Notifying a user that a warning status has occurred in a device

• US 6,989,731 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Kenji, Takahashi, Koji, Edakubo, Hiroo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US09/628,336
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.32, 340/635, 340/8.1, 340/506, 340/825.36, 340/541, 340/825.25, 340/539.22, 340/540, 340/539.11, 340/3.1, 340/254, 370/254, 700/9, 368/10, 368/11, 368/12
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24011 Transmit warning, error message to all devices in a list
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24084 Remote and local monitoring, local result to remote, remote takes action
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

An electronic device detects whether a warning status has occurred and if the warning status is not released within a predetermined time, warning information is transmitted to a registered device. If the warning status is not released in spite of transmitting the warning information and if the user is not near the device, warning information is transmitted to one or more hand-held terminals in an external network according to predetermined order. If the warning status is released within a predetermined time having elapsed from the transmission of the warning information to the hand-held terminal, warning released information indicating that the warning status has been released is transmitted to the hand-held terminal.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a detecting unit adapted to detect whether a warning status has occurred;

a warning unit adapted to notify to a user that the warning status has occurred; and

a communication unit adapted to transmit warning information indicating that the warning status has occurred,

wherein, if the warning status is not released within a predetermined time, the communication unit transmits the warning information to a registered device that has been registered by the user as a device that is to receive the warning information,

if the warning status is not released in spite of transmitting the warning information to the registered device and if it is determined that the user is not near the electronic device, the communication unit transmits the warning information to one or more hand-held terminals in an external network according to a predetermined order, and

if the warning status is released within a predetermined time having elapsed from the transmission of the warning information to the hand-held terminal, the communication unit transmits warning released information indicating that the warning status has been released to the hand-held terminal.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, before it is determined whether or not the user is near the electronic device, the communication unit transmits the warning information to an unregistered device that has not been registered by the user as a device that is to receive the warning information.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, if the warning status is not released in spite of transmitting the warning information to the unregistered device and if it is determined that the user is not near the electronic device, the communication unit transmits the warning information to the one or more hand-held terminals according to the predetermined order.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the warning information comprises at least one of image data, text data and audio data.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device and the registered device are connected to a domestic network.

6. A method for an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a warning status has occurred; and

notifying a user that the warning status has occurred;

wherein, if the warning status is not released within a predetermined time, transmitting warning information to a registered device that has been registered by the user as a device that is to receive the warning information,

if the warning status is not released in spite of transmitting the warning information to the registered device and if it is determined that the user is not near the electronic device, transmitting the warning information to one or more hand-held terminals in an external network according to a predetermined order, and

if the warning status is released within a predetermined time having elapsed from the transmission of the warning information to the hand-held terminal, transmitting warning released information indicating that the warning status has been released to the hand-held terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6,

further comprising the step of:

before it is determined whether or not the user is near the electronic device, transmitting the warning information to an unregistered device that has not been registered by the user as a device that is to receive the warning information.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

if the warning status is not released in spite of transmitting the warning information to the unregistered device and if it is determined that the user is not near the electronic device, transmitting the warning information to the one or more hand-held terminals according to the predetermined order.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the warning information comprises at least one of image data, text data and audio data.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the electronic device and the registered device are connected to a domestic network.