Home Appliance Systems

Abstract

To provide a home appliance system capable of notifying users of more effective information.SOLUTION: A home appliance system 100 includes first home appliances (10A to 10E). The home appliance system 100 includes a communication unit 51, a control unit 55, and a notification unit 15. The communication unit 51 acquires related information related to second home appliances (10A to 10E). The control unit 55 generates notification information based on the related information on the second home appliances (10A to 10E) in operation. The notification unit 15 is disposed in the first home appliances (10A to 10E) and notifies of the notification information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a home appliance system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for notifying a user of information on a home appliance. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a message receiving device that receives message information on a home appliance from a device cooperation server. The message receiving device displays the message information on a screen output unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-228053 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the message receiving device of Patent Document 1, a message is displayed on a screen output unit according to the individual operating status of each home appliance. That is, when a message about a certain home appliance is displayed, the message is displayed regardless of the operating status of other home appliances. Therefore, it is difficult to notify the user of more useful information.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a home appliance system capable of notifying a user of more useful information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A home appliance system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first home appliance. The home appliance system includes an acquisition unit, a control unit, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires associated information related to a second home appliance. The control unit generates notification information based on the associated information of the second home appliance in operation. The notification unit is disposed in the first home appliance and notifies the notification information. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a home appliance system capable of notifying a user of more useful information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a home appliance system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 6 is a flowchart showing a process of a first home electric appliance according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of a second home electric appliance according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing a process of a server according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0010] A home appliance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. In this specification, a home appliance means what is generally called a "home appliance" and does not include a personal computer, a smart speaker, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a home appliance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] (Overall configuration of home appliance system 100) The overall configuration of the home appliance system 100 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the home appliance system 100 includes at least one home appliance 10. In this embodiment, the home appliance system 100 further includes a server 50. Also, in this embodiment, the home appliance system 100 includes multiple home appliances 10. Note that when the home appliance system 100 includes only one home appliance 10, the home appliance 10 is an example of a "first home appliance" of the present invention. Also, when the home appliance system 100 includes multiple home appliances 10, one home appliance 10 is an example of a "first home appliance" of the present invention, and the other home appliance 10 is an example of a "second home appliance" of the present invention.

[0012] A plurality of home appliances 10 are arranged in one building 1. The building 1 includes, for example, a house. The plurality of home appliances 10 include home appliances 10A to 10E. The home appliances 10A to 10E communicate with a server 50 via a communication network 200. In this embodiment, the home appliances 10A to 10E are connected to the communication network 200 via a router 30. The communication network 200 includes, for example, the Internet and a public telephone network. In this embodiment, the home appliance 10A is, for example, a washing machine. The home appliance 10B is, for example, an air conditioner. The home appliance 10C is, for example, a rice cooker. The home appliance 10D is, for example, a microwave oven. The home appliance 10E is, for example, a vacuum cleaner. The home appliance 10C (rice cooker) and the home appliance 10D (microwave oven) are examples of the "cooking appliance" of the present invention. In the drawings, for ease of understanding, the home electric appliances 10A to 10E are respectively described as a "washing machine," a "air conditioner," a "rice cooker," a "microwave oven," and a "vacuum cleaner."

[0013] The multiple home appliances 10 communicate with each other directly or indirectly. In this embodiment, the multiple home appliances 10 communicate with each other indirectly. Specifically, the multiple home appliances 10 communicate with each other via the communication network 200 and the server 50. The indirect communication between the home appliances 10 refers to uploading information from one home appliance 10 to the server 50 and downloading information from the server 50 to the other home appliance 10.

[0014] (Configuration of home appliance 10) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a home appliance 10 according to the present embodiment. First, the configuration of the home appliance 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, each home appliance 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, a drive unit 13, an operation unit 14, a notification unit 15, and a control unit 19. In this embodiment, each home appliance 10 further includes a detection unit 16 and a timing unit 17.

[0015] The communication unit 11 is an interface device for wireless communication. The communication unit 11 is, for example, a network interface controller. In this embodiment, the home appliance 10 uses the communication unit 11 to indirectly communicate wirelessly with another home appliance 10.

[0016] The communication unit 11 transmits relevant information related to the home appliance 10 to the server 50. Specifically, the relevant information related to the home appliance 10 includes, for example, information indicating an operation status of the home appliance 10. Hereinafter, the information indicating the operation status may be referred to as operation information.

[0017] The operation information of the home appliance 10 includes, for example, information indicating that the operation unit 14 has been operated. The operation information of the home appliance 10 also includes, for example, information regarding the time when the operation of the home appliance 10 will end. The information regarding the time when the operation of the home appliance 10 will end includes, for example, at least one of the time when the operation of the home appliance 10 will end, the time until the operation of the home appliance 10 will end, and the period from the start to the end of the operation of the home appliance 10. The operation information of the home appliance 10 also includes, for example, information indicating that the home appliance 10 has started to operate, and information indicating that the home appliance 10 has stopped to operate. The related information related to the home appliance 10 also includes, for example, information indicating the surrounding environment detected by the detection unit 16 of the home appliance 10.

[0018] Furthermore, the communication unit 11 receives notification information from the server 50. The notification information is information that the notification unit 15 notifies the user. Specifically, the notification information includes, for example, advice information regarding the use of the home appliance 10. Furthermore, the advice information includes, for example, information encouraging the user to change the timing for starting the operation of the home appliance 10.

[0019] The storage unit 12 includes a storage device and stores data and computer programs. The storage unit 12 is, for example, an example of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the storage unit 12 includes a main storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and an auxiliary storage device such as a semiconductor memory, a solid-state drive, and / or a hard disk drive. The storage unit 12 may include a removable medium. The storage unit 12 also stores registration information registered by a user, detection information detected by the detection unit 16, information received from the server 50, and the like.

[0020] The driving unit 13 includes a driving device in each home electric appliance 10. The driving unit 13 includes, for example, a heating device, a motor, a pump, or the like.

[0021] The operation unit 14 receives input operations by a user and includes, for example, a power switch, an operation panel, and a remote control.

[0022] The notification unit 15 notifies the notification information. Specifically, the notification unit 15 notifies the notification information generated based on the related information of the other home appliances 10 in operation. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user of information according to the related information of the other home appliances 10. As a result, it is possible to notify the user of more effective information than when, for example, notification is based only on the related information related to one home appliance 10. The notification information generated based on the related information of the other home appliances 10 and the effect obtained by the notification information will be described in detail in a specific example described later. In this specification and claims, "operating" indicates that the drive unit 13 is operating. Specifically, "operating" indicates, for example, washing in a washing machine, and blowing cold or warm air in an air conditioner. Also, "operating" indicates, for example, heating in a rice cooker and an oven range, and suction in a vacuum cleaner.

[0023] In this embodiment, the notification unit 15 includes a sound generating unit that generates sound. Therefore, the notification unit 15 can notify the user of the notification information by sound. For example, the sound generating unit includes a notification device such as a speaker. The notification unit 15 outputs the notification information as, for example, sound. Hereinafter, outputting as sound may be referred to as speaking.

[0024] The detection unit 16 is, for example, a detection sensor. The detection unit 16 detects, for example, the surrounding environment of the home appliance 10. Specifically, the detection unit 16 may detect the humidity and temperature around the home appliance 10. For example, the detection unit 16 may be disposed in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner and detect the humidity and temperature outside the building 1. The detection unit 16 may also detect a person.

[0025] The timer unit 17 measures time.

[0026] The control unit 19 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor of the control unit 19 executes a computer program stored in the storage device of the storage unit 12 to communicate with the server 50 and transmit information input to the operation unit 14 to the server 50.

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit 19 transmits an alarm information request signal to the server 50 in response to the operation unit 14 being operated by the user. That is, the control unit 19 requests the alarm information from the server 50. When the communication unit 11 receives the alarm information from the server 50, the control unit 19 causes the alarm unit 15 to notify the alarm information.

[0028] The notification information request signal also includes operation schedule information. The operation schedule information is information obtained by a user's operation on operation unit 14. For example, in a washing machine, a rice cooker, and a microwave oven, the operation schedule information includes information indicating a period from the start to the end of the operation of home appliance 10. For example, in an air conditioner, the operation schedule information includes information indicating a set temperature. For example, in a vacuum cleaner, the operation schedule information includes information indicating that the power button has been pressed.

[0029] (Server 50 Configuration) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of server 50 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, server 50 includes communication unit 51, storage unit 52, and control unit 55. Server 50 may further include a clock unit 53. Clock unit 53 measures time. Communication unit 51 is an example of the "acquisition unit" of the present invention. Control unit 55 is an example of the "control unit" of the present invention.

[0030] The communication unit 51 is an interface device for connecting to the communication network 200. The communication unit 51 acquires relevant information related to the home appliance 10 from the home appliance 10. In addition, the communication unit 51 receives a report information request signal from the home appliance 10.

[0031] The storage unit 52 includes a storage device and stores data and computer programs. The storage unit 52 is, for example, an example of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the storage unit 52 includes a main storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and an auxiliary storage device such as a semiconductor memory, a solid-state drive, and / or a hard disk drive. The storage unit 52 may include removable media. The storage unit 52 stores registration information of the home appliance 10 registered by the user, and information received from the home appliance 10.

[0032] The control unit 55 includes a processor such as a CPU. The processor of the control unit 55 executes a computer program stored in the storage device of the storage unit 52 to communicate with the home appliance 10, generate data based on information received from the home appliance 10, and store the data in the storage unit 52.

[0033] The control unit 55 also performs various determinations. For example, when the control unit 55 receives a notification information request signal from one home appliance 10, the control unit 55 determines whether the other home appliance 10 is in operation based on the related information of the other home appliance 10 stored in the storage unit 52. For example, the control unit 55 also determines whether to generate notification information based on the related information stored in the storage unit 52.

[0034] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates the notification information based on, for example, the related information. The control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the home appliance 10 that transmitted the notification information request signal. On the other hand, when the notification information is not to be transmitted, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit a non-notification signal to the home appliance 10 that transmitted the notification information request signal. The non-notification signal includes information indicating that the notification information is not to be transmitted.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates notification information in response to the user operating the operation unit 14. Therefore, the control unit 55 can generate notification information based on the associated information related to the other home electric appliances 10 and the information input by the user to the operation unit 14. As a result, the control unit 55 can notify the user of more useful information.

[0036] In this embodiment, since the control unit 55 arranged in the server 50 generates the notification information, the control unit 19 of each home appliance 10 does not need to generate the notification information. Therefore, an increase in the amount of data processing in each home appliance 10 can be suppressed.

[0037] Next, with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, a process in which a first home electric device notifies an operating second home electric device of notification information based on associated information will be described using specific examples (first to fifth examples).

[0038] [Example 1] In the first example, the home appliance 10A (washing machine) is an example of the "first home appliance" of the present invention. The home appliance 10D (microwave oven) is an example of the "second home appliance" of the present invention.

[0039] When the operation unit 14 of the home appliance 10A is operated by a user and set to a predetermined operation mode, the communication unit 11 of the home appliance 10A transmits a notification information request signal to the server 50. The notification information request signal includes operation schedule information indicating the operation end time of the home appliance 10A.

[0040] The control unit 55 of the server 50 determines whether the home appliance 10D is operating. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10D is operating based on the related information of the home appliance 10D stored in the storage unit 52. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10D is operating based on the operation information of the home appliance 10D.

[0041] Then, when the home appliance 10D is operating, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate notification information based on the operation schedule information of the home appliance 10A and the related information of the home appliance 10D. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate notification information based on the operation schedule information of the home appliance 10A and the operation information of the home appliance 10D. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines to generate notification information when the operation end scheduled time of the home appliance 10A and the operation end time of the home appliance 10D are within a predetermined time difference. In other words, when the home appliance 10A and the home appliance 10D end their operations at the same time or in the same time zone, the control unit 55 determines to generate notification information. Note that the predetermined time difference can be, for example, 10 minutes, but is not particularly limited.

[0042] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates notification information. The notification information includes advice information such as "The end time of the oven range overlaps with the start time of the laundry, so why not delay the start of the laundry?" This advice information is information that encourages the user to change the timing at which the operation of the home appliance 10A starts. Then, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the home appliance 10A. Therefore, the communication unit 51 transmits the notification information to the home appliance 10A.

[0043] The control unit 19 of the home appliance 10A controls the notification unit 15 to notify the notification information. Therefore, the notification unit 15 utters the notification information to the user. As a result, the user can shift the operation end time of the home appliance 10A from the operation end time of the home appliance 10D.

[0044] As described above with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, in the first example, the related information of the home appliance 10D includes information indicating the operation status of the home appliance 10D. Therefore, it is possible to generate notification information according to the operation status of the home appliance 10D. As a result, it is possible to notify the user of useful information according to the operation status of the home appliance 10D.

[0045] In the first example, the information indicating the operation status of the home appliance 10D includes information related to the time when the operation of the home appliance 10D ends. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user of information encouraging the user to shift the time when the operation of the home appliance 10A ends from the time when the operation of the home appliance 10D ends.

[0046] Moreover, in the first example, the notification information includes advice information regarding the use of the home appliance 10 A. Therefore, the user can use the home appliance 10 A more effectively.

[0047] In the first example, the advice information is information that encourages the user to change the timing at which the operation of the home appliance 10A starts. Therefore, by changing the timing at which the user starts the operation of the home appliance 10A, the time at which the operation of the home appliance 10A ends and the time at which the operation of the home appliance 10D ends can be easily shifted.

[0048] [Example 2] In the second example, the home appliance 10D (microwave oven) is an example of the "first home appliance" of the present invention, and the home appliance 10C (rice cooker) is an example of the "second home appliance" of the present invention.

[0049] When the operation unit 14 of the home appliance 10D is operated by a user and set to a predetermined operation mode, the communication unit 11 of the home appliance 10D transmits a notification information request signal to the server 50. The notification information request signal includes operation schedule information indicating the operation end time of the home appliance 10D.

[0050] The control unit 55 of the server 50 determines whether the home appliance 10C is operating. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10C is operating based on the related information of the home appliance 10C stored in the storage unit 52. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10C is operating based on the operation information of the home appliance 10C.

[0051] Then, when the home appliance 10C is operating, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate notification information based on the operation schedule information of the home appliance 10D and the related information of the home appliance 10C. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate notification information based on the operation schedule information of the home appliance 10D and the operation information of the home appliance 10C. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines to generate notification information when the operation end scheduled time of the home appliance 10D and the operation end time of the home appliance 10C are equal to or greater than a predetermined time difference. In other words, when the home appliance 10D and the home appliance 10C end their operations at different times or in different time periods, the control unit 55 determines to generate notification information. Note that the predetermined time difference can be, for example, 5 minutes, but is not particularly limited.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates notification information. The notification information includes advice information such as "Maybe you should delay the start of the oven range to match the finish time of the rice cooker." This advice information is information that encourages the user to change the timing of starting the operation of the home appliance 10D. Then, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the home appliance 10D. Therefore, the communication unit 51 transmits the notification information to the home appliance 10D.

[0053] The control unit 19 of the home appliance 10D controls the notification unit 15 to notify the notification information. Therefore, the notification unit 15 utters the notification information to the user. As a result, the user can match the operation end time of the home appliance 10D with the operation end time of the home appliance 10C.

[0054] In the second example described above, the information indicating the operation status of the home appliance 10C includes information regarding the time when the operation of the home appliance 10C ends. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user of information that encourages the user to match the time when the operation of the home appliance 10D ends with the time when the operation of the home appliance 10C ends. As a result, for example, the time when the food is ready in the oven range and the time when the rice is cooked in the rice cooker can be matched.

[0055] [Example 3] In the third example, the home appliance 10A (washing machine) is an example of the "first home appliance" in the present invention, and the home appliance 10B (air conditioner) is an example of the "second home appliance" in the present invention.

[0056] When the operation unit 14 of the home appliance 10A is operated by a user and set to a predetermined operation mode, the communication unit 11 of the home appliance 10A transmits a notification information request signal to the server 50. The notification information request signal includes operation schedule information indicating the operation end time of the home appliance 10A.

[0057] The control unit 55 of the server 50 determines whether the home appliance 10B is operating. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10B is operating based on the related information of the home appliance 10B stored in the storage unit 52. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10B is operating based on the operation information of the home appliance 10B.

[0058] Then, when the home appliance 10B is in operation, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate the notification information based on the related information of the home appliance 10B. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate the notification information based on the information indicating the surrounding environment detected by the detection unit 16 of the home appliance 10B. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines to generate the notification information when the humidity around the outdoor unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. In other words, when the weather is rainy or cloudy, the control unit 55 determines to generate the notification information. Note that the control unit 55 may determine whether or not to generate the notification information based on the humidity and the temperature.

[0059] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates notification information. The notification information includes advice information such as "The weather is not good, so why don't you use the drying function?" This advice information is information that encourages adding a function to the home appliance 10A. Then, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the home appliance 10A. Therefore, the communication unit 51 transmits the notification information to the home appliance 10A.

[0060] The control unit 19 of the home appliance 10A controls the notification unit 15 to notify the notification information. Therefore, the notification unit 15 utters the notification information to the user. As a result, the user can prevent the laundry from becoming half-dried by using the drying function of the home appliance 10A.

[0061] As described above, in the third example, the related information of the home appliance 10B includes information indicating the surrounding environment detected by the home appliance 10B. Therefore, it is possible to generate notification information according to the surrounding environment. As a result, it is possible to notify the user of more useful information.

[0062] [Example 4] In the fourth example, the home appliance 10E (vacuum cleaner) is an example of the "first home appliance" of the present invention, and the home appliance 10C (rice cooker) is an example of the "second home appliance" of the present invention.

[0063] When the user operates the operation unit 14 of the home appliance 10E and presses the power button, the communication unit 11 of the home appliance 10E transmits a notification information request signal to the server 50. The notification information request signal includes information indicating that the operation of the home appliance 10E is to start. Note that the home appliance 10E may immediately start its operation when the power button is pressed, or may wait for a predetermined time to receive notification information from the server 50.

[0064] The control unit 55 of the server 50 determines whether the home appliance 10C is operating. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10C is operating based on the related information of the home appliance 10C stored in the storage unit 52. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10C is operating based on the operation information of the home appliance 10C.

[0065] Then, when the home appliance 10C is operating, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate the notification information based on the related information of the home appliance 10C. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate the notification information based on the operation information of the home appliance 10C. More specifically, when the home appliance 10C is operating, the control unit 55 determines to generate the notification information.

[0066] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates notification information. The notification information includes, for example, advice information such as "There is a lot of dust, so why don't you clean a room other than the kitchen?". Then, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the home appliance 10E. Therefore, the communication unit 51 transmits the notification information to the home appliance 10E.

[0067] The control unit 19 of the home electric appliance 10E controls the notification unit 15 to notify the notification information. Therefore, the notification unit 15 speaks the notification information to the user. As a result, dust can be prevented from being generated around the home electric appliance 10C and around the food.

[0068] [Example 5] In the fifth example, the home appliance 10B (air conditioner) is an example of the "first home appliance" of the present invention, and the home appliance 10D (microwave oven) is an example of the "second home appliance" of the present invention.

[0069] When the operation unit 14 of the home electric appliance 10B is operated by a user and set to a predetermined operation mode, the communication unit 11 of the home electric appliance 10B transmits a notification information request signal to the server 50.

[0070] The control unit 55 of the server 50 determines whether the home appliance 10D is operating. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10D is operating based on the related information of the home appliance 10D stored in the storage unit 52. More specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the home appliance 10D is operating based on the operation information of the home appliance 10D.

[0071] Then, when the home appliance 10D is operating, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate the notification information based on the related information of the home appliance 10D. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate the notification information based on the operation information of the home appliance 10D. More specifically, when the home appliance 10D is operating, the control unit 55 determines to generate the notification information. In other words, when the home appliance 10D is cooking, the control unit 55 determines to generate the notification information.

[0072] Furthermore, the control unit 55 generates notification information. The notification information includes, for example, advice information such as "The heat from the oven range is making the room hot. Why don't you lower the set temperature?" Then, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the home appliance 10B. Therefore, the communication unit 51 transmits the notification information to the home appliance 10B.

[0073] The control unit 19 of the home appliance 10B controls the notification unit 15 to notify the notification information. Therefore, the notification unit 15 utters the notification information to the user. As a result, the user can lower the set temperature of the home appliance 10B to prevent the room from becoming too hot.

[0074] In the fifth example, the operation unit 14 of the home appliance 10B is operated by the user to transmit a notification information request signal from the home appliance 10B to the server 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the notification information may be generated and notified regardless of whether the operation unit 14 of the home appliance 10B is operated by the user. Specifically, the detection unit 16 may include a human sensor that detects a person, and when the home appliance 10B detects the user, the notification information request signal may be transmitted from the home appliance 10B to the server 50. Then, the control unit 55 may generate and notify the notification information when the home appliance 10D is in operation.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in the first, second, fourth and fifth examples, when the second home appliance is a cooking appliance, the operating status of the second home appliance is likely to affect the user who operates the first home appliance. Therefore, it is particularly effective to apply the present invention when the second home appliance is a cooking appliance.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in Examples 1, 3, 4, and 5, when the first home appliance includes at least one of a washing machine, an air conditioner, and a vacuum cleaner, the operating status of the first home appliance is likely to affect the user. Therefore, it is particularly effective to apply the present invention to a case where the first home appliance includes at least one of a washing machine, an air conditioner, and a vacuum cleaner.

[0077] Next, the processing of home appliance system 100 will be described. First, the processing of the first home appliance will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the first home appliance. The processing of the first home appliance includes steps S1 to S7. Note that the first home appliance is, for example, one of home appliances 10A to 10E, and the second home appliance is, for example, the other one of home appliances 10A to 10E.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 4, in step S1, the control unit 19 of the first home electric device determines whether or not the operation unit 14 has been operated by a user.

[0079] If the control unit 19 determines in step S1 that the operation unit 14 has not been operated by the user, the determination in step S1 is repeated.

[0080] On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines in step S1 that the operation unit 14 has been operated by the user, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0081] Next, in step S2, the control unit 19 controls the communication unit 11 to transmit a report information request signal to the server 50. Therefore, the communication unit 11 transmits the report information request signal to the server 50.

[0082] Next, in step S3, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the communication unit 11 has received notification information.

[0083] If the control unit 19 determines in step S3 that the communication unit 11 has not received the notification information, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0084] Next, in step S4, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the communication unit 11 has received a non-announcement signal.

[0085] If the control unit 19 determines in step S4 that the communication unit 11 has not received a non-announcement signal, the process returns to step S3.

[0086] On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines in step S4 that the communication unit 11 has received a non-notification signal, the process proceeds to step S6. In this case, notification of notification information is not performed.

[0087] If the control unit 19 determines in step S3 that the communication unit 11 has received the notification information, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0088] Next, in step S5, the control unit 19 controls the notification unit 15 to notify the notification information, so that the notification unit 15 utters the notification information to the user.

[0089] Next, in step S6, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the user has operated the operation unit 14. The user's operation in step S6 includes, for example, an input operation for changing the operation start time and an input operation for starting the operation of the first home electric appliance.

[0090] If the control unit 19 determines in step S6 that the operation unit 14 has not been operated by the user, the determination in step S6 is repeated.

[0091] On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines in step S6 that the operation unit 14 has been operated by the user, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0092] Next, in step S7, the control unit 19 controls the first home electric device in accordance with the input operation by the user, and the processing of the first home electric device is then completed.

[0093] Next, the process of the second home electric appliance will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the process of the second home electric appliance. The process of the second home electric appliance includes steps S11 to S14.

[0094] 5, in step S11, the control unit 19 of the second home electric device determines whether or not a user has input an instruction to start an operation to the operation unit 14. Specifically, the control unit 19 determines whether or not an operation start button or a power button has been pressed.

[0095] If the control unit 19 determines in step S11 that the user has not input an instruction to start the operation, the determination in step S11 is repeated.

[0096] On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines in step S11 that the user has input an instruction to start the operation, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0097] Next, in step S12, the control unit 19 drives the driving unit 13 in accordance with the operation mode etc. set by the user, so that the second home electric appliance starts operating.

[0098] Next, in step S13, the control unit 19 controls the communication unit 11 to transmit the related information of the second home electric appliance to the server 50. Thus, the communication unit 11 transmits the related information of the second home electric appliance to the server 50.

[0099] Next, in step S14, when the scheduled operation time has elapsed or the stop button has been pressed, control unit 19 stops driving unit 13. Thus, the second home electric appliance stops operating. Then, the processing of the second home electric appliance ends.

[0100] Next, the processing of the server 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of the server 50. The processing of the server 50 includes steps S21 to S27.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 6, in step S21, the control unit 55 of the server 50 determines whether the communication unit 51 has received the related information of the second home electric appliance.

[0102] If the control unit 55 determines in step S21 that the communication unit 51 has not received the related information of the second home electric appliance, the determination in step S21 is repeated.

[0103] On the other hand, if the control unit 55 determines in step S21 that the communication unit 51 has received the related information of the second home electric appliance, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0104] Next, in step S22, the control unit 55 determines whether or not the communication unit 51 has received a report information request signal from the first home electric appliance.

[0105] If the control unit 55 determines in step S22 that the communication unit 51 has not received the broadcast information request signal, the determination in step S22 is repeated.

[0106] On the other hand, if the control unit 55 determines in step S22 that the communication unit 51 has received the notification information request signal, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0107] Next, in step S23, the control unit 55 determines whether the second home appliance is operating based on the related information of the second home appliance. Specifically, the control unit 55 determines whether the second home appliance is operating based on the operation information of the second home appliance stored in the storage unit 52.

[0108] If the control unit 55 determines in step S23 that the second home electric appliance is not in operation, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0109] Next, in step S24, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit a non-alarm signal to the first home electric appliance. Thus, the communication unit 51 transmits the non-alarm signal to the first home electric appliance. Then, the process of the server 50 ends.

[0110] If the control unit 55 determines in step S23 that the second home electric device is in operation, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0111] Next, in step S25, control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate notification information to be transmitted to the first home electric device. Specifically, control unit 55 determines whether or not to generate notification information based on the related information of the second home electric device stored in storage unit 52.

[0112] If the control unit 55 determines in step S25 that notification information should not be generated, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0113] On the other hand, if the control unit 55 determines in step S25 that notification information is to be generated, the process proceeds to step S26.

[0114] Next, in step S26, the control unit 55 generates notification information based on the related information of the second home electric appliance.

[0115] Next, in step S27, the control unit 55 controls the communication unit 51 to transmit the notification information to the first home electric appliance. Thus, the communication unit 51 transmits the notification information to the first home electric appliance. Then, the process of the server 50 ends.

[0116] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be appropriately combined. The drawings are mainly shown schematically for ease of understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of drawing. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are only examples and are not particularly limited, and various changes are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

[0117] For example, in the above embodiment, the notification unit 15 includes a sound generating unit that generates a sound, but the present invention is not limited to this. The notification unit 15 may include a display unit that displays notification information.

[0118] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the server 50 generates the notification information, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first home electric appliance may generate the notification information.

[0119] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which home appliance system 100 includes a first home appliance, a second home appliance, and server 50, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the home appliance system does not need to include the second home appliance and server 50. That is, the home appliance system may be configured by a first home appliance in which an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the second home appliance, a control unit that generates notification information, and a notification unit that notifies the notification information are arranged.

[0120] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example in which the multiple home appliances 10 communicate with each other indirectly has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the multiple home appliances 10 may communicate with each other directly without going through the server 50. Furthermore, the multiple home appliances 10 may communicate with each other directly without going through the router 30. In this case, the home appliances 10 may perform short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). Note that even when the multiple home appliances 10 communicate with each other via the router 30, the case in which they communicate with each other without going through the server 50 is included in the case of direct communication.

[0121] In addition, in the first to fifth examples, examples in which the notification information includes advice information have been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the notification information does not have to include advice information. For example, in the first example, the notification information may include information such as "The end time of the oven range and the washing machine will overlap", information indicating the time until the operation of the washing machine ends, or information indicating the end times of the oven range and the washing machine.

[0122] In the present embodiment, when the server 50 receives the notification information request signal in step S22, the server 50 determines whether the second home appliance is in operation based on the related information received in step S21, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the server 50 receives the notification information request signal, the server 50 may transmit a related information request signal requesting related information to the second home appliance. After that, the server 50 may determine whether the second home appliance is in operation based on the related information received from the second home appliance.

[0123] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the second home appliance transmits related information to the server 50 after starting its operation, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the second home appliance may start its operation after transmitting the related information to the server 50.

[0124] In the present embodiment and the first to fifth examples, examples in which the notification information is generated and notified when the second home appliance is in operation have been shown, but the notification information can also be generated and notified regardless of whether the second home appliance is in operation or not. Specifically, for example, in the third example, the home appliance 10B may detect humidity and temperature in a standby state and transmit the detection information to the server 50. Then, the control unit 55 of the server 50 may determine whether or not to generate the notification information based on the received detection information. Then, by notifying the notification information, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the third example. Note that the standby state is, for example, a state in which the driving unit 13 is not driven and the operation unit 14 is capable of receiving an input operation by the user. [Industrial Applicability]

[0125] The present invention is useful in the field of home appliance systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 10,10A~10E Home appliances (1st home appliance, 2nd home appliance) 14 Control section 15. Notification Department 50 Servers 51 Communication Department (Acquisition Department) 55 Control section 100 Home Appliance Systems

Claims

1. A home appliance system including a first home appliance, an acquisition unit that acquires related information related to a second home appliance, the related information including first information indicating whether the second home appliance is operating and second information regarding a time when the operation of the second home appliance will end; a control unit that controls whether to generate notification information based on the first information and the second information; a notification unit arranged in the first home electric appliance and configured to notify the notification information; A home appliance system comprising:

2. An operation unit is further provided in the first home appliance to operate the first home appliance, The home appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit generates the notification information in response to an operation of the operation unit.

3. The home appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the related information of the second home appliance further includes information indicating an ambient environment detected by the second home appliance.

4. The home electric appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the notification information includes advice information regarding a use of the first home electric appliance.

5. The home appliance system according to claim 4 , wherein the advice information includes information that prompts the user to change a timing for starting the operation of the first home appliance.

6. a server communicating with the first home appliance; The home appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit and the control unit are arranged in the server.

7. The home appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the second home appliance includes a cooking appliance.

8. The home appliance system according to claim 1 , wherein the first home appliance includes at least one of a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, and an air conditioner.

9. The home appliance system of claim 1, wherein the control unit, when not generating the alarm information, transmits a non-alarm signal to the first home appliance indicating that the alarm information will not be transmitted.

Images