Equipment systems, equipment, and application programs

Abstract

This invention provides an equipment system that can prevent children from activating and deactivating the lock function of equipment using a communication terminal. [Solution] When activating or deactivating the lock function of the gas stove 10 (equipment), the user is required to enter a password (authentication information) of their choosing into the smartphone 50 (communication terminal). Therefore, compared to cases where password input is not required, this increases the difficulty for children to perform, making it possible to suppress the activation and deactivation of the lock function by children even in environments where they can access the smartphone 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment system capable of using a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with equipment to switch between activation and release of a lock function that prevents the start of operation even when a start operation unit installed in a house and provided for starting the operation of the equipment is operated by a user, an equipment included in the equipment system, and an application program for the communication terminal included in the equipment system.

Background Art

[0002] In houses, equipment such as stoves and heating equipment is installed to make the lives of residents comfortable. In these pieces of equipment, it is common for the operation to start based on the operation of a predetermined start operation unit by the user. Further, in such equipment, in order to prevent the operation of the start operation unit by a child from starting the operation, there is known equipment equipped with a lock function (so-called child lock function) that makes it impossible to start the operation based on the operation of the start operation unit. For example, in a stove, when an ignition button, which is a start operation unit, is operated by the user, normally combustion by a burner starts. However, there is a type that has a lock switch separately from the ignition button. If this lock switch is set to the ON state, the lock function is activated, and even if the ignition button is operated, combustion by the burner does not start. Further, if the lock switch is returned to the OFF state, the lock function is released, and it becomes possible to start combustion by the burner by operating the ignition button. However, since the lock switch is provided on the stove itself in the same manner as the ignition button, there is a possibility that even if the lock switch is in the ON state, a child may accidentally touch the lock switch and return it to the OFF state.

[0003] Furthermore, in recent years, equipment systems that enable wireless communication between equipment and communication terminals such as smartphones have become known. In such equipment systems, it has been proposed that the lock function can be activated and deactivated by operating the communication terminal to send a signal to the equipment (for example, Patent Document 1). In this way, it is not necessary to install the aforementioned lock switch on the equipment itself, and it is possible to avoid the accidental deactivation of the lock function even if a child touches the equipment while the lock function is activated. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-319654 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, as mentioned above, in equipment systems that switch the activation and deactivation of the lock function in equipment based on signals from a communication terminal, there was a problem that if children were in an environment where they could access the communication terminal for games, watching videos, etc., the child's operation could send a signal from the communication terminal, which could switch the activation and deactivation of the lock function in the equipment.

[0006] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems in the prior art and aims to provide a technology that can prevent children from switching the lock function of equipment using a communication terminal on and off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the equipment system of the present invention employs the following configuration: <First aspect> In a system of equipment having equipment installed in a residence and a communication terminal that supports wireless communication with said equipment, The aforementioned equipment and machinery are A start operation unit operated by the user to initiate operation, A lock control unit controls the activation and deactivation of a lock function that prevents the start of the operation even if the start operation unit is operated, Equipped with, The aforementioned communication terminal is An input detection unit that detects input from the user, A transmitting unit capable of transmitting a transmission signal based on the input detected by the input detection unit, Equipped with, The lock control unit, During the release of the aforementioned lock function, the lock function is activated on the condition that authentication information, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, is input to the input detection unit, and The lock function is released when the authentication information is input to the input detection unit while the lock function is active. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] In this first embodiment of the equipment system, when activating and deactivating the equipment's lock function, the user is required to input arbitrarily selectable authentication information into the communication terminal. This increases the difficulty for children compared to cases where authentication information input is not required, thereby preventing children from activating and deactivating the lock function even in environments where they can access the communication terminal.

[0009] <Second aspect> In the equipment system of the first embodiment, The system includes a storage unit that stores the authentication information input to the input detection unit when the lock function is activated, The lock control unit releases the lock function while the lock function is active, provided that the authentication information is input to the input detection unit and that the input authentication information matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0010] In this second type of equipment system, in order to unlock the equipment, it is necessary to enter the same authentication information into the communication terminal as the authentication information entered when the lock function was activated. Furthermore, since the authentication information can be changed each time the lock function is activated, it is possible to reduce the possibility of a child knowing (memorizing) the authentication information. As a result, the effect of particularly deterring children from unlocking the lock function can be enhanced.

[0011] <Third aspect> In the equipment system of the second embodiment, The aforementioned equipment includes a specific operating unit that can be operated by the user, in addition to the start operation unit. The lock control unit activates the lock function when the authentication information is input to the input detection unit and the specific operation unit is operated, while the lock function is being released. It is characterized by the following:

[0012] In this third type of equipment system, activating the equipment's lock function is not simply a matter of entering authentication information into a communication terminal; it also requires going to the location of the equipment and operating a specific control unit. This prevents the lock function from being activated (and authentication information from being stored) unintentionally while a child is touching the communication terminal.

[0013] <Fourth aspect> In the equipment system of the first embodiment, It includes a storage unit that stores the authentication information registered in advance by the user, The lock control unit, During the release of the lock function, in addition to the authentication information being input to the input detection unit, the lock function is activated on the condition that the input authentication information matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit, and During the activation of the lock function, in addition to the authentication information being input to the input detection unit, the lock function is released on the condition that the input authentication information matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit which is characterized by.

[0014] In such an equipment system of the fourth aspect, in both the activation and release of the lock function of the equipment, without inputting the pre-registered authentication information into the communication terminal, there will be no switching. Since it is unlikely that the random input by a child will match the registered authentication information, the effect of suppressing the lock function from being activated or released arbitrarily by a child can be enhanced.

[0015] <The fifth aspect> In the equipment system of the first aspect, the communication terminal includes a storage unit for storing the authentication information, and an authentication unit for authenticating when the authentication information input to the input detection unit matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit and is provided with the transmission unit transmits the transmission signal indicating authentication when authenticated by the authentication unit, the lock control unit when receiving the transmission signal during the release of the lock function, activates the lock function and when receiving the transmission signal during the activation of the lock function, releases the lock function which is characterized by. [[ID=]34]

[0016] In this fifth type of equipment system, authentication of the input authentication information is performed on the communication terminal side, and the equipment side only needs to switch the activation and deactivation of the lock function according to the signal transmitted from the communication terminal. This reduces the load on the equipment compared to when authentication is performed on the equipment side. Furthermore, when changing the stored (registered) authentication information, this can be done quickly on the communication terminal side alone, without communicating with the equipment.

[0017] <Sixth aspect> In any one of the equipment systems of the first, second, or fourth embodiment, The network server intervenes in the wireless communication between the aforementioned equipment and the aforementioned communication terminal. The aforementioned network server is A storage unit for storing the aforementioned authentication information, An authentication unit that authenticates when the authentication information input to the input detection unit matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit based on the transmission signal from the communication terminal, When authenticated by the aforementioned authentication unit, an authentication transmission unit transmits an authentication signal. Equipped with, The lock control unit, If the authentication signal is received while the lock function is being released, the lock function will be activated, If the authentication signal is received while the lock function is active, the lock function is released. It is characterized by the following:

[0018] In this sixth type of equipment system, the network server authenticates the authentication information entered into the communication terminal, and the equipment only needs to switch between activating and releasing the lock function according to the authentication signal from the network server. This reduces the load on the equipment compared to when the equipment performs the authentication itself. Furthermore, when changing the stored (registered) authentication information, this can be done quickly between the communication terminal and the network server without communicating with the equipment.

[0019] <Seventh aspect> In any one of the equipment systems of the first to sixth embodiments, The aforementioned equipment is compatible with wireless communication with multiple communication terminals, The user can select different authentication information for each of the multiple communication terminals. The lock control unit, During the release of the lock function, the lock function is activated on the condition that the authentication information corresponding to the communication terminal from which the transmission signal was sent is input to the input detection unit, The lock function is released while the lock function is active, provided that the authentication information corresponding to the communication terminal from which the transmission signal was sent is input to the input detection unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0020] In this seventh embodiment of the equipment system, the activation and deactivation of the lock function of a single piece of equipment can be switched from each of multiple communication terminals. Even if the authentication information selected by the user of one communication terminal is unknown, users of other communication terminals can use their own selected authentication information to activate and deactivate the lock function. Furthermore, even if the authentication information corresponding to one communication terminal is known to a child, the other communication terminals cannot use that authentication information to activate and deactivate the lock function. Therefore, it is sufficient to change the authentication information on one communication terminal, while the other communication terminals can maintain their authentication information.

[0021] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the equipment of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, In a system for equipment that can transmit a transmission signal based on an input detected by an input detection unit that detects user input from a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with equipment, the equipment is installed in a residence. A start operation unit operated by the user to initiate operation, A lock control unit controls the activation and deactivation of a lock function that prevents the start of the operation even if the start operation unit is operated, Equipped with, The lock control unit, During the release of the aforementioned lock function, the lock function is activated on the condition that the transmission signal is received based on the input of authentication information, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, to the input detection unit, and While the lock function is active, the lock function is released upon receipt of the transmission signal based on the input of the authentication information to the input detection unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0022] With the equipment of the present invention, when activating and deactivating the lock function, it is necessary to receive a transmission signal based on the user's input of arbitrarily selectable authentication information into the communication terminal. Compared to cases where input of authentication information is not required, this increases the difficulty for children to perform the action, thereby preventing children from activating and deactivating the lock function even in environments where they can access the communication terminal.

[0023] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the application program of the present invention employs the following configuration: An application program for a communication terminal used in a system of equipment that includes equipment installed in a house and a communication terminal that supports wireless communication with said equipment, In the aforementioned communication terminal, an input detection unit capable of detecting user input detects that authentication information, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, has been entered. Based on the fact that the authentication information has been input to the input detection unit, a transmission signal is transmitted. In the aforementioned equipment, even if the start operation unit, which is operated by the user to initiate operation, is operated, the activation and deactivation of the lock function that prevents the start of said operation is performed based on the fact that the authentication information has been input to the input detection unit of the communication terminal. While the lock function is being released, the lock function is activated in the equipment by the transmission of the transmission signal based on the input of the authentication information. While the lock function is activated, the lock function is released by the transmission of the transmission signal based on the input of the authentication information. It is characterized by the following:

[0024] According to the application program of the present invention, when activating or deactivating the lock function of the equipment, a transmission signal based on the input of arbitrarily selectable authentication information by the user to the input detection unit must be sent from the communication terminal. Compared to cases where input of authentication information is not required, this increases the difficulty for children to perform the action, thereby preventing children from activating or deactivating the lock function even in environments where they can access the communication terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment system 1 in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the equipment system 1 in this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the display screen of a smartphone 50 with the dedicated application for this embodiment running. [Figure 4] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the first modified equipment system 1. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the equipment system 1 in the second modified example. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the third modified example of the equipment system 1. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the equipment system 1 of the fourth modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment system 1 of this embodiment. The illustrated equipment system 1 consists of a gas stove 10 as an example of a heating appliance (equipment) for heating food to be cooked, and a smartphone 50 as an example of a communication terminal that supports wireless communication with the gas stove 10, and the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 50 can be linked wirelessly.

[0027] The gas stove 10 shown as an example is a built-in stove that is embedded in the kitchen counter and consists of a box-shaped stove body with an open top and a top plate that covers the top of the stove body. While a detailed explanation is omitted, the stove body contains a stove burner that burns a mixture of fuel gas and air, and the top of the stove burner protrudes from an insertion hole formed in the top plate. On the top plate, a trivet is installed around the stove burner, for placing cooking containers such as pots containing food (food to be cooked) above the stove burner.

[0028] The user ignites and extinguishes the gas stove 10 by pressing the ignition / extinguishing button 11 located on the front of the stove body. Specifically, when the ignition / extinguishing button 11 is pressed while combustion in the stove burner is stopped (hereinafter referred to as "combustion stopped"), the ignition / extinguishing control unit 12 controls the ignition plug and gas valve to start combustion in the stove burner (ignite). Conversely, when the ignition / extinguishing button 11 is pressed while combustion is in progress (hereinafter referred to as "combustion"), the ignition / extinguishing control unit 12 controls the gas valve to stop combustion in the stove burner (extinguish). The function of the ignition / extinguishing control unit 12 may be realized by the CPU built into the gas stove 10 executing a program stored in memory, or by implementing a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0029] Furthermore, the gas stove 10 in this embodiment is equipped with a "lock function that prevents combustion from starting even if the ignition / extinguishing button 11 is pressed" to prevent a child from pressing the ignition / extinguishing button 11 and starting combustion on the stove burner. Specifically, the gas stove 10 is equipped with a state memory unit 13 (for example, a predetermined storage area of ​​non-volatile memory) that stores whether the lock function is released (hereinafter referred to as "lock function released") or whether the lock function is activated (hereinafter referred to as "lock function activated"). When the ignition / extinguishing button 11 is pressed while combustion is stopped, the ignition / extinguishing control unit 12 refers to the state memory unit 13 to determine whether the lock function is released or activated, and if the lock function is released, it starts combustion (ignites), and if the lock function is activated, it does not start combustion (does not ignite).

[0030] Regarding such lock functions, conventional gas stoves had a separate lock switch in addition to the ignition / extinction buttons, and the lock function was activated and deactivated by operating this lock switch. However, since the lock switch is located on the gas stove itself, just like the ignition / extinction buttons, there is a possibility that a child might accidentally turn it off even if the lock switch is in the ON position. Furthermore, in recent years, a technology has been proposed that allows the lock function to be activated and deactivated by sending a signal to the gas stove from a communication device such as a smartphone. However, with this technology, if a child is in an environment where they can access the communication device for games or watching videos, there is a risk that the child's operation could send a signal from the communication device and switch the gas stove's lock function on and off.

[0031] Therefore, in the equipment system 1 of this embodiment, when a password that can be arbitrarily selected by the user is entered into the smartphone 50, the lock function of the gas stove 10 is switched on and off. Specifically, the gas stove 10 is equipped with a password storage unit 14 (for example, a predetermined storage area of ​​non-volatile memory) that stores a password that can be arbitrarily selected by the user. When the receiving unit 15 receives the password entered into the smartphone 50, the authentication unit 16 determines whether the password matches a password stored in the password storage unit 14 (performs password authentication). As a result, if the passwords match (if the password is authenticated), the lock function of the gas stove 10 is switched on and off. In other words, the lock control unit 17 refers to the state memory unit 13 to determine whether the lock function is released or activated. If the lock function is released, it activates the lock function by changing the state stored in the state memory unit 13 to "lock function activated". If the lock function is activated, it releases the lock function by changing the state stored in the state memory unit 13 to "lock function released". Note that if combustion is in progress, the lock function is not activated or released regardless of whether the password matches or not. Alternatively, in another embodiment, if a password is received during combustion, the password may be temporarily stored in memory, and the lock function may be activated after combustion stops. Furthermore, the functions of the authentication unit 16 and the lock control unit 17 may be realized by the CPU built into the gas stove 10 executing a program stored in memory, or by implementing a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0032] On the other hand, the smartphone 50 has an input unit 51, which is a touch panel mounted on top of the display screen. When a password is entered via this input unit 51, the password is detected by the input detection unit 52 and transmitted from the transmission unit 53 to the gas stove 10. The smartphone 50 has a dedicated application program (hereinafter referred to as the dedicated app) pre-installed on it. By running the dedicated app on the smartphone 50, the processes of detecting the password entered via the input unit 51 by the input detection unit 52 and transmitting the password from the transmission unit 53 are realized.

[0033] Here, the password stored in the password storage unit 14 may be registered on the gas stove 10 side (without using the smartphone 50). For example, when selling the gas stove 10, the user may be asked to select a password, and that password may be stored in the password storage unit 14 at the time of shipment. Alternatively, the gas stove 10 may be provided with a password input unit such as a keypad or touch panel, and the password entered by the user via that password input unit may be stored in the password storage unit 14. Alternatively, the password stored in the password storage unit 14 may be registered using the smartphone 50. For example, by running a predetermined program on the smartphone 50 (which may be a function of the dedicated app mentioned above), a password registration screen may be displayed on the smartphone 50, and the password entered there may be sent to the gas stove 10 and stored in the password storage unit 14.

[0034] Furthermore, various well-known communication standards can be used for communication between the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 50. For example, Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark) may be used. Accordingly, the receiving unit 15 of the gas stove 10 and the transmitting unit 53 of the smartphone 50 are composed of hardware and software that correspond to the adopted communication standard, and the establishment of communication between the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 50 (e.g., pairing) is also performed using a procedure that corresponds to the adopted communication standard.

[0035] Figure 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the equipment system 1 in this embodiment. In the figure, among the straight lines extending downwards that show the processing procedure on the gas stove 10 side, the thick solid line indicates that the lock function is being released, and the thin dashed line indicates that the lock function is being activated.

[0036] As shown in the diagram, when the lock function is released, if combustion is stopped, pressing the ignition / extinguish button 11 will start combustion in the stove burner (ignite it), and if combustion is in progress, pressing the ignition / extinguish button 11 will stop combustion in the stove burner (extinguish it).

[0037] While this lock function is being deactivated, the lock function is reactivated by entering a password on the smartphone 50. For details, launch the dedicated app on the smartphone 50. The dedicated app is launched by tapping the corresponding icon displayed on the smartphone 50's screen.

[0038] Figure 3 shows the display screen of a smartphone 50 with the dedicated app running. As shown in the figure, when the dedicated app is running, four password input fields are displayed at the top of the screen, and below them are number buttons (numeric keypad) corresponding to numbers from 0 to 9, and a clear button to erase the password entered in the password input field. Also, at the bottom of the screen, a send button is displayed to send the entered password to the gas stove 10. After launching the dedicated app, the user enters a four-digit number as a password by tapping the number buttons in the password input field. If the password is entered incorrectly, the user can erase the entered password by tapping the clear button. After entering the four-digit number (password), the user taps the send button to send the password to the gas stove 10. This password transmission is performed by sending a transmission signal as shown in Figure 2. This transmission signal contains information indicating the password entered by the user.

[0039] When the gas stove 10 receives a transmission signal while the lock function is released (and combustion is stopped), it retrieves the password entered by the user from the transmission signal and determines whether the password matches the password stored in the password storage unit 14 (performs password authentication). If the passwords match (the password is authenticated), the lock function is activated. In this state where the lock function is activated, even if the ignition / extinguishing button 11 is pressed, combustion will not start on the stove burner (it will not ignite).

[0040] To unlock the lock function, the user enters a password into the smartphone 50 using the same procedure as when the lock function was activated, and sends a transmission signal containing information indicating the password to the gas stove 10. Even if the gas stove 10 receives a transmission signal while the lock function is activated, it retrieves the password entered by the user from the transmission signal and determines whether the password matches a password stored in the password storage unit 14. If the passwords match, the lock function is released. With the lock function released in this state, pressing the ignition / extinguishing button 11 will start combustion (ignition) of the stove burner.

[0041] As explained above, in the equipment system 1 of this embodiment, the user is required to enter a password into the smartphone 50 when activating and deactivating the lock function of the gas stove 10. This increases the difficulty for children compared to cases where password entry is not required, thereby preventing children from activating and deactivating the lock function even if they have access to the smartphone 50.

[0042] Furthermore, in the equipment system 1 of this embodiment, the lock function of the gas stove 10 cannot be activated or deactivated without entering a pre-registered password into the smartphone 50. Since the probability of a child randomly entering a password matching the registered password is low, the system can effectively deter children from activating or deactivating the lock function on their own.

[0043] Furthermore, the ignition / extinguishing button 11, which is operated by the user to start combustion (operation) with the burner of the gas stove 10, can be considered as a "start operation unit," and the aforementioned password, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, can be considered as "authentication information."

[0044] The equipment system 1 of the above-described embodiment also has the following four modifications. Below, the modifications will be described focusing on the differences from the above-described embodiment. In the description of the modifications, components similar to those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the password was assumed to be pre-stored in the password storage unit 14 of the gas stove 10. In contrast, in the first modified example, when a password is entered (a transmission signal is received) while the lock function is being released, the gas stove 10 activates the lock function and stores the password in the password storage unit 14. That is, when the lock function is activated, only the entered password is stored, and no password authentication is performed. Then, when a password is entered (a transmission signal is received) while the lock function is activated thereafter, the system determines whether the entered password matches the password stored in the password storage unit 14 (the password stored when the lock function was activated) (performs password authentication), and if they match, the lock function is released.

[0046] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the first modified equipment system 1. In the figure, among the straight lines extending downwards that show the processing procedure on the gas stove 10 side, the thick solid line indicates that the lock function is being released, and the thin dashed line indicates that the lock function is being activated.

[0047] As shown in the figure, to activate the lock function, the user enters a password into the smartphone 50 using the same procedure as in the embodiment described above, and sends a transmission signal containing information indicating the password to the gas stove 10. When the gas stove 10 receives the transmission signal while the lock function is being released (and combustion is stopped), it retrieves the password entered by the user from the transmission signal, stores the password in the password storage unit 14, and activates the lock function. In other words, in the first modified example, the password entered when the lock function is activated is stored as the password required to release the lock function without performing password authentication.

[0048] Here, the activation of the lock function while simultaneously storing the password is conditional on a specific operating unit (for example, a power button or a dedicated operating unit provided on the gas stove 10) being operated (for example, the power button being pressed and held). That is, as shown in Figure 4, upon receiving a transmission signal, the gas stove 10 determines whether or not the specific operating unit is being operated. If the specific operating unit is being operated, it stores the password extracted from the transmission signal and activates the lock function. Conversely, if the specific operating unit is not being operated, even if a transmission signal is received, the password will not be stored and the lock function will not be activated. In another embodiment, the activation of the lock function may be confirmed by the operation of the specific operating unit after the gas stove 10 receives the transmission signal (within a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds)). Furthermore, the release of the lock function may also be conditional on the operation of the specific operating unit.

[0049] In contrast, when unlocking the lock function, the same procedure as when activating the lock function is followed: the user enters a password into the smartphone 50 and sends a transmission signal containing information indicating the password to the gas stove 10. If the gas stove 10 receives the transmission signal while the lock function is active, it retrieves the password entered by the user from the transmission signal and determines whether the password matches the password stored in the password storage unit 14 (the password stored when the lock function was activated) (performing password authentication). If the passwords match, the lock function is released.

[0050] As explained above, in the first modified equipment system 1, in order to unlock the lock function of the gas stove 10, it is necessary to enter the same password into the smartphone 50 as the password entered when the lock function was activated. Furthermore, since the password can be changed each time the lock function is activated, it is possible to reduce the possibility of a child knowing (memorizing) the password. As a result, the effect of particularly deterring children from unlocking the lock function can be enhanced.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first modified example of the equipment system 1, when the lock function of the gas stove 10 is activated, it is not simply a matter of entering a password into the smartphone 50; it is also necessary to go to the location of the gas stove 10 and operate a specific control unit. This makes it possible to prevent a child from unknowingly activating the lock function (and saving the password) while touching the smartphone 50.

[0052] Next, we will describe the second modified example of the equipment system 1. In the embodiment described above, password authentication (determining whether or not it matches a pre-stored password) was performed on the gas stove 10 side. In contrast, in the second modified example, this password authentication is performed on the smartphone 50 side.

[0053] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the equipment system 1 of the second modified example. In the figure, among the straight lines extending downwards that show the processing procedure on the gas stove 10 side, the thick solid line indicates that the lock function is being released, and the thin dashed line indicates that the lock function is being activated.

[0054] In the second modified example, to switch between activating and deactivating the lock function, the user enters a password into the smartphone 50 using the same procedure as in the embodiment described above. The smartphone 50 then determines whether the entered password matches a "pre-stored password" (performs password authentication). This "pre-stored password" is a four-digit number that can be arbitrarily selected by the user. For example, the smartphone 50 may be made to run a predetermined program (which may be a function of the dedicated app described above) to display a password registration screen, and the password entered there may be stored. It should be noted that since the smartphone 50 performs password authentication, it can also be considered that the smartphone 50, rather than the gas stove 10, possesses the functions equivalent to the password storage unit 14 and authentication unit 16 in the embodiment described above.

[0055] If the smartphone 50 finds that the entered password matches a "pre-stored password" (i.e., the password is authenticated), it sends a transmission signal to the gas stove 10. However, unlike the embodiment described above, this transmission signal does not contain information indicating the entered password, but rather information indicating that the password has been authenticated. If the gas stove 10 receives a transmission signal while the lock function is unlocked, it activates the lock function (without performing password authentication itself), and if it receives a transmission signal while the lock function is activated, it unlocks the lock function (without performing password authentication itself).

[0056] As explained above, in the second modified equipment system 1, authentication of the password entered on the smartphone 50 is performed, and the gas stove 10 only needs to switch the activation and deactivation of the lock function according to the signal transmitted from the smartphone 50. Therefore, the load on the gas stove 10 can be reduced compared to when authentication is performed on the gas stove 10 side. In addition, when changing the stored (registered) password, it can be done quickly on the smartphone 50 side alone without communicating with the gas stove 10.

[0057] Next, we will describe the third modified equipment system 1. In the embodiment described above, password authentication (determining whether or not it matches a pre-stored password) was performed on the gas stove 10 side. In contrast, in the third modified example, this password authentication is performed on the network server 80. That is, the third modified equipment system 1 is equipped not only with a gas stove 10 and a smartphone 50, but also with a network server 80.

[0058] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing procedure of the third modified equipment system 1. In the figure, among the straight lines extending downwards that show the processing procedure on the gas stove 10 side, the thick solid line indicates that the lock function is being released, and the thin dashed line indicates that the lock function is being activated.

[0059] In the third modified example, to activate and deactivate the lock function, the user enters a password into the smartphone 50 using the same procedure as in the embodiment described above. When the password is entered, the smartphone 50 sends a transmission signal containing the password information to the network server 80, not to the gas stove 10. Upon receiving the transmission signal, the network server 80 retrieves the password entered by the user and determines whether the password matches a "pre-stored password" (performs password authentication). This "pre-stored password" is a four-digit number that can be arbitrarily selected by the user. For example, by executing a predetermined program on the smartphone 50 (which may be a function of the dedicated app described above), a password registration screen is displayed on the smartphone 50, and the password entered there is sent to the network server 80 for storage. It should be noted that the fact that the network server 80 performs password authentication means that the network server 80, rather than the gas stove 10, has the same functions as the password storage unit 14 and authentication unit 16 in the embodiment described above.

[0060] The network server 80 sends an authentication signal to the gas stove 10 if the entered password matches a "pre-stored password" (i.e., the password is authenticated). This authentication signal contains information indicating that the password has been authenticated. When the gas stove 10 receives an authentication signal while the lock function is unlocked, it activates the lock function (without performing password authentication itself), and when it receives an authentication signal while the lock function is activated, it releases the lock function (without performing password authentication itself). It can also be considered that the network server 80 that sends the authentication signal has an authentication transmission unit.

[0061] As explained above, in the third modified equipment system 1, the network server 80 authenticates the password entered in the smartphone 50, and the gas stove 10 only needs to switch the lock function on and off according to the authentication signal from the network server 80. Therefore, the load on the gas stove 10 can be reduced compared to when authentication is performed by the gas stove 10. In addition, when changing the stored (registered) password, it can be done quickly between the smartphone 50 and the network server 80 without communicating with the gas stove 10. Furthermore, because it goes through the network server 80, the lock function can be switched on and off from a location away from the gas stove 10 (for example, when out).

[0062] Next, a fourth modified example of the equipment system 1 will be described. In the embodiments and various modified examples described above, the gas stove 10 supports wireless communication with multiple smartphones 50, and the lock function may be activated and deactivated on the condition that a password corresponding to the smartphone 50 to which the transmission signal was sent has been entered.

[0063] Figure 7 shows an example in which the activation and deactivation of the lock function of the fourth modified example is performed using the network server 80. As shown in Figure 7, the network server 80 stores passwords corresponding to the users of the smartphone 50. When a user enters a password into the smartphone 50, the smartphone 50 sends a transmission signal containing information indicating the password to the network server 80. Upon receiving the transmission signal, the network server 80 determines whether the password entered by the user (the user of the smartphone 50 that sent the transmission signal) matches the password corresponding to that user stored in the network server 80 (the network server 80 performs password authentication for each user), and if the passwords match (if the password is authenticated), it sends an authentication signal to the gas stove 10. Upon receiving the authentication signal, the gas stove 10 switches the activation and deactivation of the lock function. Identification information used to identify the user in the network server 80 can include, for example, a telephone number, email address, MAC address, IP address, terminal ID, app ID, or an identification code issued in association with the gas stove 10.

[0064] In this fourth modified example of the equipment system 1, the activation and deactivation of the lock function of one gas stove 10 can be switched from each of multiple smartphones 50. Even if the password selected by the user of one smartphone 50 is unknown, the users of other smartphones 50 can activate and deactivate the lock function using their own selected password. Furthermore, even if the password for one smartphone 50 is known to a child, the other smartphones 50 cannot use that password to activate and deactivate the lock function. Therefore, the password for one smartphone 50 can be changed, and the passwords for the other smartphones 50 can be maintained. The passwords corresponding to the users of the smartphones 50 may be stored in the gas stove 10 rather than the network server 80 (the gas stove 10 performs password authentication for each user). In this case, the gas stove 10 and the multiple smartphones 50 may communicate wirelessly directly without going through the network server 80.

[0065] Although examples and various modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above examples and modifications, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0066] For example, in the embodiments and various modifications described above, a four-digit password was used as the "authentication information," but the "authentication information" can be arbitrarily selected by the user. It may also be information that combines some letters, numbers, and symbols, information that shows some of the multiple types of images displayed on the smartphone 50 (for example, multiple images that show different characters), or a pattern code that connects predetermined points displayed on the display screen of the smartphone 50 in a specific pattern. Furthermore, facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, etc., may be arbitrarily selected as the "authentication information."

[0067] Furthermore, by running the dedicated application described above, it may be possible to display information on the smartphone 50's screen indicating whether the gas stove 10 is in the unlocked state or the locked state. In this case, the gas stove 10 can send a status signal containing information indicating whether the lock function is unlocked or the locked state to the smartphone 50, and the smartphone 50 may determine whether the lock function is unlocked or the locked state based on this status signal.

[0068] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments and various modifications used a gas stove 10 as the "equipment," the "equipment" can be any equipment that has a start operation unit that is operated by the user to initiate a predetermined operation. For example, a water heater equipped with a start operation unit for starting hot water supply (e.g., a hot water start button) or a heating device equipped with a start operation unit for starting heating (e.g., a heating start button) may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1... Equipment system, 10... Gas stove, 11... Ignition / extinguishing button, 12...Fire extinguishing control unit, 13...State storage unit, 14...Password storage unit, 15...Receiver unit, 16...Authentication unit, 17...Lock control unit, 50...Smartphone, 51...Input unit, 52...Input detection unit, 53...Transmitter, 80...Network server.

Claims

1. In a system of equipment having equipment installed in a residence and a communication terminal that supports wireless communication with said equipment, The aforementioned equipment and machinery are A start operation unit operated by the user to initiate operation, A lock control unit controls the activation and deactivation of a lock function that prevents the start of the operation even if the start operation unit is operated, Equipped with, The aforementioned communication terminal is An input detection unit that detects input from the user, A transmitting unit capable of transmitting a transmission signal based on the input detected by the input detection unit, Equipped with, The lock control unit, During the release of the aforementioned lock function, the lock function is activated on the condition that authentication information, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, is input to the input detection unit, and The lock function is released when the authentication information is input to the input detection unit while the lock function is active. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

2. In the equipment system described in claim 1, The system includes a storage unit that stores the authentication information input to the input detection unit when the lock function is activated, The lock control unit releases the lock function while the lock function is active, provided that the authentication information is input to the input detection unit and that the input authentication information matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

3. In the equipment system according to claim 2, The aforementioned equipment includes a specific operating unit that can be operated by the user, in addition to the start operation unit. The lock control unit activates the lock function when the authentication information is input to the input detection unit and the specific operation unit is operated, while the lock function is being released. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

4. In the equipment system described in claim 1, It includes a storage unit that stores the authentication information registered in advance by the user, The lock control unit, During the release of the lock function, if the authentication information is input to the input detection unit, and if the input authentication information matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit, the lock function is activated, While the lock function is active, the lock function is released if the authentication information is input to the input detection unit and the input authentication information matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

5. In the equipment system described in claim 1, The aforementioned communication terminal is A storage unit for storing the aforementioned authentication information, An authentication unit that authenticates when the authentication information input to the input detection unit matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit. Equipped with, The transmitting unit, when authenticated by the authentication unit, transmits the transmission signal indicating authentication. The lock control unit, When the aforementioned transmission signal is received while the aforementioned lock function is released, the lock function is activated, If the transmission signal is received while the lock function is activated, the lock function is released. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

6. In the equipment system described in claim 1, The network server intervenes in the wireless communication between the aforementioned equipment and the aforementioned communication terminal. The aforementioned network server is A storage unit for storing the aforementioned authentication information, An authentication unit that authenticates when the authentication information input to the input detection unit matches the authentication information stored in the storage unit based on the transmission signal from the communication terminal, When authenticated by the aforementioned authentication unit, an authentication transmission unit transmits an authentication signal. Equipped with, The lock control unit, If the authentication signal is received while the lock function is being released, the lock function will be activated, If the authentication signal is received while the lock function is active, the lock function is released. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

7. In the equipment system described in claim 1, The aforementioned equipment is compatible with wireless communication with multiple communication terminals, The user can select different authentication information for each of the multiple communication terminals. The lock control unit, During the release of the lock function, the lock function is activated on the condition that the authentication information corresponding to the communication terminal from which the transmission signal was sent is input to the input detection unit, The lock function is released while the lock function is active, provided that the authentication information corresponding to the communication terminal from which the transmission signal was sent is input to the input detection unit. Equipment and machinery systems characterized by the following features.

8. In a system for equipment that can transmit a transmission signal based on an input detected by an input detection unit that detects user input from a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with equipment, the equipment is installed in a residence. A start operation unit operated by the user to initiate operation, A lock control unit controls the activation and deactivation of a lock function that prevents the start of the operation even if the start operation unit is operated, Equipped with, The lock control unit, During the release of the aforementioned lock function, the lock function is activated on the condition that the transmission signal is received based on the input of authentication information, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, to the input detection unit, and While the lock function is active, the lock function is released upon receipt of the transmission signal based on the input of the authentication information to the input detection unit. Equipment characterized by the following features.

9. An application program for a communication terminal used in a system of equipment that includes equipment installed in a house and a communication terminal that supports wireless communication with said equipment, In the aforementioned communication terminal, an input detection unit capable of detecting user input detects that authentication information, which can be arbitrarily selected by the user, has been entered. Based on the fact that the authentication information has been input to the input detection unit, a transmission signal is transmitted. In the aforementioned equipment, even if the start operation unit, which is operated by the user to initiate operation, is operated, the activation and deactivation of the lock function that prevents the start of said operation is performed based on the fact that the authentication information has been input to the input detection unit of the communication terminal. While the lock function is being released, the lock function is activated in the equipment by the transmission of the transmission signal based on the input of the authentication information. While the lock function is activated, the lock function is released by the transmission of the transmission signal based on the input of the authentication information. An application program characterized by the following features.

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