Abstract: A washer-dryer is provided with a time shift function for performing timer presetting processing on the basis of a time shift computation result which indicates an operation start time suitable for operation. The washer-dryer includes: an input operation unit for allowing a user to perform operations for operating the washer-dryer; a display unit for displaying information relating to the operation of the washer-dryer; and an operation control unit for controlling the operation of the washer-dryer on the basis of the time shift computation result. When a start button on the input operation unit is operated by the user, the operation control unit automatically performs the timer presetting processing on the basis of the time shift computation result and also displays a timer preset time at the display unit.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus control device and an apparatus control method that make it possible to improve convenience for the user. An apparatus control device includes: a time-shift time computation unit that computes a time-shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which an electricity cost billed when an electric apparatus is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined rate, a recomputation determination unit that determines whether or not to change the time-shift time computed by the time-shift time computation unit, and a notification unit that, when determination is made by the recomputation determination unit that the time-shift time is to be changed, notifies the user that the initially computed time-shift time is to be changed.

Abstract: An equipment control device has: a reception unit for receiving desired time information indicating a desired operation start time or a desired operation termination time, operation period information and electrical power information; a time-shift period setting unit for setting a time-shift period indicating a period which has a time range including the desired time information and during which the operation start time or the operation termination time of a household appliance is shiftable; an electrical power charge information acquisition unit for acquiring electrical power charge information; an operation time computing unit for computing the operation start time or the operation termination time, on the basis of which the electricity charge that is billed when the household appliance is operated within the time-shift period falls to or below a predetermined charge; and a transmission unit for transmitting the operation start time or the operation termination time to the household appliance.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) device includes: a contact interface for wired communication with a host; a contactless interface for contactless communication with a reader/writer; a command processing unit that obtains a command from the reader/writer in the contactless communication and process the command, the command instructing a data access; and a memory that holds data. The command processing unit determines a communication mode, and (i) executes the data access instructed in the command between the reader/writer and the memory, when the communication mode is determined as a first communication mode, and (ii) executes the data access instructed in the command between the reader/writer and the host, when the communication mode is determined as a second communication mode.

Abstract: An input accepting unit accepts an input of desired time information showing a desired operation start time or a desired operation end time of a household electrical appliance, a sending unit sends, to a server, the desired time information, and electric power information showing an electric power required for the household electrical appliance to be operated, an electric power charge information acquiring unit acquires electric power charge information showing an electric power charge which changes per hour, an operation time computing unit computes an operation start time or an operation end time of the household electrical appliance based on the desired time information, the electric power information, and the electric power charge information, and an operation control unit starts the operation of the household electrical appliance according to the operation start time or the operation end time.

Abstract: An apparatus control system. apparatus and computer-readable recording medium for enabling different operators to perform apparatus and network settings independently and to easily confirm a setting status. An apparatus setter at least one of a setting on a connection between a water heater and a remote controller, and a test run of the water heater using the remote controller. A network setter performs setting on a connection between the remote controller and a server. A setting status monitoring section monitors an apparatus setting status representing whether or not the setting by the apparatus setter is ended and a network setting status representing whether or not the setting by the network setter is ended. A setting status display controlling section displays the apparatus setting status and the network setting status.

Abstract: An electric power information control unit compares electric power value information relating to a specific electric power amount of an electric power amount of a first storage battery and electric power value information relating to the specific electric power amount of the electric power amount of the second storage battery. When there are electric power information in which the electric power value information relating to the specific electric power amount are different from each other in the first and second storage batteries, the electric power information control unit swaps and stores the electric power value information in the first electric power information storing unit and the second electric power information storing unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are a power control system, a power control method, a power control device and a power control program, which can efficiently supply power to an electric device and charge an electric vehicle. A power control device (16) has: a second communication unit (14) that receives charge information pertaining to charging of an on-board battery (23) from an electric car (2) prior to the arrival of the electric car (2) at a location where power is supplied to the electric car (2); and a control determination unit (11) that determines a power supply start time of supplying power to an electric water heater (1) and a charging start time of charging the on-board battery (23), on the basis of the charge information, such that the supply of power to the electric water heater (1) and the charging of the on-board battery (23) are completed by a predetermined time.

Abstract: A charging system includes a parked car number detecting unit configured, in a case where vehicles parked in a parking area are divided into a first vehicle group owned by an individual and a second vehicle group shared by a plurality of persons, to detect the number of parked cars or a parking rate of the first vehicle group; and a charging control device configured to charge electric vehicles in the first and second vehicle groups. The charging control device includes a priority determining unit configured to determine the priority of which one of the first and second vehicle groups is preferentially charged according to the number of parked cars or the parking rate detected by the parked car number detecting unit; and a charging electric power supplying unit configured to charge the electric vehicles according to the determined priority.

Abstract: A cooking device includes: first and second heating cooking units; a mode setting unit configured to set heating modes of the first and second heating cooking units; a receiving unit; a priority managing unit configured to store priorities which are given to the first heating cooking unit and the second heating cooking unit, respectively; and a power adjusting unit configured to adjust using power of a heating cooking unit to which a lower one of the priorities of the first heating cooking unit and the second heating cooking unit stored in the priority managing unit is given when the receiving unit receives a power adjustment request signal transmitted from a power controlling device. The priorities are different values for each heating mode.

Abstract: A power control device includes a priority setting section capable of setting a use priority of a home appliance connected wirelessly or via cable or an adapter connected to the home appliance. The home appliance or the adaptor connected to the home appliance operates within the usable power of a result of the inquiry to the power control device. When there is no excess in usable power over the required power in the inquiry, the power control device reduces the power of a device having a lower priority than the device which has transmitted the inquiry in order to use the device with the higher priority.

Abstract: The present invention provides a coordinating node in an energy usage control system. The coordinating node receives trade-off functions from energy consuming nodes. The coordinating node and the energy consuming nodes collectively form a domain. A trade-off function from an energy consuming node describes a relationship between a result of energy consumption by the energy consuming node and a degree of satisfaction towards the result. The coordinating node develops policies respectively for the energy consuming nodes, based on the received trade-off functions. The policies each contain at least one goal and/or at least one procedure to guide the respective energy consuming node to control its energy usage such that the energy consuming nodes collectively achieve an optimum energy saving for the domain.

Abstract: The invention provides a communication apparatus used inside a house, a communication system connected thereto, a communication process, and computer program used therefore. The communication apparatus of the present invention connected via a network to one or more terminal appliances in the house, communicates with the outside via two or more different communication configurations including a first communication configuration with a high speed digital transmission technique and a second communication configuration providing service for telephone subscribers. The communication apparatus is characterized in recognizing a situation thereby to disconnect the first communication configuration and to use only the second communication configuration for communication with the outside.

Abstract: An apparatus control system for enabling different operators to perform apparatus setting and network setting independently and efficiently and to easily confirm a setting status, an apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium where an apparatus control program is recorded are disclosed. An apparatus setter (110) performs setting, the setting being at least one of setting on connection between a water heater (102) and a remote controller (103), and test run of the water heater (102) using the remote controller (103). A network setter (111) performs setting on connection between the remote controller (103) and a server (104). A setting status monitoring section (115) monitors an apparatus setting status representing whether or not the setting by the apparatus setter (110) is ended and a network setting status representing whether or not the setting by the network setter (111) is ended.

Abstract: A communication system includes an information terminal apparatus having at least a data collecting portion for collecting appliance information of an appliance, a data processing server apparatus and a communication device which can be communicated with the information terminal apparatus, and first and second communication networks for connection between the information terminal apparatus and the data processing server apparatus. The first communication network is a communication configuration with a high speed digital transmission technique, and the second communication network is another communication configuration providing service for telephone subscribers. The information terminal apparatus communicates the appliance information with the data processing server apparatus through the first communication network, and uses the second communication network for communicating a particular appliance information with the communication device.

Abstract: The invention provides a communication apparatus used inside a house, a communication system connected thereto, a communication process, and computer program used therefor. The communication apparatus of the present invention connected via a network to one or more terminal appliances in the house, communicates with an outside via two or more different communication configurations including a first communication configuration with a high speed digital transmission technique and a second communication configuration providing service for telephone subscribers. The communication apparatus is characterized in recognizing a situation thereby to disconnect the first communication configuration and to use only the second communication configuration for communication with the outside.

Abstract: An insurance descriptions adjusting system for properly setting an insurance premium. The system comprises an insurance descriptions adjusting method and device, a status data acquiring terminal device, an advice responding terminal device, and advice device, an insurance descriptions adjusting program, a status data acquiring program, an advice responding program, an advice program, and a computer-readable recording medium for recording those programs. Insurance descriptions determined based on a status data describing a state of an insured object are adjusted by using a level of enthusiasm shown by an insurance contractor towards the reacquisition of the status data and a level of enthusiasm shown by the insurance contractor in reducing the risk of an insured object. Accordingly, a proper insurance premium is set for an insured object whose future risks are likely to go lower.

Abstract: A cooking appliance performs cooking which is remotely controlled, based on information relating to the object to be heated, as the information is transmitted to the appliance's computer from a management's computer. The cooking appliance can also cook any part of food in the cooking chamber locally.

Abstract: A double side grinding apparatus for thin disklike work comprises a pair of rotatable grinding wheels having opposed circular grinding faces provided by respective end faces and so arranged as to be movable relative to each other axially thereof, and work rotating means for rotating the thin disklike work about its own axis while supporting the work in a grinding position between the grinding faces so that opposite surfaces of the work to be worked on face the respective grinding faces of the pair of the wheels, with an outer periphery of the work intersecting an outer periphery of each grinding face and with the center of the work positioned inwardly of the grinding faces.

Abstract: In a radio receiver apparatus of an orthogonal detection type, a voltage controlled first local oscillator generates a first local oscillation signal, and mixers mix an inputted reception signal with the first local oscillation signal and a 90.degree. shifted signal thereof, respectively, the mixed signals respectively being passed through first and second band-pass filters to obtain desired first intermediate frequency signals. Further, a second local oscillator generates a second local oscillation signal. Further mixers mixes the first intermediate frequency signals from the first and second band-pass filters with the second local oscillation signal and a 90.degree. shifted signal thereof, respectively. Then there is calculated either one of a sum of and a difference between the resulting mixed signals, the calculated signal being passed through a third band-pass filter to obtain a second intermediate frequency signal to be demodulated.