Control device, communication terminal device, server device, service providing system, parameter modification method, service providing method, and control method of server device

• US 8,041,337 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Tanichi, Mukaigawa, Shinichi, Kobayashi, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US12/213,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/701, 455/458.1, 455/414.1, 455/556.1, 455/412, 455/413, 455/418, 455/486, 455/558, 455/408, 455/60.1, 455/466, 455/405, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

When a service providing server receives, from a mobile phone or the like owned by a user, a request to modify a parameter defining the performance of a control device provided in an automobile, the service providing server transmits a requested modification command to the control device. The control device modifies the parameter thereof in accordance with the modification command received from the service providing server. Further, the service providing server records a history of the modification command having been transmitted on a user-by-user basis, and settles an account of the user every predetermined period of time, by requesting the user to pay a fee for the modification. Thus, a service provider is able to charge the user for modifying various parameters defining performance of the control device.

Claims

1. A control device, connected via a communication network to a server device that offers a service, detecting a state of an object to be monitored, wherein

the control device performs an operation according to a detected state of the object in accordance with a parameter determining an operation of the control device which operation corresponds to the detected state, and

the control device modifies the parameter in accordance with a parameter modification command which is received from the server device via the communication network, wherein the parameter modification command is a command, from a user of a communication terminal device connected to the server device via the communication network, for modifying the parameter.

2. The control device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the control device stores plural kinds of operations to be performed according to a result of detection of the state of the object to be monitored, so that the operations are associated with detected states, and

when detecting the state of the object to be monitored, the control device determines an operation to be performed from among the plural kinds of operations corresponding to the detected state of the object, in accordance with the parameter.

3. The control device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

when detecting the state of the object to be monitored, the control device controls one or more devices to be controlled in accordance with the parameter according to the detected state, the devices to be controlled being installed in the object to be monitored.

4. The control device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the control device downloads a program which is offered by the server device to obtain an additional operation that can be performed in accordance with a parameter, and changes a parameter related to the additional operation.

5. A communication terminal device communicating via a communication network with a server device that offers a service,

the communication terminal device comprising:

a display section that displays a plurality of choices of operations to be performed by a control device thereon in a user-selectable manner, according to a state of an object to be monitored which state has been detected by the control device, which is connected to the server device via a communication network, the plurality of choices displayed based on data received via the communication network from the server device; and

a control section that transmits, to the server device, a modification request for requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command that is a command for modification to a parameter determining the operation of the control device which parameter is selected by the user,

the parameter determining the operation of the control device which operation corresponds to the state detected by the control device,

the control device modifying the parameter in accordance with the parameter modification command which is received from the server device via the communication network, wherein the parameter modification command is a command, from the user, for modifying the parameter.

6. A server device offering a service via a communication network to a control device that detects a state of an object to be monitored, wherein

the server device is intercommunicatively connected via the communication network to a communication terminal device which is operated by a user,

the server device receives, from the communication terminal device, a modification request for requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command that is a command, from a user of the communication terminal device, for modification to a parameter determining an operation of the control device which parameter is selected by a user and which operation corresponds to the state detected by the control device, and

the server device transmits, to the control device, the parameter modification command according to the received modification request so as to cause the control device to modify the parameter in accordance with the parameter modification command.

7. The server device as set forth in claim 6, wherein

the server device stores therein a history of transmission of the parameter modification command or a history of the control device modifying a parameter, and

the server device transmits the stored history to the communication terminal device.

8. The server device as set forth in claim 6, wherein

the server device stores therein a user information database in which (i) identification information for identifying the communication terminal device is associated with (ii) identification information of the control device that is a destination for transmission of the parameter modification command, and

the server device determines the control device that is a destination for transmission of the parameter modification command, in accordance with the identification information of the communication terminal device which has transmitted the modification request to the server device.

9. The server device as set forth in claim 6, wherein

the control device is capable of modifying a plurality of parameters for each of a plurality of points to be monitored for detection of the state of the object to be monitored, and

the server device stores therein a product information database which includes combination information specifying whether a combination of settings of the parameters concerning the control device is valid or not.

10. The server device as set forth in claim 9, comprising:

a validity judging section that judges whether a combination of parameter settings requested is valid or not in accordance with the combination information, upon receipt of the modification request.

11. A service providing system comprising:

a control device that detects a state of an object to be monitored; and

a server device that offers a service to the control device via a communication network, wherein

the control device performs an operation according to a detected state of the object in accordance with a parameter determining an operation of the control device which operation corresponds to the detected state, and

the control device modifies the parameter in accordance with a parameter modification command which is received from the server device via the communication network, wherein the parameter modification command is a command, from a user of a communication terminal device connected to the server device via the communication network, for modifying the parameter.

12. A service providing system comprising:

a control device that detects a state of an object to be monitored;

a server device that offers a service to the control device via a communication network;

and a communication terminal device being connected to the server device via the communication network, wherein

the control device performs an operation according to a detected state of the object in accordance with a parameter determining an operation of the control device which operation corresponds to the detected state,

the control device modifies the parameter in accordance with a parameter modification command which is received from the server device via the communication network, wherein the parameter modification command is a command, from a user of the communication terminal device, for modifying the parameter,

the communication terminal device includes;

a display section that displays a plurality of choices of operations to be performed by a control device thereon in a user-selectable manner, according to a state of an object to be monitored which state has been detected by the control device, which is connected to the server device via a communication network, the plurality of choices displayed based on data received via the communication network from the server device; and

the control section that transmits, to the server device, a modification request for requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command that is a command for modification to a parameter determining the operation of the control device which parameter is selected by the user, and

the server device transmits the parameter modification command to the control device in accordance with the modification request which has been received from the communication terminal device.

13. A parameter modification method of modifying a parameter of a control device, the control device, connected via a communication network to a server device that offers a service, detecting a state of an object to be monitored,

the method comprising:

a step of detecting the state of the object to be monitored; and

a step of performing an operation according to a detected state of the object in accordance with a parameter determining an operation of the control device which operation corresponds to the detected state, and modifying the parameter in accordance with a parameter modification command which is received from the server device via the communication network, wherein the parameter modification command is a command, from a user of a communication terminal device connected to the server device via the communication network, for modifying the parameter.

14. A parameter modification method of a communication terminal device communicating via a communication network with a server device that offers a service to request for modification of a parameter of a control device that detects a state of an object to be monitored,

the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of choices of operations to be performed by the control device in a user-selectable manner, according to the state of the object to be monitored which state has been detected by the control device, which is connected to the server device via a communication network, the plurality of choices displayed based on data received via the communication network from the server device; and

transmitting, to the server device, a modification request for requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command that is a command, from a user of a communication terminal device connected to the server device via the communication network, for modification to a parameter determining the operation of the control device which parameter is selected by the user and which operation corresponds to the state detected by the control device,

the modification request transmitted in the transmitting step causing the server device to transmit the parameter modification command to the control device, the parameter modification command causing the control device to modify the parameter in accordance with the parameter modification command.

15. A parameter modification method of instructing a control device to modify a parameter of the control device via a communication network, the control device detecting a state of an object to be monitored, which parameter determines an operation of the control device which operation corresponds to a state detected by the control device,

the method comprising:

a step of receiving, from a communication terminal device, a modification request for requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command, from a user of the communication terminal device, that is a command for modification to a parameter is selected by a user; and

a step of transmitting, from a server device of the communication network to the control device, the parameter modification command according to the received modification request,

the parameter modification command transmitted in the transmitting step causing the control device to modify the parameter in accordance with the parameter modification command.

16. A service providing method in a service providing system that comprises:

a control device that detects a state of an object to be monitored; and

a server device that offers a service to the control device via a communication network; and

a communication terminal device that is connected to the server device via the communication network,

the method comprising;

(I) a step of the control device detecting the state of an object to be monitored;

(II) a step of the communication terminal device displaying a plurality of choices of operations to be performed by the control device in a user-selectable manner, according to the state of the object to be monitored which state has been detected by the control device, the plurality of choices displayed based on data received via the communication network from the server device;

(III) a step of the communication terminal device transmitting, to the server device, a modification request for requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command, from a user of the communication terminal device, that is a command for modification to a parameter determining the operation of the control device which parameter is selected by the user;

(IV) a step of the server device transmitting the parameter modification command to the control device in accordance with the modification request which has been received from the communication terminal device;

(V) a step of the control device modifying the parameter in accordance with the parameter modification command which has been received from the server device; and

(VI) a step of performing an operation according to a detected state of the object in accordance with the parameter.

17. A service providing method in a service providing system that comprises:

a control device; and

a server device, connected to the control device via a communication network, offering an information providing service to the control device,

the method comprising;

(I) a step of the server device transmitting, to the control device, a modification command, from a user of a communication terminal device connected to the server device via the communication network, for modifying a predetermined parameter determining an operation of the control device;

(II) a step of the control device modifying the parameter in accordance with the modification command for modifying the predetermined parameter which command has been received from the server device; and

(III) a step of the control device detecting a change in state of an object to be monitored, and operating according to an detected state of the object, wherein the modified parameter determines an operation that is performed by the control device according to the state detected by the control device.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein

upon receipt of a request for modifying the predetermined parameter from a user, the server device transmits, to the control device, the modification command for modifying the predetermined parameter in accordance with a content of the received request.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, wherein

the request for modifying the predetermined parameter is transmitted from a communication terminal device operated by the user to the server device.

20. A control method of a server device being connected to a control device detecting a state of an object to be monitored and a communication terminal device via a communication network, the server device offering an information providing service with respect to the control device,

the method comprising:

(I) a modification request accepting step of receiving a modification request from the communication terminal device, the modification request requesting to transmit, to the control device, a parameter modification command, from a user of the communication terminal device, for modifying a predetermined parameter determining an operation of the control device;

(II) a modification command transmitting step of generating the parameter modification command in accordance with the modification request, and then transmitting, from the server device, the parameter modification command to the control device so as to cause the control device to modify the parameter in accordance with the parameter modification command;

(III) a step of the control device detecting a change in state of an object to be monitored, and operating according to a detected state of the object in accordance with the modified parameter, wherein the modified parameter determines an operation that is performed by the control device according to the state detected by the control device; and

(IV) a step of the server device requesting from one of the control device and the communication terminal device a fee for the transmission of the parameter modification command for modifying the predetermined parameter, in a case where the server device transmits, to the control device, the parameter modification command for modifying the predetermined parameter.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

(V) a history recording step of storing, in a history information database, a content of a parameter setting when transmitting the parameter modification command to the control device.