Control device, control system, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide more convenient control device, control system, control method, and program.SOLUTION: A position information acquisition unit acquires position information of a terminal device, and a device control unit controls the operation state of a predetermined device installed in a predetermined target space on the basis of a positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and the predetermined target space, and when the position indicated by the position information enters the inside of the predetermined target range from the target space, the operation state of the device is changed from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control system, a control method, and a program, for example, a control system for controlling the operating state of devices installed in a predetermined space.

Background Art

[0002] It has been proposed to connect various devices installed in a predetermined space such as a dwelling using a network and control the operating state from a remote location. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an information terminal (home controller) that displays on a display a display screen representing each room included in a building, and displays on the display device icons representing one or more target devices in each room represented on the display screen. When the information terminal detects the selection of a first device icon representing a first target device among the target devices, the information terminal displays on the display a room screen representing the room corresponding to the first target device corresponding to the selected first device icon. The displayed room screen includes a first operation screen for operating the first target device corresponding to the selected first device icon, and a second operation screen for a second target device corresponding to a second device icon other than the selected first device icon and arranged in the room represented on the room screen. The information terminal outputs a first control command for controlling the first target device to the network based on the operation of the first operation screen. The information terminal outputs a second control command for controlling the second target device to the network based on the operation of the second operation screen.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a server including a home information management unit that manages home information for each house or for each user account, the home information management unit including the above-described home controller. The home information includes room information and a device list. The home information management unit transmits the home information to the home controller in response to a request from the home controller.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 128800 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] The target space where the target device is installed may be shared by a plurality of users, not limited to one user. For some of the plurality of users, remote operation may be restricted in order to ensure safety. For example, there is a high need to restrict the remote operation of cooking equipment and bathing facilities for the elderly and children. On the other hand, there may be a situation where daily or habitual manual operations such as turning off the lights and stopping the operation of air conditioning equipment when going out are forgotten, or the operation may feel complicated. Therefore, if the usage rights are set uniformly for each user, it may instead result in a loss of convenience.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a control device, a control system, a control method, and a program with better convenience. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and one aspect of the present invention includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of a terminal device, and based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and a predetermined target space, a device control unit that controls the operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space, and when the position indicated by the position information enters the inside of a predetermined target range from the target space, the device control unit changes the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0008]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (System Overview) The outline of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The control system 1 includes a control device 10, devices 20, and terminal devices 30. In the example shown in FIG. 1, there are n (n is a predetermined integer of 1 or more) devices 20 and m (m is a predetermined integer of 1 or more) terminal devices 30 for one control device 10. When n is 2 or more, individual devices 20 may be distinguished using sub-numbers such as 20-1. Similarly, when m is 2 or more, individual terminal devices 30 may be distinguished using sub-numbers such as 30-1.

[0011] The control device 10, the device 20, and the terminal device 30 are connected via the network NW so as to be able to wirelessly or wiredly transmit and receive various data. The n devices 20 are installed in a predetermined space. In the present embodiment, the space where the device 20 is installed may be referred to as the "target space". The device 20 may be referred to as the "target device". The control device 10 may be installed in the target space or in other spaces.

[0012] The control device 10 controls the operating states of the n devices 20. The control device 10 acquires position information indicating the respective positions of the m terminal devices 30, and provides the terminal devices 30 with user position information indicating the acquired position information as the position of the user. The control device 10 controls the operating states of the predetermined devices 20 installed in the target space based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the user position information and the target space. When the position indicated by the acquired position information enters from the outside to the inside of a predetermined target range, the control device 10 changes the operating state of the predetermined device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state. When the position indicated by the acquired position information leaves from the inside to the outside of the predetermined target range, the control device 10 may change the operating state of the predetermined device 20 from the second state to the first state.

[0013] The control device 10 may be configured as a dedicated control device, for example, a home controller. The control device 10 may be configured as a device (gateway device) having other functions as its main function. A general-purpose computer may execute processing indicated by various instructions described in a predetermined program to realize the functions of the control device 10. The predetermined devices whose operating states are to be controlled may be a part rather than all of the devices installed in the target space. In that case, the predetermined devices, or combinations thereof, may be independently set among the terminal devices 30 or users that are the sources of the position information.

[0014] The device 20 is a device to be controlled in its operating state. The device 20 is mainly a device fixedly installed in the target space. The device 20 includes those that are expected to operate during the user's return journey or while at home, or those that do not require operation immediately before going out or during absence. The device 20 is, for example, an air conditioner, a floor heater, a water heater, a ventilation fan, a lighting switch, etc. The target space is, for example, a single house, a dwelling unit in an apartment building, etc., mainly a space where a single household consisting of two or more users makes their home.

[0015] The terminal device 30 determines its own position and transmits position information indicating the determined position to the control device 10. The terminal device 30 may be, for example, a position detector such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) tracker. The control device 10 may aggregate the position information received from each terminal device 30 and transmit the aggregated position information to each of the terminal devices 30 having a display unit 370 as user position information indicating the position of each user of the terminal device 30. The display unit of the terminal device 30 may display a user position information screen that visibly displays the user position information received from the control device 10.

[0016] The terminal device 30 may further receive a user's operation, generate operation control information for instructing the operation of the control device 10 according to the received operation, and output the generated operation control information to the control device 10. The terminal device 30 may be an information terminal device dedicated to each user. More specifically, the terminal device 30 may be any of a multifunctional mobile phone (including a so-called smartphone), a tablet terminal device, a personal computer, etc. The terminal device 30 outputs user identification information indicating the user of its own device to the control device 10 together with the operation control information or separately from the operation control device. The terminal device 30 may be located within the target space or outside the target space.

[0017] (Control device) Next, a functional configuration example of the control device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. The control device 10 includes a control unit 120, a communication unit 130, and a storage unit 140.

[0018] The control unit 120 controls the functions of the control device 10. The control unit 120 includes a position information acquisition unit 122, a device control unit 124, and an information providing unit 126. The control unit 120 may be configured by dedicated hardware, or may be configured as a computer including a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor may read a program stored in advance in the storage unit 140 at startup, and perform processing instructed by the instructions described in the read program to realize the functions as the control unit 120. In the present embodiment, performing the processing instructed by the instructions described in the program may be referred to as "executing the program" or "running the program".

[0019] The position information acquisition unit 122 receives position information indicating the position from the terminal device 30 of a user registered in advance. The position information acquisition unit 122 stores the received position information in the storage unit 140 for each user corresponding to the terminal device 30 that is the transmission source. The position information acquisition unit 122 updates the position information of the user related to the newly acquired position information among the position information stored in the storage unit 140 with the newly acquired position information. The latest position information for each user is stored in the storage unit 140.

[0020] The device control unit 124 controls the operating state of the target device according to the operation control information received from the terminal device 30. The device control unit 124 identifies the target device indicated by the operation control information and the operating state, and generates control information indicating the identified operating state. The operating state indicated by the operation control information is, for example, power-on, power-off, intensity, duration, locking, unlocking, or any combination thereof. The device control unit 124 transmits the generated control information to the device 20, which is the identified target device. The control unit 220 (described later) of the device 20 operates the operation unit 250 (described later) of the device according to the operating state received from the device control unit 124.

[0021] The devices to be controlled may be set independently for each user. The device control unit 124 refers to the user registration information stored in advance in the storage unit 140 and determines the user indicated by the user identification information received from the terminal device 30. The user registration information includes user identification information and target device information for each user in advance, and these are set in association with each other (described later). In this embodiment, a registered user may sometimes be referred to as a "registered user". The device control unit 124 determines the target device indicated by the target device information corresponding to the user identification information. The device control unit 124 permits control of the determined target device and does not permit control of other target devices (user authority determination).

[0022] As the user identification information, existing information may be used as long as it can identify individual users or their terminal devices 30, or uniquely set identification information (for example, user ID (Identifier)) may be used. As the existing information, an email address, a telephone number, a MAC (Media Access Control) address, etc. may be used.

[0023] The device control unit 124 monitors the position information stored in the storage unit 140, and for a user whose position information has changed, determines whether the position indicated by the position information has entered from the outside of a predetermined target range (first target range) into the inside of a predetermined target space. The first target range may be equal to the target space, or may include the target space and be a region larger than the target space. When the device control unit 124 determines that the entry has occurred, it changes the operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state. The device control unit 124 designates a predetermined device as the target device, and when the operating state of the device is in the first state, generates control information indicating the operating state after the change to the second state. The device control unit 124 transmits the generated control device to the target device.

[0024] The device control unit 124 may also determine, for a user whose position information has changed, whether the position indicated by the position information has left from the inside of a predetermined second target range to the outside of a predetermined target space. The second target range may be, for example, equal to the target space, or may include the target space and be a region larger than the target space. The second target range may be equal to or different from the first target range. When the device control unit 124 determines that the departure has occurred, it changes the operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space from the second state to the first state. The device control unit 124 designates a predetermined device as the target device, and when the operating state of the device is in the second state, generates control information indicating the operating state after the change to the first state. The device control unit 124 transmits the generated control information to the target device.

[0025] In the following description, a device whose operating state is changed when entering the first target range and a device whose operating state is changed when leaving the second target range may be referred to as an "entry target device" and a "departure target device", respectively. The entry target device and the departure target device may be collectively referred to as a "moving target device". When the entry target device and the departure target device are the same, they may be referred to as a "moving target device" without distinction.

[0026] When moving, the target device may be set in advance independently for each user, or may be set uniformly regardless of the user. The target device at the time of entry and the target device at the time of departure may be the same or different. Information on the target device when moving may be set included in the target device information. The first state and the second state, which are the operating states before and after the change, may be set in advance for each of the device 20, the user, or the combination of the device 20 and the user.

[0027] The first target range and the second target range may also be set in advance for each of the device 20, the user, or the combination of the device 20 and the user. For each individual user or device, the necessity of changing the operating state at the time of entry and / or the necessity of changing the operating state at the time of departure may be set. As the setting information for each user, for example, the target device at the time of entry, the target device at the time of departure, the necessity of changing the operating state at the time of entry, the necessity of changing the operating state at the time of departure, the first target range, the second target range, the operating states before and after the change, etc. may be set in the user registration information (described later). The device control unit 124 can specify the setting information corresponding to the user who has entered within the first target range or the user who has left outside the second target range by referring to the user registration information.

[0028] The device control unit 124 may receive operation state information indicating the operation state from each of the individual devices 20, and transmit the received operation state information to the terminal device 30 via the information providing unit 126. The control unit 320 of the terminal device 30 may generate an operation state screen showing the operation state information for each device 20 received from the device control unit 124, and display the generated operation state screen on the display unit 370. The control unit 320 of the terminal device 30 may also display on the display unit 370 an operation screen for controlling the operation state of the device 20, including the operation state information of the specific device 20 for which the user is permitted to control. In that case, without performing user authentication sequentially, the device control unit 124 may control the operation state of the target device according to the operation control information received from the terminal device 30.

[0029] The information providing unit 126 provides various types of information to the terminal device 30 having the display unit 370. Examples of the information to be provided include position information for each user (user position information), operation state information, and the like. When the information providing unit 126 receives a position information request from the control unit 320 of the terminal device 30, for example, it reads out the position information for each user at that time from the storage unit 140. The information providing unit 126 transmits the read position information to the terminal device 30 that is the source of the position information request. The control unit 320 of the terminal device 30 transmits a position information request to the control device 10, for example, after the start-up process of a predetermined application is completed and when a display of position information is requested according to an operation.

[0030] The information providing unit 126 may read out the position information for each user at that time from the storage unit 140 every predetermined time (for example, from 1 minute to 15 minutes), and transmit the read position information to each of the terminal devices 30 registered in advance. The information providing unit 126 may monitor whether there is a change in the position information for each user in the storage unit 140, read out the position information of the device 20 in which a change is detected, and transmit the read position information to each of the terminal devices 30 registered in advance.

[0031] When the information providing unit 126 receives an operation state information request from the control unit 320 of the terminal device 30, for example, it may transmit the operation state information input to itself to the terminal device 30 that is the source of the operation state information request. The control unit 320 of the terminal device 30 transmits an operation state information request to the control device 10, for example, after the start-up process of a predetermined application is completed and when a display of operation state information is requested according to an operation.

[0032] The information providing unit 126 may aggregate the operation state information for each device at that time every predetermined time (for example, from 1 minute to 15 minutes), and transmit the aggregated operation state information to each of the terminal devices 30 registered in advance. The information providing unit 126 may transmit the input operation state information to each of the terminal devices 30 registered in advance every time operation state information is input from the device control unit 124.

[0033] (Device) Next, a functional configuration example of the device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. The device 20 includes a control unit 220, a communication unit 230, a storage unit 240, an operation unit 250, and a detection unit 260.

[0034] The control unit 220 controls the functions of the device 20. The control unit 220 may be configured to include dedicated hardware similar to the control unit 120 of the control device 10, or may be configured as a computer including a general-purpose processor. The control unit 220 controls the operation of the operation unit 250 according to the control information received from the control device 10 or the control information input from an operation input unit (not shown) of the device itself. The operation input unit may include members that receive operations, such as buttons, levers, and knobs, for example, or may include a receiver that receives control information from a remote controller. The control unit 220 may transmit operation state information indicating the operation state of the operation unit 250 to the control device 10.

[0035] The communication unit 230 is connected via the network NW so as to be able to transmit and receive various data to and from other devices. The communication unit 230 is connected to the control device 10 using, for example, a LAN. The communication unit 230 does not necessarily need to be connected to the terminal device 30 via a public wireless communication network or the Internet. However, the communication unit 230 may have a function as a device detection unit that detects a terminal device 30 capable of communication using a wireless LAN or a wireless PAN (Personal Area Network).

[0036] The storage unit 240 stores various data used by the control unit 220 and various data acquired by the control unit 220.

[0037] The operation unit 250 executes an operation for exerting the functions of the device 20 according to the control information input from the control unit 220. For example, when the device 20 is an air conditioner, the operation unit 250 includes a blower, a heat exchanger, and a compressor. When the device 20 is a lighting switch, it includes a movable mechanism for the terminals.

[0038] The detection unit 260 detects the state of the environment required for the operation of the operation unit 250, and outputs environment information indicating the detected state of the environment to the operation unit 250. When the device 20 is an air conditioner, the detection unit 260 is configured to include a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. Depending on the function of the device 20, the detection unit 260 may be omitted.

[0039] (Terminal device) A functional configuration example of the terminal device 30 according to this embodiment will be described. The terminal device 30 shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 320, a communication unit 330, a storage unit 340, a display unit 370, an operation unit 380, and a positioning unit 390.

[0040] The control unit 320 controls the functions of the terminal device 30. The control unit 320 may be configured to include dedicated hardware similar to the control unit 120 of the control device 10, or may be configured as a computer including a general-purpose processor. The processor may execute a predetermined application program (hereinafter referred to as "app") to provide the functions of the control unit 320. The control unit 320 exhibits various functions according to the operation information input from the operation unit 380. For example, the control unit 320 generates operation control information indicating the operation state of the target device based on the operation information and transmits it to the control device 10.

[0041] The communication unit 330 is connected via the network NW so as to be able to transmit and receive various data to and from other devices. The communication unit 330 can be connected to the control device 10, for example, using any communication path such as a public wireless communication network, the Internet, or a LAN. The communication unit 330 can be connected to the device 20 using a wireless LAN or a wireless PAN.

[0042] The storage unit 340 stores various data used by the control unit 320 and various data acquired by the control unit 320.

[0043] The display unit 370 displays the display information input from the control unit 320. The display unit 370 visually displays various images, texts, symbols, figures, etc. The display unit 370 is configured to include, for example, a liquid crystal display.

[0044] The operation unit 380 receives an operation, generates operation information corresponding to the received operation, and outputs the generated operation information to the control unit 320. The control unit 320 operates according to the instruction indicated by the operation information. In the following description, operating according to the instruction indicated by the operation information may be referred to as "in response to the operation", "according to the operation", etc.

[0045] The positioning unit 390 determines the spatial position of the own device, and transmits the position information indicating the determined position to the control device 10 using the communication unit 330. The positioning unit 390 is configured to include, for example, a GPS module. The GPS module receives, as reception signals, predetermined measurement signals transmitted by each of four or more GPS satellites orbiting around the earth, and calculates the arrival time difference of the reception signals from each GPS satellite for each pair of two GPS satellites. The GPS module can estimate the distance to each individual GPS satellite from the arrival time difference calculated for each pair of GPS satellites, and calculate the position of the own device using the estimated distances.

[0046] The positioning unit 390 may receive, as reception signals, predetermined reference signals transmitted by each of three or more radio base station devices, and acquire the phase difference from the known reference signals. The positioning unit 390 extracts the identification information of the radio base station device multiplexed in the reception signal, refers to a preset radio base station list, and specifies the position of the radio base station device indicated by the extracted identification information. The positioning unit 390 may calculate the position of the own device based on the positions of the individual radio base station devices and the distances estimated from the phase differences. The position of the own device is represented by, for example, a pair of latitude and longitude (hereinafter referred to as "latitude and longitude").

[0047] (User Authority) Next, an example of authority management for each registered user will be described. In the present embodiment, the authority for each user or the information indicating the authority may be referred to as a user account. As user authorities, there are two types: main account users and family account users. The main account user is the main user of the control device 10. The main account user can control all devices 20 for which the control device 10 can control the operating state. The main account user can set, change, and delete family accounts. The family account means the authority of the family account user. The main account user can set devices that permit control independently for each family account user. The main account user can also view the operating states of all devices 20 for which the operating state can be controlled.

[0048] The family account user can control the permitted devices as the authority set by the main account user, but cannot control other devices. Depending on the family account user, control of any device may not be permitted, and only viewing of the operating state of the device 20 may be permitted.

[0049] The storage unit 140 of the control device 10 stores in advance user registration information including information on devices 20 that can be controlled and user-specific target device information for each user. The user-specific target device information includes information on target devices for which control is permitted for each individual user and information on target devices during movement.

[0050] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the user registration information is configured to include a user name, user identification information, and target device information for each user. The user name is the name of an individual user. The user name is not limited to a full name and may be only a first name, an abbreviation, an alias, a common name, etc. The user identification information indicates the identification information of the terminal device 30 of an individual user. In the example shown in FIG. 2, an email address is used as the user identification information. The email address is mainly used for providing information to the user and controlling the target device. The target device information indicates the target device when moving and whether control is permitted for each of devices 1 to n. In FIG. 2, the ○ mark and the × mark indicate permission and non - permission respectively for each device. The device with the ○ mark indicates the permitted device for which control is permitted. Among them, the user having the user name "abc01" (hereinafter referred to as user "abc01") is the main account user, and the other users are family account users.

[0051] The target device when moving can be set independently among users, but a part of it may be common among users. For example, device 3 is common between users "abc01" and "cde0m". The target device when moving does not necessarily have to be set for all users. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the target device when moving is not set for the user having the user name "bcd02". However, instead of the target device when moving illustrated in FIG. 2, the target device when entering and the target device when leaving may be distinguished and set.

[0052] The terminal device 30 of the main account user can set the target device when moving by executing the process illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0053] (Step S102) The control unit 320 of the terminal device 30 of the main account user causes the display unit 370 to display a home screen (see FIG. 9). On the home screen, devices (hereinafter referred to as "controllable devices") for which the control device 10 can control the operating state and setting icons are shown for each room that forms a part of the target space. The setting icon is a button for instructing user settings by pressing and represents the pattern of a gear at the lower right end of the screen.

[0054] (Step S104) When the control unit 320 detects the pressing of a setting icon by an operation, it causes the display unit 370 to display a setting screen (see FIG. 10). On the setting screen, buttons indicating the user names of individual users (user selection buttons) and buttons indicating the room names where the devices to be set are installed (room selection buttons) are arranged. The user selection button and the room selection button are buttons for selecting the user and the room to be set, respectively, by pressing. FIG. 10 shows a state in which User 2 and the living room are each selected. In the living room, the lighting (lighting switch), the air conditioner (air conditioner), and the video (broadcast recorder) are exemplified as devices for which the setting of the target device during movement is possible. The buttons indicating the names of the individual devices are buttons for selecting the device to be set by pressing. FIG. 11 exemplifies a state in which the air conditioner is selected.

[0055] (Step S106) The control unit 320 sets whether or not to set the selected device as the target device during movement by an operation. In the example shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to set independently between the target device at the time of entry and the target device at the time of departure, and it is also possible to set the operation state after each change. For the air conditioner, "ON when returning home" means that the air conditioner is set as the target device at the time of entry, and it indicates that the operation state is changed from the power-off state to the powered-on state. "OFF when going out" for the air conditioner means that the air conditioner is set as the target device at the time of departure, and it indicates that the operation state is changed from the powered-on state to the power-off state. Then, the process of FIG. 3 is terminated. The control unit 320 can repeatedly perform the processes of steps S104 and S106 to set the target device during movement for each device for each user.

[0056] In this way, the target device during movement that conforms to the actual situation of life is set for each user. For example, when a child returns home, the lighting in the entrance, the lighting in the child's room, and the lighting in the corridor connecting the entrance to the child's room can be turned on respectively. When an office worker returns home, it is possible to turn on the lighting in the entrance, turn on the lighting in the living room, and start the air conditioner. When a housewife goes out, it is possible to turn off the lighting in the kitchen and turn off the power of the cooking equipment.

[0057] (Operation control process) An example of the operation control process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0058] (Step S122) The positioning unit 390 of the terminal device 30 determines the position of its own device and transmits position information indicating the determined position to the control device 10. When the position information acquisition unit 122 of the control device 10 receives the position information received from the terminal device 30, it updates the existing position information related to the terminal device 30 to the received position information and stores it in the storage unit 140.

[0059] (Step S124) The device control unit 124 of the control device 10 monitors the stored position information and determines the user whose position information has been updated.

[0060] (Step S126) The device control unit 124 refers to the user registration information stored in the storage unit 140 and determines the target device during movement for the determined user.

[0061] (Step S128) The device control unit 124 determines whether the position of the determined user has entered a predetermined target range. When it is determined that the user has entered (Step S128 YES), the process proceeds to the process of Step S130. When it is determined that the user has not entered (Step S128 NO), the process proceeds to the process of Step S132.

[0062] (Step S130) The device control unit 124 changes the operation state of the determined target device during movement from the first state to the second state. The device control unit 124 transmits a control signal indicating the second state as the operation state to the target device during movement. The control unit 220 of the target device during movement changes the operation state to the second state according to the control signal received from the device control unit 124. Then, the process returns to the process of Step S122.

[0063] (Step S132) The device control unit 124 determines whether the determined position of the user has deviated outside a predetermined target range. When it is determined that the user has deviated (Step S132 YES), the process proceeds to the process of Step S134. When it is determined that the user has not deviated (Step S132 NO), the process returns to the process of Step S122.

[0064] (Step S134) The device control unit 124 changes the operating state of the target device during movement from the second state to the first state. The device control unit 124 transmits a control signal indicating the first state as the operating state to the target device during movement. The control unit 220 of the target device during movement changes the operating state to the first state according to the control signal received from the device control unit 124. Then, the process returns to the process of Step S122.

[0065] (Example of setting the target range) Next, an example of setting the target range will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the target range is common among devices, but as illustrated in FIG. 5, it may be set independently for each device. For devices 1, 2, and n, the target ranges are set to r1, r t , and r n respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 6, r1 and r n each indicate a radius r from a reference point (e.g., the entrance) of the target space, indicating a region larger than the living space which is the target space. r1 and r n are typically on the order of 20 m to 200 m, and r1 is larger than r n . On the other hand, r t indicates the target space. That is, the target range r tFor a device with a set [target range], the operating state is changed according to entry into or exit from the target space. Such setting of the target range is suitable for a device (such as a lighting switch) whose operating state after the change can immediately meet the user's requirements. For a device with a set target space where the target range is larger than the target space, the operating state is changed before entry into or after departure from the target space. Such setting of the target range is suitable for a device (such as an air conditioner or a water heater) that requires a predetermined period until the operating state after the change can meet the user's requirements. The larger the radius r of the target range, the longer the period. The period generally corresponds to the quotient obtained by dividing the radius r by the walking speed of the user (typically from 0.8 m / s to 1.5 m / s).

[0066] In the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the first target range at the time of entry and the second target range at the time of departure are common, but this is not restrictive. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the first target range and the second target range may be set independently for each device. The first target ranges of device 1 and device 2 are set to r1 and r t respectively, while the second target ranges of device 1 and device 2 are set to q1 and q t respectively. q1 indicates the radius from the reference point of the target space and takes a value different from r1. q t indicates the target space (see FIG. 8).

[0067] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the target device at the time of entry and the target device at the time of departure are set independently for each user. For user "abc01", the target device at the time of entry and the target device at the time of departure are set to device 3, 4, device 3, 6 respectively. For user "cde0m", the target device at the time of entry and the target device at the time of departure are both set to device 2. For user "bcd02", neither the target device at the time of entry nor the target device at the time of departure is set.

[0068] Therefore, the period from the change of the operating state to the entry into the target space and the period from the departure from the target space to the change of the operating state can be set independently. More specifically, even if it is a device that changes the operating state before entering the target space, it can immediately change the operating state when leaving the target space. Or, even if it is a device that immediately changes the operating state when entering the target space, it can change the operating state after leaving the target space.

[0069] In the examples shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 7, the description of the operating state after the change according to the entry into or departure from the target range is omitted, but this is not restrictive. The user registration information may include the information on the operating state after the change, associated with the target device at the time of movement, or with each of the target devices at the time of entry and at the time of departure. When the target device at the time of entry and the target device at the time of departure are the same, the change in the operating state at the time of entry and the change in the operating state at the time of departure may be opposite or independent. The change in the operating state being opposite means the change from the first state to the second state at the time of entry, and the change from the second state to the first state at the time of departure.

[0070] In the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the case where the size of the target range is quantitatively represented using the radius r is taken as an example, but this is not restrictive. Instead of the radius r, it may be represented in a plurality of predetermined stages. Each stage only needs to be associated with either an index quantitatively indicating the size of the target range, such as the radius r, or the target space. For the plurality of stages, in the setting screen, for example, expressions that are easily understood by the user, such as large, medium, and small, may be used.

[0071] (User location information) An example of the user location information screen displayed on the display unit 370 of the terminal device 30 will be described. The user location information screen illustrated in FIG. 12 shows the positions of users (residential users) located within the target space and other registered users (outdoor users). The control unit 320 of the terminal device 30 may be displayed, for example, when a symbol representing the user is instructed according to an operation on the home screen.

[0072] In FIG. 12, symbols such as ○, ☆, Δ, □, etc. are icons indicating individual users. Instead of these symbols, information that can identify individual users visually, such as a face photo, avatar, or username of each user, may be displayed. Among the user location information screens, the display “〇☆ 2 people at home” (home display) indicates that users ○ and ☆ are located within the target space. The control unit 320 can determine whether a user is located in the target space based on whether the position of each individual user indicated by the user location information is included within the region of the preset target space.

[0073] Below the home display, tabs representing symbols indicating individual users are arranged. Each tab is a screen component for selecting a user according to an operation. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the position of the user indicated by Δ is displayed on the map including the position of the target space. When displaying the position of the selected user, the control unit 320 extracts from the pre - saved map a rectangular partial region that includes the position of the selected user and the target space. The control unit 320 determines a scale for the size of the partial region in the screen area preset for the display unit 370, and overlays a figure indicating the target space and the position of the user to constitute the user location information screen. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the target space and the position of the user are represented using the figures of a house and a landmark, respectively. As a result, a user in contact with the user location information screen can intuitively grasp the relative positional relationship with the target space. A user in contact with the user location information screen can grasp a device whose operating state may be changed by the approach of the selected user to the target space, or a device whose operating state has been changed by the departure from the target space.

[0074] As described above, the control device 10 according to the above embodiment includes a position information acquisition unit 122 that acquires the position information of the terminal device 30 (for example, a multifunctional mobile phone, a position detector), and based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the acquired position information and a predetermined target space (for example, a residence), a device control unit 124 that controls the operating state of a predetermined device 20 installed in the target space. When the position indicated by the position information enters the inside of a predetermined target range from the target space, the device control unit 124 changes the operating state of the predetermined device 20 from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state (for example, turns on the lighting). According to this configuration, the operating state of the predetermined device 20 is changed without any special operation in response to the user's approach to the target space. Therefore, the convenience for using the predetermined device installed in the target space is improved.

[0075] When the position indicated by the acquired position information leaves the outside of a predetermined second target range from the target space, the device control unit 124 changes the operating state of the device 20 from the second state to the first state. According to this configuration, the operating state of the predetermined device 20 is changed without any special operation in response to the user's departure from the target space. Therefore, it is possible to avoid forgetting or complicating the operations required at the end of use in the target space.

[0076] The control device 10 may include a storage unit 140 that stores user registration information indicating the association of target devices to be controlled (for example, target devices during movement, target devices during approach, target devices during departure) for each registered terminal device that is the user's terminal device 30. The device control unit 124 determines the target device corresponding to the user's terminal device 30 based on the user registration information. According to this configuration, the target device to be controlled is determined independently for each user. Therefore, control is performed according to the actual usage situation of the user rather than setting the target device uniformly.

[0077] The control device 10 may include an information providing unit 126 that uses the user registration information to determine the user of the terminal device 30 related to the acquired position information, and provides the registration terminal device with user position information indicating the position indicated by the acquired position information as the position of the determined user. According to this configuration, each user using the registration terminal device can grasp the positions of the registered individual users. Each user can grasp or predict the change in the operating state of the target device according to the change in the positional relationship between the position of the user and the target space.

[0078] The information providing unit 126 may provide the registration terminal device with operation state information indicating the operation state of the device 20 installed in the target space. According to this configuration, each user using the registration terminal device can grasp the operation states of the individual devices 20 that the control device 10 can control the operation states of.

[0079] As described above, an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0080] 1... Control system, 10... Control device, 20... Device, 30... Terminal device, 120... Control unit, 122... Position information acquisition unit, 124... Device control unit, 126... Information providing unit, 130... Communication unit, 140... Storage unit, 220... Control unit, 230... Communication unit, 240... Storage unit, 250... Operation unit, 260... Detection unit, 320... Control unit, 330... Communication unit, 340... Storage unit, 370... Display unit, 380... Operation unit, 390... Position determination unit

Claims

1. A position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of a terminal device; A device control unit that controls an operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space based on a positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and the predetermined target space; A storage unit that stores terminal registration information indicating a correspondence between a target device to be controlled for each registered terminal device that is a specific terminal device; Comprising: For each registered terminal device, an operating state of the target device according to the usage reality of the user is set by the registered terminal device; The device control unit: Determines a registered terminal device of a specific user using the position information; When the position indicated by the position information enters the inside of a predetermined target range from the target space, changes the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state Control device.

2. The device control unit: When the position indicated by the position information leaves the outside of a predetermined second target range from the target space, changes the operating state of the device from the second state to the first state The control device according to claim 1.

3. Comprising a storage unit that stores user registration information indicating a correspondence between a target device to be controlled for each registered terminal device that is a user's terminal device; The device control unit: Determines a target device corresponding to the terminal device related to the position information based on the user registration information The control device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. Comprising an information providing unit that determines a user of the terminal device related to the position information using the user registration information and provides user position information indicating the position indicated by the position information as the position of the determined user to the registered terminal device The control device according to claim 3.

5. The information providing unit provides the registered terminal device with operation state information indicating an operation state of a device installed in the target space The control device according to claim 4.

6. A program for causing a computer to function as the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of a terminal device; A device control unit that controls an operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space based on a positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and the predetermined target space; A storage unit that stores user registration information indicating a correspondence between a target device to be controlled for each registered terminal device that is a user's terminal device; Comprising: The position information acquisition unit acquires the position information of the user for each registered terminal device; The device control unit: Determine the registered terminal device of a specific user using the position information, When the position indicated by the position information of the specific user enters the interior of a predetermined target range from the target space, change the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state Control device.

8. An information providing unit that provides the user position information acquired for each of the registered terminal devices to each of the registered terminal devices is provided The control device according to claim 1 or claim 7.

9. A control system including a control device and a terminal device, The control device includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information of the terminal device, Based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and a predetermined target space, a device control unit that controls the operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space, A storage unit that stores terminal registration information indicating the association of target devices to be controlled for each registered terminal device, which is a specific one of the terminal devices, For each registered terminal device, the operating state of the target device corresponding to the usage status of the user is set by the registered terminal device, The device control unit, Determine the registered terminal device of a specific user using the position information, When the position indicated by the position information enters the interior of a predetermined target range from the target space, change the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state Control system.

10. A control system including a control device and a terminal device, The control device includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information of the terminal device, Based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and a predetermined target space, a device control unit that controls the operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space, A storage unit that stores user registration information indicating the association of target devices to be controlled for each registered terminal device, which is the terminal device of the user, Comprising, The position information acquisition unit acquires the position information of the user for each registered terminal device, The device control unit, Determine the registered terminal device of a specific user using the position information, When the position indicated by the position information of the specific user enters the interior of a predetermined target range from the target space, change the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state Control system.

11. An information providing unit that provides the user position information acquired for each of the registered terminal devices to each of the registered terminal devices is provided, The control system according to claim 9 or claim 10.

12. A control method in a control device, comprising: a position information acquisition process of acquiring position information of a terminal device; a device control process of controlling an operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space based on a positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and the predetermined target space; a storage process of storing, in a storage unit, terminal registration information indicating a correspondence between a target device to be controlled and each registered terminal device that is a specific terminal device; the operating state of the target device is set by the registered terminal device according to the usage status of the user for each registered terminal device; the device control process includes: determining a registered terminal device of a specific user using the position information; when the position indicated by the position information enters the inside of a predetermined target range from the target space, changing the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state. A control method.

13. A control method in a control device, comprising: a position information acquisition process of acquiring position information of a terminal device; a device control process of controlling an operating state of a predetermined device installed in the target space based on a positional relationship between the position indicated by the position information and the predetermined target space; a storage process of storing, in a storage unit, user registration information indicating a correspondence between a target device to be controlled and each registered terminal device that is a terminal device of a user; the position information acquisition process includes acquiring the position information of the user for each registered terminal device; the device control process includes: determining a registered terminal device of a specific user using the position information; when the position indicated by the position information of the specific user enters the inside of a predetermined target range from the target space, changing the operating state of the device from a predetermined first state to a predetermined second state. A control method.

14. The control method according to claim 12 or claim 13, further comprising an information providing process of providing the user position information acquired for each registered terminal device to each of the registered terminal devices. The control method according to claim 12 or claim 13.

15. The device control process includes: when the position indicated by the position information leaves the outside of a predetermined second target range from the target space, changing the operating state of the device from the second state to the first state. The control method according to claim 12 or claim 13.

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