Program, information processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method that increase convenience.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer that is a terminal device with a display screen to display, on one screen, both a content of a notification and an operation part for performing operation relating to the content of the notification. This is caused when a predetermined condition different from an abnormality of a home appliance is satisfied on the home appliance and the notification for notifying that the predetermined condition is satisfied is to be displayed on the display screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a terminal device that, when a predetermined condition is satisfied in a home appliance, receives and displays a notification that the predetermined condition is satisfied. Further improvement in the convenience of such a terminal device is expected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 208497 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0005] In an embodiment, the program causes a computer, which is a terminal device having a display screen, to display on the display screen a notification indicating that a specified condition other than an abnormality in an electrical appliance has been satisfied in the electrical appliance, and the content of the notification and an operation unit for performing operations related to the content of the notification are displayed on a single screen. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a home appliance system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display mode of a notification according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a control flow in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a terminal device according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification in a first example of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification in a second example of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification in a first example of the sixth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification in a second example of the sixth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram showing a control flow in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display form of a notification according to the ninth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the program, information processing system, and information processing method of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to configurations having the same or similar functions. And, duplicated descriptions of those configurations may be omitted. In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX" and may include cases based on other elements in addition to XX. Also, "based on XX" is not limited to cases based directly on XX, but may also include cases based on XX that has been calculated or processed. In this application, "XX or YY" is not limited to either one of XX and YY, but may include both XX and YY. This also applies to cases where there are three or more selective elements. XX and YY are any elements (for example, any information).

[0008] In this application, "obtain" is not limited to actively obtaining information by sending a transmission request, but may also include obtaining information by passively receiving information transmitted from another device. Furthermore, "obtain" is not limited to directly obtaining target information (information to be obtained) from outside, but may also include generating and obtaining target information by performing calculations or processing on information obtained from outside. Furthermore, in this application, database is abbreviated as "DB."

[0009] (First embodiment) <1. Overall configuration of home appliance system> 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a home appliance system 1 according to a first embodiment. The home appliance system 1 includes, for example, one or more home appliances 100, a server 200, and a terminal device 300. The network NW described below may be, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), or other public lines or dedicated lines, depending on the situation.

[0010] (home appliances) The home appliance 100 is an electric appliance mainly used at home. The home appliance 100 is a home appliance used by a user U and is placed in the residence of the user U. The home appliance 100 is a refrigerator 100A, a clothes treatment machine 100B, an air conditioner 100C, an oven range 100D, a rice cooker 100E, or the like. The clothes treatment machine 100B is a washing machine (including a washer-dryer) or a closet-type clothes treatment machine, or the like. However, the home appliance 100 is not limited to the above examples, and may be a microwave oven, a toaster, a rice cooker, a coffee maker, or an electric vacuum cleaner, or the like. In the following, when the type of the home appliance 100 is not limited, it is referred to as the "home appliance 100". In the following, for convenience of explanation, the "clothes treatment machine 100B" may be referred to as the "washing machine 100B", and the "air conditioner 100C" may be referred to as the "air conditioner 100C".

[0011] The home appliance 100 is connected to a network NW via, for example, a wireless router WR and a modem M installed in the residence of a user U. The home appliance 100 can communicate with a server 200 or a terminal device 300 via the network NW. The home appliance 100 may also be able to directly communicate with the terminal device 300 using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0012] (server) The server 200 is a management server that manages the home appliance 100. The server 200 is composed of one or more server devices (for example, a cloud server). The server 200 is capable of communicating with the home appliance 100 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW. The server 200 may include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in the network NW. The server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in the residence of the user U, or a home router, etc. In this embodiment, the server 200 and the refrigerator 100A realize a watching system MS that watches over the user U2 who is a target of watching. However, the watching system MS may be realized by a home appliance 100 different from the refrigerator 100A.

[0013] (Terminal Device) The terminal device 300 is an electronic device used by the user U, and can be used independently of the home appliance 100. In this embodiment, the terminal device 300 includes a terminal device 300A and a terminal device 300B. The terminal device 300A is a terminal device used by a watching user (user U1). The "watching user" refers to a person who watches a watching target (user U2) using the watching system MS. The terminal device 300B is a terminal device used by the watching target (user U2). In the following, when the terminal device 300A and the terminal device 300B are not distinguished from each other, they are referred to as "terminal device 300". When the user U1 and the user U2 are not distinguished from each other, they are referred to as "user U". Note that the user U1 and the user U2 are not limited to living in the same residence, and may live in different residences.

[0014] The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, the terminal device 300 is not limited to a mobile terminal device, and may be a personal computer or an operating device (for example, a dedicated remote controller) corresponding to a specific home appliance 100.

[0015] The terminal device 300 includes, for example, a display device 301, an input device 302, and a communication unit 303. The display device 301 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and has a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information. The input device 302 can receive input from a user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided on the display screen 301a. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, and the like provided in the terminal device 300. The communication unit 303 is, for example, a communication module capable of wireless communication. The communication unit 303 is connected to the network NW directly or via a wireless router WR and a modem M. The communication unit 303 can communicate with the home appliance 100 or the server 200 via the network NW. As described above, the communication unit 303 may be capable of directly communicating with the home appliance 100 using short-distance wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0016] A home appliance management application program P2 is installed in the terminal device 300 (for example, the terminal device 300A) and supports the functions described below. The home appliance management application program P2 is, for example, an application program for managing the home appliance 100 and / or for using services related to the home appliance 100. Hereinafter, application software started by executing the home appliance management application program P2 is referred to as a "home appliance management application AP2."

[0017] In this embodiment, the terminal device 300 is an example of a "computer." The home appliance management application program P2 is an example of a "program." The home appliance management app AP2 is an example of an "information processing system." Note that the "information processing system" referred to in this application may be realized by any one or more of the home appliance 100, the server 200, and the home appliance management app AP2 of the terminal device 300, instead of the above examples.

[0018] <2. Home appliances> Next, the home electric appliance 100 will be described. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the home appliance 100. The home appliance 100 includes, for example, an actuator 110, a sensor unit 120, an operation unit 130, a communication unit 140, a control unit 150, a determination unit 160, an information output unit 170, and a storage unit 190.

[0019] The actuator 110 is a driving unit that operates the home appliance 100. The sensor unit 120 is a detection unit that can detect the state of the home appliance 100. The sensor unit 120 includes one or more sensors that measure, for example, time, temperature, humidity, voltage, current, vibration, or rotation speed. For example, when the home appliance 100 is a refrigerator 100A, the sensor unit 120 includes a door open sensor 121 that detects an open state of the door of the refrigerator 100A, a temperature sensor 122 that detects the temperature around the refrigerator 100A (room temperature of the place where the refrigerator 100A is installed), and a timer 123 that can measure time. The detection result detected by the sensor unit 120 is sent to the control unit 150. In addition, information indicating the state of the home appliance 100 detected by the sensor unit 120 (hereinafter referred to as "state information 191") is stored in the storage unit 190.

[0020] The operation unit 130 includes an operation button or a touch panel provided on the home appliance 100. The operation unit 130 receives, for example, an operation of a user U who specifies or changes the control content of the home appliance 100. The communication unit 140 is, for example, a wireless communication module connectable to a wireless router WR.

[0021] Control unit 150, determination unit 160, and information output unit 170 are realized by executing a program using one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) mounted on home appliance 100. However, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0022] The control unit 150 performs overall control of the home appliance 100. For example, the control unit 150 operates the home appliance 100 by controlling the actuator 110 based on the detection result of the sensor unit 120 and the control information 192 stored in the storage unit 190. The control unit 150 may also control the home appliance 100 based on a control command from the server 200.

[0023] The determination unit 160 determines whether or not a predetermined condition for transmitting a notification N, which will be described later, is satisfied in the home appliance 100. For example, the determination unit 160 determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied in the home appliance 100 based on one or more of a detection result of the sensor unit 120, a control state of the home appliance 100, or an operation history of the home appliance 100. For example, the determination unit 160 determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied in the home appliance 100 by comparing a detection result of the sensor unit 120 with a threshold included in threshold information 193 stored in the storage unit 190.

[0024] The "predetermined condition" is a condition different from an abnormality of the home appliance 100, and is, for example, one or more of the following: a predetermined period of use has elapsed; a predetermined number of operations has been reached; operation in a predetermined control mode has been completed; a predetermined operation has been performed on the home appliance 100; a predetermined operation has not been performed on the home appliance 100 for a predetermined length of time; a state of the home appliance 100 (one or more of an operating state, a control mode, or a detection result of the sensor unit 120) has changed; or a state of the home appliance 100 has not changed for a predetermined length of time. Note that the "predetermined condition" is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and various conditions can be set as appropriate. Hereinafter, the "predetermined condition" may be referred to as a "notification condition".

[0025] When the determination unit 160 determines that the notification condition is satisfied in the home appliance 100, the information output unit 170 transmits a signal indicating that the notification condition is satisfied (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as a "notification trigger signal") to the server 200. Note that, when a plurality of notification conditions are set as the notification condition in the home appliance 100, the notification trigger signal includes information indicating which of the plurality of notification conditions is satisfied. Furthermore, when the information output unit 170 transmits the notification trigger signal to the server 200, the information output unit 170 may transmit, together with the notification trigger signal, information supporting the fact that the notification condition is satisfied in the home appliance 100 (for example, status information 191 of the home appliance 100).

[0026] Instead of the configuration in which the determination unit 160 is provided in the home appliance 100, the following configuration may be provided. That is, when a change occurs in the state of the home appliance 100 (one or more of the operating state, the control mode, or the detection result of the sensor unit 120, etc.), the information output unit 170 may transmit the state information 191 of the home appliance 100 to the server 200. Instead of / in addition to this, the information output unit 170 may transmit the state information 191 of the home appliance 100 acquired in the immediately preceding unit time to the server 200 every time a predetermined unit time (for example, every hour) elapses. In this case, the determination unit 160 may be provided in the server 200 instead of / in addition to the home appliance 100. That is, the determination as to whether the notification condition is satisfied or not may be performed by the server 200.

[0027] The storage unit 190 is realized by a combination of, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 190 stores various information. For example, the storage unit 190 stores state information 191, control information 192, and threshold information 193.

[0028] <3. Server> Next, the server 200 will be described. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200. The server 200 includes, for example, a registration unit 210, an information acquisition unit 220, a device control unit 230, a notification transmission unit 240, and a storage unit 290.

[0029] The registration unit 210, the information acquisition unit 220, the device control unit 230, and the notification transmission unit 240 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU, mounted on the server 200 executing programs. However, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware, such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. These functional units may be provided separately in multiple server devices.

[0030] <3.1 Registration section> The registration unit 210 accepts device registration of the home appliance 100. "Device registration" means associating the home appliance 100 with one or more users U who use the home appliance 100. For example, device registration is performed by associating an account of the user U used to use the home appliance management application AP2 (hereinafter referred to as "user ID") with information for identifying the home appliance 100 used by the user U and registering the account in the device registration DB 291. This allows the server 200 to identify the home appliance 100 and the terminal device 300 related to the same user U based on the device registration DB 291. The "information for identifying the home appliance" includes, for example, identification information of the home appliance 100 (for example, a serial number, hereinafter referred to as "device ID") and information indicating the type and model (type name) of the home appliance 100.

[0031] In this embodiment, the registration unit 210 accepts registration for use of a monitoring service using the monitoring system MS. "Registration for use of a monitoring service" means associating the device ID of the home appliance 100 used for the monitoring service with the user ID of the monitoring user (user U1). For example, registration for use of the monitoring service is performed by registering the device ID of the home appliance 100 used for the monitoring service with the user ID of the monitoring user in the monitoring service DB 292 in association with each other.

[0032] In this embodiment, as part of registration for use of the watching service, the device ID of the home appliance 100 used for the watching service, the user ID of the watching user (user U1), and contact information 292a (e.g., the telephone number of the watching target person) of the watching target person (user U2) are associated and registered based on an application from the watching user. Note that the contact information 292a may be stored in the storage unit 390 of the terminal device 300A of the watching user (user U1) instead of the storage unit 290 of the server 200.

[0033] Furthermore, as part of the registration for using the monitoring service, the registration unit 210 may accept the setting of a notification condition for causing the terminal device 300A to transmit a notification N (see FIG. 5) related to the monitoring service. As the notification condition, for example, one or more of the following can be set: the number of times the door of the refrigerator 100A is opened and closed during a preset time period (for example, 9:00 to 12:00, 17:00 to 19:00) is equal to or less than a threshold (for example, 0 times), or the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 122 exceeds a threshold.

[0034] <3.2 Information acquisition section> The information acquiring unit 220 transmits a request to the home appliance 100 to check the status of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300 and / or at a predetermined cycle, and acquires status information 191 transmitted from the home appliance 100 in response to the request. Furthermore, when a status change occurs in the home appliance 100, the information acquiring unit 220 acquires the status information 191 transmitted from the home appliance 100. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a notification trigger signal is transmitted from the home appliance 100, the information acquiring unit 220 receives the transmitted notification trigger signal.

[0035] <3.3 Equipment control section> The device control unit 230 manages the remote control of the home appliance 100. For example, the device control unit 230 receives an operation request for operating the home appliance 100 from the terminal device 300. When the device control unit 230 receives the operation request, it generates a control command according to the received operation request and transmits the generated control command to the home appliance 100. In this way, the home appliance 100 is remotely controlled.

[0036] <3.4 Notification sending part> When the notification trigger signal transmitted from the home appliance 100 is acquired by the information acquisition unit 220, the notification transmission unit 240 generates a notification N corresponding to the received notification trigger signal, and transmits the generated notification N to the terminal device 300. The notification N is a notification that notifies that the predetermined condition set as the notification condition is satisfied in the home appliance 100. Note that, when the determination unit 160 is provided in the server 200, the notification transmission unit 240 may generate a notification N corresponding to the predetermined condition, and transmit the generated notification N to the terminal device 300, when the determination unit 160 provided in the server 200 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0037] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the notification condition is satisfied, and a notification N is generated and transmitted when opening or closing of the door of the refrigerator 100A is not detected during a predetermined time period set in advance by the watching user (user U1) in a watching service. In this embodiment, when the notification condition is satisfied, the notification transmission unit 240 acquires contact information 292a of the person being watched over (user U2) registered in association with the refrigerator 100A from the watching service DB 292. Then, the notification transmission unit 240 generates a notification N including the contact information 292a of the person being watched over, and transmits the generated notification N to the terminal device 300A of the watching user (user U1).

[0038] <3.5 Storage section> The storage unit 290 is realized by, for example, a combination of a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, an SSD, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage unit 290 stores various information. For example, the storage unit 290 stores a device registration DB 291 and a monitoring service DB 292.

[0039] <4. Terminal device> Next, the terminal device 300 will be described. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, an operating system OS, a telephone application AP1, a home appliance management application AP2, and a storage unit 390.

[0040] <4.1 Operating System> The operating system OS is realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU, mounted on the terminal device 300 executing a basic program P. The operating system OS is basic software of the terminal device 300, and performs processing to connect between the hardware of the terminal device 300 and a user U, between the hardware of the terminal device 300 and application software (e.g., home appliance management application AP2), or between application software (e.g., telephone application AP1 and home appliance management application AP2). The basic program P is an example of a "program."

[0041] The operating system OS displays a home screen D11 (see FIG. 5) or a lock screen on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 according to the state of the terminal device 300. In this application, the term "home screen" refers to a state in which an application program is not running or is running in the background, and a screen specific to the application program is not displayed on the display screen 301a. The term "home screen" refers to a screen in which pictorial displays C1 (see FIG. 5, for example, icons) of an operation unit for starting a plurality of application programs implemented in the terminal device 300 are displayed side by side. In this application, the term "lock screen" refers to a screen that is displayed in a standby state to which the terminal device 300 transitions when no operation is performed for a predetermined period of time, and which requires the input of a password in order to return to the home screen D11.

[0042] <4.2 Phone app> The telephone application AP1 is realized by executing a telephone application program P1 by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300. The telephone application AP1 is a functional unit for making a call to another terminal device 300 (for example, terminal device 300B) using the terminal device 300 (for example, terminal device 300A).

[0043] <4.3 Home appliance management app> The home appliance management application AP2 is a functional unit for managing the home appliance 100 and / or for using a service related to the home appliance 100. The home appliance management application AP2 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 310, a display control unit 320, an operation reception unit 330, and an information transmission unit 340. The information acquisition unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the information transmission unit 340 are realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300 executing the home appliance management application program P2. The information acquisition unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the information transmission unit 340 are software functional units included in the home appliance management application AP2.

[0044] The information acquisition unit 310 communicates with the server 200 to acquire various pieces of information from the server 200. When a notification N is transmitted from the server 200, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires the transmitted notification N.

[0045] The display control unit 320 controls the display device 301 of the terminal device 300, thereby controlling the contents displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301. The screens and operation units displayed on the display screen 301a described below are displayed under the control of the display control unit 320. For example, when a notification N is received from the server 200, the display control unit 320 displays the received notification N on the display screen 301a.

[0046] The operation receiving unit 330 receives an operation of the user U performed on the input device 302 in relation to the home appliance management application AP2. The information transmitting unit 340 transmits, to the server 200, information or a signal corresponding to the various operations received by the operation receiving unit 330.

[0047] <4.4 Storage section> The storage unit 390 is realized by, for example, a combination of a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, an SSD, etc. The storage unit 390 stores various information. For example, the storage unit 390 stores a basic program P, a telephone application program P1, and a home appliance management application program P2.

[0048] <5. Example of notification display> 5 is a diagram showing a display mode of notification N in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, when the notification condition is satisfied in the home appliance 100 and notification N is displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300A, the display control unit 320 displays the contents of notification N and an operation unit B for performing an operation related to the contents of notification N on one screen. In this application, "displaying on one screen" means "displaying on a continuous screen". In other words, "displaying on one screen" is not limited to the case where it is displayed on a screen that can be viewed at one time (for example, on the display screen 301a), but may also include the case where it is displayed in order by an operation such as scrolling from a state where a part of the screen that can be viewed at one time is hidden.

[0049] Operation unit B is an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of notification N, for example, different from the operation for displaying the details of notification N. "Notification details" is information indicating the home appliance 100 for which the notification condition is satisfied, the time when the notification condition is satisfied, or the specific content satisfied as the notification condition, and is information indicating details of the occurrence of the notification itself. "Notification details" is, for example, the content displayed on a notification details screen D12 described later.

[0050] The operation unit B is an operation unit for performing an operation related to the implementation of a response by the user U when the user U needs to respond in response to the satisfaction of a notification condition, for example. Note that in this application, the "operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification N" is not limited to an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification N, and may be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen including an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification N.

[0051] In this embodiment, the notification condition is a condition related to a monitoring service using the home appliance 100. The condition related to the monitoring service is, for example, that opening or closing of the door of the refrigerator 100A is not detected during a predetermined time period, and / or that the temperature around the refrigerator 100A (the room temperature of the place where the refrigerator 100A is installed) is equal to or higher than a threshold. In this embodiment, as an example of the operation unit B, an operation unit B1 for activating a contact means for contacting the user U who uses the home appliance 100 is displayed. The contact means is, for example, a contact means for contacting a person (user U2) to be watched over by the monitoring service. For example, the operation unit B1 is an operation unit for activating a telephone function (for example, a telephone application AP1) of the terminal device 300A.

[0052] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 5A shows a state in which notification N is received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background displays a push notification N1 on the display screen 301a as notification N. For example, the display control unit 320 displays the push notification N1 superimposed on the home screen D11. The content of the notification N and an operation unit B1 are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1. The content of the notification N includes, for example, a name of the notification N and a character string indicating the reason for the notification N (the notification condition being satisfied). The operation unit B1 may include a character string indicating the operation content that the operation unit B1 supports.

[0053] 5(a) shows a push notification N1 corresponding to the fact that opening or closing of the door was not detected in a specific time period (for example, from 5 pm to 7 pm) in refrigerator 100A. In this case, push notification N1 includes, within the frame of push notification N1, a character string indicating that opening or closing of the door was not detected in the specific time period as the content of notification N, and operation unit B1 for calling the person being watched over (user U2).

[0054] The operation receiving unit 330 detects an operation of pressing (for example, tapping) the operation unit B1 displayed in the push notification N1, and when the operation is detected, makes a call to the telephone number of the watching target (user U2) registered in advance, without requiring any other operation, based on the contact information 292a included in the notification N. In this case, the display control unit 320 transitions the display content of the display screen 301a from the home screen D11 to an outgoing call screen D13.

[0055] When an operation of pressing (e.g., tapping) an area other than operation unit B1 (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as "operation unit S") in the push notification N1 is detected, the display control unit 320 transitions the display contents of the display screen 301a from the home screen D11 to the notification details screen D12. In other words, the area of ​​the push notification N1 includes operation unit S for displaying the details of the notification N and operation unit B for performing an operation related to the contents of the notification N (e.g., operation unit B1 for performing an operation to activate a telephone function). In the following, operation unit B may be referred to as a "special operation unit" to distinguish it from operation unit S.

[0056] An example in which the notification N1 is displayed on the home screen D11 by the operating system OS has been described above. The same applies to the case in which the notification N1 is displayed on the lock screen by the operating system OS. For details in this case, the "home screen D11" in the above description may be read as the "lock screen." In addition, a part or all of the above-mentioned display control unit 320 and the operation reception unit 330 may be realized by the operating system OS instead of the home appliance management application AP2. That is, a part or all of the processing described above with reference to (a) in FIG. 5 may be executed by the operating system OS instead of the home appliance management application AP2. The same applies to the embodiments and modified examples described later.

[0057] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 5(b) shows a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. In this embodiment, when an operation of pressing an area (operation unit S) other than the operation unit B is detected in the push notification N1 shown in FIG. 5(a), the display control unit 320 transitions the display content of the display screen 301a from the home screen D11 to the notification details screen D12. The notification details screen D12 is a screen that displays details of each notification N. The details of the notification N include, for example, a character string indicating the name of the notification, the reason for the notification (the notification condition is satisfied), and other information related to the notification. The notification details screen D12 may be displayed by the operation receiving unit 330 receiving an operation of the user U to select a notification N to be displayed from a screen displaying a list of multiple notifications N received in relation to the home appliance management application AP2, instead of / in addition to the push notification N1 being operated.

[0058] In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 displays the notification detail information N2 on the display screen 301a as the notification N in the notification detail screen D12. For example, the display control unit 320 displays, in the area of ​​the notification detail information N2, a character string indicating that the door opening / closing was not detected during a predetermined time period (for example, from 17:00 to 19:00), together with character strings indicating the type of the home appliance 100 for which the notification condition is satisfied, the model (type name) of the home appliance 100, the installation location of the home appliance 100, and the creation time of the notification N, as the content of the notification N. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes the above-mentioned character string indicating the content of the notification N, and an operation unit B1 for making a phone call to the person being watched over (user U2).

[0059] The operation receiving unit 330 detects an operation of pressing (e.g., tapping) the operation unit B1 displayed in the notification detail information N2, and when the operation is detected, makes a call to the telephone number of the watching target (user U2) registered in advance, without requiring any other operation, based on the contact information 292a included in the notification N. In this case, the display control unit 320 transitions the display content of the display screen 301a from the notification detail screen D12 to an outgoing call screen D13.

[0060] <6. Control flow> Next, the control flow will be described. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of control. For convenience of explanation, Fig. 6 describes an example in which the control for displaying the push notification N1 on the home screen D11 is performed by the operating system OS. However, as described above, the control for displaying the push notification N1 on the home screen D11 or the lock screen may be performed by the home appliance management application AP2 while the home appliance management application AP2 is running in the background.

[0061] First, the determination unit 160 of the home appliance 100 detects whether or not a change in state that satisfies the above-mentioned predetermined condition (notification condition) has occurred in the home appliance 100 (S101). For example, when the above-mentioned change in state has occurred in the home appliance 100, or at every predetermined unit time, the information output unit 170 of the home appliance 100 transmits state information 191 indicating the state of the home appliance 100 to the server 200 (S102).

[0062] When the server 200 receives the status information 191 from the home appliance 100, the server 200 generates a notification N notifying that the notification condition has been satisfied (S103), and transmits the generated notification N to the terminal device 300 (S104). The operating system OS of the terminal device 300 displays the received notification N as a push notification N1 on the home screen D11 (S105).

[0063] When the text (operation unit S) of the notification N in the push notification N1 is pressed, the operating system OS transmits a display request to the home appliance management application AP2 to display the notification details screen D12 (S111). In this case, the home appliance management application AP2 displays the notification details screen D12 (S112). Then, when the operation unit B1 is pressed on the notification details screen D12, the operation reception unit 330 starts the telephone application AP1 and transmits an outgoing call request to the telephone application AP1 to make a call to the person being watched over (user 2) (S113). In this case, the telephone application AP1 makes an outgoing call to make a call to the person being watched over (user 2) (S114).

[0064] On the other hand, when the operation unit B1 is pressed in the push notification N1, the operating system OS starts the telephone application AP1 and transmits to the telephone application AP1 a call request for calling the person being watched over (user 2) (S121). In this case, the telephone application AP1 makes a call to call the person being watched over (user 2) (S122).

[0065] <7. Advantages> As a comparative example, consider a case where the notification N and the operation unit B1 for performing operations related to the contents of the notification N are not displayed on one screen. In this case, after checking the contents of the notification N, the user U needs to start another functional unit on the terminal device and perform a necessary operation (for example, start the phone application AP1, search for the phone number of the person being watched over (user U2) in the address book and make a call). This may make the user U's operations complicated.

[0066] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when a notification condition different from an abnormality of the home appliance 100 is satisfied in the home appliance 100 and the terminal device 300A displays a notification N notifying that the notification condition has been satisfied on the display screen 301a, the terminal device 300A displays the contents of the notification N and an operation unit B for performing an operation related to the contents of the notification N on one screen. According to such a configuration, after the user U checks the contents of the notification N, the user U can then perform an operation related to the contents of the notification N with fewer steps. This can improve the convenience for the user U.

[0067] In this embodiment, the operation unit B is an operation unit B1 for activating a contact means for contacting a target person who uses the home appliance 100. With this configuration, the user U who sees the notification N can contact a target person related to the notification (e.g., the user of the home appliance 100) with fewer steps. This can further improve convenience.

[0068] In this embodiment, the predetermined condition is a condition related to a monitoring service using the home appliance 100. The contact means is a contact means for contacting a person being watched over (user U2) of the monitoring service. With this configuration, when a predetermined notification N is received in relation to the monitoring service (when a situation arises where it is advisable to check with the person being watched over), the person being watched over can be contacted with fewer steps. This can further improve convenience.

[0069] In this embodiment, when notification N is received while the home screen D11 or the lock screen by the operating system OS of the terminal device 300 is displayed on the display screen 301a, the terminal device 300 displays a push notification N1 including the content of the notification N and an operation unit B1 superimposed on the home screen D11 or the lock screen. With this configuration, even when notification N is displayed on the home screen D11 or the lock screen by the operating system OS, operations related to the content of the notification N can be performed thereafter with fewer steps. This can further improve convenience.

[0070] (Modification of the first embodiment) Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a modification of the first embodiment will be described. This modification is different from the first embodiment in that, when the operation unit B is operated to make a call to the person being watched over (user U2), the contact information of the person being watched over is acquired from the contact information 391 (e.g., an address book) stored in the terminal device 300A of the watching user (user U1). Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0071] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a terminal device 300 according to a modified example of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, a storage unit 390 of the terminal device 300 includes contact information 391. The contact information 391 is, for example, an address book used in conjunction with a telephone application AP1, and a telephone number used when making a call using the telephone application AP1 is registered. In the contact information 391, an identifier, a name, and a telephone number are registered in association with each individual.

[0072] In this embodiment, when a monitoring service is set using the home appliance management app AP2, the above identifier corresponding to the person being watched over (user U2) is acquired from the contact information 391 and stored in the home appliance management app AP2 in a state in which access to the contact information 391 is permitted by the user U1. In this modification, when the operation unit B1 is operated, the operation reception unit 330 acquires the telephone number of the person being watched over (user U2) from the contact information 391 using the above identifier, and makes a call using the acquired telephone number. This is also true when the home screen D11 or the lock screen is displayed by the operating system OS, and the home appliance management app AP2 may operate in the background to acquire the telephone number of the person being watched over (user U2) from the contact information 391, and make a call using the acquired telephone number.

[0073] According to such a configuration, it becomes unnecessary for the server 200 to manage the contact information 291 of the person being watched over (user U2), and the process can be simplified.

[0074] In the first embodiment and the above-mentioned modified example, an example has been described in which a telephone number registered in an address book is used as a means of contact. However, the means of contact is not limited to the above-mentioned example. The means of contact may be, instead of a telephone number, an e-mail, a short message (SMS), or a direct message of a social networking service (SNS). For example, when an account linkage between the home appliance management application AP2 and an SNS is established, it becomes easier to use a direct message of the SNS as a means of contact.

[0075] Second embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the communication means to be used is selected from a plurality of communication means. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0076] In this embodiment, the storage unit 390 of the terminal device 300 includes contact information 391 (for example, an address book) as in the modified example of the first embodiment. The contact information 391 can register contact information for multiple individuals and can register multiple contact means as the contact for each individual. The multiple contact means are, for example, two or more of a telephone number, an email, a short message (SMS), and a direct message of a social networking service (SNS). The telephone number is a telephone number used when making a call using the telephone application AP1. In the contact information 391, an identifier, a name, and the multiple contact means are registered in association with each individual.

[0077] 8 is a diagram for explaining a notification N displayed on the terminal device 300 of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as part of the notification N is an operation unit B2 that displays the registered contents of the contact information 391 and allows the user to select a contact means to be used from among the above-mentioned multiple contact means. In this application, the "operation unit for selecting a contact means" is not limited to an operation unit for executing the selection of a contact means, and may be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen including an operation unit for executing the selection of a contact means.

[0078] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 8A shows a state in which notification N has been received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as notification N. The content of the notification N and an operation unit B2 are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1. In this embodiment, the operation unit B2 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D14. The operation screen D14 is an operation screen including an operation unit E for displaying the registered content of the contact information 391 and for selecting a contact means to be used from among a plurality of contact means.

[0079] For example, when an operation of pressing (e.g., tapping) the operation unit B2 displayed in the push notification N1 is detected, the operation receiving unit 330 acquires information about the person being watched over (user U2) from the contact information 391 using the identifier, and displays the acquired information on the operation screen D14. The operation screen D14 includes an operation unit EA corresponding to a telephone number and an operation unit EB corresponding to an email as an operation unit E for selecting a contact means to be used from a plurality of contact means.

[0080] When the operation unit EA corresponding to a telephone number is operated, the operation reception unit 330 starts the telephone application AP1 and transmits to the telephone application AP1 a call request for calling the person being watched over (user 2). In response to this, the display control unit 320 transitions the display content of the display screen 301a from the operation screen D14 to a call making screen D13. On the other hand, when the operation unit EB corresponding to e-mail is operated, the operation reception unit 330 starts the application corresponding to e-mail and performs processing for sending e-mail to the person being watched over (user 2). In response to this, the display control unit 320 transitions from the operation screen D14 to a screen D15 for creating e-mail.

[0081] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 8(b) shows a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display notification detail information N2 as notification N on the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N and an operation unit B2 for transitioning to an operation screen D14.

[0082] (advantage) In this embodiment, the operation unit B is an operation unit B2 that displays the registered contents of the contact information 391 and allows the user to select a contact means to be used from among a plurality of contact means. With this configuration, the watching user (user U1) can contact the watching target (user U2) using a contact means that the user is familiar with. This can further improve convenience.

[0083] Third embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a means for improving the reliability of the notification N is added. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the notification transmission unit 240 of the server 200 generates the notification N and transmits it to the terminal device 300, it includes reference information related to the content of the notification N in the notification N. The reference information is information related to another situation that is related to the notification condition but has a different viewpoint from the notification condition (for example, different content or time period). In this application, "different content or time period" means that at least one of the content and the time period is different. The reference information is information indicating the detection result of a change in the state of the home appliance 100, information indicating the state history of the home appliance 100, or the like.

[0085] In this embodiment, the notification N includes detection result information R as an example of the reference information. The detection result information R is an example of "information related to a different situation having a different time period from the notification condition". For example, the detection result information R is information related to the number of times the door of the refrigerator 100A is opened and closed in a time period before or after the time period to be detected in the monitoring service. An example of "information related to a different situation having different content while being related to the notification condition" is information indirectly indicating that the door has not been opened or closed (for example, scheduler information indicating the planned outing of the monitoring user U2).

[0086] 9 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as a part of the notification N includes an operation unit B3 for displaying the detection result information R in addition to the above-mentioned operation unit B1 (or operation unit B2).

[0087] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 9A shows a state in which the notification N is received while the home screen D11 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the operating system OS. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as the notification N. The contents of the notification N, the operation unit B1, and the operation unit B3 are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1. When the operation unit B3 included in the push notification N1 is operated, the display control unit 320 transitions the display contents of the display screen 301a from the home screen D11 to a result display screen D21 that displays the detection result information R. The result display screen D21 displays the detection result information R related to the contents of the notification N. The detection result information R is, for example, history information that indicates the number of times the door of the refrigerator 100A is opened and closed in a time range wider than the time period to be detected in the monitoring service.

[0088] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 9B shows a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display the notification details information N2 as the notification N on the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification details information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N, an operation unit B1, and an operation unit B3. When the operation unit B3 included in the notification details information N2 is operated, the display control unit 320 causes the display content of the display screen 301a to transition from the notification details screen D12 to a result display screen D21.

[0089] (advantage) In this embodiment, by operating the operation unit B3, the screen transitions to a result display screen D21 that displays reference information related to the notification N. This allows, for example, the monitoring user (user U1) to have more information to decide whether or not to contact the person being watched over (user U2). For example, even if the door has not been opened or closed between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., the user can feel at ease if the door is opened and closed around 4:50 p.m. On the other hand, if the door has not been opened or closed at all after the afternoon of that day, the user can easily decide that it is necessary to contact the monitoring user (user U1). This can further improve convenience.

[0090] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that the reference information is displayed as part of the notification N. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the third embodiment.

[0091] 10 is a diagram showing a display form of the notification N in the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned reference information (for example, the detection result information R) is displayed as a part of the notification N.

[0092] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 10(a) shows a state in which notification N is received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as the notification N. The contents of the notification N, the operation unit B1, and the above-mentioned reference information (for example, the detection result information R) are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1. The detection result information R is, for example, history information indicating the number of times the door of the refrigerator 100A is opened and closed in a time range wider than the time period to be detected in the monitoring service.

[0093] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 10(b) illustrates a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display notification detail information N2 on the notification details screen D12 as notification N. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N, the operation unit B1, and the reference information (e.g., the detection result information R).

[0094] (advantage) In this embodiment, the reference information is displayed as part of the notification N. This allows, for example, the watching user (user U1) to have more information to decide whether or not to contact the watching target (user U2). This can further improve convenience.

[0095] Fifth embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a fifth embodiment will be described. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an operation unit B4 or an operation unit B5 for accessing information related to the contents of the notification N is displayed as part of the notification N. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0096] (Example 1) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the first example of the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, the notification condition is a condition related to the degree of use of the home appliance 100 (for example, the period of use, the frequency of use, or the number of times of operation). For example, the notification condition is that the time for maintenance of the home appliance 100 has arrived (for example, one year has passed since the last maintenance). In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as a part of the notification N is an operation unit B4 related to the maintenance or part replacement of the home appliance 100. For example, the operation unit B4 is an operation unit for transitioning to an information viewing screen D31 on which information related to the contents of the notification N is displayed. The information viewing screen D31 is, for example, a screen on which information on the web is displayed via the network NW, and is a browser screen displayed by a browser.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the notification transmission unit 240 of the server 200 generates the notification N and transmits it to the terminal device 300, the notification transmission unit 240 includes in the notification N access information (e.g., an external URL (Uniform Resource Locator)) for accessing the information browsing screen D31 corresponding to the content of the notification N (e.g., which part of the home appliance 100 is to be maintained or replaced). In addition, when the notification transmission unit 240 of the server 200 generates the notification N and transmits it to the terminal device 300, the notification transmission unit 240 may include in the notification N information (e.g., an external URL (Uniform Resource Locator)) for accessing the information browsing screen D31 corresponding to the model of the home appliance 100 based on the model of the home appliance 100 registered in the device registration DB 291. Note that the access information and / or information indicating the model of the home appliance 100 may be stored in the storage unit 390 of the terminal device 300.

[0098] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 11(a) shows a state in which notification N is received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as the notification N. The content of the notification N and an operation unit B4 are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1. The operation unit B4 is an operation unit for transitioning the display content of the display screen 301a from the home screen D11 to an information viewing screen D31.

[0099] In this embodiment, the information viewing screen D31 includes information explaining a maintenance method for the home appliance 100. For example, the information viewing screen D31 includes information explaining the maintenance content for which a notification condition has occurred and a maintenance method according to the model of the home appliance 100. The information viewing screen D31 includes, for example, an operation unit F for making an inquiry to an outside party (for example, a support center) about the maintenance method for the home appliance 100. The operation unit F is, for example, an operation unit for making an inquiry to a chatbot on the web.

[0100] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 11B shows a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display the notification details information N2 as the notification N in the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification details information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N and an operation unit B4. When the operation unit B4 included in the notification details information N2 is operated, the display control unit 320 causes the display content of the display screen 301a to transition from the notification details screen D12 to an information viewing screen D31.

[0101] In this embodiment, an operation section B4 for transitioning to an information viewing screen D31 is displayed as a part of the notification N. This allows the user U to easily check information related to the contents of the notification N. This improves convenience.

[0102] (Example 2) FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the second example of the fifth embodiment. In the second example, as in the first example, the notification condition is a condition related to the degree of use of the home appliance 100. For example, the notification condition is that the maintenance time for the home appliance 100 has arrived (for example, one year has passed since the last maintenance). In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as a part of the notification N is an operation unit B5 related to the maintenance or part replacement of the home appliance 100. For example, the operation unit B5 is an operation unit for transitioning to a product purchase screen D41 that allows an order for a product related to the contents of the notification N. The product purchase screen D41 is, for example, a screen displayed via the network NW, and is a screen of a mail order site on the web. The product purchase screen D41 is, for example, a product purchase screen corresponding to a consumable part for which the notification condition has arrived and a consumable part according to the model of the home appliance 100.

[0103] Other configurations of the second example are the same as those of the first example. Therefore, in the detailed explanation of the second example, in the explanation of the first example, "operation unit B4" should be read as "operation unit B5" and "information viewing screen D31" should be read as "product purchase screen D41."

[0104] In this embodiment, an operation section B5 for transitioning to a product purchase screen D41 is displayed as a part of the notification N. This allows the user U to easily purchase a product related to the content of the notification N. This improves convenience.

[0105] Sixth embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a sixth embodiment will be described. The sixth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an operation section B6 for using the cleaning function of the home appliance 100 is displayed as part of the notification N. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0106] (Example 1) FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display mode of a first example of a notification N in the sixth embodiment. In this embodiment, the notification condition is a condition related to the degree of use of the home appliance 100 (period of use, frequency of use, or number of times of operation). In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as part of the notification N is an operation unit B6 for using the cleaning function of the home appliance 100. The "operation unit for using the cleaning function" is not limited to an operation unit for executing the cleaning function, and may be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen including an operation unit for executing the cleaning function.

[0107] In this embodiment, the operation unit B6 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D51 for executing the cleaning function. In the first example, the operation unit B6 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D51 for setting a cleaning operation in the microwave oven 100D.

[0108] Operation screen D51 includes, for example, an explanation of the procedure for executing the cleaning function of home appliance 100, and operation section G1 for executing the cleaning function of home appliance 100. In the first example, operation section G1 is an operation section for transmitting setting information for the cleaning operation of microwave oven 100D to microwave oven 100D.

[0109] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 13A shows a state in which notification N has been received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as notification N. Within the frame of the push notification N1, the content of the notification N, operation unit B4, and operation unit B6 are displayed.

[0110] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 13B illustrates a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display notification detail information N2 as notification N on the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N, an operation unit B4, and an operation unit B6.

[0111] (Example 2) 14 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the second example of the sixth embodiment. In the second example, the operation unit B6 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D51 for executing a tub cleaning operation course in the washing machine 100B. In the second example, the operation screen D51 includes, for example, an explanation of the execution procedure of the cleaning function of the home appliance 100, an operation unit G1 for executing the cleaning function of the home appliance 100, and an operation unit G2 for selecting the content of the cleaning function of the home appliance 100. The other configurations of the second example are the same as those of the first example.

[0112] (Flow of Control) Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of control in the sixth embodiment. Note that the processes from S101 to S105 are the same as those described with reference to Fig. 6. Therefore, duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 15, when the text (operation unit S) of the notification N in the push notification N1 is pressed, the operating system OS transmits a display request to the home appliance management application AP2 to display the notification details screen D12 (S111). In this case, the home appliance management application AP2 displays the notification details screen D12 (S112). Then, when the operation unit B6 is pressed on the notification details screen D12, the display control unit 320 displays the operation screen D51 (S201). Then, when the operation unit G1 for executing the cleaning function is operated, the operation reception unit 330 transmits a request to execute the cleaning function to the server 200 (S202). In this case, the server 200 transmits a request to execute the cleaning function to the home appliance 100 (S203).

[0114] On the other hand, when operation unit B6 (special operation unit) is pressed in push notification N1, the operating system OS transmits a display request for operation screen D51 to home appliance management application AP2. In this case, display control unit 320 displays operation screen D51 (S211). Then, when operation unit G1 for executing the cleaning function is operated, operation reception unit 330 transmits a request for executing the cleaning function to server 200 (S212). In this case, server 200 transmits a request for executing the cleaning function to home appliance 100 (S213).

[0115] (advantage) In this embodiment, an operation section B6 for transitioning to an operation screen D51 is displayed as a part of the notification N. This allows the user U to easily execute the cleaning function of the home appliance 100 after receiving the notification N. This can improve convenience.

[0116] Seventh embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a seventh embodiment will be described. The seventh embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that operation sections B7 and B8 for changing the state of the home appliance 100 are displayed as part of the notification N. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0117] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the seventh embodiment. In this embodiment, the notification condition is that a change in the state of the home appliance 100 has occurred. "A change in the state of the home appliance 100" refers to the start of operation, the end of operation, or a change in the operation mode (control mode). In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as a part of the notification N is the operation units B7 and B8 for changing the state of the home appliance 100. Note that the "operation unit for making a change" in this application is not limited to an operation unit for making a change, and may also refer to an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen including an operation unit for making a change.

[0118] For example, operation unit B7 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D61 including operation unit H1 for changing the operation state of home appliance 100 (for example, stopping the operation). Operation unit B7 is an operation unit for returning the state of home appliance 100 to the state before the change (the state before the notification condition is satisfied), for example. Meanwhile, operation unit B8 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D62 including operation unit H2 for changing the contents of the reservation setting of home appliance 100.

[0119] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 16(a) shows a state in which notification N has been received while home screen D11 is being displayed on display screen 301a by operating system OS. In this case, for example, display control unit 320 activated in the background causes push notification N1 to be displayed on display screen 301a as notification N. Within the frame of push notification N1, the content of notification N, operation unit B7, and operation unit B8 are displayed.

[0120] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 16B illustrates a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display notification detail information N2 as notification N on the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N, an operation unit B7, and an operation unit B8.

[0121] (advantage) For example, if you suddenly have to stay out overnight, you may forget to disable the timer on a day when you do not need to operate the air conditioner 100C. However, as in this embodiment, when operation unit B7 and / or operation unit B8 for changing the state of the home appliance 100 are displayed as part of the notification N, you can turn off the air conditioner 100C with fewer steps after receiving the notification N notifying you that the air conditioner 100C will start operating. This can further improve convenience.

[0122] Eighth embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to an eighth embodiment will be described. The eighth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an operation section B9 for changing the state of the home appliance 100 is displayed as part of the notification N. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0123] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the eighth embodiment. In this embodiment, the predetermined condition is that a change in the state of the first home appliance 100 (for example, the refrigerator 100A) has occurred. For example, the predetermined condition is that the temperature around the first home appliance 100 exceeds a threshold. In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as a part of the notification N is an operation unit B9 for changing the state of a second home appliance 100 (for example, an air conditioner 100C) different from the first home appliance 100. For example, the operation unit B9 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D61 including an operation unit H1 for changing the operating state of the second home appliance 100 (for example, starting operation).

[0124] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 17(a) shows a state in which notification N has been received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as notification N. The content of the notification N and an operation unit B9 are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1.

[0125] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 17B illustrates a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display notification detail information N2 as notification N on the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N and an operation unit B9.

[0126] (advantage) In this embodiment, an operation section B9 for changing the state of the second home appliance 100 is displayed. With this configuration, the state of the second home appliance 100 can be easily changed according to the state detected by the first home appliance 100. This can further improve convenience.

[0127] Ninth embodiment Next, a home appliance system 1 according to a ninth embodiment will be described. The ninth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an operation unit B10 for changing the state of the home appliance 100 is displayed as part of the notification N. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0128] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a display mode of the notification N in the ninth embodiment. In this embodiment, the notification condition is that a change in the state of the first home appliance 100 (for example, the refrigerator 100A) has occurred. For example, the notification condition is that the temperature around the first home appliance 100 has exceeded a threshold. In this embodiment, the operation unit B displayed as a part of the notification N is an operation unit B10 for collectively changing the states of the multiple home appliances 100. For example, the operation unit B10 is an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen D71 including operation units I1 and I2 for changing the operation states of the multiple home appliances 100 (for example, multiple air conditioners 100C). The operation unit I1 is an operation unit for selecting the target home appliance 100C for changing the operation state. The operation unit I2 is an operation unit for collectively changing the operation states of one or more (for example, multiple) home appliances 100 selected using the operation unit I1.

[0129] (Example of notifications displayed on the home screen / lock screen) 19(a) shows a state in which notification N has been received while the operating system OS is displaying the home screen D11 on the display screen 301a. In this case, for example, the display control unit 320 activated in the background causes the display screen 301a to display a push notification N1 as notification N. The content of the notification N and the operation unit B10 are displayed within the frame of the push notification N1.

[0130] (Example of a notification displayed on the home appliance management app screen) 17B illustrates a state in which the notification details screen D12 is displayed on the display screen 301a by the home appliance management application AP2. The display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display notification detail information N2 as notification N on the notification details screen D12. In this embodiment, the notification detail information N2 includes a character string indicating details of the notification N and an operation unit B10.

[0131] (advantage) In this embodiment, an operation unit B10 is displayed for collectively changing the states of a plurality of home appliances 100. With this configuration, the states of a plurality of home appliances 100 can be easily changed. This can further improve convenience.

[0132] Some embodiments and modifications have been described above. However, the embodiments and modifications are not limited to the above examples. For example, multiple embodiments and modifications may be realized in combination with each other.

[0133] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, when a notification is received that a predetermined condition other than an abnormality of a home appliance is satisfied in the home appliance and the notification is displayed on a display screen, the terminal device displays the content of the notification and an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification on one screen. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve convenience.

[0134] 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 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 of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1...home appliance system, 100...home appliance, 200...server, 300...terminal device, 310...information acquisition unit, 320...display control unit, 330...operation reception unit, 340...information transmission unit, AP1...telephone application, AP2...home appliance management application, B...operation unit, B1 to B10...operation units.

Claims

1. A computer, which is a terminal device having a display screen, When a predetermined condition different from an abnormality of the home appliance is satisfied in the home appliance and a notification notifying that the predetermined condition has been satisfied is displayed on the display screen, the content of the notification and an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification are displayed on one screen. program.

2. the operation unit is an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification and different from an operation for displaying details of the notification, The program according to claim 1.

3. The operation unit is an operation unit for activating a contact means for contacting a target person who uses the home appliance. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the predetermined condition is a condition related to a monitoring service using the home electric appliance, The contact means is a contact means for contacting a person to be watched over by the watching service, The program according to claim 3.

5. The operation unit is an operation unit for activating a telephone function. The program according to claim 3.

6. the terminal device stores contact information capable of registering a plurality of contact means; The operation unit is an operation unit for displaying the registered contents of the contact information and for allowing the user to select a contact means to be used from the plurality of contact means. The program according to claim 3.

7. The process of displaying the notification on the display screen includes displaying, on the one screen, the content of the notification, the operation unit, and another operation unit for displaying reference information related to another situation that is related to the predetermined condition but has a different viewpoint from the predetermined condition. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The process of displaying the notification on the display screen includes displaying the content of the notification, the operation unit, and reference information on the one screen; The reference information is information related to a state of the home appliance that is related to the predetermined condition but is different from the predetermined condition in terms of the state of the home appliance. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

9. the predetermined condition is a condition related to a degree of use of the home appliance, The operation unit is an operation unit related to maintenance or part replacement of the home appliance, The program according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The operation unit is an operation unit for executing a cleaning function of the home appliance, The program according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The operation unit is an operation unit for changing a state of the home appliance. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

12. the predetermined condition is that a state of the home appliance is changed, The operation unit is an operation unit for returning a state of the home appliance to a state before the change. The program according to claim 11.

13. the predetermined condition is a condition related to a first home electric appliance, The operation unit is an operation unit for changing a state of a second home electric appliance different from the first home electric appliance. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

14. the process of displaying the notification on the display screen is a process of displaying a push notification including content of the notification and the operation unit, superimposed on the home screen or the lock screen when the notification is received while a home screen or a lock screen by an operating system of the terminal device is displayed on the display screen; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

15. An information processing system implemented in a terminal device having a display screen, a display control unit that, when a predetermined condition different from an abnormality of the home appliance is satisfied in the home appliance and a notification notifying that the predetermined condition has been satisfied is displayed on the display screen, displays the content of the notification and an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification on one screen; An information processing system comprising:

16. A computer which is a terminal device having a display screen, When a predetermined condition different from an abnormality of the home appliance is satisfied in the home appliance and a notification notifying that the predetermined condition has been satisfied is displayed on the display screen, the content of the notification and an operation unit for performing an operation related to the content of the notification are displayed on one screen. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

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