Notification device, refrigerator, and notification program

Abstract

The present invention provides a notification device that can inform users of the refrigerator's operating status without them missing any information. [Solution] The system includes an information acquisition unit (11) that acquires refrigerator operating status information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator (3), a notification text generation unit (12) that generates a first notification text to notify the operating status of the refrigerator (3) based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit (11) at a specified time, and a voice output control unit (16) that outputs the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit (12) from a speaker (30).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a notification device, a refrigerator, and a notification program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a technology for notifying a user of the operating state of a refrigerator by voice. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for controlling to notify various notification contents to the outside from a speaker when it is detected that the water supply tank is in an empty state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The operating state of the refrigerator to be notified to the user, such as the empty state of the water supply tank, can occur irregularly. In the conventional technology for notifying the user of the operating state of the refrigerator as described above, there is a problem that the user may miss the notification when the operating state of the refrigerator is notified.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a notification device that can notify the user of the operating state of the refrigerator while reducing the possibility of the user missing it.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The notification device of this disclosure includes an information acquisition unit that acquires refrigerator operating status information relating to the operating status of the refrigerator, a notification text generation unit that generates a first notification text for notifying the operating status of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit at a specified time, and a voice output control unit that outputs a voice from a speaker that reads out the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, the notification device is configured as described above, so that it can notify the user of the refrigerator's operating status in a way that reduces the likelihood of the user missing the notification. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the notification device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2A shows an example of the content of a document template that the notification document generation unit refers to when generating a notification document in Embodiment 1. Figure 2B shows an example of the content of a second document template that the notification document generation unit refers to when generating a first notification document. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the content of the abbreviated text template that the text adjustment unit refers to when generating the abbreviated notification text in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates an example of the contents of the notification text information after ordering, before the text adjustment unit replaces the first notification text with an abbreviated notification text, and the contents of the notification text information after ordering, after the text adjustment unit replaces the first notification text with an abbreviated notification text, in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figures 5A and 5B illustrate an example of audio output from a speaker by the audio output control unit in Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the notification device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figures 7A and 7B show an example of the hardware configuration of the notification device according to Embodiment 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The forms for implementing this disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1. The notification device according to Embodiment 1 notifies the user of the operating status of the refrigerator by voice. More specifically, the notification device notifies the user of the operating status of the refrigerator by outputting a voice message from the speaker that reads out a notification text to notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator, based on information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator (hereinafter referred to as "refrigerator operating status information"). In Embodiment 1, "refrigerator operating status" excludes any urgent abnormal conditions of the refrigerator. Urgent abnormalities will immediately alert the user, and such alerts will be repeated periodically or continuously. In Embodiment 1, "refrigerator operating status" refers to a state in which the functions of the refrigerator, such as freezing (including rapid freezing), defrosting (including rapid defrosting), ice making, energy saving mode, or child lock, are operating and there is no abnormal condition. In Embodiment 1, the refrigerator is assumed to be a typical household refrigerator used in an average home.

[0011] As mentioned above, the operating status of the refrigerator that is notified to the user may occur irregularly. Refrigerators have a wide range of functions, such as freezing, defrosting, ice making, energy-saving mode, and child lock, and there are many types of operating statuses that the user is notified about, such as the degree of rapid freezing, the estimated completion time of defrosting, the estimated completion time of ice making, and the remaining water level in the ice-making tank. Since users cannot always be in a location where they can hear the notifications from the speaker, if various irregularly occurring operating statuses are notified to the user each time, for example, the user may miss the notification. Furthermore, the voice notification regarding the refrigerator's operating status usually fades away after it is played. If the user misses the notification, they will have to, for example, open the refrigerator door themselves to check its operating status. This means that the door will be opened and closed frequently to check the refrigerator's operating status. When the refrigerator door is opened and closed frequently to check its operating status, the cold air inside the refrigerator escapes as a result of the door being opened and closed. If the refrigerator door is opened and closed frequently, allowing cold air to escape, the temperature inside the refrigerator may rise, making it impossible to maintain a temperature suitable for food preservation. This can lead to food spoiling faster or its quality deteriorating. Also, if cold air escapes and the temperature rises, the refrigerator may consume more energy to maintain the set temperature. Furthermore, frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door can cause frost or condensation to form inside the refrigerator due to the outflow of cold air and the inflow of warm air, which can increase the risk of malfunction and shorten the lifespan of the refrigerator. Therefore, it is desirable that the refrigerator door not be opened and closed more than necessary. In other words, when notifying the user of the refrigerator's operating status, it is desirable that various operating statuses that may occur irregularly are notified so that the user does not miss them.

[0012] Therefore, the notification device according to Embodiment 1 notifies the user of the refrigerator's operating status by outputting a voice message from a speaker at a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as "specified time") based on the refrigerator's operating status information, in order to inform the user of the refrigerator's operating status. Users can specify the above designated time. This allows the notification device to inform the user of the refrigerator's operating status in a way that reduces the likelihood of the user missing the notification. If the user does not miss the notification of the operating state of the refrigerator, for example, the user does not need to open the refrigerator by himself / herself to check the operating state of the refrigerator. As a result, the chance of frequently opening and closing the door for checking the operating state of the refrigerator is reduced. The notification device can prevent the cold air in the refrigerator from escaping uselessly by reducing the chance of frequently opening and closing the door for checking the operating state of the refrigerator. Also, for example, when the operating state of the refrigerator is visually notified to the user, the user's vision is taken away to check the operating state of the refrigerator, which may interfere with the housework if the user is in the middle of doing housework. On the contrary, as described above, the notification device according to Embodiment 1 notifies the operating state of the refrigerator by the voice of reading out the notification text. Thereby, the notification device can prevent the user's vision from being taken away for checking the operating state of the refrigerator and prevent the housework other than checking the operating state of the refrigerator from being interfered.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a notification device 10 according to Embodiment 1. The notification device 10 is mounted on, for example, a server (not shown), and is connected to a speaker 30, a refrigerator control system 4, and an external server 5.

[0014] The speaker 30 is, for example, an audio output device provided in the refrigerator 3. Here, as an example, the speaker 30 is assumed to be provided in the refrigerator 3, but this is only an example. The speaker 30 may be, for example, a smart speaker provided in a living room or the like, or an audio output device provided in a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the user. The notification device 10 and the speaker 30 constitute a notification system 1. In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, only one speaker 30 is shown, but this is only an example. The notification device 10 may be connected to a plurality of speakers 30.

[0015] The refrigerator control system 4 controls the temperature inside the refrigerator 3 appropriately and performs control to optimize the cooling efficiency. The refrigerator control system 4 uses various sensors 41 and actuators (not shown) provided in the refrigerator 3 to automatically manage functions such as cooling, ice making, and defrosting, and maintains the temperature or operating conditions set for the refrigerator 3. The refrigerator control system 4 includes a sensor 41 and a refrigerator control device 42. The sensor 41 includes various sensors such as, for example, a temperature sensor that measures the temperature inside the refrigerator 3, a humidity sensor that measures the humidity inside the refrigerator 3, a door sensor that detects whether the door of the refrigerator 3 is open or closed, or a water level sensor that measures the water level of the water supply tank of the ice maker. In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, only one sensor 41 is shown, but this is just an example. A plurality of sensors 41 can be provided.

[0016] The refrigerator control device 42 acquires information indicating the detection result in the sensor 41 (hereinafter referred to as "sensor information") and performs various controls. For example, the refrigerator control device 42 controls the cold storage function to start cooling based on the temperature inside the refrigerator 3 detected by the temperature sensor. Also, when the door sensor detects that the door of the refrigerator 3 has been open for a long time, the refrigerator control device 42 controls an alarm function such as sounding an alarm. Further, the refrigerator control device 42 controls the ice making function to flow water into the ice tray and start the freezing process based on the water level detected by the water level sensor. Also, the refrigerator control device 42 controls the defrosting function. Since the control of the refrigerator 3 by the system is a well-known general control, detailed description thereof is omitted. In addition, the refrigerator control device 42 monitors the operating state of the refrigerator 3 such as when defrosting has started, when defrosting has completed, when water has been sent from the water supply tank to the ice tray and ice has been made, when the water supply tank is empty, when rapid cooling has started, when rapid cooling has completed, when rapid defrosting has started, or when rapid defrosting has completed. The refrigerator control device 42 outputs refrigerator operating state information regarding the monitored operating state of the refrigerator 3 to the notification device 10. [[ID=(11)]]

[0017] External server 5 is, for example, a message board server that manages messages from family members. The message board server stores text messages or voice messages entered by family members from mobile devices, etc. For example, if the second son operates the mobile device and says, "I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow," the microphone (not shown) on the mobile device acquires the spoken voice, digitizes the acquired voice, and outputs the digitized voice information to the message board server. When the message board server acquires the voice information, it performs a known speech recognition process to convert the voice information into text, and saves the converted text information with the date and time the voice information was acquired. Also, for example, if the second son operates the mobile device and enters the text message, "I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow," the reception unit (not shown) on the mobile device acquires the text message, and saves the text message as acquired text information with the date and time the text message was acquired. The message board server outputs text information, with the acquisition date and time added, to the notification device 10 as external server information.

[0018] The above example is just one example, and the external server 5 is not limited to a message board server. For example, the external server 5 may be a weather forecast server that stores weather forecast information provided by a weather information provider, or it may be a flyer server managed by a supermarket or similar company that stores flyer information provided to users. For example, if the external server 5 is a weather forecast server, the weather forecast server outputs information with the acquisition date and time attached to the weather forecast information to the notification device 10 as external server information. For example, if the external server 5 is a flyer server, the flyer server outputs information with the acquisition date and time attached to the flyer information to the notification device 10 as external server information. Furthermore, although only one external server 5 is shown in Figure 1 for convenience, this is merely an example. Multiple external servers 5 can be connected to the notification device 10. In the following Embodiment 1, as an example, the external server 5 includes at least the message board server described above, and the notification device 10 is connected to the message board server.

[0019] The notification device 10 obtains refrigerator operating status information from the refrigerator control device 42. The notification device 10 also obtains external server information from the external server 5. Then, at the specified time, the notification device 10 outputs an audio message from the speaker 30 that reads out a notification text generated based on the acquired refrigerator operating status information to notify the operating status of refrigerator 3. In addition, the notification device 10 also outputs an audio message from the speaker 30 that reads out a notification text generated based on external server information to notify the user of information stored on external server 5. The type of information stored on the external server 5 that will be notified to the user is predetermined by the administrator or other relevant personnel. In Embodiment 1, the information to be notified to the user, that is, the information stored on the external server 5 that will be output as voice along with the notification text to inform the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3, is also referred to as "target information." Here, the target information is the text information based on family messages stored on the message board server. In the following Embodiment 1, text information based on family messages is also referred to as "message information." In other words, in the following Embodiment 1, message information is the target information. Furthermore, in the following Embodiment 1, the notification document for notifying the operating status of the refrigerator 3 will be referred to as the "first notification document," and the notification document for notifying the target information, that is, in this case the message information, will also be referred to as the "second notification document." When simply referred to as "notification document," the "notification document" will include both the "first notification document" and the "second notification document."

[0020] An example configuration of the notification device 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The notification device 10 includes an information acquisition unit 11, a notification text generation unit 12, a classification unit 13, an order determination unit 14, a text adjustment unit 15, a voice output control unit 16, a reception unit 17, a storage unit 21, a text template DB (database) 22, an auxiliary information DB 23, and a priority DB 24.

[0021] The information acquisition unit 11 acquires refrigerator operating status information from the refrigerator control device 42. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires external server information from the external server 5. Here, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires message information with the acquisition date and time attached from the message board server as external server information. The information acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired refrigerator operating status information or external server information in the storage unit 21 in chronological order.

[0022] The notification text generation unit 12 performs a notification text generation process to generate a notification text when the specified time arrives. In detail, when a specified time arrives, the notification message generation unit 12 generates a first notification message to notify the operating status of the refrigerator 3 based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the storage unit 21. The notification message generation unit 12 also generates a second notification message to notify message information based on external server information.

[0023] The specified time is set by the user. Here, it is assumed that the specified time information, which indicates the specified time set by the user, is stored in the supplementary information DB before the notification text generation unit 12 performs the notification text generation process. In Embodiment 1, "specified time" does not refer to the time when the operating state of the refrigerator 3 that should be notified occurs, but rather to the time designated as the time to notify the user of the operating state of the refrigerator 3, regardless of whether the operating state of the refrigerator 3 occurs. For example, the user specifies a desired time by operating an input device such as a touch panel display (not shown) provided on the refrigerator 3, or an input device (not shown) provided on a mobile terminal held by the user. More specifically, for example, the user operates the input device to input a command to call up the specified time input screen to the touch panel display provided on the refrigerator 3 or the display unit (not shown) provided on the mobile terminal. The reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the specified time input screen. When the reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the specified time input screen, the control unit (not shown) of the notification device 10 displays the specified time input screen on the touch panel display or display unit.

[0024] The user enters the specified time from the specified time input screen. The user specifies a time, for example, when they estimate they will be near speaker 30 without missing the audio notification from speaker 30. The specified time can be specified as, for example, 9:00 every day, 9:00 on weekdays, and 9:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Multiple times may be specified. For example, multiple times such as 9:00 and 17:30 every day may be specified. When a user operates the input device and enters a specified time, the reception unit 17 of the notification device 10 receives information indicating the entered specified time (hereinafter referred to as "specified time information"). The reception unit 17 stores the received specified time information in the supplementary information DB 23. The user can also cancel or reset the specified time. When the reception unit 17 receives a request to cancel the specified time, it deletes the stored specified time information. Also, when the specified time is reset, the reception unit 17 updates the stored specified time information with the specified time information indicating the reset specified time. The specified time information is stored in association with the classification time information. Details of the classification time information will be described later.

[0025] Returning to the explanation of the notification text generation unit 12, here we will explain in detail the method of generating notification texts by the notification text generation unit 12, using an example.

[0026] The notification text generation unit 12 generates a first notification text based on the refrigerator operating status information, for example, according to a text template for generating a first notification text (hereinafter referred to as the "first text template"). Furthermore, the notification text generation unit 12 generates a second notification text based on external server information, for example, according to a text template for generating a second notification text (hereinafter referred to as the "second text template"). The first and second document templates are generated in advance by developers and stored in the document template DB22.

[0027] Here, Figure 2 shows an example of the contents of a text template that the notification text generation unit 12 refers to when generating a notification text in Embodiment 1.

[0028] Figure 2A is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the first document template that the notification document generation unit 12 refers to when generating the first notification document in Embodiment 1, and Figure 2B is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the second document template that the notification document generation unit 12 refers to when generating the second notification document in Embodiment 1.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2A, the first document template contains a first notification document corresponding to the operating status of the refrigerator 3 for each function it possesses. The refrigerator operating status information includes information indicating which function of the refrigerator 3 the operating status information relates to. Developers, etc., decide in advance which of the functions of refrigerator 3 the operating status of refrigerator 3 should be notified to the user, and set up a first notification message corresponding to the operating status of refrigerator 3 related to the decided function. As shown in Figure 2B, the second document template contains a second notification document that corresponds to which external server 5 has stored what information. The external server information output from external server 5 includes the acquisition date and time, as well as information to identify external server 5, such as the server ID. Developers and other relevant personnel pre-determine the information that should be notified to the user and set up a second notification message corresponding to that information. In this case, a second notification message corresponding to the message information is set up in advance.

[0030] The notification document generation unit 12 refers to the storage unit 21 and searches whether there is refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status related to the function of the refrigerator 3 associated with the notification document (first notification document) in the first document template. If the notification document generation unit 12 has stored refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status related to the function of the refrigerator 3 associated with the notification document in the first document template, it retrieves the refrigerator operating status information and determines the latest operating status for each function based on the retrieved refrigerator operating status information. Then, based on the determined latest operating status, the notification document generation unit 12 generates the first notification document according to the first document template.

[0031] Furthermore, even if the storage unit 21 stores refrigerator operating status information that indicates the operating status of refrigerator 3, which is unrelated to the function of refrigerator 3 associated with the notification document in the first document template, the first notification document based on said refrigerator operating status information will not be generated. This is because the operating status of said refrigerator 3 is an operating status related to a function that is not notified to the user. For example, even if the memory unit 21 stores refrigerator operating status information related to the child lock function, indicating that the child lock has been released, if the operating status of the refrigerator 3 related to the child lock function, such as the child lock being released, is not determined to be the operating status of the refrigerator 3 to be notified to the user, the notification document generation unit 12 will not generate a first notification document to notify the user that the child lock has been released.

[0032] Assuming that the content of the first document template is as shown in Figure 2A, the generation of the first notification document by the notification document generation unit 12 will be explained with a specific example. For example, if the notification message generation unit 12 determines from the refrigerator operating status information related to the defrosting function of the refrigerator 3 that the latest operating status related to defrosting is that defrosting is complete, it determines how many minutes ago freezing was completed based on the specified time, using the refrigerator operating status information indicating that defrosting is complete. For example, if it determines that defrosting was completed 10 minutes ago, the notification message generation unit 12 generates a first notification message, "Defrosting was completed 10 minutes ago," according to the first message template. Furthermore, if there is a determination required to generate the first notification document based on the operating status of refrigerator 3 as indicated by the refrigerator operating status information (in the example above, a determination of how many minutes ago freezing was completed relative to the specified time), a rule defining the content of the determination to be made is pre-set and stored in the document template DB22. The notification document generation unit 12 makes the determination according to the rule and then generates the first notification document according to the first document template. Refrigerator operating status information includes information indicating the function (e.g., "defrost," "ice making," or "continuous operation"), information indicating the type of operating status (e.g., "completed," "started," "water tank full," "water tank empty," or "ice making"), and information indicating the time of occurrence. Refrigerator operating status information may also include information indicating a specific temperature or water level in the water tank, such as "5°C" or "1 liter." The refrigerator operating status information includes information indicating what type of operating status of refrigerator 3 the information represents. In the example above, the refrigerator operating status information indicating that thawing is complete includes, for example, information indicating that thawing is complete, the start time of thawing, and the expected completion time.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, if the notification text generation unit 12 determines from the refrigerator operating status information related to the ice-making function of the refrigerator 3 that the latest operating status related to ice making is that the water tank is empty, it will determine from the refrigerator operating status information how long the water tank has been empty. For example, if it determines that the water tank has been empty for one month, the notification text generation unit 12 will generate a first notification text, "No ice has been made for more than one month," according to the first text template.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, if the notification text generation unit 12 determines from the refrigerator operating status information related to the freezing function of the refrigerator 3 that the latest operating status related to freezing is that rapid freezing is in progress, it will determine from the refrigerator operating status information how many minutes remain until rapid freezing is completed. The refrigerator operating status information indicating that the refrigerator 3 is in the process of rapid freezing includes information indicating the start time and the expected completion time of rapid freezing. For example, if it is determined that rapid freezing will be completed in 5 minutes, the notification text generation unit 12 will generate a first notification text, "Rapid freezing is scheduled to be completed in 10 minutes," according to the first text template.

[0035] Note that the content of the first text template shown in Figure 2A is merely an example. For instance, a notification text corresponding to the refrigerator operating state "Rapid freezing in progress" could be set to "Rapid freezing in progress. Current temperature [X]°C, [X]°C] remaining until target temperature." Developers can decide as appropriate which notification text to associate with which refrigerator operating state. Furthermore, while Figure 2A shows an example of the content of the first text template that requires some kind of judgment to be made according to the rules, the first text template may also be set such that the notification text generation unit 12 does not require any kind of judgment to be made according to the rules, and can generate the content as the first notification text as is, for example, "Currently being rapidly frozen."

[0036] Furthermore, the notification text generation unit 12 refers to the storage unit 21 and searches whether there is external server information from the external server 5, in this case the message board server, which is associated with the notification text (second notification text) in the second text template. If the notification text generation unit 12 has stored external server information from the message board server associated with the notification text in the second text template, it retrieves the external server information and generates the second notification text according to the second text template based on the retrieved external server information.

[0037] Assuming that the content of the second document template is as shown in Figure 2B, the generation of the second notification document by the notification document generation unit 12 will be explained with a specific example. For example, if the external server information stored in the memory unit 21 is external server information relating to a message from the second son, "I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow," stored on the message board server, the notification message generation unit 12 generates a second notification message, "Message from Month Day. I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow. From the second son," based on the external server information and following the second message template. It is assumed that the message information is accompanied by information (e.g., an ID) to identify who entered the message information. In addition, rules for converting information used to identify the person who entered the message information into an expression indicating the [message sender] (in the example above, "second son") are pre-set and stored in the message template DB 22.

[0038] Note that the content of the second document template shown in Figure 2B is merely an example. Developers can decide as appropriate which notification documents to associate with which external server information from which external server 5. Furthermore, while Figure 2B shows an example of the content of a second document template that requires some kind of judgment to be made according to the rules, for example, the notification document generation unit 12 may be configured to set a second document template that does not require any kind of judgment to be made according to the rules, and can generate the content as a second notification document as is.

[0039] The notification text generation unit 12 generates a notification text using the method described in the example above. Here, as an example, let's assume that the notification text generation unit 12 generated the following four notification texts: <Notification Text (1)> to <Notification Text (4)>. Note that <Notification Document (1)> to <Notification Document (3)> are the first notification documents, and <Notification Document (4)> is the second notification document. <Notification text (1)> "Defrosting was completed 10 minutes ago." <Notification text (2)> "I haven't made ice in over a month." <Notification text (3)> "Rapid freezing is expected to be completed in 5 minutes." <Notification text (4)> "Message from [Month] [Day]: I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow. From my second son."

[0040] When the notification document generation unit 12 generates a notification document, it outputs information (hereinafter referred to as "notification document information") to the classification unit 13 that associates the generated notification document with the refrigerator operating status information or external server information that was the source of the notification document.

[0041] The classification unit 13 performs classification processing to categorize the notification texts generated by the notification text generation unit 12. More specifically, the classification unit 13 classifies the notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 into one of the following categories: Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, or Category 4. As described above, in the notification document information, the generated notification document is associated with the refrigerator operating status information or external server information from which the notification document was generated. Therefore, the classification unit 13 can determine which classification the notification document included in the notification document information belongs to, based on the notification document information. ·1st classification This category includes the first notification document, which is generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of refrigerator 3 after an operation that was being performed continuously within the period from a time before the specified time (hereinafter referred to as the "first specified time") to the specified time (hereinafter referred to as the "first period") has been completed. ·Second classification This category includes the first notification document, which is generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of refrigerator 3 when an operation that was being performed has been completed within the period from the specified time to a point in time specified by a time later than the specified time (hereinafter referred to as the "second specified time") (hereinafter referred to as the "second period"). ·Third classification A first notification document generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of refrigerator 3 during the period up to the specified time, and the classification to which a first notification document that does not belong to either the first or second classification belongs. ·4th classification This category includes the second notification document generated based on external server information.

[0042] The above-mentioned Classification 1, Classification 2, Classification 3, and Classification 4 are defined in advance by an administrator or the like, and the information defining Classification 1, Classification 2, Classification 3, and Classification 4 (hereinafter referred to as "Classification Definition Information") is stored in the Supplementary Information DB 23. The Classification Unit 13 refers to the Classification Definition Information stored in the Supplementary Information DB 23 and classifies the notification documents generated by the Notification Document Generation Unit 12 based on the notification document information. For example, the Notification Document Generation Unit 12 may have the functions of the Classification Unit 13, and the Notification Document Generation Unit 12 may generate notification documents and perform the above classification process in the notification document generation process.

[0043] Furthermore, the first and second designated times mentioned above are specified by the user. For example, the user inputs the first and second designated times by operating an input device such as a touch panel display on the refrigerator 3, or an input device on a mobile terminal held by the user. More specifically, for example, the user operates the input device to input a command to call up the designated time input screen to the touch panel display on the refrigerator 3 or the display unit on the mobile terminal. The reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the designated time input screen. When the reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the designated time input screen, the control unit of the notification device 10 displays the designated time input screen on the touch panel display or display unit. The user enters a first specified time and a second specified time on the specified time input screen. For the first specified time, any appropriate time can be specified, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes. Similarly, for the second specified time, any appropriate time can be specified, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes. Note that the first and second specified times do not necessarily have to be the same; they may be different times. For example, 10 minutes may be specified as the first specified time and 15 minutes as the second specified time. When a user operates the input device to input a first designated time and a second designated time, the receiving unit 17 of the notification device 10 receives information indicating the input first designated time and second designated time. In Embodiment 1, the information indicating the first designated time and second designated time is called "classification time information". The receiving unit 17 stores the received classification time information in the supplementary information DB 23 in association with the designated time information. In the following Embodiment 1, both the first and second designated time are set to "10 minutes".

[0044] As mentioned above, multiple specified times may be set. If multiple specified times are set, the user may set a first specified time and a second specified time for each specified time. The reception unit 17 receives classification time information for each specified time and stores the received classification time information in association with the corresponding specified time information. Furthermore, the order in which the user specifies the designated time and designated time (first designated time and second designated time) is not limited to one specific order. For example, the user may specify the designated time first, and then specify the first and second designated time corresponding to the already specified designated time, or the user may specify the first and second designated time first, and then specify the designated time corresponding to the already specified first and second designated time. If the first and second designated time have already been specified, and the designated time is specified later, that is, if the designated time information is received while classification time information is already stored in the supplementary information DB23, the receiving unit 17 should associate the received designated time information with the stored classification time information. Additionally, users may specify the specified time and the specified duration at the same time. In any case, here we assume that, before the notification text generation unit 12 performs the notification text generation process, that is, before the classification unit 13 performs the classification process, the supplementary information DB stores specified time information indicating a specified time specified by the user, and classification time information indicating a specified duration specified by the user.

[0045] For example, if the notification text generation unit 12 generates four notification texts such as <Notification Text (1)> to <Notification Text (4)>, the classification unit 13 classifies <Notification Text (1)> into the first category, <Notification Text (2)> into the third category, <Notification Text (3)> into the second category, and <Notification Text (4)> into the fourth category, based on the classification definition information and the notification text information. The classification unit 13 then adds information to the notification document in the notification document information indicating the classification to which the notification document belongs, and outputs the notification document information after the classification information has been added (hereinafter referred to as "notification document information after classification") to the order determination unit 14.

[0046] The order determination unit 14 performs an order determination process to determine the order in which the notification texts generated by the notification text generation unit 12 are notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth categories, respectively, and the results of the classification by the classification unit 13.

[0047] The priority levels for Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, and Category 4 are set by the user. The category priority is represented by a number such as "1," "2," "3," or "4," with a lower number indicating higher priority. This is just an example; the priority level only needs to be such that the order in which notification documents belonging to each category are prioritized can be identified. For example, the user determines the priority of each of the four categories (Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, and Category 4) and inputs the determined priority by operating an input device such as a touch panel display on the refrigerator 3 or an input device on a mobile terminal held by the user. More specifically, for example, the user operates an input device to input a command to call up the priority input screen on the touch panel display on the refrigerator 3 or on the display unit on the mobile terminal. The reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the priority input screen. When the reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the priority input screen, the control unit of the notification device 10 displays the priority input screen on the touch panel display or display unit. The control unit displays a priority input screen that includes, for example, a description of each category and a message prompting the user to input the priority, such as "In which order should you notify?". The descriptions of each category may include, for example, "Category 1: Actions completed within a specified time period prior to the specified time," "Category 2: Actions scheduled to be completed within a specified time period prior to the specified time," "Category 3: A state that has continued without change up to the present," and "Category 4: Messages from family members." The control unit may, for example, display an input section on the priority input screen where the user can input the priority corresponding to each category, or it may display an input section where the user can input a number indicating the category in order from highest priority to lowest priority. The user enters the priority corresponding to each classification from the priority input screen. The reception unit 17 stores information associating classifications and priorities (hereinafter referred to as "priority information") in the priority DB 24 based on the priorities entered by the user.

[0048] The order determination unit 14 refers to the priority information stored in the priority DB 24 and determines the order in which the notification documents of the first category (first notification document), the second category (first notification document), the third category (first notification document), or the fourth category (second notification document) generated by the notification document generation unit 12 will be notified. The order determination unit 14 determines the order so that notification documents belonging to the highest priority category are notified first.

[0049] For example, suppose the notification text generation unit 12 generates four notification texts such as <Notification Text (1)> to <Notification Text (4)>, and the classification unit 13 classifies <Notification Text (1)> as the first category, <Notification Text (2)> as the third category, <Notification Text (3)> as the second category, and <Notification Text (4)> as the fourth category. Also, suppose that in the priority information, priority "1" is associated with the first category, priority "2" with the second category, priority "3" with the third category, and priority "4" with the fourth category. In this case, the order determination unit 14 decides to notify the notification documents in the following order: <Notification Document (1)>, which is the first category; <Notification Document (3)>, which is the second category; <Notification Document (2)>, which is the third category; and <Notification Document (4)>, which is the fourth category. That is, the order determination unit 14 will determine the order in which the notification documents will be notified in the following order: "Defrosting was completed 10 minutes ago."; "Rapid freezing is scheduled to be completed in 5 minutes."; "Ice has not been made for over a month."; "Message from Month Day: I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow. From my second son."

[0050] Furthermore, if there are multiple notification documents with the same priority assigned to them, in other words, if there are multiple notification documents belonging to the same category, the order determination unit 14 may, for example, determine the order of notification of notification documents within the same category in the order in which their operating statuses occurred, that is, in the order of occurrence times identified from the refrigerator operating status information. If, for example, there are multiple notification documents belonging to the same category and the occurrence times corresponding to those multiple notification documents are the same, the order determination unit 14 may randomize the order of notification of notification documents within the same category.

[0051] When the order determination unit 14 determines the order in which the notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit 12 will be notified, it outputs information (hereinafter referred to as "notification document information after order assignment") that associates the notification documents with the order in which they will be notified to the document adjustment unit 15. For example, the order determination unit 14 may use the information obtained by adding information indicating the determined order of notifications to the notification texts included in the post-classification notification text information output from the classification unit 13 as the post-classification notification text information.

[0052] The text adjustment unit 15 performs an adjustment process to generate a shortened version of the notification text (hereinafter referred to as the "shortened notification text") if the notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 satisfies the adjustment conditions. The adjustment conditions are defined conditions that specify what kind of text the notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 should be shortened. The adjustment conditions are defined in advance by the developers, etc., and information indicating the adjustment conditions (hereinafter referred to as "adjustment condition information") is stored in the supplementary information DB 23. The adjustment conditions include, for example, the condition that "the total number of characters in all notification documents based on the document template exceeds the required number of characters." The required number of characters is determined by, for example, the developer, and is defined in the adjustment condition information along with the adjustment conditions. This is just one example; for example, the user may be allowed to update the adjustment conditions as needed and set the required number of characters. In this case, the user inputs the required number of characters by operating an input device such as a touch panel display on the refrigerator 3, or an input device on a mobile terminal they are holding. More specifically, for example, the user operates the input device to input a command to call up the required number of characters input screen on the touch panel display on the refrigerator 3 or on the display unit on the mobile terminal. The reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the required number of characters input screen. When the reception unit 17 receives the command to call up the required number of characters input screen, the control unit of the notification device 10 displays the required number of characters input screen on the touch panel display or display unit. The user enters the number of characters to be adjusted from the character count input screen. When the user enters the number of characters to be adjusted, the reception unit 17 receives the entered number of characters to be adjusted and updates the adjustment condition information with the received number of characters to be adjusted.

[0053] The text adjustment unit 15 determines, for example, that the adjustment condition is met if the total number of characters in all notification texts based on the text template exceeds the number of characters that need adjustment. The text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification text if it determines that the adjustment conditions are met. More specifically, the text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification document by shortening the first notification document if it determines that the adjustment conditions are met. Regarding the second notification document, the text adjustment unit 15 does not generate a shortened notification document for the second notification document, even if it determines that the adjustment conditions are met. If the text adjustment unit 15 determines that the adjustment conditions are met, it generates a shortened notification text based on the notification text information after ordering, for example, according to a text template for generating a shortened notification text (hereinafter referred to as the "shortened text template"). Shortened text templates are generated in advance by developers and stored in the text template DB22. Developers generate the shortened text templates at the same time they generate the first notification text template. The text adjustment unit 15 generates the shortened notification text by referring to the shortened text templates stored in the text template DB22.

[0054] Here, Figure 3 shows an example of the contents of a shortened text template that the text adjustment unit 15 refers to when generating a shortened notification text in Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 3, the abbreviated message template contains abbreviated notification messages that correspond to different refrigerator operating states for which the first notification message corresponds. Furthermore, the text adjustment unit 15 can identify which refrigerator operating state each first notification document corresponds to based on the notification document information after ordering. Once the text adjustment unit 15 can identify which refrigerator operating state each first notification document corresponds to, it can identify a shortened notification document obtained by shortening the first notification document from the shortened document template.

[0055] For example, the text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification message, "Decompression completed 10 minutes ago," by shortening the first notification message, "Decompression completed 10 minutes ago," according to the shortened message template. Furthermore, for example, the text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification text, "No ice production for over a month," by shortening the first notification text, "No ice production for over a month," according to the shortened text template. Furthermore, for example, the text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification text, "Rapid freezing is scheduled to be completed in 10 minutes," by shortening the first notification text, "Rapid freezing is scheduled to be completed in 10 minutes," according to the shortened text template.

[0056] When the text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification text, it replaces the notification text in the post-ordered notification text information output from the order determination unit 14 with the shortened notification text. The text adjustment unit 15 then outputs the post-ordered notification text information (hereinafter referred to as "adjusted notification text information"), after the first notification text has been replaced with the shortened notification text, to the audio output control unit 16. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the content of the notification text information after ordering has been assigned, before the text adjustment unit 15 replaces the first notification text with an abbreviated notification text, and the content of the notification text information after ordering has been assigned, i.e., the adjusted notification text information, after the text adjustment unit 15 replaces the first notification text with an abbreviated notification text, in Embodiment 1. For convenience, Figure 4 only shows the notification texts included in the notification text information after ordering and the adjusted notification text information, as well as the information indicating the order of the notifications attached to those notification texts. In Figure 4, the notification messages are assigned a sequence so that they are sent in the following order after the sequence has been assigned: "Defrosting was completed 10 minutes ago," "Rapid freezing is scheduled to be completed in 5 minutes," "Ice has not been made for over a month," and "Message from Month Day: I don't need a packed lunch tomorrow. From my second son."

[0057] The text adjustment unit 15, as needed, replaces notification texts included in the notification text information after ordering with shortened notification texts, thereby shortening each notification text. As a result, the output time of the audio reading the content of each notification text to the user is reduced. Even when there is a lot of information to be notified, the user can grasp the main points in a short amount of time. The audio output is performed by the audio output control unit 16. Details of the audio output control unit 16 will be described later.

[0058] If the text adjustment unit 15 determines that the adjustment conditions are not met, it does not need to generate a shortened notification text. The text adjustment unit 15 outputs the notification text information after order assignment, output from the order determination unit 14, as adjusted notification text information to the voice output control unit 16.

[0059] Based on the adjusted notification text information output from the text adjustment unit 15, the audio output control unit 16 outputs the audio of the notification text included in the adjusted notification text information from the speaker 30 in the order in which it is assigned to the notification text. If the first notification text included in the adjusted notification text information is a shortened notification text generated by the text adjustment unit 15, the audio of the shortened notification text being read aloud will be output from the speaker 30. Since the technology for analyzing text information and converting it into speech is a well-known technology, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0060] Here, Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of the sound output from the speaker 30 by the audio output control unit 16 in Embodiment 1. In Figure 5, as an example, the notification text generation unit 12 generates four notification texts such as <Notification Text (1)> to <Notification Text (4)> above, the classification unit 13 classifies <Notification Text (1)> into the first category, <Notification Text (3)> into the second category, <Notification Text (2)> into the third category, and <Notification Text (4)> into the fourth category, and the order determination unit 14 determines the order in which the notification texts are sent, in the following order: <Notification Text (1)> "Defrosting was completed 10 minutes ago.", <Notification Text (3)> "Rapid freezing is scheduled to be completed in 5 minutes.", <Notification Text (2)> "Ice has not been made for over a month.", and <Notification Text (4)> "Message from Month Day: No need for a packed lunch tomorrow. From your second son.".

[0061] Figure 5A shows an example of audio output from speaker 30 by the audio output control unit 16 when the adjustment condition is set to "the total number of characters in all notification texts based on the text template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted," and the number of characters to be adjusted is "80 characters." In this case, the text adjustment unit 15 will generate a shortened notification text, assuming that the adjustment conditions are met. The audio output control unit 16 will then output audio of the notification text after the first notification text has been replaced with the shortened notification text. The content of the abbreviated text template is, for example, as shown in Figure 4.

[0062] On the other hand, Figure 5B shows an example of the audio output from the speaker 30 by the audio output control unit 16 when the adjustment condition is set to "the total number of characters in all notification texts based on the text template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted," and the number of characters to be adjusted is "100 characters." In this case, the text adjustment unit 15 does not generate a shortened notification text because it does not meet the adjustment conditions. The voice output control unit 16 outputs the voice reading aloud the unshortened notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12.

[0063] As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, when the voice output control unit 16 outputs the voice reading of the notification text, it may also output a voice indicating that the specified time has arrived along with the voice reading of the notification text.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5A, if the first notification message is shortened, the voice output control unit 16 can output a shorter voice message to indicate that the specified time has arrived, compared to the case where the unshortened notification message is output. In Figure 5A, if the first notification message is not shortened, an audio message will be output saying, "It's 6:30. A message from the refrigerator," indicating that the specified time has arrived (see Figure 5B). In this example, an audio message will be output that is shorter than the above, saying, "6:30. From the refrigerator," indicating that the specified time has arrived. The audio output control unit 16 can determine whether the notification text included in the adjusted notification text information is an abbreviated notification text, for example, from the abbreviated execution information output from the text adjustment unit 15 along with the adjusted notification text information. The abbreviated execution information is a numerical value, for example, "1: abbreviated" and "0: not abbreviated". The text adjustment unit 15 outputs abbreviated execution information indicating "1" if an abbreviated notification text is generated, and abbreviated execution information indicating "0" if an abbreviated notification text is not generated, along with the adjusted notification text information, to the audio output control unit 16.

[0065] Furthermore, the content of the voice message that notifies the user that the designated time has arrived is pre-configured by the developers and stored in the text template DB22 or the supplementary information DB23. Note that in Figure 1, the lines connecting the voice output control unit 16 and the text template DB22, or the lines connecting the voice output control unit 16 and the supplementary information DB23, are omitted from the illustration.

[0066] Reception desk 17 receives various types of information. For example, the reception unit 17 receives instructions to call various input screens, such as the specified time input screen, specified time information, classification time information, priority information, number of characters to be adjusted, etc. The reception unit 17 stores the various types of information it receives in the storage unit 21, the ancillary information DB 23, the priority DB 24, etc. Alternatively, the reception unit 17 outputs the various types of information it receives to the control unit of the notification device 10. In this example, as shown in Figure 1, the reception unit 17 is assumed to be provided in the notification device 10. However, it is not mandatory for the reception unit 17 to be provided in the notification device 10. For example, a mobile terminal held by the user, or an external device such as a refrigerator 3, may have the function of the reception unit 17. In this case, the notification device 10 may be configured without a reception unit 17.

[0067] The memory unit 21 stores various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, such as refrigerator operating status information or external server information. For example, a maximum period for storing refrigerator operating status information may be set in advance, and refrigerator operating status information acquired before the set maximum period may be deleted from the storage unit 21.

[0068] The document template DB22 stores the first document template, the second document template, and the abbreviated document template.

[0069] The supplementary information DB23 stores various types of information, such as specified time information, classification time information, adjustment condition information, classification definition information, or adjustment condition information.

[0070] Priority DB24 stores various information, including priority information.

[0071] In this example, as shown in Figure 1, the storage unit 21, document template DB 22, supplementary information DB 23, and priority DB 24 are treated as separate devices, but this is merely one example. The storage unit 21, document template DB 22, supplementary information DB 23, and priority DB 24 may be a single device possessing these functions. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the memory unit 21, document template DB 22, supplementary information DB 23, and priority DB 24 are assumed to be provided in the notification device 10. However, it is not mandatory for the memory unit 21, document template DB 22, supplementary information DB 23, and priority DB 24 to be provided in the notification device 10. For example, the memory unit 21, document template DB 22, supplementary information DB 23, and priority DB 24 may be provided outside the notification device 10, in a location accessible to the notification device 10.

[0072] The operation of the notification device 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described below. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the notification device 10 according to Embodiment 1. The operation shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 assumes that, prior to this, the first document template, the second document template, and the abbreviated document template are stored in the document template DB22, the specified time information, classification time information, classification definition information, and adjustment condition information are stored in the supplementary information DB23, and the priority information is stored in the priority DB24. For example, as part of the initial setup, the user sets the time, specifies the duration (first and second specified durations), and sets the priority. For example, when the notification device 10 receives an execution command from the user, it starts the operation shown in the flowchart of Figure 6. The notification device 10 repeats the operation shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 until it receives a termination command from the user, until the power to the refrigerator 3 is turned off, or until the power to the notification device 10 is turned off. For example, the user inputs an execution command by operating the input device, the reception unit 17 receives it, and the control unit of the notification device 10 starts the operation of the information acquisition unit 11, the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, and the voice output control unit 16.

[0073] The information acquisition unit 11 acquires refrigerator operating status information from the refrigerator control device 42. The information acquisition unit 11 also acquires external server information from the external server 5 (step ST1). The information acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired refrigerator operating status information and external server information in the storage unit 21 in chronological order.

[0074] The notification message generation unit 12 determines whether or not the specified time has arrived (step ST2). If the notification message generation unit 12 determines that the specified time has not arrived (i.e., "NO" in step ST2), the operation of the notification device 10 returns to the process in step ST1.

[0075] If it is determined that the specified time has arrived (if the answer is "YES" in step ST2), the notification text generation unit 12 performs a notification text generation process to generate a notification text (step ST3). The notification text generation unit 12 outputs notification text information to the classification unit 13, which associates the generated notification text with the refrigerator operating status information or external server information that was the source of the notification text.

[0076] The classification unit 13 performs classification processing to classify the notification texts generated by the notification text generation unit 12 in step ST3 (step ST4). The classification unit 13 then adds information to the notification document information indicating the classification to which the notification document belongs, and outputs the notification document information after classification has been added to the order determination unit 14.

[0077] The order determination unit 14 performs an order determination process to determine the order in which the notification texts generated by the notification text generation unit 12 in step ST3 are notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth categories, respectively, and the results of the classification by the classification unit 13 in step ST4 (step ST5). When the order determination unit 14 determines the order in which the notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit 12 will be notified, it outputs to the document adjustment unit 15 order-assigned notification document information, which is obtained by adding information indicating the determined order of notifications to the notification documents included in the classification-assigned notification document information output from the classification unit 13.

[0078] If the notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 in step ST3 satisfies the adjustment conditions, the text adjustment unit 15 performs an adjustment process to generate a shortened notification text (step ST6). When the text adjustment unit 15 generates a shortened notification text, it replaces the notification text in the post-order notification text information output from the order determination unit 14 with the shortened notification text. The text adjustment unit 15 then outputs the adjusted notification text information to the audio output control unit 16. If the text adjustment unit 15 determines that the adjustment conditions are not met, it outputs the post-order notification text information output from the order determination unit 14 as is, to the audio output control unit 16 as the adjusted notification text information.

[0079] Based on the adjusted notification text information output from the text adjustment unit 15 in step ST6, the audio output control unit 16 outputs the audio of the notification text included in the adjusted notification text information from the speaker 30 in the order in which it is assigned to the notification text (step ST7).

[0080] In this manner, the notification device 10 acquires refrigerator operating status information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator 3, and at a specified time, generates a notification message to notify the operating status of the refrigerator 3 based on the acquired refrigerator operating status information. The notification device 10 then outputs an audio recording of the generated notification message from the speaker 30. This allows the notification device 10 to notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 in a way that reduces the likelihood of the user missing the notification. Furthermore, the notification device 10 can notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 at a specified time, without the user having to open the door of the refrigerator 3 or look at the refrigerator 3. The notification device 10 notifies the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 at a specified time, allowing the user to hear all notifications at once at that time, thus reducing the chance of missing a notification. As a result, the notification device 10 reduces the need for the user to manually open and close the door to check the operating status of the refrigerator 3. Furthermore, the notification device 10 reduces the number of times the user has to open and close the door to check the operating status of the refrigerator 3, thereby reducing the increased energy consumption required to maintain the set temperature, which is caused by frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door to check its operating status. In addition, the notification device 10 reduces the occurrence of frost or condensation inside the refrigerator 3, which is caused by frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door to check its operating status, thereby reducing the possibility of a shortened lifespan for the refrigerator 3.

[0081] In the above embodiment 1, it was assumed that the user had already specified the time, the specified duration (first specified duration and second specified duration), and the priority setting, all before the operations described using the flowchart in Figure 6 were performed. However, this is merely one example. For example, the user may specify a time, a duration (first or second specified time), or set a priority after the operation described using the flowchart in Figure 6 has started. In this case, for example, the initial values ​​of the time, duration (first and second specified times), and priority should be set by the developer before the product leaves the factory. The supplementary information DB23 should store time information indicating the initial value of the time set by the developer, and duration information indicating the initial value of the duration, while the priority DB24 should store priority information indicating the initial value of the priority set by the developer. When a user specifies a time or duration, the time information stored in the supplementary information DB23 should be updated with the specified time information, or the specified duration information, respectively. Furthermore, when a user sets a priority, the priority information stored in the priority DB24 should be updated with the priority information, or the priority information, that the user has set. For example, when the operation of the notification device 10 as described using the flowchart in Figure 6 is started, the notification text generation unit 12 may perform the notification text generation process when a specified time set by the developer or the like, which is stored in the supplementary information DB 23 (step ST3). The notification text generation unit 12 may also perform the notification text generation process when the specified time information stored in the supplementary information DB 23 is updated while the operation as described using the flowchart in Figure 6 is being repeated, and after the specified time information has been updated, it will perform the notification text generation process when the specified time based on the updated specified time information arrives. Furthermore, for example, when the operation of the notification device 10 as described using the flowchart in Figure 6 is started, the classification unit 13 performs classification processing based on classification time information indicating a specified time set by the developer, etc., which is stored in the supplementary information DB 23 (step ST4). The classification unit 13 may also update the classification time information stored in the supplementary information DB 23 while the operation as described using the flowchart in Figure 6 is being repeated, and after the classification time information has been updated, it may perform classification processing based on the updated classification time information.

[0082] Furthermore, in parallel with the repeated execution of the actions described using the flowchart in Figure 6, the user can update the specified time information, classification time information, or priority information as needed.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the notification text generation unit 12 generates notification text according to a text template, but this is merely one example. The notification text generation unit 12 may generate notification texts in other ways. For example, the notification text generation unit 12 may assemble texts based on predefined rules to generate notification texts, or it may generate notification texts using a model that generates appropriate texts from input information using known machine learning.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, when the notification text generation unit 12 generates a second notification text based on external server information, it may assign a notification created flag "1" to the external server information that served as the basis for the generated second notification text, which is stored in the storage unit 21. The initial value of the notification created flag is "0: not created," and the notification created flag "1" indicates that the second notification text has already been generated. The notification text generation unit 12 may also choose not to generate a second notification text based on external server information to which the notification created flag "1" has been assigned. Furthermore, for example, the notification text generation unit 12 may delete the external server information that served as the basis for the generated second notification text, which is stored in the storage unit 21, from the storage unit 21. Alternatively, for example, after the audio recording of the second notification message being read aloud is received, the user may operate an input device to input an instruction to delete the external server information, and the receiving unit 17 may receive this instruction and delete the corresponding external server information, in this case the external server information including the message information, stored in the storage unit 21. By doing as described above, the notification device 10 can prevent the user from receiving the same message multiple times. Furthermore, for example, when the notification text generation unit 12 generates a second notification text, it may narrow down the external server information used to generate the second notification text to external server information acquired from a point in the past (up to a specified time) within a set period. In this way, the notification device 10 can prevent the user from receiving old messages indefinitely.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the notification device 10 is provided with a classification unit 13, but this is merely an example. It is not essential that the notification device 10 has the function of a classification unit 13. If the notification device 10 does not have a classification unit 13, the notification device 10 also does not have a sequence determination unit 14. For example, if the notification device 10 does not include a classification unit 13 and a sequence determination unit 14, the notification text generation unit 12 outputs the notification text information to the text adjustment unit 15. In this case, with respect to the operation of the notification device 10 as described using the flowchart in Figure 6, the notification device 10 can omit the processing of steps ST4 to ST5. In this case, the audio output control unit 16 can output, for example randomly, the audio of the notification text included in the adjusted notification text information, based on the adjusted notification text information output from the text adjustment unit 15, from the speaker 30.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the user determines the order in which the notification documents of the first category, second category, third category, or fourth category are notified, but this is merely an example. For example, the order in which the notification documents of the first category, second category, third category, and fourth category are notified may be predetermined and fixed by the developer or the like. In this case, the priority database stores priority information generated by developers, etc. The order determination unit 14 determines the order in which notification documents are sent, in an order fixed by the developers, etc., in other words, in an order in which notification documents belonging to a high-priority classification fixed by the developers, etc. are sent first.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the notification device 10 is assumed to have a function for generating abbreviated notification texts, but this is merely an example, and it is not essential that the notification device 10 has a function for generating abbreviated notification texts. If the notification device 10 is not to have a function for generating shortened notification text, it can be configured without a text adjustment unit 15. In this case, with respect to the operation of the notification device 10 as described using the flowchart in Figure 6, the notification device 10 can omit the processing in step ST6. In this case, for example, the order determination unit 14 outputs the notification text information after order assignment to the voice output control unit 16, and the voice output control unit 16 outputs the audio of the notification texts included in the notification text information after order assignment from the speaker 30 in the order assigned to the notification texts.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the notification device 10 generates a notification message (first notification message) to notify the operating status of the refrigerator 3, as well as a notification message (second notification message) to notify the target information set as information to be notified to the user, in this case message information. However, this is merely an example, and it is not essential for the notification device 10 to generate a second notification message. The notification device 10 only needs to be configured to generate at least the first notification message. In this case, it is not essential that the notification device 10 is connected to the external server 5. Furthermore, in this case, it is not necessary for the fourth category to be defined.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the adjustment conditions used by the text adjustment unit 15 when performing the adjustment process include the condition that "the total number of characters in all notification documents based on the text template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted," and the text adjustment unit 15 determines whether or not the adjustment condition is met based on the number of characters in the notification documents, which are text information. However, this is only one example. For example, the text adjustment unit 15 may determine that the above adjustment condition is met when the number of utterances when reading a notification text based on a text template exceeds the number of characters that need adjustment. Furthermore, the adjustment conditions described above are merely examples, and other appropriate conditions may be set to determine whether the notification text needs to be shortened. For example, the adjustment conditions may include the condition that "the length of the spoken audio when the notification text is spoken exceeds a threshold." The speaking speed is assumed to be predetermined. The text adjustment unit 15 knows in advance how long it will take to speak a notification text of a certain length, and can determine from the notification text whether or not the length of the spoken audio when spoken exceeds a threshold.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the notification device 10 is assumed to be installed on the server, but this is merely one example. For example, the notification device 10 may be provided in the refrigerator 3. Alternatively, for example, some of the information acquisition unit 11, notification text generation unit 12, classification unit 13, order determination unit 14, text adjustment unit 15, voice output control unit 16, reception unit 17, and control units (not shown) may be mounted on a server, while the others are provided on a refrigerator 3 connected to the server via a network, thereby forming a system with the server and the refrigerator 3.

[0091] A hardware configuration example of the notification device 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. Figures 7A and 7B show an example of the hardware configuration of the notification device 10 according to Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the functions of the information acquisition unit 11, the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, the voice output control unit 16, the reception unit 17, and a control unit (not shown) are realized by the processing circuit 101. That is, the notification device 10 includes a processing circuit 101 for controlling the output of a voice from the speaker 30 at a specified time, based on the refrigerator operating status information, which reads out a notification text to notify the operating status of the refrigerator 3. The processing circuit 101 may be dedicated hardware as shown in Figure 7A, or it may be a processor 104 that executes a program stored in memory 105 as shown in Figure 7B.

[0092] If the processing circuit 101 is dedicated hardware, it may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0093] When the processing circuit is a processor 104, the functions of the information acquisition unit 11, the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, the voice output control unit 16, the reception unit 17, and the control unit (not shown) are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in memory 105. The processor 104 reads and executes the program stored in memory 105 to perform the functions of the information acquisition unit 11, the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, the voice output control unit 16, the reception unit 17, and the control unit (not shown). In other words, the notification device 10 includes memory 105 for storing a program that, when executed by the processor 104, will result in the execution of steps ST1 to ST7 in Figure 6 described above. Furthermore, the program stored in memory 105 can be said to cause the computer to execute the processing procedures or methods of the information acquisition unit 11, the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, the voice output control unit 16, the reception unit 17, and the control unit (not shown). Here, memory 105 refers to non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic disks, flexible disks, optical disks, compact disks, minidiscs, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), etc.

[0094] Furthermore, the functions of the information acquisition unit 11, the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, the voice output control unit 16, the reception unit 17, and the control unit (not shown) may be partially implemented by dedicated hardware and partially implemented by software or firmware. For example, the functions of the information acquisition unit 11 and the reception unit 17 can be implemented by a processing circuit 101 as dedicated hardware, while the functions of the notification text generation unit 12, the classification unit 13, the order determination unit 14, the text adjustment unit 15, the voice output control unit 16, and the control unit (not shown) can be implemented by the processor 104 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 105. The memory unit 21, document template DB 22, supplementary information DB 23, and priority DB 24 are composed of memory 105 or an HDD, etc. Furthermore, the notification device 10 includes an input interface device 102 and an output interface device 103 that perform wired or wireless communication with devices such as a speaker 30, a refrigerator control device 42, or an external server 5.

[0095] As described above, according to Embodiment 1, the notification device 10 is configured to include an information acquisition unit 11 that acquires refrigerator operating status information relating to the operating status of the refrigerator 3, a notification text generation unit 12 that generates a first notification text to notify the operating status of the refrigerator 3 based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 when a specified time occurs, and a voice output control unit 16 that outputs the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 from the speaker 30. Therefore, the notification device 10 can notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 in a way that reduces the likelihood of the user missing the notification. Furthermore, the notification device 10 can notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 at a specified time, without the user having to open the door of the refrigerator 3 or look at the refrigerator 3.

[0096] The notification device 10 includes a reception unit 17 that receives a specified time designated by the user, and the notification text generation unit 12 generates a first notification text based on refrigerator operating status information when the specified time received by the reception unit 17 arrives. Therefore, the notification device 10 can notify the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 in a way that reduces the likelihood of the user missing the notification. The notification device 10 can reduce the likelihood of the user missing the notification of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 by notifying the user of the operating status of the refrigerator 3 at a time specified by the user, at a time when it is estimated that the user will be near the speaker 30 without missing the voice notification from the speaker 30.

[0097] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, the notification device 10 categorizes the first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit 12 into a first category to which first notification documents are to which belong, that are generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 in which the continuous operation has been completed within a first period from a point in time one specified time before the specified time to the specified time; a second category to which first notification documents are to which belong, that are generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 in which the continuous operation has been completed within a second period from the specified time to a point in time two specified time after the specified time; and during the period up to the specified time The system includes a classification unit 13 that classifies a first notification document generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator 3 into a third category to which first notification documents that do not belong to either the first or second category belong, and an order determination unit 14 that determines the order in which the first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit 12 are notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, and third categories and the classification result by the classification unit 13. The voice output control unit 16 can be configured to output audio of the first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit 12 being read aloud in the order determined by the order determination unit 14. This allows the notification device 10 to notify users, for example, of operating states that have been completed in the relatively recent past, operating states that are scheduled to be completed in the relatively near future, and other operating states, starting with the operating states that are most relevant to the user.

[0098] The notification device 10 includes a receiving unit 17 that receives a first specified time and a second specified time specified by the user, and the classification unit 13 can be configured to classify the first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit 12 into three categories: a first category to which first notification documents are generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 in which an ongoing operation was completed within a first period from a point in time earlier than the first specified time received by the receiving unit 17 to the specified time; a second category to which first notification documents are generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 in which an ongoing operation was completed within a second period from the specified time to a point in time later than the second specified time received by the receiving unit 17 to the specified time; and a third category to which first notification documents are generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 during the period up to the specified time and do not belong to either the first or second category. This allows the notification device 10 to provide users with more flexible notifications regarding the operating status.

[0099] The notification device 10 includes a reception unit 17 that receives a priority set by the user, and the order determination unit 14 can be configured to determine the order in which to notify the first notification message generated by the notification message generation unit 12, based on the priority set for the first, second, and third categories received by the reception unit 17 and the results of the classification by the classification unit 13. This allows the notification device 10 to notify users in order of the classification they desire, regarding operating states that have been completed relatively close to the specified time, operating states that are scheduled to be completed relatively close to the specified time, and other operating states.

[0100] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, in the notification device 10, when the voice output control unit 16 outputs the voice reading aloud the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12, it can be configured to output a voice informing that the specified time has arrived, along with the voice reading aloud the first notification text. This allows the notification device 10 to inform the user, for example, when multiple specified times are set, which specified time the current notification corresponds to.

[0101] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, the notification device 10 includes a text adjustment unit 15 that generates a shortened notification text by shortening the first notification text when the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 satisfies adjustment conditions, and the voice output control unit 16 can be configured to output the voice reading aloud the shortened notification text generated by the text adjustment unit 15. This allows the notification device 10 to notify the user of its operating status so that the user can grasp the key points in a short amount of time.

[0102] In the notification device 10, the notification text generation unit 12 generates a first notification text according to a text template based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. The text adjustment unit 15 determines that the adjustment conditions are met if the number of characters in the first notification text based on the text template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted, and generates a shortened notification text according to a shortened text template that shortens the text defined in the text template. This allows the notification device 10 to notify the user of its operating status so that the user can grasp the key points in a short amount of time.

[0103] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, the notification device 10 includes a reception unit 17 that receives the number of characters to be adjusted set by the user, and the notification text generation unit 12 determines whether the number of characters included in the first notification text based on the text template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted, based on the number of characters to be adjusted received by the reception unit 17. This allows the notification device 10 to provide users with more flexible notifications regarding the operating status.

[0104] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, in the notification device 10, the notification text generation unit 12 generates a first notification text for notifying the operating status of the refrigerator 3, as well as a second notification text for notifying the user of target information set as information to be notified, and the voice output control unit 16 may be configured to output from the speaker 30 an audio recording of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12, as well as an audio recording of the second notification text. This allows the notification device 10 to provide the user with other information in addition to notifying them of the operating status.

[0105] The notification device 10 categorizes the first or second notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 into a first category to which the first notification text belongs, which is generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 when an operation that was being continued has been completed within a first period from a point one specified time before the specified time to the specified time; a second category to which the first notification text belongs, which is generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 when an operation that was being continued has been completed within a second period from the specified time to a point two specified time after the specified time; and refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator 3 during the period up to the specified time. The system includes a classification unit 13 that classifies the first notification document generated based on the information into a third category to which the first notification document does not belong to either the first or second category, and a fourth category to which the second notification document belongs, and an order determination unit 14 that determines the order in which the first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit 12 will be notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth categories and the classification result by the classification unit 13. The voice output control unit 16 can be configured to output audio of the first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit 12 being read aloud in the order determined by the order determination unit 14. This allows the notification device 10 to notify users of operating states that have been completed in the past relatively close to the specified time, operating states that are scheduled to be completed in the near future relatively close to the specified time, other operating states, and information other than the operating status of the refrigerator 3, for example, by selecting the operating states or other information that are deemed more necessary for the user.

[0106] The notification device 10 includes a receiving unit 17 that receives a first designated time and a second designated time specified by the user, and the classification unit 13 can be configured to classify the first notification text or second notification text generated by the notification text generation unit 12 into a first classification to which first notification texts to which belong belong, based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator 3 in which a continuous operation was completed within a first period from a point in time earlier than the first designated time received by the receiving unit 17 to the designated time; a second classification to which first notification texts to which belong belong, based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator 3 in which a continuous operation was completed within a second period from the designated time to a point in time later than the second designated time received by the receiving unit 17 to the designated time; a third classification to which first notification texts to which belong belong, based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator 3 during the period up to the designated time, and which do not belong to either the first or second classification; and a fourth classification to which second notification texts belong. This allows the notification device 10 to provide users with more flexible notifications regarding the operating status.

[0107] The notification device 10 includes a reception unit 17 that receives a priority set by the user, and the order determination unit 14 can be configured to determine the order in which to notify the first notification message or the second notification message generated by the notification message generation unit 12, based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth categories received by the reception unit 17 and the results of the classification by the classification unit 13. This allows the notification device 10 to notify the user, in order of the classification of operating statuses or information, that belong to the user's desired category, including operating statuses that were completed in the past relatively close to the specified time, operating statuses that are scheduled to be completed in the near future relatively close to the specified time, other operating statuses, and information other than the operating status of the refrigerator 3.

[0108] Furthermore, any component of the embodiment can be modified, or any component of the embodiment can be omitted.

[0109] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0110] (Note 1) An information acquisition unit that acquires refrigerator operating status information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator, When a specified time arrives, a notification document generation unit generates a first notification document to notify the operating status of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The audio output control unit causes the speaker to output the audio of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit being read aloud. A notification device equipped with the following. (Note 2) It includes a reception unit that accepts the specified time specified by the user, The notification document generation unit, When the designated time received by the reception unit arrives, the first notification message is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information. The notification device described in Appendix 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 3) A classification unit classifies the first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit into three categories: a first category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when an ongoing operation is completed within a first period from a point in time a first specified time before the specified time to the specified time; a second category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when an ongoing operation is completed within a second period from the specified time to a point in time a second specified time after the specified time; and a third category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator during the period up to the specified time, which do not belong to either the first or second category. The system includes an order determination unit that determines the order in which the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit is notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, and third classifications, respectively, and the results of the classification by the classification unit. The audio output control unit, The audio output is generated in the order determined by the sequence determination unit, reading aloud the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit. A notification device as described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, characterized by the above. (Note 4) The system includes a receiving unit that accepts the first and second designated times specified by the user, The aforementioned classification unit is The first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit are classified into three categories: a first category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when an ongoing operation is completed within a first period from a point in time a number of hours prior to the designated time received by the reception unit to the designated time; a second category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when an ongoing operation is completed within a second period from the designated time to a point in time a number of hours later to the reception unit received by the reception unit to the designated time; and a third category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator during the period up to the designated time, and which do not belong to either the first or second category. The notification device described in Appendix 3, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 5) It includes a reception unit that accepts the aforementioned priority set by the user, The aforementioned order determination unit, Based on the priority set for the first, second, and third classifications received by the reception unit, and the classification results by the classification unit, the order in which the first notification message generated by the notification message generation unit will be notified is determined. The notification device described in Appendix 3, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 6) The audio output control unit, When the notification text generation unit outputs the audio that reads out the first notification text it has generated, it outputs the audio that indicates that the specified time has arrived, along with the audio. A notification device characterized by any one of the appendices 1 to 5. (Note 7) If the first notification document generated by the notification document generation unit satisfies the adjustment conditions, the document adjustment unit generates a shortened notification document by shortening the first notification document, The audio output control unit, The text adjustment unit outputs the audio that reads out the abbreviated notification text it generated. A notification device characterized by any one of the appendices 1 to 6. (Note 8) The notification document generation unit, Based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit, the first notification document is generated according to the document template. The aforementioned text editing unit, If the number of characters in the first notification document based on the aforementioned document template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted, it is determined that the adjustment condition is met, and the shortened notification document is generated according to the shortened document template, which is a shortened version of the document defined in the document template. The notification device described in Appendix 7, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 9) It includes a reception unit that accepts the number of characters to be adjusted set by the user, The notification document generation unit, Based on the number of characters requiring adjustment received by the reception unit, the reception unit determines whether the number of characters included in the first notification document based on the document template exceeds the number of characters requiring adjustment. The notification device described in Appendix 8, characterized by the above. (Note 10) The notification document generation unit, In addition to the first notification message for notifying the operating status of the refrigerator, a second notification message is generated for notifying the target information set as information to be notified to the user. The audio output control unit, The speaker outputs the audio of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit, as well as the audio of the second notification text being read aloud. The notification device described in Appendix 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 11) A classification unit classifies the first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit into a first classification to which the first notification document belongs, which is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator in which an ongoing operation was completed within a first period from a point in time one specified time before the specified time to the specified time; a second classification to which the first notification document belongs, which is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator in which an ongoing operation was completed within a second period from the specified time to a point in time two specified time after the specified time; a third classification to which the first notification document belongs, which is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator during the period up to the specified time, and which does not belong to either the first or second classification; and a fourth classification to which the second notification document belongs. The system includes an order determination unit that determines the order in which the first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit is notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth classifications, respectively, and the results of the classification by the classification unit. The audio output control unit, The audio output reads the first notification text or the second notification text generated by the notification text generation unit in the order determined by the order determination unit. The notification device described in Appendix 10, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 12) The system includes a receiving unit that accepts the first and second designated times specified by the user, The aforementioned classification unit is The first notification document or second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit is classified into the following categories: a first category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator in which a continuous operation was completed within a first period from a point in time a number of hours prior to the designated time received by the reception unit to the designated time; a second category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator in which a continuous operation was completed within a second period from the designated time to a point in time a number of hours later to the reception unit received by the reception unit to the designated time; a third category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator during the period up to the designated time, which do not belong to either the first or second category; and a fourth category to which second notification documents belong. The notification device described in Appendix 11, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 13) It includes a reception unit that accepts the aforementioned priority set by the user, The aforementioned order determination unit, Based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth classifications received by the reception unit, and the classification results by the classification unit, the order in which the first or second notification message generated by the notification message generation unit is notified is determined. The notification device described in Appendix 11, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 14) A notification device described in any one of the appendices 1 to 13, The speaker that outputs the aforementioned sound A refrigerator equipped with [features / equipment]. (Note 15) Computers, An information acquisition unit that acquires refrigerator operating status information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator, When a specified time arrives, a notification document generation unit generates a first notification document to notify the operating status of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The audio output control unit causes the speaker to output the audio of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit being read aloud. A notification program designed to function as such. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 1 Notification system, 10 Notification device, 11 Information acquisition unit, 12 Notification text generation unit, 13 Classification unit, 14 Order determination unit, 15 Text adjustment unit, 16 Voice output control unit, 17 Reception unit, 21 Storage unit, 22 Text template DB, 23 Ancillary information DB, 24 Priority DB, 3 Refrigerator, 30 Speaker, 4 Refrigerator control system, 41 Sensor, 42 Refrigerator control device, 5 External server, 101 Processing circuit, 102 Input interface device, 103 Output interface device, 104 Processor, 105 Memory.

Claims

1. An information acquisition unit that acquires refrigerator operating status information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator, When a specified time arrives, a notification document generation unit generates a first notification document to notify the operating status of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The audio output control unit causes the speaker to output the audio of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit being read aloud. A notification device equipped with the following.

2. It includes a reception unit that accepts the specified time specified by the user, The notification document generation unit, When the designated time received by the reception unit arrives, the first notification message is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information. The notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a notification device.

3. A classification unit classifies the first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit into a first classification to which first notification documents belong that were generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when an operation that was being performed continuously was completed within a first period from a point in time a first specified time before the specified time to the specified time; a second classification to which first notification documents belong that were generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when an operation that was being performed continuously was completed within a second period from the specified time to a point in time a second specified time after the specified time; and a third classification to which first notification documents belong that were generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator during the period up to the specified time and do not belong to either the first or second classification. The system includes an order determination unit that determines the order in which the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit is notified, based on the priority set for the first classification, the second classification, and the third classification, respectively, and the results of the classification by the classification unit. The audio output control unit, The audio output is made to read the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit in the order determined by the order determination unit. The notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a notification device.

4. The system includes a reception unit that receives the first and second designated times specified by the user, The aforementioned classification unit is The first notification documents generated by the notification document generation unit are classified into three categories: a first category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when a continuous operation is completed within a first period from a point in time a number of hours prior to the designated time when the reception unit receives the notification document, up to the designated time; a second category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator when a continuous operation is completed within a second period from the designated time to a point in time a number of hours later than the designated time when the reception unit receives the notification document, up to the designated time; and a third category to which first notification documents generated based on refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator during the period up to the designated time, and which do not belong to either the first or second category. The notification device according to claim 3, characterized in that it is a notification device.

5. It includes a reception unit that accepts the aforementioned priority set by the user, The aforementioned order determination unit, Based on the priority levels set for the first, second, and third classifications received by the reception unit, and the classification results by the classification unit, the order in which the first notification message generated by the notification message generation unit is notified is determined. The notification device according to claim 3, characterized in that it is a notification device.

6. The audio output control unit, When the notification text generation unit outputs the audio that reads out the first notification text it has generated, it outputs the audio that indicates that the specified time has arrived, along with the audio. The notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a notification device.

7. If the first notification document generated by the notification document generation unit satisfies the adjustment conditions, the document adjustment unit generates a shortened notification document by shortening the first notification document, The audio output control unit, The text adjustment unit outputs the audio that reads out the abbreviated notification text it generated. The notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a notification device.

8. The notification document generation unit, Based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit, the first notification document is generated according to the document template. The aforementioned text editing unit, If the number of characters in the first notification document based on the aforementioned document template exceeds the number of characters to be adjusted, it is determined that the adjustment conditions are met, and the shortened notification document is generated according to the shortened document template, which is a shortened version of the document defined in the document template. The notification device according to claim 7, characterized in that it is a notification device.

9. It includes a reception unit that accepts the number of characters to be adjusted set by the user, The notification document generation unit, Based on the number of characters requiring adjustment received by the reception unit, the reception unit determines whether the number of characters included in the first notification document based on the document template exceeds the number of characters requiring adjustment. The notification device according to claim 8, characterized in that it is a notification device.

10. The notification document generation unit, In addition to the first notification message for notifying the operating status of the refrigerator, a second notification message is generated for notifying the target information set as information to be notified to the user. The audio output control unit, The speaker outputs the audio of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit, as well as the audio of the second notification text being read aloud. The notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a notification device.

11. A classification unit classifies the first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit into a first classification to which the first notification document belongs, which is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator in which an ongoing operation was completed within a first period from a point in time a first specified time before the specified time to the specified time; a second classification to which the first notification document belongs, which is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator in which an ongoing operation was completed within a second period from the specified time to a point in time a second specified time after the specified time; a third classification to which the first notification document belongs, which is generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating status of the refrigerator during the period up to the specified time and does not belong to either the first or second classification; and a fourth classification to which the second notification document belongs. The system includes an order determination unit that determines the order in which the first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit is notified, based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth classifications, respectively, and the results of the classification by the classification unit. The audio output control unit, The audio output reads the first notification text or the second notification text generated by the notification text generation unit in the order determined by the order determination unit. The notification device according to claim 10, characterized in that it is a notification device according to claim 10.

12. The system includes a reception unit that receives the first and second designated times specified by the user, The aforementioned classification unit is The first notification document or the second notification document generated by the notification document generation unit is classified into the following categories: the first category to which the first notification document generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator in which a continuous operation was completed within the first period from a point in time a number of hours prior to the designated time when the reception unit received it before the designated time to the designated time; the second category to which the first notification document generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator in which a continuous operation was completed within the second period from the designated time to a point in time a number of hours later than the designated time when the reception unit received it before the designated time to the designated time; the third category to which the first notification document generated based on the refrigerator operating status information indicating the operating state of the refrigerator during the period up to the designated time, and which does not belong to either the first or second category; and the fourth category to which the second notification document belongs. The notification device according to claim 11, characterized in that it is a notification device according to claim 11.

13. It includes a reception unit that accepts the aforementioned priority set by the user, The aforementioned order determination unit, Based on the priority set for the first, second, third, and fourth classifications received by the reception unit, and the classification results by the classification unit, the order in which the first or second notification message generated by the notification message generation unit will be notified is determined. The notification device according to claim 11, characterized in that it is a notification device according to claim 11.

14. A notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, The speaker that outputs the aforementioned sound A refrigerator equipped with [features / equipment].

15. Computers, An information acquisition unit that acquires refrigerator operating status information regarding the operating status of the refrigerator, When a specified time arrives, a notification document generation unit generates a first notification document to notify the operating status of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator operating status information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The audio output control unit causes the speaker to output the audio of the first notification text generated by the notification text generation unit being read aloud. A notification program designed to function as such.

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