Program, information processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a program capable of improving convenience, an information processing system, and an information processing method.SOLUTION: A program relating to an embodiment makes a computer display a first area for displaying a registered home electric appliance when the home electric appliance is registered and a second area for displaying information related to use of the home electric appliance on one screen, and display the information in the second area even in both cases that the registered home electric appliance exists and that no home electric appliance exists.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a terminal device on which icons for operating home appliances are displayed. By the way, there is an expectation for further improvement in convenience of the terminal device for operating home appliances.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method capable of improving convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The program according to the embodiment causes a computer to display, on one screen, a first area for displaying a home appliance on which registration of the home appliance has been performed and a second area for displaying information related to the use of the home appliance, and causes the information to be displayed in the second area in any case where the registered home appliance exists or does not exist.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Figure 24

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, a home appliance system, a terminal device, and a program according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals. And duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted. In the present application, "based on XX" means "based at least on XX", and may include cases based on other elements in addition to XX. Also, "based on XX" is not limited to the case of directly using XX, and may include cases based on something obtained by performing calculations or processing on XX. In the present application, "XX or YY" is not limited to either one of XX and YY, and may include both cases of XX and YY. This is the same when there are three or more selectable elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (for example, arbitrary information).

[0008] In the present application, "remote operation" is not limited to operating a home appliance device from outside the dwelling where the home appliance device is placed, and may also include operating the home appliance device using a terminal device inside the dwelling where the home appliance device is placed. In the present application, "operation" broadly means changing the state of a home appliance device. Also, hereinafter, "database" will be denoted as "DB".

[0009] (First Embodiment) <1. Overall Configuration of the Home Appliance System> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the home appliance system 1 according to the first embodiment. The home appliance system 1 includes, for example, one or more home appliances 100, a server 200, and a terminal device 300. Note that one or more of the home appliances 100, the server 200, and the terminal device 300 may be provided as components external to the home appliance system 1. The network NW described later may be, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or other public or dedicated lines, which may be used according to the situation.

[0010] The home appliance 100 is an electrical appliance mainly used at home. The home appliance 100 is arranged inside the user U's residence. The home appliance 100 may be, for example, an air conditioner 100A, a refrigerator 100B, a cooking heater 100C, a washing machine 100D, a vacuum cleaner, a rice cooker, an iron, etc., but is not limited thereto. The home appliance 100 is connected to the network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M installed inside the user U's residence. The home appliance 100 can communicate with the server 200 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the air conditioner 100A may be referred to as the "AC 100A", and the cooking heater 100C may be referred to as the "oven range 100C".

[0011] The server 200 is a management server that manages the home appliances 100. The server 200 is composed of one or more server devices (for example, a cloud server). The server 200 may be referred to as a "server system". The server 200 can communicate with the home appliances 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 user U's residence, or a home router (for example, a wireless router WR).

[0012] The terminal device 300 is a terminal device used by the user U of the home appliance 100. 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 the like. The terminal device 300 includes a display device 301 including a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information, and an input device 302 capable of receiving an input from the user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided overlapping the display screen 301a of the display device 301. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, etc. provided in the terminal device 300.

[0013] An application program P is installed in the terminal device 300, and the functions described below are supported. The application program P is an application program for managing the home appliance 100. The application program P is used, for example, for remotely operating the home appliance 100, checking its status, or using services related to the home appliance 100. Hereinafter, the application software started by executing the application program P is referred to as "home appliance management app APP".

[0014] <2. Home Appliance> First, the home appliance 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance 100. The home appliance 100 has, for example, an actuator 110, an operation unit 120, a control unit 130, and a storage unit 180.

[0015] The actuator 110 is a drive unit that operates the main function of the home appliance 100. For example, when the home appliance 100 is a refrigerator, the actuator 110 is a compressor that compresses refrigerant, a blower that circulates cold air inside the refrigerator, etc. When the home appliance 100 is a washing machine, the actuator 110 is a motor that rotates the washing tub, etc.

[0016] The operation unit 120 is an operation button or a touch panel provided on the home appliance 100. The operation unit 120 receives operations of the user U regarding the home appliance 100. The operation unit 120 receives, for example, operations of the user U for specifying or changing the setting content of the home appliance 100. The setting content of the home appliance 100 includes one or more of control amounts related to various controls, target values, threshold values, timer settings, operation modes, and the like. Information indicating the setting content of the home appliance 100 is stored in the storage unit 180 as setting information 181.

[0017] The control unit 130 is realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) mounted on the home appliance 100 executing a program. However, part or all of the control unit 130 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 the cooperation of software and hardware.

[0018] The control unit 130 comprehensively controls the entire home appliance 100. For example, the control unit 130 operates the home appliance 100 by controlling the actuator 110 based on the detection result of the sensor provided on the home appliance 100 and the setting information 181. In addition, the control unit 130 executes various controls in response to requests from the server 200 and responses to the server 200.

[0019] The storage unit 180 is a functional unit that stores various information. The storage unit 180 is realized by a combination of a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or an SSD (Solid State Drove). The storage unit 180 stores the setting information 181.

[0020] <3. Server> Next, the server 200 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200. The server 200 includes, for example, a device registration unit 210, a home appliance management unit 220, a service provision unit 230, and a storage unit 280.

[0021] The device registration unit 210, the home appliance management unit 220, and the service provision unit 230 are realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the server 200 executing a program. 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 the cooperation of software and hardware. Note that these functional units may be provided separately in a plurality of server devices. Also, one or more of these functional units may be provided in the terminal device 300 or the home appliance 100 instead of the server 200.

[0022] <3.1 Device Registration Unit> The device registration unit 210 performs device registration of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300 (i.e., an application from the user U). Device registration means associating a specific user U with the home appliance 100 used by that user U (i.e., the home appliance 100 to be remotely operated). Device registration is performed, for example, by registering the correspondence between user information (e.g., user ID) that can identify the user U and device information (e.g., device ID) that can identify the individual of the home appliance 100. In the present embodiment, the above correspondence is registered in the device registration DB 281 stored in the storage unit 280. The device ID is, for example, the manufacturing number of the home appliance 100. Note that device registration may be performed by associating a specific terminal device 300 used by the user U with a specific home appliance 100 instead of associating a specific user U with a specific home appliance 100.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the device registration DB 281. In the device registration DB 281, for example, a user ID, a device ID, the type of the home appliance 100 (home appliance type), the model of the home appliance 100, and a display name on the home appliance management app APP are registered in association with each other.

[0024] When the device registration unit 210 performs device registration of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300, the device registration unit 210 transmits information indicating the home appliance 100 for which the device registration has been performed to the terminal device 300. The information indicating the home appliance 100 for which the device registration has been performed is stored in the storage unit 380 of the terminal device 300 as device registration information 381, which will be described later.

[0025] <3.2 Home Appliance Management Unit> The home appliance management unit 220 manages the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives a remote operation request for remotely operating the home appliance 100 from the terminal device 300, the home appliance management unit 220 notifies the home appliance 100 of a control command corresponding to the received remote operation request, thereby remotely operating the home appliance 100. Further, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives a confirmation request for confirming the state of the home appliance 100 from the terminal device 300, the home appliance management unit 220 notifies the home appliance 100 of a request to transmit state information indicating the state of the home appliance 100. The home appliance management unit 220 transmits information indicating the state of the home appliance 100 to the terminal device 300 based on the state information received from the home appliance 100.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the home appliance management unit 220 includes a batch operation management unit 221. The batch operation management unit 221 collectively controls a plurality of home appliances 100 (for example, a plurality of home appliances 100 of the same type) based on a predetermined signal received from the terminal device 300. In the present embodiment, the batch operation management unit 221 can collectively control a plurality of air conditioners 100A installed in the residence of the user U. For example, the batch operation management unit 221 can collectively operate the power supplies of the plurality of air conditioners 100A to the OFF state.

[0027] <3.3 Service Provision Unit> The service providing unit 230 provides services related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. The services provided by the service providing unit 230 are, for example, services related to the home appliance 100 and different from the operation (control) of the home appliance 100. In the present embodiment, the service providing unit 230 includes a food management unit 231, a recipe providing unit 232, a reference information providing unit 233, and an advertisement information providing unit 234.

[0028] (Food management unit) The food management unit 231 provides a food management service. The food management service is a service for managing the inventory of foodstuffs existing in the user U's home (for example, the refrigerator 100B). In the present embodiment, the food management service is a service related to the refrigerator 100B (or the oven range 100C), and the user U can use it (for example, can use it without being subject to function restrictions) when the device registration of the refrigerator 100B is performed. The food management unit 231 receives the input of the foodstuffs existing in the user U's home, and registers and manages the input foodstuffs in the inventory list DB282 stored in the storage unit 280.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the inventory list DB282. In the inventory list DB282, a management ID, a foodstuff name, a foodstuff classification, a storage location, a purchase date, an expiration date (or a consumption date), a quantity, a unit, and a history are associated and managed as inventory list information. The inventory list DB282 is managed separately for each individual refrigerator 100B, for example.

[0030] In addition to the inventory list information, the food ingredient management unit 231 may manage shopping list information, candidate list information, standing inventory list information, and the like. The shopping list information is information that can be referred to by the user U when shopping to prevent forgetting to buy. In the shopping list information, food ingredients for which the purchase plan (for example, an explicit purchase intention) of the user U has been confirmed are registered. The candidate list information is information that can be subsidiarily referred to by the user U to prevent forgetting to buy. In the candidate list information, when the quantity of a specific food ingredient (for example, a standing inventory item) decreases and a predetermined condition is satisfied (for example, when the inventory becomes zero), the food ingredient is automatically registered. In the standing inventory list information, food ingredients managed as standing inventory are registered.

[0031] The food ingredient management unit 231 provides a registration function for registering, changing the quantity, or deleting food ingredients included in the inventory list information, shopping list information, candidate list information, or standing inventory. For example, the food ingredient management unit 231 registers, changes the quantity, or deletes food ingredients included in each list information based on the user's operation on the operation reception unit 330 of the terminal device 300 described later. The above registration function is an example of a "registration function for registering information related to services".

[0032] (Recipe providing unit) The recipe providing unit 232 provides a recipe service. The recipe service is a service related to the proposal or search of recipes. In the present embodiment, the recipe service is a service related to the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C, and becomes available to the user U (for example, can be used without specific function restrictions) when the device registration of either the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C is performed. The recipe providing unit 232 proposes or searches for recipes based on the recipe DB 283 stored in the storage unit 280. In the present embodiment, the recipe service includes a first recipe service and a second recipe service.

[0033] The first recipe service is a service that becomes available when the refrigerator 100B is registered as a device. The first recipe service can propose or search for recipes (hereinafter referred to as "general recipes") regardless of the household appliances 100 used for cooking. In the present embodiment, the first recipe service is linked with the food ingredient management service and can propose or search for recipes using the food ingredients included in the inventory list DB282.

[0034] The second recipe service is a service that becomes available when the oven range 100C is registered as a device. The second recipe service is a service that can propose or search for recipes (hereinafter referred to as "oven range recipes") using the oven range 100C for cooking. In the present embodiment, the second recipe service is linked with the food ingredient management service and can propose or search for recipes using the food ingredients included in the inventory list DB282. In other words, in the present embodiment, the second recipe service related to the oven range 100C can propose or search for recipes using the food ingredients existing as inventory in the refrigerator 100B beyond the types of the household appliances 100.

[0035] Also, in the present embodiment, the second recipe service can propose or search for oven range recipes corresponding to the model of the oven range 100C for which device registration has been performed, and can transmit information indicating the heating time to the oven range 100C for which device registration has been performed. This content will be described later. Also, in the present embodiment, the second recipe service can perform a search based on search items (for example, nutrients) that are not available in the first recipe service.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the content of the recipe DB 283. The recipe DB 283 includes a first recipe DB 283a and a second recipe DB 283b. In the first recipe DB 283a, a management ID, a name, a thumbnail image, recipe content, and search words are associated. On the other hand, in the second recipe DB 283b, a management ID, a name, a thumbnail image, recipe content, search words, the model of the corresponding oven range 100C, the heating time in the corresponding oven range 100C, and nutrients (nutritional components) are associated. For example, the second recipe DB 283b is provided for each model of the oven range 100C.

[0037] As described above, the recipe providing unit 232 provides a browsing function for browsing the recipes registered in the recipe DB 283. For example, based on the operation of the user U on the operation receiving unit 330 of the terminal device 300, the recipe providing unit 232 identifies the recipe included in the recipe DB 283 and transmits the information of the recipe to the terminal device 300. The above browsing function is an example of a "browsing function for browsing information related to services". In the present embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 can browse information corresponding to the model of the home appliance 100 used by the user U.

[0038] Also in the present embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 provides a search function for searching the recipes included in the recipe DB 283. For example, based on the operation of the user U on the operation receiving unit 330 of the terminal device 300, the recipe providing unit 232 searches for and identifies the recipes included in the recipe DB 283 and transmits the information of the recipe to the terminal device 300. The above search function is an example of a "search function for searching information related to services". In the present embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 can search for information corresponding to the model of the home appliance 100 used by the user U.

[0039] In this embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 provides a transmission function for transmitting information indicating the heating time to the oven range 100C for which device registration has been performed. For example, the recipe providing unit 232 can acquire information indicating the model of the oven range 100C for which device registration has been performed based on the device registration DB 281. When a recipe included in the second recipe DB 283b is selected, the recipe providing unit 232 acquires information indicating the heating time of the oven range 100C included in the selected recipe based on the second recipe DB 283b. Then, by communicating between the server 200 and the oven range 100C, the recipe providing unit 232 transmits information indicating the heating time corresponding to the selected recipe to the oven range 100C. The above transmission function is an example of the "transmission function for transmitting a control amount to a home electric appliance". The heating time is an example of the "control amount of a home electric appliance".

[0040] (Reference information providing unit) The reference information providing unit 233 provides a reference information service. The reference information service is information indicating reference information related to the home electric appliance 100 (for example, recommended usage techniques of the home electric appliance 100). The recommended usage techniques are convenient ways to use the home electric appliance 100, convenient ways to use the home appliance management app APP, or maintenance methods for making the home electric appliance 100 last longer. The recommended usage techniques are an example of the "information indicating a proposal for a usage method or maintenance method of a home electric appliance". From another perspective, the recommended usage techniques are an example of the "information indicating a recommended usage method or maintenance method of a home electric appliance". From still another perspective, it is an example of the "information indicating a method for improving the quality or efficiency of housework using a home electric appliance". In this embodiment, the reference information providing unit 233 registers and manages the above-described reference information in the reference information DB 284 stored in the storage unit 280.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the content of the reference information DB 284. In the reference information DB 284, for example, a management ID, a name, a thumbnail image, the content of the reference information (for example, the content of the usage technique), and the related home electric appliance 100 are associated with each other. The reference information providing unit 233 can acquire reference information corresponding to a specific type of home electric appliance 100 based on the reference information DB 284.

[0042] The reference information providing unit 233 selects reference information to be displayed on the home screen DH of the home appliance management app APP described later based on the selection rule information 285 described later. This will be described in detail later.

[0043] (Advertisement information providing unit) The advertisement information providing unit 234 provides an advertisement information service. The advertisement information service is a service that provides advertisement information introducing the latest home appliances 100. In the present embodiment, the advertisement information providing unit 234 registers and manages the above-described advertisement information in the advertisement information DB 286 stored in the storage unit 280. The advertisement information providing unit 234 can acquire advertisement information corresponding to the home appliance 100 targeted for advertisement based on the advertisement information DB 286.

[0044] <3.5 Storage unit> The storage unit 280 is realized by a combination of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or SSD. The storage unit 280 stores, for example, the device registration DB 281, the inventory list DB 282, the recipe DB 283, the reference information DB 284, the selection rule information 285, and the advertisement information DB 286.

[0045] <4. Terminal device> Next, the terminal device 300 will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, a registration reception unit 310, a display control unit 320, an operation reception unit 330, a notification unit 340, and a storage unit 380.

[0046] The registration reception unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the notification unit 340 are realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300 executing an application program P. In other words, the registration reception unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the notification unit 340 are software functional units included in the home appliance management app APP.

[0047] <4.1 Registration Reception Unit> Based on the operation of the user U on the operation reception unit 330, the registration reception unit 310 receives an application for device registration of the home appliance device 100. In this application, "receiving an application for registration" or "receiving registration" is not limited to the case where the registration process is completed on the terminal device 300, and may include the case where the operation of the user U instructing device registration (i.e., the application for registration) is received on the terminal device 300 and the actual registration process is performed on the server 200.

[0048] In this embodiment, the registration reception unit 310 receives an application for registration of the home appliance device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "target home appliance device 100") associated with the user ID used for login in a state where login is performed using the user ID on the home appliance management app APP. For example, the user U uses the camera of the terminal device 300 to read the QR code (registered trademark) attached to the target home appliance device 100. The registration reception unit 310 transmits the QR code information indicating the QR code read using the camera of the terminal device 300 to the server 200. Thereby, the device registration unit 210 of the server 200 performs device registration by associating the device ID indicated by the QR code information received from the terminal device 300 with the user ID used for login. The QR code is an example of a "two-dimensional barcode".

[0049] <4.2 Display Control Unit> The display control unit 320 controls the content displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301 by controlling the display device 301 of the terminal device 300. For example, the display control unit 320 causes one or more first operation units B1 for operating the home appliance device 100, one or more second operation units B2 for using services related to the home appliance device 100, one or more third operation units B3 for viewing reference information related to the home appliance device 100, one or more fourth operation units B4 for viewing recommended recipes, and one or more fifth operation units B5 for viewing advertisement information to be displayed on the display screen 301a in a predetermined manner (see FIG. 9). Hereinafter, when the first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the "operation unit B". The display control unit 320 will be described in detail later.

[0050] <4.3 Operation reception unit> The operation reception unit 330 receives the operation of the user U performed on the input device 302 in relation to the home appliance management application APP. For example, the operation reception unit 330 receives the operation of the user U on the operation unit B (the first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5) displayed on the display screen 301a. The operation reception unit 330 transmits a signal corresponding to the operation unit B operated by the user U to the server 200. As a result, the process corresponding to the operation unit B operated by the user U is performed by the server 200.

[0051] <4.4 Notification unit> The notification unit 340 notifies the user U of predetermined content through the display device 301. For example, the notification unit 340 notifies the user U of the usage method of the home appliance management application APP.

[0052] <4.5 Storage unit> The storage unit 380 is realized by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or SSD, etc. The storage unit 380 stores the application program P and the device registration information 381. In the device registration information 381, a list of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed is registered in association with the user ID of the user U who uses the terminal device 300.

[0053] <5. Display content of the display screen> Next, the display content of the terminal device 300 will be described. The display content described below is realized by the processing of the display control unit 320 unless otherwise specified. In the following description, the "operation unit B" refers to an operation unit displayed on the display screen 301a and is a function key to which a specific function is assigned to call that function. The operation unit B is, for example, an icon displayed on the display screen 301a.

[0054] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the display content displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. The screen shown in FIG. 9 is, for example, the home screen (top screen) DH of the home appliance management application APP. The "home screen" is the screen that is first displayed as the operation screen of the home appliance management application APP. Note that the black frame indicated by the reference numeral 301a shown in FIG. 9 indicates the content that is displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301 at one time.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the display control unit 320 causes the first function area R1, the second function area R2, the third function area R3, the fourth function area R4, and the fifth function area R5 to be displayed on the home screen DH. That is, the display control unit 320 causes the first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 to be displayed on one screen. In the present application, "displaying on one screen" means "displaying on a single continuous screen". That is, "displaying on one screen" is not limited to being displayed within a screen that can be visually recognized at one time (for example, within the display screen 301a), and may also include cases where it is displayed in order by scrolling from a state where a part is hidden with respect to a screen that can be visually recognized at one time.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the horizontal widths of the first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are the same as each other. For example, the horizontal widths of the first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 match the horizontal width of the display screen 301a. The first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction with respect to the screen. Hereinafter, when the first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as "function area R".

[0057] <5.1 First Function Area> The first function area R1 is a function area corresponding to "home appliance control (home appliance operation)". The first function area R1 includes one or more first operation units B1 for operating the home appliance 100. In the present embodiment, a plurality of first operation units B1 for operating different home appliances 100 are displayed in the first function area R1.

[0058] In this application, the "operation unit for operating the home appliance 100" is not limited to the operation unit that directly operates the home appliance 100, and may also be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen capable of operating the home appliance 100. In this embodiment, when the first operation unit B1 is operated (for example, tapped) by the user U, it transitions to the individual operation screen of the home appliance 100 corresponding to the operated first operation unit B1 (an operation screen divided for each home appliance 100).

[0059] In this embodiment, when device registration of the home appliance 100 is performed, the first operation unit B1 corresponding to the home appliance 100 for which the device registration has been performed is added to the first function area R1. That is, the number of the first operation units B1 corresponds to the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0060] In this embodiment, the size (for example, the vertical width) of the first function area R1 is changed according to the number of the first operation units B1. That is, the larger the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed, the larger the size (for example, the vertical width) of the first function area R1 becomes. On the other hand, the smaller the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed, the smaller the size (for example, the vertical width) of the first function area R1 becomes.

[0061] FIG. 9 is an example in which device registration is performed for "Air conditioner 1", "Air conditioner 2", "Refrigerator", "Oven range", and "Washing machine" as a plurality of home appliances 100, and as a result, as a plurality of first operation units B1, the first operation unit B1a for operating "Air conditioner 1", the first operation unit B1b for operating "Air conditioner 2", the first operation unit B1c for operating "Refrigerator", the first operation unit B1d for operating "Oven range", and the first operation unit B1e for operating "Washing machine" are displayed.

[0062] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 410 capable of operating the home appliance 100. On the individual operation screen 410, one or more operation units 411 capable of operating the home appliance 100 are displayed. For example, FIG. 10 shows the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to the air conditioner 1. The individual operation screen 410 corresponding to the air conditioner 1 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH when, for example, the first operation unit B1a corresponding to "air conditioner 1" is operated (for example, tapped) on the home screen DH.

[0063] On the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to the air conditioner 1, as the operation unit 411 capable of operating the air conditioner 1, an operation unit 411a for switching the ON state / OFF state of the operation of the air conditioner 1, an operation unit 411b for changing the room temperature setting, etc. are displayed. Further, the individual operation screen 410 includes a display unit 412 on which the state of the home appliance 100 is displayed. Although FIG. 10 illustrates the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to the air conditioner 1, on the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to other types of home appliances 100, the operation unit 411 and the display unit 412 corresponding to the type of the home appliance 100 are displayed.

[0064] The operation of the user U on the operation unit 411 displayed on the individual operation screen 410 is received by the operation reception unit 330, and a signal corresponding to the operated operation unit 411 is transmitted to the home appliance control unit 220 of the server 200. Thereby, remote operation and status confirmation of the home appliance 100 are performed.

[0065] <5.2 Second Functional Area> Returning to FIG. 9, the second functional area R2 will be described. The second functional area R2 is a functional area corresponding to services related to the home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as "home appliance-related services"). The second functional area R2 includes one or more second operation units B2 for using the home appliance-related services. In the present embodiment, a plurality of second operation units B2 corresponding to different home appliance-related services are displayed in the second functional area R2.

[0066] In this application, the "operation unit for using a service" is not limited to an operation unit for directly using a service, and may also be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen where a service can be used. In the present embodiment, when the second operation unit B2 is operated (for example, tapped) by the user U, the operation transitions to an individual operation screen of a home appliance-related service corresponding to the operated second operation unit B2 (an operation screen divided for each home appliance-related service).

[0067] In the present embodiment, the home appliance-related services include a first home appliance-related service and a second home appliance-related service. The first home appliance-related service is a service related to the home appliance 100 and is a service different from the operation of the home appliance 100. The first home appliance-related service is the "food ingredient management service" or the "recipe service" described later. On the other hand, the second home appliance-related service is a service related to the home appliance 100 and is a service related to the operation of the home appliance 100. The second home appliance-related service is the "batch operation service" described later.

[0068] In the present embodiment, when the device registration of the home appliance 100 is performed, if there is a home appliance-related service related to the home appliance 100 for which the device registration has been performed, the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the home appliance-related service is added to the second function area R2. On the other hand, when the device registration of the home appliance 100 is performed and there is no home appliance-related service related to the home appliance 100 for which the device registration has been performed, the second operation unit B2 is not added. That is, the number of second operation units B2 corresponds to the number of home appliance-related services that become available to the user U when the device registration of the home appliance 100 is performed.

[0069] In this embodiment, the size (e.g., vertical width) of the second functional area R2 is changed according to the number of the second operation units B2. That is, the larger the number of home appliance related services associated with the home appliance 100 registered in the device, the larger the size (e.g., vertical width) of the second functional area R2. On the other hand, the smaller the number of home appliance related services associated with the home appliance 100 registered in the device, the smaller the size (e.g., vertical width) of the second functional area R2. For example, in this embodiment, there is no home appliance related service associated with the washing machine 100D. In this case, if the home appliance 100 in which device registration is performed is only the washing machine 100D, the first operation unit B1 for operating the washing machine 100D is added to the first functional area R1, but the second operation unit B2 is not added to the second functional area R2.

[0070] FIG. 9 is an example in which, as home appliance related services associated with the home appliances 100 (air conditioner 1, air conditioner 2, refrigerator, and oven range) registered in the device, there are a "food ingredient management service", a "recipe service", and a "batch operation service", and as a result, as a plurality of second operation units B2, a second operation unit B2a for using the "food ingredient management service", a second operation unit B2b for using the "recipe service", and a second operation unit B2c for using the "batch operation service" are displayed.

[0071] The "food ingredient management service" is a service associated with the refrigerator 100B (or the oven range 100C) and is provided by the food ingredient management unit 231 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "food ingredient management service" is added when the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C is registered in the device. The "food ingredient management service" is an example of the "first home appliance related service". Details of the "food ingredient management service" will be described later.

[0072] The "Recipe Service" is a service related to the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C, and is a service provided by the recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "Recipe Service" is added when the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C is device-registered. The "Recipe Service" is another example of the "First Home Appliance Related Service". Details of the "Recipe Service" will be described later.

[0073] The "Batch Operation Service" is, for example, a service related to the air conditioner 100A, and is a service provided by the batch operation management unit 221 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "Batch Operation Service" is added when a plurality of air conditioners 100A are device-registered. The "Batch Operation Service" is an example of the "Second Home Appliance Related Service". The second operation unit B2c is an example of the "Special Operation Unit". Details of the "Batch Operation Service" will be described later.

[0074] In the present embodiment, each of the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "Foodstuff Management Service" and the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "Recipe Service" is an operation unit for registering or searching for information related to the home appliance device 100 (for example, registering foodstuffs in the inventory list information or searching for recipes). Note that in the present application, the "operation unit for registering or searching for information" is not limited to an operation unit that directly registers or searches for information, and may be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen on which information registration or search is possible.

[0075] (Foodstuff Management Service) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 510 on which a home appliance related service can be used. On the individual operation screen 510, an operation unit for using the home appliance related service is displayed. For example, FIG. 11 shows the individual operation screen 510 on which the "Foodstuff Management Service" can be used. The individual operation screen 510 is transitioned and displayed from the home screen DH, for example, when the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "Foodstuff Management Service" is operated (for example, tapped) on the home screen DH.

[0076] On the individual operation screen 510, as an operation unit for using home appliance-related services, an operation unit 511 for viewing inventory list information and shopping list information of food ingredients is displayed. Further, on the individual operation screen 510, a display unit 512 indicating the state of food ingredient management (for example, inventory state) is displayed.

[0077] In the present embodiment, on the individual operation screen 510 corresponding to the "food ingredient management service", an operation unit 515 for transitioning to the individual operation screen 610 (see FIG. 13) corresponding to the "recipe service", which is another home appliance-related service, is displayed. The operation unit 515 is an operation unit that can switch between a plurality of mutually independent home appliance-related services without returning to the home screen DH.

[0078] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of another individual operation screen 520 that can use the "food ingredient management service". The individual operation screen 520 is displayed by transitioning from the individual operation screen 510, for example, when the operation unit 511 for viewing the inventory list information is operated (for example, tapped) on the above-described individual operation screen 510. On the individual operation screen 520, as an operation unit for using home appliance-related services, an operation unit 521 for viewing the details of each food ingredient registered in the inventory list information is displayed.

[0079] (Recipe service) FIG. 13 shows an individual operation screen 610 that can use the "recipe service". The individual operation screen 610 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH, for example, when the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" is operated (for example, tapped) on the home screen DH.

[0080] On the individual operation screen 610, as operation units for using home appliance-related services, an operation unit 611 for viewing individual recipes, an operation unit 612 for searching for recipes, and an operation unit 613 for switching the types of recipes are displayed.

[0081] In this embodiment, when the equipment registration of the refrigerator 100B and the oven range 100C has been performed, on the individual operation screen 610, both the recipes registered in the first recipe DB 283a (i.e., "general recipes") and the recipes registered in the second recipe DB 283b (i.e., "oven range recipes") are displayed. Each recipe is attached with a first display M1 indicating that the recipe is a "general recipe" or a second display M2 indicating that the recipe is an "oven range recipe".

[0082] And in this embodiment, when the operation unit 613 corresponding to "All" is operated, both "general recipes" and "oven range recipes" are displayed. When the operation unit 613 corresponding to "General" is operated, only "general recipes" are displayed. When the operation unit 613 corresponding to "Oven Range" is operated, only "oven range recipes" are displayed.

[0083] In this embodiment, on the individual operation screen 610, an operation unit 614 for viewing a recipe collection set as a "featured recipe" is displayed. The "featured recipe" is a collection of recipes for each theme such as season, event, or cooking method. The "featured recipe" is registered in the recipe DB 283 of the server 200 by the operator performing updates at a predetermined frequency.

[0084] In this embodiment, the display of the operation unit 614 changes according to the equipment registration status of the home appliance 100. For example, when the equipment registration of the refrigerator 100B has been performed, operation units 614 corresponding to a plurality (e.g., two) of "featured recipes" that are "general recipes" are displayed. When the equipment registration of the oven range 100C has been performed, operation units 614 corresponding to a plurality (e.g., two) of "featured recipes" that are "oven range recipes" are displayed.

[0085] In this embodiment, on the individual operation screen 610 corresponding to the "Recipe Service", an operation unit 615 for transitioning to the individual operation screen 510 (see FIG. 11) corresponding to the "Foodstuff Management Service", which is another home appliance-related service, is displayed. The operation unit 615 is an operation unit that can switch between a plurality of mutually independent home appliance-related services without returning to the home screen DH.

[0086] (Batch operation service) FIG. 14 shows an individual operation screen 710 on which the "Batch operation service" can be used. The individual operation screen 710 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH when, for example, a second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "Batch operation service" is operated (e.g., tapped) on the home screen DH.

[0087] On the individual operation screen 710, as an operation unit for using the home appliance-related service, an operation unit 711 for operating a plurality of home appliances 100 (e.g., a plurality of air conditioners 100A) in a batch (e.g., turning them off in a batch) is displayed. Also, on the individual operation screen 710, a display unit 712 showing the state of each home appliance 100 (e.g., each air conditioner 100A) is displayed.

[0088] Instead of the above example, the second operation unit B2c displayed on the home screen DH may be an operation unit for directly operating a plurality of home appliances 100 (e.g., a plurality of air conditioners 100A) in a batch (e.g., turning them off in a batch). That is, when the second operation unit B2c is operated, the plurality of home appliances 100 may be directly operated without transitioning to the individual operation screen 710.

[0089] As described above, an example has been described in which the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the "Foodstuff Management Service", the "Recipe Service", and the "Batch operation service" is displayed in the second function area R2 as the home appliance-related service. However, the home appliance-related service is not limited to the above example. For example, in the second function area R2, a second operation unit B2 corresponding to the "Monitoring service", the "After service", the "Automatic ordering of consumables", the "Web shopping", the "Health management", or the "Video content distribution" may be displayed.

[0090] <5.3 Third Functional Area> Returning to FIG. 9, the third functional area R3 will be described. The third functional area R3 is a functional area corresponding to the "reference information service". The "reference information service" is a service provided by the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200. The third functional area R3 includes one or more third operation units B3 for browsing reference information related to the home appliance 100. In the present embodiment, a plurality of third operation units B3 corresponding to different reference information are displayed in the third functional area R3.

[0091] In the present application, the "operation unit for browsing reference information" is not limited to an operation unit that directly browses reference information, and may also be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen on which reference information can be browsed. From one perspective, browsing reference information related to the home appliance 100 can also be said to be one of the home appliance-related services.

[0092] In the present embodiment, the reference information associated with the third operation unit B3 changes according to the device registration status of the home appliance 100. For example, the reference information associated with a plurality of third operation units B3 gives priority to the reference information corresponding to the type of the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0093] Also in the present embodiment, the number of the third operation units B3 displayed in the third functional area R3 is not changed according to the number and type of the home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. That is, even when there is no home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, or when there is no reference information related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, a predetermined number (for example, four) of third operation units B3 are displayed. In this case, the reference information related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has not been performed is associated with the predetermined number of third operation units B3.

[0094] On the other hand, when there is a home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed and there is reference information related to the home appliance 100, some or all of the above-mentioned predetermined number of third operation units B3 are associated with the reference information related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when only the device registration of the refrigerator 100B is performed, four third operation units B3 for respectively viewing the reference information related to the refrigerator 100B are displayed. For example, when the device registrations of the air conditioner 100A and the refrigerator 100B are performed, two third operation units B3 for respectively viewing the reference information related to the air conditioner 100A and two third operation units B3 for respectively viewing the reference information related to the refrigerator 100B are displayed.

[0095] The reference information associated with these third operation units B3 is selected from among a plurality of pieces of reference information registered in the reference information DB284 stored in the storage unit 280 of the server 200 and is displayed in the third function area R3. The selection of this reference information is determined by the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200 based on the type of the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed and the selection rule information 285 stored in the storage unit 280 of the server 200.

[0096] <5.4 Fourth Function Area> The fourth function area R4 is a function area corresponding to the "recommended recipe (picked-up recipe)". The "recommended recipe" is a service provided by the recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200. The fourth function area R4 includes one or more fourth operation units B4 for viewing the recommended recipe. In the present embodiment, a plurality of fourth operation units B4 corresponding to different recommended recipes are displayed in the fourth function area R4.

[0097] In this embodiment, the recommended recipes associated with the fourth operation unit B4 change according to the device registration status of the home appliance 100. For example, the recommended recipes associated with a plurality of fourth operation units B4 are selected from among the recipes corresponding to the home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the device registration of the refrigerator 100B is performed, the recommended recipes selected from among the plurality of recipes (i.e., "general recipes") included in the first recipe DB283a become the display candidates. Also, when the device registration of the oven range 100C is performed, the recommended recipes selected from among the plurality of recipes (i.e., "oven range recipes") included in the second recipe DB283b become the display candidates. Then, the fourth function area R4 displays the fourth operation units B4 corresponding to a predetermined number (e.g., four) of recommended recipes randomly selected from among these plurality of display candidates.

[0098] The recommended recipes associated with the fourth operation unit B4 are randomly selected, for example, from among the "featured recipes" described in the description of the second function area R2. In a specific example, Recipe 1, Recipe 2, and Recipe 3 are included in "Feature A" of the oven range recipes, Recipe 4, Recipe 5, and Recipe 6 are included in "Feature B" of the oven range recipes, Recipe 7, Recipe 8, Recipe 9, and Recipe 10 are included in "Feature C" of the general recipes, and Recipe 11, Recipe 12, and Recipe 13 are included in "Feature D" of the general recipes. In this case, the fourth operation units B4 corresponding to a predetermined number (e.g., four) of recommended recipes randomly selected from among these Recipes 1 to 13 are displayed in the fourth function area R4.

[0099] <5.5 The Fifth Function Area> Next, the fifth functional area R5 will be described. The fifth functional area R5 is a functional area corresponding to the "advertising information service". The "advertising information service" is a service provided by the advertising information providing unit 234 of the server 200. The fifth functional area R5 includes one or more fifth operation units B5 for browsing advertising information. In the present embodiment, a plurality of fifth operation units B5 corresponding to different advertising information are displayed in the fifth functional area R5. In the present embodiment, the number of the fifth operation units B5 is a fixed number regardless of the type or number of the home appliances 100 registered with the device.

[0100] <6. Display mode of functional area> <6.1 Changes according to the type or number of home appliances> Next, the display modes of the first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 will be described. In the present embodiment, the display control unit 320 changes the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1 or the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2 according to the type or number of the home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0101] (Display of the first functional area) In the present embodiment, when there is no home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, the display control unit 320 does not display (makes non-display) the first functional area R1. Note that in the present application, "not displaying a functional area" is not limited to the case where the functional area is not completely displayed, and may include a hidden state in a mode where the display state can be switched (such as a state where only the operation unit that can transition to the display state is displayed and other areas are hidden). This is the same for the second functional area R2. Note that, instead of the above example, when there is no home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, the display control unit 320 may display the first functional area R1 in a smaller mode (for example, a mode with a smaller vertical width) compared to the first functional area R1 when there is a home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0102] Further, when the registered home appliance 100 is only a specific type of home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as "the first specific type of home appliance 100"), the display control unit 320 does not display (makes non-display) the first function area R1. Instead, when the registered home appliance 100 is only the first specific type of home appliance 100, the display control unit 320 may display the first function area R1 in a manner smaller (for example, a manner with a smaller vertical width) than the first function area R1 when the operation unit B1 is displayed.

[0103] The "first specific type of home appliance" is, for example, a home appliance that does not have or has a limited remote operation function using the terminal device 300. In the present embodiment, the "first specific type of home appliance" is a vacuum cleaner, an iron, or the like. On the other hand, when the first specific type of home appliance 100 is registered, an operation unit B3 for browsing reference information (for example, usage techniques) related to the first specific type of home appliance 100 is displayed in the third function area R3.

[0104] (Display of the second function area) When there is no home appliance-related service related to one or more of the plurality of home appliances 100 (all the registered home appliances 100) operated by the plurality of first operation units B1, the display control unit 320 does not display (makes non-display) the second function area R2. Instead, when there is no home appliance-related service, the display control unit 320 may display the second function area R2 in a manner smaller (for example, a manner with a smaller vertical width) than the second function area R2 when there is a home appliance-related service.

[0105] Further, when the registered home appliance 100 is only a specific type of home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as "the second specific type of home appliance 100"), the display control unit 320 does not display (makes non-display) the second function area R2. Note that, instead of the above example, when the registered home appliance 100 is only the second specific type of home appliance 100, the display control unit 320 may display the second function area R2 in a smaller form (for example, a form with a smaller vertical width) compared to the case where the operation unit B2 is displayed.

[0106] The "second specific type of home appliance" is, for example, a home appliance with limited home appliance-related services related to the home appliance 100. The "second specific type of home appliance" may overlap with the "first specific type of home appliance". In the present embodiment, the "second specific type of home appliance" is a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, an iron, etc. On the other hand, when the second specific type of home appliance 100 is registered, an operation unit 811 for using home appliance-related services related to the second specific type of home appliance 100 is displayed on an individual operation screen 810 (see FIG. 15) corresponding to the "service list" described later. Home appliance-related services related to the second specific type of home appliance 100 are, for example, a service for displaying the brand of the detergent in use for a washing machine, a service for notifying the next filter cleaning time for a vacuum cleaner, etc.

[0107] <7. Other operation units> Next, referring to FIG. 9, other operation units will be described. On the home screen DH, an operation unit B6 corresponding to the "service list" is displayed. In the present embodiment, when the operation unit B6 is operated (for example, tapped) by the user U, a transition is made to an individual operation screen corresponding to the "service list".

[0108] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen corresponding to a home appliance-related service. (a) in FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 810 corresponding to the "service list". On the individual operation screen 810, a plurality of operation units 811 corresponding to different home appliance-related services are displayed.

[0109] Here, in the present embodiment, in the second function area R2 of the home screen DH, when there is a home appliance-related service related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, only the second operation unit B2 corresponding to that home appliance-related service is displayed. On the other hand, on the individual operation screen 810 corresponding to the "service list", regardless of whether the home appliance 100 is registered or not, the operation unit 811 corresponding to all the home appliance-related services provided by the service providing unit 230 of the server 200 is displayed. That is, even when the refrigerator 100B and the oven range 100C are not registered, the operation unit 811 for using the "food ingredient management service" and the "recipe service" is displayed.

[0110] In the present embodiment, as the plurality of operation units 811, an operation unit 811a for using the "food ingredient management service" and an operation unit 811b for using the "recipe service" are displayed. The operation unit 811a is an operation unit having the same function as the second operation unit B2a displayed in the second function area R2, for example. The operation unit 811b is an operation unit having the same function as the second operation unit B2b displayed in the second function area R2, for example.

[0111] On the other hand, the operation unit corresponding to the "batch operation service" is not displayed. In other words, on the individual operation screen 810, the operation unit 811 for using a service that is a home appliance-related service and different from the operation of the home appliance 100 is displayed. On the other hand, on the individual operation screen 810, the operation unit for using a service that is a home appliance-related service and related to the operation of the home appliance 100 is not displayed.

[0112] Also, in the present embodiment, on the individual operation screen 810, as one of the operation units 811, an operation unit 811c for using the "reference information service" is displayed. When the operation unit 811c is operated (for example, tapped), the individual operation screen 810 transitions to the individual operation screen 820.

[0113] In Fig. 15(b), it is a diagram showing an example of the individual operation screen 820 for using the "reference information service". On the individual operation screen 820, a plurality of operation parts 821 for viewing different reference information (for example, recommended utilization techniques) are displayed. On the individual operation screen 820, different from the fourth functional area R4, regardless of whether it is related to the home appliance 100 in which the device is registered, the operation parts 821 corresponding to all the reference information registered in the reference information DB 284 are displayed. That is, when viewing the reference information related to the home appliance 100 (for example, recommended utilization techniques), the content and quantity displayed on the home screen DH and the content and quantity displayed on the individual operation screen 820 transitioned from the "service list" are different.

[0114] <8. Flow of processing> Figs. 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing the flow of the display process of the home screen DH. First, when the application program P is started and the home screen DH of the home appliance management application APP is displayed, the display control unit 320 detects the number and types of home appliances 100 (hereinafter referred to as "registered home appliances 100") in which device registration has been performed based on the device registration information 381 stored in the storage unit 380 (S111).

[0115] Next, the display control unit 320 determines whether one or more registered home appliances 100 exist (S112). When the display control unit 320 determines that no registered home appliance 100 exists (S112: NO), it decides not to display the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 (S113). On the other hand, when the display control unit 320 determines that one or more registered home appliances 100 exist (S112: YES), it decides to display the first functional area R1 and display the first operation part B1 corresponding to the one or more registered home appliances 100 (S114).

[0116] Next, when one or more registered home appliances 100 exist, the display control unit 320 determines whether at least one of the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C is included in the registered home appliances 100 (S115).

[0117] When the display control unit 320 determines that at least one of the refrigerator 100B and the oven range 100C is included in the registered home appliance 100 (S115: YES), it decides to display the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "food ingredient management service" and the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" (S116). On the other hand, when the display control unit 320 determines that neither the refrigerator 100B nor the oven range 100C is included in the registered home appliance 100 (S115: NO), it decides that the display of the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "food ingredient management service" and the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" is unnecessary (S117).

[0118] Next, the display control unit 320 determines whether a plurality of air conditioners 100A are included in the registered home appliance 100 (S118). When the display control unit 320 determines that a plurality of air conditioners 100A are included in the registered home appliance 100 (S118: YES), it decides to display the second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "batch operation service" (S119). On the other hand, when the display control unit 320 determines that a plurality of air conditioners 100A are not included in the registered home appliance 100 (S118: NO), it decides that the display of the second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "batch operation service" is unnecessary (S120).

[0119] Next, the display control unit 320 determines whether it has been decided that the display of at least one second operation unit B2 is necessary (S121). When the display control unit 320 determines that the display of at least one second operation unit B2 is necessary (S121: YES), it decides to display the second function area R2 (S122). On the other hand, when the display control unit 320 determines that the display of all the second operation units B2 is unnecessary (S121: NO), it decides not to display the second function area R2 (S124).

[0120] Next, the display control unit 320 transmits a transmission request to cause the server 200 to transmit information used for displaying reference information (e.g., utilization techniques) (hereinafter referred to as "reference information list"), a transmission request to cause the server 200 to transmit information used for displaying recommended recipes (hereinafter referred to as "recommended recipes"), and information indicating a list of registered home appliances 100 (hereinafter referred to as "device list") to the server 200 (S131).

[0121] Based on the device list received from the terminal device 300 and the selection rule information 285, the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200 selects reference information associated with a plurality of third operation units B3 from the reference information DB 284, lists the name, thumbnail image, and URL for accessing the selected reference information, and generates a reference information list (S132). Then, the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200 transmits the generated reference information list to the terminal device 300 (S133).

[0122] Based on the device list received from the terminal device 300, the recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200 selects recommended recipes associated with a plurality of fourth operation units B4 from the recipe DB 283, lists the name, thumbnail image, and URL for accessing the selected recipes, and generates a recommended recipe list (S134). Then, the recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200 transmits the generated recommended recipe list to the terminal device 300 (S135).

[0123] Also, the display control unit 320 notifies the server 200 of a transmission request for advertisement information (S141). The advertisement information providing unit 234 of the server 200 selects advertisement information associated with a plurality of fifth operation units B5 from the advertisement information DB 286, lists the name, thumbnail image, and URL for accessing the selected advertisement information, and generates an advertisement information list (S142). Then, the advertisement information providing unit 234 of the server 200 transmits the generated advertisement information list to the terminal device 300 (S143).

[0124] Then, the display control unit 320 causes a plurality of first operation units B1 corresponding to the detected registered home appliance 100 to be displayed in the first function area R1, causes a plurality of second operation units B2 corresponding to the detected registered home appliance 100 to be displayed in the second function area R2, causes a plurality of third operation units B3 to be displayed in the third function area R3 based on the reference information list received from the server 200, causes a plurality of fourth operation units B4 to be displayed in the fourth function area R4 based on the recommended recipe list received from the server 200, and causes a plurality of fifth operation units B5 to be displayed in the fifth operation area R5 based on the advertisement information list received from the server 200 (S151). Thereby, the home screen DH is displayed.

[0125] <9. Advantages> In the present embodiment, the display control unit 320 can display, on one screen, a first function area R1 including a plurality of first operation units B1 for operating different home appliances 100, and a second function area R2 including second operation units B2 different from the plurality of first operation units B1, and changes the presence or absence of the display of the first function area R or the presence or absence of the display of the second function area R according to the type or number of the home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. According to such a configuration, it is possible to display the necessary function area R while keeping the screen in a neat appearance. For this reason, it becomes easier for the user U to intuitively operate the operation unit B. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0126] In the present embodiment, when there is no registered home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, the display control unit 320 does not display the first function area R1, or displays the first function area R1 in a smaller manner than the first function area R1 when there is a registered home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. According to such a configuration, when the display of the first function area R1 is unnecessary, the first function area R1 is not displayed or is displayed in a small size, so that the screen can be kept in a neat appearance. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be further improved.

[0127] In this embodiment, when there is a service related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, the display control unit 320 causes the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the service to be displayed in the second function area R2 in response to the device registration for the home appliance 100 being performed. According to such a configuration, the first operation unit B1 corresponding to the operation of the home appliance 100 and the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the home appliance-related service are displayed on one screen in accordance with the registration status of the home appliance 100 of the user U. Thereby, it is possible to provide a service that matches the usage status of the user U. Further, since the first operation unit B1 or the second operation unit B2 related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has not been performed is not displayed on the screen, the screen can have a clean appearance and the visibility can be improved.

[0128] In this embodiment, with respect to a plurality of home appliances 100 operated by a plurality of first operation units B1, when there is no service related to one or more of the plurality of home appliances 100, the display control unit 320 does not display the second function area R2, or displays the second function area R2 in a manner smaller than the second function area R2 when the service exists. According to such a configuration, when the display of the second function area R2 is unnecessary, the second function area R2 is not displayed or is displayed small, so that the screen can be kept in a clean appearance. Thereby, it is possible to further improve the convenience of the user U.

[0129] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 is changed according to the type or number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0130] Figures 18 and 19 are diagrams showing an example of the home screen DH of the second embodiment. FIG. 18 shows the first state of the terminal device 300. The first state is a state in which device registration of a specific type of home appliance 100 (for example, the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C) has not been performed, and the second operation unit B2 for using specific types of home appliance-related services (for example, "food ingredient management service" and "recipe service") is not displayed in the second function area R2.

[0131] The "specific types of home appliance-related services" are, for example, services that may have a higher usage frequency than the operation of the home appliance 100. The "specific types of home appliance-related services" are, for example, preset based on a prior investigation and stored in the storage unit 380 as determination information 383 (see FIG. 8). The display control unit 320 determines whether the home appliance-related service to be determined is a "specific type of home appliance-related service" based on the determination information 383.

[0132] In the first state, the display control unit 320 causes the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 to be displayed in this order from the upper side of the home screen DH.

[0133] On the other hand, FIG. 19 shows the second state of the terminal device 300. The second state is a state in which device registration of a specific type of home appliance 100 (for example, the refrigerator 100B or the oven range 100C) has been performed, and the second operation unit B2 for using specific types of home appliance-related services (for example, "food ingredient management service" and "recipe service") is displayed in the second function area R2.

[0134] In the second state, the display control unit 320 switches the display order of the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 with respect to the first state. That is, the display control unit 320 causes the second function area R2 and the first function area R1 to be displayed in this order from the upper side of the home screen DH. The change in the display order is an example of "changing the display relationship between the first function area and the second function area".

[0135] According to such a configuration, depending on the device registration status of the home appliance 100, whether to display the first operation unit B1 for operating the home appliance 100 on the upper side of the screen or to display the second operation unit B2 corresponding to another function on the upper side of the screen is changed. Therefore, it becomes easier for the user U to operate the operation unit B that the user U wants to operate intuitively. As a result, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0136] As described above, an example in which the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 is changed according to the type of the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed has been explained. Instead of / In addition to the above example, the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 may be changed according to the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed is larger than the number of available home appliance-related services, the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 are displayed in this order from the upper side of the home screen DH. On the other hand, when the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed is smaller than the number of available home appliance-related services, the second function area R2 and the first function area R1 may be displayed in this order from the upper side of the home screen DH.

[0137] Also, the "change in the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2" is not limited to the change in the display order on the screen, and may be a change in the display mode (for example, the presence or absence of highlighted display) or size of the first function area R1 or the second function area R2 on the screen.

[0138] (Third Embodiment) Next, the third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the presence or absence of the display of the first function area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 is changed according to the usage frequency of the user U regarding the first function area R1 or the second function area R2. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0139] FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300 according to the second embodiment. The terminal device 300 includes a usage frequency detection unit 360. The usage frequency detection unit 360 is a software functional unit included in the home appliance management application APP.

[0140] For each operation unit B (the first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5) displayed by the display control unit 320, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the usage frequency (operation frequency) of the user U for the operation unit B based on the operation history of the user U received by the operation reception unit 330. In the present embodiment, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the above usage frequency for each of the first operation units B1a, B1b, B1c, B1d, B1e and the second operation units B2a, B2b, B2c described later.

[0141] Also in the present embodiment, for each function area R (the first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, R5) described later, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the usage frequency (operation frequency) of the user U for the function area R based on the usage frequency (operation frequency) of the operation unit B. The usage frequency of each function area R may be calculated, for example, based on the total number of operations for all operation units B included in each function area R, or may be calculated based on the average of the operation frequencies for all operation units B included in each function area R. The usage frequency of the first function area R1 is an example of "the usage frequency of the user U regarding the first function area R1". The usage frequency of the second function area R2 is an example of "the usage frequency of the user U regarding the second function area R2".

[0142] (Display of the first function area) FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the home screen DH when the first function area R1 is not displayed. In the present embodiment, when the usage frequency of the user U regarding the first function area R1 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (for example, once or less per week), the display control unit 320 does not display (makes non-display) the first function area R1. As described above, in the present application, "not display" is not limited to the case where the function area is not completely displayed, and may include a state hidden in a manner that can be switched to a display state (such as a state where only an operation unit that can be transitioned to the display state is displayed and other areas are hidden). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 21, when the operation unit Bh1 included in the first function area R1 is operated (for example, tapped), the first function area R1 is expanded and displayed in the same manner as FIG. 9.

[0143] Also, in the present embodiment, even when the display control unit 320 displays the first function area R1 on the home screen DH, for the first operation unit B1 whose individual usage frequency detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (for example, once or less per week), it is not displayed. Note that in the present application, "not display the operation unit" is not limited to the case where the operation unit is not completely displayed, and may include a state hidden in a manner that can be switched to a display state. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 23. Note that instead of not displaying the first operation unit B1 whose individual usage frequency detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, the display control unit 320 may change the display mode and display it. The change in the display mode is to make it smaller or semi-transparent, etc.

[0144] (Display of the second function area) FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the home screen DH when the second functional area R2 is not displayed. In the present embodiment, when the usage frequency of the user U regarding the second functional area R2 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (for example, once or less per week), the display control unit 320 does not display (makes non-display) the second functional area R2. As described above, in the present application, "not display" is not limited to the case where the functional area is not completely displayed, and may include a state hidden in a mode that can be switched to a display state (such as a state where only an operation unit that can transition to the display state is displayed and other areas are hidden). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 22, when the operation unit Bh2 included in the second functional area R2 is operated (for example, tapped), the second functional area R2 is expanded and displayed in the same manner as in FIG. 9.

[0145] Also, in the present embodiment, even when the display control unit 320 displays the second functional area R2 on the home screen DH, for the second operation unit B2 whose individual usage frequency detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (for example, once or less per week), it is not displayed. Note that in the present application, "not display the operation unit" is not limited to the case where the operation unit is not completely displayed, and may include a state hidden in a mode that can be switched to a display state. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 23. Note that, instead of not displaying the second operation unit B2 whose individual usage frequency detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, the display control unit 320 may change the display mode and display it. The change in the display mode is to make it smaller or semi-transparent.

[0146] (Display of the First Operation Unit and the Second Operation Unit) FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen DH in which some of the first operation units B1 and some of the second operation units B2 are hidden. In the first function area R1, an operation unit B1z corresponding to "Others" is displayed. When the operation unit B1z is operated, one or more operation units B1 that are detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 as having a usage frequency below a predetermined standard and are not displayed in the first function area R1 are grouped and transferred to an individual operation screen 910. The operation unit B1 having a usage frequency below a predetermined standard is displayed by being transferred to the individual operation screen 910. Note that the operation unit B1z corresponding to "Others" may be displayed on an individual operation screen 810 (see FIG. 15) corresponding to "Service List" instead of being displayed in the first function area R1.

[0147] Similarly, in the second function area R2, an operation unit B2z corresponding to "Others" is displayed. When the operation unit B2z is operated, one or more operation units B2 that are detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 as having a usage frequency below a predetermined standard and are not displayed in the second function area R2 are grouped and transferred to an individual operation screen 920. The operation unit B2 having a usage frequency below a predetermined standard is displayed by being transferred to the individual operation screen 920. Note that the operation unit B2z corresponding to "Others" may be displayed on an individual operation screen 810 (see FIG. 15) corresponding to "Service List" instead of being displayed in the second function area R2.

[0148] (Change in the display relationship between the first function area and the second function area) FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen DH in which the display order of the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 is changed with respect to the initial setting. That is, in the present embodiment, the display control unit 320 displays the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 in this order from the upper side of the home screen in the initial setting. On the other hand, when the usage frequency of the user regarding the first function area R1 or the second function area R2 satisfies a predetermined condition, the display control unit 320 switches the display order between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 with respect to the initial setting.

[0149] The "predetermined conditions" are, for example, when the usage frequency of the user U for the first functional area R1 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference value (for example, once or less per week), when the usage frequency of the user U for the second functional area R2 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second reference value (for example, 10 times or more per week), or when the usage frequency of the user U for the second functional area R2 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is higher than the usage frequency of the user U for the first functional area R1, and so on.

[0150] According to such a configuration, according to the usage frequency of the user U, it is possible to change the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2. For this reason, while keeping the display mode of the screen in a neat appearance, it is possible to display the necessary functional area R. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0151] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 is changed according to the time zone. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the third embodiment.

[0152] In the present embodiment, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the usage frequency (operation frequency) of the user U for each time zone for each operation unit B (the first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5) displayed by the display control unit 320. For example, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the usage frequency of the user U for each time zone for each of the first operation units B1a, B1b, B1c, B1d, B1e and the second operation units B2a, B2b, B2c. The time zone may be, for example, a time zone every 3 hours, a time zone every 6 hours, or a time zone of another length.

[0153] Also, in the present embodiment, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the usage frequency of the user U for each time period for each functional area R (the first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, R5) based on the usage frequency for each operation unit B.

[0154] In the present embodiment, the display control unit 320 changes, for each time period, the presence or absence of display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2, based on the detection result by the usage frequency detection unit 360.

[0155] For example, for the "Food Material Management Service", if it is used above a predetermined standard (for example, once or more a day) in the morning and evening time periods and below the predetermined standard (for example, not used) in the daytime time period, the display control unit 320 causes the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "Food Material Management Service" to be displayed in the morning and evening time periods and not to be displayed in the daytime time period. Similarly, for the "Recipe Service", if it is used above a predetermined standard (for example, once or more a day) in the daytime time period and below the predetermined standard (for example, not used) in the morning and evening time periods, the display control unit 320 causes the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "Recipe Service" to be displayed in the daytime time period and not to be displayed in the morning and evening time periods. Also, for the "Batch Operation Service", if it is used above a predetermined standard (for example, once or more a day) in the morning time period and below the predetermined standard (for example, not used) in the daytime, evening, and night time periods, the display control unit 320 causes the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "Food Material Management Service" to be displayed in the morning time period and not to be displayed in other time periods.

[0156] In another example, the display control unit 320 displays the second functional area R2 and the first functional area R1 in this order from the upper side of the home screen DH in the time periods when the "Food Material Management Service" or the "Recipe Service" is frequently used, and displays the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 in this order from the upper side of the home screen DH in other time periods.

[0157] According to such a configuration, according to the time zone, it is possible to change the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2. Therefore, while keeping the display mode of the screen in a neat appearance, it is possible to display the necessary functional area R. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0158] Note that the display control unit 320 may change the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 according to the time zone based on a criterion different from the usage frequency of the user U. That is, the display control unit 320 may perform control to display (or not display) a specific operation unit B in a specific time zone regardless of the usage frequency of the user U, may perform control to display (or not display) a specific functional area R in a specific time zone, or may swap the display order of the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 in a specific time zone.

[0159] (Fifth Embodiment) Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. The fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that, based on the operation of the user U, the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 is arbitrarily changed. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0160] In this embodiment, the operation reception unit 330 receives an operation of the user U that arbitrarily changes the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2. For example, when a special operation (such as a long press) of the user U is performed on the functional area R, the operation reception unit 330 becomes capable of receiving an instruction to change the presence or absence of the display or the display position of the functional area R. Then, based on the instruction of the user U received by the operation reception unit 330, the display control unit 320 changes the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2.

[0161] Also in this embodiment, the operation reception unit 330 may receive a change in the presence or absence of the display, the display mode, or the display position of the individual operation unit B. In this case, based on the instruction of the user U received by the operation reception unit 330, the display control unit 320 changes the presence or absence of the display, the display mode, or the display position of the individual operation unit B.

[0162] According to such a configuration, based on the operation of the user U, it is possible to change the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area R1, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2. Therefore, while keeping the display mode of the screen in a neat appearance, it is possible to display the necessary functional area R. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0163] Some embodiments have been described above. However, the embodiments are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the first functional area R1 corresponding to the operation of the home appliance 100 and the second functional area R2 corresponding to the use of the home appliance-related service may be combined without being distinguished from each other to form one functional area. In this case, the functional area formed by combining the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 corresponds to an example of the "first functional area", and the third functional area R3 may correspond to an example of the "second functional area". That is, the third operation unit B3 may correspond to an example of the "second operation unit different from the first operation unit". And the display control unit 320, similar to the first to fifth embodiments described above, for the first functional area (functional areas R1, R2) and the second functional area (functional area R3), according to the type or number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed, may change the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area, or the display relationship between the first functional area and the second functional area.

[0164] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the display control unit of the terminal device can display on one screen a first functional area including a plurality of first operation units for operating different home appliances and a second functional area including a second operation unit different from the plurality of first operation units, and can change the presence or absence of the display of the first functional area, the presence or absence of the display of the second functional area, or the display relationship between the first functional area and the second functional area according to the type or number of the registered home appliances. With such a configuration, the convenience can be improved.

[0165] Some embodiments of the present invention have been described, but 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, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0166] 1... Home appliance system, 100... Home appliance device, 200... Server, 210... Device registration unit, 220... Home appliance device management unit, 230... Service provision unit, 300... Terminal device, 310... Registration reception unit, 320... Display control unit, 330... Operation reception unit, 340... Notification unit, 360... Usage frequency detection unit.

Claims

1. On the computer, When a home appliance is registered, a first area for displaying the registered home appliance and a second area for displaying information related to use of the home appliance are displayed on one screen; displaying the information in the second area in both cases where the registered home appliance is present and where no registered home appliance is present; program.

2. the first area and the second area are displayed in this order from the top of the screen, The program according to claim 1.

3. the information displayed in the second area includes information related to a household chore involving the home appliance; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the information displayed in the second area includes information related to a recipe; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The recipe-related information includes an operation unit for transitioning to a detailed screen related to the recipe. The program according to claim 4.

6. the information displayed in the second area includes information related to how to use the home appliance, information related to how to use application software available on the computer in relation to the home appliance, or information related to how to maintain the home appliance. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The information displayed in the second area includes information related to improving the quality or efficiency of housework. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The information displayed in the second area includes, if the registered home appliance is present, information related to the use of the registered home appliance. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The size of the first region is changed depending on the number of registered home appliances. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

10. An operation unit for operating the registered home appliance is displayed in the first area. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

11. an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen for operating a home electric appliance that satisfies a predetermined criterion among the plurality of registered home electric appliances is displayed in the first area, and an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen for operating a home electric appliance that does not satisfy the predetermined criterion among the plurality of registered home electric appliances is displayed on a separate screen. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

12. a display control unit that displays, when a home appliance is registered, a first area for displaying the registered home appliance and a second area for displaying information related to use of the home appliance on one screen; The display control unit causes the information to be displayed in the second area in both cases where the registered home appliance is present and where no registered home appliance is present. Information processing system.

13. The computer displaying, on one screen, a first area for displaying the registered home appliance when the home appliance is registered, and a second area for displaying information related to the use of the home appliance; displaying the information in the second area in both cases where the registered home appliance is present and where no registered home appliance is present; Information processing methods.

Images