Electrical equipment and systems

Abstract

To provide an electrical device that can communicate effectively with external devices. [Solution] The electrical device comprises a communication unit that transmits data to an external device at predetermined intervals, a storage unit that stores important data, and a determination unit that determines whether the data transmission from the communication unit is successful and, when it is determined that the data transmission has failed, determines whether the data that was determined to have failed to be transmitted contains important data stored in the storage unit. If the determination unit determines that the data contains important data stored in the storage unit, the communication unit retransmits the data before a predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to electrical equipment and systems.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an example of a refrigerator capable of communicating with a server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, when radio waves belonging to the communication frequency band between an external device such as a server and a refrigerator are generated around the refrigerator, communication between the refrigerator and the external device may not be possible properly.

[0005] One object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical device capable of communicating properly with an external device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical device includes a communication unit that transmits data to an external device at regular intervals, a storage unit that stores important data, and a determination unit that determines the success or failure of data transmission from the communication unit and, when it is determined that the data transmission has failed, determines whether important data stored in the storage unit is included in the data for which the transmission has been determined to have failed. The communication unit re-transmits the data before a predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data transmission when the determination unit determines that important data stored in the storage unit is included.

[0007] In other aspects of this disclosure, the system includes a first electrical device having a communication unit that transmits data to an external device at predetermined intervals, and a second electrical device that generates radio waves of a frequency belonging to the frequency band used by the communication unit when transmitting data. The first electrical device further includes a storage unit that stores important data, and a determination unit that determines whether the data transmission from the communication unit is successful or unsuccessful, and, when it determines that the data transmission has failed, determines whether the data that was determined to have failed to be transmitted contains important data stored in the storage unit. If the determination unit determines that the data contains important data stored in the storage unit, the communication unit retransmits the data before a predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data transmission. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrical device that can suitably communicate with an external device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an illustrative diagram showing the overall system configuration. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a refrigerator. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cooking appliance. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram representing the server configuration. [Figure 5] This is an example of a table containing the data stored in memory. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data transmission process. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the server configuration in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the data transmission process in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the data transmission process in the third embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing the server configuration in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the sixth embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, a package of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, members having substantially the same functions are referred to by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0011] (First Embodiment)

[0012] (System 1) FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the overall configuration of System 1. In the present embodiment, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described by taking System 1 shown in FIG. 1 as an example.

[0013] The system 1 shown in FIG. 1 may include, for example, a plurality of electrical devices installed indoors, and a system in which the plurality of electrical devices are connected to a server via the Internet. The plurality of electrical devices may include, for example, electrical devices arranged in a kitchen such as a refrigerator and a cooking heater. For this reason, the system 1 can also be referred to as a kitchen cooperation system. The plurality of electrical devices may include not only electrical devices installed in the kitchen such as a refrigerator and a cooking heater, but also an image forming device such as an air conditioner and a television, a personal computer, a washing machine, and the like. The electrical device is preferably generally installed in a constantly powered state.

[0014] System 1 includes, for example, a plurality of electrical appliances arranged indoors. The plurality of electrical appliances includes a refrigerator 10 and a cooker 20 such as a cooking appliance. The plurality of electrical appliances including the refrigerator 10 and the cooker 20 are connected to the Internet 40 via a router 30 installed indoors. A server 50 installed outdoors is connected to the Internet 40. Thus, the plurality of electrical appliances are connected to the server 50 via the router 30 and the Internet 40. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 and the cooker 20 will be described as representatives of the electrical appliances.

[0015] Note that the refrigerator 10 refers to all electrical appliances having a refrigerating chamber that can be cooled to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature. The refrigerator 10 may have, for example, at least one of a refrigerating chamber, a vegetable chamber that can be cooled to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature in a temperature range of 0°C or higher, a chilled chamber or a partial chamber that is cooled to a temperature near 0°C, and a freezer chamber that can be cooled to a temperature lower than 0°C.

[0016] The cooker 20 is an electrical appliance that cooks by heating a cooking object such as food. The cooker 20 includes, for example, a microwave oven that heats and cooks a cooking object by irradiating electromagnetic waves or the like, and an electromagnetic cooker.

[0017] (Refrigerator 10) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the refrigerator 10. The refrigerator 10 has a control unit 11 that controls mechanisms and the like of the refrigerator 10, a cooling mechanism 12, and a sensor 13. Here, the cooling mechanism 12 will be described as a representative of the mechanisms of the refrigerator 10. The refrigerator 10 may further have other mechanisms controlled by the control unit 11, such as a defrost heater.

[0018] The cooling mechanism 12 generates cold air at a lower temperature than the ambient air. The cooling mechanism 12 may be composed of a cooling element such as a Peltier element. The cooling mechanism 12 may include, for example, a compressor 12a, an evaporator, a refrigerant circuit passing through the compressor 12a and the evaporator, and a fan 12b. The fan 12b has the function of supplying the cold air generated by the refrigerant circuit. The fan 12b and the compressor 12a are each connected to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 controls the compressor 12a and the fan 12b, respectively.

[0019] The control unit 11 can be composed of, for example, an operator such as a processor including hardware, and a memory unit. The processor may be composed of at least one of the following: CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The memory unit includes at least one of a temporary recording medium and a non-temporary recording medium. The memory unit may be composed of at least one of the following: semiconductor memory such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), flash memory, ROM (Read Only Memory), registers, magnetic storage devices such as hard disk drives (HDD), optical discs, etc. For example, the memory stores instructions that can be read by the computer, and the functions of the control unit 11 are realized as processing when the processor executes these instructions. The instructions here may be instructions from an instruction set that constitutes a program, or instructions that instruct the hardware circuit of the processor to operate. The program may be recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a ROM, optical disc, or hard disk drive that can be read by the computer. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium, or it may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

[0020] The control unit 11 comprises a processing unit 11a, a memory 11b, and a communication unit 11c. The processing unit 11a is composed of, for example, the above-mentioned processor. The processing unit 11a controls various mechanisms such as the cooling mechanism 12 and receives and processes input from the sensor 13.

[0021] Memory 11b is composed of the above-mentioned temporary and non-temporary storage media. Memory 11b stores programs executed by the processing unit 11a, data generated by the execution of programs by the processing unit 11a, and databases used for processing by the processing unit 11a.

[0022] The communication unit 11c is wirelessly connected to the router 30. The communication unit 11c transmits data from the processing unit 11a and memory 11b to the router 30. If the communication unit has router functionality, it may be directly connected to the internet. In this embodiment, an example in which the communication unit 11c communicates with the router 30 using a communication frequency belonging to the 2.4GHz band will be described below.

[0023] The refrigerator 10 is equipped with various sensors 13. The sensors 13 may include, for example, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerator, freezer, and outside air, a humidity sensor, a sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the compressor 12a and fan 12b, and a sensor for detecting a malfunction in the mechanism of the refrigerator 10.

[0024] (Cooker 20) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cooking appliance 20. The cooking appliance 20 has a heating unit 21, a control unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The heating unit 21 heats the food to be cooked. The heating unit 21 can be made up of, for example, an infrared heater or a resistance heater, an electromagnetic wave irradiation device, etc. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the heating unit 21 is an electromagnetic wave irradiation device that heats the food to be cooked by irradiating electromagnetic waves belonging to the 2.4 GHz band (for example, 2.45 GHz). For this reason, in this embodiment, the frequency band of the electromagnetic waves used by the heating unit 21 for cooking the food and the frequency band of the radio waves used by the communication unit 11c of the refrigerator 10 for communication overlap.

[0025] The control unit 22 controls the heating unit 21, the communication unit 23, and the like. Similar to the control unit 11, the control unit 22 can be composed of operators such as a processor including hardware, and a storage unit, etc.

[0026] The communication unit 23 is connected to the router 30 wirelessly. The communication unit 23 transmits data from the control unit 22 to the router 30. If the communication unit also functions as a router, it may be directly connected to the internet.

[0027] (Server 50) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of server 50. Server 50 has functions such as storing and processing data transmitted from electrical equipment such as refrigerator 10 and cooking appliance 20, and in some cases remotely operating electrical equipment. Server 50 has a control unit 51. The control unit 51, like control unit 11, can be composed of operators such as a processor including hardware, and a storage unit.

[0028] The control unit 51 includes a processing unit 51a, a memory 51b, and a communication unit 51c. The communication unit 51c transmits and receives data and signals to and from electrical devices such as the refrigerator 10 and the cooking appliance 20 via the router 30 shown in Figure 1. The processing unit 51a processes the data received by the communication unit 51c, outputs data to be sent to the electrical devices to the communication unit 51c, and reads programs to be executed by the electrical devices from the memory 51b and outputs them to the communication unit 51c for transmission. The processing unit 51a can also store the data received by the communication unit 51c in the memory 51b.

[0029] Memory 51b stores data input from the processing unit 51a, etc., and outputs data and programs to the processing unit 51a. Memory 51b may also store programs that the processing unit 51a transmits to be executed by electrical equipment.

[0030] Next, we will explain the data communication between the refrigerator 10 and the server 50 in System 1.

[0031] (Normal data transmission) In this embodiment, the communication unit 11c of the refrigerator 10 (see Figure 2) transmits data to an external device at predetermined intervals. The external device to which the refrigerator 10 transmits data is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment it is a server 50. The external device to which the refrigerator 10 transmits data may be installed indoors where the refrigerator 10 is installed, such as a router 30, or it may be installed outdoors, such as a server 50. The external device to which the refrigerator 10 transmits data may be, for example, another control device located indoors. The other control device may be, for example, a device having control functions such as a HEMS (Home Energy Management System). In this embodiment, the external device may be capable of receiving signals transmitted from the refrigerator 10 at a frequency in the 2.4GHz band. The external device may directly receive the 2.4GHz band signal from the refrigerator 10, or it may be wired to a device that receives the 2.4GHz band signal and receives signals from that receiving device.

[0032] The interval at which the communication unit 11c of the refrigerator 10 transmits data is preferably, for example, 10 minutes or more and 3 hours or less, preferably 30 minutes or more and 2 hours or less, and can be, for example, about 1 hour.

[0033] Hereinafter, the interval at which the communication unit 11c transmits data may be referred to as the "first predetermined period."

[0034] The data transmitted by the communication unit 11c at predetermined intervals may include, for example, door opening and closing history, temperature information for the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, etc., cooling mode information, humidity information, defrosting history, failure history (compressor 12a abnormality history, fan 12b abnormality history, abnormal temperature detection history, etc.).

[0035] In this embodiment, we will describe an example in which the communication unit 11c performs a normal data transmission mode in which it transmits door opening / closing history, cooling chamber temperature information, outside temperature information, outside air humidity information, cooling mode information, defrosting history, and fault history, specifically the abnormal output history of the compressor 12a and the abnormal rotation speed history of the fan 12b, every hour.

[0036] In normal data transmission mode, the processing unit 11a acquires information necessary for transmission from various sensors 13. The processing unit 11a temporarily stores the acquired information in memory 11b until the next transmission timing. The processing unit 11a has a clock unit that acquires or measures the time, and when the next transmission timing arrives, it causes the communication unit 11c to transmit the data stored in memory 11b to the server 50. After transmitting the data to the server 50, it is preferable for the processing unit 11a to perform an erasure step to erase the transmitted data from memory 11b. By performing the erasure step, the amount of data stored in memory 11b can be reduced. Therefore, a large-capacity memory 11b is not necessarily required.

[0037] (Important data) Memory 11b stores associated data defined for each type of data transmitted. Here, associated data refers to data linked to the type of data transmitted. Specifically, associated data may include, for example, the importance level corresponding to the type of data transmitted. For example, suppose importance information is provided, with A, B, and C assigned in order of increasing importance. Among the transmitted data exemplified above, for example, information regarding malfunctions such as abnormalities in the compressor 12a and fan 12b, and abnormal temperatures in the cooling chamber 10b may be assigned importance A, information regarding the operation and function of the refrigerator 10, such as door opening and closing history and defrosting history, may be assigned importance B, and information not directly related to the refrigerator 10, such as outside temperature and outside humidity, may be assigned importance C.

[0038] Memory 11b may store a table containing related data, such as information about importance, and the types of data being transmitted. An example of a table containing the data stored in memory 11b is shown in Figure 5.

[0039] When the communication unit 11c performs the normal data transmission described above, the communication unit 11c may, for example, transmit to the server 50, at least one of the data type and the importance level corresponding to the data type, along with the data to be transmitted. In this case, when the processing unit 11a acquires information from various sensors 13, etc., it reads the data group illustrated in Figure 5 from the memory 11b and determines the importance level corresponding to the type of information acquired. Subsequently, the processing unit 11a associates the acquired information, the type of information acquired, and the importance level and stores them in the memory 11b. When the next transmission timing arrives, the processing unit 11a reads the associated information, the type of information, and the importance level and causes the communication unit 11c to transmit them to the server 50.

[0040] Thus, in this embodiment, the memory 11b, which acts as a storage unit, stores a list of important data, such as data belonging to importance level A.

[0041] (Determining the success or failure of data transmission) The processing unit 11a includes a determination unit 11a1. The determination unit 11a1 determines whether the data transmission was successful after the data transmission from the communication unit 11c to the server 50, which is an external device. The method for determining the success or failure of the data transmission is not particularly limited. For example, the communication unit 11c may transmit data to the router 30 and, once the router 30 has finished receiving the data, request the communication unit 11c to send a feedback signal indicating that reception is complete. Alternatively, the communication unit 11c may receive a signal from the router 30 before transmitting the data and determine whether it can transmit it.

[0042] If data is to be sent to the router 30, and the router 30 is instructed to send a feedback signal to the communication unit 11c indicating that reception is complete once it has finished receiving the data, the control may be as follows: The communication unit 11c outputs the received feedback signal to the processing unit 11a (specifically, the determination unit 11a1). The determination unit 11a1 may determine that "data communication was successful" if a feedback signal is input to the determination unit 11a1 within a predetermined period (for example, 10 seconds to 5 minutes) after the processing unit 11a instructs the communication unit 11c to send the data, and determine that "data communication failed" if no feedback signal is input.

[0043] If the communication unit 11c is configured to receive a signal from the router 30 before transmitting data and determine whether it can transmit the data, it may be controlled as follows, for example: The communication unit 11c checks the status of the signal from the router 30 in advance before transmitting data. The determination unit 11a1 determines whether it can receive a signal from the router 30 and, if a signal is received, whether the communication unit 11c and the router 30 are in a state where they can communicate. If the determination determines that communication is possible, the communication unit 11c may start transmitting a signal.

[0044] (Emergency data transmission) When the determination unit 11a1 determines that a normal data transmission has failed, it determines whether the memory 11b, which acts as a storage unit, contains data that is stored as important data. If the data that failed to be transmitted contains data that is stored as important data, the communication unit 11c retransmits the data that failed to be transmitted in the previous normal data transmission before the first predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data transmission (normal data transmission), in other words, before the next normal data transmission takes place. An emergency data transmission is performed at a shorter interval than the first predetermined period during which a normal data transmission takes place.

[0045] For example, if the transmission of data related to a malfunction fails, important data related to the malfunction may not be sent to the server at the appropriate time, making it difficult to take appropriate action. In contrast, in this embodiment, if the previous data transmission failed, the data is retransmitted before the next normal data transmission, and before the first predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data communication. Therefore, important data such as information related to malfunctions can be sent to the server 50 at an earlier stage. Thus, for example, more appropriate maintenance can be performed on electrical equipment such as a refrigerator 10.

[0046] For example, if the cause of a data transmission failure is a long-term error in the internet communication network, such as damage to a radio tower that makes up the communication network, it may not be possible to send data to the server 50 even if an emergency data transmission is performed before the next normal data transmission. On the other hand, if a temporary communication disruption occurs due to radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from other electrical equipment installed in the same house as the refrigerator 10, it may be possible for the refrigerator 10 and the server 50 to communicate once the use of the other electrical equipment has ended. Specifically, for example, if a cooking appliance 20 that heats food using electromagnetic waves in the 2.4GHz band, which overlaps at least partially with the communication frequency band of the refrigerator 10, is installed near the refrigerator 10, specifically in the kitchen where the refrigerator 10 is located, the refrigerator 10 and the server 50 will be able to communicate once the use of the cooking appliance 20 has ended. An example of such a cooking appliance 20 is a microwave oven. In the case of a microwave oven, the usage period is often short, for example, less than 5 minutes. Therefore, data transmission becomes possible before a long first predetermined period, such as 1 hour, has elapsed after normal data communication. Therefore, by performing emergency data transmission as in this embodiment, important data can be transmitted to the server 50 at an early stage.

[0047] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the data transmission process in this embodiment. The data retransmission method in this embodiment will be described in more detail below, primarily with reference to Figures 6 and 2.

[0048] The processing unit 11a shown in Figure 2 has a clock unit 11a2 that acquires the time or counts the elapsed time since a certain point in time. The clock unit 11a2 acquires the acquired time or the elapsed time since the last normal data transmission. When the processing unit 11a determines from the time or elapsed time acquired by the clock unit 11a2 that it is time to perform the next normal data transmission, it starts processing based on the flowchart shown in Figure 6.

[0049] First, in step S1, the refrigerator 10 performs normal data transmission, which is performed at first predetermined intervals. Specifically, in step S1, the processing unit 11a first acquires the data to be transmitted, which is stored in memory 11b. Next, the processing unit 11a instructs the communication unit 11c to transmit the acquired data to the router 30 shown in Figure 1, and the data is transmitted to the server 50 via the router 30 and the internet 40. The processing unit 11a may instruct the communication unit 11c to transmit the data and also instruct the clock unit 11a2 to start counting the elapsed time. When the elapsed time counted by the clock unit 11a2 reaches the first predetermined period, the next normal data transmission is performed.

[0050] In this embodiment, the cooker 20 is a device that uses electromagnetic waves in the 2.4GHz band to perform heating and cooking. The communication unit 11c communicates with the router 30 using frequencies belonging to the 2.4GHz band. Therefore, the frequency band used by the cooker 20 and the frequency band used by the communication unit 11c for communication overlap. Consequently, for example, when heating and cooking is being performed in the cooker 20, electromagnetic waves belonging to the 2.4GHz band may leak from the cooker 20, and these electromagnetic waves may interfere with communication between the communication unit 11c and the router 30, or cause noise in the communication.

[0051] Next, in step S2, the determination unit 11a1 shown in Figure 2 determines whether the data transmission in step S1 was successful or not (whether the data transmission was successful or not). The method for determining the success or failure of the data transmission is not particularly limited. For example, in step S1, the processing unit 11a may instruct the communication unit 11c to send an instruction to the server 50 to return a signal indicating that reception was successful, in addition to the data to be transmitted, when the server 50 has finished receiving the data. The processing unit 11a may then determine the success or failure of the data transmission by confirming within a predetermined period (for example, within 5 minutes from transmission) that the communication unit 11c has received a signal from the server 50 indicating successful reception.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, step S3 is performed following step S2. In step S3, it is determined whether the determination unit 11a1 determined in step S2 that the data transmission was successful or that it failed. If the determination unit 11a1 determines in step S3 that the data transmission was successful, the process related to the flowchart shown in Figure 6 is terminated.

[0053] If the determination unit 11a1 determines in step S3 that data transmission has failed, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the determination unit 11a1 determines whether the data that could not be sent in step S1, as determined in step S2, contains important data stored in the memory unit. Specifically, in step S4, the determination unit 11a1 reads a list of useful data (Figure 5) stored in memory 11b. The read data contains the data type and the importance level for each type, which is stored in association with the data type. For example, in step S4, the determination unit 11a1 determines whether data of a type associated with importance level A exists in the data that could not be transmitted. For example, the determination unit 11a1 can compare the data that could not be transmitted with the data table shown in Figure 6 to determine whether important data was included in the data that could not be transmitted.

[0054] If it is determined in step S4 that the data that could not be sent does not contain any important data (for example, data with importance level A), the process related to the flowchart shown in Figure 6 is terminated, even if the transmission failed. Since the transmission of important data has not failed, it is thought that no major problems will occur if the previously unsent data is sent together with the next normal transmission. Therefore, if it is determined that the data that could not be sent does not contain any important data, it is not necessarily required to perform an emergency data transmission in addition to the normal data transmission.

[0055] If it is determined in step S4 that important data could not be transmitted, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the processing unit 11a shown in Figure 2 waits for a predetermined period. The predetermined period in step S5 is shorter than the normal data transmission interval. The predetermined period is preferably, for example, 1 minute or more and 30 minutes or less, preferably 3 minutes or more and 20 minutes or less, and more preferably 10 minutes or less.

[0056] In step S5, once the count for the predetermined period is complete, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the communication unit 11c retransmits the data that failed to be transmitted in step S1. After that, the process returns to step S2, and the success or failure of the transmission is determined again.

[0057] For example, if a user is using the cooking appliance 20 and communication is being disrupted by 2.4GHz electromagnetic waves from the cooking appliance 20, communication may become possible after the user finishes using the cooking appliance 20, as the electromagnetic interference may cease. If the cooking appliance 20 is a microwave oven or the like that uses electromagnetic waves belonging to the 2.4GHz band for heating and cooking, it is preferable that the usage time of the cooking appliance 20 at one time be, for example, several minutes to 10 minutes. Therefore, in step S5, the system waits for the estimated usage time of the cooking appliance 20, and then in step S6, the data is retransmitted, thereby enabling early and reliable transmission of the data.

[0058] In this embodiment, steps S2 to S6 are repeated at predetermined intervals until the transmission of important data is successful, before the next normal data transmission takes place. Therefore, important data can be transmitted to the server 50 with greater reliability.

[0059] In step S6, when retransmitting data, for example, all of the data that could not be sent may be retransmitted, or only some of the data may be retransmitted. For example, only the data corresponding to importance level A may be retransmitted, or only the data corresponding to importance levels A and B may be retransmitted. In this way, by sending only some of the important data when transmitting data other than normal data transmission, it is possible to suppress increases in communication load and server load 50. Furthermore, within the predetermined period in step S5, the communication unit 11c may send very short communication data to the server 50 and check at short intervals (for example, every 30 seconds) whether communication with the server 50 is possible. If it is determined that communication with the server 50 is possible, the process may proceed to step 6 even within the predetermined period and retransmit the data.

[0060] The following describes examples of other embodiments. In the following description, components having substantially the same function as those in the above embodiments will be referred to by common functions, and the description of the above embodiments will be used as reference.

[0061] (Second Embodiment) Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the server configuration in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the second embodiment.

[0062] In the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which data is retransmitted if it contains important data at any time of day. In this embodiment, an example is described in which there are time periods in a day when data is retransmitted and time periods when data is not retransmitted.

[0063] For example, in cases where wireless communication is disrupted by electromagnetic waves emitted from the cooking appliance 20, and the communication condition improves relatively quickly, it may be effective to retransmit data in addition to the normal data transmission at regular intervals. However, during cooking hours, such as when preparing meals, when the cooking appliance 20 is used frequently, communication problems caused by the cooking appliance 20 are likely to occur frequently. Therefore, even if data is retransmitted during cooking hours, it may be difficult to transmit the data quickly. Consequently, it may be more efficient to avoid such times and retransmit data during times when communication problems caused by the cooking appliance 20 are less likely to occur frequently. By doing so, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the refrigerator 10, router 30, and server 50, which perform transmission and reception.

[0064] The data transmission process in this embodiment will be described below, primarily with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In this embodiment, Figures 1 to 5 will be referred to in common with the first embodiment.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the processing unit 11a of the control unit 11 has a retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3. The retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines the time period during the day in which data will be retransmitted (step S6) in addition to normal data transmission. In this embodiment, if it is determined in steps S2 and S3 that normal data transmission has failed, and in step S4 it is determined that important data was included in the data that failed to be transmitted, the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines whether or not it is a time period in which retransmission should be performed. Only if it is determined that it is a time period in which retransmission should be performed, the data will be retransmitted (step S6).

[0066] For example, memory 11b may store time periods when it is highly likely that meals are being prepared. Specifically, memory 11b may store time periods when it is highly likely that breakfast is being prepared, such as from 6:00 to 8:00, and time periods when it is highly likely that dinner is being prepared, such as from 17:00 to 20:00. In this case, the retransmission time period determination unit 11a3 reads from memory 11b the time periods stored as being highly likely to be used for meal preparation (for example, from 6:00 to 8:00, from 17:00 to 20:00, etc.). The retransmission time period determination unit 11a3 may then decide whether or not to perform the retransmission in step S6 depending on whether the current time belongs to the read time period. For example, time periods when it is highly likely that meals are being prepared, determined based on statistics, etc., may be stored in the server 50, etc. The retransmission time period determination unit 11a3 may then receive the time periods when it is highly likely to be used for meal preparation, stored in the server 50, etc., via the communication unit 11c, and decide whether or not to retransmit the data based on that.

[0067] Next, the data transmission process in this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 8. In Figure 8, steps S1 to S6 are substantially the same as steps S1 to S6 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the descriptions of steps S1 to S6 described in the first embodiment will be used by reference.

[0068] As shown in Figure 8, if in steps S2 and S3 it is determined that normal data transmission has failed and that important data is included in the failed data, then in step S7 the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines whether or not it is a time zone in which the data should not be retransmitted. For example, in step S7 it is determined whether or not it falls within the meal preparation time zone. If in step S7 the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines that it is a time zone in which the failed data should not be retransmitted, the processing of the flowchart shown in Figure 8 is terminated. On the other hand, if in step S7 the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines that it is a time zone in which the failed data should be retransmitted (a time zone in which it is highly likely that it does not fall within the meal preparation time zone), then in step S5 the processing unit 11a waits for a predetermined time and then has the communication unit 11c retransmit the important data that failed to be transmitted.

[0069] As in this embodiment, for example, the memory 11b, which acts as a storage unit, stores data related to the usage status of the cooking appliance 20 as an electrical appliance during the day. Based on this data, the retransmission time determination unit 11a3 decides whether or not to retransmit the data, and if it is decided to retransmit, the data is retransmitted. This reduces the frequency of data transmission failures.

[0070] (Third embodiment) Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the third embodiment.

[0071] In the second embodiment, an example was described in which data related to the usage status of the cooking appliance 20 as an electrical appliance during a day is stored in memory 11b or the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0072] For example, the usage status of electrical appliances such as the refrigerator 10 and the cooking appliance 20 may be acquired, and a decision may be made on whether to retransmit the data based on that usage status. For example, during times when the refrigerator door 10 is opened and closed frequently, meal preparation may be underway, and the cooking appliance 20 may be used frequently. In view of this, for example, the retransmission time period determination unit 11a3 may acquire the frequency of opening and closing the refrigerator door 10 per unit time as data related to the usage status of the cooking appliance 20, and determine that it is a time period for retransmission if it is determined that the acquired frequency of opening and closing the door is below a predetermined frequency. By doing so, the frequency of data transmission failures can be reduced.

[0073] Specifically, in the data transmission process of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, step S8 is performed following step S4. In step S8, the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines whether the frequency of opening and closing the refrigerator door 10 per unit time is less than or equal to a predetermined frequency. If it is determined that the frequency of opening and closing the refrigerator door 10 per unit time is greater than the predetermined frequency (for example, 5 times per hour), the flow is terminated without performing data retransmission in step S6. This is because it is considered highly likely that data cannot be transmitted properly at this time, as it is meal preparation time and the cooking appliance 20 is used frequently.

[0074] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8 that the frequency of opening and closing the refrigerator door 10 is below a predetermined frequency, the process proceeds to the predetermined time waiting step in step S5 and the data retransmission step in step S6, and the data is retransmitted.

[0075] In this way, the usage status of electrical appliances such as the refrigerator 10 and cooking appliance 20 can be determined, and based on the usage status, the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 can determine whether or not it is a time zone for retransmission, and if it is determined that it is a time zone for retransmission, the data may be retransmitted.

[0076] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the retransmission time zone determination unit 11a3 determines whether or not to retransmit based on the usage status of the refrigerator 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the retransmission time zone determination unit may also determine whether or not to retransmit based on the usage status of electrical appliances other than the refrigerator, such as cooking appliances.

[0077] (Fourth Embodiment) Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the server configuration in the fourth embodiment. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the fourth embodiment.

[0078] As shown in Figure 11, in this embodiment, following step S4, in step S9, the notification unit 11e (see Figure 10) of the refrigerator 10 may be notified that data transmission has failed, before proceeding to steps S5 and S6. By notifying the user of information related to the data transmission failure in step S9, for example, the user may be prompted to stop using the cooking appliance 20 which may be interfering with communication. Therefore, the likelihood of successfully retransmitting the data in step S6 can be increased.

[0079] The information that the notification unit 11e is to notify may, for example, be "Data transmission failed," or in addition to that, or instead, it may notify the user to stop using other electrical equipment that generates radio waves or electromagnetic waves at frequencies belonging to the frequency band used by the communication unit 11c when transmitting data. Specifically, for example, it may notify the user to stop using the cooker 20 or to confirm that the cooker 20 is not being used. More specifically, for example, the notification unit 11e may notify the user to stop using the microwave oven because "Data transmission failed," or to confirm that the microwave oven is not being used because "Data transmission failed."

[0080] The notification method of the notification unit 11e is not particularly limited. For example, the notification unit may include at least one of the following: a display for displaying the information to be notified, a speaker for emitting the notification information, etc. Alternatively, it may simply be an alarm or a buzzer. When an alarm or buzzer is emitted from the refrigerator 10, it is expected that the user will stop cooking and check the inside of the refrigerator 10. This will cause the use of the cooking appliance 20 to be stopped or postponed, allowing the data to be retransmitted during that time. The waiting time from notification by the notification unit 11e to the retransmission of data is preferably about 1 to 3 minutes. During this period, there is a high probability that the use of the cooking appliance 20 will be temporarily stopped, and this is likely to be a period during which the user stops cooking.

[0081] (Fifth and Sixth Embodiments) Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the fifth embodiment. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission process in the sixth embodiment.

[0082] In the fourth embodiment, an example was described in which notification is always given when data transmission fails and important data is included in the failed transmission data. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the notification in step S9 may be given only when, among cases where data transmission fails and important data is included, it is determined in step S7 described in the second embodiment that it is not a time period for retransmission.

[0083] If it is decided in step S9 not to retransmit the data, it is because it is determined that the cooking appliance 20 is likely to be used frequently during that time period. Therefore, there is a high probability that retransmitting the data as is would fail. For this reason, it may be preferable, for example, not to retransmit the data in step S6 and to issue a notification in step S9.

[0084] Furthermore, for example, in step S9, the notification unit 11e may be instructed to notify that data transmission has failed, to prompt the shutdown of electrical equipment interfering with communication, such as the cooking appliance 20, and to prompt the user to input that the cooking appliance 20 has been shut down on the operation unit (e.g., touch panel or operation buttons) provided on the refrigerator 10 after the cooking appliance 20 has been shut down. In that case, as shown in Figure 13, in step S10, the control unit 11 may be instructed to confirm whether or not the refrigerator 10 has received input indicating that the cooking appliance 20 has been shut down. If there is no input indicating that the cooking appliance 20 has been shut down, the data transmission process is terminated, assuming that the period of high usage of the cooking appliance 20 continues. On the other hand, if there is input indicating that the cooking appliance 20 has been shut down, the data may be retransmitted in step S6, assuming that the electrical equipment interfering with communication has already been shut down. By doing so, data can be transmitted with high reliability even during periods of high usage of the cooking appliance 20, making reliable data transmission difficult.

[0085] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1: System 10: Refrigerator 10b: Cooling room 11: Control Unit 11a: Processing Unit 11a1: Judgment section 11a2: Clock section 11a3: Retransmission time zone determination unit 11b: Memory 11c:Communication Department 11e: Hochi Department 20:Cooker 30: Router 40: Internet 50: Server

Claims

1. A communication unit that transmits data to an external device at predetermined intervals, The memory unit that stores important data, A determination unit that determines whether the data transmission from the communication unit is successful or not, and when it is determined that the data transmission has failed, determines whether or not important data stored in the storage unit is included in the data that was determined to have failed to be transmitted, Equipped with, The communication unit is an electrical device that, when the determination unit determines that it contains important data stored in the storage unit, retransmits the data before the predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data transmission.

2. The electrical equipment according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit retransmits the data within one time period of the day.

3. The system further includes a retransmission time zone determination unit that determines whether or not it is a time zone for retransmission based on the usage status of the electrical equipment, The electrical equipment according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit retransmits the data when the retransmission time zone determination unit determines that it is a time zone for retransmission.

4. The aforementioned electrical appliance is a refrigerator with a door, The electrical equipment according to claim 3, wherein the retransmission time zone determination unit obtains the frequency of opening and closing the door per unit time as data relating to the usage status of the electrical equipment, and determines that the time zone for retransmission is when the frequency of opening and closing the door per unit time is less than or equal to a predetermined frequency.

5. The electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the storage unit stores the time period during which the retransmission is performed as the first time period.

6. The storage unit stores data related to the usage status of the electrical equipment over a one-day period. The electrical equipment according to claim 5, further comprising a retransmission time zone determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the retransmission based on data related to the daily usage status of the stored electrical equipment.

7. The electrical equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies information related to the failure of data transmission when the communication unit fails to transmit data.

8. The electrical equipment according to claim 7, wherein the notification unit provides notification prompting the cessation of use of other electrical equipment that generates radio waves in the frequency band used by the communication unit when transmitting data.

9. A first electrical device having a communication unit that transmits data to an external device at predetermined intervals, A second electrical device that generates radio waves in a frequency band belonging to the frequency band used by the aforementioned communication unit when transmitting data, Equipped with, The first electrical device is, The memory unit that stores important data, A determination unit that determines whether the data transmission from the communication unit is successful or not, and when it is determined that the data transmission has failed, determines whether or not important data stored in the storage unit is included in the data that was determined to have failed to be transmitted, It further possesses, The communication unit is a system that, when the determination unit determines that it contains important data stored in the storage unit, retransmits the data before the predetermined period has elapsed since the previous data transmission.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second electrical device is a cooking appliance that heats an object to be heated using electromagnetic waves in the 2.4 GHz band.

Images