Message originating server, message orginating method, terminal, electric appliance control system, and electric appliance

• US 9,654,434 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• 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: Sone, Motoki, Hayano, Yuka, Hatayama, Kasumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, James
• Application Number:
  US14/027,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/00 Television systems details H04N3/00, H04N5/00; methods or arrangements, for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00; selective content distribution H04N21/00

Abstract

A control server (1) causes an analyzing section (15) to analyze (i) at least either of sensor information from a household sensor (10) and operation information on a household electric appliance and (ii) external information, and then originates a message to be directed to a user, the message being generated by a message generating section (16) in correspondence with the result of the analysis.

Claims

1. A message originating server for originating a message to be directed to a user,

the message originating server comprising:

an information obtaining section for obtaining (i) sensor information generated by a sensor provided inside a house of the user'"'"'s and (ii) operation information on an electric appliance provided inside the house of the user'"'"'s, the operation information having been generated by the electric appliance;

an external information obtaining section for obtaining external information from outside;

an analyzing section for analyzing (i) at least either of the sensor information and the operation information and (ii) the external information;

a message generating section for generating a first message corresponding to a result of the information analysis by the analyzing section, the first message suggesting an operation recommended for a particular home electric appliance; and

a first control section for originating the first message generated by the message generating section, and

wherein;

the first control section causes a network service server, which manages posting of a message onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group including the user, to post the first message generated by the message generating section,

the message originating server further comprising;

a message obtaining section for obtaining a second message posted by a member of the group onto the network service,

wherein;

the analyzing section further analyzes content of the second message obtained by the message obtaining section;

the message generating section further generates a response message corresponding to a result of the analysis of the message content by the analyzing section; and

the first control section originates the response message generated by the message generating section.

2. The message originating server according to claim 1,

wherein:

the result of the information analysis indicates an operation recommended for an electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"'; and

the first message generated by the message generating section is a message that suggests the operation.

3. The message originating server according to claim 1,

wherein:

the result of the information analysis indicates an operation recommended for an electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"';

the first message generated by the message generating section is a message that suggests the operation;

the content of the second message posted by the member is an instruction to operate the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"';

the message originating server causes the management server, which manages the operation of the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"', to control the operation of the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"' in accordance with the operation instruction; and

the response message generated by the message generating section is a message indicating that the operation of the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"' has been controlled in accordance with the operation instruction.

4. A message originating method for use by a message originating server for originating a message to be directed to a user,

the message originating method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining (i) sensor information generated by a sensor provided inside a house of the user'"'"'s and (ii) operation information on an electric appliance provided inside the house of the user'"'"'s, the operation information having been generated by the electric appliance;

(b) obtaining external information from outside;

(c) analyzing (i) at least either of the sensor information and the operation information and (ii) the external information;

(d) generating a first message corresponding to a result of the information analysis during the step (c), the first message suggesting an operation recommended for a particular home electric appliance;

(e) originating the first message generated during the step (d) onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group including the user;

(f) obtaining a second message posted by a member of the group onto the network service;

(g) analyzing content of the second message posted by a member of the group onto the network service,

(h) generating a response message corresponding to a result of the analysis during the step (g); and

(i) originating the response message generated during the step (h).

5. A terminal for (i) posting a message onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group and for (ii) viewing the message posted on the network service,

the terminal comprising:

an input section at which a member of the group inputs a message to be posted onto the network service; and

a display section for displaying the message, obtained from the network service, for any member of the group to view the message posted on the network service,

the message displayed by the display section including a first message generated in correspondence with a result of analyzing (I) at least either of (i) sensor information generated by a sensor provided inside a house of the members and (ii) operation information on an electric appliance provided inside the house of the members, the operation information having been generated by the electric appliance, and (II) external information obtained from outside, and the first message suggesting an operation recommended for a particular home electric appliance,

the message displayed by the display section also including a second message inputted at the input section by the member of the group and posted on the network service,

the message displayed by the display section also including a response message generated in correspondence with a result of analyzing content of the second message.

6. A terminal for (i) posting a message onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group and for (ii) viewing the message posted on the network service,

the terminal comprising:

an input section at which a member of the group inputs a message to be posted onto the network service; and

a display section for displaying the message, obtained from the network service, for any member of the group to view the message posted on the network service,

the message inputted at the input section including a first message including an operation instruction for causing a control section for controlling operation of an electric appliance inside a house of the members to control the operation of the electric appliance, wherein

the message displayed by the display section includes a second message generated in correspondence with a result of analyzing the operation of the electric appliance, and the second message suggests an operation recommended for a particular home electric appliance,

the message displayed by the display section also includes a response message generated in correspondence with a result of analyzing content of the first message including the operation instruction.

7. A message originating server for originating a message to be directed to a user,

the message originating server comprising:

a message generating section for generating a message for the user; and

a control section for (i) arranging the message in such a manner as to allow the user to feel as if an electric appliance inside a house of the user'"'"'s is originating the message and (ii) originating the message,

wherein

the control section originates the message including an expression implying that the electric appliance is a generator of the message,

the message originating server is an individual member different from the electric appliance,

the control section causes a network service server, which manages posting of a message onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group including the user, to post the message, generated by the message generating section, onto the network service in such a manner as to allow a member to feel as if the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"' is posting the message,

the control section causes the network service server to use, as a symbol to accompany the message that the control section causes the network server to post onto the network service, a symbol representing the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"'.

8. The message originating server according to claim 7,

wherein

the control section causes a management server for managing operation of the electric appliance inside the house of the user'"'"'s to output, from a loudspeaker of the electric appliance, the message in a form of a voice.

9. A message originating method for use by a message originating server for originating a message to be directed to a user,

the message originating method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a message for the user; and

(b) (i) arranging the message in such a manner as to allow the user to feel as if an electric appliance inside a house of the user'"'"'s is originating the message and (ii) originating the message,

wherein the originating step includes originating the message including an expression implying that the electric appliance is a generator of the message,

the message originating server is an individual member different from the electric appliance,

the originating step includes causing a network service server, which manages posting of a message onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group including the user, to post the message, generated during the step (a), onto the network service in such a manner as to allow a member to feel as if the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"' is posting the message,

the originating step includes causing the network service server to use, as a symbol to accompany the message the network service server posts onto the network service, a symbol representing the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"'.

10. A terminal for (i) posting a message onto a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group and for (ii) viewing the message posted on the network service,

the terminal comprising:

an input section at which a member of the group inputs a message to be posted onto the network service; and

a display section for displaying the message, obtained from the network service, for any member of the group to view the message posted on the network service,

the message displayed by the display section being arranged in such a manner as to allow the members to feel as if an electric appliance inside a house of the members'"'"' is originating the message by including, in the message, an expression implying that the electric appliance is a generator of the message, and

the generator of the message being an individual member different from the electric appliance,

the message displayed by the display section being accompanied by a symbol representing the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"'.

11. The terminal according to claim 10,

wherein:

the message displayed by the display section is accompanied by a symbol representing the electric appliance inside the house of the members'"'"'.

12. An electric appliance control system comprising:

a message obtaining section for obtaining a message posted on a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group by a member of the group;

an analyzing section for analyzing content of the message obtained by the message obtaining section; and

a control section for, in a case where the content of a first message analyzed by the analyzing section is an instruction to operate an electric appliance inside a house of the members'"'"', controlling operation of the electric appliance in accordance with the operation instruction, wherein

in correspondence with a result of analyzing (i) at least either of sensor information and operation information, and (ii) external information, the control section posts, on the network service, a second message suggesting an operation recommended for a particular home electric appliance,

the control section also posts, on the network service, as response message corresponding to a result of analyzing content of the first message by the analyzing section.

13. The electric appliance control system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a message generating section for generating a message indicating that the operation of the electric appliance has been controlled in accordance with the operation instruction,

wherein;

the control section posts onto the network service the message generated by the message generating section.

14. The electric appliance control system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a message generating section for generating a message indicating that the operation of the electric appliance has been controlled in accordance with the operation instruction,

wherein;

the electric appliance includes a loudspeaker; and

the control section causes the message, generated by the message generating section, to be outputted from the loudspeaker of the electric appliance in a form of a voice.

15. An electric appliance comprising:

a loudspeaker,

the electric appliance causing the loudspeaker to output a message in a form of a voice,

the message being a first message generated by a message generating section in correspondence with a result of analyzing operation of the electric appliance, the message suggesting an operation recommended for a particular home electric appliance,

the electric appliance carrying out the operation in accordance with an operation instruction for the electric appliance, the operation instruction being included in a second message posted on a network service for use in information exchange between members of a group,

the message also being a response message generated by a message generating section in correspondence with a result of analyzing content of the second message posted on the network service,

the electric appliance outputting the generated response message from the loudspeaker in the form of a voice in accordance with an instruction from a control section for controlling the operation of the electric appliance.