Control apparatus, control method, program and system

• US 9,224,288 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Abe, Yuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/404,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 700/12, 700/15, 700/17, 700/19, 700/20, 700/27, 700/32, 700/33, 700/83, 700/103, 700/108, 700/174, 702/187, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof

Abstract

A control apparatus is provided, which includes: a determination section that determines a control command according to sensor information, on the basis of a control rule capable of being set by a user for determining the control command controlling a device; and a control section that controls the device in accordance with the control command determined by the determination section.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores instructions to be executed by the processor, the memory device including a determination section that determines a control command according to sensor information, on the basis of a control rule capable of being set by a user for determining the control command controlling a device, and a control section that controls the device in accordance with the control command determined by the determination section,

wherein the control rule specifies a first stage and a second stage, the first stage outputting a plurality of independent first output values based on a plurality of first input values from a plurality of different types of sensors, and the second stage summing the first output values and outputting a command if the sum of the plurality of first output values meets a threshold.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control rule specifies a logical connection relationship of at least one of the sensors, a control rule module that specifies a relationship between an input value and an output value, and the control command.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first and second stages are part of a multiple-stage connection relationship of the control rule module.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a display control section that displays objects indicating the control rule module, the at least one of the plurality of sensors, and the control command at the time of setting the control rule, and causes the user to select each of the objects.

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

a communication section that transmits and receives the control rule to and from another control apparatus; and

a control rule accumulation section that accumulates the control rule.

6. A control method comprising:

setting a control rule with a first stage and a second stage, the first stage configured to output a plurality of independent first output values based on a plurality of first input values from a plurality of different types of sensors, and the second stage configured to sum the first output values and output a command if the sum of the plurality of first output values meets a threshold;

storing the control rule on a storage section of a memory device;

determining via a processor a control command according to sensor information on the basis of the control rule stored in the storage section; and

controlling the device in accordance with the control command.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to execute:

a process of storing a control rule capable of being set by a user for determining a control command controlling a device in a storage section, wherein the control rule specifies a first stage and a second stage, the first stage outputting a plurality of independent first output values based on a plurality of first input values from a plurality of different types of sensors, and the second stage summing the first output values and outputting a command if the sum of the plurality of first output values meets a threshold;

a process of determining the control command according to sensor information on the basis of the control rule stored in the storage section; and

a process of controlling the device in accordance with the control command.

8. A control system comprising:

a plurality of different types of sensors; and

a control apparatus including

a determination section that determines a control command according to sensor information received from the plurality of different types of sensors, on the basis of a control rule capable of being set by a user for determining the control command controlling a device, and

a control section that controls the device in accordance with the control command determined by the determination section,

wherein the control rule specifies a first stage and a second stage, the first stage outputting a plurality of independent first output values based on a plurality of first input values from the plurality of different types of sensors, and the second stage summing the first output values and outputting a command if the sum of the plurality of first output values meets a threshold.