JP7792575B2 - Door phone base unit and notification method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a door phone master unit and a notification method.

Intercom systems (or door phone systems) that issue disaster information alerts in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-293667

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, disaster information about a natural disaster is sent from the entrance handset of the intercom system to an outside alarm outside the residence. Therefore, even with this type of intercom system, it is not possible to know whether anyone remains inside the residence in the event of an emergency disaster such as a house collapsing or being submerged in water, and rescuers (rescue teams, neighbors, people passing by, etc.) may have to open doors and break windows one by one to enter the residence and check whether anyone remains. As a result, rescue operations may take a long time. Furthermore, people who are unable to move as they wish due to illness or other reasons may not be able to respond to rescuers' calls, and there is a risk that they may be overlooked.

Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure contribute to providing a door phone master unit and notification method that can increase the likelihood of rescue in the event of a disaster.

A door phone master unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the activity status of devices present in a house and acquires time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined condition is met based on the status information and the time information; and a notification unit that, if the predetermined condition is met, notifies a door phone slave unit or a wireless mobile terminal registered to the door phone master unit of information indicating that there may be a person in the house.

In a notification method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a parent unit of an intercom acquires status information indicating the activity status of devices present in a house, acquires time information indicating the time of a disaster occurrence, determines whether a predetermined condition is met based on the status information and the time information, and, if the predetermined condition is met, notifies a child unit of an intercom or a wireless mobile terminal registered to the parent unit of information indicating that there may be a person in the house.

Note that these comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium, or as any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when certain conditions are met, information indicating that there may be someone inside the house is sent to the intercom slave or wireless mobile terminal, thereby increasing the possibility of rescue in the event of a disaster.

Further advantages and benefits of one embodiment of the present disclosure will become apparent from the specification and drawings. While such advantages and/or benefits may be provided by some of the embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, not all of them necessarily need to be provided to obtain one or more identical features.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a door phone system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A simplified example of the door phone system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a door phone master unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a front door slave unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of a door phone master unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device usage log stored in a device usage log table according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below, with appropriate reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of matters that are already well-known or duplicate explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following explanation and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment)
<Doorphone system>
First, a door phone system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

Figure 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a door phone system 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 also shows the surrounding environment of the system configuration.

As shown in FIG. 1, the door phone system 10 includes, for example, a door phone master unit 100 placed inside a building (an example of a house) 30 that is the home of a user 20, a front door slave unit (which may also be referred to as a door phone slave unit) 200 placed near the front door 31 (or nameplate or mailbox) of the building 30, and an electric lock 300 attached to the front door 31.

The intercom master unit 100 includes, for example, a speaker, display, monitor button, call button, microphone, disaster mode release button, and lock/unlock button. The intercom master unit 100 is initially configured to pre-register the front door sub-unit 200 and electric lock 300. In addition to the ability to respond to calls (start a call), the intercom master unit 100 also has the ability to display video of the area around the front door transmitted from the front door sub-unit 200, accept lock/unlock operations for the electric lock 300 on the front door 31, and notify users that someone may be at home (inside the building 30) (or that someone may have collapsed inside the building 30) in the event of a disaster, as well as locations within the building 30 where people may be present.

The speaker outputs audio from the front door sub-unit 200 to the outside of the main unit 100, for example, when the main unit 100 and the front door sub-unit 200 are in a call state. The display displays, for example, video captured by the camera of the main unit 100. When the monitor button is pressed, for example, it activates the camera of the main unit 200 and starts displaying the video captured by the camera on the main unit 200 on the display. When the call button is pressed, for example, it puts the main unit 100 and the front door sub-unit 200 into a call state. The microphone collects sounds around the main unit 100. When the disaster mode release button is pressed, for example, it releases disaster mode, which notifies users that someone may be at home in the event of a disaster, and causes the main unit 100 to enter (transition to) normal mode. When the lock/unlock button is pressed, for example, it locks/unlocks the electric lock 300 on the front door 31.

The front door slave unit 200 is equipped with a call button, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a speaker, a microphone, and a camera. A two-wire cable 201, consisting of, for example, a pair of copper wires, is laid between the front door slave unit 200 and the main unit 100. In addition to calling and calling functions, the front door slave unit 200 also has the function of capturing video of the area around the front door with a camera and transmitting the video to the main unit 100. The front door slave unit 200 and the main unit 100 may communicate wirelessly, for example, according to the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) protocol.

For example, when the call button is pressed, it sends a visitor notification to the intercom master unit 100. The LED flashes red to indicate an emergency situation in which a person may have collapsed. For example, when the front door sub-unit 200 and the intercom master unit 100 are in a call state, the speaker outputs audio from the intercom master unit 100 to the outside of the front door sub-unit 200. For example, the microphone collects sounds around the front door sub-unit 200. The camera, for example, captures video of the area around the entrance.

The electric lock 300 is a key device that locks and unlocks the front door 31 in response to a locking request (instruction) or unlocking request (instruction), which is an electrical signal, in addition to the normal key operation (operation using a physical key) into the keyhole. An electric lock code 301, which is, for example, a JEM-A standard code, is installed between the electric lock 300 and the indoor phone base unit 100. The electric lock 300 locks and unlocks under the control of the indoor phone base unit 100.

The door phone system 10 also includes a communication router 400 located within the building 30, a wireless communication-capable device 500 located within the building 30, a server 600 connected to a public network 610 such as the Internet, and a wireless terminal (which may also be referred to as a wireless mobile terminal) 700 (hereinafter referred to as a smartphone 700) such as a smartphone or tablet that can be taken outside the building 30. The smartphone 700 includes a smartphone owned by the user 20 and a smartphone owned by a person other than the user 20 (for example, a family member or relative of the user 20).

The communication router 400 connects to the intercom master unit 100, smartphone 700, device 500, and public network 610 via wireless communication lines 401, 402, 403, and 404, respectively, and relays communications between the intercom master unit 100, smartphone 700, and device 500 and the public network 610, and relays communications between the intercom master unit 100 and the smartphone 700 and device 500. The wireless communication lines 401, 402, and 403 may be, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark; hereafter omitted) lines, and the wireless communication line 403 may be, for example, a cellular (mobile) line such as an LTE (Long Term Evolution) line or an NR (New Radio) line. Alternatively, the indoor apparatus 100, smartphone 700, and device 500 may be directly connected via a wireless communication line (for example, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.) without going through the communication router 400, and the communication router 400 may be connected to the public network 610 via a cable line, optical fiber line, etc. instead of the wireless communication line 404.

The device 500 includes, for example, a human presence sensor 501, a home appliance 502, and facility equipment 503, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The device 500 transmits status information indicating its own activity status to the indoor phone master 100 along with the transmission date and time periodically or whenever the status changes, via the wireless communication line 403 and the communication router 400. Examples of information transmitted by the device 500 to the indoor phone master 100 will be described later with reference to Figure 6. In addition to the device 500, the electric lock 300 also transmits status information indicating its activity status to the indoor phone master 100 along with the transmission date and time periodically or whenever the status changes, via the electric lock code 301. The smartphone 700 also transmits status information indicating its activity status to the indoor phone master 100 along with the transmission date and time periodically or whenever the status changes, via the wireless communication line 402 and the communication router 400.

When the intercom master unit 100 is powered on, the server 600 connects to the intercom master unit 100 by connecting to the communication router 400 via the public network 610 or the like, and registers the intercom master unit 100. The server 600 then remains constantly connected to the intercom master unit 100 via the public network 610 or the like, and exchanges various information with the intercom master unit 100. An encrypted communication path may be established between the server 600 and the intercom master unit 100, and the server 600 may perform encrypted communication with the intercom master unit 100. The server 600 may also be referred to as an authentication server.

For example, the server 600 performs authentication processing on the smartphone 700 that has requested access to the indoor phone base unit 100. Then, on the condition that authentication of the smartphone 700 is successful, the server 600 establishes a connection with the smartphone 700 and relays communication between the smartphone 700 and the indoor phone base unit 100 (via the communication router 400, etc.).

On the other hand, when the indoor phone master unit 100 requests access to the smartphone 700, the server 600 establishes a connection with the smartphone 700 without performing authentication processing, and relays communication between the smartphone 700 and the indoor phone master unit 100 (via the communication router 400, etc.).

When the smartphone 700 is located inside the building 30, for example, it connects to the communication router 400 via the wireless communication line 402 to access the intercom master unit 100. When the smartphone 700 is located outside the building 30, for example, it connects to the public network 610 via the wireless communication line 601 and accesses the intercom master unit 100 via the server 600. The wireless communication line 601 may be, for example, a cellular (mobile) line such as an LTE line or an NR line. The smartphone 700 may perform encrypted communication with the intercom master unit 100 from inside and outside the building 30.

The smartphone 700 also has a speaker, a touch-panel display, a microphone, a (terminal) monitor button, a (terminal) call button, a (terminal) disaster mode release button, a (terminal) disconnect button, a (terminal) unlock button, and a (terminal) lock button. The (terminal) monitor button, (terminal) call button, (terminal) disaster mode release button, (terminal) disconnect button, (terminal) unlock button, and (terminal) lock button may be image buttons (icons) displayed on a touch-panel display, for example, that can be used on an application for using the functions of the door phone system 10.

The speaker outputs audio from the intercom master unit 100 to the outside of the smartphone 700, for example, when the smartphone 700 and the intercom master unit 100 are in a call state. The touch-panel display displays, for example, video captured by the camera of the front door sub-unit 200, a (terminal) monitor button, a (terminal) call button, a (terminal) disconnect button, a (terminal) unlock button, a (terminal) lock button, etc. When the (terminal) monitor button is pressed (tapped), for example, it starts outputting video of the area around the entrance sent from the front door sub-unit 200 via the intercom master unit 100. When the (terminal) call button is pressed (tapped), for example, it starts a call between the smartphone 700 and the front door sub-unit 200 via the intercom master unit 100. When the (terminal) disaster mode release button is pressed (tapped), for example, it releases the disaster mode described above and causes the intercom master unit 100 to enter (transition to) normal mode. For example, when the (terminal) disconnect button is pressed (tapped), it disconnects the connection (communication, call) between the smartphone 700 and the indoor phone base unit 100. For example, when the (terminal) unlock button is pressed (tapped), it unlocks the electric lock 300 on the front door 31 via the indoor phone base unit 100. For example, when the (terminal) lock button is pressed (tapped), it locks the electric lock 300 on the front door 31 via the indoor phone base unit 100.

For example, in response to a request from a smartphone 700 located within the building 30 and connected to the intercom master unit 100 via the communication router 400 or directly, the intercom master unit 100 registers the smartphone 700. The intercom master unit 100 may also register a remote smartphone 700. The intercom master unit 100 connects to the smartphone 700 as appropriate and exchanges various information with the smartphone 700.

As shown in Figure 2, which shows a simplified example of the intercom system 10, the intercom master unit 100 transfers video, audio, and various control information between the front door slave unit 200 and, for example, a smartphone 700 registered to the intercom master unit 100. Furthermore, the intercom master unit 100 receives locking/unlocking instructions (operation of the (terminal) locking/unlocking button) from the smartphone 700 and locks/unlocks the electric lock 300. Therefore, the intercom master unit 100 has the functionality to respond to calls (start a call), display video of the area around the front door, lock/unlock the electric lock 300, and release disaster mode, all from the smartphone 700.

As shown in FIG. 2 and as described above, the indoor phone master unit 100 receives status information indicating the activity status of the smartphone 700, electric lock 300, human presence sensor 501, home appliance 502, facility equipment 503, etc.

Note that although Figure 2 shows multiple front door units 200, the number of front door units 200 can be any number greater than or equal to one.

In such a doorphone system 10, if the user 20's smartphone 700 is registered with the doorphone master unit 100, the user 20 can be notified when there is a visitor at their home, not only when they are inside the building 30 but also when they are outside the building 30. Furthermore, in such a doorphone system 10, the user 20 can talk to the visitor while checking the doorphone video and remotely unlock the front door 31.

<Device configuration>
Next, the configurations of the master unit 100 and the front door slave unit 200 included in the intercom system 10 will be described. Each of the master unit 100 and the front door slave unit 200 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM) storing a control program, a working memory such as a random access memory (RAM), and a communication circuit (not shown). In this case, the functions of each functional unit (block) described below are realized by the CPU executing the control program. Alternatively, each functional unit may be realized by a dedicated device or circuit rather than a general-purpose processing device (e.g., a CPU), or by a combination of a general-purpose processing device and a dedicated device or circuit.

<Configuration of the door phone master unit>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of indoor apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

The indoor phone base unit 100 includes a video processing unit 110, a display output unit 120, an audio processing unit 130, an audio output unit 140, an audio input unit 150, a call control unit 160, a network control unit 170, a memory unit 180, and an equipment control unit 190. As described above, the indoor phone base unit 100 may be a computer including, for example, a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The CPU, for example, reads a program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM and loads it into the RAM, and works in conjunction with the loaded program to control the operation of the indoor phone base unit 100.

The video processing unit 110 processes the input video data and generates an image to be displayed by the display output unit 120. The video processing unit 110 includes a video data input unit 112 and a video data decoding unit 114.

The video data input unit 112 inputs streaming video data from the front door slave unit 200. The video data may be digital or analog. The video data input unit 112 outputs the streaming video data input from the front door slave unit 200 to the video data decoding unit 114.

The video data decoding unit 114 converts the streaming video data input from the video data input unit 112 into image data. The video data decoding unit 114 outputs the image data to the display output unit 120 via the call control unit 160. The images are, for example, still images. In one example, the video data is converted into still image data for 15 still images per second.

The display output unit 120 displays the image input from the video processing unit 110. The display output unit is, for example, a display such as an LCD display device or an OLED display device.

The voice processing unit 130 processes a linear electrical signal representing voice input from the voice input unit 150 via the call control unit 160, and outputs voice data. Furthermore, the voice processing unit 130 processes voice data input from the front door slave unit 200, and outputs a linear electrical signal representing voice. The voice processing unit 130 includes a voice data input unit 132, a voice data decoding unit 134, a voice data encoding unit 136, and a voice data output unit 138.

The audio data input unit 132 inputs streaming audio data from the front door slave unit 200. The audio data represents, for example, the voice of a visitor speaking into the front door slave unit 200. The audio data input unit 132 outputs the streaming audio data input from the front door slave unit 200 to the audio data decoding unit 134.

The audio data decoding unit 134 decodes the streaming audio data input from the audio data decoding unit 134 and generates a linear electrical signal representing the audio. In this embodiment, the decoding is digital-to-analog conversion. The decoding method corresponds to the encoding method used by the audio data encoding unit 236 (see Figure 4) of the front door slave unit 200. The audio data decoding unit 134 outputs the generated linear electrical signal representing the audio to the audio output unit 140 via the call control unit 160.

The audio data encoding unit 136 encodes the linear electrical signal representing the audio input from the audio input unit 150 via the call control unit 160 to generate streaming audio data. In this embodiment, the encoding is analog-to-digital conversion. The encoding method corresponds to the decoding method used by the audio data decoding unit 234 (see Figure 4) of the front door slave unit 200. The audio data encoding unit 136 outputs the generated streaming audio data to the audio data output unit 138.

The audio data output unit 138 outputs the streaming audio data input from the audio data encoding unit 136 to the front door unit 200.

The audio output unit 140 converts the linear electrical signal representing the audio input from the audio data decoding unit 134 via the call control unit 160 into audio and outputs the audio to the outside of the indoor apparatus 100. In this embodiment, the audio output unit 140 is a speaker.

The audio input unit 150 converts audio from around the indoor phone master unit 100 into a linear electrical signal. In this embodiment, the audio input unit 150 is a microphone.

The call control unit 160 controls calls from the front door unit 200. The call control unit 160 includes an incoming call processing unit 162, a timer processing unit 164, and a call processing unit 166.

The incoming call processing unit 162 processes incoming calls from the front door slave unit 200. In this embodiment, the incoming call processing unit 162 notifies the timer processing unit 164 of the incoming call in response to a notification of the incoming call from the front door slave unit 200.

The timer processing unit 164 performs timer processing from the reception of an incoming call from the front door unit 200 to the start of a call between the main unit 100 and the front door unit 200. In this embodiment, in response to notification of an incoming call from the incoming call processing unit 162, the timer processing unit 164 starts outputting a linear electrical signal representing a ring tone to the audio output unit 140 and starts communication of video data between the main unit 100 and the front door unit 200. Also in this embodiment, in response to detecting the pressing of an answer button (not shown) provided on the main unit 100, the timer processing unit 164 stops outputting the linear electrical signal representing the ring tone to the audio output unit 140 and notifies the call processing unit 166 of the answer. For example, the time from the start to the end of output of the linear electrical signal representing the ring tone is three seconds.

The call processing unit 166 processes calls between the indoor phone base unit 100 and the front door slave unit 200. In this embodiment, the call processing unit 166 starts communication of audio data between the indoor phone base unit 100 and the front door slave unit 200 in response to a response notification from the timer processing unit 164. Also, in this embodiment, the call processing unit 166 disconnects video and audio communication between the indoor phone base unit 100 and the front door slave unit 200 in response to detecting the end of the call.

The network control unit 170 controls communication in accordance with a communication protocol that corresponds to the type of network over which the indoor phone master unit 100 communicates. The network control unit 170 includes a communication processing unit 172.

The communication processing unit 172 performs communication (transmission and reception) between the intercom master unit 100 and the communication partner of the intercom master unit 100 in accordance with the communication protocol followed by the intercom master unit 100 and the communication partner of the intercom master unit 100.

For example, the communication processing unit 172 receives status information from the smartphone 700, electric lock 300, motion sensor 501, home appliance 502, facility appliance 503, etc., along with the transmission date and time. The communication processing unit 172 and/or a control unit (not shown) processes the received status information and transmission date and time, and outputs (stores) it in the memory unit 180 in the form of a device usage log table 60 as shown in FIG. 6.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, when the indoor phone base unit 100 and a device such as the smartphone 700 communicate via the server 600, video, audio, and various control information are communicated via the network control unit 170 (communication processing unit 172). When the indoor phone base unit 100 is the transmitting side, the video, audio, and various control information are transmitted via the network control unit 170 (communication processing unit 172) via the call control unit 160 as appropriate. When the indoor phone base unit 100 is the receiving side, the video, audio, and various control information are received via the network control unit 170 (communication processing unit 172) and stored in the memory unit 180, output to the display output unit 120, or output to the audio output unit 140 as appropriate via the call control unit 160.

The memory unit 180 stores data necessary for the operation of the indoor phone base unit 100, programs executed by the CPU, data received via the network control unit 170 from devices such as the user 20's smartphone 700, data generated by the functional units of the indoor phone base unit 100, usage logs of the smartphone 700, etc.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a device usage log stored in a device usage log table 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The device usage log table 60 includes a "Device" column, a "Installation Location" column, a "Last Used Date and Time" column, and a "Current Status" column.

The device names shown in the "Device" column and the installation location names shown in the "Installation Location" column are entered and set in the intercom master unit 100 by the user 20, for example, directly or indirectly via the smartphone 700. Devices included in the "Device" column include the smartphone 700, electric lock 300, motion sensor 501, home appliances 502 (refrigerators, etc.), and facility equipment 503 (bed sensors, toilets, gas water heaters, lighting fixtures, etc.). The installation location included in the "Installation Location" column includes information about the floor on which the device is installed.

The last use date and time shown in the "Last Use Date and Time" column and the current status shown in the "Current Status" column are set by the communication processing unit 172 and/or a control unit (not shown) based on the status information and transmission date and time sent from the smartphone 700, etc.

For example, in the case of an electric lock, if status information indicating that the electric lock has been locked or unlocked is sent from the electric lock, the date and time of the transmission is set as the last date and time of use. Also, if the status information indicates that the lock has been locked, the current status is set to locked, and if the status information indicates that the lock has been unlocked, the current status is set to unlocked.

For example, in the case of a bed sensor, if the bed sensor transmits status information indicating that a person has been detected in bed, the date and time of transmission is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that a person has been detected in bed, the current status is set to in use, and if the status information indicates that a person has not been detected in bed, the current status is set to not in use.

For example, in the case of a human presence sensor, if the human presence sensor transmits status information indicating that a person (or animal) has been detected, the date and time of transmission is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that a person (or animal) has been detected, the current status is set to in use, and if the status information indicates that a person (or animal) has not been detected, the current status is set to not in use.

For example, in the case of a refrigerator, if the refrigerator transmits status information indicating that the refrigerator door has been opened or closed, the transmission date and time is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that the refrigerator door has been opened, the current status is set to open door, and if the status information indicates that the refrigerator door has been closed, the current status is set to closed door.

For example, in the case of a toilet, if status information indicating that the toilet door has been locked or unlocked is transmitted from the toilet, the transmission date and time is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that the toilet door is locked, the current status is set to in use, and if the status information indicates that the toilet door is unlocked, the current status is set to not in use.

For example, in the case of a gas water heater, if the gas water heater transmits status information indicating that the gas water heater has been activated or deactivated, the date and time of transmission is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that the gas water heater has been activated, the current status is set to in use, and if the status information indicates that the gas water heater has been deactivated, the current status is set to not in use.

For example, in the case of a lighting fixture, if the lighting fixture transmits status information indicating that the lighting fixture has been turned on or off, the date and time of transmission is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that the lighting fixture has been turned on, the current status is set to in use, and if the status information indicates that the lighting fixture has been turned off, the current status is set to not in use.

For example, in the case of a smartphone, if status information is transmitted from the smartphone indicating that it is connected to the indoor phone base unit 100 via wireless communication line 402 or that it has been disconnected from the indoor phone base unit 100, the date and time of transmission is set as the last used date and time. If the status information indicates that it is connected to the indoor phone base unit 100 via wireless communication line 402, the current status is set to "connected to the base unit," and if the status information indicates that it has been disconnected from the indoor phone base unit 100 via wireless communication line 402, the current status is set to "disconnected from the base unit."

The equipment control unit 190 communicates signals with the electric lock 300 on the front door 31 and controls the locking and unlocking of the electric lock 300. The equipment control unit 190 includes an electric lock control unit 192 and an electric lock communication unit 194.

The electric lock control unit 192 outputs a signal (lock/unlock instruction) to the electric lock communication unit 194 instructing the electric lock 300 to lock/unlock in response to an operation using a physical key, pressing the lock/unlock button on the door phone master unit 100, or pressing (tapping) the (terminal) lock/unlock button on the smartphone 700. The electric lock control unit 192 also inputs a signal (information) from the electric lock communication unit 194 indicating that the electric lock 300 has been locked/unlocked.

The electric lock communication unit 194 transmits lock/unlock instructions input from the electric lock control unit 192 to the electric lock 300. The electric lock communication unit 194 also inputs a signal (information) from the electric lock 300 indicating that the electric lock 300 has been locked/unlocked.

In addition, the above-mentioned control unit (not shown) of the indoor phone master unit 100 may control at least some of the above-mentioned functional units of the indoor phone master unit 100, and may also perform functions other than the functions of these functional units.

For example, the control unit may function as an acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the activity status of smartphones 700, electric locks 300, devices 500, etc. present in the building 30 via the communication processing unit 172, and acquires time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster.

For example, the control unit may function as a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined condition (for determining whether there is a possibility that a person is present inside the building 30) is met based on the acquired status information and time information. For example, the control unit may function as an identification unit that identifies a location inside the building 30 (where there is a possibility that a person is present) based on the acquired status information and time information. For example, the control unit functioning as an identification unit may identify the installation location of the human presence sensor 501 as the location based on the acquired status information and time information that indicates the activity state of the human presence sensor 501.

For example, if a predetermined condition is met, the control unit may function as a notification unit that notifies the front door sub-unit 200 or the smartphone 700 registered with the indoor phone master unit 100 of information indicating that a person may be present inside the building 30 via the communication processing unit 172. For example, the control unit functioning as a notification unit may further notify the front door sub-unit 200 or the smartphone 700 of the location (where a person may be present) via the communication processing unit 172, in addition to the information indicating that a person may be present.

For example, the control unit may function as a call control unit that puts the intercom master unit 100 and the front door sub-unit 200 into a call state when a predetermined condition is met. For example, the control unit functioning as a notification unit may notify the front door sub-unit 200 of information indicating that a person may be present after a voice (e.g., at a predetermined volume or higher) is input to the intercom master unit 100 via the front door sub-unit 200 when a predetermined condition is met.

For example, the control unit may function as an output control unit that, when a predetermined condition is met, causes the door phone master unit 100 (or its speaker) to output a message confirming whether or not notification of information indicating that a person may be present is necessary. For example, when a predetermined condition is met, the control unit functioning as a notification unit may notify the front door sub-unit 200 or smartphone 700 of information indicating that a person may be present if the door phone master unit 100 does not receive a response to the message (e.g., from user 20) within a predetermined time, and may not notify the front door sub-unit 200 or smartphone 700 of the information if the door phone master unit 100 receives a response within the predetermined time.

<Configuration of the entrance handset>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the front door slave unit 200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

The front door sub-unit 200 comprises a video generation unit 220, an audio processing unit 230, an audio output unit 240, an audio input unit 250, and a control unit 260. As described above, the front door sub-unit 200 may be a computer comprising, for example, a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The CPU, for example, reads a program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM and loads it into the RAM, and works in conjunction with the loaded program to control the operation of the front door sub-unit 200.

The video generation unit 220 generates video data of a subject. The subject may be, for example, a visitor standing in front of the entrance unit. The video generation unit 220 generates video data of a subject speaking into the entrance unit 200, for example. The video generation unit 220 includes an imaging unit 222, a video data encoding unit 224, and a video data output unit 226.

The imaging unit 222 captures an image of the subject. The imaging unit 222 is, for example, a CMOS camera or a CCD camera. The imaging unit 222 outputs the video data of the captured subject to the video data encoding unit 224.

The video data encoding unit 224 encodes the video data of the subject input from the imaging unit 222 into a streaming format. In this embodiment, the encoding method may be a digital format such as MPEG-2 format, H.264 format, H.265 format, or H.266 format, or an analog format. The video data encoding unit 224 outputs the encoded streaming format video data to the video data output unit 226.

The video data output unit 226 outputs the streaming video data input from the video data encoding unit 224 to the indoor phone master unit 100 (see Figure 3).

The audio processing unit 230 processes a linear electrical signal representing the audio input from the audio input unit 250 and outputs audio data. Furthermore, the audio processing unit 230 processes the audio data input from the indoor phone master unit 100 and outputs a linear electrical signal representing the audio. The audio processing unit 230 includes an audio data input unit 232, an audio data decoding unit 234, an audio data encoding unit 236, and an audio data output unit 238. The audio data input unit 232, the audio data decoding unit 234, the audio data encoding unit 236, and the audio data output unit 238 have the same functions as the audio data input unit 132, the audio data decoding unit 134, the audio data encoding unit 136, and the audio data output unit 138 of the indoor phone master unit 100 (see FIG. 3), respectively, and therefore will not be described here.

The audio output unit 240 is a speaker that converts the linear electrical signal representing the audio input from the audio data decoding unit 234 into audio and outputs it to the outside of the front door unit 200.

The audio input unit 250 is a microphone that converts audio from the area around the entrance unit 200 into a linear electrical signal.

The control unit 260 controls the operation of the video generation unit 220 and the audio processing unit 230. For example, in response to pressing a call button (not shown) provided on the front door unit 200, the control unit 260 notifies the main unit 100 of an incoming call, causes the video generation unit 220 to start outputting video data, and causes the audio processing unit 230 to start outputting audio data. Furthermore, for example, in response to detecting the end of a call, the control unit 260 causes the video generation unit 220 to stop outputting video data and causes the audio processing unit 230 to stop outputting audio data. Furthermore, in response to a ringing instruction from the main unit 100, the control unit 260 controls the main unit 200 to ring to indicate that a person may be in the building or that a person may be in a certain location.

<Doorphone system operation>
Next, an example of the operation of the door phone system 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the intercom master unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, it is assumed that the intercom master unit 100 is aware of the current time. For example, it is assumed that the intercom master unit 100 is able to obtain time information from an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server via a network. In addition, in the scenario shown in Figure 6, which will be referenced below, it is assumed that user 20 returns home at 10:30 PM on June 1, 2022, wakes up at 6 AM the following day on June 2, eats breakfast, and is relaxing in the living room when the intercom master unit 100 receives an emergency earthquake alert at 9 AM.

In step S501, the indoor phone base unit 100 (communication processing unit 172, control unit (acquisition unit)) waits for disaster information regarding the occurrence of earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, etc. and evacuation instructions, for example, from a disaster information provider that has been pre-registered in the indoor phone base unit 100.

In step S502, the indoor phone master unit 100 (communication processing unit 172, control unit (acquisition unit)) determines whether disaster information has been received.

If the indoor phone master unit 100 has not received disaster information (step S502: NO), the flow returns to step S501.

On the other hand, if the indoor phone base unit 100 receives disaster information (step S502: YES), in step S503, the indoor phone base unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) checks the status of various devices by checking the device usage log table 60 shown in Figure 6 stored in the memory unit 180 based on the reception time of the disaster information received in step S502.

In step S504, the indoor phone master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) determines whether or not there is a possibility that someone is present at home based on the device status confirmed in step S503.

If it is determined that there is no possibility that someone is at home (step S504: NO), the flow ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a possibility that someone is at home (step S504: YES), in step S505, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (output control unit)) causes the speaker of the intercom master unit 100 to output a confirmation message requesting confirmation as to whether it is okay to output a message from the speaker of the front door sub-unit 200 indicating that there may be someone in the building 30. At this time, if it is not necessary to output a message from the speaker of the front door sub-unit 200 indicating that there may be someone in the building 30, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (output control unit)) also causes the speaker of the intercom master unit 100 to output a message guiding the user to press a predetermined button within a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds). This makes it possible to avoid outputting unnecessary messages (ringing) when there is someone in the building 30 but no rescue is required.

In step S506, the indoor phone master unit 100 (control unit) determines whether a predetermined button was pressed (whether a response to the confirmation message was received) within a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) after the confirmation message was output.

If it is determined that the specified button was pressed within the specified time (step S506: YES), the flow ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the specified button has not been pressed within the specified time (step S506: NO), in step S507, the indoor phone master unit 100 (control unit) enters (transitions to) disaster mode.

In step S508, the indoor phone master unit 100 (control unit (identification unit)) identifies a location where a person may be present based on the device status confirmed in step S503.

In step S509, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (communication control unit)) puts the intercom master unit 100 and the front door sub-unit 200 into a communication state, and starts a two-way communication with the front door sub-unit 200. As a result, audio from inside the building 30 is output from the front door sub-unit 200, and external audio from around the front door sub-unit 200 is output from the intercom master unit 100 into the building 30, thereby further increasing the possibility of rescue.

In step S510, the indoor phone master unit 100 (control unit (notification unit)) displays an emergency status indicating that a person may be present at home (or may have collapsed), and instructs the front door sub-unit 200 to ring the location identified in step S508 (sends a ring instruction to the front door sub-unit 200). This ring instruction is an example of "information indicating that a person may be present in the house" according to the present disclosure. This can shorten the search time for the person to be rescued, and increase the chances of rescue.

In step S511, the indoor phone master unit 100 (communication processing unit 172, control unit) waits for an instruction to cancel disaster mode.

In step S512, the indoor phone master unit 100 (communication processing unit 172, control unit) determines whether an instruction to cancel disaster mode has been received.

If the indoor phone master unit 100 has not received an instruction to cancel disaster mode (step S512: NO), the flow returns to step S511.

On the other hand, if the indoor phone base unit 100 receives an instruction to cancel disaster mode (step S512: YES), the indoor phone base unit 100 (control unit) enters (transitions to) normal mode, and the flow ends.

Below, we will explain some of the steps shown in Figure 5 in more detail.

In step S503 of FIG. 5, for example, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) checks the device usage log going back a predetermined time (e.g., two hours) from the time the disaster information was received to confirm the current status of the devices. Therefore, in this case, in the device usage log table 60, records corresponding to human presence sensor 1, human presence sensor 2, toilet, gas water heater, lighting fixture 1, and smartphone in the "Devices" column are checked. Note that the predetermined time may be input and set by the user 20 into the intercom master unit 100.

In step S504 of FIG. 5 , for example, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) may determine that a person is likely to be present in the building 30 if there is a device (e.g., a motion sensor) that indicates that a person may be present in the building 30, such as a device with a value of "in use" or similar stored in the "Current Status" column of the device usage log table 60 shown in FIG. 6 . Otherwise, it may determine that a person is not likely to be present. Alternatively, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) may determine whether a person is likely to be present based on a predetermined rule. For example, if there is a history of toilet use and the front door has not been opened or closed during a predetermined period (e.g., two hours) prior to receiving disaster information, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) may determine that a person is likely to be present. Furthermore, for example, if there is a history of lighting device use and the front door has been opened and closed during a predetermined period (e.g., two hours) prior to receiving disaster information, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) may determine that a person is not likely to be present. Additionally, for example, if user 20's smartphone 700 is currently connected to indoor phone base unit 100 via wireless communication line 402, indoor phone base unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) may determine that there is a possibility that someone is at home. By establishing such a rule, it is possible to reduce the possibility of a missed detection, where it is determined that there is no possibility that someone is at home.

Note that examples of "predetermined conditions" according to the present disclosure include "the human presence sensor is currently in use," "the toilet has been used and the front door has not been opened or closed within a predetermined period of time (e.g., two hours) prior to receiving the disaster information," and "smartphone 700 is currently connected to indoor phone master unit 100 via wireless communication line 402."

In step S508 of FIG. 5 , for example, if there is a motion sensor that is in use, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (identification unit)) may first identify the installation location of that motion sensor as a location where a person may be present. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6 , because motion sensor 2 is currently in use, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (identification unit)) may identify (detect) that a person may be in the living room on the first floor (for example, that a person may have collapsed in the living room on the first floor). If there is no motion sensor that is in use, for example, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (identification unit)) may then identify, as a location where a person may be present, the installation location of a device whose last use date and time in the device usage log table 60 is closest to the date and time when the disaster information was received.

In step S509 of FIG. 5, for example, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (output control unit)) may control the intercom master unit 100 to increase the sensitivity of the microphone of the intercom master unit 100 (for example, to the maximum) and increase the audio output from the speaker of the intercom master unit 100 (for example, to the maximum). Also, in step S509 of FIG. 5, the intercom master unit 100 (control unit (output control unit)) may instruct the front door sub-unit 200 to increase the sensitivity of the microphone of the front door sub-unit 200 (for example, to the maximum) and increase the audio output from the speaker of the front door sub-unit 200 (for example, to the maximum) (such an instruction may be sent to the front door sub-unit 200).

The indication of the emergency state in step S510 of FIG. 5 may be, for example, by flashing the LED provided on the front door sub-unit 200 in red. Also, in step S510 of FIG. 5, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the master unit 100 (controller (notification unit)) may instruct the front door sub-unit 200 to sound a message such as "There may be a person in the living room on the first floor" or "There may be a person collapsed in the living room on the first floor." If no motion sensor is in use in step S508, the master unit 100 (controller (identification unit)) may not need to identify the location. Furthermore, the master unit 100 may not execute step S508 itself. If the location is not identified in this way, the master unit 100 (controller (notification unit)) may instruct the front door sub-unit 200 in step S510 to simply sound a message indicating that there may be a person in the house, instead of a location. This instruction is also an example of "information indicating that there may be a person in the house" according to the present disclosure. In addition to or instead of issuing an instruction to front door sub-unit 200, intercom master unit 100 (controller (notification unit)) may notify smartphone 700 registered with intercom master unit 100 (e.g., a smartphone of a family member or relative of user 20) of information indicating that someone may be inside the house. Note that in step S510 of FIG. 5 , for example, initially, only an instruction to display an emergency state may be issued, and after audio (e.g., audio at or above a predetermined volume) from around front door sub-unit 200 is input to intercom master unit 100, intercom master unit 100 (controller (notification unit)) may instruct front door sub-unit 200 to sound a message. This can prevent the message from being sounded excessively.

The instruction to cancel disaster mode in steps S511 and S512 of FIG. 5 may be issued, for example, in response to pressing a disaster mode cancel button provided on the indoor phone master unit 100, or in response to pressing (tapping) a (terminal) disaster mode cancel button on a smartphone 700 registered to the indoor phone master unit 100.

<Modification of the embodiment>
In the above, a residential house was given as an example of where the door phone base unit 100 is to be installed, and it was determined whether or not there is a possibility that someone is at home. However, the door phone base unit 100 may also be installed in general buildings such as stores, factories, warehouses, and other buildings, and it may be used to determine whether or not there is a possibility that someone is at home.

The order of the steps in Figure 5 is not limited to the order shown. For example, the order of steps S507, S508, and S509 can be arbitrarily changed.

In Figure 5, the "time or date and time when disaster information was received" may be interpreted as "the time or date and time when a disaster warning was issued" or "the time or date and time when a disaster occurred." The "time or date and time when disaster information was received," "the time or date and time when a disaster warning was issued," and "the time or date and time when a disaster occurred" are examples of "time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster" according to the present disclosure.

The disaster information in steps S501 and S502 of FIG. 5 includes emergency earthquake alerts, heavy rain and flood warnings, etc., and an example has been described in which the reception of these alerts is used as a trigger to determine whether or not a person is likely to be at home. In addition, a sensor that detects the collapse of building 30, flooding of building 30, etc. may be installed within building 30, and the determination of whether or not a person is likely to be at home may be triggered by the reception by intercom master unit 100 of sensor information indicating the detection. Therefore, the time or date when such sensor information is received is also an example of "time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster" according to the present disclosure.

The above describes an example in which the intercom master unit 100 performs operations related to the present disclosure using data such as a device usage log. However, data such as a device usage log may be stored in the cloud (e.g., a server), and at least some of the operations described as being performed by the intercom master unit 100 may be performed in the cloud. For example, at least some of the functions of the intercom master unit 100 (functional units shown in FIG. 3) may be provided on the server 600 or another server. In this case, the intercom master unit 100 does not perform processing corresponding to the function, but simply transfers various data to the server 600 or another server, and the server 600 or another server performs the processing corresponding to the function. This reduces the cost of the intercom master unit 100 and the processing load on the intercom master unit 100.

The above-mentioned functional units may be divided into further functional units, or two or more functional units may be integrated into a single functional unit. For example, the determination unit and the identification unit may exist as the same functional unit.

The intercom master unit 100 may be realized as a single device having all of the above-mentioned functional units, or as multiple devices in which the above-mentioned functional units are distributed. If the intercom master unit 100 is realized as multiple devices, the functions of the intercom master unit 100 can be realized by the communication units of the multiple devices cooperating over a network.

<Effects of the embodiment>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, intercom master unit 100 (control unit (acquisition unit)) acquires status information indicating the activity status of devices (smartphone 700, electric lock 300, device 500, etc.) present in home building 30 of user 20, and acquires time information related to the occurrence of a disaster. Intercom master unit 100 (control unit (determination unit)) determines whether a predetermined condition (for determining whether there is a possibility that a person is in home building 30) is met based on the acquired status information and time information. Then, if the predetermined condition is met (if there is a possibility that a person is in home building 30), intercom master unit 100 (control unit (notification unit)) notifies front door slave unit 200 or a wireless mobile terminal (smartphone 700) registered in intercom master unit 100 of information indicating that there is a possibility that a person is in home building 30.

Accordingly, according to this embodiment, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition is met, and if the predetermined condition is met, information indicating that there may be someone inside the building 30 is sent to the intercom slave or wireless mobile terminal, thereby increasing the possibility of rescue in the event of a disaster.

<Summary of the embodiment>
A door phone master unit (door phone master unit 100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit (CPU, control unit) that acquires status information indicating the activity status of devices (smartphone 700, electric lock 300, device 500, etc.) present in a house (building 30) and acquires time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster, a determination unit (CPU, control unit) that determines whether or not a predetermined condition is met based on the status information and the time information, and a notification unit that, if the predetermined condition is met, notifies a door phone slave unit (front door slave unit 200) or a wireless mobile terminal (smartphone 700) registered to the door phone master unit of information indicating that there may be someone inside the house.

With the above configuration, when certain conditions are met, information indicating that there may be someone inside the house is sent to the intercom slave or wireless mobile terminal, thereby increasing the chances of rescue in the event of a disaster.

The intercom master unit further includes an identification unit (CPU, control unit) that identifies a location within the house based on the status information and the time information, and the notification unit further notifies the intercom slave unit or the wireless mobile terminal of the location.

The above configuration identifies locations where a person (person to be rescued) may be, thereby shortening the time required to search for the person to be rescued and increasing the chances of rescue.

The intercom master unit further includes a call control unit (CPU, control unit) that places the intercom master unit and the intercom slave unit into a call state when the specified conditions are met.

With the above configuration, audio from inside the house is output from the intercom handset, and external audio from around the intercom handset is output into the house from the intercom master, further increasing the chances of rescue.

In this intercom master unit, if the specified conditions are met, after voice is input to the intercom master unit via the intercom slave unit, the notification unit notifies the intercom slave unit of the information.

The above configuration can prevent excessive notifications (e.g., ringing) of information (e.g., messages).

The intercom master unit further includes an output control unit (CPU, control unit) that causes the intercom master unit to output a message when the specified conditions are met, and the notification unit notifies the intercom slave unit or the wireless mobile terminal of the information if the specified conditions are met and the intercom master unit does not receive a response to the message within a specified time.

With the above configuration, if there is a response to the message (for example, if there is someone in the building but no rescue is required), it is possible to avoid notifying (e.g., ringing) unnecessary information (e.g., messages).

In a notification method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a door phone master unit (door phone master unit 100) acquires status information indicating the activity status of devices (smartphone 700, electric lock 300, device 500, etc.) present in a house (building 30), acquires time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster, determines whether a predetermined condition is met based on the status information and the time information, and, if the predetermined condition is met, notifies a door phone slave unit (front door slave unit 200) or a wireless mobile terminal (smartphone 700) registered to the door phone master unit of information indicating that there may be someone in the house.

With the above configuration, when certain conditions are met, information indicating that there may be someone inside the house is sent to the intercom slave or wireless mobile terminal, thereby increasing the chances of rescue in the event of a disaster.

In the above-described embodiments, the notation "... section" used for each component may be replaced with other notations such as "... circuit," "... assembly," "... device," "... unit," or "... module."

Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art could conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims. Such modifications or alterations are understood to fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is useful as a door phone master unit used in a door phone system.

10 Doorphone system 20 User 30 Building 100 Doorphone master unit 110 Video processing unit 112 Video data input unit 114 Video data decoding unit 120 Display output unit 130 Audio processing unit 132 Audio data input unit 134 Audio data decoding unit 136 Audio data encoding unit 138 Audio data output unit 140 Audio output unit 150 Audio input unit 160 Call control unit 162 Incoming call processing unit 164 Timer processing unit 166 Call processing unit 170 Network control unit 172 Communication processing unit 180 Memory unit 190 Facility equipment control unit 192 Electric lock control unit 194 Electric lock communication unit 200 Entrance slave unit 220 Video generation unit 222 Imaging unit 224 Video data encoding unit 226 Video data output unit 230 Audio processing unit 232 Voice data input unit 234 Voice data decoding unit 236 Voice data encoding unit 238 Voice data output unit 240 Voice output unit 250 Voice input unit 260 Control unit 300 Electric lock 400 Communication router 500 Device 501 Human presence sensor 502 Home appliance 503 Facility equipment 600 Server 700 Wireless terminal

Claims (6)

an acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the activity status of devices present in the house and acquires time information indicating the time related to the occurrence of a disaster;
a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the state information and the time information;
a notification unit that notifies the wireless mobile terminal registered with the intercom slave unit or the intercom slave unit of information indicating that there may be a person in the house when the predetermined condition is satisfied;
A door phone master unit equipped with the following. an identification unit that identifies a location within the house based on the state information and the time information,
The notification unit further notifies the location to the intercom slave unit or the wireless mobile terminal.
The door phone master unit according to claim 1. The indoor apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a call control unit that, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, puts the indoor apparatus and the indoor apparatus into a call state. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, after a voice is input to the master unit via the slave unit, the notification unit notifies the master unit of the information.
The door phone master unit according to claim 3. an output control unit that outputs a message from the indoor apparatus when the predetermined condition is satisfied;
and if the predetermined condition is satisfied and there is no response to the message from the master unit within a predetermined time, the notification unit notifies the master unit or the wireless mobile terminal of the information.
The door phone master unit according to claim 1. The main door phone unit,
Acquire status information indicating the activity status of devices present in the home;
Obtain time information indicating the time of the disaster occurrence;
determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the state information and the time information;
If the predetermined condition is satisfied, information indicating that there may be a person in the house is notified to the intercom slave unit or the wireless mobile terminal registered to the intercom master unit.
Notification method.