Communication system, communication device, server, apparatus, and communication method

Abstract

In the present invention, if a user of a Y-Company-made apparatus (6) needs to be notified, a Y-Company server (3) transmits, to the Y-Company-made apparatus (6), a communication frame indicating a notification request storing notification content, and the Y-Company-made apparatus (6) converts the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the Y-Company server (3) to a communication frame conforming to a communication protocol A, and transmits same to a gateway (4). The gateway (4) transfers the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the Y Company-made apparatus (6) to an operation terminal (8), and the operation terminal (8) displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the gateway (4).

Description

Communication system, communication device, server, equipment, and communication method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system, a communication device, a server, a device, and a communication method.

[0002] In recent years, the number of IoT (Internet of Things) devices with Internet connectivity has been increasing. Generally, such devices are communicatively connected to a server (hereinafter referred to as a "proprietary server") operated by an affiliated company of the device's manufacturer, allowing users of the device to utilize services provided by the proprietary server, such as remote monitoring, remote operation, and firmware updates. Meanwhile, the establishment of standards for so-called smart homes, such as ECHONET Lite (registered trademark) and Matter, has enabled the realization of services that enable the operation and mutual collaboration of devices regardless of manufacturer.

[0003] In light of the above situation, devices have been introduced that are configured to communicate with a proprietary server and that are compatible with the standard. However, because the system including the proprietary server and the device is separate from the system for the standard, users who use standard services at home have a problem in that they cannot easily use services provided by the compatible proprietary server for devices that have both of the above configurations.

[0004] In relation to the above-mentioned problem, for example, Patent Literature 1 describes a home device management system that controls standard-compliant devices and vendor-specific devices connected to a home network. In this home device management system, an IoT common API-compatible server stores a protocol conversion table for each vendor that is created in advance based on publicly available information or information obtained by entering into a technical contract with a corresponding vendor. When the device to be controlled is a vendor-specific device, the IoT common API-compatible server converts a common API-compatible request message into a vendor-specific command by referring to the protocol conversion table for that vendor. For example, if the common API-compatible request message is a message for controlling a device of company A, the IoT common API-compatible server converts the common API-compatible request message into a company A's proprietary command by referring to company A's protocol conversion table.

[0005] International Publication No. 2021 / 255826

[0006] However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 requires the preparation of a protocol conversion table for each vendor, and there is a problem in that it is not easy to support a large number of vendors.

[0007] Therefore, there is a demand for new technology that will enable users of standard services to easily use services provided by proprietary servers from various manufacturers.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a communication system, communication device, server, equipment, and communication method that enables even users who use standard services to easily use services provided by proprietary servers from various manufacturers.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a communication system according to the present disclosure comprises a communication device, a server, a device, and an operation terminal, wherein the communication device comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a first communication protocol with the device and the operation terminal via a home network established within the home, the server comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a second communication protocol with the device via a wide area network, the device comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to the first communication protocol with the communication device via the home network and for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to the second communication protocol with the server via the wide area network, the operation terminal comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to the first communication protocol with the communication device via the home network, when a notification to a user of the device is required, the server transmits to the device a communication frame indicating a notification request in which notification content is stored, and the device converts the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the server into a communication frame conforming to the first communication protocol and transmits the converted communication frame to the communication device, The communication device transfers the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the device to the operation terminal, and the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the communication device.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, even users who use standard services can easily use services provided by proprietary servers from various manufacturers.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a communication system in an embodiment; 2 is a diagram showing the operators of the X company server and the Y company server, the manufacturers of the gateway, the X company device, the Y company device, the Z company device, and the operation terminal (device operation application) in this embodiment; 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the X company server in this embodiment; 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the Y company server in this embodiment; 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the gateway in this embodiment; 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the X company device in this embodiment; 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the X company's server in this embodiment; 2 is a diagram showing an example of the format of user information in this embodiment; 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the Y company's server in this embodiment; 4 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the device information table in this embodiment; 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the gateway in this embodiment; 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the Y company's device in this embodiment; 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the operation terminal in this embodiment; 8 is a diagram showing an example of a use location setting reception screen in this embodiment; 9 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen in this embodiment; 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of notification processing in this embodiment; 11 is a diagram showing an example of a format of a communication frame unique to Y company in this embodiment; 12 is a diagram showing an example of a format of a standard communication frame in this embodiment;

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system 1 is an example of a communication system according to the present disclosure. The communication system 1 is a system that provides users with services that comply with standards for IoT devices, as well as services based on functions not supported by the standards. The communication system 1 includes a company X server 2, a company Y server 3, a gateway 4 installed in a residence H, a company X device 5, a company Y device 6, a company Z device 7, and an operation terminal 8 used by the user of the residence H.

[0014] <Hardware Configuration of Company X's Server 2> Company X's server 2 is an example of a relay server according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2 , Company X's server 2 is a computer operated by Company X and connected to a network N1, which is a wide area network such as the Internet. As shown in FIG. 3 , Company X's server 2 includes, as its hardware configuration, a communication interface 20, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random-Access Memory) 23, and an auxiliary storage device 24. These components are interconnected via a bus 25. The communication interface 20 is hardware for communicating with the gateway 4, the operation terminal 8, etc. via the network N1. The CPU 21 is a processor that provides overall control of Company X's server 2.

[0015] The ROM 22 is a storage device that stores non-rewritable programs such as a basic input / output system (BIOS). The RAM 23 is a storage device used as a work area for the CPU 21. The auxiliary storage device 24 is a storage device configured with a readable / writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. Examples of the readable / writable non-volatile semiconductor memory include an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 24 stores a relay program, which is a program for relaying the exchange of communication frames between the gateway 4 and the operation terminal 8, and data used when the relay program is executed.

[0016] The Company X server 2 can acquire the relay program or an update program for updating the relay program via communication from other servers, terminals, etc. (not shown). These programs can also be stored and distributed on computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), magneto-optical disks, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, HDDs, SSDs (Solid-State Drives), and memory cards. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the Company X server 2, the Company X server 2 can read the relay program or update program from the recording medium and install it on itself.

[0017] <Hardware Configuration of Company Y's Server 3> Company Y's server 3 is an example of a server according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, Company Y's server 3 is a computer operated by Company Y and connected to network N1. As shown in FIG. 4, Company Y's server 3 includes, as its hardware configuration, a communication interface 30, a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, and an auxiliary storage device 34. These components are interconnected via a bus 35. The communication interface 30 is hardware for communicating with devices such as Company Y's device 6 via network N1. The CPU 31 is a processor that performs overall control of Company Y's server 3.

[0018] The ROM 32 is a storage device that stores programs that do not need to be rewritten, such as the BIOS. The RAM 33 is a storage device used as a work area for the CPU 31. The auxiliary storage device 34 is an example of a storage device according to the present disclosure, and is a storage device configured with a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, an HDD, etc. Examples of the readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory include an EPROM, an EEPROM, and a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 34 stores a device service program, which is a program for providing services such as firmware updates for devices manufactured by Company Y, such as the device 6 manufactured by Company Y, to users of the devices, and data used when the device service program is executed.

[0019] Company Y's server 3 can acquire the device service program or an update program for updating the device service program via communication from other servers, terminals, etc. (not shown). These programs can also be stored and distributed on computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical magnetic disks, USB memory, HDDs, SSDs, and memory cards. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to Company Y's server 3, Company Y's server 3 can read the device service program or update program from the recording medium and install it on its own system.

[0020] <Hardware Configuration of Gateway 4> The gateway 4 is an example of a communication device according to the present disclosure and is a device manufactured by Company X as shown in Fig. 2. The gateway 4 is a communication device that complies with standards for so-called smart homes, such as ECHONET Lite (registered trademark) and Matter, and communicates with each device (in this embodiment, a device 5 manufactured by Company X, a device 6 manufactured by Company Y, and a device 7 manufactured by Company Z) that are installed in the home H and that comply with the standards, and with an operation terminal 8 (if a user owns the operation terminal 8 in the home H) via a network N2, which is an in-home network established in the home H. The gateway 4 also communicates with the company X server 2 via a network N1.

[0021] 5 , the gateway 4 has, as its hardware configuration, a communication interface 40, a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, and an auxiliary storage device 44. These components are interconnected via a bus 45. The communication interface 40 is hardware for communicating with devices such as the X company server 2 via a network N1, and with each device in the house H (i.e., the X company device 5, the Y company device 6, and the Z company device 7) and the operation terminal 8 via a network N2. The CPU 41 is a processor that performs overall control of the gateway 4.

[0022] The ROM 42 is a storage device that stores programs that do not need to be rewritten, such as the BIOS. The RAM 43 is a storage device used as a work area for the CPU 41. The auxiliary storage device 44 is a storage device that includes a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a HDD, etc. Examples of the readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory include an EPROM, an EEPROM, and a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 44 stores a communication program, which is a program that includes a program for performing communication in accordance with the above-mentioned standard and a program for communicating with the X company server 2, and data that is used when the communication program is executed.

[0023] The gateway 4 can acquire the communication program or an update program for updating the communication program via communication from the X company server 2, other servers (not shown), terminals, etc. Furthermore, these programs can also be stored and distributed on computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical magnetic disks, USB memories, HDDs, SSDs, memory cards, etc. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the gateway 4, the gateway 4 can read the communication program or update program from the recording medium and install it on itself.

[0024] <Hardware Configuration of Company X Device 5> The Company X device 5 is a device manufactured by Company X (see FIG. 2 ) and complies with the aforementioned standard. The Company X device 5 is, for example, a home appliance known as an IoT device, an information appliance, an internet appliance, or a smart appliance, such as an air conditioner, a television, or a water heater. As shown in FIG. 6 , the Company X device 5 includes a communication interface 50, a control circuit 51, and a main unit 52. The communication interface 50 is hardware for communicating with devices such as the gateway 4 via the network N2. The control circuit 51 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, an auxiliary storage device, etc. (none of which are shown), and performs overall control of the Company X device 5.

[0025] The main unit 52 is a component for realizing the original functions of the device 5 manufactured by Company X. For example, if the device 5 manufactured by Company X is the indoor unit of an air conditioner, the main unit 52 includes, for example, actuators such as a fan and a solenoid valve, a heat exchanger, and sensors such as a temperature sensor, a thermal image sensor, and a refrigerant temperature sensor. Furthermore, if the device 5 manufactured by Company X is a television, the main unit 52 includes, for example, a TV tuner, a liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence (EL) display, and a speaker.

[0026] <Hardware Configuration of the Company Y Device 6> The Company Y device 6 is an example of a device related to the present disclosure. The Company Y device 6 is a device manufactured by Company Y (see FIG. 2) and complies with the aforementioned standard. The Company Y device 6 is, for example, a home appliance known as an IoT device, an information appliance, an internet appliance, or a smart appliance, such as an air conditioner, a television, or a water heater. As shown in FIG. 7 , the Company Y device 6 includes a communication interface 60, a control circuit 61, and a main unit 62. The communication interface 60 is hardware for communicating with devices such as the Company Y server 3 via network N1 and with devices such as the gateway 4 via network N2. The control circuit 61 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, an auxiliary storage device, etc. (none of which are shown), and performs overall control of the Company Y device 6.

[0027] The main unit 62 is a component for realizing the original functions of the device 6 manufactured by company Y. For example, if the device 6 manufactured by company Y is the indoor unit of an air conditioner, the main unit 62 includes, for example, actuators such as a fan and a solenoid valve, a heat exchanger, and sensors such as a temperature sensor, a thermal image sensor, and a refrigerant temperature sensor. Furthermore, if the device 6 manufactured by company Y is a television, the main unit 62 includes, for example, a TV tuner, a liquid crystal or organic EL display, and a speaker.

[0028] <Hardware Configuration of the Company Z Device 7> The Company Z device 7 is a device manufactured by Company Z (see FIG. 2) and complies with the aforementioned standard. The Company Z device 7 is, for example, a home appliance known as an IoT device, an information appliance, an internet appliance, or a smart appliance, such as an air conditioner, a television, or a water heater. As shown in FIG. 8, the Company Z device 7 includes a communication interface 70, a control circuit 71, and a main unit 72. The communication interface 70 is hardware for communicating with devices such as the gateway 4 via the network N2. The control circuit 71 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, an auxiliary storage device, etc. (none of which are shown), and performs overall control of the Company Z device 7.

[0029] The main unit 72 is a component for realizing the original functions of the device 7 manufactured by company Z. For example, if the device 7 manufactured by company Z is the indoor unit of an air conditioner, the main unit 72 includes, for example, actuators such as a fan and a solenoid valve, a heat exchanger, and sensors such as a temperature sensor, a thermal image sensor, and a refrigerant temperature sensor. Furthermore, if the device 7 manufactured by company Z is a television, the main unit 72 includes, for example, a TV tuner, a liquid crystal or organic EL display, and a speaker.

[0030] <Hardware Configuration of Operation Terminal 8> The operation terminal 8 is an example of an operation terminal according to the present disclosure. The operation terminal 8 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal that is owned and used by a user who is a resident of the house H. As shown in Fig. 9 , the operation terminal 8 includes a display 80, an operation reception unit 81, a communication interface 82, a CPU 83, a ROM 84, a RAM 85, and an auxiliary storage device 86. These components are connected to each other via a bus 87.

[0031] The display 80 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Under the control of the CPU 83, the display 80 displays various screens and the like in response to user operations. The operation reception unit 81 includes one or more input devices such as push buttons, a touch panel, or a touch pad, and receives operation input from the user and outputs a signal related to the received operation to the CPU 83. The communication interface 82 is hardware for communicating with devices such as the X Company server via the network N1 and with devices such as the gateway 4 via the network N2. The CPU 83 is a processor that performs overall control of the operation terminal 8. The ROM 84 is a storage device that stores programs that do not need to be rewritten, such as the BIOS. The RAM 85 is a storage device used as a work area for the CPU 83.

[0032] The auxiliary storage device 86 is composed of a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Examples of the readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory include an EPROM, an EEPROM, and a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 86 stores various programs, including a device operation app, which is an application program for receiving device operation services based on the aforementioned standard, and data used when these programs are executed. The device operation app is manufactured by Company X, as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0033] The operation terminal 8 can acquire the device operation app or an update program for updating the device operation app via communication from the X company server 2, other servers or terminals (not shown), etc., and store the program in the auxiliary storage device 86. These programs can also be stored and distributed on computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical magnetic disks, USB memories, HDDs, SSDs, and memory cards. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the operation terminal 8, the operation terminal 8 can read the device operation app or update program from the recording medium and store it in the auxiliary storage device 86.

[0034] <Communication Protocol of Communication System 1> Next, a description will be given of the communication protocol used in the communication system 1 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10 , communication between the gateway 4 and each device in the house H (device 5 manufactured by company X, device 6 manufactured by company Y, and device 7 manufactured by company Z) and the operation terminal 8 is performed in accordance with communication protocol A. Communication protocol A is a communication frame format that complies with the above-mentioned standard, and is an example of each of the first communication protocol and the fifth communication protocol according to the present disclosure.

[0035] Furthermore, communication between Company X's server 2 and the gateway 4 is performed in accordance with communication protocol B. Communication protocol B is a communication frame format unique to Company X and is an example of the third communication protocol and the sixth communication protocol according to the present disclosure. Furthermore, communication between Company X's server 2 and the operation terminal 8 is performed in accordance with communication protocol C. Communication protocol C is a communication frame format unique to Company X and is an example of the fourth communication protocol according to the present disclosure.

[0036] Furthermore, communication between the Y company server 3 and the Y company device 6 is performed in accordance with communication protocol D. Communication protocol D is a communication frame format unique to Y company, and is an example of a second communication protocol according to the present disclosure.

[0037] <Functional Configuration of Company X's Server 2> As shown in Fig. 11, Company X's server 2 functionally comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 200, a terminal communication processing unit 201, and a gateway communication processing unit 202. These functional units are realized by the CPU 21 of Company X's server 2 executing the above-mentioned relay program stored in the auxiliary storage device 24. The communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 200 is an example of a communication frame transmitting / receiving means provided in the relay server according to the present disclosure. The communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 200 transmits and receives communication frames to and from the gateway 4 and the operation terminal 8.

[0038] The terminal communication processing unit 201 analyzes the contents of a communication frame received from the operation terminal 8 based on the communication protocol C, performs processing based on the analyzed contents, and also performs processing such as generating a communication frame addressed to the operation terminal 8 in accordance with the communication protocol C. For example, when a communication frame indicating a user registration request is received from the operation terminal 8, the terminal communication processing unit 201 generates user information based on the user registration information included in the communication frame and stores the generated user information in the user information table 240. The user information table 240 is a data table in which user information for each user is stored, and is stored in the auxiliary storage device 24. As shown in FIG. 12 , the user information is composed of fields such as a "user ID (identifier)," "password," "terminal identification information," "gateway identification information," and "in-home device information."

[0039] The "User ID" and "Password" fields store information for authenticating users who use the device operation app. The "User ID" field stores information that uniquely identifies registered users, such as email addresses and telephone numbers. The "Password" field stores passwords consisting of a combination of alphanumeric characters, symbols, etc. Passwords are set arbitrarily by users according to certain rules (minimum number of characters, combination conditions, etc.). However, a password cannot be the same as that of another user.

[0040] The "terminal identification information" field stores identification information of the operating terminal 8, for example, an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier). The "gateway identification information" field stores identification information of the gateway 4, for example, a serial number. The "home device information" field stores information about one or more devices that are installed in the house H and communicatively connected to the gateway 4. In detail, the "home device information" field is made up of one or more "device" fields, and each "device" field is made up of a "device identification information" and a "model information" field. The "device identification information" field stores identification information of each device, for example, a serial number. The "model information" field stores information indicating the model of the device, for example, information indicating the model name of an air conditioner, television, etc.

[0041] The user registration information notified from the operation terminal 8 includes the user ID, password, identification information of the operation terminal 8, and identification information of the gateway 4, but does not include information about the in-home devices that are connected to and communicate with the gateway 4. For this reason, the initial user information stored in the user information table 240 by the terminal communication processing unit 201 does not include any significant information in the "in-home device information" field.

[0042] As will be described in more detail below, the "home device information" field stores information about each device that is connected to the gateway 4 for communication. When information is stored in the "home device information" field, the terminal communication processing unit 201 generates a communication frame in accordance with communication protocol C that indicates notification of information about the home device. The communication frame generated here includes a command indicating that the notification is about information about the home device, as well as identification information and model information about the device that is connected to the gateway 4 for communication. The terminal communication processing unit 201 transmits the generated communication frame to the operation terminal 8 corresponding to the user via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 200.

[0043] Furthermore, when the terminal communication processing unit 201 receives a communication frame indicating a notification response that is a response to a notification request from the operation terminal 8, it requests the gateway communication processing unit 202 to generate a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 based on the communication frame. Furthermore, when the terminal communication processing unit 201 is requested by the gateway communication processing unit 202 to generate a communication frame addressed to the operation terminal 8 based on the communication frame received from the gateway 4, it generates a communication frame addressed to the operation terminal 8 by converting the received communication frame into a communication frame that complies with communication protocol C. The communication frame generated here includes a command with the same content as the command stored in the original (before conversion) communication frame, identification information of the target device, notification content, etc.

[0044] When the original communication frame indicates a notification request for the standard, the notification content may be either converted from the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame in accordance with communication protocol C and used, or not converted (i.e., the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame is used as is). The terminal communication processing unit 201 determines whether or not to convert the data based on the content of the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame.

[0045] On the other hand, if the original communication frame indicates a notification request that is not compliant with the standard, i.e., a notification request for a non-standard specification, the terminal communication processing unit 201 reuses the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame as is without converting it. The terminal communication processing unit 201 transmits the communication frame addressed to the operation terminal 8, generated as described above, to the operation terminal 8 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 200.

[0046] The gateway communication processing unit 202 analyzes the contents of a communication frame received from the gateway 4 based on communication protocol B, performs processing based on the analyzed contents, and also performs processing such as generating a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 in accordance with communication protocol B. For example, when a communication frame indicating a notification of information about a connected device (hereinafter referred to as a "connected device notification") is received from the gateway 4, the gateway communication processing unit 202 updates the user information of the user registered in the user information table 240 based on the device information included in the communication frame. The device information includes identification information and model information of the device connected to the gateway 4 for communication, and the gateway communication processing unit 202 stores the device information in the "in-home device information" field of the user information corresponding to the user.

[0047] Furthermore, when the gateway communication processing unit 202 receives a communication frame indicating a notification request from the gateway 4, it requests the terminal communication processing unit 201 to generate a communication frame addressed to the operation terminal 8 based on the communication frame. At that time, the gateway communication processing unit 202 also notifies the terminal communication processing unit 201 of information indicating whether the notification is for the standard or non-standard.

[0048] Furthermore, when the gateway communication processing unit 202 is requested by the terminal communication processing unit 201 to generate a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 based on a communication frame received from the operation terminal 8, the gateway communication processing unit 202 generates a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 by converting the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol B. The gateway communication processing unit 202 transmits the generated communication frame to the gateway 4 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 200.

[0049] <Functional Configuration of Company Y's Server 3> As shown in Fig. 13, the Company Y's server 3 functionally comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 300, a device information management unit 301, and a service providing unit 302. These functional units are realized by the CPU 31 of the Company Y's server 3 executing the above-mentioned device service program stored in the auxiliary storage device 34. The communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 300 is an example of a communication frame transmitting / receiving means provided in a server according to the present disclosure. The communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 300 transmits and receives communication frames to and from devices manufactured by Company Y, such as the Company Y's device 6.

[0050] The device information management unit 301 manages information about devices to which services are provided by the Y company server 3. For example, when a communication frame indicating startup is received from the Y company device 6, the device information management unit 301 stores the information included in the communication frame in the device information table 340. The device information table 340 is a data table that stores information about devices to which services are provided, and is stored in the auxiliary storage device 34. As shown in FIG. 14 , the device information table 340 stores device identification information, model information, firmware version, and gateway identification information in association with each other.

[0051] The device identification information is identification information of the device, for example, the serial number. The model information is information indicating the model of the device, for example, information indicating the model name of an air conditioner, television, etc. The firmware version is the current firmware version of the device. The gateway identification information is identification information of a standard-compliant gateway (here, gateway 4) to which the device is connected for communication, for example, the serial number. When a communication frame indicating startup is received from device 6 manufactured by Y, the device information management unit 301 extracts the device identification information, model information, and firmware version from the communication frame, and stores the extracted information in the device information table 340 while linking them together.

[0052] Furthermore, when the device information management unit 301 receives a communication frame indicating that a device 6 manufactured by Company Y has connected to the gateway 4, it extracts the identification information of the gateway 4 from the communication frame, and stores the extracted identification information as gateway identification information in the device information table 340, linking it to the previously stored set of device identification information, model information, and firmware version.

[0053] A user who owns a terminal on which a device operation app for Company Y's products (i.e., a Company Y's application program that enables operation of Company Y's devices) is installed can perform user registration operations via the terminal. When the user registration operation is performed, a communication frame indicating a user registration request is sent from the terminal to Company Y's server 3. The communication frame includes identification information for the Company Y's device (e.g., Company Y's device 6) and identification information for the terminal. When Company Y's server 3 receives the communication frame, it associates the identification information for the Company Y's device with the identification information for the terminal and stores them in the device information table 340.

[0054] The service providing unit 302 provides various services (for example, a firmware update service) as needed to the target devices for service provision stored in the device information table 340. For example, when a firmware update is required for a device 6 manufactured by company Y, the service providing unit 302 first notifies the user of the device 6 manufactured by company Y. Then, when a response indicating OK is received from the user, the service providing unit 302 implements the firmware update service for the device 6 manufactured by company Y.

[0055] <Functional Configuration of Gateway 4> As shown in Fig. 15, the gateway 4 functionally comprises a communication frame transceiver 400, a home appliance communication processor 401, and a server communication processor 402. These functional units are realized by the CPU 41 of the gateway 4 executing the above-mentioned communication program stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. The communication frame transceiver 400 is an example of a communication frame transceiver provided in a communication device according to the present disclosure. The communication frame transceiver 400 transmits and receives communication frames to and from the X company server 2, each device in the house H (i.e., the X company appliance 5, the Y company appliance 6, and the Z company appliance 7), and the operation terminal 8 (if a user owns the operation terminal 8 in the house H).

[0056] The home appliance communication processing unit 401 performs processing related to communication with each home appliance and the operation terminal 8 via the network N2. For example, the home appliance communication processing unit 401 analyzes the contents of a communication frame received from the home appliance or the operation terminal 8 based on communication protocol A, and performs processing based on the analyzed contents. For example, when a communication frame indicating a connection request is received from the home appliance or the operation terminal 8, the home appliance communication processing unit 401 establishes a communication connection with the appliance or the operation terminal 8 and assigns an address for communication via the network N2 to the appliance or the operation terminal 8. The home appliance communication processing unit 401 also requests the server communication processing unit 402 to generate a communication frame addressed to the X company's server 2 indicating a connected appliance notification.

[0057] Furthermore, when the home appliance communication processing unit 401 receives a communication frame indicating a notification request from an appliance in the home, it transfers the received communication frame to the operation terminal 8 via the communication frame transceiver unit 400. However, if the user who owns the operation terminal 8 is not in the house H, for example, when they are out, that is, if they cannot communicate with the operation terminal 8 via the network N2, the home appliance communication processing unit 401 requests the server communication processing unit 402 to generate a communication frame addressed to the X company server 2 based on the communication frame. Furthermore, when the home appliance communication processing unit 401 receives a communication frame indicating a notification response from the operation terminal 8, it transfers the received communication frame to the corresponding appliance via the communication frame transceiver unit 400.

[0058] Furthermore, when the home appliance communication processing unit 401 is requested by the server communication processing unit 402 to generate a communication frame addressed to a corresponding home appliance based on a communication frame received from the X company server 2, the home appliance communication processing unit 401 generates a communication frame addressed to the appliance by converting the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A. The home appliance communication processing unit 401 transmits the generated communication frame to the appliance via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 400.

[0059] The server communication processing unit 402 performs processing related to communication with the X company's server 2 via the network N1. For example, when the server communication processing unit 402 is requested by the home device communication processing unit 401 to generate a communication frame addressed to the X company's server 2 indicating a connected device notification, the server communication processing unit 402 generates a communication frame indicating a connected device notification in accordance with communication protocol B, the communication frame storing device information extracted from the original communication frame (i.e., the communication frame indicating a connection request received from the device). The device information includes identification information and model information of the device. The server communication processing unit 402 transmits the generated communication frame indicating a connected device notification to the X company's server 2 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 400.

[0060] Furthermore, when the server communication processing unit 402 is requested by the home device communication processing unit 401 to generate a communication frame addressed to the X company server 2 based on a communication frame received from a home device, the server communication processing unit 402 generates a communication frame addressed to the X company server 2 by converting the received communication frame into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol B. The communication frame generated here includes a command with the same content as the command stored in the original (before conversion) communication frame, identification information of the target device, notification content, etc.

[0061] When the original communication frame indicates a notification request for the standard, the notification content may be either converted from the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame in accordance with communication protocol B, or not converted (i.e., the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame is used as is). The server communication processing unit 402 determines whether or not to convert the data based on the content of the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame.

[0062] On the other hand, if the original communication frame is a notification request for a non-standard specification, the server communication processing unit 402 reuses the data stored in the "data" section of the original communication frame without converting it. The server communication processing unit 402 transmits the communication frame addressed to the X company's server 2 generated as described above to the X company's server 2 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 400.

[0063] Furthermore, when the server communication processing unit 402 receives a communication frame indicating a notification response from the X company server 2, it requests the home appliance communication processing unit 401 to generate a communication frame addressed to the corresponding home appliance based on the communication frame.

[0064] 16, the device 6 manufactured by company Y functionally comprises a communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 600, a server communication processing unit 601, a gateway communication processing unit 602, and a non-standard function execution unit 603. These functional units are realized by the CPU provided in the control circuit 61 of the device 6 manufactured by company Y executing firmware stored in the auxiliary storage device. In addition to these, the device 6 manufactured by company Y also comprises general functions according to the model of the device 6 manufactured by company Y, but a description of these general functions will be omitted.

[0065] The communication frame transceiver 600 is an example of a communication frame transceiver provided in a device according to the present disclosure. The communication frame transceiver 600 transmits and receives communication frames to and from the Y company server 3 and the gateway 4. The server communication processing unit 601 performs processing related to communication with the Y company server 3 via the network N1. For example, when the Y company device 6 starts up, the server communication processing unit 601 generates a communication frame conforming to communication protocol D indicating that the Y company device 6 has started up. The communication frame generated here includes identification information, model information, firmware version, etc. of the Y company device 6. The server communication processing unit 601 transmits the generated communication frame to the Y company server 3 via the communication frame transceiver 600.

[0066] Furthermore, when the device 6 manufactured by Company Y is connected to the gateway 4 for communication, the server communication processing unit 601 generates a communication frame in accordance with communication protocol D indicating this. The communication frame includes identification information of the gateway 4. The server communication processing unit 601 transmits the generated communication frame to the server 3 manufactured by Company Y via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 600.

[0067] Furthermore, the server communication processing unit 601 analyzes the contents of the communication frame received from the Y company server 3 based on communication protocol D and performs processing based on the analyzed contents. For example, when the server communication processing unit 601 receives a communication frame indicating a notification request from the Y company server 3, it requests the gateway communication processing unit 602 to generate a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 based on the communication frame.

[0068] Furthermore, when the server communication processing unit 601 receives a service from the Y company server 3 (for example, when it receives firmware for updating), it notifies the non-standard function execution unit 603 to that effect.

[0069] Furthermore, when the server communication processing unit 601 is requested by the gateway communication processing unit 602 to generate a communication frame addressed to the Y company server 3 based on the communication frame received from the gateway 4, the server communication processing unit 601 generates the communication frame addressed to the Y company server 3 by converting the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol D. The server communication processing unit 601 transmits the generated communication frame to the Y company server 3 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 600.

[0070] The gateway communication processing unit 602 performs processing related to communication with the gateway 4 via the network N2. For example, when the device 6 manufactured by company Y starts up, the gateway communication processing unit 602 generates a communication frame indicating a connection request in accordance with communication protocol A. The communication frame generated here includes device information (identification information and model information) of the device 6 manufactured by company Y. The gateway communication processing unit 602 transmits the generated communication frame to the gateway 4 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 600.

[0071] Furthermore, when the gateway communication processing unit 602 is requested by the server communication processing unit 601 to generate a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 based on a communication frame received from the Y company server 3, the gateway communication processing unit 602 generates a communication frame addressed to the gateway 4 by converting the received communication frame into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A. The communication frame generated here includes a command indicating a non-standard notification request, identification information for the Y company device 6, notification content, etc. In this case, the gateway communication processing unit 602 reuses the data stored in the "data" section of the communication frame received from the Y company server 3 (i.e., the communication frame conforming to communication protocol D) as the notification content.

[0072] Furthermore, the gateway communication processing unit 602 analyzes the contents of the communication frame received from the gateway 4 based on communication protocol A and performs processing based on the analyzed contents. For example, when a communication frame indicating a notification response is received from the gateway 4, the gateway communication processing unit 602 requests the server communication processing unit 601 to generate a communication frame addressed to the Y company server 3 based on the communication frame.

[0073] The non-standard function execution unit 603 executes a non-standard function that is a function corresponding to a service provided by the Y company server 3. For example, the non-standard function execution unit 603 downloads update firmware from the Y company server 3 and updates the firmware of the Y company device 6 to the downloaded firmware.

[0074] <Functional Configuration of Company X Device 5 and Company Z Device 7> Company X device 5 and Company Z device 7 have a function for transmitting and receiving communication frames in accordance with communication protocol A with the gateway 4. The company X device 5 may further have a function for transmitting and receiving communication frames in accordance with communication protocol B with the company X server 2, and a function for executing services for the company X devices provided by the company X server 2. The company Z device 7 may further have a function for transmitting and receiving communication frames in accordance with communication protocol E with a server (not shown) operated by company Z, and a function for executing services for the company Z devices provided by the server. Communication protocol E is a communication frame format unique to company Z.

[0075] 17 , the operation terminal 8 functionally includes a communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 800, a server communication processing unit 801, a use location setting accepting unit 802, a gateway communication processing unit 803, and a notification display unit 804. These functional units are realized by the CPU 83 of the operation terminal 8 executing the above-mentioned device operation application stored in the auxiliary storage device 86.

[0076] The communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 800 is an example of a communication frame transmitting / receiving means provided in the operation terminal according to the present disclosure. The communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 800 transmits and receives communication frames to and from each of the X company server 2 and the gateway 4. The server communication processing unit 801 performs processing related to communication with the X company server 2 via the network N1. For example, when a user performs an operation related to user registration, the server communication processing unit 801 generates a communication frame conforming to communication protocol C indicating a user registration request. The communication frame generated here includes the user registration information and the like described above. The server communication processing unit 801 transmits the generated communication frame to the X company server 2 via the communication frame transmitting / receiving unit 800.

[0077] Furthermore, the server communication processing unit 801 analyzes the content of the communication frame received from the X company server 2 based on the communication protocol C, and performs processing based on the analyzed content. For example, if the communication frame received from the X company server 2 indicates a notification of information about a home device, the server communication processing unit 801 requests the use location setting reception unit 802 to set the use location.

[0078] Furthermore, if the communication frame received from the X company server 2 indicates a notification request, the server communication processing unit 801 requests the notification display unit 804 to display the notification content included in the communication frame received from the X company server 2.

[0079] Furthermore, when the user performs a response operation ("OK" or "Cancel") after the notification content is displayed by the notification display unit 804, the server communication processing unit 801 generates a communication frame indicating the notification response in accordance with communication protocol C. The "data" portion of this communication frame stores the response content, i.e., information indicating OK or Cancel. The server communication processing unit 801 transmits the generated communication frame to the X company server 2 via the communication frame transmission / reception unit 800.

[0080] When the server communication processing unit 801 requests the user to set a use location, the use location setting accepting unit 802 accepts the setting of the location where the device in the home will be used (i.e., the installation location) from the user. Specifically, the use location setting accepting unit 802 displays a use location setting accepting screen, such as that shown in FIG. 18 , on the display 80 based on the identification information and model information of the device in the user's home stored in the "data" section of the communication frame received from the X company server 2. The use location setting accepting screen displays, for each device, the model name (i.e., model information), serial number (i.e., identification information), and location input field in association with each other. The user sets the use location of each device by operating the operation accepting unit 81 of the operation terminal 8 and inputting the location where the device is installed (e.g., living room, bedroom, child's room, etc.) into the location input field.

[0081] When the user sets the use location of each device and presses the OK button, the use location setting acceptance unit 802 stores information linking the device identification information, model information, and use location of each device in a use location information table 860. The use location information table 860 is a data table stored in the auxiliary storage device 86. The information stored in the use location information table 860 is used when displaying notification content or when accepting device operations from the user.

[0082] The gateway communication processing unit 803 performs processing related to communication with the gateway 4 via the network N2. For example, the gateway communication processing unit 803 analyzes the contents of a communication frame received from the gateway 4 based on communication protocol A and performs processing based on the analyzed contents. In detail, when the communication frame received from the gateway 4 indicates a notification request, the gateway communication processing unit 803 requests the notification display unit 804 to display the notification contents included in the communication frame received from the gateway 4.

[0083] Furthermore, when the user performs an "OK" or "Cancel" operation after the notification content is displayed by the notification display unit 804, the gateway communication processing unit 803 generates a communication frame indicating a notification response in accordance with communication protocol A. Information indicating OK or Cancel is stored in the "data" portion of this communication frame. The gateway communication processing unit 803 transmits the generated communication frame to the gateway 4 via the communication frame transmission / reception unit 800.

[0084] When the notification display unit 804 is requested by the server communication processing unit 801 or the gateway communication processing unit 803 to display the notification content included in the communication frame received from the X company server 2 or the gateway 4, the notification display unit 804 displays the notification content included in the communication frame. Specifically, the notification display unit 804 generates a notification screen as shown in Fig. 19 based on the identification information of the target device and the notification content (i.e., the data stored in the "data" section) included in the communication frame, and displays the generated notification screen on the display 80.

[0085] The notification screen consists of a "title," "body," and "operation buttons." The content and arrangement of the "title," and the type and arrangement of the "operation buttons" are the same regardless of whether the notification request is for a standard or non-standard. If the notification request is for a non-standard, all of the message in the "body" except for the part indicating the location of use ("in the bedroom" in the example of Figure 19) matches the data (text message) stored in the "data" section of the received communication frame. The part indicating the location of use is generated by the notification display unit 804 based on the identification information of the target device and the usage location information table 860. If the notification request is for a standard, the data stored in the "data" section of the communication frame is displayed in the "body" based on the specifications of the standard.

[0086] <Operation of the communication system 1 when the company Y device 6 is started up> Next, the operation of the communication system 1 when the company Y device 6 is started up will be described. When the company Y device 6 is started up, it connects to the company Y server 3 for communication and transmits a communication frame indicating that it has started up to the company Y server 3. This communication frame includes the identification information, model information, and firmware version of the company Y device 6. The company Y device 6 also transmits a communication frame indicating a connection request that includes its own identification information to the gateway 4. When the company Y device 6 is connected to the gateway 4 for communication, it transmits a communication frame indicating this to the company Y server 3. This communication frame includes the identification information of the gateway 4.

[0087] When the Y company server 3 receives a communication frame from the Y company device 6 indicating that it has started up, it extracts the identification information, model information, and firmware version of the Y company device 6 contained in the communication frame, associates this information, and stores it in the device information table 340. Furthermore, when the Y company server 3 receives a communication frame from the Y company device 6 indicating that it has connected to the gateway 4 for communication, it extracts the identification information of the gateway 4 contained in the communication frame, associates this information with the information corresponding to the Y company device 6 stored in the device information table 340 (i.e., a set of device identification information, model information, and firmware version), and stores it in the device information table 340.

[0088] When the gateway 4 receives a communication frame indicating a connection request from the Y company device 6, it transmits a communication frame indicating a connected device notification that includes its own identification information and the identification information of the Y company device 6 to the X company server 2. When the X company server 2 receives the communication frame indicating a connected device notification from the gateway 4, it updates the "home device information" field (see FIG. 12 ) in the user information corresponding to the gateway 4, stored in the user information table 240, based on the information included in the received communication frame. In addition, the gateway 4 transmits a communication frame indicating a notification of information related to the home device to the operation terminal 8.

[0089] 20 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the notification process executed by the communication system 1 when the Y company server 3 provides a service corresponding to a non-standard function to the Y company device 6. Note that the notification process below will be described taking as an example a case where the Y company server 3 provides a firmware update service to the Y company device 6.

[0090] (Step S100) The company Y server 3 determines whether the company Y device 6 is communicatively connected to a standard-compliant gateway. Specifically, if gateway identification information corresponding to the company Y device 6 is stored in the device information table 340, the company Y server 3 determines that the company Y device 6 is communicatively connected to a standard-compliant gateway, and if gateway identification information corresponding to the company Y device 6 is not stored in the device information table 340, the company Y server 3 determines that the company Y device 6 is not communicatively connected to a standard-compliant gateway. If the company Y device 6 is communicatively connected to a standard-compliant gateway (step S100; YES), the notification process proceeds to step S101. If the company Y device 6 is not communicatively connected to a standard-compliant gateway (step S100; NO), the notification process ends.

[0091] (Step S101) Company Y's server 3 generates a communication frame in a format unique to Company Y (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol D) that stores the content of the notification to the user. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the format of a communication frame conforming to communication protocol D. This communication frame is used above communication protocols such as TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol), and as shown in FIG. 21, is composed of a "header" section 1000, a "source identifier" section 1001, a "destination identifier" section 1002, a "data size" section 1003, a "command" section 1004, a "target identifier" section 1005, and a "data" section 1006. Company Y's server 3 stores header information based on Company Y's unique specifications in "header" section 1000.

[0092] Furthermore, the Y company server 3 stores an identifier for identifying itself in the "source identifier" field 1001, an identifier for identifying the Y company device 6 in the "destination identifier" field 1002, and an identifier for identifying the Y company device 6 in the "target identifier" field 1005. The Y company server 3 also stores a code (Y company's proprietary specification) indicating a notification request in the "command" field 1004, a text message indicating the content of the notification to the user (e.g., "The firmware of your air conditioner needs to be updated. Would you like to update the firmware?") in the "data" field 1006, and the size of the text message stored in the "data" field 1003. The Y company server 3 transmits the communication frame indicating the notification request generated as described above to the Y company device 6. Thereafter, the notification process proceeds to step S102.

[0093] In addition, if a device operation app for Y Company's products is installed on a terminal owned by the user (e.g., operation terminal 8, etc.) and the user registration described above has been completed, Y Company's server 3 will also send a communication frame to the terminal indicating a notification request of the above content.

[0094] (Step S102) When the company Y device 6 receives the communication frame indicating a notification request from the company Y server 3, it converts the communication frame into a standard communication frame (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A) and transmits it to the gateway 4. In detail, the company Y device 6 generates a communication frame in the format shown in FIG. 22 based on the communication frame received from the company Y server 3. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the format of a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A. As shown in FIG. 22, this communication frame is made up of a "header" section 2000, a "source address" section 2001, a "destination address" section 2002, a "data size" section 2003, a "command" section 2004, a "target device identification information" section 2005, and a "data" section 2006.

[0095] The company Y device 6 stores header information based on the specifications of communication protocol A in a "header" section 2000, stores its own address for network N2 (i.e., its own address used in communications conforming to communication protocol A) in a "source address" section 2001, and stores the address of the gateway 4 in a "destination address" section 2002. The company Y device 6 also stores a code (standard specification) indicating a non-standard notification request in a "command" section 2004, and stores its own identification information in a "target device identification information" section 2005. The company Y device 6 also stores the data (i.e., a text message) stored in the "data" section 1006 of the communication frame received from the company Y server 3, as is, in a "data" section 2006, and stores the data size stored in the "data size" section 1003 of the communication frame received from the company Y server 3, in a "data size" section 2003.

[0096] In this way, the device 6 manufactured by company Y generates a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A, i.e., a standard communication frame, and transmits the generated communication frame to the gateway 4. Thereafter, the notification process proceeds to step S103.

[0097] (Step S103) When the gateway 4 receives a communication frame indicating a notification request from the device 6 manufactured by Company Y, the gateway 4 determines whether or not it is possible to communicate with the operation terminal 8, i.e., whether or not it is possible to communicate with the operation terminal 8 via the network N2. If it is possible to communicate with the operation terminal 8 (Step S103; YES), the notification process proceeds to Step S104. If it is not possible to communicate with the operation terminal 8 (Step S103; NO), the notification process proceeds to Step S106.

[0098] (Step S104) The gateway 4 transfers the communication frame indicating the non-standard notification request received from the Y company device 6 to the operation terminal 8. At that time, the gateway 4 overwrites its own address in the "source address" field 2001 and overwrites the address of the operation terminal 8 in the "destination address" field 2002. Thereafter, the notification process proceeds to step S105.

[0099] (Step S105) Upon receiving the communication frame indicating the non-standard notification request from the gateway 4, the operation terminal 8 displays a notification screen (see FIG. 19 ) based on the notification content stored in the communication frame on the display 80. Thereafter, the notification process ends.

[0100] (Step S106) The gateway 4 converts the communication frame indicating the non-standard notification request received from the Y company device 6 into a communication frame in the X company's proprietary format (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol B) for communicating with the X company's server 2, and transmits the converted communication frame to the X company's server 2. At that time, the gateway 4 stores the notification content, i.e., the text message stored in the "data section" 2006 of the communication frame received from the Y company's device 6, as is in the "data" section of the new communication frame without any processing. Thereafter, the notification processing proceeds to step S107.

[0101] (Step S107) Upon receiving a communication frame indicating a non-standard notification request from the gateway 4, the X company server 2 converts the communication frame into a communication frame in the X company's proprietary format (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol C) for communication with the operation terminal 8, and transmits the converted communication frame to the operation terminal 8. At that time, the X company server 2 stores the notification content, i.e., the text message stored in the "data portion" of the communication frame received from the gateway 4, directly in the "data" portion of the new communication frame without any processing. Thereafter, the notification process proceeds to step S108.

[0102] (Step S108) Upon receiving the communication frame indicating the non-standard notification request from the X company server 2, the operation terminal 8 displays a notification screen (see FIG. 19 ) based on the notification content stored in the communication frame on the display 80. Thereafter, the notification process ends.

[0103] 23 is a flowchart showing the steps of the notification response process executed by the communication system 1 when a user performs a response operation (pressing the "OK" or "Cancel" button) after a notification screen corresponding to a non-standard function (see FIG. 19) is displayed on the operation terminal 8. Note that the notification response process described below will be described taking as an example a case where the user responds to a notification regarding the implementation of a firmware update for device 6 manufactured by company Y, which is a device manufactured by company Y.

[0104] (Step S200) The operation terminal 8 determines whether or not communication with the gateway 4 is possible, i.e., whether or not communication with the gateway 4 via the network N2 is possible. If communication with the gateway 4 is possible (Step S200; YES), the notification response process proceeds to Step S201. If communication with the gateway 4 is not possible (Step S200; NO), the notification response process proceeds to Step S203.

[0105] (Step S201) The operation terminal 8 generates a standard communication frame (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A) in which the user's response result is stored. At this time, the operation terminal 8 stores its own address in the "source address" field 2001, stores the address of the gateway 4 in the "destination address" field 2002, and stores the identification information of the Y company device 6 in the "target device identification information" field 2005. In addition, the operation terminal 8 stores a code (standard specification) indicating a non-standard notification response in the "command" field 2004, stores the response result (information indicating either OK or Cancel) in the "data" field 2006, and stores the data size of the response result in the "data size" field 2003. The operation terminal 8 transmits the communication frame generated as described above to the gateway 4. Thereafter, the notification response process proceeds to step S202.

[0106] (Step S202) The gateway 4 transfers the communication frame received from the operation terminal 8 to the device manufactured by Y 6. At that time, the gateway 4 overwrites its own address in the "source address" field 2001 and overwrites the address of the device manufactured by Y 6 in the "destination address" field 2002. Thereafter, the notification response process proceeds to step S206.

[0107] (Step S203) The operation terminal 8 generates a communication frame in a format unique to Company X (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol C) for communicating with Company X's server 2, storing the user's response result, and transmits the generated communication frame to Company X's server 2. The communication frame includes a command indicating a non-standard notification response, identification information of the target device (i.e., Company Y's device 6), the response result (information indicating either OK or Cancel), etc. Thereafter, the notification response process proceeds to step S204.

[0108] (Step S204) When the Company X server 2 receives the communication frame indicating the notification response from the operation terminal 8, it converts the communication frame into a communication frame in the Company X's proprietary format for communicating with the gateway 4 (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol B), and transmits the converted communication frame to the gateway 4. Thereafter, the notification response process proceeds to step S205.

[0109] (Step S205) When the gateway 4 receives the communication frame indicating the notification response from the X company server 2, it converts the communication frame into a standard communication frame (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A) and generates a communication frame addressed to the Y company device 6. In doing so, the gateway 4 stores header information based on the specifications of communication protocol A in the "header" section 2000, stores its own address in the "source address" section 2001, and stores the address of the Y company device 6 in the "destination address" section 2002.

[0110] The gateway 4 also stores a code (standard specification) indicating a non-standard notification response in the "command" section 2004, and stores the identification information of the device 6 manufactured by company Y in the "target device identification information" section 2005. The gateway 4 also stores the user's response result, i.e., information indicating either OK or Cancel stored in the "data" section of the communication frame received from the server 2 of company X, in the "data" section 2006, and stores the data size of the response result in the "data size" section 2003. The gateway 4 transmits the communication frame generated as described above to the device 6 manufactured by company Y. Thereafter, the notification response process proceeds to step S206.

[0111] (Step S206) When the company Y device 6 receives the communication frame indicating the non-standard notification response from the gateway 4, it converts the communication frame into a communication frame in company Y's proprietary format (i.e., a communication frame conforming to communication protocol D) for communicating with the company Y's server 3, and transmits the converted communication frame to the company Y's server 3. Thereafter, the notification response process proceeds to step S207.

[0112] (Step S207) When the Y company server 3 receives the communication frame indicating the notification response from the Y company device 6, it determines whether the response result stored in the communication frame indicates OK. If the response result indicates OK (step S207; YES), the notification response process proceeds to step S208. If the response result does not indicate OK, that is, indicates cancellation (step S207; NO), the Y company server 3 does not provide the service to the Y company device 6, and the notification response process ends.

[0113] (Step S208) The Y company server 3 implements the service notified to the user earlier for the Y company device 6 (in this example, a service to update the firmware of the Y company device 6 is implemented). Thereafter, the notification response process ends.

[0114] When the firmware update of the company Y device 6 is complete, the user is notified of this fact using the same procedure as the notification process described above. That is, when the firmware update of the company Y device 6 is complete, the company Y server 3 generates a communication frame conforming to communication protocol D that stores notification content for notifying the user of this fact (e.g., a text message such as "The air conditioner firmware update has been completed") and transmits the generated communication frame to the company Y device 6. The company Y device 6 converts the communication frame received from the company Y server 3 into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol A and forwards it to the gateway 4. If the gateway 4 is communicatively connected to the operation terminal 8, it forwards the communication frame received from the company Y device 6 to the operation terminal 8. The operation terminal 8 displays a notification screen on the display 80 based on the notification content stored in the communication frame received from the gateway 4.

[0115] On the other hand, when the gateway 4 is not connected for communication with the operation terminal 8, the gateway 4 converts the communication frame received from the Y company device 6 into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol B and transmits it to the X company server 2. The X company server 2 converts the communication frame received from the gateway 4 into a communication frame conforming to communication protocol C and transmits it to the operation terminal 8. The operation terminal 8 displays a notification screen on the display 80 based on the notification content stored in the communication frame received from the X company server 2.

[0116] As described above, in the communication system 1 according to the present embodiment, the device 6 manufactured by Company Y is communicatively connected to the server 3 of Company Y that provides various services to the device manufactured by Company Y via the network N1, which is a wide area network, and is also communicatively connected to the gateway 4 that complies with standards for so-called smart homes, such as ECHONET Lite (registered trademark) and Matter, via the network N2, which is an in-home network established within the residence H. In addition, a device operation app for operating the in-home device manufactured by Company X in accordance with the standard is installed on the user's operation terminal 8.

[0117] When the company Y server 3 attempts to provide a service to the company Y device 6 that requires permission from the user, if the company Y device 6 is connected to a gateway that complies with the standard, the company Y server 3 generates a communication frame in a company Y proprietary format (see FIG. 21) that indicates a notification request and stores the content of the notification to the user, and transmits the communication frame to the company Y device 6. When the company Y device 6 receives the communication frame indicating the notification request from the company Y server 3, it converts the communication frame into a standard communication frame (see FIG. 22) and transmits it to the gateway 4. At that time, the company Y device 6 stores a code (standard specification) indicating a non-standard notification request in the "command" section 2004.

[0118] When the gateway 4 receives a communication frame indicating a notification request from the company Y device 6, if it can communicate with the operation terminal 8 via the home network, it forwards the communication frame to the operation terminal 8, but if it cannot communicate with the operation terminal 8 via the home network, it converts the communication frame into a communication frame in the company X's proprietary format for communicating with the company X's server 2 and sends it to the company X's server 2. The company X's server 2 converts the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the gateway 4 into a communication frame in the company X's proprietary format for communicating with the operation terminal 8 and sends it to the operation terminal 8. When the operation terminal 8 receives a communication frame indicating a notification request for a non-standard specification from the gateway 4 or the company X's server 2, it generates a notification screen (see FIG. 19 ) that directly uses the notification content included in the communication frame and displays it on the display 80.

[0119] As described above, according to the communication system 1 of the present embodiment, when a device 6 manufactured by Company Y, which is communicatively connected to a gateway 4 that complies with a standard for IoT devices, is further communicatively connected to the server 3 of Company Y, which is a proprietary server operated by Company Y, the manufacturer of the device manufactured by Company Y, even if a dedicated device operation app compatible with the server 3 of Company Y is not installed on the operation terminal 8, the user can check notifications from the server 3 of Company Y and respond to the notifications using the device operation app of Company X, which is an app compatible with the standard. Therefore, even users who use services based on the standard can easily use services provided by a proprietary server.

[0120] Furthermore, because the devices communicating with the proprietary server convert the communication frame indicating a communication request from the proprietary server into a communication frame that conforms to the standard, the gateway 4 does not need to prepare a protocol conversion table for each manufacturer, nor does it need to perform dedicated processing for each manufacturer. This allows users to easily use services provided by the proprietary servers of various manufacturers.

[0121] (Variation 1) There is no limit to the number of devices in a home that are connected to one unique server. For example, two or more devices manufactured by Company Y in House H may be connected to Company Y's server 3.

[0122] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, a notification request for a standard specification and a notification request for a non-standard specification are distinguished by a command (a code stored in the "command" section 2004), but the distinction may be made by the contents of the header instead of by the command. In this case, information indicating whether the notification request is for a standard specification or a non-standard specification is stored in the "header" 2000.

[0123] (Variation 3) Each device in the home may hold the address of the operation terminal 8, and the operation terminal 8 may hold the address of each device, so that each device and the operation terminal 8 send and receive communication frames directly via the network N2.

[0124] (Variation 4) When converting the communication frame indicating a communication request received from the Y company server 3 into a standard communication frame (see FIG. 22 ) and transmitting it to the gateway 4, the Y company device 6 may process the notification content as necessary. For example, the Y company device 6 may add its own product name, product name, etc. to the notification content (i.e., text message) generated by the Y company server 3.

[0125] (Variation 5) The Company Y server 3 may determine whether or not to send a communication frame indicating a notification request to a device manufactured by Company Y (e.g., the Company Y device 6) depending on the standard supported by a gateway (e.g., the gateway 4) to which the device is connected for communication. For example, if the standard does not support notification forwarding, the Company Y server 3 does not send a communication frame indicating a notification request to the device. In this configuration, when the device connects to the gateway for communication, it notifies the Company Y server 3 of the gateway's identification information and the type of standard supported by the gateway, and the Company Y server 3 associates the notified type of standard with each piece of device information and stores it in the device information table 340.

[0126] (Variation 6) All or part of the functional units of Company X's server 2 (see FIG. 11 ) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. All or part of the functional units of Company Y's server 3 (see FIG. 13 ) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. All or part of the functional units of the gateway 4 (see FIG. 15 ) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. All or part of the functional units of Company Y's device 6 (see FIG. 16 ) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. All or part of the functional units of the operation terminal 8 (see FIG. 17 ) may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0127] The technical ideas according to the above-described modifications may be realized independently or in appropriate combination.

[0128] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0129] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted in a system that provides services that comply with standards for IoT devices.

[0130] 1 Communication system, 2 X company server, 3 Y company server, 4 Gateway, 5 X company equipment, 6 Y company equipment, 7 Z company equipment, 8 Operation terminal, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 82 Communication interface, 21, 31, 41, 83 CPU, 22, 32, 42, 84 ROM, 23, 33, 43, 85 RAM, 24, 34, 44, 86 Auxiliary storage device, 25, 35, 45, 87 Bus, 51, 61, 71 Control circuit, 52, 62, 72 Main unit, 80 Display, 81 Operation reception unit, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800 Communication frame transmission / reception unit, 201 Terminal communication processing unit, 202, 602, 803 Gateway communication processing unit, 240 User information table, 301 Device information management unit, 302 service providing unit, 340 device information table, 401 home device communication processing unit, 402, 601, 801 server communication processing unit, 603 non-standard function execution unit, 802 use location setting reception unit, 804 notification display unit, 860 use location information table

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a communication device, a server, a device, and an operation terminal, wherein the communication device includes communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a first communication protocol via a home network constructed in the home with the device and the operation terminal; the server includes communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a second communication protocol via a wide area network with the device; the device includes communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to the first communication protocol via the home network with the communication device and for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to the second communication protocol via the wide area network with the server; the operation terminal includes communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to the first communication protocol via the home network with the communication device; when notification to the user of the device is necessary, the server transmits a communication frame indicating a notification request storing notification content to the device; the device converts the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the server into a communication frame conforming to the first communication protocol and transmits it to the communication device; the communication device transfers the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the device to the operation terminal; and the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the communication device.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein after the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request, when a response operation is performed by the user, the operation terminal transmits a communication frame indicating a notification response storing the response result of the user to the communication device; the communication device transfers the communication frame indicating the notification response received from the operation terminal to the device; and the device converts the communication frame indicating the notification response received from the communication device into a communication frame conforming to the second communication protocol and transmits it to the server.

3. Further comprising a relay server, the relay server comprising communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a third communication protocol via the communication device and the wide area network, and for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a fourth communication protocol via the operation terminal and the wide area network; The communication frame transmission / reception means of the communication device further transmits and receives communication frames conforming to the third communication protocol via the relay server and the wide area network; The communication frame transmission / reception means of the operation terminal further transmits and receives communication frames conforming to the fourth communication protocol via the relay server and the wide area network; When the communication device is capable of communicating with the operation terminal, the communication device transfers a communication frame indicating the notification request received from the device to the operation terminal; when the communication device is not capable of communicating with the operation terminal, the communication device converts the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the device into a communication frame conforming to the third communication protocol and transmits it to the relay server; When the relay server receives a communication frame indicating the notification request from the communication device, the relay server converts the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the fourth communication protocol and transmits it to the operation terminal; When the operation terminal receives a communication frame indicating the notification request from the relay server, the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame. The communication system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. After the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request, when a response operation is performed by the user and the operation terminal can communicate with the communication device, if the operation terminal can communicate with the communication device, it generates a communication frame conforming to the first communication protocol indicating the notification response in which the response result of the user is stored and transmits it to the communication device. If the operation terminal cannot communicate with the communication device, it generates a communication frame conforming to the fourth communication protocol indicating the notification response in which the response result of the user is stored and transmits it to the relay server. When the relay server receives the communication frame indicating the notification response from the operation terminal, it converts the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the third communication protocol and transmits it to the communication device. When the communication device receives the communication frame indicating the notification response from the relay server, it converts the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the first communication protocol and transmits it to the device. The communication system according to claim 3.

5. A communication device comprising communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a fifth communication protocol via a home network constructed in a house with a device and an operation terminal, and transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a sixth communication protocol via a wide area network with a relay server. When the communication device receives a communication frame indicating a notification request from the device, if the communication device can communicate with the operation terminal, it transfers the received communication frame to the operation terminal. If the communication device cannot communicate with the operation terminal, it converts the received communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the sixth communication protocol and transmits it to the relay server. When the communication device receives a communication frame indicating a notification response from the operation terminal, it transfers the communication frame to the device. When the communication device receives a communication frame indicating a notification response from the relay server, it converts the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the fifth communication protocol and transmits it to the device. Communication device.

6. A server comprising communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames via a machine and a wide area network, wherein when receiving from the machine a communication frame indicating that the machine is communicatively connected to a communication device via a home network constructed within a house, the server extracts identification information of the communication device stored in the communication frame, stores in a storage device information associating the identification information of the machine and the identification information of the communication device, and when notification to a user of the machine is necessary and the machine is communicatively connected to the communication device, transmits to the machine a communication frame indicating a notification request in which notification content is stored.

7. A device comprising communication frame transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a first communication protocol via a communication device and a home network constructed within a house, and for transmitting and receiving communication frames conforming to a second communication protocol via a wide area network and a server, wherein when communicatively connected to the communication device via the home network, the device transmits to the server a communication frame in which identification information of the communication device is stored, and when receiving from the server a communication frame indicating a notification request, converts the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the first communication protocol and transmits the communication frame to the communication device, and when receiving from the communication device a communication frame indicating a notification response, converts the communication frame into a communication frame conforming to the second communication protocol and transmits the communication frame to the server.

8. A communication method in which when notification to a user of a machine is necessary, the server transmits to the machine a communication frame indicating a notification request in which notification content is stored, the device converts the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the server into a communication frame conforming to a communication protocol used when communicating with a communication device via a home network and transmits the communication frame to the communication device, the communication device forwards the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the device to an operation terminal, and the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request received from the communication device.

9. After the operation terminal displays the content of the communication frame indicating the notification request, when a response operation is performed by the user, the operation terminal transmits a communication frame indicating a notification response in which the response result of the user is stored to the communication device. The communication device transfers the communication frame indicating the notification response received from the operation terminal to the device. The device converts the communication frame indicating the notification response received from the communication device into a communication frame conforming to the communication protocol when communicating with the server and transmits it to the server. The communication method according to claim 8.

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