Abstract: A factor identification device includes: an information acquiring unit that acquires, from an appliance control unit that determines a future control content with respect to an appliance to be controlled, physical quantity information indicating a physical quantity of an environment in which the appliance to be controlled is disposed, the physical quantity information being used in a final step of determining the control content among a plurality of steps included in a process of determining the control content; a determination factor identifying unit that identifies a determination factor of the control content determined by the appliance control unit on the basis of the physical quantity indicated by the physical quantity information acquired by the information acquiring unit; and a display data generating unit that generates display data for displaying the determination factor identified by the determination factor identifying unit and outputs the display data.

Abstract: There are included an equipment and function information obtaining unit that obtains equipment and function information in which target equipment is associated with a target function to be performed by the target equipment, the target equipment and the target function being determined on the basis of a result of speech recognition; a time determining unit that determines whether or not time from utterance to performance of the target function is long; a response sentence determining unit that determines a first response sentence related to the target equipment, on the basis of the equipment and function information obtained by the equipment and function information obtaining unit, when the time determining unit determines that the time from utterance to performance of the target function is long; and an output control unit that outputs information indicating the first response sentence determined by the response sentence determining unit.

Abstract: Included are: an apparatus function information acquiring unit for acquiring apparatus function information in which a target apparatus and one or more target functions to be executed by the target apparatus, which are determined on the basis of uttered speech, are associated with each other; a procedure determining unit for determining one or more manual operations for executing the one or more target functions and an order of the one or more manual operations on the basis of the apparatus function information acquired by the apparatus function information acquiring unit; and an operation command transmission controlling unit for sequentially transmitting, to the target apparatus, operation commands for outputting operation response output control information corresponding to each of the one or more manual operations in accordance with the order of the one or more manual operations determined by the procedure determining unit.

Abstract: Included are: an apparatus function information acquiring unit for acquiring apparatus function information in which a target apparatus and one or more target functions to be executed by the target apparatus, which are determined on the basis of uttered speech, are associated with each other; a procedure determining unit for determining one or more manual operations for executing the one or more target functions and an order of the one or more manual operations on the basis of the apparatus function information acquired by the apparatus function information acquiring unit; and an operation command transmission controlling unit for sequentially transmitting, to the target apparatus, operation commands for outputting operation response output control information corresponding to each of the one or more manual operations in accordance with the order of the one or more manual operations determined by the procedure determining unit.

Abstract: A controller stores an apparatus-room association table in which an apparatus installed in a home is associated with a room in the home, and stores a room-user association table in which the room in the home is associated with the user. The controller determines whether the user is inside the home, and updates a user status. When the user status changes, the controller determines the apparatus corresponding to the user whose user status has changed, and controls the determined apparatus to execute a predetermined process based on the apparatus-room association table and the room-user association table.

Abstract: In an appliance control system, a receiver receives, from a terminal device used by a first user, an instruction for remotely controlling an appliance installed in a home. A determiner determines whether a second user is present in a location in which an appliance-to-be-instructed is installed. When it is determined that the second user is not present in a location in which the appliance-to-be-instructed is installed, an appliance controller controls the appliance on the basis of the instruction. On the other hand, when it is determined that the second user is present in the location in which the appliance-to-be-instructed is installed, the appliance controller does not control the appliance.

Abstract: A device information acquirer acquires device information collected by a controller. A floor plan editor edits a simplified floor plan of a home by individually adding a configuration of a room where an electric device is installed, in accordance with a user operation. A device icon positioner positions an icon of the electric device in each room in the floor plan edited by the floor plan editor, in accordance with the user operation. A layout generator generates layout information for the electric device in the home, based on the edited floor plan and the positioned icon.

Abstract: A sensor detects whether or not an input device and a display device are in a combined state. A control mode determining unit determines a control mode associated with the state detected by the sensor. A control processing unit switches a control mode of a control target apparatus to the control mode determined by the control mode determining unit, and causes the display device to display a function to be operated in a display mode corresponding to the switched control mode.

Abstract: A sensor detects whether or not an input device and a display device are in a combined state. A control mode determining unit determines a control mode associated with the state detected by the sensor. A control processing unit switches a control mode of a control target apparatus to the control mode determined by the control mode determining unit, and causes the display device to display a function to be operated in a display mode corresponding to the switched control mode.

Abstract: A controller of an in-home controller receives, via a terminal communicator, input data related to a manager registration transmitted from a terminal device. The controller performs a manager registration based on the received input data. Also, the controller generates user registration request data containing a user ID and a password extracted from the received input data, a controller ID read from data storage. The controller transmits the generated user registration request data to an external server via a wide-area communicator.

Abstract: A controller for controlling electrical devices in a dwelling is configured to display an energy-saving mode setting screen on a display that is a touch panel or the like in accordance with an operation by a user. Then, the controller is configured to receive a designation of a condition for an energy-saving control on the electrical devices in the dwelling on the energy-saving mode setting screen. Then, the controller is configured to set the respective energy-saving modes of the electrical devices via a home network based on the received condition.

Abstract: In an appliance control system, a receiver receives, from a terminal device used by a first user, an instruction for remotely controlling an appliance installed in a home. A determiner determines whether a second user is present in a location in which an appliance-to-be-instructed is installed. When it is determined that the second user is not present in a location in which the appliance-to-be-instructed is installed, an appliance controller controls the appliance on the basis of the instruction. On the other hand, when it is determined that the second user is present in the location in which the appliance-to-be-instructed is installed, the appliance controller does not control the appliance.