INSTALLMENT LOCATION PLANNING ASSISTANCE METHOD, TERMINAL DEVICE, INSTALLMENT LOCATION PLANNING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM

• US 20160179340A1
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: OGAWA, Yuki, YANO, Hirotoshi, YABE, Masaaki, MINEZAWA, Satoshi, MARUYAMA, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,775,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

An appliance information acquirer (240) acquires appliance information including identification information for an appliance from a home controller. A location setter (241) displays on a display a floor plane that shows an inside of a home and an icon that is associated with the appliance based on the acquired appliance information, and positions the icon on the floor plane in accordance with a user operation. A measurement requestor (242) acquires a radio quality index for the appliance corresponding to the icon positioned on the floor plan from the home controller. A measurement result display (243) changes a display mode of the icon positioned on the floor plan, in accordance with the radio quality index acquired for the appliance.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in planning an installation location, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an appliance information acquirer, appliance information including identification information for an appliance from a controller;

displaying, by a location setter, on a display a view that shows an inside of a building and an icon that is associated with the appliance based on the acquired appliance information, and positioning, by the location setter, the icon on the view in accordance with a user operation;

acquiring, by a radio quality acquirer, a radio quality index for the appliance corresponding to the icon positioned on the view from the controller; and

changing, by a radio quality display, a display mode of the icon positioned on the view, in accordance with the radio quality index acquired for the appliance.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the location setter displays on the display an icon corresponding to the controller and provides the controller with information including a size of the view and location information of the icon positioned on the view,

the radio quality acquirer acquires, from the controller, advisory information about movement of the controller, and

the radio quality display displays an indication that is based on the advisory information.

3. A terminal device, comprising:

an appliance information acquirer configured to acquire appliance information including identification information for an appliance from a controller;

a location setter configured to display on a display a view that shows an inside of a building and an icon that is associated with the appliance based on the acquired appliance information, and to position the icon on the view in accordance with a user operation;

a radio quality acquirer configured to acquire a radio quality index for the appliance corresponding to the icon positioned on the view from the controller; and

a radio quality display configured to change a display mode of the icon positioned on the view, in accordance with the radio quality index acquired for the appliance.

4. A system for assisting in planning an installation location, the system comprising:

a terminal device; and

a controller,

the terminal device comprising;

an appliance information acquirer configured to acquire appliance information of an appliance by requesting the appliance information from the controller;

a location setter configured to display on a display a view that shows an inside of a building and an icon that is associated with the appliance based on the acquired appliance information, and to position the icon on the view in accordance with a user operation;

a radio quality acquirer configured to acquire a radio quality index for the appliance corresponding to the icon positioned on the view by requesting the radio quality index from the controller; and

a radio quality display configured to change a display mode of the icon positioned on the view, in accordance with the radio quality index acquired for the appliance, and

the controller comprising;

an appliance information transmitter configured to transmit, to the terminal device, data including appliance information including identification information for the appliance in response to the request from the appliance information acquirer of the terminal device;

an electric field strength acquirer configured to acquire an electric field strength for the appliance in response to the request from the radio quality acquirer of the terminal device; and

a radio quality index determiner configured to determine a radio quality index for the appliance based on the acquired electric field strength for the appliance, and to transmit the data including the determined radio quality index to the terminal device.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program, the program causing a computer to function as:

an appliance information acquirer configured to acquire appliance information including identification information for an appliance from a controller;

a location setter configured to display on a display a view that shows an inside of a building and an icon that is associated with the appliance based on the acquired appliance information, and to position the icon on the view in accordance with a user operation;

a radio quality acquirer configured to acquire a radio quality index for the appliance corresponding to the icon positioned on the view from the controller; and

a radio quality display configured to change a display mode of the icon positioned on the floor plan, in accordance with the radio quality index acquired for the appliance.