Home appliance interactive server device, home appliance interactive server processing method, and home appliance interactive system

Abstract

To provide a home appliance interactive server device, a home appliance interactive server processing method, and a home appliance interactive system configured to enable smooth and appropriate interaction for performing operation of setting or controlling home appliances and implement appropriate and easy support for setting or controlling the home appliances.SOLUTION: A home appliance interactive server device includes an interaction control unit and an answer acquisition unit. The interaction control unit includes an input unit and an output unit. The answer acquisition unit acquires input information input through the input unit, and acquires answer information using reference information available for the acquired input information, to be provided to the interaction control unit. The interaction control unit is configured to determine, in accordance with the content of the answer information, whether to generate proposal information to fill up interaction using the input information and the answer information, and output, when determining not to generate the proposal information, the answer information from the output unit, or output, when determining to generate the proposal information, the proposal information together with the answer information from the output unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an interactive server device for a home appliance, an interactive server processing method for a home appliance, and an interactive system for a home appliance. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when setting or controlling a home appliance, a technology has been put into practical use that recognizes the voice of the user when the user speaks using a voice input technology or the like and executes settings or control for each user. Also, a technology has been put into practical use that executes settings or control while having a dialogue between the user and the home appliance that repeats questions and answers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6771681 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-061930 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned voice input operation or dialogue-based operation, the home appliance asks a question about a predetermined item, and the user inputs the answer to the question. When answering, the user needs to input the necessary items and keywords without excess or deficiency. This causes a problem that the dialogue with the home appliance becomes complicated and the burden on the user becomes heavy. In addition, the dialogue between the home appliance and the user through questions and answers may proceed in an inappropriate direction, and the user may not be able to control or set the device as desired, or it may take a long time to complete the operation.

[0005] One example of the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an interactive server device for home appliances, an interactive server processing method for home appliances, and an interactive system for home appliances that can smoothly and appropriately conduct dialogue when performing operations such as setting and controlling home appliances, and can appropriately and easily provide support for setting and controlling home appliances. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An interactive server device for a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dialogue control unit and an answer acquisition unit. The dialogue control unit includes an input unit that receives input information as dialogue information related to the home appliance between a user of the home appliance and the user, and an output unit that outputs answer information to the input information as the dialogue information. The answer acquisition unit acquires the input information input from the input unit, acquires the answer information using reference information available for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the dialogue control unit. The dialogue control unit then determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information, and if it is determined not to generate the proposal information, outputs the answer information from the output unit, and if it is determined to generate the proposal information, outputs the proposal information together with the answer information from the output unit.

[0007] In addition, the dialogue control unit of the interactive server device for home appliances may include, for example, a memory unit that stores history information based on a past dialogue history, and the answer acquisition unit may acquire the history information together with the input information, and acquire the answer information by using the reference information for the input information and the history information.

[0008] In addition, the input unit of the interactive server device for home appliances may further receive, for example, device information regarding the home appliance registered by the user, and the answer acquisition unit may acquire the device information together with the input information, and acquire the answer information using the reference information for the input information and the device information.

[0009] The input unit of the home appliance interactive server device may obtain, as the device information, for example, display content of a terminal device operated by the user for inputting and outputting the interactive information.

[0010] In addition, the input unit of the interactive server device for home appliances may further receive user information of the user, and the answer acquisition unit may acquire the user information together with the input information, and acquire the answer information using the reference information for the input information and the user information.

[0011] In addition, the input unit of the interactive server device for home appliances may further receive, for example, usage information indicating the current usage status of the home appliance being used by the user, and the answer acquisition unit may acquire the usage information together with the input information, and acquire the answer information using the reference information for the input information and the usage information.

[0012] In addition, the input unit of the interactive server device for home appliances may further receive usage history information indicating a usage history of the home appliance used by the user, and the answer acquisition unit may acquire the usage history information together with the input information, and acquire the answer information using the reference information for the input information and the usage history information.

[0013] Furthermore, the reference information referred to by the answer acquisition unit of the home appliance dialogue server device may include, for example, current weather information.

[0014] An interactive server processing method for a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an interaction control step and an answer acquisition step. The interaction control step includes an input process in which an interaction control unit receives input information as interaction information related to the home appliance between the user of the home appliance and the home appliance via an input unit, and an output process in which an answer information to the input information is output as the interaction information via an output unit. The answer acquisition step includes an interaction processing step in which the answer acquisition unit acquires the input information input from the input unit, acquires the answer information using reference information available for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the interaction control unit. The interaction control step includes a interaction processing step in which the answer acquisition unit determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the interaction between the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information, and outputs the answer information from the output unit when it is determined not to generate the proposal information, and outputs the proposal information from the output unit together with the answer information when it is determined to generate the proposal information.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dialogue system for home appliances includes a terminal device and a dialogue server device for home appliances. The terminal device is connected to at least one home appliance and is capable of performing at least one of setting and controlling the home appliance. The dialogue server device for home appliances includes a dialogue control unit including an input unit that receives input information as dialogue information related to the home appliance between a user of the home appliance and the user of the home appliance via the terminal device, and an output unit that outputs answer information to the input information as the dialogue information to the terminal device, and an answer acquisition unit that acquires the input information input from the input unit, acquires the answer information using reference information available for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the dialogue control unit. The dialogue control unit determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the dialogue based on the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information, and when it is determined not to generate the proposal information, it outputs the answer information from the output unit and provides it to the terminal device, and when it is determined to generate the proposal information, it outputs the proposal information from the output unit together with the answer information and provides it to the terminal device.

[0016] According to the above-described interactive server device for home appliances, interactive server processing method for home appliances, and interactive system for home appliances, dialogue when performing operations such as setting and controlling home appliances can be conducted smoothly and appropriately, and support for setting and controlling home appliances can be provided appropriately and easily. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an illustrative schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of use of a dialogue system for home appliances including a dialogue server device for home appliances according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a home appliance interactive server device (home appliance interactive system) according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic explanatory diagram showing a display screen displayed on a display unit of a terminal device when the interactive server device for home electric appliances according to the embodiment is used. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic explanatory diagram showing another display screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device when the interactive server device for home electric appliances according to the embodiment is used. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary sequence diagram showing the operation of the dialogue system for home appliances including the dialogue server device for home appliances shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which, when a score for determining whether or not to create proposal information exceeds a predetermined threshold in an analysis unit of an interaction control unit of an interactive server device for home appliances according to an embodiment, control (operation) proposals for home appliances included in the generated proposal information are rewritten to information that can be accepted by the home appliance. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing another configuration of the home appliance interactive server device (home appliance interactive system) according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exemplary sequence diagram showing the operation of the dialogue system for home appliances including the dialogue server device for home appliances shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an interactive server device for home appliances, an interactive server processing method for home appliances, and an interactive system for home appliances according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 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 also be identified by names different from those in this specification. Furthermore, the components may also be described by expressions different from those in this specification.

[0019] 1 is an exemplary and schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of use (at a house H as an application location) of a home interactive system Sy including a home interactive server device 12 according to an embodiment. The home interactive system Sy is composed of a terminal device 10 (e.g., a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook type or a desktop type personal computer, etc.) that can be operated by a user U, and a home interactive server device 12 that is connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network N such as the Internet connected via a router R or a modem MD.

[0020] The terminal device 10 can be connected to at least one or more home appliances M, for example, wirelessly or by wire, and can perform at least one of setting and controlling the connected home appliances M. It is assumed that the terminal device 10 has, for example, dedicated application software installed therein, which can individually set and control a plurality of home appliances M registered in advance. In the example of FIG. 1, home appliances M are installed in the living room, washroom, bedroom, and study, and each home appliance M can be set and controlled by the terminal device 10. In the living room, for example, a refrigerator m1, a microwave oven m2, and an air conditioner m3 (air conditioner) exist as home appliances M registered in advance in the application software as targets for setting and controlling. Similarly, in the washroom, for example, a washing machine m4 exists as home appliances M registered in advance in the application software. In the bedroom, an air conditioner m5 exists as home appliance M. In the study, an air conditioner m6 exists as home appliance M. Note that the home appliance M shown in FIG. 1 is just one example, and any home appliance M that can be connected to the terminal device 10 wirelessly or via a wire and configured and controlled can be used. The user U can appropriately change the home appliance M by adding a new home appliance M, changing the type or model due to a replacement, increasing or decreasing the number of registered appliances, etc.

[0021] In the home appliance dialogue system Sy of the present embodiment, a user U inputs dialogue information (input information) in the form of text or voice via a terminal device 10, and transmits the information to a home appliance dialogue server device 12 via a network N. The home appliance dialogue server device 12 acquires answer information for the acquired input information, returns the answer information to the terminal device 10, and provides the answer information to the user U in the form of text or voice. The terminal device 10 establishes a dialogue between the user U and the home appliance dialogue server device 12 by establishing input of input information and output of answer information at least once. By executing input of input information and output of answer information multiple times, the dialogue content is enriched, making it easier for the user U to obtain an ideal answer that he / she desires, and the home appliance M can be set and controlled smoothly and appropriately. Note that FIG. 1 shows an example in which the home appliance M is connected to a smartphone, which is the terminal device 10, but the home appliance M may have a function of connecting to the network N, a display device, and an input / output unit for text and voice, just like a smartphone. In this case, the home appliance M and the terminal device 10 may be regarded as being integrated, and the home appliance M and the interactive server device for home appliances 12 may be directly connected to input input information and output response information to realize an interaction.

[0022] 2 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing a configuration of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy). The home appliance dialogue server device 12 includes a dialogue control unit 14 and a response acquisition unit 16.

[0023] The interactive server device 12 for home appliances can be realized by a general computer that is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication interface, an input / output interface, etc.

[0024] The dialogue control unit 14 has a function of managing the entire dialogue system Sy for home electric appliances, and acts as a bridge between the terminal device 10 (home electric appliance M) and the answer acquisition unit 16.

[0025] The answer acquisition unit 16 has a function of acquiring answer information for input information input from the terminal device 10. The answer acquisition unit 16 acquires answer information from a so-called conversational AI (artificial intelligence). The answer acquisition unit 16 may include a conversational AI inside and acquire (generate) answer information, or the answer acquisition unit 16 may acquire answer information by using a conversational AI of an external service. When the answer acquisition unit 16 includes a conversational AI, the answer acquisition unit 16 may generate answer information by referring to a database for reference information held by the answer acquisition unit 16. In this case, the database may be constructed by referring to and learning from a huge amount of information present on the Internet. In addition, the conversational AI included in the answer acquisition unit 16 may generate answer information by referring to a huge amount of information on the Internet every time answer information is generated. In addition, when the answer acquisition unit 16 uses a conversational AI provided as an external service, the input information acquired from the dialogue control unit 14 is transferred to an external conversational AI to acquire answer information generated by the external conversational AI.

[0026] Conversational AI uses available reference information for input information (questions, etc.), such as information stored in a database or information obtained as a result of referencing and learning from a vast amount of information on the Internet, to generate answer information (answers to questions) using a more appropriate combination of words. Note that conversational AI can use well-known technologies, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0027] The dialogue control unit 14 includes a processing unit 18 and an analysis unit 20. The processing unit 18 includes an input unit 18a, an output unit 18b, a storage unit 18c, an information management unit 18d, and the like. The input unit 18a accepts input information as dialogue information related to the home appliance M between the user U of the home appliance M and the user U. The input unit 18a can also accept information (e.g., information related to the home appliance M and user information) that the user U has registered in advance in the dialogue control unit 14 (storage unit 18c) of the home appliance interactive server device 12. When the output unit 18b acquires answer information to the input information from the answer acquisition unit 16, it outputs the answer information to the terminal device 10 as dialogue information. The storage unit 18c can store various registered information (device information such as the type and model of the home appliance M, user information, and the like) and use history information of the home appliance M, in addition to history information based on past dialogue history. The information management unit 18d manages information such as recording various information in the storage unit 18c and calling from the storage unit 18c. That is, the information management unit 18d functions as, for example, a home appliance information management unit or a user information management unit.

[0028] For example, when input information such as a question is transmitted from the terminal device 10 as text data, the input unit 18a receives the text data. In addition, as described later, when input information such as a question is transmitted from the terminal device 10 as voice data, the input unit 18a converts the voice data into text data and receives the text data. When input information such as a question is transmitted from the terminal device 10 as text data to the input unit 18a, the output unit 18b also outputs the answer information acquired from the answer acquisition unit 16 as text data to the terminal device 10. In addition, when input information such as a question is transmitted from the terminal device 10 as voice data, the output unit 18b converts the answer information acquired from the answer acquisition unit 16 from text data to voice data and outputs the answer information to the terminal device 10. Note that even when input information is input as voice data, the answer information may be output to the terminal device 10 as text data. In this case, it is easy to avoid missing or mishearing the voice, and it is easy to provide accurate answer information to the user U.

[0029] The storage unit 18c can store information on the home appliance M input to the dialogue control unit 14 as input information in past dialogue processing, such as information on the hardware, such as type information and model information of the home appliance M, via the information management unit 18d. In addition, the contents of questions on the home appliance M, such as question information (contents) on the settings and operation of the home appliance M and question patterns of the user U, can be stored via the information management unit 18d. In this case, the processing unit 18 (input unit 18a) provides the answer acquisition unit 16 with the content of the currently ongoing dialogue (input information) and history information retrieved and acquired from the storage unit 18c via the information management unit 18d. As a result, the answer acquisition unit 16 acquires answer information generated by the dialogue AI using reference information for the input information and history information. In this case, even if detailed information on the home appliance M (type, model, details of the question, etc.) is not provided as input information from the user U, answer information that is estimated to be desired by the user U can be efficiently provided by considering the history information. In other words, even if the amount of input information input by the user U is small, more appropriate answer information can be provided. In other words, it is possible to reduce the effort required for the user U to enter information and provide more appropriate answer information.

[0030] The analysis unit 20 acquires the answer information provided from the answer acquisition unit 16 via the processing unit 18. The analysis unit 20 functions as an analysis AI that analyzes the contents of the answer information provided from the answer acquisition unit 16. The analysis unit 20 determines whether or not to generate suggested information that supplements the dialogue based on the input information and the answer information, depending on the contents of the answer information. For example, when the answer information contains a certain number or more (above a threshold) of keywords that affect the flow of the dialogue (story), such as words such as "summer," "air conditioning," "energy saving," and "set temperature," even if the input information alone does not lead to a proposal for a specific setting, such as a change in the set temperature, the analysis unit 20 can provide (generate) suggested information that supplements the dialogue, such as setting the set temperature to an optimal setting for energy saving. When the analysis of the answer information shows that a certain number or more of keywords that greatly affect the flow of the dialogue do not appear, the analysis unit 20 determines (determines) that it is not yet time to generate suggested information, and instructs the processing unit 18 to output only the answer information from the output unit so that the dialogue can be continued using only the currently provided answer information. On the other hand, when it is decided to generate the proposed information, the processing unit 18 is instructed to output the proposed information in addition to the answer information, thereby supplementing the dialogue with the answer information and making the content of the dialogue more substantial. The processing unit 18 takes into consideration the answer information supplied from the answer acquisition unit 16 and the result of the analysis by the analysis unit 20, and switches between control of providing only the answer information as information to the terminal device 10 and control of providing both the answer information and the proposed information. The analysis AI included in the analysis unit 20 uses, for example, well-known machine learning technology, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] The input unit 18a of the processing unit 18 can receive various information held by the terminal device 10, such as information registered (recorded) in the terminal device 10 and information based on the operating state of the terminal device 10. The processing unit 18 (input unit 18a) appropriately acquires various information held by the terminal device 10 together with dialogue information (input information) input by the user U, and provides it to the answer acquisition unit 16. As a result, the quality of the answer information acquired from the dialogue-type AI is improved. In addition, the processing unit 18 (input unit 18a) can acquire various information input in advance in the terminal device 10 during the registration process, and store it in the storage unit 18c via the information management unit 18d. Then, when the user U inputs dialogue information (input information), the information management unit 18d may appropriately call up information considered to be related from the storage unit 18c, and provide it to the answer acquisition unit 16 via the input unit 18a. When the terminal device 10 displays registered device information or user information, the terminal device 10 may access the home appliance interactive server device 12 to obtain necessary information from the storage unit 18c and display the information.

[0032] As described above, the input unit 18a can receive device information on the home appliance M registered in advance in the terminal device 10 by the user U from the storage unit 18c via the terminal device 10 or the information management unit 18d. For example, when the user U has registered the home appliance M (e.g., refrigerator m1, microwave oven m2, air conditioners m3, m5, m6, washing machine m4, etc.) that he / she wishes to set or control in the dedicated application software installed in the terminal device 10, information such as the type and model of the registered home appliance M can be received. In this case, even if a dialogue is being carried out between the home appliance interactive server device 12 and the user U (terminal device 10) without the type or model of the home appliance M being specified, the answer acquisition unit 16 can acquire the device information from the terminal device 10 or the storage unit 18c together with the input information, and the interactive AI can acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the device information. In other words, even if detailed information (type, model, etc.) of the home appliance M is not provided as input information from the user U, answer information that is presumed to be desired by the user U can be efficiently provided. Therefore, even if the information about the home appliance M is insufficient in the input information input by the user U, it is possible to provide more appropriate answer information for the home appliance M registered (owned) by the user U. In other words, it is possible to provide more appropriate answer information while reducing the input effort of the user U.

[0033] In this case, as described above, when acquiring information registered in the terminal device 10 operated by the user U for inputting and outputting dialogue information, or when acquiring information from the information management unit 18d, the input unit 18a may acquire the device information based on the display contents currently displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 10. For example, the user U may cause the terminal device 10 to display an operation screen corresponding to the home appliance M that the user U is to set or control. In this case, by acquiring the display contents as device information or acquiring device information corresponding to the display contents from the storage unit 18c, the dialogue control unit 14 can easily estimate that the home appliance M displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 10 is the target of the dialogue. In this case, it is easier to identify the home appliance M than when acquiring information on multiple types of home appliances M registered in the terminal device 10 or the storage unit 18c, and the answer acquisition unit 16 can easily acquire more appropriate answer information more smoothly.

[0034] The input unit 18a may also receive user information of the user U registered in the terminal device 10 operated by the user U or the storage unit 18c. The user information is the gender, age, and the like of the user U. The answer acquisition unit 16 can acquire the user information together with the input information via the dialogue control unit 14, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the user information using dialogue-type AI. For example, if the user U is an adult woman, answer information with expressions and operation methods suitable for an adult woman can be provided as a dialogue. Also, if the user U is, for example, an elementary school student, the content provided as answer information can be made to use simple sentences, expressions, and words that can be easily understood even by elementary school students. In this way, by providing answer information that takes user information into consideration, the dialogue with the user U can be made smoother and easier to understand.

[0035] Furthermore, the input unit 18a may receive in-use information indicating the current usage status of the home appliance M being used by the user U. The answer acquisition unit 16 can acquire the in-use information together with the input information via the dialogue control unit 14, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the in-use information. In this case, consider a case in which the answer information received is that the home appliance M currently being used is, for example, an air conditioner (air conditioner) and is operating in cooling mode with a set temperature of 20°C. In this case, if the dialogue content includes a keyword such as power saving, the answer acquisition unit 16 can easily provide answer information presenting a specific set temperature for power saving.

[0036] Furthermore, the input unit 18a may receive from the terminal device 10 or the storage unit 18c usage history information indicating the usage history of the home appliance M used by the user U. The answer acquisition unit 16 can acquire the usage history information of the home appliance M for which setting or control is to be executed together with the input information via the dialogue control unit 14, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the usage history information. In this case, the usage history information is, for example, usage time zone information, reservation content information, operation mode information, etc. of the home appliance M. The answer acquisition unit 16 acquires answer information taking into account the usage history information in addition to the input information, making it easier to propose answer information that takes into account the usual usage of the home appliance M by the user U.

[0037] Note that the answer acquisition unit 16 may acquire answer information by referring to current weather information as reference information when acquiring answer information. For example, when the content of the dialogue based on the input information is a home appliance M (e.g., an air conditioner) whose settings and operation contents change depending on the season, temperature, humidity, etc., the answer acquisition unit 16 can easily acquire answer information appropriate to the current weather conditions.

[0038] The dialogue operation of the dialogue server device 12 for home electric appliances configured as above will be described in detail with reference to Figs.

[0039] FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic explanatory diagram showing display screens G (G1 to G3) displayed on a display unit of a terminal device 10 (for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone in the case of FIG. 3) during an interaction with an interactive server device 12 for home appliances.

[0040] 3, display screen G1 is a basic screen displayed on the terminal device 10 when the user U interacts with the home appliance dialogue server device 12, and displays icons C (c1 to c6, etc.) corresponding to a plurality of registered home appliances M (e.g., a refrigerator, an air conditioner, an oven range, a washing machine, etc.) on the screen. Also, display screen G1 has a chat switch CA that is operated when executing an interaction with the home appliance dialogue server device 12.

[0041] Then, when the user U operates the chat switch CA on the display screen G1, the display screen G2 (chat screen) is displayed, and the user U can input input information (question) using a key operation screen (not shown) or the like. The input information acquired via the input unit 18a is then supplied to the answer acquisition unit 16 via the dialogue control unit 14. The answer acquisition unit 16 acquires answer information for the supplied input information using a function such as an interactive AI. The acquired answer information is provided to the dialogue control unit 14, and supplied to the terminal device 10 via the output unit 18b of the processing unit 18. By repeating this operation, a dialogue as shown on the display screen G2 is established.

[0042] For example, when the user U makes a vague question (chat T1) such as "Tell me how to save electricity" as input information, the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (answer acquisition unit 16) side has difficulty in determining what kind of answer regarding power saving is requested, and therefore the answer information is general or vague. For example, the answer may be vague, assuming an arbitrary home appliance M, such as "Wear light clothes in summer and heavy clothes in winter and refrain from using air conditioners. It may also be effective to open the window in summer." In response to this answer information, when the user U inputs a question (chat T3) specifying the home appliance M, such as "Tell me about refrigerators," the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (answer acquisition unit 16) can determine that the series of questions is related to saving electricity for refrigerators, but the answer acquisition unit 16 (dialogue AI) side can acquire multiple information (methods) as general methods of saving electricity for refrigerators, so the answer may still be vague as a method of saving electricity. For example, answer information (chat T4) such as "Reduce the number of times the door is opened. It may also be effective to shorten the time the door is open." If the user U responds to this answer by inputting a more specific question (chat T5) such as "I would like to know how to set it," the answer acquisition unit 16 (dialogue AI) can acquire answer information regarding the settings for saving energy in the refrigerator from the flow of dialogue of energy saving, refrigerator, and settings. For example, answer information (chat T6) such as "It may also be effective to set the temperature inside the refrigerator higher or turn off the ice-making function. It seems that some models have a function that supports saving energy."

[0043] As described above, the analysis unit 20 is provided with the answer information from the answer acquisition unit 16 and analyzes the contents of the answer information. When the answer information contains many contents (e.g., keywords such as power saving, refrigerator, setting, etc.), the analysis unit 20 determines whether or not to generate suggested information that supplements the dialogue by the input information and the answer information. For example, when answer information related to the power saving function is provided to the user U in the chat T6, suggested information (suggestion chat TA) such as "Do you want to set the refrigerator temperature?" is provided without waiting for an input from the user U. The suggestion chat TA may include a setting execution icon Ts1 for setting the refrigerator temperature. As a result, it is possible to proceed with the dialogue without receiving input information from the user U to request the display of the setting execution icon Ts1, and a smoother dialogue can be realized.

[0044] When the setting execution icon Ts1 is operated, the display screen G3 is displayed. That is, the refrigerator setting screen is displayed. The display screen G3 displays a setting window W1. The setting window W1 includes an explanatory text F1, a setting section Tp1, a confirmation icon Ts2, a cancel icon Ts3, and the like. The explanatory text F1 is, for example, an explanation regarding the set temperature of the refrigerator. The setting section Tp1 is, for example, a setting bar that allows the temperature to be set by a sliding operation. The confirmation icon Ts2 is a confirmation key that confirms the operation of the setting section Tp1, and the cancel icon Ts3 cancels the setting or cancels the refrigerator setting itself (cancels the setting window W1), etc.

[0045] The settings made in the setting window W1 are transmitted to the home electric appliance M (refrigerator) that became the control target during the dialogue via the communication function of the terminal device 10, and the settings of the home electric appliance M are executed.

[0046] In this way, the home appliance interactive server device 12 can provide not only answer information in response to input information input by the user U, but also suggested information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information. As a result, dialogue can be smoothly and appropriately performed when performing operations such as setting and controlling the home appliance M. Furthermore, by providing suggested information, it is possible to reduce (simplify) the amount of information input by the user U until appropriate answer information is obtained, and the burden on the user U during dialogue can be reduced.

[0047] FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic explanatory diagram showing other display screens G (G4 to G6) displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 10 when the home electric appliance interactive server device 12 is used.

[0048] 4, the display screen G4 shows a state in which a setting window W2 of a home appliance M (e.g., a washing machine) that is the subject of an interaction on an application is open when a user U interacts with the home appliance interactive server device 12. The display screen G4 displays the setting window W2, a device icon MC indicating the washing machine, a chat switch CA, and the like. The setting window W2 displays an explanation F2 indicating that an operation is being accepted, a reservation icon Ts4 for reserving operation of the washing machine, a course selection icon Ts5 for customizing various washing courses, and the like.

[0049] Consider a case where the display screen G of the terminal device 10 is the display screen G4 displaying the home appliance M that is the object of the dialogue, and the chat switch CA is operated in this state to start a dialogue with the home appliance dialogue server device 12. In this case, the processing unit 18 (input unit 18a) of the dialogue control unit 14 of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 accepts the display content of the terminal device 10 as device information. As a result, even if the input information input by the user U to the dialogue control unit 14 is vague, the answer acquisition unit 16 determines that the input information is device information based on the display content, for example, input information (question) about a washing machine, and acquires an answer about the washing machine when acquiring the answer information. For example, when the user U starts chatting with the setting window W2 of the home appliance M (e.g., a washing machine) open on the terminal device 10, a vague question that does not specify the home appliance M, such as "I want to sterilize" (chat T9), is input as input information. In this case, the dialogue control unit 14 supplies the input information (I want to sterilize) and the device information (washing machine) to the answer acquisition unit 16. As a result, the answer acquisition unit 16 acquires answer information using reference information for the input information and the device information. That is, answer information indicating a sterilization method specialized for a washing machine can be provided in response to a vague question about wanting to sterilize. For example, answer information (chat T7) such as "There are methods for sterilizing clothes, such as washing with oxygen-based detergent or chlorine-based detergent. There seems to also be a method of using a sterilization course" can be provided. In addition, the analysis unit 20 can determine whether or not to generate suggested information that supplements the dialogue based on the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information (e.g., specific keywords such as washing machine and sterilization) more smoothly than when the device information is not provided. For example, suggested information (suggestion chat TB) such as "Do you want to set the washing course?" is provided without waiting for input from the user U. The suggestion chat TB may include a setting execution icon Ts6 for setting the washing course. As a result, it becomes possible to proceed with the dialogue without receiving input information from the user U requesting the display of the setting execution icon Ts6, and a smoother dialogue can be realized.

[0050] When the setting execution icon Ts6 is operated, the display screen G6 is displayed. In other words, the washing machine setting screen is displayed. The display screen G6 displays a setting window W3. The setting window W3 includes a setting section Tp2, an explanatory text F3, a reservation icon Ts7, a start now icon Ts8, etc. The setting section Tp2 includes a plurality of icons for selecting each course of the washing machine and assisting the courses. The explanatory text F3 displays an explanation of the course selected in the setting section Tp2. The reservation icon Ts7 is an icon for reserving and executing washing based on the selected course, and the start now icon Ts8 is an icon operated when immediately executing washing based on the selected course.

[0051] In this way, the home appliance interactive server device 12 can smoothly provide appropriate answer information that is presumed to be desired by the user U, even if the input information (question) is vague, by acquiring device information based on the display state of the terminal device 10 in addition to the input information input by the user U. In addition, rather than simply providing answer information to the input information, it can provide suggested information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information. As a result, the dialogue when performing operations such as setting and controlling the home appliance M can be carried out more smoothly and appropriately. In addition, by taking into account the device information and providing suggested information, it is possible to reduce (simplify) the amount of information input by the user U until appropriate answer information is obtained, and the burden on the user U during the dialogue can be reduced.

[0052] As described above, when the input unit 18a receives input information from the user U, the dialogue control unit 14 can acquire the display contents of the terminal device 10 as additional information. In addition to the display contents of the terminal device 10, the input unit 18a acquires, as additional information, for example, device information (information registered in the terminal device 10) related to the home appliance M registered by the user U, user information (information such as gender and age) of the user U, in-use information (information such as setting state and operation state) indicating the current use status of the home appliance M, and usage history information (information such as use time zone, reservation operation state, operation mode) indicating the use history of the home appliance M. If the device information, user information, and usage history information are stored in the storage unit 18c, the input unit 18a may acquire them via the information management unit 18d. Similarly to the device information based on the display state of the terminal device 10 described above, the additional information acquired by the dialogue control unit 14 (input unit 18a) can cause the answer acquisition unit 16 to smoothly provide appropriate answer information that is presumed to be desired by the user U, even if the input information (question) is vague. Furthermore, by acquiring multiple types of additional information, the dialogue control unit 14 (input unit 18a) can provide appropriate answer information that is presumably desired by the user U more smoothly and appropriately.

[0053] FIG. 5 is an exemplary sequence diagram showing the operation (home appliance dialogue server processing method, each processing step) of the home appliance dialogue system Sy including the home appliance dialogue server device 12 shown in FIG.

[0054] First, the terminal device 10 provides a question as input information to the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 by the user U (S100). The processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 transfers the input information (question) acquired from the terminal device 10 to the answer acquisition unit 16 (S102). Then, the answer acquisition unit 16 (dialogue AI) acquires (generates) answer information using reference information available for the input information, and provides (replies) it to the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 (S104). The processing unit 18 transmits the acquired answer information to the analysis unit 20 (S106), and the analysis unit 20 (analysis AI) decides whether or not to generate suggested information. The analysis unit 20 performs an analysis such as whether or not a keyword that influences the flow of the dialogue (story) appears in the answer information by a predetermined threshold or more. The analysis unit 20, for example, assigns a score to the answer information and determines whether the score is equal to or greater than a threshold, thereby deciding whether to generate suggested information that complements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information, and provides the result to the processing unit 18 (S108). In other words, the analysis unit 20 constantly analyzes the answer information and determines whether it is necessary to generate (provide) suggested information.

[0055] FIG. 6 is an exemplary and schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which, when the score for determining whether or not to create proposal information exceeds a predetermined threshold value in the analysis unit 20 of the dialogue control unit 14, the control (operation) proposal for a home appliance M contained in the proposal information to be generated is rewritten to information P that can be accepted by the home appliance M.

[0056] In the case of FIG. 6, the answer information has a score of "73" based on a keyword that influences the flow of the dialogue (story), which is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (for example, equal to or greater than "70"). In this case, the control (operation) proposal for the home appliance M is rewritten to information P (format) that can be accepted by the home appliance M based on the proposal information. For example, a control command for changing the control mode of the refrigerator to eco mode is shown as a control command for realizing a proposal for switching the control mode based on the proposal information. Note that the example shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example, and the decision on whether or not to generate the proposal information may be based on something other than the score. For example, if a keyword that identifies the control content is present, it may be decided to generate the proposal information.

[0057] Returning to FIG. 5, when the score based on the answer information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (for example, equal to or greater than "70"), the output unit of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 outputs the answer information to the terminal device 10 (S110) and also outputs the generated proposal information to the terminal device 10 (S112). In this case, the home appliance dialogue server device 12 may proceed to control processing of the home appliance M based on the proposal information, or may continue dialogue processing for the input information input by the user U. On the other hand, when the score is less than the predetermined threshold, the output unit of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 outputs only the answer information to the terminal device 10 (S114). In this case, dialogue processing may continue for the input information input by the user U. The processes of S100 to S108 and S110, S112, or S114 are repeated every time input information is input by the user U, and dialogue is repeated with the home appliance dialogue server device 12.

[0058] In this way, the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy) can appropriately generate proposal information and incorporate it into the dialogue, thereby making it possible to carry out a dialogue more smoothly and appropriately when performing operations such as setting and controlling the home appliance M. As a result, it is possible to appropriately and easily realize support for setting and controlling the home appliance M.

[0059] FIG. 7 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing another configuration of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy).

[0060] In the case of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy) shown in FIG. 2, the input information input by the user U is input as text data and provided to the dialogue control unit 14. Also, an example has been shown in which answer information is provided as text data when returned to the terminal device 10. On the other hand, in the case of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy) shown in FIG. 7, the input information input by the user U can be voice data, and the user U can select either text input or voice input. Therefore, the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy) shown in FIG. 7 has a configuration for converting the information into text data when provided to the dialogue control unit 14. Also, this is an example of a configuration for converting text data into voice data when returning corridor information to the terminal device 10. Note that the home appliance dialogue server device 12 shown in FIG. 7 has the same configuration as the home appliance dialogue server device 12 shown in FIG. 2, except that a configuration for converting between text data and voice data is added. Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3 and the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] In the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy) shown in FIG. 7, when input information (question) is input to the terminal device 10 by voice, the voice data is provided to the voice-text conversion unit 22 and converted into text data, and then returned to the processing unit 18 (input unit 18a). The returned input information is provided to the answer acquisition unit 16 as text data. As described above, the answer acquisition unit 16 acquires answer information as text data using an interactive AI or the like, and provides it to the processing unit 18. The answer information provided to the processing unit 18 is provided to the analysis unit 20 as text data. When it is decided in the analysis unit 20 to generate suggested information, the suggested information is returned to the processing unit 18 as a result. The answer information provided to the processing unit 18 as text data is provided to the text-voice conversion unit 24, converted into voice data, and then returned to the processing unit 18, the answer information as voice data is provided to the terminal device 10, and the answer information is provided to the user U by voice. When suggested information is provided, guidance based on the suggested information is provided to the user U as voice data. Moreover, the answer information may be provided to the terminal device 10 as text data so that the user U can easily recognize it.

[0062] FIG. 8 is an exemplary sequence diagram showing the operation (home appliance dialogue server processing method, each processing step) of the home appliance dialogue system Sy including the home appliance dialogue server device 12 shown in FIG.

[0063] First, the terminal device 10 provides the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 with a question as input information by the user U in the form of voice data (S200). The processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 provides the input information (question) as voice data acquired from the terminal device 10 to the voice-text conversion unit 22 (S202). The input information (question) converted into text data by the voice-text conversion unit 22 is returned to the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 (S204). Then, the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 transfers the input information (question) of text data acquired from the voice-text conversion unit 22 to the answer acquisition unit 16 (S206). Then, the answer acquisition unit 16 (dialogue AI) acquires (generates) answer information of text data using reference information available for the input information, and provides (replies) it to the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 (S208). The processing unit 18 transmits the acquired answer information to the analysis unit 20 (S210), and the analysis unit 20 (analysis AI) determines whether or not to generate suggested information. The analysis unit 20 performs an analysis to check whether or not a keyword that influences the flow of the dialogue (story) appears in the answer information at a predetermined threshold value or more. The analysis unit 20 assigns a score to the answer information, for example, and determines whether or not the score is a threshold value or more, thereby determining whether or not to generate suggested information that complements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information, and provides the result to the processing unit 18 (S212). In other words, the analysis unit 20 constantly analyzes the answer information and determines whether or not it is necessary to generate (provide) suggested information.

[0064] If the answer information provided to the processing unit 18 as text data needs to be converted into voice data, it is provided to the text-to-voice conversion unit 24 (S214), and the answer information converted into voice data is returned to the processing unit 18 again.

[0065] Furthermore, in the analysis unit 20, if the score based on the answer information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (for example, equal to or greater than "70"), the output unit of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 outputs the answer information (voice data or text data) to the terminal device 10 (S218) and also outputs the generated proposal information to the terminal device 10 (S220). In this case, the home appliance dialogue server device 12 may proceed to control processing of the home appliance M based on the proposal information, or may continue dialogue processing for the input information input by the user U. On the other hand, if the score is less than the predetermined threshold, the output unit of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 outputs only the answer information (voice data or text data) to the terminal device 10 (S222). In this case, dialogue processing may continue for the input information input by the user U. The processes of S200 to S216 and the processes of S218, S220, or S222 are repeated every time input information is input by the user U, and dialogue is repeated with the home appliance dialogue server device 12.

[0066] In this way, according to the home appliance dialogue server device 12 (home appliance dialogue system Sy) having the configuration in Fig. 7, by appropriately generating proposal information and interweaving it into the dialogue, it is possible to carry out the dialogue more smoothly and appropriately when performing operations such as setting and controlling the home appliance M. As a result, it is possible to appropriately and easily realize support for setting and controlling the home appliance M. In addition, since the dialogue between the user U and the home appliance dialogue server device 12 can be carried out by voice, it is possible to further reduce the input burden on the user U in the dialogue between the user U and the home appliance dialogue server device 12.

[0067] As described above, the home appliance interactive server device 12 includes a dialogue control unit 14 including an input unit 18a that receives input information as dialogue information related to the home appliance M between the user U of the home appliance M and the user U, and an output unit 18b that outputs answer information to the input information as dialogue information, and an answer acquisition unit 16 that acquires the input information input from the input unit 18a, acquires answer information using reference information that can be used for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the dialogue control unit 14. The dialogue control unit 14 determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information in the analysis unit 20, and outputs the answer information from the output unit 18b when it is determined not to generate the proposal information, and outputs the proposal information from the output unit 18b together with the answer information when it is determined to generate the proposal information. With this configuration, dialogue when performing operations such as setting and controlling the home appliance M can be performed smoothly and appropriately, and support for setting and controlling the home appliance M can be appropriately and easily realized.

[0068] The dialogue control unit 14 may also include a storage unit 18c that stores history information based on past dialogue history, and the answer acquisition unit 16 may acquire history information together with the input information, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and history information. With this configuration, even if detailed information on the home appliance M (such as type, model, and question details) is not provided as input information from the user U, answer information that is presumed to be desired by the user U can be provided efficiently. In other words, more appropriate answer information can be provided even if the amount of input information input by the user U is small. In other words, more appropriate answer information can be provided while reducing the effort required for input by the user U.

[0069] Furthermore, the input unit 18a of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 may further receive device information related to the home appliance registered by the user U, and the answer acquisition unit 16 may acquire the device information together with the input information, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the device information. With this configuration, even if detailed information (such as type and model) of the home appliance M is not provided as input information from the user U, answer information that is presumed to be desired by the user U can be efficiently provided. In other words, even if the information on the home appliance M is insufficient in the input information input by the user U, more appropriate answer information can be provided for the home appliance M registered (owned) by the user U. As a result, more appropriate answer information can be provided while reducing the input effort of the user U.

[0070] Furthermore, the input unit 18a of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 may acquire, as device information, the display contents of the terminal device 10 operated by the user to input and output dialogue information. According to this configuration, by acquiring the display contents as device information, the answer acquiring unit 16 can easily estimate that the terminal device 10 that is the target of the dialogue is the home appliance M displayed on the display unit. In other words, compared to acquiring device information of multiple types of home appliances M registered in the terminal device 10, it becomes easier to identify the home appliance M, and the answer acquiring unit 16 can easily acquire more appropriate answer information more smoothly.

[0071] Furthermore, the input unit 18a of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 may further receive user information of the user, and the answer acquiring unit 16 may acquire the user information together with the input information, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the user information. With this configuration, answer information with expressions and operation methods appropriate for the user U can be provided by taking the user information into consideration. As a result, the dialogue with the user U can be made smoother and easier to understand.

[0072] Furthermore, the input unit 18a of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 may further receive in-use information indicating the current usage status of the home appliance M being used by the user, and the answer acquiring unit 16 may acquire the in-use information together with the input information, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the in-use information. This configuration makes it easier to provide answer information presenting a specific setting state or the like according to the usage status of the home appliance M currently being used.

[0073] Furthermore, the input unit 18a of the processing unit 18 of the dialogue control unit 14 may further receive usage history information indicating the usage history of the home appliance used by the user, and the answer acquiring unit 16 may acquire the usage history information together with the input information, and acquire answer information using reference information for the input information and the usage history information. This configuration makes it easier to suggest answer information that takes into account the usual way in which the user U uses the home appliance M.

[0074] The reference information referred to by the answer acquiring unit 16 may include current weather information. With this configuration, in the case of a home appliance M whose settings and operation change depending on the season, temperature, humidity, etc., in the content of the dialogue based on the input information, the answer acquiring unit 16 can easily acquire answer information appropriate to the current weather conditions.

[0075] The home appliance interactive server processing method includes an interactive control step including an input process in which the interactive control unit 14 receives input information as interactive information related to the home appliance M between the user U of the home appliance M and the interactive control unit 14 via the input unit 18a, and an output process in which answer information to the input information is output as interactive information via the output unit 18b by the answer acquisition unit 16. The interactive control step includes an interactive processing step in which the interactive control unit 14 determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the interaction between the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information, and outputs the proposal information from the output unit 18b when it is determined not to generate the proposal information, and outputs the proposal information together with the answer information from the output unit 18b when it is determined to generate the proposal information. With this configuration, the interactive control step can smoothly and appropriately perform the interaction when performing the operation of setting, controlling, etc. the home appliance M, and appropriately and easily realize the support for setting, controlling, etc. the home appliance M.

[0076] The home appliance dialogue system Sy includes a terminal device 10 connected to at least one home appliance M and capable of performing at least one of setting and controlling the home appliance M, a dialogue control unit 14 including an input unit 18a that receives input information as dialogue information related to the home appliance M between the user U of the home appliance M and the terminal device 10 and an output unit 18b that outputs answer information to the input information as dialogue information to the terminal device 10, and an answer acquisition unit 16 that acquires the input information input from the input unit 18a, acquires answer information using reference information available for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the dialogue control unit 14. The dialogue control unit 14 determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the dialogue based on the input information and the answer information according to the content of the answer information, and when it is determined not to generate the proposal information, it outputs the answer information from the output unit 18b and provides it to the terminal device 10, and when it is determined to generate the proposal information, it outputs the proposal information together with the answer information from the output unit 18b and provides it to the terminal device 10. According to this configuration, dialogue when performing operations such as setting and controlling the home appliance M can be carried out smoothly and appropriately, and support for setting and controlling the home appliance M can be provided appropriately and easily.

[0077] 2 and 7 are merely examples, and the components of the home appliance dialogue server device 12 may be integrated or divided as appropriate as long as they can realize the above-mentioned functions. For example, the analysis unit 20 and the answer acquisition unit 16 may be integrated together, or the answer acquisition unit 16 may be included in the dialogue control unit 14. The analysis unit 20 may also be separated from the dialogue control unit 14.

[0078] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described, these embodiments and modifications 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 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]

[0079] 10...terminal device, 12...interactive server device for home appliance, 14...interactive control unit, 16...answer acquisition unit, 18...processing unit, 18a...input unit, 18b...output unit, 18c...memory unit, 18d...information management unit, 20...analysis unit, 22...speech-to-text conversion unit, 24...text-to-speech conversion unit, Sy...interactive system for home appliance, M...home appliance, U...user.

Claims

1. A dialogue control unit including an input unit that receives input information as dialogue information related to a home appliance between a user of the home appliance and the user, and an output unit that outputs response information to the input information as the dialogue information; an answer acquisition unit that acquires the input information input from the input unit, acquires the answer information using reference information that can be used for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the dialogue control unit; Including, the dialogue control unit determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information depending on the content of the answer information, and if it has been determined not to generate the proposal information, outputs the answer information from the output unit, and if it has been determined to generate the proposal information, outputs the proposal information from the output unit together with the answer information.

2. the dialogue control unit includes a storage unit that stores history information based on a past dialogue history, The interactive server device for home appliances according to claim 1 , wherein the answer acquisition unit acquires the history information together with the input information, and acquires the answer information by using the reference information for the input information and the history information.

3. The input unit further receives device information regarding the home appliance registered by the user, The home appliance interactive server device according to claim 1 , wherein the answer acquisition unit acquires the device information together with the input information, and acquires the answer information by using the reference information for the input information and the device information.

4. 4. The interactive server device for home appliances according to claim 3, wherein the input unit acquires, as the device information, display contents of a terminal device operated by the user for inputting and outputting the interaction information.

5. The input unit further receives user information of the user, The interactive server device for home appliances according to claim 1 , wherein the answer acquisition unit acquires the user information together with the input information, and acquires the answer information by using the reference information for the input information and the user information.

6. The input unit further receives use information indicating a current use status of the home appliance being used by the user, The interactive server device for home appliances according to claim 1 , wherein the answer acquisition unit acquires the in-use information together with the input information, and acquires the answer information by using the reference information for the input information and the in-use information.

7. The input unit further receives usage history information indicating a usage history of the home appliance used by the user, The interactive server device for home appliances according to claim 1 , wherein the answer acquisition unit acquires the use history information together with the input information, and acquires the answer information by using the reference information for the input information and the use history information.

8. The interactive server device for home appliances according to claim 1 , wherein the reference information referred to by the answer acquisition unit includes current weather information.

9. a dialogue control step including an input process in which a dialogue control unit receives input information as dialogue information related to the home appliance between the user of the home appliance and the dialogue control unit via the input unit, and an output process in which a response information to the input information is output as the dialogue information via the output unit; an answer acquisition step in which an answer acquisition unit acquires the input information input from the input unit, acquires the answer information using reference information available for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the dialogue control unit; Including, The dialogue control step determines whether or not to generate suggested information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information depending on the content of the answer information, and if it is determined not to generate the suggested information, outputs the answer information from the output unit, and if it is determined to generate the suggested information, outputs the suggested information together with the answer information from the output unit.

10. A terminal device that is connected to at least one home appliance and is capable of performing at least one of setting and controlling the home appliance; an interactive server device for a home appliance, the interactive server device including: an interaction control unit including an input unit that receives input information as interaction information related to the home appliance between a user of the home appliance and the user via the terminal device, and an output unit that outputs answer information to the input information as the interaction information to the terminal device; and an answer acquisition unit that acquires the input information input from the input unit, acquires the answer information using reference information that can be used for the acquired input information, and provides the answer information to the interaction control unit; Equipped with The dialogue control unit determines whether or not to generate proposal information that supplements the dialogue between the input information and the answer information depending on the content of the answer information, and if it has been determined not to generate the proposal information, it outputs the answer information from the output unit and provides it to the terminal device, and if it has been determined to generate the proposal information, it outputs the proposal information from the output unit together with the answer information and provides it to the terminal device.

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