Information processing method and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide an information acquisition method and an information acquisition system for enabling a user to appropriately specify consumer goods to be used for a household electrical appliance.SOLUTION: A server device receives information related to consumer goods actually used by a user for a home appliance, acquires a usage status of the consumer goods using information received from a sensor included in the home appliance, stores the usage status of the consumer goods actually used by the user in a first storage unit, updates the usage status of the consumer goods stored in the first storage unit based on the usage status of the consumer goods, and stores information related to a plurality of consumer goods in a second storage unit in advance in association with a product category of the consumer goods. When it is determined that the confirmation message is to be transmitted, discount information or sample provision information of a commodity which is in the same commodity category as the consumer goods actually used by the user and is different from the consumer goods actually used by the user is extracted from the second storage part, and the confirmation message including the extracted discount information or sample provision information is transmitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information acquisition method and an information acquisition system for acquiring information about non-durable consumer goods (hereinafter referred to as consumer goods) such as laundry detergents or frozen foods used by home appliances such as washing machines or microwave ovens installed in homes. [Background technology]

[0002] When a home appliance installed in a home has a network connection function and is connected to a server device outside the home, the server device can know the usage status of the home appliance. For example, the server device can automatically obtain information such as the number of times the door was opened and closed or the time when the door was opened and closed from a refrigerator installed in the home without receiving input from the user. Also, the server device can automatically obtain information such as the start time of a wash from a washing machine installed in the home without receiving input from the user.

[0003] Information acquired during the use of such home appliances is useful information for manufacturers of home appliances in understanding how users use the appliances, and is known to be useful for future product improvements and marketing.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a washing machine determines the type of detergent added ("powdered synthetic detergent," "powdered soap," or "liquid detergent") and adds an appropriate amount of disinfectant for that type of detergent. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-19389 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the home appliance (washing machine) of Patent Document 1, even if the detergent is from a different manufacturer, the same process is performed if the type of detergent (for example, "powdered soap") is the same, and it was not possible to determine the manufacturer or product name of the consumer product (such as detergent) being used.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an information acquisition method and an information acquisition system that allow a user to appropriately identify consumer goods to be used with home appliances. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information acquisition method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information acquisition method executed by a computer, which receives information about consumer goods actually used by a user in a home appliance, obtains usage status of the consumer goods using information received from a sensor possessed by the home appliance, determines whether to send a message based on the usage status of the consumer goods, pre-stores information about multiple consumer goods in a memory unit in association with the product categories of the consumer goods, and if it is determined to send the message, extracts from the memory unit discount information for the consumer goods actually used by the user and discount information for consumer goods that are in the same product category as the consumer goods actually used by the user but different from the consumer goods actually used by the user, and sends the message including the discount information for the consumer goods actually used by the user and discount information for consumer goods different from the consumer goods actually used by the user, wherein the discount rate included in the discount information for the consumer goods different from the consumer goods actually used by the user is higher than the discount rate included in the discount information for the consumer goods actually used by the user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the usage status of a consumer good is estimated using the received operating status, a confirmation message is sent at a timing determined based on the estimated usage status of the consumer good, and information regarding the consumer good determined to be the consumer good that the user will actually use is received in response to the confirmation message, thereby making it possible to appropriately identify the consumer good that the user will use in the home appliance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of device information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first confirmation message for confirming a consumer good in use. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use and providing discount information (such as coupons). [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a third confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use and providing a free sample of another consumer good different from the consumer good currently being used. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of consumer goods information in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of user information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of usage information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] (A) is a diagram showing an example of usage information before updating when use of a new consumer good begins, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of usage information after updating when use of a new consumer good begins. [Figure 11](A) is a diagram showing an example of usage information before updating when a consumer good that has already been used is newly started to be used, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of usage information after updating when a consumer good that has already been used is newly started to be used. [Figure 12] (A) is a diagram showing an example of usage information before updating when updating the usage status of a consumer good that is already in use, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of usage information after updating when updating the usage status of a consumer good that is already in use. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a home electric appliance according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation performed by the server device to acquire usage information from a home electric appliance for the first time in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 1 is a first flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a server device, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from a home electric appliance in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] 10 is a second flowchart showing an example of an operation in which the server device, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from a home electric appliance in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a first server device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of sales information in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a second server device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation performed by the first server device to acquire usage information from a home electric appliance for the first time in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23]10 is a first flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a first server device, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from a home electric appliance in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] 10 is a second flowchart showing an example of an operation in which the first server device, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from a home electric appliance in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a home electric appliance according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation performed by a server device to acquire usage information from a home electric appliance for the first time in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home electric appliance according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 30] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation performed by a server device to acquire usage information from a home electric appliance for the first time in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 31] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 33] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting information according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 34] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a point-of-use information acquisition system in which home appliance manufacturers and consumer goods manufacturers cooperate to provide coupons or free samples. [Figure 35] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a connection method between a home appliance and a server device. [Figure 36] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a point-of-use information acquisition system in which home appliance manufacturers and consumer goods manufacturers cooperate to provide coupons or free samples. [Figure 37] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a point-of-use information acquisition system in which home appliance manufacturers and consumer goods manufacturers cooperate to provide setting information for home appliances. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples of specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) 1.1 Configuration of the Point-of-Use Information Acquisition System 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the time-of-use information acquisition system according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a server device 101, a home appliance 102, and an information appliance 103.

[0013] Server device 101 is communicably connected to home appliance 102 via network 105, and is communicably connected to information appliance 103 via network 105. Network 105 is, for example, the Internet.

[0014] The server device 101 holds a consumer goods list that lists consumer goods, transmits the consumer goods list in response to a request from the home appliance 102, and transmits a confirmation message to the information appliance 103 to confirm the consumer goods currently in use. In addition, the server device 101 receives and stores information about the consumer goods currently in use by the home appliance 102 from the home appliance 102.

[0015] A consumer good is consumed by a home appliance, and the amount at the start of use is predetermined. Examples of consumer goods include detergent, fabric softener, frozen food, etc. Other examples of consumer goods will be described later.

[0016] The home appliance 102 is communicably connected to the server device 101 via a network 105 .

[0017] The home appliance 102 receives the consumer goods list from the server device 101, presents the received consumer goods list to the user, and accepts input of information about the consumer goods by the user. The home appliance 102 also transmits the accepted information about the consumer goods to the server device 101.

[0018] The information device 103 is communicably connected to the server device 101 via a network 105 .

[0019] The information device 103 receives the confirmation message from the server device 101, presents the received confirmation message to the user, and accepts input of information about the consumer good by the user. The information device 103 also transmits the accepted information about the consumer good to the server device 101.

[0020] 1.2 Configuration of the Server Device 101 Next, the detailed configuration of the server device 101 will be described.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a server device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the server device 101 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 201, a consumer goods information storage unit 202, a notification information storage unit 203, a user information storage unit 204, a usage information accumulation unit 205, a determining unit 206, an updating unit 207, and a control unit 208.

[0022] The server device 101 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk, etc. (not shown). The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the server device 101 are realized by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0023] Each functional block of the server device 101, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 201, the consumer goods information storage unit 202, the notification information storage unit 203, the user information storage unit 204, the usage information accumulation unit 205, the determining unit 206, the updating unit 207, and the control unit 208, may be realized as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be individually implemented as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be included in a single chip.

[0024] Here, it is referred to as an LSI, but depending on the degree of integration, it may also be called an IC (Integrated Circuit), system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0025] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections or settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0026] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0027] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0028] (1) Transmitter / receiver 201 The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives, from the home appliance 102, a request for a consumer goods list and device information including an identifier (device ID) that can uniquely identify the home appliance 102. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives, from the home appliance 102, a request for information about consumer goods and an identifier for identifying the home appliance 102. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of device information in the first embodiment. The example of device information shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the manufacturer (maker) name of the home appliance 102 is "Company P", the product category is "washing machine", and the device ID is "0x123456". The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives a part or all of the device information.

[0029] The transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits to the home appliance 102 a consumer goods list related to the home appliance 102 from the consumer goods list held in the consumer goods information holding unit 202. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 extracts information about consumer goods that can be used by the home appliance corresponding to the identifier from the consumer goods information holding unit 202, and transmits the extracted information about the consumer goods to the home appliance 102. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 also extracts information about multiple consumer goods that can be used by the home appliance corresponding to the identifier from the consumer goods information holding unit 202, and transmits the extracted information about the multiple consumer goods to the home appliance 102 as a consumer goods list. The consumer goods list related to the home appliance 102 is, for example, a list of laundry detergent, fabric softener, bleach, etc. if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, or a list of food, frozen food, etc. if the home appliance 102 is a refrigerator.

[0030] The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives information about consumer goods selected or determined by the user based on the consumer goods list from the home appliance 102. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives information about consumer goods determined as consumer goods that the user will actually use from the home appliance 102. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 also receives information about consumer goods determined as consumer goods that the user will actually use from the consumer goods list. The information about the consumer goods includes, for example, the name of the manufacturer of the consumer goods, the product category, the product name, or a product ID that can identify the product.

[0031] The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives usage information such as the usage amount of a consumer good used by a user from the home appliance 102. For example, if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives the usage amount of the consumer good (laundry detergent) measured by the washing machine itself. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 also receives an identifier for identifying the home appliance 102 and the operating status of the home appliance 102 from the home appliance 102. For example, if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives a usage notification that the washing machine has been used. The updating unit 207 of the server device 101, which will be described later, calculates the usage amount of the consumer good based on the standard usage amount per use of the consumer good.

[0032] The transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits to the information device 103 a confirmation message for confirming the consumer good that the home appliance 102 is using, selected from the notification information (confirmation messages) stored in the notification information storage unit 203 .

[0033] Figures 4 to 6 are diagrams showing examples of confirmation messages: Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a first confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use, Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a second confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use and providing discount information (such as a coupon), and Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a third confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use and providing a free sample of a consumer good different from the consumer good currently being used.

[0034] The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives, from the information device 103, user input information (a response from the user) in response to the confirmation message.

[0035] Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 may transmit to the information device 103 a list of consumer goods related to the home appliance 102 from the consumer goods list stored in the consumer goods information storage unit 202. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 may transmit to the information device 103 information on consumer goods that can be used by the home appliance corresponding to the identifier extracted from the consumer goods information storage unit 202. The list of consumer goods related to the home appliance 102 may be, for example, a list of laundry detergent, fabric softener, bleach, etc. if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, or a list of food, frozen food, etc. if the home appliance 102 is a refrigerator.

[0036] The transmitting / receiving unit 201 may receive information about a consumer good selected or determined by the user based on the consumer good list from the information device 103. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 may receive information about a consumer good determined as a consumer good that the user will actually use from the information device 103. The information about the consumer good may be, for example, the name of the manufacturer of the consumer good, the product category, the product name, or a product ID that can identify the product.

[0037] (2) Consumer goods information holding department 202 The consumer goods information storage unit 202 stores information about consumer goods. The consumer goods information storage unit 202 stores information about consumer goods used by home appliances in advance in association with the type of home appliance. The consumer goods information storage unit 202 also stores information about a plurality of consumer goods.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of consumer goods information in the first embodiment. The consumer goods information shown in FIG. 7 includes a "product category" indicating the type of product in which the consumer goods is used, a "manufacturer name" indicating the name of the company that manufactures the consumer goods, a "product category" indicating the type of consumer goods, a "product ID" indicating an identifier that can identify the consumer goods, a "product name" indicating the name of the consumer goods, and a "capacity" indicating the size of the consumer goods. For example, a washing machine is associated with multiple consumer goods. For example, the consumer goods information shown in FIG. 7 indicates that a "laundry detergent" manufactured by "Company A" has a product ID of "5278" and a product name of "ATN", and that the product has a capacity of "1.0 kg".

[0039] (3) Notification information holding unit 203 The notification information storage unit 203 stores a message (for example, a confirmation message) to be notified to the user. The notification information storage unit 203 stores, for example, the first confirmation message, the second confirmation message, and the third confirmation message shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. The notification information storage unit 203 stores, for example, a template of the confirmation message. The confirmation message is created by applying the product name of the consumer good to the confirmation message template.

[0040] (4) User information storage unit 204 The user information storage unit 204 stores information (user information) about a user who uses the home appliance 102 or the time-of-use information acquisition system. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of user information in the first embodiment. The user information shown in FIG. 8 includes a "user ID" indicating an identifier that can uniquely identify the user, a "family structure" indicating the members of the family including the user, the age and gender of each family member. The user information also includes a "device ID" for identifying a home appliance owned by the user or the user's family. The user information also includes an "information device ID" for identifying an information device owned by the user. For example, it can be seen that the user corresponding to the user ID "324-5678" has a family of four people, and the user owns a home appliance corresponding to the device ID "0x123456".

[0041] (5) Usage information storage section 205 The usage information accumulation unit 205 accumulates information regarding the usage of consumer goods for each home appliance. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of usage information in the first embodiment. The usage information shown in FIG. 9 includes a "device ID" indicating an identifier for identifying the home appliance, a "product ID" indicating an identifier for identifying the consumer good currently in use, a "product name" indicating the name of the consumer good currently in use, a "capacity" indicating the size of the consumer good, a "use start date" indicating the date on which use of the consumer good began, a "usage amount" indicating the amount of the consumer good currently used, and a "remaining amount forecast" indicating the current remaining amount of the consumer good. For example, the usage information shown in FIG. 9 indicates that the home appliance corresponding to device ID "0x123456" is currently using a consumer good corresponding to product ID "5278" and product name "ATN," a consumer good corresponding to product ID "88293" and product name "HMG," and a consumer good corresponding to product ID "74839" and product name "WHT," and that the remaining amount forecasts for each consumer good are "50%, "30%," and "80%."

[0042] (6) Update section 207 The update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the information about the consumer good received by the transmission / reception unit 201. The update unit 207 stores the usage status of the consumer good determined as the consumer good actually used by the user based on the information about the consumer good received by the transmission / reception unit 201 in the usage information storage unit 205. The update unit 207 may also update the usage status of the consumer good stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the usage amount of the consumer good received by the transmission / reception unit 201.

[0043] Furthermore, the update unit 207 may estimate a usage status of the consumer good using the operating status received by the transmission / reception unit 201, and update the usage status of the consumer good stored in the usage information accumulation unit 205 based on the estimated usage status of the consumer good. The operating status includes setting information related to the operating behavior of the home appliance 102 that is set by the user for the home appliance 102 when the home appliance 102 is operated. The update unit 207 calculates the usage amount of the consumer good from the setting information using parameters determined in advance according to the operating behavior of the home appliance 102.

[0044] Furthermore, the usage information accumulation unit 205 stores the remaining amount of the consumer good. The update unit 207 may estimate the remaining amount of the consumer good as the usage status using the driving status received by the transmission / reception unit 201, and update the remaining amount of the consumer good stored in the usage information accumulation unit 205 based on the estimated remaining amount of the consumer good.

[0045] Fig. 10(A) is a diagram showing an example of usage information before updating when use of a new consumer good is started, and Fig. 10(B) is a diagram showing an example of usage information after updating when use of a new consumer good is started. For example, when the transmitter / receiver 201 receives information about the consumer good including the manufacturer name "Company A", the product ID "74839", and the product name "WHT", the updater 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 as shown in Fig. 10. Here, the usage start date is the date when the information about the consumer good was received, the amount used is 0 ml, and the predicted remaining amount is 100%.

[0046] Fig. 11(A) is a diagram showing an example of usage information before updating when a consumer good that has already been used is newly started to be used, and Fig. 11(B) is a diagram showing an example of usage information after updating when a consumer good that has already been used is newly started to be used. When the transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives information about a consumer good that is already included in the usage information, the updating unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information accumulation unit 205 as shown in Fig. 11(B).

[0047] For example, if a user has already used fabric softener with a manufacturer name of "Company A," a product ID of "88293," and a product name of "HMG," and now wants to start using the fabric softener, the update unit 207 updates the start date of use, the amount used, and the predicted remaining amount that are already stored and that correspond to the product ID "88293" and the product name of "HMG." Here, the start date of use is the date on which information about the consumer good was received, the amount used is 0 ml, and the predicted remaining amount is 100%.

[0048] FIG. 12(A) is a diagram showing an example of usage information before updating when updating the usage status of a consumer good that is already in use, and FIG. 12(B) is a diagram showing an example of usage information after updating when updating the usage status of a consumer good that is already in use. The update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on usage information such as the usage amount of the consumer good received by the transmission / reception unit 201. For example, if the transmission / reception unit 201 receives usage information indicating that 100 g of laundry detergent corresponding to the product ID "5278" and the product name "ATN" has been used from a home appliance corresponding to the device ID "0x123456," the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 as shown in FIG. 12(B). Here, the usage amount is updated to 600 g, and the predicted remaining amount is updated to 40%.

[0049] (7) Judgment unit 206 The determination unit 206 determines whether the remaining capacity prediction included in the usage information accumulated by the usage information accumulation unit 205 is equal to or less than a predetermined set value. If the determination unit 206 determines that the remaining capacity prediction is not equal to or less than the predetermined set value, it does nothing. If the determination unit 206 determines that the remaining capacity prediction is equal to or less than the predetermined set value, it transmits notification information (a confirmation message) via the transmission / reception unit 201.

[0050] The determination unit 206 determines whether to send a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good in use based on the updated usage status of the consumer good. The determination unit 206 also determines whether the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is equal to or less than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the transmission / reception unit 201 transmits a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good in use.

[0051] For example, in the usage information of FIG. 9, if the set value is 30%, the determination unit 206 determines that the predicted remaining amount of the consumer good corresponding to the product name "HMG" and product "88293" is 30% or less. Then, the determination unit 206 transmits, for example, a first confirmation message, a second confirmation message, or a third confirmation message as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, or FIG. 6 via the transceiver unit 201. The first confirmation message is composed of a sentence saying, "Are you sure the fabric softener you are using is 'HMG'?" The second confirmation message is composed of a sentence saying, "Is your fabric softener 'HMG' running low? You can get a great coupon now," and the third confirmation message is composed of a sentence saying, "Is your fabric softener 'HMG' running low? You can try the fabric softener 'SFN' for free now."

[0052] The determination unit 206 determines whether or not the user input (user's response to the confirmation message) received via the transmission / reception unit 201 matches the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205. That is, the determination unit 206 determines whether or not the consumer good currently used by the user matches the consumer good included in the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205. If the determination unit 206 determines that the consumer good currently used by the user matches the consumer good included in the usage information, it does nothing. On the other hand, if the determination unit 206 determines that the consumer good currently used by the user does not match the consumer good included in the usage information, it transmits a consumer good list related to the home appliance 102 from the consumer good list held in the consumer good information holding unit 202 via the transmission / reception unit 201.

[0053] For example, based on the usage information in Fig. 9, if a first confirmation message is sent asking "Are you sure the fabric softener you are using is 'HMG'?" and a user response of "Yes" is received, the determination unit 206 does nothing. On the other hand, if a first confirmation message is sent asking "Are you sure the fabric softener you are using is 'HMG'?" and a user response of "No" is received, the determination unit 206 transmits a consumer goods list via the transmission / reception unit 201.

[0054] The determination unit 206 may determine whether the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is 0. If it is determined that the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is 0, the transmission / reception unit 201 may transmit a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good in use.

[0055] (8) Control unit 208 The control unit 208 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmission / reception unit 201, consumer goods information storage unit 202, notification information storage unit 203, user information storage unit 204, usage information accumulation unit 205, judgment unit 206 and update unit 207, thereby realizing the functions of the server device 101.

[0056] 1.3 Configuration of the Home Appliance 102 Next, the detailed configuration of the home appliance 102 will be described.

[0057] 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home electric appliance according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, home electric appliance 102 includes transmission / reception unit 301, display unit 302, usage information acquisition unit 303, input reception unit 304, device information storage unit 305, and control unit 306.

[0058] The home appliance 102 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the home appliance 102 are realized when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program.

[0059] Each functional block, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 301, the display unit 302, the usage information acquiring unit 303, the input accepting unit 304, the device information storing unit 305, and the control unit 306, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be implemented individually as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be implemented as a single chip.

[0060] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0061] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI fabrication, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections or settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI fabrication.

[0062] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0063] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0064] (1) Transmitter / receiver 301 The transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits to the server device 101 a request for a consumer goods list and device information including an identifier (device ID) that can uniquely identify the home appliance 102. The example of device information shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the manufacturer (maker) name of the home appliance 102 is "Company P," the product category is "washing machine," and the device ID is "0x123456." The transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits part or all of the device information.

[0065] The transmitting / receiving unit 301 receives a list of consumer goods related to the home appliance 102 from the server device 101 .

[0066] The transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits to the server device 101 user input information received by the input receiving unit 304 in response to the consumer goods list displayed on the display unit 302, i.e., information about the consumer goods selected or determined by the user based on the consumer goods list. The information about the consumer goods includes, for example, the name of the manufacturer of the consumer goods, the product category, the product name, or a product ID that can identify the product.

[0067] The transmitting and receiving unit 301 transmits to the server device 101 the usage information, such as the amount of consumption of the consumer good, acquired by the usage information acquiring unit 303. For example, if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, the transmitting and receiving unit 301 transmits the amount of consumption of the consumer good (laundry detergent) measured by the washing machine itself. The transmitting and receiving unit 301 also transmits to the server device 101 an identifier for identifying the home appliance 102 and the operating status of the home appliance 102. For example, if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, the transmitting and receiving unit 301 transmits a usage notification that the washing machine has been used. The server device 101 calculates the amount of consumption of the consumer good based on the standard usage amount per use of the consumer good. In a washing machine, the amount of detergent is determined depending on the washing course and the amount of clothes in the washing tub, etc. Therefore, if setting information such as the washing course and the amount of clothes in the washing tub is known, the amount of detergent usage can be calculated.

[0068] (2) Display section 302 The display unit 302 displays and presents to the user the consumer goods list received via the transmitting and receiving unit 301. The display unit 302 displays information about the consumer goods received by the transmitting and receiving unit 301.

[0069] (3) Usage information acquisition unit 303 The usage information acquiring unit 303 acquires usage information such as the amount of consumption of a consumer good. For example, if the home appliance 102 is a washing machine, the home appliance 102 may include a tank for storing laundry detergent in advance and a sensor for measuring the amount of laundry detergent actually used from the laundry detergent previously stored in the tank. The usage information acquiring unit 303 may also acquire information that the washing machine has been used as usage information. In other words, the usage information acquiring unit 303 may acquire the operating status of the home appliance 102.

[0070] (4) Input reception unit 304 The input accepting unit 304 accepts user input information for the consumer goods list displayed by the display unit 302, i.e., information about consumer goods selected or determined by the user based on the consumer goods list. The input accepting unit 304 accepts the user's selection of consumer goods that will actually be used from the consumer goods list displayed by the display unit 302.

[0071] (5) Device information holding unit 305 The device information storage unit 305 stores device information that can uniquely identify the home appliance 102. The device information includes the name of the manufacturer that produced the home appliance, a product category that indicates the type of the home appliance, and a device ID that identifies the home appliance. The example of device information shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the manufacturer (maker) name of the home appliance 102 is "Company P," the product category is "washing machine," and the device ID is "0x123456."

[0072] (6) Control unit 306 The control unit 306 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmission / reception unit 301 , display unit 302 , usage information acquisition unit 303 , input reception unit 304 and device information storage unit 305 to realize the functions of the home appliance 102 .

[0073] 1.4 Configuration of Information Device 103 Next, the detailed configuration of the information device 103 will be described.

[0074] 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 14, information device 103 includes transmitting / receiving section 401, display section 402, input receiving section 403, and control section 404.

[0075] The information device 103 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the information device 103 are realized when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program.

[0076] Each functional block, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 401, the display unit 402, the input receiving unit 403, and the control unit 404, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be implemented individually as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be integrated into a single chip.

[0077] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0078] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0079] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0080] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0081] (1) Transmitter / receiver 401 The transmitting / receiving unit 401 receives a confirmation message from the server device 101 for confirming the consumer good that the home appliance 102 is using.

[0082] The transmitting / receiving unit 401 transmits to the server device 101 the user input information received by the input receiving unit 403 in response to the confirmation message displayed by the display unit 402, that is, a response from the user.

[0083] The transmitting / receiving unit 401 receives a list of consumer goods related to the home appliance 102 from the server device 101 .

[0084] The transmitting / receiving unit 401 transmits to the server device 101 user input information received by the input receiving unit 403 in response to the consumer goods list displayed on the display unit 402, i.e., information about the consumer goods selected or determined by the user based on the consumer goods list. The information about the consumer goods includes, for example, the name of the manufacturer of the consumer goods, the product category, the product name, or a product ID that can identify the product.

[0085] (2) Display section 402 The display unit 402 displays the confirmation message received via the transmitting / receiving unit 401 and presents it to the user.

[0086] (3) Input reception unit 403 The input receiving unit 403 receives a user input (a response from the user) in response to the confirmation message displayed by the display unit 402.

[0087] The input accepting unit 403 accepts user input information for the consumer goods list displayed by the display unit 402, i.e., information about consumer goods selected or determined by the user based on the consumer goods list. The input accepting unit 403 accepts the user's selection of consumer goods that will actually be used from the consumer goods list displayed by the display unit 402.

[0088] (4) Control unit 404 The control unit 404 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmission / reception unit 401 , display unit 402 and input reception unit 403 , thereby realizing the functions of the information device 103 .

[0089] 1.5 Operation of the server device to acquire usage information from home appliances An example of the operation of the server device 101 to acquire usage information from the home appliance 102 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0090] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation performed by the server device to acquire usage information from a home electric appliance for the first time in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] First, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 of the home appliance 102 transmits a request for a consumer goods list and the device information stored in the device information storage unit 305 to the server device 101 (step S1). The transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the request for the consumer goods list and the device information to the server device 101, for example, when the power of the home appliance 102 is turned on for the first time, when a button provided on the home appliance 102 for requesting a consumer goods list is pressed, or when the home appliance 102 is connected to a network for the first time.

[0092] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the request for the consumer goods list and the device information transmitted by the home electric appliance 102 (step S2).

[0093] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 extracts consumer goods information corresponding to the product category included in the received device information from the consumer goods information storage unit 202 (step S3). The consumer goods information includes the product category, manufacturer name, product category, product ID, product name, and capacity. The consumer goods information may also include an image showing the consumer goods.

[0094] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the extracted consumer goods information as a consumer goods list to the home appliance 102 (step S4). Note that the consumer goods list includes at least one consumer goods information item.

[0095] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 of the home appliance 102 receives the consumer goods list transmitted by the server device 101 (step S5).

[0096] Next, the display unit 302 displays the consumer goods list received by the transmitting / receiving unit 301 (step S6). At this time, the display unit 302 does not need to display all of the consumer goods information, and may display only information that can identify the consumer goods (for example, product name) from the consumer goods information. The display unit 302 may also display an image showing the consumer goods. This allows the user to more easily select the consumer goods that they are currently using.

[0097] Next, the input accepting unit 304 accepts user input (step S7). The input accepting unit 304 accepts the selection of a consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured with, for example, a touch panel, the user touches the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured with, for example, a button, the user presses the button to select the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302.

[0098] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the information on the consumer goods (consumer goods information) received by the input receiving unit 304 to the server device 101 (step S8).

[0099] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the information about the consumer good (consumer good information) transmitted by the home appliance 102 (step S9).

[0100] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the consumer good information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S10). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 does not store any usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received consumer good information. Therefore, the update unit 207 newly stores usage information in the usage information storage unit 205, in which the product ID, product name, and capacity included in the consumer good information are associated with the device ID. At this time, the update unit 207 sets the date when the consumer good information was received from the home appliance 102 as the start date of use, sets "0" as the usage amount, and includes "100%" as the predicted remaining amount value in the usage information.

[0101] Next, an operation in which server device 101, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from home appliance 102 will be described.

[0102] Figure 16 is a first flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a server device in which usage information is already stored acquires usage information from a home appliance in embodiment 1 of the present invention, and Figure 17 is a second flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a server device in which usage information is already stored acquires usage information from a home appliance in embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0103] First, the usage information acquisition unit 303 of the home appliance 102 acquires the usage information (step S21).

[0104] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the usage information acquired by the usage information acquiring unit 303 to the server device 101 (step S22).

[0105] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the usage information transmitted by the home appliance 102 (step S23).

[0106] Next, the update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the usage information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S24). When the usage information includes the operating status of the home appliance 102, the update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the operating status of the home appliance 102. When the usage information includes the usage amount of the consumer good, the update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the capacity of the consumer good and the usage amount of the consumer good. In the first embodiment, the remaining amount of the consumer good is expressed as a percentage, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and may be expressed as a value obtained by subtracting the usage amount of the consumer good from the capacity of the consumer good.

[0107] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the usage information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 and the calculated remaining amount (step S25). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 already stores usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received usage information. Therefore, the update unit 207 updates the usage amount included in the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 to the usage amount included in the received usage information or the usage amount calculated from the received usage information. In addition, the update unit 207 updates the remaining amount included in the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 to the remaining amount calculated from the received usage information.

[0108] Next, the determination unit 206 of the server device 101 determines whether the remaining amount prediction of the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 is equal to or less than a predetermined set value (step S26). If it is determined that the remaining amount prediction is not equal to or less than the set value (NO in step S26), the determination unit 206 ends the process without taking any action.

[0109] On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining amount prediction is equal to or less than the set value (YES in step S26), the determination unit 206 acquires the notification information stored in the notification information storage unit 203 (step S27). The notification information is a confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use. The determination unit 206 reads out the confirmation message stored in the notification information storage unit 203 and creates the confirmation message by inserting the product name included in the usage information into the read confirmation message.

[0110] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the acquired notification information (confirmation message) to the information device 103 (step S28).

[0111] Next, transmitting / receiving section 401 of information device 103 receives the notification information (confirmation message) transmitted by server device 101 (step S29).

[0112] Next, display unit 402 displays the notification information (confirmation message) received by transmitting / receiving unit 401 (step S30).

[0113] Next, input receiving unit 403 of information device 103 receives user input, that is, the user's response to the confirmation message (step S31).

[0114] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 401 transmits, to the server device 101, response information to the confirmation message accepted by the input accepting unit 403 (step S32).

[0115] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the response information transmitted by the information device 103 (step S33).

[0116] Next, based on the response information received by the transmission / reception unit 201, the judgment unit 206 judges whether the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 matches the consumer good actually currently being used by the user (step S34).

[0117] That is, when affirmative response information is received in response to a confirmation message confirming whether the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 matches the consumer good actually currently being used by the user, the determination unit 206 determines that the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 matches the consumer good actually currently being used by the user. On the other hand, when negative response information is received in response to the confirmation message, the determination unit 206 determines that the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 does not match the consumer good actually currently being used by the user.

[0118] Here, if it is determined that the consumer good identified by the usage information matches the consumer good that the user is actually currently using (YES in step S34), the determination unit 206 does nothing and ends the process.

[0119] On the other hand, if it is determined that the consumer good identified by the usage information does not match the consumer good actually being used by the user (NO in step S34), the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 extracts consumer good information corresponding to the device ID included in the usage information from the consumer good information storage unit 202 (step S35). The consumer good information includes the product category, manufacturer name, product category, product ID, product name, and capacity. The consumer good information may also include an image of the consumer good.

[0120] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the extracted consumer goods information as a consumer goods list to the information appliance 103 (step S36). Note that the consumer goods list includes at least one consumer goods information item.

[0121] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 401 of the information device 103 receives the consumer goods list transmitted by the server device 101 (step S37).

[0122] Next, the display unit 402 displays the consumer goods list received by the transmitting / receiving unit 401 (step S38). At this time, the display unit 402 does not need to display all of the consumer goods information, and may display only information that can identify the consumer goods (for example, product name) from the consumer goods information. The display unit 402 may also display an image showing the consumer goods. This allows the user to more easily select the consumer goods that they are currently using.

[0123] Next, the input accepting unit 403 accepts user input (step S39). The input accepting unit 403 accepts the selection of a consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed. If the input accepting unit 403 is configured with, for example, a touch panel, the user touches the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 402. If the input accepting unit 403 is configured with, for example, a button, the user presses the button to select the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 402.

[0124] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 401 transmits the information on the consumer goods (consumer goods information) received by the input receiving unit 403 to the server device 101 (step S40).

[0125] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the information about the consumer goods (consumer goods information) transmitted by the information device 103 (step S41).

[0126] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the consumer good information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S42). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 does not store any usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received consumer good information. Therefore, the update unit 207 newly stores usage information in the usage information storage unit 205, in which the product ID, product name, and capacity included in the consumer good information are associated with the device ID. At this time, the update unit 207 sets the date when the consumer good information was received from the home appliance 102 as the start date of use, sets "0" as the usage amount, and includes "100%" as the predicted remaining amount value in the usage information.

[0127] (Embodiment 2) 2.1 Configuration of the Point-of-Use Information Acquisition System 18 is a diagram showing the configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 18, the time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention includes a first server device 1701, a second server device 1702, a home appliance 102, and an information appliance 103.

[0128] First server device 1701 is communicably connected to home appliance 102 via network 105, and is also communicably connected to information appliance 103 via network 105. First server device 1701 is also communicably connected to second server device 1702. Network 105 is, for example, the Internet. First server device 1701 may be communicably connected to second server device 1702 via network 105.

[0129] The first server device 1701 receives and stores sales information from the second server device 1702. The sales information is information about consumer goods purchased by a user. In response to a request from a home appliance 102, the first server device 1701 selects and transmits a list of consumer goods corresponding to the home appliance 102 based on the sales information, and transmits a confirmation message to the information appliance 103 to confirm the consumer goods currently in use. In addition, the first server device 1701 receives and stores information about the consumer goods currently in use by the home appliance 102 from the home appliance 102.

[0130] The second server device 1702 stores sales information and transmits the stored sales information to the first server device 1701 .

[0131] The configurations of home appliance 102 and information appliance 103 in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0132] 2.2 Configuration of the first server device 1701 Next, the detailed configuration of the first server device 1701 will be described.

[0133] Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first server device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 19, the first server device 1701 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 201, a consumer goods information storage unit 202, a notification information storage unit 203, a user information storage unit 204, a usage information accumulation unit 205, a determining unit 206, an updating unit 207, a sales information storage unit 1801, a selecting unit 1802, and a control unit 1803.

[0134] The first server device 1701 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the first server device 1701 are realized by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0135] Each functional block of the first server device 1701, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 201, the consumer goods information storage unit 202, the notification information storage unit 203, the user information storage unit 204, the usage information accumulation unit 205, the determining unit 206, the updating unit 207, the sales information storage unit 1801, the selecting unit 1802, and the control unit 1803, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be individually implemented as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be included in a single chip.

[0136] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0137] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0138] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0139] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0140] (1) Transmitting / receiving unit 201 to updating unit 207 The configurations of the transmitter / receiver 201, consumer goods information storage unit 202, notification information storage unit 203, user information storage unit 204, usage information accumulation unit 205, judgment unit 206 and update unit 207 are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore their explanations are omitted.

[0141] (2) Sales information storage unit 1801 The sales information storage unit 1801 stores information about consumer goods purchased by a user at a retail store, i.e., sales information about consumer goods sold to a user by a retail store. The transmitting / receiving unit 201 receives the sales information transmitted by the second server device 1702 and stores it in the sales information storage unit 1801. The sales information storage unit 1801 stores sales information that associates information for identifying the consumer goods sold to the user with the type of home appliance in which the consumer goods are used.

[0142] Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of sales information in the present embodiment 2. In the example of sales information shown in Fig. 20, a "user ID" indicating an identifier for identifying the user who made the purchase, a "purchase date" indicating the date on which the consumer good was purchased, a "product ID" indicating an identifier by which the purchased consumer good can be identified, a "product name" indicating the name of the purchased consumer good, a "unit price" indicating the price per unit of the purchased consumer good, a "quantity" indicating the number of the purchased consumer good, and a "related device" indicating the type of device that uses the purchased consumer good are associated with each other.

[0143] The sales information shown in FIG. 20 indicates, for example, that a user identified by user ID "324-5678" purchased two consumer goods identified by product ID "5278" and product name "ATN," two consumer goods identified by product ID "11965" and product name "TYA," and one consumer good identified by product ID "326" and product name "JIK" on March 3, 2013. The related equipment for the consumer good identified by product ID "5278" and product name "ATN" is a "washing machine," indicating that it is used in a washing machine. The related equipment for the consumer good identified by product ID "11965" and product name "TYA" is a "microwave oven," indicating that it is used in a microwave oven. The related equipment for the consumer good identified by product ID "326" and product name "JIK" is "other," indicating that it is unrelated to home appliances.

[0144] (3) Selection section 1802 Based on the device ID included in the device information received via the transmission / reception unit 201, the selection unit 1802 identifies the user who uses the home appliance corresponding to the device ID from the user information stored in the user information storage unit 204, and selects consumer goods related to the home appliance from consumer goods purchased by the user in the sales information stored in the sales information storage unit 1801.

[0145] The selection unit 1802 selects consumer goods sold to the user based on the sales information. The transmission / reception unit 201 extracts consumer goods information related to the consumer goods selected by the selection unit 1802 from the consumer goods information storage unit 202.

[0146] (4) Control Unit 1803 The control unit 1803 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmission / reception unit 201, consumer goods information storage unit 202, notification information storage unit 203, user information storage unit 204, usage information accumulation unit 205, judgment unit 206, update unit 207, sales information storage unit 1801 and selection unit 1802, thereby realizing the functions of the first server device 1701.

[0147] 2.3 Configuration of the second server device 1702 Next, the detailed configuration of the second server device 1702 will be described.

[0148] 21 is a diagram showing the configuration of the second server device in the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 21, the second server device 1702 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 1901, a sales information storage unit 1902, and a control unit 1903.

[0149] The second server device 1702 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the second server device 1702 are realized by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0150] Each functional block of the second server device 1702, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 1901, the sales information storage unit 1902, and the control unit 1903, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be implemented individually on a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be included on a single chip.

[0151] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0152] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0153] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0154] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0155] (1) Transmitter / receiver 1901 The transmitting / receiving unit 1901 receives information about consumer goods purchased by a user, which is transmitted from a cash register terminal of a retail store, i.e., sales information about consumer goods sold to a user by a retail store, and receives aggregate information (aggregated data) in which the sales information is aggregated. The transmitting / receiving unit 1901 stores the received sales information in the sales information storage unit 1902.

[0156] The transmitting / receiving unit 1901 transmits the sales information stored in the sales information storage unit 1902 to the first server device 1701 .

[0157] (2) Sales information storage unit 1902 The sales information storage unit 1902 stores information about consumer goods purchased by users, i.e., sales information about consumer goods sold by retail stores to users. In the example of sales information shown in FIG. 20 , the following items are associated with each other: a “user ID” indicating an identifier for identifying the user who made the purchase; a “purchase date” indicating the date the consumer goods were purchased; a “product ID” indicating an identifier for identifying the purchased consumer goods; a “product name” indicating the name of the purchased consumer goods; a “unit price” indicating the price per unit of the purchased consumer goods; a “quantity” indicating the number of purchased consumer goods; and a “related device” indicating the type of device that uses the purchased consumer goods. For example, the sales information shown in FIG. 20 indicates that, on March 3, 2013, a user identified by user ID “324-5678” purchased two consumer goods identified by product ID “5278” and product name “ATN,” two consumer goods identified by product ID “11965” and product name “TYA,” and one consumer good identified by product ID “326” and product name “JIK.” Additionally, the related equipment for the consumer good identified by product ID "5278" and product name "ATN" is a "washing machine," indicating that it is used in a washing machine. Additionally, the related equipment for the consumer good identified by product ID "11965" and product name "TYA" is a "microwave oven," indicating that it is used in a microwave oven. Additionally, the related equipment for the consumer good identified by product ID "326" and product name "JIK" is "other," indicating that it is unrelated to home appliances.

[0158] (3) Control Unit 1903 The control unit 1803 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmitting / receiving unit 1901 and sales information storage unit 1902 to realize the functions of the second server device 1702 .

[0159] 2.4 Configuration of the Home Appliance 102 and Information Appliance 103 The configurations of home appliance 102 and information appliance 103 in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0160] 2.5 Operation of the first server device to acquire usage information from home appliances An example of the operation of first server device 1701 acquiring usage information from home appliance 102 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0161] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation performed by the first server device to acquire usage information from a home electric appliance for the first time in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0162] First, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 of the home appliance 102 transmits a request for a consumer goods list and the appliance information stored in the appliance information storage unit 305 to the first server device 1701 (step S51).

[0163] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the first server device 1701 receives the request for the consumer goods list and the device information transmitted by the home electric appliance 102 (step S52).

[0164] Next, the selection unit 1802 identifies the user ID based on the user information stored in the user information storage unit 204 and the device ID included in the received device information, and selects consumer goods purchased by the user that can be used with the home appliance 102 from the sales information stored in the sales information storage unit 1801 based on the identified user ID and the product category included in the received device information (step S53).

[0165] The first server device 1701 acquires sales information from the second server device 1702 at a predetermined timing. The second server device 1702 transmits sales information to the first server device 1701, for example, at midnight every day. At this time, the second server device 1702 transmits any untransmitted sales information to the first server device 1701.

[0166] In addition, when the first server device 1701 receives a request for a consumer goods list from the home appliance 102, it may send request information requesting sales information to the second server device 1702, and the second server device 1702 may send the sales information to the first server device 1701 in response to the request information.

[0167] Furthermore, second server device 1702 may transmit the acquired new sales information to first server device 1701 at the timing when the new sales information is acquired.

[0168] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 extracts consumer goods information corresponding to the consumer goods selected by the selecting unit 1802 from the consumer goods information storage unit 202 (step S54). The consumer goods information includes a product category, a manufacturer name, a product category, a product ID, a product name, and a capacity. The consumer goods information may also include an image showing the consumer goods.

[0169] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the extracted consumer goods information to the home appliance 102 as a consumer goods list (step S55).

[0170] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 of the home appliance 102 receives the consumer goods list transmitted by the first server device 1701 (step S56).

[0171] Next, the display unit 302 displays the consumer goods list received by the transmitting / receiving unit 301 (step S57). At this time, the display unit 302 does not need to display all of the consumer goods information, and may display only information that can identify the consumer goods (for example, product name) from the consumer goods information. The display unit 302 may also display an image showing the consumer goods. This allows the user to more easily select the consumer goods that they are currently using.

[0172] Next, the input accepting unit 304 accepts user input (step S58). The input accepting unit 304 accepts the selection of a consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured, for example, as a touch panel, the user touches the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured, for example, as a button, the user presses the button to select the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302.

[0173] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the information on the consumer goods (consumer goods information) received by the input receiving unit 304 to the first server device 1701 (step S59).

[0174] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the first server device 1701 receives the information about the consumer good (consumer good information) transmitted by the home appliance 102 (step S60).

[0175] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the consumer good information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S61). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 does not store any usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received consumer good information. Therefore, the update unit 207 newly stores usage information in the usage information storage unit 205, in which the product ID, product name, and capacity included in the consumer good information are associated with the device ID. At this time, the update unit 207 sets the date when the consumer good information was received from the home appliance 102 as the start date of use, sets "0" as the usage amount, and includes "100%" as the predicted remaining amount value in the usage information.

[0176] In this way, only consumer goods that the user has purchased are presented to the user, so the user can easily select consumer goods to use from among consumer goods that the user actually owns.

[0177] Next, an operation of first server device 1701, in which usage information has already been stored, acquiring usage information from home appliance 102 will be described.

[0178] Figure 23 is a first flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a first server device in which usage information has already been stored acquires usage information from a home appliance in embodiment 2 of the present invention, and Figure 24 is a second flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a first server device in which usage information has already been stored acquires usage information from a home appliance in embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0179] First, the usage information acquisition unit 303 of the home appliance 102 acquires the usage information (step S71). The usage information includes a product category indicating the type of the home appliance 102, a device ID for identifying the home appliance 102, a product ID for identifying the consumer good, the product name of the consumer good, and the amount of use of the consumer good. The usage information may also include the product category, the device ID, the product ID, the product name, and the operating status of the home appliance 102.

[0180] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the usage information acquired by the usage information acquiring unit 303 to the first server device 1701 (step S72).

[0181] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the first server device 1701 receives the usage information transmitted by the home electric appliance 102 (step S73).

[0182] Next, the update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the usage information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S74). When the usage information includes the operating status of the home appliance 102, the update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the operating status of the home appliance 102. When the usage information includes the usage amount of the consumer good, the update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the capacity of the consumer good and the usage amount of the consumer good. Although the remaining amount of the consumer good in the second embodiment is expressed as a percentage, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and may be expressed as a value obtained by subtracting the usage amount of the consumer good from the capacity of the consumer good.

[0183] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the usage information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 and the calculated remaining amount (step S75). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 already stores usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received usage information. Therefore, the update unit 207 updates the usage amount included in the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 to the usage amount included in the received usage information or the usage amount calculated from the received usage information. In addition, the update unit 207 updates the remaining amount included in the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 to the remaining amount calculated from the received usage information.

[0184] Next, the determination unit 206 of the first server device 1701 determines whether the remaining amount prediction of the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 is equal to or less than a predetermined set value (step S76). If it is determined that the remaining amount prediction is not equal to or less than the set value (NO in step S76), the determination unit 206 ends the process without taking any action.

[0185] On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining amount prediction is equal to or less than the set value (YES in step S76), the determination unit 206 acquires the notification information stored in the notification information storage unit 203 (step S77). The notification information is a confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use. The determination unit 206 reads out the confirmation message stored in the notification information storage unit 203 and creates the confirmation message by inserting the product name included in the usage information into the read confirmation message.

[0186] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the acquired notification information (confirmation message) to the information device 103 (step S78).

[0187] Next, transmitting / receiving section 401 of information appliance 103 receives the notification information (confirmation message) transmitted by first server device 1701 (step S79).

[0188] Next, the display unit 402 displays the notification information (confirmation message) received by the transmitting / receiving unit 401 (step S80).

[0189] Next, the input receiving unit 403 of the information device 103 receives a user input, that is, a user response to the confirmation message (step S81).

[0190] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 401 transmits response information to the confirmation message received by the input receiving unit 403 to the first server device 1701 (step S82).

[0191] Next, transmitting / receiving section 201 of first server device 1701 receives the response information transmitted by information appliance 103 (step S83).

[0192] Next, based on the response information received by the transmission / reception unit 201, the judgment unit 206 judges whether the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 matches the consumer good actually currently being used by the user (step S84).

[0193] That is, when affirmative response information is received in response to a confirmation message confirming whether the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 matches the consumer good actually currently being used by the user, the determination unit 206 determines that the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 matches the consumer good actually currently being used by the user. On the other hand, when negative response information is received in response to the confirmation message, the determination unit 206 determines that the consumer good identified by the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 does not match the consumer good actually currently being used by the user.

[0194] Here, if it is determined that the consumer good identified by the usage information matches the consumer good that the user is actually currently using (YES in step S84), the determination unit 206 does nothing and ends the process.

[0195] On the other hand, if it is determined that the consumer good identified by the usage information does not match the consumer good actually currently being used by the user (NO in step S84), the selection unit 1802 identifies the user ID based on the user information stored in the user information storage unit 204 and the device ID included in the received usage information, and selects a consumer good purchased by the user that can be used for the home appliance 102 from the sales information stored in the sales information storage unit 1801 based on the identified user ID and the product category included in the received usage information (step S85).

[0196] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 extracts consumer goods information corresponding to the consumer goods selected by the selecting unit 1802 from the consumer goods information storage unit 202 (step S86). The consumer goods information includes a product category, a manufacturer name, a product category, a product ID, a product name, and a capacity. The consumer goods information may also include an image showing the consumer goods.

[0197] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the extracted consumer goods information to the information device 103 as a consumer goods list (step S87).

[0198] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 401 of the information appliance 103 receives the consumer goods list transmitted by the first server device 1701 (step S88).

[0199] Next, the display unit 402 displays the consumer goods list received by the transmitting / receiving unit 401 (step S89). At this time, the display unit 402 does not need to display all of the consumer goods information, and may display only information from the consumer goods information that can identify the consumer goods (for example, product name). The display unit 402 may also display an image showing the consumer goods. This allows the user to more easily select the consumer goods that they are currently using.

[0200] Next, the input accepting unit 403 accepts user input (step S90). The input accepting unit 403 accepts the selection of a consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed. If the input accepting unit 403 is configured with, for example, a touch panel, the user touches the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 402. If the input accepting unit 403 is configured with, for example, a button, the user presses the button to select the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 402.

[0201] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 401 transmits the information on the consumer goods (consumer goods information) received by the input receiving unit 403 to the first server device 1701 (step S91).

[0202] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the first server device 1701 receives the information about the consumer goods (consumer goods information) transmitted by the information appliance 103 (step S92).

[0203] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the consumer good information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S93). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 does not store any usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received consumer good information. Therefore, the update unit 207 newly stores usage information in the usage information storage unit 205, in which the product ID, product name, and capacity included in the consumer good information are associated with the device ID. At this time, the update unit 207 sets the date when the consumer good information was received from the home appliance 102 as the start date of use, sets "0" as the usage amount, and includes "100%" as the predicted remaining amount value in the usage information.

[0204] (Embodiment 3) 3.1 Configuration of the Point-of-Use Information Acquisition System 25 is a diagram showing the configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 25, the time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention includes a server device 101, a home appliance 2501, an information device 103, and a wireless tag 2502.

[0205] The server device 101 holds a consumer goods list that lists consumer goods, transmits the consumer goods list in response to a request from the home appliance 2501, and transmits a confirmation message to the information appliance 103 to confirm the consumer goods currently in use. In addition, the server device 101 receives and stores information about the consumer goods currently in use by the home appliance 2501 from the home appliance 2501.

[0206] The wireless tag 2502 is attached to a consumer good. For example, the wireless tag 2502 is attached to the package of the consumer good. The wireless tag 2502 transmits information for identifying the consumer good to which it is attached to the home appliance 2501, which is a reader.

[0207] Home appliance 2501 detects information about the consumer good (such as a product ID) from wireless tag 2502 present in the vicinity, and transmits the detected information about the consumer good to server device 101. Home appliance 2501 also receives information about the detected consumer good (such as a product image) from server device 101, presents the received information about the consumer good to the user, accepts user confirmation (user input) as to whether the presented information about the consumer good is correct, and transmits the accepted user input to server device 101.

[0208] The information device 103 receives the confirmation message from the server device 101, presents the received confirmation message to the user, and accepts input of information about the consumer good by the user. The information device 103 also transmits the accepted information about the consumer good to the server device 101.

[0209] 3.2 Configuration of Home Appliance 2501 Next, the detailed configuration of the home appliance 2501 will be described.

[0210] 26 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home appliance according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 26, home appliance 2501 includes transmitting / receiving unit 301, display unit 302, usage information acquiring unit 303, input accepting unit 304, device information storing unit 305, wireless tag detecting unit 2601, and control unit 2602.

[0211] Home appliance 2501 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of home appliance 2501 are realized when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program.

[0212] Each functional block of the home appliance 2501, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 301, the display unit 302, the usage information acquiring unit 303, the input accepting unit 304, the device information storing unit 305, the wireless tag detecting unit 2601, and the control unit 2602, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be implemented individually as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be included in a single chip.

[0213] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0214] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0215] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0216] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0217] (1) Transmitting / receiving unit 301 to device information storage unit 305 The configurations of the transmitting / receiving unit 301, the display unit 302, the usage information acquiring unit 303, the input receiving unit 304, and the device information holding unit 305 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0218] (2) Wireless tag detection unit 2601 The wireless tag detection unit 2601 detects a nearby wireless tag 2502 and reads out information (for example, information for identifying a consumer good, such as a product ID) embedded in the wireless tag 2502. A commonly used communication method for the wireless tag may be used, and a description thereof will be omitted here. The detected (read) information for identifying the consumer good, such as the product ID, is transmitted to the server device 101 by the transmitting / receiving unit 301.

[0219] (3) Control unit 2602 The control unit 2602 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmitting / receiving unit 301 , display unit 302 , usage information acquisition unit 303 , input reception unit 304 , device information storage unit 305 and wireless tag detection unit 2601 to realize the functions of the home appliance 2501 .

[0220] 3.3 Configuration of the Server Device 101 and Information Device 103 The configurations of server device 101 and information device 103 in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0221] 3.4 Operation of the server device to acquire usage information from home appliances An example of the operation of the server device 101 to acquire usage information from the home appliance 2501 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0222] Fig. 27 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation in which the server device acquires usage information from a home appliance for the first time in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Note that, in Embodiment 3 of the present invention, the operation in which server device 101, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from home appliance 2501 is the same as the operation shown in Figs. 16 and 17 in Embodiment 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0223] First, the wireless tag detection unit 2601 of the home appliance 2501 detects a wireless tag 2502 present within a predetermined detection range and reads information for identifying a consumer good (consumer good identification information) from the detected wireless tag 2502 (step S101). The consumer good identification information includes, for example, a product ID. If there are multiple wireless tags near the home appliance 2501, the wireless tag detection unit 2601 reads the consumer good identification information from each of the multiple wireless tags.

[0224] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the consumer goods identification information read by the wireless tag detection unit 2601 and the device information stored in the device information storage unit 305 to the server device 101 (step S102).

[0225] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the consumer goods identification information and the device information transmitted by the home electric appliance 2501 (step S103).

[0226] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 extracts consumer goods information corresponding to the received consumer goods identification information (product ID) from the consumer goods information storage unit 202 (step S104). The consumer goods information includes a product category, a manufacturer name, a product category, a product ID, a product name, and a capacity. The consumer goods information may also include an image showing the consumer goods.

[0227] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the extracted consumer goods information to the home appliance 2501 as a consumer goods list (step S105). Note that if one wireless tag is detected by the home appliance 2501, the consumer goods list includes one piece of consumer goods information, and if multiple wireless tags are detected by the home appliance 2501, the consumer goods list includes multiple pieces of consumer goods information.

[0228] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 of the home appliance 2501 receives the consumer goods list transmitted by the server device 101 (step S106).

[0229] Next, the display unit 302 displays the consumer goods list received by the transmitting / receiving unit 301 (step S107). At this time, the display unit 302 does not need to display all of the consumer goods information, and may display only information from the consumer goods information that can identify the consumer goods (for example, product names). The display unit 302 may also display images of the consumer goods. This allows the user to more easily select the consumer goods that they are currently using.

[0230] Next, the input accepting unit 304 accepts user input (step S108). The input accepting unit 304 accepts the selection of a consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured with, for example, a touch panel, the user touches the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured with, for example, a button, the user presses the button to select the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302.

[0231] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the information on the consumer goods (consumer goods information) received by the input receiving unit 304 to the server device 101 (step S109).

[0232] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the information about the consumer good (consumer good information) transmitted by the home appliance 2501 (step S110).

[0233] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the consumer good information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S111). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 does not store any usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received consumer good information. Therefore, the update unit 207 newly stores usage information in the usage information storage unit 205, in which the product ID, product name, and capacity included in the consumer good information are associated with the device ID. At this time, the update unit 207 sets the date when the consumer good information was received from the home appliance 102 as the start date of use, sets "0" as the usage amount, and includes "100%" as the predicted remaining amount value in the usage information.

[0234] Thereafter, usage information acquisition unit 303 of home appliance 2501 acquires the usage information. Next, transmission / reception unit 301 transmits the usage information acquired by usage information acquisition unit 303 to server device 101. Transmission / reception unit 201 of server device 101 receives the usage information transmitted by home appliance 2501. Next, update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the usage information received by transmission / reception unit 201. Next, update unit 207 updates the usage information accumulated in usage information accumulation unit 205 based on the usage information received by transmission / reception unit 201 and the calculated remaining amount. The operations thereafter are the same as the operations from step S26 onwards in FIG. 16 of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0235] In this way, consumer goods identification information for identifying the consumer goods is read from the wireless tag attached to the consumer goods, and only consumer goods corresponding to the read consumer goods identification information are presented to the user, so that the user can easily select the consumer goods to use from the consumer goods they actually own.

[0236] (Fourth embodiment) 4.1 Configuration of the Point-of-Use Information Acquisition System 28 is a diagram showing the configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 28, the time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention includes a server device 101, a home appliance 2801, and an information appliance 103.

[0237] The server device 101 holds a consumer goods list that lists consumer goods, transmits the consumer goods list in response to a request from the home appliance 2801, and transmits a confirmation message to the information appliance 103 to confirm the consumer goods currently in use. In addition, the server device 101 receives and stores information about the consumer goods currently in use by the home appliance 2801 from the home appliance 2801.

[0238] Barcodes are attached to consumer goods. For example, barcodes are printed or attached to the packaging of consumer goods. The barcodes record information for identifying the consumer goods to which they are attached. Although a barcode (one-dimensional code) is used in this embodiment, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and a two-dimensional code may also be used. When a two-dimensional code is used, more information can be recorded than with a barcode.

[0239] The home appliance 2801 detects information about the consumer good (such as a product ID) from a barcode attached to the consumer good, and transmits the detected information about the consumer good to the server device 101. The home appliance 2801 also receives the detected information about the consumer good (such as a product image) from the server device 101, and presents the received information about the consumer good to the user. The home appliance 2801 also accepts user confirmation (user input) as to whether the presented information about the consumer good is correct, and transmits the accepted user input to the server device 101.

[0240] The information device 103 receives the confirmation message from the server device 101, presents the received confirmation message to the user, and accepts input of information about the consumer good by the user. The information device 103 also transmits the accepted information about the consumer good to the server device 101.

[0241] 4.2 Configuration of Home Appliance 2801 Next, the detailed configuration of the home appliance 2801 will be described.

[0242] Fig. 29 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home appliance according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 29, home appliance 2801 includes transmitting / receiving unit 301, display unit 302, usage information obtaining unit 303, input receiving unit 304, device information storing unit 305, barcode reading unit 2901, and control unit 2902.

[0243] The home appliance 2801 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the home appliance 2801 are realized when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program.

[0244] Each functional block of home appliance 2801, such as transmitter / receiver 301, display 302, usage information acquisition unit 303, input reception unit 304, device information storage unit 305, barcode reader 2901, and control unit 2902, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be implemented individually as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be implemented as a single chip.

[0245] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0246] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0247] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0248] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0249] (1) Transmitting / receiving unit 301 to device information storage unit 305 The configurations of the transmitting / receiving unit 301, the display unit 302, the usage information acquiring unit 303, the input receiving unit 304, and the device information holding unit 305 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0250] (2) Barcode reader 2901 The barcode reading unit 2901 reads the barcode attached to the consumer good and acquires information about the consumer good (for example, information for identifying the consumer good, such as a product ID). The barcode reading unit 2901 is configured, for example, with a barcode scanner. A commonly used barcode reading method may be used, and a description thereof will be omitted here. The acquired information for identifying the consumer good, such as the product ID, is transmitted to the server device 101 by the transmitting / receiving unit 301.

[0251] (3) Control Unit 2902 The control unit 2902 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmission / reception unit 301 , display unit 302 , usage information acquisition unit 303 , input reception unit 304 , device information storage unit 305 and barcode reading unit 2901 to realize the functions of the home appliance 2801 .

[0252] 4.3 Configuration of the Server Device 101 and Information Device 103 The configurations of server device 101 and information device 103 in the fourth embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0253] 4.4 How the server device acquires usage information from home appliances An example of the operation of the server device 101 to acquire usage information from the home appliance 2801 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0254] 30 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation in which the server device acquires usage information from a home appliance for the first time in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Note that, in Embodiment 4 of the present invention, the operation in which server device 101, in which usage information has already been stored, acquires usage information from home appliance 2801 is the same as the operation shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 in Embodiment 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0255] First, the barcode reading unit 2901 of the home appliance 2801 reads the barcode attached to the consumer good and acquires information for identifying the consumer good (consumer good identification information) (step S121). The consumer good identification information includes, for example, a product ID. When multiple barcodes attached to multiple consumer goods are read, the barcode reading unit 2901 acquires multiple pieces of consumer good identification information corresponding to each of the multiple consumer goods.

[0256] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the consumer goods identification information acquired by the barcode reading unit 2901 and the device information stored in the device information storage unit 305 to the server device 101 (step S122).

[0257] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the consumer goods identification information and the device information transmitted by the home electric appliance 2801 (step S123).

[0258] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 extracts consumer goods information corresponding to the received consumer goods identification information (product ID) from the consumer goods information storage unit 202 (step S124). The consumer goods information includes a product category, a manufacturer name, a product category, a product ID, a product name, and a capacity. The consumer goods information may also include an image showing the consumer goods.

[0259] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 transmits the extracted consumer goods information to the home appliance 2801 as a consumer goods list (step S125). Note that if one barcode is read by the home appliance 2801, the consumer goods list includes one piece of consumer goods information, and if multiple barcodes are read by the home appliance 2801, the consumer goods list includes multiple pieces of consumer goods information.

[0260] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 of the home appliance 2801 receives the consumer goods list transmitted by the server device 101 (step S126).

[0261] Next, the display unit 302 displays the consumer goods list received by the transmitting / receiving unit 301 (step S127). At this time, the display unit 302 does not need to display all of the consumer goods information, and may display only information from the consumer goods information that can identify the consumer goods (for example, product name). The display unit 302 may also display an image showing the consumer goods. This allows the user to more easily select the consumer goods that they are currently using.

[0262] Next, the input accepting unit 304 accepts user input (step S128). The input accepting unit 304 accepts the selection of a consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured, for example, as a touch panel, the user touches the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302. If the input accepting unit 304 is configured, for example, as a button, the user presses the button to select the consumer good that the user is currently using from the consumer good list that is being displayed on the display unit 302.

[0263] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 301 transmits the information on the consumer goods (consumer goods information) received by the input receiving unit 304 to the server device 101 (step S129).

[0264] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 201 of the server device 101 receives the information about the consumer good (consumer good information) transmitted by the home appliance 2801 (step S130).

[0265] Next, the update unit 207 updates the usage information stored in the usage information storage unit 205 based on the consumer good information received by the transmission / reception unit 201 (step S131). At this time, the usage information storage unit 205 does not store any usage information corresponding to the consumer good identified by the currently received consumer good information. Therefore, the update unit 207 newly stores usage information in the usage information storage unit 205, in which the product ID, product name, and capacity included in the consumer good information are associated with the device ID. At this time, the update unit 207 sets the date when the consumer good information was received from the home appliance 102 as the start date of use, sets "0" as the usage amount, and includes "100%" as the predicted remaining amount value in the usage information.

[0266] Thereafter, usage information acquisition unit 303 of home appliance 2801 acquires the usage information. Next, transmission / reception unit 301 transmits the usage information acquired by usage information acquisition unit 303 to server device 101. Transmission / reception unit 201 of server device 101 receives the usage information transmitted by home appliance 2801. Next, update unit 207 calculates the remaining amount of the consumer good based on the usage information received by transmission / reception unit 201. Next, update unit 207 updates the usage information accumulated in usage information accumulation unit 205 based on the usage information received by transmission / reception unit 201 and the calculated remaining amount. The operations thereafter are the same as the operations from step S26 onwards in FIG. 16 of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0267] In this way, by reading the barcode attached to the consumer good, consumer good identification information for identifying the consumer good is obtained, and only consumer goods corresponding to the obtained consumer good identification information are presented to the user, so that the user can easily select the consumer good to use from the consumer goods they actually own.

[0268] (Embodiment 5) 5.1 Configuration of the Point-of-Use Information Acquisition System 31 is a diagram showing the configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 31, the time-of-use information acquisition system according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention includes a server device 3101, a home appliance 2801, and an information appliance 103.

[0269] Server device 3101 holds a consumption list that lists consumer goods, transmits the consumer goods list in response to a request from home appliance 2801, and transmits a confirmation message to information appliance 103 to confirm the consumer goods currently in use. Server device 3101 also holds setting information related to the operation of home appliance 2801 that is set for home appliance 2801 when home appliance 2801 is operated using a consumer good, and transmits the setting information of home appliance 2801 in response to a request from home appliance 2801. In addition, server device 3101 receives and stores information related to the consumer goods currently in use by home appliance 2801 from home appliance 2801.

[0270] Barcodes are attached to consumer goods. For example, barcodes are printed or attached to the packaging of consumer goods. The barcodes record information for identifying the consumer goods to which they are attached.

[0271] The home appliance 2801 detects information about the consumer good (such as a product ID) from a barcode attached to the consumer good, and transmits the detected information about the consumer good to the server device 3101. The home appliance 2801 also receives the detected information about the consumer good (such as a product image) from the server device 101, and presents the received information about the consumer good to the user. The home appliance 2801 also accepts user confirmation (user input) as to whether the presented information about the consumer good is correct, and transmits the accepted user input to the server device 3101.

[0272] The information device 103 receives the confirmation message from the server device 3101, presents the received confirmation message to the user, and accepts input of information about the consumer good by the user. The information device 103 also transmits the accepted information about the consumer good to the server device 3101.

[0273] 5.2 Configuration of the Server Device 3101 Next, the detailed configuration of the server device 3101 will be described.

[0274] Fig. 32 is a diagram showing the configuration of a server device in Embodiment 5 of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 32, the server device 3101 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 201, a consumer goods information holding unit 202, a notification information holding unit 203, a user information holding unit 204, a usage information accumulation unit 205, a determining unit 206, an updating unit 207, a setting information holding unit 3201, and a control unit 3202.

[0275] The server device 3101 is specifically composed of a microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc. (not shown). The RAM, ROM, or hard disk stores a computer program, and the functions of the server device 3101 are realized by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0276] Each functional block of the server device 3101, such as the transmitting / receiving unit 201, the consumer goods information storage unit 202, the notification information storage unit 203, the user information storage unit 204, the usage information accumulation unit 205, the determining unit 206, the updating unit 207, the setting information storage unit 3201, and the control unit 3202, may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. Each functional block may be individually implemented as a single chip, or one or more functional blocks or some of the functional blocks may be integrated into a single chip.

[0277] Here, we refer to it as an LSI, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0278] Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI after LSI manufacturing.

[0279] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. For example, biotechnology may be applied as an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI.

[0280] Finally, each functional block may be realized by software or by a combination of LSI and software. Furthermore, the software may be tamper-resistant.

[0281] (1) Transmitting / receiving unit 201 to updating unit 207 The configurations of the transmitter / receiver 201, consumer goods information storage unit 202, notification information storage unit 203, user information storage unit 204, usage information accumulation unit 205, judgment unit 206 and update unit 207 are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore their explanations are omitted.

[0282] (2) Setting information holding unit 3201 The setting information storage unit 3201 stores setting information related to the operation of a home appliance, which is set for the home appliance, for each consumer good. Fig. 33 is a diagram showing an example of setting information in the fifth embodiment. In the example of setting information in Fig. 33, the name of the manufacturer that produces the consumer good, a product ID that can identify the consumer good, a product name that indicates the name of the consumer good, the amount (number or capacity) of the consumer good when used in the home appliance, and the setting information of the home appliance are associated with each other. The setting information shown in Fig. 33 shows an example in which the home appliance is a microwave oven and the consumer good is a frozen food. For example, when two frozen foods whose manufacturer name is "Company K," whose product ID is "5293," and whose product name is "GRU" are to be cooked in a microwave oven, they need to be heated for 1 minute 30 seconds at an output of 500W or 1 minute 20 seconds at an output of 600W.

[0283] The home appliance 2801 reads the barcode attached to the consumer good, acquires consumer good identification information, and then transmits the acquired consumer good identification information to the server device 3101 .

[0284] Transmitting / receiving unit 201 of server device 3101 extracts, from setting information storage unit 3201, setting information corresponding to consumer goods identification information (product ID) received from home appliance 2801, and transmits the extracted setting information to home appliance 2801. Home appliance 2801 receives the setting information transmitted by server device 3101, and operates home appliance 2801 based on the received setting information. This eliminates the need to set a time in home appliance 2801 (microwave oven).

[0285] (3) Control unit 3202 The control unit 3202 manages and controls the above-mentioned transmission / reception unit 201, consumer goods information storage unit 202, notification information storage unit 203, user information storage unit 204, usage information accumulation unit 205, judgment unit 206, update unit 207 and setting information storage unit 3201, thereby realizing the functions of the server device 3101.

[0286] 5.3 Configuration of home appliance 2801 and information appliance 103 The configurations of home appliance 2801 and information appliance 103 in the fifth embodiment are the same as those in the first and fourth embodiments, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0287] When the server device 3101 receives the consumer goods information in step S130 of FIG. 30, the server device 3101 may extract the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 3201 based on the received consumer goods information.

[0288] In this way, in this fifth embodiment, when a home appliance is operated using a consumer good, the setting information to be set for the home appliance is provided from the server device to the home appliance, eliminating the need for the user to perform setting operations on the home appliance, thereby improving the operability of the home appliance.

[0289] (Variation) Modifications of the present invention will be described below.

[0290] (1) In the first to fifth embodiments, the server device transmits the consumer goods list to the home appliance and transmits a confirmation message to the information appliance, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The server device may transmit the consumer goods list to the information appliance and transmit a confirmation message to the home appliance. The server device may also transmit both the consumer goods list and the confirmation message to the home appliance. Furthermore, the server device may also transmit both the consumer goods list and the confirmation message to the information appliance.

[0291] That is, the server device may transmit a confirmation message to a home appliance that uses the consumer good, another home appliance different from the home appliance that uses the consumer good, or an information appliance.

[0292] (2) In the first to fifth embodiments, the confirmation message sent by the server device includes a message providing discount information such as a coupon or a message providing a free sample, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The server device may also send home appliance control information related to consumer goods. Note that the home appliance control information indicates a new washing course if the home appliance is a washing machine, and indicates a new menu or new function if the home appliance is a microwave oven.

[0293] The server device may also transmit information notifying a user of related products related to the consumer good or a consumer good that can be used with a different home appliance. The server device may also transmit information about new products of home appliances or consumer goods. The server device may also transmit information notifying a user of the next purchase date for a consumer good currently in use. The server device may also present only discount information for the consumer good currently in use.

[0294] The server device may also present discount information for unused consumer goods that belong to the same product category as the consumer goods currently being used. In this case, the server device may set a higher discount rate for unused consumer goods or offer free samples of unused consumer goods that belong to the same product category as the consumer goods currently being used. The server device may also analyze the user's tastes and preferences based on the usage of consumer goods and provide information such as recommended recipes or how to use home appliances based on the analysis results.

[0295] Furthermore, when the remaining amount of a consumer good is equal to or less than a predetermined set value, the server device may not only notify the user of the next purchase time (or instead of notifying the user), but may also cooperate with a server device of an EC (Electronic Commerce) site to automatically register the consumer good in the user's planned purchase list (so-called shopping cart) on the EC site. Alternatively, the server device of the EC site may manage consumer goods with low remaining amounts and make it possible for the user to easily purchase the consumer good with low remaining amounts.

[0296] (3) In the first embodiment, the home appliance displays a consumer goods list and accepts user input to identify the consumer goods currently in use, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. An information device may display the consumer goods list and accept user input. In this case, the information device may transmit the consumer goods information entered by the user directly to the server device, or may transmit the consumer goods information entered by the user to the server device via the home appliance. Alternatively, the home appliance may display the consumer goods list and accept user input, and transmit the consumer goods information entered by the user to the server device via the information device.

[0297] (4) In the first to fifth embodiments, the server device may include a determination unit that, when transmitting the consumer goods list to a home appliance or an information appliance, determines whether to transmit the list to the home appliance or the information appliance depending on the number of display items. In this case, the server device transmits the consumer goods list to the home appliance if the number of display items in the consumer goods list is less than a predetermined number, and transmits the consumer goods list to the information appliance if the number of display items in the consumer goods list is equal to or greater than the predetermined number. Alternatively, the server device may determine whether the home appliance is currently being operated, and, if the home appliance is being operated, transmits the consumer goods list to the home appliance, and, if the home appliance is not being operated, transmits the consumer goods list to the information appliance.

[0298] (5) In embodiments 1 to 5, the timing at which the server device sends a confirmation message to the home appliance or information appliance may be any one of the following first to fourth timings, or a combination of two or more of the following first to fourth timings.

[0299] The first timing is when the remaining amount of a consumer good (such as laundry detergent or frozen food) managed based on the content volume and usage amount reaches a predetermined set value or falls below a predetermined set value.

[0300] The second timing is a timing that is predetermined for each product, each product category, each manufacturer, or each home appliance. For example, it may be preset for product A to send a confirmation message 30 days after the start of use, and for product category B to send a confirmation message one week after the start of use.

[0301] The third timing is determined based on user information such as family composition, etc. For example, if a family consists of four people and product D is usually consumed in one week, the server device will send the confirmation message one week after the start date of use of product D.

[0302] The fourth timing is determined based on the user's purchasing cycle of consumer goods. For example, if a user purchases product E once a month, the server device transmits the confirmation message immediately before the user purchases product E.

[0303] (6) In the second embodiment, when the server device provides a consumer goods list based on sales information and displays it on the home appliance, it may prioritize displaying consumer goods whose purchase date is closest to the current date or consumer goods with a high purchase frequency (number of purchases). Furthermore, if the consumer goods list presented by the server device based on sales information does not include a consumer good that the user is currently using or is about to start using, the home appliance or information device may accept user input indicating that the desired consumer good is not included in the consumer goods list and transmit the accepted user input information to the server device. In this case, upon receiving the user input information, the server device may extract consumer goods information related to the home appliance and retransmit the extracted consumer goods information as a consumer goods list.

[0304] Furthermore, an information device such as a smartphone may store sales information. The information device may transmit the sales information directly to a home appliance. The information device may transmit the sales information to a home appliance via a server device. The information device may transmit the sales information directly to a server device. The information device may transmit the sales information to a server device via a home appliance.

[0305] (7) In the third embodiment, if the home appliance is a washing machine or a microwave oven, the wireless tag detection unit may search for nearby wireless tags when the power is turned on, for example, to detect that the consumer good has been used up, thrown away, or the inventory of the consumer good has changed. Also, if the home appliance is a refrigerator, the wireless tag detection unit may search for nearby wireless tags when the door is opened or closed, for example, to detect that the consumer good has been used up, thrown away, or the inventory of the consumer good has changed. The server device may retain the timing when the consumer good was used up or the period during which the consumer good was used as a usage history. The server device may determine the timing to send a confirmation message based on the usage history. Also, the server device may determine the timing to send a confirmation message by combining the timing determination method described in the above modification (5) with the usage history.

[0306] (8) In the first to fifth embodiments, the home appliances may be not only washing machines or microwave ovens, but also refrigerators, dishwashers, bread makers, rice cookers, coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, toilets (including warm-water washing toilet seats), electric toothbrushes, shavers, etc., and may be any home appliances that use consumer goods. Furthermore, the consumer goods may be, for example, detergent, frozen foods, flour, rice, coffee beans, paper cartons, toilet paper, toothpaste, shaving cream, etc. Furthermore, the information devices may be mobile phones, smartphones, tablet devices, televisions, personal computers, facsimile machines, door monitors, etc., and may be any device that has a display unit (display).

[0307] (9) In the first to fifth embodiments, when the home appliance or information device displays the consumer goods list and accepts user input, the home appliance or information device may also accept user input of the remaining amount of the consumer goods. In this case, the home appliance or information device may accept user input such as half used, one-third used, 20% used, used five times, or unused.

[0308] (10) In the fifth embodiment, the home appliance identifies the consumer good by reading the barcode, and the server device extracts the setting information of the home appliance corresponding to the consumer good from the database (setting information storage unit). In addition, the home appliance may accept input from the user of the amount of the consumer good to be used and transmit the accepted amount to the server device. The amount of the consumer good to be used is, for example, the number or amount of frozen food to be cooked in a microwave oven. The server device may also determine the setting information of the home appliance based on the amount of use input by the user and the consumer good identified by reading the barcode. Instead of identifying the consumer good by reading the barcode, the home appliance may also identify the consumer good from a wireless tag, user input, user purchase information (purchase history), etc.

[0309] (11) Reading of barcodes or detection of wireless tags in the third to fifth embodiments may be performed by a home appliance, an information device, or a device other than the information device and the home appliance that uses the consumer goods. Each device may transmit the consumer goods identification information obtained by reading the barcode or the consumer goods identification information read from the wireless tag directly to the server device, or may transmit it to the server device via another device.

[0310] That is, an information device other than the home appliance may acquire information for identifying the consumer good by reading the barcode. Alternatively, the server device may receive the information for identifying the consumer good acquired by the information device directly from the information device. Alternatively, the server device may receive the information for identifying the consumer good acquired by the information device via the home appliance. In this case, the information device transmits to the server device information for identifying the consumer good and information for identifying the home appliance in which the consumer good is used (device ID).

[0311] Alternatively, an information device other than the home appliance may read information for identifying the consumer good from the wireless tag. Alternatively, the server device may receive the information for identifying the consumer good read by the information device directly from the information device. Alternatively, the server device may receive the information for identifying the consumer good read by the information device via the home appliance. In this case, the information device transmits to the server device information for identifying the consumer good and information for identifying the home appliance in which the consumer good is used (device ID).

[0312] (12) Figure 34 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a point-of-use information acquisition system in which a home appliance manufacturer and a consumer goods manufacturer work together to provide coupons or free samples. In the example shown in Figure 34, the home appliance is a washing machine and the consumer goods is a detergent. It is preferable that the point-of-use information acquisition system be a system in which the home appliance manufacturer and the consumer goods manufacturer work together to minimize the burden on users and continuously obtain usage information by providing coupons or free samples.

[0313] Methods for easily inputting consumer goods in use include selection from a consumer goods list obtained via a server device, input by barcode (obtained directly from a home appliance or via an information device), input by wireless tag (obtained directly from a home appliance or via an information device), input linked to an e-commerce site (using purchase information by displaying a list of consumer goods purchased in the past), or input linked to point of sale information (POS (Point of Sale) information) (obtaining sales information from a retailer).

[0314] Furthermore, as a method of issuing coupons or awarding points, the server device may issue coupons (display the coupons on the LCD screen) when the washing machine is operated, or may automatically transfer the coupons to an information device such as a personal computer or a smartphone (by email, by NFC (Near Field Communication), etc.). Furthermore, if the same consumer good is used frequently, the server device may send a coupon for that consumer good or a coupon for a competing product of that consumer good (by email, by NFC, etc.). Furthermore, the server device may offer the user a free sample of a newly released consumer good or a free sample of a competing product of the consumer good currently being used. Furthermore, when a new consumer good is released, the server device may send a coupon for the new product (by email, by NFC, etc.) or offer the user a free sample of the new product.

[0315] Furthermore, as a method for linking with an EC site, if the same consumer good is used frequently, the server device may send (by email, transfer via NFC, etc.) a recommended consumer good to a home appliance or information device. Also, if the same consumer good is used frequently, the server device may automatically enter the consumer good in a recommendation column of an EC site that the user frequently uses, or make the consumer good available for immediate purchase when the user visits the EC site.

[0316] (13) Figure 35 is a diagram for explaining a connection method between a home appliance and a server device. In the example of Figure 35, the home appliance is a washing machine. As shown in Figure 35, the home appliance may be connected to the server device directly using a mobile phone network or the like, may be connected to the server device via a wireless router (router) in the home, or may be connected to the server device via a home gateway and a wireless router (router) in the home.

[0317] In addition, the time-of-use information (usage information) may be input using a large screen provided on the home appliance (washing machine), may be input using a small screen provided on the home appliance (washing machine) (including input using a wireless tag or a barcode), or may be input using a combination of a screen provided on the home appliance (washing machine) and an information device (including input using a wireless tag, a barcode, an NFC transfer, or transfer to the washing machine via a server device).

[0318] (14) Figure 36 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a point-of-use information acquisition system in which a home appliance manufacturer and a consumer goods manufacturer work together to provide coupons or free samples. In the example shown in Figure 36, the home appliance is a microwave oven and the consumer goods are frozen foods. It is preferable that the point-of-use information acquisition system be a system in which the home appliance manufacturer and the consumer goods manufacturer work together to minimize the burden on users and continuously obtain usage information by providing coupons or free samples.

[0319] Methods for easily inputting consumer goods in use include selection from a consumer goods list obtained via a server device, input by barcode (obtained directly from a home appliance or via an information device), input by wireless tag (obtained directly from a home appliance or via an information device), input linked to an e-commerce site (using purchase information by displaying a list of consumer goods purchased in the past), or input linked to point-of-sale information (POS information) (obtaining sales information from a retailer).

[0320] Furthermore, as a method of issuing coupons or awarding points, the server device may issue coupons (display the coupons on the LCD screen) when the microwave oven is operated, or may automatically transfer the coupons to an information device such as a personal computer or smartphone (by email, NFC, etc.). Furthermore, if the same consumer good is used frequently, the server device may send a coupon for that consumer good or a coupon for a competing product of that consumer good (by email, NFC, etc.). Furthermore, the server device may offer the user a free sample of a newly released consumer good or a competing product of the consumer good currently being used. Furthermore, when a new consumer good is released, the server device may send a coupon for the new product (by email, NFC, etc.) or offer the user a free sample of the new product.

[0321] Furthermore, as a method for linking with an EC site, if the same consumer good is used frequently, the server device may send (by email, transfer via NFC, etc.) a recommended consumer good to a home appliance or information device. Also, if the same consumer good is used frequently, the server device may automatically enter the consumer good in a recommendation column of an EC site that the user frequently uses, or make the consumer good available for immediate purchase when the user visits the EC site.

[0322] (15) Figure 37 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a time-of-use information acquisition system in which a home appliance manufacturer and a consumer goods manufacturer work together to provide setting information for home appliances. In the example shown in Figure 37, the home appliance is a microwave oven and the consumer goods are frozen foods. As shown in Figure 37, the server device stores setting information (parameters such as wattage or irradiation time) for the home appliance (in this example, the microwave oven) in a setting information database. Here, the setting information is provided by the manufacturer of the consumer goods (in this example, the frozen foods) or by a user who voluntarily inputs it.

[0323] The microwave oven may be equipped with a barcode reader and acquire the setting information by querying a setting information database of a server device for barcode information read by the barcode reader. Alternatively, the microwave oven may be equipped with an NFC function and acquire barcode information read by an information device such as a smartphone using the NFC function, and acquire the setting information by querying a setting information database of a server device for the acquired barcode information.

[0324] In addition, an information device such as a smartphone may be equipped with a barcode reader and acquire setting information by querying a setting information database of a server device for barcode information read by the barcode reader, and a microwave oven may be equipped with an NFC function and acquire setting information acquired by the information device from the information device using the NFC function.

[0325] The microwave oven may also be equipped with an IR (Infrared) communication function, and may acquire barcode information read by an information device such as a smartphone using the IR communication function, and then query the acquired barcode information from a setting information database of a server device to acquire setting information.

[0326] In addition, an information device such as a smartphone may be equipped with a barcode reader and acquire setting information by querying a setting information database of a server device for barcode information read by the barcode reader, and a microwave oven may be equipped with an IR communication function and acquire setting information acquired by the information device from the information device via the IR communication function.

[0327] (16) In the above embodiment, one device has multiple functions (components), but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Multiple functions (components) may be divided into multiple devices, and the same effects or functions as those of the present embodiment may be achieved by combining them.

[0328] (17) Some or all of the components constituting each of the above devices may be configured as an IC card or a standalone module that can be attached to each device. The IC card or module is a computer system consisting of a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The IC card or module may include the above-mentioned ultra-multifunctional LSI. The IC card or module achieves its functions when the microprocessor operates according to a computer program. This IC card or module may be tamper-resistant.

[0329] (18) The present invention may be the methods described above. The present invention may also be a computer program for implementing these methods on a computer, or a digital signal comprising the computer program.

[0330] The present invention may also be a computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program or a digital signal is recorded. The computer-readable recording medium may be, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, a DVD, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), or a semiconductor memory. The present invention may also be a digital signal recorded on such a recording medium.

[0331] Furthermore, the present invention may involve transmitting a computer program or a digital signal via an electric communication line, a wireless communication line, a wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, or data broadcasting.

[0332] The present invention may also be a computer system including a microprocessor and a memory, the memory storing the computer program, and the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0333] The computer program or digital signal may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and transferred to be executed by another independent computer system.The computer program or digital signal may be transferred via a network or the like to be executed by another independent computer system.

[0334] (19) The above-mentioned first to fifth embodiments and the above-mentioned modifications (1) to (18) may be combined with each other.

[0335] The above-described specific embodiments mainly include inventions having the following configurations.

[0336] An information acquisition method according to one aspect of the present invention receives information about a consumer good that has been determined as a consumer good that a user will actually use in a home appliance, stores the usage status of the consumer good that has been determined as a consumer good that the user will actually use in a first memory unit based on the received information about the consumer good, receives an identifier for identifying the home appliance and the operating status of the home appliance from the home appliance, estimates the usage status of the consumer good using the received operating status, updates the usage status of the consumer good stored in the first memory unit based on the estimated usage status of the consumer good, determines whether to send a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good currently in use in the home appliance based on the updated usage status of the consumer good, and if it is determined that the confirmation message should be sent, sends the confirmation message.

[0337] According to this configuration, information about a consumer good determined as a consumer good actually used by a home appliance by a user is received, and a usage status of the consumer good determined as a consumer good actually used by the user is stored in a first storage unit based on the received information about the consumer good. An identifier for identifying the home appliance and an operating status of the home appliance are received from the home appliance. The usage status of the consumer good is estimated using the received operating status. The usage status of the consumer good stored in the first storage unit is updated based on the estimated usage status of the consumer good. Whether to send a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good currently being used by the home appliance is determined based on the updated usage status of the consumer good. Then, if it is determined that the confirmation message should be sent, the confirmation message is sent.

[0338] Therefore, the usage status of the consumer goods is estimated using the received operating conditions, a confirmation message is sent at a timing determined based on the estimated usage status of the consumer goods, and information regarding the consumer goods determined to be the consumer goods that the user will actually use is received in response to the confirmation message, so that the consumer goods that the user will use in the home appliance can be appropriately identified.

[0339] In the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that the quantity of the consumer good at the start of use is determined in advance.

[0340] According to this configuration, the quantity of the consumer good at the start of use is determined in advance, so that the amount of the consumer good used and the remaining amount can be easily managed.

[0341] In addition, in the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that the first memory unit stores the remaining amount of the consumer good, estimates the remaining amount of the consumer good as the usage status using the received operating status, updates the remaining amount of the consumer good stored in the first memory unit based on the estimated remaining amount of the consumer good, determines whether the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is less than or equal to the predetermined value, sends a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good in use.

[0342] According to this configuration, the remaining amount of the consumer good is estimated as the usage status using the received driving status, and the remaining amount of the consumer good stored in the first storage unit is updated based on the estimated remaining amount of the consumer good. It is determined whether the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the updated remaining amount of the consumer good is equal to or less than the predetermined value, a confirmation message is sent to confirm the consumer good in use.

[0343] Therefore, the remaining amount of the consumer good is estimated, and if the remaining amount of the consumer good is below a predetermined value, a confirmation message is sent to confirm the consumer good being used, so that when the consumer good runs out, the next consumer good to be used can be identified.

[0344] In addition, in the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that information regarding the consumer good is stored in advance in a second memory unit in association with the type of the home appliance, a request for information regarding the consumer good and an identifier for identifying the home appliance are received from the home appliance, information regarding the consumer good that can be used by the home appliance corresponding to the identifier is extracted from the second memory unit, and the extracted information regarding the consumer good is transmitted.

[0345] According to this configuration, information about consumer goods is stored in advance in the second storage unit in association with the type of home appliance. A request for information about consumer goods and an identifier for identifying the home appliance are received from the home appliance. Information about consumer goods that can be used by the home appliance corresponding to the identifier is extracted from the second storage unit, and the extracted information about the consumer goods is transmitted.

[0346] Therefore, information regarding consumer goods that can be used by the home appliance is transmitted, and information regarding consumer goods that have been determined as consumer goods that the user will actually use is received, so that the consumer goods that the user will use with the home appliance can be appropriately identified.

[0347] In addition, in the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that the second memory unit stores information regarding a plurality of consumer goods, extracts information regarding the plurality of consumer goods that can be used by the home appliance corresponding to the identifier from the second memory unit, transmits the extracted information regarding the plurality of consumer goods as a consumer goods list, and receives information regarding the consumer goods that have been determined from the consumer goods list as consumer goods that will actually be used by the user.

[0348] According to this configuration, information about a plurality of consumer goods is stored in the second storage unit, information about a plurality of consumer goods that can be used by a home appliance corresponding to an identifier is extracted from the second storage unit, and the extracted information about the plurality of consumer goods is transmitted as a consumer goods list. Then, information about consumer goods determined as consumer goods that will actually be used by the user is received from the consumer goods list.

[0349] Therefore, since information about a plurality of consumer goods is transmitted as a consumer goods list, the user can easily select the consumer goods that he or she will actually use from the consumer goods list.

[0350] In addition, in the above information acquisition method, it is preferable to select a consumer good sold to the user based on sales information that corresponds information for identifying the consumer good sold to the user with the type of home appliance in which the consumer good is used, and extract information about the selected consumer good from the second memory unit.

[0351] According to this configuration, consumer goods sold to a user are selected based on sales information that associates information for identifying the consumer goods sold to the user with the type of home appliance in which the consumer goods are used, and information regarding the selected consumer goods is extracted from the second memory unit.

[0352] Therefore, only information about consumer goods that the user actually purchased is extracted and transmitted, so the user can easily specify the consumer goods that he or she will use.

[0353] In addition, in the above-mentioned information acquisition method, it is preferable to acquire information for identifying the consumer good by reading a barcode attached to the consumer good, receive the acquired information for identifying the consumer good, and extract information about the consumer good to which the barcode is attached from the second memory unit based on the received information about the consumer good.

[0354] According to this configuration, information for identifying the consumer good is acquired by reading the barcode attached to the consumer good. The acquired information for identifying the consumer good is received, and information about the consumer good to which the barcode is attached is extracted from the second storage unit based on the received information about the consumer good.

[0355] Therefore, by reading the barcode attached to the consumer good, information for identifying the consumer good is obtained, and only consumer goods corresponding to the obtained information for identifying the consumer good are presented to the user, so that the user can easily select the consumer good to use from the consumer goods that they actually own.

[0356] In addition, in the above-mentioned information acquisition method, it is preferable that an information device different from the home appliance acquires information for identifying the consumer good by reading the barcode, and receives the information for identifying the consumer good acquired by the information device directly from the information device, or receives the information for identifying the consumer good acquired by the information device via the home appliance.

[0357] According to this configuration, the barcode is read by an information device different from the home appliance, thereby acquiring information for identifying the consumer good. The information for identifying the consumer good acquired by the information device is received directly from the information device. Alternatively, the information for identifying the consumer good acquired by the information device is received via the home appliance.

[0358] Therefore, even if the home appliance does not have a function for reading barcodes, information for identifying the consumer good can be obtained by an information device other than the home appliance.

[0359] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information acquisition method, it is preferable to read information for identifying the consumer good from a wireless tag attached to the consumer good, receive the information for identifying the consumer good read from the wireless tag, and extract information about the consumer good to which the wireless tag is attached from the second memory unit based on the received information for identifying the consumer good.

[0360] According to this configuration, information for identifying the consumer good is read from the wireless tag attached to the consumer good, and the information for identifying the consumer good read from the wireless tag is received. Based on the received information for identifying the consumer good, information about the consumer good to which the wireless tag is attached is extracted from the second storage unit.

[0361] Therefore, information for identifying the consumer good is read from the wireless tag attached to the consumer good, and only the consumer good corresponding to the information for identifying the consumer good that has been read is presented to the user, so that the user can easily select the consumer good to use from the consumer good that they actually own.

[0362] In addition, in the above-mentioned information acquisition method, it is preferable that an information device different from the home appliance reads information for identifying the consumer good from the wireless tag, and receives the information for identifying the consumer good read by the information device directly from the information device, or receives the information for identifying the consumer good read by the information device via the home appliance.

[0363] According to this configuration, information for identifying the consumer good is read from the wireless tag by an information device other than the home appliance. The information for identifying the consumer good read by the information device is received directly from the information device. Alternatively, the information for identifying the consumer good read by the information device is received via the home appliance.

[0364] Therefore, even if the home appliance does not have the function of detecting the wireless tag, information for identifying the consumer good can be obtained by an information device other than the home appliance.

[0365] Furthermore, in the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that the first memory unit stores the usage amount of the consumer good, receives the usage amount of the consumer good measured by the home appliance, and updates the usage status of the consumer good stored in the first memory unit based on the received usage amount of the consumer good.

[0366] According to this configuration, the usage amount of the consumer good measured by the home appliance is received, and the usage status of the consumer good stored in the first memory unit is updated based on the received usage amount of the consumer good, thereby enabling accurate management of the usage amount of the consumer good.

[0367] In addition, in the above-mentioned information acquisition method, it is preferable that the operating status includes setting information regarding the operating operation of the home appliance that is set by the user for the home appliance when operating the home appliance, and that the usage amount of the consumer good is calculated from the setting information using predetermined parameters according to the operating operation.

[0368] According to this configuration, the operating status includes setting information about the operating behavior of the home appliance that is set by the user when the home appliance is operated, and the amount of consumption of the consumer good is calculated from the setting information using predetermined parameters according to the operating behavior.

[0369] Therefore, when operating a home appliance using predetermined parameters according to the operating operation of the home appliance, the usage of consumer goods is calculated from the setting information regarding the operating operation of the home appliance set by the user for the home appliance, so there is no need for a sensor to measure the usage of consumer goods, and the user does not need to input the usage of consumer goods; the usage of consumer goods can be calculated simply by obtaining the setting information of the home appliance.

[0370] In addition, in the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that setting information regarding the operating operation of the home appliance, which is set for the home appliance when the home appliance is operated using the consumer good, is stored in a third memory unit, and the setting information stored in the third memory unit is extracted based on the received information regarding the consumer good, and the extracted setting information is transmitted to the home appliance.

[0371] According to this configuration, the setting information related to the operation of the home appliance is stored in the third storage unit, and is set for the home appliance when the home appliance is operated using the consumer good. Based on the received information related to the consumer good, the setting information stored in the third storage unit is extracted, and the extracted setting information is transmitted to the home appliance.

[0372] Therefore, the setting information of the home appliance according to the consumer good to be used is transmitted to the home appliance, so that the user can operate the home appliance using the consumer good without having to input the setting information.

[0373] In the above information acquisition method, it is preferable that the confirmation message is transmitted to a home electric appliance that uses the consumer good, another home electric appliance different from the home electric appliance that uses the consumer good, or an information appliance.

[0374] According to this configuration, the confirmation message can be notified to the user by any one of a home appliance that uses the consumer good, another home appliance different from the home appliance that uses the consumer good, or an information device.

[0375] An information acquisition system according to another aspect of the present invention is an information acquisition system including a server device and a home appliance connected to the server device so as to be able to communicate with the server device, wherein the server device includes a first receiving unit that receives information about the consumer good determined as a consumer good actually used by a user, a first memory unit that stores a usage status of the consumer good, a memory control unit that stores the usage status of the consumer good determined as a consumer good actually used by a user in the first memory unit based on the received information about the consumer good, a second receiving unit that receives from the home appliance an identifier for identifying the consumer appliance and an operating status of the consumer appliance, an estimation unit that estimates the usage status of the consumer good using the received operating status, and an estimation unit that estimates the usage status of the consumer good based on the estimated usage status of the consumer good. The home appliance comprises an update unit that updates the usage status of the consumer good, a judgment unit that determines whether to send a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good in use based on the updated usage status of the consumer good, and a transmission unit that sends the confirmation message if it is determined that the confirmation message should be sent.The home appliance comprises a first transmission unit that sends a request for information about the consumer good and an identifier for identifying the home appliance to the server device, a first reception unit that receives the information about the consumer good sent by the server device, a second transmission unit that sends information about the consumer good that has been determined as the consumer good that the user will actually use to the server device, and a third transmission unit that sends the identifier for identifying the home appliance and the operating status of the home appliance to the server device.

[0376] According to this configuration, the first receiving unit of the server device receives information about a consumer good determined as a consumer good actually used by the user. The first memory unit stores a usage status of the consumer good. The memory control unit stores the usage status of the consumer good determined as a consumer good actually used by the user in the first memory unit based on the received information about the consumer good. The second receiving unit receives an identifier for identifying the home appliance and an operating status of the home appliance from the home appliance. The estimation unit estimates the usage status of the consumer good using the received operating status. The update unit updates the usage status of the consumer good stored in the first memory unit based on the estimated usage status of the consumer good. The determination unit determines whether to transmit a confirmation message to confirm the consumer good currently in use based on the updated usage status of the consumer good. If it is determined that the confirmation message should be transmitted, the transmission unit transmits the confirmation message. The first transmission unit of the home appliance transmits a request for information about the consumer good and an identifier for identifying the home appliance to the server device. The first receiving unit receives the information about the consumer good transmitted by the server device. The second transmission unit transmits information about the consumer good determined as the consumer good actually used by the user to the server device. The third transmission unit transmits an identifier for identifying the home appliance and an operating status of the home appliance to the server device.

[0377] Therefore, the usage status of the consumer goods is estimated using the received operating conditions, a confirmation message is sent at a timing determined based on the estimated usage status of the consumer goods, and information regarding the consumer goods determined to be the consumer goods that the user will actually use is received in response to the confirmation message, so that the consumer goods that the user will use in the home appliance can be appropriately identified.

[0378] An information device according to another aspect of the present invention is an information device communicatively connected to a server device, and includes a receiving unit that receives a confirmation message for confirming a consumer good in use, which the server device determines to be sent based on the usage status of the consumer good used by the home appliance estimated using the operating status of the home appliance, a display unit that displays the received confirmation message, a receiving unit that receives response information to the confirmation message from a user, and a transmitting unit that transmits the response information received by the receiving unit to the server device.

[0379] According to this configuration, the receiving unit of the information device receives a confirmation message for confirming the consumer good in use, the confirmation message being determined by the server device to be transmitted based on the usage status of the consumer good used by the home appliance estimated using the operating status of the home appliance. The display unit displays the received confirmation message. The accepting unit accepts input of response information to the confirmation message from the user. The transmitting unit transmits the response information accepted by the accepting unit to the server device.

[0380] Therefore, the usage status of the consumer goods is estimated using the received driving status, and the stored usage status of the consumer goods is updated based on the estimated usage status of the consumer goods, so that the user does not need to input the usage status of the consumer goods and the usage status of the consumer goods can be easily managed.

[0381] It should be noted that the specific embodiments or examples given in the section on the form for implementing the invention are merely intended to clarify the technical content of the present invention, and should not be interpreted narrowly as being limited to such specific examples, but can be implemented in various modified forms within the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0382] The information acquisition method, information acquisition system, and information device according to the present invention are useful as information acquisition methods, information acquisition systems, and information devices that can appropriately identify consumer goods that a user uses with a home appliance, and that acquire information at the time the user uses the home appliance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0383] 101 Server device 102 Home appliances 103 Information equipment 105 Network 201 Transmitter / Receiver 202 Consumer Goods Information Retention Department 203 Notification information holding unit 204 User information storage unit 205 Usage Information Storage Department 206 Judgment section 207 Update Department 208 Control Unit 301 Transmitter / Receiver 302 Display section 303 Usage information acquisition department 304 Input Reception Unit 305 Device information holding unit 306 Control Unit 401 Transmitter / Receiver 402 Display section 403 Input Reception Unit 404 Control Unit 1701 first server device 1702 Second server device 1801 Sales Information Storage Unit 1802 Selection Section 1803 Control Unit 1901 Transmitter / Receiver 1902 Sales Information Storage Unit 1903 Control Unit 2501 Home appliances 2502 Wireless Tag 2601 Wireless tag detection unit 2602 Control Unit 2801 Home appliances 2901 Barcode reader 2902 Control Unit 3101 Server equipment 3201 Setting information holding unit 3202 Control Unit

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: Obtaining information about consumer goods used by users on home appliances; acquiring a usage status of the consumer good using information received from the home appliance; determining whether to send notification information based on the usage status; If it is determined that the notification information is to be sent, notification information regarding the purchase of the consumer good or a consumer good related to the consumer good is generated; Sending the notification information. Information processing methods.

2. the notification information includes information about consumer goods recommended to the user; The information processing method according to claim 1.

3. The notification information is transmitted to an information device.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The notification information is sent to the information device by email.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3.

5. The notification information includes information for inputting information about the consumer good or a consumer good related to the consumer good into a recommendation column of an e-commerce site frequently used by the user. The information processing method according to claim 1.

6. Furthermore, the consumer goods or consumer goods related to the consumer goods are registered as products to be purchased by the user on the EC site. The information processing method according to claim 1.

7. The information regarding the consumer goods used by the user in the home appliance is acquired through input linked to an EC site. The information processing method according to claim 1.

8. acquiring a remaining amount of the consumer good as the usage status of the consumer good; determining that the notification information is to be transmitted when the remaining amount of the consumer good is equal to or less than a predetermined set value; The information processing method according to claim 1.

9. a first acquisition unit that acquires information about consumer goods used by a user in a home appliance; a second acquisition unit that acquires a usage status of the consumer good using information received from the home appliance; a determination unit that determines whether or not to transmit notification information based on the usage status; a generating unit that generates notification information regarding the purchase of the consumer good or a consumer good related to the consumer good when it is determined that the notification information is to be transmitted; a transmission unit that transmits the notification information; An information processing device comprising:

Images