CONTROLLING DEVICE, CONTROLLED DEVICE, CONTROLLING METHOD, CONTROLLING SYSTEM, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND NOTIFICATION DEVICE

• US 20150094825A1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KINOSHITA, Shinichiro, SHIRAKAWA, Junichi, KIMURA, Tetsuji, YAJIMA, Shunsuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,768,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21005 Several slave modules connected to same I-O of master, multiplexed by master
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• 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

Abstract

A controlling device includes: controlling sections configured to control respective of a plurality of devices; and a master controlling section configured to determine, by referring to information obtained from one of the plurality of devices, a control matter concerning another one of the plurality of devices.

Claims

1. A controlling device comprising:

controlling units configured to control respective of a plurality of devices; and

a master controlling unit configured to determine, by referring to information obtained from one of the plurality of devices, a control matter concerning how to control another one of the plurality of devices.

2. The controlling device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the master controlling unit controls, by referring to the control matter, the another one of the plurality of devices to give a notification.

3. The controlling device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the master controlling unit causes the notification to be given with a voice.

4. The controlling device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the another one of the plurality of devices manages an electronic bulletin board; and

the master controlling device causes the notification to be given by controlling the another one of the plurality of devices to cause the electronic bulletin board to display notification content.

5. The controlling device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the master controlling unit controls the one of the plurality of devices in accordance with an instruction of a user, which instruction is given with a voice and obtained by the another one of the plurality of devices.

6. A controlled device to be controlled in accordance with an instruction of a controlling device, which instruction is determined by referring to information obtained from another controlled device managed by the controlling device.

7. The controlled device as set forth in claim 6, wherein a notification is given in accordance with the instruction.

8. A controlling method comprising:

a master controlling step of determining, by referring to information obtained from one of a plurality of devices, a control matter concerning how to control another one of the plurality of devices; and

a controlling step of controlling the another one of the plurality of devices in accordance with the control matter determined in the master controlling step.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for controlling a computer to serve as a controlling device including:

controlling units configured to control respective of a plurality of devices; and

a master controlling unit configured to determine, by referring to information obtained from one of the plurality of devices, a control matter concerning how to control another one of the plurality of devices, which program controlling the computer to serve as each of the controlling units.

10. A controlling system comprising:

a controlling device; and

a plurality of controlled devices to be controlled in accordance with an instruction from the controlling device,

said controlling device including

controlling units configured to control respective of a plurality of controlled devices and

a master controlling unit configured to determine, by referring to information obtained from one of the plurality of controlled devices, a control matter concerning how to control another one of the plurality of controlled devices,

the another one of the plurality of controlled devices giving a notification in accordance with the instruction.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for controlling a computer to serve as a controlled device to be controlled in accordance with an instruction from a controlling device, which instruction is determined by referring to information obtained from another controlled device, which program controlling the computer to serve as a notifying unit configured to give a notification in accordance with the instruction.

12. A controlling device comprising:

an operation status information obtaining unit configured to obtain, from a first device, operation status information indicative of an operation status of the first device;

an external information obtaining unit configured to obtain external information;

a suggestion content determining unit configured to determine, by referring to the operation status information and the external information, suggestion content concerning the first device; and

a notification controlling unit configured to cause a second device to give a notification of the suggestion content.

13. The controlling device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second device is a device located in the vicinity of a user.

14. A controlling device as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain information indicative of whether or not the user is present in the vicinity of the second device.

15. The controlling device as set forth in claim 14, wherein, in a case where the second device is being operated, the second device supplies, to the controlling device, information indicating that the user is present in the vicinity of the second device.

16. The controlling device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second device is a device which is turned on.

17. The controlling device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second device is a mobile device.

18. A controlling method comprising:

an operation status information obtaining step of obtaining, from a first device, operation status information indicative of an operation status of the first device;

an external information obtaining step of obtaining external information;

a suggestion content determining step of determining, by referring to the operation status information and the external information, suggestion content concerning the first device; and

a notification controlling step of causing a second device to give a notification of the suggestion content.

19. A controlling system comprising:

a controlling device; and

a second device;

said controlling device including

an operation status information obtaining unit configured to obtain, from a first device, operation status information indicative of an operation status of the first device,

an external information obtaining unit configured to obtain external information,

a suggestion content determining unit configured to determine, by referring to the operation status information and the external information, suggestion content concerning the first device, and

a notification controlling unit configured to cause the second device to give a notification of the suggestion content, said second device including

a notifying unit configured to give the notification of the suggestion content.

20. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for controlling a computer to serve as a controlling device including:

an operation status information obtaining unit configured to obtain, from a first device, operation status information indicative of an operation status of the first device;

an external information obtaining unit configured to obtain external information;

a suggestion content determining unit configured to determine, by referring to the operation status information and the external information, suggestion content concerning the first device; and

a notification controlling unit configured to cause a second device to give a notification of the suggestion content, which program controlling the computer to serve as each of the controlling units.

21. A notification device comprising:

a suggestion content receiving unit configured to receive suggestion content which concerns an operation of another device and which is determined by referring to (i) operation status information indicative of an operation status of the another device and (ii) external information;

a notifying unit configured to give a notification of the suggestion content; and

an operation receiving unit configured to receive a user'"'"'s operation indicative of whether or not the user accepts the suggestion content.

22. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for controlling a computer to serve as a notification device including:

a suggestion content receiving unit configured to receive suggestion content which concerns an operation of another device and which is determined by referring to (i) operation status information indicative of an operation status of the another device and (ii) external information;

a notifying unit configured to give a notification of the suggestion content; and

an operation receiving unit configured to receive a user'"'"'s operation indicative of whether or not the user accepts the suggestion content, which program controls the computer to serve as each unit included in the notification device.