Program, information processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a program capable of improving convenience, an information processing system, and an information processing method.SOLUTION: A program relating to an embodiment makes a computer display a first area for displaying a registered home electric appliance when the home electric appliance is registered and a second area for displaying information related to use of the home electric appliance on one screen, and display the information in the second area even in both cases that the registered home electric appliance exists and that no home electric appliance exists.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Terminal devices that display icons for operating home appliances are known. However, further improvements in the convenience of terminal devices for operating home appliances are expected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-036276 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0005] The program of the embodiment causes a computer to display on a single screen a first area that displays the registered home appliance when the home appliance is registered, and a second area that displays information related to the use of the home appliance, and causes the computer to display the information in the second area whether or not there is a registered home appliance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a home appliance system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a device registration DB according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of an inventory list DB according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a recipe DB according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a reference information DB according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of display content displayed on the terminal device of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen on which the home electric appliance of the first embodiment can be operated. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen corresponding to the foodstuff management service of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the individual operation screen corresponding to the foodstuff management service of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen corresponding to the recipe service according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen corresponding to the collective operation service according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen corresponding to a home appliance related service according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a home screen display process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a home screen display process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0008] In this application, "remote control" is not limited to operating a home appliance from outside the residence where the home appliance is located, but may also include operating the home appliance using a terminal device inside the residence where the home appliance is located. In this application, "operation" broadly means changing the state of a home appliance. In addition, "database" will be abbreviated as "DB" below.

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

[0010] The home appliance 100 is an electrical appliance primarily used at home. The home appliance 100 is placed in the residence of a user U. The home appliance 100 may be, but is not limited to, an air conditioner 100A, a refrigerator 100B, a cooking appliance 100C, a washing machine 100D, a vacuum cleaner, a rice cooker, or an iron. The home appliance 100 is connected to a network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M installed in the residence of the user U. The home appliance 100 can communicate with a server 200 or a terminal device 300 via the network NW. For ease of explanation, the air conditioner 100A may be referred to as an "air conditioner 100A," and the cooking appliance 100C may be referred to as an "oven range 100C."

[0011] The server 200 is a management server that manages the home appliance 100. The server 200 is configured by one or more server devices (e.g., cloud servers). The server 200 may also be referred to as a "server system." The server 200 is capable of communicating with the home appliance 100 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW. The server 200 may include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in the network NW. The server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in the residence of the user U, or a home router (e.g., a wireless router WR).

[0012] Terminal device 300 is a terminal device used by a user U of home appliance 100. Terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, terminal device 300 is not limited to a mobile terminal device and may be a personal computer or the like. Terminal device 300 has a display device 301 including a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information, and an input device 302 capable of receiving input from user U. Input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided on top of display screen 301a of display device 301. Input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, and the like provided in terminal device 300.

[0013] An application program P is installed in the terminal device 300, and the terminal device 300 supports the functions described below. The application program P is an application program for managing the home appliance 100. The application program P is used, for example, to remotely control the home appliance 100, check its status, or use services related to the home appliance 100. Hereinafter, the application software that is started by executing the application program P will be referred to as a "home appliance management application APP."

[0014] <2. Home appliances> First, the home appliance 100 will be described in detail. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance 100. The home appliance 100 includes an actuator 110, an operation unit 120, a control unit 130, and a storage unit 180, for example.

[0015] Actuator 110 is a driving unit that operates the main functions of home appliance 100. For example, if home appliance 100 is a refrigerator, actuator 110 may be a compressor that compresses a refrigerant or a fan that circulates cool air inside the refrigerator. If home appliance 100 is a washing machine, actuator 110 may be a motor that rotates the washing tub.

[0016] The operation unit 120 is an operation button or a touch panel provided on the home appliance 100. The operation unit 120 accepts an operation by the user U regarding the home appliance 100. For example, the operation unit 120 accepts an operation by the user U to specify or change the setting contents of the home appliance 100. The setting contents of the home appliance 100 include one or more of control amounts related to various controls, target values, threshold values, timer settings, operation modes, etc. Information indicating the setting contents of the home appliance 100 is stored in the storage unit 180 as setting information 181.

[0017] Control unit 130 is realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) mounted in home appliance 100, executing a program. However, part or all of control unit 130 may be realized by hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0018] The control unit 130 performs overall control of the home appliance 100. For example, the control unit 130 operates the home appliance 100 by controlling the actuator 110 based on the detection results of sensors provided in the home appliance 100 and the setting information 181. The control unit 130 also performs various controls in response to requests from the server 200, responds to the server 200, and the like.

[0019] The storage unit 180 is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The storage unit 180 is realized by a combination of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage unit 180 stores setting information 181.

[0020] <3. Server> Next, the server 200 will be described in detail. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200. The server 200 includes, for example, a device registration unit 210, a home appliance management unit 220, a service providing unit 230, and a storage unit 280.

[0021] The device registration unit 210, the home appliance management unit 220, and the service providing unit 230 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU, installed in the server 200 executing a program. However, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. These functional units may be provided separately in multiple server devices. Furthermore, one or more of these functional units may be provided in the terminal device 300 or the home appliance 100 instead of the server 200.

[0022] <3.1 Device Registration Section> The device registration unit 210 performs device registration of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300 (i.e., an application from the user U). Device registration means associating a specific user U with the home appliance 100 used by the user U (i.e., the home appliance 100 to be remotely controlled). Device registration is performed, for example, by registering a correspondence relationship between user information (e.g., a user ID) that can identify the user U and device information (e.g., a device ID) that can identify an individual home appliance 100. In this embodiment, the correspondence relationship is registered in a device registration DB 281 stored in the storage unit 280. The device ID is, for example, a serial number of the home appliance 100. Note that device registration may be performed by associating a specific terminal device 300 used by the user U with the specific home appliance 100, instead of associating the specific user U with the specific home appliance 100.

[0023] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the device registration DB 281. In the device registration DB 281, for example, a user ID, a device ID, a type of the home appliance 100 (home appliance type), a model of the home appliance 100, and a display name on the home appliance management application APP are registered in association with each other.

[0024] When the device registration unit 210 performs device registration of the home appliance 100 in response to a request from the terminal device 300, the device registration unit 210 transmits information indicating the home appliance 100 that has performed device registration to the terminal device 300. The information indicating the home appliance 100 that has performed device registration is stored in the storage unit 380 of the terminal device 300 as device registration information 381, which will be described later.

[0025] <3.2 Home appliance management department> The home appliance management unit 220 manages the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives a remote control request from the terminal device 300 to remotely control the home appliance 100, the home appliance management unit 220 remotely controls the home appliance 100 by notifying the home appliance 100 of a control command corresponding to the received remote control request. Furthermore, when the home appliance management unit 220 receives from the terminal device 300 a confirmation request to confirm the status of the home appliance 100, the home appliance management unit 220 notifies the home appliance 100 of a request to transmit status information indicating the status of the home appliance 100. Based on the status information received from the home appliance 100, the home appliance management unit 220 transmits information indicating the status of the home appliance 100 to the terminal device 300.

[0026] In this embodiment, the home appliance management unit 220 has a collective operation management unit 221. The collective operation management unit 221 collectively controls a plurality of home appliances 100 (for example, a plurality of home appliances 100 of the same type) based on a predetermined signal received from the terminal device 300. In this embodiment, the collective operation management unit 221 can collectively control a plurality of air conditioners 100A installed in the residence of the user U. For example, the collective operation management unit 221 can collectively turn off the power of a plurality of air conditioners 100A.

[0027] <3.3 Service Provision Department> The service providing unit 230 provides a service related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. The service provided by the service providing unit 230 is, for example, a service related to the home appliance 100 and is different from the operation (control) of the home appliance 100. In this embodiment, the service providing unit 230 includes an ingredient management unit 231, a recipe providing unit 232, a reference information providing unit 233, and an advertisement information providing unit 234.

[0028] (Food Management Department) The ingredient management unit 231 provides an ingredient management service. The ingredient management service is a service that manages the inventory of ingredients present in the home of the user U (for example, the refrigerator 100B). In this embodiment, the ingredient management service is a service related to the refrigerator 100B (or the microwave oven 100C), and becomes available to the user U (for example, available without functional restrictions) once the refrigerator 100B is registered as a device. The ingredient management unit 231 accepts input of ingredients present in the home of the user U, and registers and manages the input ingredients in an inventory list DB 282 stored in the memory unit 280.

[0029] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of inventory list DB 282. In inventory list DB 282, management ID, ingredient name, ingredient category, storage location, purchase date, best-before date (or expiry date), quantity, unit, and history are associated and managed as inventory list information. Inventory list DB 282 is managed separately for each individual refrigerator 100B, for example.

[0030] In addition to inventory list information, the ingredient management unit 231 may also manage shopping list information, candidate list information, and regular item list information. Shopping list information is information that user U can refer to when shopping to prevent forgetting to buy something. Ingredients that user U has confirmed to plan to purchase (for example, an explicit intention to purchase) are registered in the shopping list information. Candidate list information is information that user U can refer to as an auxiliary means to prevent forgetting to buy something. When the quantity of a specific ingredient (for example, a regular item) decreases and a predetermined condition is met (for example, when stock reaches zero), that ingredient is automatically registered in the candidate list information. Ingredients managed as regular items are registered in the regular item list information.

[0031] The ingredient management unit 231 provides a registration function for registering, changing the quantity of, or deleting ingredients included in inventory list information, shopping list information, candidate list information, or regular supplies. For example, the ingredient management unit 231 registers, changes the quantity of, or deletes ingredients included in each list information based on a user's operation on the operation reception unit 330 of the terminal device 300, which will be described later. The above registration function is an example of a "registration function for registering information related to a service."

[0032] (Recipe Provided by) The recipe providing unit 232 provides a recipe service. The recipe service is a service related to proposing or searching for recipes. In this embodiment, the recipe service is a service related to the refrigerator 100B or the microwave oven 100C, and becomes available to the user U (for example, available without any specific functional restrictions) when either the refrigerator 100B or the microwave oven 100C is registered. The recipe providing unit 232 proposes or searches for recipes based on the recipe DB 283 stored in the storage unit 280. In this embodiment, the recipe service includes a first recipe service and a second recipe service.

[0033] The first recipe service is a service that becomes available when refrigerator 100B is registered as a device. The first recipe service can suggest or search for recipes (hereinafter referred to as "general recipes") that are not dependent on the home appliance 100 used for cooking. In this embodiment, the first recipe service is linked to the ingredient management service, and can suggest or search for recipes that use ingredients included in inventory list DB282.

[0034] The second recipe service is a service that becomes available when the microwave oven 100C is registered as a device. The second recipe service is a service that can suggest or search for recipes that use the microwave oven 100C for cooking (hereinafter referred to as "microwave oven recipes"). In this embodiment, the second recipe service is linked to the ingredient management service, and can suggest or search for recipes that use ingredients included in the inventory list DB282. In other words, in this embodiment, the second recipe service related to the microwave oven 100C can suggest or search for recipes that use ingredients that are in stock in the refrigerator 100B, regardless of the type of home appliance 100.

[0035] In this embodiment, the second recipe service can suggest or search for microwave oven recipes that correspond to the model of the microwave oven 100C for which device registration has been performed, and can also transmit information indicating heating times to the microwave oven 100C for which device registration has been performed. This will be described later. In this embodiment, the second recipe service can also perform searches based on search items (e.g., nutrients) that are not available in the first recipe service.

[0036] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the recipe DB 283. The recipe DB 283 includes a first recipe DB 283a and a second recipe DB 283b. In the first recipe DB 283a, a management ID, a name, a thumbnail image, a recipe content, and a search word are associated with each other. On the other hand, in the second recipe DB 283b, a management ID, a name, a thumbnail image, a recipe content, a search word, a model of the corresponding microwave oven 100C, a heating time in the corresponding microwave oven 100C, and nutrients (nutritional components) are associated with each other. For example, a second recipe DB 283b is provided for each model of the microwave oven 100C.

[0037] As described above, the recipe providing unit 232 provides a browsing function for browsing recipes registered in the recipe DB 283. For example, the recipe providing unit 232 identifies a recipe included in the recipe DB 283 based on an operation by the user U on the operation receiving unit 330 of the terminal device 300, and transmits information about the recipe to the terminal device 300. The above browsing function is an example of a "browsing function for browsing information related to a service." In this embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 allows the user U to browse information corresponding to the model of the home appliance 100 used by the user U.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 provides a search function for searching for recipes included in the recipe DB 283. For example, the recipe providing unit 232 searches for and identifies a recipe included in the recipe DB 283 based on an operation by the user U on the operation receiving unit 330 of the terminal device 300, and transmits information about the recipe to the terminal device 300. The search function is an example of a "search function for searching for information related to a service." In this embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 can search for information corresponding to the model of the home appliance 100 used by the user U.

[0039] In this embodiment, the recipe providing unit 232 provides a transmission function that transmits information indicating a heating time to the microwave oven 100C for which device registration has been performed. For example, the recipe providing unit 232 can acquire information indicating the model of the microwave oven 100C for which device registration has been performed, based on the device registration DB 281. When a recipe included in the second recipe DB 283b is selected, the recipe providing unit 232 acquires information indicating the heating time of the microwave oven 100C included in the selected recipe, based on the second recipe DB 283b. Then, by communication between the server 200 and the microwave oven 100C, the recipe providing unit 232 transmits information indicating the heating time corresponding to the selected recipe to the microwave oven 100C. The transmission function is an example of a "transmission function that transmits a control amount to a home appliance." The heating time is an example of a "control amount of a home appliance."

[0040] (Reference Information Department) The reference information providing unit 233 provides a reference information service. The reference information service is information indicating reference information related to the home appliance 100 (for example, recommended ways to use the home appliance 100). The recommended ways to use the home appliance 100 include convenient ways to use the home appliance 100, convenient ways to use a home appliance management app, or maintenance methods for prolonging the life of the home appliance 100. The recommended ways to use the home appliance are an example of "information indicating suggestions for ways to use or maintain the home appliance." From another perspective, the recommended ways to use the home appliance are an example of "information indicating recommended ways to use or maintain the home appliance." From yet another perspective, the recommended ways to use the home appliance are an example of "information indicating ways to improve the quality or efficiency of housework using the home appliance." In this embodiment, the reference information providing unit 233 registers and manages the above-mentioned reference information in a reference information DB 284 stored in the storage unit 280.

[0041] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the reference information DB 284. In the reference information DB 284, for example, management IDs, names, thumbnail images, contents of reference information (for example, contents of usage techniques), and related home appliances 100 are associated with each other. The reference information providing unit 233 can acquire reference information corresponding to a specific type of home appliance 100 based on the reference information DB 284.

[0042] The reference information providing unit 233 selects reference information to be displayed on a home screen DH of the home appliance management application APP, which will be described later, based on selection rule information 285, which will be described later. This will be described in detail later.

[0043] (Advertising Information Department) The advertising information providing unit 234 provides an advertising information service. The advertising information service is a service that provides advertising information introducing the latest home electric appliances 100. In this embodiment, the advertising information providing unit 234 registers and manages the above-mentioned advertising information in an advertising information DB 286 stored in the storage unit 280. The advertising information providing unit 234 can acquire advertising information corresponding to the home electric appliance 100 that is the target of advertising, based on the advertising information DB 286.

[0044] <3.5 Storage section> The storage unit 280 is realized by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, SSD, etc. The storage unit 280 stores, for example, a device registration DB 281, an inventory list DB 282, a recipe DB 283, a reference information DB 284, selection rule information 285, and an advertisement information DB 286.

[0045] <4. Terminal Device> Next, the terminal device 300 will be described in detail. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 includes a registration receiving unit 310, a display control unit 320, an operation receiving unit 330, a notification unit 340, and a storage unit 380, for example.

[0046] The registration acceptance unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation acceptance unit 330, and the notification unit 340 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU, mounted on the terminal device 300 executing the application program P. In other words, the registration acceptance unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation acceptance unit 330, and the notification unit 340 are software function units included in the home appliance management application APP.

[0047] <4.1 Registration Reception> The registration acceptance unit 310 accepts an application for device registration of the home electric appliance 100 based on an operation by the user U on the operation acceptance unit 330. In this application, "accepting an application for registration" or "accepting registration" is not limited to a case where the registration process is completed by the terminal device 300, but may also include a case where an operation by the user U instructing device registration (i.e., an application for registration) is accepted by the terminal device 300 and the actual registration process is performed by the server 200.

[0048] In this embodiment, when a user logs in to the home appliance management application APP using a user ID, the registration acceptance unit 310 accepts a registration application for a home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as a "target home appliance 100") to be associated with the user ID used for login. For example, a user U uses the camera of the terminal device 300 to read a QR code (registered trademark) attached to the target home appliance 100. The registration acceptance unit 310 transmits QR code information indicating the QR code read using the camera of the terminal device 300 to the server 200. As a result, the device registration unit 210 of the server 200 performs device registration by associating the device ID indicated in the QR code information received from the terminal device 300 with the user ID used for login. The QR code is an example of a "two-dimensional barcode."

[0049] 4.2 Display control section The display control unit 320 controls the display device 301 of the terminal device 300 to control the content displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301. For example, the display control unit 320 causes the display screen 301a to display, in a predetermined manner, one or more first operation units B1 for operating the home appliance 100, one or more second operation units B2 for using services related to the home appliance 100, one or more third operation units B3 for viewing reference information related to the home appliance 100, one or more fourth operation units B4 for viewing recommended recipes, and one or more fifth operation units B5 for viewing advertising information (see FIG. 9). Hereinafter, when the first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5 are not distinguished from one another, they will be simply referred to as "operation units B." The display control unit 320 will be described in detail later.

[0050] <4.3 Operation reception section> The operation accepting unit 330 accepts an operation by the user U performed on the input device 302 in relation to the home appliance management application APP. For example, the operation accepting unit 330 accepts an operation by the user U on the operation unit B (first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5) displayed on the display screen 301a. The operation accepting unit 330 transmits a signal corresponding to the operation unit B operated by the user U to the server 200. As a result, the server 200 performs a process corresponding to the operation unit B operated by the user U.

[0051] <4.4 Notification Department> The notification unit 340 notifies the user U of predetermined content through the display device 301. For example, the notification unit 340 notifies the user U of how to use the home appliance management application APP.

[0052] <4.5 Storage section> The storage unit 380 is realized by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, SSD, etc. The storage unit 380 stores an application program P and device registration information 381. In the device registration information 381, a list of home electric appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed is registered in association with the user ID of a user U who uses the terminal device 300.

[0053] <5. Display screen contents> Next, the display contents of the terminal device 300 will be described. Unless otherwise specified, the display contents described below are realized by the processing of the display control unit 320. In the following description, "operation unit B" refers to an operation unit displayed on the display screen 301a, and is a function key to which a specific function is assigned in order to call that function. Operation unit B is, for example, an icon displayed on the display screen 301a.

[0054] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of display content displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. The screen shown in Fig. 9 is, for example, a home screen (top screen) DH of the home appliance management application APP. The "home screen" is a screen that is displayed first as an operation screen of the home appliance management application APP. Note that the black frame indicated by the reference numeral 301a in Fig. 9 indicates the content that is displayed at one time on the display screen 301a of the display device 301.

[0055] In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 displays a first function area R1, a second function area R2, a third function area R3, a fourth function area R4, and a fifth function area R5 on the home screen DH. That is, the display control unit 320 displays the first to fifth function areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 on one screen. In this application, "displaying on one screen" means "displaying on a continuous screen." That is, "displaying on one screen" is not limited to displaying on a screen that can be viewed at one time (for example, on the display screen 301a), but may also include a case where a part of the screen that can be viewed at one time is hidden and then displayed in order by scrolling.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 have the same width. For example, the width of the first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 is the same as the width of the display screen 301a. The first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction of the screen. Hereinafter, when the first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are not to be distinguished from one another, they will be simply referred to as "functional areas R."

[0057] <5.1 First functional area> The first functional area R1 is a functional area corresponding to "Home Appliance Control (Home Appliance Operation)." The first functional area R1 includes one or more first operation units B1 for operating the home appliances 100. In this embodiment, the first functional area R1 displays a plurality of first operation units B1 for operating different home appliances 100.

[0058] In the present application, the "operation unit for operating the home appliance 100" is not limited to an operation unit that directly operates the home appliance 100, but may be an operation unit that transitions to an operation screen that can operate the home appliance 100. In this embodiment, when the first operation unit B1 is operated (for example, tapped) by the user U, transitions to an individual operation screen (an operation screen separate for each home appliance 100) of the home appliance 100 that corresponds to the operated first operation unit B1.

[0059] In this embodiment, when a home appliance 100 is registered, a first operation unit B1 corresponding to the registered home appliance 100 is added to the first function area R1. That is, the number of first operation units B1 corresponds to the number of registered home appliances 100.

[0060] In this embodiment, the size (e.g., vertical width) of the first function area R1 is changed depending on the number of first operation units B1. That is, the larger the number of registered home appliances 100, the larger the size (e.g., vertical width) of the first function area R1. On the other hand, the smaller the number of registered home appliances 100, the smaller the size (e.g., vertical width) of the first function area R1.

[0061] FIG. 9 shows an example in which multiple home appliances 100, including "Air Conditioner 1," "Air Conditioner 2," "Refrigerator," "Oven Range," and "Washing Machine," are registered, and as a result, multiple first operation units B1 are displayed, including a first operation unit B1a for operating "Air Conditioner 1," a first operation unit B1b for operating "Air Conditioner 2," a first operation unit B1c for operating "Refrigerator," a first operation unit B1d for operating "Oven Range," and a first operation unit B1e for operating "Washing Machine."

[0062] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 410 on which the home appliance 100 can be operated. On the individual operation screen 410, one or more operation units 411 on which the home appliance 100 can be operated are displayed. For example, Fig. 10 shows the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to air conditioner 1. The individual operation screen 410 corresponding to air conditioner 1 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH when, for example, the first operation unit B1a corresponding to "air conditioner 1" on the home screen DH is operated (for example, tapped).

[0063] On the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to the air conditioner 1, operation units 411 that can be used to operate the air conditioner 1 are displayed, such as an operation unit 411a for switching the operation of the air conditioner 1 between ON and OFF states, and an operation unit 411b for changing the room temperature setting. The individual operation screen 410 also includes a display unit 412 that displays the status of the home appliance 100. Note that while FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the individual operation screen 410 corresponding to the air conditioner 1, on individual operation screens 410 corresponding to other types of home appliances 100, operation units 411 and display units 412 that correspond to the type of home appliance 100 are displayed.

[0064] An operation by the user U on the operation unit 411 displayed on the individual operation screen 410 is accepted by the operation accepting unit 330, and a signal corresponding to the operated operation unit 411 is transmitted to the home electric appliance control unit 220 of the server 200. This allows the home electric appliance 100 to be remotely controlled or its status to be checked.

[0065] <5.2 Second functional area> Returning to FIG. 9, the second functional area R2 will be described. The second functional area R2 is a functional area corresponding to services related to home appliance 100 (hereinafter referred to as "home appliance-related services"). The second functional area R2 includes one or more second operation units B2 for using the home appliance-related services. In this embodiment, the second functional area R2 displays a plurality of second operation units B2, each corresponding to a different home appliance-related service.

[0066] In this application, the "operation unit for using a service" is not limited to an operation unit for directly using a service, but may be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen where the service can be used. In this embodiment, when the second operation unit B2 is operated (e.g., tapped) by the user U, transition is made to an individual operation screen (an operation screen separated for each home appliance-related service) for the home appliance-related service corresponding to the operated second operation unit B2.

[0067] In this embodiment, the home appliance related services include a first home appliance related service and a second home appliance related service. The first home appliance related service is a service related to the home appliance 100 and is different from the operation of the home appliance 100. The first home appliance related service is a "food management service" or a "recipe service" described later. On the other hand, the second home appliance related service is a service related to the home appliance 100 and is related to the operation of the home appliance 100. The second home appliance related service is a "collective operation service" described later.

[0068] In this embodiment, when device registration of home appliance 100 is performed and there is a home appliance-related service related to the registered home appliance 100, second operation unit B2 corresponding to the home appliance-related service is added to second function area R2. On the other hand, when device registration of home appliance 100 is performed and there is no home appliance-related service related to the registered home appliance 100, second operation unit B2 is not added. In other words, the number of second operation units B2 corresponds to the number of home appliance-related services that become available to user U when device registration of home appliance 100 is performed.

[0069] In this embodiment, the size (e.g., vertical width) of the second function area R2 is changed depending on the number of second operation units B2. That is, the greater the number of home appliance-related services associated with the registered home appliance 100, the larger the size (e.g., vertical width) of the second function area R2. On the other hand, the fewer the number of home appliance-related services associated with the registered home appliance 100, the smaller the size (e.g., vertical width) of the second function area R2. For example, in this embodiment, there is no home appliance-related service associated with the washing machine 100D. In this case, if the only home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed is the washing machine 100D, a first operation unit B1 for operating the washing machine 100D is added to the first function area R1, but a second operation unit B2 is not added to the second function area R2.

[0070] Figure 9 shows an example in which the home appliance-related services associated with the registered home appliance 100 (air conditioner 1, air conditioner 2, refrigerator, and oven range) include a "food management service," a "recipe service," and a "bulk operation service," and as a result, multiple second operation units B2 are displayed, including a second operation unit B2a for using the "food management service," a second operation unit B2b for using the "recipe service," and a second operation unit B2c for using the "bulk operation service."

[0071] The "ingredients management service" is a service related to the refrigerator 100B (or the microwave oven 100C) and is provided by the ingredients management unit 231 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredients management service" is added when the refrigerator 100B or the microwave oven 100C is registered as a device. The "ingredients management service" is an example of a "first home appliance related service." Details of the "ingredients management service" will be described later.

[0072] The "recipe service" is a service related to the refrigerator 100B or the microwave oven 100C, and is a service provided by the recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" is added when the refrigerator 100B or the microwave oven 100C is registered as a device. The "recipe service" is another example of a "first home appliance related service." Details of the "recipe service" will be described later.

[0073] The "collective operation service" is, for example, a service related to the air conditioner 100A, and is a service provided by the collective operation management unit 221 of the server 200. The second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "collective operation service" is added when multiple air conditioners 100A are registered as devices. The "collective operation service" is an example of a "second home appliance related service." The second operation unit B2c is an example of a "special operation unit." Details of the "collective operation service" will be described later.

[0074] In this embodiment, each of the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredient management service" and the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" is an operation unit for registering or searching for information related to the home appliance 100 (for example, registering ingredients in stock list information or searching for recipes). Note that in this application, the "operation unit for registering or searching for information" is not limited to an operation unit that directly registers or searches for information, but may also be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen that allows information to be registered or searched.

[0075] (Food management service) Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 510 on which home appliance-related services can be used. Operation units for using home appliance-related services are displayed on the individual operation screen 510. For example, Fig. 11 shows an individual operation screen 510 on which an "ingredient management service" can be used. The individual operation screen 510 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH, for example, by operating (e.g., tapping) the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredient management service" on the home screen DH.

[0076] On individual operation screen 510, operation section 511 for viewing ingredient stock list information and shopping list information is displayed as an operation section for using home appliance related services. Also, on individual operation screen 510, display section 512 showing the ingredient management status (e.g., inventory status) is displayed.

[0077] In this embodiment, an operation unit 515 for transitioning to an individual operation screen 610 (see FIG. 13) corresponding to a "recipe service," which is another home appliance-related service, is displayed on the individual operation screen 510 corresponding to the "ingredients management service." The operation unit 515 is an operation unit that allows switching between a plurality of independent home appliance-related services without returning to the home screen DH.

[0078] 12 is a diagram showing an example of another individual operation screen 520 on which the "ingredients management service" can be used. The individual operation screen 520 is displayed by transitioning from the individual operation screen 510 described above, for example, by operating (e.g., tapping) the operation unit 511 for viewing the inventory list information on the individual operation screen 510. The individual operation screen 520 displays an operation unit 521 for viewing details of each ingredient registered in the inventory list information as an operation unit for using home appliance-related services.

[0079] (Recipe service) 13 shows an individual operation screen 610 in which the "recipe service" can be used. The individual operation screen 610 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH, for example, when the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" on the home screen DH is operated (for example, tapped).

[0080] On the individual operation screen 610, operation sections for using home appliance related services are displayed, including an operation section 611 for viewing individual recipes, an operation section 612 for searching for recipes, and an operation section 613 for switching recipe types.

[0081] In this embodiment, when the refrigerator 100B and the microwave oven 100C are registered as devices, both the recipes registered in the first recipe DB 283a (i.e., "general recipes") and the recipes registered in the second recipe DB 283b (i.e., "microwave oven recipes") are displayed on the individual operation screen 610. Each recipe is marked with a first display M1 indicating that the recipe is a "general recipe" or a second display M2 indicating that the recipe is a "microwave oven recipe."

[0082] In this embodiment, when the operation unit 613 corresponding to "All" is operated, both "General Recipes" and "Microwave Oven Recipes" are displayed. When the operation unit 613 corresponding to "General" is operated, only "General Recipes" are displayed. When the operation unit 613 corresponding to "Microwave Oven" is operated, only "Microwave Oven Recipes" are displayed.

[0083] In this embodiment, the individual operation screen 610 displays an operation unit 614 for viewing a collection of recipes set as "featured recipes." A "featured recipe" is a collection of recipes organized by theme, such as season, event, or cooking method. The "featured recipes" are registered in the recipe DB 283 of the server 200 by the operator updating them at a predetermined frequency.

[0084] In this embodiment, the display of operation unit 614 changes depending on the device registration status of home appliance 100. For example, when refrigerator 100B is registered, operation unit 614 corresponding to multiple (e.g., two) "featured recipes" that are "general recipes" is displayed. When microwave oven 100C is registered, operation unit 614 corresponding to multiple (e.g., two) "featured recipes" that are "microwave oven recipes" is displayed.

[0085] In this embodiment, the individual operation screen 610 corresponding to the "recipe service" displays an operation unit 615 for transitioning to the individual operation screen 510 (see FIG. 11) corresponding to the "ingredients management service," which is another home appliance-related service. The operation unit 615 is an operation unit that allows switching between a plurality of independent home appliance-related services without returning to the home screen DH.

[0086] (Bulk operation service) 14 shows an individual operation screen 710 on which the "collective operation service" can be used. The individual operation screen 710 is displayed by transitioning from the home screen DH when, for example, the second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "collective operation service" is operated (for example, tapped) on the home screen DH.

[0087] On the individual operation screen 710, an operation section 711 for collectively operating (for example, collectively turning OFF) a plurality of home electric appliances 100 (for example, a plurality of air conditioners 100A) is displayed as an operation section for using home electric appliance-related services. Also, on the individual operation screen 710, a display section 712 showing the status of each home electric appliance 100 (for example, each air conditioner 100A) is displayed.

[0088] Alternatively, instead of the above example, the second operation unit B2c displayed on the home screen DH may be an operation unit that directly and collectively operates (for example, collectively turns OFF) a plurality of home electric appliances 100 (for example, a plurality of air conditioners 100A). That is, by operating the second operation unit B2c, a plurality of home electric appliances 100 may be directly operated without transitioning to the individual operation screen 710.

[0089] The above describes an example in which the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the "ingredients management service," "recipe service," and "collective operation service" are displayed in the second function area R2 as home appliance-related services. However, the home appliance-related services are not limited to the above examples. For example, the second function area R2 may display the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the "monitoring service," "after-sales service," "automatic ordering of consumables," "web shopping," "health management," or "video content distribution."

[0090] <5.3 Third functional area> Returning to FIG. 9, the third functional area R3 will be described. The third functional area R3 is a functional area corresponding to a "reference information service." The "reference information service" is a service provided by the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200. The third functional area R3 includes one or more third operation units B3 for viewing reference information related to the home appliance 100. In this embodiment, the third functional area R3 displays a plurality of third operation units B3, each corresponding to a different piece of reference information.

[0091] In the present application, the "operation unit for viewing reference information" is not limited to an operation unit for directly viewing reference information, but may be an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen on which reference information can be viewed. From one perspective, viewing reference information related to home appliance 100 can be considered as one of home appliance-related services.

[0092] In this embodiment, the reference information associated with the third operation unit B3 changes depending on the device registration state of the home appliance 100. For example, among the reference information associated with multiple third operation units B3, priority is given to reference information corresponding to the type of home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of third operation parts B3 displayed in the third function area R3 is not changed depending on the number and types of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. That is, even if there is no home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed or if there is no reference information related to a home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, a predetermined number (for example, four) of third operation parts B3 are displayed. In this case, the predetermined number of third operation parts B3 are associated with reference information related to a home appliance 100 for which device registration has not been performed.

[0094] On the other hand, if there is a home electric appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed and reference information related to that home electric appliance 100 exists, some or all of the predetermined number of third operation units B3 are associated with the reference information related to the home electric appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, if only refrigerator 100B has been registered, four third operation units B3 are displayed for viewing reference information related to refrigerator 100B. For example, if air conditioner 100A and refrigerator 100B have been registered, two third operation units B3 are displayed for viewing reference information related to air conditioner 100A, and two third operation units B3 are displayed for viewing reference information related to refrigerator 100B.

[0095] The reference information associated with the third operation unit B3 is selected from a plurality of pieces of reference information registered in the reference information DB 284 stored in the storage unit 280 of the server 200 and displayed in the third function area R3. The selection of the reference information is determined by the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200 based on the type of the home appliance 100 for which the appliance has been registered and the selection rule information 285 stored in the storage unit 280 of the server 200.

[0096] <5.4 Fourth functional area> The fourth functional area R4 is a functional area corresponding to "recommended recipes (picked recipes)." "Recommended recipes" is a service provided by the recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200. The fourth functional area R4 includes one or more fourth operation units B4 for viewing recommended recipes. In this embodiment, the fourth functional area R4 displays multiple fourth operation units B4, each corresponding to a different recommended recipe.

[0097] In this embodiment, the recommended recipes associated with the fourth operation unit B4 change depending on the device registration status of the home appliance 100. For example, the recommended recipes associated with multiple fourth operation units B4 are selected from among the recipes corresponding to the home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when a refrigerator 100B is registered, recommended recipes selected from among the multiple recipes (i.e., "general recipes") included in the first recipe DB 283a become display candidates. When a microwave oven 100C is registered, recommended recipes selected from among the multiple recipes (i.e., "microwave oven recipes") included in the second recipe DB 283b become display candidates. Then, the fourth function area R4 displays fourth operation units B4 corresponding to a predetermined number (e.g., four) of recommended recipes randomly selected from among the multiple display candidates.

[0098] The recommended recipes associated with the fourth operation unit B4 are, for example, randomly selected from the "featured recipes" described in the description of the second functional area R2. In one specific example, if "Feature A" of oven range recipes includes recipe 1, recipe 2, and recipe 3, "Feature B" of oven range recipes includes recipe 4, recipe 5, and recipe 6, "Feature C" of general recipes includes recipe 7, recipe 8, recipe 9, and recipe 10, and "Feature D" of general recipes includes recipe 11, recipe 12, and recipe 13, the fourth operation unit B4 corresponding to a predetermined number (for example, four) of recommended recipes randomly selected from recipes 1 to 13 will be displayed in the fourth functional area R4.

[0099] <5.5 Fifth functional area> Next, the fifth functional area R5 will be described. The fifth functional area R5 is a functional area corresponding to the "advertising information service." The "advertising information service" is a service provided by the advertising information providing unit 234 of the server 200. The fifth functional area R5 includes one or more fifth operation units B5 for viewing advertising information. In this embodiment, the fifth functional area R5 displays multiple fifth operation units B5, each corresponding to different advertising information. In this embodiment, the number of fifth operation units B5 is a fixed number, regardless of the type or number of registered home appliances 100.

[0100] <6. Display of functional areas> <6.1 Changes according to the type or number of home appliances> Next, the display modes of the first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 will be described. In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 changes whether or not to display the first functional area R1 or whether or not to display the second functional area R2 depending on the type or number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0101] (Display of the first functional area) In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 does not display (hides) the first function area R1 when there is no home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. In this application, "not displaying the function area" is not limited to not displaying the function area at all, but may also include a state in which the function area is hidden in a manner that can be switched to a display state (such as a state in which only the operation unit that can be switched to a display state is displayed and other areas are hidden). The same applies to the second function area R2. In addition, instead of the above example, when there is no home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, the display control unit 320 may display the first function area R1 in a smaller size (for example, a smaller vertical width) than the first function area R1 when there is a home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0102] Furthermore, the display control unit 320 does not display (hides) the first function area R1 when the registered home appliances 100 are only home appliances 100 of a specific type (hereinafter referred to as "first specific type of home appliances 100"). Alternatively, when the registered home appliances 100 are only home appliances 100 of the first specific type, the display control unit 320 may display the first function area R1 in a smaller size (for example, a smaller vertical width) than the first function area R1 when the operation unit B1 is displayed.

[0103] The "first specific type of home appliance" is, for example, a home appliance that does not have or has limited remote control functionality using the terminal device 300. In this embodiment, the "first specific type of home appliance" is an electric vacuum cleaner, an iron, or the like. Meanwhile, by registering the first specific type of home appliance 100, an operation unit B3 for viewing reference information (e.g., tips on how to use the appliance) related to the first specific type of home appliance 100 is displayed in the third function area R3.

[0104] (Display of the second functional area) The display control unit 320 does not display (hides) the second function area R2 when there is no home appliance-related service associated with one or more of the multiple home appliances 100 operated by the multiple first operation units B1 (all the home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed). Alternatively, when there is no home appliance-related service, the display control unit 320 may display the second function area R2 in a smaller size (for example, with a smaller vertical width) than the second function area R2 when there is a home appliance-related service.

[0105] Furthermore, the display control unit 320 does not display (hides) the second function area R2 when the registered home appliances 100 are only home appliances 100 of a specific type (hereinafter referred to as "home appliances 100 of a second specific type"). Note that, instead of the above example, when the registered home appliances 100 are only home appliances 100 of the second specific type, the display control unit 320 may display the second function area R2 in a smaller size (for example, a smaller vertical width) than the second function area R2 when the operation unit B2 is displayed.

[0106] The "second specific type of home appliance" is, for example, a home appliance for which home appliance-related services related to the home appliance 100 are limited. The "second specific type of home appliance" may overlap with the "first specific type of home appliance." In this embodiment, the "second specific type of home appliance" is a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, an iron, etc. Meanwhile, by performing device registration of the second specific type of home appliance 100, an operation unit 811 for using home appliance-related services related to the second specific type of home appliance 100 is displayed on an individual operation screen 810 (see FIG. 15 ) corresponding to a "service list" described later. Home appliance-related services related to the second specific type of home appliance 100 are, for example, a service that displays the brand of detergent currently being used for a washing machine, or a service that notifies the user of the next filter cleaning time for a vacuum cleaner.

[0107] <7. Other operation parts> Next, other operation units will be described with reference to Fig. 9. An operation unit B6 corresponding to a "service list" is displayed on the home screen DH. In this embodiment, when the operation unit B6 is operated (e.g., tapped) by the user U, the screen transitions to an individual operation screen corresponding to the "service list."

[0108] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen corresponding to a home appliance-related service. (a) in Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 810 corresponding to a "service list." A plurality of operation units 811, each corresponding to a different home appliance-related service, are displayed on the individual operation screen 810.

[0109] In this embodiment, when there is a home appliance-related service related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, only the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the home appliance-related service is displayed in the second function area R2 of the home screen DH. On the other hand, the individual operation screen 810 corresponding to the "service list" displays operation units 811 corresponding to all home appliance-related services provided by the service providing unit 230 of the server 200, regardless of whether the home appliance 100 is registered or not. In other words, even if the refrigerator 100B and the microwave oven 100C have not been registered, the operation unit 811 for using the "ingredients management service" and the "recipe service" is displayed.

[0110] In this embodiment, an operation unit 811a for using the "ingredients management service" and an operation unit 811b for using the "recipe service" are displayed as the multiple operation units 811. The operation unit 811a is, for example, an operation unit having the same function as the second operation unit B2a displayed in the second function area R2. The operation unit 811b is, for example, an operation unit having the same function as the second operation unit B2b displayed in the second function area R2.

[0111] On the other hand, an operation unit corresponding to the "collective operation service" is not displayed. In other words, individual operation screen 810 displays operation unit 811 for using a home appliance-related service that is different from the operation of home appliance 100. On the other hand, individual operation screen 810 does not display an operation unit for using a home appliance-related service that is related to the operation of home appliance 100.

[0112] In this embodiment, an operation section 811c for using a "reference information service" is displayed on the individual operation screen 810 as one of the operation sections 811. When the operation section 811c is operated (for example, tapped), the individual operation screen 810 transitions to an individual operation screen 820.

[0113] 15(b) is a diagram showing an example of an individual operation screen 820 for using the "reference information service." The individual operation screen 820 displays a plurality of operation units 821 for viewing different reference information (for example, recommended usage techniques). Unlike the fourth function area R4, the individual operation screen 820 displays operation units 821 corresponding to all reference information registered in the reference information DB 284, regardless of whether the reference information is related to the registered home appliance 100. In other words, when viewing reference information related to the home appliance 100 (for example, recommended usage techniques), the content and amount displayed on the home screen DH differ from the content and amount displayed on the individual operation screen 820 to which the transition from the "service list" is made.

[0114] <8. Processing flow> 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing the flow of the display process of the home screen DH. First, when the application program P is started and the home screen DH of the home appliance management application APP is displayed, the display control unit 320 detects the number and types of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed (hereinafter referred to as "registered home appliances 100") based on the device registration information 381 stored in the storage unit 380 (S111).

[0115] Next, the display control unit 320 determines whether or not one or more registered home appliances 100 exist (S112). If there is no registered home appliance 100 (S112: NO), the display control unit 320 determines not to display the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 (S113). On the other hand, if there is one or more registered home appliances 100 (S112: YES), the display control unit 320 determines to display the first function area R1 and the first operation unit B1 corresponding to the one or more registered home appliances 100 (S114).

[0116] Next, when there is one or more registered home electric appliances 100, the display control unit 320 determines whether or not the registered home electric appliances 100 include at least one of the refrigerator 100B and the microwave oven 100C (S115).

[0117] If the registered home electric appliances 100 include at least one of the refrigerator 100B and the microwave oven 100C (S115: YES), the display control unit 320 determines to display the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredients management service" and the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" (S116). On the other hand, if the registered home electric appliances 100 do not include either the refrigerator 100B or the microwave oven 100C (S115: NO), the display control unit 320 determines that it is not necessary to display the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredients management service" and the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" (S117).

[0118] Next, the display control unit 320 determines whether or not multiple air conditioners 100A are included in the registered home electric devices 100 (S118). If multiple air conditioners 100A are included in the registered home electric devices 100 (S118: YES), the display control unit 320 determines to display the second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "collective operation service" (S119). On the other hand, if multiple air conditioners 100A are not included in the registered home electric devices 100 (S118: NO), the display control unit 320 determines that it is not necessary to display the second operation unit B2c corresponding to the "collective operation service" (S120).

[0119] Next, the display control unit 320 determines whether it is determined that at least one second operation unit B2 needs to be displayed (S121). If it is determined that at least one second operation unit B2 needs to be displayed (S121: YES), the display control unit 320 determines to display the second function area R2 (S122). On the other hand, if it is determined that no second operation unit B2 needs to be displayed (S121: NO), the display control unit 320 determines not to display the second function area R2 (S124).

[0120] Next, the display control unit 320 transmits to the server 200 a transmission request to transmit information used to display reference information (e.g., usage techniques) (hereinafter referred to as a "reference information list"), a transmission request to transmit information used to display recommended recipes (hereinafter referred to as a "recommended recipe"), and information showing a list of registered home appliances 100 (hereinafter referred to as a "device list") (S131).

[0121] The reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200 selects reference information to be associated with multiple third operation units B3 from the reference information DB 284 based on the device list received from the terminal device 300 and the selection rule information 285, and generates a reference information list by listing the names, thumbnail images, and URLs for accessing the selected reference information (S132).Then, the reference information providing unit 233 of the server 200 transmits the generated reference information list to the terminal device 300 (S133).

[0122] The recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200 selects recommended recipes to be associated with multiple fourth operation units B4 from the recipe DB 283 based on the device list received from the terminal device 300, and generates a recommended recipe list by listing the names of the selected recipes, thumbnail images, and URLs for accessing the recipes (S134).The recipe providing unit 232 of the server 200 then transmits the generated recommended recipe list to the terminal device 300 (S135).

[0123] Furthermore, the display control unit 320 notifies the server 200 of a request to transmit advertising information (S141). The advertising information providing unit 234 of the server 200 selects advertising information to be associated with a plurality of fifth operation units B5 from the advertising information DB 286, and generates an advertising information list by listing the names, thumbnail images, and URLs for accessing the selected advertising information (S142). Then, the advertising information providing unit 234 of the server 200 transmits the generated advertising information list to the terminal device 300 (S143).

[0124] Then, the display control unit 320 displays a plurality of first operation units B1 corresponding to the detected registered home appliances 100 in the first function area R1, a plurality of second operation units B2 corresponding to the detected registered home appliances 100 in the second function area R2, a plurality of third operation units B3 in the third function area R3 based on the reference information list received from the server 200, a plurality of fourth operation units B4 in the fourth function area R4 based on the recommended recipe list received from the server 200, and a plurality of fifth operation units B5 in the fifth operation area R5 based on the advertisement information list received from the server 200 (S151). As a result, the home screen DH is displayed.

[0125] <9. Advantages> In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 can display on a single screen a first function area R1 including a plurality of first operation units B1 for operating different home appliances 100, and a second function area R2 including a second operation unit B2 different from the plurality of first operation units B1, and changes whether or not to display the first function area R or whether or not to display the second function area R depending on the type or number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. With this configuration, it is possible to display the necessary function area R while maintaining a clean appearance on the screen. This makes it easier for the user U to intuitively operate the operation unit B. This improves convenience for the user U.

[0126] In this embodiment, when there is no registered home appliance 100, the display control unit 320 does not display the first function area R1, or displays the first function area R1 in a smaller size than the first function area R1 when there is a registered home appliance 100. With this configuration, when displaying the first function area R1 is unnecessary, the first function area R1 is not displayed or is displayed small, thereby maintaining a clean appearance of the screen. This further improves convenience for the user U.

[0127] In the present embodiment, if there is a service related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed, the display control unit 320 displays the second operation unit B2 corresponding to the service in the second function area R2 in response to device registration of the home appliance 100. With this configuration, the first operation unit B1 corresponding to operations on the home appliance 100 and the second operation unit B2 corresponding to home appliance-related services are displayed on a single screen in accordance with the registration status of the home appliance 100 of the user U. This makes it possible to provide services that match the usage status of the user U. Furthermore, because the first operation unit B1 or the second operation unit B2 related to the home appliance 100 for which device registration has not been performed are not displayed on the screen, the screen can have a neat appearance and improve visibility.

[0128] In this embodiment, for a plurality of home appliances 100 operated by a plurality of first operation units B1, if there is no service related to one or more of the plurality of home appliances 100, the display control unit 320 does not display the second function area R2, or displays the second function area R2 in a smaller form than the second function area R2 when the service is present. With this configuration, if displaying the second function area R2 is unnecessary, the second function area R2 is not displayed or is displayed small, thereby maintaining a neat appearance of the screen. This further improves convenience for the user U.

[0129] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 is changed depending on the type or number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0130] 18 and 19 are diagrams showing an example of the home screen DH according to the second embodiment. Fig. 18 shows a first state of the terminal device 300. In the first state, a specific type of home electric appliance 100 (e.g., a refrigerator 100B or a microwave oven 100C) has not been registered, and the second operation section B2 for using the specific type of home electric appliance-related service (e.g., an "ingredient management service" and a "recipe service") is not displayed in the second function area R2.

[0131] The "specific type of home appliance related service" is, for example, a service that may be used more frequently than the operation of the home appliance 100. The "specific type of home appliance related service" is, for example, set in advance based on a prior survey and stored in the storage unit 380 as determination information 383 (see FIG. 8). The display control unit 320 determines whether the home appliance related service to be determined is a "specific type of home appliance related service" based on the determination information 383.

[0132] In the first state, the display control unit 320 displays the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 in this order from the top of the home screen DH.

[0133] 19 shows a second state of the terminal device 300. In the second state, a specific type of home electric appliance 100 (for example, a refrigerator 100B or a microwave oven 100C) is registered, and a second operation unit B2 for using a specific type of home electric appliance-related service (for example, an "ingredients management service" and a "recipe service") is displayed in the second function area R2.

[0134] In the second state, the display control unit 320 switches the display order of the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 compared to the first state. That is, the display control unit 320 displays the second function area R2 and then the first function area R1 from the top of the home screen DH. Changing the display order is an example of "changing the display relationship between the first function area and the second function area."

[0135] According to this configuration, whether the first operation unit B1 for operating the home appliance 100 is displayed at the top of the screen or the second operation unit B2 corresponding to another function is displayed at the top of the screen is changed depending on the device registration status of the home appliance 100. This makes it easier for the user U to intuitively operate the operation unit B that he or she wants to operate. This improves convenience for the user U.

[0136] The above describes an example in which the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 is changed depending on the type of home appliance 100 for which device registration has been performed. Note that instead of or in addition to the above example, the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 may be changed depending on the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed. For example, when the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed is greater than the number of available home appliance-related services, the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 may be displayed in this order from the top of the home screen DH. On the other hand, when the number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed is smaller than the number of available home appliance-related services, the second function area R2 and the first function area R1 may be displayed in this order from the top of the home screen DH.

[0137] Furthermore, "changing the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2" is not limited to changing the display order on the screen, but may also be changing the display manner (for example, whether or not to highlight) or size of the first functional area R1 or the second functional area R2 on the screen.

[0138] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that whether or not the first functional area R1 is displayed, whether or not the second functional area R2 is displayed, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 is changed depending on the frequency of use of the first functional area R1 or the second functional area R2 by the user U. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0139] 20 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300 according to the second embodiment. The terminal device 300 includes a usage frequency detection unit 360. The usage frequency detection unit 360 is a software function unit included in the home appliance management application APP.

[0140] The use frequency detection unit 360 detects the use frequency (operation frequency) of the user U for each operation unit B (first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5) displayed by the display control unit 320, based on the history of operations by the user U accepted by the operation acceptance unit 330. In this embodiment, the use frequency detection unit 360 detects the use frequency for each of first operation units B1a, B1b, B1c, B1d, B1e and second operation units B2a, B2b, B2c, which will be described later.

[0141] In this embodiment, the use frequency detection unit 360 detects the user U's use frequency (operation frequency) of each functional area R (first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5) described below based on the use frequency (operation frequency) of the operation unit B. The use frequency of each functional area R may be calculated, for example, based on the total number of operations for all operation units B included in each functional area R, or based on the average of the operation frequencies for all operation units B included in each functional area R. The use frequency of the first functional area R1 is an example of the "user U's use frequency of the first functional area R1." The use frequency of the second functional area R2 is an example of the "user U's use frequency of the second functional area R2."

[0142] (Display of the first functional area) FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the home screen DH when the first functional area R1 is not displayed. In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 does not display (hides) the first functional area R1 if the user U's usage frequency for the first functional area R1 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (e.g., once a week or less). As described above, in this application, "does not display" is not limited to not displaying the functional area at all, but may also include a state in which the functional area is hidden in a manner that can be switched to a display state (e.g., a state in which only the operation unit that can be switched to a display state is displayed and other areas are hidden). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 21, when the operation unit Bh1 included in the first functional area R1 is operated (e.g., tapped), the first functional area R1 is expanded and displayed in the same manner as in FIG. 9.

[0143] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even when the display control unit 320 displays the first function area R1 on the home screen DH, the display control unit 320 does not display the first operation unit B1 whose individual use frequency detected by the use frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (for example, equal to or less than once a week). Note that in this application, "not displaying the operation unit" is not limited to the case where the operation unit is not displayed at all, but may also include a state where the operation unit is hidden in a manner that allows switching to a display state. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 23. Note that, instead of not displaying the first operation unit B1 whose individual use frequency detected by the use frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, the display control unit 320 may change the display mode to display it. The change in display mode may be, for example, making it smaller or semi-transparent.

[0144] (Display of the second functional area) FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of the home screen DH when the second functional area R2 is not displayed. In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 does not display (hides) the second functional area R2 if the user U's frequency of use of the second functional area R2 detected by the use frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (e.g., once a week or less). As described above, in this application, "does not display" is not limited to not displaying the functional area at all, but may also include a state in which the functional area is hidden in a manner that can be switched to a display state (e.g., a state in which only the operation unit that can be switched to a display state is displayed and other areas are hidden). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 22, when the operation unit Bh2 included in the second functional area R2 is operated (e.g., tapped), the second functional area R2 is expanded and displayed in the same manner as in FIG. 9.

[0145] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even when the display control unit 320 displays the second function area R2 on the home screen DH, the second operation unit B2 whose individual use frequency detected by the use frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard (for example, equal to or less than once a week) is not displayed. Note that in this application, "not displaying the operation unit" is not limited to the case where the operation unit is not displayed at all, but may also include a state where the operation unit is hidden in a manner that allows switching to a display state. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 23. Note that, instead of not displaying the second operation unit B2 whose individual use frequency detected by the use frequency detection unit 360 is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, the display control unit 320 may change the display mode to display it. The change in display mode may be, for example, making it smaller or semi-transparent.

[0146] (Display of the first and second operation sections) FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen DH in which some of the first operation units B1 and some of the second operation units B2 are hidden. An operation unit B1z corresponding to "Other" is displayed in the first function area R1. When the operation unit B1z is operated, the use frequency detection unit 360 detects that the use frequency is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, and the screen transitions to an individual operation screen 910 in which one or more operation units B1 that are not displayed in the first function area R1 are collected. The operation units B1 whose use frequency is equal to or less than the predetermined standard are displayed by transitioning to the individual operation screen 910. Note that the operation unit B1z corresponding to "Other" may be displayed in the individual operation screen 810 (see FIG. 15) corresponding to the "Service List" instead of being displayed in the first function area R1.

[0147] Similarly, in the second function area R2, an operation unit B2z corresponding to "Other" is displayed. When the operation unit B2z is operated, the use frequency detection unit 360 detects that the use frequency is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, and the screen transitions to an individual operation screen 920 in which one or more operation units B2 that are not displayed in the second function area R2 are collected. The operation units B2 whose use frequency is equal to or less than the predetermined standard are displayed by transitioning to the individual operation screen 920. Note that the operation unit B2z corresponding to "Other" may be displayed on the individual operation screen 810 (see FIG. 15) corresponding to the "Service List" instead of being displayed in the second function area R2.

[0148] (Change in display relationship between the first and second functional areas) 24 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen DH in which the display order of the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 has been changed from the initial setting. That is, in this embodiment, the display control unit 320 initially displays the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 from the top of the home screen. On the other hand, when the user's frequency of use of the first function area R1 or the second function area R2 satisfies a predetermined condition, the display control unit 320 switches the display order of the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 from the initial setting.

[0149] The "predetermined condition" is, for example, when the user U's usage frequency for the first functional area R1 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is less than a predetermined first reference value (e.g., less than once a week), when the user U's usage frequency for the second functional area R2 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is greater than a predetermined second reference value (e.g., more than 10 times a week), or when the user U's usage frequency for the second functional area R2 detected by the usage frequency detection unit 360 is higher than the user U's usage frequency for the first functional area R1.

[0150] With this configuration, it is possible to change whether or not to display the first function area R1, whether or not to display the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2, depending on the frequency of use by the user U. This makes it possible to display the necessary function area R while maintaining a neat and tidy appearance of the screen display. This improves convenience for the user U.

[0151] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that whether or not the first functional area R1 is displayed, whether or not the second functional area R2 is displayed, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 is changed depending on the time of day. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as the third embodiment.

[0152] In this embodiment, the use frequency detection unit 360 detects the use frequency (operation frequency) of the user U for each time period for each operation unit B (first to fifth operation units B1, B2, B3, B4, B5) displayed by the display control unit 320. For example, the use frequency detection unit 360 detects the use frequency of the user U for each time period for each of the first operation units B1a, B1b, B1c, B1d, B1e and the second operation units B2a, B2b, B2c. The time period may be, for example, every three hours, every six hours, or may be a time period of another length.

[0153] In this embodiment, the usage frequency detection unit 360 detects the usage frequency of the user U for each time period for each functional area R (first to fifth functional areas R1, R2, R3, R4, R5) based on the usage frequency of each operation unit B.

[0154] In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 changes whether or not to display the first functional area R1 described in the third embodiment, whether or not to display the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2, for each of the above-mentioned time periods based on the detection results by the usage frequency detection unit 360.

[0155] For example, if the "ingredient management service" is used more than a predetermined standard in the morning and evening (e.g., more than once a day) but less than the predetermined standard in the daytime (e.g., not used), the display control unit 320 displays the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredient management service" in the morning and evening, but not in the daytime. Similarly, if the "recipe service" is used more than a predetermined standard in the daytime (e.g., more than once a day) but less than the predetermined standard in the morning and evening (e.g., not used), the display control unit 320 displays the second operation unit B2b corresponding to the "recipe service" in the daytime but not in the morning and evening. Furthermore, if the "collective operation service" is used more than a predetermined standard in the morning (e.g., more than once a day) but less than the predetermined standard in the daytime, evening, or night (e.g., not used), the display control unit 320 displays the second operation unit B2a corresponding to the "ingredient management service" in the morning but not in the other time slots.

[0156] In another example, the display control unit 320 displays the second function area R2 and the first function area R1 from the top of the home screen DH during times when the "ingredient management service" or "recipe service" is frequently used, and displays the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 from the top of the home screen DH during other times.

[0157] With this configuration, it is possible to change whether or not to display the first function area R1, whether or not to display the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2, depending on the time of day. This makes it possible to display the necessary function area R while maintaining a clean appearance on the screen. This improves convenience for the user U.

[0158] The display control unit 320 may change whether or not to display the first function area R1, whether or not to display the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2, depending on the time period, based on a criterion different from the frequency of use by the user U. That is, the display control unit 320 may perform control to display (or not display) a specific operation unit B during a specific time period, regardless of the frequency of use by the user U, or may perform control to display (or not display) a specific function area R during a specific time period, or may swap the display order of the first function area R1 and the second function area R2 during a specific time period.

[0159] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the display or non-display of the first functional area R1, the display or non-display of the second functional area R2, or the display relationship between the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 can be arbitrarily changed based on the operation of the user U. Note that the configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0160] In this embodiment, the operation accepting unit 330 accepts an operation by the user U to arbitrarily change whether or not to display the first function area R1, whether or not to display the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2. For example, in response to a special operation (e.g., a long press) performed by the user U on the function area R, the operation accepting unit 330 becomes ready to accept an instruction to change whether or not to display the function area R or its display position. Then, based on the instruction from the user U accepted by the operation accepting unit 330, the display control unit 320 changes whether or not to display the first function area R1, whether or not to display the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2.

[0161] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation receiving unit 330 may receive an instruction to change the presence or absence, display mode, or display position of each individual operation unit B. In this case, the display control unit 320 changes the presence or absence, display mode, or display position of each individual operation unit B based on an instruction from the user U received by the operation receiving unit 330.

[0162] With this configuration, it is possible to change whether or not to display the first function area R1, whether or not to display the second function area R2, or the display relationship between the first function area R1 and the second function area R2, based on the operation of the user U. This makes it possible to display the necessary function area R while maintaining a neat and tidy appearance of the screen display. This improves convenience for the user U.

[0163] Several embodiments have been described above. However, the embodiments are not limited to the above examples. For example, the first functional area R1 corresponding to the operation of the home appliance 100 and the second functional area R2 corresponding to the use of home appliance-related services may be combined into a single functional area without being distinguished from each other. In this case, the functional area formed by combining the first functional area R1 and the second functional area R2 may be an example of the "first functional area," and the third functional area R3 may be an example of the "second functional area." In other words, the third operation unit B3 may be an example of the "second operation unit different from the first operation unit." As in the first to fifth embodiments described above, the display control unit 320 may change whether or not to display the first functional area (functional area R1, functional area R2) and the second functional area (functional area R3), or the display relationship between the first and second functional areas, depending on the type or number of home appliances 100 for which device registration has been performed.

[0164] According to at least one embodiment described above, the display control unit of the terminal device can display on a single screen a first functional area including a plurality of first operation units for operating different home appliances and a second functional area including a second operation unit different from the plurality of first operation units, and changes whether or not to display the first functional area, whether or not to display the second functional area, or the display relationship between the first functional area and the second functional area, depending on the type or number of registered home appliances. With this configuration, convenience can be improved.

[0165] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 1...home appliance system, 100...home appliance, 200...server, 210...device registration unit, 220...home appliance management unit, 230...service providing unit, 300...terminal device, 310...registration reception unit, 320...display control unit, 330...operation reception unit, 340...notification unit, 360...usage frequency detection unit.

Claims

1. On the computer, When a home appliance is registered, a first area for displaying the registered home appliance and a second area for displaying information related to the use of the home appliance are displayed on one screen; displaying the information in the second area whether or not there is any registered home appliance; program.

2. the first area and the second area are displayed in this order from the top of the screen, The program according to claim 1.

3. the information displayed in the second area includes information related to a household chore involving a home appliance; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the information displayed in the second area includes information related to a recipe; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The recipe-related information includes an operation unit for transitioning to a detailed screen related to the recipe. The program according to claim 4.

6. the information displayed in the second area includes information related to how to use the home appliance, information related to how to use application software available on the computer in connection with the home appliance, or information related to how to maintain the home appliance; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The information displayed in the second area includes information related to improving the quality or efficiency of housework. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

8. the information displayed in the second area includes, if the registered home appliance is present, information related to the use of the registered home appliance; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The size of the first area is changed depending on the number of registered home appliances. The program according to claim 1 or 2.

10. an operation unit for operating the registered home appliance is displayed in the first area; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

11. an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen for operating a home electric appliance that satisfies a predetermined criterion among the plurality of registered home electric appliances is displayed in the first area, and an operation unit for transitioning to an operation screen for operating a home electric appliance that does not satisfy the predetermined criterion among the plurality of registered home electric appliances is displayed on a separate screen; The program according to claim 1 or 2.

12. a display control unit that displays, when a home appliance is registered, a first area that displays the registered home appliance and a second area that displays information related to the use of the home appliance on one screen; the display control unit causes the information to be displayed in the second area regardless of whether the registered home appliance is present or not. Information processing system.

13. The computer When a home appliance is registered, a first area for displaying the registered home appliance and a second area for displaying information related to the use of the home appliance are displayed on one screen; displaying the information in the second area whether or not there is any registered home appliance; Information processing methods.

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