Control device, faucet system, home system, device diagnostic method, and device diagnostic program

Abstract

This control device comprises: a control unit that controls home equipment on the basis of a control instruction; and a communication unit that can communicate by first wireless communication and second wireless communication. The control unit acquires the control instruction for the home equipment by the first wireless communication with respect to an access point. The control unit performs device diagnosis by the second wireless communication when the first wireless communication is malfunctioning.

Description

Control device, faucet system, home system, device diagnostic method, and device diagnostic program

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-030705, filed on February 29, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The number of home appliances that can be connected to the Internet is increasing. Smart home systems that utilize home appliances connected to the Internet to provide users with comfortable and convenient functions have been proposed.

[0003] When a communication error occurs in a home appliance connected to the Internet, the home appliance cannot perform the functions that can be performed by connecting to the Internet. In such a case, a method for detecting a communication error in the home appliance has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-145197

[0005] There is a demand for a control device or the like that makes it easier to perform device diagnosis when a communication abnormality occurs in a residential facility connected to the Internet.

[0006] In light of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide a control device, a faucet system, a home system, an apparatus diagnostic method, and an apparatus diagnostic program that make it easy to perform apparatus diagnostics when a communication abnormality occurs in a residential facility connected to the Internet.

[0007] A control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit that controls a home appliance based on a control instruction, and a communication unit that is capable of communicating via first wireless communication and second wireless communication, wherein the control unit obtains the control instruction for the home appliance via the first wireless communication with an access point, and when the first wireless communication is malfunctioning, the control unit performs device diagnosis via the second wireless communication.

[0008] A home system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a home appliance, an access point, a terminal device, and a control device that controls the home appliance based on a control instruction, is capable of first wireless communication with the access point, and is capable of second wireless communication with the terminal device, wherein the control device acquires the control instruction for the home appliance through the first wireless communication with the access point, and when the first wireless communication with the control device is malfunctioning, the terminal device acquires a device diagnosis result based on the second wireless communication with the control device.

[0009] A device diagnosis method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a method for diagnosing a control device that controls a home appliance based on a control instruction and is capable of communicating via first wireless communication and second wireless communication, and when the first wireless communication that obtains the control instruction for the home appliance is malfunctioning, device diagnosis is performed via the second wireless communication.

[0010] A device diagnosis program according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for diagnosing a control device that controls a home appliance based on a control instruction and is capable of communicating via first wireless communication and second wireless communication, and when the first wireless communication that obtains the control instruction for the home appliance is malfunctioning, device diagnosis is performed via the second wireless communication.

[0011] It is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a home system according to one embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of a control device of the home system. It is a functional block diagram of a smartphone of the home system. It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the home system. It is a sequence diagram showing another operation of the home system.

[0012] A home system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the home system 100. The home system 100 includes a household appliance 1, a control device 2, an access point 3, a smartphone 4, an equipment management server 5, a user management server 6, an EC server 7, and a call center server 8. The access point 3, the smartphone 4, the equipment management server 5, the user management server 6, the EC server 7, and the call center server 8 are connected via a network NW.

[0014] The network NW may be a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a private network (LAN) within the building where the home system 100 is installed, or a combination thereof. The network NW may be either a wired or wireless network. Communication between devices may involve other devices such as an access point.

[0015] [Household Equipment 1] The household equipment 1 is a device installed in a house HO as equipment, such as a faucet device 1A or a toilet device 1B. The household equipment 1 includes building materials such as shutters, doors, windows, and locks; cameras such as outdoor and indoor cameras; energy management devices such as distribution boards and solar power generation systems; and sensors such as temperature and humidity sensors and motion sensors. The house HO to which the household equipment 1 is installed includes not only residential buildings but also non-residential buildings such as offices, schools, and hospitals. The household equipment 1 has a manual control input mechanism that accepts manual control instructions from the user and a remote control input mechanism that accepts remote control instructions from a control device 2 or the like. For example, the control instructions accepted by the faucet device 1A include instructions for water discharge, water stop, temperature adjustment, flow rate adjustment, and a series of combinations of these instructions. A home system 100 including the faucet device 1A as the household equipment 1 is also referred to as a "faucet system."

[0016] 2 is a functional block diagram of the control device 2. The control device 2 controls the operation of the household equipment 1. A control device 2 is provided for each household equipment 1. The control device 2 may be provided inside the household equipment 1 and integrated with the household equipment 1. The control device 2 has a control unit 21, a wireless communication unit 22, and a recording unit 23.

[0017] The control unit 21 is a computer capable of executing a program, including a processor such as a CPU, a memory into which a program can be read, a storage unit into which a program and data can be stored, and an input / output control unit. The functions of the control unit 21 are realized by the processor executing a program provided to the control unit 21.

[0018] The control unit 21 controls the household equipment 1 based on control instructions acquired via the wireless communication unit 22. The control unit 21 also acquires a usage history (log) of the household equipment 1 and stores the usage history in the recording unit 23 as part of the user-related information 25. The control unit 21 also acquires status information that enables the usage status of consumables in the household equipment 1 to be understood and stores the status information in the recording unit 23 as part of the user-related information 25. The control unit 21 also controls the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate wirelessly with the access point 3 and the smartphone 4.

[0019] The wireless communication unit 22 has an antenna and the like, and has a function of communicating via wireless LAN communication WC1 such as Wi-Fi, and a function of communicating via short-range wireless communication WC2 such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark). The wireless communication unit 22 is capable of communicating with the access point 3 via wireless LAN communication WC1 based on instructions from the control unit 21. The wireless communication unit 22 is capable of communicating with the wireless communication unit 42 of the smartphone 4 via short-range wireless communication WC2 based on instructions from the control unit 21. The wireless LAN communication WC1 is an example of first wireless communication. The short-range wireless communication WC2 is an example of second wireless communication.

[0020] The recording unit 23 includes a recording medium such as a hard disk, a flash memory, etc. The recording unit 23 records a user authentication code 24, user-related information 25, and wireless connection information 26.

[0021] The user authentication code 24 is a unique code assigned to a user in the home system 100, and is a code for authenticating the user in the home system 100. The user authentication code 24 is, for example, a combination of a user ID and a password corresponding to the user ID, or a token generated based on the user ID.

[0022] User-related information 25 is information related to the user who uses the household equipment 1. User-related information 25 includes a usage history (log) of the household equipment 1 and status information that enables understanding of the usage status of consumables in the household equipment 1. For example, the status information for the faucet device 1A includes the amount of water used and the duration of use of the faucet device 1A.

[0023] The wireless connection information 26 includes wireless connection information required for communicating with the access point 3 via wireless LAN communication WC1, and is, for example, a combination of a WiFi SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​and a password corresponding to the SSID.

[0024] The wireless connection information 26 includes wireless connection information necessary for communicating with the smartphone 4 via short-range wireless communication WC2, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing information.

[0025] [Access Point 3] The access point 3 is installed in the home HO and has a function of communicating via wireless LAN communication WC1 such as Wi-Fi. The access point 3 communicates with the control device 2 via the wireless LAN communication WC1. The access point 3 also relays communication with the control device 2 via the wireless LAN communication WC1 to the network NW via the gateway GW.

[0026] A plurality of access points 3 may be installed in the residence HO. When two access points 3 are installed in the residence HO and the two access points 3 are to be distinguished from one another, one is referred to as a first access point 3A and the other as a second access point 3B. The access point 3 may include a repeater 31 for wireless LAN communication WC1. The control device 2 may communicate with either the first access point 3A or the second access point 3B. Furthermore, the control device 2 may communicate with the access point 3 via the repeater 31.

[0027] The access point 3 has an SSID (Service Set Identifier), which is an ID used for connection authentication etc. in the wireless LAN communication WC1. The access point 3 permits communication from the control device 2 through authentication using the SSID possessed by the access point 3 and a password corresponding to the SSID.

[0028] The access point 3 is capable of wireless communication using a plurality of communication methods, and a corresponding SSID is set for each communication method. For example, the access point 3 is capable of wireless communication using a plurality of frequency bands, and a corresponding SSID is set for each frequency band. In this embodiment, the access point 3 is capable of wireless communication in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, and has a first SSID corresponding to communication in the 2.4 GHz band and a second SSID corresponding to communication in the 5 GHz band. Note that the different frequency bands are not limited to the combination of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band.

[0029] The two or more SSIDs possessed by the access point 3 are not limited to two or more SSIDs corresponding to different frequency bands. For example, if the access point 3 includes a first access point 3A and a second access point 3B, the two or more SSIDs possessed by the access point 3 may be a first SSID possessed by the first access point 3A and a second SSID possessed by the second access point 3B. For example, the first access point 3A is installed on the first floor of a residence HO, and the second access point 3B is installed on the second floor of the residence HO.

[0030] The two or more SSIDs possessed by the access point 3 are not limited to two or more SSIDs corresponding to different frequency bands. For example, when two or more SSIDs are set for one frequency band in the access point 3, the two or more SSIDs possessed by the access point 3 may be two or more SSIDs for the same frequency band. For example, the two or more SSIDs possessed by the access point 3 may be a first SSID possessed by a first access point 3A corresponding to communication in the 2.4 GHz band and a second SSID possessed by a second access point 3B corresponding to communication in the 2.4 GHz band.

[0031] [Smartphone 4] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the smartphone 4. The smartphone 4 is an example of a mobile terminal or terminal device. The mobile terminal or terminal device is not limited to the smartphone 4, and may be, for example, a mobile phone, a smart watch, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The smartphone 4 has a control unit 41, a wireless communication unit 42, a touch panel 43, a camera 44, and a microphone 45.

[0032] The control unit 41 is a computer capable of executing programs, including a processor such as a CPU, a memory into which programs can be read, a storage unit into which programs and data can be stored, and an input / output control unit. The functions of the control unit 41 are realized by the processor executing a program provided to the control unit 41. The program provided to the control unit 41 is also referred to as an application. The control unit 41 controls the wireless communication unit 42, the touch panel 43, the camera 44, and the microphone 45.

[0033] The wireless communication unit 42 has an antenna and the like, and has a function of communicating via short-range wireless communication WC2 such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark), and a function of communicating via high-speed wireless communication WC3 that can connect to the network NW using a fourth-generation communication standard, a fifth-generation communication standard, or the like. The wireless communication unit 42 can communicate with the wireless communication unit 22 of the control device 2 via the short-range wireless communication WC2 based on instructions from the control unit 41. The wireless communication unit 42 can communicate with the device management server 5, the user management server 6, the EC server 7, and the call center server 8 via the high-speed wireless communication WC3 that is connected to a base station and the network NW based on instructions from the control unit 41.

[0034] The touch panel 43 is, for example, a capacitance type touch panel. An input operation input by a user to the touch panel 43 is acquired by the control unit 41. The touch panel 43 displays a display screen based on an instruction from the control unit 41.

[0035] A smart home application AP is installed on the smartphone 4, which is an application that provides comfortable and convenient functions to the user by utilizing the household equipment 1 connected to the network NW.

[0036] The smart home application AP can generate remote control instructions for the household equipment 1. The remote control instructions for the household equipment 1 are acquired by the device management server 5 via the network NW. The wireless communication unit 22 of the control device 2 acquires the remote control instructions for the household equipment 1 via the access point 3. The control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the household equipment 1 based on the acquired control instructions. The user can remotely operate the household equipment 1 using the smart home application AP whether they are at home or away from home.

[0037] The smart home application AP communicates with the control device 2 via short-range wireless communication WC2, instructs the control device 2 to perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2, and can obtain device diagnosis results from the control device 2. The smart home application AP may generate device diagnosis results based on information obtained from the control device 2. The device diagnosis results include a user authentication code 24 and at least a portion of the user-related information 25. The smart home application AP can upload the device diagnosis results of the household equipment 1 to the user management server 6, the call center server 8, etc. It is sufficient that the device diagnosis results include the diagnosis results of at least one of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2.

[0038] [Device Management Server 5] The device management server 5 is configured, for example, by one or more servers and can be connected to the network NW. The server includes hardware such as a processor such as a CPU, memory, recording media such as a hard disk or flash memory, and a communication device. The functions of the device management server 5 are realized by a program executed on the server's processor. The server may be an on-site server, or a cloud server that provides infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS), or the like, or a server that combines these. In the following description, "server" includes any of the above servers.

[0039] The device management server 5 is a server that manages the household equipment 1. The device management server 5 acquires control instructions for the household equipment 1 generated in the smart home application AP. The control instructions for the household equipment 1 are acquired by the control device 2. The device management server 5 records the control instructions for the household equipment 1 generated by the user as a control instruction history. The device management server 5 also acquires status information from the control device 2 that enables the usage status of consumables in the household equipment 1 to be understood. The device management server 5 records the control instruction history for the household equipment 1 and the status information of the household equipment 1 as user-related information 25.

[0040] [User Management Server 6] The user management server 6 is configured by, for example, one or more servers, and can be connected to the network NW. The functions of the user management server 6 are realized by a program executed on a processor of the server.

[0041] The user management server 6 is a server that manages a user authentication code 24. A user of the home system 100 can obtain the user authentication code 24 from the user management server 6. The user authentication code 24 obtained by the user is also recorded in the control device 2 and the device management server 5. The user authentication code 24 obtained by the user is also registered in the smart home application AP of the smartphone 4. A control instruction for the household equipment 1 generated by the user in the smart home application AP is obtained by the device management server 5 and the control device 2 that are associated based on the user authentication code 24.

[0042] [EC Server 7] The EC (Electronic Commerce) server 7 is configured by, for example, one or more servers and is connectable to a network NW. The functions of the EC server 7 are realized by a program executed by a processor of the server.

[0043] The EC server 7 is a server that can order consumables for the household equipment 1. A user can order consumables for the household equipment 1 using the website of the EC server 7. A user can also order consumables for the household equipment 1 using a smart home application AP on a smartphone 4. The device management server 5 may also order consumables based on the acquired status information of the household equipment 1.

[0044] [Call Center Server 8] The call center server 8 is configured by, for example, one or more servers and is connectable to the network NW. The functions of the call center server 8 are realized by a program executed in a processor of the server.

[0045] The call center server 8 is a server installed at the call center of the housing equipment 1. The call center is an equipment supplier that receives inquiries about the housing equipment 1 from users by telephone or the like. The call center server 8 acquires the usage history (log) of the housing equipment 1 via the network NW. When responding to inquiries from users by telephone or the like, the call center operator uses the usage history (log) acquired by the call center server 8.

[0046] Two or more of the device management server 5, user management server 6, EC server 7, and call center server 8 may be the same server.

[0047] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the home system 100. Hereinafter, the operation of the home system 100 will be described with reference to a sequence diagram of the home system 100 shown in FIG.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the smartphone 4 and the call center server 8 function as “device diagnosis devices” and perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2 .

[0049] Assume now that a malfunction has occurred in the household equipment 1 and the control device 2, including a communication failure such as an inability to communicate with the access point 3 via wireless LAN communication WC1. The user, recognizing the malfunction, connects the smartphone 4 to the control device 2 via short-range wireless communication WC2 and launches the smart home application AP. Using the smart home application AP, the user instructs the control device 2 to perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2.

[0050] In step S100 , the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 instructs the control device 2 to perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2 .

[0051] In step S110, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 performs device diagnosis on the household equipment 1 and the control device 2, generates a device diagnosis result, and transmits the device diagnosis result to the smartphone 4. Note that the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 may generate the device diagnosis result based on information acquired from the control device 2.

[0052] In step S120 , the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 uploads the device diagnosis result to the call center server 8 .

[0053] In step S130, the call center server 8 analyzes the acquired device diagnosis results and generates a recovery instruction (recovery command) for the control device 2. The call center server 8 transmits the recovery instruction to the control device 2 via the smartphone 4. The control device 2 can attempt to recover from the communication failure in the wireless LAN communication WC1 based on the acquired recovery instruction.

[0054] When responding to inquiries from users by telephone or the like, the call center operator can use the device diagnosis results acquired by the call center server 8.

[0055] Next, another operation of the home system 100 will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of the home system 100 shown in Fig. 5. Steps S100 to S110 are the same as the operation of the home system 100 shown in Fig. 4.

[0056] In step S230, the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 analyzes the acquired device diagnosis result and generates a recovery instruction for the control device 2. The control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 transmits the recovery instruction to the control device 2 via the smartphone 4. Based on the acquired recovery instruction, the control device 2 can attempt to recover from the communication failure in the wireless LAN communication WC1.

[0057] In the operation of the home system 100 shown in FIG. 5, only the smartphone 4 functions as the "device diagnostic device."

[0058] According to the home system 100 of this embodiment, it is easy to perform device diagnosis when a communication abnormality occurs in the household equipment 1 connected to the Internet.

[0059] In this embodiment, the device diagnostic device analyzes the device diagnostic results and generates recovery instructions, so that communication abnormalities in the household equipment 1 can be easily resolved without the need for support from a call center operator.

[0060] In this embodiment, wireless LAN communication WC1 is an example of a first wireless communication, and short-range wireless communication WC2 is an example of a second wireless communication. However, the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication are not limited to this. The first wireless communication may be wireless LAN communication WC1 using a first SSID, and the second wireless communication may be wireless LAN communication WC1 using a second SSID. In other words, the second wireless communication may be a backup communication means for the first wireless communication.

[0061] While one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and modifications can be configured in any suitable combination.

[0062] The programs for the control device 2 and other devices are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The programs recorded on the recording medium are loaded into a computer system and executed. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or telephone lines, or devices that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that serves as a server or client. The programs may be designed to implement some of the functions described above, or may be capable of implementing the functions in combination with programs already stored in the computer system, or may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0063] 100...Home system, AP...Smart home application, 1...Household equipment, 2...Control device, 21...Control unit, 22...Wireless communication unit, 23...Recording unit, 24...User authentication code, 25...User-related information, 26...Wireless connection information, 28...Information protection unit, 29...Communication initialization unit, 3...Access point, 4...Smartphone, 5...Device management server, 6...User management server, 7...EC server, 8...Call center server

Claims

1. A control device comprising: a control unit that controls a home appliance based on a control instruction; and a communication unit that is capable of communicating via first wireless communication and second wireless communication, wherein the control unit obtains the control instruction for the home appliance via the first wireless communication with an access point, and when the first wireless communication is malfunctioning, the control unit performs device diagnosis via the second wireless communication.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication method of the first wireless communication is different from the communication method of the second wireless communication.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication is wireless LAN communication, and the second wireless communication is short-range wireless communication.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the device diagnosis using the second wireless communication with a terminal device other than the access point.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit causes the terminal device to acquire information necessary for generating a device diagnosis result in the device diagnosis via the second wireless communication.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a device diagnosis result in the device diagnosis via the second wireless communication.

7. A water faucet system comprising: a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and a water faucet device, which is the home appliance controlled by the control device.

8. A home system comprising: a home equipment; an access point; a terminal device; and a control device that controls the home equipment based on a control instruction, is capable of first wireless communication with the access point, and is capable of second wireless communication with the terminal device, wherein the control device obtains the control instruction for the home equipment through the first wireless communication with the access point, and when the first wireless communication with the control device is malfunctioning, the terminal device obtains a device diagnosis result based on the second wireless communication with the control device.

9. The home system according to claim 8, wherein a communication method for the first wireless communication is different from a communication method for the second wireless communication.

10. The home system according to claim 8, wherein the first wireless communication is wireless LAN communication, and the second wireless communication is short-range wireless communication.

11. The home system according to claim 8, wherein the control device generates the device diagnosis result based on an instruction from the terminal device.

12. The home system according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device generates the device diagnosis result based on history information acquired from the control device.

13. The home system according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device analyzes the acquired device diagnosis results and generates a recovery instruction for the control device.

14. The home system according to claim 8, further comprising a diagnostic result acquisition device capable of communicating with the terminal device, wherein the diagnostic result acquisition device acquires the device diagnostic results from the terminal device.

15. The home system according to claim 14, wherein the diagnostic result acquisition device analyzes the acquired device diagnostic results and generates a recovery instruction for the control device.

16. A home system according to any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein the household equipment is a water faucet device.

17. A method for diagnosing a control device that controls a home appliance based on a control instruction and is capable of communicating via first wireless communication and second wireless communication, wherein when the first wireless communication that receives the control instruction for the home appliance is malfunctioning, device diagnosis is performed via the second wireless communication.

18. A program for diagnosing a control device that controls a home appliance based on a control instruction and is capable of communicating via first wireless communication and second wireless communication, wherein when the first wireless communication that receives the control instruction for the home appliance is malfunctioning, the program performs device diagnosis via the second wireless communication.

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