Terminal apparatus, control system, and control method for controlling collaboration among a plurality of devices

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are provided to cause a controlled device and a controlling terminal to operate in collaboration with each other. A server apparatus stores in advance a plurality of sets of collaboration information which causes the controlled device and the controlling terminal to operate in collaboration with each other. The plurality of sets of collaboration information is respectively stored in association with a plurality of controlled apparatuses different from one another in type. When the controlling terminal requests the server apparatus to send the collaboration information designating the type of the controlled device, the server apparatus sends to the controlling terminal the collaboration information corresponding to the type of the controlled device. The controlled device and the controlling terminal operate in collaboration with each other using the collaboration information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control method of controlling a controlled apparatus by way of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
 remote control processing of remotely controlling an operation of the controlled apparatus by sending a signal corresponding to an operation of the mobile terminal to the controlled apparatus; and   arbitrary combining processing of arbitrarily combining a plurality of types of mobile terminals with a plurality of types of controlled apparatuses so as to allow for remote control in the remote control processing in accordance with an arbitrary combination.   
     
     
         2 . The control method according to  1 , further comprising:
 storing in advance pieces of collaboration information indicating contents of different remote control operations that correspond to a plurality of different combinations of the types of the mobile terminals and the types of controlled apparatuses,   wherein the arbitrary combining processing includes controlling so as to perform the remote control processing according to the contents indicated by the pieces of collaboration information stored in advance that correspond to combinations of the types of the mobile terminals and the types of controlled apparatuses which are arbitrarily selected.   
     
     
         3 . The control method according to  1 , wherein the remote control processing includes remotely controlling an operation of the controlled apparatus by sending a signal corresponding to an operation of the mobile terminal to the controlled apparatus via a wireless communication unit that allows for wireless communication between an arbitrary mobile terminal and an arbitrary controlled apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . The control method according to  1 , wherein the arbitrary combining processing includes receiving the collaboration information corresponding to a combination of a type of the mobile terminal designated and a type of the controlled apparatus from among a plurality of the pieces of collaboration information stored at a server apparatus, and
 wherein the remote control in the remote control processing is performed according to contents indicated by the collaboration information having been received.   
     
     
         5 . A control system that controls a controlled apparatus by way of a mobile terminal, the control system comprising:
 a wireless communication unit that allows for wireless communication between a mobile terminal and a controlled apparatus;   a remote control unit that remotely controls an operation of the controlled apparatus by sending a signal corresponding to an operation of the mobile terminal to the controlled apparatus via the wireless communication unit; and   an arbitrary combining unit that arbitrarily combines a plurality of types of mobile terminals with a plurality of types of controlled apparatuses so as to allow for remote control by the remote control unit in accordance with an arbitrary combination.   
     
     
         6 . The control system according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a storage unit that stores in advance pieces of collaboration information indicating contents of different remote control operations that correspond to a plurality of different combinations of the types of the mobile terminals and the types of controlled apparatuses,   wherein the arbitrary combining unit controls so as to perform processing of the remote control according to the contents indicated by the pieces of collaboration information stored in the storage unit that correspond to combinations of the types of the mobile terminals and the types of controlled apparatuses which are arbitrarily selected.   
     
     
         7 . A mobile terminal that controls a controlled apparatus, the mobile terminal comprising:
 a wireless communication unit that allows for wireless communication with the controlled apparatus;   a remote control unit that remotely controls an operation of the controlled apparatus by sending a signal corresponding to an operation of an operation unit to the controlled apparatus via the wireless communication unit;   an arbitrary combining unit that arbitrarily combines a plurality of types of mobile terminals with a plurality of types of controlled apparatuses so as to allow for remote control by the remote control unit in accordance with an arbitrary combination;   a selection unit that selects one of a plurality of types of controlled apparatuses;   an acquisition unit that acquires collaboration information indicating contents of remote control corresponding to a combination of a type of a mobile terminal from among a plurality of types of mobile terminals and a type of the controlled apparatus selected by the selection unit; and   a control unit that controls a controlled apparatus selected by the selection unit according to collaboration information acquired by the acquisition unit.   
     
     
         8 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a wide area communication unit that performs communication with a server apparatus that stores in advance pieces of collaboration information indicating contents of different remote control operations that correspond to a plurality of different combinations of the types of the mobile terminals and the types of controlled apparatuses,   wherein the acquisition unit sends designation information that designates a combination of a type of a mobile terminal and a type of the controlled apparatus selected by the selection unit to the server apparatus and receives the collaboration information sent from the server apparatus in response to the sending.   
     
     
         9 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 7 , wherein the control unit sends a program or data for the controlled apparatus included in the collaboration information having been acquired to the controlled apparatus and controls a controlled apparatus selected by the selection unit by executing the program or data for the mobile terminal included in the collaboration information. 
     
     
         10 . A control method that controls a controlled apparatus by way of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
 selection processing of selecting one of a plurality of types of controlled apparatuses;   acquisition processing of acquiring collaboration information that corresponds to a type of the controlled apparatus selected by the selection processing from a storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of collaboration information including a program or data for the controlled apparatus and a program or data for the mobile terminal, the collaboration information being associated with a plurality of types of the controlled apparatuses therein, and   control processing of sending the program or data for the controlled apparatus included in the collaboration information acquired by the acquisition processing to the controlled apparatus selected by the selection processing, and controlling the controlled apparatus selected by the selection processing according to the program or data for the mobile terminal included in the collaboration information.