Control system, device control method and program

Abstract

To control a device better for users.SOLUTION: A scene information storage unit 123 stores scene information that defines at least one device and at least one operation to be performed by the at least one device. A state information acquisition unit 111 acquires state information indicating at least one of the operating state of the at least one device and the state of the surrounding environment of the at least one device. A device control unit 113 causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information. A control mode selection unit 115 selects at least one control mode from at least one type of control mode stored in a control mode storage unit 121 on the basis of the state information. The device control unit 113 controls the at least one device in the at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit 115.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system, a device control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technique for controlling the operation of a device based on a scene control file in which control details for each device are described for each scene control (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-98613 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a control system that controls devices using the above-described scene control, there is a demand for controlling the devices in a more appropriate manner for the user.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a control system etc. that allows a user to control equipment more appropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a control system according to the present disclosure First aspect of teeth, a scene information storage unit that stores scene information that defines at least one device and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating at least one of an operating state of the at least one device and a state of a surrounding environment of the at least one device; a device control unit that causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information; a control mode storage unit that stores at least one type of control mode for controlling the at least one device in association with a preset priority; a control mode selection unit that selects at least one control mode from the at least one type of control mode stored in the control mode storage unit based on the state information. A control system , The device control unit controls the at least one device in at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit. death, The control system includes: a display unit that displays a scene setting screen for setting the at least one device and the at least one operation in the scene information; a scene information generating unit that generates the scene information based on a user's input to the scene setting screen, the display unit displays, on the scene setting screen, candidates for operations to be executed by each of the at least one device; the scene information generation unit generates, as the scene information, information that defines an operation designated by the user from among the operation candidates; The display unit displays, on the scene setting screen, an operation in an autonomous driving mode and an operation not in the autonomous driving mode as the operation candidates. In order to achieve the above object, a second aspect of the control system according to the present disclosure includes: a scene information storage unit that stores scene information that defines at least one device and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating at least one of an operating state of the at least one device and a state of a surrounding environment of the at least one device; a device control unit that causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information; a control mode storage unit that stores at least one type of control mode for controlling the at least one device in association with a preset priority; a control mode selection unit that selects at least one control mode from the at least one type of control mode stored in the control mode storage unit based on the state information, When the at least one operation defined in the scene information includes an operation in an automatic driving mode, the device control unit controls the at least one device in at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in a control system that causes at least one device to execute at least one operation defined in scene information, the at least one device is controlled in at least one control mode selected based on state information, thereby enabling the device to be controlled more appropriately for the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a cloud server and a terminal device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a control mode storage unit according to the first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a scene information storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a device selection screen displayed on a terminal device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation specification screen displayed on the terminal device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of processing executed by the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a scene control execution process executed by a cloud server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation specification screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of scene template information according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 shows an example of a scene selection screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows an example of a scene editing screen in the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of scene template information according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 20 shows an example of scene information according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 20 shows an example of a scene editing screen in the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) 1 shows the overall configuration of a control system according to embodiment 1. The control system is a system that can remotely control a plurality of devices 3 installed inside a building H from outside the building H.

[0011] 1, the control system according to the first embodiment includes a cloud server 1, a terminal device 2, a plurality of devices 3, and a plurality of linked devices 4. The plurality of devices 3 are installed inside a building H. The building H is, for example, a detached house, an apartment building, an office building, a commercial facility, a factory, or the like.

[0012] Each of the plurality of devices 3 is a device to be controlled in the control system. Specifically, each of the plurality of devices 3 is an electric device such as an air conditioner that conditions the air inside the building H, a ventilation device that ventilates the air inside the building H, a water heater that boils water, etc.

[0013] Although not shown, each of the multiple devices 3 is connected to an operating device such as a remote control, a wall switch, etc. A user in building H can input instructions to the device 3 to start and stop operation, adjust the intensity of operation, etc. by operating the operating device. Operating the device 3 using the operating device is called "hand-held operation." In contrast, operating the device 3 remotely using the terminal device 2 by a user is called "remote operation."

[0014] Each of the multiple linked devices 4 is a device installed in the surrounding environment of the multiple devices 3. Specifically, each of the multiple linked devices 4 is an air conditioner, an environmental sensor, or the like. Here, the environmental sensor is a sensor that measures sensor information such as temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration. Examples of the environmental sensor include a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor provided in an indoor unit installed in the building H, an air quality sensor that measures the air quality outside the building H, a CO2 sensor that measures the CO2 concentration inside the building H, and a human presence sensor that detects the number of people present in the building H. The sensor information corresponds to air quality information that indicates the air quality measured by the environmental sensor.

[0015] Although not shown, the plurality of devices 3 and the plurality of linked devices 4 are each connected via a communication adapter to a local network NW2 established within a building H. The local network NW2 is connected to a wide area network NW1 via a BBR (broadband router) 5. The local network NW2 is, for example, a wired local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN, or a network based on ECHONET Lite (registered trademark). The wide area network NW1 is, for example, the Internet.

[0016] The cloud server 1 and the terminal device 2 can communicate with each other via a wide area network NW1. The cloud server 1 can communicate with a plurality of devices 3 and a plurality of linked devices 4 via the wide area network NW1 and a local area network NW2.

[0017] A weather server 6 is connected to the wide area network NW1. The weather server 6 is a server managed by the Japan Meteorological Agency, a weather company, etc., and has weather information for various locations, including the area where building H is located. The weather information is information about the weather, specifically, information about the weather, temperature, humidity, PM2.5 concentration, pollen concentration, etc. The weather information corresponds to air quality information that indicates the air quality in the area where building H is located. The weather server 6 transmits such weather information for the area where building H is located to the cloud server 1 as needed.

[0018] The cloud server 1 is a device that manages a control system, and specifically, a server that provides resources in cloud computing. As shown in Fig. 2, the cloud server 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 15.

[0019] The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU is also called a central processing unit, central arithmetic unit, processor, microprocessor, microcomputer, etc., and functions as a central arithmetic processing unit that executes processing and calculations related to the control of the cloud server 1. In the control unit 11, the CPU reads programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the cloud server 1.

[0020] The storage unit 12 includes nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or a hard disk, and serves as a so-called secondary storage device or auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 12 stores programs and data used by the control unit 11 to perform various processes. The storage unit 12 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 11 as a result of performing various processes.

[0021] The communication unit 15 includes a communication interface for the cloud server 1 to communicate with external devices via the wide area network NW1. The communication unit 15 transmits and receives various information to and from the terminal device 2, the plurality of devices 3, the plurality of linked devices 4, and the weather server 6 via the wide area network NW1.

[0022] The terminal device 2 is a terminal that can be operated by a user outside the building H. The terminal device 2 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. As shown in FIG. 2 , the terminal device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an input unit 23, a display unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

[0023] The control unit 21 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is also called a central processing unit, a processor, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, etc., and functions as a central processing unit that executes processing and calculations related to the control of the terminal device 2. In the control unit 21, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the terminal device 2.

[0024] The storage unit 22 includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM, and serves as a so-called secondary storage device or auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 22 stores programs and data used by the control unit 21 to perform various processes. The storage unit 22 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 21 as a result of performing various processes.

[0025] The input unit 23 includes input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a switch, a touchpad, and a touch panel, and receives operation inputs from a user. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 2 by operating the input unit 23. When the input unit 23 receives an operation instruction input by the user, it transmits the received operation instruction to the control unit 21.

[0026] The display unit 24 includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel, etc. The display unit 24 is driven by a display drive circuit (not shown), and displays various images under the control of the control unit 21.

[0027] The communication unit 25 includes a communication interface for the terminal device 2 to communicate with external devices. The communication unit 25 transmits and receives various information to and from the cloud server 1 via the wide area network NW1.

[0028] Next, the functional configuration of the control system will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the cloud server 1 functionally includes a state information acquisition unit 111, a device control unit 113, a control mode selection unit 115, and a notification unit 117. The terminal device 2 functionally includes an operation reception unit 211, a display control unit 213, and a scene information generation unit 215.

[0029] Each of these functions is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the ROM or storage unit 12, 22. The CPU then executes the programs stored in the ROM or storage unit 12, 22 to realize each of these functions.

[0030] The cloud server 1 also includes a control mode storage unit 121 and a scene information storage unit 123. These are constructed in an appropriate storage area of ​​the storage unit 12.

[0031] In the cloud server 1, the state information acquisition unit 111 acquires state information indicating at least one of the operating state of the plurality of devices 3 to be controlled and the state of the surrounding environment of the plurality of devices 3.

[0032] The operating states of the multiple devices 3 refer to whether each device 3 is operating or stopped, and if it is operating, the operating mode, setting information, etc. The state information acquisition unit 111 acquires operating state information indicating such operating states as state information by communicating with the multiple devices 3 via the communication unit 15.

[0033] The state of the surrounding environment of the multiple devices 3 is the state inside or outside the building H in which the multiple devices 3 are installed. The state information acquisition unit 111 acquires, as state information, environmental information indicating the state of the surrounding environment of such multiple devices 3.

[0034] More specifically, the state information acquisition unit 111 acquires, as the environmental information, at least one of weather information, sensor information, and operating state information indicating the operating state of the linked devices 4. The weather information is information transmitted from the weather server 6 indicating the weather conditions in the area where the building H is located. The sensor information is information measured by an environmental sensor in the linked devices 4 and indicating the temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, etc. inside or outside the building H. The operating state of the linked devices 4 is information indicating whether the air conditioning device in the linked devices 4 is operating or stopped, and, if operating, setting information such as the operating mode (cooling, heating, dehumidification, etc.) and the set temperature, set humidity, and airflow rate. The state information acquisition unit 111 acquires such environmental information by communicating with the weather server 6 and multiple linked devices 4 via the communication unit 15. Note that the weather information and sensor information may be collectively referred to as air quality information.

[0035] The state information acquisition unit 111 may acquire both the driving state information and the environmental information as the state information, or may acquire both the driving state information and the environmental information, as necessary. Furthermore, the state information acquisition unit 111 may acquire all of the weather information, the sensor information, and the driving state information indicating the driving state of the linked device 4 as the environmental information, or may acquire only one or two of them.

[0036] In the terminal device 2, the operation reception unit 211 receives operations performed by the user on the input unit 23. The user can remotely control any of the multiple devices 3 by inputting operations such as turning on or off the device, changing the operation mode, etc., into the input unit 23 of the terminal device 2. When the operation reception unit 211 receives such an operation from the user, it transmits operation information indicating the content of the received operation to the cloud server 1 via the communication unit 25. The operation information transmitted to the cloud server 1 is supplied to the device control unit 113.

[0037] In the cloud server 1, the device control unit 113 controls each of the plurality of devices 3. The device control unit 113 controls the operation of the device 3 to be controlled by transmitting a control command to the device 3 to be controlled among the plurality of devices 3 via the communication unit 15.

[0038] More specifically, the equipment control unit 113 has the function of operating the equipment in three operating modes: (1) a first operating mode, the "automatic operating mode," (2) a second operating mode, the "manual operating mode," and (3) a third operating mode, the "priority operating mode."

[0039] The "automatic operation mode" is an operation mode based on the automatic control function of the cloud server 1, in which the cloud server 1 automatically selects an appropriate control mode depending on the situation and operates the controlled device 3. In contrast, the "manual operation mode" is an operation mode that does not rely on the automatic control function, in which the user manually inputs operations for the controlled device 3 to operate the controlled device 3. Furthermore, the "priority operation mode" is a mode in which the controlled device 3 is operated based on control information transmitted from a device other than the controlled device 3 or from an operation device for operating a device other than the controlled device 3. The "automatic operation mode," "manual operation mode," and "priority operation mode" may also be referred to as an "automatic control state," "manual control state," and "priority control state," respectively.

[0040] Which of these three operation modes to use can be set individually for each of the multiple devices 3. For example, the user can operate the terminal device 2 to set the operation mode of each of the multiple devices 3 from among these three operation modes.

[0041] <Autonomous driving mode> When the operation mode of the device 3 to be controlled is set to "automatic operation mode," the device control unit 113 operates the device 3 based on the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit 111. For example, when the CO2 concentration indicated by the acquired status information is high, the device control unit 113 increases the airflow rate of a ventilation device among the multiple devices 3. Alternatively, when presence in a room is detected based on the acquired status information, the device control unit 113 turns on a ventilation device among the multiple devices 3.

[0042] More specifically, in the "autonomous driving mode," the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 based on state information indicating at least one of the operating state of devices other than the device 3 to be controlled and the state of the surrounding environment of the multiple devices 3. In this way, the device control unit 113 operates the device 3 to be controlled in conjunction with the external state.

[0043] When the operation mode is the "automatic operation mode," the control mode selection unit 115 selects at least one control mode to be used for control of the device 3 by the device control unit 113. To do so, the control mode selection unit 115 refers to the control mode storage unit 121.

[0044] The control mode storage unit 121 stores at least one type of control mode used when controlling the device 3 in the "automatic operation mode." Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the control mode storage unit 121 stores control mode information indicating multiple types of control modes in association with air quality conditions and operating conditions that are execution conditions for the control modes, and priorities that determine the priority order for execution of the control modes.

[0045] The execution conditions define the conditions under which the device control unit 113 starts control in each control mode. Air quality conditions and operating conditions are defined in advance as the execution conditions. The air quality conditions are conditions related to the air quality inside and outside the building H. The operating conditions are conditions related to the operating state of the linked device 4.

[0046] The control mode selection unit 115 selects a control mode from among the multiple types of control modes stored in the control mode storage unit 121, based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 111. Specifically, the control mode selection unit 115 determines whether the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 111 satisfies any of the execution conditions of the multiple types of control modes stored in the control mode storage unit 121. If the result of the determination shows that the acquired state information satisfies any of the execution conditions of the multiple types of control modes, the control mode selection unit 115 selects a control mode associated with that execution condition.

[0047] Note that when either the air quality condition or the operating condition among the execution conditions associated with one control mode is satisfied, control mode selection unit 115 selects that control mode. In other words, the air quality condition and the operating condition are determined by logical sum.

[0048] For example, in Fig. 4, if the acquired status information satisfies the air quality condition of "CO2 concentration is 500 ppm or more," the control mode selection unit 115 selects the control mode of "control when the number of people increases." This control mode of "suppression when the number of people increases" is a mode used for the purpose of discharging CO2 inside the building H to the outside of the building H. Note that it is also possible to allow the user to select the threshold value of the execution condition for each control mode.

[0049] Furthermore, when the acquired status information satisfies two or more of the air quality conditions and the operating conditions, the control mode selection unit 115 selects the control mode with the highest priority from among the control modes associated with these two or more conditions. Here, a high priority corresponds to a small priority value shown in FIG. 4.

[0050] For example, if the acquired status information satisfies both of the two air quality conditions, "CO2 concentration is 500 ppm or higher" and "temperature is 15°C or lower and humidity inside building H is 65% or higher," the control mode selection unit 115 selects the control mode with the higher priority, "control when the number of people increases," from the control modes associated with these.

[0051] The priority of each control mode may be variable depending on the time of day when it is executed. For example, a control mode aimed at exhausting heat may be given a higher priority in the evening, while a "control when the number of people increases" aimed at suppressing CO2 concentration may be given a higher priority in the morning. Alternatively, the priority of each control mode may be determined arbitrarily by the user.

[0052] The notification unit 117 notifies the terminal device 2 of at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit 115. Furthermore, if there is no control mode information that satisfies the operating state conditions or air quality conditions among the control mode information stored in the control mode storage unit 121, it is impossible to select control mode information. In this case, the control mode selection unit 115 notifies the equipment control unit 113 that it is impossible to select a control mode.

[0053] When the operation mode is the "automatic operation mode," the device control unit 113 causes the controlled device 3 to operate in at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit 115 in this manner. As a result, the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 based on the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit 111.

[0054] The device control unit 113 ends the currently executed control mode in any of the following cases (1) to (3). After that, the device control unit 113 executes the last control mode executed before the current control mode. (1) When the operating status or weather information of linked device 4 no longer satisfies the execution conditions of the control mode currently being executed. (2) When the currently running control mode has completed its preset execution time. (3) When the execution conditions for any control mode are not met

[0055] <Manual operation mode> When the operation mode of the device 3 to be controlled is set to the "manual operation mode," the device control unit 113 operates the device 3 based on an operation input by the user. For example, when the user directly inputs an operation to the device 3 by manual operation or remote operation, or when a predetermined timing arrives, the operation mode of the device 3 is switched to the "manual operation mode."

[0056] In the "manual operation mode", the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 in accordance with an operation received from the user by the operation receiving unit 211. Specifically, in the "manual operation mode", the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 in an operation mode that the main body function of the device 3 has, without being based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 111.

[0057] Here, the operating modes of the main body function of the device 3 refer to the operating modes that are basically provided in the main body of the device 3. For example, if the device 3 is a ventilation device, the main body function is a ventilation function, and the operating modes of the main body function are a ventilation mode, a stop mode, etc. The ventilation mode is further divided into multiple modes depending on the strength of the airflow. Alternatively, if the device 3 is an air conditioning device, the main body function is an air conditioning function, and the operating modes of the main body function are a heating mode, a cooling mode, a dehumidification mode, a stop mode, etc. The heating mode, the cooling mode, and the dehumidification mode are further divided into multiple modes depending on the set temperature, the set humidity, etc.

[0058] In the "manual operation mode," the device control unit 113 operates the device 3 in an operation mode that is input by the user at the terminal device 2 and that the device 3 has a main body function for.

[0059] <Priority operation mode> When the operation mode of the controlled device 3 is set to the "priority operation mode," the device control unit 113 operates the device 3 based on control information transmitted from a device other than the controlled device 3 or an operation device for operating a device other than the controlled device 3.

[0060] <Scene information-based control> Returning to FIG. 3, the scene information storage unit 123 stores scene information. The scene information is information that defines the content of scene control, which is control using a scene. Here, scene control means control that causes at least one device 3 to execute an operation collectively. By using scene control, the user can eliminate the need to individually select an operation for each device 3, thereby improving user convenience when controlling the device 3.

[0061] Specifically, the scene information defines at least one device 3 and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device 3. When scene control based on one piece of scene information is executed, a control command is transmitted to the at least one device 3 to collectively execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information. Note that collectively executing the operations does not necessarily mean executing them at the same timing, but may also mean executing them at different timings.

[0062] 5, the scene information storage unit 123 stores a plurality of pieces of scene information. Each piece of scene information defines a combination of a "scene name" that is the name of the scene, a "scene ID" for identifying the scene information, an "operation (operation mode)" that indicates the control content, and a "device ID" for identifying the device to be controlled. For example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address assigned to each device 3 can be used as the device ID.

[0063] For example, the scene information for "Good morning" defines the operation to turn on the living room air conditioner and the operation to turn off the bedroom air conditioner. The scene information for "I'm leaving" defines the operation to turn off the living room air conditioner and the operation to turn off the ventilation fan. The scene information for "Returning home (summer)" defines the operation to turn on the living room air conditioner to cool at a set temperature of 26°C, to turn on the ventilation fan and operate it in automatic operation mode, and to turn on the Lossnay and operate it in automatic operation mode.

[0064] Note that one piece of scene information may define multiple devices 3 and multiple operations to be executed by each of the multiple devices 3, or may define one device 3 and one operation to be executed by the device 3. Even when scene information defines one device 3 and one operation, by combining the device 3 and the operation as scene information, it is possible to improve user convenience when controlling the device 3.

[0065] 3, in the terminal device 2, the display control unit 213 displays a scene setting screen for setting scene information on the display unit 24. Here, the scene setting screen is a screen for selecting basic settings when generating scene information.

[0066] The display control unit 213 displays, as a scene setting screen, a screen for setting a combination of at least one device 3 defined in the scene information and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device 3. While viewing the scene setting screen displayed on the display unit 24, the user can register new scene information in the scene information storage unit 123 and edit scene information already stored in the scene information storage unit 123.

[0067] When registering new scene information, the display control unit 213 displays, as a first scene setting screen, a screen for selecting the device 3. Specifically, the display control unit 213 displays, on the display unit 24, a device selection screen 241 as shown in FIG.

[0068] On the device selection screen 241, the display control unit 213 displays a plurality of candidate devices 3 that can be selected in the scene information, such as "water heater 1," "dressing room heater 1," "bathroom heater 1," etc. The user operates the input unit 23 to select at least one device 3 that is specified in the scene information from the plurality of candidate devices 3 displayed on the device selection screen 241.

[0069] When the user selects a device 3, the display control unit 213 displays, as a second scene setting screen, a screen for setting an operation to be performed by the selected device 3. For example, when the device 3 "ventilation fan 1" is selected on the device selection screen 241, the display control unit 213 displays an operation specification screen 242 as shown in FIG.

[0070] On the operation specification screen 242, the display control unit 213 displays candidate operations to be executed by the selected device 3. In the example of Fig. 7, the display control unit 213 displays, as candidate operations to be executed by the "ventilation fan 1," an operation to ventilate at a high airflow rate marked "high," an operation to ventilate at a low airflow rate marked "low," an operation to stop the ventilation fan marked "stop," and an operation to operate the ventilation fan in automatic operation mode marked "sensor linked." The user operates the input unit 23 to specify an operation to be executed by the selected device 3 from among the multiple candidate operations displayed on the operation specification screen 242.

[0071] More specifically, the display control unit 213 displays, as operation candidates, operations in the autonomous driving mode and operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode. Here, operations in the autonomous driving mode refer to operations using the automatic control function possessed by the cloud server 1, and operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode refer to operations not using the automatic control function. In the example of FIG. 7, "sensor linkage" corresponds to operations in the autonomous driving mode, and "strong," "weak," and "stop" correspond to operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode. Operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode correspond to operations in the driving mode possessed by the device itself.

[0072] In this way, the scene information treats operations in the autonomous driving mode and operations not related to the autonomous driving mode equally, so the user can freely select between operations in the autonomous driving mode and operations not related to the autonomous driving mode as operations defined in the scene information.

[0073] Furthermore, the display control unit 213 visually displays the autonomous driving mode and operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode among the operation candidates on the operation specification screen 242 in a manner that allows them to be distinguished from each other. Specifically, the display control unit 213 arranges the autonomous driving mode and operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode among the operation candidates on the operation specification screen 242 in a visually recognizable area so as to be distinguished from each other. As an example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the display control unit 213 displays "sensor linkage," which is an operation based on the autonomous driving mode, in a frame that is different from the frames of "strong," "weak," and "stop," which are operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode. This makes it easier for the user to visually recognize that the autonomous driving mode can be used, in other words, that advanced operations that cannot be performed by the device 3 alone are possible. Note that the display control unit 213 is not limited to arranging the autonomous driving mode and operations not dependent on the autonomous driving mode in a visually recognizable area so long as they can be distinguished from each other. For example, the display control unit 213 may display operations in autonomous driving mode and operations not in autonomous driving mode as parts of different colors or shapes on the operation specification screen 242, thereby displaying them as distinguishable, visible parts.

[0074] When multiple devices 3 are selected on the device selection screen 241, the display control unit 213 displays such an operation specification screen 242 for each of the selected devices 3. Then, the display control unit 213 receives, from the user, a specification of an operation to be executed by each of the selected devices 3.

[0075] The scene information generation unit 215 generates scene information based on the user's input to such a scene setting screen. Specifically, the scene information generation unit 215 generates, as scene information, information that defines at least one device selected on the device selection screen 241 and at least one operation specified on the operation specification screen 242.

[0076] After generating the scene information, the scene information generating unit 215 transmits the generated scene information to the cloud server 1 via the communication unit 25. The transmitted scene information is newly registered in the scene information storage unit 123.

[0077] In the cloud server 1, when instructed by a user to execute scene control based on any one of the multiple pieces of scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123, the device control unit 113 executes an operation defined in the instructed scene information. Specifically, the device control unit 113 transmits a control command to each of at least one device 3 to be controlled in the instructed scene information, thereby causing the at least one device 3 to execute at least one operation defined in the scene information.

[0078] When at least one operation defined in the scene information includes an operation in the automatic driving mode, the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 that is the target of the operation, based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 111. In this case, the device control unit 113 executes the control when the operation mode of the device 3 that is the target of the control is set to the "automatic driving mode."

[0079] Specifically, the control mode selection unit 115 selects a control mode that satisfies the execution conditions of the acquired state information from among the multiple types of control modes stored in the control mode storage unit 121. Then, the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 to be controlled in the control mode selected by the control mode selection unit 115.

[0080] On the other hand, if at least one operation defined in the scene information does not include an operation in the automatic operation mode, the device control unit 113 controls at least one device 3 to be controlled without based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 111. In this case, similar to the case where the operation mode of the device 3 to be controlled described above is set to the "manual operation mode," the device control unit 113 controls the device 3 to be controlled in the operation mode of the main body function of the device 3 to be controlled.

[0081] When the operation mode of the device 3 is changed among the automatic operation mode, the manual operation mode, and the priority operation mode, the device control unit 113 updates the state of the operation mode stored in the cloud server 1 to the changed operation mode. Then, the notification unit 117 notifies the terminal device 2 of the changed operation mode via the communication unit 15.

[0082] In the terminal device 2, the display control unit 213 displays the operation mode notified by the notification unit 117 on the display unit 24. In addition, the operation modes of the multiple devices 3 held in the terminal device 2 are updated to the changed operation mode.

[0083] Next, the flow of processing executed in the control system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The processing shown in Fig. 8 includes a scene registration process (steps S1 to S4) for registering scene information, and a scene control execution process (steps S11 to S14) for executing scene control based on the scene information that has already been registered.

[0084] First, the scene registration process is executed when new scene information is to be registered in the scene information storage unit 123, or when scene information already registered in the scene information storage unit 123 is to be changed.

[0085] When the scene registration process is started, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 2 functions as the display control unit 213 and displays a scene setting screen (step S1). Specifically, the control unit 21 displays the device selection screen 241 shown in Fig. 6 and the operation specification screen 242 shown in Fig. 7.

[0086] When the scene setting screen is displayed, the control unit 21 functions as the scene information generation unit 215, accepts user input on the scene setting screen, and generates scene information based on the user input (step S2). Specifically, the scene information generation unit 215 generates new scene information when new scene information is to be registered, and generates changed scene information when registered scene information is to be changed.

[0087] After generating the scene information, the control unit 21 transmits the generated scene information to the cloud server 1 (step S3). In the cloud server 1, the control unit 11 receives the scene information transmitted from the terminal device 2. Upon receiving the scene information, the control unit 11 registers the received scene information in the scene information storage unit 123 (step S4). This completes the scene registration process.

[0088] Secondly, the scene control execution process is executed when scene control based on any one of the plurality of pieces of scene information registered in the scene information storage unit 123 is to be executed.

[0089] When the scene control execution process is started, the control unit 21 in the terminal device 2 receives from the user a selection of scene information to be executed from among the plurality of pieces of scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 (step S11).

[0090] When the selection of scene information is accepted, the control unit 21 transmits the scene ID of the selected scene information to the cloud server 1 (step S12). In the cloud server 1, the control unit 11 receives the scene ID transmitted from the terminal device 2.

[0091] When the scene ID is received, the control unit 11 acquires the scene information identified by the received scene ID from among the plurality of pieces of scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 (step S13).

[0092] When the scene information is acquired, the control unit 11 executes scene control based on the acquired scene information (step S14). Details of the process for executing scene control will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0093] When the scene control execution process shown in FIG. 9 is started, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the scene information to be executed includes an operation in the automatic driving mode (step S141).

[0094] If an operation in the automatic driving mode is present (step S141; YES), the control unit 11 functions as the state information acquisition unit 111 and acquires state information (step S142). Specifically, the control unit 11 acquires, as state information, operating state information indicating the operating states of the plurality of devices 3 and environmental information indicating the state of their surrounding environment from the plurality of devices 3, the plurality of linked devices 4, and the weather server 6. Step S142 is an example of a state information acquisition step.

[0095] When the state information is acquired, the control unit 11 functions as the control mode selection unit 115 and selects a control mode that satisfies the execution condition of the acquired state information from at least one type of control mode stored in the control mode storage unit 121 (step S143). Step S143 is an example of a control mode selection step.

[0096] When the control mode is selected, the control unit 11 functions as the device control unit 113 and controls the target device 3 in the selected control mode (step S144). Specifically, the control unit 11 generates control information based on the selected control mode and transmits it to the device 3.

[0097] If the scene information to be executed includes both operations in the autonomous driving mode and operations not depending on the autonomous driving mode, in step S144, control not depending on the autonomous driving mode is executed in addition to control in the selected control mode.

[0098] On the other hand, if the information in step S141 does not indicate an operation in the automatic driving mode (step S141; NO), the control unit 11 functions as the device control unit 113 and controls the target device 3 regardless of the automatic driving mode (step S145). Specifically, the control unit 11 generates control information based on the scene information to be executed and transmits it to the device 3. Steps S144 and S145 are examples of device control steps.

[0099] After step S144 or S145, the control unit 11 updates the operating states (step S146). Specifically, the control unit 11 updates the operating states of the plurality of devices 3 stored in the cloud server 1 to an operating mode in operation. Furthermore, the control unit 11 functions as the notification unit 117 and notifies the terminal device 2 of the updated operating states of the plurality of devices 3. This completes the scene control execution process shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0100] As described above, the control system according to the first embodiment is a system that causes at least one device to perform at least one operation defined in scene information, and when the at least one operation defined in the scene information includes an operation in an autonomous driving mode, the control system controls a target device among the at least one device based on the state information. In this way, the control system according to the first embodiment can include operations in an autonomous driving mode as well as the main body functions of the device 3 as operations to be performed in scene control. Therefore, scene control enables control suited to the user's usage scene and lifestyle, thereby enabling more appropriate control of the device for the user.

[0101] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 2. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as embodiment 1 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0102] In the second embodiment, the display control unit 213 displays, on the operation specification screen 242, operations that can be specified and operations that cannot be specified, among the operation candidates. Here, the operations that can be specified refer to operations that can be executed by the device 3 selected on the device selection screen 241. In contrast, the operations that cannot be specified refer to operations that cannot be executed by the device 3 selected on the device selection screen 241 due to differences in model, version, etc.

[0103] As an example, Fig. 10 shows an operation specification screen 242 when device 3 "ventilation fan 1" is selected on device selection screen 241. Fig. 10 shows an example where the operation to ventilate at a low airflow rate and the operation to stop are specifiable operations, but the operation to ventilate at a high airflow rate and the operation in automatic operation mode are not specifiable operations. In this case, the display control unit 213 displays the items "high" and "sensor linkage," which represent operations that cannot be specified, in a color different from the operations "low" and "stop," which can be specified, and makes them inactive so that the user cannot specify them.

[0104] An example of a case where operation in automatic operation mode is not possible is when the automatic operation mode requires the air conditioner and ventilation fan to detect the number of people present in the room when operating in coordination with each other, but the air conditioner does not have the function to detect the number of people present in the room.

[0105] The scene information storage unit 123 stores, for each of the multiple devices 3 to be controlled, device operability information and automatic control operability information indicating whether operation is possible. The device operability information is information indicating whether an operation mode for each of the multiple devices 3 is selectable. The automatic control operability information is information indicating whether at least one automatic control function is available, in other words, whether operation in an automatic operation mode is possible. For example, the device operability information indicates an operable operation mode obtained from each device 3. The automatic control operability information indicates whether a postal code, an environmental sensor, etc. for acquiring environmental information are set. The display control unit 213 acquires the device operability information and automatic control operability information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 from the cloud server 1. Then, based on at least one of the acquired device operability information and automatic control operability information, the display control unit 213 determines which operations are available and which are not available among the operation candidates on the operation specification screen 242, and displays them distinguishably as shown in FIG. 10 .

[0106] The user specifies an operation to be executed by the device 3 in the scene information from among the operations that can be specified displayed on the operation specification screen 242. The scene information generation unit 215 generates, as scene information, information that defines the operation specified from among the operations that can be specified by the user in this way.

[0107] As described above, in the second embodiment, the display control unit 213 displays selectable operations and unselectable operations among the operation candidates on the operation specification screen 242. This allows the user to specify an appropriate operation to be executed by the device 3 when generating scene information.

[0108] (Embodiment 3) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 3. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of embodiments 1 and 2 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0109] In the control system according to the third embodiment, the scene information storage unit 123 stores scene template information, which serves as a template for the scene information, in addition to the scene information as shown in Fig. 5. Like the scene information, the scene template information is information that defines at least one operation to be executed by at least one device 3 among the plurality of devices 3 to be controlled.

[0110] 11 shows an example of multiple pieces of scene template information stored in the scene information storage unit 123. Each piece of scene template information is associated with a "scene template ID" for identifying the scene template information, a "scene name" that is the name of the scene, an "operation (operation mode)" that indicates the control content, and a "device ID" that identifies the device to be controlled.

[0111] 11, the scene template information defines a combination of operations that are typically expected to be used as scene information, such as "all off," "bathroom all-at-on heating," etc. Such scene template information is stored as initial data in the scene information storage unit 123. The user can use the scene template information as scene information without manually setting the scene information.

[0112] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the scene information generation unit 215 determines specifiable operations and unspecifiable operations based on at least one of the device operability information and the automatic control capability information described in the second embodiment. Then, the scene information generation unit 215 generates recommended scene information, which is scene information recommended to the user, from the scene template information based on the specifiable operations and the unspecifiable operations. As in the second embodiment, the specifiable operations and the unspecifiable operations refer to operations that can be performed by the device 3 and operations that cannot be performed, respectively.

[0113] More specifically, because the scene template information is prepared in advance when the multiple devices 3 to be controlled are unknown, there are cases where the operations defined in the scene template information cannot be executed depending on the model, version, etc. of the devices 3 actually installed in the building H. Therefore, the scene information generation unit 215 refers to the setting availability information stored in the scene information storage unit 123, and determines whether each operation defined in each of the multiple pieces of scene template information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 corresponds to an operation that can be designated when multiple devices 3 are to be controlled, or an operation that cannot be designated.

[0114] As a result of the determination, the scene information generation unit 215 generates, as recommended scene information, at least one scene template information from among the multiple scene template information that does not include an unspecifiable operation. Alternatively, if a certain scene template information includes an unspecifiable operation, the scene information generation unit 215 may generate, as recommended scene information, information from which the unspecifiable operation has been removed from that scene template information. As an example, if the operation "Lossnay ON automatic control mode" is unspecifiable in the scene template information for "Going home (summer)" shown in FIG. 11, the scene information generation unit 215 does not need to generate the scene template information for "Going home (summer)" as recommended scene information. Alternatively, the scene information generation unit 215 may remove the operation "Lossnay ON automatic control mode" from the scene template information for "Going home (summer)" and generate, as recommended scene information, scene information that defines only the remaining two operations.

[0115] When the recommended scene information is generated in this manner, the display control unit 213 displays the generated recommended scene information on the display unit 24. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12 , the display control unit 213 displays, as a scene setting screen, a scene selection screen 243 on the display unit 24, which is a screen on which the user selects scene information to be executed by the control system. On the scene selection screen 243, the display control unit 213 displays the recommended scene information in the "recommended scene" area. By generating and displaying recommended scene information from scene template information in this manner, the user can easily use scene information that suits their own usage scene and lifestyle to control multiple devices 3.

[0116] More specifically, the display unit 24 displays the recommended scene information and the scene information other than the recommended scene information in a visually recognizable manner on the scene selection screen 243. Specifically, the display control unit 213 arranges the recommended scene information and the scene information other than the recommended scene information in a visually recognizable manner on the scene selection screen 243. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12 , the display control unit 213 further provides a "custom scene" area below the "recommended scene" area that displays the recommended scene information, and displays scene information manually generated by the user in the "custom scene" area as the scene information other than the recommended scene information. On such a scene selection screen 243, the user can select scene information to be executed from a plurality of scene information classified into "recommended scene" and "custom scene." Note that the display control unit 213 is not limited to arranging the recommended scene information and the scene information other than the recommended scene information in a visually recognizable manner as long as they are visually recognizable in a visually recognizable manner. For example, the display control unit 213 may display the recommended scene information and the scene information other than the recommended scene information as components of different colors or shapes on the scene selection screen 243, so that they can be visually distinguished from each other.

[0117] As described in the first embodiment, the scene information displayed in the "Custom Scene" area is generated when the user selects a device 3 on the device selection screen 241 and sets an operation on the operation specification screen 242. More specifically, the scene information displayed in the "Custom Scene" area can be generated by editing the recommended scene information at the user's selection, or can be generated without using the recommended scene information.

[0118] When editing the recommended scene information, the display control unit 213 displays a screen for editing the recommended scene information. As an example, when the user selects the recommended scene information of "All Off" on the scene selection screen 243, the display control unit 213 displays the scene editing screen 244 shown in FIG. 13 on the display unit 24.

[0119] On the scene editing screen 244, the display control unit 213 displays at least one device 3 defined in the recommended scene information and at least one operation to be performed by the device 3 as default settings. On such scene editing screen 244, the user operates the input unit 23 to add, delete, or change the device 3 or operation defined in the recommended scene information. The scene information generation unit 215 generates scene information other than the recommended scene information from the recommended scene information based on the user's input on such a scene setting screen. In this way, usability is improved because other scene information can be generated using the recommended scene information. Note that the scene information generation unit 215 is not limited to generating scene information other than the recommended scene information from the recommended scene information, and may generate scene information from the recommended scene information without changing the recommended scene information. In other words, the scene information generation unit 215 can generate both scene information identical to the recommended scene information and scene information other than the recommended scene information from the recommended scene information as scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 and used for scene control by the device control unit 113.

[0120] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 4. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of embodiments 1 to 3 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0121] In the control system according to the fourth embodiment, the scene information storage unit 123 further stores mandatory control information indicating whether each operation defined in the scene template information is a mandatory operation or an optional operation.

[0122] 14 shows an example of multiple pieces of scene template information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 in the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, each piece of scene template information further includes "mandatory control information" in addition to the "scene template ID," "scene name," "operation (operation mode)," and "device ID" described in the third embodiment. In the "mandatory control information," an operation associated with "MUST" indicates that it is a mandatory operation, that is, it is required to execute scene control based on the scene template information, and an operation associated with "OPTION" indicates that it is an optional operation, that is, it is not required to execute scene control based on the scene template information.

[0123] 14, in the scene template information for "all off," the operation of "living room lights OFF" is a required operation, while the operation of "bedroom air conditioner OFF" is an optional operation. Also, in the scene template information for "bathroom all-in-one heating," the operations of "bathroom heater ON" and "dressing room heater ON" are both required operations.

[0124] The scene information generation unit 215 generates recommended scene information from the scene template information based on such mandatory control information. Specifically, the scene information generation unit 215 refers to the setting availability information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 and determines whether each operation defined as a mandatory operation in the mandatory control information can be designated when multiple devices 3 are to be controlled.

[0125] As a result of the determination, the scene information generation unit 215 generates, as recommended scene information, scene template information for which it has been determined that all required operations can be specified, from among the multiple scene template information stored in the scene information storage unit 123. In other words, if the scene information generation unit 215 determines that any required operation in a certain scene template information cannot be specified, it excludes that scene template information from the recommended scene information. On the other hand, even if it has been determined that any optional operation in a certain scene template information cannot be specified, if it has been determined that all required operations in that scene template information can be specified, the scene information generation unit 215 generates that scene template information as recommended scene information.

[0126] In this way, in the fourth embodiment, by generating recommended scene information based on essential control information, it is possible to generate recommended scene information that is suited to the usage scene and lifestyle of the user.

[0127] (Embodiment 5) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 5. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of embodiments 1 to 4 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0128] In the control system according to the fifth embodiment, when scene information is generated from scene template information, the scene information has identification information for identifying the scene template information from which the scene information was generated.

[0129] FIG. 15 shows an example of multiple pieces of scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 in the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, each piece of scene information further includes a "scene template ID" in addition to a "scene name," a "scene ID," an "operation (driving mode)," and a "device ID." The "scene template ID" is identification information for identifying the scene template information that generated the scene information when the scene information was generated from the scene template information. When the scene information was not generated from the scene template information, the scene information does not include information on the "scene template ID."

[0130] Specifically, in the example of Fig. 15, the scene information for "Good morning" is generated from scene template information whose scene template ID is "SCENE_TEMP_XX." In contrast, the scene information for "I'm going now" is not generated from scene template information.

[0131] The scene information generation unit 215 updates the scene information to scene template information identified by the identification information based on a user's input on the scene setting screen. Specifically, although not shown, when the user taps an icon for returning the scene information to the original scene template information, the scene information generation unit 215 changes the device 3 and operation defined by the scene information to the device 3 and operation defined by the scene template information indicated by the scene template ID included in the scene information.

[0132] In this way, in the fifth embodiment, the scene information can be easily restored to the template settings, thereby improving usability.

[0133] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 6. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of embodiments 1 to 5 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0134] In the above-described first embodiment, the device control unit 113 executes the scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123 in response to a user instruction. In contrast, in the sixth embodiment, the device control unit 113 causes at least one device 3 to execute an operation defined by the scene information when at least one of the time information, the user's location information, and the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 111 satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0135] As an example, the display control unit 213 displays a scene editing screen 245 shown in Fig. 16 on the display unit 24. On the scene editing screen 245, the user can set time information, user location information, and status information as conditions that will trigger the execution of a combination of operations defined in the scene information. As an example, Fig. 16 shows a case where time information is set to execute at 7:00 a.m. from Monday to Friday as a condition for executing scene control based on the scene information of "Good morning."

[0136] Specifically, the user's location information is information about how far the user is from the building H. For example, an execution condition for the scene information can be set so that scene control is executed when the user approaches within 100 meters of the building H. When the user's location information is set as the execution condition for the scene information, the device control unit 113 acquires the user's location information from the location information of the terminal device 2 held by the user, and determines whether the acquired user's location information satisfies the execution condition.

[0137] Similarly to the first embodiment, the state information is information indicating at least one of the operating state of the plurality of devices 3 to be controlled and the state of the surrounding environment of the plurality of devices 3. For example, when sensor information in the state information is set as an execution condition of scene information, the device control unit 113 acquires sensor information measured by an environmental sensor, and determines whether the acquired sensor information satisfies the execution condition.

[0138] As described above, in the sixth embodiment, when one of the time information, the user's location information, and the status information satisfies a predetermined condition, the device control unit 113 causes at least one device 3 to execute an operation determined by the scene information. This makes it possible to realize control of the device 3 that is more suited to the user's usage scene and usage environment than when scene control is executed depending on whether or not a user instruction is given.

[0139] (Embodiment 7) Next, a description will be given of embodiment 7. Descriptions of the same configurations and functions as those of embodiments 1 to 6 will be omitted where appropriate.

[0140] In the control system according to the seventh embodiment, the scene information generating unit 215 generates, based on a user's input, information including second scene information among the plurality of pieces of scene information as first scene information among the plurality of pieces of scene information stored in the scene information storage unit 123. In other words, in the sixth embodiment, one piece of scene information can include other scene information.

[0141] As an example, if it is desired to turn on a ventilation fan after turning off multiple devices 3 collectively, the scene information generation unit 215 generates scene information including scene information for "all off" and an operation to turn on the ventilation fan based on a user input. When the device control unit 113 executes the scene information generated in this way, a series of operations is executed, in which multiple devices 3 are turned off collectively and then the ventilation fan is turned on.

[0142] In this way, when the first scene information includes second scene information that is different from the first scene information, when the device control unit 113 executes scene control based on the first scene information, the device control unit 113 executes scene control based on the second scene information. In other words, when executing scene control based on the first scene information, the device control unit 113 causes the target device 3 to execute the operation defined in the second scene information in addition to the operation defined in the first scene information.

[0143] In this way, in the seventh embodiment, one piece of scene information can include other piece of scene information, so that more complex control of the device 3 can be realized in accordance with the usage scene and lifestyle of the user.

[0144] (Variation) Although the embodiments have been described above, it is possible to combine the embodiments, or to modify or omit the embodiments as appropriate.

[0145] For example, in the above embodiment, the cloud server 1 and the terminal device 2 have the functions of the units shown in Fig. 3. However, the functions of the units provided in the control system may be provided in a device other than the cloud server 1 or the terminal device 2. For example, the control mode storage unit 121 or the scene information storage unit 123 may be provided in a device external to the cloud server 1.

[0146] The state information acquisition unit 111 may be divided into an operating state acquisition unit that acquires operating state information and an air quality acquisition unit that acquires air quality information. In other words, the state information acquisition unit 111 may functionally include an operating state acquisition unit and an air quality acquisition unit. Here, the operating state information may be information indicating the operating state of at least one second device other than at least one first device to be controlled among the plurality of linked devices 3. In other words, the operating state information may be information used to control the first device, which is at least one device 3 to be controlled among the plurality of devices 3, in cooperation with the operating state of the second device, which is at least one device 3 other than the first device. Furthermore, the air quality information corresponds to at least one of the sensor information and meteorological information described above. The air quality information may be at least one of air quality information indicating the air quality measured by an environmental sensor provided in each of the at least one second device and measuring the air quality around the at least one second device, and air quality information transmitted from the weather server 6 indicating the air quality in the area where the building H is located.

[0147] In the above embodiment, the control unit 11 of the cloud server 1 functions as each unit shown in FIG. 3 by having the CPU execute a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 12. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 2 functions as each unit shown in FIG. 3 by having the CPU execute a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22. However, the control units 11 and 21 may be dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. When the control units 11 and 21 are dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be implemented by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be implemented together by a single piece of hardware.

[0148] In addition, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other parts may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the control units 11 and 21 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0149] By applying a program that defines the operation of the cloud server 1 or the terminal device 2 to an existing computer such as a personal computer or an information terminal device, the computer can be made to function as the cloud server 1 or the terminal device 2.

[0150] Furthermore, the method of distribution of such a program is arbitrary, and for example, it may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an MO (Magneto Optical Disk), or a memory card and distributed, or it may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0151] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0152] 1 cloud server, 2 terminal device, 3 device, 4 linked device, 5 BBR, 6 weather server, 11, 21 control unit, 12, 22 memory unit, 15, 25 communication unit, 23 input unit, 24 display unit, 111 status information acquisition unit, 113 device control unit, 115 control mode selection unit, 117 notification unit, 121 control mode memory unit, 123 scene information memory unit, 211 operation reception unit, 213 display control unit, 215 scene information generation unit, 241 device selection screen, 242 operation specification screen, 243 scene selection screen, 244, 245 scene editing screen, H building, NW1 wide area network, NW2 local network

Claims

1. a scene information storage unit that stores scene information that defines at least one device and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating at least one of an operating state of the at least one device and a state of a surrounding environment of the at least one device; a device control unit that causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information; a control mode storage unit that stores at least one type of control mode for controlling the at least one device in association with a preset priority; a control mode selection unit that selects at least one control mode from the at least one type of control mode stored in the control mode storage unit based on the state information, the device control unit controls the at least one device in at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit, The control system includes: a display unit that displays a scene setting screen for setting the at least one device and the at least one operation in the scene information; a scene information generating unit that generates the scene information based on a user's input to the scene setting screen, the display unit displays, on the scene setting screen, candidates for operations to be executed by each of the at least one device; the scene information generation unit generates, as the scene information, information that defines an operation designated by the user from among the operation candidates; The display unit displays, on the scene setting screen, an operation in an autonomous driving mode and an operation not in the autonomous driving mode as the operation candidates. Control system.

2. The display unit, on the scene setting screen, arranges operations in the autonomous driving mode and operations not in the autonomous driving mode among the operation candidates in a visible area or displays them as distinguishable visible parts. The control system of claim 1 .

3. the control system has equipment operation availability information indicating whether an operation mode of the at least one equipment is selectable or not, and automatic control availability information indicating whether at least one automatic control function is usable or not; the display unit displays, on the scene setting screen, a designatable operation and an undesignatable operation among the operation candidates, in a distinguishable manner based on at least one of the device operability information and the automatic control capability information; the scene information generation unit generates, as the scene information, information that defines an operation designated by the user from among the operations that can be designated by the user.

3. A control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the scene information storage unit further stores scene template information that serves as a template for the scene information; the scene information generation unit determines the specifiable operation and the unspecifiable operation based on at least one of the device operability information and the automatic control operability information, and generates recommended scene information, which is scene information recommended to the user, from the scene template information; the display unit displays the recommended scene information generated by the scene information generation unit on the scene setting screen. The control system of claim 3 .

5. the scene information storage unit further stores mandatory control information indicating whether each operation defined in the scene template information is a mandatory operation or an optional operation; the scene information generation unit generates the recommended scene information from the scene template information based on the essential control information. The control system of claim 4.

6. the display unit arranges the recommended scene information and scene information other than the recommended scene information in a distinguishable area or displays them as distinguishable parts on the scene selection screen.

6. A control system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. the scene information generation unit generates, from the recommended scene information, scene information identical to the recommended scene information or scene information other than the recommended scene information, based on the input from the user. The control system of claim 6.

8. When the scene information is generated from the scene template information, the scene information has identification information for identifying the scene template information from which the scene information was generated, the scene information generation unit updates the scene information to the scene template information identified by the identification information based on the input from the user. A control system according to any one of claims 4 to 7.

9. the scene information storage unit stores a plurality of pieces of scene information, each of which defines at least one device and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; First scene information among the plurality of pieces of scene information includes second scene information that is different from the first scene information among the plurality of pieces of scene information. A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the device control unit causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined by the scene information when at least one of time information, user position information, and the state information satisfies a predetermined condition; A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The state information acquisition unit an operating state acquisition unit that acquires operating state information indicating an operating state of at least one second device other than the at least one first device to be controlled among the plurality of linked devices; an air quality acquisition unit that acquires at least one of air quality information indicating air quality measured by an environmental sensor provided in each of the at least one second device and measuring air quality around the at least one second device, and air quality information transmitted from a weather server that indicates air quality in an area where a building in which the at least one device is installed is located; A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. a scene information storage unit that stores scene information that defines at least one device and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating at least one of an operating state of the at least one device and a state of a surrounding environment of the at least one device; a device control unit that causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information; a control mode storage unit that stores at least one type of control mode for controlling the at least one device in association with a preset priority; a control mode selection unit that selects at least one control mode from the at least one type of control mode stored in the control mode storage unit based on the state information, the device control unit controls the at least one device in at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit when the at least one operation defined in the scene information includes an operation in an autonomous driving mode. Control system.

13. a display unit that displays a scene setting screen for setting the at least one device and the at least one operation in the scene information; a scene information generating unit that generates the scene information based on a user's input to the scene setting screen.

13. The control system of claim 12.

14. the display unit displays, on the scene setting screen, candidates for operations to be executed by each of the at least one device; the scene information generation unit generates, as the scene information, information that defines an operation designated by the user from among the operation candidates.

14. The control system of claim 13.

15. a state information acquisition step of acquiring state information indicating at least one of an operating state of at least one device and a state of a surrounding environment of the at least one device; a device control step of causing the at least one device to execute at least one operation based on scene information that defines at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; a control mode selection step of selecting at least one control mode from at least one type of control mode when controlling the at least one device based on the state information, In the device control step, the at least one device is controlled in the at least one control mode selected in the control mode selection step; The device control method includes: a display step of displaying a scene setting screen for setting the at least one device and the at least one operation in the scene information; a scene information generating step of generating the scene information based on a user's input to the scene setting screen, In the display step, candidates for operations to be executed by each of the at least one device are displayed on the scene setting screen; In the scene information generating step, information defining an operation designated by the user from among the operation candidates is generated as the scene information; In the display step, an operation in an autonomous driving mode and an operation not in the autonomous driving mode are displayed on the scene setting screen as the operation candidates. Equipment control methods.

16. a computer including: a scene information storage unit that stores scene information that defines at least one device and at least one operation to be executed by the at least one device; and a control mode storage unit that stores at least one type of control mode for controlling the at least one device in association with a preset priority; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating at least one of an operating state of the at least one device and a state of a surrounding environment of the at least one device; a device control unit that causes the at least one device to execute the at least one operation defined in the scene information; a program that functions as a control mode selection unit that selects at least one control mode from the at least one type of control mode stored in the control mode storage unit based on the state information, the device control unit controls the at least one device in at least one control mode selected by the control mode selection unit, The program causes the computer to: a display control unit that displays a scene setting screen for setting the at least one device and the at least one operation in the scene information; a scene information generating unit that generates the scene information based on a user's input to the scene setting screen; the display control unit displays, on the scene setting screen, candidates for operations to be executed by each of the at least one device; the scene information generation unit generates, as the scene information, information that defines an operation designated by the user from among the operation candidates; The display control unit displays, on the scene setting screen, an operation in an autonomous driving mode and an operation not in the autonomous driving mode as the operation candidates. program.

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