Communication systems, communication methods, information processing devices, and programs

Abstract

When multiple electronic devices are connected to a terminal device, the system reliably sends notifications to the terminal device for any electronic device that loses connection. [Solution] In the communication system 1, the information processing device stores terminal information for a plurality of electronic devices that can be connected to a terminal device 50, including a first electronic device 10, in a storage unit 42. When the first electronic device 10 receives a first notification while the communication connection with the terminal device 50 is disconnected, it transmits the first notification to the information processing device. When the information processing device receives the first notification, it selects a second electronic device 20, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device 10, based on the terminal information, and transmits the notification from the first electronic device 10 to the second electronic device 20. The second electronic device 20 then transmits the first notification received from the information processing device to the terminal device 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication method, an information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for sending a notification from a mobile terminal to a terminal device via a network connection device connected to the mobile terminal when the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) connection between the terminal device and the mobile terminal is interrupted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to send a notification to the terminal device via another electronic device that is simultaneously connected to the terminal device when the connected electronic device does not grasp the information of other electronic devices that are simultaneously connected.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system, a communication method, an information processing apparatus, and a program that can reliably transmit a notification to a terminal device for an electronic device whose connection has been interrupted.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In the communication system of the present invention, the information processing device stores terminal information for a plurality of electronic devices that can be connected to a terminal device, including a first electronic device, in a storage unit; when the first electronic device receives a first notification while the communication connection with the terminal device is disconnected, it transmits the first notification to the information processing device; when the information processing device receives the first notification, it selects a second electronic device, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device, based on the terminal information, and transmits the notification of the first electronic device to the second electronic device; and the second electronic device transmits the first notification received from the information processing device to the terminal device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when multiple electronic devices are connected to a terminal device, it is possible to reliably send a notification to the terminal device to an electronic device that has lost its connection. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an overview of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of notification in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an overview of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows a state in which the terminal device of an embodiment of the present invention displays a notification received by the second electronic device. [Figure 6] This figure shows the functional configuration of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows the functional configuration of a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows the functional configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows the functional configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing an example of the display of the terminal device. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing an example of setting the notification priority in the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing another example of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing the outline of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a diagram showing an example of a data table indicating the electronic device and its terminal information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a diagram showing an example of a data table indicating the set notification priority according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This is a diagram showing another example of a data table indicating the set notification priority according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] This is a diagram showing the main part of the management server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (Outline of the Communication System) The communication system 1 and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, referring to FIG. 1, the outline of the communication system 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the outline of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes a first electronic device 10, a second electronic device 20, a terminal device 50, and a management server 700.

[0010] (Electronic Device) The first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are communicable electronic terminals. The communication includes various types of communication such as communication with other electronic devices, communication with the terminal device 50, and communication with the cloud server. Examples of the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are smartphones and tablet PCs. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the first electronic device 10 is smartphone #1. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the second electronic device 20 is smartphone #2. Note that the number of electronic devices included in the communication system 1 may be three or more. In the following description, the third electronic device will be described as the third electronic device 30.

[0011] (Terminal device) The terminal device 50 is a device that can be attached to the user and displays notifications received by the electronic device. Specifically, the terminal device 50 is, for example, a device that the user wears on the body such as the arm and uses, and is a communicable device. However, the terminal device 50 is not limited to a device worn on the body. Examples of the terminal device 50 are smartwatches and smart glasses. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the terminal device 50 is a smartwatch.

[0012] (Management server 700) The management server 700 is an information processing device for realizing the communication system 1. The management server 700 is realized, for example, by a computer having a server function. The management server 700 executes various processes, for example, and transmits the processing results to the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, and causes the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 to execute operations related to the processing results, thereby realizing the communication system 1.

[0013] [[ID=十六]](Communication system) The communication system 1 is a system in which the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, the terminal device 50, and the management server 700 are communicably connected. The communication system 1 includes the first communication and the second communication.

[0014] (The first communication)<好 The first communication is communication between the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50. The first communication includes the first device first communication 111 and the second device first communication 112. The first device first communication 111 is communication between the first electronic device 10 and the terminal device 50. The second device first communication 112 is communication between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50. Examples of the first communication include BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and Bluetooth Classic (both registered trademarks).

[0015] (Second communication) The second communication is the communication between the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 and the management server 700, a cloud server, or a website. Examples of the second communication include network communication via carrier lines such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) and mobile WiFi communication. The processing results executed by the management server 700 are transmitted to the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 via the second communication. The cloud server or website is referred to as the cloud server etc. 500. The second communication includes the first device second communication 131 and the second device second communication 132. The first device second communication 131 is the communication between the first electronic device 10 and the management server 700 and the cloud server etc. 500. The second device second communication 132 is the communication between the second electronic device 20 and the management server 700 and the cloud server etc. 500.

[0016] (Functional configuration) The functional configurations of the first electronic device 10, the second electronic device 20, and the terminal device 50 will be described below. The following description will provide an overview of each component. The specific functions of each component will be explained in conjunction with the description of the communication method in this embodiment. Note that the configurations of each component described below do not necessarily need to be all present, and unnecessary components may be omitted. Furthermore, the first electronic device 10, the second electronic device 20, the terminal device 50, and the information processing device may also include, as necessary, components such as a arithmetic processing unit and an information storage unit, in addition to the components described below.

[0017] (First electronic device) The functional configuration of the first electronic device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the first electronic device. The first electronic device 10 includes a first control unit 11. As shown in Figure 6, the first control unit 11 includes a first communication control unit 12, a first communication unit 13, a first notification feasibility determination unit 14, and a first battery level acquisition unit 15.

[0018] The first communication control unit 12 controls the communication by the first communication unit 13. The first communication unit 13 is responsible for first communication with the terminal device 50, second communication with the management server 700 and the cloud server 500, etc. The first notification eligibility determination unit 14 is responsible for determining whether or not the terminal device 50 will notify the notification content from which electronic device it is communicating wirelessly with multiple electronic devices, based on the set notification priority when the terminal device 50 is communicating wirelessly with multiple electronic devices. The first battery level acquisition unit 15 is responsible for acquiring the battery level of the first electronic device 10.

[0019] (Second electronic device) The functional configuration of the second electronic device 20 will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the second electronic device. The second electronic device 20 also has a control unit similar to that of the first electronic device 10. The second electronic device 20 includes a second control unit 21. As shown in Figure 7, the second control unit 21 includes a second communication control unit 22, a second communication unit 23, a second notification availability determination unit 24, and a second battery level acquisition unit 25. The function of each unit is the same as the function of each unit of the corresponding first electronic device 10.

[0020] (Terminal device) The functional configuration of the terminal device 50 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 includes a main unit control unit 51. As shown in Figure 8, the main unit control unit 51 includes a main unit communication control unit 52, a main unit communication unit 53, and a main unit display unit 58. The main unit communication control unit 52 is the part that controls communication by the main unit communication unit 53. The main unit communication unit 53 is the part that performs second communication with electronic devices, etc. The main unit display unit 58 is the part that displays notifications received from electronic devices, etc.

[0021] (Management Server 700) The functional configuration of the management server 700 will be described with reference to Figure 9. The figure shows the functional configuration of the management server 700. The management server 700 includes a third control unit 31. As shown in the figure, the management server 700 includes a third communication control unit 32, a third communication unit 33, a pairing management unit 34, a connection determination unit 35, a notification reception determination unit 36, a terminal information acquisition unit 37, a notification transmission unit 38, a priority setting unit 39, a battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40, and a notification feasibility determination unit 41. The third communication control unit 32 is the part that controls communication by the third communication unit 33. The third communication unit 33 is the part that performs second communication with other electronic devices. The pairing management unit 34 is the part that manages pairing with electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200. The connection determination unit 35 is the part that determines whether all electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200 are connected to the terminal device 50. The notification reception determination unit 36 ​​determines whether an electronic device belonging to the same pairing group 200 that has lost its connection to the terminal device 50 has received a notification. The terminal information acquisition unit 37 acquires terminal information from the pairing group 200 of electronic devices that are still connected to the terminal device 50. The notification transmission unit 38 selects other electronic devices that are still connected to the terminal device 50 as destinations for notifications received from electronic devices that have lost their connection to the terminal device 50, based on the terminal information, and sends the notification. The priority setting unit 39 sets priorities based on the notification priority setting information received from each electronic device. The battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40 acquires and compares the battery levels from each electronic device. The notification eligibility determination unit 41 determines whether the priority setting is "for each electronic device" or "variable according to the battery."

[0022] (Pairing group) The first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are managed as electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200. A pairing group 200 is a group of electronic devices that are grouped together and managed by an application that groups electronic devices, enabling them to communicate with each other. The application that groups electronic devices is called a pairing management application. The pairing management application is connected to the management server 700 via a second communication, and the control unit of the management server 700 can execute processing in response to operations entered by the pairing management application.

[0023] (Example of display on a terminal device) Referring to Figure 2, an example of display on the terminal device 50 will be explained. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of notification in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 50 displays notifications received by the first electronic device 10 and notifications received by the second electronic device 20. Notifications refer to notifications received by applications installed on the first electronic device 10 from a network server or the like. The first display 501 in Figure 2 shows an example of a notification received by the first electronic device 10 being displayed on the terminal device 50. The second display 502 shows an example of a notification received by the second electronic device 20 being displayed on the terminal device 50.

[0024] Let's explain using a first electronic device 10 as an example. The first electronic device 10 receives notifications from applications installed on the first electronic device 10. The notification is received via a second communication.

[0025] Notifications are received from a cloud server 500 via a second communication, depending on the application. Examples of notifications include a "New email received" notification from an email application, a "Weather information" notification from a weather application, and an "Earthquake occurred" notification from an emergency call application. The first display 501 shows a notification about an email received by the first electronic device 10. The first display 501 includes a display indicating the electronic device that received the notification, "From Smartphone #1," and a display of the notification content, "Email: ○○○△△△." The same applies to the second electronic device 20 as to the first electronic device 10. The second electronic device 20 receives notifications via the second communication 132 of the second device. The second display 502 shows a notification about an application received by the second electronic device 20. The second display 502 includes a display indicating the electronic device that received the notification, "From Smartphone #2," and a display of the notification content, "App: ×××◇◇◇."

[0026] The above describes the overview of the communication system 1, in which notifications received by the first electronic device 10 and notifications received by the second electronic device 20 are transmitted to and displayed on the terminal device 50 under normal circumstances. Under normal circumstances, this refers to a state in which, for example, neither electronic device is disconnected from communication and is properly connected. The individual embodiments will now be described in order.

[0027] (Embodiment 1) The communication system 1 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the communication system of Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the connection between one of the electronic devices, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, and the terminal device 50 is disconnected. In the example shown in Figure 3, the second device first communication 112, which is the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50, is disconnected. The second device first communication 112 may be disconnected in the following cases, for example: when an interference such as radio interference occurs in the second device first communication 112, or when the distance between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 exceeds the distance at which communication is possible with the second device first communication 112.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of a state where the first communication 112 of the second device is disconnected. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 1. In the example shown in Figure 4, the second electronic device 20 is located at the user's home 600. Therefore, the first communication 112 of the second device between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is disconnected. The × in the first communication 112 of the second device indicates that the connection is disconnected. As shown in Figure 4, the connectable distance of the first communication, such as the first communication 111 of the first device, is usually shorter than the connectable distance of the second communication, such as the second communication 131 of the first device. The first communication is so-called proximity communication. In contrast, the second communication, such as the second communication 131 of the first device, is long-distance communication that can be transmitted via the management server 700 and the cloud server, etc. 500, as described above. In the communication system 1 of this embodiment, even if the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is lost, notifications received by the second electronic device 20 are transmitted to the terminal device 50 via the first electronic device 10 and displayed on the terminal device 50.

[0029] Figure 5 shows the state in which the terminal device 50 displays a notification received by the second electronic device 20. As shown in Figure 5, the second electronic device 20 sends the notification it received to the management server 700 via the second communication 132 of the second device. The management server 700 sends the notification received by the electronic device 20 to the first electronic device 10 via the second communication 131 of the first device. The first electronic device 10 sends the notification received by the second electronic device 20 to the terminal device 50 via the first communication 111 of the first device. The terminal device 50 displays the notification received by the second electronic device 20, as shown by the second display 502. Applying this to the example in Figure 4, the second electronic device 20 receives notification 511 from the cloud server etc. 500. Assume that the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is disconnected, but the connection between the first electronic device 10 and the terminal device 50 is not disconnected. The second electronic device 20 transmits the received notification 511 to the management server 700 via the second communication 132 of the second device. The management server 700 transmits the notification 511 to the first electronic device 10 via the second communication 131 of the first device. The first electronic device 10 transmits the received notification 511 to the terminal device 50 via the first communication 111 of the first device. The terminal device 50 displays the received notification 511 as shown on the display 521.

[0030] As described above, in the communication system 1 of this embodiment, even if the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is lost, notifications received by the second electronic device 20 are displayed on the terminal device 50.

[0031] The above description of Embodiment 1 was based on the case where the first communication 112 of the second device is interrupted. The same applies when the first communication 111 of the first device is interrupted. When the first communication 111 of the first device is interrupted, the notification received by the first electronic device 10 is transmitted to the terminal device 50 via the second electronic device 20 and displayed on the terminal device 50.

[0032] (Communication method) The communication method of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the communication method of this embodiment. In the following description and drawings, S1 indicates step 1. The same applies to S2, etc.

[0033] (S1) S1 is a management step. In the management step, the pairing management unit 34 manages the terminal information of electronic devices included in the communication system 1 as a pairing group. Here, management means, for example, to grasp and store. For example, the pairing management unit 34 manages the terminal information as a pairing group by storing it in the storage unit 42. Examples of terminal information include MAC addresses (Media Access Control addresses), telephone numbers, and IDs set in applications, etc. Note that a pairing management application may be installed on electronic devices 10 and 20. In the example shown in Figure 1, the pairing management unit 34 stores the terminal information of the first electronic device 10 received from the first communication unit of the first electronic device 10 in the storage unit 42 and manages it as a pairing group 200. Similarly, the pairing management unit 34 stores the terminal information of the second electronic device 20 transmitted from the second communication unit 23 of the second electronic device 20 in the storage unit 42 and manages it as a pairing group 200. As a result, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 belong to the same pairing group 200. Alternatively, in the management step, the pairing group 200 may be managed by creating a data table in the storage unit 42 that shows the electronic devices and their terminal information. Figure 17 shows an example of a data table that shows the electronic devices and their terminal information. Figure 17 illustrates the case where the terminal information is a MAC address. Also, in Figure 17, n indicates the number of electronic devices that belong to the same pairing group 200.

[0034] (S2) S2 is the connection determination step. In the connection determination step, the connection determination unit 35 determines whether all electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200 are connected to the terminal device 50. In other words, it determines whether there are any other electronic devices belonging to the pairing group 200 that are disconnected from the wearable device. If all electronic devices are connected to the terminal device 50, that is, if the determination in S2 is "YES", S2 is repeated. S2 can be repeated at predetermined intervals. If there are any electronic devices that are not connected to the terminal device 50, that is, if the determination in S2 is "NO", the step proceeds to S3. In the example shown in Figure 1, etc., when the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is lost, the first communication unit 13 sends information that the connection has been lost to the management server 700. Similarly, when the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is lost, the second communication unit 23 sends information that the connection has been lost to the management server 700. If the connection determination unit 35 has not received information that the connection has been disconnected from the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, it determines that all electronic devices are connected to the terminal device 50.

[0035] (S3) S3 is the notification reception determination step. In the notification reception determination step, the notification reception determination unit 36 ​​determines whether an electronic device belonging to the same pairing group 200 that is disconnected from the terminal device 50 has received a notification. If the electronic device disconnected from the terminal device 50 has not received a notification, that is, if the determination in S3 is "NO", S3 is repeated. If the electronic device disconnected from the terminal device 50 has received a notification, that is, if the determination in S3 is "YES", the step proceeds to S4. In the example shown in Figure 1, etc., if the second electronic device 20 that is disconnected from the terminal device 50 has received a notification, the second communication unit 23 sends the received notification to the management server 700. When the notification reception determination unit 36 ​​receives the notification sent from the second electronic device 20, it determines that the electronic device disconnected from the terminal device 50 has received a notification.

[0036] (S4) S4 is the terminal information acquisition step. In the terminal information acquisition step, the terminal information acquisition unit 37 acquires terminal information of electronic devices that are still connected to the terminal device 50 from the pairing group 200. The acquisition of terminal information may also be performed by referring to a data table created in the management step that shows electronic devices and their terminal information. In the example shown in Figure 3, the terminal information acquisition unit 37 acquires terminal information of the first electronic device 10 from the pairing group 200 of the storage unit 42.

[0037] (S5) S5 is the transmission step. In the transmission step, the notification transmission unit 38, based on the terminal information acquired in the terminal information acquisition step, selects other electronic devices that are not disconnected from the terminal device 50 as destinations for notifications received from electronic devices that are disconnected from the terminal device 50, and has them send the notifications. In other words, the transmission of notifications from disconnected electronic devices to other electronic devices that are still connected is done via the management server 700. The communication unit handles the transmission and reception of notifications. In the example shown in Figure 3, the notification transmission unit 38 of the management server 700 identifies the first electronic device 10 as the destination for notifications received from the second electronic device 20, based on the terminal information of the first electronic device 10 acquired from the pairing group 200. The third communication unit 33 then transmits the notification received from the second electronic device 20 to the first electronic device 10 using the second communication 131. Furthermore, if the management server 700 fails to send a notification received from the second electronic device to the first electronic device 10, the management server 700 may send information about the failed transmission to the second electronic device 20. Upon receiving the information about the failed transmission, the second electronic device 20 may, when reconnected to the terminal device 50 via the first communication, send the notification received while the connection was lost to the terminal device 50 via the first communication. This ensures that even if the second electronic device 20 fails to send a notification received by the second electronic device 20 to the first electronic device 10 via the management server 700 while the connection to the terminal device 50 is lost, the notification can be sent to the terminal device 50 when the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is restored, so that the terminal device 50 can reliably receive the notification.

[0038] (S6) S6 is the receiving step. In the receiving step, the terminal device 50 receives a notification that was sent from an electronic device that is still connected to the terminal device 50 and received by an electronic device that is no longer connected to the terminal device 50. The transmission of a notification from an electronic device that is still connected to the terminal device 50 to the terminal device 50 is performed using the first communication. In the example shown in Figure 3, the terminal device 50 receives a notification from the first electronic device 10 using the first device first communication 111. Specifically, the first communication unit 13 transmits the notification, and the main unit communication unit 53 receives the notification. Furthermore, if the communication connection between the first electronic device 10 and the first electronic device 20 is disconnected when the first electronic device 10 receives a notification from the management server 700, the first electronic device 10 may send information about the disconnection of the connection with the terminal device 50 to the management server 700. When the management server 700 receives the disconnection information from the management server 700, it sends a notification to the electronic device that first established a communication connection when it receives information that a communication connection has been established from either the first electronic device 10 or the second electronic device 20. The electronic device that receives the notification then sends the notification to the terminal device 50 via the established communication connection. This ensures that even if the communication connections between each electronic device and the terminal device 50 are both disconnected, the terminal device 50 can reliably receive the notification via the electronic device that first established a communication connection.

[0039] (S7) S7 is the display step. In the display step, the notification received by the terminal device 50 is displayed. The notification is displayed on the main unit display unit 58. The flow ends at S7.

[0040] In Embodiment 1, a priority may be set for the source of notifications received by each electronic device. The source of a notification is, for example, an application that sends notifications to electronic devices, or unique information that identifies the sender, such as an email address or account that sent the notification. The priority can be set by the user. In this case, for example, if the priority of the source of a notification received by an electronic device that is disconnected from the terminal device 50 is set to "low," the management server 700 will be controlled not to send the notification to electronic devices connected to the terminal device 50 when it receives the notification from the disconnected electronic device. As a result, the terminal device will not receive low-priority notifications via other electronic devices, thereby reducing the power consumption of electronic devices and terminal devices.

[0041] (Embodiment 2) The communication system 1 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1. Matters not specifically described for Embodiment 2 can be the same as in Embodiment 1. In the communication system 1 of Embodiment 2, the display of the same type of notification on the terminal device 50 is suppressed.

[0042] Figure 11 shows a state in which the same type of notification is displayed redundantly on the terminal device 50. For example, if the same application is installed on the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, notifications with the same content may be displayed on the terminal device 50 with little time difference between them. This is because the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 may receive notifications with similar content from a cloud server, etc. 500 at almost the same time. These notifications are transmitted from the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 to the terminal device 50 via the first communication 111 of the first device or the first communication 112 of the second device, respectively, and are displayed on the terminal device 50. Figure 11 shows an example in which notifications from a weather application, such as "Rain clouds are approaching," are displayed redundantly on the terminal device 50.

[0043] In the communication system 1 of this embodiment, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 belong to the same pairing group 200. Therefore, priority is set for the electronic devices within the pairing group 200. Specifically, it is predetermined which electronic device will send a received notification to the terminal device 50. This prevents duplicate notifications from being displayed on the terminal device 50.

[0044] Figure 12 shows an example of setting notification priority in the communication system 1 of this embodiment. Notification priority refers to the priority order for which electronic device should send duplicate notifications to the terminal device 50. In other words, notification priority means the priority order for which electronic device should receive notifications that are then sent to the terminal device 50.

[0045] In the communication system 1 of this embodiment, the application that manages the pairing group 200 has an application that sets notification priorities. The application that sets notification priorities is called the priority selection notification application 300. The priority selection notification application 300 is connected to the management server 700 via a second communication, and the control unit 31 of the management server 700 can execute processing in response to operations entered in the priority selection notification application 300. The priority selection notification application 300 can also be part of the pairing management application. The priority selection notification application 300 can be operated from any electronic device belonging to the same pairing group 200. In other words, the user can set notification priorities from any electronic device belonging to the same pairing group 200. In the example shown in Figure 12, the user can launch the priority selection notification application 300 and set notification priorities on either the first electronic device 10 or the second electronic device 20.

[0046] Display 310 in Figure 12 shows an example of the settings screen for the priority notification application 300. The settings screen for the priority notification application 300 displays applications that are installed redundantly on the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 and that provide notifications. Applications that are installed redundantly and provide notifications are called redundant notification applications 320. In the example shown in Figure 12, applications A, B, and C are exemplified as redundant notification applications 320.

[0047] On the settings screen for the priority notification app 300, notification priorities can be pre-set for each overlapping notification app 320. In the example shown in Figure 12, notification priorities can be set by selecting from "prioritize smartphone #1," "prioritize smartphone #2," and "variable depending on battery level." Note that these options are examples only. Other options that can be set include, for example, the size of the electronic device, the weight of the electronic device, and the frequency of use of the electronic device. "Variable depending on battery level" means, for example, prioritizing the device with the higher battery level and sending notifications to the terminal device 50 from the electronic device with the higher battery level.

[0048] The management server 700 can detect the battery levels of all electronic devices by obtaining the battery levels from all electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200 using a second communication method. Based on this detection result, it decides which electronic device to send a notification to the terminal device 50. Also, the battery level changes from time to time depending on how the electronic device is used and how it is charged. Therefore, when a duplicate notification app 320 receives a notification from the cloud server etc. 500, the management server 700 obtains the battery levels from all electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200. This makes it possible to select an electronic device that is more in line with the actual battery level. In the example shown in Figure 12, as shown in display 310, "Smartphone #1" is selected as having a high notification priority. Therefore, when the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 receive duplicate notifications, only the first electronic device 10 sends a notification to the terminal device 50. As a result, only the notification from the first electronic device 10 is displayed on the terminal device 50. Display 551 in Figure 12 shows the notification from the first electronic device 10. This eliminates the issue of duplicate notifications being displayed on the terminal device 50, as shown in Figure 11.

[0049] Furthermore, when setting notification priorities in the priority selection notification application 300, etc., the user may register duplicate notification applications 320. Alternatively, the priority selection notification application 300, etc. may automatically acquire and set duplicate notification applications 320 from each electronic device, etc. In this case, no user operation is required. In addition, when setting notification priorities, a data table showing the settings may be created in the storage unit 42 of the management server 700. Figure 18 shows an example of a data table showing the set notification priorities. In the example shown in Figure 18, application A is set to prioritize the first electronic device, application B is set to prioritize the second electronic device, and application C is set to vary according to the battery level.

[0050] Referring to Figure 13, another example of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 2 will be described. Figure 13 is a diagram showing another example of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 2. In the example shown in Figure 12, "Smartphone #1" was selected as the notification priority. In contrast, the example shown in Figure 13 shows the case where "Variable according to battery" is selected as the notification priority.

[0051] When "Variable according to battery" is selected as the notification priority, when an electronic device receives a notification, a comparison of battery levels is performed among electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group 200. In the example shown in Figure 13, when the first electronic device 10 receives notification 561 and the second electronic device 20 receives notification 562, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 send their respective battery levels to the management server 700, and the management server 700 compares the battery levels of each electronic device. It is assumed that notifications 561 and 562 are of the same type. The battery level 351 of the first electronic device 10 is greater than the battery level 352 of the second electronic device 20. Therefore, the first electronic device 10 takes priority over the second electronic device 20. As a result, the notification to the terminal device 50 is sent from the first electronic device 10. The transmission of notifications from the second electronic device 20 to the terminal device 50 is blocked, for example, as shown by the wall 360. Specifically, Wall 360 is a function that determines whether or not to send notifications based on the notification priority set in the management server 700. Wall 360 allows duplicate notifications to be filtered and delivered to the terminal device 50. Note that this Wall 360 function can also be provided in the terminal device 50, as will be described later. Notifications 561 sent from the first electronic device 10 are displayed as display 570 in the terminal device 50.

[0052] (Communication method) The communication method of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 14. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the communication method of this embodiment. In the following description, the contents described in Embodiment 1 will be omitted, and the characteristic processing of Embodiment 2 will be described.

[0053] (S21) S21 is the priority setting step. In the priority setting step, notification priorities are set among electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group. Notification priorities are set, for example, when a user performs an input operation for notification priorities in the priority adoption notification application 300 installed on the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, notification priority setting information is sent to the management server 700 in response to the operation. The priority setting unit 39 of the management server 700 sets priorities based on the received notification priority setting information. For example, in the priority setting step, notification priorities can be set by creating a data table in the storage unit 42 that shows the correspondence between electronic devices and notification priorities.

[0054] (S22) S22 is the notification reception step. In the notification reception step, the management server 700 receives notification information received by each electronic device from the cloud server etc. 500. In the example shown in Figure 12, when the first electronic device 10 receives a notification (first notification) from the cloud server etc. 500, it transmits the information of the notification to the management server 700. Similarly, when the second electronic device 20 receives a notification (second notification) from the cloud server etc. 500, it transmits the information of the notification to the management server 700. The reception of notification information is performed by the first communication unit 13 and the second communication unit 23.

[0055] (S28) S28 is the notification similarity determination step. In the notification similarity determination step, the management server 700 determines whether the notifications received by each electronic device are of the same type based on the information of the notifications received by each electronic device. If the determination in S28 is "YES", the step proceeds to S23. If the determination in S28 is "NO", the step proceeds to S29. In the example shown in Figure 12, etc., when the control unit 31 of the management server 700 receives notifications from the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, it determines whether the received notifications are of the same type, and if they are of the same type, it proceeds to S23.

[0056] S23 to S25 are part of the notification eligibility determination step. The notification eligibility determination step is the step in which the terminal device 50 decides whether or not to notify the content of each electronic device based on the set notification priority. These steps will be explained in order below.

[0057] (S23) Step S23 is a step in which the system determines whether the priority setting is "for each electronic device" or "variable according to the battery." This determination is made by the notification eligibility determination unit 41. In making this determination, the notification eligibility determination unit 41 can refer to the information in the data table in the storage unit 42, which shows the settings for notification priority, as explained earlier. If the determination in S23 is that the priority setting is "for each electronic device," the system proceeds to step S27. If the determination in S23 is that the priority setting is "variable according to the battery," the system proceeds to step S24.

[0058] (S27) S27 is a step in which a communication is sent from the electronic device with the highest priority setting to the terminal device 50. In the example shown in Figure 12, etc., based on the set notification priority, the third communication unit 33 sends information to the first electronic device 10, which has a high notification priority setting, to send a notification. When the first electronic device 10 receives the information to send a notification, the first communication unit 13 of the first electronic device 10 sends a notification to the terminal device 50. After S27, the process proceeds to S5.

[0059] (S24) Step S24 is the step of obtaining the battery levels of electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group. The battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40 of the management server 700 performs the acquisition of the battery levels. The battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40 obtains the battery levels by receiving the battery levels acquired by the battery level acquisition unit of each electronic device. In the example shown in Figure 13, the battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40 obtains the battery levels of the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 by receiving the battery levels acquired by the first battery level acquisition unit 19 and the second battery level acquisition unit 29 using the second communication.

[0060] (S25) Step S25 is a step in which the battery levels of electronic devices belonging to the same pairing group are compared and priority is set based on the comparison result. In S25, the battery levels of each electronic device acquired in S24 are compared. The battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40 performs the comparison of battery levels. In the example shown in Figure 13, the battery level acquisition and comparison unit 40 compares the acquired battery level of the first electronic device 10 with the battery level of the second electronic device 20. The priority setting unit 39 sets the priority based on the battery level comparison result. In the example shown in Figure 13, the priority setting unit 39 sets the notification priority of the first electronic device 10, which has a higher battery level than the second electronic device 20, based on the battery level comparison result.

[0061] (S26) S26 is a step in which the electronic device with the most battery power sends a communication to the terminal device 50. The third communication unit 33 sends information to the first electronic device 10, which has a high notification priority, to send a notification based on the notification priority set in S25. When the first electronic device 10 receives the information to send a notification, the first communication unit 13 of the first electronic device 10 sends a notification to the terminal device 50. After S26, the process proceeds to S5. The management server 700 may send information to the electronic device with a high notification priority to send a notification, and also send information to the electronic device with a low notification priority to prevent it from sending a notification. In this case, the electronic device that receives the information to prevent it from sending a notification may set up a wall between itself and the terminal device 50.

[0062] (S29) S29 is the step in which each electronic device transmits all notifications it has received to the terminal device 50. In this case, the management server 700 transmits information to the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 to send notifications. When the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 receive the information to send notifications, the first communication unit 13 of the first electronic device 10 and the second communication unit 23 of the second electronic device 20 transmit notifications to the terminal device 50. After S29, the process proceeds to S5.

[0063] The communication method processing flow ends after S26 or S27, and then proceeds through S5 and S6 as described in Embodiment 1.

[0064] (Embodiment 3) The communication system 1 of Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an overview of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 3. The following description will focus on the differences from Embodiments 1 and 2. Matters not specifically described for Embodiment 3 can be the same as those of Embodiments 1 or 2. In the communication system 1 of Embodiment 3, unlike Embodiments 1 and 2, three electronic devices belong to the same pairing group 200. As shown in Figure 15, in the communication system 1 of Embodiment 3, for example, a third electronic device 30 is added to the communication system 1 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 3. Also, in the communication system 1 of Embodiment 3, one electronic device that is disconnected from the terminal device 50 is added to the communication system 1 of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 13.

[0065] In the communication system 1 of Embodiment 3, the connection between one of the three electronic devices and the terminal device 50 is lost. Notifications received by the electronic device that is disconnected from the terminal device 50 are transmitted to the terminal device 50 via one of the remaining two electronic devices. When transmitting a notification to the terminal device 50, which of the remaining two electronic devices is used is determined by the notification priority. This will be explained in detail below.

[0066] As shown in Figure 15, the third electronic device is referred to as the third electronic device 30. The first communication between the third electronic device 30 and the terminal device 50 is referred to as the third device first communication 113. The second communication between the third electronic device 30 and the management server 700 is referred to as the third device second communication 133.

[0067] As shown in Figure 15, the second electronic device 20 has received notification 581. However, the second device first communication 112 between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 has been disconnected. Therefore, similar to Embodiment 1, notification 581 is transmitted to the terminal device 50 via another electronic device belonging to the same pairing group 200. Whether the first electronic device 10 or the third electronic device 30 transmits notification 581 to the terminal device 50 is determined based on a pre-set notification priority, similar to Embodiment 2. For example, as shown in Figure 12, if a setting exists to determine which electronic device to prioritize, that setting will be followed. For instance, if the first electronic device 10 has a higher notification priority than the third electronic device 30, the first electronic device 10 will transmit the notification 581 received by the second electronic device 20 to the terminal device 50.

[0068] Note that the display 310 in the settings screen of the priority selection notification app 300 in Figure 12 is the display when two electronic devices belong to the same pairing group 200. If three or more electronic devices belong to the same pairing group 200, instead of displaying which electronic device to prioritize as in display 310, it may be possible to set the priority order of the electronic devices.

[0069] Furthermore, similar to Embodiment 2, a data table showing the set content may be created in the storage unit 42 when setting the notification priority. Figure 19 shows an example of a data table showing the set notification priority. In the example shown in Figure 19, for three or more electronic devices, the priority order among the three electronic devices is set, rather than which electronic device to prioritize. In Application A, the notification priority is in the order of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the third electronic device. In Application B, the notification priority is in the order of the third electronic device, the first electronic device, and the second electronic device.

[0070] If the notification priority set as illustrated in Figure 19 is configured, when the connection to the second electronic device 20 is lost in application A, the first electronic device 10 sends the notification received by the second electronic device 20 to the terminal device 50. When the connection to the second electronic device 20 is lost in application B, the third electronic device 30 sends the notification received by the second electronic device 20 to the terminal device 50.

[0071] Figure 15 shows the case where the notification priority is set to "variable according to battery," similar to the example described with reference to Figure 13 in Embodiment 2. When the notification priority is set to "variable according to battery," it is determined which of the first electronic device 10 and the third electronic device 30 will transmit to the terminal device 50 by comparing their respective battery levels. Battery level 353 in Figure 15 shows the battery level of the third electronic device 30. Comparing battery levels 351 and 353, battery level 351 is higher. Therefore, it is decided that the first electronic device 10 will transmit to the terminal device 50. The notification 581 received by the second electronic device 20 is transmitted to the management server 700 via the second device second communication 132. When the management server 700 receives the notification 581, it transmits the notification 581 to the first electronic device 10 via the first device second communication 131. The first electronic device 10 transmits the received notification 581 to the terminal device 50 via the first communication 111 of the first device. The terminal device 50 displays the contents of the received notification 581 as a display 582.

[0072] (Communication method) The communication method of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 16. Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the communication method of this embodiment. The processing flow of the communication method in Embodiment 3 can be a combination of the processing flow of the communication method in Embodiment 1 and the processing flow of the communication method in Embodiment 2. In the following description, some of the contents described in Embodiments 1 and 2 will be omitted, and the characteristic processing of Embodiment 3 will be described mainly.

[0073] (S2) S2 is a connection determination step. In the connection determination step, it is determined whether there are any other electronic devices belonging to the pairing group 200 that have lost their connection with the terminal device 50. If the determination in S2 is "NO", the step proceeds to S23.

[0074] As described in Embodiment 2, steps S23 to S25 constitute a step for determining whether or not to notify. (S23) S23 is a step in which it is determined whether the priority setting is "for each electronic device" or "variable according to the battery". If the determination in S2 is "NO", it means that there is an electronic device that has lost its connection with the terminal device 50. In this embodiment, when there are three or more electronic devices in the same pairing group 200, it is necessary to determine which electronic device will send a notification received by the disconnected electronic device to the terminal device 50. This determination can be made based on a pre-set notification priority. The specific processing content of S23 is the same as S23 described in Embodiment 2.

[0075] (S3B) Step S3B is a step in which terminal information of high-priority electronic devices is obtained. Electronic devices that send notifications received by disconnected electronic devices to terminal device 50 are determined to be high-priority electronic devices. In S3B, terminal information of the determined electronic devices is obtained. The specific processing details of S3B are the same as those of S3 described in Embodiment 1.

[0076] (S3A) S3A is a step in which terminal information of an electronic device with a high battery level is obtained. The priority setting unit 39 determines that the electronic device that will send a notification received by an electronic device whose battery level connection has been disconnected to the terminal device 50 is the electronic device with a high battery level. In S3A, terminal information of the determined electronic device is obtained. The specific processing content of S3A is the same as S3 described in Embodiment 1.

[0077] The processing from S3A and S3B onward is the same as in Embodiment 1. The disconnected electronic device sends the notification to the electronic device determined to be the electronic device that will send the notification to the terminal device 50, using the terminal information acquired in S3A or S3B. The processing flow ends when the terminal device 50 that received the notification displays the notification.

[0078] (Example hardware configuration) The hardware configurations included in each embodiment of the present invention's communication system 1 will now be described. Each control unit included in the communication system 1 can be composed of a processor that performs various calculations and control processes necessary for the operation of the communication system. The control unit can also be referred to as a processor. The processors that constitute the control unit are, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the control unit may be a combination of these processors with a hardware accelerator or the like.

[0079] Furthermore, the management server 700 included in the communication system 1 of each embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 20, includes a storage unit 42 in addition to the third control unit 31. The storage unit 42 plays the role of a so-called secondary storage device (auxiliary storage device), and is, for example, a read / write non-volatile flash memory, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 42 stores programs executed by the control unit and various types of data. For example, the storage unit 42 stores data tables showing electronic devices and their terminal information, and data tables showing set notification priorities, etc.

[0080] This embodiment also includes a program that causes the processor to execute the functions and communication methods of each functional unit, such as the control unit, included in the communication system.

[0081] The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configurations described above are merely examples and are not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the communication system 1, etc., is equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the examples described above. Furthermore, a single functional block may be composed of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both. The functional configuration in this embodiment is realized by a processor that performs arithmetic processing, and the processors that can be used in this embodiment include not only those composed of various processing units such as single processors, multiprocessors, and multicore processors, but also those that are a combination of these various processing units with processing circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0082] In this specification, the steps involving data processing performed by each part of the communication system 1 include not only processes performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0083] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take on a variety of other embodiments, and it is also possible to combine the above embodiments with their modified configurations. Furthermore, various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention as described herein, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0084] For example, regarding the display of duplicate notifications on the terminal device 50, an example configuration was described in which electronic devices are prevented from sending duplicate notifications to the terminal device 50. Regarding duplicate displays, the terminal device 50 can also be adjusted so that it does not display duplicates. For example, the terminal device 50 receives all notifications received by each electronic device. Then, in the case of duplicate notifications, it may be set to display only one of them. The main control unit 51 can decide which notification to display on the terminal device 50. This is an example in which the function of the wall 360 related to the notification permission / disabling decision described above is provided on the terminal device 50.

[0085] In other words, in this disclosure, when the terminal device 50 is wirelessly communicating with the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, the decision of whether or not to notify the content of the notification from the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, based on the set notification priority, can be made by the electronic device or by the terminal device 50. For example, if the decision is made by the electronic device, the decision of whether or not to notify the content of the notification can be made by deciding whether or not to send the notification, and the switching between these two decisions can be made by deciding whether or not to display the notification if the decision is made by the terminal device 50.

[0086] The communication system and communication method described in this disclosure can also be described as follows: When multiple smartphones are paired with a single smartwatch via BLE connection and sending and receiving notifications, all smartphones must remain within BLE communication range of the smartwatch in order for each smartphone to receive incoming calls, emails, and other app notifications. In addition, if the applications installed on each smartphone are the same, the smartwatch may receive duplicate notifications with the same content.

[0087] This disclosure relates to an application that can manage multiple smartphones paired with a single smartwatch. For example, if a smartphone loses its BLE connection to the smartwatch, it can send notifications to the smartwatch via other smartphones in the pairing group that maintain a BLE connection with the smartwatch. It can also filter duplicate notifications by prioritizing multiple smartphones before delivering them to the smartwatch. Furthermore, it can deliver notifications from all smartphones to the smartwatch even if you don't always carry multiple smartphones with you (for example, if you forget them at home or leave them in your bag). This disclosure provides an environment that makes these things possible.

[0088] This prevents duplicate notifications and provides a comfortable user experience. If one of the multiple smartphones is unable to connect via BLE, the device information of smartphone 1 and smartphone 2 is registered as a pairing group in the pairing management app. If smartphone 2 loses its BLE connection, notifications received on smartphone 2 are sent to smartphone 1 via the network between the smartphones.

[0089] In the embodiment described above, the management server 700 stores terminal information for a plurality of electronic devices that can be connected to the terminal device 50, including the first electronic device 10, in the storage unit 42. The first electronic device 10, upon receiving a first notification while its communication connection with the terminal device 50 is disconnected, transmits the first notification to the management server 700. The management server 700, upon receiving the first notification, selects a second electronic device 20, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device 10, based on the terminal information, and transmits the notification from the first electronic device 10 to the second electronic device 20. The second electronic device 20 transmits the first notification received from the management server 700 to the terminal device 40. This includes a communication system. As a result, when multiple electronic devices are connected to the terminal device 50, notifications to electronic devices whose connection has been lost can be reliably transmitted to the terminal device 50.

[0090] The management server 700 may store the pre-configured priority information of the source of the first notification in the storage unit 42, and when it receives the first notification, it may decide whether or not to transmit the first notification from the first electronic device 10 to the second electronic device 20 based on the priority. This makes it possible to determine, based on priority, whether or not to forward a notification to an electronic device that has lost connection to another electronic device.

[0091] The terminal device is connected to the second electronic device 20 and the third electronic device 30, and the management server 700 may decide whether to send the first notification from the first electronic device 10 to the second electronic device 20 or the third electronic device 30 based on the priority of the multiple electronic devices set in advance. This makes it possible to determine, based on priority, whether or not to forward a notification to an electronic device that has lost connection to another electronic device, even if there are multiple electronic devices to which the notification may be forwarded.

[0092] The terminal device can be connected to the plurality of electronic devices by a first communication, and the management server 700 may be connected to the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 by a second communication. By making the communication between the terminal device 50 and the electronic devices and the communication between the electronic devices themselves different communications, notifications of disconnected electronic devices can be sent to the terminal device 50 more reliably.

[0093] The first communication may be Bluetooth communication, and the second communication may be network communication via a carrier line. This allows for versatility in the communication system 1 and enables stable communication.

[0094] If the management server 700 fails to transmit the first notification to the second electronic device 20, it may transmit information about the transmission failure to the first electronic device 10. The first electronic device 10 may then transmit the first notification to the terminal device 50 after receiving the information about the transmission failure and establishing a communication connection with the terminal device 50. This ensures that even if the second electronic device 20 fails to transmit a notification received by the second electronic device 20 to the first electronic device 10 via the management server 700 when the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is restored, the notification can be transmitted to the terminal device 50 at the time the connection between the second electronic device 20 and the terminal device 50 is restored, so that the terminal device 50 can reliably receive the notification.

[0095] If the communication connection between the terminal device 50 and the second electronic device 20 is disconnected, the management server 700 may have the electronic device that first established a communication connection with the terminal device 50 (among the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20) send the first notification to the terminal device 50. This ensures that even if the communication connections between each electronic device and the terminal device 50 are disconnected, the terminal device 50 can reliably receive the notification via the electronic device that first established a communication connection.

[0096] The embodiment described above includes a communication method executed in the communication system 1, a management server 700 included in the communication system 1, and a program that causes a computer to execute the communication method. With these, when multiple electronic devices are connected to the terminal device 50, it is possible to reliably send a notification to the terminal device 50 to an electronic device that has lost its connection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1. Communication System 10. First electronic device 11 First control unit 12 First communication control unit 13. First Communications Department 14. First Notification Approval / Decision Department 15. First battery level acquisition unit 20. Second electronic device 21 Second control unit 22 Second Communication Control Unit 23 Second Communications Department 24. Second Notification Approval / Decision Department 25 Second battery level acquisition unit 30 Third electronic device 31 Third control unit 32 Third Communication Control Unit 33 Third Communications Department 34 Pairing Management Department 35 Connection determination unit 36 Notification Reception Determination Unit 37 Terminal Information Acquisition Unit 38 Notification transmission unit 39 Priority setting section 40 Battery level acquisition and comparison unit 41 Notification decision unit 42 Storage section 50 Terminal devices 51 Main Unit Control 52 Main Communication Control Unit 53 Main unit communication section 58 Main unit display 111 First equipment, first communication 112 Second equipment, first communication 113 Third Equipment First Communication 120 Second communication 131 First equipment, second communication 132 Second equipment Second communication 200 Pairing Groups 300 Priority Recruitment Notification App 360 Wall 500 Cloud servers, etc. 600 Home 700 Management Server

Claims

1. The information processing device stores terminal information for a plurality of electronic devices, including a first electronic device, that can be connected to a terminal device, in its storage unit. When the first electronic device receives the first notification while the communication connection with the terminal device is disconnected, it transmits the first notification to the information processing device. When the information processing device receives the first notification, it selects a second electronic device, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device, based on the terminal information, and transmits the notification of the first electronic device to the second electronic device. The second electronic device transmits the first notification received from the information processing device to the terminal device. Communication system.

2. The information processing device stores the priority information of the source of the first notification, which has been set in advance, in its storage unit. Upon receiving the first notification, a decision is made, based on the priority information, whether or not to transmit the first notification from the first electronic device to the second electronic device. The communication system according to claim 1.

3. The terminal device is connected to the second electronic device and the third electronic device. The information processing device determines, based on the pre-configured priority of the plurality of electronic devices, whether to send the first notification from the first electronic device to the second electronic device or the third electronic device. The communication system according to claim 1.

4. The terminal device is connectable to the plurality of electronic devices by a first communication, The information processing device is connected to the first electronic device and the second electronic device by a second communication. The communication system according to claim 1.

5. The first communication is a Bluetooth communication, and the second communication is a network communication via a carrier line. The communication system according to claim 4.

6. If the information processing device fails to transmit the first notification to the second electronic device, it transmits information about the transmission failure to the first electronic device. The first electronic device transmits the first notification to the terminal device if a communication connection is established with the terminal device after receiving the information that the transmission failed. The communication system according to claim 1.

7. If the communication connection between the terminal device and the second electronic device is disconnected, the information processing device will cause the electronic device that first established a communication connection with the terminal device among the first and second electronic devices to transmit the first notification to the terminal device. The communication system according to claim 1.

8. Terminal information for multiple electronic devices, including a first electronic device, that can be connected to a terminal device is stored in the storage unit of the information processing device. When the first electronic device receives the first notification while the communication connection between the first electronic device and the terminal device is disconnected, the first notification is transmitted to the information processing device. When the information processing device receives the first notification from the first electronic device, it selects a second electronic device, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device, based on the terminal information, and transmits the first notification to the second electronic device. The second electronic device transmits the first notification received from the information processing device to the terminal device. Communication method.

9. A storage unit that stores terminal information for a plurality of electronic devices that can be connected to a terminal device, including a first electronic device, It comprises a control unit and, When the control unit receives a first notification from the first electronic device, it selects a second electronic device, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device, based on the terminal information. The first notification is transmitted to the second electronic device as notification information to be transmitted to the terminal device. Information processing device.

10. Computers, Terminal information for multiple electronic devices, including a first electronic device, that can be connected to a terminal device is stored in the storage unit of the information processing device. When the first electronic device receives the first notification while the communication connection between the first electronic device and the terminal device is disconnected, the first notification is transmitted to the information processing device. When the information processing device receives the first notification from the first electronic device, it selects a second electronic device, which is an electronic device other than the first electronic device, based on the terminal information, and transmits the first notification to the second electronic device. The second electronic device functions as a control unit that transmits the first notification received from the information processing device to the terminal device. program.

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