Home appliance management system and home appliance management program

Abstract

We provide a home appliance management system and program that can provide appropriate answers depending on the model of the home appliance when a malfunction occurs. [Solution] In the home appliance management system, the user terminal 1 includes an input unit that receives input from the user and a communication unit that notifies the home appliance management device 3 of the input content and model identification information for identifying the model of the home appliance 2. The home appliance management device includes a storage unit 33 that stores home appliance-related information that can be distinguished by type of home appliance, a communication unit that receives input content and model identification information, and a response processing unit that extracts model-related information corresponding to the model information that indicates the model of the home appliance identified based on the model identification information received from the home appliance-related information, and creates a response to the input content by putting the model-related information into text according to the input content. The user terminal further has a display unit that displays the response notified from the communication unit of the home appliance management device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for managing household appliances. Among them, in particular, it relates to a technology for answering inquiries about household appliances.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, various household appliances are used in homes and the like. Such household appliances are becoming more multifunctional, and it is difficult for users to grasp all of their functions. Also, regarding problems such as abnormalities that occur during the operation of household appliances, users often do not know the solutions to the problems. Therefore, Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a technology for providing various types of advice to users of household appliances.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, in order to provide advice equivalent to or better than that described in the operation manual of the household appliance and improve convenience, "the network system includes a household appliance, a server, and a communication terminal. The household appliance has a control unit for controlling the operating state, an information setting unit for setting information according to the current state of the control unit, and a transmission unit for transmitting the setting result of the information to the outside via a communication line. The communication terminal displays specific advice according to the corresponding one of the plurality of data of the server corresponding to the transmission result of the information from the household appliance." The technology is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Currently, technologies that use chatbots and AI to provide various types of information are known. Applying this technology to home appliances, as described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide answers regarding the functions and malfunctions of home appliances in response to user inquiries and operating data of the appliances.

[0006] Here, each manufacturer offers many models (model numbers) for the same type of home appliance (for example, a microwave oven). However, it is extremely difficult to create a chatbot that specializes in the specific model (model number) of the home appliance that a user desires. Furthermore, while it is easy to create a chatbot using generative AI, if there is a large amount of information used as the source for the generative AI, it will not be able to provide answers specific to the particular home appliance model, but rather general answers for that type of home appliance. Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide answers that are tailored to the user's situation, particularly the model of the home appliance the user is using. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To address the above issues, the present invention generates responses to inquiries about home appliances based on home appliance-related information specific to the appliance model. These responses include solutions to problems and advice regarding functions.

[0008] More specifically, A home appliance management system comprising a home appliance management device capable of communicating with home appliances, and a user terminal capable of communicating with the home appliances and the home appliance management system, The user terminal has an input unit that receives input from the user and a communication unit that notifies the home appliance management device of the input content and model identification information for identifying the model of the home appliance. The home appliance management device includes a storage unit that stores home appliance-related information that can be distinguished by type of home appliance, a communication unit that receives the input content and the model identification information, and a response processing unit that extracts model-related information corresponding to the model information indicating the model of the home appliance identified based on the model identification information received from the home appliance-related information, formats the model-related information into text according to the input content, and creates a response to the input content. The user terminal is a home appliance management system that further includes a display unit that displays the response notified from the communication unit of the home appliance management device.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention also includes user terminals and home appliance management devices that constitute a home appliance management system. In addition, the present invention also includes home appliance management programs and storage media that store them, which enable the user terminals and home appliance management devices to function as computers. Furthermore, the present invention also includes home appliance management methods that are executed by the home appliance management system, user terminals, or home appliance management devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to create answers that are more suitable to the user's situation regarding home appliances, particularly the model of the home appliance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a system configuration diagram of a home appliance management system in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram of a user terminal 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a hardware configuration diagram of a home appliance management device 3 in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows user management information 331 used in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows home appliance-related information 332 used in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the processing flow in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a display screen 140 in which input area 141-3 is displayed in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] This figure shows a first example of a display screen 140 in which the display of input area 141-3 is omitted, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B]FIG. is a diagram showing a second example of a display screen 140 in which the display of the input area 141-3 in one embodiment of the present invention is omitted.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, for problems and functions occurring in one or more home appliances in the home, an answer to a question is created as an example of input content from the user. In the present invention, in addition to the input content, an answer may be created according to the operation data acquired from the home appliance, or an answer may be created from the operation data.

[0013] <Configuration> First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a home appliance management system in this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the home appliance management system includes a user terminal 1 and a home appliance management device 3 that can be realized by a computer, and these are connected to home appliances 2 such as a microwave oven 21, a washing machine 22, and a refrigerator 23 via a router 4 and a network 5.

[0014] Also, the user terminal 1 and the home appliance 2 may be directly connected using short-range wireless communication or the like. Further, the user terminal 1, the home appliance 2, the router 4, and the network 5 may be connected by a wired connection or a wireless connection. Hereinafter, each of these devices will be described.

[0015] First, the user terminal 1 is used for managing home appliances 2 such as a microwave oven 21, a washing machine 22, and a refrigerator 23, and can be realized by a computer such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, or a PC. For this purpose, the user terminal 1 has a communication unit 10, an operation data collection unit 11, a home appliance management unit 12, an input unit 13, a display unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

[0016] First, the communication unit 10 has communication functions via a router 4 and a network 5, as well as a short-range wireless communication function. Further, the operation data collection unit 11 collects operation data notified from the home appliance 2. This operation data includes an error code for identifying a malfunction detected by the home appliance 2. Here, the error code in this embodiment is identification information for identifying a malfunction. Also, the operation data collection unit 11 can collect log data periodically, particularly at regular intervals (e.g., regularly) or when a malfunction is detected. In this embodiment, since the use of operation data is omitted, the operation data collection unit 11 can be omitted. Furthermore, home appliances 2 such as a microwave oven 21, a washing machine 22, and a refrigerator 23 may actively collect operation data and notify the home appliance management device 3.

[0017] Also, the home appliance management unit 12 notifies the home appliance management device 3 via the communication unit 10 of the management of the home appliance 2, particularly, questions received by the input unit 13 described later and model information indicating the model of the corresponding home appliance 2. Alternatively, the home appliance management device 3 or another server may store the model information of the home appliance 2 and grasp the model name of the home appliance 2 used by the user based on the user ID information transmitted from the user terminal 1 via the communication unit 10. Also, the home appliance management unit 12 causes the display unit 14 described later to display the answer created by the home appliance management device 3. Further, the home appliance management unit 12 may be provided with a function of creating an answer, which is a function of the home appliance management device 3 in this embodiment.

[0018] Also, the input unit 13 receives input contents such as questions from the user. The display unit 14 displays various information such as answers created by the home appliance management device 3. Note that the input unit 13 and the display unit 14 can be integrally configured. In this case, the display unit 14 will be provided with an input area for receiving the input contents.

[0019] Furthermore, the storage unit 15 stores various information such as user management information 151 used in the processing by the home appliance management unit 12. Also, when the home appliance management unit 12 creates an answer, the storage unit 15 stores home appliance-related information 152.

[0020] Here, we will describe one implementation example of the user terminal 1. Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the user terminal 1 in this embodiment. In Figure 2, the user terminal 1 has a touch panel 101, a processing unit 102, a communication device 103, and a storage device 104, which are connected to each other via a communication path.

[0021] First, the touch panel 101 serves as both the input unit 13 and the display unit 14 in Figure 1, accepting user instructions and operations, and displaying various information. The touch panel 101 may also be configured as separate input and output devices. Furthermore, the processing unit 102 can be implemented using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and performs calculations according to the home appliance management program 105 (integrated application) stored in the storage device 104, which will be described later.

[0022] The home appliance management program 105 is composed of an operational data collection module 106 and a home appliance management module 107, each with its own function. These modules may be implemented as individual programs or in combinations thereof.

[0023] Here, the configuration shown in Figure 1, which performs the same function as each module, is as follows: Operation data collection module 106: Operation data collection unit 11 Home appliance management module 107: Home appliance management unit 12 Therefore, the processing unit 102 will execute the operations of the operation data collection unit 11 and the home appliance management unit 12 in accordance with the home appliance management program 105.

[0024] Furthermore, the storage device 104 stores the home appliance management program 105, user management information 151, and home appliance-related information 152. Here, the home appliance management program 105 may be a program for managing home appliances 2, or it may consist of multiple programs for each home appliance. In the latter case, management programs for the microwave oven 21, washing machine 22, and refrigerator 23 will be used.

[0025] The user management information 151 and the home appliance-related information 152 will be described later in the <Information> section. The storage device 104 may be implemented as a main memory such as memory and a secondary memory (storage medium) which is a so-called storage device. The secondary memory may be implemented as an external HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), memory card, etc. Furthermore, at least one of the user management information 151 and the home appliance-related information 152 can be omitted. This can be maintained by the home appliance management device 3 described later. In addition, at least some modules (functions) of the home appliance management program 105 may be provided in the home appliance management device 3.

[0026] This concludes the explanation of Figure 2. Next, we will return to Figure 1 and describe one or more home appliances 2 that are managed in this embodiment. Home appliances 2 are assumed to be used in one area (for example, within a home). In this embodiment, home appliances 2 include a microwave oven 21, a washing machine 22, and a refrigerator 23. However, these are examples, some of them can be omitted, and additional home appliances may be added. Each of these home appliances should preferably have various functions such as cooking, washing, and freezing functions, as well as communication functions such as short-range wireless communication, but these are not necessarily required. In Figure 1, they are described as home appliances 2, but any one of the home appliances 2 or home appliances 2 other than those exemplified here may be managed.

[0027] In this case, the home appliance 2 may be configured to acquire operating data and notify at least one of the user terminal 1 and the home appliance management device 3 of it.

[0028] Next, the home appliance management device 3 will be described. The home appliance management device 3 is used to manage the home appliance 2 and can be implemented using a computer such as a server or cloud. For this purpose, the home appliance management device 3 has a communication unit 30, an operation data collection unit 31, a response processing unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0029] First, the communication unit 30 has communication and short-range wireless communication functions via the router 4 and network 5. As a result, the home appliance management device 3 can communicate with the user terminal 1 and home appliances 2. In addition, the operation data collection unit 31 performs the same functions as the operation data collection unit 11, and both the operation data collection unit 31 and the operation data collection unit 11 can be omitted.

[0030] Furthermore, the storage unit 33 stores user management information 331 and home appliance-related information 332. Note that the user management information 331 and home appliance-related information 332 are essentially the same in content as the user management information 151 and home appliance-related information 152 stored in the user terminal 1, and one of them may be omitted. Also, considering the resources of the user terminal 1, the information may be compressed or simplified. These pieces of information will be described later in the <Information> section.

[0031] Here, we will describe one implementation example of the home appliance management device 3. Figure 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the home appliance management device 3 in this embodiment. In Figure 3, the home appliance management device 3 has a processing unit 301, a communication device 302, a memory 303, and a sub-storage device 304, which are connected to each other via a communication path.

[0032] First, the processing unit 301 can be implemented using a processor such as a CPU, and it performs calculations according to the home appliance management program 305 stored in the sub-memory 304, which will be described later. The home appliance management program 305 will be described later.

[0033] Furthermore, the communication device 302 corresponds to the communication unit 30 in Figure 1, connects to the network 5, and communicates with other devices.

[0034] Furthermore, the memory 303 and the sub-storage device 304 correspond to the storage unit 33 in Figure 1. The memory 303 stores the home appliance management program 305 and information used for processing by the processing unit 301, which are stored in the sub-storage device 304. The sub-storage device 304 can be implemented as a so-called storage device and stores the home appliance management program 305, user management information 331, and home appliance-related information 332. The sub-storage device 304 may also be implemented as an external storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or memory card, or it may be implemented as a separate device from the home appliance management device 3, such as a file server.

[0035] Here, the home appliance management program 305 consists of an operational data collection module 306 and a response processing module 307. Note that each of these modules may be implemented as an individual program or a combination of them.

[0036] Here, the configuration shown in Figure 1, which performs the same function as each module, is as follows: Operation data collection module 306: Operation data collection unit 31 Response processing module 307: Response processing unit 32 Therefore, the processing unit 301 will execute the operations of the operation data collection unit 31 and the response processing unit 32 in accordance with the home appliance management program 305.

[0037] Furthermore, the appliance management program 305 performs the same calculations as the appliance management program 105, and it is sufficient that at least one of them exists. In this case, it is also sufficient that at least one of the modules constituting them exists. In addition, each module constituting the appliance management program 305 may be implemented as a program composed of independent modules or combinations of some modules.

[0038] This concludes the explanation of Figure 3, and we will now return to the explanation of Figure 1. Router 4 has the function of connecting each device, and it is desirable that it be installed on the same premises as the home appliance 2. Note that Router 4 can be omitted or replaced with other communication devices. Network 5 is a communication network such as the Internet or a public telephone network.

[0039] <Information> Next, the various types of information used in this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 shows the user management information 331 used in this embodiment. This information pertains to the user of the home appliance 2. As shown in Figure 4, the user management information 331 includes the following items for each user: address, contact information, owned home appliances, log data, and warranty service subscription status. Here, the user information can be any information that identifies the user in question. The address and contact information belong to the user in question and are optional. Furthermore, owned home appliances are information that identifies the home appliance 2 owned or used by the user in question, and include its model number. As a result, it is possible to extract model number-related information corresponding to the model number of the home appliance 2 owned by the user. Note that the model number is an example of model information indicating the model of home appliance 2.

[0040] Furthermore, the operational data is the operational data of the relevant home appliance 2 collected by the operational data collection unit 31, and includes error codes. In this embodiment, the operational data is not used, but it may be used to create the response. Also, the service subscription status indicates the user's warranty service for the relevant home appliance 2, but this may be omitted. Note that the operational data may be managed as separate information from the user management information 331.

[0041] Note that the user management information 151 of user terminal 1 is the same type of information as user management information 331 and has similar items, but is limited to the relevant user. Also, the user, address, and contact information in user management information 151 can be omitted.

[0042] Next, Figure 5 shows the home appliance-related information 332 used in this embodiment. The home appliance-related information 332 is information about the home appliance for each model number. Therefore, the home appliance-related information 332 has the following items for each home appliance (model number): instruction manual, product catalog, specifications, and campaign. Here, the home appliance (model number) item indicates not only the type of home appliance but also its model number.

[0043] The instruction manual shows how to handle and operate the appliance of the specified model number. The product catalog shows the catalog or brochure for the appliance of the specified model number. The specifications show the specifications, performance, and functions of the appliance of the specified model number. Furthermore, the campaigns show the content of campaigns and advertisements for the appliance of the specified model number. Note that the instruction manual to campaigns are merely examples; other items may be used, or at least one of these items may be used. Among these, using the instruction manual is particularly desirable. The home appliance-related information 152 stored in the user terminal 1 has the same configuration as the home appliance-related information 332, but it may be limited to information about home appliances 2 owned or used by the user. This concludes the explanation of the information used in this embodiment.

[0044] <Processing Flow> Next, the processing flow of this embodiment will be described using Figures 6 and 7, 8A and 8B. Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processing flow in this embodiment. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the display screen in this embodiment. In the following description, the processing of the user terminal 1 and the home appliance management device 3 will be described using the configuration shown in Figure 1.

[0045] First, in step S1 of Figure 6, the home appliance management unit 12 of the user terminal 1 displays the input content in the input area for receiving input. In this embodiment, the input area is displayed on the display screen 140 of the display unit 14. This display screen 140 is shown in Figure 7.

[0046] Figure 7 shows an example of a display screen 140 in which the input area 141-3 is displayed in this embodiment. In Figure 7, the display screen 140 is a so-called home screen and has a header area 141-1, an add button 141-2, an input area 141-3, a home appliance display area 141-4, a service information area 141-5, and a menu selection area 141-6.

[0047] First, the header area 141-1 displays the user's nickname, date and time, current location, weather, and other location information. The add button 141-2 is used to add an appliance (icon) to the appliance display area 141-4, which will be described later. When a user purchases a new appliance, they press the add button 141-2. In response to this operation, a registration screen is displayed. When the user performs the registration operation on the registration screen, the appliance is registered in the owned appliances section of the user management information 151 or user management information 331. As a result, one or more, and especially multiple, appliances (icons) can be displayed in the appliance display area 141-4.

[0048] The input area 141-3 is an area for inputting a question, which is an example of input content from the user. In this embodiment, the input area 141-3 is displayed at the top of the appliance display area 141-4. Although the appliance display area 141-4 can display multiple appliances (icons), the input area 141-3 can be a common input area for each of these multiple appliances. However, the input area 141-3 may be provided for each of these multiple appliances.

[0049] Furthermore, the input area 141-3 will contain the question in text format, depending on the user's actions. The content of the question will then be displayed in the input area 141-3.

[0050] Furthermore, the appliance display area 141-4 displays icons indicating the appliances owned by the user. It is also desirable to display the model numbers of the owned appliances in the appliance display area 141-4, as shown in Figure 7. Additionally, the service information area 141-5 displays service information related to household chores involving appliances, such as laundry, shopping, and recipes.

[0051] Furthermore, the menu selection area 141-6 is a display area for selecting the menu (screen) of the home appliance management program 105. In Figure 7, icons for Home, Notifications, My Home Appliances List, Manufacturer Home Appliances Fan, and Support are shown as menus.

[0052] The Home icon is used to transition to the home screen, which is display screen 140 in Figure 7. The Notifications icon is used to transition to the notifications screen, which displays information about home appliances for the user. The My Home Appliances List icon is used to transition to the screen (management screen) for managing the user's home appliances 2 (owned home appliances).

[0053] Furthermore, the "Manufacturer Home Appliance Fan" icon is a display area that transitions to a screen providing users with various value-added information, such as lifestyle tips related to home appliances. In addition, the "Support" icon transitions to a support screen for services and support related to home appliances, including maintenance.

[0054] This concludes the explanation of Figure 7. In this example, the input area 141-3 is displayed above the appliance display area 141-4. This display allows users to input questions, etc., while checking the appliances they own.

[0055] Next, the display of input area 141-3 can be omitted. In other words, input area 141-3 can be hidden. In this case, it is desirable to display an icon to indicate the presence of input area 141-3. As a result, the home appliance management unit 12 can display input area 141-3 according to the icon specified by the user when there is a question, and omit its display when it is not necessary.

[0056] In the following, input area 141-3 is omitted, and two examples of input icons for displaying input area 141-3 are shown in Figures 8A and 8B. Figure 8A is a diagram showing a first example of the display screen 140 in this embodiment with the display of input area 141-3 omitted. In Figure 8A, as in Figure 7, the display screen 140 shows the home screen and has a header area 141-1, an add button 141-2, a home appliance display area 141-4, a service information area 141-5, and a menu selection area 141-6. Since each of these display areas is the same as in Figure 7, their description is omitted.

[0057] In Figure 8A, the input icon 141-7 is displayed in the lower right corner of the display screen 140. When this is specified by the user, the home appliance management unit 12 displays the display screen 140 as shown in Figure 7 on the display unit 14. As a result, the user can input a question into the input area 141-3.

[0058] Figure 8B also shows a second example of the display screen 140 in which the display of input area 141-3 in this embodiment is omitted. In Figure 8B, everything except the input icons is the same as in the first example in Figure 8A, so their explanation is omitted. In Figure 8B, the input icon 141-8 is displayed in the lower left of the display screen 140. When this is operated by the user to specify or move to the right, the home appliance management unit 12 displays the display screen 140 as shown in Figure 7 on the display unit 14. As a result, the user can input a question into input area 141-3.

[0059] Furthermore, the home appliance management unit 12 may display the input area 141-3 when the display screen 140 is the home screen, and omit the display of the input area 141-3 when transitioning to another screen, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B. In addition, the home appliance management unit 12 may control the display or omission of the input area 141-3 in response to user operations. Moreover, when displaying input icons 141-7 or 141-8 at the edge of the display screen 140, the input area 141-3 may be displayed in the corresponding location.

[0060] This concludes the explanation of the display screen 140 of this embodiment, and we will now return to the explanation of the flowchart in Figure 6. In step S2, the input unit 13 receives the question in the input area 141-3 displayed in step S1.

[0061] Then, in step S3, the home appliance management unit 12 notifies the home appliance management device 3 via the communication unit 10 of the entered question and the model number, which is an example of model information indicating the model of the home appliance 2 corresponding to the question. Here, the home appliance management unit 12 can obtain the model number from user input such as the entered question or from the home appliance 2 that is in operation.

[0062] Furthermore, in step S4, the communication unit 30 of the home appliance management device 3 receives the notified question and model number. Then, in steps S5 to S7, the response processing unit 32 extracts model-related information corresponding to the model number from the home appliance-related information 332, and creates an answer to the question by putting this model-related information into text according to the question. In this embodiment, these can be performed using a chatbot with so-called generative AI. However, for this purpose, in step S5, the response processing unit 32 performs keyword analysis on the question.

[0063] Furthermore, in step S6, the response processing unit 32 performs a search process on the home appliance-related information 332 using the received model number and the keyword obtained from the keyword analysis. To this end, in this embodiment, in step S61, the response processing unit 32 extracts model-related information corresponding to the received model number from the home appliance-related information 332. In other words, a primary search using the model number is performed. Specifically, the record for the corresponding model number is extracted from the home appliance-related information 332 in Figure 5. Note that the home appliance-related information 332 does not need to consist of a record for each model number; it is sufficient that each item has a correspondence with the model number.

[0064] Furthermore, in step S62, the response processing unit 32 performs a search on the extracted model-related information using the keywords obtained from the keyword analysis. In other words, a secondary search is performed using keywords. As a result, it becomes possible to perform a search using model-related information, specifically information tailored to the model number of the user's home appliance 2, which is the instruction manual.

[0065] Then, in step S7, the response processing unit 32 uses the search results from step S6 to create, for example, an answer to the question that was received in written form. As a result, a more appropriate answer is created using model-related information, which is the instruction manual narrowed down by the model number of the user's home appliance 2, as the source. In response to this, in step S8, the response processing unit 32 notifies the user terminal 1 of the created answer via the communication unit 30.

[0066] Furthermore, in step S9, the communication unit 10 of the user terminal 1 receives the notified response. Then, in step S10, the home appliance management unit 12 displays the received response on the display unit 14. As a result, the display unit 14 displays the response. At this time, it is desirable for the home appliance management unit 12 to display the response in an adjacent display area or input area 141-3, such as below the input area 141-3 where the question is displayed.

[0067] This concludes the processing flow in this embodiment, but the processing may also be carried out as follows. First, steps S1 and S2 are executed as described above. Then, in step S3, the home appliance management unit 12 notifies the home appliance management device 3 via the communication unit 10 of the entered question and the user ID that identifies the user. Here, the home appliance management unit 12 obtains the user ID from the user management information 151, etc. The user items in the user management information 331 in Figure 4, which have the same items as the user management information 151, may be used, or a member ID or other information may be added to the user management information 151 and used.

[0068] Furthermore, in step S4, the communication unit 30 of the home appliance management device 3 receives the notified question and user ID. The response processing unit 32 then identifies the model number corresponding to the received user ID from the owned home appliance column of the user management information 331. Based on this, the process from step S5 onwards is executed using the identified model number, similar to the flowchart shown in Figure 6. Note that the user with the received user ID may own multiple home appliances. To handle such cases, in this embodiment, one of the following (1) to (3) is executed.

[0069] (1) For each of the multiple model numbers corresponding to each of the multiple home appliances, the processing from step S5 onwards is executed. That is, in step S61, the response processing unit 32 extracts model-related information for the multiple model numbers. Then, using this information, step S62 is executed.

[0070] (2) The response processing unit 32 uses the results of the keyword analysis in step S5 to estimate the type of home appliance 2 (e.g., microwave oven). For example, if the keyword includes the name of a home appliance such as "microwave," this is estimated as the type of home appliance. Also, if the keyword includes "cooking" or "temperature," cooking appliances such as microwave ovens or induction cookers are estimated. The response processing unit 32 then identifies the model number corresponding to the identified type of home appliance 2 from the owned home appliances column of the user management information 331. Then, using the identified model number, it executes the processing from step S6 onwards. In this case, if the model number cannot be identified, the model numbers of each home appliance 2 owned by the user will be used, as in (1). Multiple model numbers may also be identified in this process.

[0071] (3) In step S3, the type of home appliance is also notified, and this may be used to process in the same manner as in (2).

[0072] As described above, in this embodiment, the model number is identified using the user ID and user management information 331. Alternatively, the user terminal 1 may notify the home appliance management device 3 of either the model number or the user ID, which are examples of model information. In other words, in this embodiment, the response is generated using model identification information, which is exemplified by the model information and user ID, to identify the model of the home appliance 2.

[0073] Furthermore, this embodiment may automatically generate questions as follows. In this embodiment, questions regarding the pairing of the user terminal 1 and the home appliance 2 are generated.

[0074] To this end, the home appliance management unit 12 of the user terminal 1 detects the transition state of the display screen during pairing with the home appliance 2. If the home appliance management unit 12 determines that there is a problem with the transition state, it creates a question corresponding to this transition state. For example, if the same display screen is displayed multiple times or consecutively, the home appliance management unit 12 determines that pairing has failed. In this case, failure is determined when the display screen is displayed a predetermined number of times. Alternatively, the home appliance management unit 12 may determine that pairing has failed if the display screen 140 does not transition to another display screen within a predetermined time.

[0075] If the home appliance management unit 12 determines that pairing has failed as described above, it creates a question to recover from the pairing failure and perform pairing again. This created question is notified to the home appliance management device 3 in step S3, and subsequent processing is performed to create a response for performing pairing. In this case, the home appliance management unit 12 will obtain the model number of the home appliance to be paired as the model number.

[0076] Furthermore, the home appliance management unit 12 may create questions based on the operating data of the home appliance 2. In this case, if the operating data collection unit 11 collects operating data indicating that a malfunction such as an abnormality or emergency stop has occurred, the home appliance management unit 12 will create questions to resolve the malfunction. At this time, the home appliance management unit 12 will use the model number included in or acquired together with the operating data. Subsequent processing will then be performed in the same manner as in the pairing case. Furthermore, the questions created in this manner will include candidate questions. In this case, the home appliance management unit 12 will display the candidate questions in the input area 141-3 and confirm them as questions according to instructions from the user. The home appliance management unit 12 may also accept edits to the displayed candidate questions from the user via the input unit 13 and modify the candidate questions.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, feedback may be provided on the created answers. This feedback includes the user's evaluation of the answers and a record of the answers. For this purpose, the home appliance management unit 12 of the user terminal 1 stores the answers in the storage unit 15 of the user terminal 1 or in the storage unit 33 of the home appliance management device 3. The home appliance management unit 12 may associate and store evaluations from the user with the stored answers, or it may limit storage to specific answers designated by the user. When storing answers in the storage unit 33 of the home appliance management device 3, the home appliance management unit 12 will notify the home appliance management device 3 of the answers and evaluations via the communication unit 10.

[0078] This concludes the description of this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, it can be applied to answers other than home appliances. In the above-described embodiment, the user terminal 1 and the home appliance management device 3 work together to perform processing, but the division of processing is not limited to what is described above, and for example, the user terminal or the home appliance management device 3 may each perform processing independently. Also, as described above, answers may be created using the operation data collected by the operation data collection unit 11 or the operation data collection unit 31. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1...User terminal, 10...Communication unit, 11...Operation data collection unit, 12...Home appliance management unit, 13...Input unit, 14...Display unit, 15...Storage unit, 151...User management information, 152...Home appliance related information, 2...Home appliances, 21...Microwave oven, 22...Washing machine, 23...Refrigerator, 3...Home appliance management device, 30...Communication unit, 31...Operation data collection unit, 32...Response processing unit, 33...Storage unit, 331...User management information, 332...Home appliance related information, 4...Router, 5...Network

Claims

1. A home appliance management system comprising a home appliance management device capable of communicating with home appliances, and a user terminal capable of communicating with the home appliances and the home appliance management device, The aforementioned user terminal is An input section that receives input from the user, The aforementioned home appliance management device has a communication unit that notifies the input content and model identification information for identifying the model of the home appliance, The aforementioned home appliance management device is A storage unit that stores appliance-related information about the appliance that can be distinguished by type of appliance, A communication unit that receives the aforementioned input content and the aforementioned model identification information, The system includes a response processing unit that extracts model-related information corresponding to model information indicating the model of the home appliance identified based on the model identification information received from the aforementioned home appliance-related information, formats the model-related information into text according to the input content, and creates a response to the input content. The user terminal further comprises a display unit that displays the response notified from the communication unit of the home appliance management device, thereby comprising a home appliance management system.

2. In the home appliance management system according to claim 1, The aforementioned model identification information is a user ID that identifies the user, The memory unit stores user management information relating to the user, indicating the home appliances owned by the user. The response processing unit identifies the model information using the user ID and the user management information in the home appliance management system.

3. In the home appliance management system according to claim 1, The storage unit is a home appliance management system that stores instruction manuals for each model number of the home appliance as home appliance-related information.

4. In the home appliance management system according to claim 1, The aforementioned user terminal further, A data collection unit for collecting operating data of the aforementioned home appliance, It has a home appliance management unit that creates questions in response to the collected operational data, The communication unit of the user terminal notifies the home appliance management device of the created question and the model identification information. The response processing unit is a home appliance management system that creates the answer by putting the model-related information into text in response to the question.

5. In the home appliance management system according to claim 1, The user terminal further includes a home appliance management unit that detects the transition state of the display screen on the user terminal's display unit during the pairing process between the user terminal and the home appliance, and creates questions regarding the pairing process according to the transition state. The communication unit of the user terminal notifies the home appliance management device of the created question and the model identification information. The response processing unit is a home appliance management system that creates the answer by putting the model-related information into text in response to the question.

6. In the home appliance management system according to claim 5, The aforementioned home appliance management unit is a home appliance management system that generates the aforementioned question when the aforementioned display screen is displayed multiple times or consecutively, or when it does not transition to another display screen within a predetermined time.

7. In the home appliance management system according to claim 1, The user terminal further includes a home appliance management unit that records the user's evaluation of the response and the selected response.

8. A user terminal is a computer capable of communicating with home appliances and home appliance management devices. An input section that receives input from the user, The appliance management unit notifies the appliance management device of the input content and model identification information for identifying the appliance model via the communication unit, From the aforementioned home appliance management device, a communication unit receives a response to the input content, which extracts model-related information corresponding to the model information identified from the model identification information from the home appliance-related information related to the home appliance that the home appliance management device can distinguish for each type of home appliance, and which puts the model-related information into text according to the input content. A display unit for displaying the aforementioned answer and a home appliance management program to enable its operation.

9. In the home appliance management program described in claim 8, The aforementioned model identification information is a user ID that identifies the user, The appliance management device includes an appliance management program that identifies the model information with respect to the user, using user management information indicating the appliances owned by the user, the user ID, and the user management information.

10. In the home appliance management program described in claim 8, The display unit is a home appliance management program that displays an input area for receiving the input content above the icon representing the home appliance.

11. In the home appliance management program described in claim 8, The display unit is a home appliance management program that displays an input area for receiving the input content at the end of the display unit and omits the display of the input area.

12. In the home appliance management program described in claim 8, The display unit is a home appliance management program that displays the input area for receiving the input content as a common input area for multiple home appliances.

13. In the home appliance management program described in claim 8, The display unit is a home appliance management program that displays an input area for receiving the input content for each of several home appliances.

14. In the home appliance management program described in claim 8, The aforementioned home appliance management unit detects the transition state of the display screen on the user terminal's display unit during the pairing process between the user terminal and the home appliance, and creates a question regarding the pairing process according to the transition state. The communication unit of the user terminal notifies the home appliance management device of the created question and the model identification information. The aforementioned home appliance management device is a home appliance management program that generates the aforementioned answers by transcribing the model-related information into text in response to the aforementioned questions.

15. In the home appliance management program described in claim 14, The aforementioned home appliance management unit is a home appliance management program that generates the aforementioned question when the display screen is displayed multiple times or consecutively, or when it does not transition to another display screen within a predetermined time.

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