Wiring device, wiring device control method, and program

Abstract

To be able to easily handle addition and change in a control function of a control target device.SOLUTION: A wiring device 1 includes a first storage unit, a display unit 11, an interface unit 12, and a control unit 10. The first storage unit stores a plurality pieces of screen layout information. The plurality pieces of screen layout information each includes screen information on an operation screen including an operation object 22, and control information on control of a control target device L1 associated with the operation object 22. The display unit 11 displays an operation screen 21 based on the screen information included in the screen layout information of a display target. Upon receiving operation of the operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21 of the display unit 11, the interface unit 12 outputs to the control unit 10 the control information associated with the operation object 22. The control unit 10 controls a control target device L1 based on the control information input from the interface unit 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiring device, a control method for the wiring device, and a program. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a wiring device, a control method for the wiring device, and a program for performing operations related to the control of a control target device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring device for switching the state of a lighting device. This wiring device has a display unit that displays a switch screen for switching the state of the lighting device. When an operation to switch the state of the lighting device is performed on the switch screen, the wiring device switches the state of the lighting device and changes the switch screen in accordance with the change in the state of the lighting device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-128472 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the wiring devices (wiring equipment) described above, when changing the control content of the controlled device, it is necessary to change both the control program for controlling the controlled device and the drawing data for drawing the switch screen, which makes it difficult to add or change control functions.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wiring device, a wiring device control method, and a program that can easily accommodate additions and changes to control functions of controlled devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A wiring device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first storage unit, a display unit, an interface unit, and a control unit. The first storage unit stores a plurality of pieces of screen layout information. The plurality of pieces of screen layout information each include screen information related to an operation screen including operation objects represented by at least one of characters and graphics, and control information related to control of a control target device associated with the operation objects. The display unit displays an operation screen based on the screen information included in the screen layout information to be displayed among the plurality of pieces of screen layout information. When the interface unit receives an operation of the operation object displayed on the operation screen of the display unit, it outputs the control information associated with the operation object to the control unit. The control unit controls the control target device based on the control information input from the interface unit. When the control unit controls the controlled device, it selects a destination screen layout information from the plurality of screen layout information that corresponds to the control result of the controlled device, and causes the display unit to display the operation screen based on the screen information included in the destination screen layout information.

[0007] A wiring device control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a display step, an operation reception step, an output step, and a control step. In the display step, an operation screen based on screen information included in screen layout information to be displayed, among a plurality of screen layout information each including screen information and control information, is displayed on a display unit. The screen information is information regarding an operation screen including operation objects represented by at least one of characters and graphics. The control information is information regarding control of a control-target device associated with the operation objects. In the operation reception step, an operation of the operation object displayed on the operation screen of the display unit is received. In the output step, the control information associated with the operation object for which the operation was received in the operation reception step is output. In the control step, the control target device is controlled based on the control information output in the output step. In the control step, when the controlled device is controlled, a destination screen layout information corresponding to the control result of the controlled device is selected from the plurality of screen layout information, and the operation screen based on the screen information included in the destination screen layout information is displayed on the display unit.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer system to execute the wiring device control method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily accommodate additions and changes to the control functions of controlled devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a wiring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a typical house in which a control system including the wiring device is installed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing an installed state of the wiring device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the wiring device and the controlled device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the wiring device of the same. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the wiring device of the same. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the wiring device of the same. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Embodiment) (1) Overview The drawings described in the following embodiments are schematic drawings, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring device 1 according to this embodiment includes a first storage unit 13A, a display unit 11, an interface unit 12, and a control unit .

[0013] The first storage unit 13A stores a plurality of pieces of screen layout information. Each of the plurality of pieces of screen layout information includes screen information related to an operation screen including operation objects 22 (see FIG. 3) expressed by at least one of characters and graphics, and control information related to control of the control-target device L1 associated with the operation objects 22. Note that there may be only one type of screen layout information, and the interface unit 12 may change the display content based on the reference information for one type of screen layout. In other words, the plurality of pieces of screen layout information may include a plurality of pieces of information in which the layout of the operation screen is common but the names, numerical values, etc. of the buttons displayed on the operation screen are different from one another.

[0014] The display unit 11 displays an operation screen 21 based on screen information included in the screen layout information to be displayed among the plurality of screen layout information.

[0015] When the interface unit 12 receives an operation of the operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21 of the display unit 11 , it outputs control information associated with the operation object 22 to the control unit 10 .

[0016] The control unit 10 controls the control target device L1 based on control information input from the interface unit 12.

[0017] Here, the operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21 is an object that is operated to change the operating state of the control-target device L1. The operation object 22 uses at least one of text and graphics to visually express the operation content for changing the operating state of the control-target device L1 in an easy-to-understand manner. FIG. 3 shows an example of the operation object 22 that is operated to turn a lighting fixture on or off. This operation object 22 includes a button B1 that indicates the operation location. Text indicating the current lighting state of the lighting fixture is displayed on the button B1. The operation object 22 can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of control-target device L1 and the control content thereof. Note that on the screen of FIG. 3, a graphic indicating the current lighting state of the lighting fixture is displayed near the button B1, which is the operation object 22, but the display format of this graphic can be changed as appropriate.

[0018] The control information is associated with the operation object 22. For example, when the user performs an operation such as a touch operation on the operation object 22, the interface unit 12 outputs the control information associated with the operated operation object 22 to the control unit 10. In other words, the control information can also be said to be information that is output to notify the control unit 10 that the operation object 22 has been operated by the user.

[0019] The control unit 10 "controlling" the control target device L1 may include the control unit 10 directly controlling the control target device L1 (for example, a load connected to the wiring device 1, or the wiring device 1 itself), and the control unit 10 controlling the control target device L1 by outputting a control signal to the control target device L1 directly or via another device.

[0020] The controlled device L1 may include, for example, a load (such as a lighting fixture) connected to the wiring device 1 and directly controlled by the wiring device 1. The controlled device L1 may also include an electrical device that receives a remote control signal transmitted by the wiring device 1 directly or via another device and changes its operating state in response to the remote control signal. When the control unit 10 performs a process of changing the operation screen displayed on the display unit 11 or a setting process of setting the operation details of the wiring device 1 based on the control information, the controlled device L1 becomes the wiring device 1 itself.

[0021] In the wiring device 1 of the present embodiment, a first storage unit 13A stores a plurality of pieces of screen layout information, each of which includes screen information and control information. The display unit 11 displays an operation screen 21 based on image information included in the screen layout information to be displayed. When a user operates a control object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21, the interface unit 12 outputs control information associated with the operation object 22 operated by the user to the control unit 10, and the control unit 10 controls the control-target device L1 based on the control information. Note that the number of pieces of control information associated with the operation object 22 may be one or more, and when the operation object 22 is operated, one or more pieces of control information associated with the operation object 22 are output to the control unit 10.

[0022] Here, the screen layout information includes screen information about an operation screen including operation objects 22 for operating the control target device L1, and control information about controlling the control target device L1 associated with the operation objects 22. Therefore, by changing the screen layout information, it is possible to add or change the control function for the control target device L1 without changing the configuration of the control unit 10 that receives the control information and controls the control target device L1. Therefore, it is possible to realize a wiring device 1 that can easily accommodate additions and changes to the control functions of the control target device L1.

[0023] (2) Details Hereinafter, a wiring device 1 according to this embodiment and a control system including the wiring device 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0024] (2.1) Premise In this embodiment, as an example, the wiring device 1 is installed on a wall of a facility F1 such as a house. The facility F1 has multiple (for example, two) rooms R1, and each of the rooms R1 is installed with one wiring device 1. Note that two rooms R1 are illustrated in FIG. 2, and when describing the two rooms R1 separately, they may be referred to as rooms R1a and R1b.

[0025] Each room R1 of the facility F1 is equipped with, as control target devices L1, electrical devices 60 that can be remotely controlled using an infrared remote control 50, and lighting fixtures 31 and 32 that are embedded in the ceiling, for example. Examples of electrical devices 60 that can be remotely controlled using the infrared remote control 50 include an air conditioner 61, a television 62, electric curtains 63, and lighting fixtures 64.

[0026] Furthermore, lighting fixture 31 is connected to wiring device 1 of the present embodiment, and lighting fixture 31 is turned on or off by switching between a state in which power is supplied to lighting fixture 31 and a state in which power supply is cut off. Wiring device 1 can also dim or blink lighting fixture 31 by controlling the power supplied to lighting fixture 31. When control target device L1 is lighting fixture 31, wiring device 1 operates lighting fixture 31 in a control state corresponding to the operated operation object 22.

[0027] The wiring device 1 also has a function of communicating with a load control switch 40 that turns on or off the lighting fixture 32, an infrared remote control 50, and a smartphone 80 carried by a user (such as a resident of the facility F1). The wiring device 1 performs wireless communication with the load control switch 40, the infrared remote control 50, and the smartphone 80 using an appropriate wireless communication method. For example, the wiring device 1 performs wireless communication with the load control switch 40 using low-power radio waves (specified low-power radio waves) that use radio waves in the 920 MHz band or the 420 MHz band. The wiring device 1 also performs wireless communication with the infrared remote control 50 and the smartphone 80 using a wireless communication method that complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, for example. Note that the wireless communication method used by the wiring device 1 to communicate with the load control switch 40, the infrared remote control 50, and the smartphone 80 is not limited to the above-mentioned communication method and can be changed as appropriate.

[0028] When the control target device L1 is an electric device 60, the wiring device 1 wirelessly transmits a signal for controlling the electric device 60 (for example, an infrared code held by the infrared remote control 50 or a signal specifying the infrared code) to the infrared remote control 50. The infrared remote control 50 transmits the infrared code included in the signal received from the wiring device 1 by infrared rays, thereby controlling the control target electric device 60 to a desired operating state.

[0029] Furthermore, when the control-target device L1 is a lighting fixture 32 connected to the load control switch 40, the wiring device 1 transmits a signal to the load control switch 40 to control the lighting fixture 32. Based on the signal received from the wiring device 1, the load control switch 40 controls the lighting fixture 32 to a desired operating state.

[0030] In this way, the wiring device 1 can control not only the lighting fixture 31 connected to the wiring device 1, but also the lighting fixture 32 and the electrical device 60 installed in the same room R1 as the wiring device 1. In other words, the wiring device 1 has the function of a room controller that controls multiple loads installed in the same room R1 as the wiring device 1. Note that, in the present embodiment, an example is described in which the load to be controlled by the wiring device 1 is a load installed in the same room R1 as the wiring device 1, but the load may be installed in a room other than the room R1 in which the wiring device 1 is installed as long as it is capable of communicating with the wiring device 1.

[0031] The facility F1 in which the wiring device 1 is installed is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment building, or a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, an underground shopping mall, a hotel, a station, an airport, a school, a factory, a library, an art gallery, a museum, a hospital, or a nursing home.

[0032] (2.2) Wiring device configuration In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a description will be given assuming that one wiring device 1 is installed in each of two rooms R1. However, the number of wiring devices 1 is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the two wiring devices 1, the wiring device 1 installed in room R1a may be referred to as wiring device 1a, and the wiring device 1 installed in room R1b may be referred to as wiring device 1b. Similarly, the load control switch 40 and the infrared remote control 50 installed in room R1a may be referred to as load control switch 40a and infrared remote control 50a, respectively. Furthermore, the load control switch 40 and the infrared remote control 50 installed in room R1b may be referred to as load control switch 40b and infrared remote control 50b, respectively.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3 , the wiring device 1 is installed with a portion (rear portion) embedded in, for example, a wall 70 of the facility F1. The wiring device 1 is attached to the wall 70 of the facility F1 using, for example, an attachment member such as a recessed switch box. That is, a construction hole is formed in the wall 70, and the wiring device 1 is attached to an attachment member such as a switch box arranged on the rear side (behind the wall) of the wall 70 through the construction hole. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , a rectangular frame-shaped wiring fixture plate P1 is attached to surround the periphery of the wiring device 1. Note that the wiring device 1 is a wall-embedded type that is partially embedded in the wall 70, but it may also be an exposed type that is directly attached to the surface of the wall 70, or a stationary type.

[0034] As described above, the wiring device 1 includes the control unit 10, the display unit 11, the interface unit 12, and the first storage unit 13A. The wiring device 1 also includes the second storage unit 13B, the third storage unit 13C, the communication unit 14, the switching element 15, and the power supply unit 16. The wiring device 1 also includes a housing that houses the control unit 10, the display unit 11, the interface unit 12, the first to third storage units 13A to 13C, the communication unit 14, the switching element 15, and the power supply unit 16.

[0035] The switching element 15 is, for example, a semiconductor switching element such as a triac, a thyristor, a field effect transistor (FET), or a bipolar transistor, or a relay. A series circuit of an alternating current power source AC and the lighting fixture 31 is connected between both ends of the switching element 15. The control unit 10, for example, controls the on / off of the switching element 15 to switch between a state in which power is supplied to the lighting fixture 31 and a state in which power supply to the lighting fixture 31 is cut off, thereby turning the lighting fixture 31 on or off. Note that the control unit 10 may also control the phase of the switching element 15 to control the power supplied to the lighting fixture 31 and dim the lighting fixture 31. The lighting fixture 31 includes a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a lighting circuit for turning on the light source.

[0036] A touch screen 20 is disposed on the front surface of the wiring device 1. The touch screen 20 includes the display unit 11 and a touch panel that detects a user's touch on the display surface (the surface on which the operation screen 21, etc., is displayed) of the display unit 11. The operation screen 21 based on screen information is displayed on the display surface of the display unit 11. The display unit 11 is configured, for example, with electronic paper capable of displaying two colors, white and black. The display surface of the display unit 11 is exposed through an opening in the plate P1. The electronic paper is a self-holding display device that consumes operating power when rewriting the display content but does not require operating power to maintain the display content displayed on the display surface. Furthermore, the touch panel employs a well-known method, such as a resistive film method, a capacitive method, or an electromagnetic induction method, and is capable of detecting a touch operation (tap) on the display surface with a user's finger, a pen, or the like. That is, the touch panel has a function of accepting a user's touch operation on an operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21. The touch panel may be capable of detecting various operations such as pinching, flicking, and swiping on the display surface by the user's fingers. Furthermore, the wiring device 1 may further include an actuator that generates vibrations on the display surface when the touch panel receives a touch operation. Furthermore, the colors that the electronic paper can display may be other than black and white, and may even be three or more colors. Furthermore, the electronic paper may be capable of gray display, or may be capable of color display.

[0037] The communication unit 14 has a function of communicating with the load control switch 40, the infrared remote control 50, the smartphone 80, and the like. The communication unit 14 includes, for example, a communication module that performs wireless communication with the load control switch 40 by low-power radio (specified low-power radio) using radio waves in the 920 MHz band or the 420 MHz band. The communication unit 14 also includes, for example, a communication module that performs wireless communication with the infrared remote control 50 and the smartphone 80 by a wireless communication method conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. Note that the wireless communication method adopted by the communication unit 14 is not limited to the above-mentioned communication method and can be changed as appropriate. The communication unit 14 may also perform wired communication with the load control switch 40 and the infrared remote control 50.

[0038] The first storage unit 13A includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory). As described above, the first storage unit 13A stores a plurality of pieces of screen layout information. The first storage unit 13A stores a plurality of pieces of screen layout information prepared according to the type of the control-target device L1, the control content to be performed on the control-target device L1, and the like. Each of the plurality of pieces of screen layout information includes screen information on an operation screen including the operation object 22 and control information associated with the operation object 22. The control information associated with the operation object 22 includes at least one of control information on control of the control-target device L1, control information for setting the operation content of the wiring device 1, and control information on operation of the wiring device 1 or transition of screens displayed on the display unit 11.

[0039] The second storage unit 13B stores reference information representing the control state of the control-target device L1. The second storage unit 13B may include, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory or an EEPROM, or a volatile memory such as a RAM. The reference information is data representing the control state of the control-target device L1. The reference information is information used to display the current control state on the operation screen 21 of the display unit 11, or information referenced by the control unit 10 when controlling the control-target device L1 based on the control information. For example, if the control-target device L1 is an air conditioner 61, the reference information may include at least one of the following: the current operating mode of the air conditioner 61 (heating, cooling, dehumidification, ventilation, etc.), the temperature setting, the humidity setting, the airflow setting, etc. If the control-target device L1 is a lighting fixture 64, the reference information may include at least one of information representing the current lighting state (on or off), information representing the current brightness, and information representing the current color temperature.

[0040] The third storage unit 13C stores functional modules, which are application software that execute processes for controlling the control-target device L1 based on the control information. The third storage unit 13C stores a plurality of functional modules prepared according to the type of the control-target device L1 and the control content to be performed on the control-target device L1. The third storage unit 13C also stores device numbers of the plurality of control-target devices L1 that are the control targets of the wiring device 1, and information on a plurality of infrared codes for controlling the electrical devices 60 that can be remotely controlled using the infrared remote control 50.

[0041] When the touch panel of the touch screen 20 accepts an operation on an operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21, the interface unit 12 outputs control information associated with the operated operation object 22 to the control unit 10. If the operation object 22 includes a control code for an internal timer, the interface unit 12 issues the corresponding control code to the control unit 10, and the control unit 10 counts up the internal timer in accordance with the control code. The control unit 10 may draw screen layout information at the timing when the internal timer is fired, and the interface unit 12 may output one or more pieces of control information related to the operation object 22 to the control unit 10 during drawing. Furthermore, when information specifying the screen layout information to be displayed is input from the control unit 10, the interface unit 12 causes the display unit 11 to display screen information based on the screen layout information to be displayed, thereby transitioning the operation screen 21 displayed on the display unit 11.

[0042] The control unit 10 is mainly composed of a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. In the control unit 10, the one or more processors execute programs recorded in the memory, thereby realizing various functions of the control unit 10. The programs may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0043] The control unit 10 has a function of controlling the control-target device L1 based on control information input from the interface unit 12 in response to the operation of the operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21. If the control-target device L1 is a lighting fixture 31, the control unit 10 controls the switching element 15 based on the control information to control the lighting fixture 31 to a desired control state. If the control-target device L1 is a lighting fixture 32, the control unit 10 transmits a signal for controlling the lighting fixture 32 from the communication unit 14 to the load control switch 40 based on the control information, and causes the load control switch 40 to control the lighting fixture 32 to the desired control state. If the control-target device L1 is an electrical device 60, the control unit 10 transmits a signal for controlling the control-target electrical device 60 from the communication unit 14 to the infrared remote control 50 based on the control information. The infrared remote control 50 controls the control-target electrical device 60 to a desired operating state by transmitting a corresponding infrared code based on the signal received from the wiring device 1.

[0044] The power supply unit 16 generates control voltages for operating the control unit 10, the interface unit 12, the touch screen 20, the communication unit 14, the switching element 15, etc., and inputs them to these components. The power supply unit 16 generates a DC voltage of a predetermined voltage value as a control voltage from an AC voltage input from an AC power source AC. The power supply unit 16 includes, for example, a rectifier that rectifies the AC voltage input from the AC power source AC, and a voltage conversion circuit that converts the output voltage of the rectifier into a control voltage. The control voltages that the power supply unit 16 supplies to the control unit 10, the interface unit 12, the touch screen 20, the communication unit 14, the switching element 15, etc. can be changed as appropriate, and the power supply unit 16 may output an AC control voltage.

[0045] (2.3) Operation explanation Next, the operation of the wiring device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 4 is merely an example of a control method for the wiring device 1 according to the present embodiment, and the order of processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate.

[0046] Here, the operation will be described when display unit 11 of wiring device 1 displays operation screen 21 (see FIG. 3) for operating lighting fixture 64 (step ST1). Operation screen 21 in FIG. 3 displays the current operating state of lighting fixture 64, which is control target device L1, using text and graphic symbols. In the example in FIG. 3, lighting fixture 64 is on.

[0047] When the user touches button B1 to turn off lighting device 64, the touch panel of touch screen 20 detects the operation of button B1. At this time, interface unit 12 detects the operation of button B1 of operation object 22 based on the detection result of the touch panel (step ST2), and outputs control information associated with operation object 22 to control unit 10 (step ST3). Here, button B1 of operation object 22 is associated with control information for executing a function module that controls turning off lighting device 64, for example.

[0048] When control unit 10 receives the control information from interface unit 12, it performs control processing to execute a functional module that controls turning off lighting device 64 based on the control information (step ST4). Specifically, control unit 10 reads an infrared code for turning off lighting device 64 from third storage unit 13C, and causes communication unit 14 to transmit a signal including the infrared code to infrared remote control 50.

[0049] When infrared remote control 50 receives the signal transmitted from wiring device 1, it transmits the infrared code contained in the signal by infrared rays (step ST5). This infrared code contains information indicating the identification information of lighting fixture 64 to be controlled, the control content, etc.

[0050] When lighting fixture 64 to be controlled receives the infrared code transmitted from infrared remote control 50, lighting fixture 64 executes control to turn off the light source based on the infrared code (step ST6).

[0051] After performing the control process of step ST4, control unit 10 selects the screen layout information when lighting device 64 is turned off as the screen layout information of the transition destination corresponding to the control result of lighting device 64. Then, control unit 10 outputs a screen change instruction to interface unit 12 to change operation screen 21 of display unit 11 to operation screen 21 when lighting device 64 is turned off (step ST7).

[0052] Based on the screen change instruction, interface unit 12 outputs the screen information included in the screen layout information for when lighting device 64 is turned off to display unit 11 (step ST8), and causes display unit 11 to display operation screen 21 for when lighting device 64 is turned off (step ST9). This allows control unit 10 to reflect the control content performed on control-target device L1 in operation screen 21 displayed on display unit 11.

[0053] The wiring device 1 repeats the processing from steps ST1 to ST9 described above to execute processing for controlling the control target device L1 based on the user's operation.

[0054] Next, the control operation of the control target device L1 by the wiring device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 to Fig. 7 schematically show data exchange between the display unit 11, the interface unit 12, and the control unit 10.

[0055] First, the control operation of the control target device L1 by the wiring device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0056] Operation screen 21 displayed on display unit 11 includes operation object 22A consisting of a button for changing the operating state of control-target device L1. Here, two pieces of control information CD1 and CD2 are associated with operation object 22A. For example, if control-target device L1 is lighting fixture 31 and this lighting fixture 31 is on, control information CD1 is information corresponding to an operation to turn off lighting fixture 31, and control information CD2 is information for transitioning to operation screen 21 when lighting fixture 31 is off.

[0057] When a user operates operation object 22A displayed on operation screen 21, the touch panel of touch screen 20 detects the operation of operation object 22A. Based on the detection result of the touch panel, interface unit 12 outputs control information CD1, CD2 associated with the operated operation object 22A to control unit 10. When control information CD1, CD2 is input from interface unit 12, control unit 10 executes a functional module corresponding to control information CD1 to control turning off lighting device 31. Furthermore, based on control information CD2, control unit 10 controls display unit 11 to display operation screen 21 when lighting device 31 is turned off. Note that, after controlling lighting device 31 to be turned off, control unit 10 may change reference information indicating the control state of lighting device 31 from on to off, store the changed information in second memory unit 13B, and then instruct interface unit 12 to redraw the screen on display unit 11. At this time, interface unit 12 redraws the screen of display unit 11 by referring to the reference information stored in second memory unit 13B, and causes display unit 11 to display operation screen 21 when lighting device 31 is turned off, based on the reference information indicating the off state of lighting device 31.

[0058] Incidentally, when a user operates operation object 22A displayed on operation screen 21, if control unit 10 is unable to perform control corresponding to the operation of operation object 22A due to reasons such as a failure in wireless communication between wiring device 1 and infrared remote control 50, control unit 10 selects screen layout information of a transition destination corresponding to the control result that the control failed. Control unit 10 outputs this screen layout information to interface unit 12, and interface unit 12 displays a screen indicating that the control failed on display unit 11 based on the screen information included in the screen layout information. Therefore, the user can understand the failure of the control based on the screen on display unit 11.

[0059] In this way, when the control unit 10 controls the control-target device L1 (e.g., lighting fixture 64), it selects, from among a plurality of pieces of screen layout information, screen layout information of a transition destination that corresponds to the control result of the control-target device L1. Then, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 11 to display an operation screen 21 based on the screen information included in the screen layout information of the transition destination, allowing the user to grasp the control result of the control-target device L1. Note that there may be only one type of screen layout information, and the interface unit 12 may change the display content of one type of operation screen based on the reference information.

[0060] Next, the control operation of the control target device L1 by the wiring device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] 6, an operation object 22B for changing the operation state of the air conditioner 61, which is the control target device L1, is displayed on the display unit 11. The operation object 22B displays a button (not shown) for changing the operation state of the air conditioner 61, as well as a numerical value indicating the current set temperature.

[0062] Here, the current operating state of the controlled device L1, a previously set temperature value, and the like, displayed in the operation object 22B are not fixed values ​​but are variable information, and therefore the wiring device 1 stores this information as reference information RF1 in the second storage unit 13B. The control unit 10 acquires information about the current set temperature of the air conditioner 61 based on the reference information RF1 related to the operating state of the air conditioner 61 stored in the second storage unit 13B, and causes the display unit 11 to display the set temperature information via the interface unit 12. In this way, the display unit 11 displays the control state of the controlled device L1 on the operation screen 21 based on the reference information RF1, and the user can understand the control state of the controlled device L1 based on the display content of the operation screen 21.

[0063] When the user operates the operation object 22B while the display unit 11 is displaying the operation screen 21 of FIG. 6 , the touch panel of the touch screen 20 detects the operation of the operation object 22B. Based on the detection result of the touch panel, the interface unit 12 outputs control information CD3 associated with the operated operation object 22B to the control unit 10. When the control information CD3 is input from the interface unit 12, the control unit 10 executes a functional module corresponding to the control information CD3. Here, if the current operating state or previous setting value of the control-target device L1 is required to execute the functional module, the control unit 10 reads reference information RF1 from the second storage unit 13B and controls the control-target device L1 based on the control information CD3 and the reference information RF1. For example, if the operation object 22B is an object for performing an operation to raise the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 by 1°C, the control unit 10 reads reference information RF1 indicating the current set temperature of the air conditioner 61 from the second storage unit 13B. The control unit 10 then controls the controlled device L1 based on the control information CD3 to increase the set temperature by 1°C and the reference information RF1 indicating the current set temperature. The execution process of the functional module by the control unit 10 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 7. Here, the functional module is, for example, program code stored in the third storage unit 13C, but the functional module may also be a part of the control unit 10.

[0064] As described above, the control unit 10 controls the control-target device L1 based on the control information CD3 input from the interface unit 12 and the reference information RF1 of the control-target device L1. The control unit 10 also updates the reference information RF1 representing the control state of the control-target device L1 and stores it in the second storage unit 13B. This allows the control unit 10 to control the control-target device L1 based on the control information CD3 and the reference information RF1.

[0065] Next, the control operation of the control target device L1 by the wiring device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0066] In the example of FIG. 7, the display unit 11 displays an operation screen 21 including operation objects 22C and 22D for changing the operating state of the air conditioner 61, which is the control-target device L1. The operation object 22C is an operation button for increasing the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 by a predetermined increment (for example, +1°C). The operation object 22D is an operation button for decreasing the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 by a predetermined decrement (for example, -1°C). The operation object 22C is associated with control information representing an operation to increase the set temperature, and the operation object 22D is associated with control information representing an operation to decrease the set temperature. In addition, the operation screen 21 also displays an object 23 indicating the current set temperature of the air conditioner 61.

[0067] Here, the operation of the wiring device 1 when the user touches the operation object 22C to increase the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 will be described.

[0068] An operation screen 21 for setting the temperature of the air conditioner 61 is displayed on the display unit 11 of the wiring device 1. Here, the interface unit 12 reads reference information related to the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 from the second storage unit 13B, and causes an object 23 indicating the current set temperature to be displayed on the operation screen 21.

[0069] When the user touches an operation object 22C displayed on the operation screen 21, the touch panel of the touch screen 20 detects the touch operation of the operation object 22C. The interface unit 12 outputs control information associated with the operation object 22C to the control unit 10 based on the detection result of the touch panel. Here, the operation object 22C is associated with control information (hereinafter referred to as first control information) representing an operation to increase the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 by 1°C, and control information (hereinafter referred to as second control information) for inverting the color of a button included in the operation object 22C for a certain period of time (e.g., several seconds). The first control information also includes device information related to the object to be controlled and operation information related to the operation. The device information is, for example, a device number assigned to the air conditioner 61 that is the object to be controlled, and the operation information is information to increase the set temperature by 1°C.

[0070] When the control unit 10 receives the two pieces of control information (first control information and second control information) from the interface unit 12, it executes each of the two pieces of control information.

[0071] The control unit 10 identifies the air conditioner 61 to be controlled based on the device information included in the first control information, calls a functional module that controls the air conditioner 61, and causes the functional module to execute control processing for the air conditioner 61. Here, the functional module that controls the air conditioner 61 executes control processing for the air conditioner 61 corresponding to the operation information included in the first control information. Here, since the operation information is information to raise the set temperature by 1°C, the functional module reads the current set temperature of the air conditioner 61 (e.g., 25°C) from the second storage unit 13B and sets the set temperature of the air conditioner 61 to a temperature obtained by raising the current set temperature by 1°C (e.g., 26°C). The functional module stores the information on the updated set temperature in the second storage unit 13B as reference information.

[0072] Here, the air conditioner 61 to be controlled is an electrical device that changes its operation in response to infrared codes received from the infrared remote control 50, and the infrared codes contain information such as the operation mode and air volume in addition to the set temperature. Here, the operation mode and air volume other than the set temperature are not changed, so the functional module obtains from the second storage unit 13B reference information related to the settings of the operation mode and air volume other than the set temperature that is required for the infrared codes that control the air conditioner 61. Then, the functional module obtains from the third storage unit 13C an infrared code that sets the temperature of the air conditioner 61 to 26°C and keeps the other settings such as the operation mode and air volume the same as they are currently.

[0073] Here, since the process of acquiring the infrared code and transferring the data to the infrared remote control 50 takes a relatively long time, the control unit 10 executes the second control information during the time from acquiring the infrared code to completing the transfer of the data to the infrared remote control 50. The control unit 10 instructs the interface unit 12 to display the color of the operation object 22C in reverse for a certain period of time. The control unit 10 also instructs the interface unit 12 to change the set temperature displayed on the object 23 to the updated set temperature based on the reference information stored in the second storage unit 13B.

[0074] At this time, the interface unit 12 changes the operation screen 21 displayed on the display unit 11 so as to invert the color of the operation object 22C and further update the set temperature displayed on the object 23.

[0075] Furthermore, when the process of obtaining the infrared code is completed, the functional module causes the communication unit 14 to transmit a signal including the obtained infrared code to the infrared remote control 50.

[0076] When infrared remote control 50 receives a signal including an infrared code from wiring device 1, it transmits the infrared code as an infrared signal. Then, air conditioner 61 to be controlled receives the infrared code and operates in the operating state indicated by the infrared code.

[0077] As a result, when the user operates the operation object 22 on the operation screen 21 of the wiring device 1, the operating state of the control-target device L1 is changed in accordance with the operated operation object 22.

[0078] Furthermore, in the wiring device 1 of the present embodiment, control information associated with the operation object 22 is added to screen layout information including screen information related to the operation screen 21. When the user operates the operation object 22, the interface unit 12 outputs the control information associated with the operation object 22 operated by the user to the control unit 10, and the control unit 10 receives the control information and controls the control target device L1. Therefore, without changing the control function (specifically, the function module) of the control unit 10 that receives the control information and controls the control target device L1, it is possible to add or change the control function for the control target device L1 by changing the screen layout information including the screen information and the control information. Therefore, it is possible to realize a wiring device 1 that can easily accommodate addition or change of the control function for the control target device L1.

[0079] While the control-target device L1 has been described as an example where the control-target device L1 is the electrical device 60, the control-target device L1 may be an electrical device such as the lighting device 31 connected to the wiring device 1, or an electrical device such as the lighting device 32 connected to the load control switch 40. Furthermore, when the operation screen displayed on the display unit 11 is changed or the operation settings of the wiring device 1 are performed based on the control information associated with the operation object 22, the control-target device L1 is the wiring device 1 itself. In other words, the control information preferably includes at least one of information related to the control of the electrical device (electrical device 60 or lighting devices 31, 32, etc.) that is the control-target device L1, information related to screen layout information to be displayed on the display unit 11, and information related to the operation settings of the wiring device 1 that is the control-target device L1. This allows the control of the control-target device L1 to be performed by controlling the electrical device (electrical device 60 or lighting devices 31, 32, etc.), changing the operation screen 21 displayed on the display unit 11, or setting the operation of the wiring device 1.

[0080] (3) Variations The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Various modifications to the above embodiment are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the wiring device 1 may be embodied in a control method for the wiring device 1, a computer program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, or the like. A control method for the wiring device 1 according to one aspect includes a display step, an operation reception step, an output step, and a control step. In the display step, an operation screen 21 based on screen information included in screen layout information to be displayed among a plurality of pieces of screen layout information is displayed on the display unit 11. The plurality of pieces of screen layout information each include screen information related to the operation screen 21 including an operation object 22 expressed as at least one of text and graphics, and control information related to control of the control-target device L1 associated with the operation object 22. In the operation reception step, an operation of the operation object 22 displayed on the operation screen 21 of the display unit 11 is accepted. In the output step, control information associated with the operation object 22 for which the operation is accepted in the operation reception step is output. In the control step, the control-target device L1 is controlled based on the control information output in the output step. A (computer) program according to one aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute a method for controlling the wiring device 1.

[0081] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0082] The entity that executes the wiring device 1 or the control method for the wiring device 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the entity that executes the wiring device 1 or the control method for the wiring device 1 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided in a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integrations (VLSIs), or ultra-large-scale integrations (ULSIs). Furthermore, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or logic devices that allow the reconfiguration of internal connections or internal circuit partitions of the LSI, can also be used as processors. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or distributed across multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0083] Furthermore, it is not essential for wiring device 1 that multiple functions are concentrated in one housing, and the components of wiring device 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of wiring device 1 may be realized by cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when a countdown timer is displayed on the operation screen 21 of the display unit 11, the interface unit 12 may output control information associated with the countdown timer to the control unit 10 at the timing when the countdown timer finishes counting. In other words, when an event such as an operation of the operation object 22 or a timer countdown occurs while the operation screen 21 is displayed on the display unit 11, the interface unit 12 may output control information associated with the event that has occurred to the control unit 10.

[0085] (summary) As described above, the wiring device (1) of the first aspect includes a first storage unit (13A), a display unit (11), an interface unit (12), and a control unit (10). The first storage unit (13A) stores a plurality of pieces of screen layout information. The plurality of pieces of screen layout information include screen information related to an operation screen (21) including operation objects (22, 22A to 22D) expressed by at least one of characters and graphics, and control information related to control of a control target device (L1) associated with the operation objects (22, 22A to 22D). The display unit (11) displays the operation screen (21) based on screen information included in the screen layout information to be displayed among the plurality of pieces of screen layout information. When the interface unit (12) receives an operation of the operation objects (22, 22A to 22D) displayed on the operation screen (21) of the display unit (11), it outputs the control information associated with the operation objects (22, 22A to 22D) to the control unit (10). The control unit (10) controls the controlled device (L1) based on control information input from the interface unit (12).

[0086] According to this aspect, the screen layout information includes screen information about the operation screen (21) including the operation object (22) and control information about control of the control-target device (L1) associated with the operation object (22). Therefore, by changing the screen layout information, it is possible to add or change the control function for the control-target device (L1) without changing the configuration of the control unit (10) that receives the control information and controls the control-target device (L1). Therefore, it is possible to realize a wiring device (1) that can easily accommodate addition or change of the control function of the control-target device (L1).

[0087] In the wiring device (1) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, when the control unit (10) controls the control target device (L1), the control unit (10) selects, from among the plurality of pieces of screen layout information, screen layout information of a transition destination corresponding to the control result of the control target device (L1). The control unit (10) causes the display unit (11) to display an operation screen (21) based on screen information included in the screen layout information of the transition destination.

[0088] According to this aspect, the control content performed on the control target device (L1) can be reflected on the operation screen (21) displayed on the display unit (11).

[0089] The wiring device (1) of the third aspect is the wiring device (1) of the first or second aspect, and includes a second storage unit (13B) that stores reference information representing a control state of the control-target device (L1). The control unit (10) controls the control-target device (L1) based on the control information input from the interface unit (12) and the reference information of the control-target device (L1), updates the reference information representing the control state of the control-target device (L1), and stores the updated reference information in the second storage unit (13B).

[0090] According to this aspect, the control unit (10) can control the control target device (L1) based on the control information and the reference information.

[0091] In the wiring device (1) of the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the display unit (11) displays the control state of the control-target device (L1) on the operation screen (21) based on the reference information.

[0092] According to this aspect, the user can understand the control state of the control target device (L1) based on the display contents of the operation screen (21).

[0093] In the wiring device (1) of the fifth aspect, in any of the first to fourth aspects, the control information includes at least one of information related to control of the electrical device (60) that is the control target device (L1), information related to screen layout information to be displayed on the display unit (11), and information related to operation settings of the wiring device (1) that is the control target device (L1).

[0094] According to this aspect, the control of the control target device (L1) can be performed by controlling the electrical device (60), changing the operation screen (21) displayed on the display unit (11), or setting the operation of the wiring device (1).

[0095] A wiring device control method according to a sixth aspect includes a display step, an operation receiving step, an output step, and a control step. In the display step, an operation screen (21) based on screen information included in screen layout information to be displayed among a plurality of pieces of screen layout information each including screen information and control information is displayed on a display unit (11). The screen information is information related to the operation screen (21) including operation objects (22, 22A to 22D) expressed by at least one of characters and graphics. The control information is information related to control of a control-target device (L1) associated with the operation objects (22, 22A to 22D). In the operation receiving step, an operation of the operation objects (22, 22A to 22D) displayed on the operation screen (21) of the display unit (11) is received. In the output step, control information associated with the operation objects (22, 22A to 22D) whose operation is received in the operation receiving step is output. In the control step, the control-target device (L1) is controlled based on the control information output in the output step.

[0096] According to this aspect, the screen layout information includes screen information about the operation screen (21) including the operation object (22) and control information about the control of the control-target device (L1) associated with the operation object (22). Therefore, by changing the screen layout information, it is possible to add or change the control function for the control-target device (L1) without changing the application software that receives the control information and realizes the control step of controlling the control-target device (L1). Therefore, it is possible to easily accommodate the addition or change of the control function of the control-target device (L1).

[0097] A program according to a seventh aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute the wiring device control method according to the sixth aspect.

[0098] According to this aspect, it is possible to easily accommodate additions and changes to the control functions of the controlled device (L1).

[0099] Not limited to the above aspects, various configurations (including modified examples) of the wiring device (1) according to the embodiment can be embodied as a control method for the wiring device (1), a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc.

[0100] The configurations according to the second to fifth aspects are not essential for the wiring device (1) and can be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Wiring equipment 10 Control Unit 11 Display section 12 Interface section 13A 1st memory section 21 Operation screen 22, 22A~22D Operation Objects 60 Electrical Equipment L1 Controlled equipment

Claims

1. a first storage unit that stores a plurality of screen layout information each including screen information relating to an operation screen including operation objects expressed by at least one of characters and graphics, and control information relating to control of a control target device associated with the operation objects; a display unit that displays an operation screen based on the screen information included in the screen layout information to be displayed among the plurality of screen layout information; An interface section, a control unit, the interface unit, upon receiving an operation of the operation object displayed on the operation screen of the display unit, outputs the control information associated with the operation object to the control unit; the control unit controls the control target device based on the control information input from the interface unit; when the control unit controls the control target device, it selects, from the plurality of pieces of screen layout information, screen layout information of a transition destination corresponding to a control result of the control target device, and causes the display unit to display the operation screen based on the screen information included in the screen layout information of the transition destination. Wiring equipment.

2. A second storage unit that stores reference information representing the control state of the control target device, the control unit controls the control-target device based on the control information input from the interface unit and the reference information of the control-target device, updates the reference information representing a control state of the control-target device, and stores the updated reference information in the second storage unit. The wiring device according to claim 1 .

3. The display unit displays the control status of the control target device on the operation screen based on the reference information. The wiring device according to claim 2 .

4. The control information information related to the control of the electrical device that is the control target device; Information related to the screen layout information to be displayed on the display unit; and The control target device includes at least one piece of information related to an operation setting of the wiring device. The wiring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A display step of displaying on a display unit an operation screen based on the screen information included in the screen layout information to be displayed, among a plurality of screen layout information each including screen information regarding an operation screen including an operation object expressed by at least one of characters and figures, and control information regarding control of a control target device associated with the operation object; an operation receiving step of receiving an operation of the operation object displayed on the operation screen of the display unit; an output step of outputting the control information associated with the operation object for which an operation has been accepted in the operation accepting step; a control step of controlling the control-target device based on the control information output in the output step, In the control step, when the control target device is controlled, screen layout information of a transition destination corresponding to a control result of the control target device is selected from the plurality of screen layout information, and the operation screen based on the screen information included in the screen layout information of the transition destination is displayed on the display unit. Methods for controlling wiring devices.

6. A computer system comprising: A method for executing the wiring device control method according to claim 5, program.

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