Remote Control System

Abstract

To make it possible to achieve stable communication with a good response while suppressing deterioration of a communication environment.SOLUTION: A remote operation system includes: a remote operation determination unit R4 that determines whether there is a high possibility that a remote control R will be remotely operated from the outside; and a communication state switching unit R5 that, when the remote operation determination unit R4 determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control R will be remotely operated from the outside, sets communication of both remote control R and server S as first communication using long polling, in which the connection of both is not disconnected each time transmission or reception is performed, and that, when it is determined that there is not a high possibility that the remote control R will be remotely operated from the outside, sets the communication of both as second communication, in which the connection of both is connected each time transmission or reception is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control system that realizes stable communication with good response while suppressing deterioration of the communication environment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a remote control system that includes home appliances installed in each home, a remote control that can operate the home appliances, and a server that can remotely send operation commands to the remote control via a network. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a printer as a home appliance, an information processing device as a remote control capable of operating the printer, a server that collects printer operation information via the information processing device, and a mobile communication terminal that remotely sends and receives information to and from the server. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a mobile communication terminal attempts to remotely control a household equipment device, the household equipment device is first registered in a server as a target device for remote control, and a remote control flag is set in a database configured to enable communication with the server, enabling the remote controller to communicate with the server regarding remote control. Such communication is performed based on HTTP. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-028757 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The remote control linked to the remote control flag set in the database executes instruction request acquisition communication with the server at predetermined intervals (for example, once every five minutes). However, with this configuration, when a remote control command for a home appliance is sent from a mobile communication terminal to the server, there is a problem that there is a delay of up to five minutes before the remote control receives the remote control command.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a remote control system that realizes stable communication with good response while suppressing deterioration of the communication environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A remote control system for achieving the above object is provided with a server that can remotely send operation commands via a network to remote controllers that can operate household equipment installed in each home. The system has the following features: a remote control determination unit that determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside; a communication state switching unit that switches communication between the remote controller and the server to a first communication using long polling in which the connection between the remote controller and the server is not disconnected each time transmission and reception is performed when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from the outside, and switches communication between the remote controller and the server to a second communication in which the connection between the remote controller and the server is connected each time transmission and reception is performed when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a low possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from the outside. 、 a mobile communication terminal capable of being paired with the remote controller by wireless communication via a router provided in each of the houses, the mobile communication terminal comprising an out-of-home status information transmitting unit configured to transmit to the server out-of-home status information indicating that the mobile communication terminal is out of the house in which the paired remote controller is provided; The server stores the received out-of-home status information in a database in a form linked to the remote controller that was previously paired with the portable communication terminal, and the remote controller is configured to be able to receive the out-of-home status information stored in the database and linked to the remote controller itself by regular communication with the server at predetermined intervals; The remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled when the remote control receives the out-of-home status information, and determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled when the remote control does not receive the out-of-home status information. It's at the point.

[0007] According to the above characteristic configuration, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control is remotely controlled from outside, the communication state switching unit changes the communication between the remote control and the server to the first communication using long polling, which does not disconnect the connection between the two each time transmission and reception is performed. Therefore, for example, the remote control does not need to re-establish a connection with the server each time communication is performed, and therefore, communication can be performed from the remote control to the server without having to worry about the load associated with establishing a connection. B The time interval for checking whether or not a remote operation has been performed can be set to a relatively short time interval (for example, one minute or less), so that remote operation can be performed at a time interval that does not cause inconvenience to the user. Furthermore, if the remote control determination unit determines that there is not a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside, the communication state switching unit changes the communication between the two to the second communication in which the connection between the two is established each time transmission and reception is performed.This makes it possible to limit the number of remote controls that remain connected to the server via the second communication, thereby limiting the communication load and preventing a deterioration in the communication environment. As a result, a remote control system can be realized that achieves stable communication with good response while suppressing deterioration of the communication environment. According to the above characteristic configuration, the away-from-home status information transmitting unit of the mobile communication terminal transmits away-from-home status information to the server as information indicating that the mobile communication terminal is outside the respective unit, and the remote operation determination unit determines, if the remote control receives the away-from-home status information, that there is a high possibility that the resident who owns the mobile communication terminal has left the respective unit and that there is a high possibility that the mobile communication terminal will be remotely controlled; if the remote control does not receive the away-from-home status information, it determines that there is a low possibility that the mobile communication terminal will be remotely controlled.Therefore, the determination of the possibility of remote control can be made without the resident having to operate the remote control in any way, improving convenience for the resident.

[0008] Further characteristic configurations of the remote control system include: The remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside when no one is staying in each of the houses, and determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside when there is someone staying in each of the houses.

[0009] According to the above characteristic configuration, the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside when it is determined that no one is present in each household based on the detection results of a human presence sensor as a home security system, for example, and determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside when it is determined that there is a person present in each household, thereby enabling the communication state switching unit to smoothly switch between the first communication and the second communication.

[0010] A further characteristic configuration of the remote control system is that the remote control determination unit The system determines that the remote control and the mobile communication terminal paired with each other are not likely to be remotely operated when they are in an in-home connection state where in-home communication is possible via wireless communication via a router installed in each house, and determines that the remote control and the mobile communication terminal are likely to be remotely operated when they are not in an in-home connection state.

[0011] Typically, a mobile communication terminal paired with a remote control performs lightweight communication within each home, for example, at 10-second intervals, using in-home communication based on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) or TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). Here, in-home communication refers to communication between the mobile communication terminal and the remote control via a router installed in each home. In this lightweight communication, the mobile communication terminal sends predetermined information to the remote control, and if the remote control is nearby, the remote control sends a response to the mobile communication terminal. If there is no response from the remote control, the mobile communication terminal itself is determined to be not present in the home, but the remote control also determines that the mobile communication terminal is not present in the home if there is no in-home communication from the mobile communication terminal for a certain period of time. According to the above characteristic configuration, the remote operation determination unit determines that the mobile communication terminal is present inside each unit and that the remote control is not likely to be remotely operated when the mobile communication terminal paired with the remote control is in an in-home connection state with the remote control, and determines that the mobile communication terminal is present outside each unit and that the remote control is likely to be remotely operated when the mobile communication terminal is not in an in-home connection state with the remote control. As a result, particularly when the mobile communication terminal is not in an in-home connection state with the remote control and a resident of each unit is likely to be out, it is determined that the remote operation is likely to be performed, and remote operation commands for the resident of each unit can be executed relatively quickly as the first communication using long polling. On the other hand, when the mobile communication terminal is in an in-home connection state with the remote control and a resident of each unit is likely to be at home, the remote control is connected to the server via the second communication, thereby preventing an excessive increase in the number of connections and an increase in communication load.

[0012] Further characteristic configurations of the remote control system include: a non-stay time zone setting unit that sets a non-stay time zone that is a time zone when no one is staying in each of the houses; The remote control determination unit determines that the non-stay time period set by the non-stay time period setting unit is highly likely to be remotely controlled, and determines that the time periods other than the non-stay time period are not highly likely to be remotely controlled.

[0013] According to the above characteristic configuration, for example, by providing a non-resident time setting unit in the remote control and allowing the resident of each household to set a non-resident time period for each household, the intentions of the resident of each household can be appropriately reflected in determining the possibility of remote control.

[0014] Further characteristic configurations of the remote control system include: an exit time setting unit for setting an exit time, which is a time when a person leaves each of the houses in a day; The remote control determination unit determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control will be performed before the going-out time set by the going-out time setting unit in a day, and determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be performed after the going-out time in a day.

[0015] As in the above characteristic configuration, when the time of leaving is set, there is a high possibility that the resident will remotely control the unit from outside the unit after the time the resident leaves, and therefore the remote control determination unit can make this determination with a relatively high degree of accuracy by determining that there is a high possibility that the unit will be remotely controlled after the time the resident leaves within a day.

[0016] Further characteristic configurations of the remote control system include: a power consumption measuring unit capable of measuring the current power consumption of each of the households; The remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of remote control when the power consumption measured by the power consumption measuring unit is equal to or less than a power consumption threshold, which is the standard power consumption set for each household, and determines that there is a low possibility of remote control when the power consumption measured by the power consumption measuring unit exceeds the power consumption threshold.

[0017] According to the above characteristic configuration, when the power consumption is below a predetermined power consumption threshold, it is highly likely that the resident who uses electricity in each household is out, and therefore the remote control determination unit can determine with relatively high accuracy that there is a high possibility of remote control.

[0018] Further characteristic configurations of the remote control system include: The remote operation determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of remote operation when the electronic lock installed in each door is in a locked state, and determines that there is a low possibility of remote operation when the electronic lock is in an unlocked state.

[0019] According to the above characteristic configuration, when the electronic lock of each unit is locked, it is highly likely that the resident of each unit is out, so the remote operation determination unit can determine with relatively high accuracy that there is a high possibility of remote operation. Furthermore, when the electronic lock is in the locked state, the residents of each unit may be asleep inside their homes late at night, so it is preferable that the remote operation determination unit perform remote operation determination in combination with other determination methods.

[0022] A remote control system for achieving the above object is provided with a server that can remotely send operation commands via a network to remote controllers that can operate household equipment installed in each home. The system has the following features: a remote control determination unit that determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside; a communication state switching unit that, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the remote controller and the server to a first communication using long polling in which the connection between the two is not disconnected each time transmission and reception is performed, and, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a low possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the two to a second communication in which the connection between the two is established each time transmission and reception is performed, a mobile communication terminal capable of pairing with the remote controller by wireless communication via a router installed in each of the houses, the mobile communication terminal comprising a location information transmission unit that acquires its own location information and transmits it to the server; The server stores the received location information in a database in a form linked to the remote controller that was previously paired with the portable communication terminal, and the remote controller is configured to be able to receive the location information stored in the database and associated with itself by regular communication with the server at predetermined intervals; The remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of the remote control being operated when the location information received by the remote control does not match the installation location information related to the installation location of the remote control, and determines that there is a low possibility of the remote control being operated when the location information received by the remote control matches the installation location information.

[0023] According to the above characteristic configuration, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside, the communication state switching unit changes the communication between the remote control and the server to the first communication using long polling, which does not disconnect the connection between the two each time transmission and reception is performed.Therefore, for example, the remote control does not need to re-establish a connection with the server each time communication is performed, and therefore, without having to worry about the load associated with establishing a connection, the time interval at which the remote control checks with the server to see if remote control is being performed can be set to a relatively short time interval (for example, an interval of one minute or less), and remote control can be performed at a time interval that does not cause inconvenience to the user. Furthermore, if the remote control determination unit determines that there is not a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside, the communication state switching unit changes the communication between the two to the second communication in which the connection between the two is established each time transmission and reception is performed.This makes it possible to limit the number of remote controls that remain connected to the server via the second communication, thereby limiting the communication load and preventing a deterioration in the communication environment. As a result, a remote control system can be realized that achieves stable communication with good response while suppressing deterioration of the communication environment. Furthermore, According to the above characteristic configuration, the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of remote control when the current location information of the mobile communication terminal does not match the installation location information of the remote control, and determines that there is a low possibility of remote control when the current location information of the mobile communication terminal matches the installation location information of the remote control.Therefore, the determination of the possibility of remote control can be made without the resident having to operate the remote control in any way, improving convenience for the resident. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating switching between a first communication state and a second communication state using a mobile communication terminal in the remote control system according to the embodiment.

[0025] The remote control system 100 according to this embodiment is capable of realizing stable communication with good response while suppressing deterioration of the communication environment. Hereinafter, the remote control system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0026] The remote control system 100 includes a server S that can remotely send operation commands via an internet line N as a network to a remote control R that can operate the home appliances H installed in each of the households K (K1, K2, etc.), and a database D that stores various information via the server S.

[0027] Here, the residential equipment H is equipment that can be remotely controlled from outside each unit K of a house, etc., and examples thereof include bath equipment, floor heating equipment, bathroom heater / dryer, water heater, stove, and electrical and gas appliances such as air conditioners and fan heaters, but other residential equipment may also be used. These residential equipment H are configured to be able to perform various operations, etc., by a control unit H1 in accordance with operation commands from a remote control R. The remote control R is an operating device for the household equipment H, and is connected to the household equipment H via a communication cable T.

[0028] Each home K is provided with a router RU connected to the internet line N via a line termination device (not shown) or the like. The remote control R is provided with a first communication unit R1 capable of sending and receiving data with the outside, and the server S is provided with a third communication unit S1 capable of sending and receiving data with the outside. With this configuration, the remote control R can communicate with the router RU, for example, via wireless LAN, and can also communicate with the server S via the internet line N.

[0029] When a mobile communication terminal M such as a smartphone is located inside or near each of the houses K and is in a paired state with the remote control R, the second communication unit M1 of the mobile communication terminal M and the first communication unit R1 of the remote control R are configured to be able to communicate within the home via wireless LAN using a router RU. To further explain the in-home communication, the mobile communication terminal M that has been paired with the remote control R performs lightweight communication within each household K based on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), for example, at intervals of 10 seconds.

[0030] Furthermore, each unit K is provided with an electronic lock J that electrically switches the front door G between locked and unlocked states, and the electronic lock J is configured to be able to transmit the status of the locked and unlocked states to the server S via a wireless LAN and an internet line N via a router RU.

[0031] In the remote control system 100 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that a user who has left each house K can remotely control the paired remote controller R from outside each house K using the mobile communication terminal M. However, since the IP address of the remote controller R is not usually a global IP address, the remote controller R and the mobile communication terminal M located outside each house K cannot communicate directly with each other. Therefore, in the remote control system 100 according to this embodiment, communication related to the remote control is performed via the server S. Specifically, when a user of a household equipment device H enables remote control using a remote control R, the remote control R transmits information to the server S that it is a device that can be remotely controlled, and the server S registers a remote control flag in the database D indicating that the remote control R is a remote control target. The database D also registers the individual identification information of the mobile communication terminal M paired with the remote control R in a form that links it to the remote control R. The remote controller R, which has been set to enable remote control, starts communication related to the remote control with the server S, and the remote control command from the mobile communication terminal M is transmitted to the home equipment H as follows: Specifically, when the user operates the remote control instruction unit M4, which serves as a remote control app or the like, on the mobile communication terminal M located outside each unit K, remote control information related to the remote control (information including the individual identification information of the mobile communication terminal in addition to the remote control command for the home equipment H) is transmitted from the mobile communication terminal M to the server S. Incidentally, a remote controller R for which the remote control flag is not set transmits all information held by the household equipment H to the server S, for example, at intervals of about once every 60 minutes. Here, since the server S communicates with the remote control R based on HTTP, the server S cannot send information to the remote control R unless there is some kind of request communication from the remote control R. Therefore, the server S searches the database D for the remote control R linked to the mobile communication terminal M that sent the remote operation information, and stores the remote operation information linked to the remote control R. Then, when the server S receives an instruction request acquisition communication as a request communication from the remote control R at a predetermined waiting time interval (for example, every 5 minutes) or when the state of the home appliance H changes, the server S queries the database D to see if there is any remote control information linked to the remote control R that executed the instruction request acquisition communication, and if there is any remote control information, it replies to the remote control R. As described above, when remote control communication is performed, a time lag of a predetermined waiting time interval occurs from the time when the mobile communication terminal M transmits remote control information until the remote controller R receives the remote control information. Therefore, the remote control system 100 according to this embodiment has the following configuration.

[0032] That is, the remote control system 100 includes a remote control determination unit R4 that determines whether the remote control R is likely to be remotely controlled from outside, and a communication state switching unit R5 that, when the remote control determination unit R4 determines that the remote control R is likely to be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the remote control R and the server S to a first communication (communication state shown in C1 of FIG. 2) using long polling in which the connection between the two is not disconnected each time transmission and reception is performed, and, when it determines that the remote control R is not likely to be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the two to a second communication (communication state shown in C2 of FIG. 2) in which the connection between the two is connected each time transmission and reception is performed.Incidentally, in the second communication, the communication is disconnected except when it is connected each time. With this configuration, when the remote operation determination unit R4 determines that there is a high possibility that the remote controller R will be remotely controlled from outside, the communication state switching unit R5 changes the communication between the remote controller R and the server S to the first communication using long polling, in which the connection between them is not disconnected each time transmission and reception is performed. Therefore, for example, the remote controller R does not need to re-establish a connection with the server S each time communication is performed. Therefore, without worrying about the load associated with establishing a connection (the communication load associated with connection and disconnection), the time interval at which the remote controller R reflects the remote operation, which is the time interval at which the remote controller R executes instruction request acquisition communication, can be set to a relatively short time interval (for example, an interval of one minute or less), and the remote operation can be performed at a time interval that does not cause inconvenience to the user. Furthermore, when the remote operation determination unit R4 determines that there is a low possibility that the remote controller R will be remotely controlled from outside, the communication state switching unit R5 changes the communication between them to the second communication, in which the connection between them is established each time transmission and reception is performed. Therefore, the number of remote controllers R that maintain connection to the server S in the second communication can be limited, thereby limiting the communication load and preventing the communication environment from deteriorating. Incidentally, in the second communication, the predetermined waiting time interval as the time interval at which the remote controller R receives the remote operation information from the server is set to 5 minutes or a time longer than 5 minutes, as described above. In this embodiment, the remote control determination unit R4 determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control R will be remotely controlled from outside when, for example, the detection results of a human presence sensor (not shown) as a home security system indicate that no one is present in each unit K, and determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control R will be remotely controlled from outside when it indicates that there is a person present in each unit K.

[0033] In this embodiment, the determination using the mobile communication terminal M can be suitably used as the determination of remote control. To further explain, the remote control determination unit R4 determines that the mobile communication terminal M paired with the remote control R is not likely to be remotely controlled when it is in an in-home connection state where in-home communication is possible via wireless communication via a router RU installed in each unit K, and determines that the remote control R and the mobile communication terminal M are likely to be remotely controlled when they are not in an in-home connection state. In other words, when the mobile communication terminal M paired with the remote control R is in a home connection state with the remote control R, the remote control determination unit R4 determines that the mobile communication terminal M is present inside each house K and that there is a low possibility that the remote control R will be remotely controlled, and when the mobile communication terminal M is not in a home connection state with the remote control R, it determines that the mobile communication terminal M is present outside each house K and that there is a high possibility that the remote control R will be remotely controlled.

[0034] When predetermined information is sent from the mobile communication terminal M to the remote control R, if the remote control R is nearby, a response is sent from the remote control R to the mobile communication terminal M. If there is no response from the remote control R, the remote operation determination unit R4 determines that the mobile communication terminal M is not present in the home, but the remote control R also determines that the mobile communication terminal M is not present in the home if there is no in-home communication from the mobile communication terminal M for a certain period of time or more.

[0035] Moreover, the remote operation determination unit R4 can also make a determination based on the location information of the mobile communication terminal M, instead of determining the possibility of remote operation based on the in-home connection state. In other words, when making a judgment based on the location information of the mobile communication terminal M, the mobile communication terminal M is equipped with a location information acquisition unit M3 that acquires its own location information based on GPS (Global Positioning System), and a location information transmission unit M2 that transmits its own location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit M3 to the server S. The server S stores the received location information in the database D in a form linked to the remote controller R that was previously paired and linked to the mobile communication terminal M that transmitted the location information. The remote control R is configured to be able to receive location information of the mobile communication terminal M associated with itself, which is stored in the database D, through instruction request acquisition communication with the server S every predetermined period (for example, 5 minutes), and is provided with a first memory unit R2 in which installation location information (its own installation location information) relating to the installation location of the remote control R is stored. The remote control determination unit R4 provided in the remote control R determines that there is a high possibility that the mobile communication terminal M will be remotely controlled if the received location information of the mobile communication terminal M matches the installation location information of the remote control R (for example, if it is within a predetermined distance L from the installation location of the remote control R as shown in C2 of Figure 2), and determines that there is a low possibility that the mobile communication terminal M will be remotely controlled if they do not match (for example, if it is outside the predetermined distance L from the installation location of the remote control R as shown in C1 of Figure 2).

[0036] Furthermore, the remote control determination unit R4 may be configured to determine that there is a high possibility of remote control when the mobile communication terminal M and the user are located outside each unit K based on either the above-mentioned in-home connection status or the location information of the mobile communication terminal M, and to determine that there is a low possibility of remote control when the mobile communication terminal M and the user are located inside each unit K based on both the above-mentioned in-home connection status and the location information of the mobile communication terminal M.

[0037] Furthermore, in the remote control system 100 of this embodiment, the possibility of remote control is determined based on information set by the user of each unit K and the locked / unlocked state of the electronic lock J installed in each unit K. Specifically, the remote control R is equipped with a non-stay time zone setting unit R3 that sets non-stay time zones, which are time zones when no one is staying in each unit K, and the resident of each unit K (the user of the mobile communication terminal M) sets the non-stay time zone according to, for example, his or her own schedule. Note that the non-stay time zone setting unit R3 can also be configured to automatically set the non-stay time zones (planned non-stay time zones) in cooperation with a separate web scheduling app used by the resident. The remote operation determination unit R4 determines that there is a high possibility of remote operation during the non-stay time period set by the non-stay time period setting unit R3, and determines that there is a low possibility of remote operation during time periods other than the non-stay time period. Note that in this configuration, a configuration in which a stay time period is set instead of a non-stay time period may be adopted.

[0038] In addition, the remote operation determination unit R4 determines that there is a high possibility of remote operation when the electronic lock J installed in each door K is in a locked state, and determines that there is a low possibility of remote operation when the electronic lock J is in an unlocked state.

[0039] The remote control determination unit R4 may determine the possibility of remote control in a combination of multiple ways. For example, the communication state switching unit R5 may switch to the first communication when the remote control determination unit R4 determines that there is a high possibility of remote control in one or more of its multiple determinations, and may switch to the second communication when the remote control determination unit R4 determines that there is a low possibility of remote control in all of its multiple determinations. [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which an electronic lock J is installed in each unit K is described. However, if the remote operation determination unit R4 does not use the locked and unlocked states of the electronic lock J as information for determining the possibility of remote operation, a configuration in which an electronic lock J is not installed may be adopted.

[0040] (2) In the above embodiment, the remote operation determination unit R4 and the communication state switching unit R5 are provided in the remote controller R. However, both of them may be provided in the server S.

[0041] (3) In the above embodiment, the remote operation determination unit R4 performs a determination based on the location information of the mobile communication terminal M. However, the following configuration may be implemented. That is, the mobile communication terminal M includes a leaving status information transmitting unit (not shown) that transmits to the server S leaving status information indicating that the mobile communication terminal M has left the house K where the paired remote control R is installed. Here, the leaving status information transmitting unit transmits the leaving status to the server S when the position of the position information acquiring unit M3 of the mobile communication terminal M does not match the installation position of the remote control R linked to the mobile communication terminal M. The server S stores the received out-of-home status information in the database D in a form linked to the remote controller R that was previously paired with the portable communication terminal M. The remote controller R is configured to be able to receive the away state information stored in the database D and linked to itself through regular communication with the server S at predetermined intervals (for example, every five minutes). A remote control determination unit R4 provided in the remote controller R determines that there is a high possibility that the remote controller R will be remotely controlled when the remote controller R receives the out-of-home status information, and determines that there is a low possibility that the remote controller R will be remotely controlled when the remote controller R does not receive the out-of-home status information.

[0042] (4) Instead of the non-stay time period setting unit R3 in the above embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which only the time of leaving the home is set. For example, a configuration can be adopted in which an exit time setting unit (not shown) is provided to set the time at which people leave each unit K during the day, and residents use the exit time setting unit to set the time at which they leave. The remote operation determination unit R4 determines that there is a low possibility of remote operation before the going-out time set in the going-out time setting unit in a day, and that there is a high possibility of remote operation after the going-out time in a day. Incidentally, the departure time setting unit can also be configured to automatically set the departure time (planned departure time) in cooperation with a separate web scheduling app used by the resident, similar to the non-stay time period setting unit R3.

[0043] (5) The amount of power consumption can also be used to determine the possibility of remote control. That is, it is equipped with a power consumption measuring unit (not shown) that can measure the current power consumption of each unit K, and the remote control determination unit R4 can determine that there is a high possibility of remote control when the power consumption measured by the power consumption measuring unit is below a power consumption threshold, which is a standard power consumption set for each unit K, and can determine that there is a low possibility of remote control when the power consumption measured by the power consumption measuring unit exceeds the power consumption threshold. Regarding this judgment, it is expected that the possibility of remote operation will be judged to be high during times when the resident is inactive (for example, at night), even though the possibility is not high, so a configuration can be adopted in which the judgment is made excluding times during the night.

[0044] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradictions arise. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] The remote control system 100 of the present invention can be effectively used as a remote control system that can realize stable communication with good response while suppressing deterioration of the communication environment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 100: Remote control system D: Database H: Housing equipment J:Electronic lock K: Door M: Mobile communication device M2: Location information transmitter R: Remote control R3: Non-stay time zone setting section R4: Remote operation determination section R5: Communication status switching unit RU: Router S: Server S2: Remote operation determination section

Claims

1. A remote control system is provided in which a server is provided that can remotely transmit operation commands via a network to remote controls that can operate household equipment installed in each home, a remote control determination unit that determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside; a communication state switching unit that, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the remote controller and the server to a first communication using long polling in which the connection between the two is not disconnected each time transmission and reception is performed, and, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a low possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the two to a second communication in which the connection between the two is established each time transmission and reception is performed, a mobile communication terminal capable of being paired with the remote controller by wireless communication via a router provided in each of the houses, the mobile communication terminal comprising an out-of-home status information transmitting unit configured to transmit to the server out-of-home status information indicating that the mobile communication terminal is out of the house in which the paired remote controller is provided; The server stores the received out-of-home status information in a database in a form linked to the remote controller that was previously paired with the portable communication terminal, and the remote controller is configured to be able to receive the out-of-home status information stored in the database and linked to the remote controller itself by regular communication with the server at predetermined intervals; The remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of the remote control being remotely controlled when the remote control receives the away-from-home status information, and determines that there is a low possibility of the remote control being remotely controlled when the remote control does not receive the away-from-home status information.

2. A remote control system including a server capable of remotely transmitting operation commands via a network to remote controls capable of operating home equipment installed in each home, a remote control determination unit that determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside; a communication state switching unit that, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the remote controller and the server to a first communication using long polling in which the connection between the two is not disconnected each time transmission and reception is performed, and, when the remote control determination unit determines that there is a low possibility that the remote controller will be remotely controlled from outside, switches the communication between the two to a second communication in which the connection between the two is established each time transmission and reception is performed, a mobile communication terminal capable of pairing with the remote controller by wireless communication via a router installed in each of the houses, the mobile communication terminal comprising a location information transmission unit that acquires its own location information and transmits it to the server; The server stores the received location information in a database in a form linked to the remote controller that was previously paired with the portable communication terminal, and the remote controller is configured to be able to receive the location information stored in the database and associated with itself by regular communication with the server at predetermined intervals; The remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of the remote control being operated when the location information received by the remote control does not match installation location information related to the installation location of the remote control, and determines that there is a low possibility of the remote control being operated when the location information received by the remote control matches the installation location information.

3. A remote control system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside when no one is present in each of the households, and determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled from outside when there is someone present in each of the households.

4. The remote operation determination unit A remote control system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, which determines that there is a low possibility that a mobile communication terminal paired with the remote control will be remotely controlled when the mobile communication terminal is in an in-home connection state that allows in-home communication via wireless communication via a router installed in each of the homes, and determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be remotely controlled when the remote control and the mobile communication terminal are not in an in-home connection state.

5. A non-stay time zone setting unit is provided which sets a non-stay time zone which is a time zone when no one is staying in each of the houses, The remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the remote control determination unit determines that the non-stay time period set by the non-stay time period setting unit is highly likely to be remotely controlled, and determines that the time periods other than the non-stay time period are not highly likely to be remotely controlled.

6. An outgoing time setting unit is provided for setting an outgoing time, which is the time when a person leaves each of the houses in a day; The remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the remote control determination unit determines that there is a low possibility that the remote control will be performed before the going-out time set by the going-out time setting unit within a day, and determines that there is a high possibility that the remote control will be performed after the going-out time within a day.

7. A power consumption measurement unit capable of measuring the current power consumption of each of the households, The remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of remote control when the power consumption measured by the power consumption measurement unit is equal to or less than a power consumption threshold, which is a standard power consumption set for each household, and determines that there is a low possibility of remote control when the power consumption measured by the power consumption measurement unit exceeds the power consumption threshold.

8. A remote control system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the remote control determination unit determines that there is a high possibility of the remote control being performed when the electronic lock installed in each door is in a locked state, and determines that there is a low possibility of the remote control being performed when the electronic lock is in an unlocked state.

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