operation (S307: Yes), the display processing unit 3013 moves the control shortcut 505 to the destination, that is, the dropped position, on the application home screen 501 (S309).

[0083] Fig. 11B is a diagram showing an example of a state in which control shortcut 505 has moved in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11B, it can be seen that the position of shortcut 505 for the air conditioner that was pressed and held in Fig. 11A has moved.

[0084] In S303, if the input operation is a swipe operation (S303: swipe), the display processing unit 3013 changes the content of the control shortcut 505 to another command and displays it (S311). Here, the swipe operation is an operation in which a finger is placed on the control shortcut 505, which is the operation target, and slid in any direction.

[0085] The command to be changed is arbitrary. For example, the order of the commands may be determined in advance, and the display processing unit 3013 may be configured to change to the next command in the order. Alternatively, the display processing unit 3013 may be configured to change to the command of the function with the next highest number of times of function use.

[0086] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display when a swipe operation is performed on the control shortcut 505 in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, as a result of a swipe operation being performed on the control shortcut 505 of "ON / OFF", the command of the control shortcut 505 is switched to "wind direction".

[0087] As described above, in this embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 displays, on the application home screen, a control shortcut for a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance 10 together with a launch icon of the plug-in application 3020. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the control shortcut 505 for a command for a frequently used function or a command for a function preferred by the user can be displayed on the application home screen 501, which is a basic screen that appears when the application 301 is launched, so that the user can be spared troublesome work related to the control of the home appliance 10, and the user's convenience can be improved. Also, according to this embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 displays the control shortcut 505 together with the control button 507 on the application home screen 501, so that the operation of buttons, icons, and the like other than the control shortcut 505 can be performed while the control shortcut 505 is displayed.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, server device 40 manages a plurality of home appliances and determines priorities for the plurality of home appliances, selection unit 3015 of application 301 selects one or more home appliances from the plurality of home appliances based on the priorities, and display processing unit 3013 displays control shortcuts 505 for commands of plug-in applications 3020 of the selected one or more home appliances on application home screen 501. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the control shortcut for home appliance 10 is determined by server device 40 based on the priorities and set on the application home screen, so that the user does not need to consider which home appliance 10 to display the control shortcut for, and thus complicated operations can be avoided, and user convenience can be improved.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, display processing unit 3013 of application 301 displays, on application home screen 501, control shortcut 505 of a predetermined command among a plurality of commands of each plug-in application 3020 of one or more home appliances 10 selected by selection unit 3015. Since home appliance 10 displays control shortcut 505 on the application home screen as a predetermined function to be set as a control shortcut, the user does not need to consider which function command of home appliance 10 to display a control shortcut for, and thus can avoid cumbersome operations and further improve user convenience.

[0090] According to this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 accepts a swipe operation on the control shortcut 505, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 changes the command displayed in the control shortcut 505. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to change the command of the control shortcut 505 with a simple and intuitive operation.

[0091] In this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a pinch-in operation on the control shortcut 505, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 reduces the size of the specified control shortcut 505, and when the input processing unit 3012 receives a pinch-out operation on the control shortcut 505, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 increases the size of the specified control shortcut 505. There are cases where the control shortcut overlaps with a part of the screen other than the control shortcut that the user wants to use. According to this embodiment, even in such a case, the size of the control shortcut 505 can be changed with an intuitive and simple operation, so that complicated operations can be avoided and user convenience can be improved.

[0092] In this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 accepts a long press operation on the control shortcut 505 and a drag-and-drop operation following the long press operation, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 moves and displays the instructed control shortcut 505 to a position on the application home screen 501 where the control shortcut 505 was dropped by the drag-and-drop operation. When the control shortcuts are displayed side by side on the application home screen 501, the control shortcut 505 may overlap a portion of the screen other than the control shortcut that the user wants to use. According to this embodiment, even in such a case, the position of the control shortcut 505 can be changed by an intuitive and simple operation to a position that does not overlap with other areas or a position where overlapping is acceptable, so that complicated operations can be avoided and user convenience can be improved.

[0093] (Modification) In the first embodiment, the selection unit 3015 selects a predetermined command as the command for the control shortcut 505 in S110 of Fig. 6, but the present invention is not limited to this. In this modified example, the selection unit 3015 and the display processing unit 5013 may be configured to select a command corresponding to the function with the highest number of function usages in the registered device list generated and received from the management DB 411, and generate and display the control shortcut 505.

[0094] This allows control shortcuts 505 for frequently used functions to be displayed on the application home screen 501, thereby improving user convenience.

[0095] The selection unit 3015 and the display processing unit 3013 may be configured to set and display a list of commands for functions that have been used a certain number of times, allow the user to select a command to be displayed as a control shortcut from the list, and generate a control shortcut for the selected command and display it on the application home screen 501.

[0096] Second embodiment In the second embodiment, a long press on the control shortcut 505 enables the user to change the control shortcut 505 to a desired command.

[0097] The configuration of the home electric appliance management system 1, the configuration of the server device 40, and the flow of the display process of the control shortcuts according to the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 has the same functions as those in the first embodiment. Furthermore, when the input processing unit 3012 accepts a long press operation on the control shortcut 505, the display processing unit 3013 displays a setting window that displays a list of multiple selectable commands near the control shortcut 505 that has been long pressed. Then, the display processing unit 3013 changes the command to the command selected from the setting window by the user in the input processing unit 3012 and displays it on the control shortcut 505. Furthermore, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a drag operation (that is, a move operation) from the user while the setting window is being displayed, the display processing unit 3013 erases the setting window.

[0098] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when various operations are performed on the control shortcut 505 according to the second embodiment. The processes of determining whether or not a touch input has been received (S301) and determining the input operation (S303) are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The process when the input operation is a pinch-in or pinch-out operation (S305) and the process when the input operation is a swipe operation (S311) are also the same as in the first embodiment.

[0099] If the input operation is a long press operation in S303 (S303: long press), the display processing unit 3013 displays a setting window near the control shortcut 505 that was long pressed (S401). Then, the display processing unit 3013 displays a list of commands of the plug-in application 3020 that correspond to the control shortcut that was long pressed in the setting window (S403).

[0100] Fig. 14A is a diagram showing an example of a setting window displayed in embodiment 2. In the example of Fig. 14A, a setting window 1401 is displayed by pressing and holding control shortcut 505 of plug-in app 3020 for an air conditioner, and a list of commands for plug-in app 3020 for the air conditioner is displayed in setting window 1401.

[0101] 14B and 14C are diagrams showing other examples in which the setting window is displayed in the second embodiment. Fig. 14B shows an example in which control shortcut 505 of refrigerator plug-in app 3020 is pressed and held, and a list of commands for refrigerator plug-in app 3020 is displayed in setting window 1401. Fig. 14C shows an example in which control shortcut 505 of washing machine plug-in app 3020 is pressed and held, and a list of commands for washing machine plug-in app 3020 is displayed in setting window 1401.

[0102] Next, with the setting window 1401 displayed on the application home screen, the display processing unit 3013 determines whether or not a drag-and-drop operation on the control shortcut 505 that has been pressed and held by the input processing unit 3012 has been accepted (S405).

[0103] Then, when the input processing unit 3012 accepts a drag-and-drop operation (S405: Yes), the display processing unit 3013 erases the display of the setting window 1401 (S411).

[0104] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of displaying a setting window by pressing and holding the control shortcut 505 and erasing the setting window 1401 by a move operation in the second embodiment. As shown in the example of Fig. 15, it can be seen that the setting window 1401, which was once displayed, is erased by a move operation (i.e., a drag operation). Then, the display processing unit 3013 moves and displays the control shortcut 505 to the position where the control shortcut 505 was dropped on the application home screen 501, that is, the destination position (S413).

[0105] If a drag-and-drop operation has not been accepted in S405 (S405: No), the display processing unit 3013 judges whether or not the input processing unit 3012 has accepted a command selection by the user from the setting window 1401 (S407). If a command selection by the user from the setting window 1401 has not been accepted (S407: No), the process waits for acceptance of a command. However, if the long press operation on the control shortcut 505 is released, the process ends.

[0106] In S407, when a command selection by the user from within the setting window 1401 is accepted (S407: Yes), the display processing unit 3013 displays the selected command as the control shortcut 505 (S409), and the process then ends.

[0107] In this manner, in this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a long press operation on the control shortcut 505, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 displays the setting window 1401 displaying a list of multiple selectable commands near the control shortcut 505 that has been long pressed, and changes the command to the command selected by the user from the setting window 104 in the input processing unit 3012 and displays it in the control shortcut 505. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the command of the control shortcut 505 can be changed by simple and intuitive operations of a long press operation and a drag-and-drop operation, so that complicated operations can be avoided and user convenience can be further improved.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a drag-and-drop operation from the user while the setting window 104 is displayed, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 erases the setting window 1401. Therefore, according to this embodiment, since it is possible to switch between changing the setting or changing the position of the control shortcut 505 with a simple and intuitive operation, it is possible to avoid complicated operations and to further improve user convenience.

[0109] (Third embodiment) In the above-described embodiments, the control shortcuts are displayed on the application home screen. In this third embodiment, however, the control shortcuts are displayed on the plug-in screen that is displayed after the plug-in application 3020 is started. The configuration of the home appliance management system 1, the configuration of the server device 40, and the flow of the process of displaying the control shortcuts on the application home screen according to the third embodiment are similar to those of the first and second embodiments.

[0110] Display processing unit 3013 of application 301 of the present embodiment is displayed on display device 302 when plug-in application 3020 is started, and displays control shortcut buttons of commands for issuing control instructions to home appliance 10, together with control buttons for issuing control instructions to home appliance 10, on a plug-in application screen that is the screen of plug-in application 3020. Here, the plug-in application screen is an example of an extended application screen. The control shortcut buttons displayed on the plug-in application screen are an example of second shortcut information. Hereinafter, the control shortcut buttons displayed on the plug-in application screen will be referred to as control shortcuts.

[0111] The display processor 3013 displays control shortcuts for the commands of the plug-in application 3020 itself on the plug-in application screen. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a plug-in application screen on which control shortcuts are displayed in the third embodiment.

[0112] 16 shows an example in which a control shortcut 1705 for switching the command “airflow direction” for issuing a control instruction to the air conditioner is displayed on plug-in application screen 1701 of air conditioner plug-in application 3020. In FIG. 16, control button 1703 is a button for issuing a control instruction to home electric appliance 10.

[0113] Furthermore, display processing unit 3013 displays control shortcuts for operating home appliances 10 other than home appliances 10 corresponding to plug-in applications 3020. More specifically, display processing unit 3013 displays, on the plug-in application screen, control shortcuts for commands of functions that have been used a predetermined number of times or more by the device, among the commands of plug-in applications 3020 corresponding to home appliances 10 that have been used the most frequently. The display process of the control shortcuts in this case will be described.

[0114] FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the flow of a process for displaying control shortcuts on a plug-in application screen according to the third embodiment. In the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when each of the multiple home appliances 10 is used, it notifies the server device 40 of a usage report including its own device ID and the function used (S101a to S101c). Then, in the server device 40, when the communication unit 401 receives the usage report from each of the home appliances 10, the control unit 402 counts and registers the number of times the function was used in association with the device ID in the management DB 411, and also registers the total number of times the functions of the home appliance 10 were used as the device usage number of the home appliance 10 (S102).

[0115] Assume that the launch icon 503 of the plug-in application 3020 is clicked on the application home screen 501 in the terminal device 30 to launch the plug-in application 3020 (S901). Then, the control unit 3014 of the application 301 requests the server device 40 for a registered device list via the communication processing unit 3011 (S902).

[0116] In the server device 40 that has received the request, the control unit 402 refers to the management DB 411, generates a registered device list from the home appliances 10 registered in association with the user ID (S107), and transmits the registered device list to the application 301 of the terminal device 30 (S108), in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Here, the registered device list is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0117] In application 301 of terminal device 30, communication processing unit 3011 receives the registered device list. Then, selection unit 3015 of application 301 refers to the registered device list and selects a home appliance 10 with the most frequently used device ID (S909). Next, selection unit 3015 generates a control shortcut for a command for the selected home appliance 10 and displays it on the plug-in application screen (S905). Specifically, display processing unit 3013 displays control shortcuts 1705 for functions that have been used a predetermined number of times or more on plug-in application screen 1701.

[0118] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another example in which control shortcuts are displayed on a plug-in application screen according to the third embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 18, a control shortcut 1705 for a command for an air conditioner is displayed on a plug-in application screen 1701 of the plug-in application 3020 for a refrigerator as a result of the processing in FIG.

[0119] Next, a process for generating a control shortcut 1705 from the plug-in application screen 1701 in response to a user instruction will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for generating a control shortcut 1705 in response to a user instruction according to the third embodiment.

[0120] First, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 determines whether or not the input processing unit 3012 has accepted a long press operation on the control button 1703 (S501). If a long press operation has not been accepted (S501: No), the process waits for acceptance of a long press operation.

[0121] When a long press operation on the control button 1703 is accepted (S501: Yes), the display processing unit 3013 displays a confirmation message on the plug-in application screen 1701 asking whether or not to create a control shortcut (S503). Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a plug-in application screen 1701 on which a confirmation message is displayed in embodiment 3. As shown in Fig. 20, when a user presses and holds down "temperature change" control button 1703 on plug-in application screen 1701 for an air conditioner, a confirmation message 1707 is displayed by display processing unit 3013, asking whether or not to generate a control shortcut for the temperature change command.

[0122] Fig. 21A is a diagram showing another display example of plug-in application screen 1701 on which a confirmation message is displayed in embodiment 3. In the example of Fig. 21A, as a result of the user long-pressing control button 1703 for "freezing vegetables" on plug-in application screen 1701 for the refrigerator, display processing unit 3013 displays confirmation message 1707 for confirming whether or not to generate a control shortcut for the freezing vegetables command.

[0123] 19, the display processing unit 3013 judges whether the input processing unit 3012 has accepted the user's selection of "Yes" in the confirmation message 1707, i.e., the selection of "No" to generate a control shortcut (S505). If the user's selection of "Yes" in the confirmation message 1707 has not been accepted, i.e., if the selection of "No" has been accepted (S505: No), the process ends.

[0124] In S505, if the user selects “Yes” in the confirmation message 1707 (S505: Yes), the display processing unit 3013 generates and displays a control shortcut 1705 for the selected control button 1703 on the plug-in application screen 1701 (S507).

[0125] Fig. 21B is a diagram showing an example in which a control shortcut 1705 is displayed from the screen of Fig. 21 A. As shown in Fig. 21B, when the user selects "Yes" in response to a confirmation message 1707 on the screen of Fig. 21 A, a control shortcut 1705 for vegetable freezing is generated and displayed on the plug-in application screen 1701.

[0126] Next, a process to be performed when the control button 1703 is pressed and held will be described. When the input processing unit 3012 accepts a drag-and-drop operation on a control button, the display processing unit 3013 generates and displays a control shortcut for the specified control button at the dropped position on the plug-in application screen 1701.

[0127] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when a long press operation is performed on the control button 1703 in the third embodiment. The display processing unit 3013 determines whether or not the input processing unit 3012 has accepted a long press operation of the control button 1703 (S701). If a long press operation has not been accepted (S701: No), the process enters a waiting state for acceptance.

[0128] When a long press operation is accepted (S701: Yes), the long pressed control button 1703 is held by the user's finger. Next, the display processing unit 3013 determines whether or not the input processing unit 3012 has accepted a drag-and-drop operation following the long press (S703). If the input processing unit 3012 has not accepted a drag-and-drop operation (S703: No), the process returns to S701.

[0129] If a drag-and-drop operation has been accepted (S703: Yes), the display processing unit 3013 generates and displays a control shortcut 1705 for the command of the control button 1703 at the destination, i.e., the dropped position, on the plug-in application screen 1701 (S705). Then, the processing ends.

[0130] Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an example in which a control shortcut is generated by moving a control button 1703 by a drag-and-drop operation in the third embodiment. As shown in the example of Fig. 23, when control button 1703 for changing the back temperature on plug-in application screen 1701 of air conditioner plug-in application 3020 is pressed and held, and then dragged and dropped into an area where information shortcuts are placed, it can be seen that control shortcut 1705 for control button 1703 for changing the temperature is generated and displayed at the dropped position.

[0131] As described above, in this embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 is displayed on the display device 302 when the plug-in application 3020 is started, and displays the control shortcut 1705 of a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance 10 together with the control button 1703 for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance 10 on the plug-in application screen 1701, which is the screen of the plug-in application 3020. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the control shortcut 1705 of a command for a frequently used function or a command for a function preferred by the user can be displayed on the plug-in application screen 1701, so that the user can be spared troublesome work related to the control of the home appliance 10, and the convenience of the user can be improved. Also, according to this embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 displays the control shortcut 1705 on the plug-in application screen 1701 together with the control button 1703, so that the operation of icons, buttons, etc. other than the control shortcut 1705 can be performed while the control shortcut 1705 is displayed.

[0132] Furthermore, in the conventional technology, it is not possible to control or operate a home appliance 10 corresponding to another plug-in application 3020 on the plug-in application screen. Therefore, in order to control or operate a home appliance 10 that a user frequently uses, the user must take the trouble of activating the plug-in application 3020 of that home appliance 10 and displaying the plug-in application screen.

[0133] In contrast, in this embodiment, display processing unit 3013 of application 301 displays control shortcuts 1705 for operating home appliances 10 other than the home appliance 10 corresponding to plug-in application 3020 on plug-in application screen 1701. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even when it is desired to control or operate another home appliance 10 while plug-in application screen 1701 is being displayed, it is not necessary to start plug-in application 3020 corresponding to the other home appliance 10 and display the other plug-in application screen 1701. This eliminates the need for the user to perform complicated operations, thereby further improving user convenience.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, display processing unit 3013 of application 301 displays control shortcuts 1705 for commands of plug-in applications 3020 corresponding to home appliances 10 that have been used a predetermined number of times or more, on plug-in application screen 1701. Therefore, according to this embodiment, control shortcuts 1705 for other home appliances 10 that are used frequently are displayed on plug-in application screen 1701, which can eliminate cumbersome steps for the user and further improve convenience for the user.

[0135] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a long press operation on the control button 1703, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 displays a confirmation message 1707 near the long pressed control button 1703, prompting the user to confirm whether or not to generate a control shortcut, and when an input to generate a control shortcut is received from the user, the display processing unit 3013 generates a control shortcut 1705 for the long pressed control button 1703 and displays it on the plug-in application screen 1701. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the control shortcut 1705 can be displayed on the plug-in application screen 1701 with a simple and intuitive operation, thereby eliminating the need for the user to perform complicated operations and further improving user convenience.

[0136] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the input processing unit 3012 receives a drag-and-drop operation on the control button 1703, the display processing unit 3013 of the application 301 generates and displays a control shortcut 1705 for the specified control button 1703 at the position on the plug-in application screen 1701 where the control button 1703 was dropped by the drag-and-drop operation. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the control shortcut 1705 can be displayed on the plug-in application screen 1701 with a simple and intuitive operation, thereby eliminating the need for the user to take on complicated tasks and further improving user convenience.

[0137] (Modification) As in the first embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 may be configured to display the control shortcut 1705 in the lower left or lower right area of ​​the plug-in application screen 1701. In this case, the user can operate the control shortcut 505 with his or her thumb while holding the terminal device 3 in one hand, thereby further improving user convenience.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the server device 40 is configured as a single device, but is not limited to this. For example, the functional units (communication unit 401, control unit 402, storage unit 410) of the server device 40 or the functions of each unit may be distributed among multiple devices. Even in this case, a user who uses the application 301 of the terminal device 30 can enjoy all the effects described in the above embodiment and modified example.

[0139] Furthermore, the server device 40 may be installed in Japan, or may be configured to be installed overseas outside Japan. Furthermore, when the server device 40 is configured to be distributed across multiple devices, it may be configured to be installed overseas as a device having some of the functional units (communication unit 401, control unit 402, storage unit 410) or some of the functions of each unit. Even in these cases, a user who uses the application 301 of the terminal device 30 can enjoy all of the effects described in the above embodiment and modified examples.

[0140] The application 301 (including the plug-in application 3020) executed by the terminal device 30 in the above embodiment and modified examples is provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. Also, the application 301 (including the plug-in application 3020) executed by the terminal device 30 in the above embodiment and modified examples may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0141] The application 301 (including the plug-in application 3020) executed on the terminal device 30 in the above embodiment and modified example may be configured to be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a USB memory, or an SD card.

[0142] Furthermore, the application 301 (including the plug-in application 3020) executed on the terminal device 30 of the above embodiment and modified examples may be provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0143] The server device 40 in the above embodiment and modified examples includes a control device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM and a RAM, an external storage device such as a HDD or a CD drive, a display device such as a display device, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and has a hardware configuration that utilizes a normal computer.

[0144] The home appliance management program executed by server device 40 in the above embodiment and modified example is provided in the form of a file in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a digital versatile disk (DVD).

[0145] The home appliance management program executed by server device 40 of the above embodiment and modification may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The home appliance management program executed by server device 40 of the above embodiment and modification may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. The home electric appliance management program executed by server device 40 in the above embodiment and modified example may be provided by being pre-installed in ROM or the like.

[0146] The home appliance management program executed by server device 40 in the above embodiment and modified example has a modular structure including each of the above-mentioned units (communication unit 401, control unit 402), and in terms of actual hardware, a CPU (processor) reads out and executes the home appliance management program from the above-mentioned storage medium, whereby each of the above-mentioned units is loaded onto a main memory device and communication unit 401 and control unit 402 are generated on the main memory device.

[0147] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1. Home appliance management system 10 Home appliances 30 Terminal Equipment 40 Server device 401 Communications Department 402 Control section 410 Storage section 411 Management DB 301 Application 302 Display device 303 Input Device 304 Communication Equipment 305 Storage device 3011 Communication processing unit 3012 Input processing section 3013 Display processing unit 3014 Control section 3015 Selection Department 3020 Plug-in App 501 App Home Screen 503 Launcher Icon 505 Control Shortcuts 507 Control Button 1701 Plug-in app screen 1703 Control Button 1705 Control Shortcuts 1707 Confirmation Message

Claims

1. An application program to be executed by a computer of a terminal device that is connected via a network to a server device that manages home appliances and has a display device, the application program includes an extended application program provided corresponding to the home appliance, for displaying a state of the home appliance and for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance; a display step of displaying, on the display device, an application home screen that is a basic screen of the application program, first shortcut information that is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, together with a launch icon for launching the extensible application program; An application program that causes the computer to execute the above.

2. the server device manages a plurality of home appliances and determines priorities for the plurality of home appliances; selecting one or more home appliances from the plurality of home appliances based on the priority; The display step displays, on the application home screen, the first shortcut information of the command of each of the extended application programs of the selected one or more home appliances.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

3. The display step displays, on the application home screen, the first shortcut information of a predetermined command among a plurality of commands of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances.

3. The application program according to claim 2.

4. The selection step further includes selecting a command corresponding to a function from among a plurality of commands of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances based on a number of uses of the function of the home appliance; The display step displays the first shortcut information of the selected command on the application home screen in the extended application program of each of the determined one or more home appliances.

3. The application program according to claim 2.

5. further causing the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen; The display step changes a command to be displayed on the designated first shortcut information when a swipe operation on the first shortcut information is accepted in the input step.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

6. further causing the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen; The display step reduces a size of the designated first shortcut information when a pinch-in operation on the first shortcut information is received in the input step, and increases a size of the designated first shortcut information when a pinch-out operation on the first shortcut information is received in the input step.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

7. further causing the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen; When a long press operation and a drag-and-drop operation subsequent to the long press operation on the first shortcut information are accepted in the input step, the display step moves and displays the instructed first shortcut information to a position on the application home screen where the first shortcut information has been dropped by the drag-and-drop operation.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

8. further causing the computer to execute an input step of receiving an operation input from a user for the first shortcut information displayed on the application home screen; The display step, when a long press operation on the first shortcut information is accepted in the input step, displays a setting window displaying a list of a plurality of selectable commands near the first shortcut information on which the long press operation has been performed, and changes the command to the command selected from the setting window by the user in the input step and displays the command on the first shortcut information.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

9. The display step includes clearing the setting window when a move operation is received from the user in the input step while the setting window is being displayed.

9. The application program according to claim 8.

10. The display step displays the first shortcut information in a lower right or lower left area of ​​the application home screen.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

11. (Third embodiment: in a plug-in application) The display step is a step of displaying, on the display device when the extended application program is started, second shortcut information, which is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, on an extended application screen, which is a screen of the extended application program, together with a control button for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

12. The display step displays, on the extended application screen, the second shortcut information for operating a home appliance other than the home appliance corresponding to the extended application program.

12. The application program according to claim 11.

13. The display step displays, on the extended application screen, the second shortcut information of a command of the extended application program corresponding to a home appliance that has been used a predetermined number of times or more.

13. The application program according to claim 12.

14. further executing an input step of receiving an operation input from a user on the extended application screen, The display step, when a long press operation on the control button is accepted in the input step, displays a confirmation message in the vicinity of the control button on which the long press operation is performed, for confirming whether or not the second shortcut information is to be generated; and, when an input to generate the second shortcut information is accepted from the user in the input step, generates the second shortcut information of the control button on which the long press operation is performed and displays it on the extended application screen.

12. The application program according to claim 11.

15. further executing an input step of receiving an operation input from a user on the extended application screen, When a drag-and-drop operation on the control button is accepted in the input step, the display step generates and displays second shortcut information of the designated control button at a position on the extended application screen where the control button is dropped by the drag-and-drop operation.

12. The application program according to claim 11.

16. A home appliance management system including a server device that manages home appliances, and an application program to be executed by a computer of a terminal device that is connected to the server device via a network and has a display device, The application program an extended application program provided in correspondence with the home appliance for displaying a state of the home appliance and for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance; a display step of displaying, on the display device, an application home screen that is a basic screen of the application program, first shortcut information that is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, together with a launch icon for launching the extensible application program, on the application home screen that is a basic screen of the application program, and the first shortcut information is displayed on the display device, the first shortcut information being a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance; Home appliance management system.

17. the server device, when each of a plurality of home appliances is used, receives from the home appliance a notification that the home appliance has been used together with the function that has been used, counts the number of times the home appliance has been used and the number of times the function has been used, and transmits to the terminal device device device list information in which identification information and priority of the home appliance, the number of times the home appliance has been used, and the number of times the function has been used are associated with each other; The application program a receiving step of receiving the device list information; selecting one or more home appliances from among the plurality of home appliances in the received device list information based on the priority; The display step displays, on the application home screen, the first shortcut information of the command of each of the extended application programs of the selected one or more home appliances. The home appliance management system according to claim 16.

18. The selection step further includes selecting a command corresponding to a function from among a plurality of commands of the extended application program of each of the selected one or more home appliances based on the number of times of use of the function of the home appliance in the device list information; The display step displays the first shortcut information of the selected command on the application home screen in the extended application program of each of the determined one or more home appliances. The home appliance management system according to claim 17.

19. the display step is a step of displaying, on the display device when the extended application program is started, second shortcut information, which is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, together with a control button for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance on an extended application screen that is a screen of the extended application program, and The display step displays, on the extended application screen, the second shortcut information of a command of the extended application program corresponding to a home appliance other than the home appliance corresponding to the extended application program, the home appliance having a device usage count equal to or greater than a predetermined number in the device list information. The home appliance management system according to claim 17.

20. A home appliance management method executed by a home appliance management system including a server device that manages home appliances, and an application program to be executed by a computer of a terminal device that is connected to the server device via a network and has a display device, comprising: the application program includes an extended application program provided corresponding to the home appliance, for displaying a state of the home appliance and for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance; a display step of displaying, on the display device, an application home screen that is a basic screen of the application program, first shortcut information that is a shortcut to a command for issuing a control instruction to the home appliance, together with a launch icon for launching the extensible application program; A home appliance management device method comprising:

Images