Method and apparatus for visually displaying and controlling home appliance in space

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance in a space. The apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a communication unit for receiving state information of a home appliance from the home appliance or a server; a control unit for generating a floor plan of a space in which the home appliance is arranged and an overall view or a detailed view including the state information of the home appliance arranged in the space; and an interface unit for outputting the overall view or the detailed view.

Description

Method and device for visually displaying and controlling home appliances within a space

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for visually displaying and controlling home appliances within a space.

[0002] As home appliances are placed in spaces, the need to control or monitor their status is increasing. In particular, there is a growing need to perform remote monitoring and control to check the status or control of appliances installed in homes, offices, and other locations.

[0003] However, given that home appliances are placed in a specific space, move within a specific space, or operate to influence various environments within that space, the physical location or arrangement of the appliances within that space is becoming an important factor.

[0004] Accordingly, we intend to examine methods and devices for visually controlling home appliances placed within a space.

[0005] This specification aims to solve the aforementioned problems by implementing a method and apparatus that visually displays a space in which home appliances are placed and controls their operation by checking the status of the home appliances placed in the space.

[0006] In addition, the present specification aims to implement a method and apparatus for managing home appliances in groups so as to effectively check the status of the home appliances.

[0007] In addition, this specification aims to provide various control methods for home appliances placed in a space by enabling an overall view of the space while also allowing detailed verification of the status of home appliances by space.

[0008] The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned objects and advantages of the present invention may be understood from the following description and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims.

[0009] A device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit that receives status information of a home appliance from a home appliance or a server, a control unit that generates an overall view or a detailed view including a floor plan of a space in which a home appliance is placed and status information of a home appliance placed in the space, and an interface unit that outputs the overall view or the detailed view.

[0010] A method for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance within a space according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: a communication unit of a device receiving status information of a home appliance from a home appliance or a server; a control unit of a device generating an overall view or a detailed view including a floor plan of a space in which a home appliance is placed and status information of a home appliance placed in the space; and an interface unit of a device outputting the overall view or the detailed view.

[0011]

[0012] When the present invention is applied, a method and device for controlling the operation of home appliances by visually displaying the space where the appliances are placed and checking the status of the appliances placed in that space can be implemented.

[0013] In addition, when the present invention is applied, the status of home appliances can be effectively checked and home appliances can be managed as groups.

[0014] In addition, when the present invention is applied, it is possible to view the space as a whole while checking the status of home appliances in detail by space, thereby providing various control methods for home appliances placed in the space.

[0015] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and various effects of the present invention can be easily derived from the composition of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a device and a server for monitoring and controlling the status of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the process of a user terminal checking and controlling the status of a home appliance via a server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the process of a user terminal directly checking and controlling the status of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an interface with an overall view displayed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the entire view according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an overall view in three dimensions according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIGS. 7 to 9 are drawings showing the state of home appliances belonging to a specific theme according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a detailed view according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIGS. 11 and FIGS. 12 are drawings showing a method of representing a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIGS. 13 and FIGS. 14 are drawings showing the process of switching from an overall view to a detailed view according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIGS. 15 and 16 are drawings showing the configuration and detailed screen of a bubble interface according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0029] To clearly explain the present invention, parts unrelated to the description have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to identical or similar components throughout the specification. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the exemplary drawings. In assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, identical components may have the same reference numeral whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions could obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description may be omitted.

[0030] In describing the components of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. These terms are intended only to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, sequence, or number of the components are not limited by these terms. Where it is stated that a component is "connected," "combined," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but that other components may be "interposed" between each component, or that each component may be "connected," "combined," or "connected" through other components.

[0031] In addition, for convenience of explanation in implementing the present invention, the components may be described in detail; however, these components may be implemented within a single device or module, or a single component may be divided and implemented across multiple devices or modules.

[0032] The home appliances described herein are devices that include electronic products. Home appliances may be placed in homes, offices, etc., and may be moved by a person and placed in other locations. Although the present specification focuses on the control and monitoring of home appliances placed within a home, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to the monitoring and control of home appliances placed in various spaces.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a device and a server for monitoring and controlling the status of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The user terminal (300) is a smartphone, tablet, laptop, iPad, etc., and can communicate with the server (500). In addition, the structure of the user terminal (300) or the function performed by the user terminal (300) in this specification may correspond to the structure of a display device placed on a specific home appliance or the function performed by the display device. For example, a display module placed on the door of a refrigerator may display the structure of the house or the operating status of the placed home appliances. In this case, the refrigerator corresponds to a device that provides a top view (Top View, Home View, Total View, Main View) or a detailed view (Detail view, immersive view). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the user terminal is referred to as a home appliance that displays a top view or a detailed view, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0035] That is, the embodiments in this specification include all home appliances that are integrally or detachably combined with a display module for displaying an overall view or a detailed view, or home appliances that include the display module as part of their components. Both of these home appliances or user terminals may be referred to as devices. That is, in this specification, a device that displays an overall view or a detailed view corresponds to either a user terminal or a home appliance that includes a display module.

[0036] The main components of a user terminal (300), which is one embodiment of the device, include a communication unit (310), a control unit (350), and an interface unit (390). The communication unit (310) receives status information of home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) from the home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) or the server (500). Additionally, the communication unit (310) transmits control instruction information for controlling the operation of the home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) to the home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) or the server (500).

[0037] In the case where one embodiment of the device is a home appliance including a display module, it may further include a function unit that provides a unique function of the home appliance while including the aforementioned communication unit (310), control unit (350), and interface unit (390).

[0038] For example, if the device is a refrigerator, the communication unit (310), control unit (350), and interface unit (390) correspond to the components of the device, along with a function unit (e.g., a compressor, a fan, etc.) that provides the freezing / refrigeration function, which is the unique function of the refrigerator, and a door, etc. The display module may include the interface unit (390), and the display module may also include the communication unit (310) and the control unit (350). The display module may be placed on the door or on one side of the refrigerator.

[0039] For example, if the device is an oven, the communication unit (310), control unit (350), and interface unit (390) correspond to the components of the device, along with a function unit that provides a heating function, which is the unique function of the oven, a door, etc. The display module may include the interface unit (390), and the display module may also include the communication unit (310) and the control unit (350). The display module may be placed on the door or on one side of the oven.

[0040] In this way, various home appliances may include a communication unit (310), a control unit (350), an interface unit (390), etc., to provide their original unique functions and also display an overall view / detailed view within the space. The control unit (350) generates an overall view or a detailed view that includes a floor plan of the space where the home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) are placed and status information of the home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) placed in the space.

[0041] The interface unit (390) visually outputs an overall view or a detailed view. The interface unit (390) may include a display module. Additionally, the interface unit (390) may include a touch module to process user input such as touch or drag.

[0042] The home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) placed in the home can transmit their operating status to a server (500) or a user terminal (300). When transmitted to the server (500), the user terminal (300) can check the operating status of the home appliances (100a, 100b, 100c) placed in the home through the server (500).

[0043] Meanwhile, the server (500) or the user terminal (300) can check the status of home appliances placed in the home along with spatial information. The user terminal (300) can store information about the space or obtain information about the space through the server (500).

[0044] For example, when home appliances are placed inside a house, the user terminal (300) can visually provide the structure of the space and the status of the home appliances placed in each space. The images provided visually in this way can be broadly divided into a top view (Top View, Home View, Total View, Main View) and a detailed view (Detail view, immersive view).

[0045] The transition between the full view and the detailed view may be made based on the touch or selection of a specific area displayed on the user terminal. The control unit (350) can generate a detailed view that displays the entire space (e.g., master bedroom, study, living room, kitchen, utility room, etc.) that matches the specific area selected by touch or similar means. As a result, the interface unit (390) can display a detailed view of the entire space of the selected specific area (e.g., entire living room, entire master bedroom, entire utility room, etc.). At this time, the control unit (350) can provide an animation effect in which the corresponding area of ​​the full view is enlarged and the detailed view is displayed during the transition from the full view to the detailed view.

[0046] For example, when the master bedroom is selected in the overall view, the control unit (350) can control the interfacing unit (390) by creating a detailed view so that the area of ​​the master bedroom in the overall view is gradually expanded and a detailed view of the master bedroom is displayed.

[0047]

[0048] The full view is a view where the entire space is visible and can be displayed in 2D or 3D. The detail view shows a specific space magnified, and 3D can be displayed first. Alternatively, it can also be displayed in 2D.

[0049] In the case of the full view, the entire space is visible, but depending on the situation, a partially magnified view may be provided. For example, the full view is displayed upon initial loading, and if the user subsequently magnifies a part of the full view, the partially magnified view of the full view may be displayed on the user's device. Conversely, upon initial loading, only a part of the full view is magnified and displayed, and if the user subsequently magnifies the partially displayed full view, the magnified full view may be provided.

[0050] Additionally, the overall view may include at least two distinct spaces in the floor plan of the space, or may include an enlarged view of the two or more distinct spaces.

[0051] In this example, the space being separated refers to a physical space separated by walls or doors. In another example, the space being separated refers to a functional space functionally separated by home appliances placed within the space.

[0052] The operating status of the home appliance can be displayed in the full view or detailed view.

[0053]

[0054] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the process of a user terminal checking and controlling the status of a home appliance via a server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] The home appliances (100) transmit status information regarding their current operating status or changes in operation to the server (500) (S1), and the server (500) stores the information (S2). Alternatively, the home appliances (100) can transmit status information of other home appliances on their behalf. For example, the result of monitoring the status of each home appliance through a moving robot vacuum cleaner becomes status information, and the robot vacuum cleaner can transmit the status information to the server or user terminal.

[0056] When a problem occurs with a specific home appliance, a robot vacuum cleaner (equipped with a camera) moves to photograph the relevant part and transmits the video or image to a server or user terminal, so that the problem situation of the home appliance can be displayed on the screen of the user terminal (100). In addition to the robot vacuum cleaner, an adjacent home appliance can photograph the operating status of another home appliance.

[0057] When the user terminal (300) runs an application (S3) and wants to display a full view, the user terminal (300) requests the status of the home appliances (100) from the server (500) (S4). The server (500) transmits the status information of the home appliances to the user terminal (300) (S5). The user terminal (300) displays the status information of the home appliances (S6).

[0058] Subsequently, the user terminal (300) transmits control instruction information to the server (500) to control the state of the home appliances (S7). The server (500) transmits the control instruction information to the home appliance (100) (S8). The home appliance (100) operates according to the transmitted control instruction information (S9) and provides control result information to the server (500) (S10). Subsequently, the server (500) transmits the control result information to the user terminal (300) (S11), and the user terminal displays the control result information of the home appliance (100) (S12).

[0059] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the process of a user terminal directly checking and controlling the status of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] The home appliances (100) transmit status information regarding the current operating state or changes in operation, etc. to the user terminal (300) (S21), and the user terminal (300) stores the transmitted status information (S22).

[0061] When the user terminal (300) executes the application (S23) to display the full view, the previously saved state information is displayed.

[0062] Afterwards, the user terminal (300) transmits control instruction information to the home appliance (100) to control the state of the home appliances (S26). The home appliance (100) operates according to the transmitted control instruction information (S27), transmits control result information to the user terminal (300) (S28), and the user terminal displays the control result information of the home appliance (100) (S29).

[0063] Although FIGS. 2 and 3 describe a user terminal, the description regarding the user terminal can be applied to various home appliances that include a display module. That is, in addition to iPads, laptops, computers, and smartphones, refrigerators or ovens equipped with a touch pad, or TVs capable of remote control input or touch input, all correspond to the devices of the present invention.

[0064] In FIGS. 2 and 3, each home appliance can transmit its respective status information to a server (500) or a user terminal (300) in real time. Alternatively, the home appliances can transmit status information according to a fixed time schedule.

[0065] For example, in the case of home appliances with high data variability (washing machine, cooking appliance, etc.), status information can be transmitted in real time to a server (500) or a user terminal (300).

[0066] Meanwhile, in the case of home appliances with low data variability (e.g., refrigerators), when a specific event occurs, status information can be transmitted to a server (500) or a user terminal (300) along with a trigger.

[0067] This can be determined by the power or data transmission efficiency, and the transmission cycle and method can vary widely depending on home appliances, network environment, setting method, etc.

[0068] In this way, the user terminal (300) can display status information, control, and operation result information of the home appliance. Below, we will examine the process of displaying the status of the home appliance placed within the space.

[0069] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an interface displaying an overall view according to an embodiment of the present invention. The overall view may be referred to as a top view, a home view, etc.

[0070] The overall view includes the structure of the space within the home and interfaces related to the status or control of each home appliance. The overall view can be generated by the server (500) and provided to the user terminal (300), and the user terminal (300) can generate a map.

[0071] The full view can display space in the form of a floor plan in two or three dimensions. The parts of the interface displaying the full view are as follows.

[0072] In the full view, home appliances are displayed as icons inside the circles. Touching the corresponding icon allows you to control the appliance or check its status.

[0073] T1 is an interface for theme chips. If there are home appliances owned for the corresponding theme, they are provided; upon selection, additional information is displayed in the floor plan area along with the appliances belonging to that theme. Themes for Air, Lighting, and Energy can be provided.

[0074] That is, the overall view can display the entire configuration of the space in two or three dimensions. At this time, when displaying the overall view, the user terminal (300) may group the home appliances placed in the space into one or more themes and include an interface that allows selection by theme. The themes may be grouped according to the type of home appliance, and may be newly grouped by the user.

[0075] For example, if appliances used for focusing on specific tasks (lighting, air conditioners, TVs, etc.) are included in a group, that group can also be presented as a theme.

[0076] T2 is an interface for selecting floors. It is provided when there are floor plans of two or more floors.

[0077] T3 allows you to select the view type for viewing the floor plan via 2D / 3D selection, and is provided in 2D upon entry.

[0078] T4 is an interface for returning to full screen, provided when zooming in, out, or rotating the floor plan area, and allows returning to the initial screen when the corresponding button is selected.

[0079] T5 is an interface that displays the floor plan area. The floor plan area provides furniture and products placed on the floor plan, and product icons are displayed in the Top View. The product icons are accompanied by product status information.

[0080] T6 displays a list of unplaced appliances, and appliances that cannot or cannot be placed within the floor plan are provided in the form of icons.

[0081] T7 is an interface that lists smart routines, and provides routines among the smart routines saved by the user that require direct execution.

[0082] The overall view of Fig. 4 can be zoomed in in various ways to view the details. Additionally, each view can be viewed in three dimensions.

[0083] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the entire view according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of a case where a user enlarges a specific space in the entire view of FIG. 4.

[0084] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an overall view in three dimensions according to an embodiment of the present invention. When a user touches the part indicated by T3 in FIG. 4, the view can be switched between 2D and 3D.

[0085] In this way, the user can check the location or operating status of each home appliance through the full view displayed on the user terminal (300).

[0086] The area indicated by T1 in Fig. 4 can display home appliances categorized by a specific theme or show the status of home appliances belonging to that theme.

[0087] As seen in FIGS. 4 to 6, the overall view should show the entire space, and the name for each space can be assigned and displayed automatically or manually.

[0088] For example, if a user sets the name of a specific room to "Study," that name may be displayed in the overall view. If no specific name is set, the name automatically assigned to each space may be displayed in the overall view, or the name may not be displayed at all.

[0089] Since the overall view contains multiple home appliances, if the appliances are spaced apart or placed closely within a specific space, each appliance may be displayed in an overlapping manner. In this case, among the appliances, those appliances that contain information that the user needs to check may be displayed first. Additionally, among the home appliances, a bubble interface (see FIG. 15) to be described later is displayed, and when the bubble interface is selected by means such as touch, the control unit (350) generates a detailed view of the space where the appliance was placed and controls the interface unit (390) to display the detailed view.

[0090] In addition, specific home appliances can be newly placed and registered, or removed, in the overall view or the detailed view described later, and this information is updated immediately so that changes can be displayed in the overall view and the detailed view.

[0091] When a touch input that zooms in on the space occurs in the full view or detailed view, individual home appliances may be displayed as the spacing between the overlapping home appliances increases.

[0092] FIGS. 7 to 9 are drawings showing the state of home appliances belonging to a specific theme according to an embodiment of the present invention. Themes may be grouped according to the functions provided by the home appliances or the amount of energy used by the home appliances. For example, themes may include one or more of an air theme, a lighting theme, and an energy theme. Alternatively, a user may create a specific theme and register home appliances belonging to that theme. A theme created by a user is referred to as a user theme.

[0093] The control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) can control the operation of two or more home appliances included in the selected theme or generate an overall view displaying status information of two or more home appliances.

[0094] For example, as shown in Fig. 7, when the "Air" theme is selected on the user terminal (300), information related to dehumidification, heating and cooling, and air purification, such as temperature, humidity, and air quality, can be displayed in the full view.

[0095] When the air theme of Fig. 7 is selected, air information corresponding to the space, such as AIRInfo1, AIRInfo2, and AIRInfo3, may be displayed. If there are two or more devices capable of collecting air-related information for a space, minimum and maximum values ​​may be displayed for each information category. Additionally, outdoor air information may also be displayed when the air theme is selected.

[0096] Information can be classified into good / average / bad depending on the air quality range, and if the information is the same, it can be displayed in the same color, and if the air quality information is different, it can be displayed in a different color that is distinct from the above color. For example, the air quality category can be divided into good / average / bad, and if an air theme is selected, good, average, or bad air quality can be displayed in the overall view according to each space. At this time, the user terminal (300) can generate an overall view such that the space with "good" air quality is displayed in color A, and the space with "bad" air quality is displayed in color B.

[0097] At this time, the user terminal (300) can link color A and color B to the colors used by the air purifier placed in the space to display air quality. For example, assume a case where the color indicating good air quality is blue, the color indicating average air quality is green, and the color indicating poor air quality is red.

[0098] The user terminal (300) can integrate the air quality display color of the air purifier with the air quality display color of the space by applying the above blue / green / red colors to display the air quality of the space in color.

[0099] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 8, when the "Lighting" theme is selected on the user terminal (300), the lighting status can be displayed in the overall view. The control unit (350) can generate an overall view that displays different colors of the spaces depending on whether the lighting in each space is on or off. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the space designated as R1 has its lighting turned off, so the control unit (350) can display that space darkly. Since the other spaces have their lighting turned on, the control unit (350) can generate an overall view that displays the spaces excluding R1 brightly.

[0100] In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, when the "Energy" theme is selected on the user terminal (300), the amount of energy used by each home appliance can be displayed in the overall view. The control unit (350) can generate an overall view displaying the energy usage of each appliance, limited to those measuring energy usage. FIG. 9 is an example showing the energy usage of two home appliances.

[0101] When an icon of a specific home appliance or the usage amount of a specific home appliance is selected in FIG. 9, the control unit (350) can generate a home appliance control screen to save energy usage of the home appliance. For example, the control unit (350) can display detailed information for each device, such as DV1 in FIG. 16, which will be described later.

[0102] Detailed spaces constituting a space, such as bedrooms or living rooms, may have visual limitations in verifying the operation of specific home appliances from an overall view. Accordingly, according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to control the status and operation of home appliances in each space through a detailed view.

[0103] As described in FIGS. 7 to 9, when a specific theme is selected, the home appliances belonging to that theme can be controlled to turn on or off at once. In the case of FIG. 8, when a lighting theme is selected, the control unit (350) can create an interface that can turn all off or on, such as an "all off" interface, by including it in the overall view.

[0104] Depending on the nature of the home appliances included in the theme, specific functions can be filtered, or information provided by the home appliances in that category can be displayed in the full view.

[0105] In the Air theme, each appliance collects temperature, air conditions, humidity, etc., to check the overall air quality. In the Air theme, "Turn all off" or "Turn all on" options may be applied, and if only some appliances are turned on, the "Turn all off" interface may be displayed in the full view.

[0106] For lighting themes, information on whether the lights in the space are on or not can be provided, and an interface to turn the lights on or off overall, such as "Turn all off" or "Turn all on," can be included and displayed in the full view.

[0107] In the case of an energy theme, energy usage can be provided. Information such as current usage and estimated electricity bills can be displayed, and this information can be calculated for each appliance or for all appliances within the theme and displayed as shown in Fig. 9.

[0108] When a specific space is selected in the overall view of the user terminal (300), a detailed view or an immersive view is provided for that space.

[0109] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a detailed view according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0110] When the user touches the living room in the full view displayed on the user terminal (300) of Fig. 4, a detailed view as shown in Fig. 10 is displayed, and the temperature detected by the air conditioner (100a) and wall-mounted air conditioner (100b) placed in the living room is displayed.

[0111] You can turn off or on the operation of the air conditioner by selecting the power button (B1) of the air conditioner (100a) displayed on the user terminal (300).

[0112] A detailed view is an example of an enlarged view of a specific space when a specific area within the overall view is touched. If a specific space is selected in the overall view and there is a home appliance in that space, the user terminal (300) may display a detailed view of that space. Alternatively, if there is no home appliance, a detailed view may not be provided. Even if there is no home appliance, a detailed view may be provided and an interface that induces the registration of the home appliance may be displayed in the detailed view.

[0113] The full view may display icons of home appliances, and the detailed view may display home appliances as 3D animations.

[0114] Alternatively, the information displayed in the full view and the detail view may differ or the types of information may vary depending on the difference in size.

[0115] Additionally, home appliances can be displayed uniformly in the overall view, while icons and other elements can be displayed according to the priority of each home appliance in the detailed view.

[0116] Alternatively, in the full view, depending on the specific environment or the appliance that triggered the notification, the relevant appliances may be displayed preferentially or larger.

[0117] That is, the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) can display the appearance of multiple home appliances differently depending on the priority set for the home appliances, the priority of the operation of the home appliances, or the occurrence of a notification message for the home appliances when creating a full view or a detailed view. For example, in the case of FIG. 10, a bubble interface related to an air conditioner (100a) that provides greater functionality in changing the temperature of the air is displayed.

[0118] As an example of displaying a detailed view, the internal structure and the arrangement of home appliances may be displayed from an angle where the door is not visible, as shown in FIG. 10. In this case, the detailed view may be positioned in the direction of movement from the outside into the space. However, depending on the arrangement of the home appliances, the detailed view may be positioned according to various criteria, such as the direction in which the room is visible, the direction in which large appliances are displayed at the back, or the direction in which the space facing the walls is visible. For example, depending on the settings of the detailed view, the detailed view may be determined according to various criteria, such as a view in the direction of entering the space from the outside through the door, a view looking through the window, or a view looking in front of the window.

[0119] Meanwhile, when home appliances and a user terminal communicate with each other, the home appliance can confirm that the user terminal (300) is nearby. At this time, the user terminal (300) can receive a specific signal transmitted by the home appliance, and the user terminal (300) can generate and display a detailed view of the space where the home appliance is placed.

[0120] Alternatively, the user terminal (300) can check the home appliances placed nearby. In this case as well, the user terminal (300) can generate and display a detailed view of the space where the checked home appliances are placed.

[0121] In one embodiment, the user terminal (300) can measure the distance to the home appliances or check the strength of the signal transmitted by the home appliances. The user terminal (300) can also display a detailed view of the space where the home appliance is placed by using the signal strength or the measured distance information.

[0122]

[0123] In the aforementioned embodiment, the status information of a home appliance displayed in the overall view or detailed view may include one or more of the following: an icon representing the home appliance, the operating status of the home appliance or the on / off status of the home appliance, information acquired by a sensor included in the home appliance or information related to the progress of an upgrade, or notification information related to the home appliance. The status information may be provided in the form of an icon.

[0124] In addition, a bubble-shaped interface may be placed adjacent to each home appliance, and the interface may include the name of the home appliance, sensing information detected by the home appliance (e.g., temperature), an interface for controlling the home appliance (on / off button), etc.

[0125] The bubble-shaped interface can always be displayed in the full view or the detail view. Alternatively, the bubble-shaped interface can be displayed only for home appliances specifically selected on the user terminal.

[0126] When the bubble interface of a specific home appliance displayed on the user terminal in the overall view is touched, the user terminal (300) can display a detailed view of the space where the home appliance is placed.

[0127]

[0128] FIGS. 11 and FIGS. 12 are drawings showing a method of representing a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] Various information about home appliances placed in each space can be displayed in the full view or detailed view.

[0130] As illustrated in FIG. 11, a device icon (IC1) that visually shows the type of home appliance and a progress icon (IC2) that shows the operating status of the home appliance can be displayed in the overall view or the detailed view. When the progress icon (IC2) becomes circular, it signifies completion or 100% progress.

[0131] The operating status refers to information related to, for example, the time an air conditioner or refrigerator has performed cooling / refrigeration operations by circulating refrigerant, the time a washing machine has run a designated washing course, or the time an oven has heated food. When Fig. 11 is applied, the user can intuitively check the operating status of the home appliance or the progress status of the operation in the overall view or detailed view.

[0132] In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, a device icon (IC1) that visually shows the type of home appliance and a notification icon (IC3) that shows there is a task to be performed on the home appliance can be displayed in the overall view or detailed view.

[0133] In summary, the icons displayed in the overall view or detailed view may include a main icon representing the home appliance and an icon placed around the main icon to indicate the progress of operation, as illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0134] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the icons displayed in the full view or detailed view may include a main icon representing a home appliance and icons placed around the main icon representing important notifications such as malfunction, update, filter replacement, or communication failure. The icons representing notifications may be displayed on top of the icons in FIG. 11.

[0135] In addition, the main icon representing the appliance can also visually display the appliance's operating status. For example, if icons for a washing machine and a dryer are displayed in the full view or detail view, animation effects can be displayed only for the dryer if it is in operation.

[0136] In addition, animation effects can be applied to the icon to synchronize with the actual operation of the appliance when the air purifier's lighting changes according to the distribution of fine dust in the air, or when the air conditioner's intensity or airflow direction changes.

[0137]

[0138] A user terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention can suggest tasks to be performed by home appliances placed in each space through an overall view or a detailed view.

[0139] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 7 above, if the air in a specific space is indicated as bad, when the space is touched in the overall view or the icon of the appliance is touched, the operation course of the appliance suitable for that space may be activated or the appliance may be turned on.

[0140]

[0141] The detailed view can provide visualized information for each space.

[0142] FIGS. 13 and FIGS. 14 are drawings showing the process of switching from an overall view to a detailed view according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0143] When a specific space (e.g., P1) is selected in the overall view of FIG. 13, a detailed view of that space is displayed as in FIG. 14. When a specific area within the overall view is selected while the overall view is displayed, the interface unit (390) provides the location information to the control unit (350). The control unit (350) can generate a detailed view corresponding to the selected area.

[0144] As previously discussed, a detailed view seen from the direction of entering a specific space may be displayed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0145] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the detailed view includes the structure of the area and detailed status information (Info_2, Info_3) of the appliances placed in the area. In addition, information about the area (temperature, air condition, etc.) can also be displayed in the detailed view as Info_1.

[0146] The detailed view of FIG. 14 can display furniture and products placed in the entered space as 3D images. The detailed view may include the current status of each appliance, sensed information, information on operation, and information on product effects according to the operation course status of the appliance so that the status can be quickly recognized visually. The control unit (350) may display the name of the space when generating the detailed view, and as an example, the name of the space may be set by the user or automatically assigned.

[0147] In the detailed view, depending on the type of home appliances placed in the space, information displayed in the previously examined air theme, lighting theme, or energy theme may be displayed in Info_1. If multiple home appliances are placed and there are two or more themes to which the multiple home appliances belong, the control unit (350) may display information of a specific theme in Info_1 according to the importance of the information provided by the home appliances or the urgency of user verification.

[0148] For example, assume that the detailed view contains both home appliances belonging to the energy theme and home appliances belonging to the lighting theme. If the energy usage of home appliances belonging to the energy theme increases rapidly compared to normal, the control unit (350) can display information related to the energy theme in Info_1.

[0149] In another embodiment, it is assumed that the detailed view contains both home appliances belonging to the energy theme and home appliances belonging to the air theme. When the energy usage of home appliances belonging to the energy theme corresponds to normal usage while the air quality is very poor, the control unit (350) can display information related to the air theme in Info_1.

[0150] As illustrated in Info_1, information regarding the area may include recommendable context-specific suggestions and recommended action cards related to products placed within the space. As an example, a context-specific suggestion is a suggestion in which the user controls a home appliance to change the conditions within the space to a normal range when the air quality, lighting conditions, or energy usage levels of the space exceed the normal range. In FIG. 14, information indicating that the air purifier should be turned on because the air is in a bad state may be displayed.

[0151] When a user selects an adjacent area (P2) of a specific home appliance, the control unit (350) generates a screen to check the status of the home appliance in detail, and the interface unit (390) can display detailed information.

[0152] Meanwhile, the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) can display a bubble interface adjacent to a specific home appliance when generating an overall view or a detailed view.

[0153] The bubble interface includes one or more of an interface that displays the status of the home appliance or an interface for controlling the home appliance.

[0154]

[0155] FIGS. 15 and 16 are drawings showing the configuration and detailed screen of a bubble interface according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0156] A bubble interface (BIF1) may be placed around the air purifier (100e) in the overall view or detailed view. The bubble interface includes an interface (IF1) that indicates the current state of the air purifier or can also indicate on / off, and an interface (IF2) that displays the name of the appliance and current state information.

[0157] When a user selects a bubble interface, the user terminal (300) can display a detailed screen (DV1) of the product (e.g., an air purifier). Such a detailed screen can also be displayed when an adjacent area of ​​a specific home appliance is selected in FIG. 14.

[0158] That is, the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) can generate a detailed screen for the home appliance and display it on the interface unit (390) when the bubble interface is selected.

[0159] The bubble interface can be displayed in various ways in addition to the configuration of FIG. 15. For example, when a home appliance is in operation, the control unit (350) can generate status information and a bubble interface including information on the remaining time until the operation ends or information on the time elapsed since the operation started. Additionally, if there is information that the user needs to check regarding the home appliance, the control unit (350) can generate a bubble interface that displays such information in the form of an alarm.

[0160] Additionally, the bubble interface can provide an interface necessary for controlling home appliances. For example, the control unit (350) can include an interface in the bubble interface that enables quick operations, such as turning the home appliance on or off, like IF1.

[0161] The information displayed by the bubble interface can be configured differently depending on the theme that includes the appliance.

[0162] The control unit (350) can generate a bubble interface containing air-related information for home appliances belonging to the air theme.

[0163] Since the detailed view displays the spatial structure of a specific area of ​​the entire space and the status of the home appliance, when the control unit (350) switches from the overall view to the detailed view, it can generate a detailed view containing a bubble interface for each device around the detailed home appliances.

[0164] The control unit (350) can make the bubble interface displayed in the full view or detail view disappear when tapping the home appliance or tapping an area other than the bubble interface.

[0165] The bubble interface can provide customized information necessary for using the home appliance. For example, the control unit (350) can include setting values ​​for the home appliance in the bubble interface that can optimize the space or the state of the home appliance. At this time, the control unit (350) displays a notification on the bubble interface so that the user can check the detailed setting values ​​of the home appliance.

[0166] Additionally, the bubble interface can provide information indicating errors in the home appliance or the replacement of specific parts. For example, the control unit (350) checks for an abnormal amount of refrigerant in the air conditioner, or the replacement or cleaning status of the air purifier's filter. In this case, the control unit (350) displays a notification on the bubble interface so that the user can proceed with the process of replacing or repairing parts of the home appliance.

[0167] In summary, the control unit (350) can determine the priority of the sensing information acquired by the home appliance or the operation to be performed by the home appliance when generating the overall view or detailed view, and generate the bubble interface of the home appliance with the highest priority.

[0168] The operation performed by the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) to generate the aforementioned full view or detailed view can also be performed at the server (500). In this case, when the full view or detailed view generated at the server (500) is transmitted to the user terminal (300), the user terminal (300) transmits information about the point where touch input, such as a touch or drag, occurred to the server (500), and can receive newly changed information from the server (500) accordingly.

[0169] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0170] The server (500) includes a database (590) that receives and stores account information related to the user terminal (300), information about home appliances placed in the space managed by the user terminal (300), and environmental data such as weather, temperature and humidity, and fine dust from the outside. Additionally, the server (500) includes a server communication unit (510) that transmits and receives data to and from the user terminal (300) and an external weather server.

[0171] The server control unit (550) generates information necessary for the user terminal (300) to display a full view or a detailed view. The server control unit (550) and the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) can collaborate to generate the full view and the detailed view.

[0172] The server control unit (550) generates information necessary to display the overall view and detailed view using information stored in the database (590) and various collected information.

[0173] The server (500) can store various data generated by home appliances, user data provided by user terminals (300), etc. in the database (590).

[0174] Additionally, the server (500) can receive and store various information (sensing information, operation history information, etc.) generated during the operation of each home appliance from the home appliances. In this process, some home appliances can transmit data to the server (500) via the user terminal (300).

[0175] Additionally, the server (500) can control the operation of the home appliance by transmitting control instruction information transmitted from the user terminal (300) to the home appliance. As previously seen in FIG. 2, this corresponds to the case where communication between the user terminal (300) and the home appliance (100) passes through the server (500).

[0176] In the process of generating an overall view or a detailed view, the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) or the server control unit (550) of the server (500) may reflect the operating status information of each home appliance, current time information such as day and night, and weather information. Additionally, the control unit (350) of the user terminal (300) or the server control unit (550) of the server (500) may generate a detailed view, such as by rotating the view of the space through camera control effects.

[0177] Meanwhile, when an app is executed to display a full view on a user terminal (300), the user terminal (300) may output a card message recommending the operation of a specific home appliance before displaying the full view.

[0178] For example, information sensed by home appliances can be transmitted to a user terminal (300), and as a result, the user terminal (300) can confirm whether the indoor temperature is higher or lower than a standard or whether the air quality is very poor.

[0179] In this case, the control unit (350) may suggest cooling or heating for an appropriate temperature or display a pop-up card message to the interface unit (390) to turn on an air conditioner or air purifier.

[0180]

[0181] Although it has been described that all components constituting an embodiment of the present invention are combined or operate as a single unit, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such an embodiment, and within the scope of the purpose of the present invention, all components may be selectively combined in one or more ways to operate. Furthermore, while all components may each be implemented as a single independent piece of hardware, some or all of the components may be selectively combined to be implemented as a computer program having a program module that performs some or all of the combined functions on one or more pieces of hardware. The codes and code segments constituting the computer program can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art of the present invention. An embodiment of the present invention may be implemented by storing such a computer-readable storage medium and reading and executing it by a computer. The storage medium for the computer program includes a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, and a storage medium including a semiconductor recording element. Additionally, a computer program implementing an embodiment of the present invention includes a program module that is transmitted in real time through an external device.

[0182] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that such changes and modifications are included within the scope of the present invention as long as they do not depart from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A communication unit that receives status information of a home appliance from the home appliance or a server; A control unit that generates an overall view or a detailed view including a floor plan of a space in which home appliances are placed and status information of the home appliances placed in the space; and A device comprising an interface unit that outputs the above-mentioned overall view or the above-mentioned detailed view.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above interface unit displays the entire configuration of the above space as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional overall view, and The above-mentioned full view is a device comprising an interface that groups home appliances placed in the space into one or more themes and allows selection by theme.

3. In Paragraph 1, A device in which the above overall view includes at least two distinct spaces in a plan view of the space, or includes an enlarged view of the two or more distinct spaces.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above device is a device that is one of a home appliance including a user terminal or a display module.

5. In Paragraph 2, The above theme includes one or more of the Air theme, Lighting theme, Energy theme, and User theme, and The above control unit controls the operation of two or more home appliances included in a selected theme or generates the above overall view displaying status information of two or more home appliances.

6. In Paragraph 1, The status information displayed by the above full view or the above detail view A device comprising one or more of the following: an icon representing the home appliance, the operating status of the home appliance or the on / off status of the home appliance, information acquired by a sensor included in the home appliance or information related to the progress of an upgrade, and notification information related to the home appliance.

7. In Paragraph 4, The status information displayed by the above full view or the above detail view A device characterized by displaying the operation progress status of the home appliance around an icon representing the home appliance, or displaying an icon representing a notification message around the icon.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit, in generating the overall view or the detailed view, A device that displays the appearance of multiple home appliances differently according to the priority set in the home appliance, the priority of operation of the home appliance, or the occurrence of a notification message of the home appliance.

9. In Paragraph 1, When a specific area of ​​the above full view is selected while the above full view is displayed, The above control unit generates the detailed view corresponding to the selected area, and The above detailed view is a device that includes the structure of the area and detailed status information of home appliances placed in the area.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above control unit is a device that generates the detailed view displaying the entire space matching the selected specific area.

11. In Paragraph 1, The above full view or the above detailed view includes a bubble interface containing status information of the above home appliance, and A device in which the control unit generates a detailed screen for the home appliance and displays it on the interface unit when the bubble interface is selected.

12. In Paragraph 11, A device in which the control unit determines the priority of sensing information acquired by the home appliance or the operation to be performed by the home appliance when generating the overall view or the detailed view, and generates a bubble interface of the home appliance with the highest priority.

13. In Paragraph 1, The above communication unit is a device that transmits control instruction information controlling the operation of the above home appliance to the above home appliance or the above server.

14. A step in which the communication unit of the device receives status information of the home appliance from the home appliance or server; A step in which a control unit of the above device generates an overall view or a detailed view including a floor plan of a space in which the home appliance is placed and status information of the home appliance placed in the space; and A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances in a space, comprising the step of the interface part of the above device outputting the overall view or the detailed view.

15. In Paragraph 14, The above output step The above interface unit includes the step of displaying the entire configuration of the space as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional overall view, and A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances within a space, wherein the above-mentioned overall view groups home appliances placed in the space into one or more themes and includes an interface selectable by theme.

16. In Paragraph 14, A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances within a space, wherein the above-mentioned overall view includes at least two distinct spaces in a floor plan of the space, or includes an enlarged view of the two or more distinct spaces.

17. In Paragraph 14, A method for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance in a space, wherein the above device is one of a home appliance including a user terminal or a display module.

18. In Paragraph 15, The above theme includes one or more of the Air theme, Lighting theme, Energy theme, and User theme, and A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances in a space, further comprising the step of generating the overall view that controls the operation of two or more home appliances included in a selected theme or displays status information of two or more home appliances.

19. In Paragraph 14, The status information displayed by the above full view or the above detail view A method for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance in a space, comprising one or more of the following: an icon representing the home appliance, the operating status of the home appliance or the on / off status of the home appliance, information acquired by a sensor included in the home appliance or information related to the progress of an upgrade, and notification information related to the home appliance.

20. In Paragraph 19, The status information displayed by the above full view or the above detail view A method for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance in a space, characterized by displaying the operation progress status of the home appliance around an icon representing the home appliance, or displaying an icon representing a notification message around the icon.

21. In Paragraph 14, The step of generating the above A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances in a space, comprising the step of the control unit generating the overall view or the detailed view, wherein the appearance of a plurality of home appliances is displayed differentially according to a priority set for the home appliance, a priority of operation of the home appliance, or the occurrence of a notification message of the home appliance.

22. In Paragraph 14, When a specific area of ​​the above full view is selected while the above full view is displayed, The above control unit further includes the step of generating the detailed view corresponding to the selected area, A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances within a space, wherein the above-described detailed view includes the structure of the area and detailed status information of home appliances placed in the area.

23. In Paragraph 22, A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances within a space, wherein the control unit generates a detailed view that displays the entire space matching the selected specific area.

24. In Paragraph 14, The above full view or the above detailed view includes a bubble interface containing status information of the above home appliance, and A method for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance in a space, further comprising the step of generating a detailed screen for the home appliance and displaying it to the interface unit when the bubble interface is selected by the control unit.

25. In Paragraph 24, A method for visually displaying and controlling home appliances in a space, wherein the control unit further includes the step of determining the priority of sensing information acquired by the home appliance or the operation to be performed by the home appliance when generating the overall view or the detailed view, and generating a bubble interface of the home appliance with the highest priority.

26. In Paragraph 14, A method for visually displaying and controlling a home appliance in a space, further comprising the step of the communication unit transmitting control instruction information that controls the operation of the home appliance to the home appliance or the server.

Images