Home electronic apparatus control system, home electronic control apparatus, and wireless home electronic apparatus control terminal

• US 8,958,788 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US13/420,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20120238259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

An electrical apparatus control system includes: a control apparatus that is connected to a control target electrical apparatus and functions as a small-sized base station; a wireless terminal that wirelessly connects to the control apparatus; and a server that holds target apparatus data including a list of control target electrical apparatuses set for each control apparatus. The wireless terminal acquires the target apparatus data set for the control apparatus from the server via the control apparatus, and transmits operation data for controlling a control target electrical apparatus, to the control apparatus on the basis of a performed operation. The control apparatus controls the control target electrical apparatus on the basis of the operation data received from the wireless terminal.

Claims

1. An electrical apparatus control system comprising:

a control apparatus connected to a control target electrical apparatus configured to function as a small-sized wireless communication base station that relays wireless communication;

a wireless terminal configured to wirelessly connect to said control apparatus; and

a server configured to hold target apparatus data including a list of control target electrical apparatuses set for each control apparatus;

wherein;

said wireless terminal acquires the target apparatus data set for said control apparatus from said server by using the wireless communication relayed via said control apparatus, and transmits operation data, for controlling the control target electrical apparatus included in the list, to said control apparatus based on a performed operation;

said control apparatus relays the wireless communication that the wireless terminal uses to acquire the target apparatus data set from the server;

said control apparatus controls the control target electrical apparatus on the basis of the operation data received from said wireless terminal;

said control apparatus transmits the operation data received from said wireless terminal to said server; and

said server accumulates the received operation data, associating the operation data with said control apparatus.

2. The electrical apparatus control system according to claim 1, wherein said server transmits, together with the list of control target electrical apparatuses set for said control apparatus, assistance data for assisting a user who operates the control target electrical apparatus included in the list of control target electrical apparatuses, the assistance data being determined on the basis of the accumulated operation data associated with said control apparatus, by including the assistance data in the target apparatus data, to the wireless terminal.

3. A control apparatus configured to function as a small-sized wireless communication base station connected to a control target electrical apparatus, the control apparatus comprising:

a base station function section that relays wireless communication when a wireless terminal acquires from a server, by using the wireless communication, target apparatus data including a list of control target electrical apparatuses set for the control apparatus; and

an electrical apparatus control section configured to receive from the wireless terminal operation data for controlling a control target electrical apparatus included in the list;

wherein;

said control apparatus relays the wireless communication that the wireless terminal uses to acquire the target apparatus data from the server;

said control apparatus controls the control target electrical apparatus on the basis of the operation data;

said control apparatus transmits the operation data received from said wireless terminal to said server; and

said server accumulates the received operation data, associating the operation data with said control apparatus.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said electrical apparatus control section transmits the operation data received from the wireless terminal, to the server.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a charger function section configured to charge the wireless terminal.

6. A wireless terminal comprising:

a data acquisition section configured to wirelessly connect to a control apparatus provided with a control function for controlling a control target electrical apparatus and a function to act as a small-sized wireless communication base station that relays wireless communication and acquires target apparatus data including a list of control target electrical apparatuses set for the control apparatus, from a server by using the wireless communication relayed via the control apparatus; and

a data transmission section configured to transmit operation data for controlling the control target electrical apparatus included in the list to the control apparatus via the wireless communication, based on a performed operation;

wherein;

said control apparatus transmits the operation data received from said wireless terminal to said server; and

said server accumulates the received operation data, associating the operation data with said control apparatus.

7. The wireless terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a display section configured to display a screen for operating the control target electrical apparatus included in the list.