Monitoring systems and programs

Abstract

To provide a monitoring system and program, which offer improved convenience.SOLUTION: A monitoring system according to an embodiment comprises a first terminal device usable by a monitoring user, a second terminal device usable by a monitoring target person, and a management server for managing one or more home appliances used by the monitoring target person. The first terminal device comprises a monitoring application unit and a display control unit. The monitoring application unit receives an input of information that allows for identifying the monitoring target person and makes an application for notifying a monitoring approval request to the second terminal device. Upon approval of the approval request, the display control unit can display information on the state of one or more home appliances based on information received from the management server.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a monitoring system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A monitoring system that provides a monitoring service using home appliances is known, and further improvements in the convenience of the monitoring system are expected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-026395 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a monitoring system and program that can improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A monitoring system according to an embodiment includes a first terminal device usable by a monitoring user who is the monitoring party, a second terminal device usable by a person being watched over who is being watched over, and a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over. The first terminal device includes a monitoring application unit and a display control unit. The monitoring application unit receives input of information that can identify the person being watched over, and makes an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of monitoring. If the request for approval is approved, the display control unit is capable of displaying information regarding the status of the one or more home appliances based on information received from the management server. If the approval request is approved, the management server generates approval information and transmits it to the second terminal device. The second terminal device notifies the approval information received from the management server. The first terminal device has an approval information receiving unit that receives input of the approval information to be transmitted from the watching target to the watching user. If it is determined that the same approval information as the approval information transmitted from the management server to the second terminal device has been input to the first terminal device, the display control unit transitions the screen of the first terminal device to a screen related to the approval of the approval request. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a monitoring system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a home electric appliance according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a device registration DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a monitoring service DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display content displayed on the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining prerequisites for explaining an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display content displayed on the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display content displayed on the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition for new registration of a monitoring setting according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing an example of a screen transition when a setting operation unit of the embodiment is operated. [Figure 13] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen transition when a browsing operation unit of the embodiment is operated. [Figure 14] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing an example of a screen transition when a setting operation unit of the embodiment is operated. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification viewing screen according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of screen transitions related to new registration of a monitoring setting according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of screen transitions related to new registration of a monitoring setting according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of screen transitions related to new registration of a monitoring setting according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition related to deleting a monitoring setting in the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition related to deleting a monitoring setting in the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a processing flow relating to new registration of a monitoring setting according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, a monitoring system, a terminal device, and a program according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be assigned the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of these components may be omitted. In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX" and may include a case where the component is based on other elements in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to the direct use of XX, but may also include a case where the component is based on XX after calculation or processing. In this application, "XX or YY" is not limited to either XX or YY, but may include both XX and YY. This also applies when there are three or more optional elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (e.g., arbitrary information).

[0008] In this application, "remote control" is not limited to operating a home appliance from outside the residence where the home appliance is located, but may also include operating the home appliance using a terminal device inside the residence where the home appliance is located. In this application, "operation" broadly means changing the state of a home appliance. In this application, "operation unit for XX" or "operation unit for performing XX" is not limited to an operation unit that directly XX an object, but may also be an operation unit for transitioning to another screen where XX can be performed on an object. In addition, "database" will be abbreviated as "DB" below.

[0009] (Embodiment) <1. Overall configuration of the monitoring system> 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a monitoring system 1 according to an embodiment. The monitoring system 1 includes, for example, one or more home appliances 100, a server 200, a first terminal device 300A, and a second terminal device 300B. Note that one or more of the home appliances 100 and the server 200 may be provided as external components of the monitoring system 1. The network NW, which will be described later, may be, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a low power wide area network (LPWA), a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or other public or dedicated lines, depending on the situation.

[0010] The monitoring system 1 provides a monitoring service using a home electric appliance 100. In this application, in the monitoring service, the person doing the monitoring is referred to as a "monitoring user" and the person being monitored is referred to as a "monitoring target."

[0011] The home appliance 100 is an electrical appliance that is primarily used at home. The home appliance 100 may include one or more home appliances 100A disposed in the residence of the watching user UA and one or more home appliances 100B disposed in the residence of the watching target UB. However, the home appliance 100A may not be disposed in the residence of the watching user UA. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the home appliance 100A and the home appliance 100B, they will simply be referred to as "home appliance 100." Furthermore, below, when there is no particular distinction between the watching user UA and the watching target UB, they will simply be referred to as "user U."

[0012] The home appliance 100 may be, but is not limited to, a refrigerator 101, an air conditioner 102, a cooking appliance, a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a rice cooker, or an iron. The home appliance 100 is connected to a network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M installed in the same residence as the home appliance 100. The home appliance 100 can communicate with a server 200, a first terminal device 300A, or a second terminal device 300B via the network NW. For ease of explanation, the air conditioner 102 may be referred to as an "air conditioner 102" and the cooking appliance may be referred to as an "oven range" below.

[0013] The server 200 is a management server that manages the home appliance 100. The server 200 is configured by one or more server devices (e.g., cloud servers). The server 200 may also be referred to as a "server system." The server 200 is capable of communicating with the home appliance 100, the first terminal device 300A, or the second terminal device 300B via the network NW. The server 200 may include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in the network NW. The server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in the residence of the user U, or a home router (e.g., a wireless router WR).

[0014] The first terminal device 300A is a terminal device used by the watching user UA. The second terminal device 300B is a terminal device used by the watching target UB. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the terminal device 300A and the terminal device 300B, they will be simply referred to as "terminal device 300." The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, the terminal device 300 is not limited to a mobile terminal device and may be a personal computer or the like. The terminal device 300 has a display device 301 including a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information, and an input device 302 capable of accepting input from the user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided on top of the display screen 301a of the display device 301. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, or the like provided in the terminal device 300.

[0015] An application program P is installed in the terminal device 300, and the terminal device 300 supports the functions described below. The application program P is an application program for managing the home electric appliance 100 and for using a monitoring service. Hereinafter, application software that is started by executing the application program P will be referred to as a "home electric appliance management application APP." In this embodiment, the same application program P is installed in the first terminal device 300A and the second terminal device 300B.

[0016] <2. Home appliances> First, the home appliance 100 will be described in detail. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance 100. The home appliance 100 includes an actuator 110, an operation unit 120, a state detection unit 130, a control unit 140, and a storage unit 180, for example.

[0017] Actuator 110 is a driving unit that operates the main functions of home appliance 100. For example, if home appliance 100 is a refrigerator, actuator 110 is a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a fan that circulates cool air inside the refrigerator, or the like.

[0018] The operation unit 120 is an operation button or a touch panel provided on the home appliance 100. The operation unit 120 accepts an operation by the user U regarding the home appliance 100. For example, the operation unit 120 accepts an operation by the user U to specify or change the setting contents of the home appliance 100. The setting contents of the home appliance 100 include one or more of control amounts related to various controls, target values, threshold values, timer settings, operation modes, etc. Information indicating the setting contents of the home appliance 100 is stored in the storage unit 180 as setting information 181.

[0019] The state detection unit 130 and the control unit 140 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), that are installed in the home appliance 100, executing a program. However, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0020] The state detection unit 130 detects the state or a state change of the home appliance 100 based on the detection results of various sensors provided in the home appliance 100 and the operating state of the actuator 110. The "state or a state change of the home appliance" is, for example, the operating state of the home appliance 100 (such as the ON / OFF state of the operation), the movement occurring in the home appliance 100 (such as the opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator 101), or the ambient environment of the home appliance 100 (such as the ambient temperature).

[0021] The control unit 140 performs overall control of the home appliance 100. For example, the control unit 140 operates the home appliance 100 by controlling the actuator 110 based on the detection results of various sensors provided in the home appliance 100 and the setting information 181. The control unit 140 also performs various controls in response to requests from the server 200, responds to the server 200, and the like.

[0022] In this embodiment, when the state detection unit 130 detects a state or a state change of the home appliance 100, the control unit 140 transmits information indicating the detected state or state change to the server 200. The information indicating the state or state change is an example of "information related to the state."

[0023] The storage unit 180 is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The storage unit 180 is realized by a combination of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage unit 180 stores setting information 181.

[0024] <3. Server> Next, the server 200 will be described in detail. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200. The server 200 includes, for example, a device registration unit 210, a home appliance management unit 220, a monitoring service providing unit 250, and a storage unit 280.

[0025] The device registration unit 210, the home appliance management unit 220, and the monitoring service providing unit 250 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU, installed in the server 200 executing programs. However, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. These functional units may be provided separately in multiple server devices. Furthermore, one or more of these functional units may be provided in the terminal device 300 or the home appliance 100 instead of the server 200.

[0026] <3.1 Device Registration Section> The device registration unit 210 performs device registration of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300 (i.e., an application from the user U). Device registration means associating a specific user U with the home appliance 100 used by the user U (i.e., the home appliance 100 to be remotely controlled). Device registration is performed, for example, by registering a correspondence between user information (e.g., a user ID) that can identify the user U and device information (e.g., a device ID) that can identify an individual home appliance 100. In this embodiment, the correspondence is registered in a device registration DB 281 stored in the storage unit 280. The device ID is, for example, a serial number of the home appliance 100. Note that in this application, "device registration" includes device registration in which a home appliance 100 that has previously been registered to be associated with another person is associated with itself by having the other person share the registration.

[0027] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the device registration DB 281. In the device registration DB 281, for example, a user ID, a device ID, a type of the home appliance 100 (home appliance type), a model of the home appliance 100, and a display name on the home appliance management application APP are registered in association with each other.

[0028] When the device registration unit 210 performs device registration of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300, the device registration unit 210 transmits information indicating the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed to the terminal device 300. The information indicating the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed is stored in the storage unit 380 of the terminal device 300 as device registration information 381, which will be described later.

[0029] <3.2 Home appliance management department> The home appliance management unit 220 manages the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives a remote control request from the terminal device 300 to remotely control the home appliance 100, the home appliance management unit 220 remotely controls the home appliance 100 by notifying the home appliance 100 of a control command corresponding to the received remote control request. Furthermore, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives from the terminal device 300 a confirmation request to confirm the status of the home appliance 100, the home appliance management unit 220 notifies the home appliance 100 of a request to transmit status information indicating the status of the home appliance 100. Based on the status information received from the home appliance 100, the home appliance management unit 220 transmits information indicating the status of the home appliance 100 to the terminal device 300.

[0030] <3.3 Monitoring Service Department> The watching service providing unit 250 provides a watching service. The watching service watches over the person being watched over UB based on, for example, whether the door of the refrigerator 101 is opened or closed during a predetermined time period that has been set in advance. Note that the watching service may watch over the person being watched over UB based on the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 101, the operating state of the air conditioner 102, etc., instead of / in addition to whether the door of the refrigerator 101 is opened or closed.

[0031] In this embodiment, the watching service providing unit 250 includes, for example, an information notifying unit 251, a registration managing unit 252, and a passcode generating unit 253.

[0032] The information notification unit 251 transmits a monitoring notification regarding the watching target UB to the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA. A "monitoring notification" is a notification that notifies the result of monitoring regarding the watching target UB through information regarding the state of the home appliance 100. For example, when opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator 101 is detected, information indicating that the door opening and closing has been detected is transmitted from the refrigerator 101 to the server 200. When a predetermined state related to the watching service is detected (for example, when the door of the refrigerator 101 has not been opened or closed during the predetermined time period), the information notification unit 251 transmits a monitoring notification to the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA, indicating that the predetermined state related to the watching service has been detected.

[0033] The registration management unit 252 registers and manages information necessary for the watching service in a watching service DB 282 stored in the storage unit 280. Hereinafter, an individual registration related to the watching service may be referred to as a "watching setting." When the registration management unit 252 receives an application for new registration of a watching setting from the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA, the registration management unit 252 associates and registers the home appliance 100 used for the watching service, the watching conditions, and information that can identify the watching user UA, as a new registration of the watching setting.

[0034] Furthermore, when the registration management unit 252 receives a request to change the contents of the monitoring settings from the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA or the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB, the registration management unit 252 changes the contents of the monitoring settings registered in the watching service DB 282. Furthermore, when the registration management unit 252 receives a request to delete the monitoring settings from the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA or the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB, the registration management unit 252 deletes the monitoring settings registered in the watching service DB 282.

[0035] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the watching service DB 282. In the watching service DB 282, for example, the device ID of the home appliance 100 used for the watching service, the watching conditions, information that can identify the watching user UA, and information that can identify the watching target UB are registered in association with a management ID. The watching conditions include the time period during which watching is performed and conditions for outputting a notification to the watching user UA. The "information that can identify the watching user UA" is, for example, the user ID of the watching user UA. The "information that can identify the watching target UB" is, for example, the user ID of the watching target UB. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the email address of the user U is used as the user ID.

[0036] The passcode generation unit 253 generates a passcode required when applying for new registration of a monitoring setting. The passcode is an example of "approval information." The passcode is, for example, a random number generated by a random number generator. However, the passcode is not limited to a number and may be a combination of letters, etc.

[0037] <3.4 Storage section> The storage unit 280 is realized by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, SSD, etc. The storage unit 280 stores, for example, a device registration DB 281 and a monitoring service DB 282.

[0038] <4. Terminal Device> Next, the terminal device 300 will be described in detail. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, a registration reception unit 310, a display control unit 320, a first functional unit 330, a second functional unit 340, a setting reception unit 350, and a storage unit 380.

[0039] The registration reception unit 310, the display control unit 320, the first functional unit 330, the second functional unit 340, and the setting reception unit 350 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU, mounted on the terminal device 300 executing the application program P. In other words, the registration reception unit 310, the display control unit 320, the first functional unit 330, the second functional unit 340, and the setting reception unit 350 are software functional units included in the home appliance management application APP.

[0040] <4.1 Registration Reception> The registration acceptance unit 310 accepts a request for device registration of the home appliance 100 based on an operation by the user U on the input device 302. In the present application, "accepting a registration request" or "accepting registration" is not limited to a case where the registration process is completed by the terminal device 300, but may also include a case where an operation by the user U instructing device registration (i.e., a registration request) is accepted by the terminal device 300 and the actual registration process is performed by the server 200. In this embodiment, the registration acceptance unit 310 accepts a registration request for the home appliance 100 to be associated with the user ID used for login, when the user has logged in to the home appliance management application APP using the user ID.

[0041] 4.2 Display control section The display control unit 320 controls the content displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301 by controlling the display device 301 of the terminal device 300. The processing of the display control unit 320 will be described in detail later.

[0042] <4.3 First functional unit> In this embodiment, the watching user UA requests the watching target UB for approval to watch over them, and if the watching target UB approves, the watching user UA proceeds with the new registration of the watching setting. The first functional unit 330 is a functional unit used by the watching user UA when the watching user UA applies for the new registration of the watching setting. The first functional unit 330 has a watching application unit 331, a passcode acceptance unit 332, and a target device acceptance unit 333.

[0043] (Monitoring Application Department) The watching application unit 331 accepts input of information that can identify the watching target UB (for example, the user ID of the watching target UB). When a predetermined operation is performed by the watching user UA on the first terminal device 300A, the watching application unit 331 makes an application to notify the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB of a request for approval of watching. The processing of the watching application unit 331 will be described in detail later.

[0044] (Passcode reception section) When the approval request is approved by the watching target UB, the passcode accepting unit 332 accepts input of a number that is issued and specified by the passcode generating unit 253 of the server 200. The passcode accepting unit 332 is an example of an "approval information accepting unit."

[0045] (Target device reception department) When the approval request is approved by the watching target UB, the target device receiving unit 333 receives an operation from the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for watching from one or more home appliances 100 that have been registered in association with the watching target UB. In this embodiment, when there are multiple home appliances 100 that have been registered in association with the watching target UB, the target device receiving unit 333 receives an operation from the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for watching, while the display control unit 320 displays information indicating the multiple home appliances 100 on the display screen 301a.

[0046] <4.4 Second functional unit> The second functional unit 340 is a functional unit used by the watching target UB, and is a functional unit for giving approval to a watching approval request made based on an operation of the watching user UA. The second functional unit 340 has a watching approval unit 341.

[0047] (Monitoring Approval Department) When the watching approval unit 341 receives a notification of a watching approval request made by the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA, it accepts an operation from the watching target UB indicating whether to approve or reject the approval request.

[0048] <4.5 Settings Reception> The setting reception unit 350 receives an operation by the user U (the watching user UA or the watching target UB) to instruct a change to the registered contents of the watching settings. A change to the registered contents of the watching settings is, for example, a change to the watching conditions. A change to the watching conditions is, for example, a change to the home appliance 100 used for watching, a change to the time period during which watching is performed, or a change to the conditions for outputting a watching notification to the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA.

[0049] In this embodiment, the setting reception unit 350 also receives an operation by the user U (the watching user UA or the watching target UB) to instruct the deletion of a registered watching setting. In this embodiment, the setting reception unit 350 also receives an operation by the user U to instruct the new registration of a watching setting that does not require the approval of others (for example, a new registration of a watching setting for watching a family member living with the watching user UA).

[0050] When the setting reception unit 350 receives an operation from user U instructing to change the contents of the registered monitoring setting, delete it, or register a new one, it generates a notification indicating an application to change the contents of the registered monitoring setting, delete it, or register a new one, and sends it to the server 200.

[0051] <4.6 Storage section> The storage unit 380 is realized by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, SSD, etc. The storage unit 380 stores an application program P and device registration information 381.

[0052] <5. Display screen contents> Next, the display contents of the terminal device 300 will be described. Unless otherwise specified, the display contents described below are realized by the processing of the display control unit 320. In the following description, "operation unit B" refers to an operation unit displayed on the display screen 301a, and is a function key to which a specific function is assigned in order to call that function. Operation unit B is, for example, an icon displayed on the display screen 301a.

[0053] <5.1 Home screen of the home appliance management app> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of display content displayed on display screen 301a of terminal device 300. The screen shown in Fig. 7 is, for example, a home screen (top screen) DH of the home appliance management application APP. The "home screen of the home appliance management application" is a screen that is first displayed as an operation screen of the home appliance management application APP. Note that the black frame indicated by reference numeral 301a in Fig. 7 indicates the content that is displayed at one time on display screen 301a of display device 301. In this embodiment, display control unit 320 displays a first function area R1 and a second function area R2 on the home screen DH.

[0054] (1st functional area) The first functional area R1 is a functional area corresponding to "Home Appliance Control (Home Appliance Operation)." The first functional area R1 includes, as the operation unit B, one or more first operation units B1 for operating the home appliances 100. In this embodiment, the first functional area R1 displays a plurality of first operation units B1 for operating different home appliances 100. In this embodiment, when a home appliance 100 is registered, a first operation unit B1 corresponding to the registered home appliance 100 is added to the first functional area R1. That is, the number of first operation units B1 corresponds to the number of registered home appliances 100.

[0055] FIG. 7 shows an example in which multiple home appliances 100, including "Air Conditioner 1," "Air Conditioner 2," "Refrigerator," "Oven Range," and "Washing Machine," are registered, and as a result, multiple first operation units B1 are displayed, including a first operation unit B1a for operating "Air Conditioner 1," a first operation unit B1b for operating "Air Conditioner 2," a first operation unit B1c for operating "Refrigerator," a first operation unit B1d for operating "Oven Range," and a first operation unit B1e for operating "Washing Machine."

[0056] (Second functional area) The second functional area R2 is a functional area corresponding to services related to the home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as "home appliance-related services"). The second functional area R2 includes, as the operation unit B, one or more second operation units B2 for using the home appliance-related services. In this embodiment, the second functional area R2 displays a plurality of second operation units B2, each corresponding to a different home appliance-related service. In this embodiment, when the home appliance 100 is registered and there is a home appliance-related service related to the registered home appliance 100, the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the home appliance-related service is added to the second functional area R2.

[0057] Figure 7 shows an example in which the home appliance-related services associated with the registered home appliance 100 (refrigerator 101 and microwave oven) include a "food management service," a "recipe service," and a "monitoring service," and as a result, multiple second operation units B2 are displayed, including a second operation unit B2a for using the "food management service," a second operation unit B2b for using the "recipe service," and a second operation unit B2c for using the "monitoring service."

[0058] The "monitoring service" is, for example, a service related to the refrigerator 101, and is a service provided by the monitoring service providing unit 250 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "monitoring service" is added when the refrigerator 101 is registered as a device.

[0059] <5.2 Home screen of the monitoring service> Next, the home screen of the monitoring service will be described. 8 is a diagram for explaining the preconditions for the following explanation. For convenience of explanation, user A, user B, and user C are defined here.

[0060] From one perspective, user A is a watching user (watching user UA) who watches over user B. User A is a user who uses first terminal device 300A. User B is a watching target (watching target UB) who is watched over by user A. User B is a user who uses second terminal device 300B.

[0061] From another perspective, user C is a watching user who watches over user A. User A is a watching target who is watched over by user C.

[0062] 9 and 10 are diagrams showing an example of the display content displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. The screens shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 are, for example, the home screen (top screen) SH of the monitoring service. The "home screen of the monitoring service" is the screen that is first displayed as the operation screen for the monitoring service. FIG. 9 shows the screen in the initial state where no monitoring settings have been made. FIG. 10 shows the screen in the state where monitoring settings have been made based on the above prerequisites.

[0063] The home screen SH can be switched between a first screen SH1 for making various settings and a second screen SH2 for checking the monitoring notification. The first screen SH1 displays, for example, a first setting area S1, a second setting area S2, a third setting area S3, and a switching operation unit SB. For ease of explanation, the following description will be given of the contents displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300A used by the monitoring user UA under the above-mentioned preconditions.

[0064] (1st setting area) The first setting area S1 is a setting area corresponding to the watching user UA (user A) watching over the family living with him / her. "Watching over the family living with him / her" means watching over the family living with the watching user UA (for example, elderly parents or small children).

[0065] "Watching over the family members who live with me" is performed using the home appliance 100 placed in the home of the watching user UA (i.e., the home appliance 100 that has been registered to be associated with the watching user UA). Therefore, "watching over the family members who live with me" does not require the approval of others to register the watching settings (in other words, to obtain information about the status of the home appliance 100).

[0066] 11 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions for registering a new monitoring setting for "monitoring family members living with me." A setting operation unit 401 is displayed in the first setting area S1 of the home screen SH (see (a) in FIG. 11). The setting operation unit 401 is an operation unit for registering a new monitoring setting or changing the content of the monitoring setting using the home appliance 100 located in the home of the monitoring user UA.

[0067] When the setting operation unit 401 is operated (for example, tapped) on the home screen SH, the home screen SH transitions to an individual operation screen 410 (see (b) in FIG. 11). The individual operation screen 410 displays a list of home appliances 100 available for the monitoring service and an operation unit 411 for selecting one or more home appliances 100 to be used for the monitoring service from the list. The setting reception unit 350 receives an operation by the monitoring user UA to select, via the operation unit 411, a home appliance 100 to be used for the monitoring service. When the operation unit 411 corresponding to the home appliance 100 to be used for the monitoring service is operated (for example, tapped), the individual operation screen 410 transitions to an individual setting screen 420 (see (c) in FIG. 11).

[0068] The individual setting screen 420 displays a plurality of operation units 421 for setting monitoring conditions for the selected home electric device 100. The setting reception unit 350 receives an operation by the watching user UA to set the monitoring conditions using the operation unit 421. Then, when the operation unit 422 indicating "OK" on the individual setting screen 420 is operated (e.g., tapped) after the operation unit 421 is operated, the setting reception unit 350 generates an application for new registration of a monitoring setting based on the received content and transmits it to the server 200. As a result, the registration management unit 252 of the server 200 performs new registration of a monitoring setting for "watching over family members living with me."

[0069] (Second setting area) 9 and 10, the second setting area S2 will be described. The second setting area S2 is a setting area corresponding to the watching user UA (user A) watching over the watching target UB (user B). "Watching over the watching target" means watching over the watching target (for example, elderly parents) who lives apart from the watching user UA.

[0070] "Watching over the person being watched over" is performed using the home appliance 100 placed in the home of the person being watched over UB (i.e., the home appliance 100 that has been registered to be associated with the person being watched over UB). Therefore, "watching over the person being watched over" requires the approval of the person being watched over UB to register the watching settings (in other words, to obtain information about the status of the home appliance 100).

[0071] The second setting area S2 of the home screen SH displays a display unit D1, a registration operation unit 431, and a deletion operation unit 432. When there are one or more watching targets UB who have been approved or are requesting approval for an approval request, which will be described later, the display unit D1 displays information that can identify the one or more watching targets UB (for example, the names or user IDs of the watching targets UB). That is, the display unit D1 displays information that indicates who the user is watching over. For example, when there are multiple watching targets UB who have been approved or are requesting approval, the display unit D1 displays information that can identify the multiple watching targets UB. As described above, in this embodiment, the email address of the user U is used as the user ID.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the approved watching target UB is displayed on the display unit D1, the setting operation unit 433 and the viewing operation unit 434 are displayed on the display unit D1 in association with each watching target UB.

[0073] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition when the setting operation unit 433 is operated. The setting operation unit 433 has the same function as the setting operation unit 401 displayed in the first setting area S1. That is, when the setting operation unit 433 is operated (for example, tapped), the home screen SH transitions to an individual setting screen 510 (see (b) in FIG. 12).

[0074] The individual setting screen 510 is an individual setting screen for changing the contents of the watching settings approved by the watching target UB. The individual setting screen 510 displays a plurality of operation units 511 for setting the watching conditions. The setting reception unit 350 receives an operation by the watching user UA to set the watching conditions using the operation unit 511. Then, when the operation unit 512 indicating "OK" on the individual setting screen 510 is operated (e.g., tapped) after the operation unit 511 is operated, the setting reception unit 350 generates a request for changing the contents of the watching settings based on the received content and transmits it to the server 200. As a result, the registration management unit 252 of the server 200 changes the contents of the watching settings.

[0075] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition when the viewing operation unit 434 is operated. The viewing operation unit 434 is an operation unit for viewing the usage status of the home electric appliance 100 used by the watching target person UB. When the viewing operation unit 434 is operated (for example, tapped), the home screen SH transitions to an individual operation screen 520 (see (b) in FIG. 13).

[0076] The individual operation screen 520 displays a list of home appliances 100 that the watching user UA is using to watch over the watching target UB, and an operation unit 521 for selecting, from the list, the home appliance 100 for which the watching target UB wishes to check details of its usage. When the operation unit 521 is operated (for example, tapped), the individual operation screen 520 transitions to a usage status confirmation screen 530 (see (c) in FIG. 13 ).

[0077] The usage status confirmation screen 530 displays details of the usage status of the home appliance 100 by the watching target UB. The usage status may be, for example, the number of times the home appliance 100 has been used per predetermined time period. The usage status confirmation screen 530 displays the total number of times the home appliance 100 has been used or a timeline of the usage status. The usage status of the home appliance 100 is displayed based on information accumulated by and received from the server 200. The usage status of the home appliance 100 is an example of "information relating to the state of the home appliance."

[0078] Returning to Fig. 10, the registration operation unit 431 will be described. The registration operation unit 431 is an operation unit operated when the watching user UA newly registers a watching setting for watching over the watching target UB. In other words, the registration operation unit 431 is an operation unit operated to notify the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB of a request for approval of watching. The process related to the approval request will be described in detail later.

[0079] The deletion operation unit 432 is an operation unit that is operated when the watching user UA ends watching over the watching target UB (deletes the watching setting). The deletion operation unit 432 is displayed in the second setting area S2 when the watching target UB is present. The process of deleting the watching setting will be described in detail later.

[0080] (Third setting area) Next, the third setting area S3 will be described. The third setting area S3 is a setting area for the person being watched over (user A) to confirm who the watching user (user C) is who will be watching over them. "Watching over me" means being watched over by user C (for example, a child) who lives apart from user A.

[0081] "Watching over me" is performed using a home electric appliance 100 placed in the home of user A (i.e., a home electric appliance 100 that has been registered to be associated with user A). Therefore, "watching over me" requires the approval of user A to register the watching setting (in other words, to obtain information about the status of home electric appliance 100).

[0082] The third setting area S3 of the home screen SH displays a display unit D2 and a deletion operation unit 441. When there is one or more watching users (users C) who have been approved or who are requesting approval, as will be described later, the display unit D2 displays information that can identify the watching users (users C) (for example, the name or user ID of user C). That is, the display unit D2 displays information that indicates who is watching over you. For example, when there are multiple watching users (users C) who have been approved or who are requesting approval, the display unit D2 displays information that can identify the multiple watching users (users C). As described above, in this embodiment, the email address of user U is used as the user ID.

[0083] The deletion operation unit 441 is an operation unit that is operated when the watching target (user A) ends watching by the watching user (user C) (deletes the watching setting). The deletion operation unit 441 is displayed in the third setting area S3 when a watching user (user C) is present. The process of deleting the watching setting will be described in detail later.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the approved watching users (users C) are displayed on the display unit D2, the setting operation unit 442 is displayed on the display unit D2 in association with each watching user.

[0085] 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition when the setting operation unit 442 is operated. When the setting operation unit 442 is operated (for example, tapped), the home screen SH transitions to an individual setting screen 540 (see (b) in FIG. 12).

[0086] The individual operation screen 540 displays a list of home appliances 100 that the watching user (user C) is using or can use to watch over the person being watched over (user A), and an operation unit 541 for selecting the home appliance 100 to use to watch over the person being watched over (user A) from the list. The setting reception unit 350 receives an operation by the person being watched over (user A) to select (for example, add, change, or delete) the home appliance 100 to be used to watch over the person being watched over (user A) using the operation unit 541.

[0087] As described above, in this embodiment, the display control unit 320 displays, on one screen, the second setting area S2 for making settings related to the watching target (user B) watched by the user (user A) of the first terminal device 300A, and the third setting area S3 for making settings related to the watching user (user C) watching over the user (user A) of the first terminal device 300A. In this application, "displaying on one screen" means "displaying on a continuous screen." In other words, "displaying on one screen" is not limited to being displayed within a screen that can be viewed at one time (for example, within the display screen 301a), but may also include a case where a part of the screen that can be viewed at one time is hidden and then displayed in order by scrolling.

[0088] In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 displays the first setting area S1, the second setting area S2, and the third setting area S3 in this order from the top of the screen. The first setting area S1 is a setting area that is used more frequently than the second setting area S2 or the third setting area S3. The second setting area S2 is a setting area that is used more frequently than the third setting area S3. That is, in this embodiment, the multiple setting areas S1, S2, and S3 are arranged from the top of the screen in order of most frequently used.

[0089] From another perspective, the first setting area S1 is a setting area that has fewer operation units than the second setting area S2 or the third setting area S3 and is smaller in size (for example, vertical width) than the second setting area S2 or the third setting area S3. In this embodiment, the first setting area S1, which is smaller and therefore less noticeable than the second setting area S2 or the third setting area S3, is placed at the top of the multiple setting areas S1, S2, and S3.

[0090] (Switching operation section) The switching operation unit SB is an operation unit for switching the home screen SH from a first screen SH1 for performing various settings to a second screen SH2 for checking the monitoring notification. In other words, the switching operation unit is an operation unit for checking (for example, viewing) the monitoring notification. When the switching operation unit SB is operated (for example, tapped), the home screen SH transitions from the first screen SH1 to the second screen SH2 (see FIG. 15).

[0091] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the second screen SH (notification viewing screen). On the second screen SH2, the display control unit 320 displays the monitoring notifications N received by the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA in chronological order. The watching notification N is a notification sent from the server 200 when the conditions set in the watching conditions are met. The watching notification N is another example of "information related to the status of home appliances." In other words, when the watching user UA performs a predetermined operation on the terminal device 300A (an operation on the switching operation unit SB), the display control unit 320 displays information related to the status of one or more home appliances 100 based on the information received from the server 200.

[0092] <5.3 Display process for approval request> <5.3.1 Display process on the monitoring user side (first stage)> 16 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions in the first stage of display processing on the watching user UA side regarding new registration of watching settings when the watching user UA (user A) watches over the watching target UB (user B). When the registration operation unit 431 in the second setting area S2 of the home screen SH is operated (e.g., tapped), the home screen SH transitions to an individual operation screen 610 (see (b) in FIG. 16). The watching user UA inputs the user ID (e.g., email address) of the watching target UB on the individual operation screen 610 (see (c) in FIG. 16). In response to the operation unit 611 indicating "send watching request" being operated (e.g., tapped), the watching application unit 331 accepts the input user ID of the watching target UB.

[0093] When the watching application unit 331 receives the user ID of the watching target UB, it makes a request to the server 200 to notify the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB of a watching approval request. The "watching approval request" is an approval request for the watching target UB to approve the watching user UA watching over the watching target UB. The watching application unit 331 sends a notification request for the watching approval request together with the user ID of the watching target UB to the server 200 as the above application. As a result, the process of registering new watching settings becomes a process on the watching target UB's side once.

[0094] <5.3.2 Display processing on the monitoring target side> 17 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions in the display process on the side of the watching target UB regarding new registration of a watching setting. When the above application is made by the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA, an approval request notification N1 is received from the server 200 to the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB (see (a) in FIG. 17).

[0095] When an approval request notification N1 is received from the server 200 and the operation unit 721 indicating "Next" on the individual operation screen 720 is operated (e.g., tapped), the watching approval unit 341 of the terminal device 300B causes the display control unit 320 to display an explanation N2 regarding the watching service, and also causes an operation unit 731 for approving watching and an operation unit 732 for refusing watching to be displayed on the individual operation screen 730. When the operation unit 732 for refusing watching is operated (tapped), the watching approval unit 341 transmits a notification to the server 200 indicating that watching is being refused. In this case, a notification indicating that watching has been refused is received from the server 200 to the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA.

[0096] On the other hand, when the operation unit 731 for approving the monitoring is operated (tapped), the monitoring approval unit 341 transmits a notification indicating that the monitoring is approved to the server 200, and receives a passcode generated by the server 200 from the server 200 as a response. The monitoring approval unit 341 then displays the received passcode and an explanation of how to use the passcode on the screen 740. The passcode is information transmitted from the watching target UB to the watching user UA orally, by telephone, email, or the like. This completes the processing on the watching target UB's side. Displaying the passcode on the screen 740 is an example of "notifying approval information."

[0097] <5.3.3 Display process on the monitoring user side (second stage)> FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions in the second-stage display processing on the watching user UA side regarding new registration of watching settings. When the first-stage processing on the watching user UA side is completed, the display control unit 320 transitions to an individual operation screen 810 ((a) in FIG. 18) used in the second-stage processing on the watching user UA side. The watching user UA inputs a passcode transmitted by the watching target UB verbally, by telephone, or by email. The watching application unit 331 accepts the passcode entered by the watching user UA and transmits the accepted passcode to the server 200.

[0098] The registration management unit 252 of the server 200 determines whether the passcode generated by the passcode generation unit 253 and transmitted to the terminal device 300B of the watching target person UB matches the passcode received from the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA. If the passcode transmitted to the terminal device 300B of the watching target person UB matches the passcode received from the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA, the registration management unit 252 determines that the passcode is legitimate. In this case, the registration management unit 252 transmits a notification to the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA indicating that the approval of watching has been properly performed.

[0099] When a notification indicating that the monitoring has been approved successfully is received from the server 200, the display control unit 320 displays a screen 820 indicating that the monitoring has been approved successfully. Next, when an operation unit 821 indicating "Next" on the screen 820 is operated (for example, tapped), the display control unit 320 transitions the screen 820 to an individual setting screen 830. The individual setting screen 830 displays a list of home appliances 100 that can be used for the monitoring service among the home appliances that have been registered in association with the watching target UB, and an operation unit 831 for selecting one or more home appliances 100 to use for the monitoring service from the list.

[0100] When there are multiple home appliances 100 available for the monitoring service among the home appliances that have been registered in association with the watching target UB, the target device receiving unit 333 receives an operation from the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for monitoring, with the display control unit 320 displaying the individual setting screen 830 for the multiple home appliances 100. When the target device receiving unit 333 receives an operation from the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for monitoring, the target device receiving unit 333 transmits information indicating the one or more home appliances 100 selected by the watching user UA to the server 200. The registration management unit 252 of the server 200 performs new registration of a watching setting based on the information received from the watching application unit 331 and the target device receiving unit 333. This completes a series of processes related to the new registration of a watching setting.

[0101] <5.4. Display process regarding deletion of monitoring settings by monitoring user> FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions in the display process when the watching user UA deletes the watching setting while watching over the watching target UB. When the deletion operation unit 432 in the second setting area S2 of the home screen SH is operated (e.g., tapped), the home screen SH transitions to the individual operation screen 910 (see (b) in FIG. 19). The watching user UA selects the watching target UB for which the watching setting is to be deleted on the individual operation screen 910. The setting reception unit 350 receives the selection of the watching target UB for which the watching setting is to be deleted via the operation unit 911 displayed on the individual operation screen 910. When there are multiple watching targets UB, the setting reception unit 350 receives the selection of one or more watching targets UB for which the watching setting is to be deleted. Then, the setting reception unit 350 transmits information indicating the selected watching target UB for which the watching setting is to be deleted and a request to delete the watching setting to the server 200.

[0102] The registration management unit 252 of the server 200 deletes the monitoring setting that is the target of the deletion request from the monitoring service DB 282 based on the information received from the terminal device 300A. In this case, a notification indicating that the monitoring setting has been deleted is sent from the server 200 to each of the first terminal device 300A and the second terminal device 300B. Each of the first terminal device 300A and the second terminal device 300B displays that the monitoring setting has been deleted. This completes the series of processes related to deleting the monitoring setting.

[0103] <5.5. Display process regarding deletion of monitoring settings by the monitored person> FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of screen transitions in the display process when the watching user UA, while watching over the watching target UB, deletes the watching setting. When the deletion operation unit 441 in the third setting area S3 of the home screen SH is operated (e.g., tapped), the home screen SH transitions to the individual operation screen 1010 (see (b) in FIG. 20). The watching target UB selects the watching user UA whose watching setting is to be deleted on the individual operation screen 1010. The setting reception unit 350 receives the selection of the watching user UA whose watching setting is to be deleted via the operation unit 1011 displayed on the individual operation screen 1010. When there are multiple watching users UA, the setting reception unit 350 receives the selection of one or more watching users UA whose watching setting is to be deleted. Then, the setting reception unit 350 transmits information indicating the selected watching user UA whose watching setting is to be deleted and a request to delete the watching setting to the server 200.

[0104] The registration management unit 252 of the server 200 deletes the monitoring setting that is the target of the deletion request from the monitoring service DB 282 based on the information received from the terminal device 300A. In this case, a notification indicating that the monitoring setting has been deleted is sent from the server 200 to each of the first terminal device 300A and the second terminal device 300B. Each of the first terminal device 300A and the second terminal device 300B displays that the monitoring setting has been deleted. This completes the series of processes related to deleting the monitoring setting.

[0105] <6. Processing flow> Next, the overall process flow for new registration of a monitoring setting will be described. FIG. 21 is a sequence diagram showing the overall processing flow of the watching system 1 regarding new registration of watching settings.

[0106] First, when the registration operation unit 431 in the second setting area S2 of the home screen SH is operated, the display control unit 320 of the first terminal device 300A transitions the home screen SH to an individual operation screen 610 that accepts the user ID of the watching target UB (S101). The watching application unit 331 accepts the user ID (e.g., email address) of the watching target UB on the individual operation screen 610 (S102). Then, the watching application unit 331 transmits a notification request for approval of watching to the server 200 together with the user ID of the watching target UB (S103).

[0107] When the registration management unit 252 of the server 200 receives a notification request for an approval request for watching over from the terminal device 300A, it identifies the terminal device 300B of the watching over person UB based on the user ID of the watching over person UB received from the terminal device 300A and the device registration DB 281 (S111). Then, the registration management unit 252 notifies the identified terminal device 300B of the watching over person UB of an approval request indicating that the watching user UA has applied for watching over them (S112).

[0108] When receiving a notification of an approval request from the server 200, the watching approval unit 341 of the second terminal device 300B displays an operation unit 731 for approving watching and an operation unit 732 for refusing watching, and receives input from the watching target UB indicating whether to approve or deny watching (S121). When the operation unit 731 for approving the registration of the watching setting is operated, the watching approval unit 342 notifies the server 200 that the request for approval of watching has been approved (S122).

[0109] When the passcode generation unit 253 of the server 200 receives a notification from the second terminal device 300B indicating that the request for approval of watching has been approved, the passcode generation unit 253 generates a passcode (S123) and transmits the generated passcode to the second terminal device 300B (S124). When the display control unit 320 of the terminal device 300B receives the passcode from the server 200, the display control unit 320 displays the passcode on the display screen 301a (S125). This makes it possible for the watching target UB to communicate the passcode to the watching user UA by telephone, email, or the like.

[0110] The watching application unit 331 of the first terminal device 300A accepts input of a passcode by the watching user UA (S131). Then, the watching application unit 331 transmits the input passcode to the server 200 (S132). When receiving a passcode from the first terminal device 300A, the registration management unit 252 of the server 200 determines whether the passcode transmitted to the second terminal device 300B matches the passcode received from the first terminal device 300A (S133). When the passcode transmitted to the second terminal device 300B matches the passcode received from the first terminal device 300A, the registration management unit 252 determines that the passcode is valid. In this case, the registration management unit 252 transmits a notification to the first terminal device 300A indicating that the watching approval has been properly performed (S134).

[0111] When the display control unit 320 receives a notification indicating that the approval of the monitoring has been successfully performed, it transitions the screen to the monitoring service setting screen 830 (S141). Then, the target device receiving unit 333 of the first terminal device 300A receives an operation from the monitoring user UA to select one or more home electric appliances 100 to be used for monitoring (S142). Then, the target device receiving unit 333 transmits information indicating the one or more home electric appliances 100 selected by the watching user UA to the server 200 (S143). The registration management unit 252 of the server 200 performs new registration of a monitoring setting based on the information received from the watching application unit 331 and the target device receiving unit 333 (S145). This completes a series of processes related to the new registration of a monitoring setting.

[0112] <7. Advantages> As a comparative example, consider a case where the watching user UA receives a sharing request for device registration from the person being watched UB, and then the necessary settings are made. In this case, if the watching user UA wants to watch over the person being watched UB, he or she needs to ask the person being watched UB to complete the sharing request procedure for device registration. The person being watched UB may not be familiar with the sharing request procedure for device registration, and the procedure may be complicated.

[0113] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA has a watching application unit 331 that accepts input of information that can identify the watching target UB and makes an application to notify the terminal device 300B of the watching target UB of an approval request for watching, and a display control unit 320 that can display information about the status of one or more home appliances 100 used by the watching target UB if the approval request is approved. With this configuration, the watching user UA can make a request for watching, and watching can be performed without the watching target UB having to go through the procedure of applying for device registration sharing. This improves convenience. Furthermore, it is essentially natural for a person wanting to watch over to make a request to the person being watched over, and the procedure can be performed in accordance with this natural flow.

[0114] In this embodiment, the first terminal device 300A further includes a target device receiving unit 333 that, when the approval request is approved, receives an operation from the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for watching from one or more home appliances 100 registered in association with the watching target UB. This configuration allows the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for watching. This reduces the workload of the watching target UB and also allows the watching user UA to arbitrarily select the home appliances 100 to use for watching at his or her own discretion. This further improves convenience.

[0115] In this embodiment, when there are multiple home appliances 100 registered in association with the watching target UB, the target device receiving unit 333 receives an operation by the watching user UA to select one or more home appliances 100 to use for watching, while the display control unit 320 displays information indicating the multiple home appliances 100. With this configuration, the watching user UA can select the home appliance 100 to use for watching while checking the information indicating the multiple home appliances 100. This can further improve convenience.

[0116] In this embodiment, the terminal device 300A of the watching user UA includes a passcode receiving unit 332 that receives input of approval information specified by the server 200 when the approval request is approved. When the passcode receiving unit 332 receives valid approval information, the display control unit 320 transitions the screen to a predetermined setting screen 830. This configuration can improve security regarding approval of approval requests.

[0117] In this embodiment, the passcode is generated by the server 200. With this configuration, the same process can be performed for a plurality of home electric appliances 100 of different types. This makes it easier to perform monitoring settings for a plurality of home electric appliances 100 at once, for example. This further improves convenience.

[0118] In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 displays, on one screen, a second setting area S2 for making settings related to the watching target (user B) being watched by the user (user A) of the first terminal device 300A, and a third setting area S3 for making settings related to the watching user (user C) watching the user (user A) of the first terminal device 300A. With this configuration, it is possible to check both the setting area of ​​the watching side and the setting area of ​​the watched side at once, so if the watching target UB is having trouble with their work, the watching user UA can properly guide the watching target UB while looking at the screen. This can further improve convenience.

[0119] In this embodiment, the registration management unit 252 of the server 200 deletes the monitoring setting registered based on the approval request based on an operation of the watching user UA on the first terminal device 300A. With this configuration, the watching user UA can delete the monitoring setting without requesting the watching target UB. This may further improve convenience.

[0120] In this embodiment, the registration management unit 252 of the server 200 deletes the watching setting registered based on the approval request based on an operation of the watching target UB on the second terminal device 300B. With this configuration, the watching target UB can delete the watching setting based on his / her own judgment. This may further improve convenience.

[0121] In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 of the second terminal device 300B displays on the screen, based on the operation of the watching target UB, information that can identify the watching user UA who is watching over the watching target UB using the watching service. With this configuration, the watching target UB can easily confirm who is watching over them. This makes it easier for them to feel at ease and further improves convenience.

[0122] (Variation) In the above-described embodiment, the monitoring setting can be deleted based on the operation of the watching target UB on the second terminal device 300B. However, the deletion of the monitoring setting by the watching target UB may require prior approval from the watching user UA. An example of the processing flow in this case is as follows.

[0123] When the setting reception unit 350 of the second terminal device 300B receives an operation from the watching target UB indicating the deletion of the watching setting, the setting reception unit 350 makes a request to the server 200 to have the first terminal device 300A notify the request for approval to delete the watching setting. When the server 200 receives the request, it notifies the first terminal device 300A of the request for approval to delete the watching setting.

[0124] When the first terminal device 300A receives an operation from the watching user UA to approve the approval request, it transmits a notification indicating that the approval request has been approved to the server 200. In response to receiving the notification indicating that the approval request has been approved from the first terminal device 300A, the server 200 deletes the watching setting.

[0125] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the terminal device includes a monitoring application unit that makes an application to notify the terminal device of the person being watched of a monitoring approval request, and a display control unit that can display information about the status of one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over if the approval request is approved. With this configuration, convenience can be improved.

[0126] Although several 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 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 within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1...monitoring system, 100...home appliance, 200...server, 210...device registration unit, 220...home appliance management unit, 250...monitoring service providing unit, 251...information notification unit, 252...registration management unit, 253...passcode generation unit, 300...terminal device, 300A...first terminal device, 300B...second terminal device, 310...registration reception unit, 320...display control unit, 331...monitoring application unit, 332...passcode reception unit, 333...target device reception unit, 341...monitoring approval unit, 350...setting reception unit.

Claims

1. a first terminal device that can be used by a watching user who is a watching party; a second terminal device that can be used by the person being watched over; a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over; Equipped with The first terminal device a monitoring application unit that receives input of information that can identify the person being watched over and makes an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of the person being watched over; a display control unit capable of displaying information about the states of the one or more home electric appliances based on information received from the management server when the approval request is approved; and If the approval request is approved, the management server generates approval information and transmits it to the second terminal device; the second terminal device notifies the approval information received from the management server; the first terminal device has an approval information receiving unit that receives input of the approval information transmitted from the watching target to the watching user, the display control unit, when it is determined that the same approval information as the approval information transmitted from the management server to the second terminal device has been input to the first terminal device, transitions the screen of the first terminal device to a screen related to the approval of the approval request. Monitoring system.

2. The first terminal device has a target device receiving unit that receives an operation of the watching user to select one or more home appliances to be used for the watching from one or more home appliances registered in association with the watching target when the approval request is approved. The monitoring system according to claim 1 .

3. When there are a plurality of home electric appliances registered in association with the person being watched over, the target device receiving unit displays information indicating the plurality of home electric appliances on the first terminal device, and receives an operation of the watching user to select one or more home electric appliances to be used for the watching over. The monitoring system according to claim 2 .

4. A first terminal device that can be used by a monitoring user who is the monitoring party; a second terminal device that can be used by the person being watched over; a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over; Equipped with The first terminal device a monitoring application unit that receives input of information that can identify the person being watched over and makes an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of the person being watched over; a display control unit capable of displaying information about the states of the one or more home electric appliances based on information received from the management server when the approval request is approved; and The display control unit of the first terminal device displays, on one screen, a setting area for making settings related to the watching target person being watched by the user of the first terminal device, and a setting area for making settings related to another watching user who watches the user of the first terminal device when the user of the first terminal device is the person being watched. Monitoring system.

5. the display control unit of the first terminal device displays information capable of identifying the watching target on a screen of the first terminal device. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A first terminal device that can be used by a monitoring user who is the monitoring party; a second terminal device that can be used by the person being watched over; a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over; Equipped with The first terminal device a monitoring application unit that receives input of information that can identify the person being watched over and makes an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of the person being watched over; a display control unit capable of displaying information about the states of the one or more home electric appliances based on information received from the management server when the approval request is approved; a setting receiving unit that receives an operation of the watching user to delete the watching setting for at least one of the one or more watching targets that are registered when the approval request is approved; and A monitoring system with

7. The second terminal device has a display control unit that displays information capable of identifying the watching user on a screen of the second terminal device. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A first terminal device that can be used by a monitoring user who is the monitoring party; a second terminal device that can be used by the person being watched over; a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over; Equipped with The first terminal device a monitoring application unit that receives input of information that can identify the person being watched over and makes an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of the person being watched over; a display control unit capable of displaying information about the states of the one or more home electric appliances based on information received from the management server when the approval request is approved; and The second terminal device has a setting reception unit that receives an operation by the watching target to delete the watching setting for at least one of the one or more watching users who have been registered by approving the approval request, Monitoring system.

9. A program used in a monitoring system comprising a first terminal device usable by a monitoring user who is the monitoring party, a second terminal device usable by a monitored person who is the monitored party, and a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the monitored person, The computer of the first terminal device A process of accepting input of information that can identify the person being watched over and making an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of the person being watched over; a process of displaying information about the status of the one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over when the approval request is approved; A process of accepting an operation of the watching user to delete the watching setting for at least one of the one or more watching targets who have been registered by approving each of the approval requests; A program that executes the following.

10. a first terminal device that can be used by a watching user who is a watching party; a second terminal device that can be used by the person being watched over; a management server that manages the status of one or more home appliances used by the person being watched over; Equipped with The first terminal device has a monitoring application unit that accepts input of information that can identify the person being watched over and makes an application to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of watching over, The second terminal device a display control unit that displays information that can identify the watching user on a screen of the second terminal device; a setting receiving unit that receives an operation by the person being watched over to delete the monitoring setting for at least one of the one or more watching users who have been registered by approving the approval request; A monitoring system with the above.

11. A program used in a monitoring system comprising a first terminal device usable by a monitoring user who is the monitoring party, a second terminal device usable by a monitored person who is the monitored party, and a management server that manages one or more home appliances used by the monitored person, the first terminal device accepts input of information capable of identifying the watching target, and makes a request to notify the second terminal device of a request for approval of watching; The program is installed in the computer of the second terminal device. A process of displaying information that can identify a watching user who is watching over the person being watched over using a watching service using a home appliance based on an operation of the person being watched over; A process of accepting an operation by the person being watched over to delete the monitoring setting for at least one of the one or more watching users who have been registered by approving the approval request; A program that executes the following.

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