Information processing method, information processing system and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing method, an information processing system and a program that can improve convenience.SOLUTION: An information processing method includes a determination step and a processing step. The determination step includes determining which of a first program mounted on a home appliance and a second program mounted on a terminal device is preferentially updated when the first program and the second program can be updated. The processing step includes: executing update processing on the one program determined to be updated preferentially between the first program and the second program based upon the determination result of the determination step; and then executing update processing on the other program between the first program and the second program.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] An information processing system that enables operation of home appliances using a terminal device has been proposed. Further improvement in convenience is expected for such an information processing system.

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 an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program capable of improving convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The information processing method according to the embodiment includes a determination step and a processing step. In the determination step, when the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, it is determined which of the first program and the second program should be updated preferentially. In the processing step, based on the determination result of the determination step, update processing of one of the first program and the second program determined to be updated preferentially is executed, and then update processing of the other program of the first program and the second program is executed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

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The form for implementing the invention

[0007] Hereinafter, an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to configurations having the same or similar functions. And the overlapping description of those configurations may be omitted. In the present application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX", and may include cases based on other elements in addition to XX. Also, "based on XX" is not limited to the case directly based on XX, and may include cases based on those obtained by performing operations 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 selective elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (for example, arbitrary information).

[0008] In the present application, "acquire" is not limited to the case of actively acquiring by transmitting a transmission request, and may include the case of acquiring by passively receiving information transmitted from another device. Also, "acquire" is not limited to the case of directly acquiring the target information (information to be acquired) from the outside, and may include the case of acquiring by performing operations or processing on the information obtained from the outside to generate the target information. Also, in the present application, the database is denoted as "DB".

[0009] (First Embodiment) In the first embodiment, when the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, the case where the first program is preferentially updated will be described.

[0010] <A1. Overall configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a home appliance management system 1 according to the first embodiment. The home appliance management system 1 includes, for example, one or more home appliances 100, a server 200, and a home appliance management app AP of the terminal device 300. The network NW described later can use, 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 lines or dedicated lines.

[0011] (Home Appliance) The home appliance 100 is an electrical device mainly used at home. The home appliance 100 is arranged in the residence of the user U. The home appliance 100 includes a refrigerator 100A, a clothes processor 100B, an air conditioner 100C, a cooking heater 100D, a rice cooker 100E, a coffee maker 100F, a water treatment device 100G, a garbage processor 100H, a vacuum cleaner, an iron, etc., but is not limited thereto. The "clothes processor" is a washing machine (including a washing and drying machine) or a closet-type clothes processor, etc. The "air conditioner" is an air conditioner, an air purifier, a humidifier, etc. The "cooking heater" is an oven range, a microwave oven, a toaster, etc. The "water treatment device" is, for example, a water purifier. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the "clothes processor 100B" may be referred to as the "washing machine 100B", and the air conditioner 100C may be referred to as the "air conditioner 100C".

[0012] The home appliance 100 is connected to the network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M in the residence of the user U. The home appliance 100 can communicate with the server 200 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW. The home appliance 100 may directly communicate with the terminal device 300 using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, one or more home appliances 100 may have a voice notification device VD. The voice notification device VD is a device capable of outputting voice guidance. The voice notification device VD is an example of the "voice notification function".

[0013] (Server) Server 200 is a management server that manages home appliances 100. Server 200 is composed of one or more server devices (e.g., cloud servers). Server 200 can communicate with home appliances 100 or terminal device 300 via network NW. 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 network NW. Server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in user U's residence, or a home router, etc.

[0014] Terminal device 400 used by operator OP of program provider PS is communicably connected to server 200. Server 200 stores various programs (e.g., application program P2 described later) and various update programs (e.g., update programs UP1, UP2 described later) from program provider PS. Also in this embodiment, update order setting information 293 (see FIG. 4) indicating the update order of update programs UP1, UP2 is stored in server 200 by program provider PS. Program provider PS is, for example, a manufacturer that manufactures and sells home appliances, or a program providing company that provides programs, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0015] (Terminal device) Terminal device 300 is an electronic device used by user U. Terminal device 300 can be used independently of home appliances 100, for example. Terminal device 300 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, terminal device 300 is not limited to a portable terminal device, and may be a personal computer, etc., or a voice dialogue device (e.g., smart speaker), etc.

[0016] The terminal device 300 includes, for example, a display device 301, an input device 302, and a communication unit 303. The display device 301 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and has a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information. The input device 302 is a device that receives operations of the user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided overlapping the display screen 301a. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, etc. provided in the terminal device 300. The communication unit 303 is, for example, a communication module capable of wireless communication. The communication unit 303 is connected to the network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M or directly. The communication unit 303 can communicate with the home appliance 100 or the server 200 via the network NW. The communication unit 303 may be able to directly communicate with the home appliance 100 using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth.

[0017] An application program P2 is installed in the terminal device 300, and the functions described below are supported. The application program P2 is, for example, an application program for managing the home appliance 100. Hereinafter, the application software started by executing the application program P2 is referred to as "home appliance management app AP".

[0018] In the present embodiment, an example of an "information processing system" is realized by the server 200. However, the "information processing system" may be realized only by the home appliance 100 instead of the above example, may be realized only by the home appliance management app AP, or may be realized by any two or more of the home appliance 100, the server 200, or the home appliance management app AP. In the present embodiment, each of the home appliance 100, the server 200, and the terminal device 300 is an example of a "computer".

[0019] <A2. Home Appliance> Next, the home appliance 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance 100. The home appliance 100 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 110, an actuator 120, an operation unit 130, a control unit 140, an information transmission unit 150, and a storage unit 190.

[0020] The information acquisition unit 110 acquires various information from the server 200 or the terminal device 300 by communicating with the server 200 or the terminal device 300. In the present embodiment, when the update program UP1 for updating the program P1 described later exists in the server 200, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires the update program UP1 from the server 200.

[0021] In the present application, "update" is not limited to updating an existing program (for example, replacing an existing program with a new version of the program), but may also include adding another program (for example, a subprogram such as a plugin) that is used in cooperation with the existing program while leaving the existing program. This is the same not only for the update program UP1 but also for the update program UP2 described later.

[0022] The actuator 120 is a drive unit that operates the main function of the home appliance 100. For example, when the home appliance 100 is the refrigerator 100A, the actuator 120 is a compressor that compresses the refrigerant or a blower that circulates cold air inside the refrigerator 100A. When the home appliance 100 is the washing machine 100B, the actuator 120 is a motor that rotates the rotating tub.

[0023] The operation unit 130 is a functional unit that receives the operation of the user U. The operation unit 130 includes one or more of operation buttons, switches, dials, or touch panels. The operation unit 130 receives, for example, the operation of the user U related to the control of the home appliance 100.

[0024] The control unit 140 is realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) mounted on the home appliance 100 executing the program P1. The program P1 is, for example, a program that realizes the firmware of the home appliance 100. However, the program P1 is not limited to the above example and may be a sub-program or the like for realizing a specific function in the home appliance 100. The program P1 is an example of the "first program". Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the program P1 may be referred to as the "device program P1". Note that all or part of the control unit 140 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.

[0025] The control unit 140 comprehensively controls the entire home appliance 100. For example, the control unit 140 operates the home appliance 100 by controlling the actuator 120 based on the detection result of the sensor provided in the home appliance 100 and the control information 191. The control information 191 includes various operation modes, set values, threshold values, and the like. In addition, the control unit 140 can execute control in response to a request from the server 200. Further, the control unit 140 stores information indicating the state of the home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as "state information 192") in the storage unit 190.

[0026] In addition, when the update program UP1 for updating the device program P1 is acquired from the server 200, the control unit 140 updates the device program P1 using the acquired update program UP1. The update program UP1 is an example of the "first update program".

[0027] The information transmission unit 150 transmits the status information 192 to the server 200 or the terminal device 300 at a predetermined cycle or in response to a request from the outside. The information transmission unit 150 may transmit the status information 192 to the server 200 or the terminal device 300 when the status of the home appliance 100 changes. The status information 192 includes version information VE1 indicating the format (version) of the device program P1. The version information VE1 is an example of "format identification information" that can identify the format (version) of the device program P1 and is also an example of "related information" related to the device program P1.

[0028] The storage unit 190 is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The storage unit 190 is realized by a combination of, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 190 stores, for example, the device program P1, the control information 191, and the status information 192.

[0029] <A3. Terminal Device> Next, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the terminal device 300 will be described first. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 310, a display control unit 320, an operation reception unit 330, an information transmission unit 340, a terminal control unit 350, and a storage unit 390.

[0030] The information acquisition unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the information transmission unit 340 are realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300 executing an application program P2. In other words, the information acquisition unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the information transmission unit 340 are software functional units included in the home appliance management application AP. The application program P2 is an example of the "second program". Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the application program P2 may be referred to as the "app program P2".

[0031] <A3.1 Information Acquisition Unit> The information acquisition unit 310 acquires various information from the server 200 or the home appliance device 100 by communicating with the server 200 or the home appliance device 100. In the present embodiment, when an update program UP2 for updating the application program P2 exists in the server 200, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires the update program UP2 from the server 200. Further, when the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 is updated, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires a notification (hereinafter referred to as a "device update completion notification") indicating that the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 has been updated from the server 200.

[0032] <A3.2 Display Control Unit> The display control unit 320 controls the display content on the display screen 301a of the display device 301 by controlling the display device 301 of the terminal device 300. Various screens and various operation units displayed on the display screen 301a related to the home appliance management application AP are displayed under the control of the display control unit 320.

[0033] In the present embodiment, when an update program UP1 for updating the device program P1 mounted on the home appliance device 100 exists in the server 200, the display control unit 320 is based on related information related to the application program P2 mounted on the terminal device 300 (for example, the version information VE2 of the application program P2). The display screen 301a is caused to display that the device program P1 can be updated.

[0034] <A3.3 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 screen displayed by the display control unit 320. For example, the operation reception unit 330 receives the operation of the user U who presses (for example, taps) various operation units displayed on the above screen. The operation reception unit 330 can perform a setting operation on the home appliance 100. The operation reception unit 330 is an example of a "setting unit".

[0035] <A3.4 Information Transmission Unit> The information transmission unit 340 transmits various information to the server 200 or the home appliance 100 by communicating with the server 200 or the home appliance 100. For example, when the operation of the user U is received by the operation reception unit 330, the information transmission unit 340 generates information or a signal corresponding to the received operation, and transmits the generated information or signal to the server 200 or the home appliance 100.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the information transmission unit 340 transmits information indicating the state of the terminal device 300 (hereinafter referred to as "state information 391") to the server 200 at a predetermined cycle or in response to a request from the outside. The state information 391 includes version information VE2 indicating the format (version) of the application program P2. The version information VE2 is an example of "format identification information" capable of identifying the format (version) of the application program P2, and is also an example of "related information" related to the application program P2.

[0037] <A3.5 Terminal Control Unit> The terminal control unit 350 controls the update of the application program P2. The terminal control unit 350 is realized, for example, by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300 executing the firmware of the terminal device 300. When an update program UP2 for updating the application program P2 is acquired from the server 200, the terminal control unit 350 updates the application program P2 using the acquired update program UP2. The update program UP2 is an example of the "second update program".

[0038] Note that instead of being provided separately from the home appliance management application AP, the terminal control unit 350 may be provided as a part of the home appliance management application AP. In this case, the terminal control unit 350 may be realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300 executing the application program P2.

[0039] When a predetermined function of the home appliance device 100 becomes available by updating the device program P1 mounted on the home appliance device 100, the terminal control unit 350 updates the data stored in the terminal device 300 before communication regarding the execution of the predetermined function is performed. The terminal control unit 350 is an example of an "update control unit".

[0040] <A3.6 Storage Unit> The storage unit 390 is realized, for example, by a combination of a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, or an SSD. The storage unit 390 stores various kinds of information. For example, the storage unit 390 stores the application program P2 and the status information 391.

[0041] <A4. Server> Next, the server 200 will be described. FIG. 4 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 device management unit 220, an update management unit 230, a communication processing unit 240, and a storage unit 290.

[0042] <A4.1 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. Device registration is performed, for example, by registering the correspondence relationship between user information (e.g., user ID) that can identify the user U and identification information (e.g., device ID) that can identify the individual of the home appliance 100. In the present embodiment, the above correspondence relationship is registered in the device registration DB 291 stored in the storage unit 290. 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.

[0043] <A4.2 Home Appliance Management Unit> The home appliance management unit 220 manages the control of the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives an operation request for operating the home appliance 100 from the terminal device 300, it generates a control command corresponding to the received operation request and notifies the generated control command to the home appliance 100. Thereby, the operation of the home appliance 100 corresponding to the operation request from the terminal device 300 is performed. In the present application, "operation of the home appliance" includes, but is not limited to, starting an operation, stopping an operation, setting or changing the operation content, setting or changing an operation reservation, adding or deleting a special function, and checking the state of the home appliance.

[0044] Further, when the home appliance management unit 220 acquires state information 192 indicating the state of the home appliance 100 from the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300, it transmits the acquired state information 192 to the terminal device 300. In this case, the state information 192 included in the terminal device 300 includes version information VE1 indicating the type (version) of the device program P1.

[0045] <A4.3 Update Management Unit> The update management unit 230 manages the update of the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 and the update of the application program P2 of the terminal device 300. The update management unit 230 includes, for example, an update information management unit 231, an update necessity determination unit 232, an update order determination unit 233, and an update processing unit 234.

[0046] <A4.3.1 Update Information Management Unit> The update information management unit 231 manages information related to the update of the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 and the application program P2 of the terminal device 300. For example, the update information management unit 231 manages the registration content of the update information DB292 stored in the storage unit 290. For example, when update programs UP1 and UP2 are provided by the program provider PS (when the update programs UP1 and UP2 are uploaded), the update information management unit 231 causes the provided update programs UP1 and UP2 to be stored in the storage unit 290.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the content of the update information DB292. The update information DB292 includes, for example, a device update information DB292A and a terminal update information DB292B.

[0048] (Device Update Information DB) In the device update information DB292A, information indicating whether the device program P1 installed in each home appliance device 100 is updatable (for example, whether it is the latest version) is registered. For example, in the device update information DB292A, a device ID capable of identifying each home appliance device 100, version information VE1 of the device program P1 (the device program P1 in use) installed in the home appliance device 100, the presence or absence of an update program UP1 for updating the device program P1, and version information indicating the type of the update program UP1 when the update program UP1 exists are associated and managed with the user ID of the user U associated with the home appliance device 100.

[0049] (Terminal Update Information DB) In the terminal update information DB292B, information indicating whether the application program P2 installed in the terminal device 300 used by each user U can be updated (for example, whether it is the latest version) is registered. For example, in the terminal update information DB292B, a user ID that can identify each user U, version information VE2 of the application program P2 (the application program P2 in use) installed in the terminal device 300 used by the user U, the presence or absence of an update program UP2 that can update the application program P2, and when the update program UP2 exists, version information indicating the type of the update program UP2 are managed in association with each other.

[0050] <A4.3.2 Update necessity determination unit> The update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether the device program P1 installed in the home appliance 100 can be updated and whether the application program P2 installed in the terminal device 300 can be updated. For example, the update necessity determination unit 232 makes the above determinations based on the content registered in the update information DB292. For example, for each home appliance 100, when there exists an update program UP1 that can update the device program P1, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines that the device program P1 can be updated. For each terminal device 300, when there exists an update program UP2 that can update the application program P2, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines that the application program P2 can be updated. For example, when the device program P1 installed in the home appliance 100 can be updated, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether the application program P2 installed in the terminal device 300 needs to be updated. The update necessity determination unit 232 is an example of the "necessity determination unit".

[0051] <A4.3.3 Update order determination unit> The update order determination unit 233 determines which program to update preferentially between the device program P1 installed in the home appliance device 100 and the application program P2 installed in the terminal device 300 used by the user U associated with the home appliance device 100 by the above-described device registration, in a combination of the home appliance device 100 to be determined and the terminal device 300. When the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable (hereinafter referred to as "when both programs are updatable" for convenience of explanation), it is determined which program to update preferentially between the device program P1 and the application program P2.

[0052] In the present embodiment, when both programs are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 determines which program to update preferentially between the device program P1 and the application program P2 based on the update order setting information 293 stored in the storage unit 390. The update order setting information 293 is information preset by the program provider PS and defines which program to update preferentially between the device program P1 and the application program P2. The update order setting information 293 is stored in the storage unit 390, for example, by being transmitted from the terminal device 400 of the program provider PS to the server 200.

[0053] In the present embodiment, for example, an instruction indicating that the update of the device program P1 is to be prioritized over the update of the application program P2 is registered in the update order setting information 293. In this case, when both programs are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 determines, based on the update order setting information 293, to update the device program P1 preferentially between the device program P1 and the application program P2.

[0054] <A4.3.4 Update Processing Unit> Based on the determination result of the update order determination unit 233, the update processing unit 234 executes the update processing of one of the programs determined to be updated preferentially between the device program P1 and the application program P2. Then, thereafter, the update processing unit 234 executes the update processing of the other program between the device program P1 and the application program P2.

[0055] In this application, "update process" refers to, but is not limited to, downloading an update program and / or updating an existing program using the above update program (for example, installing the above update program), and may also include notifications before downloading. "Downloading of the update program" refers to, for example, the home appliance device 100 obtaining the update program UP1 from the server 200, or the terminal device 300 obtaining the update program UP2 from the server 200. "Installation of the update program" refers to deleting the existing device program P1 and replacing it with the update program UP1, adding the update program UP1 (for example, a sub-program such as a plugin) while leaving the existing device program P1, deleting the existing application program P2 and replacing it with the update program UP2, or adding the update program UP2 (for example, a sub-program such as a plugin) while leaving the existing application program P2. "Notification before downloading" refers to, for example, a notification to inform the user U that there is an update program (a notification to propose program update), a notification to inform the user U that the download of the update program will be automatically started, or a notification to obtain the approval of the user U for starting the download of the update program.

[0056] In this embodiment, the update processing unit 234 causes the download and installation of the update program to be performed as the update process of one of the programs determined to be preferentially updated between the device program P1 and the application program P2. Then, after the completion of the installation of the update program for the above one program (that is, after the completion of the update of the above one program), the update processing unit 234 causes the update process of the other program to be started.

[0057] For example, when it is determined that the device program P1 has a higher priority than the application program P2, after the download and installation of the update program UP1 by the home appliance device 100 are completed (i.e., after the update of the device program P1 is completed), the terminal device 300 is caused to download and install the update program UP2.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the update processing unit 234 performs notification related to the application program P2 by transmitting a predetermined notification to the terminal device 300. For example, the update processing unit 234 transmits a predetermined notification to the terminal device 300 to notify the user U that the application program P2 is updatable, to automatically start the download and / or installation of the update program UP2, or to obtain approval from the user U for starting the download and / or installation of the update program UP2. Specific examples of these notifications will be described later.

[0059] <A4.4 Communication Processing Unit> Next, the communication processing unit 240 will be described. Hereinafter, a case where it is determined that the update of the device program P1 has a higher priority than the application program P2 will be described as an example.

[0060] In the present embodiment, when it is determined by the update order determination unit 233 that the device program P1 is updated with higher priority than the application program P2, after executing the update process of the application program P2 after the update process of the device program P1, the communication related to the use of the functions of the home appliance device 100 obtained by the device program P1 is performed. In other words, when the device program P1 is updated, the communication processing unit 240 suppresses the communication related to the use of the functions of the home appliance device 100 obtained by the device program P1 during the period until the update of the application program P2 (for example, the update of the application program P2 corresponding to the update of the device program P1) is completed.

[0061] In this application, the "function of the home appliance obtained by the device program" refers to, for example, a new function that becomes newly available by updating the device program P1. Such new functions include, for example, an operation mode that cannot be used with the device program P1 before the update, a reservation function, or a function that operates in cooperation with a plurality of home appliances 100, but is not limited thereto. In this application, the "update of the application program corresponding to the update of the device program" means, for example, when the function of the home appliance 100 is changed (for example, addition, deletion, or content change of the function) by the update of the device program P1, it means the update of the application program P2 corresponding to the change of the function. For example, the "update of the application program corresponding to the update of the device program" means updating the application program P2 so that it becomes a type corresponding to the type of the device program P1 after the update. Also, in this application, the "communication related to the use of the function of the home appliance" means, for example, one or more of the communication between the server 200 and the home appliance 100, the communication between the server 200 and the terminal device 300, and the communication between the home appliance 100 and the terminal device 300.

[0062] Also, from one point of view, in this application, the "function of the home appliance obtained by the device program" is not limited to the above new functions, and may also include, for example, functions that are available before the update of the device program P1. In other words, when the device program P1 is updated, the communication processing unit 240 may restrict the communication related to the use of functions other than the program update (for example, the use of the existing main functions of the home appliance) during the period until the update of the application program P2 is completed.

[0063] <A4.5 Storage Unit> The storage unit 290 is realized by a combination of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, SSD, or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage unit 290 stores various information. For example, the storage unit 290 stores the device registration DB 291, the update information DB 292, the update order setting information 293, the application program P2, a plurality of update programs UP1, and a plurality of update programs UP2. The application program P2 is downloaded to and used by the terminal device 300. The plurality of update programs UP1 includes, for example, a plurality of update programs UP1 with different versions. The plurality of update programs UP2 includes, for example, a plurality of update programs UP2 with different versions.

[0064] <A5. Control Flow Related to Program Update> Next, the control flow related to program update will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the control flow related to program update. First, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable (S101). When it is determined that both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 determines to update the device program P1 prior to the application program P2 based on the update order setting information 293 (S102).

[0065] Next, when it is determined by the update order determination unit 233 to update the device program P1 prior to the application program P2, the update processing unit 234 causes the home appliance device 100 to download the update program UP1 from the server 200 (S103). When the update program UP1 is downloaded from the server 200, the control unit 140 of the home appliance device 100 updates the device program P1 with the update program UP1 by installing the update program UP1 (S104). When the update of the device program P1 is completed, the control unit 140 of the home appliance device 100 transmits a notification indicating that the update is completed (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N1") to the server 200 (S105).

[0066] When the update processing unit 234 receives the update completion notification N1 from the home appliance device 100, it transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N2") indicating that the update of the device program P1 in the home appliance device 100 has been completed to the terminal device 300 (S106). When the display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP receives the update completion notification N2 from the server 200, it performs a predetermined notification (notification A) through the terminal device 300 (S107). The predetermined notification (notification A) is, for example, a notification informing that the update of the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 has been completed and / or a notification informing that the update of the application program P2 is possible. When the user U confirms the above-mentioned predetermined notification, the user U performs an operation to start the home appliance management application AP (S108).

[0067] When an operation to start the home appliance management application AP is performed, the display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP performs a predetermined notification (notification B) through the terminal device 300 (S109). The predetermined notification (notification B) is, for example, a notification informing that the update of the application program P2 is possible.

[0068] Next, when the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 receives an operation (S110) of the user U permitting the update of the application program P2 by the operation reception unit 330, it communicates with the server 200 and downloads the update program UP2 from the server 200 (S111). When the update program UP2 is downloaded from the server 200, the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 updates the application program P2 with the update program UP2 by installing the update program UP2 (S112). When the update of the application program P2 is completed, the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N3") indicating that the update has been completed to the server 200 (S113).

[0069] After that, when a setting change (for example, a setting change using the operation unit 130) or a state change related to a new function of the home appliance 100 that becomes available due to the updated device program P1 occurs (S121), the control unit 140 of the home appliance 100 transmits a predetermined notification N11 notifying that the setting change or state change related to the new function has occurred to the server 200 (S122).

[0070] When the communication processing unit 240 of the server 200 receives the above-mentioned predetermined notification N11, it determines whether the update of the application program P2 has been completed (for example, whether the update completion notification N3 has been received). When the update of the application program P2 has been completed, the communication processing unit 240 transmits a predetermined notification N12 corresponding to the above-mentioned predetermined notification N11 to the terminal device 300 (S123). The display control unit 320 of the terminal device 300 causes the content corresponding to the received predetermined notification N12 to be displayed on the display screen 301a (S124).

[0071] On the other hand, when a setting operation related to a new function of the home appliance 100 that becomes available due to the updated device program P1 is performed on the terminal device 300 (S131), the information transmission unit 340 of the terminal device 300 transmits a predetermined notification N15 notifying that the setting operation related to the new function has been performed to the server 200 (S132).

[0072] When the communication processing unit 240 of the server 200 receives the above-mentioned predetermined notification N15, it transmits a predetermined notification N16 corresponding to the above-mentioned predetermined notification N15 to the home appliance 100 (S133). The control unit 140 of the home appliance 100 performs a setting change of the home appliance 100 corresponding to the received predetermined notification N16 (S134).

[0073] <A6. Example of display screen> Next, an example of a display screen displayed on the terminal device 300 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the above-described predetermined notification (Notification A). FIG. 7 shows, for example, the home screen DH displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. The display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP causes a push notification N21 to be displayed on the home screen DH as an example of a predetermined notification. The push notification N21 is a notification for informing, for example, that the update of the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 has been completed.

[0074] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the above-described predetermined notification (Notification B). FIG. 8 shows, for example, the basic screen DD of the home appliance management application AP displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. The display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP causes a notification N22 to be displayed on the basic screen DD as an example of a predetermined notification. The notification N22 is a notification for prompting the update of the application program P2, for example.

[0075] <A7. Advantages> As a comparative example, consider a case where the update of the device program P1 and the update of the application program P2 are performed without proper cooperation. In this comparative example, when the device program P1 is updated and new functions are added, but the application program P2 is not updated, there may be a case where the user U cannot appropriately use the functions of the home appliance device 100 or the services related to the home appliance device 100.

[0076] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a case where the formats (versions) of the device program P1 and the application program P2 are different. There are four patterns of combinations of the format of the device program P1 and the format of the application program P2 (device program, application program): mode 1 (old, old), mode 2 (old, new), mode 3 (new, old), and mode 4 (new, new).

[0077] Since Mode 1 and Mode 4 are combinations of the same types, no inconsistency occurs. When the device program P1 is old and the application program P2 is new as in Mode 2, even if the device program P1 is old, the communication specification is already determined. Therefore, it is possible to cope by changing the control by the application program P2 (for example, the display content on the terminal device 300 side) based on the type identification information of the device program P1. On the other hand, in Mode 3, when there is a device program P1 including a new specification (for example, a new function), it may be difficult to cope with an old application program P2. For example, when the terminal device 300 acquires state information indicating the state of the home appliance 100 (for example, setting information indicating the set state of the refrigerator 100A) from the home appliance 100 via the server 200, it is assumed that unknown information may be sent from the home appliance 100.

[0078] Here, in the present embodiment, when the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, a determination step of determining which program of the device program P1 and the application program P2 to update preferentially, and based on the determination result of the determination step, an update process of one of the device program P1 and the application program P2 determined to be preferentially updated is executed, and then, a process step of executing an update process of the other program of the device program P1 and the application program P2 is performed. According to such a configuration, it becomes easier to suppress a state in which only one of the update of the device program P1 and the update of the application program P2 is updated and the update of the other is left unperformed. As a result, the user U can easily and appropriately use the function of the home appliance 100 or the service related to the home appliance 100. As a result, convenience can be improved.

[0079] <A8. Modification Example> <A8.1 First Modification Example> In the above-described embodiment, the update order determination unit 233 determines which of the device program P1 and the application program P2 is to be preferentially updated based on the update order setting information 293 registered by the program provider PS. Instead of this, the update order determination unit 233 may determine which program is to be preferentially updated based on other information (for example, a preset rule). The above-mentioned other information may be, for example, a rule preset by an operator different from the program provider PS, information indicating the content of the function added or improved by the update, or information indicating the state of the home electric appliance 100 (for example, whether it is in operation).

[0080] <A8.2 Second Modification Example> In the above-described embodiment, the update order determination unit 233 determines which of the device program P1 and the application program P2 is to be preferentially updated based on the update order setting information 293. Instead of this, when both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 may univocally (fixedly) determine to preferentially update the device program P1 over the application program P2 without relying on specific determination information (for example, the update order setting information 293).

[0081] <A8.3 Third Modification Example> In the above-described embodiment, when an operation of the user U that permits the update of the application program P2 is received, the update of the application program P2 is performed. Instead of this, the update of the application program P2 may be performed without an operation of the user U that permits the update of the application program P2.

[0082] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow related to the update of the program according to the third modification example. In this modification example, when the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 receives an update completion notification N2 notifying that the update of the device program P1 has been completed, the terminal control unit 350 downloads the update program UP2 from the server 200 and automatically updates the application program P2 without an operation of the user U that permits the update of the application program P2. Note that the process of automatically updating the application program P2 may be performed after the home appliance management application AP is started by the user U, or may be performed before the home appliance management application AP is started by the user U.

[0083] Furthermore, when the terminal control unit 350 receives an update completion notification N2 notifying that the update of the device program P1 has been completed, for example, the terminal control unit 350 may download the update program UP2 from the server 200 and update the application program P2 without notifying the user U that the device program P1 has been updated and without notifying the user U of the automatic update of the application program P2.

[0084] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, when the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, the application program P2 is updated preferentially over the device program P1, which is different from the first embodiment. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0085] <B1. Overall Configuration> In this embodiment, an instruction indicating that the update of the application program P2 is prioritized over the update of the device program P1 is registered in the update order setting information 293. In this case, when both programs are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 determines to update the application program P2 preferentially over the device program P1 based on the update order setting information 293.

[0086] Alternatively, instead of the above example, if there are changes in the format of the data that the updated device program P1 causes the home appliance device 100 to transmit, which are different from those before the update of the device program P1, the update order determination unit 233 may determine the priority so that the process related to the update of the application program P2 is executed first and then the process related to the update of the device program P1 is executed. Whether there are changes in the format of the data that the updated device program P1 causes the home appliance device 100 to transmit, which are different from those before the update of the device program P1, is registered in association with each update program UP1 in the update information DB292, for example. The update order determination unit 233 can perform the above determination process based on the registration content of the update information DB292.

[0087] From another perspective, when the device program P1 installed in the home appliance device 100 can be updated, the update order determination unit 233 determines whether the application program P2 installed in the terminal device 300 needs to be updated.

[0088] In the present embodiment, when it is determined by the update order determination unit 233 that the application program P2 is given priority over the device program P1, after the download and installation of the update program UP2 by the terminal device 300 are completed (that is, after the update of the application program P2 is completed), the home appliance device 100 is caused to download and install the update program UP1.

[0089] In this embodiment, when the communication processing unit 240 is determined by the update order determination unit 233 to update the application program P2 with priority over the device program P1, after executing the update process of the device program P1 after the update process of the application program P2, communication related to the use of the functions (for example, new functions) of the home appliance 100 obtained by the application program P2 is performed. In other words, when the application program P2 is updated, the communication processing unit 240 suppresses communication related to the use of the functions (for example, new functions) of the home appliance 100 obtained by the application program P2 during the period until the update of the device program P1 (for example, the update of the device program P1 corresponding to the update of the application program P2) is completed. In this application, "the update of the device program corresponding to the update of the application program" means, for example, when the function of the home appliance management application AP is changed (for example, function addition, deletion, or content change) due to the update of the application program P2, it means the update of the device program P1 corresponding to the change of the function. For example, "the update of the device program corresponding to the update of the application program" means updating the device program P1 so as to have a format corresponding to the format of the updated application program P2.

[0090] <B2. Control flow related to program update> FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the control flow related to program update. First, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable (S201). When it is determined that both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 determines, based on the update order setting information 293, to update the application program P2 with priority over the device program P1 (S202).

[0091] Next, when the update processing unit 234 is determined by the update order determination unit 233 to update the application program P2 with priority over the device program P1, the update processing unit 234 transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update guidance notification N31") indicating that the application program P2 can be updated in the terminal device 300 to the terminal device 300 (S203). When the display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP receives the update guidance notification N31 from the server 200, in response to an operation (S204) of the user U who starts the home appliance management application AP, a predetermined notification (notification C) is performed through the terminal device 300 (S205). The predetermined notification (notification C) is, for example, a notification informing that the application program P2 can be updated.

[0092] Next, when the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 receives an operation (S206) of the user U who permits the update of the application program P2 by the operation reception unit 330, the terminal control unit 350 communicates with the server 200 and downloads the update program UP2 from the server 200 (S207). When the update program UP2 is downloaded from the server 200, the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 updates the application program P2 with the update program UP2 by installing the update program UP2 (S208). When the update of the application program P2 is completed, the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N32") indicating that the update has been completed to the server 200 (S209).

[0093] When the update process unit 234 has completed the update of the application program P2, it transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update guidance notification N33") indicating that the device program P1 can be updated in the home appliance device 100 to the terminal device 300 (S210). When the display control unit 320 of the terminal device 300 receives the update guidance notification N33, it notifies through the terminal device 300 that the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 can be updated (S211). For example, the display control unit 320 causes a guidance indicating that the device program P1 of the home appliance device 100 can be updated to be displayed on the display screen 301a. Note that when the update of the application program P2 is not completed, the update process unit 234 suppresses (for example, does not transmit) the transmission of the update guidance notification N33 even if the device program P1 can be updated in the home appliance device 100. Thereby, it is suppressed that the device program P1 is updated in a state where the application program P2 is not updated.

[0094] In the present embodiment, the update process unit 234 executes the update process of the device program P1 based on the version information VE2 of the updated application program P2. For example, the update process unit 234 determines whether the device program P1 can be updated (for example, whether the version of the updated application program P2 and the current version of the device program P1 satisfy a predetermined correspondence relationship) based on the version information VE2 of the updated application program P2. When the device program P1 can be updated, the update process unit 234 performs the above notification notifying that the update of the device program P1 is possible.

[0095] When the operation reception unit 330 of the home appliance management application AP receives the update guidance notification N33 from the server 200 and receives an operation (S212) of the user U that permits the update of the device program P1, it transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update permission notification N34") indicating that the update of the device program P1 is permitted to the server 200 (S213).

[0096] When the update processing unit 234 receives the update permission notice N34 from the server 200, it causes the home appliance device 100 to download the update program UP1 from the server 200 (S221). When the update program UP1 is downloaded from the server 200, the control unit 140 of the home appliance device 100 updates the device program P1 with the update program UP1 by installing the update program UP1 (S222). When the update of the device program P1 is completed, the control unit 140 of the home appliance device 100 transmits a notice indicating that the update is completed (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notice N35") to the server 200 (S223).

[0097] When the update processing unit 234 receives the update completion notice N35 from the home appliance device 100, it transmits a notice indicating that the update of the device program P1 has been completed in the home appliance device 100 (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notice N35") to the terminal device 300 (S224). When the display control unit 320 of the home appliance management app AP receives the update completion notice N35 from the server 200, it performs a predetermined notification (notification D) through the terminal device 300 (S225). The predetermined notification (notification D) is a notification informing that the update of the device program P1 has been completed.

[0098] Thereafter, the processes of S121 to S124 or the processes of S131 to S134 are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the above flow, the processes of confirming the permission of the user U (S211 to S213) may be omitted. In this case, the update processing unit 234 may start the update of the device program P1 in response to the completion of the update of the app program P2.

[0099] <B3. Example of display screen> In the present embodiment, when the app program P2 is updated, the display control unit 320 makes the display content displayed on the display screen 301a different during the period until the update of the device program P1 is completed and after the update of the device program P1 is completed.

[0100] In this embodiment, when the application program P2 is updated, the display control unit 320 changes the display content to be displayed on the display screen 301a based on the version information VE1 indicating the format (version) of the device program P1. For example, the display control unit 320 is based on the version information VE1 indicating the format (version) of the device program P1 and the version information VE2 indicating the format (version) of the application program P2. When the format of the device program P1 and the format of the application program P2 satisfy a predetermined correspondence relationship (for example, when they are corresponding formats), and when the format of the device program P1 and the format of the application program P2 do not satisfy the above predetermined correspondence relationship (for example, when they are not corresponding formats), the display content to be displayed on the display screen 301a is changed.

[0101] For example, when the application program P2 is updated, the display control unit 320 suppresses displaying on the display screen 301a the content related to the use of the new functions of the home appliance 100 obtained by the updated application program P2 during the period until the update of the device program P1 is completed, and causes the content related to the use of the functions of the home appliance 100 obtained by the application program P2 before the update to be displayed on the display screen 301a. On the other hand, after the update of the device program P1 is completed, the display control unit 320 displays on the display screen 301a the content related to the use of the new functions of the home appliance 100 obtained by the updated application program P2.

[0102] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the display content of the display screen 301a. (a) in FIG. 12 shows an operation screen D1A displayed during the period until the update of the device program P1 is completed after the application program P2 is updated. On the other hand, (b) in FIG. 12 shows an operation screen D1B displayed after the application program P2 is updated and the update of the device program P1 is completed. In the following, when the operation screen D1A and the operation screen D1B are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as "operation screen D1". In the example shown in FIG. 12, the update of the device program P1 and the application program P2 adds an operation mode of chilled operation (hereinafter referred to as "special chilled") including special cooling control to the refrigerator 100A, and enables the use of a monitoring service using the refrigerator 100A.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 12, the operation screen D1 includes a plurality of operation units B11 for using the functions of the home appliance 100 or services related to the home appliance 100. The operation unit B11 includes, for example, an operation unit for changing the temperature setting of the refrigerator compartment, an operation unit for switching the ON / OFF of the sterilization mode, and the like.

[0104] In the present embodiment, even after the application program P2 is updated, during the period until the update of the device program P1 is completed, when the operation unit B11A for changing the operation mode of the chilled compartment is operated, an operation unit B11Aa for switching between "normal chilled" and "defrost mode" is displayed (see (a) in FIG. 12). On the other hand, after the application program P2 is updated and the update of the device program P1 is completed, when the operation unit B11A for changing the operation mode of the chilled compartment is operated, an operation unit B11Aa for switching between "normal chilled", "defrost mode", and "special chilled" is displayed (see (b) in FIG. 12).

[0105] In this embodiment, even after the application program P2 is updated, the operation unit B11B for using the monitoring service is not displayed during the period until the update of the device program P1 is completed (see (a) in FIG. 12). On the other hand, after the application program P2 is updated and the update of the device program P1 is completed, the operation unit B11B for using the monitoring service is displayed.

[0106] In this embodiment, the display modes (for example, display positions and sizes) of the plurality of operation units B11 excluding the operation unit B11B are the same during the period until the update of the device program P1 is completed (screen D1A) and after the update of the device program P1 is completed (screen D1B).

[0107] <B4. Advantages> According to the configuration of this embodiment, it becomes easy to suppress the occurrence of a combination of the new device program P1 and the old application program P2 (mode 3 shown in FIG. 9). Further, according to this embodiment, it becomes easy to cope with a user U who does not want to update the device program P1 and / or the application program P2.

[0108] <B5. Modification Examples> <B5.1 First Modification Example> In the above-described second embodiment, the update order determination unit 233 determines to prioritize the update of the application program P2 over the device program P1 based on the update order setting information 293 registered by the program provider PS. Instead of this, the update order determination unit 233 may determine which program to update preferentially based on another piece of information (for example, a preset rule). The above another piece of information may be, for example, a rule preset by an operator different from the program provider PS, information indicating the content of a function added or improved by the update, or information indicating the state of the home electric appliance 100 (for example, whether it is operating or not).

[0109] <B5.2 Second Modification Example> In the above-described embodiment, the update order determination unit 233 determines, based on the update order setting information 293, that the update of the application program P2 is prioritized over the update of the device program P1. Alternatively, when both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 may univocally (fixedly) determine to update the application program P2 prior to the device program P1 without relying on specific determination information (e.g., the update order setting information 293).

[0110] <B5.3 Third Variant Example> In the above-described embodiment, when an operation of user U that permits the update of the application program P2 is received, the update of the application program P2 is performed. Alternatively, the update of the application program P2 may be performed without an operation of user U that permits the update of the application program P2.

[0111] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow related to the update of the program according to the third variant example. In this variant example, when the terminal control unit 350 of the terminal device 300 receives the update notification N31, it downloads the update program UP2 from the server 200 and automatically updates the application program P2 without an operation of user U that permits the update of the application program P2. Note that the process of automatically updating the application program P2 may be performed after the home appliance management application AP is launched by user U, or may be performed before the home appliance management application AP is launched by user U.

[0112] (Third Embodiment) Next, the third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is different from the first or second embodiment in that a part of the application program P2 is constituted by a plug-in. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first or second embodiment.

[0113] FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300. In this embodiment, the application program P2 includes, for example, a main body program P2A and one or more plug-ins P2B.

[0114] (Main program) The main program P2A is executed by a hardware processor to realize the main functions of the home appliance management application AP. The main functions include, for example, the display of the basic screen DD of the home appliance management application AP and the function of updating the application program P2 (for example, downloading, installing, and deleting the plugin P2B).

[0115] (Plugin) The plugin P2B is executed by a hardware processor to realize the function of using the functions of each home appliance device 100 or the services related to each home appliance device 100. The plugin P2B is, for example, a plugin provided for each home appliance device 100 (for example, for each type or individual of the home appliance device 100) or for each service related to the home appliance device 100. One or more plugins P2B include, for example, the plugin P2B-1 for using the refrigerator 100A, the plugin P2B-2 for using the washing machine 100B, the plugin P2B-3 for using the food management service, and the plugin P2B-4 for using the recipe service. Note that instead of the plugin provided for each home appliance device 100 or for each service related to the home appliance device 100, when the home appliance device 100 has multiple functions, the plugin may be provided for each function.

[0116] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the basic screen DD of the home appliance management application AP. (a) in FIG. 15 shows a state where the application program P2 is not being updated. (b) in FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the state during the update of the application program P2 (for example, during the update of the plugin P2B-1 for using the refrigerator 100A).

[0117] The basic screen DD includes one or more operation units B1 for operating the home appliance 100 or using services related to the home appliance 100. The one or more operation units B1 include, for example, an operation unit B1A for operating the refrigerator 100A, an operation unit B1B for newly registering the device of the home appliance 100, an operation unit B1C for using the food management service, and an operation unit B1D for using the recipe service. For example, when the operation unit B1A corresponding to the refrigerator 100A is operated (e.g., tapped), the display screen 301a transitions from the basic screen DD to an operation screen D1 (see FIG. 12) for operating each function of the refrigerator 100A.

[0118] In this embodiment, when the plugin P2B related to the specific home appliance 100 is updated, the main body program P2A is maintained, and the download, installation, and deletion of the old plugin of the plugin P2B related to the home appliance 100 to be updated are performed.

[0119] When the update of the application program P2 is not in progress, the display control unit 320 displays a plurality of operation units B1 in the first mode (see (a) in FIG. 15). On the other hand, the display control unit 320 displays the operation unit B1 corresponding to the plugin being updated in a second mode different from the first mode (see (b) in FIG. 15). The second mode is, for example, a mode in which a display H (e.g., a gray semi-transparent circle) indicating that the plugin is being updated is superimposed on the first mode.

[0120] According to such a configuration, by separately managing the main body program P2A and the plugin P2B, it becomes possible to update each plugin P2B. As a result, it is possible to reduce the management burden and / or improve the understandability for the user U.

[0121] (Modification of the Third Embodiment) FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen 301a of a modification of the third embodiment. In this modification, the basic screen DD includes, as one of a plurality of operation units B1, an operation unit B1E for updating the device program P1 and the application program P2 (see (a) in FIG. 16). When the operation unit B1E is operated (for example, tapped), the display screen 301a transitions from the basic screen DD to the first update screen D2A. The first update screen D2A includes one or more operation units B21 for selecting the home appliance 100 to be updated in the device program P1.

[0122] On the first update screen D2A, when the operation unit B21 corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be updated is operated (for example, tapped), the display screen 301a transitions from the first update screen D2A to the second update screen D2B. The second update screen D2B includes, for example, an operation unit B31 and an operation unit B32. The operation unit B31 is an operation unit for selecting whether to permit automatic update for the update of the device program P1 corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be updated. The operation unit B32 is an operation unit for manually permitting the update of the device program P1 corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be updated. Note that the operation unit B31 may be provided as an operation unit for selecting whether to permit automatic update for the updates of both the device program P1 and the plugin P2B corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be updated. In this case, the operation unit B32 may be provided as an operation unit for manually permitting the updates of both the device program P1 and the plugin P2B corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be updated.

[0123] According to such a configuration, the operability of updating the plugin P2B corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be updated can be improved. As a result, the convenience of the user U can be enhanced.

[0124] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that an application program P2 corresponding to a plurality of types (versions) of the device program P1 is provided. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the third embodiment.

[0125] FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300 according to the fourth embodiment. In the present embodiment, the application program P2 includes, for example, a main body program P2A and one or more plugins P2C. The plurality of plugins P2C are, for example, plugins related to the same home appliance 100. In the present embodiment, the home appliance 100 has a plurality of functions. Each plugin P2C is executed by a hardware processor to realize one function included in the plurality of functions of the same home appliance 100.

[0126] The plurality of plugins P2C include, for example, a plugin P2C-1 for performing settings related to the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 100A, a plugin P2C-2 for performing settings related to the chilled compartment of the refrigerator 100A, a plugin P2C-3 for performing settings related to the freezer compartment of the refrigerator 100A, a plugin P2C-4 for performing settings related to the sterilization mode of the refrigerator 100A, and the like. In the present embodiment, when the plurality of plugins P2C include one or more plugins P2C related to the operation (including settings) of the home appliance 100, the display control unit 320 causes one or more operation units B1 corresponding to the one or more plugins P2C to be displayed on the display screen 301a.

[0127] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the display content of the display screen 301a. (a) in FIG. 18 shows an operation screen D1C displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 when the device program P1 of the home appliance 100 is an old model (version). On the other hand, (b) in FIG. 18 shows an operation screen D1D displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 when the device program P1 of the home appliance 100 is a new model (version). Hereinafter, when the operation screen D1C and the operation screen D1D are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as "operation screen D1". The example shown in FIG. 18 is such that in the old model device program P1, the functions B, F, and K of the home appliance 100 (for example, the refrigerator 100A) do not exist, but the function E exists, and in the new model device program P1, the function E of the home appliance 100 (for example, the refrigerator 100A) does not exist, but the functions B, F, and K exist.

[0128] In this embodiment, the application program P2 includes a plurality of plug-ins P2C (or data for obtaining missing plug-ins P2C) corresponding to all functions that can support all types of device programs P1 so that it can support any type (version) of device program P1 existing in the home appliance 100. For example, the application program P2 has plug-ins P2C corresponding to function A, function B, function C, function D, function E, function F, function G, function H, function J, and function H, respectively.

[0129] In this embodiment, based on the version information VE1 included in the status information 192 obtained from the home appliance 100, the display control unit 320 changes the display content displayed on the display screen 301a according to the version of the device program P1 of the home appliance 100. For example, for the operation units B1 (for example, B1-1, B1-3, B1-4, B1-6, B1-7, B1-8, B1-9) corresponding to functions (same functions) that do not change between the old-type device program P1 and the new-type device program P1, the display control unit 320 causes them to be displayed in the same manner (for example, the same position, the same size, the same color) on the operation screen D1C and the operation screen D1D. The display control unit 320 displays these operation units B1 in the first display mode.

[0130] On the other hand, for the operation units B1 (for example, B1-2, B1-6, and B1-10) corresponding to functions that exist in the new-type device program P1 but do not exist in the old-type device program P1, the display control unit 320 causes them to be displayed on the operation screen D1C in a second display mode different from the first display mode. The second display mode is, for example, a display mode indicating that it is unavailable, and is a display mode with higher transparency or lower saturation compared to the first display mode. Similarly, for the operation units B1 (for example, B1-5) corresponding to functions that exist in the old-type device program P1 but do not exist in the new-type device program P1, the display control unit 320 causes them to be displayed on the operation screen D1D in the second display mode.

[0131] Alternatively, instead of the above example, for the operation units B1 (for example, B1-2, B1-6, and B1-10) that exist in the new type of device program P1 but do not exist in the old type of device program P1, the display control unit 320 may not display them on the operation screen D1C. In this case, on the operation screen D1C, the area corresponding to the operation unit B1 (for example, B1-2, B1-6, and B1-10) becomes a reserved area R where the background screen of the operation screen D1 is displayed, and no other operation units or displays are shown. Similarly, for the operation unit B1 (for example, B1-5) that exists in the old type of device program P1 but does not exist in the new type of device program P1, the display control unit 320 may not display it on the operation screen D1D. In this case, on the operation screen D1D, the area corresponding to the operation unit B1 (for example, B1-5) becomes a reserved area R where the background screen of the operation screen D1 is displayed, and no other operation units or displays are shown.

[0132] According to such a configuration, since the plugin P2C can be performed for each function of the home appliance device 100 to be updated, the operability of updating the application program P2 can be improved. As a result, the convenience of the user U can be enhanced.

[0133] From another perspective, before the update of the device program P1, the display control unit 320 causes the information related to the home appliance device 100 to be displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 in the first display mode, and after the update of the device program P1, causes the information related to the home appliance device 100 to be displayed on the display screen 301a in a second display mode different from the first display mode. And for the functions common before and after the update of the device program P1, the display control unit 320 causes them to be displayed at the corresponding display positions in the first display mode and the second display mode.

[0134] (Fifth Embodiment) Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, it is different from the third or fourth embodiment in that, depending on the update content of the device program P1 and the application program P2, it is divided into a case where permission is requested from the user U and a case where automatic update is performed. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the third or fourth embodiment.

[0135] Here, there are two types of update methods for the device program P1 and the application program P2: a method (method A) in which the user U performs an operation to permit the update each time, and a method (method B) in which the update is automatically performed without the operation of the user U. Also, there are three types of updates: (1) an update that adds a new function, (2) an update that improves a defect in an existing function, and (3) an update that adds a new function and improves a defect in an existing function. In this embodiment, in the case of (2) above, automatic update is performed by method B, and in the cases of (1) and (3) above, update (optional update) is performed by method A. Note that for (1) and (3) above, the user U may be able to select whether to perform update (optional update) by method A or automatic update by method B. Note that the types of updates of each update program UP1 and each update program UP2 are registered and managed in, for example, the update information DB292.

[0136] FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200. In this embodiment, the update management unit 230 includes an update guidance necessity determination unit 235. The update guidance necessity determination unit 235 determines, based on, for example, the update information DB292, whether the update content of the device program P1 and / or the application program P2 is an update that adds a new function or an update that improves a defect in an existing function. Note that the determination by the update guidance necessity determination unit 235 may be performed for each of a plurality of plugins P2B divided for each home appliance device 100. Also, the determination by the update guidance necessity determination unit 235 may be performed for each of a plurality of plugins P2C divided for each function of the home appliance device 100.

[0137] In this embodiment, for the device program P1, application program P2, plugin P2B, or plugin P2C determined to include an update for adding a new function (which is the above (1) or (3)), the update processing unit 234 performs a process of asking the user U for permission to update each time (optional update, the process described in FIG. 6 or FIG. 11), and proceeds with the program update. Note that for the device program P1, application program P2, plugin P2B, or plugin P2C determined to include an update for adding a new function and improving defects in existing functions (which is the above (3)), the update processing unit 234 may proceed with the program update by a process without the permission of the user U (automatic update, the process described in FIG. 10 or FIG. 13).

[0138] On the other hand, for the device program P1, application program P2, plugin P2B, or plugin P2C determined to be an update for improving defects in existing functions (which is the above (2)), the update processing unit 234 proceeds with the program update by a process without the permission of the user U (automatic update, the process described in FIG. 10 or FIG. 13).

[0139] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the content displayed on the display screen 301a. In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 performs a display Y1 notifying that for an update satisfying a predetermined condition, it is performed by automatic update without the permission of the user U.

[0140] According to such a configuration, some updates can be performed without asking the user U for permission. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0141] (Sixth Embodiment) Next, the sixth embodiment will be described. The sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment or the second embodiment in that the device program P1 including a function for linking a plurality of home appliances 100 is updated. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0142] FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200. In the present embodiment, the update management unit 230 includes an update timing determination unit 236. The update timing determination unit 236 determines the update timing of the device program P1 of the home appliance 100 based on, for example, the state of the home appliance 100 (for example, the operation state or the ON / OFF state of the power supply).

[0143] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a flow related to program update. FIG. 22 shows an example in which there are a refrigerator 100A and a rice cooker 100E as a plurality of home appliances 100 to be linked. The refrigerator 100A is an example of a home appliance whose power is always in the ON state. The rice cooker 100E is an example of a home appliance whose power is switched between the ON state and the OFF state. The function of the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E to be linked is, for example, to control the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E so that the precooling operation of the small freezer of the refrigerator 100A is completed in accordance with the end of the rice cooking of the rice cooker 100E.

[0144] In the example shown in FIG. 22, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable (S301). When it is determined that both the device program P1 and the application program P2 are updatable, the update order determination unit 233 determines to update the device program P1 prior to the application program P2 based on the update order setting information 293 (S302).

[0145] Note that, regarding two or more home appliances 100 associated with the same user U, when the device programs P1 installed in the two or more home appliances 100 are each updatable, the update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether the device program P1 can be updated for each of the two or more home appliances 100. The update necessity determination unit 232 determines whether the device program P1 of each home appliance 100 can be updated based on, for example, the version information VE2 of the updated application program and the version information VE1 of the device program P1 of each of the two or more home appliances 100.

[0146] When the update processing unit 234 is determined by the update order determination unit 233 to update the device program P1 with priority over the application program P2, the update processing unit 234 causes the refrigerator 100A to download the update program UP1 from the server 200 (S303). Further, the update timing determination unit 236 determines whether it is the update timing of the rice cooker 100E based on the usage state (for example, the power state or the operation state) of the rice cooker 100E. When the update timing determination unit 236 determines that it is not the update timing of the rice cooker 100E in response to the power of the rice cooker 100E being in the OFF state, the update processing unit 234 suppresses causing the rice cooker 100E to download the update program UP1.

[0147] When the update program UP1 is downloaded from the server 200, the control unit 140 of the refrigerator 100A updates the device program P1 with the update program UP1 by installing the update program UP1 (S304). When the update of the device program P1 is completed, the control unit 140 of the refrigerator 100A transmits a notification indicating that the update has been completed (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N1A") to the server 200 (S305).

[0148] When the update processing unit 234 receives the update completion notification N1A from the refrigerator 100A, the update processing unit 234 transmits a notification (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N2A") indicating that the update of the device program P1 has been completed in the refrigerator 100A to the terminal device 300 (S306). When the display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP receives the update completion notification N2A from the server 200, the display control unit 320 notifies through the terminal device 300 that the update of the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A has been completed (S307).

[0149] In this case, even when the update of the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A and the update of the application program P2 of the terminal device 300 are completed, the display control unit 320 suppresses the display of the content related to the cooperation function between the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E until the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is completed. Note that "suppressing the display" in the present application is not limited to not displaying, and may also include displaying in an unusable state (for example, a state with higher transparency or lower saturation compared to the usable state).

[0150] When the power supply of the rice cooker 100E transitions from the OFF state to the ON state (S311), the update timing determination unit 236 determines that the update timing of the rice cooker 100E has arrived (S312). In this case, the update processing unit 234 causes the rice cooker 100E to download the update program UP1 from the server 200 (S313).

[0151] In the present embodiment, the update processing unit 234 postpones updating the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E from the start of rice cooking (S314) to the end of rice cooking (S315) of the rice cooker 100E. After the rice cooking of the rice cooker 100E is completed, the update processing unit 234 installs the update program UP1 to update the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E with the update program UP1 (S316). When the update of the device program P1 is completed, the control unit 140 of the rice cooker 100E transmits a notification indicating that the update is completed (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N1B") to the server 200 (S317).

[0152] When the update processing unit 234 receives the update completion notification N1B from the rice cooker 100E, it transmits a notification indicating that the update of the device program P1 in the rice cooker 100E is completed (hereinafter referred to as "update completion notification N2B") to the terminal device 300 (S318). When the display control unit 320 of the home appliance management application AP receives the update completion notification N2B from the server 200, it notifies through the terminal device 300 that the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is completed (S319).

[0153] Note that the process of downloading the update program UP1 from the server 200 to the rice cooker 100E does not need to be performed before the operation of the home appliance 100 (for example, before the start of rice cooking), it may be performed during the operation of the home appliance 100 (for example, during rice cooking), or it may be performed after the operation of the home appliance 100 (for example, after the end of rice cooking). Also, by installing the update program UP1, the process of updating the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E with the update program UP1 does not need to be performed after the operation of the home appliance 100 (for example, after the end of rice cooking), it may be performed before the start of the operation of the home appliance 100 (for example, before the start of rice cooking), or it may be performed during the temporary suspension of the operation of the home appliance 100 by the user U.

[0154] In this embodiment, when an operation to start the home appliance management app AP by the user U is performed (S321), the terminal control unit 350 performs automatic update of the app program P2. Note that the terminal control unit 350 may request permission from the user U for the update of the app program P2.

[0155] When the update of the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A and the update of the app program P2 of the terminal device 300 are completed, and the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is completed, the display control unit 320 causes the content regarding the cooperation function between the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E to be displayed on the display screen 301a. For example, after receiving the update completion notification N2A regarding the refrigerator 100A and the update completion notification N2B regarding the rice cooker 100E, the display control unit 320 displays the content regarding the cooperation function between the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E in a usable manner on the display screen 301a.

[0156] According to such a configuration, regarding the function related to the cooperation between the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E, it is displayed on the terminal device 300 after the device programs P1 of both the refrigerator 100A and the rice cooker 100E are updated. Thereby, it is suppressed that the user U operates to use the above function at the stage when only the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A is updated. Thereby, the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0157] In addition, when the update process unit 234 is holding the update of the device program P1 based on the usage status of the home appliance 100, it may notify that the update of the device program P1 is on hold. For example, the update process unit 234 transmits a notification indicating that the update of the device program P1 is on hold (hereinafter referred to as "update hold notification") to the terminal device 300. When the display control unit 320 of the terminal device 300 receives the update hold notification, it causes a guidance indicating that the update of the device program P1 is on hold to be displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. Instead of / In addition to this, the update process unit 234 may transmit a notification indicating that the update of the device program P1 is on hold to the home appliance 100. In this case, the home appliance 100 may notify the user U that the update of the device program P1 is on hold by lighting the light emitting unit included in the home appliance 100.

[0158] Instead of / In addition to the above, when the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is possible, the update process unit 234 may transmit a notification indicating that the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is possible (hereinafter referred to as "rice cooker update possible notification") to the refrigerator 100A. When the control unit 140 of the refrigerator 100A receives the rice cooker update possible notification, it may notify by voice from the voice notification device VD that the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is possible. The rice cooker 100E is an example of the "first home appliance". The refrigerator 100A is an example of the "second home appliance".

[0159] For example, when the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is on hold based on the usage status of the rice cooker 100E, the update process unit 234 may transmit an update hold notification indicating that the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is on hold to the refrigerator 100A. When the control unit 140 of the refrigerator 100A receives the above update hold notification, it may notify by voice from the voice notification device VD that the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is on hold.

[0160] Further, the update processing unit 234 may change the update timing of the rice cooker 100E according to the update status of the device program P1 and / or the application program P2 of the refrigerator 100A. For example, when only the rice cooker 100E is not updated, it is performed at the timing when the power of the rice cooker 100E is turned on. On the other hand, when there are other unupdated devices besides the rice cooker 100E, the update of the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E may be performed after the rice cooking is completed or after the operation is stopped by the user U.

[0161] Similarly, in the case of the washing machine 100B or the cooking heater 100D, immediately after the power is turned on, since the user U often wants to use the home appliance 100 at that time, the update of the device program P1 is suppressed at that time, and the update of the device program P1 is performed after the operation is completed. In addition, if there is an operation unit for starting the immediate update in the home appliance 100 or the home appliance management application AP, the immediate update may be performed when the operation unit is operated. Further, if a light emitting unit that lights up during the update of the device program P1 is provided in the home appliance 100, the update by the user U can be promoted.

[0162] (Modifications of the First to Sixth Embodiments) <When automatically performing a pending update> Regarding the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E, the update processing unit 234 does not perform the update during the rice cooking, and temporarily stops the heat preservation operation in the heat preservation process where there seems to be no problem even if the operation is stopped for a while, and automatically performs the update. Regarding the device program P1 of the washing machine 100B, the update processing unit 234 does not perform the update during the washing or drying, and performs the update when there is no planned loosening process after the washing or drying is completed, and automatically performs the update after the cleaning process if there is a cleaning process. The "cleaning process" is, for example, a process of supplying fine ions to the clothes in order to suppress the adhesion of mold, pollen, bacteria, viruses, or odors to the clothes.

[0163] The update processing unit 234 updates the device program P1 of the coffee maker 100F after the extraction process or after the cleaning process (for example, the process of discharging only hot water once after use in a capsule-type coffee machine). When a cleaning process is required after the extraction process, the update processing unit 234 automatically performs the cleaning process after updating the device program P1 and then automatically turns off the power. Also, when the update processing unit 234 updates the device program P1 after the cleaning process, it automatically turns off the power after the update.

[0164] <When automatic update is not performed and approval from the user is required> As notifications for informing that the update of the device program P1 is pending, there may be a first notification that is notified during operation and a second notification that is notified when the device program P1 is put on hold and then the power is turned on from the OFF state for the first time. For home appliances 100 (such as the washing machine 100B, the cooking heater 100D, or the coffee maker 100F) that automatically turn off the power after operation, at least the second notification is made. This is because when the power is automatically turned off, it is difficult to expect the user U to operate the home appliance 100 for the update of the device program P1 after operation. On the other hand, for home appliances 100 (such as the washing machine 100B, the rice cooker 100E, or the coffee maker 100F) that require the user U to perform another operation after selecting an operation for driving and the corresponding driving is completed, at least the first notification is made. This is because there is an opportunity for the user U to approve the update of the device program P1 before performing another operation.

[0165] <Priority order for updating of connectable home appliances> The update of the device program P1 of the connectable home appliance 100 is defined based on the following priority order. The following processing is controlled by, for example, the update processing unit 234.

[0166] (Rule 1) When automatic update is possible, prioritize those with a lower likelihood of manual update. For example, among home appliances 100 that are always powered on (such as refrigerator 100A and air conditioner 100C)> home appliances 100 that are automatically powered off after operation (such as washing machine 100B, cooking heater 100D, coffee maker 100F, etc.)> home appliances 100 that require the user U to select an operation and perform another operation after the corresponding operation is completed (such as rice cooker 100E, washing machine 100B, coffee maker 100F, etc.).

[0167] (Rule 2) Prioritize home appliances 100 in the subsequent process in the process of the cooperation function. This is because when the device program P1 of the home appliance 100 in the previous process is the new version and the device program P1 of the home appliance 100 in the subsequent process is the old version, there is a possibility that the data received from the home appliance 100 in the previous process cannot be correctly recognized by the home appliance 100 in the subsequent process.

[0168] (Example 1) The cooperation between the rice cooker 100E, the refrigerator 100A, and the cooking heater 100D with a frozen rice reheating function regarding frozen rice will be described. When the rice cooking in the frozen rice mode is selected on the rice cooker 100E, communication is performed to cause the refrigerator 100A to perform a precooling operation. When the frozen rice is taken out from the refrigerator 100A, information regarding the amount and / or temperature of the frozen rice is transmitted to the cooking heater 100D to assist in reheating the frozen rice.

[0169] In the cooperation as described above, when it is determined that the update of the device program P1 is possible during the rice cooking of the rice cooker 100E, first update the device programs P1 of the refrigerator 100A and the cooking heater 100D, and then update the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E.

[0170] For example, when it is determined that the device program P1 can be updated after cooking is finished and before reheating by the heating cooker 100D, (for example, at the timing when the power of the heating cooker 100D is turned on next), the device program P1 of the heating cooker 100D is updated first, then the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A is updated, and finally, (for example, at the timing when the power of the rice cooker 100E is turned on next), the device program P1 of the rice cooker 100E is updated.

[0171] For example, when it is determined that the device program P1 can be updated during reheating by the heating cooker 100D, the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A is updated first, and then (for example, at the timing after the reheating by the heating cooker 100D is finished), the rice cooker 100E is updated, and finally (for example, at the timing when the power of the heating cooker 100D is turned on next), the device program P1 of the heating cooker 100D is updated.

[0172] For example, when it is determined that the device program P1 can be updated after the reheating by the heating cooker 100D is finished, the refrigerator 100A is updated first, and then (for example, at the timing when the power is turned on next), the device programs P1 of the rice cooker 100E and the heating cooker 100D are updated. It is preferable to complete the update of the device program P1 of the heating cooker 100D before communication is performed between the heating cooker 100D and the refrigerator 100A.

[0173] (Example 2) The cooperation between the coffee maker 100F having a mode for making coffee for iced coffee and the refrigerator 100A will be described. Based on the information on the time zone for extracting iced coffee and the information on the time zone specified by the user U, the time for the ice-making operation of the refrigerator 100A and / or the amount of ice made are controlled. In this combination of home appliances 100, the update of the device program P1 of the refrigerator 100A is given priority over the update of the device program P1 of the coffee maker 100F.

[0174] (Example 3) The cooperation between the coffee maker 100F and the water treatment device 100G (such as a water purifier) will be described. In a combination of a coffee maker 100F capable of notifying the user U of the characteristics of water (for example, pH value) suitable for the grinding degree (coarse grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding, etc.) of the selected coffee beans, and a water treatment device 100G capable of providing water corresponding to the information transmitted from the coffee maker 100F, the update of the device program P1 of the water treatment device 100G is performed with higher priority than that of the coffee maker 100F. Note that for the coffee maker 100F using capsules, it is preferable to update the device program P1 in the same manner as long as it is possible to notify the user U of the water suitable for the type of capsule used.

[0175] (Example 4) The cooperation between the coffee maker 100F, the garbage processor 100H, and the air conditioner 100C (air conditioner or air purifier) will be described. Since coffee grounds have the property of deodorizing, the coffee maker 100F receives the time zone when the garbage processor 100H often uses the reserved operation (not operating immediately after garbage is put in, but operating in a time zone with low electricity rates such as late at night), and issues a notification prompting the maintenance of the coffee maker 100F (operation of discharging the grounds). In addition, since there is a possibility that odor may leak during the operation of the garbage processor 100H, the air conditioner 100C is operated during the operation. In this combination, the update of the device programs P1 of the coffee maker 100F and the air conditioner 100C is given higher priority than the update of the device program P1 of the garbage processor 100H.

[0176] As described above, several embodiments and modification examples have been described, but the embodiments and modification examples are not limited to the examples described above. For example, two or more embodiments or modification examples may be combined and implemented with each other.

[0177] Hereinafter, several information processing methods, information processing systems, and programs are appended. [1] When the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, a determination step of determining which program of the first program and the second program is to be updated with higher priority, Based on the determination result of the determination step, execute the update process of one of the first program and the second program that is determined to be preferentially updated, and then execute the update process of the other program among the first program and the second program. An information processing method comprising the above.

[0178] According to such a configuration, a situation where one of the first program and the second program is updated while the other is not updated is less likely to occur. Thereby, the convenience for the user can be improved.

[0179] [2]: In the information processing method described in [1], When the program provider sets to prioritize the update of the first program, in the determination step, it is determined to prioritize the update of the first program among the first program and the second program.

[0180] According to such a configuration, the first program and the second program can be updated based on the order set by the program provider. Thereby, a situation where one of the first program and the second program is updated while the other is not updated is even less likely to occur.

[0181] [3]: In the information processing method described in [2], Further comprising a communication step of performing communication related to the use of the functions of the household electrical appliance obtained by the first update program after executing the update process of the second program.

[0182] According to such a configuration, until the update of the first program is performed and communication related to the use of the functions of the home appliance obtained by the first update program is carried out, the terminal device also updates the second program corresponding to the updated first program. Thereby, when the first program is updated and new functions are added, it becomes easier to avoid a situation where the user cannot appropriately use the functions of the home appliance or the services related to the home appliance due to the non-update of the second program.

[0183] [4]: In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to [3], In the processing step, based on the related information related to the second program, the update process of the first program is executed.

[0184] According to such a configuration, based on the related information related to the second program, the content related to the update process of the first program is appropriately determined and executed. Thereby, the convenience of the user can be further enhanced.

[0185] [5]: In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to [4], The processing step includes notifying the user that the first program can be updated based on the related information related to the second program.

[0186] According to such a configuration, the user can know whether the first program can be updated based on more appropriate information. Thereby, the convenience of the user can be further enhanced.

[0187] [6]: In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to [5], When the update of the first program is on hold based on the usage status of the home appliance, it further includes a notification step of notifying that the update of the first program is on hold.

[0188] According to such a configuration, it becomes easier for the user to understand the update status of the first program. Thereby, the convenience for the user can be further enhanced.

[0189] [7]: In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to [6], when there are a first household electrical appliance and a second household electrical appliance having a voice notification function, and when the update of the first program installed in the first household electrical appliance is possible, a notification step of notifying that the update of the first program installed in the first household electrical appliance is possible through the voice notification function of the second household electrical appliance.

[0190] According to such a configuration, it becomes easier for the user to notice that the first program can be updated. Thereby, the convenience for the user can be further enhanced.

[0191] [8]: In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to [7], when the determination step is referred to as a first determination step, for two or more household electrical appliances associated with the same user, when the programs installed in the two or more household electrical appliances are each updatable, a second determination step of determining whether the programs can be updated for each of the two or more household electrical appliances.

[0192] According to such a configuration, it is possible to determine whether the programs can be updated for each of two or more household electrical appliances, and it is also possible to appropriately handle cases where an update is not required for one household electrical appliance but is required for another household electrical appliance.

[0193] [9]: In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to [8], a display step of displaying, on the display screen of the terminal device, the content related to the cooperation function realized by the cooperation of two or more household electrical appliances. In the display step, after the programs installed in the two or more home appliances are updated so as to support the cooperation function, the content related to the cooperation function is displayed in a manner in which the cooperation function can be used.

[0194] According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the content related to the cooperation function from being displayed in a manner in which it can be used in a state where the program installed in one home appliance and the program installed in another home appliance do not match.

[0195]

[10] : In the information processing method according to [9], In the display step, when the program installed in at least one of the two or more home appliances is not updated so as to support the cooperation function, the content related to the cooperation function is displayed in a manner different from the manner in which the cooperation function can be used.

[0196] According to such a configuration, it becomes easier for the user to notice that the program installed in one home appliance and the program installed in another home appliance do not match.

[0197]

[11] : In the information processing method according to any one of [1] to

[10] , A display step of displaying information related to the first home appliance on the display screen of the terminal device in a first display mode before the update of the first program, and displaying information related to the first home appliance on the display screen in a second display mode different from the first display mode after the update of the first program, is further provided, In the display step, for functions common between before the update of the first program and after the update of the first program, they are displayed at corresponding display positions in the first display mode and the second display mode.

[0198] According to such a configuration, for functions common before and after the update of the first program, the usability remains the same, so the convenience for the user is improved. Also, the appearance of functions not common before and after the update of the first program becomes easier to understand.

[0199]

[12] : When the first program installed in the household electrical appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, if there is a change in the data format that the updated first program causes the household electrical appliance to transmit, which is different from that before the update of the first program, a processing step of executing the process related to the update of the second program and then executing the process related to the update of the first program is provided. Information processing method.

[0200] According to such a configuration, when the data format transmitted from the household electrical appliance is changed by the update of the first program, the process related to the update of the second program can be performed first. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems such as the inability to process the data transmitted from the household electrical appliance.

[0201]

[13] : When the first program installed in the household electrical appliance is updatable, a determination step of determining whether the second program installed in the terminal device used by the user of the household electrical appliance needs to be updated, When it is determined in the determination step that the second program needs to be updated, a communication step of performing communication related to the use of the functions of the household electrical appliance obtained by the update of the first program after performing the process related to the update of the second program, An information processing method comprising:

[0202] According to such a configuration, when a new function is added due to the update of the first program, it becomes easier to avoid a situation where the user cannot appropriately use the functions of the household electrical appliance or the services related to the household electrical appliance due to the non-update of the second program.

[0203]

[14] : A computer which is a terminal device having a display screen, a setting unit capable of performing a setting operation on a household electrical appliance, when a predetermined function of the household electrical appliance becomes available by updating a first program installed in the household electrical appliance, functioning as an update control unit that updates data stored in the terminal device before communication regarding execution of the predetermined function is performed. Program.

[0204] According to such a configuration, for example, when giving priority to updating the first program, the second program can be updated to suppress an error before communication regarding a new function made available by the update is performed. This makes it easier to suppress the occurrence of an error.

[0205]

[15] : A computer which is a terminal device having a display screen, functioning as a display control unit that causes the display screen to display that the update of the first program is possible based on related information regarding a second program installed in the terminal device when a first update program for updating the first program installed in the household electrical appliance exists on a server. Program.

[0206] According to such a configuration, the user can easily know whether the first program can be updated based on the content displayed on the terminal device.

[0207] According to at least one embodiment described above, when the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, a determination step of determining which program of the first program and the second program to update preferentially, and based on the determination result of the determination step, executing an update process of one program determined to be preferentially updated among the first program and the second program, and then executing an update process of the other program among the first program and the second program. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve convenience.

[0208] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, 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, as well as in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0209] 100... Home appliance, 200... Server, 231... Update information management unit, 232... Update necessity determination unit, 233... Update order determination unit, 234... Update processing unit, 235... Update guidance necessity determination unit, 236... Update timing determination unit, 300... Terminal device, 320... Display control unit, 330... Operation reception unit, P1... Device program, P2... Application program.

Claims

1. When the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are both updatable, a determination step of determining which program to update preferentially between the first program and the second program; A processing step of executing the update process of one of the first program and the second program that is determined to be preferentially updated based on the determination result of the determination step, and then executing the update process of the other program between the first program and the second program; An information processing method comprising the above.

2. When the program provider sets to prioritize the update of the first program, in the determination step, it is determined to preferentially update the first program among the first program and the second program. The information processing method according to Claim 1.

3. Further comprising a communication step of performing communication related to the use of the functions of the home appliance obtained by the first program after executing the update process of the second program. The information processing method according to Claim 2.

4. In the processing step, the update process of the first program is executed based on the related information related to the second program. The information processing method according to Claim 1.

5. The processing step includes notifying the user that the first program can be updated based on the related information related to the second program. The information processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 4.

6. When the update of the first program is on hold based on the usage status of the home appliance, further comprising a notification step of notifying that the update of the first program is on hold. The information processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

7. When the determination step is regarded as the first determination step, For two or more home appliances associated with the same user, when the programs installed in the two or more home appliances are each updatable, a second determination step of determining whether the programs of the two or more home appliances can be updated is further provided. The information processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

8. When the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, based on the priority order predetermined by the program provider, after executing the process related to the update of the first program, a processing step of executing the process related to the update of the second program is provided. Information processing method.

9. When the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, if there is a change in the format of the data transmitted by the first program to the home appliance after the update, which is different from that before the update of the first program, after executing the process related to the update of the second program, a processing step of executing the process related to the update of the first program is provided. Information processing method.

10. When the first program installed in the home appliance is updatable, a determination step of determining whether the second program installed in the terminal device used by the user of the home appliance needs to be updated; When it is determined that the second program needs to be updated, after performing the process related to the update of the second program, a communication step of performing communication related to the use of the functions of the home appliance obtained by the update of the first program is provided. An information processing method comprising the above.

11. When the first program installed in the home appliance and the second program installed in the terminal device are updatable, an update order determination unit for determining which of the first program and the second program to update preferentially; An update processing unit that executes the process related to the update of one of the first program and the second program determined to be updated preferentially, and then executes the process related to the update of the other of the first program and the second program. An information processing system comprising the above.

12. When the first program installed in the home appliance is updatable, a necessity determination unit for determining whether the second program installed in the terminal device used by the user of the home appliance needs to be updated; When it is determined that the second program needs to be updated, after the process related to the update of the second program is performed, a communication processing unit for performing communication related to the use of the functions of the home appliance obtained by the update of the first program is provided. An information processing system comprising the above.

13. A computer which is a terminal device having a display screen A setting unit capable of performing setting operations on a home appliance, When a predetermined function of the home appliance becomes available by updating a first program installed in the home appliance, it functions as an update control unit that updates data stored in the terminal device before communication regarding the execution of the predetermined function is performed. Program.

14. A computer, which is a terminal device having a display screen, When a first update program for updating a first program installed in a home appliance exists on a server, it functions as a display control unit that causes the display screen to display that the first program can be updated based on related information related to a second program installed in the terminal device. Program.

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