Home appliances

Abstract

To provide an electrical appliance and information processor capable of detecting a failure by detecting an alarm tone with high precision.SOLUTION: An electrical appliance includes: a voice reception section for receiving external voice which has a normal operation mode and a voice storage mode and receives an alarm tone given from the outside in the voice storage mode to store the received alarm tone in a prescribed storage section; an alarm tone determination section for comparing the voice received from the outside in the normal operation mode by the voice reception section to the alarm tone stored in the storage section and determining whether or not the voice is an alarm tone; and a transmission section for transmitting the information on the voice to an external information processor when the alarm tone determination section determines that the voice is an alarm tone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a home appliance and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, air conditioners are known that have a function of detecting the temperature inside a room to determine whether a fire has occurred. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-280167 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that generates a thermal pixel image based on detection by an infrared sensor and analyzes the image to determine whether a fire or other abnormality has occurred. In Japan, the Fire Service Act requires that fire alarms be installed in residences. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not disclose any information about detecting abnormalities such as fires by using an alarm sound like that of a fire alarm.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention provides a home electric appliance and an information processing device that can detect an abnormality by detecting an alarm sound with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A home appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention is an audio receiving unit that receives external audio, and has a normal operation mode and an audio storage mode. In the audio storage mode, the audio receiving unit receives an alarm sound provided from the outside and stores the received alarm sound in a predetermined storage unit; an alarm sound determination unit that compares the audio received from the outside by the audio receiving unit in the normal operation mode with the alarm sound stored in the storage unit and determines whether the audio is an alarm sound; and a transmission unit that, when the alarm sound determination unit determines that the audio is an alarm sound, transmits information indicating this to an external information processing device.

[0007] In addition, an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives information from a first home appliance that an alarm sound has been generated, a memory unit that stores the information, and a transmitting unit that transmits information regarding the generation of an alarm sound to a second home appliance that is different from the first home appliance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a home appliance system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2A] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2B] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2C] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2D] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2E] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2F] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first home electric appliance according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4A] 10 is a diagram showing an example of data transmitted and received in a home appliance system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4B]10 is a diagram showing an example of data transmitted and received in a home appliance system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4C] 10 is a diagram showing an example of data transmitted and received in a home appliance system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4D] 10 is a diagram showing an example of data transmitted and received in a home appliance system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a server according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a server according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of a home appliance system according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) A home appliance and an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment relates to a home appliance that detects an alarm sound from a fire alarm or the like installed in a building such as a house and transmits information about the alarm sound to the cloud. In the following, the sound emitted by a fire alarm when it detects a fire will be used as an example of an alarm sound, and an air conditioner will be used as an example of a home appliance that detects the alarm sound. However, the alarm sound and home appliance are not limited to these. Other examples of alarm sounds include the sound output by a gas leak sensor when it detects a gas leak, or the sound output by a security sensor when it detects an intruder from outside, as long as the sound is output when some kind of abnormality is detected. Furthermore, the home appliance is not limited to an air conditioner, but may also be a refrigerator, a cooking appliance (such as a microwave oven), an air purifier, or the like.

[0011] <About the configuration of home appliance systems> 1 is a block diagram of a home appliance system according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the home appliance system 1 roughly includes an alarm generating device (a fire alarm in this example) 10, a first home appliance (an air conditioner in this example) 20, and a second home appliance 40.

[0012] As described above, the alarm generating device 10 is, for example, a fire alarm (hereinafter referred to as the fire alarm 10). When a fire is detected, the fire alarm 10 outputs a predetermined alarm sound. This alarm sound may differ depending on the product of the fire alarm 10.

[0013] As described above, the first home appliance 20 is, for example, an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as air conditioner 20). Fig. 1 shows only the components for detecting the alarm sound and transmitting it to the cloud, and other components are omitted. As shown, the air conditioner 20 includes an audio input unit 50, an audio storage unit 51, an audio buffer 52, a switch 53, an alarm sound determination unit 54, a control unit 55, an operating state storage unit 56, a sensor 57, a sensor value storage unit 58, a data generation unit 59, a communication unit 60, and a user command reception unit 61.

[0014] The audio input unit (audio receiving unit) 50 receives external audio. The switch 53 transfers the audio received by the audio input unit 50 to the audio storage unit 51 or the audio buffer 52. The audio input unit 50 and the switch 53 have a normal operation mode and an audio storage mode (alarm sound storage mode), for example, based on a command from the control unit 55. The normal operation mode is a mode in which the air conditioner 20 is installed, for example, inside a house and operates normally. In the normal operation mode, the switch 53 transfers the audio received by the audio input unit 50 to the audio buffer 52. On the other hand, the audio storage mode is a mode in which the alarm sound to be generated by the fire alarm 10 is stored in the air conditioner 20 in advance, and in this case, the switch 53 transfers the audio (alarm sound) received by the audio input unit 50 to the audio storage unit 51. The audio storage unit 51 and the audio buffer 52 store the audio transferred from the switch 53. The audio storage unit 51 and the audio buffer 52 may be a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk, or may be a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory, DRAM, SRAM, etc. The audio storage unit 51 and the audio buffer 52 may be provided outside the air conditioner 20.

[0015] In the normal operation mode, the alarm sound determination unit 54 determines whether or not an alarm sound has been output from the fire alarm 10 by comparing the sound stored in the sound storage unit 51 with the sound stored in the sound buffer 52. When it is determined that an alarm sound has been output, the alarm flag, which will be described later, is turned on.

[0016] The operating state storage unit 56 stores the operating state of the air conditioner. For example, it stores data related to the operating state (e.g., whether the power supply or the like) of the air conditioner is on or off, and whether the operating mode is cooling or heating. The operating state storage unit 56 may store the operating state at regular time intervals, for example, or may store the operating state in response to a command from the control unit 55.

[0017] The sensor 57 senses the conditions in the environment in which the air conditioner 20 is installed. In FIG. 1, first to n-th sensors (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) are shown, but there may be one or more sensors 57, and these are collectively referred to as sensors 57. In this example, examples of the sensor 57 include a room temperature sensor, a temperature sensor, an outside air temperature sensor, and a human presence sensor.

[0018] The sensor value storage unit 58 stores the data obtained by the sensor 57. Like the operating state storage unit 56, the sensor value storage unit 58 may store the data at regular time intervals, or may store the data in response to a command from the control unit 55. Like the audio storage unit 51 and the audio buffer 52, the sensor value storage unit 58 may be a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk, or a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory, DRAM, or SRAM. The sensor value storage unit 58 may also be provided outside the air conditioner 20.

[0019] The data generation unit 59 generates data to be sent to the cloud 30 based on the data stored in the operating state memory unit 56 and the data stored in the sensor value memory unit 58, for example, in response to an instruction from the control unit 55.

[0020] The communication unit (transmission unit) 60 is capable of wireless or wired communication with the cloud 30 and the second home appliance 40. The communication unit 60 transmits data generated by the data generation unit 59 to the cloud 30, for example, based on a command from the control unit 55. The communication unit 60 is also capable of receiving sensor information and the like from the second home appliance 40 installed separately from the first home appliance. This point will be described in detail in the second embodiment.

[0021] The command receiving unit 61 receives commands from the user to the air conditioner 20. The contents of these commands include an on / off setting for the air conditioner operation, a temperature setting, and a command to select either the normal operation mode or the voice recording mode.

[0022] The control unit 55 controls the overall operation of the air conditioner 20. The control unit 55 is a processor such as a CPU, and controls each functional block shown in FIG.

[0023] The second home electric appliance 40 is, for example, a home electric appliance installed in the same house as the first home electric appliance 20, and is capable of transferring various information such as operating status and surrounding environmental information to the first home electric appliance 20. Note that the second home electric appliance 40 may be an electronic device capable of sensing environmental information in the house instead of a home electric appliance.

[0024] As described above, the cloud 30 is capable of receiving sensor data and data relating to the operating state from the first home electric appliance 20. Details of the cloud 30 will be described in detail in the third embodiment.

[0025] <About the operation of home appliance systems> Next, the operation of the home appliance system 1 will be described, focusing particularly on the fire alarm 10 and the air conditioner 20.

[0026] First, the above-described voice storage mode will be described with reference to Fig. 2A. Fig. 2A is a flowchart showing the operation for storing an alarm sound in the voice storage unit 51 in the voice storage mode.

[0027] As shown in the figure, in step S10, for example, the control unit 55 determines whether the voice storage mode is on. If the voice storage mode is on, the control unit 55 sets the switch 53 to the voice storage unit 51 side in step S11. Note that, to turn on the voice storage mode, for example, a command from the user may be received by the command receiving unit 61, or the voice storage mode may be set to on as a default setting when the air conditioner 20 is shipped.

[0028] When the fire alarm 10 outputs an alarm sound upon detecting a fire, in step S12 the audio input unit 50 receives this, and the control unit 55, for example, stores the alarm sound in the audio storage unit 51 via the switch 53. Note that if there are multiple fire alarms 10 and each has a different alarm sound, the respective alarm sounds may be stored.

[0029] When the storage of the alarm sound is completed, in step S13, the voice storage mode is turned off and the normal operation mode is selected, for example, by a command from the control unit 55. The voice storage mode may be turned off, for example, by receiving a command from the user via the command receiving unit 61, or by detecting that no alarm sound has been input for a certain period of time, or by detecting that a certain period of time has passed since the storage of the alarm sound was completed without changing the type of alarm sound.

[0030] When the storage of the alarm sound of the fire alarm 10 is completed in step S14, the control unit 55 sets the switch 53 to the audio buffer 52 side in step S15.

[0031] Next, the alarm sound determination operation in the normal operation mode explained above will be described with reference to Fig. 2B. Fig. 2B is a flowchart showing the operation for determining whether or not an alarm sound has been output from the fire alarm 10 in the normal operation mode.

[0032] As shown in the figure, when some kind of sound is received by the sound input unit 50, in step S20 the control unit 55 stores the received sound in the sound buffer 52. In response to the sound being received by the sound input unit 50, for example in response to a command from the control unit 55, the warning sound determination unit 54 reads the sound stored in step S20 from the sound buffer 52. Then, in step S21, the warning sound determination unit 54 measures the volume of the sound read from the sound buffer 52. The processing of step S21 is performed, for example, by comparing the volume of the sound read from the sound buffer 52 with a reference value stored in advance in the warning sound determination unit 54. The comparison of the sound with the reference value can be performed, for example, by determining whether the amplitude of the sound waveform exceeds the reference value.

[0033] If the volume is greater than the reference value in step S22, the warning sound determination unit 54 starts a warning sound determination operation in step S23. That is, in step S24, the warning sound determination unit 54 compares the sound read from the sound buffer 51 with the sound read from the sound storage unit 51. Note that the sound held in the sound storage unit 51 (the warning sound described in FIG. 2A) may be read in step S24, for example, in response to a command from the control unit 55, or may be transferred to the warning sound determination unit immediately after the warning sound is stored in the sound storage unit 51, or may be transferred at any timing. Note that if the volume is equal to or less than the reference value in step S22, the control unit 55 continues normal operation without performing any further processing.

[0034] If the comparison in step S24 results in a match in step S25, the alarm sound determination unit 54 determines that an alarm sound has been output from the fire alarm 10, and turns on the alarm flag in step S26. On the other hand, if the comparison in step S25 results in a mismatch, the alarm sound determination unit 54 determines in step S27 that an alarm sound has not been output from the fire alarm 10, and turns off the alarm flag.

[0035] As described above, by storing the alarm sound of the fire alarm 10 in advance in the air conditioner 20 and comparing the sound received from outside with the stored alarm sound, the occurrence of an alarm sound can be detected with high accuracy.

[0036] In Japan, the Fire Service Act requires that fire alarms be installed in residences. However, fire alarm sounds vary depending on the product. Therefore, even if an alarm sound is sounded, it may be difficult to determine whether the sound is an appropriate alarm sound from a fire alarm. However, according to this embodiment, appropriate alarm sounds are stored in advance in the voice storage unit 51. Then, when any sound is received, it is determined whether the sound is an alarm sound by comparing it with the alarm sounds stored in the voice storage unit 51. Therefore, regardless of the type of fire alarm 10, in other words, regardless of the type of alarm sound, it is possible to accurately determine whether an alarm sound has been generated.

[0037] Furthermore, with the above configuration, an abnormality such as a fire can be detected using an inexpensive home appliance. In other words, it is rare for a typical home appliance to be equipped with a high-performance sensor capable of detecting, for example, smoke generated during a fire or abnormally high temperatures. Furthermore, incorporating such a high-performance sensor makes the home appliance expensive. However, with this embodiment, the generation of an alarm sound, i.e., an abnormality such as a fire, can be accurately detected without requiring such a high-performance sensor.

[0038] Next, the operation of transmitting data related to the alarm sound determination operation in the normal operation mode described above to the cloud 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2C. Fig. 2C is a flowchart showing the operation of the air conditioner 20 when transmitting data to the cloud 30 in the normal operation mode.

[0039] As shown in the figure, in step S30, the control unit 55 acquires data relating to the operating state of the air conditioner 20 from the operating state storage unit 56. In addition, in step S31, the control unit 55 acquires sensor data from the sensor value storage unit 58. Furthermore, in step S32, the control unit 55 acquires an alarm flag from the alarm sound determination unit 54. The order of these steps S30 to S32 is not limited, and they may be executed in parallel.

[0040] Then, in step S33, the control unit 55 causes the data generation unit 59 to generate transmission data based on the data acquired from the operating state storage unit 56, the data acquired from the sensor value storage unit 58, and the warning flag. Then, in step S34, the control unit 55 checks the warning flag, and if the warning flag is on, in step S35, the control unit 55 causes the communication unit 60 to transmit the data generated in step S33 to the cloud 30. Thereafter, in step S36, the control unit 55 performs operation control for the entire air conditioner 20 when the warning flag is on, and turns the warning flag off in step S37.

[0041] On the other hand, if the warning flag is off in step S34, the control unit 55 determines in step S38 whether it is time for periodic data transmission or whether there is a data request from the cloud 30. In this example, the air conditioner 20 is capable of periodically (every first predetermined period) transmitting the data generated in step S33 to the cloud 30. Furthermore, when there is a data request from the cloud 30, the air conditioner 20 is capable of transmitting the data generated in step S33 to the cloud 30 in response to this request.

[0042] In step S38, if it is time to send data or there is a data request, similarly to step S35, in step S39, the control unit 55 causes the communication unit 60 to send the data generated in step S33 to the cloud 30. On the other hand, in step S38, if it is not time to send data and there is no data request, data transmission is not performed.

[0043] As mentioned above, fire alarms are required to be installed in homes, but currently, most of them do not have a function for connecting to the cloud. In this regard, according to the configuration of this embodiment, data detected by the air conditioner 20 can be transmitted to the cloud 30 when the alarm flag is on or at regular intervals. Therefore, even if a fire alarm without a function for connecting to the cloud 30 is used, when an abnormality such as a fire is detected, information about the abnormality can be transmitted to the cloud 30. In particular, by automatically transmitting data about a fire to the cloud based on the alarm flag, even when the user is away from home, the cloud 30 can transmit information about the fire to the user, allowing the user to be aware of the fire even when the user is away from home. Note that the operation of the cloud in this regard will be described in detail in the third embodiment.

[0044] If the warning flag is on, the air conditioner 20 may repeatedly transmit data to the cloud 30. Such an example will be described with reference to Figure 2D. Figure 2D is a modified example of Figure 2C, and is a flowchart particularly corresponding to steps S35 to S37 of Figure 2C.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2D, if the warning flag is on in step S34 of FIG. 2C, the control unit 55 performs the process of step S36. Then, in step S40, the control unit 55 waits for a predetermined second predetermined period to elapse, and determines in step S41 whether the warning flag is still on. If the warning flag is still on in step S41, the control unit 55 causes the communication unit 60 to transmit the data generated in step S33 to the cloud 30 in step S42. Then, the process returns to step S40, and the process of step S42 is repeated as long as the warning flag is still on even after the second predetermined period has elapsed. Note that the second predetermined period is set to a period shorter than the first predetermined period.

[0046] On the other hand, if the warning flag is off in step S41, the control unit 55 instructs the communication unit 60 in step S43 to transmit the data generated in step S33 to the cloud 30. Then, in step S37, the control unit turns off the warning flag.

[0047] According to this configuration, while the alarm flag is on, the control unit 55 periodically transmits data to the cloud 30. That is, when the alarm flag is on, it is highly likely that some abnormality, such as a fire, has occurred. That is, data during the period when the alarm flag is on is highly likely to contain important information, such as information related to the cause of the fire. Therefore, in this example, data is repeatedly transmitted to the cloud 30, so that as much important data as possible is transferred to the cloud 30. Furthermore, it is not known when the alarm flag will be turned off, and if a major fire or the like has occurred, it is not known how long data can be transmitted to the cloud 30. Therefore, data is transmitted to the cloud 30 at a high frequency using a second transmission period that is shorter than the first transmission period, which is a periodic transmission period. This allows a large amount of data to be transmitted to the cloud 30. Note that in step S36, an operation is performed to avoid exposing the user to danger (this will be described later with reference to FIGS. 2E and 2F). However, in this example, data from the sensor 57 and the operating state storage unit 56 needs to be transmitted to the cloud 30, so functions for acquiring and transmitting this data to the cloud 30 are enabled.

[0048] 2E and 2F are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of step S36 described in FIGS. 2C and 2D, and show the cases where first home electric appliance 20 is an air conditioner and a cooking appliance such as a microwave oven, respectively.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2E, if the first home electric appliance 20 is an air conditioner, the control unit 55 determines in step S50 whether the air conditioner 20 is operating. If the air conditioner 20 is operating, the control unit 55 stops the air conditioner operation in step S51. Specifically, stopping the air conditioner operation may be by stopping the cycle of the heat pump, minimizing the air volume, or stopping the air flow. Also, as shown in FIG. 2F, if the first home electric appliance 20 is a cooking appliance, the control unit 55 determines in step S60 whether cooking is in progress. If the cooking appliance 20 is operating, the control unit 55 stops the cooking in step S61.

[0050] (Second embodiment) Next, a home electric appliance and an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, a case where a first home electric appliance 20 transmits sensor data of the first home electric appliance to the cloud 30 has been described. However, for example, data acquired by a second home electric appliance 40 installed in the same house may also be transmitted to the cloud. This embodiment relates to the operation of the first home electric appliance (air conditioner) 20 in such a case. Only differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0051] <About the operation of Air Conditioner 20> FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air conditioner 20 according to this embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 2C described in the first embodiment.

[0052] As shown in the figure, after steps S30 and S31, in steps S70 and S71, the air conditioner 20 acquires the operating state and sensor data of the second home appliance 40 from the second home appliance 40. Specifically, for example, the control unit 55 transmits a data transmission request to the second home appliance 40 via the communication unit 60. In response to this transmission request, the second home appliance 40 transmits the operating state and sensor data to the air conditioner 20. Alternatively, the second home appliance 40 may transmit data to the air conditioner 20 periodically at regular intervals. After that, in step S32, the control unit 55 acquires an alarm flag from the alarm sound determination unit 54. Note that if the second home appliance 40 also has an alarm sound determination unit 54 like the air conditioner 20, the control unit 55 may receive the alarm flag from the second home appliance 40. In this case, when the alarm flag in the second home appliance 40 is turned on, the second home appliance 40 may transmit the alarm flag and various data to the air conditioner 20 regardless of the transmission request from the air conditioner 20 or the periodic transmission timing. As in the first embodiment, steps S30, S31, S70, S71, and S32 may be performed in any order and in parallel.

[0053] After step S32, in step S72, control unit 55 generates transmission data based on the data obtained by air conditioner 20 and the data obtained by second home electric appliance 40. The subsequent operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the operating status and sensor data of a plurality of home appliances are transmitted to the cloud 30. Therefore, by referring to the data stored in the cloud, it becomes possible to grasp the situation, for example, in the event of a fire, more accurately.

[0055] Next, an example of data transmitted from the first home electric device 20 and the second home electric device 40 to the cloud 30 will be described. The data described below is merely an example of information transmitted to the cloud 30, and only a part of the data may be transmitted to the cloud 30, or additional information may be transmitted.

[0056] FIG. 4A illustrates a case where the first home appliance 20 (or the second home appliance 40) is an air conditioner. As illustrated, the data relating to the operating state includes the operating state, operating mode, set temperature, air volume, and air direction. The sensor data also includes room temperature, humidity, outside temperature, and human sensor information. In addition to these, an alarm flag is transmitted to the cloud 30. In the example of FIG. 4A, the alarm flag is turned on at 10:40:00 on August 1, 2021. Therefore, data at this time is transmitted to the cloud 30 regardless of the periodic transmission timing or a request from the cloud 30.

[0057] 4B shows a case where the first home electric appliance 20 (or the second home electric appliance 40) is a refrigerator. As shown in the figure, the data related to the operating state includes the operating state, the door state (door open / close information), the refrigeration setting, and the freezer setting. The sensor data includes the refrigeration temperature, the freezer temperature, the compressor rotation speed, and the human sensor information. In addition to these, an alarm flag is transmitted to the cloud 30.

[0058] 4C shows a case where the first home electric appliance 20 (or the second home electric appliance 40) is a cooking appliance. As shown in the figure, the data relating to the operating state includes the operating state, the driving state, the door state, the fan operation, and the heater operation. The sensor data includes the temperature inside the oven, the fan rotation speed, and the heater temperature. In addition to these, an alarm flag is transmitted to the cloud 30.

[0059] 4D illustrates a case where the first home appliance 20 (or the second home appliance 40) is an air purifier. As illustrated, the data relating to the operating state includes the operating state, the operating mode, and the air volume. The sensor data includes the room temperature, humidity, dust, odor, PM2.5, and human sensor information. In addition to these, an alarm flag is also transmitted to the cloud 30.

[0060] When the first home appliance 20 is any one of the air conditioner, refrigerator, cooking appliance, and air purifier, the first home appliance 20 receives data corresponding to FIGS. 4A to 4D from another home appliance, the second home appliance 40, and transmits the data to the cloud 30. For example, when the first home appliance 20 is an air conditioner and the second home appliance 40 is a refrigerator, the data shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is transmitted to the cloud 30. Note that when the second home appliance 40 also has a configuration similar to that of the first home appliance 20, the first home appliance 20 may transmit operation information and sensor data related to the first home appliance 20 to the cloud 30, and the second home appliance 40 may transmit operation information and sensor data related to the second home appliance 40 to the cloud 30. Furthermore, the second home appliance 40 may be installed in the same house as the first home appliance 20, for example, and may be installed close to or apart from the first home appliance 20 on the same floor, or may be installed on different floors, for example, the first home appliance 20 is installed on the first floor and the second home appliance 40 is installed on the second floor. Furthermore, as described above, second home electric appliance 40 is not limited to a home electric appliance, but may be any electronic device that can detect data related to the environment inside the house.

[0061] (Third embodiment) Next, a home appliance and an information processing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment relates to the details of the configuration of the cloud 30 described in the first and second embodiments. Only the points related to the first and second embodiments will be described below.

[0062] <About Cloud 30> Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a server 70 that constitutes the cloud 30. Although only one server is shown in Fig. 5, the cloud 30 may be realized by a plurality of servers connected via a network.

[0063] As shown in the figure, the server 70 includes a receiving unit 71, a storage unit 72, a determination unit 73, and a transmission unit 74. The receiving unit 71 receives data from the first home electric appliance 20, for example, via wireless communication. The data received by the server 70 is, for example, the transmission data generated in step S33 described in the first embodiment or step S72 described in the second embodiment. The storage unit 72 stores the data received by the receiving unit 71. The determination unit 73 determines whether an abnormality, such as a fire, has occurred based on the data stored in the storage unit 72, and determines whether a notification is required regarding the occurrence or possibility of the abnormality. The transmission unit 74 transmits a notification of the occurrence of the abnormality to a pre-registered home electric appliance, a smartphone, or other electronic device based on the determination result of the determination unit 73.

[0064] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server 70. As shown in the figure, in step S80, the server 70 stores contact information in the event of an emergency such as a fire. Specifically, the server 70 receives registration of information on home appliances that the user wishes to be notified of in the event of an emergency, such as the phone number and email address of the smartphone, using, for example, a dedicated app, and the storage unit 72 stores this information.

[0065] Then, in step S81, the receiving unit 71 receives data such as those shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D described in the second embodiment from the first home electric appliance 20 (or the second home electric appliance 40). The data is then stored in the storage unit 72, and the determining unit 73 determines in step S82 whether an abnormal situation such as a fire has occurred. Specifically, for example, when the first home electric appliance 20 executes the method shown in FIG. 2D , data is repeatedly transmitted to the server 70, and if the number of transmissions exceeds a threshold value previously stored in the storage unit, it is determined that an abnormal situation has occurred. Alternatively, the determination may be made based on the various data shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D regardless of the number of data transmissions. For example, in the case of the air conditioner described in FIG. 4A , if the room temperature exceeds an obviously abnormal value such as 80 to 100°C (this can be determined by comparing it with a threshold value previously set in the storage unit) and the alarm flag is on, it is determined that a fire has occurred. For example, in the case of the air purifier described in Figure 4D, if the room temperature is also higher than normal and the dust and odor values ​​exceed certain thresholds, it is determined that a fire has broken out. In this way, when clearly abnormal values ​​are received, it can be determined that an abnormal situation has occurred.

[0066] If it is determined in step S83 that an abnormality has occurred, then in step S84 the determination unit 73 causes the transmission unit 74 to notify the contact person registered in step S80 of the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0067] The above example will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of a home appliance system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, a server 70 is connected to a first home appliance in a first house 90, a smartphone 100, and a third home appliance in a second house 110 via a network 80. Suppose that a user of the first home appliance has registered the smartphone 100 and the third home appliance in a nearby house 110 as notification destinations in the event of an abnormality. A fire breaks out in the first house 90, and data is transmitted to the server 70. The server 70 then determines that a fire has broken out in the first house 90 based on the received data. The server 70 then notifies the smartphone 100 and the third home appliance in the second house 110 of the occurrence of the fire.

[0068] According to the above configuration, even in a residence where a fire alarm not connected to the cloud is installed, a notice of a fire can be sent to the cloud 30, and the cloud can then notify the user's smartphone or the like, so that the user can be aware of a fire at the residence even when the user is out. In addition, in the above embodiment, as explained with reference to FIG. 6, an example was explained in which a notice is sent only to pre-stored contacts, but this is not limited to this. For example, based on the location information of the first home appliance (or the second home appliance), the server 70 may voluntarily notify electronic devices such as home appliances and smartphones in nearby residences that can connect to the cloud 30 of the occurrence of an abnormality. This allows for rapid evacuation.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the determination unit 73 determines whether a fire has occurred. However, making a reliable determination may be difficult. Therefore, the notification may not only be limited to a notification that a fire has occurred, but also a notification that a fire may possibly occur. This allows the user to ask nearby acquaintances to monitor the situation at their home, thereby preventing unnecessary fire notifications and erroneous evacuations. In the example of FIG. 7 , the server 70 notifies a house 110 other than the first house 90 where the fire occurred or a smartphone of a user who is out. However, the notification may also be sent to a home appliance or smartphone in the first house 90 where a fire is likely to occur. For example, if a fire occurs on the first floor while a user is asleep at night, the fire may not be noticed if the second floor is a bedroom. Therefore, the server 70 may notify various electronic devices in the first house 90.

[0070] Furthermore, in recent years, a new type of insurance product known as parametric insurance has emerged. Parametric insurance is also known as index insurance or index-based insurance. While existing conventional insurance pays insurance benefits based on the actual existence of the insured, parametric insurance predetermines an indicator (parameter, index) and a threshold value at the time of insurance contract conclusion. The insurance pays benefits when a trigger event occurs that exceeds the threshold during the contract period. Therefore, even if the insured suffers severe damage due to a disaster or other event, the insurance design may result in a small amount of insurance benefits being received. However, even if the actual damage is minor, there is a possibility that the insurance payout will far exceed the damage. Furthermore, for parametric insurance to pay out, the insured must notify the insurance company of the occurrence (or anticipated occurrence) of some kind of damage due to a trigger event.

[0071] In this regard, according to this embodiment, data on, for example, a fire outbreak is transmitted to the cloud 30 at the timing when the alarm flag is turned on. In other words, the situation when an abnormal event occurs is stored in the cloud 30 extremely quickly. It is also conceivable that the occurrence of an abnormal event can be easily determined from the data stored in the cloud 30. Therefore, it is possible that a trigger event for insurance payment can be obtained from the data in the cloud 30. Therefore, it may be possible for the insured to receive insurance money promptly, without waiting for an investigation of the fire scene, as in the case of ordinary insurance. In this way, it may also be possible to use it as a trigger for a new parametric insurance.

[0072] Of course, since the surrounding situation when an abnormality occurs is sent to the server 70 as electronic data, it is possible to effectively use the data in the server 70 to identify the cause of the abnormality, for example, in the case of a fire, to determine the source of the fire and its cause.

[0073] The embodiments are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiments, an alarm flag is transmitted to the cloud 30 along with sensor data and the like. However, an alarm flag may be transmitted without transmitting sensor data and the like. Even in this case, the server 70 can recognize that some abnormality has occurred and notify the user. Furthermore, the entity transmitting the data to the cloud 30 is not limited to a home appliance, but may also be a personal computer connected to the Internet. If the personal computer's camera is enabled, video data showing the interior of the room may be transmitted to the cloud 30. Even in this case, for example, if the home appliance and the personal computer are linked, the alarm flag may be transmitted to the cloud 30 along with the video data obtained from the personal computer. Furthermore, the first home appliance 20 is preferably a stationary appliance whose location is fixed when used by a user, such as an air conditioner, refrigerator, cooking appliance, or air purifier. This is because the data obtained can be highly accurate when always used in the same location. However, the first home appliance 20 may also be another appliance, such as an electric fan, whose location changes depending on the user's movement. Furthermore, data may be transmitted to the cloud 30 when, for example, a motion sensor determines that the user is not present. This is because, for example, if a user is present in a room, the user is more likely to notice a fire, and the damage may be greater if a fire breaks out when the user is not present. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and any configuration may be used as long as it is capable of executing the processes shown in each flowchart, and the order of the processes in each step of the flowcharts can be changed as much as possible.

[0074] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. The above configurations can be replaced with substantially similar configurations, configurations that achieve similar effects, or configurations that can achieve similar purposes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...Home appliance system, 20, 40...Home appliance, 30...Cloud, 50...Voice input unit, 51...Voice memory unit, 52...Voice buffer, 53...Switch, 54...Alarm sound determination unit, 55...Control unit, 56...Operating state memory unit, 57...Sensor, 58...Sensor value memory unit, 59...Data generation unit, 60...Communication unit, 61...Command reception unit, 70...Server, 71...Receiving unit, 72...Memory unit, 73...Determination unit, 74...Transmitting unit, 80...Network, 90, 110...House, 100...Smartphone

Claims

1. a sound receiving unit for receiving external sound, the sound receiving unit having a normal operation mode and a sound storage mode, the sound receiving unit receiving an alarm sound given from the outside in the sound storage mode and storing the received alarm sound in a predetermined storage unit; an alarm sound determination unit that compares the sound received from the outside by the sound receiving unit in the normal operation mode with the alarm sound stored in the storage unit and determines whether the sound is the alarm sound; a transmitting unit that, when the alarm sound determining unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, transmits information to that effect to an external information processing device; A home appliance comprising: the transmitting unit transmits, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, information on a situation around the home electric appliance or information indicating an operating state of the home electric appliance to the information processing device; When the alarm sound determination unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, the transmission unit transmits at least one of information about the surrounding situation of the home appliance or information indicating the operating status of the home appliance to the information processing device, even if the specified condition is not satisfied.

2. The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is that a first time period has elapsed since the home appliance transmitted information about the surrounding environment of the home appliance or information indicating an operating state of the home appliance to the information processing device.

3. 3. The home electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein the alarm sound determination unit determines whether the volume of the externally received sound is greater than a reference value, and if so, compares the volume with the alarm sound stored in the storage unit.

4. 4. The home electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein when the alarm sound determination unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, the transmission unit repeatedly transmits the information to that effect to the external information processing device.

5. further comprising a receiving unit that receives information from an external electronic device; 5. The home electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein when the alarm sound determination unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, the transmission unit transmits information to that effect to the external information processing device together with information received from the external electronic device.

6. Further provided with a human presence sensor, The home electric appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter transmits information indicating that the sound is the alarm sound to the external information processing device when the human presence sensor determines that no one is present.

7. The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the home appliance is installed at a fixed location within a building.

8. a sound receiving unit for receiving external sound, the sound receiving unit having a normal operation mode and a sound storage mode, the sound receiving unit receiving an alarm sound given from the outside in the sound storage mode and storing the received alarm sound in a predetermined storage unit; an alarm sound determination unit that compares the sound received from the outside by the sound receiving unit in the normal operation mode with the alarm sound stored in the storage unit and determines whether the sound is the alarm sound; a transmitting unit that, when the alarm sound determining unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, transmits information to that effect to an external information processing device; A home appliance comprising: The home appliance further includes a sensor that detects a situation around the home appliance, the transmitting unit transmits information indicating the alarm sound and information detected by the sensor to the external information processing device; the transmitting unit is capable of transmitting the information detected by the sensor to the external information processing device at a first time interval while the home electric appliance is in operation; When the alarm sound determination unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, the home appliance repeatedly transmits the information detected by the sensor to the external information processing device at a second time interval shorter than the first time interval for a certain period of time.

9. a sound receiving unit for receiving external sound, the sound receiving unit having a normal operation mode and a sound storage mode, the sound receiving unit receiving an alarm sound given from the outside in the sound storage mode and storing the received alarm sound in a predetermined storage unit; an alarm sound determination unit that compares the sound received from the outside by the sound receiving unit in the normal operation mode with the alarm sound stored in the storage unit and determines whether the sound is the alarm sound; a transmitting unit that, when the alarm sound determining unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, transmits information to that effect to an external information processing device; A home appliance comprising: Further provided with a human presence sensor, The transmission unit transmits information indicating that the sound is the alarm sound to the external information processing device when the human presence sensor determines that no one is present.

10. a sound receiving unit for receiving external sound, the sound receiving unit having a normal operation mode and a sound storage mode, the sound receiving unit receiving an alarm sound given from the outside in the sound storage mode and storing the received alarm sound in a predetermined storage unit; an alarm sound determination unit that compares the sound received from the outside by the sound receiving unit in the normal operation mode with the alarm sound stored in the storage unit and determines whether the sound is the alarm sound; a transmitting unit that, when the alarm sound determining unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, transmits information to that effect to an external information processing device; A home appliance comprising: the transmission unit is capable of transmitting information indicating an operating state of the home electric appliance to the external information processing device at a first time interval while the home electric appliance is in operation; When the alarm sound determination unit determines that the sound is the alarm sound, the home appliance repeatedly transmits information indicating the operating status of the home appliance to the external information processing device at a second time interval that is shorter than the first time interval.

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