JP6352077B2 - Remote control system and dedicated controller - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote operation system capable of operating an electronic device from a communication terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone via a communication network such as the Internet in addition to a dedicated remote controller (dedicated operation device).

  In recent years, various electronic devices (operation target devices) are remotely operated via a communication network using a communication terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a mobile phone (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the case of remote operation using such a communication terminal, it is necessary to perform processing for registering mutual identification information (for example, IP address) between the communication terminal and the electronic device. This process is called “pairing”. By performing pairing, identification information of the communication partner is registered in each of the communication terminal and the electronic device. This pairing process prevents the electronic device from accepting an operation signal from a device other than the paired communication terminal, so that no intentional operation by a third party is performed.

  In the pairing process, for example, the communication terminal is set to a pairing mode in which pairing is possible, and similarly, the identification information is exchanged between the communication terminal and the electronic device in a state where the electronic device is also set to the pairing mode. Is done by.

JP 2002-345051 A (published on November 29, 2002)

  However, since the pairing operation as described above is generally performed in a state where each pairing device is directly operated and set to the pairing mode, the pairing devices are physically separated from each other. If it is present or in a position where it is difficult to reach the user's hand, the pairing workability is particularly poor. Furthermore, since it is difficult for the user to confirm whether the process is actually executed, there is a problem that the operability is poor. Further, in a remote operation system using a communication terminal, there is a demand for preventing unintended remote operation from a communication terminal and enhancing security.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a remote operation system with improved operability in processing (pairing) for registering a combination between a communication terminal and an electronic device and with enhanced security. There is to do.

  In order to solve the above problems, a remote operation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an electronic device and a communication terminal connected to a communication network, and a dedicated operation device that exclusively operates the electronic device remotely. In the remote operation system, the dedicated controller has a storage unit for storing the identification information of the electronic device, causes the communication terminal to register the identification information of the electronic device, and identifies the communication terminal from the communication terminal. Registration means for acquiring information and registering it in the electronic device, wherein the communication terminal supplies its identification information together with operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device to the electronic device identified by the registered identification information. An operation control means for transmitting, and the electronic device receives identification information matching the identification information of the registered communication terminal together with operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device. When, an operation acceptance means for accepting an operation indicating the operation information received, and characterized in that.

  According to the above remote operation system, the dedicated operation device is used to remotely operate the electronic device and is used at the user's hand. Therefore, the dedicated operation device and the communication terminal are operated at the user's hand (or nearby). Thus, the pairing process can be performed. Further, when the dedicated controller and the communication terminal have a display screen for displaying / instructing the flow of the pairing process, the user can also perform pairing while confirming this. As described above, by using the dedicated operation device, the operability of pairing between the electronic device and the communication terminal can be improved.

  In addition, most dedicated operating devices that exclusively operate electronic devices are shipped as accessories of the electronic devices. Therefore, it can be said that the dedicated operation device is easy to be obtained by the user of the electronic device, and the dedicated operation device is difficult to reach the hands of a third party. In the remote operation system, since the identification information of the electronic device cannot be acquired unless the dedicated operation device is used, it is possible to prevent pairing between the third party communication terminal and the electronic device that cannot obtain the dedicated operation device. It is possible to strengthen the system security.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the remote control system which concerns on this invention. (A)-(c) is a figure explaining the communication in the said remote control system. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of the remote operation from the communication terminal in the said remote control system. It is a figure which shows the flow of another process at the time of the remote operation from the communication terminal in the said remote control system.

Embodiment 1
One embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to FIGS.

(Remote operation system)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote operation system 100 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the remote operation system 100 includes a home appliance (electronic device) 1, a remote controller (dedicated operation device) 2, and a communication terminal 3. The remote operation system 100 is a system in which the home appliance 1 is remotely operated (controlled) by the remote controller 2 and the communication terminal 3, in other words, the home appliance 1 receives operation information (operation signal) from the remote controller and the communication terminal 3. It is. In addition, although the household appliance 1 can be operated also from the operation part provided in the main body, description is abbreviate | omitted about this. Moreover, although the household appliance 1, the remote controller 2, and the communication terminal 3 are shown only one each in the figure, these numbers and kinds are not limited.

  In the remote operation system 100, the communication terminal 3 operates the home appliance 1 via the communication network 4. For example, the Internet can be used as the communication network 4. Further, a telephone line network, a mobile communication network, a CATV (CAble TeleVision) communication network, a satellite communication network, or the like can be used. A cloud server or the like that associates the communication terminal 3 with the home appliance 1 may exist in the communication network 4. Moreover, since the communication network 4 does not ask | require wide area narrow area, when the communication terminal 3 operates the household appliance 1 via wireless LAN, such as WiFi (trademark), it is contained in operation via the communication network 4. .

  On the other hand, the remote controller 2 operates the home appliance 1 without using the communication network 4. In this embodiment, the remote controller 2 shall operate the household appliance 1 by infrared communication. However, the operation from the remote controller 2 is not limited to infrared communication, and may be, for example, short-range wireless communication or wired communication. Or you may operate via the communication network 4. FIG.

(Household appliances)
The home appliance 1 is an electronic device installed in a user's house. For example, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a washing machine, various AV (Audio-Visual) devices, a cooking appliance, a lighting device, a hot water supply device, a photographing device, and various home appliances. Robots (for example, cleaning robots, housework support robots, animal type robots, etc.). Moreover, since the household appliance 1 may be an outdoor unit or the like of an air conditioner, the user's house is not limited to the indoor / outdoor room. The user's home may be an office or a public place.

  The home appliance 1 is a so-called network home appliance that receives operation information and the like from the communication terminal 3 via the communication network 4 and transmits a notification signal indicating the state of the home appliance 1 to the communication terminal 3 via the communication network 4. is there. Note that a home appliance adapter may be provided to enable communication via the communication network 4 and the home appliance adapter may be attached to the home appliance 1. If it is the structure which attaches such a household appliance adapter to the household appliance 1, a common (general purpose) household appliance adapter can be applied to the household appliance from which a model and a kind differ, and cost can be held down.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the home appliance 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit (condition storage unit) 11, a communication unit 12, an operation unit 13, a clock unit 14, and a sensor unit 15.

  The control unit 10 is a block that performs various controls in each unit of the home appliance 1. The control unit 10 is composed of a computer device including an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU or a dedicated processor, for example. The control unit 10 analyzes the operation information from the remote controller 2 or the communication terminal 3, and reads various information stored in the storage unit 11 including RAM, ROM, HDD, and the like and programs for performing various controls. By causing the operation unit 13 to execute, the operation of each unit of the home appliance 1 is comprehensively controlled. Further, the control unit 10 generates information to be notified to the remote controller 2 and the communication terminal 3 (for example, information indicating the state of the home appliance 1) and outputs the information from the communication unit 12.

  The control unit 10 has a function as an operation reception unit (operation reception unit) 10 a that receives an operation indicated by the operation information received by the communication unit 12. When receiving an operation code from the communication terminal 3 and an authentication code and an identification code matching the authentication code (authentication information) and the identification code (identification information) stored (registered) in the storage unit 11 to be described later The operation accepting unit 10a accepts an operation indicated by the received operation information. Further, when the operation receiving unit 10a acquires information that matches a preset condition stored in the storage unit 11 to be described later, the operation receiving unit 10a receives an operation indicated by the operation information.

  The storage unit 11 is a block that stores various types of information used in the home appliance 1. The storage unit 11 further stores (registers) an authentication code, an identification code (identification information, ID, for example, IP address) of the communication terminal 3, and a preset condition. The authentication code is information generated from the identification code of the home appliance 1 and the identification code of the communication terminal 3 as described later for pairing, and is received from the remote controller 2. The preset condition is a condition set in advance with respect to a transmission situation when the communication terminal 3 transmits operation information to the home appliance 1 or a reception situation when the home appliance 1 receives operation information from the communication terminal. The preset condition may be one or more. For example, the position where the communication terminal 3 transmits the operation information, the time when the communication terminal 3 transmits the operation information, the time when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information, the surroundings of the home appliance 1 A plurality of conditions such as temperature or humidity can be preset conditions. The setting (generation), use, and specific examples of the authentication code and the preset condition will be described later.

  The communication unit 12 is a block for the home appliance 1 to communicate with the outside. The communication unit 12 includes an infrared communication unit 12a and a network communication unit 12b.

  The infrared communication unit 12a is a block for communicating with the outside by infrared communication. The infrared communication unit 12 a receives the infrared signal from the remote controller 2 and transmits it to the control unit 10, converts the signal from the control unit 10 into an infrared signal, and transmits the infrared signal to the remote controller 2. In the present embodiment, since the remote controller 2 performs infrared communication, the infrared communication unit 12a is provided. However, depending on the communication mode of the remote controller 2, the remote controller 2 is not limited to the infrared communication unit 12a, and remote It suffices if the controller 2 has means capable of communicating.

  The network communication unit 12 b is a block for communicating with the outside via the communication network 4.

  The operation unit 13 is a block that executes various operations (functions) in the home appliance 1. The operation unit 13 performs an operation according to the operation information received by the operation receiving unit 10a.

  The clock unit 14 is a block for measuring time.

  The sensor unit 15 is a block that measures (detects) the temperature (room temperature) and humidity in the house where the home appliance 1 is installed. The sensor unit 15 includes a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. Furthermore, you may be comprised so that the temperature (outside temperature) outside a house may be measured. The sensor unit 15 may be configured to detect one of temperature and humidity. Moreover, the sensor part 15 may be provided with the structure which can detect about environmental conditions around the household appliances 1 other than temperature and humidity.

(Remote controller)
The remote controller 2 is an operating device that exclusively controls the home appliance 1 remotely. In this embodiment, it shall ship as an accessory of the household appliance 1. FIG. In the present embodiment, the remote controller 2 operates the home appliance 1 by infrared communication, and remotely operates the home appliance 1 by infrared communication without going through the communication network 4.

  In the present embodiment, the remote controller 2 is dedicated to the home appliance 1 (attached from the time of shipment), but may be configured by an application or the like on a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Further, the operation of the home appliance 1 from the remote controller 2 is not limited to infrared communication, and may be, for example, short-range wireless communication or wired communication. Or the structure operated via the communication network 4 may be sufficient.

  When the remote controller 2 is realized using an application of a device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the same device can also be used as the communication terminal 3 that communicates via the communication network 4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the remote controller 2 includes a control unit 20, a display unit 21, an input unit 22, a storage unit 23, and an infrared communication unit 24.

  The control unit 20 is a block that controls the operation of each unit of the remote controller 2. The control unit 20 also functions as an authentication code generation unit (authentication information generation unit) 20a and a registration unit (registration unit) 20b. The authentication code generation unit 20 a generates an authentication code from the identification code of the home appliance 1 stored in the storage unit 23 described later and the identification code of the communication terminal 3 acquired from the communication terminal 3. The registration unit 20 b causes the communication terminal 3 to register the identification information of the home appliance 1 stored in the storage unit 23 described later, and causes the home appliance 1 to register the identification information of the communication terminal 3 acquired from the communication terminal 3. Further, the registration unit 20b causes the home appliance 1 and the communication terminal 3 to register the authentication code generated by the authentication code generation unit 20a. The process of registering the identification code and generating and registering the authentication code will be described later.

  Here, the identification code of the communication terminal 3 is registered (stored) in the home appliance 1 and the identification code of the home appliance 1 is registered (stored) in the communication terminal 3 to complete the pairing. That is, by registering each other's identification code, when the household appliance 1 receives the identification code of the communication terminal 3 together with the operation information, it compares this with the identification code of the communication terminal 3 stored in the household appliance 1 itself, Whether the operation information is correct from the communication terminal 3 can be determined, and the communication terminal 3 performs communication toward the home appliance 1 identified by the identification code of the home appliance 1 stored in the communication terminal 3 itself. Can do. In the present embodiment, in order to enhance the security of the remote operation system 100, in addition to registering each other's identification code in the home appliance 1 and the communication terminal 3, an authentication code is generated and registered. It is also possible to register the identification code.

  The display unit 21 is a block that displays various information to be presented to the user. For example, information indicating the operation content to the home appliance 1 input from the input unit 22, information indicating the state of the home appliance 1 received by the infrared communication unit 24, and the like are displayed. When the pairing operation is performed, the display unit 21 displays a display screen (pairing screen) for displaying / instructing the flow of the pairing process.

  The input unit 22 is a block that receives an input from the user and transmits the input to the control unit 20. Note that the display unit 21 and the input unit 22 may be provided as a unitary structure, for example, as a touch panel.

  The storage unit 23 is a block that stores various information used by the remote controller 2. The storage unit 23 further stores an identification code of the home appliance 1. Since the remote controller 2 is shipped together with the home appliance 1, the identification code of the home appliance 1 may be stored in the storage unit 23 at the time of shipment.

  The infrared communication unit 24 is a block for the remote controller 2 to communicate with the outside by infrared communication.

(Communication terminal)
The communication terminal 3 is a communication device, and is provided so that the home appliance 1 can be operated via the communication network 4. The communication terminal 3 is assumed to be a general-purpose device such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a personal computer in which software (application) for operating the home appliance 1 is built. In the remote operation system 100, it is possible to operate one home appliance 1 from a plurality of communication terminals 3. It is also possible to operate a plurality of home appliances 1 from one communication terminal 3. However, as will be described later, a communication terminal that has been paired with the home appliance 1 (described later) can be operated.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the communication terminal 3 includes a control unit 30, a display operation unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33.

  The control unit (operation control means) 30 is a block that controls the operation of each unit of the communication terminal 3. The control unit 30 supplies the network communication unit 33b to the home appliance 1 identified by the identification code of the home appliance 1 stored in the storage unit 32, which will be described later, along with the operation information indicating the operation on the home appliance 1. Control and send.

  The display operation unit 31 is a block that displays various information to be presented to the user and receives input from the user. The display operation unit 31 is provided as a touch panel, for example. The display unit and the operation unit may be provided separately.

  The storage unit 32 is a block that stores various types of information used in the communication terminal 3. Further, the storage unit 32 stores the (own) identification code of the communication terminal 3. When receiving the identification code and the authentication code of the home appliance 1 from the remote controller 2, they are stored.

  The communication unit 33 is a block for performing communication with the outside, and includes an infrared communication unit 33 a that performs infrared communication and a network communication unit 33 b that is connected to the communication network 4. In the present embodiment, since the remote controller 2 performs infrared communication, the infrared communication unit 33a is provided. However, depending on the communication mode of the remote controller 2, the remote controller 2 is not limited to the infrared communication unit 33a. What is necessary is just to provide the means which can communicate.

(Pairing and setting of preset conditions)
Next, the pairing process between the home appliance 1 and the communication terminal 3 and the setting process of the preset condition for the home appliance 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the remote controller 2 and the communication terminal 3 perform bidirectional communication. Communication may be started from either the remote controller 2 or the communication terminal 3. At this time, when a display screen displaying / instructing the flow of the pairing process is displayed on the display unit 21 of the remote controller 2 and the display operation unit 31 of the communication terminal 3, the user performs the pairing operation while confirming this. It can also be done and helps the operation.

  The remote controller 2 acquires the identification code of the communication terminal 3 from the communication terminal 3, and generates an authentication code from the identification code of the communication terminal 3 and the identification code of the home appliance 1. In addition, the remote controller 2 transmits the identification code of the home appliance 1 and the generated authentication code to the communication terminal 3. Further, the remote controller 2 acquires the preset condition from the communication terminal 3. In addition, as long as it is a condition that can be set by the remote controller 2 among the preset conditions, for example, conditions for time, temperature, and humidity, the setting may be received from the input unit 22 of the remote controller 2.

  On the other hand, the communication terminal 3 transmits the (own) identification code of the communication terminal 3 to the remote controller 2. Further, the communication terminal 3 receives the identification code of the home appliance 1 and the generated authentication code from the remote controller 2 and stores them in the storage unit 32. Further, the communication terminal 3 transmits a preset condition to the remote controller 2.

  The setting of the preset condition in the communication terminal 3 may be performed by receiving a user input from the display operation unit 31 of the communication terminal 3, or the application of the communication terminal 3 acquires the preset condition automatically or manually. It may be like this. For example, a specific base station can be set as the preset condition. As the specific base station, for example, a base station in a range where the user normally acts such as the user's home, commuting route, and work place can be cited.

  In the present embodiment, the authentication code generation unit 20a is described as being provided in the remote controller 2, but may be provided in the communication terminal 3. In this case, the communication terminal 3 receives the identification code of the home appliance 1 at the remote controller 2, generates an authentication code from the identification code of the home appliance 1 and the identification code of the communication terminal 3 stored in the storage unit 32, and Transmit to the controller 2.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the remote controller 2 transmits the identification code and authentication code of the communication terminal 3 and the preset condition to the home appliance 1. This transmission may be executed by a user operation, or the remote controller 2 and the home appliance 1 are configured to automatically communicate regularly and may be executed at that time. When the household appliance 1 receives the identification code and authentication code of the communication terminal 3 and the preset condition, the household appliance 1 stores them in the storage unit 11.

  When the process of registering the identification code of the home appliance 1 in the communication terminal 3 and registering the identification code of the communication terminal 3 in the home appliance 1, that is, when the pairing process is completed, as shown in FIG. The communication terminal 3 and the home appliance 1 can communicate bidirectionally via the communication network 4. When the home appliance 1 is remotely operated from the communication terminal 3, the identification code and the authentication code of the communication terminal 3 are transmitted from the communication terminal 3 to the home appliance 1 together with the operation information through the base station 5. At this time, information on the base station 5 is also notified to the home appliance 1. Therefore, the household appliance 1 can acquire information on the base station 5 (information on a position where the communication terminal 3 has transmitted the operation signal). The determination whether the home appliance 1 receives the received operation information will be described later. Information from the home appliance 1 (for example, information indicating the state of the home appliance 1 or information indicating whether or not an operation has been accepted) is transmitted (notified) to the communication terminal 3 via the communication network 4.

  As described above, in the remote operation system 100 of the present embodiment, the pairing process between the home appliance 1 and the communication terminal is performed via the remote controller 2. Since the remote controller 2 remotely controls the home appliance 1 and is used at the user's hand, the pairing process is performed by operating the remote controller 2 and the communication terminal 3 at the user's hand (or the vicinity). Can do. Thus, by using the remote controller 2, the operability of pairing between the home appliance 1 and the communication terminal 3 can be improved.

  Moreover, since the remote controller 2 is shipped as an accessory of the home appliance 1, it can be said that it is easy for the user of the home appliance 1 to obtain and difficult to reach the hands of a third party. In the remote operation system 100, since the identification code of the home appliance 1 cannot be obtained unless the remote controller 2 is used, it is possible to prevent pairing of the home appliance 1 with a third party communication terminal that cannot obtain the remote controller 2. It is possible to strengthen the system security. Note that when the remote controller 2 is shipped together with the home appliance 1, the identification code of the home appliance 1 may be stored in the storage unit 23 of the remote controller 2.

  In the remote operation system 100, the registration unit 20b registers the identification code and the authentication code by infrared communication. Therefore, the communication terminal 3 receives the identification code and the authentication code by infrared communication. On the other hand, the communication terminal 3 remotely operates the home appliance 1 via the communication network 4. Thus, by using different communication media for the pairing process and the remote operation, the leakage of the identification code and the authentication code can be suppressed, and the security can be further strengthened.

  Furthermore, infrared communication is a directional communication medium, and since communication cannot be performed in the vicinity, leakage of an identification code and an authentication code can be further prevented. In addition, since the remote controller 2 is provided with an infrared communication unit 24 for remotely controlling the home appliance 1, it can be used for pairing, so the remote operation system 100 can be used without cost. Can be configured.

(Remote operation processing)
Next, processing when the home appliance 1 is remotely operated from the communication terminal 3 in the remote operation system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the communication terminal 3 outside the home transmits an operation signal (step S1, hereinafter abbreviated as S1). The operation signal includes an authentication code and an identification code of the communication terminal 3 together with operation information indicating an operation on the home appliance 1. The operation information, the authentication code, and the identification code of the communication terminal 3 may be transmitted separately. When only the identification code of the communication terminal 3 is registered in the home appliance 1, the communication terminal 3 may transmit the identification code of the communication terminal 3 together with the operation information as an operation signal.

  When the home appliance 1 receives the operation signal (S2), it is determined whether the received authentication code and the identification code of the communication terminal match the authentication code stored in the storage unit 11 and the identification code of the communication terminal 3, respectively ( S3). If they do not match (F in S3), the received operation information is invalidated, that is, no operation is accepted (S4). And the information which notifies that it is unauthorized operation is transmitted with respect to the communication terminal 3 which is the transmission source of the operation signal (S5). Moreover, you may notify the communication terminal 3 (appropriate communication terminal 3) registered into the household appliance 1 that there existed unauthorized operation | movement at this time.

  If the received authentication code and the identification code of the communication terminal match the authentication code stored in the storage unit 11 and the identification code of the communication terminal 3 (T in S3), the home appliance 1 matches the preset condition. It is determined whether information has been acquired (S6).

  Specifically, the preset conditions are the position at which the communication terminal 3 has transmitted the operation information, the time at which the communication terminal 3 has transmitted the operation signal, the time at which the home appliance 1 has received the operation information, and the home appliance 1 has received the operation signal. This is a condition related to the ambient temperature or humidity of the home appliance. Conditions other than these may be used. When the information that matches the preset condition is the information on the position where the communication terminal 3 has transmitted the operation information, the communication terminal 3 transmits the position information together with the operation information, for example, the information on the base station 5 at the time of transmission. The network communication unit 12b of the home appliance 1 obtains it by receiving it. When the information that matches the preset condition is information on the time when the communication terminal 3 transmits the operation information, the communication terminal 3 transmits the information on the operation information transmission time together with the operation information, and the network of the home appliance 1 Acquired by receiving the communication unit 12b. In addition, when the information that matches the preset condition is information on the time when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information, when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information, the clock unit 14 acquires the time information, and the home appliance 1 In the case of the temperature or humidity information around the home appliance when the operation information is received, the sensor unit 15 acquires the temperature or humidity information when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information.

  If information that matches the preset condition is not acquired or information that does not match is acquired (F in S6), the received operation information is invalidated, that is, the operation is not accepted (S7). And the information which notifies that it cannot operate is transmitted with respect to the communication terminal 3 which is the transmission source of the operation signal (S8).

  Regarding S6 and S7, for example, when the preset condition is time, it means that operation information received at a time that is not a preset time is not accepted. Further, when the preset condition is a position where the communication terminal 3 has transmitted the operation signal, for example, a specific base station that has not been transmitted from the preset position (for example, a range in which the user normally operates) That is, the operation information transmitted from other than the base station is not accepted. The operation information transmitted from other than the specific base station may be information (transmitted from a communication terminal of a third party other than the user), but does not accept the operation as described above, so the remote operation system 100 Can enhance security.

  If the preset condition is the time when the communication terminal 3 transmits the operation signal or the time when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information, the operation information transmitted or received at a time other than the preset time. This means that no operations will be accepted. Here, there is a high possibility that the user operates the home appliance 1 from the communication terminal 3 during a time zone outside the home, and a high possibility that the user operates the home appliance from the remote controller 2 during the time zone within the home. Therefore, if the time zone (time) in which the user is usually away from home, such as commuting and working hours, is set as the preset condition, the security of the remote operation system 100 can be enhanced. That is, the operation information transmitted from the communication terminal 3 at a time other than the preset time may be incorrect information (transmitted from a third party communication terminal other than the user). Since no operation is accepted, security can be enhanced.

  Further, when the preset condition is the temperature or humidity around the home appliance 1 when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information, the temperature or humidity at which the periphery of the home appliance 1 is preset when the home appliance 1 receives the operation information. If it is, it means that the operation information is not accepted.

  When information that matches the preset condition is acquired (T in S6), operation accepting unit 10a accepts the operation (S10), and home appliance 1 executes an operation corresponding to the operation.

  In the present embodiment, when a plurality of preset conditions are set, the process proceeds to S9 when all the conditions are met, and the process proceeds to S7 otherwise. For example, if two preset conditions are provided and the first condition is not met, the received operation information is invalidated without determining the second condition, and the operation signal is transmitted from the source. Information notifying that it is an unauthorized operation is transmitted to a certain communication terminal 3. If the first condition is met and the second condition is not met, the received operation information is invalidated, and the communication terminal 3 that is the source of the operation signal is notified that the operation cannot be performed. Send. This is particularly effective when the first condition is more important than the second condition in determining whether the transmission source is illegal or appropriate.

  By the above processing, the determination as to whether the operation signal is correct from the communication terminal 3 can be carried out by performing the determination under the preset condition in addition to the determination with the authentication code and the identification code. If information that matches the preset condition is not acquired or information that does not match is acquired, the operation can be rejected, so that the security in the remote operation system 100 can be further enhanced.

  Note that, in the above description, the determination that the authentication code and the identification code match and the preset condition match is performed by the home appliance 1, but a cloud server that associates the home appliance 1 and the communication terminal 3 with the communication network 4 is provided. The cloud server may perform the above determination and transmit only the operation information from the appropriate communication terminal 3 to the home appliance 1. Alternatively, a home appliance adapter is provided in the home appliance 1 to enable communication via the communication network 4, the above determination is performed by the home appliance adapter, and only the operation information from the appropriate communication terminal 3 is transmitted to the home appliance 1. Also good.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the same processing units and processing steps as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the remote operation process according to the present embodiment, a process for determining whether the received operation information is permitted operation information is added to the remote operation process according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. This determination is performed by the control unit 10 of the home appliance 1. Here, the permitted limited operation is an operation to accept even if the preset condition does not match as long as the authentication code and the identification code of the communication terminal 3 match, for example, a power-off operation. Safety can be improved if a power-off operation is accepted in any situation. In particular, in the case of a device (for example, an air conditioner, a stove, or an iron) in which the home appliance 1 generates heat, the effect is high. Information on the limited operation permitted at the time of shipment of the home appliance 1 may be registered in the storage unit 11, or information on the limited operation permitted by the user may be registered in the storage unit 11 of the home appliance 1. Good.

  Since S1 to S6 of the remote operation processing of the present embodiment are the same as S1 to S6 of the remote operation processing of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted. If the matched information is not acquired in S6 or information that does not match is acquired (F in S6), it is determined whether the operation indicated by the received operation information is a permitted limited operation (S6a). . If it is a permitted limited operation (T in S6a), the process proceeds to S9, and if it is not a permitted limited operation (F in S6a), the process proceeds to S7. Further, S7 to S10 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  With the above processing, if information that matches the preset condition is not acquired or information that does not match is acquired by the above processing, the operation can be rejected or restricted, so that the security in the remote operation system 100 is further strengthened. Can do. Even if information that matches the preset condition is not acquired or information that does not match is acquired, if the permitted limited operation signal is received, the limited operation is accepted. If the permitted limited operation is a power-off operation, a remote operation system with higher safety can be provided.

[Embodiment 3]
The home appliance 1 (particularly the control unit 10), the remote controller 2 (particularly the control unit 20), or the communication terminal (particularly the control unit 30) described above is a logic circuit formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. (Hardware) or software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  In the latter case, the home appliance 1, the remote controller 2, or the communication terminal 3 records a CPU that executes a program command, which is software that realizes each function, and the program and various data are readable by a computer (or CPU). ROM (Read Only Memory) or a storage device (these are referred to as “recording media”), RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program, and the like. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made. The embodiments of the present invention can also be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Included in the range. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

[Summary]
A remote operation system (100) according to aspect 1 of the present invention includes an electronic device (home appliance 1) and a communication terminal (3) connected to a communication network (4), and a dedicated operation device exclusively operating the electronic device remotely. (Remote controller 2), the dedicated controller includes a storage unit (23) for storing identification information (identification code) of the electronic device, and the communication terminal identifies the electronic device. Registration means (registration unit 20b) for registering information and acquiring identification information of the communication terminal from the communication terminal and registering the information in the electronic device, and the communication terminal is an operation indicating an operation on the electronic device Operation control means (control unit 30) for transmitting its own identification information together with information to the electronic device identified by the registered identification information is provided, and the electronic device is connected to the electronic device. An operation receiving means (operation receiving unit 10a) for receiving an operation indicated by the received operation information when receiving the identification information matching the identification information of the registered communication terminal together with the operation information indicating the operation to be performed. Features.

  According to the remote operation system, the dedicated controller for exclusively operating the electronic device causes the communication terminal to register the identification information of the electronic device, and obtains the identification information of the communication terminal from the communication terminal. By registering, pairing between the electronic device and the communication terminal can be performed. Since the dedicated operation device is used to remotely control the electronic device and is used by the user, the pairing process is performed by operating the dedicated operation device and the communication terminal at (or near) the user. can do. Further, when the dedicated controller and the communication terminal have a display screen for displaying / instructing the flow of the pairing process, the user can also perform pairing while confirming this. As described above, by using the dedicated operation device, the operability of pairing between the electronic device and the communication terminal can be improved.

  In addition, most dedicated operating devices that exclusively operate electronic devices are shipped as accessories of the electronic devices. Therefore, it can be said that the dedicated operation device is easy to be obtained by the user of the electronic device, and the dedicated operation device is difficult to reach the hands of a third party. In the remote operation system, since the identification information of the electronic device cannot be acquired unless the dedicated operation device is used, it is possible to prevent pairing between the third party communication terminal and the electronic device that cannot obtain the dedicated operation device. It is possible to strengthen the system security. When the dedicated operation device is shipped as an accessory of the electronic device, the identification information of the electronic device may be stored in the dedicated operation device at the time of shipment.

  The remote operation system according to aspect 2 of the present invention is the remote operation system according to aspect 1, in which the authentication information generating means (authentication code generation unit 20a) generates authentication information from the identification information of the electronic device and the identification information of the communication terminal. And the registration unit causes the communication terminal and the electronic device to register the authentication information.

  According to the said structure, a communication terminal and an electronic device can authenticate a communicating party with the said authentication information. Note that the authentication information generation means may be provided in the dedicated operation device or in the communication terminal.

  The remote operation system according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the remote operation system according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the registration means performs the registration through a communication medium different from the communication network.

  According to the above configuration, the registration unit causes the communication terminal and the electronic device to perform registration via a communication medium different from the communication network, and the communication terminal remotely operates the electronic device via the communication network. Thus, by using different communication media for the pairing process and the remote operation, leakage of identification information (or authentication information) can be suppressed, and security can be further enhanced.

  If the communication medium different from the communication network is, for example, a communication medium having directivity such as infrared rays, communication cannot be performed in the vicinity, so that leakage of identification information (or authentication information) can be further prevented. Note that if the communication medium different from the communication network is a communication medium when the dedicated controller remotely controls the electronic device, it can be used, so a remote operation system should be configured without cost. Can do.

  The remote operation system according to aspect 4 of the present invention is the remote operation system according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the electronic device transmits operation information indicating operation of the electronic device by the communication terminal. A condition storage unit (storage unit 11) that stores a preset condition regarding a situation or a reception situation when the electronic device receives the operation information; and the operation reception unit further includes When information that matches the preset condition is acquired, the operation indicated by the operation information is accepted.

  According to the above configuration, the operation accepting unit further accepts an operation indicated by the operation information when acquiring information that matches the preset condition. Therefore, when information that matches the preset condition is not acquired or information that does not match is acquired, the operation can be rejected or restricted, so that security in the remote operation system can be enhanced. Here, the preset condition may be one or more, and for example, a plurality of conditions such as position, time, temperature around the electronic device or humidity may be the preset condition.

  The dedicated operation device according to aspect 5 of the present invention is provided in any one of the remote operation systems according to aspects 1 to 4.

  By using the dedicated operation device, it is possible to easily perform pairing between the electronic device that is the operation target of the dedicated operation device and the communication terminal. In addition, if the dedicated operation device is not used, the third party cannot obtain the identification information (or authentication information) of the electronic device, and the third party communication terminal cannot be paired with the electronic device. The security of the remote control system can be strengthened.

  A remote operation system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the remote operation system comprising: an electronic device connected to a communication network; and a communication terminal that remotely operates the electronic device via the communication network. Stores preset conditions relating to the transmission status when the communication terminal transmits operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device or the reception status when the electronic device receives the operation information. And a storage unit that receives the operation information from the communication terminal and receives an operation indicated by the operation information when acquiring information that matches the preset condition.

  According to the above configuration, the electronic device receives a remote operation indicated by the operation information when acquiring information that matches the stored preset condition. Therefore, when information that matches the preset condition is not acquired or information that does not match is acquired, the operation can be rejected or restricted, so that security in the remote operation system can be enhanced.

  The remote operation system according to aspect 7 of the present invention is the remote operation system according to aspect 4 or 6, wherein the preset condition is a position where the communication terminal transmits the operation information, and the communication terminal transmits the operation information. It includes at least one of a condition regarding a time, a time when the electronic device receives the operation information, and a temperature or humidity around the electronic device when the electronic device receives the operation information.

  According to the above configuration, when the preset condition is the position at which the communication terminal has transmitted the operation information or the time at which the communication terminal has transmitted the operation information, the communication terminal can easily transmit the information, and the electronic device acquires the information. It's easy to do. For example, the transmitted location information may be, for example, information on a base station at the time of transmission of operation information of the communication terminal. In this case, the electronic device is set (registered) as a preset condition together with operation information from the communication terminal. If the received base station information is received, the operation can be accepted.

  Further, when the preset condition is the time when the electronic device receives the operation information, the electronic device can easily acquire the information. In addition, as long as the electronic device can acquire the ambient temperature or humidity, the preset condition may be a condition for these.

  Further, electronic devices and communication terminals provided in the remote operation system according to each aspect of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  In addition, a pairing method according to aspect 8 of the present invention provides a pair in a remote operation system including an electronic device and a communication terminal connected to a communication network, and a dedicated operation device exclusively operating the electronic device. In the ring method, the dedicated operating device causes the communication terminal to register the identification information of the electronic device, and causes the electronic device to register the identification information of the communication terminal. An operation control step for transmitting the identification information of the electronic device together with the operation information indicating the operation on the electronic device to the electronic device identified by the registered identification information, and the operation information indicating the operation on the electronic device by the electronic device When receiving the identification information that matches the identification information of the communication terminal registered together, the operation reception step for receiving the operation indicated by the received operation information. It is characterized in that it comprises a flop, the.

  According to the above method, the operability of the pairing between the electronic device and the communication terminal can be improved as in the remote operation system. In addition, the security of the remote operation system can be enhanced.

  In addition, a remote operation method according to aspect 9 of the present invention provides a remote operation method using a remote operation system including an electronic device connected to a communication network and a communication terminal that remotely operates the electronic device via the communication network. In the operation method, a preset condition set in advance with respect to a transmission state when the communication terminal transmits operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device or a reception state when the electronic device receives the operation information And a step of accepting an operation indicated by the operation information when the electronic device receives the operation information from the communication terminal and acquires information that matches the preset condition. It is characterized by that.

  According to the above method, the remote operation from the communication terminal can be rejected or restricted by the preset condition, so that the security in the remote operation system can be enhanced.

  The dedicated operation device, electronic device, or communication terminal according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the dedicated operation device is operated by operating the computer as each unit included in the electronic device. In addition, a control program for realizing an electronic device or a communication terminal on a computer and a computer-readable recording medium on which the control program is recorded fall within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be used for a remote operation system or the like provided with an electronic device and a communication terminal connected to a communication network, and a dedicated operation device exclusively operating the electronic device.

1 Home appliances (electronic equipment)
2 Remote controller (dedicated controller)
3 Communication terminal 4 Communication network 10a Operation reception unit (operation reception means)
11 Storage unit (condition storage unit)
12a, 24, 33a Infrared communication units 12b, 33b Network communication unit 20a Authentication code generation unit (authentication information generation means)
20b Registration part (registration means)
21 Display unit 23 Storage unit 30 Control unit (operation control means)
31 Display Operation Unit 100 Remote Operation System

Claims (5)

In a remote operation system comprising an electronic device and a communication terminal connected to a communication network, and a dedicated operation device exclusively operating the electronic device remotely,
The dedicated controller has a storage unit for storing the identification information of the electronic device, causes the communication terminal to register the identification information of the electronic device, and acquires the identification information of the communication terminal from the communication terminal. A registration means for registering the device,
The communication terminal includes operation control means for transmitting its identification information together with operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device to the electronic device identified by the registered identification information,
The electronic device includes an operation receiving unit that receives an operation indicated by the received operation information when the identification information matching the identification information of the registered communication terminal is received together with the operation information indicating the operation on the electronic device.
A remote control system characterized by that. An authentication information generating means for generating authentication information from the identification information of the electronic device and the identification information of the communication terminal;
The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit causes the communication terminal and the electronic device to register the authentication information.   The remote operation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the registration unit causes the registration to be performed via a communication medium different from the communication network. The electronic device is preset in advance regarding transmission status when the communication terminal transmits operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device, or reception status when the electronic device receives the operation information. A condition storage unit for storing conditions;
The remote operation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation accepting unit further accepts an operation indicated by the operation information when acquiring information that matches the preset condition. A dedicated controller for exclusive remote operation of the electronic device, provided in a remote operation system having an electronic device and a communication terminal connected to a communication network,
The communication terminal transmits its identification information together with operation information indicating an operation on the electronic device to the electronic device identified by the identification information of the electronic device registered in the communication terminal,
The electronic device receives the operation indicated by the received operation information when the identification information matching the identification information of the communication terminal registered in the electronic device is received together with the operation information.
A storage unit for storing the identification information of the electronic device; and causing the communication terminal to register the identification information of the electronic device; and acquiring the identification information of the communication terminal from the communication terminal and registering the identification information to the electronic device A dedicated operation device comprising: a registration means for making the device operate.

Images