Information processing system, remote control device, program, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system capable of automatically controlling an operation of an apparatus according to information such as power consumption of the apparatus.SOLUTION: An information processing system 100 including an information processing device 200 and remote controllers 300, 370, and 380, can control an apparatus, such as an air conditioner 400, a washing machine 470, and a printer 480, via the remote controllers, generates determination information that is information for determining an operation of the apparatus based on trigger information and first reference information indicating a relation between the trigger information and the determination information, and outputs it to the remote controllers. The remote controllers generate, when obtaining the determination information from the information processing device, a radio signal that is a signal for controlling the operation of the apparatus according to the determination information, and output it to the apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, a remote control device, a program, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a device control system.

[0003] This equipment control system includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the equipment, a power monitoring unit that monitors the power consumption of the equipment, and a judgment unit that determines that the control state by the operation control unit is abnormal when the power consumption of both equipment changes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-064190 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the device control system disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not control the operation of a device in accordance with information such as the power consumption of the device.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an information processing system and the like that can automatically control the operation of a device in accordance with information such as the power consumption of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing system. The information processing system includes an information processing device and a remote control device. The information processing device is configured to be able to control an appliance via the remote control device. The remote control device is communicatively connected to the information processing device and the appliance. The information processing device includes a first acquisition unit, a first generation unit, and a first output unit. The first acquisition unit acquires trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the appliance. The first generation unit generates decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the appliance, based on the trigger information and first reference information. The first reference information is information that indicates the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information. The first output unit outputs the decision information to the remote control device. The remote control device includes a second acquisition unit, a second generation unit, and a second output unit. The second acquisition unit acquires the decision information from the information processing device. The second generation unit generates a wireless signal, which is a signal that controls the operation of the appliance, in accordance with the decision information. The second output unit outputs the wireless signal to the appliance.

[0008] According to this aspect, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled in accordance with information such as the power consumption of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an information processing system 100. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device 200. [Figure 3] 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a remote control device 300. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a terminal 500. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions realized by an information processing device 200 (control unit 210). [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing functions realized by remote control device 300 (control unit 310). [Figure 7] 1 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing executed by the information processing system 100. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of an activity according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 530 of the terminal 500 after the processing of activity A250. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0011] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-temporary recording medium readable by a computer, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0012] In this embodiment, the term "unit" may also include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, various types of information are handled in this embodiment, and this information may be represented by, for example, physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltages and currents, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations may be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0013] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0014] 1. Hardware Configuration In Section 1, the hardware configuration of this embodiment will be described.

[0015] 1-1. Information Processing System 100 FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an information processing system 100. The information processing system 100 includes an information processing device 200, a remote control device 300, a remote control device 370, a remote control device 380, an air conditioner 400, a washing machine 470, a printer 480, and a terminal 500, which are connected via a network. These components will be further described. Here, a system exemplified as the information processing system 100 is one that is made up of one or more devices or components. Therefore, for example, any system that includes the information processing device 200 and the remote control device 300 can be a system exemplified as the information processing system 100.

[0016] 1-2. Information processing device 200 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 200. The information processing device 200 has a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a communication unit 250, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 260 inside the information processing device 200. Each component will be further described. The information processing device is configured to be able to control devices via a remote control device. The information processing device 200 may be a server.

[0017] The control unit 210 processes and controls the overall operations related to the information processing device 200. The control unit 210 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 210 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 200 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 220. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 220 is specifically realized by the control unit 210, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 210. This will be further explained in Section 2. Note that the control unit 210 is not limited to being a single unit, and multiple control units 210 may be provided for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

[0018] The storage unit 220 stores various information necessary for information processing by the information processing device 200. This may be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the information processing device 200 executed by the control unit 210, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores information (arguments, arrays, etc.) temporarily required for program calculations. Alternatively, it may be implemented as a combination of these.

[0019] The communication unit 250 is preferably a wired communication means such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt (registered trademark), wired LAN network communication, etc., but may also include wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 5G / LTE / 3G, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, etc. as necessary. In other words, it is more preferable to implement it as a collection of multiple communication means. In other words, the information processing device 200 communicates various information with the remote control device 300 via the communication unit 250 over a network.

[0020] 1-3. Remote control device 300 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of remote control device 300. Remote control device 300 has a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a communication unit 350, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 360 inside remote control device 300. Descriptions of control unit 310, storage unit 320, and communication unit 350 are omitted because they are substantially the same as the descriptions of control unit 210, storage unit 220, and communication unit 250 in information processing device 200.

[0021] The remote control device 300 is a remote control device that can be used in the information processing system 100. The remote control device 300 is connected to the information processing device 200 and the air conditioner 400 so as to be able to communicate with them. The remote control device 300 may be directly connected to the air conditioner 400, or may be configured to be able to acquire various information (such as current information about the air conditioner 400) from the air conditioner 400. The remote control device 370 is configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device 200 and the washing machine 470. The remote control device 370 may be directly connected to the washing machine 470, or may be configured to be able to acquire various information (such as current information about the washing machine 470) from the washing machine 470. The remote control device 380 is configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device 200 and the printer 480. The remote control device 380 may be directly connected to the printer 480, or may be configured to be able to acquire various information (such as current information about the printer 480) from the printer 480.

[0022] Air conditioner 400, washing machine 470, and printer 480 are examples of "devices" in the claims. Hereinafter, when describing "devices," air conditioner 400 will be used as a representative. Also, when describing remote control devices hereinafter, remote control device 300 will be used as a representative.

[0023] The infrared LED 390 may be included in the housing of the remote control device 300 or may be externally attached. The infrared LED 390 is a means for transmitting a remote control command from the remote control device 300 to the air conditioner 400. The control unit 310 causes the infrared LED 390 to transmit the remote control command by infrared light toward the air conditioner 400 based on decision information transmitted from the information processing device 200. The decision information will be described later. In the following description, the infrared LED 390 is assumed to be included in the housing of the remote control device 300.

[0024] 1-4. Terminal 500 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the terminal 500. The terminal 500 has a control unit 510, a storage unit 520, a display unit 530, an input unit 540, and a communication unit 550, and these components are electrically connected inside the terminal 500 via a communication bus 560. Descriptions of the control unit 510, the storage unit 520, and the communication unit 550 are omitted because they are substantially the same as the descriptions of the control unit 210, the storage unit 220, and the communication unit 250 in the information processing device 200. The terminal 500 may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like.

[0025] The display unit 530 may be included in the housing of the terminal 500 or may be externally attached. The display unit 530 displays a screen of a graphical user interface (GUI) that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by selectively using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display depending on the type of the terminal 500. In the following description, the display unit 530 is assumed to be included in the housing of the terminal 500.

[0026] The input unit 540 may be included in the housing of the terminal 500 or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 540 may be implemented as a touch panel integrated with the display unit 530. The touch panel allows the user to input tapping, swiping, and the like. Of course, instead of a touch panel, a switch button, a mouse, a QWERT keyboard, or the like may be employed. That is, the input unit 540 accepts an operation input made by the user. The input is transferred as a command signal to the control unit 510 via the communication bus 560. Then, the control unit 510 can execute predetermined control and calculation as necessary.

[0027] 2. Functional configuration In Section 2, the functional configuration of this embodiment will be described.

[0028] 2-1. Functional configuration of information processing device 200 (control unit 210) As described above, information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 220 can be specifically realized by the control unit 210, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 210.

[0029] 5 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the information processing device 200 (control unit 210). As described above, the information processing device 200 includes the control unit 210. Specifically, the information processing device 200 (control unit 210) includes a first acquisition unit 211, a first generation unit 212, a first output unit 213, a calculation unit 214, and a learning unit 215.

[0030] The first acquisition unit 211 is configured to acquire various types of information. For example, the first acquisition unit 211 acquires trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the air conditioner 400.

[0031] The first generating unit 212 is configured to generate various types of information. For example, the first generating unit 212 generates decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400, based on the acquired trigger information and first reference information. The first reference information is information that indicates the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information.

[0032] The first output unit 213 is configured to output various information. For example, the first output unit 213 outputs the generated decision information to the remote control device 300.

[0033] The calculation unit 214 is configured to calculate various information. For example, the calculation unit 214 calculates a standby power threshold for the air conditioner 400 based on information about power consumption within a predetermined period and second reference information. The second reference information is information that indicates the relationship between information about power consumption of the device within a predetermined period and the standby power threshold for the device.

[0034] The learning unit 215 is configured to perform machine learning of various information. For example, the learning unit 215 generates or updates a trained model using the relationship between trigger information and decision information as training data. The machine learning algorithm is not particularly limited, and for example, a k-nearest neighbor method, logistic regression, support vector machine, neural network, topic model, Gaussian mixture model, etc. may be appropriately adopted.

[0035] 2-2. Functional configuration of remote control device 300 (control unit 310) As described above, information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 320 is specifically realized by the control unit 310, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 310.

[0036] 6 is a block diagram showing functions realized by remote control device 300 (control unit 310). As described above, remote control device 300 includes control unit 310. Specifically, remote control device 300 (control unit 310) includes second acquisition unit 311, second generation unit 312, and second output unit 313.

[0037] The second acquisition unit 311 is configured to acquire various types of information. For example, the second acquisition unit 311 acquires, from the information processing device 200, decision information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400.

[0038] The second generating unit 312 is configured to generate various information. For example, the second generating unit 312 generates an infrared signal, which is a signal that controls the operation of the air conditioner 400, in accordance with the acquired decision information. Here, the infrared signal is an example of a "wireless signal" in the claims.

[0039] The second output unit 313 is configured to output various information. For example, the second output unit 313 outputs the generated infrared signal to the air conditioner 400.

[0040] The remote control device 300 further includes a connection unit 314. The connection unit 314 is configured to be connectable to various sensors, and may be, for example, an earphone jack. The sensor may be any sensor that can acquire trigger information, and is assumed to be a temperature and humidity sensor 600 in this example. The second acquisition unit 311 acquires the temperature and humidity information (trigger information) from the temperature and humidity sensor 600. The second output unit 313 outputs the temperature and humidity information (trigger information) to the information processing device 200.

[0041] According to this aspect, it is not necessary to separately prepare another detection device that corresponds to the information that is desired to be acquired, and it is possible to expand the functionality of the detection device.

[0042] 3. Information Processing Method In Section 3, the flow of information processing of the information processing system 100 described above will be described. This information processing method includes steps corresponding to the processing of each unit of the information processing system 100. This information processing method includes a first acquisition step, a first generation step, a first output step, a second acquisition step, a second generation step, and a second output step. In the first acquisition step, trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the device, is acquired. In the first generation step, decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the device, is generated based on the acquired trigger information and first reference information. The first reference information is information that indicates the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information. In the first output step, the generated decision information is output to the remote control device 300. In the second acquisition step, the decision information is acquired from the information processing device 200. In the second generation step, a wireless signal, which is a signal that controls the operation of the device, is generated according to the acquired decision information. In the second output step, the generated wireless signal is output to the device.

[0043] 7 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing executed by the information processing system 100. Below, an explanation will be given along with each activity in this activity diagram.

[0044] First, the control unit 310 in the remote control device 300 acquires information about the power consumption (W) of the air conditioner 400 (activity A110). Here, the trigger information is assumed to be information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400. The information about power consumption may be any information related to power consumption, and may be, for example, information about power consumption (W), information about the amount of power consumption (Wh), information about current (A), etc.

[0045] In activity A110, for example, the following two-stage information processing is executed: (1) A current sensor built into remote control device 300 acquires information about the power consumption of air conditioner 400. (2) Control unit 310 stores the acquired information about the power consumption in memory unit 320.

[0046] Next, the control unit 310 in the remote control device 300 transmits information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 to the information processing device 200 (activity A120).

[0047] In activity A120, for example, the following two-stage information processing is executed: (1) The control unit 310 reads out information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 from the storage unit 320. (2) The control unit 310 transmits the information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 to the information processing device 200 via the communication unit 350.

[0048] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 acquires information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 from the remote control device 300 (activity A130). In other words, the first acquisition unit 211 acquires trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the air conditioner 400 (device). The trigger information may be information that triggers a change in the operation of the air conditioner 400, that is, information that may create a need to change the operation of the air conditioner 400, and may be, for example, information such as temperature, humidity, weather, power consumption, power consumption amount, electricity bill, etc.

[0049] In activity A130, for example, the following two-stage information processing is executed: (1) The communication unit 250 receives information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 from the remote control device 300. (2) The control unit 210 stores the information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 in the storage unit 220.

[0050] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 calculates the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400 (activity A140). In other words, the calculation unit 214 calculates the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400 (device) based on information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 within a predetermined period (information about power consumption) and the second reference information.

[0051] Here, the second reference information is information showing the relationship between information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 within a predetermined period (information about power consumption) and the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400 (device). The second reference information will be explained as a function that indicates the correspondence between values ​​that are determined depending on a certain variable.

[0052] The predetermined period may be set appropriately to calculate the standby power threshold of the device, and specifically, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180 , 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365 days, and may be within a range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here. In this embodiment, the predetermined period will be described as being 7 days.

[0053] In activity A140, for example, the following three-stage information processing is performed: (1) The control unit 210 reads information on the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 over seven days and the second reference information from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 performs a calculation process to calculate the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400. (3) The control unit 210 stores the calculated standby power threshold in the storage unit 220.

[0054] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 generates setting information for setting a standby power threshold for the air conditioner 400 (activity A150). In other words, the first generation unit 212 generates setting information for setting the threshold based on the standby power threshold for the air conditioner 400 (device).

[0055] In activity A150, for example, the following three-stage information processing is performed: (1) The control unit 210 reads the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400 from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 executes a generation process to generate setting information for setting the threshold. (3) The control unit 210 stores the generated setting information in the storage unit 220.

[0056] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 updates the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400 (activity A160). According to this aspect, it becomes easy to distinguish between a case where the air conditioner 400 is in standby mode and a case where the air conditioner 400 is in operation, which can lead to visualization of the operating status of the air conditioner 400 (device).

[0057] In activity A160, for example, the following three-stage information processing is performed: (1) The control unit 210 reads the generated setting information from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 performs an update process to update the standby power threshold of the air conditioner 400. (3) The control unit 210 stores the updated threshold in the storage unit 220.

[0058] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 generates decision information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400 (activity A170). In other words, the first generation unit 212 generates decision information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400 based on information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 (device), the first reference information, and a set power consumption threshold for the air conditioner 400 (device). The power consumption threshold for the air conditioner 400 may be set as appropriate in response to a request from a power company. For example, if the threshold is set to 900 W, the control unit 212 may generate decision information that causes air conditioners consuming 900 W or more of power consumption to execute control to raise the set temperature of cooling operation by 1°C.

[0059] The first reference information is information indicating the relationship between information (trigger information) on the power consumption of air conditioner 400, a power consumption threshold of air conditioner 400, and decision information that determines the operation of air conditioner 400. According to this aspect, by using the set power consumption threshold, it is possible to achieve an energy-saving effect.

[0060] The first reference information may be a trained model that has been trained in advance using training data to learn the relationship between information about the power consumption of the device (trigger information) and decision information that determines the operation of the device. According to this aspect, by using machine learning, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled with high accuracy.

[0061] In activity A170, for example, the following three-stage information processing is performed: (1) The control unit 210 reads information about the power consumption of the air conditioner 400, the first reference information, and the power consumption threshold of the air conditioner 400 from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 performs a generation process to generate decision information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400. (3) The control unit 210 stores the generated decision information in the storage unit 220.

[0062] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 transmits decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400, to the remote control device 300 (activity A180). In other words, the first output unit 213 outputs the decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400, to the remote control device 300.

[0063] In activity A180, for example, the following two-stage information processing is executed: (1) Control unit 210 reads decision information, which is information that determines the operation of air conditioner 400, from storage unit 220. (2) Control unit 210 transmits the read decision information to remote control device 300 via communication unit 250.

[0064] Next, the control unit 310 in the remote control device 300 receives decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400, from the information processing device 200 (activity A190). In other words, the second acquisition unit 311 acquires the decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400, from the information processing device 200.

[0065] In activity A190, for example, the following three-stage information processing is executed: (1) The communication unit 350 receives decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the air conditioner 400, from the information processing device 200. (2) The control unit 310 stores the received decision information in the memory unit 320.

[0066] Next, control unit 310 in remote control device 300 generates an infrared signal (activity A200). In other words, second generation unit 312 generates an infrared signal (wireless signal) that is a signal for controlling the operation of air conditioner 400 (device) in accordance with the decision information that determines the operation of air conditioner 400.

[0067] In activity A200, for example, the following three stages of information processing are performed: (1) Control unit 310 reads decision information, which is information that determines the operation of air conditioner 400, from storage unit 320. (2) Control unit 310 performs generation processing and generates an infrared signal, which is a signal that controls the operation of air conditioner 400. (3) Control unit 310 stores the generated infrared signal in storage unit 320.

[0068] Next, control unit 310 in remote control device 300 transmits an infrared signal to air conditioner 400, which is a signal for controlling the operation of air conditioner 400 (activity A210). In other words, second output unit 313 outputs an infrared signal (wireless signal) to air conditioner 400 (device), which is a signal for controlling the operation of air conditioner 400. According to this embodiment, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled using a remote control device that can communicate with the device.

[0069] In activity A210, for example, the following three-stage information processing is performed: (1) The control unit 310 reads out an infrared signal, which is a signal that controls the operation of the air conditioner 400, from the storage unit 320. (2) The control unit 310 transmits the infrared signal to the air conditioner 400 via the infrared LED 390.

[0070] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 updates the trained model (first reference information) (activity A220). In other words, the learning unit 215 generates or updates the trained model using, as training data, the relationship between trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the device, and decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the device. Here, for example, it indicates that a trained model optimized for each user is provided using information collected in the information processing device 200 based on feedback from each user. According to this aspect, it is possible to generate or update a trained model that has been trained specifically for a specific user.

[0071] In activity A220, for example, the following two-stage information processing is executed: (1) The control unit 210 reads feedback from user A (trigger information and decision information corresponding to the trigger information) from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 executes machine learning processing to generate or update a trained model for user A.

[0072] Next, activities A230 to A250 are executed in parallel with activities A140 to A160.

[0073] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 calculates the electricity charges for the air conditioner 400 for seven days (activity A230). In other words, the calculation unit 214 calculates the electricity charges for the air conditioner 400 (device) for seven days (predetermined period) based on information related to the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 (device) for seven days (predetermined period) and the third reference information. The third reference information is information indicating the relationship between information related to the power consumption of the device within the predetermined period and the electricity charges for the device. The third reference information will be described as a database that stores a lookup table or the like.

[0074] In activity A230, for example, the following three-stage information processing is performed: (1) The control unit 210 reads information on the power consumption of the air conditioner 400 over the seven days and the third reference information from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 performs a calculation process to calculate the electricity charges for the air conditioner 400 over the seven days. (3) The control unit 210 stores the calculated electricity charges in the storage unit 220.

[0075] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 generates first display information (activity A240). In other words, the first generation unit generates the first display information, which is information for displaying the electricity charge for the air conditioner 400 (device). Generating the first display information means, for example, generating display information such as a screen, image, rendering information, etc., to be displayed on the display unit 530 of the terminal 500. According to this aspect, by informing the user of the electricity charge for the device, it is possible to appropriately establish a management system for the device.

[0076] In activity A240, for example, the following three-stage information processing is executed: (1) The control unit 210 reads the electricity charge for the air conditioner 400 from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 executes a generation process to generate first display information that is information for displaying the electricity charge for the air conditioner 400. (3) The control unit 210 stores the generated first display information in the storage unit 220.

[0077] Next, the control unit 210 in the information processing device 200 transmits the first display information for displaying the electricity charge for the air conditioner 400 to the terminal 500 (activity A250).

[0078] In activity A250, for example, the following two-stage information processing is executed: (1) The control unit 210 reads out first display information, which is information for displaying the electricity charge for the air conditioner 400, from the storage unit 220. (2) The control unit 210 transmits the read out first display information to the terminal 500 via the communication unit 250.

[0079] The above information processing allows the operation of a device to be automatically controlled in accordance with information such as the device's power consumption. In addition, the simple configuration allows the saved resources to be used for other core functions.

[0080] 8 is a diagram showing another example of an activity of this embodiment. Here, trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of a device, is assumed to be at least one of a weather forecast and an outside temperature. Taking summer as an example, FIG. 8 shows that when air conditioner 400 is set to cooling operation at 27°C and receives information predicting rain, it is determined that lowering humidity is more efficient than lowering temperature, and therefore control is performed to switch from the current cooling operation to dehumidification operation.

[0081] First, the information processing device 200 acquires trigger information, which indicates a weather forecast of rain and an outside temperature of 27°C, via an internet connection. Next, the information processing device 200 uses the trigger information to generate decision information, which is information for changing the operation of the air conditioner 400 from cooling operation to dehumidifying operation, and transmits the decision information to the remote control device 300. Next, the remote control device 300 generates an infrared signal corresponding to the decision information and transmits the infrared signal to the air conditioner 400. Upon receiving the infrared signal, the air conditioner 400 switches from cooling operation to dehumidifying operation.

[0082] According to this aspect, it is possible to realize energy-saving effects in response to external factors. For example, if the weather forecast predicts rain in summer, it is possible to realize energy-saving effects by executing control to raise the set temperature of the air conditioner.

[0083] 4. Screen example In Section 4, examples of screens in this embodiment will be described.

[0084] 9 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 530 of the terminal 500 after processing of activity A250. On the display unit 530, an area 531, an area 532, and an area 533 are displayed.

[0085] Area 531 displays the title of the display content on display unit 530. Area 531 displays "Living Room." Area 531 displays "Day," "Month," and "Year," with "Day" selected. Area 531 displays "July 4, 2023."

[0086] Area 532 displays "Usage: 960Wh." Area 532 displays "Usage fee: 34.56 yen." Area 532 displays the trend in usage up to July 4, 2023 in a bar graph.

[0087] Area 533 displays a pie chart of the usage amount and usage fee of each appliance in the living room. Air conditioner 400 uses 500Wh of power and incurs a usage fee of 18.00 yen, washing machine 470 uses 270Wh of power and incurs a usage fee of 9.72 yen, and printer 480 uses 190Wh of power and incurs a usage fee of 6.84 yen.

[0088] In activity A250, first display information that displays the electricity charge for air conditioner 400 (device) is transmitted to terminal 500, but second display information that displays the operating status of air conditioner 400, washing machine 470, and printer 480 (multiple devices) may also be transmitted to terminal 500. In other words, first acquisition unit 211 acquires information on the power consumption corresponding to each of air conditioner 400, washing machine 470, and printer 480 (multiple devices). First generation unit 212 generates second display information that displays the operating status of the multiple devices based on the information on the power consumption of the multiple devices. According to this aspect, it is possible to preferably build a management system for each device owned by the user.

[0089] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0090] 5. Variations In Section 5, a modification of this embodiment will be described.

[0091] An aspect of the present embodiment may be a program that causes a computer to execute the processes of each unit of the information processing system 100 as individual steps.

[0092] The control unit 210 performs writing (storing) and reading processes for various data and information to the storage unit 220, but is not limited to this. The control unit 210 may execute information processing for each activity using, for example, a register or cache memory within the control unit 210.

[0093] The control unit 310 performs writing (storing) and reading processes for various data and information to the storage unit 320, but is not limited to this. The control unit 310 may execute information processing for each activity using, for example, a register or cache memory within the control unit 310.

[0094] The first reference information may be any information that indicates the relationship between trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the equipment, and decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the equipment, and may be a database that stores lookup tables, etc., a function that represents the correspondence of values ​​that are determined depending on a certain variable, a mathematical model that mathematically relates multiple pieces of information, etc.

[0095] The second reference information may be information that indicates the relationship between information regarding the power consumption of a device within a specified period and the standby power threshold of the device, and may be a database that stores lookup tables, etc., a mathematical model that mathematically relates multiple pieces of information, a trained model that has been machine-learned using training data, etc.

[0096] The third reference information may be any information that indicates the relationship between information regarding the power consumption of an equipment within a specified period and the electricity charges for the equipment, and may be a function that represents the correspondence of values ​​that is determined depending on a certain variable, a mathematical model that mathematically relates multiple pieces of information, a trained model that has been machine-learned using training data, etc.

[0097] The first generator 212 may generate decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the device, based on trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the device, and the first reference information.

[0098] Preferably, the device is an air conditioner. According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a technique that is preferably used when the device is an air conditioner.

[0099] The wireless signal is not limited to an infrared signal, but may be, for example, radio or television waves, wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 5G / LTE / 3G, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, business radio such as marine radio or aviation radio, etc.

[0100] Although activities A230 to A250 are executed in parallel with activities A140 to A160, this is not a limitation. Activities A230 to A250 may be executed at any time after activity A130.

[0101] 6.Other It may be provided in the following manner.

[0102] (1) An information processing system comprising: an information processing device; and a remote control device; the information processing device is configured to be able to control an appliance via the remote control device; the remote control device is communicatively connected to the information processing device and the appliance; the information processing device comprises a first acquisition unit, a first generation unit, and a first output unit; the first acquisition unit acquires trigger information, which is information that triggers a change in the operation of the appliance; the first generation unit generates decision information, which is information that determines the operation of the appliance, based on the trigger information and first reference information; the first reference information is information that indicates the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information; the first output unit outputs the decision information to the remote control device; the remote control device comprises a second acquisition unit, a second generation unit, and a second output unit; the second acquisition unit acquires the decision information from the information processing device; the second generation unit generates a wireless signal, which is a signal that controls the operation of the appliance, in accordance with the decision information; and the second output unit outputs the wireless signal to the appliance.

[0103] According to this aspect, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled in accordance with information such as the power consumption of the device. Furthermore, because of the simple configuration, the saved resources can be used for other core functions.

[0104] (2) In the information processing system described in (1) above, the trigger information is information regarding the power consumption of the device, the first generation unit generates the decision information based on the information regarding the power consumption, the first reference information, and a set threshold value for the power consumption, and the first reference information is information indicating the relationship between the trigger information, the threshold value, and the decision information.

[0105] According to this aspect, by using the set power consumption threshold, it is possible to achieve an energy saving effect.

[0106] (3) In the information processing system described in (1) or (2) above, the remote control device further includes a connection unit, the connection unit is configured to be connectable to a sensor capable of acquiring the trigger information, the second acquisition unit acquires the trigger information from the sensor, and the second output unit outputs the trigger information to the information processing device.

[0107] According to this aspect, it is not necessary to separately prepare another detection device that corresponds to the information that is desired to be acquired, and it is possible to expand the functionality of the detection device.

[0108] (4) In the information processing system according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the trigger information is at least one of a weather forecast and an outside temperature.

[0109] According to this aspect, it is possible to realize energy-saving effects in response to external factors. For example, if the weather forecast predicts rain in summer, it is possible to realize energy-saving effects by executing control to raise the set temperature of the air conditioner.

[0110] (5) In the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the information processing device further includes a calculation unit, the trigger information is information regarding the power consumption of the device, the calculation unit calculates a standby power threshold of the device based on the information regarding the power consumption within a specified period and second reference information, the second reference information is information indicating the relationship between the information regarding the power consumption within the specified period and the standby power threshold of the device, and the first generation unit generates setting information for setting the threshold based on the threshold.

[0111] According to this aspect, it becomes easy to distinguish between when the device is in a standby state and when the device is in an operating state, which can lead to visualization of the operating status of the device.

[0112] (6) In the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the information processing device further includes a calculation unit, the trigger information is information regarding the power consumption of the device, the calculation unit calculates the electricity charge for the device based on the information regarding the power consumption within a specified period and third reference information, the third reference information is information indicating the relationship between the information regarding the power consumption within the specified period and the electricity charge, and the first generation unit generates first display information which is information for displaying the electricity charge.

[0113] According to this aspect, by notifying the user of the electricity charges for the devices, it is possible to construct a suitable management system for the devices.

[0114] (7) In the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (6) above, the trigger information is information regarding the power consumption of the device, the first acquisition unit acquires information regarding the power consumption corresponding to each of the multiple devices, and the first generation unit generates second display information, which is information displaying the operating status of the multiple devices, based on the information regarding the power consumption.

[0115] According to this aspect, it is possible to preferably establish a management system for each device owned by the user.

[0116] (8) In the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (7) above, the first reference information is a trained model in which the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information is trained in advance as training data.

[0117] According to this aspect, by using machine learning, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled with high accuracy.

[0118] (9) In the information processing system described in (8) above, the information processing device further includes a learning unit, and the learning unit generates or updates the trained model using the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information as training data.

[0119] According to this aspect, it is possible to generate or update a trained model that is trained specifically for a specific user.

[0120] (10) In the information processing system according to any one of (1) to (9) above, the device is an air conditioner.

[0121] According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a technique that is preferably used when the device is an air conditioner.

[0122] (11) A remote control device that can be used in an information processing system described in any one of (1) to (10) above, the remote control device being communicatively connected to the information processing device and the device, and comprising a second acquisition unit, a second generation unit, and a second output unit, wherein the second acquisition unit acquires decision information from the information processing device, which is information that determines the operation of the device, the second generation unit generates a wireless signal that is a signal that controls the operation of the device in accordance with the decision information, and the second output unit outputs the wireless signal to the device.

[0123] According to this aspect, the operation of a device can be automatically controlled using a remote control device that can communicate with the device.

[0124] (12) A program that causes a computer to execute the processing of each part of the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (10) above as each step.

[0125] According to this aspect, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled in accordance with information such as the power consumption of the device. Furthermore, because of the simple configuration, the saved resources can be used for other core functions.

[0126] (13) An information processing method, comprising steps corresponding to processing in each unit of the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (10) above.

[0127] According to this aspect, the operation of the device can be automatically controlled in accordance with information such as the power consumption of the device. Furthermore, because of the simple configuration, the saved resources can be used for other core functions. Of course, this is not the case. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 100: Information Processing Systems 200: Information processing device 210: Control unit 211: First acquisition part 212: 1st generation part 213: First output unit 214: Calculation section 215: Learning Department 220: Storage section 250: Communications Department 260: Communication bus 300: Remote control device 310: Control unit 311:Second acquisition part 312 :Second generation part 313: Second output unit 314: Connection 320: Storage section 350: Communications Department 360: Communication bus 370: Remote control device 380: Remote control device 390: Infrared LED 400: Air conditioner 470: Washing machine 480: Printer 500: Terminal 510: Control unit 520: Storage section 530:Display section 531 :Area 532: area 533 :Area 540: Input section 550: Communications Department 560: Communication bus 600: Temperature and humidity sensor

Claims

1. An information processing system capable of automatically controlling the operation of equipment, An information processing device and a remote control device are provided, the information processing device is configured to be able to control a device via the remote control device, the remote control device is communicably connected to the information processing device and the device; the information processing device includes a first acquisition unit, a calculation unit, a first generation unit, and a first output unit; the first acquisition unit acquires trigger information that is information that triggers a change in the operation of the device; the trigger information is information regarding power consumption of the device, the calculation unit calculates a standby power threshold of the device based on the information on the power consumption within a predetermined period and second reference information; the second reference information is information indicating a relationship between information regarding the power consumption within the predetermined period and a standby power threshold of the device, the first generation unit generates setting information for setting the threshold value based on the threshold value; the first generation unit generates determination information that is information that determines an operation of the device based on the trigger information and the first reference information; the first reference information is information indicating a relationship between the trigger information and the decision information, the first output unit outputs the determination information to the remote control device; the remote control device includes a second acquisition unit, a second generation unit, and a second output unit; the second acquisition unit acquires the decision information from the information processing device; the second generation unit generates a wireless signal that is a signal for controlling an operation of the device in accordance with the determination information; The second output unit outputs the wireless signal to the device. Information processing system.

2. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, the trigger information is information regarding power consumption of the device, the first generation unit generates the determination information based on the information regarding the power consumption, the first reference information, and a set threshold value of the power consumption; the first reference information is information indicating a relationship between the trigger information, the threshold value, and the determination information; Information processing system.

3. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The remote control device further includes a connection unit; the connection unit is configured to be connectable to a sensor capable of acquiring the trigger information, the second acquisition unit acquires the trigger information from the sensor; The second output unit outputs the trigger information to the information processing device. Information processing system.

4. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The trigger information is at least one of a weather forecast and an outside temperature. Information processing system.

5. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The information processing device further includes a calculation unit, the trigger information is information regarding power consumption of the device, the calculation unit calculates an electricity charge for the device based on the information on the power consumption within a predetermined period and third reference information; the third reference information is information indicating a relationship between information regarding the power consumption within the predetermined period and the electricity price, the first generation unit generates first display information that is information for displaying the electricity rate; Information processing system.

6. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, the trigger information is information regarding power consumption of the device, the first acquisition unit acquires information about the power consumption corresponding to each of the plurality of devices; the first generation unit generates second display information, which is information for displaying operation states of the plurality of devices, based on the information regarding the power consumption. Information processing system.

7. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The first reference information is a trained model in which a relationship between the trigger information and the decision information is trained in advance as training data. Information processing system.

8. 8. The information processing system according to claim 7, The information processing device further includes a learning unit, The learning unit generates or updates the trained model using the relationship between the trigger information and the decision information as training data. Information processing system.

9. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The device is an air conditioner. Information processing system.

10. A remote control device used in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A device communicably connected to the information processing device and the device, a second acquisition unit, a second generation unit, and a second output unit; the second acquisition unit acquires, from the information processing device, decision information that is information that determines an operation of the device; the second generation unit generates a wireless signal that is a signal for controlling an operation of the device in accordance with the determination information; The second output unit outputs the wireless signal to the device. Remote control device.

11. A program, A method for making a computer execute the processes in each unit of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 as each step. program.

12. An information processing method, comprising: The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising steps corresponding to processes in the respective units of the information processing system. Information processing methods.

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