Control method, controller, and recording medium

• US 10,063,386 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kunitake, Yuji, Nakamura, Tomonori, Miyazaki, Ryota, Tahara, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huntley, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US15/156,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

A control method includes executing a first application for operating a first appliance in order to provide a first service to a user. As a result, a first command is transmitted to the appliance corresponding to the first application. A second application is then executed for operating the first equipment in order to provide a second service to the user. As a result, a second command is transmitted to the appliance corresponding to the second application. Execution of at least the first application is terminated when the first application and the second application are alternately executed on the first appliance at least a predetermined number of times to stop the transmission of the first command to the first appliance.

Claims

1. A control method for a controller configured to control a first appliance connected to a network, the control method comprising:

executing a first application for operating the first appliance in order to provide a first service;

transmitting a first command corresponding to the first application to the first appliance;

executing a second application for operating the first appliance in order to provide a second service;

transmitting a second command corresponding to the second application to the first appliance;

storing an execution log each time the first application and the second application are executed, wherein the execution log includes a first log corresponding to execution of the first application and a second log corresponding to execution of the second application, the first log including an identifier of the first service, an identifier of the first appliance, and a first operation that the first command causes the first appliance to execute, and the second log including an identifier of the second service, the identifier of the first appliance, and a second operation that the second command causes the first appliance to execute;

detecting that the first application and the second application are alternately executed on the first appliance at least a predetermined number of times, based on the execution log;

terminating the execution of at least the first application when the first application and the second application are alternately executed the at least the predetermined number of times; and

stopping the transmission of the first command to the first appliance.

2. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the execution of the first application is started prior to the execution of the second application.

3. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the execution of the first application is started after the execution of the second application.

4. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the first service is not a preset service.

5. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to a user notification information indicating that the transmission of the first command has been stopped.

6. The control method according to claim 5, further comprising:

storing first information indicating a correspondence between the first service and the identifier of the first service, and a correspondence between the second service and the identifier of the second service; and

identifying the first service, based on the first information,

wherein the notification information indicates the first service.

7. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing second information indicating a correspondence between the first appliance and the identifier of the first appliance, and a correspondence between a second appliance and an identifier of the second appliance; and

identifying the first appliance and the first operation, based on the execution log and the second information,

wherein the notification information further indicates the first appliance and the first operation.

8. The control method according to claim 5,

wherein the user includes a first user;

the control method further comprises storing, based on the execution log, third information indicating a correspondence of the identifier of the first service provided to the first user upon executing the first application, an identifier of the first user, and an identifier of a first terminal, the identifier of the first terminal being associated with the first user; and

the notification information is transmitted to the first terminal, based on the third information.

9. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing fourth information and fifth information, based on the execution log, wherein the fourth information indicates a correspondence of the identifier of the first service provided to the user upon executing the first application, the identifier of the first appliance, the first operation, and the number of times the first command was transmitted to the first appliance, and the fifth information indicates a correspondence of the identifier of the second service provided to the user upon executing the second application, the identifier of the first appliance, the second operation, and the number of times the second command was transmitted to the first appliance; and

deleting the fourth information at every predetermined time interval, when the identifier of the first service indicates a predetermined service, and deleting the fifth information at every predetermined time interval, when the identifier of the second service indicates the predetermined service.

10. A controller for controlling an appliance connected to a network, the controller comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to execute a plurality of processes for controlling the appliance, comprising;

executing a first application for operating the appliance in order to provide a first service;

transmitting a first command corresponding to the first application to the appliance;

executing a second application for operating the appliance in order to provide a second service;

transmitting a second command corresponding to the second application to the appliance;

storing an execution log each time the first application and the second application are executed, wherein the execution log includes a first log corresponding to execution of the first application and a second log corresponding to execution of the second application, the first log including an identifier of the first service, an identifier of the appliance, and a first operation that the first command causes the appliance to execute, and the second log including an identifier of the second service, the identifier of the appliance, and a second operation that the second command causes the appliance to execute;

detecting that the first application and the second application are alternately executed on the appliance at least a predetermined number of times, based on the execution log;

terminating the execution of at least the first application when the first application and the second application are alternately executed the at least the predetermined number of times; and

stopping the transmission of the first command to the appliance.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with an executable computer program for controlling an appliance connected to a network, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

executing a first application for operating the appliance in order to provide a first service;

transmitting a first command corresponding to the first application to the appliance;

executing a second application for operating the appliance in order to provide a second service;

transmit a second command corresponding to the second application to the appliance;

storing an execution log each time the first application and the second application are executed, wherein the execution log includes a first log corresponding to execution of the first application and a second log corresponding to execution of the second application, the first log including an identifier of the first service, an identifier of the appliance, and a first operation that the first command causes the appliance to execute, and the second log including an identifier of the second service, the identifier of the appliance, and a second operation that the second command causes the appliance to execute;

detecting that the first application and the second application are alternately executed on the appliance at least a predetermined number of times, based on the execution log;

terminating the execution of at least the first application when the first application and the second application are alternately executed the at least the predetermined number of times; and

stopping the transmission of the first command to the appliance.

12. A control method for a controller for controlling an appliance connected to a network, the controller being connected to a server, the control method comprising:

transmitting a first command corresponding to a first application executed by the server to the appliance, the first application being an application for operating the appliance in order to provide the first service;

transmitting a second command corresponding to a second application executed by the server to the appliance, the second application being an application for operating the appliance in order to provide a second service;

storing an execution log each time the first application and the second application are executed, wherein the execution log includes a first log corresponding to execution of the first application and a second log corresponding to execution of the second application, the first log including an identifier of the first service, an identifier of the appliance, and a first operation that the first command causes the appliance to execute, and the second log including an identifier of the second service, the identifier of the appliance, and a second operation that the second command causes the appliance to execute;

detecting that the first application and the second application are alternately executed on the appliance a predetermined number of times or more, based on the execution log;

transmitting, to the server, a termination request for causing the server to terminate the execution of at least the first application, when the first application and the second application are alternately executed a predetermined number of times or more; and

stopping the transmission of the first command to the appliance.

13. A control method for a controller for controlling air-conditioning appliance connected to a network, the control method comprising:

executing a first application for operating the air-conditioning appliance in order to provide a first operation, the first operation being automatically controlling a temperature of the air-conditioning appliance;

transmitting a first command corresponding to the first application to the air-conditioning appliance, the first command causing the air-conditioning appliance to set a temperature;

executing a second application for operating the air-conditioning appliance in order to provide a second operation, the second operation being automatically controlling power consumed by the air-conditioning appliance;

transmitting a second command corresponding to the second application to the air-conditioning appliance, the second command causing turning on or off power supply of the air-conditioning appliance;

storing an execution log each time the first application and the second application are executed, wherein the execution log includes a first log corresponding to execution of the first application and a second log corresponding to execution of the second application, the first log including an identifier of the first operation, an identifier of the air-conditioning appliance, and first temperature information to be set for the air-conditioning appliance, and the second log including an identifier of the second operation, the identifier of the air-conditioning appliance, and information indicating whether the air-conditioning appliance is to be turned on or off;

detecting that the first application and the second application are alternately executed on the air-conditioning appliance at least a predetermined number of times, based on the execution log;

terminating the execution of the first application or the second application when the first application and the second application are alternately executed the at least the predetermined number;

stopping the transmission of the first command to the air-conditioning appliance when the first application is terminated; and

stopping the transmission of the second command to the air-conditioning appliance when the second application is terminated.