Manual connection simplification system

Abstract

This system provides a simplified manual connection method that facilitates the manual connection setup between residential equipment and a wireless LAN router 3. [Solution] Based on the management information of the information management unit 6, the information processing unit 7 displays a manual connection simplification web page corresponding to the unique identification number on the mobile information terminal 4 when the mobile information terminal 4 reads a two-dimensional code containing the unique identification number of the residential equipment 2. When the mobile information terminal 4 detects the SSID for ad-hoc connection transmitted when the manual connection mode of the residential equipment 2 is selected, it completes the ad-hoc connection between the residential equipment 2 and the mobile information terminal 4 using the password corresponding to the unique identification number contained in that SSID. When the mobile information terminal 4 requests to transition to a web page for wireless LAN connection, it transitions to a web page for wireless LAN connection corresponding to the unique identification number, and the SSID and password for wireless LAN connection are entered on the web page for wireless LAN connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manual connection simplification system that uses a portable information terminal to support a manual connection operation for manually performing connection settings between a household facility device connectable to the Internet and a wireless LAN router.

Background Art

[0002] As the background art of the present invention, for example, there are documents describing technologies related to network connection between IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as home electric appliances including vacuum cleaners and air conditioners connectable to the Internet, and information terminals such as smartphones, and wireless LAN routers (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, there are documents describing technologies related to ad-hoc connection for directly wirelessly connecting IoT devices such as home electric appliances and information terminals connectable to the Internet to each other (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, with the IoT implementation of household facility devices including gas-related equipment such as hot water supply heaters having a hot water filling function and a floor heating function, it has become possible to connect the household facility devices to an external server or the like via the Internet, and by cooperating with an information terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user via the server or the like, remote operation of the aforementioned hot water filling function, floor heating function and the like by the user, and checking of the energy usage amount and the like in the household facility devices are enabled, and as a result, this can contribute to enhancing the convenience for the user.

[0005] To connect home appliances such as water heaters and heating systems to the internet, it is common to do so via a wireless LAN router. There are two methods for configuring the connection between the appliances and the wireless LAN router: automatic connection and manual connection.

[0006] Automatic connection is possible if the wireless LAN router is equipped with a push button for automatic connection settings (e.g., WPS or AOSS). For example, after operating the automatic connection operation switch on the home equipment, the automatic connection setting push button on the wireless LAN router to be connected can be operated continuously within a predetermined time until the automatic setting starts, thereby automatically configuring the connection between the home equipment and the wireless LAN router.

[0007] On the other hand, manual connection is an operation that must be performed when the wireless LAN router does not have a push button for automatic connection settings. In manual connection, information terminals such as smartphones and personal computers are used to configure the connection settings between the home equipment and the wireless LAN router.

[0008] As an example of manual connection operation, let's explain the case where a remote control attached to a water heater / heating system (an example of residential equipment) and a wireless LAN router are manually connected using a smartphone (an example of an information terminal). The operation requires the following steps (1) to (4). (1) Operate the remote control to select manual connection mode. This selection will cause the remote control to emit a beacon signal containing the SSID for ad-hoc connection, which includes its MAC address. (2) Display the Wi-Fi® settings screen on your smartphone, select the ad-hoc connection SSID that contains the MAC address of the remote control from the available SSIDs displayed, enter the ad-hoc connection password listed in the remote control's instruction manual, and connect your smartphone to the remote control via ad-hoc connection. (3) Launch the browser on your smartphone and enter the URL for the ad-hoc wireless LAN router connection page listed in the remote control's instruction manual into the address bar, or scan the QR code (registered trademark) listed in the remote control's instruction manual with your smartphone to switch the smartphone's display screen to the ad-hoc wireless LAN router connection page provided on the remote control. (4) On the ad-hoc wireless LAN router connection page that you are redirected to, enter the SSID and password of the wireless LAN router you want to connect to and confirm to register the SSID and password of the wireless LAN router to the remote control. By performing these steps, the manual connection setup between the smartphone-based remote control and the wireless LAN router will be completed.

[0009] In the manual connection described above, as shown in (2) above, in order to establish an ad-hoc connection between the remote control and the smartphone, it is necessary to go through the trouble of displaying the smartphone's Wi-Fi settings screen, selecting the SSID for the ad-hoc connection with the remote control, and entering the password for the ad-hoc connection. Furthermore, as shown in (3) and (4) above, registering the wireless LAN router's SSID and password with the remote control requires the user to either enter the URL of the wireless LAN router connection page into the smartphone's address bar, or scan the QR code containing that URL with their smartphone, or enter the wireless LAN router's SSID and password on the wireless LAN router connection page. Furthermore, the password for ad-hoc connection and the URL for the wireless LAN router connection page vary depending on the manufacturer and model, and are listed in the remote control's instruction manual. This requires the user to take out the instruction manual to check, and if the instruction manual is lost, the user will be unable to connect manually.

[0010] In light of this situation, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a manual connection simplification system that allows for easy manual connection setup between residential equipment and a wireless LAN router, without requiring the input of passwords or other information described in the instruction manual, or the scanning of QR codes, and especially when the instruction manual is lost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The first characteristic configuration of the present invention is a manual connection simplification system that assists in the manual connection operation of setting up the connection between an internet-connectable residential equipment and a wireless LAN router using a portable information terminal, A two-dimensional code provided on the said residential equipment is registered with an SSID for ad-hoc connection to the said residential equipment, which includes a unique identification number assigned to the said residential equipment, An information management unit manages equipment information including at least multiple unique identification numbers different for each of the aforementioned residential equipment devices, a URL for a manual connection simplification web page that presents a manual connection method corresponding to the equipment information, a password for ad-hoc connection, and a URL for a web page for wireless LAN connection. The system is equipped with an information processing unit that performs various information processing based on the management information of the aforementioned information management unit, When the mobile information terminal reads the two-dimensional code and requests connection to the ad-hoc connection SSID, the information processing unit performs a redirection process to redirect to a manual connection simplification web page corresponding to the unique identification number included in the ad-hoc connection SSID, and to display the manual connection simplification web page on the display unit of the mobile information terminal. The information processing unit, when the manual connection mode of the residential equipment is selected and the SSID for ad-hoc connection transmitted from the residential equipment is detected by the mobile information terminal, performs an ad-hoc connection completion process to complete the ad-hoc connection between the residential equipment and the mobile information terminal using the ad-hoc connection password corresponding to the unique identification number included in the ad-hoc connection SSID. The information processing unit, when a request for transition to the wireless LAN connection web page is received from the mobile information terminal connected to the wireless LAN router, performs a web page transition process to transition the web page displayed on the mobile information terminal's display from the manual connection simplification web page to the wireless LAN connection web page corresponding to the unique identification number, and performs a router information input process to input and display the wireless LAN connection SSID and password on the wireless LAN connection web page.

[0012] In this configuration, when a mobile device reads a two-dimensional code provided on a residential equipment device and requests connection to an SSID for ad-hoc connection with the residential equipment device, the information processing unit performs the aforementioned redirection process, which displays a simplified manual connection web page corresponding to the unique identification number of the residential equipment device on the mobile device's display, and presents a manual connection method corresponding to the unique identification number of the residential equipment device.

[0013] Then, following the manual connection method presented on the simplified manual connection webpage, the user selects the manual connection mode for the home equipment. The home equipment then transmits an ad-hoc connection SSID containing the unique identification number of the home equipment. The mobile device detects this ad-hoc connection SSID and displays it on its screen. When the user selects the displayed ad-hoc connection SSID, the information processing unit performs the aforementioned ad-hoc connection completion process. This inputs the ad-hoc connection password corresponding to the unique identification number of the home equipment onto the simplified manual connection webpage, completing the ad-hoc connection between the home equipment and the mobile device.

[0014] Once the ad-hoc connection is complete, the user operates the mobile device according to the manual connection method presented on the simplified manual connection web page. When the mobile device requests a transition to the wireless LAN connection web page, the information processing unit performs the aforementioned web page transition process, and the wireless LAN connection web page corresponding to the unique identification number of the home equipment is displayed on the mobile device's display. Subsequently, the information processing unit performs the aforementioned router information input process, and the SSID and password for the wireless LAN connection are entered into and displayed on the wireless LAN connection web page. When the user confirms the displayed information, the manual connection setup between the home equipment and the wireless LAN router is completed.

[0015] In other words, with this configuration, the operation method for manually connecting the home equipment and the wireless LAN router is displayed on the mobile device's display as the manual connection method. When the user performs various operations according to this manual connection method, the information processing unit appropriately performs the aforementioned redirection process, ad-hoc connection completion process, web page transition process, and router information input process in accordance with the operations, thereby completing the manual connection setup between the home equipment and the wireless LAN router.

[0016] Therefore, this system simplifies manual connection settings, making it easy to configure the connection between home equipment and a wireless LAN router, especially if the instruction manual is lost, without requiring the input of passwords or other information listed in the instruction manual or the scanning of QR codes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the manual connection simplification system. [Figure 2] Front view of the remote control showing the placement of the QR code. [Figure 3] (A) shows a diagram illustrating the scanning of a QR code with a smartphone, (B) shows the state where the SSID for ad-hoc connection is entered in the address bar, and (C) shows the state where the simplified manual connection web page is displayed. [Figure 4] (A) is a diagram showing a state where a web page related to connection between a smartphone and a wireless LAN router is displayed, (B) is a diagram showing a state where a web page presenting confirmation of the SSID and password of the wireless LAN router to be used for connection is displayed, and (C) is a diagram showing a state where a web page prompting input of the SSID and password of the wireless LAN router to be used for connection is displayed [Figure 5] (A) is a diagram showing a state where a web page related to a connection method between a remote controller and a wireless LAN router is displayed, (B) is a diagram showing a state where confirmation of the type of the remote controller to be connected and a selection operation are presented, and (C) is a diagram showing a state where a selection operation for automatic connection and manual connection to the wireless LAN router to be connected and the like are presented [Figure 6] (A) is a diagram showing a state where an operation method for setting the remote controller to a manual connection mode is presented, (B) is a diagram showing a state where an operation for confirming whether connection to an ad-hoc network is necessary and the like are presented, (C) is a diagram showing a state where successful connection to the ad-hoc network is presented, and (D) is a diagram showing a state where it is presented that the remote controller is connected to the wireless LAN router [Figure 7] (A) is a diagram showing a state where a web page for wireless LAN connection is displayed, and (B) is a diagram showing a state where it is displayed that success or failure of the connection between the remote controller and the wireless LAN router is to be confirmed [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the manual connection simplification system according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, in the present embodiment, there is exemplified a manual connection simplification system that performs a manual connection operation between a remote controller 2 of a hot water supply heater, which is an example of a household equipment device connectable to the Internet 1, and a wireless LAN router 3, using a smartphone 4 which is an example of a portable information terminal.

[0020] Although not shown in the diagram, the remote control 2 is equipped with a wireless communication module that enables wireless communication with the smartphone 4 and with the wireless LAN router 3.

[0021] Furthermore, the residential equipment is not limited to the remote control 2 for the water heater / heating system, but may also include, for example, a remote control for an internet-connected EneFarm (registered trademark), gas-related equipment such as a gas alarm, or home appliances such as an air conditioner or vacuum cleaner. Also, the portable information terminal is not limited to a smartphone 4, but may also include, for example, a tablet computer or a notebook computer.

[0022] The manual connection simplification system includes a QR code (registered trademark) 5 (see Figure 2), which is an example of a two-dimensional code to which an SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​for ad-hoc connection with remote control 2 is registered; an information management unit 6 for managing various information; an information processing unit 7 for performing various information processing based on the management information of the information management unit 6; and an operation terminal 8 for inputting and registering various information with the information management unit 6. The ad-hoc connection SSID registered in the QR code 5 is unique to each remote control 2 by including the MAC address as a unique identification number assigned to the remote control 2.

[0023] Furthermore, the two-dimensional code is not limited to QR Code 5; other codes such as DataMatrix (registered trademark) or PDF417 may also be used.

[0024] The manual connection simplification system performs a connection operation prompting process, which, when the QR code 5 is read by the smartphone 4, prompts the user to perform the necessary steps for connecting the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 via the smartphone 4.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the QR code 5, along with the MAC address of the remote control 2, is located on the back of the opening / closing cover 2A on the remote control 2. This prevents damage to the QR code 5. Furthermore, the QR code 5 may be provided on the remote control 2 in a form that is displayed on the display unit 2B of the remote control 2 by a predetermined operation, such as operating a dedicated switch provided on the remote control 2.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the information management unit 6 and the information processing unit 7 are located on an external server S connected to the Internet 1, which has a communication module (not shown) and the like. Although not shown in the diagram, the information management unit 6 has memory and storage, and centrally manages various device information such as multiple MAC addresses, manufacturer codes, and manufacturing years, which differ for each remote control 2, as well as the URL of a manual connection simplification web page (Uniform Resource Locator) corresponding to that device information, a password for ad-hoc connection, and the URL of a web page for wireless LAN connection as management information. The manual connection simplification web page is located on the information management unit 6, and the wireless LAN connection web page is located on the remote control 2.

[0027] Although not shown in the diagram, the information processing unit 7 has a CPU and control programs for information processing, and performs various information processing using the wireless communication module, browser, and automatic input function provided in the smartphone 4.

[0028] The operating terminal 8 is a personal computer owned by a manufacturer or the like that is connected to the server S via the Internet 1 or the like, and various information such as the MAC address and manufacturer code mentioned above is registered in the information management unit 6 of the server S by the manufacturer or the like using the operating terminal 8.

[0029] When the QR code 5 is read by the smartphone 4 and a connection to the ad-hoc connection SSID is requested, the information processing unit 7, based on the management information of the information management unit 6, redirects the user to a manual connection simplification web page corresponding to the MAC address included in the ad-hoc connection SSID, and performs a redirection process to display the manual connection simplification web page on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4.

[0030] When the manual connection mode of the remote control 2 is selected and the SSID for ad-hoc connection included in the beacon signal transmitted from the remote control 2 is detected by the smartphone 4, the information processing unit 7 performs an ad-hoc connection completion process based on the management information of the information management unit 6, using the ad-hoc connection password corresponding to the MAC address included in the ad-hoc connection SSID to complete the ad-hoc connection between the remote control 2 and the smartphone 4.

[0031] When a smartphone 4 connected to the wireless LAN router 3 requests a transition to a web page for wireless LAN connection, the information processing unit 7 performs a web page transition process to transition the web page displayed on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4 from the manual connection simplification web page to the wireless LAN connection web page corresponding to the MAC address of the remote control 2 to be connected. It also performs a router information input process to input and display the SSID and password for wireless LAN connection on the wireless LAN connection web page.

[0032] The following describes the method for presenting connection operation instructions between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 using a smartphone 4, based on the connection operation instruction processing of the simplified manual connection system exemplified in this embodiment.

[0033] First, as shown in Figure 3(A), the user operates their smartphone 4 to read the QR code 5 on the remote control 2 (see Figure 2). This initiates the connection operation prompting process by the manual connection simplification system.

[0034] Then, using the automatic input function of the smartphone 4, as shown in Figure 3(B), the SSID for ad-hoc connection with the remote control 2 registered in the QR code 5 is entered into the address bar 4a displayed on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. At the same time, the wireless communication module of the smartphone 4 transmits information including the ad-hoc connection SSID to the information processing unit 7 of the server S, and requests the information processing unit 7 to connect to the ad-hoc network having that SSID.

[0035] However, since the aforementioned ad-hoc network does not exist at this stage, as shown in Figure 3(B), the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4 displays a message indicating that no information matching the SSID for ad-hoc connection was found.

[0036] Meanwhile, the information processing unit 7 performs the redirection process described above upon receiving a request to connect to the ad-hoc network. In this redirection process, the information processing unit 7 first extracts from the information management unit 6 a URL for a simplified manual connection web page that presents a manual connection method corresponding to the device information of the remote control 2 having the MAC address included in the ad-hoc connection SSID. This URL, along with a command to transition to that URL, is then sent to the smartphone 4. Upon receiving the URL and transition command, the browser of smartphone 4 displays a simplified manual connection web page corresponding to the remote control 2 to be connected, on the display unit 4A of smartphone 4, as shown in Figure 3(C). On this manual connection simplification web page, as shown in Figure 3(C), the user is informed that the manual connection method between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 will be presented, and then the "Next" button 4b is displayed to prompt the user to proceed to the next web page.

[0037] Subsequently, when the user performs the operation to transition to the next web page in accordance with the instructions on the manual connection simplification web page (by touching the "Next" operation unit 4b mentioned above; subsequent transition operations will be performed in the same manner), the browser on the smartphone 4 will display a web page regarding the connection between the smartphone 4 and the wireless LAN router 3 on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4, as shown in Figure 4.

[0038] In the web page shown in Figure 4(A), the user is informed of the frequency band to be used for this connection, and then prompted to proceed to the next web page. When the user proceeds to the next web page as prompted, the browser displays the web page shown in Figure 4(B) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. On this web page, the user is prompted to confirm the SSID and password of the frequency band of the wireless LAN router 3 used for the connection, and then prompted to proceed to the next web page.

[0039] When the user performs the operation to transition to the next web page as shown in Figure 4(B), the browser displays the web page shown in Figure 4(C) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. On this web page, the user is prompted to open the Wi-Fi settings screen of the smartphone 4, select the SSID for the connection frequency band confirmed from the available SSIDs displayed on the settings screen, and enter the password. After completion, the user is prompted to transition to the next web page.

[0040] Then, following the instructions on the web page shown in Figure 4(C), the user completes the operation of selecting the SSID of the confirmed connection frequency band and entering the password, and then proceeds to the next web page. At that time, the connection between the smartphone 4 and the wireless LAN router 3 is completed, and the SSID and password of the connection frequency band of the wireless LAN router 3 that were selected or entered are stored in the memory of the smartphone 4 as the SSID and password of the wireless LAN router 3 to be used for manual connection between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3. Then, as shown in Figure 5, the web page regarding the connection between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 is displayed on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4.

[0041] The web page shown in Figure 5(A) informs the user that instructions on how to connect the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 will be provided, and then prompts them to proceed to the next web page. When the user follows these instructions and proceeds to the next web page, the browser displays the web page shown in Figure 5(B) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. On this web page, multiple icons 4c1 to 4c3 corresponding to the type of remote control 2 are displayed, and the user is prompted to confirm and select the type of remote control 2 to connect, and then prompted to proceed to the next web page after completion.

[0042] Then, following the instructions on the web page shown in Figure 5(B), the user completes the selection operation by touching one of the icons 4c1 to 4c3 corresponding to the type of remote control 2 they have confirmed, and then proceeds to the next web page. The browser then displays the web page shown in Figure 5(C) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. On this web page, the user is prompted to confirm whether there is an automatic connection button on the wireless LAN router 3 to be connected to, and the operation units 4d for "Automatically connect" and 4e for "Manually connect" as connection methods to the wireless LAN router 3 are displayed, offering the user the option to choose between automatic and manual connection. After completion, the user is then prompted to proceed to the next web page.

[0043] Meanwhile, in the information management unit 6, once the selection of the type of remote control 2 to connect to is completed on the web page shown in Figure 5(B), a presentation information selection process is performed to select the subsequent presentation information according to the selected type of remote control 2.

[0044] Following the instructions on the web page shown in Figure 5(C), when the user selects manual connection as the connection method by touching the "Connect Manually" operation unit 4e, and then proceeds to the next web page, the browser displays the web page shown in Figure 6(A) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. This web page presents instructions on how to set the connection mode of the remote control 2 to manual connection mode. For example, the operation method involves operating the operation switch 2C on the remote control 2 shown in Figure 2 to turn the operation state to "Off," and then long-pressing the automatic switch 2D. After that, the user operates the automatic switch 2D to change the item number displayed on the display unit 2B of the remote control 2 to "02," and then operates the confirm switch 2E.

[0045] Subsequently, when the user performs the above operation on the remote control 2 in accordance with the instructions on the web page shown in Figure 6(A), the connection mode of the remote control 2 is set to manual connection mode, and a beacon signal containing the MAC address of the remote control 2 and an ad-hoc connection SSID is transmitted from the remote control 2. When this beacon signal is detected by the smartphone 4, as shown in Figure 6(B), a message asking whether or not to connect to the ad-hoc network with this SSID, along with a "Yes" button 4f and a "No" button 4g, will pop up on the display 4A of the smartphone 4, along with the ad-hoc connection SSID included in the beacon signal.

[0046] In the display state shown in Figure 6(B), when the user touches the "Yes" operation unit 4f, the wireless communication module of the smartphone 4 sends information including the SSID for ad-hoc connection to the information processing unit 7 of the server S, and the information processing unit 7 is requested to connect to the ad-hoc network having that SSID.

[0047] At this stage, since an ad-hoc network exists, the information processing unit 7 performs the ad-hoc connection completion process described above. In this ad-hoc connection completion process, the information processing unit 7 extracts the ad-hoc connection password corresponding to the device information of the remote control 2 having the MAC address included in the ad-hoc connection SSID from the information management unit 6, and sends a connection command to the smartphone 4 along with the password to connect to the remote control 2 using that password. In response, the wireless communication module of the smartphone 4 performs an ad-hoc connection with the remote control 2 using that password, and the ad-hoc connection between the remote control 2 and the smartphone 4 is completed.

[0048] Once the ad-hoc connection is complete, the browser displays the web page shown in Figure 6(C) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. This web page displays the SSID for the ad-hoc connection, along with a message indicating that the connection to the ad-hoc network with this SSID was successful, and then prompts the user to proceed to the next web page.

[0049] When the user performs the operation to transition to the next web page as shown in Figure 6(C), the browser displays the web page shown in Figure 6(D) on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4. This web page informs the user that the remote control 2 will now connect to the wireless LAN router 3, and then prompts them to transition to the next web page.

[0050] Subsequently, when the user performs a transition operation to the next web page according to the web page presentation shown in Figure 6(D), the information processing unit 7 performs the aforementioned web page transition process and router information input process accordingly.

[0051] Then, in the web page transition process, first, the information processing unit 7 extracts the URL of the wireless LAN connection web page corresponding to the MAC address of the remote control 2 to be connected from the information management unit 6, and a command to transition to that URL is sent to the smartphone 4 along with that URL. Then, the URL is entered into the address bar 4a of the smartphone 4 by the auto-input function of the smartphone 4 (see Figure 7(A)), and accordingly, the web page displayed on the display unit 4A by the browser of the smartphone 4 changes from the manual connection simplification web page shown in Figure 6(D) to the wireless LAN connection web page corresponding to the MAC address of the remote control 2 to be connected, as shown in Figure 7(A).

[0052] Furthermore, in the router information input process, first, the information processing unit 7 sends an information input command to the smartphone 4 instructing it to input the SSID and password of the currently connected wireless LAN router 3, which are stored in the smartphone 4's memory, into the SSID input section 4h and password input section 4j provided on the wireless LAN connection web page. Then, as shown in Figure 7(A), the SSID and password are entered into the SSID input section 4h and password input section 4j on the wireless LAN connection web page by the auto-input function of the smartphone 4.

[0053] Subsequently, when the user touches the "Confirm" operation button 4k on the wireless LAN connection webpage, the webpage shown in Figure 7(B) is displayed on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4 via the smartphone's browser. This webpage presents examples of the display status on the display unit 2B of the remote control 2 in both the case where the connection between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 is successful and the case where it fails, prompting the user to confirm whether the connection between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 is successful or not.

[0054] Subsequently, when the user touches the "Complete" operation unit 4m displayed on the display unit 4A, following the instructions on the web page shown in Figure 7(B), the connection operation guidance process by the manual connection simplification system is terminated.

[0055] As described above, by using the connection operation presentation process of the manual connection simplification system, the operation method for manually connecting the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 is displayed on the display unit 4A of the smartphone 4 as the manual connection method. When the user performs various operations in accordance with this manual connection method, the information processing unit 7 appropriately performs the aforementioned redirection process, ad-hoc connection completion process, web page transition process, and router information input process in accordance with the various operations, thereby completing the manual connection setting between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3.

[0056] Therefore, this system provides a simplified manual connection system that allows for easy manual connection setup between the remote control 2 and the wireless LAN router 3, especially in cases where the instruction manual has been lost, without requiring the input of passwords or other information as described in the instruction manual, or the scanning of QR codes.

[0057] [Another embodiment] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Furthermore, the configurations of each embodiment described below are not limited to being applied individually, but can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other embodiments.

[0058] (1) In the above embodiment, as a manual connection simplification system, a manual connection operation was exemplified in which the connection settings between the remote control (home equipment) 2 and the wireless LAN router 3 are manually configured using an existing communication module, browser, and auto-input function on a smartphone (personal information terminal) 4. However, the system is not limited to this, and for example, a smartphone (personal information terminal) 4 with a dedicated application pre-installed may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Internet 2. Remote control (for home equipment) 3. Wireless LAN router 4. Smartphone (Mobile Information Terminal) 4A display section 6 Information Management Department 7. Information Processing Department

Claims

[Claim 1] A manual connection simplification system that assists in the manual connection operation of setting up the connection between internet-connected home equipment and a wireless LAN router using a mobile information terminal, A two-dimensional code provided on the said residential equipment is registered with an SSID for ad-hoc connection to the said residential equipment, which includes a unique identification number assigned to the said residential equipment, An information management unit manages equipment information including at least multiple unique identification numbers different for each of the aforementioned residential equipment, a URL for a manual connection simplification web page that presents a manual connection method corresponding to the equipment information, a password for ad-hoc connection, and a URL for a web page for wireless LAN connection. The system is equipped with an information processing unit that performs various information processing based on the management information of the aforementioned information management unit, When the mobile information terminal reads the two-dimensional code and requests a connection to the ad-hoc connection SSID, the information processing unit performs a redirection process to redirect to a manual connection simplification web page corresponding to the unique identification number included in the ad-hoc connection SSID, and to display the manual connection simplification web page on the display unit of the mobile information terminal. The information processing unit, when the manual connection mode of the residential equipment is selected and the SSID for ad-hoc connection transmitted from the residential equipment is detected by the mobile information terminal, performs an ad-hoc connection completion process to complete the ad-hoc connection between the residential equipment and the mobile information terminal using the ad-hoc connection password corresponding to the unique identification number included in the ad-hoc connection SSID. The information processing unit performs a web page transition process when the mobile information terminal connected to the wireless LAN router requests a transition to the web page for wireless LAN connection, transitioning the web page displayed on the display unit of the mobile information terminal from the manual connection simplification web page to the web page for wireless LAN connection corresponding to the unique identification number, and also performs a router information input process to input and display the SSID and password for wireless LAN connection on the web page for wireless LAN connection.

Images