PROGRAM AND IoT SYSTEM

Abstract

To provide a program and an IoT system which allows intuitive grasping of phenomena caused in a plurality of things in a real world.SOLUTION: According to an IoT system 100 of an embodiment of the present invention and a program executed by a cloud server 50 as a computer of the IoT system 100 and a user terminal 20, any image is fetched as a device arrangement specification image 36 into the user terminal 20 by a user operation, and a plurality of device icons HA1 to HA5 corresponding to a plurality of registered edge devices E1 to E5 are superposed onto any positions of the device arrangement specification image 36. Thus, it is possible to easily create the device arrangement specification image 36 which allows a user to easily understand the installation locations and installation targets of the plurality of edge devices E1 to E5 in an actual world.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a program and an IoT system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various IoT (Internet of Things) technologies for managing a plurality of objects in the real world over the Internet have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-129091 A (see paragraph

[0002] ) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional IoT technology, it can sometimes be difficult to intuitively grasp events occurring in multiple things in the real world as a result of the shift to IoT, and measures to address this issue are needed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect of the invention made to solve the above problems is a program that is executed by a computer included in an IoT system that displays multiple external information contents based on information uploaded to a cloud from multiple edge devices on a monitor of a user terminal, and causes the user terminal to function as an image capture device for capturing an arbitrary image as a device layout specific image, a device registration device for registering the multiple edge devices, a display registration device for displaying on the monitor a display setting screen including the device layout specific image and multiple device icons corresponding to the registered multiple edge devices and that are distinguishable from one another, and performing an operation to superimpose the multiple device icons at any position on the device layout specific image by a user operation, and a management screen display device for displaying on the monitor a management screen including the device layout specific image on which the multiple device icons are superimposed, and the multiple external information contents that are associated with the multiple device icons and distinguishable from one another.

[0006] A second aspect of the invention is an IoT system that displays on a monitor of a user terminal multiple external information contents based on information uploaded to a cloud from multiple edge devices, wherein the user terminal functions as an image capture device for capturing an arbitrary image as a device layout specific image, a device registration device for registering the multiple edge devices, a display registration device for displaying on the monitor a display setting screen including the device layout specific image and multiple device icons corresponding to the registered multiple edge devices and that are distinguishable from one another, and for performing an operation to superimpose the multiple device icons at any position on the device layout specific image by a user operation, and a management screen display device for displaying on the monitor a management screen including the device layout specific image on which the multiple device icons are superimposed, and the multiple external information contents associated with the multiple device icons and that are distinguishable from one another. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an arbitrary image can be imported into a user terminal as a device layout specific image, and multiple device icons corresponding to multiple registered edge devices can be superimposed at any position on the device layout specific image by a user operation. This makes it possible to easily create a device layout specific image that allows the installation locations and installation targets of multiple edge devices in the real world to be known at a glance. Then, a management screen including the device layout specific image and multiple external information contents associated with the multiple device icons is displayed on the monitor, so that when some abnormality or change occurs in the multiple external information contents, it becomes possible to intuitively grasp the event occurring in some or all of the multiple things in the real world by visually checking the device layout specific image. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an IoT system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an IoT system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a user terminal. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the control structure of the cloud. [Diagram 5] Figure 5 shows a conceptual diagram of the management screen displayed on the monitor of a user device. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a conceptual diagram of the display settings screen displayed on the monitor of the user terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the management data acquisition process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the process flow for viewing the management screen. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing the process flow for editing the management screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of a cloud according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a user terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [First embodiment] 1 to 9, an embodiment will be described in which an IoT system 100 is used to implement IoT for a part of the management work of managing, for example, a plurality of rental apartment complexes H. The part of the management work is, for example, a facility check work of periodically checking whether there are any abnormalities in the facilities in the common spaces of each rental apartment complex H, and a lifestyle check work of periodically checking the gas and electricity usage of single residents by contract to ensure that they are living normally. Before the implementation of IoT, these check works were visually checked by the manager, which required on-site work of visiting each of the multiple rental apartment complexes H.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, one example of IoT-based equipment inspection work is a system in which a camera 101 is installed as an edge device to capture images of the shared spaces of each rental apartment complex H, image data captured by the camera 101 is uploaded to the cloud 200, and an administrator uses a user terminal 20 to check for any abnormalities in the equipment in the shared spaces.

[0011] One example of using IoT to check living conditions would be a system in which edge devices such as humidity and temperature sensors and motion sensors are installed in the homes of single-person residents to perform more accurate checks than simply measuring gas and electricity usage, and the system uses the results of these detections to check whether the residents are living normally.

[0012] When using the IoT system 100 of this embodiment, for example, a dedicated gateway 40 is used. The gateway 40 is a router that is limited to connection only to specific communication partners including the cloud 200 of the IoT system 100 of this embodiment, and has multiple device connection channels that can be connected to any edge device wirelessly or wired. The multiple channels are assigned channel numbers. In addition, the gateway 40 is assigned, for example, a gateway number for identifying the gateways 40 from each other. The gateway 40 adds, for example, a device identification number consisting of a channel number and a gateway number to the transmission data output by the edge device and uploads the data to the cloud 200. An example of using this gateway 40 will be described below. In addition, in the following description, when the administrator is described as a user of the cloud, the administrator will be referred to as a user as appropriate. In addition, in the following description, "communication" and "connection" can refer to either wireless or wired unless otherwise specified.

[0013] In order to implement the above-mentioned facility inspection and lifestyle inspection tasks using IoT, a user of the IoT system 100 of this embodiment performs the settings described below on the edge device side that uploads data to the cloud 200, and then performs further settings described below on the user terminal 20 side that downloads the data.

[0014] First, in order to connect edge devices to the cloud 200, a gateway 40 is installed in each of a plurality of rental apartment complexes H, as shown in Fig. 1. Then, a camera 101 is installed in each rental apartment complex H for facility inspection work so that it can capture images of the shared space. Then, the camera 101 alone is set as an edge device E5 for facility inspection work so that it can communicate with the gateway 40, and the camera 101 is set to output image data to the gateway 40 at a predetermined interval.

[0015] Next, for the residences H1 to H4 that have concluded a contract for the life confirmation service, a temperature and humidity sensor 11 connected to a device communication device 10 is installed at each of the residences H1 to H4 as edge devices E1 to E4 for the life confirmation service. Then, each device communication device 10 to which the temperature and humidity sensor 11 is connected is set in a state capable of communicating with the gateway 40, similar to the above-mentioned camera 101. Then, a control unit 12 of the device communication device 10, which will be described later, outputs measurement data of the temperature and humidity sensor 11 to the gateway 40 at predetermined intervals.

[0016] 2, the device communication device 10 includes, for example, a substrate 10K and a battery 10BT housed inside a case 10C. A control unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a plurality of connectors 12C are mounted on the substrate 10K, and a temperature and humidity sensor 11 is connected to the connector 12C. Some of the connectors 12C are exposed to the outside of the case 10C, and the remaining parts are housed inside the case 10C. For example, the temperature and humidity sensor 11 is connected to the connector 12C arranged inside the case 10C and housed in the case 10C. Then, an identification number set in the device communication device 10 is associated with an available channel of the gateway 40, and the device communication device 10 is set to a state in which it can communicate with the gateway 40.

[0017] The device communication device 10 with the temperature and humidity sensor 11 may be installed in a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, etc. In addition, if a human sensor is connected to the device communication device 10 instead of the temperature and humidity sensor 11, the device communication device 10 may be installed in a toilet or a corridor where residents usually pass frequently. In addition to the temperature and humidity sensor 11 and the human sensor, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, etc. may be connected to the device communication device 10 as an edge device for the life confirmation business. If the resident wishes, a camera, a microphone, etc. may be connected to the device communication device 10 as an edge device for the life confirmation business. Furthermore, a smartphone, a tablet, etc. owned by the resident may be used as an edge device. In this embodiment, one gateway 40 is installed in each rental collective residence H, but one gateway 40 may be installed in each of the residences H1 to H4.

[0018] After completing the above-mentioned settings of the gateway 40 and edge devices E1 to E5 in each rental apartment complex H, the user accesses a website provided by the cloud 200 of the IoT system 100 with the user terminal 20, creates an account, and registers as the user.

[0019] Here, the user terminal 20 may be any device that can connect to the Internet and has a monitor, an operation unit, and storage, such as a smartphone, a personal computer, or a portable terminal (Personal Digital Assistant), but in this embodiment, the user terminal 20 is a smartphone. As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal 20 has a monitor 21, a communication unit 22 connected to a communication network 80, a control unit 23 configured by, for example, a CPU, a memory 24, an input operation unit 25, a terminal storage 26, a camera 27, a speaker (not shown), and the like. Note that the input operation unit 25 corresponds to a touch panel of a smartphone, but when the user terminal 20 is a personal computer or the like, it may be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like.

[0020] Furthermore, the cloud server 50 of the cloud 200 executes the IoT program stored in the cloud storage 61, thereby forming a website providing unit 69 (see FIG. 4) in the cloud 200 (specifically, one or more computers of the cloud 200 function as the website providing unit 69). The website providing unit 69 then transmits a program written in a language such as HTML to the user terminal 20 that accesses the website as part of the IoT program, and causes the user terminal 20 to function as a user registration unit 30, a device registration device 34A, an image capture device 34B, a display registration device 34C, a management screen display device 32, etc., which will be described later.

[0021] By accessing the above website, the user terminal 20 functions as a user registration unit 30, a mode selection unit 31, a management screen display device 32, a display mode selection device 33, and a screen editing device 34, all shown in Fig. 3. In order to register a user, an arbitrary user ID and password are input into the user terminal 20 functioning as the user registration unit 30, and the user registration unit 30 requests approval from the cloud server 50 of the cloud 200. When the cloud server 50 confirms that the user ID does not overlap with other users and approves it, the user registration is completed.

[0022] When user registration is complete and a user logs in to the website by entering a user ID and password, the user terminal 20 functions as a mode selection unit 31, and a menu screen (not shown) is displayed on the monitor 21. The menu screen has an Manage button and an Edit button. When the Edit button on the menu screen is turned on to perform initial settings, the user terminal 20 enters "Edit mode."

[0023] When the user terminal 20 is in the edit mode, it functions as a screen editing device 34. The screen editing device 34 includes a device registration device 34A, an image capture device 34B, a display registration device 34C, a display mode setting unit 34D, and an alarm setting device 34E.

[0024] By using the user terminal 20 as the device registration device 34A, it is possible to register the edge devices E1 to E5 including the camera 101 and the temperature and humidity sensor 11 installed in the rental apartment H as described above. The registration operation is performed, for example, by inputting the device identification number of the gateway 40. In addition, the edge devices E1 to E5 can be grouped together and registered. In this embodiment, for example, the edge devices E1 to E5 installed in each rental apartment H are registered together. The device identification number registered for each rental apartment H is linked to the user ID and stored in the user information storage unit 65 (see FIG. 4) of the cloud 200. In addition, the device registration device 34A assigns device icons HA1 to HA5 (see FIG. 5) that are distinguishable from one another to the registered edge devices E1 to E5.

[0025] When the registration of the edge devices E1 to E5 is completed, the user terminal 20 becomes available as the image capturing device 34B. The user terminal 20 as the image capturing device 34B requests the registration of an image (device arrangement specifying image 36) that can specify the installation locations of the edge devices E1 to E5. In response to this, the user may select a file of the device arrangement specifying image 36 from the terminal storage 26 of the user terminal 20. The device arrangement specifying image 36 may be, for example, an image of the exterior of the rental apartment house H in which the edge devices E1 to E5 are installed, captured by the camera 27, or a floor plan of the rental apartment house H created by CAD or the like. The selected device arrangement specifying image 36 is linked to the user ID, transmitted to the cloud server 50, registered, and stored in the management screen data storage unit 64 (see FIG. 4) of the cloud server 50.

[0026] When the registration of the device layout specific image 36 is completed, the user terminal 20 becomes usable as a display registration device 34C. By using the user terminal 20 as the display registration device 34C, it is possible to add position information of the edge devices E1 to E5 to the device layout specific image 36. Specifically, when the user terminal 20 functions as the display registration device 34C, a display setting screen G3 shown in Fig. 5 is displayed on the monitor 21. The display setting screen G3 is provided with a first screen 37A and a second screen 37B.

[0027] The first screen 37A displays the device arrangement specific image 36 captured by the image capturing device 34B. The second screen 37B displays the device icons HA1 to HA5 set by the device registration device 34A. The user, for example, selects each of the device icons HA1 to HA5 with a mouse or a touch panel, and performs an operation such as drag and drop to superimpose the icon on the position of the residence H1 or the installation location of the camera 101 on the device arrangement specific image 36. This generates an AR image (see FIG. 6) in which the device icon HA1 is superimposed on the position of the residence H1 on the device arrangement specific image 36.

[0028] In the user terminal 20 as the display registration device 34C, the layout of the first screen 37A and the second screen 37B can also be edited. Specifically, in the initial state of the display setting screen G3, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the first screen 37A and the second screen 37B are arranged side by side with the same size. Then, the user can change the size and arrangement of the first screen 37A and the second screen 37B by touching two points on the display setting screen G3 with the input operation unit 25 (touch panel) of the user terminal 20 to expand or narrow them. Then, when a confirmation button (not shown) is pressed, the AR image and the management screen data specifying the arrangement of the first and second screens 37A and 37B are linked to the user ID, transmitted to the cloud server 50, registered, and stored in the management screen data storage unit 64.

[0029] When the registration of the management screen data is completed, the user terminal 20 can be used as the display mode setting unit 34D and the alarm setting device 34E. By using the user terminal 20 as the display mode setting unit 34D, the display mode of the external information content C based on the data uploaded by the edge devices E1 to E5 to the cloud 200 can be set. Specifically, the user terminal 20 as the display mode setting unit 34D displays a display mode setting screen (not shown) on the monitor 21. The user can set the display mode of the external information content C for each of the edge devices E1 to E5 on the display mode setting screen. A plurality of display modes may be set for each of the edge devices E1 to E5. For example, when the edge device uploads a physical quantity detected by a sensor such as the temperature and humidity sensor 11 to the cloud 200, the display mode may be a display mode called "table" or a display mode called "graph." In addition, when the edge device uploads image data to the cloud 200 like the camera 101, the display mode may be different depending on whether the image is a still image or a video, or different depending on whether the image is color or black and white. The set display mode is linked to the user ID and transmitted to the cloud server 50 for registration, and is stored in the management screen data storage unit 64 .

[0030] By using the user terminal 20 functioning as the alarm setting device 34E, the user can set conditions for generating an alarm that warns of an abnormality in any external information content C. The conditions for generating an alarm can be set for each temperature and humidity sensor 11 provided in each device communication device 10. The set alarm generation conditions are linked to the user ID and transmitted to the cloud server 50 for registration, and are stored in the management screen data storage unit 64.

[0031] When the above-mentioned various settings are completed and an end button (not shown) is turned on, the "edit mode" is exited and the above-mentioned menu screen (not shown) is displayed on the monitor 21. Then, when the management button on the menu screen is turned on, the user terminal 20 enters the "management mode."

[0032] When the user terminal 20 is in the management mode, the user terminal 20 functions as the management screen display device 32, and the management screen G1 is displayed on the monitor 21 as shown in FIG. 6. The management screen G1 is an AR image registered as described above, and has a first screen 37A and a second screen 37B. In the second screen 37B, device icons HA1 to HA5 are displayed together with external information content C in each of the frames 35A to 35E. In addition, when the above-mentioned alarm generation condition is established, an alarm mark W that warns of the occurrence of an abnormality is superimposed on the device icons HA1 to HA5 in which an abnormality has occurred in the first screen 37A. At this time, the alarm mark W may be superimposed on the frames 35A to 35E of the second screen 37B. In addition, a comment such as "abnormality exists" may be displayed instead of or together with the alarm mark W. In addition, when the alarm mark is clicked, a screen showing details of the abnormality may be superimposed on the first screen 37A or the second screen 37B. In addition, an alarm may also be output by voice from a speaker.

[0033] While functioning as the management screen display device 32, the user terminal 20 also functions as the display mode selection device 33 and can select the display mode of the external information content C. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, if the external information content C of "temperature and humidity" is displayed in the display mode of "graph" in frames 35A to 35D, clicking on any of the frames 35A to 35D switches the display mode of the clicked external information content C from "graph" to a numerical display of the current and average values ​​of temperature and humidity.

[0034] When the cloud server 50 executes the IoT program of the cloud storage 61, in addition to the aforementioned website providing unit 69 shown in FIG. 4, a data import unit 51, a content transmitting unit 52, a management screen transmitting unit 53, an alarm determination unit 54, a management information storage unit 62, a content storage unit 63, a management screen data storage unit 64, and a user information storage unit 65 are formed in the cloud 200.

[0035] The data acquisition unit 51 acquires the transmission data acquired by the device communication unit 10 from the gateway 40, and stores it in chronological order in the management information storage unit 62. Specifically, the data acquired by the edge devices E1 to E5 included in the transmission data (hereinafter referred to as management information) is stored in the management information storage unit 62 by device identification number.

[0036] The content transmission unit 52 transmits screens such as a menu screen and a display setting screen G3 to the user terminal 20 in response to a request from the user terminal 20. When there is a request from the user terminal 20, the content transmission unit 52 reads out the necessary screen from the content storage unit 63 as appropriate and transmits it.

[0037] The management screen transmission unit 53 transmits the management screen G1 to the user terminal 20 when there is a request from the user terminal 20 to view the management screen G1. Specifically, the management screen transmission unit 53 identifies the device identification numbers of the device communication apparatuses 10 linked to the user ID from the user information storage unit 65 on a group basis, and creates the management screen G1 by combining the device identification numbers with the data for the management screen stored in the management screen data storage unit 64. Then, the management screen transmission unit 53 transmits the created management screen G1 to the user terminal 20.

[0038] Furthermore, when the display mode of the external information content C is selected from the user terminal 20, the management screen transmission unit 53 reads out management information corresponding to the specified device identification number from the management information storage unit 62, and displays the external information content C on the management screen G1 in the display mode requested by the user terminal 20. Furthermore, when the alarm determination unit 54 described later determines that an abnormality has occurred, the management screen transmission unit 53 displays an alarm mark W or the like that warns of the abnormality on the management screen G1.

[0039] The alarm determination unit 54 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the management information at predetermined intervals based on the alarm generation conditions set in the user terminal 20, and when it is determined that there is an abnormality, outputs that fact to the management screen transmission unit 53. Moreover, when no management information is received for a certain period of time, it may determine that there is an abnormality, assuming that a breakdown or trouble has occurred in the device communication device 10.

[0040] Hereinafter, sequence diagrams showing processes P1 to P3 performed by the IoT system 100 are illustrated in FIGS.

[0041] 7 shows the flow of process P1 for acquiring management information. In this process P1, the edge devices E1 to E5 generate transmission data based on management information acquired from the camera 101, the temperature and humidity sensor 11, etc. (step S10), and transmit the data to the cloud server 50 via the gateway 40 (step S11). The gateway 40, which receives the data, adds a device identification number to each piece of transmission data so that it is possible to determine which of the edge devices E1 to E5 sent the data. The cloud server 50 stores the transmission data from the edge devices E1 to E5 by device identification number (step S12).

[0042] 8 shows the flow of process P2 in which the user terminal 20 views the management screen G1. In this process P2, the user terminal 20 is put into management mode (step S20) to request viewing of the management screen G1. Then, the cloud server 50 identifies the edge devices E1 to E5 linked to the user ID, creates the management screen G1, and transmits it to the user terminal 20 (step S21), and the user terminal 20 displays the management screen G1 on the monitor 21 (step S22).

[0043] Here, when the user selects the display mode of the external information content C (step S23), the cloud server 50 reads the corresponding management information from the management information storage unit 62 to generate the external information content C (step S24), and displays it on the management screen G1 in the display mode requested by the user terminal 20 (step S25). Also, when the cloud server 50 determines that an abnormality has occurred based on the alarm generation condition set in the user terminal 20 (step S26), it displays an alarm on the user terminal 20 (step S27).

[0044] FIG. 9 shows the flow of a process P3 in which the user terminal 20 edits the management screen G1. In this process P3, the user terminal 20 goes into edit mode (step S30), and a request is made to the cloud server 50 to edit the management screen G1. Then, the cloud server 50 requests the registration of the edge devices E1 to E5. In response to this, the user terminal 20 inputs the device identification numbers of the edge devices E1 to E5 (step S31), and the cloud server 50 registers the edge devices E1 to E5 in association with the user ID (step S32). Next, the cloud server 50 requests the registration of the device arrangement specifying image 36. In response to this, when the device arrangement specifying image 36 is registered by the user terminal 20 (step S33), the cloud server 50 stores the device arrangement specifying image 36 in association with the user ID (step S34). Furthermore, the cloud server 50 transmits a display setting screen G3 to the user terminal 20. In response to this, when management screen data related to the above-mentioned AR image is created on the display setting screen G3 (step S35), the cloud server 50 registers the management screen data in association with the user ID (step S36).

[0045] Next, the cloud server 50 transmits a display mode setting screen to the user terminal 20, and in response, the user terminal 20 sets the display mode of the external information content C (step S37). The cloud server 50 stores the set display mode in association with the user ID (step S38). Next, the cloud server 50 transmits an alarm setting screen (not shown) to the user terminal 20, and in response, the user terminal 20 sets conditions for generating an alarm to warn of an abnormality (step S39). The cloud server 50 stores the set alarm generation conditions in association with the user ID (step S40).

[0046] The configuration of this embodiment has been described above. According to the IoT system 100 of this embodiment and the program executed by the cloud server 50 or the user terminal 20, which is the computer of the IoT system 100, the following operational effects are achieved. That is, an arbitrary image can be imported into the user terminal 20 as a device arrangement specific image 36, and as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of device icons HA1 to HA5 corresponding to a plurality of registered edge devices E1 to E5 can be superimposed at an arbitrary position on the device arrangement specific image 36 by a user operation. This makes it possible to easily create a device arrangement specific image 36 that allows the installation locations and installation targets of a plurality of edge devices E1 to E5 in the real world to be known at a glance.

[0047] Specifically, a display setting screen G3 including a first screen 37A displaying a device layout specific image 36 and a second screen 37B displaying a plurality of device icons HA1 to HA5 is displayed on the monitor 21 of the user terminal 20. In this state, the user can change the size and arrangement of the first screen 37A and the second screen 37B of the display setting screen G3, and can easily create the device layout specific image 36 in which the plurality of device icons HA1 to HA5 are superimposed on the display setting screen G3.

[0048] 6, when the managed object is managed by the user terminal 20, the management screen G1 including the device arrangement specific image 36 and the plurality of external information contents C associated with the plurality of device icons HA1 to HA5 is displayed on the monitor 21 of the user terminal 20. When some abnormality or change occurs in the plurality of external information contents C, the user can intuitively grasp the event occurring in some or all of the plurality of things in the real world by visually checking the device arrangement specific image 36. In the example of this embodiment, when the task of managing a plurality of rental apartments H is implemented using IoT, the device arrangement specific image 36 can easily identify which building the rental apartments H are located in, and further, it is possible to intuitively grasp which part of the rental apartments H or which dwellings H1 to H4 have an abnormality or change. This reduces the workload of the task of managing a plurality of rental apartments H.

[0049] In addition, since the display mode of multiple external information contents C displayed on the management screen G1 can be selected on the user terminal 20, the external information contents C can be displayed in a manner that suits the user's preferences, making it possible to easily grasp events occurring in the real world.

[0050] Furthermore, the user terminal 20 can set conditions for generating an alarm for any external information content C. The device icons HA1 to HA5 on the device arrangement specific image 36 are displayed on the monitor 21 in a manner that allows distinction between when an alarm has occurred and when it has not, so that the source of the alarm in the real world can be easily grasped.

[0051] In this embodiment, the usage fee of the IoT system 100 is calculated according to the amount of data (information amount) that passes through the gateway 40. Specifically, each gateway 40 functions as an information amount measuring device, detects the amount of data (information amount) that passes through, and uploads the detection result to the cloud 200, for example, monthly. Then, the cloud server 50 determines the usage fee according to the amount of data detected by the gateway 40, and bills the user of the IoT system 100. In addition, the image data of the management screen G1 transmitted from the cloud 200 to the user terminal 20 and the transmission data from the edge devices E1 to E5 that are the original data (hereinafter referred to as "data of the management screen G1, etc.") are not stored in the terminal storage 26 of the user terminal 20, but are stored only in the cloud storage 61. When the storage amount exceeds a certain amount based on the contract, the data that exceeds the amount is deleted from the cloud storage 61 in order from the oldest data. According to this configuration, the calculation of the fee is easy, and the usage fee of the IoT system 100 can be reduced accordingly.

[0052] Furthermore, in this configuration, if the cloud usage fee is charged on top of the product unit price of the gateway 40, etc., the user does not need to enter into a troublesome contract for a fixed monthly fee (such as card registration or contract cancellation), and the user can use the data up to a certain amount of storage based on the contract as if it were free of charge, making it easy to use the IoT system 100.

[0053] [Second embodiment] The IoT system 100 of this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the management method of data of the management screen G1, etc. can be selected. Hereinafter, only the configuration of this embodiment that is different from the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11.

[0054] In this embodiment, when a user accesses the website of the IoT system 100 and registers as a user, the user also sets a data management method. A flat-rate system and a pay-per-use system are set as the management method. The flat-rate system is a system in which the upper limit of the capacity that can be stored in the cloud storage 61 is set low and a relatively inexpensive fixed fee is charged, while the pay-per-use system is a system in which charges are based on the capacity actually stored in the cloud storage 61. Note that the flat-rate system may have multiple capacity upper limits and multiple fee systems set accordingly, or a fee system that allows free use may be set. The management method set by the user is linked to a user ID.

[0055] The cloud server 50 executes an IoT program for the data management method of this embodiment, and in the cloud 200, a determination unit 70, a data registration unit 71, a stored data control device 72, a capacity management unit 73, a first data storage unit 62A, and a second data storage unit 62B are formed as shown in FIG. 10.

[0056] The determination unit 70 identifies a user ID from a device identification number included in the data transmitted from the edge devices E1 to E5, and then determines whether the management method set for the device identification number is a flat-rate system or a pay-per-use system.

[0057] The data registration unit 71 stores management information in the first data storage unit 62A for transmission data of a device identification number determined to be set to a flat-rate system, and stores management information in the second data storage unit 62B for transmission data of a device identification number determined to be set to a pay-per-use system.

[0058] The saved data control device 72 moves the management information stored in the first data storage unit 62A from the first data storage unit 62A to the terminal storage 26 of the user terminal 20 in the order of oldest at a timing predetermined for each device identification number. As described above, the first data storage unit 62A stores management information set to a flat rate system, so when the amount of management information exceeds a predetermined upper limit, the first data storage unit 62A cannot store the management information. Therefore, the saved data control device 72 moves the management information stored in the first data storage unit 62A that exceeds a first specified amount set in advance to the terminal storage 26 and erases it from the first data storage unit 62A. The timing of the transfer can be, for example, daily, weekly, or monthly, and can be set by the user when selecting the management method. If the communication network 80 is not connected and the data cannot be moved to the terminal storage 26, the data is not erased from the first data storage unit 62A.

[0059] Furthermore, in response to a request from the user terminal 20, the stored data control device 72 may only delete the management information that exceeds the first specified amount from the first data storage unit 62A without transferring it to the terminal storage 26 of the user terminal 20. This can be set by the user when selecting the management method.

[0060] Here, for management information that has been deleted from the first data storage unit 62A and not saved in the terminal storage 26, when a request to view the management screen G1 is made from the user terminal 20, the cloud server 50 cannot generate the external information content C based on the deleted management information in the above-mentioned management screen transmission unit 53. On the other hand, for management information that has been deleted from the first data storage unit 62A and moved to the terminal storage 26, when a request to view the management screen G1 is made, the management screen transmission unit 53 (see FIG. 4) generates the external information content C from the management information stored in both the first data storage unit 62A and the terminal storage 26. Therefore, the user can view the management information in the first data storage unit 62A and the management information in the terminal storage 26 in the external information content C without distinguishing between them.

[0061] The capacity management unit 73 manages the usage capacity of the first data storage unit 62A, the second data storage unit 62B, and the terminal storage 26. For example, as described above, when a flat-rate system is set and management information exceeding the first specified amount of the first data storage unit 62A is set to be moved to the terminal storage 26, there is a case where the communication network 80 is not connected and the data cannot be moved to the terminal storage 26, and there is a risk that the usage capacity of the first data storage unit 62A will exceed the upper limit. In such a case, when the usage capacity of the first data storage unit 62A exceeds the first specified amount and further exceeds a preset second specified amount, the capacity management unit 73 erases the data exceeding the second specified amount from the first data storage unit 62A in order of oldest. In this case, the management screen G1 of the user terminal 20 is notified of the fact.

[0062] Furthermore, the capacity management unit 73 notifies the user terminal 20 on the management screen G1 every time the capacity of the terminal storage 26 used exceeds a third specified amount that has been determined in advance.

[0063] The capacity management unit 73 periodically measures the capacity of the second data storage unit 62B and determines the usage fee for the cloud storage 61.

[0064] Next, a description will be given of setting of the data management method performed in the user terminal 20. In this embodiment, the user terminal 20 has the above-mentioned user registration unit 30 (see FIG. 3), which operates when the user accesses a website provided by the cloud server 50, functioning as an account registration unit 77 and a method setting unit 78 as shown in FIG.

[0065] The account registration unit 77 registers a user ID and a password. The registered user ID and password are stored in the above-mentioned user information storage unit 65 (see FIG. 4).

[0066] The method setting unit 78 has a fee selection device 78A and a timing setting unit 78B. In the fee selection device 78A, a data management method is set by the user's selection. In the timing setting unit 78B, when the user selects the flat-rate system, the user also sets the timing (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) for moving the management information to be deleted from the first data storage unit 62A of the cloud storage 61 to the terminal storage 26 of the user terminal 20. It is also possible to set the case where the management information is deleted without being moved to the terminal storage 26. The set information is stored in the user information storage unit 65.

[0067] The configuration of the IoT system 100 of this embodiment has been described above. According to the IoT system 100 of this embodiment, as a data management method, a flat-rate system in which the capacity of the cloud storage 61 is reduced and old management information in the cloud storage 61 is moved to the terminal storage 26 of the user terminal 20, and a pay-per-use system in which all management information is stored in the cloud storage 61 are set, and the user can select one of these. For example, if a free flat-rate system in which the capacity of the cloud storage 61 is small is set as the default, the user can use the management service without the trouble of a monthly flat-rate contract (card registration, contract cancellation), etc., since the capacity of the cloud storage 61 is reduced but the management information can also be stored. Furthermore, even if the management information is moved to the terminal storage 26 when the flat-rate system is selected, the user can view the management information of the terminal storage 26 and the management information stored in the cloud storage 61 on the management screen G1 without distinction, so that the user can comfortably grasp the management information.

[0068] Also, by providing settings for each of the free flat-rate system, flat-rate system, and pay-as-you-go system, the manufacturer can provide services such as low security (low management costs) such as redundancy when the free flat-rate system is set, and providing security with redundancy (high management costs) when the flat-rate system or pay-as-you-go system is set. This allows the user to manage data according to the situation, such as setting the free flat-rate system to reduce the hassle of security when security is not required, such as for children's independent research or data collection during development, and can provide a highly convenient IoT system 100.

[0069] Furthermore, since the user is notified each time the capacity of the terminal storage 26 exceeds the third specified amount, the user can simply erase or move the data to an external storage device at the time of notification, and the user does not have to manage the capacity used in the terminal storage 26. Furthermore, a user who wishes to manage management information over the long term or to increase security can select a pay-per-use plan and use the management service, and the management service can be used according to the needs of each user.

[0070] [Third embodiment] In the second embodiment, the capacity management unit 73 measures the usage capacity of the second data storage unit 62B of the cloud storage 61 to determine the usage fee for the cloud storage 61, but in the present embodiment, the gateway 40 is made to function as an information amount measuring device that measures the information amount of the transmission data sent from each of the edge devices E1 to E5 to determine the usage fee for the cloud storage 61. With this configuration, the usage fee for the cloud storage 61 can be determined with an inexpensive configuration, and it is also possible to lower the setting of the usage fee.

[0071] [Fourth embodiment] This embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment, in which the user terminal 20 functions as a route setting device, and the user can select the route for moving data from the cloud storage 61 to the terminal storage 26 from either a first moving route that moves data via a Wi-Fi router, or a second moving route that moves data via a public telephone line. This configuration can address both the economics of reducing communication costs and the convenience of being able to communicate anywhere.

[0072] In addition, this configuration may be set so that, for example, in the case where a free flat-rate system is set, movement along the second movement route cannot be selected when the storage amount exceeds a certain amount based on the contract. In this case, movement along the first movement route is possible.

[0073] [Fifth embodiment] In this embodiment, the connection of the user terminal 20 to the Internet is automatically switched between Wifi and a public telephone line. The user terminal 20 can also be used as a time scheduler, and can set the timing for requesting the stored data control device 72 to move information from the cloud storage 61 to the terminal storage 26. This allows the time for moving management information from the first data storage unit 62A to the terminal storage 26 to be set to a time when the user is in a place where Wifi is available together with the user terminal 20 (for example, the user's home), thereby reducing communication costs.

[0074] [Other embodiments] In the first embodiment, the IoT system 100 has been described by taking as an example a case where the operation of managing a plurality of rental apartment complexes H is implemented using IoT, but the target of the implementation using IoT may be anything.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the camera 101 functioning as the edge device E5 is configured to output image data to the gateway 40 at predetermined intervals, but in the case of a device that uses large amounts of data such as the camera 101, the device may be configured to connect to Wi-Fi independently without going through the gateway 40, and the data may be uploaded to a website at all times.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the gateway 40 determines which edge device the edge devices E1 to E5 are sending data from by the device identification number that the gateway 40 assigns to the sending data from the edge devices E1 to E5. However, the cloud server 50 may determine the sending data by the unique number that the edge devices E1 to E5 assign to the sending data. In this case, a gateway such as a general-purpose router may be used instead of the dedicated gateway 40. Specifically, when the above-mentioned device communication device 10 is used, the identification number set for each device communication device 10 may be used as the device identification number, and when any terminal including the device communication device 10 is used as an edge device, the MAC address or IMEI number set for each terminal may be used as the identification number. In addition, for example, when an experimental facility is IoT-ized, multiple sensors may be connected to an input port of one personal computer, and the personal computer may generate multiple pieces of sending data from the detection results of the multiple sensors, and the multiple pieces of sending data may be assigned device identification numbers that distinguish them and sent to the cloud server 50. In this case, the multiple edge devices E are each composed of a sensor and a personal computer, and the personal computer is shared among the multiple edge devices E. In addition, the edge device E may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like.

[0077] In the first embodiment, the user terminal 20 was configured to obtain a program for controlling a browser such as HTML from the cloud server 50 by accessing the website of the IoT system 100, and the user terminal 20 functioned as the management screen display device 32, etc., but it is also possible to install an application program in the user terminal 20, and the user terminal 20 functioned as the management screen display device 32, etc.

[0078] In the first embodiment, the edge devices E1 to E5 are configured to perform measurements and transmit transmission data at predetermined intervals, but may be configured so that a user can set the measurement interval of the temperature and humidity sensor 11 and the transmission interval of the transmission data. Also, the edge devices E1 to E5 may be configured to upload data to the cloud 200 in response to an operation of the user terminal 20.

[0079] In the first embodiment, when the user terminal 20 is set to the edit mode to create the management screen G1, first, device registration is performed to register the edge devices E1 to E5, followed by specific image registration to register the device layout specific image 36 that can specify the installation locations of the edge devices E1 to E5, and then display registration is performed by superimposing the device icons corresponding to the edge devices E1 to E5 at any positions on the device layout specific image, but the order of registration is not limited to this. For example, specific image registration may be performed first, followed by device registration and display registration. Furthermore, device registration and display registration may be performed simultaneously.

[0080] In the first embodiment, the user may be able to program the setting of the alarm generation condition that is performed when the user terminal 20 is in the edit mode. Also, the display mode of the external information content C may be able to be programmed by the user.

[0081] In the first embodiment, when the cloud 200 determines that there is an abnormality based on the alarm generation condition set in the user terminal 20, the cloud 200 displays that fact on the management screen G1 of the user terminal 20. However, the cloud 200 may also output information corresponding to the abnormality to the edge devices E1 to E5 in which the abnormality has occurred via the gateway 40. For example, speakers may be connected to the edge devices E1 to E5, and audio may be output to inform the residents of the residences H1 to H4 in which the edge devices E1 to E5 are installed of the abnormality.

[0082] In addition, if the edge devices E1 to E5 are equipped with a human presence sensor, ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, etc., it may be possible to set an alarm generation condition such that when the human presence sensor, ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, etc. determines that a resident has returned home to the residence H1 to H4, a voice saying "Welcome home" is output from a speaker connected to the edge devices E1 to E5.

[0083] <Additional Notes> The following describes the feature groups extracted from the above-described embodiments, while indicating their effects, etc., as necessary. Note that, in the following, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above-described embodiments are appropriately indicated in parentheses, but these feature groups are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0084] [Feature 1] The method is executed by a computer (23, 50) included in an IoT system (100) that displays a plurality of external information contents (C) based on information uploaded from a plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) to a cloud (200) on a monitor (21) of a user terminal (20), and the user terminal (20) is connected to an image capture device (34B) for capturing an arbitrary image as a device arrangement specific image (36), a device registration device (34A) for registering the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5), and a plurality of device registration devices (34A) for registering the device arrangement specific image (36) and the plurality of device registration devices (E1 to E5) corresponding to the plurality of registered edge devices (E1 to E5) and distinguishable from one another. a display registration device (34C) for displaying a display setting screen (G3) including device icons (HA1 to HA5) on the monitor (21) and for performing an operation of superimposing the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) at any position on the device layout specific image (36) by a user operation, and a management screen display device (32) for displaying on the monitor (21) a management screen (G1) including the device layout specific image (36) on which the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) are superimposed and the plurality of external information contents (C) that are associated with the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) and can be distinguished from one another.

[0085] [Feature 2] The display registration device (34C) displays on the monitor (21) the display setting screen (G3) including a first screen (37A) displaying the device layout specific image (36) and a second screen (37B) displaying the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5), and changes the size and arrangement of the first screen (37A) and the second screen (37B) in response to a user operation, and the management screen display device (32) displays on the monitor (21) the management screen (G1) having the first screen (37A) and the second screen (37B) corresponding to the display setting screen (G3).

[0086] [Feature 3] The program described in feature 1 or feature 2, which causes the user terminal (20) to function as a display mode selection device (33) for selecting the display mode of the multiple external information contents (C) to be displayed on the management screen (G1).

[0087] [Feature 4] The program according to any one of features 1 to 3, which causes the user terminal (20) to function as an alarm setting device (34E) for setting conditions for generating an alarm for any of the external information content (C), and causes the management screen display device (32) to display on the monitor (21) the device icons (HA1 to HA5) on the device placement specific image (36) in a manner that enables distinction between when the alarm has occurred and when it has not occurred.

[0088] [Feature 5] The program according to any one of features 1 to 4, which causes a gateway (40) between the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) and the cloud (200) to function as an information amount measuring device that measures the amount of information uploaded from the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) to the cloud (200) in order to determine a usage fee for the cloud (200).

[0089] [Feature 6] The program according to any one of features 1 to 5, which causes a cloud server (50) included in the cloud (200) to function as a stored data control device (72) that stores information uploaded from the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) in a cloud storage (61) included in the cloud (200) and deletes from the cloud storage (61) any part of the information stored in the cloud storage (61) that exceeds a predetermined specified amount, starting with the oldest.

[0090] [Feature 7] The program according to any one of features 1 to 5, which causes a cloud server (50) included in the cloud (200) to function as a stored data control device (72) that causes information uploaded from the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) to be stored in a cloud storage (61) included in the cloud (200) and that moves the information stored in the cloud storage (61) to a terminal storage (26) included in the user terminal (20) and erases the information from the cloud storage (61) in response to a request from the user terminal (20).

[0091] [Feature 8] The program described in feature 7 causes the user terminal (20) to function as a fee selection device (78A) for selecting the usage fee for the cloud storage (61) from a plurality of fee systems including a flat-rate system and a pay-as-you-go system, and causes the stored data control device (72) to function as a stored data control device (72) that moves information stored in the cloud storage (61) to a terminal storage (26) included in the user terminal (20) and erases it from the cloud storage (61) when the flat-rate system is selected.

[0092] [Feature 9] The user terminal (20) is a smartphone, and the program described in feature 7 or feature 8 causes the user terminal (20) to function as a route setting device that selects either a first movement route that moves information stored in the cloud storage (61) to the terminal storage (26) via a Wi-Fi router, or a second movement route that moves information to the terminal storage (26) via the public telephone line.

[0093] [Feature 10] The program according to any one of features 7 to 9, which causes the user terminal (20) to function as a time scheduler (78B) that sets the timing of requesting the stored data control device (72) to transfer information from the cloud storage (61) to the terminal storage (26).

[0094] [Feature 11] An IoT system (100) that displays a plurality of external information contents (C) based on information uploaded from a plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) to a cloud (200) on a monitor (21) of a user terminal (20), the user terminal (20) including an image capture device (34B) for capturing an arbitrary image as a device arrangement specific image (36), a device registration device (34A) for registering the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5), and a plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) corresponding to the device arrangement specific image (36) and the registered plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) that are distinguishable from one another. and a display registration device (34C) for displaying a display setting screen (G3) including, on the monitor (21), a display setting screen (G3) including, for example, device icons (HA1 to HA5) and a user operation for overlaying the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) at any position on the device layout specific image (36); and a management screen display device (32) for displaying, on the monitor (21), a management screen (G1) including the device layout specific image (36) on which the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) are overlaid, and the plurality of external information contents (C) that are associated with the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5) and can be distinguished from one another.

[0095] [Feature 12] The display registration device (34C) displays on the monitor (21) the display setting screen (G3) including a first screen (37A) displaying the device layout specific image (36) and a second screen (37B) displaying the plurality of device icons (HA1 to HA5), and changes the size and arrangement of the first screen (37A) and the second screen (37B) in response to a user operation, and the management screen display device (32) displays on the monitor (21) the management screen (G1) having the first screen (37A) and the second screen (37B) corresponding to the display setting screen (G3). The IoT system described in feature 11.

[0096] [Feature 13] The IoT system according to feature 11 or 12, wherein the user terminal (20) is capable of selecting a display mode of the plurality of external information contents (C) to be displayed on the management screen (G1).

[0097] [Feature 14] The IoT system according to any one of Features 11 to 13, wherein the user terminal (20) is capable of setting conditions for generating an alarm for any of the external information content (C), and the management screen display device (32) displays the device icons (HA1 to HA5) on the device placement specific image (36) on the monitor (21) in a manner that enables distinction between when the alarm has occurred and when it has not occurred.

[0098] [Feature 15] The IoT system according to any one of Features 11 to 14, wherein a gateway (40) between the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) and the cloud (200) measures the amount of information uploaded from the plurality of edge devices (E1 to E5) to the cloud (200) in order to determine a usage fee for the cloud (200).

[0099] According to the program of Feature 1 and the IoT system of Feature 11, an arbitrary image can be imported into a user terminal as a device layout specific image, and a plurality of device icons corresponding to a plurality of registered edge devices can be superimposed at arbitrary positions on the device layout specific image by a user operation. This makes it possible to easily create a device layout specific image that allows the installation locations and installation targets of a plurality of edge devices in the real world to be known at a glance.

[0100] A management screen including a device placement specific image and multiple external information contents associated with multiple device icons is displayed on the monitor, so that if any abnormality or change occurs in the multiple external information contents, by visually checking the device placement specific image, it becomes possible to intuitively grasp the event occurring in some or all of the multiple items in the real world.

[0101] Specifically, the device arrangement specific image may be a photograph or a floor plan of real-world facilities, machines, animals, etc. The edge device may be a variety of sensors, cameras, microphones, etc.

[0102] According to the program of Feature 2 and the IoT system of Feature 12, a display setting screen including a first screen displaying a device arrangement specific image and a second screen displaying a plurality of device icons is displayed on a monitor. In this state, a user can change the size and arrangement of the first screen and the second screen of the display setting screen, and therefore, can easily create a device arrangement specific image in which a plurality of device icons are superimposed on the display setting screen.

[0103] According to the program of Feature 3 and the IoT system of Feature 13, since the display mode of multiple external information contents displayed on the management screen can be selected on the user terminal, the external information contents can be displayed in a mode according to the user's preference, and it becomes possible to easily grasp events occurring in the real world. Note that, as an example of the difference in the display mode, if the edge device measures a predetermined physical quantity, the measurement results can be displayed in a "table" mode or a "graph" mode.

[0104] According to the program of Feature 4 and the IoT system of Feature 14, a condition for generating an alarm can be set for any external information content on the user terminal. The device icon on the device layout specific image is displayed on the monitor in a manner that allows distinction between when an alarm is generated and when it is not generated, so that the source of the alarm in the real world can be easily grasped.

[0105] According to the program of Feature 5 and the IoT system of Feature 15, the gateway measures the amount of information uploaded from multiple edge devices to the cloud, and the cloud usage fee can be determined based on the amount of uploaded information. This makes it possible to determine the cloud usage fee with a low-cost configuration, which makes it possible to lower the usage fee setting.

[0106] According to the program of Feature 6, information uploaded from multiple edge devices is stored in cloud storage, and any information stored in the cloud storage that exceeds a specified amount is deleted from the cloud storage beginning with the oldest information, thereby reducing the usage fee according to the amount of cloud storage used.

[0107] According to the program of Feature 7, information uploaded from multiple edge devices is stored in cloud storage, and upon request from the user terminal, it can be moved to the terminal storage of the user terminal and deleted from the cloud storage. This makes it possible to reduce the usage fee according to the amount of cloud storage used.

[0108] According to the program of feature 8, the user terminal can select from a number of fee systems, including flat-rate and pay-as-you-go, for the cloud storage usage fee. If the flat-rate system is selected on the user terminal, the cloud server will function as a stored data control device and move the information stored in the cloud storage to the terminal storage of the user terminal and erase it from the cloud storage without any further operation of the user terminal, so that the usage fee according to the cloud storage usage capacity can be reduced without any hassle.

[0109] According to the program of feature 9, the route for moving information from cloud storage to a smartphone serving as a user terminal can be selected from a first movement route in which information is moved to the terminal storage via a Wi-Fi router, and a second movement route in which information is moved to the terminal storage via a public telephone line, thereby making it possible to address either the economical aspect of reducing communication costs or the convenience of being able to communicate from any location.

[0110] According to the program of Feature 10, the timing for requesting the transfer of information from cloud storage to terminal storage can be set on the user terminal. Therefore, if the Internet connection automatically switches between Wifi or a public telephone line, the time for requesting the transfer of information from cloud storage to terminal storage can be set to a time when the user is in a place where Wifi can be used with the user terminal (e.g., the user's home), thereby reducing communication costs.

[0111] In addition, although this specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 11 Humidity and temperature sensor 20 User terminal 21 Monitor 23 Control unit (computer) 26 Device Storage 27 Camera 32 Management screen display device 33 Display mode selection device 34A Device Registration Device 34B Image capture device 34C Display and registration device 34D Display mode setting section 34E Alarm setting device 36 Device placement specific images 37A 1st screen ( 37B 2nd screen 40 Gateway 50 Cloud Servers 51 Data Acquisition Section 52 Content transmission unit 53 Management screen transmission section 54 Alarm judgment section 61 Cloud Storage 62 Management data storage section 63 Content storage unit 64 Management screen data storage section 65 User information storage section 72 Stored data control device 78A Fare selection device 78B Timing setting unit 78B (time scheduler) 80 Communication Networks 100 IoT Systems 101 Camera (Edge device) 200 Cloud C. External information content E1~E5 Edge Devices G1 management screen G3 display settings screen HA1~HA5 device icons

Claims

1. The method is executed by a computer included in an IoT system that displays a plurality of external information contents based on information uploaded from a plurality of edge devices to a cloud on a monitor of a user terminal, The user terminal, an image capture device for capturing an arbitrary image as a device-location specific image; a device registration device for registering the edge devices; a display registration device for displaying on the monitor a display setting screen including the device layout specific image and a plurality of device icons corresponding to the registered edge devices and distinguishable from one another, and for allowing a user to superimpose the device icons at any position on the device layout specific image; a management screen display device that displays on the monitor a management screen including the device arrangement specific image in which the plurality of device icons are overlapped and the plurality of external information contents that are associated with the plurality of device icons and can be distinguished from one another; A program that functions as a

2. The display registration device includes: displaying, on the monitor, a first screen displaying the device layout specific image and a second screen displaying the plurality of device icons as the display setting screen, and changing the sizes and layouts of the first screen and the second screen in response to a user operation; The management screen display device includes: displaying, on the monitor, the management screen having the first screen and the second screen corresponding to the display setting screen; The program according to claim 1.

3. The user terminal, The program according to claim 1 , which functions as a display mode selection device for selecting a display mode of the plurality of external information contents to be displayed on the management screen.

4. The user terminal, The device functions as an alarm setting device for setting conditions for generating an alarm for any of the external information contents, The management screen display device, displaying the device icon on the device arrangement specific image on the monitor in such a manner that the device icon can be distinguished between a case where the alarm has occurred and a case where the alarm has not occurred; The program according to claim 1.

5. A gateway between the edge devices and the cloud, The program according to claim 1 , which functions as an information amount measuring device that measures an amount of information uploaded from the edge devices to the cloud in order to determine a usage fee for the cloud.

6. A cloud server included in the cloud, The program according to claim 1, which functions as a stored data control device that stores information uploaded from the plurality of edge devices in a cloud storage included in the cloud, and deletes from the cloud storage, starting with the oldest, any information stored in the cloud storage that exceeds a predetermined specified amount.

7. A cloud server included in the cloud, The program according to claim 1, which functions as a stored data control device that stores information uploaded from the multiple edge devices in cloud storage included in the cloud, and, in response to a request from the user terminal, moves the information stored in the cloud storage to terminal storage included in the user terminal and erases it from the cloud storage.

8. The user terminal, A fee selection device is provided for selecting a fee for the cloud storage from a plurality of fee systems including a flat-rate system and a pay-as-you-go system; The stored data control device, The program according to claim 7, which functions as a stored data control device that, when the flat-rate system is selected, moves information stored in the cloud storage to a terminal storage included in the user terminal and erases it from the cloud storage.

9. the user terminal is a smartphone, The user terminal, The program according to claim 7, which functions as a route setting device that selects between a first movement route that moves information stored in the cloud storage to the terminal storage via a Wi-Fi router and a second movement route that moves information to the terminal storage via the public telephone line.

10. The user terminal, The program according to claim 7 , which functions as a time scheduler that sets a timing for requesting the stored data control device to transfer information from the cloud storage to the terminal storage.

11. An IoT system that displays a plurality of external information contents based on information uploaded from a plurality of edge devices to a cloud on a monitor of a user terminal, The user terminal, an image capture device for capturing an arbitrary image as a device-location specific image; a device registration device for registering the edge devices; a display registration device for displaying on the monitor a display setting screen including the device layout specific image and a plurality of device icons corresponding to the registered edge devices and distinguishable from one another, and for allowing a user to superimpose the device icons at any position on the device layout specific image; a management screen display device that displays on the monitor a management screen including the device arrangement specific image in which the plurality of device icons are overlapped and the plurality of external information contents that are associated with the plurality of device icons and can be distinguished from one another; An IoT system that functions as a

12. The display registration device includes: displaying, on the monitor, a first screen displaying the device layout specific image and a second screen displaying the plurality of device icons as the display setting screen, and changing the sizes and layouts of the first screen and the second screen in response to a user operation; The management screen display device includes: The IoT system according to claim 11 , wherein the management screen having the first screen and the second screen corresponding to the display setting screen is displayed on the monitor.

13. The IoT system according to claim 11 , wherein the user terminal is capable of selecting a display mode of the plurality of external information contents to be displayed on the management screen.

14. A condition for generating an alarm can be set for any of the external information contents by the user terminal; The management screen display device includes: displaying the device icon on the device layout specific image on the monitor in such a manner that the device icon can be distinguished between a case where the alarm has occurred and a case where the alarm has not occurred; The IoT system of claim 11.

15. The IoT system of claim 11 , wherein a gateway between the edge devices and the cloud measures an amount of information uploaded from the edge devices to the cloud in order to determine a usage fee for the cloud.

Images