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

Abstract

To reduce the time required to display usage information indicating how much a home appliance has been used, on a terminal device.SOLUTION: An application program is to be executed by a computer of a terminal device equipped with a display device, the application program causing the computer to display, on one screen in the display device: an operation screen operation unit on which multiple home appliances can be registered, configured to display, on the display device, an operation screen to be used for control instruction on one registered home appliance; and a usage information screen operation unit for causing the display device to display a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of electricity charges for registered one or more home appliances and power consumption of the home appliances.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

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 has been known in which an application executed on a terminal device such as a smartphone remotely controls the home appliance and obtains the electricity usage charge, which is one of the amounts of electricity used by the home appliance, from the home appliance via a server and displays it on the terminal device. In such an application, even if the terminal device does not operate the home appliance and only displays the electricity usage charge, information indicating the state of the home appliance must be obtained from the home appliance via the server, which takes communication time and results in a long time being required to display the electricity usage charge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6403272 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an application program, a home appliance management system, and a home appliance management method that can shorten the time it takes for usage information indicating the usage of a home appliance to be displayed on a terminal device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The application program of the embodiment is an application program to be executed by a computer of a terminal device equipped with a display device, and is capable of registering multiple home appliances, and causes the computer to display on a single screen on the display device an operation screen operation unit for displaying on the display device an operation screen for giving control instructions to one of the registered home appliances, and a usage information screen operation unit for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of the electricity usage charges and the power consumption of the one or more registered home appliances.

[0006] The application program causes the computer to, for example, when the operation screen operation unit is operated, display the operation screen on the display device, and when the usage information screen operation unit is operated, display the usage information screen on the display device without displaying the operation screen on the display device.

[0007] The application program causes the computer to execute, for example, a process of displaying the operation screen operation sections and the usage amount information screen operation section on one screen of the display device.

[0008] The application program causes the computer to execute, for example, when the home electric appliance is registered, a process of displaying the operation screen operation section corresponding to the registered home electric appliance.

[0009] The application program causes the computer to execute, for example, a process of displaying the operation screen operation section in an area different from an area in which the usage amount information screen operation section is displayed.

[0010] The application program causes the computer to, for example, display the operation screen operation section above an area in which the usage amount information screen operation section is displayed.

[0011] An embodiment of a home appliance management system is a home appliance management system that includes 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, wherein the application program is capable of registering multiple home appliances, and causes the computer to display on a single screen on the display device an operation screen operation unit for displaying on the display device an operation screen for giving control instructions to one of the registered home appliances, and a usage information screen operation unit for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of the electricity usage charges and the power consumption of the one or more registered home appliances.

[0012] The home appliance management method of one embodiment includes a server device that manages home appliances, and an application program to be executed on 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 a home appliance management system that is capable of registering multiple home appliances, and the application program displays on a single screen on the display device an operation screen operation unit for displaying on the display device an operation screen for giving control instructions to one of the registered home appliances, and a usage information screen operation unit for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of the electricity usage charges and the power consumption of the one or more registered home appliances.

[0013] According to the above-described application program, home appliance management system, and home appliance management method, it is possible to reduce the time required for usage information indicating the usage amount of a home appliance to be displayed on a terminal device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a home electric appliance management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a functional configuration of the server device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application home screen according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a flow of a home appliance control process according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage information screen according to the embodiment, in which the display format is a one-year display format. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the usage information screen according to the embodiment, in which the display form is a one-month display form. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the flow of the usage amount display process according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating another example of the flow of the usage amount display process according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of transition of a setting screen according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an application program, a terminal device, 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.

[0016] <Home appliance management system> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a home appliance management system according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, a home appliance management system 1 according to the present embodiment mainly includes a server device 40, a terminal device 30, an air conditioner (hereinafter also referred to as an air conditioner) 10A, and an air conditioner 10B. The air conditioner 10A and the air conditioner 10B are installed in one home.

[0017] The air conditioner 10A, the air conditioner 10B, and the terminal device 30 are connected to a network via a router or the like installed in the home. The air conditioner 10A, the air conditioner 10B, and the terminal device 30 are also connected to a server device 40 via the network. The network is made up of the Internet, a regular telephone line, a mobile phone line, and the like.

[0018] Here, the air conditioner 10A and the air conditioner 10B are examples of home appliances, and the types and the number of units are not limited to these. In the following description, the home appliance 10 is used as a general term for the air conditioner 10A and the air conditioner 10B. Note that the home appliance 10 is not limited to the air conditioners 10A and 10B. The home appliance 10 may be a refrigerator, a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a microwave oven, an electric fan, etc. In other words, the home appliance 10 includes electric machines and appliances that are mainly used in ordinary households.

[0019] The terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet device, or a personal computer, and displays information about the home appliance 10 and remotely controls the home appliance 10 via the server device 40. The home appliance 10 can also be controlled by another dedicated controller (a so-called remote control). This dedicated controller may also function as the terminal device 30. For example, the home appliance may be directly controlled by the dedicated controller, or may be remotely controlled via a network as described later.

[0020] An application program (hereinafter also 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 application in the terminal device 30 to remotely control the home appliance 10. The application communicates with the home appliance 10 via the server device 40 over a network. The application will be described in detail later.

[0021] 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. The server device 40 is placed outside the home in which the home appliance 10 is installed.

[0022] <Server details> First, the server device 40 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device 40 according to the present embodiment.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the server device 40 of this embodiment mainly includes a communication unit 401, a control unit 402, and a storage unit 410.

[0024] 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 also referred to as a "management DB 411").

[0025] The management DB 411 is a database for managing the home appliance 10. In the management DB 411, a device ID and home appliance information on the home appliance 10 are registered in association with each other.

[0026] The device ID is information for identifying the home electric appliance 10.

[0027] The home appliance information includes usage information, unit price information, and a target upper limit value of the usage. The usage information is usage information indicating the usage of the home appliance 10. The usage of the home appliance 10 includes at least one of the power consumption of the home appliance 10 and the electricity usage fee. In this embodiment, the usage includes both the power consumption of the home appliance 10 and the electricity usage fee. The usage may be only one of the power consumption of the home appliance 10 and the electricity usage fee. The electricity usage fee is a fee for the power used (consumed) by the home appliance 10 (i.e., the power consumption). The unit price information indicates the unit price of the electricity fee per unit time. In detail, the unit price information includes the unit price corresponding to the time period by dividing a day into one or more time periods. The electricity usage fee is calculated based on the power consumption and the unit price.

[0028] The control unit 402 performs various controls of the home appliance 10. Specifically, the control unit 402 receives a control instruction for the home appliance 10 from an application of the terminal device 30, and controls the home appliance 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit 402 acquires home appliance status information (hereinafter also referred to as status information) from the home appliance 10 and transmits it to the terminal device 30. The home appliance status information includes the operating state of the home appliance 10, setting information related to the home appliance 10, environmental information around the home appliance 10, etc. When the home appliance 10 is the air conditioner 10A, 10B, the home appliance status information includes, for example, the operation type (cooling operation, heating operation, etc.), the set temperature, the air volume, the air direction, etc., the indoor temperature and humidity where the indoor units of the air conditioners 10A, 10B are set, the outdoor temperature and humidity where the outdoor units of the air conditioners 10A, 10B are set, etc.

[0030] Furthermore, the control unit 402 acquires usage history information from the home appliance 10. The usage history information includes the power consumption of the home appliance 10. The control unit 402 registers the power consumption of the home appliance 10 included in the usage history information in the management DB 411, and calculates the electricity usage fee for the home appliance 10 from the power consumption and the unit price stored in the management DB 411, and stores the calculated fee in the management DB 411. The control unit 402 transmits usage information (power consumption, electricity usage fee) of the home appliance 10 to the terminal device 30 in response to a request from an application of the terminal device 30.

[0031] The communication unit 401 controls communication with the home appliance 10 and the terminal device 30. That is, when the control unit 402 receives 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.

[0032] <Terminal device details> Next, a detailed description will be given of the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment.

[0033] 3, 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 300 (Central Processing Unit). The hardware of the terminal device 30 is configured by the CPU 300, the display device 302, the input device 303, the communication device 304, and the storage device 305.

[0034] CPU 300 constitutes computer 310. CPU 300 realizes various functions by reading and executing programs stored in storage device 305. That is, the programs cause control unit 50 to execute various functions. The programs stored in storage device 305 include application 301. That is, application 301 causes computer 310, i.e. CPU 300, to execute various functions.

[0035] The display device 302 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The input device 303 is an input device such as a touch panel (including a non-contact type) or a hard key superimposed on the display device 302. The display device 302 displays various screens. An operation on an icon or the like on the screen is, for example, a touch operation by the user on the input device 303 (touch panel).

[0036] 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.

[0037] The storage device 305 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0038] 3, application 301 mainly includes a communication processing unit 3011, an input processing unit 3012, a display processing unit 3013, a control unit 3014, a unit price setting unit 3015, a target upper limit value setting unit 3016, a notification timing setting unit 3017, and a notification processing unit 3018. Application 301 is stored in a storage device 305 such as a ROM, a RAM, or a flash memory.

[0039] The application 301 is an example of an application program. The application 301 is configured as a module including each of the above-mentioned functional units (communication processing unit 3011, input processing unit 3012, display processing unit 3013, control unit 3014, unit price setting unit 3015, target upper limit value setting unit 3016, notification timing setting unit 3017, and notification processing unit 3018), 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 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, the unit price setting unit 3015, the target upper limit value setting unit 3016, the notification timing setting unit 3017, and the notification processing unit 3018 are generated on the storage device 305 such as a RAM.

[0040] The control unit 3014 performs various controls and various calculations for the application 301 .

[0041] The communication processing unit 3011 controls communication by the communication device 304. 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.

[0042] The display processing unit 3013 controls the display of various information on the display device 302. When the application 301 is started, the display processing unit 3013 first causes the display device 302 to display an application home screen. Here, the application home screen is an example of a basic screen of the application.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an application home screen in an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, a plurality of operation screen icons 503 (corresponding to the operation screen operation unit in the present invention) and a usage information screen icon 504 (corresponding to the usage information screen operation unit in the present invention) are displayed on an application home screen 501. Note that the operation screen icon 503 and the usage information screen icon 504 may be displayed on different screens rather than on the same screen. For example, the operation screen icon 503 may be displayed on the first screen, and the usage information screen icon 504 may be displayed on another screen that is swiped.

[0044] An operation screen icon 503 is provided for each home appliance 10, and is associated with the device ID of the corresponding home appliance 10. The operation screen icon 503 is for displaying an operation screen 1701 (see FIG. 5) for issuing control instructions to the home appliance 10. In the example of FIG. 4, the operation screen icon 503 displays the installation location of the home appliance 10 ("living room" or "children's room")

[0045] The usage information screen icon 504 is for displaying a usage information screen 1801 (see Figs. 7 and 8) that displays usage information indicating the usage of the home appliance 10, including at least one of the electricity usage fee of the home appliance 10 and the power consumption of the home appliance 10. In the example of Fig. 4, the usage information screen icon 504 displays "Electricity Bill".

[0046] In this manner, the display processing unit 3013 causes the display device 302 to display the application home screen 501, which displays the operation screen icon 503 and the usage information screen icon 504. Details of the processing performed when the operation screen icon 503 and the usage information screen icon 504 are operated will be described later.

[0047] The input processing unit 3012 accepts user input from the input device 303. The input processing unit 3012 accepts operation input by the user from various screens such as the application home screen 501 (that is, the input device 303 such as a touch panel).

[0048] The unit price setting unit 3015 divides a day into a number of time periods, and receives an operation to set the unit price of electricity for each time period, and sets the unit price based on the operation. The unit price setting unit 3015 transmits the set unit price to the server device 40.

[0049] The target upper limit setting unit 3016 sets a target upper limit of the amount of usage of the home appliance 10 for a predetermined period. The amount of usage for which the target upper limit is set is, for example, the electricity usage charge. Note that the amount of usage for which the target upper limit is set is not limited to this. The predetermined period is, for example, one month, 30 days, one year, etc. Note that the predetermined period is not limited to this.

[0050] When the usage of the home appliance 10 in a predetermined period exceeds the target upper limit, the notification processing unit 3018 notifies (notifies) that the usage of the home appliance 10 has exceeded the target upper limit. Hereinafter, this notification is also referred to as a usage over notification. The usage over notification may be a figure or a symbol in addition to a message. The usage over notification may be, for example, a display in a notification field by the display device 302 of the terminal device 30, or an email sent to a preset email address. Alternatively, the notification may be a sound such as a voice. The situation in which the usage of the home appliance 10 has exceeded the target upper limit is an example of the situation of the usage of the home appliance 10 with respect to the target upper limit. The usage over notification is also an example of a notification of the situation of the usage of the home appliance 10 with respect to the target upper limit.

[0051] The determination as to whether the usage amount of the home appliance 10 has exceeded the target upper limit is made by the server device 40 based on the usage amount and the target upper limit stored in the management DB 411, for example. When the server device 40 determines that the usage amount for a predetermined period accumulated in the management DB 411 has exceeded the target upper limit, the server device 40 immediately transmits a notice to that effect or information corresponding thereto to the application 301 of the terminal device 30. When the notification processing unit 3018 of the application 301 receives from the server device 40 a notice to the effect that the usage amount of the home appliance 10 has exceeded the target upper limit or information corresponding thereto, the notification processing unit 3018 performs a usage over notification at a predetermined timing after the reception. This timing is set by the notification timing setting unit 3017.

[0052] Furthermore, the notification timing setting unit 3017 accepts an operation for setting the timing of the notification, and sets the timing based on the operation. The timing can be selected from any time input by a user operation, the timing when the home appliance 10 is operated, and the timing when the application 301 is started. The operation of the home appliance 10 may be an operation on the operation screen 1701 (see FIG. 5) or an operation on a dedicated controller. The notification timing setting unit 3017 of the terminal device 30 sets the selected timing as the timing of the notification. The notification timing setting unit 3017 performs a usage over notification when the set timing arrives after the usage amount of the home appliance 10 exceeds the target upper limit value.

[0053] <Various processing> Next, various processes executed by the home appliance management system will be described in detail.

[0054] First, a description will be given of a home appliance control process which is a process performed when an operation screen icon 503 on the application home screen 501 in Fig. 4 is operated. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen according to the embodiment.

[0055] When the operation screen icon 503 is operated, the display processing unit 3013 acquires home appliance status information indicating the status of the home appliance 10 from the server device 40, and causes the display device 302 to display the operation screen 1701 ( FIG. 5 ) displaying the home appliance status information. That is, the display processing unit 3013 acquires the home appliance status information from the home appliance 10 via the server device 40. Note that the display processing unit 3013 may acquire the home appliance status information from the home appliance 10 without via the server device 40.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 5, operation screen 1701 displays a plurality of control buttons 1703. Control buttons 1703 are buttons for issuing control instructions to home appliance 10. The control instructions of control button 1703 are, for example, "temperature setting," "air volume / direction," and "stop." When control button 1703 is operated, the control instruction of control button 1703 is transmitted to server device 40 by communication processing unit 3011. Server device 40 transmits the received control instruction to the corresponding home appliance 10. As a result, home appliance 10 operates in accordance with the control instruction.

[0057] Next, details of the home appliance control process will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the home appliance control process according to the embodiment.

[0058] When the application 301 is started (S1301), the input processing unit 3012 displays the application home screen 501 on the display device 302 and accepts the selection of a home appliance 10 by operating an operation screen icon 503. When the application 301 accepts the selection of a home appliance 10 by operating any of the operation screen icons 503 (S1302), the control unit 3014 requests the server device 40 for state information of the home appliance 10 whose selection has been accepted (S1303).

[0059] When the server device 40 receives a request for state information from the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the server device 40 requests the state information from the home electric appliance 10 (S1201).

[0060] When the home appliance 10 receives a request for state information from the server device 40, the home appliance 10 transmits current state information of the home appliance 10 to the server device 40 (S1101).

[0061] When the server device 40 receives the state information from the home electric appliance 10, the server device 40 transmits the state information to the application 301 of the terminal device 30 (S1202).

[0062] When the application 301 receives the state information from the server device 40, the display processing unit 3013 causes the display device 302 to display the operation screen 1701 based on the state information (S1304).

[0063] When the application 301 accepts an operation of the control button 1703 on the operation screen 1701 (S1305), it transmits a control signal associated with the control button 1703 to the server device 40 (S1306).

[0064] When the server device 40 receives the control signal from the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the server device 40 transmits the control signal to the home electric appliance 10 (S1203).

[0065] When the home appliance 10 receives the control signal from the server device 40, the home appliance 10 controls each unit of the home appliance 10 so that the home appliance 10 operates in accordance with the control signal, and transmits state information of the home appliance 10 after the control to the server device 40 (S1102).

[0066] When the server device 40 receives the post-control state information from the home electric appliance 10, the server device 40 transmits the post-control state information to the application 301 of the terminal device 30 (S1204).

[0067] When the application 301 receives the post-control state information from the server device 40, the display processing unit 3013 updates the operation screen 1701 so that the operation screen 1701 is based on the post-control state information (S1307).

[0068] Next, a description will be given of a usage display process which is a process performed when the usage information screen icon 504 on the application home screen 501 in Fig. 4 is operated. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a usage information screen according to an embodiment, in which the display form is a one-year display form. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a usage information screen according to an embodiment, in which the display form is a one-month display form.

[0069] When usage amount information screen icon 504 is operated, display processing unit 3013 causes display device 302 to display usage amount information screen 1801 (FIGS. 7 and 8) without acquiring home appliance status information. In other words, when usage amount information screen icon 504 is operated, application 301 and server device 40 do not communicate with home appliance 10 to request home appliance status information. Usage amount information screen 1801 includes usage amount information screen 1801A (FIG. 7) in which the display form of usage amount information is a one-year display form, and usage amount information screen 1801B (FIG. 8) in which the display form of usage amount information is a one-month display form.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a usage information screen 1801 displays a home appliance selection section 1802, a period selection section 1803, a date selection section 1804, a usage display section 1805, and an electricity fee setting button 1807.

[0071] The home appliance selection unit 1802 accepts the selection of the home appliance 10 for which the usage amount is to be displayed. The selection is made by a user operation.

[0072] The period selection unit 1803 accepts a selection of whether the display format of the usage amount to be displayed is a one-year display format or a one-month display format. The selection is made by a user operation. Fig. 7 shows a case where the one-year display format is selected, and Fig. 8 shows a case where the one-month display format is selected.

[0073] In the one-year display mode, the usage amount for the past one year from the present is displayed in a graph in the entire period display section 1805b of the usage amount display section 1805, and in the one-month display mode, the usage amount for the past one month from the present is displayed in a graph in the entire period display section 1805b. In addition, the usage amount for the month or day selected by the date selection section 1804 is displayed in the unit period display section 1805a above the entire period display section 1805b in the usage amount display section 1805. The graph in the entire period display section 1805b corresponding to the month or day selected by the date selection section 1804 is displayed in an emphasized manner (highlighted). The highlighting is, for example, such that only the bar of the graph corresponding to the month or day selected by the date selection section 1804 changes color. Note that the display mode is not limited to the above. For example, the display mode may be the usage amount for the past 30 days, etc.

[0074] The date selection unit 1804 accepts the selection of the date of the usage amount to be displayed in the unit period display unit 1805a. The selection is performed by a user operation. Fig. 7 shows a case where May 2023 is selected as the date, and Fig. 8 shows a case where May 1, 2023 is selected as the date.

[0075] The usage display unit 1805 displays the usage amount of the home appliance 10 selected by the home appliance selection unit 1802 for the period selected by the period selection unit 1803. The final date of the period is the current date. Note that, for example, it is also possible to provide a date input unit into which the user can input data, and to set any date inputted into the date input unit as the final date of the period. Note that "usage amount" in Figs. 7 and 8 indicates the amount of power consumed, and "electricity charge" indicates the charge for electricity used.

[0076] The usage display section 1805 includes a unit period display section 1805a and an entire period display section 1805b. The unit period display section 1805a displays the usage for the unit period. For example, the unit period is one month when the period selected by the period selection section 1803 is one year, and is one day when the period selected by the period selection section 1803 is one month. The unit period display section 1805a displays the usage and past usage charges for the date selected by the date selection section 1804. For example, the past usage charges are the usage charges for the same period last year (the previous year) when the period selected by the period selection section 1803 is one year, and are the usage charges for the previous day when the period selected by the period selection section 1803 is one month. The entire period display section 1805b displays the usage for the entire period of the period selected by the period selection section 1803. The entire period display section 1805b also displays the electricity usage charges in a graph. The graph is, for example, a bar graph, but is not limited to this. The bar graph is displayed in monthly segments when the selected period is one year, and in daily segments when the selected period is one month. When the selected period is one year, the bar graph corresponding to the last month shows the accumulated data up to the previous day or the accumulated data up to the middle of the day if the day is in the middle of the month. Therefore, the rightmost bar in the bar graph shows fewer days to be accumulated. When the selected period is one month, the bar graph corresponding to the last day shows the accumulated data up to the previous day (i.e., the data of that day is not included) or the accumulated data up to the middle of the day. In addition, the entire period display unit 1805b displays the graph of the electricity usage fee for the same period last year for the entire period superimposed on the electricity usage fee for the entire period. In this embodiment, when the period selected by the period selection unit 1803 is one month, the graph of the past electricity usage fee is not superimposed on the entire period display unit 1805b, but this is not limited to this. Even if the period selected by the period selection unit 1803 is one month, for example, a graph of the electricity usage charge for the same period of the previous month may be displayed in an overlapping manner. Also, it may be possible to select whether or not to display the graph of the electricity usage charge in the past in an overlapping manner.

[0077] Furthermore, among the multiple bars constituting the bar graph, one bar corresponding to a date selected in date selection section 1804 can be highlighted, for example, by displaying it in a color different from the other bars or by adding an arrow or the like to the top of the bar. Furthermore, the user can select one of the multiple bars constituting the bar graph. In this case, the bar selected by the user is highlighted, and the corresponding date is displayed as the selected date in date selection section 1804. Then, the unit period display section 1805a displays the usage amount and past usage fees for the selected date.

[0078] An electricity charge setting button 1807 is a button (icon) for displaying a setting screen (see FIG. 11) for making various settings relating to electricity charges.

[0079] Furthermore, the usage information screen 1801 allows the user to switch the unit of usage (power consumption, electricity charges).

[0080] Next, details of the usage display process will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the usage display process according to the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the flow of the usage display process according to the embodiment.

[0081] First, the usage amount display process in the case where there is one home appliance 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. As shown in Fig. 9, the home appliance 10 reports usage to the server device 40 at predetermined time intervals (S101a to S101c). The usage report is performed by transmitting information including the amount of power consumption of the home appliance 10 at the predetermined time intervals to the server device 40.

[0082] The server device 40 accumulates (stores) the reported power consumption amount in the management DB 411 (S201a to S201c).

[0083] The server device 40 accumulates the power consumption reported and accumulated within a predetermined period, and stores the accumulated power consumption in the management DB 411 (S202). The predetermined period is, for example, one day, and the accumulation is performed at midnight. Another example of the predetermined period is, for example, one month, and the accumulation is performed at the end of the month. The server device 40 calculates the electricity usage fee from the reported power consumption and the unit price stored in the management DB 411. The calculated electricity usage fee includes the electricity usage fee for each predetermined time and the electricity usage fee for each predetermined period. The server device 40 stores the usage information including the reported power consumption and the calculated electricity usage fee in the management DB 411.

[0084] On the other hand, when the application 301 of the terminal device 30 is started (S301), the input processing unit 3012 displays the application home screen 501 on the display device 302 and accepts an operation on the usage amount information screen icon 504.

[0085] When the application 301 accepts an operation on the usage amount information screen icon 504 (S302), it requests the usage amount information from the server device 40 (S303).

[0086] When the server device 40 receives the request for the usage amount information from the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the server device 40 transmits the usage amount information of the home electric appliance 10 stored in the management DB 411 to the application 301 of the terminal device 30 (S205).

[0087] Here, the data of the power consumption and the electricity usage fee included in the usage information is, for example, at least for the past two years for every 30 minutes. The data may be acquired from the server device 40 according to the display mode. For example, in the case of the one-month display mode, the usage information includes data of the electricity usage fee for every 30 minutes for one day. In addition, in the case of the one-month display mode, the power consumption and the electricity usage fee for one month (30th or 31st) of the same month of the previous year are also included. In addition, in the case of the one-year display mode, the usage information includes data of the electricity usage fee for every 30 minutes for one month. The data is not limited to the above. In addition, in the case of the one-year display mode, the power consumption and the electricity usage fee for the same month of the previous year for 12 months are also included. These data may be acquired from the server device 40 when the display mode is switched. In addition, in the case of the one-month display mode, the data of the same month of the previous year does not need to be acquired from the server device 40. This is because it is difficult to see when the data of this year and the data of the previous year are overlapped on a graph.

[0088] When the application 301 receives the usage information from the server device 40, the display processing unit 3013 causes the display device 302 to display the usage information screen 1801 based on the usage information (S304). In this way, when the usage information screen icon 504 is operated, the display processing unit 3013 causes the display device 302 to display the usage information screen 1801 without acquiring the home appliance status information. Once the usage information, etc. is acquired from the server device 40, the usage information, etc. is stored in the storage device 305 of the terminal device 30. Then, within a predetermined period (for example, the same date as the acquisition date), when the application 301 is closed and restarted, the usage information, etc. stored in the storage device 305 of the terminal device 30 may be called and displayed on the display device 302 without acquiring the usage information, etc. from the server device 40 again. This makes it possible to eliminate unnecessary communication.

[0089] Next, the usage amount display process in the case where there are multiple home appliances 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 10, each home appliance 10 reports usage to the server device 40 at predetermined time intervals (S101A to S101C). The usage report is performed by transmitting information including the amount of power consumption of the home appliance 10 at the predetermined time intervals to the server device 40.

[0090] The server device 40 accumulates (stores) the reported power consumption amount for each home electric appliance 10 in the management DB 411 (S201A to S201C).

[0091] The server device 40 accumulates the power consumption reported and accumulated within a predetermined period, and stores the accumulated power consumption in the management DB 411 for each home appliance 10 (S202A). The predetermined period is, for example, one day, and the accumulation is performed at midnight. Another example of the predetermined period is, for example, one month, and the accumulation is performed at the end of the month. The server device 40 calculates the electricity usage fee from the reported power consumption and the unit price information stored in the management DB 411. The calculated electricity usage fee includes the electricity usage fee for each predetermined time and the electricity usage fee for each predetermined period. The server device 40 stores the usage information including the reported power consumption and the calculated electricity usage fee in the management DB 411 for each home appliance 10.

[0092] On the other hand, when the application 301 of the terminal device 30 is started (S301), the input processing unit 3012 displays the application home screen 501 on the display device 302 and accepts an operation on the usage amount information screen icon 504.

[0093] When the application 301 accepts an operation on the usage information screen icon 504 (S302), it requests the server device 40 for usage information of a specific home appliance 10 (S303). The specific home appliance 10 may be, for example, one home appliance 10 selected in advance, or may be the home appliance 10 most recently selected by the home appliance selection unit 1802.

[0094] When the server device 40 receives the request for usage information from the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the server device 40 transmits the status information of the requested usage information of the home electric appliance 10 stored in the management DB 411 to the application of the terminal device 30 (S205).

[0095] When application 301 receives usage information from server device 40, display processing unit 3013 causes display device 302 to display usage information screen 1801 based on the usage information (S304). In this manner, when usage information screen icon 504 is operated, display processing unit 3013 causes display device 302 to display usage information screen 1801 without acquiring home appliance status information.

[0096] When an operation to change the selection of home appliance 10 is performed on home appliance selection section 1802 of usage information screen 1801, i.e., when an operation to change the display of usage information screen 1801 is received (S305), application 301 requests usage information of the newly selected home appliance 10 from server device 40 (S306).

[0097] When the server device 40 receives the request for usage information from the application 301 of the terminal device 30, the server device 40 transmits the status information of the requested usage information of the home electric appliance 10 stored in the management DB 411 to the application of the terminal device 30 (S206).

[0098] When the application 301 receives the usage information from the server device 40, the display processing unit 3013 causes the display device 302 to display the usage information screen 1801 based on the usage information (S307). As a result, the usage displayed on the usage information screen 1801 is changed to the usage information of the home appliance 10 newly selected in S305. Note that in the above process, an example has been shown in which the usage information is acquired from the server device 40 for each selected home appliance 10, but this is not limiting. For example, the usage information of all home appliances 10 may be acquired from the server device 40 at the beginning of the process, etc. In this case, there is an advantage that a faster response is achieved because communication is not required even when the selection of the home appliance 10 is changed.

[0099] As described above, in this embodiment, the display processing unit 3013 acquires the usage information from the server device 40. Specifically, the display processing unit 3013 acquires the electricity usage fee calculated in the server device 40 based on the power consumption amount and the unit price information from the server device 40, and displays the electricity usage fee on the usage information screen 1801.

[0100] Next, various setting processes related to electricity usage rates will be described. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to the embodiment. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the setting screen according to the embodiment.

[0101] When the electricity fee setting button 1807 on the usage amount information screen 1801 (FIGS. 7 and 8) is operated, the application 301 causes the display device 302 to display a setting screen 1901 shown in FIG.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 11, a setting screen 1901 displays a target upper limit display section 1902, a unit price information display section 1903, and a notification timing setting button 1904.

[0103] The target upper limit display section 1902 displays the target upper limit of the amount of usage of the home appliance 10 for a predetermined period. For example, the target upper limit is the target upper limit of the electricity usage charge of the home appliance 10 for a predetermined period. A numerical value can be input into the target upper limit display section 1902 by a user operation. The target upper limit setting section 3016 sets the numerical value input into the target upper limit display section 1902 as the target upper limit. In the example of FIG. 11, "2900 yen" is set as the target upper limit of the electricity usage charge for one month. Note that the target upper limit is not limited to the above.

[0104] The unit price information display section 1903 divides a day into a number of time periods and displays the electricity unit price set for each time period. The unit price information display section 1903 includes a time period display section 1903a, a unit price display section 1903b, and an edit button 1903c. If the unit price is not divided by time period (i.e., the unit price is the same throughout the day), one unit price is entered for 0 to 24 hours. Furthermore, the unit price setting is not limited to being set by time period, and it is also possible to set the unit price by season or month.

[0105] The time period display section 1903a displays the time period. The unit price display section 1903b is provided for each time period and displays the unit price of electricity for the corresponding time period. The edit button 1903c is a button for editing (changing) the time period and the unit price.

[0106] When edit button 1903c is operated, the time period and unit price can be edited (changed). Specifically, when edit button 1903c is operated and time period display section 1903a is operated, as shown in FIG. 12, the screen transitions from setting screen 1901 (FIG. 12(a)) to setting screen 1901A (FIG. 12(b)). Setting screen 1901A displays time period input section 1903d. In this time period input section 1903d, a time period can be input by a user operation, and the input time period is registered. When a first time period is corrected, the following second time period may be automatically corrected so as not to overlap with the first time period. Furthermore, when edit button 1903c is operated to operate unit price display section 1903b, as shown in FIG. 12, the screen transitions from setting screen 1901 (FIG. 12(a)) to setting screen 1901B (FIG. 12(c)). Setting screen 1901B displays unit price input section 1903e. In this unit price input section 1903e, the user can input a unit price, and the input time period is registered.

[0107] The unit price setting unit 3015 of the application 301 accepts an operation to divide a day into a plurality of time periods and set a unit price of electricity for each time period through the above setting screens 1901 to 1901B. The unit price setting unit 3015 sets a unit price based on the above operation, and transmits the set time periods and the corresponding unit prices to the server device 40.

[0108] Next, a process for setting the notification timing of the usage over notification will be described. When notification timing setting button 1904 on setting screen 1901 is operated, a notification timing setting screen (not shown) is displayed on display device 302. The notification timing setting screen is a screen on which a user can select, as the notification timing, any time input by a user operation, the timing when home appliance 10 is operated, or the timing when application 301 is started, by a user operation. This screen can accept input of any time by a user operation. Notification timing setting unit 3017 sets the timing selected on the notification timing setting screen as the notification timing.

[0109] <Summary> As described above, in this embodiment, for example, the display processing unit 3013 of the terminal device 30 causes the display device 302 to display the operation screen icon 503 and the usage information screen icon 504. The operation screen icon 503 is for causing the display device 302 to display the operation screen 1701 for issuing control instructions to the home appliance 10. The usage information screen icon 504 is for causing the display device 302 to display the usage information screen 1801 that displays usage information including at least one of the electricity usage fee of the home appliance 10 and the power consumption of the home appliance 10. When the operation screen icon 503 is operated, the display processing unit 3013 acquires home appliance status information indicating the status of the home appliance 10 from the home appliance 10, and causes the display device 302 to display the operation screen 1701. When the usage information screen icon 504 is operated, the display processing unit 3013 causes the display device 302 to display the usage information screen 1801 without acquiring home appliance status information from the home appliance 10.

[0110] According to this configuration, when the usage information screen icon 504 is operated, the display processing unit 3013 displays the usage information screen 1801 on the display device 302 without acquiring home appliance status information from the home appliance 10. Therefore, the time required for the usage information to be displayed on the terminal device 30 can be shortened compared to a configuration in which home appliance status information is acquired.

[0111] Furthermore, for example, the display processing unit 3013 acquires, from the server device 40, usage information including the electricity usage fee calculated by the server device 40.

[0112] According to this configuration, the application 301 does not need to calculate the electricity usage fee, so the processing load on the terminal device 30 can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the application 301 calculates the electricity usage fee.

[0113] Also, for example, the target upper limit setting unit 3016 of the terminal device 30 sets a target upper limit for the usage of the home appliance 10, which includes at least one of the electricity usage fee and the power consumption amount during a predetermined period. When the usage of the home appliance 10 during the predetermined period exceeds the target upper limit, the notification processing unit 3018 of the terminal device 30 notifies the user that the usage of the home appliance 10 has exceeded the target upper limit at a timing after the usage of the home appliance 10 has exceeded the target upper limit.

[0114] According to this configuration, even if the usage amount in a predetermined period exceeds the target upper limit at, for example, midnight and it is inconvenient for the user to be notified at that time, it is possible to notify the user that the usage amount has exceeded the target upper limit at a time that is not convenient for the user. For example, if the timing is set by the user's operation to 10 a.m., there is no need to notify the user in the middle of the night.

[0115] Also, for example, the notification timing setting unit 3017 receives an operation for setting the notification timing, and sets the timing based on the operation.

[0116] According to this configuration, the timing can be set by a user operation.

[0117] Also, for example, the timing is the timing when the home electric appliance 10 is operated.

[0118] According to this configuration, the user can easily notice the notification.

[0119] Also, for example, the timing is the timing when the application 301 is started.

[0120] According to this configuration, the user can easily notice the notification.

[0121] Furthermore, for example, the usage information includes the electricity usage fee. The unit price setting unit 3015 of the terminal device 30 accepts an operation to divide a day into one time period or multiple time periods and set the unit price of electricity for each time period, and transmits unit price information including the time period and the unit price corresponding to the time period to the server device 40 based on the operation. The display processing unit 3013 obtains from the server device 40 the electricity usage fee calculated in the server device 40 based on the power consumption and the unit price information, and displays the electricity usage fee on the usage information screen 1801.

[0122] According to this configuration, the unit price of electricity can be set by the user operating the terminal device 30. In addition, since the application 301 does not need to calculate the electricity usage fee, the processing load of the terminal device 30 can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the application 301 calculates the electricity usage fee.

[0123] (First Modification) Next, a first modified example will be described. In this modified example, when the usage information screen icon 504 is operated, the application 301 acquires the power consumption of the home appliance 10 from the server device 40, calculates the electricity usage charge of the home appliance 10 based on the acquired power consumption and unit price information, and displays the calculated electricity usage charge on the usage information screen 1801. In this case, the unit price information may not be stored in the terminal device 30, and the server device 40 may transmit the unit price information together with the power consumption to the terminal device 30.

[0124] According to this configuration, the server device 40 does not need to calculate the electricity usage fee, so the processing load of the server device 40 can be reduced.

[0125] (Second Modification) In this modification, when server device 40 determines that the usage amount for a predetermined period accumulated in management DB 411 has exceeded the target upper limit, the timing of notifying application 301 of terminal device 30 of that effect differs from the above embodiment. In this modification, when server device 40 determines that the usage amount for a predetermined period accumulated in management DB 411 has exceeded the target upper limit, server device 40 notifies application 301 of terminal device 30 that the usage amount is exceeded at a predetermined timing. This timing is, for example, a timing set by notification timing setting unit 3017 and stored in management DB 411. Upon receiving the notification, application 301 immediately notifies that the usage amount is exceeded.

[0126] (Third Modification) In this modified example, when the application 301 is launched, the display processing unit 3013 acquires the power consumption amount and unit price information from the server device 40, calculates the electricity usage charge for the home appliance 10 based on the power consumption amount and unit price information acquired when the usage information screen icon 504 is operated, and displays the calculated electricity usage charge on the usage information screen 1801.

[0127] (Fourth Modification) In this modification, the notification processing unit 3018 performs other notifications regarding the usage of the home appliance 10 in addition to the usage over notification. The other notifications are, for example, notification before usage is over. When the usage of the home appliance 10 reaches a predetermined amount less than the target upper limit, the notification before usage is over is to notify that the usage of the home appliance 10 has reached a predetermined amount or is approaching the target upper limit. The above-mentioned predetermined amount can be set to a predetermined percentage (e.g., 80%) of the target upper limit or a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value (e.g., 500 kWh or 500 yen) from the target upper limit. Note that the predetermined amount is not limited to the above. Also, the predetermined amount for performing other notifications may be changeable (set) by the notification processing unit 3018 in response to a user operation. Note that a situation in which the usage of the home appliance 10 has reached a predetermined amount less than the target upper limit is an example of the status of the usage of the home appliance 10 relative to the target upper limit. Also, the usage notification is an example of a notification of the status of the usage of the home appliance 10 relative to the target upper limit.

[0128] The determination of whether the usage amount of the home appliance 10 has reached a predetermined amount less than the target upper limit is made by the server device 40 based on the usage amount stored in the management DB 411 and the target upper limit. When the server device 40 determines that the usage amount for a predetermined period accumulated in the management DB 411 has reached a predetermined amount less than the target upper limit, the server device 40 immediately transmits a notice to that effect or information corresponding thereto to the application 301 of the terminal device 30. When the notification processing unit 3018 of the application 301 receives a notice from the server device 40 that the usage amount of the home appliance 10 has reached a predetermined amount less than the target upper limit or information corresponding thereto, the notification processing unit 3018 of the application 301 performs a pre-usage over notification at a predetermined timing after the reception. This timing is set by the notification timing setting unit 3017.

[0129] In this modification, the notification timing setting unit 3017 accepts an operation for setting the timing of the notification before the usage limit is exceeded, and sets the timing based on the operation. The method for setting the timing of the notification before the usage limit is exceeded is the same as that for the usage limit exceeded notification. That is, the above timing can be selected from any time input by a user operation, the timing when the home appliance 10 is operated, and the timing when the application 301 is started. The operation of the home appliance 10 may be either an operation on the operation screen 1701 or an operation on a dedicated controller. The notification timing setting unit 3017 of the terminal device 30 sets the selected timing as the notification timing.

[0130] In the above embodiment and modified example, the server device 40 is configured as a single device, but this is not limited thereto. 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 a plurality of 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.

[0131] 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.

[0132] The application 301 executed by the terminal device 30 in the above embodiment and modified examples is provided by being stored in a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. The application 301 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.

[0133] The application 301 executed on the terminal device 30 in the above embodiment and modified examples 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 DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a USB memory, or an SD card.

[0134] Furthermore, the application 301 executed by the terminal device 30 in the above embodiment and modified example may be provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0135] 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.

[0136] The home appliance management program executed by server device 40 in the above embodiment and modified example is provided as 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).

[0137] 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.

[0138] The home electric appliance management program executed by server device 40 in the above embodiment and modified example may be configured to be provided by being pre-installed in ROM or the like.

[0139] 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.

[0140] (Additional Note) (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, a basic screen display step of displaying on the display device an operation screen icon for displaying on the display device an operation screen for issuing control instructions to the home appliance, and a usage information screen icon for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage fee of the home appliance and an amount of power consumed by the home appliance; an operation screen display step of acquiring, when the operation screen icon is operated, home appliance status information indicating a status of the home appliance from the home appliance and displaying the operation screen on the display device; a usage information screen display step of displaying the usage information screen on the display device without acquiring the home appliance status information from the home appliance when the usage information screen icon is operated; An application program that causes the computer to execute the above. (2) The usage information screen display step causes the computer to acquire the usage information including the electricity usage fee calculated by the server device from the server device. The application program according to (1) above. (3) The usage information screen display step causes the computer to execute the steps of acquiring the power consumption amount from the server device, calculating the electricity usage fee based on the acquired power consumption amount, and displaying the calculated electricity usage fee on the usage information screen. The application program according to (1) above. (4) a target upper limit setting step of setting a target upper limit of the usage amount of the home appliance, the target upper limit including at least one of the electricity usage rate and the power consumption amount during a predetermined period; a notification step of, when the usage amount in the predetermined period exceeds the target upper limit value, notifying the user that the usage amount has exceeded the target upper limit value at a timing after the usage amount has exceeded the target upper limit value; causing the computer to execute The application program according to (1) above. (5) a target upper limit setting step of setting a target upper limit of the usage amount of the home appliance, the target upper limit including at least one of the electricity usage rate and the power consumption amount during a predetermined period; a timing setting step of receiving an operation for setting a timing of notifying the status of the usage amount relative to the target upper limit value and setting the timing based on the operation; a notification step of notifying a state of the usage amount relative to the target upper limit value at the set timing; causing the computer to execute The application program according to (1) above. (6) The timing is a timing when the home appliance is operated. The application program according to (4) above. (7) the timing is a timing at which the application program is started; The application program according to (4) above. (8) The usage information includes the electricity usage fee, The application program a setting step of receiving an operation for dividing a day into one time period or a plurality of time periods and setting a unit price of electricity for each of the time periods, and transmitting unit price information including the time period and the unit price corresponding to the time period to the server device based on the operation, The usage information screen display step causes the computer to obtain, from the server device, the electricity usage charge calculated in the server device based on the power consumption amount and the unit price information, and to display the electricity usage charge on the usage information screen. The application program according to (1) above. (9) A terminal device connected to a server device that manages home appliances via a network and equipped with a display device, a display processing unit that causes the display device to display an operation screen icon for displaying an operation screen for issuing control instructions to the home appliance on the display device, and a usage information screen icon for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage fee of the home appliance and an amount of power consumed by the home appliance, The display processing unit is When the operation screen icon is operated, home appliance status information indicating a status of the home appliance is acquired from the home appliance, and the operation screen is displayed on the display device; When the usage amount information screen icon is operated, the usage amount information screen is displayed on the display device without acquiring the home appliance status information from the home appliance. Terminal device. (10) 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 a basic screen display step of displaying on the display device an operation screen icon for displaying on the display device an operation screen for issuing control instructions to the home appliance, and a usage information screen icon for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage fee of the home appliance and an amount of power consumed by the home appliance; an operation screen display step of acquiring, when the operation screen icon is operated, home appliance status information indicating a status of the home appliance from the home appliance and displaying the operation screen on the display device; a usage information screen display step of displaying the usage information screen on the display device without acquiring the home appliance status information from the home appliance when the usage information screen icon is operated; causing the computer to execute Home appliance management system. (11) 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: a basic screen display step of displaying on the display device an operation screen icon for displaying on the display device an operation screen for issuing control instructions to the home appliance, and a usage information screen icon for displaying on the display device a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage fee of the home appliance and an amount of power consumed by the home appliance; an operation screen display step of acquiring, when the operation screen icon is operated, home appliance status information indicating a status of the home appliance from the home appliance and displaying the operation screen on the display device; a usage information screen display step of displaying the usage information screen on the display device without acquiring the home appliance status information from the home appliance when the usage information screen icon is operated; A home appliance management method comprising:

[0141] 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]

[0142] 1. Home appliance management system 10 Home appliances 30 Terminal Equipment 40 Server device 301 Application 302 Display device 310 Computer 501 App home screen (basic screen) 503 Operation screen icon (operation screen operation section) 504 Usage information screen icon (usage information screen operation section) 1701 Operation screen 1801 Usage information screen 3011 Communication processing unit 3012 Input processing section 3013 Display processing unit 3014 Control section 3015 Price Setting Department 3016 Target upper limit setting unit 3017 Notification timing setting unit 3018 Notification processing section

Claims

1. An application program to be executed by a computer of a terminal device having a display device, Multiple home appliances can be registered. an operation screen operation unit for displaying, on the display device, an operation screen for issuing a control instruction to one of the registered home electric appliances; a usage information screen operation unit for displaying, on the display device, a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage charge of one or more of the registered home electric appliances and an amount of power consumption of the home electric appliances; on one screen of the display device.

2. causing the computer to execute, when the operation screen operation unit is operated, displaying the operation screen on the display device, and, when the usage amount information screen operation unit is operated, causing the computer to execute, when the usage amount information screen operation unit is operated, displaying the usage amount information screen on the display device without displaying the operation screen on the display device.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

3. causing the computer to display the operation screen operation units and the usage amount information screen operation unit on one screen of the display device; 2. The application program according to claim 1.

4. When the home appliance is registered, the computer is caused to display the operation screen operation section corresponding to the registered home appliance.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

5. causing the computer to display the operation screen operation section in an area different from an area in which the usage amount information screen operation section is displayed.

2. The application program according to claim 1.

6. causing the computer to display the operation screen operation section above an area in which the usage amount information screen operation section is displayed.

6. The application program according to claim 5.

7. 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 Multiple home appliances can be registered. an operation screen operation unit for displaying, on the display device, an operation screen for issuing a control instruction to one of the registered home electric appliances; a usage information screen operation unit for displaying, on the display device, a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage charge of one or more of the registered home electric appliances and an amount of power consumption of the home electric appliances; on one screen of the display device. Home appliance management system.

8. A home appliance management method comprising: 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 being executed by a home appliance management system capable of registering a plurality of home appliances, the method comprising: an operation screen operation unit for displaying, on the display device, an operation screen for issuing a control instruction to one of the registered home electric appliances; a usage information screen operation unit for displaying, on the display device, a usage information screen that displays usage information including at least one of an electricity usage charge of one or more of the registered home electric appliances and an amount of power consumption of the home electric appliances; on one screen of the display device. How to manage home appliances.

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