Abstract: A device classification method that includes: receiving a first action performed on a first device in the device group, for classifying the first device as belonging to the coordinated operation group; setting, when the first action is received, each of one or more devices in the device group other than the first device to a classifiable state in which the device is classifiable as belonging to the coordinated operation group; receiving a second action performed on a second device in the device group that is set to the classifiable state, for classifying the second device as belonging to the coordinated operation group; and classifying, when the second action is received, the first device and the second device as belonging to the coordinated operation group.

Abstract: An information management method collects log information of one or more home electrical apparatuses corresponding to service providers. Display screen data is generated which indicates a status of the log information. The display screen data includes groups of information which each contain information on an apparatus, a service provider corresponding to the apparatus, and log information output from the apparatus. Provision of the log information of each group is individually selectable. The display screen data is provided via a network to a display terminal that performs access to a server device. Information is received from the display terminal, which indicates that selection on whether or not provision of the log information is performed. Provision of the log information is stopped on the selected group when a determination is made that refusal of provision of the log information on the selected group is performed.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method for controlling a terminal apparatus that is used for an appliance control system for executing a remote operation on a plurality of air conditioners from a car.

Abstract: A navigation device (100) estimates a time when a user utilizing the navigation device (100) comes home, and transmits the estimated expected arrival time to a control device (203) in association with the user identifier of the user. In response to receiving the expected arrival times from a plurality of the navigation devices (100), the control device (203) transmits, to an air conditioner (201), a reservation instruction for setting the room temperature at the home to a predetermined target temperature by the estimated arrival time of the earliest user who is supposed to come home earliest. The air conditioner (201) is turned on in accordance with the transmitted reservation instruction among the users.

Abstract: A terminal device has a network interface that forces network connection when not connected to a network. The terminal device that has a network interface includes a connection check unit that makes a check as to whether the terminal device is connected to a network, and an invalidation unit that, when the connection check unit judges that the terminal device is not connected to the network as a result of the check, invalidates a function included in the terminal device.

Abstract: An information notification method in an information notification system, including: an acquiring step for acquiring today's required time which is required for traveling from a departure point to a destination included in behavior information; a determining step for determining today's departure time using the acquired today's required time and an arrival time included in the behavior information; a judging step for judging whether or not the determined today's departure time is earlier than a typical departure time included in the behavior information; a notifying step for notifying a notifying apparatus owned by the user of notification information for adjusting the behavior of the user, when judgment is made that the determined today's departure time is earlier than the typical departure time; and an output step for causing the notifying apparatus to output the notified notification information.

Abstract: A control method for controlling at least one of a plurality of apparatuses. The control method includes: displaying candidate information and obtaining, via a network, an operation history of each of the apparatuses. The method includes generating a control signal for performing a predetermined control on a target apparatus, when the user confirms that the predetermined control is to be performed.

Abstract: A device control method used in a device control system in which an operation terminal is used to remotely operate a device with a server device mediating between the operation terminal and the device, the device control method including: acquiring, upon reception of an operation instruction for operation of the device from the operation terminal, environment information pertaining to at least one of the device and the operation terminal; performing a determination of whether or not to cause execution of processing corresponding to the operation instruction based on whether or not the environment information satisfies a predetermined condition; and causing the device to execute an execution command for execution of the processing when a result of the determination is affirmative, and not causing the device to execute the execution command when the result of the determination is negative.

Abstract: An information management method includes collecting log information of one or more home electrical apparatuses, generating display screen data indicating a status of the log information of the apparatuses corresponding service providers based on the collected log information, where the display screen data includes groups of information each contain information on an apparatus, a service provider corresponding to the apparatus, and log information output from the apparatus, and provision of the log information of each group is individually selectable, providing the display screen data via a network to a display terminal that performs access to a server device, receiving information from the display terminal, which indicates that selection on whether or not provision of the log information is performed, and stopping provision of the log information on the selected group when a determination is made that the refusal of provision of the log information on the selected group is performed.

Abstract: A route display method for display on a terminal apparatus comprises: acquiring starting point information indicating a starting point and destination information indicating a destination; generating route information indicating a route from the starting point to the destination, wherein the route information includes a plurality of passing points; extracting captured images corresponding to the plurality of the passing points from a database which stores the captured images in relation to corresponding image capturing locations respectively, wherein each of the image capturing locations is within a range from the each of the plurality of the passing points; and displaying the extracted captured images in association with a map image sequentially in an order from a first captured image corresponding to a first passing point closest to the starting point to a second captured image corresponding to a second passing point closest to the destination.

Abstract: A user-friendly cooperative process execution method for causing household electric devices that are registered to a server to execute cooperative processes. The server stores correspondence information associating a particular operation to be executed by a particular household electric device with one or more groups each composed of one or more household electric devices, and indicating, for each of the household electric devices in each of the groups, a control signal to be transmitted to the household electric device. The method includes: detecting whether or not the particular operation is executed; selecting one of the groups that is composed of one or more household electric devices that are registered to the server by referring to the correspondence information when the execution of the particular operation is detected; and transmitting the control signal to each of the household electric devices in the selected group.

Abstract: A gateway device, connected to one or more buses used in communication by a plurality of ECUs on-board a vehicle, is provided with: a receiving unit that receives, from a server that acts as an external device external to the vehicle, firmware update information that includes updated firmware to be applied to one ECU from among the plurality of ECUs; and a control unit that determines, based on certain information about the ECU on which to apply the updated firmware, whether or not the ECU satisfies a certain condition, and if the certain condition is satisfied, causes the ECU to execute a certain process related to updating firmware, whereas if the certain condition is not satisfied, causes equipment other than the ECU to execute the certain process.

Abstract: A gateway device for a vehicle network system, the vehicle network system including a bus, a first electronic control unit connected to the bus, and the gateway device connected to the bus. The gateway device comprising: one or more memories; and circuitry which, in operation, performs operations including: receiving a first frame transmitted to the bus by the first electronic control unit; when the first frame is received, including first control information in a second frame, the second frame including information based on content of the first frame, the first control information related to a restriction on processing, the restriction on processing being after a reception of the second frame; and transmitting the second frame to the bus.

Abstract: A function update method improving household appliance functions by enabling new and existing household appliances to perform cooperative processing. In the method, a server stores registration information listing identification information for each household appliance owned by a user, combination information listing combinations each including household appliances performing cooperative processing, and update information for each household appliance in each combination, for updating a function for performing the cooperative processing.

Abstract: A control method used in a remote control system according to the present disclosure includes: a step of displaying candidates for a target apparatus to be controlled among apparatuses on a user interface region of a display unit of an information terminal; a step of obtaining, via a network, control indexes used to determine a display mode for the user interface region; a step of displaying, on the user interface region, one or more control menus in a display mode determined based on a selected target apparatus and the control indexes; a step of generating a control signal for causing the target apparatus to perform an operation according to control corresponding to a control menu, when the control menu is selected from the one or more displayed control menus; and a step of transmitting the control signal to the target apparatus via the network.

Abstract: When the terminal device attempts to use a special content, which has an attribute including information distinguishing the special content from regular contents and which is stored in the recording medium device, the recording medium device refers to the revocation information indicating terminal devices restricted from using the special content. When the recording medium device determines the terminal device as a terminal device to be restricted from using the special content based on the terminal identifying information of the terminal device, the usage information output unit of the recording medium device does not transmit the necessary information for using the special content to the terminal device.

Abstract: A voice dialogue method performed by a voice dialog system includes: a voice signal generation unit; a voice dialog agent unit; a voice output unit; and a voice input control unit, the method including: a step of, by the voice signal generation unit, receiving a voice input and generating a voice signal based on the received voice input; a step of, by the voice dialog agent unit, performing voice recognition processing on the voice signal and performing processing based on a result of the voice recognition processing to generate a response signal; a step of, by the voice output unit, outputting a voice based on the response signal; and a step of, when the voice output unit outputs the voice, by the voice input control unit, keeping the voice signal generation unit, for predetermined period after output of the voice, a receivable state in which a voice input is receivable.

Abstract: In a camera apparatus, a camera module has a predetermined field of view, and is configured to capture an image in front of the vehicle via a predetermined wiping area of the windshield of the vehicle. In the camera module, a lens unit includes a plurality of lenses. A barrel is configured to house the lens unit. An imager has an imaging surface, and is arranged with respect to the lens unit such that light passing through the plurality of lenses of the lens unit forms an image on the imaging surface. The imager includes at least part of an exposure controller that controls an exposure of the imaging surface.

Abstract: An information providing method includes: identifying a product in which a viewer expressed interest, by using an input notification; counting the number of viewers who expressed interest in each product, by using a result of the identifying; obtaining an offered price for each product of a product provider, the price corresponding to the number of viewers counted in the counting, and registering the price as product provider information; selecting a product provider that offers the identified product to the viewer, by using product provider information of one or more product providers that wish to provide one or more products; and causing the viewer's terminal apparatus to present the product provider information of the selected product provider and product information of the identified product in an associated manner. In the selecting, the product provider is selected based on the offered price of the identified product and the number of viewers.

Abstract: A usual setting state in accordance with a current in-house state and a device state is selected using an acquired in-house state and a device state from a plurality of setting states classified in advance in accordance with in-house states and device states. When the selected usual setting state and the acquired setting state differ from each other, a first notification that notifies a user of the difference is performed and a state of an information terminal is transitioned to a state where an input for remotely controlling a second device can be accepted.