JP7765329B2 - Controller, device, control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention generally relates to controllers, devices, control methods, and programs.

Patent Document 1 describes a remote control system using a mobile phone that enables wireless control of a heating appliance equipped with a heat source. In this remote control system, the heating appliance is started by using a password that requires operating multiple keys in sequence or by operating multiple keys simultaneously on the operating section of the mobile phone. This reduces the possibility of the heating appliance starting up even if a child touches the mobile phone or accidentally steps on the operating section of the mobile phone.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-319654

In recent years, so-called smart remote controls have become increasingly popular, allowing remote control (for example, as an add-on) of devices that receive infrared signals (infrared signals) and accept operational commands. A mobile terminal (cell phone) and smart remote control communicate wirelessly using communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). If a user pre-learns the infrared signal corresponding to a device into the smart remote control, when the user performs an operation related to the device's operation from the mobile terminal, the smart remote control will receive the signal related to the operation from the mobile terminal and transmit the infrared signal corresponding to that device to the device. This improves convenience, as users can use their mobile terminal to perform operations related to the device's operation even from a relatively long distance from the device.

On the other hand, users can remotely operate devices even from locations where they cannot directly see the device (and its surroundings). However, depending on the type of device (e.g., devices equipped with a heating source), it may not be desirable to operate the device under such circumstances.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to provide a controller, device, control method, and program that can reduce the possibility of a device being remotely controlled from a location that cannot be seen.

The controller of claim 1 wirelessly transmits a transmission signal, carried by infrared light, to a device that executes a specific operation when a specific condition is met. The controller comprises a device body, a detection unit provided on the device body that detects vibration of the device, an operation unit provided on the device body that accepts external operation input, and a transmission unit provided on the device body that transmits the transmission signal. When the detection unit detects the vibration, the transmission unit changes from a standby state to a command state and transmits a first infrared signal as the transmission signal. When the operation unit accepts the operation input once in the command state, the transmission unit transmits a second infrared signal as the transmission signal. The specific condition is a condition related to reception of the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal by the device. The first infrared signal and the second infrared signal contain different data.

In the controller of the invention of claim 2, in the controller of the invention of claim 1, the specific condition is that the device receives the second infrared signal at least once within a predetermined period starting from the time when the device receives the first infrared signal.

In the controller according to claim 3, in the controller according to claim 1 or 2, the transmitter transmits the second infrared signal when the first operation input is received by the operation unit after transmitting the first infrared signal once, and then transmits the second infrared signal again when the second operation input is received subsequently.

The controller according to claim 4 is a controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmitter returns from the command state to the standby state when a certain period of time has passed since the detector detects the vibration and changes from the standby state to the command state.

The device according to claim 5 includes a receiver that receives the transmission signal from the controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a controller that executes the specific operation. The controller executes the specific operation when the specific condition is met.

The device according to claim 6 is the device according to claim 5, further comprising a gas combustion type heat source. The specific operation is an operation related to the heat source.

The control method of the invention of claim 7 is a controller control method that wirelessly transmits a transmission signal mediated by infrared rays to a device that executes a specific operation when a specific condition is met. The control method includes a detection step of detecting vibration of the controller's body, a first transmission step, and a second transmission step. In the first transmission step, when the vibration is detected in the detection step, the controller changes from a standby state to a command state and transmits a first infrared signal as the transmission signal. In the second transmission step, when an operation input is received once on the operation unit of the controller in the command state, a second infrared signal is transmitted as the transmission signal. The specific condition is a condition related to reception of the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal by the device. The first infrared signal and the second infrared signal contain different data.

The control method according to claim 8 is a control method for a device that communicates with a controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control method includes a receiving step of receiving the transmission signal from the controller, and a control step of executing the specific operation. In the control step, the specific operation is executed when the specific condition is met.

The program according to the invention of claim 9 is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the control method according to the invention of claim 7 or 8.

In the controller of the invention of claim 1, when the detection unit detects vibration, a first infrared signal is transmitted, and when the operation unit receives a single operation input, a second infrared signal containing data different from the first infrared signal is transmitted. The device then executes a specific operation only when conditions related to the reception of the first and second infrared signals are met. Therefore, even if a user attempts to have the smart remote control learn the controller's functions, there is a high possibility that only the second infrared signal transmitted in response to operation input to the operation unit will be copied to the smart remote control, which can contribute to preventing the smart remote control from learning. As a result, the possibility of the device being remotely controlled from an unseen location can be reduced.

In the controller of the invention of claim 2, the specific condition is that the device receives the second infrared signal at least once within a predetermined period, thereby reducing the possibility that a specific operation will be performed unintentionally by the user.

The controller according to the invention of claim 3 reduces the possibility of remote operation from a location where the equipment cannot be seen, for specific operations (such as starting an operation) that require two consecutive operation inputs to the operation unit.

The controller according to the invention of claim 4 returns from the command state to the standby state after a certain period of time has elapsed, thereby reducing the possibility that the command state will continue unintentionally by the user.

In the device according to the invention of claim 5, only the second infrared signal transmitted in response to an operation input to the operation unit is likely to be copied to the smart remote control. Therefore, the first infrared signal is unlikely to be received from the smart remote control, and the specific operation is not executed. As a result, a device can be provided that is less likely to be remotely controlled from an unseen location.

The device according to claim 6 reduces the possibility that a device equipped with a gas combustion heat source will be remotely operated from an unseen location.

The control method according to the invention of claim 7 provides a controller control method that reduces the possibility of the device being remotely operated from a location where it cannot be seen.

The control method according to claim 8 provides a method for controlling equipment that reduces the possibility of remote operation from an unseen location.

The program according to the invention of claim 9 can provide a function that reduces the possibility of remote control of a device from an unseen location.

1A and 1B are block diagrams of a controller and a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively; FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the controller and the device. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device.

The controller, device, control method, and program according to the embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 2, which is referenced in the following embodiments, is a schematic diagram, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

(Embodiment)
(1) Device Control System As shown in FIG. 2, a device control system 4 according to the embodiment includes a controller 1 according to the embodiment and a device 2 according to the embodiment.

(2) Device The device 2, which is one of the components of the device control system 4, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1B and 2. FIG.

Device 2 is a device that can be remotely controlled in response to operations on controller 1 (remote control). Device 2 can be installed in a space within a facility used by a user. For example, if the facility is a residence, device 2 can be installed and used in a room within the home. The facility is not limited to a residence, and can also be a non-residential facility (such as an office building).

There are no particular restrictions on the type of device 2, as long as it can be remotely controlled by a remote control. In this embodiment, it is assumed that device 2 is a heating device, and as an example, a gas fan heater. In other words, device 2 has a built-in heat source 21 (see Figure 1B). Device 2 is equipped with a gas combustion type heat source 21. However, the heat source 21 of device 2 may also be an oil combustion type or an electric heating type.

Device 2 receives a transmission signal (wireless signal, hereinafter also referred to as "infrared signal S1") wirelessly transmitted from controller 1 in response to a user operation on controller 1's operation unit 3, using infrared light as the medium, and executes control in accordance with the data (control data) contained in the infrared signal S1. Device 2 also receives infrared signal S1 wirelessly transmitted from controller 1 when vibration of controller 1's housing 100 (see Figure 2) is detected.

In the following, the infrared signal S1 sent from the controller 1 in response to the detection of vibration of the controller 1 body 100 will be referred to as the first infrared signal S11, and the infrared signal S1 sent from the controller 1 in response to a user operation on the operation unit 3 of the controller 1 will be referred to as the second infrared signal S12.

In particular, device 2 is configured to perform a specific operation when a specific condition is met. The specific condition is a condition related to the reception of the first infrared signal S11 and the second infrared signal S12 by device 2. In other words, the specific condition is a condition that requires at least the reception of the first infrared signal S11 and the second infrared signal S12 by device 2.

In this embodiment, the specific operation is an operation related to the heat source 21, and is an operation that can be executed remotely using the controller 1. The operation related to the heat source 21 may correspond to, for example, starting the operation of the heat source 21 (i.e., "starting operation" of the device 2), stopping the operation of the heat source 21 (i.e., "stopping operation" of the device 2), or adjusting the set temperature.

Note that "starting operation" here refers to starting an operating state from a standby state in which device 2 is powered on and consuming standby power, for example, when a manual operation is received from the user. Also, "stopping operation" refers to returning from an operating state to a standby state, for example, when a manual operation is received from the user. Therefore, stopping operation and starting operation are different from a temporary automatic stop of operation caused by the room temperature reaching or exceeding the set temperature due to eco-driving, etc., or an automatic restart from a temporary stop of operation.

The specific operation may be any operation that can be performed remotely using the controller 1, and may include, for example, starting operation of the device 2, stopping operation of the device 2, adjusting the set temperature, and operating the sleep timer. If the operation of starting eco-driving can be performed remotely using the controller 1, the specific operation may include the operation of starting eco-driving.

As shown in FIG. 1B, device 2 further includes a control unit 20, a blower fan 22, a receiving unit 23, a memory unit 24, a display unit 25, multiple operation units 26 (only one in the illustrated example), a power supply unit 27, and a housing 200 (see FIG. 2) that houses or holds these components. Device 2 also includes sensors for monitoring the operation of heat source 21, etc. The type of sensor is not particularly limited, but examples include a combustion sensor for checking the combustion of heat source 21, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of heat source 21 and the temperature in the room where device 2 is installed, and a tipping sensor for detecting whether device 2 has tipped over. Device 2 also includes a timer and has the function of managing a reservation schedule for starting/stopping operation of device 2 (heating device) based on the timing of the timer.

As shown in Figure 2, the housing 200 is generally in the shape of a rectangular box that is flat in the front-to-back direction. The housing 200 has an air outlet 201 at the bottom of its front face, and an air inlet on its back face. A display unit 25 and multiple operation units 26 are located on the top face of the housing 200. The back face of the housing 200 also has a connection port for connecting a gas cord for supplying fuel gas to the gas pipe of the heating source 21. A power cord extends from the back face of the housing 200, and by connecting the power plug at the end of the power cord to a power outlet, the device 2 can receive power from, for example, a commercial AC power source.

The heat source 21 has a combustor that burns a mixture of fuel gas and combustion air, and an injection nozzle that injects fuel gas toward the combustor to mix the fuel gas and combustion air. The heat source 21 also has a gas pipe that guides the fuel gas to the injection nozzle, a solenoid valve that opens and closes the gas pipe, and a proportional valve that allows the flow rate of the fuel gas to be adjusted according to the set temperature, etc. The combustor has an igniter that ignites the fuel guided to its combustion chamber, and a flame sensor that detects the flame caused by ignition and enables flame extinguishing detection. The solenoid valve, proportional valve, igniter, fire sensor, etc. of the heat source 21 are controlled by the control unit 20.

The blower fan 22 is housed within the housing 200. The blower fan 22 includes, for example, a crossflow fan and a fan motor that rotates the crossflow fan in a circumferential direction. The fan motor operates under the control of the control unit 20 and rotates the crossflow fan. As the crossflow fan rotates, outside air is drawn in through an intake port on the back of the housing 200 and flows toward the combustor of the heat source 21. A portion of the outside air drawn in through the intake port is mixed with fuel gas as combustion air and supplied to the combustion chamber of the heat source 21. The remaining air bypasses the combustor, mixes with combustion exhaust gas from the combustion chamber, and is heated before being blown out through an outlet 201 on the front of the housing 200. As a result, the device 2 provides warm air into the room in which the device 2 is installed, allowing the room temperature to approach the set temperature.

The multiple operation units 26 are user interfaces configured to accept operation inputs that command the operation of the device 2. The multiple operation units 26 are arranged, for example, on the top surface of the housing 200. It is assumed that each operation unit 26 is a push button type.

Specifically, the multiple operation units 26 include an ON button (operation button) for starting operation of the device 2, and an OFF button (stop button) for stopping operation of the device 2. The operation button and the stop button may be realized by a single button, and each time the button is pressed, a command to start operation and a command to stop operation are issued alternately.

The multiple operation units 26 also include an UP button for increasing the set temperature by 1°C, and a DOWN button for decreasing the set temperature by 1°C.

The multiple operation units 26 also include a sleep button, a good morning button, and a setting button for inputting a set time. Pressing the sleep button automatically stops operation of the device 2, for example, one hour after the button is pressed. Pressing the good morning button automatically starts operation of the device 2 after the set time has elapsed.

The multiple operation units 26 also include an eco button for performing eco operation. During normal operation, the device 2 performs continuous combustion by increasing and decreasing the combustion capacity. During eco operation, the device 2 performs an operation that repeatedly switches between combustion and stopping when the room temperature reaches or exceeds a set temperature.

The above button types are just examples and are not limited to these.

The display unit 25 is configured to present information related to the operation of the device 2 to the user. The display unit 25 is located on the top surface of the housing 200. The display unit 25 displays the current set temperature, current room temperature, set time, and operating status (whether normal operation or eco operation is in progress).

The memory unit 24 includes an electrically rewritable, non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory. The memory unit 24 may also be memory of the control unit 20. The memory unit 24 pre-stores information that associates multiple pieces of control data (described below) that can be received from the controller 1 with multiple control contents. The memory unit 24 also stores the set temperature, and the control unit 20 updates the set temperature in the memory unit 24 as appropriate in response to user operations.

The receiver 23 receives the transmission signal (infrared signal S1) from the controller 1. The receiver 23 is located at the upper right edge on the front of the housing 200 (see Figure 2). The receiver 23 includes an infrared receiving element that receives infrared light (infrared rays) emitted from the controller 1 and performs photoelectric conversion. The receiver 23 is electrically connected to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 extracts control data from the output signal output from the infrared receiving element and executes the control content corresponding to the control data.

The power supply unit 27 is electrically connected to the control unit 20. Under the control of the control unit 20, the power supply unit 27 generates and supplies the power required to operate the heating source 21, blower fan 22, receiver 23, display unit 25, etc., using, for example, commercial AC power supplied from a power outlet via a power cord.

The control unit 20 has, for example, a computer (including a microcomputer) that includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. The computer functions as the control unit 20 by executing appropriate programs.

The control unit 20 controls the operation of the heat source 21, the blower fan 22, the display unit 25, etc. based on operations on each operation unit 26. The control unit 20 also controls the operation of the heat source 21, the blower fan 22, the display unit 25, etc. based on the control data included in the infrared signal S1 (second infrared signal S12) from the controller 1 received by the receiving unit 23. However, when the control unit 20 receives the first infrared signal S11, it prepares for the second infrared signal S12 that may be transmitted from the controller 1, based on the control data included in the first infrared signal S11. In other words, the control data included in the first infrared signal S11 is control data for notifying the device 2 that there is a high possibility that the user will soon operate the operation unit 3 of the controller 1.

(3) Controller The controller 1, which is one of the components of the device control system 4, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A and 2. FIG.

The controller 1 is a remote control capable of remotely operating the device 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 1 wirelessly transmits a transmission signal (infrared signal S1) using infrared light as a medium. The infrared signal S1 has a data structure including, for example, a leader code, a custom code, a data code, and a stop bit. In response to a single operation input (push operation) to the operation unit 3 or a single vibration detection of the device 100, the infrared signal S1 may be transmitted by repeating the reader code through the stop bit several times, but for the sake of convenience, the repeats will be considered as one infrared signal S1.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the controller 1 includes a device 100, a control unit 10, a transmission unit 11, a memory unit 12, a user interface 13, a power supply unit 14, and a detection unit D1. The controller 1 has, for example, a computer (including a microcomputer) including a processor such as a CPU and memory. The computer functions as the controller 1 by executing an appropriate program.

The housing 100 is elongated in one direction overall and is shaped like a flat, roughly rectangular box (see Figure 2). The housing 100 is sized and shaped to allow a user to easily hold it in one hand. The housing 100 is made of, for example, resin. Multiple operating members 300 (five in the illustrated example) are arranged on the front of the housing 100. In other words, the housing 100 has a structure that allows a user to easily press and operate the operating members 300 with a thumb or the like while holding the housing 100 in one hand. The housing 100 houses or holds the control unit 10, transmission unit 11, user interface 13, memory unit 12, power supply unit 14, detection unit D1, etc.

Transmitting unit 11 is electrically connected to control unit 10. Transmitting unit 11 is provided in device 100 and transmits a transmission signal (infrared signal S1). Under the control of control unit 10, when detecting vibration at detection unit D1, transmitting unit 11 changes from a standby state to a command state and transmits a first infrared signal S11 as a transmission signal (infrared signal S1). Furthermore, under the control of control unit 10, when transmitting unit 11 receives a single operation input at operation unit 3 in the command state, it transmits a second infrared signal S12 as a transmission signal (infrared signal S1).

The transmitter 11 includes an infrared light-emitting element for transmitting the infrared signal S1 generated by the controller 10. The infrared light-emitting element is assumed to be, for example, an infrared light-emitting diode (LED). The infrared light-emitting element is exposed at one end surface of the housing 100 (the upper end surface in FIG. 2 ) and is held by the housing 100 so as to emit the infrared signal S1 from that end surface.

The user interface 13 has multiple (e.g., five) operation units 3. Each operation unit 3 is provided on the device 100 and accepts operation input from the outside (e.g., a user). In the example of FIGS. 1A and 2, the user interface 13 includes five operation units 3: an ON button 31, an OFF button 32, a TEMP DOWN button 33, a TEMP UP button 34, and a SLEEP button 35. Each button (31-35) includes a push-button switch and a resin operation member 300 located on the front of the switch. Each switch is mounted on a printed circuit board inside the device 100. When the user presses any of the five operation members 300 exposed from the device 100, the contact of the switch on the back is turned ON, and the control unit 10 detects that the corresponding operation unit 3 has received operation input from the user.

The ON button 31 is an operation button for starting operation of the device 2. The OFF button 32 is a stop button for stopping operation of the device 2. The TEMP DOWN button 33 is a button for lowering the set temperature by 1°C. The TEMP UP button 34 is a button for raising the set temperature by 1°C. The SLEEP button 35 is a button for automatically stopping operation of the device 2, for example, one hour after it is pressed. In other words, as an example, the functions of the five operation units 3 partially overlap with those of the multiple operation units 26 on the device 2.

Each time each operation unit 3 receives a single press operation (operation input), the transmitter 11 transmits one infrared signal S1 (second infrared signal S12). Here, one infrared signal S1 (S11, S12) refers to, for example, a signal starting with the leader code and ending with the stop bit (including the repeat, if any).

In order to reduce the possibility of the device 2 starting to operate unintentionally if the user inadvertently steps on the controller 1 or if a child touches the controller 1, this embodiment assumes, as an example, that only the ON button 31 requires a double press operation. In other words, the device 2 will not start operating unless the user presses the ON button 31 twice in succession. For the other buttons (32-35), a single press will cause the device 2 to execute the corresponding control, but the "double press" requirement may also be applied to the other buttons. Furthermore, buttons are not limited to a "double press" requirement, and three or more presses may be required.

The memory unit 12 includes an electrically rewritable, non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory. The memory unit 12 may also be the memory of the control unit 10. The memory unit 12 pre-stores information related to the infrared signal S1 to be transmitted from the transmitter 11. That is, the memory unit 12 pre-stores information related to the corresponding control data (data code) to be included in the second infrared signal S12 when each button (31-35) is pressed. Hereinafter, the control data corresponding to the ON button 31, OFF button 32, temperature DOWN button 33, temperature UP button 34, and sleep button 35 may be referred to as the first control data, second control data, third control data, fourth control data, and fifth control data, respectively.

The memory unit 12 also pre-stores information regarding corresponding control data (data code) to be included in the first infrared signal S11 when vibration of the device 100 is detected. Hereinafter, the control data corresponding to the detection of vibration of the device 100 may be referred to as preparation data.

The power supply unit 14 is electrically connected to the control unit 10. The power supply unit 14 may include, for example, one or more primary batteries. The primary batteries are, for example, button batteries. The primary batteries are housed in the housing 100 in a replaceable manner. The power supply unit 14 uses DC power discharged from the primary batteries to generate operating power for the control unit 10 and other components, and supplies this power to the control unit 10.

Detection unit D1 is provided on device 100 and configured to detect vibrations of device 100. Detection unit D1 includes a sensor (e.g., a piezoelectric vibration sensor) that detects vibrations of device 100 by measuring the acceleration of device 100. Detection unit D1 is electrically connected to control unit 10 and outputs an output signal including the detection result related to the vibrations of device 100 to control unit 10. When the signal value (e.g., voltage value) of the output signal exceeds a threshold, control unit 10 determines that vibrations have occurred due to the user holding device 100 in their hand, and includes preparation data in a first infrared signal S11, causing transmission unit 11 to transmit the signal.

The control unit 10 controls the transmission unit 11, user interface 13, memory unit 12, power supply unit 14, detection unit D1, etc. When detection unit D1 detects vibration of the device 100, the control unit 10 controls the transmission unit 11. Under the control of the control unit 10, the transmission unit 11 changes from a standby state to a command state and sends (transmits) a first infrared signal S11 including preparation data. Under the control of the control unit 10, when the user presses any of the five operation units 3 (buttons 31 to 35) in the command state, the transmission unit 11 sends (transmits) a second infrared signal S12 including control data corresponding to that button (any of the first to fifth control data).

In particular, for a specific operation unit 3 (here, the ON button 31) that requires a "double press," the transmitter 11, under the control of the controller 10, transmits a first infrared signal S11 once, and then transmits a second infrared signal S12 when the first operation input is received at the specific operation unit 3. Subsequently, when a second operation input is received at the same specific operation unit 3, the transmitter 11 transmits the second infrared signal S12 again.

Under the control of the control unit 10, the transmission unit 11 returns from the command state to the standby state when a certain period of time has passed since the detection unit D1 detected vibration and changed from the standby state to the command state. This certain period of time is assumed to be, for example, several seconds, but is not particularly limited. In other words, in order to start operating the device 2, the user must press the ON button 31 twice after holding the device 100 in their hand and within the certain period of time. The other buttons (32-35) only need to be pressed once after holding the device 100 in their hand and within the certain period of time.

The control unit 10 is equipped with a timer. When the detection unit D1 detects vibration, the control unit 10 causes the first infrared signal S11 to be transmitted and the timer to start timing the above-mentioned fixed period. In other words, the start point of the above-mentioned fixed period is the point at which the detection unit D1 detects vibration. When the control unit 10 receives a press operation on any of the five operation units 3 (buttons 31-35) within the above-mentioned fixed period, the control unit 10 causes the second infrared signal S12 to be transmitted.

Note that while the user is holding the controller 1, the signal value of the output signal from the detection unit D1 may exceed the threshold value many times. The transmission unit 11 may re-time the fixed period each time the signal value exceeds the threshold value, and transmit the first infrared signal S11 each time. Alternatively, once the transmission unit 11 has started timing the fixed period and transmitted the first infrared signal S11, it may refrain from re-timing the fixed period or transmitting the first infrared signal S11 for a while (for example, several tens of seconds).

Even if the control unit 10 receives a third or subsequent press of the ON button 31 within the aforementioned fixed period, it will ignore the press and will not transmit an infrared signal S1. However, the control unit 10 may transmit an infrared signal S1 each time the ON button 31 is pressed (the device 2 may simply invalidate the third or subsequent infrared signal S1).

Furthermore, even if the control unit 10 receives a second or subsequent press of the OFF button 32 or the sleep button 35 within the above-mentioned fixed period, it ignores the press and does not transmit the infrared signal S1. On the other hand, the control unit 10 transmits a second infrared signal S12 each time it receives a second or subsequent press of the temperature down button 33 or the temperature up button 34 within the above-mentioned fixed period. Furthermore, even if the control unit 10 receives a second press of a button other than the ON button 31 after receiving the first press of the ON button 31, it ignores the press and does not transmit the infrared signal S1.

Needless to say, even if the ON button 31 is pressed twice while device 2 is operating, device 2 will invalidate the infrared signal S1. Even if the OFF button 32 is pressed while device 2 is not operating, device 2 will also invalidate the infrared signal S1.

When the control unit 10 counts the end of the above-mentioned fixed period using the timer, it resets the timer and monitors for the next vibration detection.

In other words, when vibration of the controller 1 is detected and when each operation unit 3 is pressed, a first infrared signal S11 and a second infrared signal S12, each containing different data (preparation data or any of the first to fifth control data), are transmitted from the transmitter 11.

In the example of FIG. 2, vibrations of the device 100 caused by the user holding the controller 1 in their hand are detected, and a first infrared signal S11 containing preparation data (see rectangular wave W1) is transmitted from the controller 1. Also in the example of FIG. 2, a second infrared signal S12 containing one of the first to fifth control data (see rectangular wave W2) is transmitted from the controller 1 in response to a press of one of the five buttons (31 to 35).

The square waves W1 and W2 in Figure 2 are shown schematically with only a portion of the beginning of the data code extracted, to make it easier to intuitively understand that the preparation data corresponding to vibration detection and the control data corresponding to a push operation are different. The preparation data corresponding to vibration detection (square wave W1) includes "0" data at the beginning of the data code, with the ON period (the period during which the infrared light-emitting element is on) and OFF period (the period during which the infrared light-emitting element is off) being the same length. The control data corresponding to a push operation (square wave W2) includes "1" data with an OFF period longer than the ON period.

In other words, when the preparatory data corresponding to vibration detection and the control data corresponding to a press operation differ, this corresponds to the contents of the data code (e.g., 8-bit data) being different. For example, if the preparatory data corresponding to vibration detection contains more "1" data than the control data corresponding to a press operation, the data length of the preparatory data may be longer. Naturally, the contents of the data codes (e.g., 8-bit data) of the first to fifth control data also differ from each other.

Meanwhile, the control unit 20 of the device 2 executes a specific operation in response to remote control of the controller 1. In this embodiment, as an example, the specific operation is assumed to include operations corresponding to the five buttons 31 to 35 provided on the controller 1 (starting and stopping operation of the device 2, adjusting the set temperature, and operating the sleep timer). The control unit 20 executes the corresponding specific operation (for example, starting operation) when a specific condition is met. The specific condition is that the device 2 receives the first infrared signal S11 and the second infrared signal S12. More specifically, the specific condition is that the device 2 receives the second infrared signal S12 at least once within a predetermined period starting from the time when the device 2 receives the first infrared signal S11. The above-mentioned predetermined period is assumed to be, for example, several seconds, but is not particularly limited to this.

The control unit 20 of device 2 also uses a timer to measure the above-mentioned predetermined period. When the control unit 20 of device 2 receives the first infrared signal S11 containing the preparation data, it starts measuring the above-mentioned predetermined period. In other words, the start point of the above-mentioned predetermined period is the point at which the first infrared signal S11 containing the preparation data is received. When the control unit 20 receives an infrared signal S1 containing any of the first to fifth control data within the above-mentioned predetermined period, it determines whether the control data is different from the preparation data. Although the second infrared signal S12 containing the first control data must be received twice, the control unit 20 invalidates the second infrared signal S12 containing the first control data even if it receives it a third time within the above-mentioned predetermined period.

As an example, it is assumed that the above-mentioned fixed period measured using a timer by the control unit 10 of the controller 1 and the above-mentioned predetermined period measured using a timer by the control unit 20 of the device 2 are the same length (e.g., several seconds), but they do not have to be exactly the same.

When the control unit 20 of the device 2 times the end of the above-mentioned predetermined period using the timer, it resets the timer and monitors for the reception of a first infrared signal S11 containing the next preparation data.

In the storage unit 24 of the device 2, the preparation data and the first to fifth control data are also pre-stored in association with the control content of the device 2. When the control unit 20 of the device 2 receives the first infrared signal S11 and determines that the two second infrared signals S12 received within the above-mentioned predetermined period contain the first control data corresponding to the control content of starting operation, it starts operation of the device 2.

(4) Flow of Operation of Controller A series of flow of operations of the controller 1 will now be described with reference to Fig. 3. The flowchart shown in Fig. 3 is merely one example of the flow of operations of the controller 1 according to the present invention, and the order of processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate.

The controller 1 (control unit 10) constantly monitors whether or not the device 100 is vibrating (step ST1). The controller 1 waits until it detects vibration of the device 100 (step ST1: No).

When it is determined that the device 100 is vibrating, i.e., when vibration is detected (step ST1: Yes), the controller 1, for example, starts timing a certain period at that timing (step ST2). Furthermore, when vibration is detected, the controller 1 transitions from a standby state to a command state, and transmits a first infrared signal S11 including preparation data (step ST3).

Next, in the command state, the controller 1 monitors the pressing operations on each operation unit 3 (step ST4).

When the controller 1 determines that one of the buttons (operation unit 3) has been pressed (step ST4: Yes), it transmits a second infrared signal S12 containing control data corresponding to that button (step ST5). The controller 1 then checks whether the fixed period has elapsed (step ST6), and if so (step ST6: Yes), it resets the timer for the fixed period (step ST7) and returns from the command state to a standby state in which it waits for vibration detection again.

On the other hand, if the certain period ends without a pressing operation (step ST4: No) (step ST6: Yes), the controller 1 resets the timer for the certain period (step ST7) and returns from the command state to the standby state where it waits for vibration detection again. That is, the controller 1 remains in the command state and waits for a pressing operation until the certain period ends (step ST6: No). For example, if the user wants to increase the set temperature by 3°C, the user needs to press the temperature UP button 34 three times before the certain period ends. Also, for example, if the user wants to start the operation of the device 2, the user needs to press the ON button 31 twice in succession before the certain period ends. Also, for example, if the user wants to start the operation of the device 2 and further increase the set temperature by 1°C, the user needs to press the ON button 31 twice in succession and then press the temperature UP button 34 once before the certain period ends.

If the ON button 31 is pressed once before the end of the fixed period, but the ON button 31 is not pressed a second time, and the controller 1 determines that a button other than the ON button 31 has been pressed, it will not transmit the infrared signal S1 corresponding to that button. In other words, the controller 1 will treat the pressing operation as invalid, reset the timer for the fixed period, and return to a standby state where it waits for vibration detection.

After the controller 1 receives a double press of the ON button 31, it may set an invalid period (e.g., several seconds) during which it will not transmit the second infrared signal S12 and will treat any button pressed as invalid.

(5) Flow of Device Operation A series of flow of operations of the device 2 will be described below with reference to Figure 4. The flowchart shown in Figure 4 is merely one example of the flow of operations of the device 2 according to the present invention, and the order of processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate. Note that the operation of the device 2 in response to the infrared signal S1 received from the controller 1 will be described here, and the operation in response to an operation on the operation unit 26 of the device 2 will not be described.

Device 2 (its control unit 20) is powered on and consumes standby power while in standby mode, monitoring whether or not infrared signal S1 has been received (step ST21). Device 2 waits until infrared signal S1 is received (step ST21: No).

When device 2 receives infrared signal S1 (step ST21: Yes), it extracts control data from the infrared signal S1 (step ST22).

Device 2 determines whether the extracted control data is preparation data (step ST23). If device 2 determines that the data is preparation data (step ST23: Yes), it starts timing a predetermined period at that timing (step ST24). Device 2 then waits to receive the second or subsequent infrared signal S1 (step ST25). If device 2 determines that the data is not preparation data (step ST23: No), it invalidates the control data and returns to a standby state where it waits for the first infrared signal S1 to be received again.

When device 2 receives the second or subsequent infrared signal S1 (step ST25: Yes), it extracts control data from the infrared signal S1 (step ST26). When device 2 determines that the extracted control data is one of the first to fifth control data (step ST27: Yes), it executes the control content corresponding to that control data (step ST28). Although not explained further, device 2 will not start operation unless it receives the second infrared signal S12 containing the first control data twice in a row. Device 2 checks whether the specified period has ended (step ST29). If the specified period has ended (step ST29: Yes), it resets the timer for the specified period (step ST30) and returns to a standby state, waiting for the first infrared signal S1.

If device 2 determines that the extracted control data is not any of the first to fifth control data (step ST27: No), it skips the execution of the control content and checks whether the specified period has ended (step ST29).

If the predetermined period ends (step ST29: Yes) without receiving the second or subsequent infrared signal S1 (step ST25: No), the device 2 resets the timer for the predetermined period (step ST30) and returns to a standby state where it waits for the first infrared signal S1 to be received again. In other words, the device 2 waits for the second or subsequent infrared signal S1 to be received until the predetermined period ends (step ST29: No).

Note that if device 2 receives the first control data for the first time, but does not receive the second control data for the first time, and instead receives control data other than the first control data, it will discard the command from controller 1.

After starting operation, device 2 may set an invalid period (e.g., a few seconds) during which any control data received will be invalidated and the corresponding control content will not be executed.

(6) Effects In the controller 1 according to the present embodiment, when the detection unit D1 detects vibration, a first infrared signal S11 is transmitted. When the operation unit 3 receives a single operation input, a second infrared signal S12 containing data different from the first infrared signal S11 is transmitted. Then, when the device 2 receives the first infrared signal S11 and the second infrared signal S12, a specific operation is executed. Therefore, even if a user attempts to have the smart remote control learn the controller's functions, it is highly likely that only the second infrared signal S12 transmitted in response to an operation input to the operation unit 3 will be copied to the smart remote control. In other words, it is unlikely that the smart remote control was manufactured with the assumption that the first infrared signal S11 transmitted when the controller 1 detects vibration is also necessary to execute a specific operation on the device 2. As a result, even if a user taps a corresponding icon on the screen of a mobile device with the feeling of pressing the operation unit 3 with the controller 1, the smart remote control simply transmits the second infrared signal S12 to the device 2. As a result, the device 2 rejects the command from the smart remote control based on the preparation data determination in step ST23 of Fig. 4, and the specific operation is not executed. In this way, the controller 1 contributes to preventing the smart remote control from learning, and reduces the possibility that the device 2 will be remotely controlled from a location where it cannot be seen.

Furthermore, in the controller 1 according to this embodiment, the specific condition is that the device 2 receives the second infrared signal S12 at least once within a predetermined period of time, thereby reducing the possibility that a specific operation will be performed unintentionally by the user.

In addition, in the controller 1 according to this embodiment, after transmitting the first infrared signal S11 once, the transmitter 11 transmits the second infrared signal S12 when the first operation input is received on the operation unit 3, and then transmits the second infrared signal S12 again when the second operation input is received. This reduces the possibility that the device 2 can be remotely controlled from a location where it cannot be seen, for example, when starting an operation that requires double pressing of the operation unit 3.

In addition, the controller 1 according to this embodiment returns from the command state to the standby state after a certain period of time has passed, reducing the possibility that the command state will continue unintentionally by the user.

In the device 2 according to this embodiment, only the second infrared signal S12 transmitted in response to an operation input to the operation unit 3 is likely to be copied to the smart remote control. Therefore, the first infrared signal S11 is unlikely to be received from the smart remote control, and the command from the smart remote control is rejected in the preparation data determination in step ST23 of FIG. 4, and the specific operation is not executed. As a result, it is possible to provide a device 2 that is less likely to be remotely controlled from an unseen location.

In particular, in the case of a device 2 equipped with a gas combustion heat source 21 as in this embodiment, unlike home appliances such as television receivers, air conditioners, and air purifiers, it may not be desirable for the device 2 to be remotely controlled from a location where the user cannot directly see the device 2 (for example, another room or while away from home). In this regard, the device 2 according to this embodiment can reduce the possibility of remote control from a location that cannot be seen.

(7) Modifications The above-described embodiments are merely a part of various embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved.

Functions similar to those of the controller 1 according to the above embodiment may be embodied in a control method for the controller 1, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, etc.

One control method according to the present invention is a control method for a controller 1 that wirelessly transmits a transmission signal (infrared signal S1) via infrared rays to a device 2 that executes a specific operation when a specific condition is met. The control method includes a detection step of detecting vibration of the body 100 of the controller 1, a first transmission step, and a second transmission step. In the first transmission step, when vibration is detected in the detection step, the controller 1 transitions from a standby state to a command state, and transmits a first infrared signal S11 as a transmission signal (infrared signal S1). In the second transmission step, when a single operation input is received via the operation unit 3 of the controller 1 in the command state, a second infrared signal S12 is transmitted as a transmission signal (infrared signal S1). The specific condition is a condition related to reception of the first infrared signal S11 and the second infrared signal S12 by the device 2. The first infrared signal S11 and the second infrared signal S12 contain different data. One program according to the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute this control method.

Furthermore, functions similar to those of the device 2 according to the above embodiment may be embodied as a control method for the device 2, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a computer program is recorded.

Another control method according to the present invention is a method for controlling a device 2 that communicates with a controller 1. The control method includes a receiving step for receiving a transmission signal (infrared signal S1) from the controller 1, and a control step for executing a specific operation. In the control step, the specific operation is executed when a specific condition is met. Another program according to the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute this control method.

In the above embodiment, the controller 1 always transmits the same fixed preparation data included in the first infrared signal S11 as control data corresponding to vibration detection of the device 100. The controller 1 may change the preparation data each time vibration of the device 100 is detected. For example, the memory unit 12 may pre-store two or more different types of preparation data (e.g., five types of data, "Preparation 1" to "Preparation 5"). In this case, the memory unit 24 of the device 2 will naturally also pre-store five types of data, "Preparation 1" to "Preparation 5." When the controller 1 detects vibration, it randomly selects one of the "Preparation 1" to "Preparation 5" data, and when it next detects vibration, it again randomly selects one and transmits it. The device 2 recognizes any of the "Preparation 1" to "Preparation 5" data it receives as preparation data and begins timing a predetermined period.

Alternatively, the controller 1 may select preparation data according to a specific rule rather than randomly. For example, the controller 1 may cyclically select two or more types of data (e.g., five types of data, "Preparation 1" to "Preparation 5") each time it detects vibration.

In this way, by making the contents of the preparation data different each time the controller 1 detects vibration of the device 100, the possibility of it being copied to a smart remote control is further reduced.

Similarly, the controller 1 may change the control data each time it receives an operation input to the same operation unit 3. For example, the memory unit 12 may pre-store two or more different types of data (e.g., five types of data, "ON1" to "ON5") as the first control data. In this case, the five types of data, "ON1" to "ON5," would naturally also be pre-stored in the memory unit 24 of the device 2. When the ON button 31 is pressed the first time, the controller 1 randomly selects one of the "ON1" to "ON5" data. When the ON button 31 is pressed the second time, the controller 1 again randomly selects one of the data and transmits it. Alternatively, the controller 1 may cyclically select two or more types of data (e.g., five types of data, "ON1" to "ON5") each time it receives a press of the ON button 31. The device 2 will start operating if it receives any of the "ON1" to "ON5" data twice. The control data for the other buttons (32-35) may also be changed each time an operational input is received.

In this way, the controller 1 makes the control data different each time it receives an operation input, even if the operation input is to the same operation unit 3, further reducing the possibility of the data being copied to a smart remote control.

In addition, three or more presses (e.g., three presses) may be applied to the operation unit 3 (e.g., the ON button 31). Naturally, the device 2 will also be aware of the control content that requires "three presses."

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Controller 11 Transmitter 100 Body 2 Device 20 Control unit 21 Heat source 23 Receiver 3 Operation unit D1 Detector S1 Infrared signal (transmitted signal)
S11 First infrared signal S12 Second infrared signal

Claims (11)

A controller that wirelessly transmits a transmission signal using infrared light to a device that executes a specific operation when a specific condition is met,
The body and
a detection unit provided on the body and configured to detect vibrations of the body;
an operation unit provided on the housing and configured to receive operation input from an external device;
a transmitter provided in the housing and configured to transmit the transmission signal ;
a storage unit that stores two or more different types of transmission data ;
The transmission unit
When the detection unit detects the vibration, the state changes from a standby state to a command state, and a first infrared signal is transmitted as the transmission signal.
In the command state, when the operation input is received once by the operation unit, a second infrared signal is transmitted as the transmission signal;
the specific condition is a condition regarding reception of the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal by the device;
the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal contain different data;
the transmitting unit selects one of the two or more types of transmission data each time the vibration is detected, and transmits the selected one of the two or more types of transmission data included in the first infrared signal.
controller. the specific condition is that the device receives the second infrared signal at least once within a predetermined period starting from the time when the device receives the first infrared signal;
The controller of claim 1 . the transmitting unit transmits the second infrared signal when the operation unit receives the first operation input after transmitting the first infrared signal once, and subsequently transmits the second infrared signal again when the operation unit receives the second operation input subsequently;
3. The controller according to claim 1 or 2. the transmitting unit returns from the command state to the standby state when a certain period of time has passed since the detecting unit detected the vibration and changed from the standby state to the command state;
The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the transmitting unit randomly selects one of the two or more types of transmission data every time the vibration is detected, and transmits the selected one of the two or more types of transmission data included in the first infrared signal.
The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the transmitting unit selects one of the two or more types of transmission data in accordance with a specific rule each time the vibration is detected, and transmits the selected one of the two or more types of transmission data included in the first infrared signal;
The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4. a receiving unit that receives the transmission signal from the controller according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
a control unit that executes the specific operation,
The control unit executes the specific operation when the specific condition is satisfied.
device. Further comprising a gas-fired heating source;
The specific operation is an operation related to the heat source.
8. The device of claim 7. A control method for a controller that wirelessly transmits a transmission signal using infrared light to a device that executes a specific operation when a specific condition is met, comprising:
a detecting step of detecting vibration of a body of the controller;
a first transmitting step;
a second transmitting step;
In the first transmitting step, when the vibration is detected in the detecting step, the state changes from a standby state to a command state, and a first infrared signal is transmitted as the transmission signal;
In the second transmitting step, when an operation input is received once by an operation unit of the controller in the command state, a second infrared signal is transmitted as the transmission signal;
the specific condition is a condition regarding reception of the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal by the device;
the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal contain different data;
In the first transmission step, each time the vibration is detected, one of two or more different types of transmission data stored in a storage unit of the controller is selected, and the selected transmission data is included in the first infrared signal and transmitted.
Control method. A method for controlling a device that communicates with the controller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:
receiving the transmission signal from the controller;
a control step of executing the specific operation,
In the control step, the specific operation is executed when the specific condition is satisfied.
Control method. A program for causing one or more processors to execute the control method according to claim 9 or 10.