JP7839005B2 - Mobile devices and programs - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of receiving notifications from systems such as a monitoring system for detecting intrusion into property, a monitoring system for monitoring the location and status of users, and a monitoring system for detecting theft of items such as vehicles and luggage, and displaying these notifications on a timeline; and a program for said mobile terminal.

Technologies have long existed that allow users to operate security systems and household electrical appliances via a timeline screen displayed on their mobile devices.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that displays a mode operation message on the mobile terminal's timeline screen in response to a remote security mode switching operation by the user's mobile terminal, and displays a mode switching message on the timeline screen upon receiving the result of the security mode switching.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-137673

However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, when there are multiple targets to be operated on, it was difficult to immediately determine which target the displayed operation result message represented.

In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring system, a mobile terminal, and a program that enable a user to easily identify transmitted messages of a specific type and corresponding received messages from among multiple types of messages displayed on the same timeline screen.

To achieve the above objective, a portable terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises communication means and display control means. The communication means sends and receives messages with multiple communication destinations. The display control means displays a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing transmitted and received messages exchanged with the communication destinations are arranged chronologically. The display control means affixes a common indicator to the speech bubbles of transmitted and received messages that share the same sender and destination.

This configuration allows users to easily distinguish between outgoing messages sent to a specific recipient and corresponding received messages from among multiple messages exchanged with different recipients displayed on the same timeline screen. These indicators can include anything from colors and specific shaped marks to speech bubble borders.

The above-described display control means may display the transmitted message on one side of the timeline screen, display the received message on the other side of the timeline screen, and attach the above-described mark to the other end of the transmitted message bubble and the one end of the received message bubble.

This improves readability and overall clarity by bringing the markers closer together in sent and received messages.

The display control means described above may attach the labels to each of the transmitted and received messages so that the labels on each of the speech bubbles are aligned linearly in the time-series direction.

This improves the readability and visibility of the signs.

The above-mentioned display control means may display the local area of each of the above-mentioned speech bubbles with a different pattern or color for each of the above-mentioned communication destinations as the indicator.

This allows users to instantly identify sent and received messages exchanged with a specific recipient by recognizing common patterns or colors.

The above-described display control means may also apply the above-described marker to a vertical strip-shaped area having a predetermined width located at the end of each of the above-described outlets, designating this area as the local area.

This improves visibility and makes it easier to see the information at a glance by using vertical stripe patterns or color coding.

When the above-described display control means attaches the above-described mark to the received message from the first communication destination, if there is a pair of sent messages to which the above-described message is a reply, the first mark may be attached to the respective bubbles of the sent message and received message in that pair. For received messages that do not have a pair of sent messages, a second mark, which is of the same type as the first mark, may be attached.

This allows users to easily distinguish between two-way messages related to their interactions with the system and other one-way messages. The first indicator described above may be a highlighted version of the second indicator. Highlighting includes, but is not limited to, increasing the thickness of the lines indicating the indicator, increasing the size of the indicator, or increasing the hue or brightness of the color associated with the indicator.

The above-described display control means may assign a first color as the first indicator to each of the paired transmission and reception message bubbles, and may assign a second color, similar in type to the first color but with a different density or brightness, as the second indicator to the reception message bubble for which there is no paired transmission message.

This allows users to easily distinguish between bidirectional and unidirectional messages, even though they are sent to the same recipient, by using similar colors.

When the display control means attaches the mark to the received message from the first communication destination, if there is a pair of transmitted messages that are replies to the received message, it may attach the first mark to the respective bubbles of the first pair of transmitted and received messages, and may also attach a second mark, which is of the same type as the first mark, to the respective bubbles of the first pair of transmitted and received messages.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a mobile terminal comprising communication means and display control means. The communication means transmits and receives messages relating to multiple different services. The display control means displays a timeline screen arranging speech bubbles representing transmitted and received messages relating to the services in chronological order. The display control means affixes a common indicator to the speech bubbles of transmitted and received messages that share the same services.

This configuration allows users to easily distinguish between outgoing messages and corresponding received messages related to a specific service, from among messages related to multiple services displayed on the same timeline screen.

A program according to another embodiment of the present invention is installed on a mobile terminal.
Steps for sending and receiving messages with multiple recipients,
The steps include: displaying a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing the sent and received messages exchanged with the aforementioned communication partner are arranged in chronological order;
The system is configured to perform the following steps: attach a common indicator to the message bubbles of the sent messages and received messages that share the same sender and destination as the above-mentioned communication destination.

A program according to another embodiment of the present invention is installed on a mobile terminal.
Steps to send and receive messages about multiple different services,
The steps include: displaying a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing sent and received messages related to the above service are arranged in chronological order;
The service then performs the following steps: affix a common indicator to the speech bubbles of the sent and received messages that are common to the above-mentioned service.

As described above, the present invention allows users to easily distinguish between outgoing messages of a specific type and correspondingly received messages from multiple message types displayed on the same timeline screen. However, this effect is not limited to the present invention.

This figure shows the configuration of a monitoring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the hardware configuration of a user terminal of a monitoring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of a timeline screen displayed on a user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows another example of a timeline screen displayed on a user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart showing the flow of the timeline display process during user operation by a user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart showing the flow of the timeline display process when a user terminal receives a message according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of a timeline screen displayed on a user terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This flowchart shows the flow of the timeline display process during user operation by a user terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart showing the flow of the timeline display process when a user terminal receives a message according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of a timeline screen displayed on a user terminal according to a modified version of the present invention. This figure shows an example of a timeline screen displayed on a user terminal according to a modified version of the present invention. This figure shows an example of a timeline screen displayed on a user terminal according to a modified version of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[System Configuration]
Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the monitoring system according to this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, this monitoring system comprises a security device 100, a location information terminal 110, a vehicle monitoring terminal 120, a user terminal 200, and a monitoring center server 300. This monitoring system is capable of simultaneously providing the user with multiple different systems (services): a security system (service) that monitors intrusion into a monitoring area (property), a vehicle theft monitoring system (service) that monitors vehicle theft, and a location confirmation system (service) that confirms the location of a person (person being monitored).

The security device 100 is installed in a monitoring area (security target) such as a residence or business premises, and monitors for abnormalities in the monitoring area, reporting any detected abnormalities to the security center. The security device 100 provides security for the monitoring area using multiple security modes (e.g., away mode, home mode, partial setting mode, home mode, etc.).

The location information terminal 110 is a device carried by the person being monitored (for example, the parent or child of the user of the user terminal 200). In response to a location information confirmation request from the user terminal 200, it acquires and returns location information using GPS (Global Positioning System) or radio waves received from a smartphone (mobile phone) base station. The location information terminal 110 also has a button to report to the monitoring center in emergencies, a security alarm function, and a communication function with an operator at the monitoring center.

Furthermore, as another service using the location information terminal 110, the location information terminal 110 can also detect when the monitored person enters or leaves a pre-set area, such as their home, a frequently visited park, or a shop, based on the location information of the location information terminal 110, and notify the user terminal 200 (area entry/exit notification service).

The vehicle monitoring terminal 120 is a terminal that can be attached to a user's car, motorcycle, or other vehicle. Similar to the location information terminal 110, it can acquire location information and, using its built-in acceleration sensor, can detect vehicle movement. Upon detecting movement, it notifies the monitoring center and the user terminal 200. The vehicle monitoring terminal 120 may also perform movement monitoring to detect the movement of objects other than vehicles (such as bags or valuables).

The user terminal 200 is a mobile device such as a smartphone owned by a resident of the residence in the monitored area, and is capable of connecting to mobile networks such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, or Wi-Fi. If multiple users reside or occupy the building being monitored, there may be multiple user terminals 200 for each monitored property.

The user terminal 200 can switch the security mode by communicating with the security device 100. As shown in the figure, the user terminal 200 may be located inside a house within the monitoring area, or it may be located outside the monitoring area, for example, in an office where the user works.

When the user terminal 200 is located within the monitoring area, it can communicate with the security device 100 not only via the mobile network mentioned above, but also via short-range wireless communication such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) or Wi-Fi. The operation to switch the security mode is entered on an application (hereinafter referred to as the "monitoring application") installed on the user terminal 200 that provides security mode information and other monitoring information.

Furthermore, the user terminal 200 can communicate with the location information terminal 110 via the monitoring application and search for and confirm the location information of the location information terminal 110 (the person being monitored). Communication between the user terminal 200 and the location information terminal 110 is performed without going through the monitoring center's server 300, but it may also be performed via the server 300.

Furthermore, the user terminal 200 can receive information about the movement (theft) of the vehicle being monitored (the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 installed on it) from the server 300 via the monitoring application described above.

Server 300 is a server installed at the monitoring center and can communicate with the security device 100 and the user terminal 200 via the internet. A control officer is stationed at the monitoring center, and upon receiving an abnormality report from the security device 100, necessary measures such as dispatching security guards to the area protected by the security device 100 are taken.

The server 300 also stores information such as the location of the buildings in the monitoring area and information about users of security contracts who reside or occupy those buildings. For example, the server 300 pairs the user terminals 200 of each user residing or occupying a building in the monitoring area with the security device 100, and stores information grouped by monitoring area for authentication purposes.

Furthermore, the server 300 can communicate with the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 installed in the vehicle being monitored for theft via the internet. If the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 detects movement due to theft or other reasons while the vehicle is in the theft (movement) monitoring mode, it automatically sends an abnormality signal and location information to the server 300. Upon receiving the abnormality signal, the server 300 sends a notification of receipt of the abnormality signal and the vehicle's location information to the user terminal 200.

Although the diagram shows server 300 as a single server, the server that monitors the surveillance area via communication with the security device 100 and the server that monitors vehicles via communication with the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 may exist separately.

The switching of security modes in the above security system is performed in the following sequence as shown in (1) to (8) of the diagram. Specifically, (1) based on a security mode switching operation by the user terminal 200, a request for a security mode switch is sent to the server 300 via the mobile network. (2) The server 300 authenticates the user terminal 200 (and the group to which it belongs). If authentication is successful, the server 300 forwards the security mode switching request to the security device 100, thereby (3) requesting a security mode switch to the security device 100. Then, (4) the security device 100 receives the security mode switching request and switches the security mode, and (5) notifies the server 300 that the security mode switch is complete.

Then, (6) the server 300, upon receiving the notification, requests an API for push notifications on the internet (for example, Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) or Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)) to send a push notification indicating the completion of the mode switch. (7) Upon receiving this request, the API sends a push notification to the user terminal 200 indicating the completion of the mode switch, and (8) the user terminal 200 receives the push notification and displays the message on the timeline screen (described later) of the monitoring application.

The switching of the theft monitoring mode in the above vehicle theft monitoring system is performed in the following sequence as shown in (1) to (8) in the diagram. Specifically, (1) when the user terminal 200 requests vehicle theft monitoring from the server 300 via the mobile network based on a theft monitoring request operation, (2) the server 300 identifies the destination vehicle monitoring terminal 120 and forwards the theft monitoring start request to the identified vehicle monitoring terminal 120, thereby (3) requesting the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 to switch to theft monitoring mode. Then, (4) the vehicle monitoring terminal 120, upon receiving the request to switch to theft monitoring mode, starts the theft monitoring process, and (5) notifies the server 300 of the start of theft monitoring.

Then, (6) the server 300, upon receiving the notification, requests the API to send a push notification indicating the start of theft monitoring. (7) Upon receiving this request, the API sends a push notification to the user terminal 200 indicating the start of theft monitoring, and (8) the user terminal 200 receives the push notification and displays the message on the monitoring application's timeline screen (described later). The user terminal 200 may also communicate directly with the theft monitoring terminal 120 without going through the server 300.

The theft monitoring start notification sent from the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 includes the device ID identifying the vehicle monitoring terminal 120, the service ID identifying the type of monitoring performed (service: vehicle theft monitoring), and the start time. This theft monitoring notification is sent to all user terminals 200 that have registered the device ID of the vehicle monitoring terminal 120.

As explained above, in the security mode switching process and the theft monitoring start process, the server 300 only mediates (and authenticates) the communication between the security device 100 and the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 and the user terminal 200. Therefore, in this embodiment, even though the communication is actually mediated by the server 300, the mediation process may be omitted, and the communication may be described as communication between the security device 100 and the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 and the user terminal 200.

The location information confirmation process in the above location confirmation system is executed in the following sequence: (1), (4), (5), (7), and (8) as shown in the figure. Specifically, (1) when the user terminal 200 requests location information confirmation from the location information terminal 110 via the mobile network based on a location information confirmation request operation, (4) the location information terminal 110 obtains its own location information via GPS or communication with a base station, and (5) requests the API to send a push notification indicating the completion of the location information confirmation. (7) Upon receiving this request, the API sends a push notification to the user terminal 200 indicating the completion of the location information confirmation, and (8) the user terminal 200 receives the push notification and displays the message on the monitoring application's timeline screen (described later). The user terminal 200 may also communicate with the location information terminal 110 via the server 300, as in the case of a theft monitoring request operation.

The location information notification sent from the location information terminal 110 includes the device ID identifying the location information terminal 110, the service ID identifying the type of monitoring (service: location information confirmation) performed, the time the location information was acquired, and the acquired location information (latitude and longitude information). This theft monitoring notification is sent to all user terminals 200 that have registered the device ID of the vehicle monitoring terminal 120. The acquired location information itself is displayed on the monitoring application on a screen separate from the push notification display screen (map screen).

Furthermore, if the person being monitored presses the emergency button on the location information terminal 110, a notification will be sent to the monitoring center as described above, and emergency response personnel will be dispatched as necessary. In this case, a push notification indicating that an emergency has been reported may also be sent to the user terminal 200.

In this embodiment, the user terminal 200 receives various push notifications related to different services from multiple different communication destinations (security device 100, location information terminal 110, vehicle monitoring terminal 120) and displays them on the timeline screen. However, when multiple messages with different content are displayed on the same timeline screen, it becomes difficult for the user to understand which communication destination the message was received from and what kind of event occurred. Therefore, in this embodiment, the user terminal 200 has a function to color the area of the message bubble representing the received message that does not overlap with the text indicating the message, using a color corresponding to the communication destination of that message. Details of this function will be described later.

[User terminal configuration]
Figure 2 shows the configuration of the user terminal 200. As shown in the figure, the user terminal 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, an input/output interface 25, and a bus 24 that connects these components to each other.

The CPU 21 accesses RAM 23 and other memory as needed, performing various calculations and comprehensively controlling all blocks of the user terminal 200. ROM 22 is a non-volatile memory that permanently stores the operating system (OS), programs, and firmware such as various parameters to be executed by the CPU 21. RAM 23 is used as a working area for the CPU 21, temporarily holding the OS, various running applications, and various data being processed.

The input/output interface 25 is connected to the display unit 26, the operation reception unit 27, the storage unit 28, the communication unit 29, and the like.

The display unit 26 is a display device (built-in display) using, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED (Organic ElectroLuminescence Display), or CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).

The operation reception unit 27 is, for example, a touch panel, buttons, keys, or other input device. If the operation reception unit 27 is a touch panel, it may be integrated with the display unit 26.

The storage unit 28 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as flash memory (SSD; Solid State Drive), other solid memory, or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The OS, various applications, and various data are stored in this storage unit 28.

In this embodiment in particular, the storage unit 28 stores the monitoring application and other programs that can display messages received from each of the above-mentioned communication destinations on the timeline. The monitoring application also stores information regarding the security mode currently set on the security device 100, as well as data (text information, image information, etc.) necessary for displaying the timeline screen and other screens.

The communication unit 29 is, for example, a module for wireless communication such as LTE and Wi-Fi, and is responsible for communication processing between the security device 100, location information terminal 110, vehicle monitoring terminal 120, and server 300 via mobile networks, short-range wireless communication networks, and the internet.

[Operation of the monitoring system]
Next, the operation of the monitoring system configured as described above will be explained. This operation is performed through the cooperation of the hardware of the user terminal 200, such as the CPU 21 and communication unit 29, and the software (monitoring application) stored in the storage unit 28. For convenience, in the following explanation, the monitoring application or CPU 21 of the user terminal 200 will be considered the main operator.

Figures 3 and 4 show examples of timeline screens displayed on the display unit 26 of the user terminal 200 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 shows the timeline screen of a user terminal 200 belonging to a user (mother) within a user group (family, etc.) using the monitoring system, and Figure 4 shows the timeline screen of a user terminal 200 belonging to another user (child) within the same user group.

This timeline screen integrates the timelines for different services—area entry/exit notifications, vehicle theft monitoring, location tracking, and security mode switching—and displays them on a single screen.

On the timeline screen, messages indicating user operations related to the communication destination in the monitoring system (sent messages 41) are displayed on one side (e.g., the right side), and messages indicating notifications received from the communication destination (received messages 42) are displayed on the other side (e.g., the left side), in a dialogue format and chronologically. Sent messages 41 are displayed as speech bubbles extending from the right edge of the timeline screen's display area toward the center of the screen, and received messages 42 are displayed as speech bubbles extending from the left side of the display area toward the center of the screen. Note that when the timeline screen is displayed on a device with a large screen, such as a tablet, and other screens are displayed simultaneously, the display area refers to the screen area where the timeline screen is displayed among those multiple screens.

Each transmitted message 41 and each received message 42 are displayed as a speech bubble containing the message (text), and the reception time (operation time) information for each message is displayed in an adjacent position (for example, to the left of transmitted message 41, and to the right of received message 42).

The timeline screen has a time axis that runs from top to bottom, with older messages (those received earlier) appearing at the top and newer messages (those received later) appearing at the bottom. The most recent message is always added to the bottom, and older messages that don't fit within the timeline screen's display area can be viewed by the user scrolling down the screen, for example, by flicking or swiping up or down.

Although not shown in the illustration, the timeline screen also allows for normal messaging among user groups (such as family members) using that timeline screen. When a user double-tap the timeline screen, a text input box and keyboard (or other text selection area) will appear at the bottom, for example, allowing the user to compose a message.

Furthermore, notification messages from each communication destination, unrelated to user actions regarding the above-mentioned communication destinations, may also be displayed on the timeline screen. Examples of notification messages include abnormality messages transmitted from the security device 100 when an abnormality occurs in the building or security area in alert mode, emergency notification messages transmitted when the emergency button on the location information terminal 110 is pressed, abnormality messages transmitted when movement (theft) of the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 is detected, and various other notification messages.

For example, at the bottom of the timeline screen, there are operation buttons 31 that display an operation screen for inputting operations for each of the above-mentioned destinations (security device 100, location information terminal 110, vehicle monitoring terminal 120), and setting buttons 32 that display a setting screen for making various settings related to each destination.

As can be seen by comparing Figures 3 and 4, even for messages relating to the same operation, the sent message 41 and the received message 42 are displayed differently on the timeline screen of each user's terminal 200, depending on who is performing the operation.

For example, if the mother sets the security mode to the "away mode," as shown in Figure 3, a transmission message 41a indicating the setting operation will be displayed on the timeline screen of the mother's user terminal 200. Subsequently, when the security device 100 switches the security mode in response to the setting operation and this is notified, a reception message 42a indicating the completion of the mode switch will be displayed. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, at this time, the timeline screen of the child's user terminal 200 will display a reception message 42d indicating that the mother performed the setting operation, since the child did not perform the operation.

Furthermore, when the mother performs a location tracking operation for her child, as shown in Figure 3, a transmitted message 41b indicating this is displayed on the timeline screen of the mother's user terminal 200. However, as shown in Figure 4, at this time, only a received message 42e indicating that the mother performed a location tracking operation is displayed on the timeline screen of the child's user terminal 200.

Furthermore, when the mother initiates a vehicle theft monitoring request, as shown in Figure 3, a transmission message 41c indicating the monitoring request is displayed on the timeline screen of the mother's user terminal 200. Subsequently, when monitoring is initiated by the vehicle monitoring terminal 120 in response to the request and notification is received, a reception message 42c notifying the commencement of vehicle theft monitoring is displayed. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, at this time, a reception message 42f indicating that the mother initiated the vehicle theft monitoring request is displayed on the timeline screen of the child's user terminal 200.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the user terminal 200 applies processing to local areas on each of the speech bubbles of the transmitted message 41 and received message 42 according to the communication destination, forming an identification area that allows the user to visually identify the communication destination of the message. Specifically, the left and right ends of each speech bubble that are opposite to the left and right edges of the display area of the display unit 26 (the edges of the display area where the timeline screen is displayed) (the left end of the transmitted message 41 and the right end of the received message 42) are colored with a color corresponding to the communication destination of the message, forming a colored area 43 (local area of the transmitted message 41) and a colored area 44 (local area of the received message 42) as identification areas. Furthermore, the colored areas 43 and 44 are areas of a certain width from one end of each speech bubble and are formed as vertical band-shaped areas extending from the upper end to the lower end of each speech bubble. Note that the processing of the local areas should be performed in a manner that corresponds to the communication destination (sender or sender) of the message, and is not limited to coloring with a color corresponding to the communication destination. For example, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the process may involve creating patterns (such as diagonal lines or polka dots) or varying shades of the same color, or a combination of these. Later, localized coloring will be described as an example of the processing method.

In the examples shown in both figures, different colors are set for the colored sections 43 and 44, depending on the different communication destination: the security device 100, the child's location information terminal 110, the mother's location information terminal 110, the grandfather's location information terminal 110, and the vehicle monitoring terminal 120.

The storage unit 28 stores a table indicating the device ID of the communication destination and the corresponding colors of the coloring units 43 and 44. The CPU 21 refers to this table to color the coloring units 43 and 44 of the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42.

This allows for easy viewing of multiple sent messages 41 and received messages 42 from different communication destinations displayed on the same timeline screen, for each communication destination. Furthermore, by providing a colored area 43 at the left edge of the sent messages 41 displayed on the right side of the timeline screen, and a colored area 44 at the right edge of the received messages 42 displayed on the left side of the timeline screen, the colored areas 43 and 44 are concentrated in close proximity towards the center of the timeline screen. This improves overview and visibility, allowing users to quickly identify which communication destination each message originated from.

Furthermore, the horizontal length of each message bubble in both the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42 is the same. This allows the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42 to be vertically aligned, further improving readability and visibility.

Furthermore, the user terminal 200 will use a common color (colored section 43, 44) for the speech bubbles of both the transmitted message 41, which is displayed when operating the security mode or when requesting the start of vehicle theft monitoring, and the received message 42, which is displayed as a result of the said operation. This allows the user to easily distinguish between a message sent to a specific communication destination and the corresponding received message from among multiple messages exchanged with different communication destinations displayed on the same timeline screen.

Furthermore, a filtering box 33 is provided at the top of the timeline screen to narrow down the sent messages 41 and received messages 42 by their respective destinations. In the example shown in the figure, "All" is selected in the filtering box 33, displaying sent messages 41 and received messages 42 for all destinations. However, by selecting one of the above destinations (security device 100, child's location information terminal 110, mother's location information terminal 110, grandfather's location information terminal 110, vehicle monitoring terminal 120) in the filtering box 33, only sent messages 41 and received messages 42 for the selected destination can be displayed on the timeline screen.

Furthermore, if the above filtering results in only the sent message 41 and received message 42 of any of the communication destinations being displayed, the colored sections 43 and 44 used to distinguish the communication destinations become unnecessary, and therefore, these colored sections 43 and 44 may be deleted. However, even in this case, to ensure that the user understands which communication destinations have been filtered, the color of the colored sections 43 and 44 corresponding to the selected communication destination may be applied, for example, to the filtering box 33 or other areas.

Alternatively, instead of using the filtering box 33, a timeline screen showing all communication destinations and separate timeline screens (individual timelines) for each communication destination may be provided, allowing the user to select and display them individually as needed.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the timeline display process during user operation (message transmission) by the user terminal 200 according to this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the CPU 21 of the user terminal 200 first determines whether or not the user has entered an operation instruction to one of the above communication destinations (step 51).

If it is determined that an operation instruction has been input to any communication destination (Yes in step 51), the CPU 21 identifies the destination device to which the operation is intended (step 52). Specifically, the destination device is identified by referring to the device ID that identifies the target device, which is included in the request signal (security mode switching request signal or vehicle theft monitoring start request signal) transmitted by the operation instruction to any communication destination. Note that when a security mode switching request operation is input, the security mode switching request signal also includes mode identification information indicating the security mode after the switch, and the CPU 21 also identifies the message content of the transmitted message 41 based on this mode identification information.

Next, the CPU 21 identifies the color corresponding to the identified destination device by referring to the table above (step 53).

The CPU 21 then adds and displays a speech bubble of a predetermined width, representing the transmitted message 41, which has a colored portion 43 with the left edge colored in the specified color, as the latest message on the timeline screen (step 54).

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the timeline display process when a message is received by the user terminal 200.

As shown in the figure, the CPU 21 of the user terminal 200 first determines whether or not it has received a message from any communication destination (step 61).

If the CPU 21 determines that a message has been received from any of the communication destinations (Yes in step 61), it identifies the source device of the message (step 62). Specifically, it identifies the destination device by referring to the device ID that identifies the target device, which is included in the notification signal sent from any of the communication destinations (such as the security mode switching notification signal or the vehicle theft monitoring start notification signal). When the security mode is switched, the security mode switching notification signal also includes mode identification information indicating the security mode after the switch, and the CPU 21 identifies the message content of the received message 42 based on this mode identification information.

Next, the CPU 21 identifies the color corresponding to the identified source device by referring to the table above (step 63).

The CPU 21 then adds a speech bubble of a predetermined width, representing the received message 42, which has a colored portion 44 with its right edge colored in the specified color, to the timeline screen as the latest message (step 64).

As described above, according to this embodiment, the user terminal 200 can easily view multiple messages from different communication destinations displayed on the same timeline screen, for each respective communication destination.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

Figure 7 shows an example of the timeline screen displayed on the user terminal 200 in this embodiment. In the first embodiment described above, the user terminal 200 colored the colored portions 43 and 44 of the speech bubbles for each transmitted message 41 and received message 42 with colors corresponding to the communication destinations of each message (the destination of the transmitted message 41 and the source of the received message 42). In this embodiment, instead of coloring the communication destination of each message, the colors correspond to the services to which each message is associated.

In the example shown in the figure, different colors are set for the colored sections 43 and 44 for each of the different services related to each transmitted message 41 and received message 42, such as area entry/exit notification using the location information terminal 110, vehicle theft monitoring, location confirmation, and security mode switching (area monitoring).

The storage unit 28 stores a table indicating the service ID that identifies the service and the corresponding colors of the coloring units 43 and 44. The CPU 21 refers to this table to color the coloring units 43 and 44 of the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the timeline display process during user operation (message transmission) by the user terminal 200 according to this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the CPU 21 of the user terminal 200 first determines whether or not the user has entered an operation instruction related to any of the above services (step 81).

If it is determined that an operation instruction for any service has been input (Yes in step 81), the CPU 21 identifies the service related to that operation (step 82). Specifically, the CPU 21 identifies the service by referring to the service ID that identifies the service, which is included in the request signal transmitted by the operation instruction for any of the services (such as the security mode switching request signal or the vehicle theft monitoring start request signal).

Next, the CPU 21 identifies the color corresponding to the service identified above by referring to the table above (step 83).

The CPU 21 then adds and displays a speech bubble of a predetermined width, representing the transmitted message 41, which has a colored portion 43 with the left edge colored in the specified color, as the latest message on the timeline screen (step 54).

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the timeline display process when a message is received by the user terminal 200.

As shown in the figure, the CPU 21 of the user terminal 200 first determines whether or not it has received a message related to any of the services (step 91).

If the CPU 21 determines that it has received a message relating to any of the services (Yes in step 91), it identifies the service associated with the message (step 92). Specifically, it identifies the service by referring to the service ID that identifies the service, which is included in the notification signal transmitted for any of the services (such as a security mode switching notification signal or a vehicle theft monitoring start notification signal).

Next, the CPU 21 identifies the color corresponding to the service identified above by referring to the table above (step 93).

The CPU 21 then adds and displays a callout of a predetermined width representing the received message 42, which has a colored portion 44 with its right edge colored in the specified color, as the latest message on the timeline screen (step 94).

Thus, according to this embodiment, multiple messages related to different services, displayed on the same timeline screen, can be easily viewed for each respective service.

<Different example>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In each of the embodiments described above, the user terminal 200 provides colored sections 43 and 44 at the left and right ends of each message bubble, opposite to the ends of the display area of the display unit 26 (the left end of the transmitted message 41 and the right end of the received message 42). However, the local area where the colored sections 43 and 44 are provided does not have to be at the very end of the message bubble; it may be slightly offset inward from the very end. Furthermore, the user terminal 200 may shift the position of the colored sections 43 and 44 within a predetermined range at the end of the message bubble, depending on the communication destination or related service.

Figure 10 shows an example of the timeline screen in this case. As shown in the figure, the colored sections 43 and 44 are provided at different positions on the ends of the speech bubbles for each different communication destination: the security device 100, the child's location information terminal 110, the mother's location information terminal 110, the grandfather's location information terminal 110, and the vehicle monitoring terminal 120.

Specifically, in the transmission message 41 and reception message 42 of the security device 100, colored sections 43 and 44 are provided at the outermost ends of the message bubbles. When the communication destinations are the child's location information terminal 110, the mother's location information terminal 110, the grandfather's location information terminal 110, and the vehicle monitoring terminal 120, the colored sections 43 and 44 are positioned in that order, gradually shifting from the outermost end of the message bubble towards the center. This ensures that the colored areas of each message bubble are vertically aligned for each communication destination, improving the readability and visibility of each message for each destination.

Even when coloring each message bubble with a color corresponding to the associated service, as in the second embodiment described above, the colored sections 43 and 44 can similarly be offset within a predetermined range at the end for each service.

In the embodiments described above, the user terminal 200 provided a colored section 43 at the left end of the transmitted message 41 and a colored section 44 at the right end of the received message 42, and unified the width of each bubble to the same length, so that on the timeline screen, the colored sections 43 of each transmitted message 41 and the colored sections 44 of each received message 42 were arranged in a vertical line (the colored sections 43 and 44 were close together but not in the same position in the width direction). Alternatively, as shown in Figure 11, the user terminal 200 may provide the colored sections 43 of the transmitted message 41 and 44 of the received message 42 in the same position in the width direction and align them linearly in the timeline direction. In the example shown in the figure, the colored sections 43 and 44 are positioned slightly towards the center from the left or right end of the bubble. This can further improve overview and visibility.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the width of the message bubbles for both the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42 was set to be the same. However, the width of these message bubbles may vary depending on the number of characters in the message. Even in this case, the user terminal 200 may change the position of the colored sections 43 and 44 in each message bubble so that the colored sections 43 and/or 44 are aligned linearly in the timeline direction.

Furthermore, if the width of each speech bubble differs depending on the number of characters, the user terminal 200 may change the width or area of the colored sections 43 and 44 according to the width of the speech bubble. For example, the wider the speech bubble, the larger the width or area of the colored sections 43 and 44 may be.

In the first embodiment described above, the colored sections 43 and 44 are colored according to the communication destination, and in the second embodiment described above, the colored sections 43 and 44 are colored according to the related service. The user terminal 200 may combine these two approaches to color the colored sections 43 and 44 according to the communication destination, and also distinguish between color systems (hues) according to the related service.

For example, the colored sections 43 and 44 of the transmitted message 41 and received message 42 related to location information confirmation may be colored in a red-based color scheme (child: red, mother: crimson, grandfather: vermilion, etc.) or a blue-based color scheme (child: blue, mother: navy blue, grandfather: ultramarine, etc.) depending on the communication destination (location information terminal 110). This ensures that the hue of the colored sections 43 and 44 corresponding to the communication destination is consistent for each service, allowing for simultaneous identification of the communication destination and service.

In the above embodiment, the user terminal 200 had the ends of each message bubble (the left and right ends of each bubble opposite to the ends of the display area of the display unit 26) as colored areas 43 and 44. However, the position of the colored areas 43 and 44 is not limited to these ends; they may be at the top, bottom, left, or right ends of the bubble, or even anywhere other than the ends. In this case, it is preferable that the colored areas 43 and 44 be provided in an area that does not overlap with the characters representing the message.

In the above embodiment, the colored portions 43 and 44 were shaped like vertical strips (long, narrow rectangles), but the shape of the colored portions 43 and 44 is not limited to this; they can be any other shape, such as rectangles, circles, ellipses, triangles, other polygons, or star shapes.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the storage unit 28 stores a table indicating the device ID for identifying the communication destination device or the service ID for identifying the service, and the corresponding colors of the coloring units 43 and 44. The CPU 21 referred to this table to color the coloring units 43 and 44 of the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42. Alternatively, for the received message 42, the notification signal received in response to the received message 42 may contain data indicating the color of the coloring unit 44, and the CPU 21 may color the coloring unit 44 by referring to this data.

In the embodiments described above, several different monitoring systems (services) were shown, including a security system, a vehicle theft monitoring system, and a location tracking system. However, the monitoring system (service) is not limited to these. For example, the present invention may be applied to transmitted messages 41 and received messages 42 that communicate with a home appliance control system (service) that controls household electrical appliances such as air conditioners, robotic vacuum cleaners, and water heaters. In this case, the colored sections 43 and 44 may be colored according to the home appliance control system (service), or according to the communication destination of the air conditioner, robotic vacuum cleaner, etc., controlled by the home appliance control system (service).

In the above embodiment, the callouts for the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42, which share a common destination/service, were given a common color (colored sections 43 and 44). However, the common mark applied to these callouts is not limited to color. For example, the user terminal 200 may apply a common mark to the callouts for the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42, which share a common destination/service.

For example, as shown in Figure 12, if the communication destination is a security device 100, a ■ may be used; if it is the mother's location information terminal 110, a ● may be used; if it is the child's location information terminal 110, a ★ may be used; if it is the grandfather's location information terminal 110, a ▲ may be used; and if it is the vehicle monitoring terminal 120, a ◆ may be used. Common marks 53 and 54 may be attached to the transmitted message 41 and received message 42 that share a common communication destination. Furthermore, the location where these marks 53 and 54 are attached is not limited to the ends shown in the figure.

In the above-described embodiment, the user terminal 200 applies the same color to the colored sections 43 and 44 whether the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42 are a pair (for example, a transmitted message 41 corresponding to a security mode switching request and a received message 42 corresponding to a security mode switching completion notification transmitted in response to the switching request), or whether the transmitted message 41 or the received message 42 is transmitted or received alone (for example, a transmitted message 41 corresponding to location information confirmation, or a received message 42 notifying of operations by another user (such as a security mode switching request or a vehicle theft monitoring start request)). Alternatively, the user terminal 200 may apply a first mark to each of the nozzles of the transmitted message 41 and the received message 42 that form a pair when a transmitted message 41 and the received message 42 sent in response to it exist, and apply a second mark (colored section, mark, etc.) different from the first mark (colored section, mark, etc.) to each of the nozzles of the received message 42 for which there is no transmitted message 41 and transmitted message 41 for which there is no received message 42.

This allows users to easily distinguish between two-way messages related to their interactions with the system and other one-way messages. Here, the first indicator may be a highlighted version of the second indicator. Highlighting includes, for example, increasing the thickness of the line indicating the indicator, increasing the size of the indicator, making the line indicating the indicator a double or dashed line, not filling in the indicator, or increasing the hue or brightness of the color applied to the indicator, but is not limited to these; any similar type of indicator will suffice.

More specifically, the user terminal 200 may assign a first color (e.g., red, blue) to each bubble of a pair of transmitted messages 41 and received messages 42, and assign a second color (e.g., pink, light blue) of the same color but with a different density or brightness to each bubble of a received message 42 that does not have a pair of transmitted messages 41, and to each bubble of a transmitted message 41 that does not have a pair of transmitted messages 42.

Furthermore, even within a pair of messages, the markers used may be changed depending on the service indicated by the paired message, even if the communication destination is the same (the first marker for the first pair, and the second marker, which is of the same type as the first marker, for the second pair). For example, among the paired messages related to the security device 100, each bubble in the paired messages related to the security mode switching operation may be marked with a first color (e.g., blue), while each bubble in the paired messages related to other operations (such as checking the current security mode or changing the time for automatic alarm mode setting) may be marked with a second color (navy blue) of the same type but with a different density or brightness from the first color. This allows the user to quickly identify messages indicating different services within a paired message from the same communication destination.

In the embodiment described above, all messages were marked, but this is not limited to that. For example, only the transmitted and received messages that have been paired may be marked. In this case, since it is sufficient to indicate that the messages have been paired, it is not necessary to attach a predetermined mark to each communication destination, and the mark attached may be changed each time.

21...CPU
26...Display unit 28...Storage unit 29...Communication unit 41...Sent message 42...Received message 43, 44...Coloring unit 53, 54...Mark 100...Security device 110...Location information terminal 120...Vehicle monitoring terminal 200...User terminal 300...Server

Claims (11)

A communication method for sending and receiving messages with multiple recipients,
The system includes a display control means that displays a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing the transmitted and received messages exchanged with the aforementioned communication partner are arranged in chronological order.
The display control means is characterized by attaching a common indicator to the speech bubbles of transmitted messages and received messages that have the same sender and destination, respectively. A mobile terminal according to claim 1,
The display control means displays the transmitted message on one side of the timeline screen, displays the received message on the other side of the timeline screen, and attaches the mark to the other end of the bubble for the transmitted message and the one end of the bubble for the received message in the portable terminal. A portable terminal according to claim 1 or 2,
The display control means attaches the labels to each of the transmitted message and the received message so that the labels on each of the speech bubbles are aligned in a straight line in the time-series direction. A mobile terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The display control means is a portable terminal that displays the local area of each of the speech bubbles with a different pattern or color for each communication destination as a sign. A mobile terminal according to claim 4,
The display control means is a portable terminal that attaches the marker to a vertical strip-shaped area having a predetermined width located at the end of each of the blowers, which is designated as the local area. A mobile terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The display control means, when attaching the mark to the received message from the first communication destination, attaches the first mark to the respective bubbles of the paired sent message and received message if there is a paired sent message that is a reply to the received message, and attaches a second mark, which is of the same type as the first mark, to the bubble of the received message for which there is no paired sent message. A mobile terminal according to claim 6,
The display control means provides a first color as a first indicator for each of the paired sending message and receiving message bubbles, and provides a second color as a second indicator for the receiving message bubble that does not have a paired sending message, which is of the same color family as the first color but with a different density or brightness. A mobile terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A mobile terminal wherein, when the display control means attaches the mark to the received message from the first communication destination, if there is a pair of transmitted messages for which the received message is a reply, it attaches the first mark to each of the first pair of transmitted and received messages, and attaches the second mark, which is of the same type as the first mark, to each of the second pair of transmitted and received messages. A means of communication for sending and receiving messages about multiple different services,
The system includes a display control means that displays a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing sent messages and received messages related to the aforementioned service are arranged in chronological order.
The display control means is characterized by attaching a common indicator to the speech bubbles of the transmitted message and the received message that share the same service as the transmitted message. On your mobile device,
Steps for sending and receiving messages with multiple recipients,
The steps include: displaying a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing the sent and received messages exchanged with the aforementioned communication partner are arranged in chronological order;
A program that performs the step of attaching a common indicator to the speech bubbles of the transmitted messages and received messages that have the same sender and destination as the communication destination. On your mobile device,
Steps for sending and receiving messages about multiple different services,
The steps include: displaying a timeline screen in which speech bubbles representing sent messages and received messages related to the aforementioned service are arranged in chronological order;
A program that performs the steps of: attaching a common indicator to the speech bubbles of the sent messages and received messages that are common to the service relating to the said message.