Communication Systems

Abstract

To provide a communication system that can achieve both reduction of the load and users' good sense of use.SOLUTION: A communication system in this embodiment includes an external server, an IoT apparatus that mutually communicates with the external server via a network and transmits an apparatus status value indicating the apparatus status to the external server when at least the apparatus status value changes, and an information terminal that mutually communicates with the external server via the network and has application software that displays the apparatus status based on the apparatus status value transmitted from the external server. When receiving the apparatus status value, the external server sends a status value change notification to the information terminal to provide notification that the apparatus status value has changed. When receiving the status value change notification in the background while the application software is running, the information terminal requests the apparatus status value from the external server and updates the display of the apparatus status using the received apparatus status value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system including IoT devices, an external server, and an information terminal capable of communicating via a network. [Background technology]

[0002] Nowadays, water heaters equipped with functions such as a bathtub are connected to external servers via the Internet, and by utilizing the so-called IoT (Internet of Things), they can be linked to information terminals such as smartphones, improving user convenience. The information terminals can be used to remotely control the water heater from outside the home, and to view information such as the usage status and usage history. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-191100 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When viewing the usage status of a water heating apparatus on an information terminal, it is preferable that the latest information is reflected on the information terminal without delay. However, frequent communication with an external server increases the amount of data communication and the processing load.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a communication system that can achieve both a reduced load and a good user experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the communication system of the present invention comprises an external server, an IoT device that communicates with the external server via a network and transmits a device status value to the external server when a device status value indicating the device status changes, and an information terminal that communicates with the external server via the network and has application software that displays the device status based on the device status value transmitted from the external server, wherein when the external server receives the device status value, it transmits a status value change notification to the information terminal notifying that the device status value has changed, and when the information terminal receives the status value change notification in the background while the application software is running, it requests the device status value from the external server and updates the display of the device status using the received device status value. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In the communication system according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the load and improve the user experience at the same time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the bath hot water supply system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an external server. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information terminal. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a startup notification transmission process executed by an information terminal. [Figure 6] 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing executed between the bath hot water supply system, the external server, and an information terminal while the bath hot water supply system and the external server are set to an active state. FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing executed between the bath hot water supply system, the external server, and the information terminal when the bath hot water supply system and the external server are set to a normal state. FIG. [Figure 8]11 is a flowchart illustrating a hot water supply system side application state control process executed by the bath hot water supply system. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an external server side application state control process executed by the external server. [Figure 10] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an apparatus status value transmission process executed by the bath hot water supply system. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a state value change notification transmission process executed by an external server. [Figure 12] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a device status value request transmission process executed by the information terminal. [Figure 13] 13 is an explanatory diagram of a screen on which the app displays a list of the status of the bath hot water supply system based on the device status values. [Figure 14] An explanatory diagram of a screen on which the app displays information about bathing based on device status values. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] In the communication system according to the present invention, for example, an information and communication network such as the Internet can be used as the network. For example, the IoT devices can be residential facilities such as a bath hot water supply system, an air conditioning system, and a floor heating system installed in the home. For example, the external server can be a cloud computing system installed outside the home and connected to the network. For example, the information terminals can be smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and the like that can be used both inside and outside the home, and devices that can be connected to the network wirelessly or via wires can be used.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the bath hot water supply system 10. As shown in FIG.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the external server 30. As shown in FIG.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information terminal 40. As shown in FIG.

[0015] The communication system 1 includes a bath hot water supply system 10 that can communicate with each other via a network 2, an external server 30, and an information terminal 40. In the communication system 1, the bath hot water supply system 10 connects to the network 2 and cooperates with the information terminal 40 by using the so-called IoT (Internet of Things).

[0016] The bath hot water supply system 10 is used within the home 5. The bath hot water supply system 10 communicates with an external server 30 via a network 2, and mainly transmits device status values ​​indicating the device status. The information terminal 40 is used within the home 5 and outside the home 6 (away from the home). The information terminal 40 performs synchronous communication (described below) with the external server 30 via the network 2. The information terminal 40 has application software (hereinafter simply referred to as an "app") that displays the device status based on the device status values. The information terminal 40 uses the app to instruct the bath hot water supply system 10 to operate or change settings, and to view device information (device status values) such as the usage status and usage history of the bath hot water supply system 10.

[0017] In the following description, the term "inside the house 5" includes the inside of the house and the outside of the house within the house premises (such as around the exterior wall of the house).

[0018] The bath hot water supply system 10 mainly includes a hot water supply unit 11, a hot water supply circuit and a bath circulation circuit (not shown), and a remote control 15.

[0019] The hot water supply unit 11 has a hot water storage tank and a heat pump. The hot water supply unit 11 supplies hot water to a bathroom (bath, bathtub) or a kitchen via a hot water supply circuit or a bath circulation circuit, and heats hot water supplied from a bathtub via the bath circulation circuit. As shown in FIG. 2, the hot water supply unit 11 has a hot water supply unit control unit 12, a hot water supply unit storage unit 13, and a hot water supply unit communication unit 14. The hot water supply unit control unit 12 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and electrically controls the hot water supply unit 11 according to a program stored in advance in the hot water supply unit storage unit 13. The hot water supply unit storage unit 13 has a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various programs and data required for controlling the hot water supply unit control unit 12. The hot water supply unit communication unit 14 is connected to a remote control communication unit 20 and enables two-way communication between the hot water supply unit 11 and the remote control 15.

[0020] The hot water supply circuit and bath circulation circuit are connected to the bathtub, shower, faucet, and kitchen faucet in the bathroom, and supply hot water from the hot water storage tank to the bathroom and kitchen, and circulate hot water in the bathtub between the bathtub and the hot water storage tank. The hot water supply circuit, bath circulation circuit, and hot water supply unit 11 have sensors such as a temperature sensor, a flow rate sensor, and a water level sensor. Information obtained from these sensors is mainly supplied to the hot water supply unit control unit 12, and information required for display on the remote control 15 and information required by the external server 30 are supplied to the remote control control unit 16.

[0021] The remote control 15 is placed in a bathroom or a kitchen, and receives various instructions from a user and displays information. As shown in FIG. 2, the remote control 15 has a remote control control unit 16, a remote control storage unit 17, a remote control input unit 18, a remote control display unit 19, and a remote control communication unit 20.

[0022] Remote control control unit 16 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls remote control 15 according to a program prestored in remote control storage unit 17. For example, remote control control unit 16 performs control based on user instructions received via remote control input unit 18 or information terminal 40, and executes the instructions. Specifically, remote control control unit 16 executes hot water supply operation, automatic bath operation, bath reheating operation, etc., based on the instructed hot water supply temperature setting, bath temperature setting, set hot water volume, etc. Hot water supply unit control unit 12, which has received instructions from remote control control unit 16, controls the operation of various valves, etc., based on information obtained from sensors.

[0023] Furthermore, the remote control control unit 16 executes a hot water system side application status control process (FIG. 8) and an appliance status value transmission process (FIG. 10). The details of these processes will be described later.

[0024] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, an example in which the remote control unit 16 controls each part of the bath hot water supply system 10 including the hot water supply unit 11 in an integrated manner will be described below.

[0025] Remote control storage unit 17 has a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various programs and data necessary for controlling remote control unit 16. Remote control input unit 18 is, for example, buttons that accept instructions from a user. Remote control display unit 19 is, for example, a display that displays information to a user. Remote control communication unit 20 connects other devices to remote control 15 in a wired or wireless manner so that they can communicate with each other. Specifically, remote control communication unit 20 connects to hot water supply unit communication unit 14 as described above, thereby connecting remote control 15 to hot water supply unit 11 so that they can communicate with each other. In addition, remote control communication unit 20 connects remote control 15 to network 2 via router 3, and transmits and receives required information to and from other devices via network 2.

[0026] The router 3 is placed in the home 5 (within a range where it can communicate with the remote control 15) and connects the bath hot water system 10 and the information terminal 40 connected to the router 3 to the network 2. The router 3 functions as an access point for wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication.

[0027] The external server 30 is realized, for example, by using so-called cloud computing, and is connected to the bath hot water supply system 10 and the information terminal 40 via the network 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the external server 30 has a server control unit 31, a server storage unit 32, and a server communication unit 33. The server control unit 31 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the external server 30 according to a program pre-stored in the server storage unit 32. The server storage unit 32 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various programs and data required for the control of the server control unit 31. In particular, the server storage unit 32 appropriately stores device status values ​​including the usage status and usage history of the bath hot water supply system 10 transmitted from the bath hot water supply system 10.

[0028] The server control unit 31 executes an external server side application state control process (FIG. 9) and a state value change notification transmission process (FIG. 11). The details of these processes will be described later.

[0029] The server communication unit 33 connects the external server 30 to the network 2, and transmits and receives required information to and from the bath hot water supply system 10 and the information terminal 40 via the network 2.

[0030] The information terminal 40 is a device that can be used at any location of the user, including inside the home 5 and outside the home 6. As shown in FIG. 4, the information terminal 40 has a terminal control unit 41, a terminal storage unit 42, a terminal input unit 43, a terminal display unit 44, a terminal communication unit 45, and a mobile communication unit 46.

[0031] The terminal control unit 41 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the information terminal 40 according to a program previously stored in the terminal storage unit 42. The terminal storage unit 42 has a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various programs and data necessary for the control of the terminal control unit 41. The terminal input unit 43 is, for example, a touch panel or buttons that accept instructions from a user. The terminal display unit 44 is, for example, a display that displays information to a user. The terminal control unit 41 also executes an application based on the program stored in the terminal storage unit 42. The application is started by a user instruction accepted via the terminal input unit 43. The application is terminated by a user instruction accepted via the terminal input unit 43. The application can be forcibly terminated by the OS (Operating System) of the information terminal 40 or another application (so-called task killer). Note that the term "running" of an application includes a case where the application is running in the foreground where it can be displayed on a display and receive input, and a case where the application is running in the background by a multitasking function.

[0032] Furthermore, the terminal control unit 41 executes a start notification transmission process (FIG. 5) and a device status value request transmission process (FIG. 12). The details of these processes will be described later.

[0033] The terminal communication unit 45 connects the external server 30 and the information terminal 40 in a wired or wireless manner so that they can communicate with each other. Specifically, the terminal communication unit 45 connects the information terminal 40 to the network 2 via a router, and transmits and receives required information to and from the external server 30 via the network 2. The routers to which the terminal communication unit 45 is connected include the router 3 arranged in the home 5 and any router installed outside the home 6. The mobile communication unit 46 connects the information terminal 40 to a base station via the mobile communication network 4.

[0034] Here, the information terminal 40 communicates with the external server 30 by synchronous communication as described above. Synchronous communication is a communication method in which communication is performed by synchronizing the data transmission timing of the sender with the data reception timing of the receiver. Synchronous communication continues to wait for a response without performing other processing after a data communication request is issued until a response arrives. For example, HTTP(S) (Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure)) can be used for synchronous communication.

[0035] The communication method between the external server 30 and the bath hot water supply system 10 is not particularly limited, and communication is performed by either synchronous communication or asynchronous communication. Asynchronous communication is a communication method in which communication is performed without matching the timing of data transmission on the sending side with the timing of data reception on the receiving side. In asynchronous communication, other processing can be performed while waiting for a response, and if a response is received while performing other processing, the receiving process is executed. For asynchronous communication, for example, MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) can be used.

[0036] In the application of the information terminal 40, it is preferable that the display based on the device status value is updated without delay every time the device status value changes. However, if the information terminal 40 frequently communicates with the external server 30, the amount of data communication and the processing load of the external server 30 and the information terminal 40 will increase.

[0037] For example, when the external server 30 and the information terminal 40 establish a connection by asynchronous communication using MQTT, the external server 30 can unilaterally transmit the device status value to the information terminal 40 at the timing when the external server 30 receives the device status value from the bath hot water supply system 10. However, when MQTT is used, the communication volume is larger than that of HTTP(S) due to its specifications when establishing an initial connection between the information terminal 40 and the external server 30. In addition, when the information terminal 40 is moving, this initial connection is required every time a base station or the like is switched, and there is a risk of the communication volume becoming enormous.

[0038] In addition, since the external server 30 and the information terminal 40 are constantly connected, the load on the external server 30 increases. Furthermore, while the application is running, the information terminal 40 can notify the external server 30 that the application is running. Therefore, it is conceivable that the external server 30 transmits a device status value to the information terminal 40 only when the application is running. However, when the application is forcibly terminated by the OS of the information terminal 40, the application cannot notify the external server 30 that the application has been terminated, and the external server 30 cannot know the timing to disconnect the MQTT connection, which may result in the device status value continuing to be transmitted.

[0039] On the other hand, it is also conceivable that the external server 30 and the information terminal 40 establish a connection by synchronous communication using HTTP(S) to reduce the load on the external server 30, and the application takes the initiative in requesting the external server 30 for a device status value. However, while HTTP(S) requires less communication traffic at the initial connection than MQTT, updating the display without delay requires increasing the frequency of requests from the information terminal 40 to the external server 30, which increases the communication traffic between the information terminal 40 and the external server 30. As a result, there is a risk that the battery consumption and communication processing load of the information terminal 40 will increase.

[0040] In contrast, in the communication system 1 of the present embodiment, the bath hot water supply system 10 monitors the activation state of the application, and when the device status value changes, the application can request the device status value. The process for achieving this will be described in detail below.

[0041] First, a series of processes performed by the bath and hot water supply system 10 to set the activation state of an application based on the activation state of the application on the information terminal 40 will be described.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the startup notification transmission process executed by the information terminal 40. As shown in FIG.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process executed among the bath hot water supply system 10, the external server 30, and the information terminal 40 while the bath hot water supply system 10 and the external server 30 are set to the active state.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process executed among the bath hot water supply system 10, the external server 30, and the information terminal 40 while the bath hot water supply system 10 and the external server 30 are set to the normal state.

[0045] The start notification transmission process is executed on the application under the control of the terminal control unit 41, and is repeatedly executed until the application is terminated.

[0046] In step S1, the terminal control unit 41 determines whether or not an instruction to start the application has been received. The instruction to start the application is received from the user via the terminal input unit 43. When the terminal control unit 41 determines that the instruction has not been received (NO in step S1), it waits until the instruction is received. On the other hand, when the terminal control unit 41 determines that the instruction has been received (YES in step S1), it starts the application (step S101 in FIG. 6). In step S2, the terminal control unit 41 transmits a start notification to the external server 30 indicating that the application is being started (step S104 in FIG. 6). In step S3, the terminal control unit 41 determines whether or not a predetermined notification time (first time) has elapsed. The notification time is a period for transmitting a start notification to the external server 30 while the application is being started, and is, for example, 5 minutes.

[0047] When the terminal control unit 41 determines that the notification time has not yet elapsed (NO in step S3), it waits until the notification time has elapsed. On the other hand, when the terminal control unit 41 determines that the notification time has elapsed (YES in step S3), it returns to step S2 and transmits the startup notification (step S104 in FIG. 6). That is, the terminal control unit 41 transmits the initial startup notification when the application is started, and thereafter transmits the startup notification to the external server 30 every 5 minutes since the previous transmission (start-up notification transmission step S104 is repeated). In addition, when the external server 30 receives the startup notification (every time the startup notification is received), it further transmits the startup notification to the bath hot water supply system 10 (step S105 in FIG. 6 is repeated).

[0048] Next, a process related to state control set based on the state of the application, which is executed by the bath and hot water supply system 10 upon receiving the start notification, will be described.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the hot water supply system side application state control process executed by the bath hot water supply system 10.

[0050] This application state control process is executed all the time when the bath hot water supply system 10 is in operation, and at the start of the process, the normal state (step S123 in FIG. 7) is set.

[0051] In step S11, the remote control control unit 16 determines whether or not a startup notification has been received from the external server 30. If the remote control control unit 16 determines that a startup notification has not been received (NO in step S11), it waits until the startup notification is received. On the other hand, if the remote control control unit 16 determines that a startup notification has been received (YES in step S11), it transitions (sets) the state of the application held by the remote control control unit 16 to an active state in step S12 (step S106 in FIG. 6). That is, the remote control control unit 16 determines whether or not the application is running based on the presence or absence of a startup notification.

[0052] Here, there are two states of an application: an "active state" and a "normal state", and the remote control unit 16 holds (sets) one of the states. The active state indicates a state in which the application is running. The normal state indicates a state in which the application is not running.

[0053] In step S13, the remote control control unit 16 transmits an active notification to the external server 30 to notify that the state of the application is the active state (step S107 in FIG. 6). In step S14, the remote control control unit 16 determines whether or not a standby time (second time) has elapsed since receiving the startup notification (YES in step S11). The standby time is a time longer than the notification time, for example, six minutes, and is a time during which it can be reliably determined that the startup notification has ceased to be sent from the information terminal 40 (external server 30).

[0054] When the remote control control unit 16 determines that the standby time has not elapsed (NO in step S14), it determines in step S15 whether or not it has received an activation notification. When the remote control control unit 16 determines that it has not received an activation notification (NO in step S15), it returns to the standby time elapse determination step S14 and repeats the process. On the other hand, when the remote control control unit 16 determines that it has received an activation notification (YES in step S15, step S105 in FIG. 6), it maintains the active state setting in step S16 (step S106 in FIG. 6). The remote control control unit 16 then returns to the active notification transmission step S13 and repeats the subsequent processes. That is, every time the remote control control unit 16 receives an activation notification, it maintains the active state setting and transmits an active notification to the external server 30 (step S107 in FIG. 6 is repeated).

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the waiting time has elapsed without receiving a startup notification from the external server 30 (YES in step S14), then in step S17, it is assumed that the application is not running (step S121 in FIG. 7), and the state of the application is transitioned (set) to the normal state (step S123 in FIG. 7). Then, the process returns to step S11 for determining whether or not the application has been received, and the remote control control unit 16 repeats the subsequent processes.

[0056] Next, a process related to state control that is executed by the external server 30 upon receiving an active notification and that is set based on the state of the application will be described.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the external server side application state control process executed by the external server 30.

[0058] This application state control process is a process that is always executed when the external server 30 is in operation, and at the start of the process, the normal state (step S122 in FIG. 7) is set.

[0059] In step S21, the server control unit 31 determines whether or not an active notification has been received from the bath hot water supply system 10. If the server control unit 31 determines that an active notification has not been received (NO in step S21), it waits until the active notification is received. On the other hand, if the server control unit 31 determines that an active notification has been received (YES in step S21, step S107 in FIG. 6), in step S22, it transitions (sets) the state of the app set by the server control unit 31 to the active state (step S108 in FIG. 6).

[0060] In step S23, the server control unit 31 determines whether or not the standby time has elapsed. The standby time is the same time as the elapsed time used by the bath hot water supply system 10 for the determination in step S14 of determining whether the standby time has elapsed. If the server control unit 31 determines that the standby time has not elapsed (NO in step S23), it determines in step S24 whether or not an active notification has been received from the bath hot water supply system 10. If the server control unit 31 determines that an active notification has not been received (NO in step S24), it returns to step S23 of determining whether or not the standby time has elapsed and repeats the process.

[0061] On the other hand, when the server control unit 31 determines that an active notification has been received (YES in step S24), in step S25, the server control unit 31 maintains the setting of the active state (step S108 in FIG. 6). The server control unit 31 then returns to the standby time elapse determination step S23, and repeats the subsequent processes. That is, the server control unit 31 maintains the setting of the active state every time it receives an active notification.

[0062] On the other hand, if it is determined in the standby time lapse determination step S23 that the standby time has lapsed without receiving an active notification from the bath hot water supply system 10 (YES in step S23), the state of the application is transitioned (set) to the normal state in step S26 (step S122 in FIG. 7). After that, the process returns to the active notification reception determination step S21, and the server control unit 31 repeats the subsequent processes.

[0063] Next, a process of transmitting an equipment status value to an external server 30, which is executed by the bath hot water supply system 10, will be described. The bath hot water supply system 10 transmits an equipment status value indicating the equipment status of the bath hot water supply system 10 to the external server 30 every time the equipment status value changes. The equipment status value is information indicating various states of the bath hot water supply system 10, such as the operation status of the automatic bath operation, the reservation status of the automatic bath operation, the remaining amount of hot water storage, the amount of hot water used per predetermined time, and set temperature information such as the hot water supply set temperature and the bath set temperature. The equipment status value is also information indicating whether or not a user is in the bathroom, whether or not someone is taking a bath in the bathtub, and the elapsed time.

[0064] The bath hot water supply system 10 transmits a device status value when the active state is set (FIG. 6) different from the device status value when the normal state is set (FIG. 7). Specifically, the bath hot water supply system 10 transmits different device information included in the device status value; for example, in the normal state, the bath hot water supply system 10 transmits at least the amount of hot water used per predetermined time and the remaining amount of hot water stored, and in the active state, the bath hot water supply system transmits the device status value including at least display control information that indicates the information to be displayed on the app depending on the device status in addition to the amount of hot water used and the amount of hot water stored.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the device status value transmission process executed by the bath hot water supply system 10.

[0066] This device status value transmission process is executed whether the bath hot water supply system 10 is set to the active state (step S103 in FIG. 6) or the normal state (step S123 in FIG. 7).

[0067] In step S31, the remote control control unit 16 determines whether the device status value has changed. The presence or absence of a change in the device status value is determined based on, for example, whether there has been a change in the state of the water filling, whether there has been a change in the state of the hot water storage tank, or whether there has been a change in the presence or absence of bathing in the bathtub. If the remote control control unit 16 determines that the device status value has not changed (NO in step S31), it waits until it changes.

[0068] On the other hand, when the remote control control unit 16 determines that the device status value has changed (YES in step S31, step S109 in FIG. 6, step S124 in FIG. 7), it determines in step S32 whether the active state is set. When the remote control control unit 16 determines that the active state is set (YES in step S32, steps S103 and S106 in FIG. 6), it transmits the device status value for the active state (active device status value) to the external server 30 in step S33 (step S110 in FIG. 6). On the other hand, when the remote control control unit 16 determines that the active state is not set, that is, that the normal state is set (NO in step S32, S123 in FIG. 7), it transmits the device status value for the normal state (normal device status value) to the external server 30 in step S34 (step S125 in FIG. 7). Thereafter, the process returns to the state value change determination step S31, and the remote control control unit 16 repeats the subsequent processes.

[0069] Next, a process for notifying the information terminal 40 that the device status value has changed, which is executed by the external server 30 that has received the device status value, will be described.

[0070] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a state value change notification transmission process executed by the external server 30. As shown in FIG.

[0071] This state value change notification transmission process is executed whether the external server 30 is in the active state (steps S102, S108 in FIG. 6) or in the normal state (step S122 in FIG. 7).

[0072] In step S41, the server control unit 31 determines whether or not an appliance status value has been received from the bath hot water supply system 10. If the server control unit 31 determines that an appliance status value has not been received (NO in step S41), it waits until the appliance status value is received. On the other hand, if the server control unit 31 determines that an appliance status value has been received (YES in step S41), in step S42, it stores the received appliance status value in the server storage unit 32 (step S111 in FIG. 6, step S126 in FIG. 7).

[0073] In step S43, the server control unit 31 determines whether the active state is being set. When the server control unit 31 determines that the active state is being set (YES in step S43, steps S102 and S108 in FIG. 6), in step S44, the server control unit 31 transmits a state value change notification to the information terminal 40 (step S112 in FIG. 6). That is, the server control unit 31 transmits a state value change notification when the application is running. The state value change notification is information for notifying the information terminal 40 that the device state value of the bath hot water supply system 10 has changed (a new device state value has been received from the bath hot water supply system 10), and does not include the device state value itself.

[0074] In step S45, the server control unit 31 judges whether or not a request for the device status value has been received from the information terminal 40. When the server control unit 31 judges that a request for the device status value has not been received (NO in step S45), it waits until a request for the device status value is received. On the other hand, when the server control unit 31 judges that a request for the device status value has been received (YES in step S45, step S113 in FIG. 6), it transmits the device status value to the information terminal 40 in step S46 (step S114 in FIG. 6). When the server control unit 31 judges that the active state is not set in step S43, that is, when the server control unit 31 judges that the normal state is set (NO in step S43, step S122 in FIG. 7) and after step S46, it returns to the device status value reception judgment step S41 and repeats the subsequent processes.

[0075] Next, a process for requesting a device status value from the external server 30, etc., executed by the information terminal 40 that has received the device status change notification will be described.

[0076] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the device status value request transmission process executed by the information terminal 40.

[0077] This device status value request transmission process is executed by the application when the application is running.

[0078] In step S51, the terminal control unit 41 determines whether or not a state value change notification has been received from the external server 30. The terminal control unit 41 receives the state value change notification in the background (without the user being aware of it). The terminal control unit 41 may receive the state value change notification via an app or via the OS. If the terminal control unit 41 determines that a state value change notification has not been received (NO in step S51), it waits until it is received.

[0079] When the terminal control unit 41 determines that a status value change notification has been received (YES in step S51, step S112 in FIG. 6), in step S52 it transmits a request for a device status value to the external server 30 (step S113 in FIG. 6). In step S53, the terminal control unit 41 determines whether or not a device status value has been received from the external server 30. When the terminal control unit 41 determines that a device status value has not been received (NO in step S53), it waits until it is received.

[0080] On the other hand, if the terminal control unit 41 determines that the device status value has been received (YES in step S53, step S114 in FIG. 6), in step S54, it updates the device status displayed on the terminal display unit 44 using the device status value (step S115 in FIG. 6).

[0081] Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a screen on which the app displays a list of the device statuses of the bath hot water supply system 10 based on the device status values. Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a screen on which the app displays the device statuses related to bathing based on the device status values.

[0082] For example, when the operation state of the device changes due to the start of automatic bath operation, the terminal control unit 41 controls the terminal display unit 44 to update the "automatic bath" item from "OFF" to "ON" as shown in FIG. 13. Also, when the bath time in the bathtub changes as part of the device state, the terminal control unit 41 controls the terminal display unit 44 to update the elapsed time in the "bath time" item (for example, from 4 minutes to 5 minutes) as shown in FIG. 14. As described above, the terminal control unit 41 controls the terminal display unit 44 based on the display control information included in the device state value. After that, the process returns to the state value change notification reception determination step S51, and the terminal control unit 41 repeats the subsequent processes.

[0083] Such a communication system 1 can reduce the load and improve the user's usability at the same time. That is, when the information terminal 40 communicates with the external server 30 using synchronous communication (HTTP(S)) instead of asynchronous communication (MQTT) to reduce the amount of communication, in order to increase the frequency of updating the display of the device status, the information terminal 40 must increase the frequency of requests for device status values ​​to the external server 30. In addition, the information terminal 40 will make requests regardless of whether the device status value has changed, which may result in unnecessary communication processing.

[0084] In contrast, the communication system 1 in this embodiment requests the device status value when a status value change notification is received from the external server 30, and therefore can acquire and update the display of the device status value without delay when the device status value changes without increasing the frequency of communication. As a result, the communication system 1 can improve the usability and operability of the user's app, and can also reduce the communication volume and battery consumption of the information terminal 40.

[0085] Furthermore, since the external server 30 transmits a state value change notification to the information terminal 40 only while the application is running, resources are not unnecessarily allocated, and the processing load on the external server 30 can be reduced.

[0086] Furthermore, the bath hot water supply system 10 judges whether the application is running based on the presence or absence of a start notification transmitted from the information terminal 40 and received via the external server 30. This allows the bath hot water supply system 10 to conveniently know that the application has been terminated, even in a situation where the information terminal 40 itself cannot notify the external server 30 and the bath hot water supply system 10 that the application has been terminated. Furthermore, the communication system 1 judges the state of the application in the bath hot water supply system 10, not in the external server 30, performs state control consisting of an active state and a normal state, and notifies the external server 30 of the result. Therefore, by judging the start state of the application not in the external server 30 but in the bath hot water supply system 10, which is always running, the processing load of the external server 30 can be reduced.

[0087] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0088] For example, the bath hot water supply system 10 determines whether the application is running and transmits an active notification to the external server 30 if the application is running. However, the external server 30 itself may determine whether the application is running. For example, the external server 30 may directly determine whether the application is running using a start notification transmitted from the information terminal 40.

[0089] In addition, an example has been described in which the bath hot water system 10 changes the device status value depending on the startup state of the app (active state and normal state). However, for example, when the active state is set, the device status value may be transmitted in real time, and when the normal state is set, the transmission may be performed at a fixed transmission interval to reduce communication volume. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1. Communication Systems 2 Network 3. Router 4. Mobile communication networks 5. Inside the House 6 Outside the home 10 Bath hot water system 11 Hot water unit 12 Hot water supply unit control section 13 Hot water unit memory section 14 Hot water unit communication section 15 Remote Control 16 Remote control unit 17 Remote control memory section 18 Remote control input section 19 Remote control display 20 Remote control communication unit 30 External Servers 31 Server control unit 32 Server memory section 33 Server Communication Department 40 Information terminal 41 Terminal control unit 42 Terminal memory section 43 Terminal input section 44 Terminal display unit 45 Terminal communication unit 46 Mobile Communications Department

Claims

1. An external server; an IoT device that communicates with the external server via a network and transmits a device status value indicating a device status to the external server when the device status value has changed; an information terminal having application software that communicates with the external server via the network and displays the device status based on the device status value transmitted from the external server; the information terminal transmits, when the application software is running, a startup notification indicating that the application software is running to the external server; the external server determines whether the application software is running on the information terminal, and when it is determined that the application software is running and the external server has received the device status value from the IoT device, transmits a status value change notification to the information terminal notifying that the device status value has changed; When the information terminal receives the status value change notification, the information terminal requests the device status value from the external server, and updates the display of the device status using the received device status value.

2. When the external server receives the startup notification, the external server further transmits the startup notification to the IoT device, The IoT device determines whether or not the device is in the startup state based on the presence or absence of the startup notification, and when the IoT device determines that the device is in the startup state, transmits information of the device status value to the external server; information on the device status value to be transmitted to the external server when it is determined that the device is not running; The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein:

3. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein when the IoT device is determined to be running, the IoT device transmits the device status value including display control information that indicates information to be displayed by the application software.

4. the information terminal transmits the startup notification to the external server every first time while the information terminal is running; The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the IoT device determines that the device is not in the activated state if the activation notification is not received for a second time period that is longer than the first time period.

5. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the information terminal is connected to a base station via a mobile communication network and communicates with the external server by synchronous communication.

6. The communication system according to claim 5 , wherein the IoT device is a home appliance installed in a home and communicates with the external server by asynchronous communication.

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