Patent Publication Number: US-10326607-B2

Title: Method for controlling information apparatus and computer-readable recording medium

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2013/007671, filed Dec. 27, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 61/766,912, filed Feb. 20, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling an information apparatus and a computer-readable recording medium. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Technologies for remotely monitoring or remotely controlling one or more target devices using one remote controller are proposed. 
     Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for remotely operating one or more target devices from a monitor of a television set. Specifically, icons for the one or more target devices are displayed on the right side of a monitor screen. When a desired one of the icons is selected (i), a floor plan is displayed on the left side of the monitor screen (ii). When a pointer is moved to the location of installation of a target device desired to be operated in the floor plan (iii), an operation screen for the target device selected by moving the pointer is displayed on the monitor screen (iv) (paragraphs [0138] to [0140] and  FIGS. 25A and 25B ). 
     Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for controlling one or more target devices using a single remote controller. Specifically, a floor plan of each room and the condition within the room are displayed on a liquid crystal monitor of the remote controller. For example, the liquid crystal monitor displays a illumination mark displayed in the case where an illumination device of a certain room is turned on, a room temperature mark that indicates the current temperature of a certain room, a lock mark in the shape of a hatched window displayed in the case where a window of a certain room is locked, a device/facility mark that indicates the status or the like of a control target object, a mark that indicates the amount of hot water in the case where the control target is a bath, and so forth (paragraphs [0037] to [0041] and  FIG. 6 ). 
     Patent Document 3 relates to a technology for remotely controlling and remotely monitoring open/close operation and the state of an electric building material (such as a hallway door or a skylight). Specifically, a monitor screen of a personal computer displays floor plans for first and second floors of a property, a picture of the electric building material (such as a hallway door or a skylight) and a state display icon that indicates the open/close state of the electric building material are displayed at the corresponding position on the floor plans. When the state display icon is selected, an operation screen for the selected electric building material is displayed in another window. The operation screen includes an open operation button, a close operation button, an operation monitor screen, and a button for hiding the operation screen (paragraph [0025] and  FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 ). 
     Patent Document 4 discloses a user interface including a floor plan and an icon. Examples of the icon include an icon representing a receptacle, an icon representing a digital image frame, and an icon representing an illumination device ( FIGS. 7 and 8B ). 
     However, Patent Documents 1 to 5 described above need a further improvement. 
     Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-104567 
     Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-138979 
     Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-213107 
     Patent Document 4: U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,223 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one general aspect, the techniques disclosed here feature a method for controlling an information apparatus, the information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network, 
     the method causing a computer of the information apparatus to: 
     display on the display, a display screen representing a floor plan of one floor including at least two or more rooms; 
     display each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices in a region of each room included in the floor plan represented by the display screen, each device icon being initially displayed within the region of each room included in the floor plan, the one or more target devices including a specific target device that stores a set content when power has been previously turned off; and 
     when selection of the device icon that represents the specific target device among the one or more target devices is sensed in any region of the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan, and selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed, output to the network an on-off control command for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     According to the aspect described above, it is possible to embody a further improvement. These general and specific aspects may be implemented using a system, a method, and a computer program, and any combination of systems, methods, and computer programs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a home control system to which a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing main devices to be controlled by the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the home controller, a device, and a server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing a configuration example of the form of implementation of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an example of a floor plan according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing an example of the floor plan including arrangement information for device icons as texts according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing an example of the floor plan including arrangement information for device icons as images according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing an example of the floor plan including arrangement information for device icons as images according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing an example of transition between a first floor display state and a second floor display state of the basic screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram showing the configuration of the display state of a device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram showing a device icon arrangement example of the display state of the device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram showing the configuration of the display state of a device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram showing a device icon arrangement example of the display state of the device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram showing a device icon arrangement example of the display state of the device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram showing a device icon arrangement example of the display state of the device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 17  A and B are diagrams showing a configuration example of the display state of the device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 18  is a diagram showing an example of transition between the basic screen of the home controller and the display state of the device control screen according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 19  is a diagram showing an example of transition between the second floor display state of the basic screen of the home controller and the display state of the device control screen for the second floor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 20  is a diagram showing an example of transition from the display state of the device control screen of a certain device to the display state of the device control screen of another device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 21  is a diagram showing an example of transition between the display state and the hidden state of the device control screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 22  is a diagram showing an example of an animation for transition from the basic screen of the home controller to the display state of the device control screen according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 23  is a diagram showing an example of an animation for transition from the basic screen of the home controller to the display state of the device control screen according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 24  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device icon list display screen of the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 25  is a diagram showing an example of transition between the basic screen of the home controller and the device icon list display screen according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 26  is a diagram showing an example of transition between the device icon list display screen of the home controller and the display state of the device control screen according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 27  is a diagram showing an example of transition between the basic screen of the home controller and the display state of the device control screen according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 28  is a diagram showing how the home controller successively transitions among the display states of the device control screens for different devices according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 29  is a diagram showing an example of display on the basic screen of devices that cannot be detected on a network according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 30  is a diagram showing the configuration of home information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 31  is a diagram showing the configuration of vertex information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 32  is a diagram showing the configuration of room information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 33  is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the vertex information and the floor plan for the first floor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 34  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list managed by the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 35  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list managed by the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 36  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to acquire the home information from the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 37  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to detect a device on a network when the home controller is connected to the network according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 38  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to detect a device on a network when the device is connected to the network according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 39A  is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for the home controller to control a device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 39B  is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for the home controller to control a device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 40  is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for the home controller to generate a control command for a device in accordance with the content of a contact by a contacting object according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 41  is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for the home controller to transmit a control command according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 42  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to directly control a device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 43  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to control a device by way of the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 44  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to acquire the state of a device from the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 45  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to directly control devices in the case where the home controller controls a plurality of devices with one operation according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 46  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to control devices by way of the server in the case where the home controller controls a plurality of devices with one operation according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 47  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller to control devices by way of the server in the case where the home controller controls a plurality of devices with one operation according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 48  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for a case where a device icon is moved in the home controller according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 49  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for updating the device lists of the home controller and the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 50  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for updating the device lists of the home controller and the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 51  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for updating the device lists of the home controller and the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 52  is a diagram showing a floor plan in another pattern according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 53  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen that adopts the floor plan shown in  FIG. 52 . 
         FIG. 54  is a diagram showing the display state of a device control screen for a case where the floor plan shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. 
         FIG. 55  is a diagram illustrating transition between the display state of the basic screen and the display state of the device control screen. 
         FIG. 56  is a diagram showing the configuration of a floor plan in which the size of each room is varied in accordance with the actual room size in the floor plan shown in  FIG. 52 . 
         FIG. 57  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen that adopts the floor plan shown in  FIG. 56 . 
         FIG. 58  is a diagram showing the display state of a device control screen for a case where the floor plan shown in  FIG. 56  is adopted as the floor plan. 
         FIG. 59  is a diagram showing a floor plan in still another pattern according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 60  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen that adopts the floor plan shown in  FIG. 59 . 
         FIG. 61  is a diagram showing the display state of a device control screen for a case where the floor plan shown in  FIG. 59  is adopted. 
         FIG. 62  is a diagram showing a floor plan displayed on a display in the case where a user performs a pinch-out operation on a room in the floor plan shown in  FIG. 59 . 
         FIG. 63  is a diagram showing the display state of a device control screen in the floor plan displayed as enlarged shown in  FIG. 62 . 
         FIG. 64  is a diagram showing screen transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen. 
         FIG. 65  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen which adopts the floor plan shown in  FIG. 59  and in which device icons are not displayed. 
         FIG. 66  is a diagram showing screen transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen for a case where the basic screen in which device icons are not displayed is adopted. 
         FIG. 67  is a diagram showing the configuration of the home information for a case where the floor plan shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. 
         FIG. 68  is a diagram showing the configuration of room information shown in  FIG. 67 . 
         FIG. 69  is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the display position in the room information shown in  FIG. 67  and the floor plan. 
         FIG. 70  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list managed by the server for a case where the floor plan shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. 
         FIG. 71  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list managed by the home controller for a case where the floor plan shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. 
         FIG. 72  is a diagram showing an example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 73  is a diagram showing an example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 74  is a diagram showing an example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 75  is a diagram showing an example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 76  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 77  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 78  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 79  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 80  is a diagram showing a basic screen that is displayed on a display of a home controller when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 81  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 82  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 83  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 84  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 85  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 86  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the control screen of an air conditioner shown in  FIG. 85  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 87  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the control screen of an air conditioner shown in  FIG. 85  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 88  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the control screen of an air conditioner shown in  FIG. 85  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 89  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 90  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 91  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 92  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 93  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 94  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 95  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 96  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 97  is a diagram showing an example where a detail control screen is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 98  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display that displays a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 99  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display that displays a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 100  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display that displays a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 101  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner displaying a detail setting button when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 102  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner displaying a detail setting button when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 103  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner displaying a detail setting button when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 104  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 105  is a diagram showing an example of transition that differs from  FIG. 104  of a display screen of a display of a home controller when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 106  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that displays a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 107  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that displays a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 108  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that displays a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 109  is a diagram showing yet another example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 110  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller including another display example of a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 111  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller including another display example of a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 112  is a diagram showing yet another example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 113  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner including another display example of a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 114  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner including another display example of a detail setting button according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 115  is a diagram showing yet another example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 116  is a diagram showing an example of transition that differs from  FIG. 115  of a display screen of a display when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 117  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner including another display example of a detail control screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 118  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner including another display example of a detail control screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 119  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner including another display example of a detail control screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 120  is a diagram showing yet another example of transition of a display screen of a display when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 121  is a diagram showing a control screen of an air conditioner including another display example of a detail control screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 122  is a diagram showing another example of arrangement of a device icon used in common of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 123  is a diagram showing an example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 124  is a diagram showing an example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 125  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 126  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on a display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 127  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 126  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 128  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 129  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 130  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 129  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 131  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on a display of a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 132  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 131  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 133  is a diagram showing another example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 131  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 134  is a diagram showing another example of transition of a display screen of a display including the display screen shown in  FIG. 131  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 135  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of a television set when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 136  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of a television set when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 137  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of a television set when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 138  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of a display including the control screen of a television set shown in  FIGS. 135 to 137  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 139  is a diagram showing another example of transition of a display screen of a display when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 140  is a diagram showing yet another example of transition of a display screen of a display when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 141  is a diagram showing another example of arrangement of a device icon used in common of a television set according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 142  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 143  is a diagram showing yet another example of a detail control screen of a room that is displayed on a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 144A  is a diagram showing a configuration example that differs from  FIG. 34  of a device list that is managed by a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 144B  is a diagram showing a configuration example that differs from  FIG. 35  of a device list that is managed by a home controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 145A  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 145B  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 146A  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 146B  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 147  is a flow chart showing a flow of a process by which the home controller generates a control command of a specific target device in accordance with a content of a contact made by a contacting object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 148A  is a flow chart showing an example of a display control flow in S 12311  shown in  FIG. 147  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 148B  is a flow chart showing an example that differs from  FIG. 148A  of a display control flow in S 12311  shown in  FIG. 147  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 148C  is a flow chart showing an example that differs from  FIGS. 148A and 148B  of a display control flow in S 12311  shown in  FIG. 147  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 148D  is a flow chart showing an example that differs from  FIGS. 148A, 148B, and 148C  of a display control flow in S 12311  shown in  FIG. 147  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 149  is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process by which a home controller acquires a state of a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 150  is a sequence diagram showing another example of a process by which a home controller acquires a state of a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 151  is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process by which a home controller acquires a state of a specific target device from a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 152  is a sequence diagram showing another example of a process by which a home controller acquires a state of a specific target device from a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 153  is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process by which a home controller acquires a device state from a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 154  is a sequence diagram showing another example of a process by which a home controller acquires a device state from a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 155A  is a flow chart showing a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 155B  is a flow chart showing a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 156A  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 156B  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 156C  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 157A  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 157B  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 158A  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 158B  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 158C  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls a specific target device when a device icon is used in common. 
         FIG. 159A  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls an air conditioner as an example of a specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 159B  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 159C  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 160  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 161  is a flow chart showing a flow of a process by which a home controller generates a control command of an air conditioner as a specific target device in accordance with a content of a contact made by a contacting object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 162  is a flow chart showing an example of a display control flow in S 16111  shown in  FIG. 161  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 163  is a flow chart showing another example of the display control flow in S 16111  shown in  FIG. 161  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 164  is a flow chart showing yet another example of the display control flow in S 16111  shown in  FIG. 161  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 165  is a flow chart showing yet another example of the display control flow in S 16111  shown in  FIG. 161  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 166A  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 166B  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 166C  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 166D  is a flow chart showing an example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 167  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 168  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 169  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which a home controller controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when a device icon is used in common according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     (Story Before Inventing Aspect According to Present Disclosure) 
     First, the point of view of an aspect according to the present disclosure will be described. 
     In Patent Document 1 described above, icons for one or more target devices are displayed on the right side of a monitor screen, and a floor plan is displayed on the left side of the monitor screen. That is, the icons for the one or more target devices and the floor plan are displayed separately from each other, and the icons for the one or more target devices are not movable. Therefore, the location of installation of a target device desired to be operated in the floor plan is designated by moving a pointer. Then, an operation screen is displayed. 
     In Patent Document 1 described above, because of the configuration described above, the number of operation steps to be taken to operate a desired target device is large, from (i) to (iv) described above. Therefore, when one or more target devices are remotely monitored or remotely controlled using one remote controller, the operation steps (i) to (iv) described above are required to operate each target device, which complicates operation. This requires a larger number of process steps to be taken by an information terminal before a desired target device among the one or more target devices is operated simply because remote controllers for the one or more target devices are integrated into one, which requires a larger number of process operations to be performed by a user. 
     Patent Document 2 described above describes only displaying the state of each target device, and does not describe at all remotely controlling operation of each target device. Therefore, although the one or more target devices can be remotely monitored using one remote controller, the one or more target devices cannot be controlled. 
     In Patent Document 3 described above, open/close operation and the state of an electric building material (such as a hallway door or a skylight) are remotely controlled and remotely monitored using a personal computer. Also in Patent Document 3 described above, however, an operation is performed with an operation screen displayed. Thus, the number of steps to be taken to operate a desired target device is accordingly increased. Therefore, in remotely monitoring or remotely controlling one or more target devices using one remote controller, a larger number of process steps are required to be taken by an information terminal before the desired target device is operated, compared to a case where individual remote controllers are used for the one or more target devices, because remote controllers for the one or more target devices are integrated into one, which requires a larger number of process operations to be performed by a user. 
     In Patent Document 4 described above, as in Patent Document 3 described above, an operation screen for operating and confirming the state of an illumination device is separately provided ( FIG. 8B ). Thus, the number of steps to be taken to operate a desired target device is increased because of operations for causing the operation screen to display and performing an operation on the operation screen. Therefore, in remotely monitoring or remotely controlling one or more target devices using one remote controller, a larger number of process steps are required to be taken by an information terminal before the desired target device is operated, compared to a case where individual remote controllers are used for the one or more target devices, because remote controllers for the one or more target devices are integrated into one, which requires a larger number of process operations to be performed by a user. 
     Based on the considerations described above, the inventors have conceived various aspects of the present disclosure to be described below. 
     An aspect of the present disclosure is 
     a method for controlling an information apparatus, the information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network, 
     the method causing a computer of the information apparatus to: 
     display on the display, a display screen representing a floor plan of one floor including at least two or more rooms; 
     display each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices in a region of each room included in the floor plan represented by the display screen, each device icon being initially displayed within the region of each room included in the floor plan, the one or more target devices including a specific target device that stores a set content when power has been previously turned off; and 
     when selection of the device icon that represents the specific target device among the one or more target devices is sensed in any region of the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan, and selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed, output to the network an on-off control command for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     In this case, when selection of a device icon representing a specific target device among the one or more target devices is sensed and selection of any region corresponding to a given room in the floor plan is sensed, an on-off control command for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device provided in a region corresponding to the given room is output to the network. In this case, the specific target device refers to a specific target device that stores a set content when power has been previously turned off. Examples of the specific target device include an air conditioner which, when turned on, operates according to a set content (for example, a set temperature, an operation mode, or an air flow amount) set at the time power has been previously turned off and a television receiver which, when turned on, operates according to a set content (for example, a channel or a volume) set at the time power has been previously turned off. 
     In other words, as an operation screen for performing operations involving turning on or off the specific target device provided in a region corresponding to the given room, the floor plan is used instead of providing a separate operation screen. Therefore, selection of a device icon representing the specific target device among the one or more target devices in any region of the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan is sensed, and selection of any region in a room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed. This operation alone enables on-off states of the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed to be controlled without displaying an operation screen for operating the on-off states of the specific target device. 
     Therefore, one or more steps that are performed until the operation screen is displayed separately from the floor plan as required in Patent Literature 1, Patent Literature 3, and Patent Literature 4 can be eliminated and the number of process steps in the information apparatus or the number of operations performed by the user can be reduced. As a result, both the number of process steps in the information apparatus and the number of operations performed by the user when remote controllers of one or more target devices are consolidated into one can be reduced and the period of time until a user operates a desired specific target device can be reduced. 
     In addition, as described above, the floor plan itself is used as an operation screen to operate on-off states of the specific target device provided in a region corresponding to the given room. Therefore, instead of simply using the display of a floor plan to display an operation state of the specific target device as is the case of Patent Literature 2, the display of a floor plan can also be utilized to remotely control the specific target device. 
     Furthermore, the inside of a region of each room that is included in the floor plan is set as an initial position of display of the device icon. Therefore, it is easy to recognize which target device in which room the device icon corresponds to. Furthermore, due to sensing of selection of a device icon representing the specific target device in any region of at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan, the specific target device included in the room in which the device icon has been selected is recognized as a control target. Subsequently, due to sensing of selection of any region in a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to the room is controlled. Therefore, the on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to the room can be readily controlled by a simple operation of selecting any region in a room that is a control target. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, in a case where two or more specific target devices are installed in at least one room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan, when one selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed in any region in the room in which two or more specific target devices are installed, and selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed, a control command may be output to the network as the on-off control command, the control command controlling an on-off state of power of the two or more specific target devices corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     For example, in a case of a large room, there may be two or more specific target devices installed in the room. In this case, for example, an on-off state of power of the two or more specific target devices may be controlled upon sensing of selection of the device icon in any region in the room in which two or more specific target devices are installed. Accordingly, the specific target device can be controlled on a per room basis instead of a per device basis. Therefore, collective processing can be realized. Furthermore, the number of device icons to be displayed on the display screen with a limited display region can be reduced. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, in a case where two or more specific target devices are installed in at least one room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan, when one selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed in any region in the room in which two or more specific target devices are installed, and selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed, each control command may be output in a unit of each of the two or more specific target devices to the network as the on-off control command, each control command controlling an on-off state of power of each of the two or more specific target devices corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     Even in this case, the specific target device can be controlled on a per room basis instead of a per device basis. Therefore, collective processing can be realized. Furthermore, the number of device icons to be displayed on the display screen with a limited display region can be reduced. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed, each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices may be moved outside of a region corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed. 
     In this case, a device icon representing each of the one or more target devices is no longer displayed in a region corresponding to the room in which selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed. Therefore, a region corresponding to a room that is a control target can be prevented from being hidden by the device icon and a misoperation by the user can be prevented. Accordingly, any region in a room in which selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed can be freely selected without being obstructed by the presence of display of a device icon representing each of the one or more target devices. As a result, even in a case where remote controllers of one or more target devices are consolidated into one, the presence of a device icon for controlling another target device can be prevented from obstructing control of on-off state of the specific target device. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed, each device icon representing each of the one or more target devices may be moved outside of the floor plan represented in the display screen. 
     In this case, a device icon representing each of the one or more target devices is no longer displayed at least in a region corresponding to the room in which selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed. Therefore, a region corresponding to the room that is a control target is freed. Accordingly, any region in a room in which selection of a device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed can be freely selected without being obstructed by the presence of display of a device icon representing each of the one or more target devices. As a result, even in a case where remote controllers of one or more target devices are consolidated into one, the presence of a device icon for controlling another target device can be prevented from obstructing control of on-off state of the specific target device. 
     Furthermore, due to display control which causes a device icon representing each of the one or more target devices to be moved out, display resources that are already being displayed is effectively utilized without displaying another display screen, and it is possible to show that a display screen representing the floor plan is in an operable state. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the specific target device is turned on, a region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed, may be displayed with brightness not lower than specified brightness. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the specific target device is turned off, the region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed, may be displayed with brightness lower than the specified brightness. 
     In these cases, the floor plan itself doubles as a screen for displaying an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device. Therefore, a separate display screen is not used as a screen for displaying an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device. Accordingly, one or more steps that are performed until a screen for state display is displayed separately from the floor plan as required in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 3 can be eliminated and the number of process steps in the information apparatus or the number of operations performed by the user can be reduced. 
     In addition, a region corresponding to a room in which the selection has been sensed on the display screen is displayed brightly and/or darkly. Therefore, the floor plan that is already being displayed can be used to notify in which room the specific target device that is the control target is arranged. As a result, when the device icon is used in common by a plurality of rooms, a misoperation in which the user operates a specific target device of a different room by mistake can be prevented. 
     In addition, the floor plan itself is used not only to operate on-off states of a specific target device corresponding to the room in which the selection has been sensed but also to display an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device. Therefore, a same region that is already displayed can be used to confirm an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device in addition to remotely operating the specific target device. As a result, both a remote operation screen for the specific target device and a confirmation screen of an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device can be provided by effectively utilizing display resources. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the specific target device is turned on, display stating that the power of the specific target device is turned on may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the specific target device is turned off, display stating that the power of the specific target device is turned off may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device has been sensed. 
     In these cases, the floor plan itself is utilized as a screen for displaying an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device. Therefore, a separate display screen is not used as a screen for displaying that a specific target device installed in a given room is in either an on state or an off state. Accordingly, one or more steps that are performed until a screen for state display is displayed separately from the floor plan as required in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 3 can be eliminated and the number of process steps in the information apparatus or the number of operations performed by the user can be reduced. 
     Furthermore, display stating that the power of the specific target device has been turned on or off is provided in a region corresponding to a room in which the selection has been sensed on the display screen. Therefore, the floor plan that is already being displayed can be used to notify in which room the specific target device that is the control target is arranged. As a result, when the device icon is used in common by a plurality of rooms, a misoperation in which the user operates a specific target device of a different room by mistake can be prevented. 
     In addition, the floor plan itself is used not only to operate on-off state of a specific target device corresponding to the room in which the selection has been sensed but also to display an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device. Therefore, a same region that is already displayed can be used to confirm an operation state of an on-off of the specific target device in addition to remotely operating the specific target device. As a result, both a remote operation screen for the specific target device and a confirmation screen of an on-off operation of the specific target device can be provided by effectively utilizing display resources. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed, an operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, may be displayed on the display screen. 
     In this case, an operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device does not simply signify a pre-procedure for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. An operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device also doubles as an operation for causing an operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed to be displayed on the display screen. 
     Therefore, the operation screen is displayed even if an operation for displaying an operation screen for the specific target device is not separately performed. Accordingly, for operations other then turning the specific target device on or off, the specific target device can be operated based on the operation screen if so required. 
     As a result, an on-off state of power of the specific target device can be operated in a simple manner using a display screen representing the floor plan. In addition, other operations of the specific target device can be performed based on the operation screen without having to request the user to perform a separate operation for causing the operation screen to be displayed. 
     In addition, in the present aspect, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen regardless of whether the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an on state or an off state. Therefore, an operation of the specific target device by the operation screen is enabled regardless of whether the specific target device is in an on state or an off state. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the specific target device is switched to an off state by sensing the selection of any region in the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, in a case where the operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is displayed on the display screen, the operation screen may be continued to be displayed. 
     In this case, even if power of the specific target device is turned off, the operation screen remains displayed on the display screen. Therefore, a state exists where a set content at the time power had previously been turned off is displayed. This makes it easier to confirm the set content at the time power had previously been turned off when power is once again turned on and the specific target device is operated. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed and the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is in an on state, an operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, may be displayed on the display screen. 
     In this case, an operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device does not simply signify a pre-procedure for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. An operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device also doubles as an operation for causing an operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed to be displayed on the display screen. 
     Therefore, since an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed even if an operation for causing the operation screen to be displayed is not separately performed, operations other than those involving turning on-off the specific target device can be performed based on the operation screen when necessary. 
     As a result, an on-off state of power of the specific target device can be operated in a simple manner using the display screen representing the floor plan and, at the same time, other operations of the specific target device can be performed based on the operation screen without having to request the user to perform a separate operation for displaying the operation screen. 
     In addition, in the present aspect, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen when the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an on state. In other words, even if a device icon representing the specific target device is selected, when the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an off state, an operation screen for the specific target device is not displayed on the display screen. 
     When the specific target device is in an off state, even if an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed, the specific target device cannot be operated by an operation based on the operation screen unless the specific target device is switched to an on state. In consideration thereof, in the present aspect, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen when the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an on state. Accordingly, when the specific target device is operated by an operation based on the operation screen, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen. 
     The operation screen for the specific target device occupies a large display area on the display screen. However, in the present aspect, when the specific target device is in an on state due to an operation based on the operation screen, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen. Accordingly, a limited display region of the display screen can be efficiently utilized. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the specific target device is switched to an off state by sensing the selection of any region in the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, in a case where the operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is displayed on the display screen, the displayed operation screen may be erased from the display screen. 
     When the specific target device is in an off state, even if an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed, the specific target device cannot be operated by an operation based on the operation screen. In consideration thereof, in the present aspect, when the specific target device is switched to an off state, the displayed operation screen is erased from the display screen. The operation screen for the specific target device occupies a large display area on the display screen. However, in the present aspect, when the specific target device is switched to an off state, the display of the operation screen for the specific target device is erased from the display screen. Accordingly, a limited display region of the display screen can be efficiently utilized. 
     In addition, when power of the specific target device is turned off, the displayed operation screen is also erased from the display screen. Therefore, the user is not requested to perform a separate operation in order to erase the display of the operation screen. Therefore, the number of operations for erasing the display of the operation screen can be reduced. Furthermore, when the power of the specific target device is turned off, the operation screen generally becomes unnecessary. Therefore, by erasing the display of the operation screen in conjunction with the power of the specific target device being turned off, an operation load required to erase the operation screen can be reduced in addition to turning off the power. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the displayed operation screen is erased from the display screen, status information regarding the specific target device may be displayed on the display screen. 
     For example, when the displayed operation screen is erased from the display screen, in the room on the display screen in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, there is no longer display regarding the specific target device corresponding to the room. In consideration thereof, in the present aspect, for example, status information regarding the specific target device is displayed on the display screen. Accordingly, the user can determine whether an operation screen for the specific target device is hidden because the specific target device is in an off state or a state exists to begin with where the device icon is not selected. Therefore, a misoperation by the user can be prevented. In addition, a misunderstanding by the user that an operation screen for the specific target device has been erased due to a malfunction can be avoided. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed, a display button may be displayed on the display screen, the display button causing an operation screen for the specific target device to be displayed on the display screen, the specific target device corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     In this case, an operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device does not simply signify a pre-procedure for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. An operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device also doubles as an operation for causing a display button that causes to be displayed an operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed to be displayed on the display screen. 
     Therefore, for operations other than those involving turning the specific target device on-off, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed by selecting the display button when necessary. For example, there may be cases where the user only desires to perform an operation for turning on-off the power of the specific target device. On the other hand, a display area of the operation screen is relatively large. Therefore, uniformly displaying the operation screen may sometimes obstruct a next operation using a display screen representing the floor plan due to the operation screen being displayed. According to the present aspect, the operation screen is displayed by selecting the display button when necessary. Therefore, when an operation using the operation screen is unnecessary, the operation screen can be hidden. 
     As a result, the operation screen is no longer uniformly displayed. Therefore, when the operation screen is not displayed, a next operation using a display screen representing the floor plan can be performed without having to perform an operation for erasing the displayed operation screen. 
     In addition, in the present aspect, a display button for displaying an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen regardless of whether the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an on state or an off state. Therefore, an operation of the specific target device is enabled by selecting the display button and causing the operation screen to be displayed regardless of whether the specific target device is in an on state or an off state. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of the device icon representing the specific target device is sensed and the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is in an on state, a display button may be displayed on the display screen, the display button causing an operation screen for the specific target device to be displayed on the display screen, the specific target device corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     In this case, an operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device does not simply signify a pre-procedure for controlling an on-off state of power of the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. An operation involving selecting a device icon representing the specific target device also doubles as an operation for causing a display button that causes to be displayed an operation screen for the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed to be displayed on the display screen. 
     Therefore, for operations other than those involving turning the specific target device on-off, an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed by selecting the display button when necessary. For example, there may be cases where the user only desires to perform an operation for turning on-off the power of the specific target device. On the other hand, a display area of the operation screen is relatively large. Therefore, uniformly displaying the operation screen may sometimes obstruct a next operation using a display screen representing the floor plan due to the operation screen being displayed. According to the present aspect, the operation screen is displayed by selecting the display button when necessary. Therefore, when an operation using the operation screen is unnecessary, the operation screen can be hidden. 
     As a result, the operation screen is no longer uniformly displayed. Therefore, when the operation screen is not displayed, a next operation using a display screen representing the floor plan can be performed without having to perform an operation for erasing display of the operation screen. 
     In addition, in the present aspect, a display button for displaying an operation screen for the specific target device is displayed on the display screen when the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an on state. In other words, even if a device icon representing the specific target device is selected, when the specific target device corresponding to a room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed is in an off state, the display button corresponding to the specific target device is not displayed on the display screen. 
     Therefore, when the specific target device is in an on state, the user can proceed to a next operation by displaying the operation screen based on the display button. On the other hand, when the specific target device is in an off state, unless the specific target device corresponding to a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed is switched to an on state, the display button is not displayed and the user cannot proceed to a next operation by displaying the operation screen based on the display button. For example, when a display area of a room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed on the display screen is small, by hiding the display button in a region corresponding to the room, a display area of the region corresponding to the room can be prevented from being occupied by display of the display button. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, the display button may be displayed within any region of the room in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed. 
     In this case, the display button is displayed within any region of the room in which selection of the device icon has been sensed. Therefore, the user can be prevented from mistakenly recognizing a correspondence between the display button and a display button of a specific target device corresponding to a room. As a result, a misoperation where an operation screen for a specific target device corresponding to another room is displayed by mistake can be prevented. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when selection of the display button is sensed, the operation screen for the specific target device may be displayed. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed in a case where the power of the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is turned on, a control command may be output as the on-off control command and the displayed operation screen may be erased from the display screen, the control command being used for turning the power of the specific target device off. 
     In this case, when power of the specific target device is turned off, the displayed operation screen is also erased from the display screen. Therefore, the user is not requested to perform a separate operation in order to erase the display of the operation screen. Accordingly, the number of operations for erasing the display of the operation screen can be reduced. Furthermore, when the power of the specific target device is turned off, the operation screen generally becomes unnecessary. Therefore, by erasing the display of the operation screen in conjunction with the power of the specific target device being turned off, an operation load required to erase the operation screen can be reduced in addition to turning off the power. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed in a case where the power of the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is turned on, the display button may be continued to be displayed on the display screen. 
     In this case, even if power of the specific target device is turned off, the display button remains displayed on the display screen. In other words, the display button has a small display area compared to the operation screen. Therefore, even if the display button remains displayed, a degree of the display button occupying the display screen is small. As a result, there is only a small possibility of the display button obstructing other operations when the display button remains displayed. In addition, when restarting the operation of the specific target device, the operation screen can be displayed once again by simply selecting the display button that has remained displayed. Accordingly, the number of operations by the user when restarting an operation can be reduced. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when selection of the display button is sensed in a state where the display button is continued to be displayed on the display screen, the operation screen may be displayed. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is sensed, in a case where the power of the specific target device corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, is turned on, the displayed display button may be erased from the display screen. 
     In this case, when power of the specific target device is turned off, the displayed display button is also erased from the display screen. Therefore, the user is not requested to perform a separate operation in order to erase the display of the display button. As a result, the number of operations for erasing the display of the display button can be reduced. Furthermore, when the power of the specific target device is turned off, an operation for displaying the operation screen using the display button generally becomes unnecessary. Therefore, by erasing the display of the display button in conjunction with the power of the specific target device being turned off, an operation load required to erase the display button can be reduced in addition to turning off the power. 
     In the aspect described above, for example, when the displayed display button is erased from the display screen, status information regarding the specific target device may be displayed on the display screen. 
     For example, when the displayed display button is erased from the display screen, in the room on the display screen in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, there is no longer display regarding the specific target device corresponding to the room. In consideration thereof, in the present aspect, for example, status information regarding the specific target device is displayed on the display screen. 
     Accordingly, the user can determine whether the display button corresponding to the specific target device is hidden because the specific target device is in an off state or a state exists to begin with where the device icon is not selected. Therefore, a misoperation by the user can be prevented. In addition, a misunderstanding by the user that the display button corresponding to the specific target device has been erased due to a malfunction can be avoided. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, the display may comprise a touch panel display, and sensing of the selection of the device icon or sensing of the selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, may be performed by sensing a contact to the touch panel display. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, sensing of the selection of the device icon or sensing of the selection of any region in the room, in which the selection of the device icon has been sensed, may be performed by sensing a click of a mouse pointer. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when selection of a device icon representing a target device other than the specific target device among the one or more target devices is sensed, a control screen may be displayed on the display screen representing the floor plan, the control screen being used either for operation or for state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected device icon. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, the specific target device may include an air conditioner. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner is set to a heater mode when the power is turned on, a region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed, may be displayed using a warm color. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner is set to a cooler mode when the power is turned on, a region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed, may be displayed using a cold color. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, the region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed, may be displayed with brightness lower than specified brightness. 
     In these cases, the floor plan itself doubles as a screen for displaying a state of an on-off of the air conditioner and a screen for displaying an operation mode thereof. Therefore, separate display screens need not be respectively prepared as a screen for displaying a state of an on-off of the air conditioner and a screen for displaying an operation mode. Accordingly, one or more steps that are performed until a screen for state display is displayed separately from the floor plan as required in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 3 can be eliminated and the number of process steps in the information apparatus or the number of operations performed by the user can be reduced. 
     In addition, a region on the display screen corresponding to a room in which the selection has been sensed is displayed using a warm color when the operation mode is set to heater or displayed using a cold color when the operation mode is set to cooler. Therefore, in addition to in which room the air conditioner has been switched to an on state, it can also be shown whether the air conditioner is operating as a heater or a cooler in the room. As a result, when the device icon is used in common by a plurality of rooms, a misoperation in which the user operates an air conditioner of a different room by mistake can be prevented. In addition, whether or not the air conditioner is operating in an operation mode intended by the user can be confirmed. Accordingly, a misoperation involving the setting of an operation mode can be prevented. 
     Furthermore, the floor plan itself is used not only to operate an on-off state of an air conditioner corresponding to the room in which the selection has been sensed but also to display an operation state of an on-off of the air conditioner. In addition, whether the air conditioner is operating as a heater or a cooler is shown. Therefore, a same region that is already displayed can be used to confirm an operation state of an on-off of the air conditioner as well as to confirm an operation mode in addition to remotely operating the air conditioner. As a result, a remote operation screen for the air conditioner, a confirmation screen of an operation state of an on-off of the air conditioner, and a confirmation screen of an operation mode of the air conditioner can be provided by effectively utilizing display resources. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner is set to a heater mode when the power is turned on, display stating that the air conditioner operates as a heater may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner is set to a cooler mode when the power is turned on, display stating that the air conditioner operates as a cooler may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, display stating that the power of the air conditioner has been turned off may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on, a set content of the air conditioner when the power of the air conditioner is turned on may be acquired from the air conditioner. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, an information management system may be connected to the network and may manage log information regarding the air conditioner, and when the power of the air conditioner is turned on, a set content of the air conditioner when the power of the air conditioner is turned on may be acquired from the information management system. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner has been set to a heater mode when the power of the air conditioner has been previously turned off, a region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed, may be displayed using a warm color. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner has been set to a cooler mode when the power of the air conditioner has been previously turned off, a region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed, may be displayed using a cold color. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, the region on the display screen corresponding to the room, in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed, may be displayed with brightness lower than specified brightness. 
     In these cases, the floor plan itself doubles as a screen for displaying a state of an on-off of the air conditioner and a screen for displaying an operation mode thereof. Therefore, separate display screens need not be respectively prepared as a screen for displaying a state of an on-off of the air conditioner and a screen for displaying an operation mode. Accordingly, one or more steps that are performed until a screen for state display is displayed separately from the floor plan as required in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 3 can be eliminated and the number of process steps in the information apparatus or the number of operations performed by the user can be reduced. 
     In addition, a region on the display screen corresponding to a room in which the selection has been sensed is displayed using a warm color when the operation mode is set to heater or displayed using a cold color when the operation mode is set to cooler. Therefore, in addition to in which room the air conditioner has been switched to an on state, it can also be shown whether the air conditioner is operating as a heater or a cooler in the room. As a result, when the device icon is used in common by a plurality of rooms, a misoperation in which the user operates an air conditioner of a different room by mistake can be prevented. In addition, whether or not the air conditioner is operating in an operation mode intended by the user can be confirmed. Accordingly, a misoperation involving the setting of an operation mode can be prevented. 
     Furthermore, the floor plan itself is used not only to operate an on-off state of an air conditioner corresponding to the room in which the selection has been sensed but also to display an operation state of an on-off of the air conditioner. In addition, whether the air conditioner is operating as a heater or a cooler is shown. Therefore, a same region that is already displayed can be used to confirm an operation state of an on-off of the air conditioner as well as to confirm an operation mode in addition to remotely operating the air conditioner. As a result, a remote operation screen for the air conditioner, a confirmation screen of an operation state of an on-off of the air conditioner, and a confirmation screen of an operation mode of the air conditioner can be provided by effectively utilizing display resources. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner has been set to a heater mode when the power of the air conditioner has been previously turned off, display stating that the air conditioner operates as a heater may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned on and the air conditioner has been set to a cooler mode when the power of the air conditioner has been previously turned off, display stating that the air conditioner operates as a cooler may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, display stating that the power of the air conditioner has been turned off may be provided in the region on the display screen corresponding to the room in which the selection of the device icon representing the air conditioner has been sensed. 
     Furthermore, in the aspect described above, for example, a set content of the air conditioner when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off may be stored in a memory of the information apparatus, and the stored set content of the air conditioner may be read out from the memory when the power of the air conditioner is turned on. 
     In addition, in the aspect described above, for example, the specific target device may include a television receiver. 
     Embodiment 
     An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same symbols are used for the same constituent elements. 
     In the embodiment, a home controller which can singly control one or more devices will be described. 
     (Overall Configuration) 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a home control system to which a home controller according to the embodiment is applied. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the home control system includes a home controller  100 , a device  200  (an example of a target device), and a server  300 . 
     The home controller  100  and one or more devices  200  (for example, a device A  200  and a device B  200 ) are disposed in a house. The server  300  is disposed in a cloud center. The home controller  100 , the device  200 , and the server  300  communicate with each other via a wired or wireless network. For example, the device  200  and the home controller  100  are communicably connected to each other via a wireless or wired in-home network, and the home controller  100 , the device  200 , and the server  300  are communicably connected to each other via an external network such as the Internet. 
     The home controller  100  is not necessarily disposed in the house, and may be disposed outside the house. In this case, a user controls the one or more devices  200  from a location away from the home. 
     A portable information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal may be adopted as the home controller  100 . It should be noted, however, that the smartphone and the tablet terminal are merely exemplary, and a portable information terminal of a button type such as a cellular phone may be adopted as the home controller  100 . 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the main devices  200  to be controlled by the home controller  100 . The home controller  100  controls the devices  200  such as an air conditioner  201 , illumination devices  202  and  203 , a bath  204 , a refrigerator  205 , a washing machine  206 , a toilet  207 , an electric curtain apparatus  208 , and a television receiver (hereinafter, referred to as a “television set”)  209 . Moreover, the devices  200  that are controlled by the home controller  100  may include a plurality of devices  200  of the same type such as the illumination device  202  and the illumination device  203 . The air conditioner is an apparatus for adjusting temperature, humidity, cleanness, and the like of indoor air. Air conditioners may include a cooling apparatus, a heating apparatus, a heating/cooling apparatus, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, and an air purifier. 
     The devices  200  such as the air conditioner  201  shown in  FIG. 2  are merely exemplary, and a television set, a Blu-ray recorder, an audio device, and so forth may be adopted as the devices  200 . That is, any electrical device that functions to communicate with the home controller  100  may be adopted as the device  200 . In  FIG. 2 , electrical devices for use in ordinary households are shown as the devices  200 . However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and office devices for use in offices or the like may be adopted as the devices  200 . Examples of the office devices include a printer, a personal computer, a scanner, and a copy machine. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the home controller  100 , the device  200 , and the server  300 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the home controller  100  includes a display  101 , a touch panel control section  102 , a display control section  103 , a storage section  104 , a device management section  105 , a device control section  106 , and a communication control section  107 . 
     The display  101  is formed from a touch panel display, for example, and displays a user interface that allows the user to operate the home controller  100 . The user can input various operations to the home controller  100  by contacting the display  101 . 
     The touch panel control section  102  recognizes an operation performed on the display  101  by the user, interprets the content of the operation, and notifies the other constituent elements of the content of the operation. For example, if an object is displayed at a position on the display  101  tapped on by the user, the touch panel control section  102  determines that the object is selected by the user. A variety of GUI parts that receive a user operation such as buttons are adopted as the object. 
     The display control section  103  generates a GUI (Graphical User Interface) of the home controller  100 , and causes the display  101  to display the GUI. The storage section  104  stores information that is necessary for operation of the home controller  100  such as a device list managed by the device management section  105 . 
     The device management section  105  manages the control target devices  200  using the device list stored in the storage section  104 . In addition, the device management section  105  detects a device  200  when the device  200  is connected to the in-home network. Further, the device management section  105  acquires home information  2700  to be discussed later from the server  300 , stores the acquired home information  2700  in the storage section  104 , and manages the home information  2700 . The device control section  106  issues a control command for the devices  200 . The communication control section  107  controls communication between the home controller  100  and the devices  200  and communication between the home controller  100  and the server  300 . In addition, the communication control section  107  transmits a variety of data to the devices  200  or the server  300  upon receiving a request to transmit such data from other blocks, and receives data transmitted from the devices  200  or the server  300  to deliver the data to the relevant block. 
     The display  101  may be a normal display rather than a touch panel display. In this case, the user may use an external input device such as a mouse (not shown) to input an instruction to select an object by moving a pointer displayed on the display  101  and clicking on a desired object. That is, in the embodiment, a series of operations performed by the user by contacting the display  101  may be replaced with operations of moving a pointer and clicking using an external input device such as a mouse. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the device  200  includes a control execution section  201 , a state management section  202 , a storage section  204 , and a communication control section  207 . The control execution section  201  receives a control command from the home controller  100  or the server  300 , and controls the device  200  in accordance with the received control command. The content of control of the device  200  performed by the control execution section  201  differs in accordance with the type of the device  200 . For example, if the device  200  is an illumination device, the control execution section  201  turns on and off the illumination device. In addition, the control execution section  201  transmits the result of execution of the control command and the state of the device  200  to the home controller  100  or the server  300 . 
     The state management section  202  manages the state of the device  200 . The content of management of the device  200  performed by the state management section  202  differs in accordance with the type of the device  200 . For example, if the device  200  is an illumination device, the state management section  202  manages whether the illumination device is currently turned on or turned off. The storage section  204  stores information related to the state of the device  200  managed by the state management section  202 . The communication control section  207  controls communication between the device  200  and the home controller  100  and communication between the device  200  and the server  300 . In addition, the communication control section  207  transmits a variety of data to the home controller  100  or the server  300  upon receiving a request to transmit such data from other blocks, and receives data transmitted from the home controller  100  or the server  300  to deliver the data to the relevant block. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the server  300  includes a home information management section  301 , a device control section  302 , a storage section  304 , and a communication control section  307 . The home information management section  301  manages the home information  2700  to be discussed later for each house or each user account. In addition, the home information management section  301  transmits the home information  2700  to the home controller  100  in response to a request from the home controller  100 . Further, the home information management section  301  acquires log information related to the use history of the device  200  and information related to the state of the device  200  from the device  200 , stores the acquired information in the storage section  304 , and manages the information. 
     The device control section  302  transmits a control command to the device  200  in response to a request from the home controller  100 . The storage section  304  stores information that is necessary for operation of the server  300  such as the home information  2700  and the information related to the state of the device  200  managed by the home information management section  301 . The communication control section  307  controls communication between the server  300  and the home controller  100  and communication between the server  300  and the device  200  as with the communication control section  107 . In addition, the communication control section  307  transmits a variety of data to the home controller  100  or the device  200  upon receiving a request to transmit such data from other blocks, and receives data transmitted from the home controller  100  or the device  200  to deliver the data to the relevant block. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram showing a configuration example of the form of implementation of the home controller  100 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the home controller  100  includes an application  401 , an OS (Operating System)  402 , a memory  403 , and other hardware (not shown). 
     The application  401  is application software for causing the portable information terminal to function as the home controller  100 , and is executed by a processor of the home controller  100 . The home controller  100  may read the application  401  from a computer readable recording medium to implement the application  401 , or may download the application  401  from a network to implement the application  401 . The OS  402  is basic software of the portable information terminal, and is executed by the processor of the home controller  100 . The memory  403  is formed from a storage device such as a RAM and a ROM of the home controller  100 , and stores a group of data included in the application  401 . The processor of the home controller  100  executes the application  401  to embody the functions of the touch panel control section  102 , the display control section  103 , the storage section  104 , the device management section  105 , the device control section  106 , and the communication control section  107  shown in  FIG. 3 . In addition, the processor of the home controller  100  executes the application  401  to cause the memory  403  to function as the storage section  104 . 
     It should be noted, however, that in the embodiment, the home controller  100  may be implemented by the application  401  alone, may be implemented by the application  401  and the OS  402 , may be implemented by the application  401 , the OS  402 , and the memory  403 , or may be implemented by the application  401 , the OS  402 , the memory  403 , and other hardware (not shown). In any embodiment, the home controller  100  according to the embodiment can be embodied. In the embodiment, the processor and the storage device forming the portable information terminal, for example, form a computer. One of a CPU, an FPGA, and an ASIC or a combination of two or more of these may be adopted as the processor. One of a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk or a combination of two or more of these may be adopted as the storage device. 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen of the home controller  100 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the basic screen of the home controller  100  displayed on the display  101  include a floor plan  500 , device icons  501 , and a device list display change button  503 . The floor plan  500  is a plan view that planarly represents the arrangement and the shape of one or more rooms forming each floor of a house. In the case where the house has one or more floors, the floor plan  500  is prepared for each floor. For example, in the case where the house has two floors, two floor plans  500 , namely a floor plan  601  for the first floor and a floor plan  602  for the second floor, are displayed on the display  101  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The device icon  501  is an icon displayed as overlapped on the floor plan  500  and representing the device  200 . When the touch panel control section  102  senses a tap on the device icon  501  performed by the user, the display control section  103  causes the display  101  to display a device control screen  502  to be discussed later. This allows the user to control the device  200  by operating the device control screen  502 . 
     The device icon  501  is prepared for each device  200 . The display control section  103  disposes the device icon  501  on the floor plan  500  on the basis of the actual arrangement of the device  200  within the house. Information as to at what position on the floor plan  500  the device icon  501  is to be disposed is registered in an arrangement  3104  of a device list  3100  to be discussed later. Here, a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement position of the device  200  is registered in the arrangement  3104 . Thus, the display control section  103  can dispose the device icon  501  at a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement position of the device  200  by disposing the device icon  501  at the position registered in the arrangement  3104  of the device list  3100 . 
     In the floor plan  500  shown in  FIG. 5 , one floor is partitioned into a plurality of rooms by partition lines that indicate partitions between the rooms. This allows the user to recognize what device  200  is disposed in what room at a glance. 
     In the example of  FIG. 5 , in addition, schematic images of furniture pieces are displayed at positions on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement positions of the furniture pieces. An image that indicates the movable range of a door is displayed at a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement position of the door. An image of a staircase is displayed at a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement position of the staircase. This allows the user to recognize the positions of the furniture pieces disposed in each room and the positions of the staircase and the doors on the floor. 
     The button with a text “TO LIST UI” displayed at the lower right of the basic screen is the device list display change button  503 , which is a button for switching the screen display from the basic screen to a device list display screen to be discussed later (see  FIG. 24 ). When the touch panel control section  102  senses a tap on the device list display change button  503  performed by the user, the display control section  103  switches the screen display on the display  101  from the basic screen to the device list display screen. It should be noted, however, that the display control section  103  may hide the device list display change button  503  in the case where a registration is made in the home controller  100  in advance that the device list display screen is not utilized. 
     In the foregoing description, one device icon  501  is correlated with one device  200 . However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and one device icon  501  may be correlated with a plurality of devices  200  so that the one device icon  501  may be used in common to the plurality of devices  200 . For example, in the case where there are two illumination devices in a living room, the two illumination devices may be represented by one device icon  501 . 
     In this case, when the device icon  501  representing the two illumination devices is tapped on by the user, the display control section  103  causes the display  101  to display a device control screen  502  that allows simultaneous control of the two illumination devices. This allows the user to control the two illumination devices at the same time. A plurality of illumination devices are often disposed in a large room such as the living room. In the case where the user turns on or off the illumination devices in the living room, the user often turns on or off all the illumination devices disposed in the living room, rather than turning on or off some of the illumination devices. In this case, if it is possible to collectively turn on or off all the illumination devices, the number of operations to be performed by the user can be reduced. Thus, one device icon  501  may be correlated with a plurality of devices  200  that are highly likely to be operated by the user at the same time to cause one device control screen  502  to be displayed. 
     In the case where the device icon  501  represents a plurality of devices  200 , the display control section  103  may display the device icon  501  at a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement position of one of the devices  200 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may display the device icon  501  representing the plurality of devices  200  at a predetermined location of a room in which the plurality of devices  200  are disposed. 
     In order to dispose the device icon  501  on the floor plan  500  on the basis of the actual arrangement of the device  200  within the house, the user moves the device icon  501  to an appropriate position on the floor plan  500 . The user can move the device icon  501  to a desired position by dragging the device icon  501  while holding down the device icon  501 . These operations are executed at the timing when the device icon  501  is added such as when the home controller  100  is initially utilized and when a new device  200  is purchased. 
     Specifically, when the touch panel control section  102  senses a drag on the device icon  501 , the device management section  105  registers the position on the floor plan  500  of the device icon  501  after the movement in the arrangement  3104  of the device list  3100  to be discussed later. This allows a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual arrangement position of the device  200  to be registered in the arrangement  3104 . 
     The initial display position of the device icon  501  may be determined in advance by the system, and may be a predetermined position outside the display region of the floor plan  500  or a predetermined position within a predetermined room on the floor plan  500 , for example. The method of disposing the device icon  501  on the floor plan  500  on the basis of the actual arrangement of the device  200  within the house is not limited thereto, and the method described below may be used. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 , some floor plans  500  include arrangement information for the device icons  501 . For example, in the example of the floor plan  500  of  FIG. 7 , texts that indicate the type of the devices  200  represented by the device icons  501  to be disposed are provided at positions at which the device icons  501  are to be disposed. In the example of the floor plan  500  of  FIG. 8 , images that indicate the type of the devices  200  represented by the device icons  501  to be disposed are provided at positions at which the device icons  501  are to be disposed. In the example of the floor plan  500  of  FIG. 9 , simplified images such as circles and rectangles that indicate the type of the devices  200  represented by the device icons  501  to be disposed are provided at positions at which the device icons  501  are to be disposed. 
     Consequently, in the case where the floor plan  500  includes arrangement information for the device icons  501 , the display control section  103  may generate the basic screen of  FIG. 5  by automatically disposing the device icons  501  on the floor plan  500  on the basis of the arrangement information included in the floor plan  500 . In this case, it is not necessary for the user to perform an operation of moving the device icons  501  to appropriate positions on the floor plan  500 . 
     For example, in an exemplary floor plan  4401  for the first floor of  FIG. 7 , the display control section  103  detects a position provided with a text “TELEVISION SET”, automatically disposes the device icon  501  for the television set at the detected position, and registers the detected position in the arrangement  3104  of the device list  3100 . 
     In an exemplary floor plan  4501  for the first floor of  FIG. 8 , the display control section  103  detects a position provided with an image for the “television set”, automatically disposes the device icon  501  for the television set at the detected position, and registers the detected position in the arrangement  3104  of the device list  3100 . In an exemplary floor plan  4601  for the first floor of  FIG. 9 , the display control section  103  detects a position provided with an image in the shape of a “circle filled with oblique lines”, automatically disposes the device icon  501  for the television set at the detected position, and registers the detected position in the arrangement  3104  of the device list  3100 . 
     The display control section  103  may detect the display position of arrangement information by recognizing the arrangement information included in the floor plan  500  using a text recognition technology or an image recognition technology commonly utilized. 
       FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating a method of switching the floor display on the basic screen of the home controller  100 .  FIG. 10  illustrates a case where the house has two floors, namely the first floor and the second floor. With a floor plan  601  for the first floor displayed on the basic screen of the home controller  100 , the touch panel control section  102  senses a tap on a staircase region  603  on the first floor performed by the user. Then, the display control section  103  switches the floor display on the basic screen from the first floor to the second floor. Similarly, with a floor plan  602  for the second floor displayed on the basic screen of the home controller  100 , the touch panel control section  102  senses a tap on a staircase region  604  on the second floor performed by the user. Then, the display control section  103  switches the floor display on the basic screen from the second floor to the first floor. 
     Here, the touch panel control section  102  may judge that the staircase region  603  is tapped on if the position tapped on by the user is positioned within a region surrounded by four vertexes of a staircase registered in a room type  2902  of room information  2900  (see  FIG. 32 ). 
     Further, the floor display may be switched by not only tapping on the staircase region  603  but also a swipe operation on the display  101 . With the floor plan  601  for the first floor displayed on the basic screen of the home controller  100 , the touch panel control section  102  senses a swipe operation performed from the right to the left on the display  101  by the user. Then, the display control section  103  switches the floor display on the basic screen from the first floor to the second floor. Similarly, with the floor plan  602  for the second floor displayed on the basic screen of the home controller  100 , the touch panel control section  102  senses a swipe operation performed from the left to the right on the display  101  by the user. Then, the display control section  103  switches the floor display on the basic screen from the second floor to the first floor. The floor display may be switched by a swipe operation in the vertical direction. 
       FIG. 11  is a diagram showing the configuration of the display state of the device control screen  502  of the home controller  100 . In the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 , when the touch panel control section  102  senses that the user selects the device icon  501 , the display control section  103  causes the display  101  to display the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501 . The device control screen  502  is a control screen that is specific to each device  200  and that allows control or confirmation of the state of the device  200 . For example, in  FIG. 11 , a device icon  801  for the air conditioner is selected by the user, and the temperature setting and the air flow direction are controlled using the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner. 
     An image of the air conditioner is displayed in the device control screen  502  to allow the user to immediately recognize that the device control screen  502  corresponds to the air conditioner. This prevents an erroneous operation. An image that indicates the air flow direction is displayed on the lower side of the image of the air conditioner to allow the user to select a desired air flow direction by repeatedly tapping on the image, for example. A numeral displayed within the device control screen  502  indicates the current set temperature of the air conditioner. A button in the shape of a triangle that points upward in the device control screen  502  is a temperature increase button. A button in the shape of a triangle that points downward is a temperature decrease button. Pressing the temperature increase button once increases the set temperature of the air conditioner by a predetermined temperature (for example, 0.5 degrees). Pressing the temperature decrease button once decreases the set temperature of the air conditioner by a predetermined temperature (for example, 0.5 degrees). 
     Examples of the method of disposing the device icons  501  in the display state of the device control screen  502  include the following methods. 
     A first method is to dispose the device icons  501  outside the display region of the device control screen  502  as shown in  FIG. 11 . When the touch panel control section  102  senses that a certain device icon  501  is tapped on by the user, the display control section  103  disposes all the device icons  501  at locations outside the display region of the device control screen  502  and inside the display region of the display  101  irrespective of whether or not the locations are inside the display region of the floor plan  500 . In the example of  FIG. 11 , the device icons  501  are disposed in an elliptical arrangement so as to surround the device control screen  502 . That is, when a certain device icon  501  is selected by the user and the device control screen  502  for the device  200  corresponding to the device icon  501  is displayed, the display control section  103  retracts all the device icons  501  out of the display region of the device control screen  502 . 
     This prevents the device icons  501  from being hidden by the device control screen  502 . Therefore, in the case where the device control screen  502  for a device  200  is currently displayed and the user attempts to cause the device control screen  502  for another device  200  to be displayed, it is not necessary for the user to temporarily erase the currently displayed device control screen  502  and search for the device icon  501  for the relevant device  200 . 
     Here, the display control section  103  may decide the arrangement position of each device icon  501  on the outer periphery of an ellipse having a shape determined in advance in accordance with the size of the device control screen  502 , and dispose the device icon  501  at the decided position, for example. Examples of the method of deciding the arrangement position include a method of arranging all the device icons  501  as display targets at equal intervals on the outer periphery of an ellipse, and a method of disposing the device icons  501  such that the angles formed by lines connecting between adjacent device icons  501  and the center of an ellipse are equal to each other. Alternatively, the display control section  103  may divide the outer periphery of an ellipse into four sections corresponding to the upper, lower, left, and right portions of the device control screen  502 , and dispose the device icons  501  such that the number of device icons  501  in each section is the same and the device icons  501  in each section are arranged at equal intervals. The device icon  501  disposed at the closest position on the floor plan  500  may be disposed at the decided arrangement position. 
     In the foregoing description, the device icons  501  are arranged in an elliptical arrangement. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the device icons  501  may be arranged in a circular arrangement. Also in this case, the arrangement position of the device icons  501  may be decided using the same method as in the case where the device icons  501  are arranged in an elliptical arrangement. Other examples of the shape of arrangement of the device icons  501  used when the device icons  501  are retracted out of the display region of the device control screen  502  include polygonal arrangements such as triangular, rectangular, and pentagonal arrangements. 
     A second method is to dispose the device icons  501  in one line outside the display region of the device control screen  502  and the floor plan  500  and inside the display region of the display  101  as shown in  FIG. 13 . When the touch panel control section  102  senses that a certain device icon  501  is tapped on by the user, the display control section  103  disposes all the device icons  501  in one vertical line on the left side of the display region of the floor plan  500 . That is, the display control section  103  retracts all the device icons  501  to a vacant space outside the display region of the floor plan  500  and inside the display region of the display  101 . 
     In  FIG. 13 , the device icons  501  are disposed on the left side of the floor plan  502 . However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the device icons  501  may be disposed in one vertical line on the right side of the floor plan  502 , or may be disposed in one horizontal line on the upper or lower side of the floor plan  500 . 
     In the case where all the device icons  501  cannot be disposed on the left side of the floor plan  500 , the display control section  103  may scroll the device icons  501  upward or downward in accordance with a swipe operation performed upward or downward on the device icons  501  disposed in one vertical line on the left side to cause the device icons  501 , which have been hidden, to be displayed within the display  101 . 
     This allows the device icons  501 , which have been hidden, to be displayed within the display  101  to allow the user to select the device icons  501 . In the case where the device icons  501  are displayed in one horizontal line and all the device icons  501  may not displayed, the display control section  103  may scroll the device icons  501  leftward or rightward in accordance with a swipe operation performed leftward or rightward on the device icons  501  disposed in one horizontal line to cause the device icons  501 , which have been hidden, to be displayed within the display  101 . 
     In the display state of the device control screen  502 , the display control section  103  may display the device icon  501  selected by the user in a display mode that is different from that for the unselected device icons  501 . This allows the user to easily recognize the selected device icon  501 . 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the display control section  103  may display the selected device icon  801  in a color that is different from that of the other unselected device icons  501 . Specifically, the display control section  103  may display a background portion of the selected device icon  501  in a color that is different from that of background portions of the unselected device icons  501 . It should be noted, however, that such a display mode is merely exemplary, and the display control section  103  may make the selected device icon  501  brighter than the unselected device icons  501 , may make the selected device icon  501  denser than the unselected device icons  501 , or may cause the selected device icon  501  to flash on and off at a constant cycle. 
     In the display state of the device control screen  502 , the device icon  501  selected by the user may be disposed as distinguished from the unselected device icons  501 . This allows the user to easily recognize the selected device icon  501 . 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the display control section  103  may dispose a selected device icon  901  at the uppermost position on the outer periphery of an ellipse. Besides, for example, the display control section  103  may dispose the selected device icon  501  at a particular position (for example, the lowermost position, the rightmost position, or the leftmost position) on the outer periphery of an ellipse. In any event, the display control section  103  may dispose the device icon  501  selected by the user at a particular location that is easily recognizable by the user. 
     Besides, for example, as shown in  FIG. 14 , the display control section  103  may scroll an array of the device icons  501  such that a selected device icon  1101  is disposed within the display region of the display  101 . In the example of  FIG. 14 , the device icons  501  are scrolled such that the selected device icon  1101  is disposed at the center of a line of icons displayed in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  500 . This allows the user to easily recognize the selected device icon  501 . Although the device icon  1101  is disposed at the center of the line of icons in  FIG. 14 , the device icon  1101  may be disposed at any other conspicuous position. For example, the device icon  1101  may be disposed at the top or bottom position of the line of icons. 
     The order of arrangement of the device icons  501  taken when the device icons  501  are retracted out of the display region of the floor plan  500  may be determined such that devices  200  that are closer in position of arrangement on the floor plan  500  to the device icon  501  selected by the user are disposed to be closer in order of arrangement to the selected device icon  501 . Alternatively, the order of arrangement of the device icons  501  may be determined such that the device icons  501  for devices  200  that are more likely to be used together with the device  200  selected by the user are disposed to be closer in order of arrangement to the device icon  501  for the device  200  selected by the user. For example, the television set and the Blu-ray recorder are highly likely to be used together by the user. Therefore, when the device icon  501  for the television set is selected by the user, the device icon  501  for the Blu-ray recorder may be displayed next to the device icon  501  for the television set. In order to embody such a configuration, a table that indicates combinations of devices  200  that are highly likely to be used together may be stored in advance in the storage section  104 , and the arrangement of the device icons  501  may be decided in accordance with the table. 
     In any of the methods of disposing the device icons  501  taken when the device control screen  502  is displayed described above, in addition, the display control section  103  may dispose the device icons  501  as grouped under particular conditions. 
     For example, in  FIG. 15 , the device icons  501  are grouped in accordance with the location at which the devices  200  are disposed. The devices  200  disposed in the living room are grouped as device icons  1201 . The devices  200  disposed in a lavatory are grouped as device icons  1202 . The devices  200  disposed in a bedroom are grouped as device icons  1203 . Then, the display order is set to each group, and the grouped device icons  501  are disposed in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  500  in accordance with the display order. The display order of the groups may be determined such that groups that are positioned closer to the room in which the device  200  selected by the user is disposed are closer in display order to the group for the room in which the device  200  selected by the user is disposed. 
     Besides, the display control section  103  may dispose the device icons  501  as grouped in accordance with the type of the devices  200 . For example, in  FIG. 16 , two device icons  501  for the television set are disposed on the left side of the floor plan  500  as grouped as device icons  2301 , and two device icons  501  for the air conditioner are disposed on the left side of the floor plan  500  as grouped as device icons  2302  for the air conditioner. Consequently, the display control section  103  may group the device icons  501  in accordance with the device type by disposing the device icons  501  for the devices  200  of the same type to be continuous. 
     The display control section  103  may discriminate the type of the devices  200  in accordance with the content registered in a device type  3102  of the device list  3100  (see  FIG. 35 ). 
     Although the device icons  501  for the devices  200  of the same type are grouped into one group in the foregoing description, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the display control section  103  may classify the devices  200  into categories matching the device type, group the device icons  501  in accordance with the category, and dispose the device icons  501  on the left side of the floor plan  500  in groups. 
     For example, as shown in the lower left of  FIG. 16 , three device icons  501  for the refrigerator, a microwave oven, and a dish washing/drying machine are classified into a cooking device category, and therefore the three device icons are grouped as device icons  2303  for the cooking devices and disposed on the left side of the floor plan  500 . 
     Examples of the other categories include entertainment devices and air-conditioning devices. The entertainment device category includes devices  200  such as a television set, a recorder, a player, and a home theater system. The air-conditioning device category includes devices  200  such as an air conditioner, an air purifier, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, and a home air circulation system. 
     For example, if the device icons  501  for the television set, the recorder, the air conditioner, and the air purifier are disposed on the floor plan  500  and the device icon  501  for the television set is selected by the user, the device icons  501  for the television set and the recorder classified into the entertainment device category are grouped into one group and disposed on the left side of the floor plan  500 , and the device icons  501  for the air conditioner and the air purifier classified into the air-conditioning device category are grouped into one group and disposed on the left side of the floor plan  500 . 
     The display control section  103  may determine the category of the devices  200  from the content registered in the device type  3102  of the device list  3100 . In this case, a classification table for determining the category of the devices  200  from the content registered in the device type  3102  may be stored in advance in the storage section  104 , and the display control section  103  may reference the classification table to discriminate the category of the devices  200 . 
     A variety of manners of classifying the devices  200  according to the device type may be adopted besides that described above. For example, as shown in  FIG. 24 , the devices  200  may be classified into household appliance, air-conditioning, and facility categories. 
     The method of grouping the device icons  501  on the basis of particular conditions and disposing the device icons  501  as described above may also be applied to the display mode in which the device icons  501  are retracted so as to surround the device control screen  502  as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
       FIGS. 17A and 17B  are each a diagram showing a method of displaying the floor plan  500  with the device control screen  502  displayed. As shown in  FIGS. 17A and 17B , there are two types of the method of displaying the floor plan  500 . In a first display method, as shown in  FIG. 17A , the entire floor plan  500  is covered by a translucent gray layer (in the drawing, indicated by dots). 
     In this case, the background of the device control screen  502  is turned into a gray color to emphasize the device control screen  502 , which allows the user to more definitely recognize the device control screen  502 . In addition, the gray layer is translucent, and the floor plan  500  is not completely hidden. This allows the device control screen  502  to be operated with presence. The gray layer is image data having a color with low brightness such as gray and set to predetermined transparency. 
     The display control section  103  may decide the display order of the device control screen  502 , the gray layer, and the floor plan  500  such that the device control screen  502  is the uppermost layer and the floor plan  500  is the lowermost layer, and synthesize these images. This prevents the device control screen  502  from being displayed as covered by the gray layer. 
     In a second display method, as shown in  FIG. 17B , a non-control target region  1302  in the floor plan  500  is covered by a translucent gray layer (the region with dots in the drawing), and a control target region  1301  is not covered by the translucent gray layer. This allows the user to operate the device control screen  502  while being conscious of the control target region  1301 , which allows operation with presence. Here, the control target region  1301  refers to a region on the floor plan  500  that corresponds to a room in which the device  200  represented by the device icon  501  selected by the user is disposed, and the non-control target region  1302  refers to a region on the floor plan  500  other than the room. For example, in the case where the control target device is the air conditioner installed in the living room, the control target region  1301  is the region on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the living room, and the non-control target region  1302  is the region on the floor plan  500  other than the living room. 
     For example, it is assumed that the user selects the device icon  501  for the air conditioner with a device ID  3101  of A shown in  FIG. 35 . In this case, the display control section  103  specifies the position (X10, Y100, Z1) of the air conditioner from the content registered in the arrangement  3104  of the air conditioner. Next, the display control section  103  references the room information  2900  to decide in which room the specified position (X10, Y100, Z1) is positioned. Here, it is assumed that the position (X10, Y100, Z1) is positioned within a region surrounded by vertexes with vertex IDs of F, G, H, I, L, O, and N. Then, the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner is disposed in the living room with a room ID of A. Then, the display control section  103  generates a gray layer with the region of the living room defined as the control target region  1301  and with the region on the floor plan  500  other than the living room defined as the non-control target region  1302 . 
     Next, transition between the display state of the basic screen and the display state of the device control screen  502  will be described using  FIG. 18 . In the basic screen shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 18 , the user selects the device icon  501  for the device  200  (here, the air conditioner) that is desired to be controlled, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection. Then, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 18 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501  as overlapped on the floor plan  500 . This results in transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen  502 . 
     On the other hand, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 18 , in the display state of the device control screen  502 , the user taps on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner corresponding to the device control screen  502  or a location outside the display region of the device control screen  502  (for example, the display region of the floor plan  500  outside the display region of the device control screen  502 ), and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap. Then, as shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 18 , the display control section  103  erases the device control screen  502 , and returns from the display state of the device control screen  502  to the display state of the basic screen. At this time, the display control section  103  returns the device icon  501  to the original arrangement position on the floor plan  500 . 
     The operation described above is the same for the floor plan  500  for any floor displayed in the basic screen. For example, as shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 19 , in the case where the basic screen displays the floor plan  602  for the second floor, the user taps on the device icon  501  for the device  200  (here, the air conditioner) that is desired to be controlled, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap. Then, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 19 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501  as overlapped on the floor plan  602  for the second floor. 
     On the other hand, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 19 , in the display state of the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner, the user taps on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner corresponding to the device control screen  502  being displayed or a location outside the display region of the device control screen  502  (for example, the display region of the floor plan  500  outside the display region of the device control screen  502 ), and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap. Then, as shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 19 , the display control section  103  erases the device control screen  502 , and returns from the display state of the device control screen  502  to the display state of the basic screen in which the floor plan  602  for the second floor is displayed. 
     Next, a method of switching from the display state of a certain device control screen  502  to the display state of another device control screen  502  will be described using  FIG. 20 . As shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 20 , in the display state of the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner, the user taps on the device icon  501  for the washing machine which is different from the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap. Then, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 20 , the display control section  103  erases the device control screen  502  which has been displayed, and displays the device control screen  502  corresponding to the device icon  501  for the washing machine as overlapped on the floor plan  500 . Switching in the opposite direction is performed in the same manner. 
     Consequently, when the user successively selects different device icons  501 , switching is successively performed between the device control screens  502 , which allows the user to successively control different devices  200 . That is, in causing another device control screen  502  to be displayed while a certain device control screen  502  is displayed, it is no longer necessary for the user to input an operation of erasing the certain device control screen  502 , and switching can be performed between the device control screens  502  with one touch operation. 
     In the display state of the device control screen  502 , in the case where the user taps on the device icon  501  corresponding to the device control screen  502  being displayed, the display control section  103  may only erase the device control screen  502 , and may not return to the basic screen. Such screen transition is shown in  FIG. 21 . 
     In the left diagram of  FIG. 21 , the device icon  501  for the air conditioner is selected by the user, and therefore the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner is displayed, and all the device icons  501  are displayed in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  500 . In this state, the user taps on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap. Then, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 21 , the display control section  103  erases only the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner with the device icons  501  kept displayed in one vertical line. In this case, the device icons  501  do not move onto the floor plan  500 , and therefore a user&#39;s desire to cause only the floor plan  500  to be displayed may be met. 
     On the other hand, in the hidden state of the device control screen  502 , the user selects a desired device icon  501 , and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection. Then, the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501 . For example, in the right diagram of  FIG. 21 , when the user selects the device icon  501  for the air conditioner from the device icons  501  disposed in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  500 , the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner is displayed as shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 21 . 
     Next, transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen  502  represented through an animation will be described using  FIG. 22 . As shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 22 , the user selects the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, for example, in the basic screen. Then, the display control section  103  gradually lowers the transparency of the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner in the order of the upper right diagram, the lower right diagram, and the lower left diagram of  FIG. 22  to a final transparency of 0. At the same time, the display control section  103  moves all the device icons  501  onto the outer periphery of an ellipse that surrounds the device control screen  502 . 
     Next, transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen  502  represented through an animation will be described using  FIG. 23 . As shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 23 , the user selects the device icon  501  for the device  200  which is the air conditioner, for example, in the basic screen. Then, the display control section  103  gradually decreases the transparency of the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner in the order of the upper right diagram, the lower right diagram, and the lower left diagram of  FIG. 23  to a final transparency of 0. At the same time, the display control section  103  moves all the device icons to the left side of the floor plan  500 . 
     Consequently, representing the screen transition through an animation can enhance the interest of the user in operating the device control screen  502  through screen rendering shown since the device icon  501  is selected until the device control screen  502  is displayed. 
       FIG. 24  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list display screen. The device list display screen is displayed when the user taps on the device list display change button  503  in the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 24 , the device list display screen includes a device list  2000 , device details icons  2001 , and a basic screen display button  2003 . 
     When the user taps on the device details icon  2001  and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap, the display control section  103  causes the device control screen  502  to be displayed as overlapped on the device list  2000 . This allows the user to cause the device control screen  502  to be displayed and operate the device  200  as in the case where the device icon  501  is tapped on. 
     The device details icon  2001  is prepared for each device  200 . The device details icon  2001  is different from the device icon  501  in representing not only an image representing the device  200  but also the on/off state and the operation state of the device  200 . For example, the device details icon  2001  for the refrigerator displayed in the upper left of  FIG. 24  displays not only an image of the refrigerator but also “ON”, which indicates that the refrigerator is currently turned on, and “OPERATION/ICE”, which indicates that the refrigerator is currently making ice. 
     In the device list  2000 , the device details icons  2001  are displayed as classified on the basis of a classification criterion determined in advance. Examples of the classification criterion determined in advance include the type of the device  200 , the room in which the device  200  is disposed, and the status of use of the device  200 . In  FIG. 24 , the type of the device  200  is used as the classification criterion, and the device details icons  2001  are classified into three categories, namely the household appliance, air-conditioning, and facility categories. 
     In the example of  FIG. 24 , the refrigerator, an electric toothbrush, the washing machine, and the television set are classified into the household appliance category, the air conditioner and the air purifier are classified into the air-conditioning category, and the toilet, the illumination device, and the bath are classified into the facility category. In this case, a classification table that determines into which of the household appliance, air-conditioning, and facility categories each device  200  is classified on the basis of the content registered in the device type  3102  of the device list  3100  (see  FIG. 35 ) is stored in advance in the storage section  104 . Then, the display control section  103  may reference the classification table to classify each device into a category. 
     Returning to  FIG. 24 , the button with a text “TO FLOOR PLAN UI” displayed at the lower right of the device list  2000  is the basic screen display button  2003 . The basic screen display button  2003  is a button for switching the screen from the device list display screen to the basic screen. 
     Although switching can be made between the basic screen and the device list display screen in the foregoing description, the device list display screen may be utilized as the basic screen in place of the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 . In this case, the basic screen display button  2003  may be omitted. 
     In the foregoing description, one device details icon  2001  is correlated with one device  200 . However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and one device details icon  2001  may be correlated with a plurality of devices  200  so that the one device details icon  2001  may be used in common to the plurality of devices  200 . For example, in the case where there are two illumination devices in a living room, the two illumination devices may be represented by one device details icon  2001 . 
     In this case, when the device details icon  2001  representing the two illumination devices is tapped on by the user, the display control section  103  causes the display  101  to display a device control screen  502  that allows simultaneous control of the two illumination devices. In this case, the same effect as that obtained in the case where one device icon  501  is used in common to a plurality of devices  200  is obtained. In the case where one device details icon  2001  is used in common to a plurality of illumination devices, the device details icon  2001  may display the on/off state and the operation state of each of two illumination devices. 
     In the basic screen, the device details icon  2001  may be used in place of the device icon  501 . In the device list display screen, the device icon  501  may be used in place of the device details icon  2001 . In addition, the device control screen  502  displayed in the case where the device details icon  2001  is selected and the device control screen  502  displayed in the case where the device icon  501  is selected may be the same as or different from each other. For example, the device details icon  2001  contains more information than that of the device icon  501 , and therefore the device control screen  502  displayed in the case where the device details icon  2001  is selected may include more buttons and states than those of the device control screen  502  displayed in the case where the device icon  501  is selected. 
       FIG. 25  is a diagram showing screen transition between the basic screen and the device list display screen. In the basic screen shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 25 , when the device list display change button  503  is selected by the user, display on the display  101  is switched to the device list display screen shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 25 . On the other hand, in the device list display screen shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 25 , when the basic screen display button  2003  is selected by the user, display on the display  101  is switched to the basic screen shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 25 . 
     Specifically, when the touch panel control section  102  senses a tap on the basic screen display button  2003 , the display control section  103  switches the display screen on the display  101  to the basic screen showing the device list display screen. On the other hand, in the display state of the basic screen, when the touch panel control section  102  senses a tap on the device list display change button  503 , the display control section  103  switches the display screen on the display  101  from the basic screen to the device list display screen. 
     For example, in the case where the device list display screen is selected for display, and in the case where the user attempts to operate the television set located in front of the user, the device list display screen includes only one device details icon  2001  for the television set if there is only one television set in the house. This allows the user to directly select the device details icon  2001  for the television set without an erroneous operation, and to cause the device control screen  502  corresponding to the television set to be displayed. 
     On the other hand, in the case where the device list display screen is selected, the device list display screen focuses on the individual devices  200 , and thus the relationship between the device  200  and the location at which the device  200  is disposed is unclear, although it is possible to operate or confirm the state of the individual devices  200 . Therefore, for a plurality of devices  200  installed within the same building, such as the air conditioners or the illumination devices, for example, it is unclear the air conditioner or the illumination device in which room is the control target, which may incur an erroneous operation. 
     Thus, in the embodiment, the basic screen is provided in addition to the device list display screen to allow selection from the basic screen and the device list display screen. 
     Consequently, in the case where the basic screen is selected, the relationship between the device  200  and the location at which the device  200  is disposed is made definite. Therefore, also for a plurality of devices  200  of the same type installed in the same building, such as the air conditioners or illumination devices, for example, a discrimination as to the air conditioner or the illumination device in which room is the control target is facilitated. This prevents the air conditioner or the illumination device installed in a room that is different from the desired room from being erroneously operated. 
       FIG. 26  is a diagram showing screen transition between the display state of the device list display screen and the display state of the device control screen  502 . In the device list display screen shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 26 , the user selects the device details icon  2001  for the device  200  (here, the air conditioner) that is desired to be controlled, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection. Then, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 26 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device details icon  2001  as overlapped on the device list display screen. This results in transition from the display state of the device list display screen to the display state of the device control screen  502 . 
     In the example in the right drawing of  FIG. 26 , the display control section  103  hides the device details icons  2001  for devices other than the air conditioner selected by the user, and only the device details icon  2001  for the air conditioner is displayed at a position that is different from that in the device control screen  502 . This allows the user to definitely recognize the device details icon  2001  that the user himself/herself selected. 
     On the other hand, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 26 , in the display state of the device control screen  502 , the user selects the device details icon  2001  for the air conditioner, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection. Then, as shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 26 , the display control section  103  erases the device control screen  502 , and returns from the display state of the device control screen  502  to the display state of the device list display screen. 
     Although only one device details icon  2001  is displayed in the display state of the device control screen  502  shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 26 , other device details icons  2001  that are not selected by the user may be displayed in the same manner as in  FIG. 13 . In this case, the plurality of device details icons  2001  may be displayed in one line at an end of the screen as shown in  FIG. 13 , or may be displayed so as to surround the device control screen  502  as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     According to the configuration, the user can successively select the device details icons  2001  in the display state of the device control screen  502  to successively display other device control screens  502 . Consequently, in causing another device control screen  502  to be displayed while a certain device control screen  502  is displayed, it is no longer necessary for the user to input an operation of erasing the certain device control screen  502 , and switching can be performed between the device control screens  502  with one touch operation. 
       FIG. 27  is a diagram showing screen transition between the display state of the basic screen and the display state of the device control screen  502  performed in the case where the basic screen includes a plurality of device icons  501  representing the devices  200  of the same type. As shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 27 , the basic screen includes two device icons  501  for the television set. Here, the device icon  501  for a television set A is represented as a device icon  2401 , and the device icon  501  for a television set B is represented as a device icon  2402 . At this time, the user can intuitively select a television set that is desired to be controlled from the floor plan  500 , and operate the television set. 
     For example, in the right diagram of  FIG. 27 , the device icon  2401  for the television set A is selected, and a device control screen  2403  for the television set A is displayed. Consequently, even if there are a plurality of device icons  501  for the devices  200  of the same type, each device icon  501  is disposed at a position on the floor plan  500  corresponding to the actual installation position. This allows the user to intuitively select the device icon  501  for a device  200  that is desired to be controlled in accordance with the display position on the floor plan  500 , which prevents the device control screen  502  for another device  200  from being erroneously displayed. 
       FIG. 28  is a diagram showing screen transition performed in the case where different device icons  501  are successively selected in the display state of the device control screen  502  to successively switch between the device control screens  502 . In the upper left diagram, a device control screen  2511  for the air conditioner is displayed. When the device icon  2501  for the refrigerator is selected in this state, a device control screen  2512  for the refrigerator is displayed on the display  101  as shown in the upper right diagram. When the device icon  2502  for the washing machine is selected in the upper left diagram, a device control screen  2513  for the washing machine is displayed as shown in the lower right diagram. When the device icon  2503  for the air purifier is selected in the upper left diagram, a device control screen  2514  for the air purifier is displayed as shown in the lower left diagram. Such screen transition is performed in the same manner in the upper right diagram, the lower right diagram, and the lower left diagram. 
     Consequently, when the user selects the device icon  501  in the display state of the device control screen  502 , the device control screen  502  corresponding to the device icon  501  can be directly displayed. Therefore, in the case where another device control screen  502  is to be displayed while a certain device control screen  502  is displayed, the other device control screen  502  can be displayed with one touch operation without inputting an operation of erasing the device control screen  502  being displayed. This allows the user to smoothly switch between the device control screens  502 . 
       FIG. 29  is a diagram showing an example of display on the basic screen of the device icons  501  for incommunicable devices  200  that cannot be detected on the network. The device management section  105  detects a device  200  that cannot be detected on the network and a device  200  that does not respond to a control command even though registered in the device list  3100  as incommunicable devices  200 . Then, the display control section  103  displays the device icons  501  for the incommunicable devices  200  in a display mode that is different from that for the device icons  501  for communicable devices  200 . 
     For example, in  FIG. 29 , the device icons  501  for the incommunicable devices  200  are represented as device icons  2601 . The device icons  2601  are displayed translucently. This allows the user to immediately recognize that the devices  200  indicated by the device icons  2601  are currently out of order or cannot be controlled because of occurrence of a communication failure. 
     Although the device icons  2601  are displayed translucently in  FIG. 29 , the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the device icons  2601  may be displayed in a fainter color or more darkly than the other device icons  501 , or provided with an annotation mark. 
       FIG. 30  is a diagram showing the configuration of home information  2700 . The home information  2700  is managed by the server  300  for each house, and the home controller  100  controls display on the basic screen, the device control screen  502 , and so forth on the basis of the home information  2700 . As shown in  FIG. 30 , the home information  2700  includes the floor plan  500 , vertex information  2800 , the room information  2900 , and a device list  4700  managed by the server. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the floor plan  500  is a plan view that is prepared for each floor of a house and that planarly represents the arrangement and the shape of one or more rooms forming the floor. In the embodiment, the floor plan  500  includes a plan view formed from image data represented in a bitmap format, for example. 
     The vertex information  2800  is information for adapting the floor plan  500  to a two-dimensional coordinate-axis space to allow the home controller  100  to interpret the floor plan  500 . The room information  2900  is information for deciding the regions of rooms from the vertex information  2800 . The vertex information  2800 , the room information  2900 , and the device list  4700  managed by the server will be described in detail below. 
       FIG. 31  is a diagram showing the configuration of the vertex information  2800 . As shown in  FIG. 31 , the vertex information  2800  includes a vertex ID  2801  and a vertex coordinate  2802 . The vertex ID  2801  is an identifier that identifies a vertex on the floor plan  500 . The vertex coordinate  2802  is a coordinate represented in the format of (X coordinate, Y coordinate, floor number), and indicates the position of a vertex of a partition line or the like represented on the floor plan  500 . For example, the vertex with a vertex ID of B has a vertex coordinate (X20, Y0, Z1), which represents the position on the first floor (the ground floor) with an X coordinate of 20 and a Y coordinate of 0. 
       FIG. 33  is a diagram showing the correlation between each vertex registered in the vertex information  2800  and the floor plan  500 . It should be noted, however, that in  FIG. 33 , the upper left vertex of the floor plan  500  is the origin (with an X coordinate of 0 and a Y coordinate of 0). For example, the vertex with a vertex ID of A has a vertex coordinate (X0, Y0, Z), and therefore is positioned at the origin. Meanwhile, the vertex with a vertex ID of B has a vertex coordinate (X20, Y0, Z1), and therefore is positioned at the upper right vertex of the bath. 
       FIG. 32  is a diagram showing the configuration of the room information  2900 . As shown in  FIG. 32 , the mom information  2900  includes a room ID  2901 , the room type  2902 , and a room coordinate  2903 . The room ID  2901  is an identifier that identifies a room on the floor plan  500 . The room type  2902  indicates the type of the room. The room coordinate  2903  is expressed by a set of the vertex IDs  2801 , and decides the region of the room on the floor plan  500 . For example, the room with a room ID of C is the bath, and indicates a region formed by connecting the vertexes with vertex IDs of A, B, G, and F sequentially in this order on the floor plan  500 . The room information  2900  includes not only information on the rooms but also information on the staircase. The region with a room ID of D formed by connecting the vertexes with vertex IDs of H,  1 , R, and Q sequentially in this order represents the staircase. 
     Consequently, with the vertex information  2800  and the room information  2900  provided, the home controller  100  can specify the regions of the rooms represented on the floor plan  500  by plotting the vertexes indicated by the vertex information  2800  on the image data for the floor plan  500  and connecting the vertexes indicated by the room coordinate  2903 , and recognize the type of the rooms from the room type  2902 . 
     The vertex information  2800  may be generated by a system administrator by causing the floor plan  500  to be displayed on a display of a personal computer, detecting vertexes from the displayed floor plan, and inputting the vertex ID and the vertex coordinate of the detected vertexes to the personal computer. The vertex information  2900  may also be generated by the system administrator by detecting rooms from the floor plan displayed on a display, and inputting the room ID, the room type, and the room coordinate of the detected rooms to a personal computer. Alternatively, the vertex information  2800  and the room information  2900  may be generated by taking in CAD data which are the original data for the floor plan  500 . 
       FIG. 34  is a diagram showing the configuration of the device list  4700  managed by the server  300 . As shown in  FIG. 34 , the device list  4700  includes a device ID  4701 , a device type  4702 , a model number  4703 , an arrangement  4704 , a capability information  4705 , and a control command transmission destination  4706 . 
     The device ID  4701  is the identifier of the device  200 . The device type  4702  indicates the type of the device  200 . The model number  4703  indicates the model number of the device  200 . The arrangement  4704  is a coordinate represented in the format of (X coordinate, Y coordinate, floor number) as with the vertex coordinate  2802 , and indicates the arrangement of the device icon  501  corresponding to the device  200  on the floor plan  500 . 
     The display control section  103  can dispose the device icon  501  on the floor plan  500  on the basis of the arrangement  4704 , and display the basic screen and so forth. The capability information  4705  indicates the content for control of the device  200  and the state that can be acquired from the device  200 . For example, the air conditioner with a device ID of A can be controlled for the temperature, the air flow direction, and the air flow amount. The control command transmission destination  4706  indicates the transmission destination of a control command for controlling the device  200 . For example, the control command transmission destination  4706  for the air conditioner with a device ID of A is the device, and therefore a control command is directly transmitted from the home controller  100  to the device  200 . Meanwhile, the control command transmission destination  4706  for the refrigerator with a device ID of C is the server, and therefore a control command is transmitted from the home controller  100  to the device  200  via the server  300 . The control command is a command for operating the device  200  or confirming the state of the device  200 . 
     The current state of the device  200  may be registered in the device list  4700 . This allows the server  300  to notify the home controller  100  of the state of the relevant device  200  in the case where a request for confirmation of the state of the device  200  is made from the home controller  100 . 
     As discussed above, in order to dispose the device icon  501  on the floor plan  500  on the basis of the actual arrangement of the device  200  within the house, the user moves the device icon  501  to an appropriate position on the floor plan  500 . Thus, for the device icon  501  of which the arrangement on the floor plan  500  is not specified by the user, a value that indicates an unset arrangement such as (0, 0, 0) is set as the value of the arrangement  4704 . The display control section  103  displays the device icon  501  with the arrangement  4704  unset at a position on the display  101  determined in advance. 
     The device list  4700  managed by the server may be omitted from the home information  2700 . In this case, the home controller  100  may directly acquire from the device  200  information corresponding to the device type  4702 , the model number  4703 , and the capability information  4705  provided in the device list  4700  managed by the server. 
       FIG. 35  is a diagram showing the configuration of the device list  3100  managed by the home controller  100 . The home controller  100  disposes the device icons  501  on the floor plan  500  in the basic screen and controls the devices  200  on the basis of information in the device list  3100 . 
     The device list  3100  includes the device ID  3101 , the device type  3102 , a model number  3103 , the arrangement  3104 , capability information  3105 , a control command transmission destination  3106 , and an IP address  3107 . The device ID  3101  to the control command transmission destination  3106  are the same in content as those with the same name in  FIG. 34 . 
     In the device list  3100 , the content of the device type  3102 , the model number  3103 , the arrangement  3104 , the capability information  3105 , the control command transmission destination  3106  can be acquired by the device management section  105  by transmitting the device list  4700  from the server  300 . The IP address  3107  is acquired from the device  200  by the device management section  105 . It should be noted, however, that the device management section  105  may give priority to the content of the device type  3102 , the model number  3103 , the capability information  3105 , and the control command transmission destination  3106  that can be directly acquired from the device  200  in the case where such content is available. 
     The control command transmission destination  3106  may be determined in advance by the home controller system, may be automatically decided on the basis of the state of the network to which the home controller  100  is connected, or may be set by the user, rather than being acquired from the server  300  or the device  200 . 
     Next, the flow of control performed on the device  200  by the home controller  100  will be described using the drawings. 
       FIG. 36  is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to acquire the home information  2700  from the server  300 . The home controller  100  acquires the home information  2700  from the server  300  at desired timing such as when the home controller  100  is initially utilized or started, and generates the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  on the basis of the acquired home information  2700 . 
     First, the device management section  105  of the home controller  100  transmits a home information request to the server  300  (S 3201 ). Here, the home information request includes at least a home controller ID that indicates a user or a home that utilizes the home controller  100 . The home information management section  301  of the server  300  which receives the home information request searches the storage section  304  for the home information  2700  corresponding to the home controller ID (S 3202 ), and transmits the home information  2700  to the home controller  100  (S 3203 ). The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  stores the home information  2700  received from the server  300  in the storage section  104 , and the display control section  103  generates a basic screen on the basis of the home information  2700 , and displays the basic screen on the display  101  (S 3204 ). 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to detect the device  200  on the network after the home controller  100  is connected to the network will be described using  FIG. 37 . 
     In  FIG. 37 , a device A  200  with a device ID of A and a device B  200  of a device ID of B shown in  FIG. 31  are connected to the network. 
     When the home controller  100  is connected to the network when the home controller  100  is initially utilized or turned on (S 3301 ), the device management section  105  of the home controller  100  broadcasts a device search request to all the devices  200  on the network (S 3302 ). The device A  200  which receives the device search request returns a device search response to the home controller  100  (S 3303 ). The home controller  100  which receives the device search response acquires device information from the device A  200  (S 3304 ), and updates the display screen (S 3305 ). 
     Similarly, the device B  200  which receives the device search request returns a device search response to the home controller  100  (S 3306 ). The home controller  100  which receives the device search response acquires device information from the device B  200  (S 3307 ), and updates the display screen (S 3308 ). Here, the device information is information that represents the device type, the model number, the capability information, and so forth of the device  200 . The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  generates the device list  3100  (see  FIG. 35 ) on the basis of the device information. 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to detect the device  200  on the network when the device  200  is connected to the network will be described using  FIG. 38 . When the device A  200  is connected to the network when the device A  200  is initially utilized or turned on (S 3401 ), a network connection notification is broadcast to all the home controllers  100  on the network (S 3402 ). In the home controller  100  which receives the network connection notification, the device management section  105  acquires device information from the device A  200  (S 3403 ), and the display control section  103  updates the display screen (S 3404 ). When the device B  200  is connected to the network, the same process as for the device A  200  is performed (S 3405  to S 3408 ). 
     Here, the update of the display screen of the home controller  100  in  FIGS. 37 and 38  (S 3305 , S 3308 , S 3404 , and S 3408 ) will be described. The home controller  100  hides the device icon  501  corresponding to the device  200  until the device search response or the network connection notification is received from the device  200 , that is, until the device  200  is detected on the network. Then, the home controller  100  which receives the device search response displays the device icon  501  for the corresponding device  200  on the screen. Alternatively, the home controller  100  displays the device icon  501  for the undetected device  200  in a faint color (for example, translucently) compared to the device icon  501  for the detected device  200 . Then, the home controller  100  which receives the device search response changes the color of the device icon  501  for the undetected device  200  to the same color as the color of the device icon  501  for the detected device  200 . 
       FIGS. 39A and 39B  are each a flowchart showing the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to control the device  200  according to the present disclosure. 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  senses that the device icon  501  representing a certain device  200  is selected by the user on the basic screen (S 3501 ). Next, the display control section  103  retracts all the device icons  501  out of the display region of the device control screen  502  (S 3502 ). In this case, the device icons  501  are retracted as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 13 . 
     Next, the display control section  103  adjusts the display positions of the retracted device icons  501  (S 3503 ). For example, the selected device icons  501  are adjusted so as to be displayed at particular positions as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 14 . 
     Next, the display control section  103  judges whether the device control screen  502  corresponding to the device icon  501  selected by the user is a dedicated screen or a floor plan (S 3504 ). 
     Here, the device control screen  502  which is a dedicated screen refers to the device control screen  502  prepared separately from the floor plan and displayed as overlapped on the floor plan as shown in  FIG. 13 . On the other hand, the device control screen  502  which is a floor plan refers to the device control screen  502  which is the floor plan itself. 
     For example, if the illumination device can be turned on and off or adjusted for the brightness by the user by directly tapping on the region of a room on the floor plan in which the illumination device is disposed, the illumination device can be operated with presence. In the case where the user attempts to operate a plurality of illumination devices installed in the living room at the same time, meanwhile, the entire screen is covered by the device control screens  502  dedicated to the illumination devices if the device control screens  502  dedicated to the individual illumination devices are displayed on the floor plan at the same time, which lowers the viewability. 
     Thus, in the following description, it is assumed that the device control screen  502  for the illumination device is a floor plan. Specifically, when the user selects the device icon  501  for the illumination device installed in a certain room in the basic screen, all the device icons  501  are retracted out of the display region of the floor plan, and the floor plan becomes ready to receive an operation for the illumination device in the room. Then, when the user taps on the region of the room on the floor plan in which the selected illumination device is installed, one or more illumination devices within the room can be operated at the same time. 
     For example, when the user taps on the region of a room with the illumination devices in the room turned off, one or more illumination devices in the room are turned on at the same time. Next, when the user taps on the region, the one or more illumination devices are turned off at the same time. 
     In the case where the device control screen  502  is a floor plan in S 3504 , and if the region of the room in which the device icon  501  is disposed is equal to or less than a certain size (YES in S 3506 ), the display control section  103  causes the device control screen  502  dedicated to the device in which the region of the room is displayed as enlarged to be displayed as overlapped on the floor plan (S 3507 ). Here, for example, a floor plan formed by clipping the floor plan of the relevant room from the floor plan for the entire floor and enlarging the clipped floor plan is displayed as overlapped on the floor plan for the entire floor. 
     If the region of the room in which the device icon  501  is disposed is not equal to or less than the certain size (NO in S 3506 ), on the other hand, the display control section  103  displays the floor plan as the device control screen  502  (S 3508 ). 
     Information as to whether a dedicated screen or a floor plan is adopted as the device control screen  502  for each device  200  is stored in advance in the storage section  104 . Thus, the display control section  103  may reference the information to determine whether the device control screen  502  is a dedicated screen or a floor plan. 
     In addition, the display control section  103  may calculate the size of the relevant room by specifying the vertexes of the relevant room from the room information  2900 , specifying the coordinates of the specified vertexes from the vertex information  2800 , and calculating the area of a region surrounded by the specified coordinates of the vertexes. Then, the result of determination in S 3506  may be NO if the size of the room is not equal to or less than the certain size determined in advance, and the result of determination in S 3506  may be YES if the size of the room is equal to or less than the certain size. 
     In the case where the device control screen  502  is a dedicated screen in S 3504 , on the other hand, the display control section  103  displays the dedicated screen as overlapped on the floor plan (S 3505 ). 
     In S 3509 , the touch panel control section  102  senses that a contacting object (here, a finger of the user) starts contacting the display  101 . 
     Next, the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the contact target is the device icon  501  (S 3510 ). 
     If it is determined that the device icon  501  is contacted (YES in S 3510 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the contacting object contacts the same device icon  501  as the device icon  501  selected in S 3501  (S 3511 ). In the case where it is determined that the contacting object contacts the same device icon  501  as the device icon  501  selected in S 3501  (YES in S 3511 ), the display control section  103  hides the device control screen  502  being displayed to display the basic screen (S 3514 ). 
     In the case where the touch panel control section  102  determines that the device icon  501  is not contacted (NO in S 3510 ), the touch panel control section  102  further determines whether or not the contact target is the device control screen  502  (S 3512 ). In the case where it is determined that the contact target is not the device control screen  502  (NO in S 3512 ), the display control section  103  hides the device control screen  502  being displayed, and the basic screen is displayed (S 3514 ). 
     If the touch panel control section  102  determines that the contacting object contacts a button or the like within the device control screen  502  (YES in S 3512 ), on the other hand, the process is advanced to S 3513 , where a control flow that is specific to the device is executed (S 3513 ). 
     Next, the control flow that is specific to the device executed in S 3513  will be described in detail using  FIG. 40 . First, the device control section  106  decides the content of control that is specific to the device in accordance with the content of a contact by the contacting object (S 3601 ). Next, the device control section  106  generates a control command according to the content of control (S 3602 ). It is assumed that the user taps on the button for raising the temperature with the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner displayed as shown in  FIG. 11  and the touch panel control section  102  senses the tap. Then, the device control section  106  generates a control command for raising the temperature of the air conditioner. Next, the device control section  106  advances the process to S 3603 , where a control command transmission flow is executed. 
     Next, the control command transmission flow executed in S 3603  will be described in detail using  FIG. 41 . First, the device control section  106  determines whether or not the home controller  100  is connected to the home network (S 3701 ). If the home controller  100  is connected to the home controller (YES in S 3701 ), the device control section  106  checks the transmission destination of a control command in accordance with the content of the control command transmission destination  3106  of the device list  3100  (S 3702 ). Here, the home network is a network provided within the home of the user. Thus, the result of determination in S 3701  is NO if the user operates the home controller  100  from a location away from the home, and the result of determination in S 3701  is YES if the user operates the home controller  100  from a location within the home. 
     If the transmission destination of a control command is “DEVICE” in S 3702 , the device control section  106  transmits a control command to the relevant device  200  (S 3703 ). If the transmission destination of a control command is “SERVER” in S 3702 , on the other hand, the device control section  106  transmits a control command to the server  300  (S 3704 ). 
     For example, in the device list  3100 , the control command transmission destination  3106  of the air conditioner is “DEVICE”, and therefore the device control section  106  transmits a control command to the air conditioner. On the other hand, in the device list  3100 , the control command transmission destination  3106  of the refrigerator is “SERVER”, and therefore the device control section  106  transmits a control command to the server  300 . 
     Meanwhile, in the case where it is judged in S 3701  that the home controller  100  is not connected to the home network (NO in S 3701 ), the process in S 3704  is performed. 
     In S 3705 , the device control section  106  receives the control result from the device  200 . Next, in the case where transmission of a control command to all the devices  200  that are operated at the same time is completed (YES in S 3706 ), the device control section  106  advances the process to S 3707 . In the case where transmission of a control command to all the devices  200  that are operated at the same time is not completed (NO in S 3706 ), on the other hand, the device control section  106  returns the process to S 3702 , and repeats the processes in and after S 3702 . 
     For example, in the case where two illumination devices are installed in the same room and the two illumination devices are set in advance to be operated at the same time, the device control section  106  transmits a control command to each of the two illumination devices. The result of determination in S 3706  is NO for devices  200  that are not operated at the same time as other devices  200 . 
     Next, the display control section  103  updates the screen displayed on the display  101  (S 3707 ). For example, if the set temperature of the air conditioner is changed, the device control screen  502  is updated such that the temperature display is flashed on and off, for example, until the set temperature of the air conditioner is changed by a control command and the temperature display stops flashing when the set temperature of the air conditioner is changed by a control command. In the example of the illumination device, the screen is updated such that the region on the floor plan of a room in which the illumination device is installed becomes brighter than other regions in the case where the illumination device is turned on. 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to directly control the device  200  will be described using  FIG. 42 . First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a user operation on the device control screen  502  (S 3801 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command according to the user operation, and transmits the control command to the device  200  (S 3802 ). 
     The device  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 3803 ), and transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 3804 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  which receives the control result updates the display screen in accordance with the control result (S 3805 ). 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to control the device  200  by way of the server  300  will be described using  FIG. 43 . First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a user operation on the device control screen  502  (S 3901 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command according to the user operation, and transmits the control command to the server  300  (S 3902 ). 
     The server  300  which receives the control command transmits the relevant control command to the device  200  (S 3903 ). The device  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 3904 ), and transmits the control result to the server  300  (S 3905 ). The server  300  which receives the control result transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 3906 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  which receives the control result updates the display screen in accordance with the control result (S 3907 ). 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to confirm the device state of the device  200  by way of the server  300  will be described using  FIG. 44 . First, the device  200  transmits the current device state to the server  300  (S 4001 ). Here, the device  200  transmits the device state to the server  300  when the device  200  is turned on, when the device  200  is turned off, when the device state is changed, or regularly to cause the server  300  to store the device state. The process in S 4001  may be executed asynchronously with the processes in S 4002  to S 4006 . 
     Next, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a user operation on the device control screen  502  (S 4002 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command according to the user operation, and transmits the control command to the server  300  (S 4003 ). Here, a control command for confirming the device state of the device  200  is generated. 
     The server  300  which receives the control command searches for the current device state of the relevant device  200  (S 4004 ), and transmits the device state of the relevant device  200  to the home controller  100  as the control result (S 4005 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  which receives the control result updates the display screen in accordance with the control result (S 4006 ). For example, if the device control screen  502  for the device  200  is displayed on the display  101 , the content of the device control screen  502  for the device  200  is updated in accordance with the control result. 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to directly control the devices  200  in the case where the home controller  100  controls a plurality of devices  200  with one operation will be described using  FIG. 45 . Here, a case where the home controller  100  controls the device A  200  and the device B  200  is described as an example. 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a user operation on the device control screen  502  (S 4101 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command according to the user operation, and transmits the control command to the device A  200  (S 4102 ). 
     The device A  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 4103 ), and transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 4104 ). 
     Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  transmits to the device B  200  a control command that is the same as the control command transmitted to the device A  200  (S 4105 ). The device B  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 4106 ), and transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 4107 ). 
     The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  which receives the control result updates the display screen in accordance with the control result (S 4108 ). In this case, for example, if the device control screens  502  for the devices A  200  and B  200  are displayed on the display  101 , the content of the device control screens  502  for the devices A  200  and B  200  is updated in accordance with the control result. 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to control the devices  200  by way of the server  300  in the case where the home controller  100  controls a plurality of devices  200  with one operation will be described using  FIG. 46 . Here, a case where the home controller  100  controls the device A  200  and the device B  200  is described as an example. In addition, it is assumed that the devices A  200  and B  200  are represented by one device icon  501 , and controlled using one device control screen  502 . 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a user operation on the device control screen  502  (S 4201 ). 
     Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command for the device A  200  according to the user operation, and transmits the control command to the server  300  (S 4202 ). 
     The server  300  which receives the control command for the device A  200  transmits the control command to the device A  200  (S 4203 ). The device A  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 4204 ), and transmits the control result to the server  300  (S 4205 ). The server  300  which receives the control result transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 4206 ). 
     Similarly, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command for the device B  200  according to the user operation, and transmits the control command to the server  300  (S 4207 ). 
     The server  300  which receives the control command transmits the control command to the device B  200  (S 4208 ). The device B  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 4209 ), and transmits the control result to the server  300  (S 4210 ). The server  300  which receives the control result transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 4211 ). 
     Then, the display control section  103  of the home controller  100  updates the display screen in accordance with the control result (S 4212 ). 
     Next, the flow of a process for the home controller  100  to control the devices  200  by way of the server  300  in the case where the home controller  100  controls a plurality of devices  200  with one operation will be described using  FIG. 47 . Here, a case where the home controller  100  controls the device A  200  and the device B  200  is described as an example. In addition, it is assumed that the devices A  200  and B  200  are represented by one device icon  501 , and controlled using one device control screen  502 . 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a user operation on the device control screen  502  (S 4301 ). 
     Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command for the device A  200  and the device B  200  in accordance with the user operation, and transmits the control command to the server  300  (S 4302 ). 
     The server  300  which receives the control command transmits the control command to the device A  200  (S 4303 ). The device A  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 4304 ), and transmits the control result to the server  300  (S 4305 ). 
     Similarly, the server  300  transmits the control command to the device B  200  (S 4306 ). The device B  200  which receives the control command executes the control command (S 4307 ), and transmits the control result to the server  300  (S 4308 ). The server  300  which receives the control result for the device A  200  and the device B  200  transmits the control result to the home controller  100  (S 4309 ). 
     Then, the display control section  103  of the home controller  100  updates the display screen in accordance with the control result (S 4310 ). 
     Next, the flow of a process for a case where the device icon  501  is moved in the home controller  100  will be described using  FIG. 48 . Here, it is assumed that the user owns two home controllers A  100  and A  200 . 
     When the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller A  100  senses movement of the device icon  501  (S 4801 ), the display control section  103  updates the display screen (S 4802 ). Here, the display control section  103  displays the device icon  501  moved in accordance with the amount of a drag performed on the device icon  501  by the user. 
     The device management section  105  of the home controller A  100  transmits to the server  300  a device list update notification including the coordinate on the floor plan  500  after the drag (S 4803 ). Here, the device management section  105  of the home controller A  100  updates the content of the arrangement  3104  of the relevant device  200  in the device list  3100  managed by the device management section  105  itself with the coordinate after the drag. 
     The server  300  which receives the device list update notification updates the device list  4700  (S 4804 ). In this case, the home information management section  301  of the server  300  updates the content of the arrangement  4704  of the relevant device  200  in the device list  4700  with the coordinate included in the device list update notification. 
     Subsequently, the server  300  transmits the device list update notification to the home controller B  100  (S 4805 ). The home controller B  100  which receives the device list update notification updates the display screen (S 4806 ). Here, the device management section  105  of the home controller B  100  updates the content of the arrangement  3104  of the relevant device  200  in the device list  3100  managed by the device management section  105  itself with the coordinate included in the device list update notification. 
     The device icon  501  is disposed at an appropriate position on the floor plan  500  through the process described above. Because the home controller B  100  is notified of the update of the arrangement position of the device icon  501  performed by the home controller A  100  by way of the server  300 , the arrangement position of the device icon  501  after the update is shared among the home controllers A  100  and B  100  and the server  300 . Therefore, it is possible to avoid trouble in which the arrangement position of the device icon  501  is different between the home controller A  100  and the home controller B  100 . 
     Next, an example of a process for updating the device lists of the home controller  100  and the server  300  will be described using,  FIG. 49 . The device  200  transmits the device state indicating the current state of the device  200  itself to the server  300  (S 4901 ). Here, the device  200  may regularly transmit the device state, or may transmit the device state when the state is varied. The server  300  updates the device list  4700  in accordance with the content of the received device state (S 4902 ). Here, in the case where the device list  4700  does not contain information on the device  200 , the server  300  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. Then, the server  300  transmits a device list update notification to the home controller  100  (S 4903 ). The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  updates the device list  3100  in accordance with the content of the received device list update notification (S 4904 ). Here, in the case where the device list  3100  does not contain information on the device  200 , the device management section  105  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. Then, the display control section  103  of the home controller  100  updates the display screen (S 4905 ). 
     Consequently, the server  300  is notified of variation in state of the device  200 , which allows the server  300  to monitor variation in state of the device  200 . The server  300  to which the device state is transmitted from the device  200  notifies the home controller  100  of variation in state of the device  200 , which allows the home controller  100  to recognize the current state of the device  200 . In the case where a new device  200  is connected to the home network, the server  300  and the home controller  100  can add the new device. Hence, it is possible to prevent occurrence of deviation between the actual state of the device  200  and the state of the device  200  recognized by the home controller  100 . 
     Next, another example of the process for updating the device lists of the home controller  100  and the server  300  will be described using  FIG. 50 . The device  200  transmits the device state to the home controller  100  (S 5001 ). Here, the device  200  may regularly transmit the device state, or may transmit the device state when the state is varied. 
     The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  updates the device list  3100  in accordance with the content of the received device state (S 5002 ). Here, in the case where the device list  3100  does not contain information on the device  200 , the device management section  105  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. Then, the display control section  103  updates the display screen (S 5003 ). Then, the device management section  105  of the home controller  100  transmits a device list update notification to the server  300  (S 5004 ). The server  300  updates the device list  4700  in accordance with the received device list update notification (S 5005 ). Here, in the case where the device list  4700  does not contain information on the device  200 , the server  300  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. 
     Next, still another example of a process in which the home controller  100  and the server  300  update the device list will be described using  FIG. 51 . In  FIG. 51 , a case where the user owns two home controllers  100 , namely an in-home home controller  100  and an out-home home controller  100 , is described as an example. Here, the out-home home controller  100  is a home controller  100  taken away from the home by the user, and the in-home home controller  100  is a home controller  100  kept at the home by the user. 
     The device  200  transmits the device state to the in-home home controller  100  (S 5101 ). The in-home home controller  100  updates the device list  3100  in accordance with the content of the received device state (S 5102 ). Here, in the case where the device list  3100  does not contain information on the device  200 , the device management section  105  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. Then, the display screen is updated (S 5103 ). Then, the in-home home controller  100  transmits a device list update notification to the server  300  (S 5104 ). 
     The server  300  updates the device list  4700  in accordance with the content of the received device list update notification (S 5105 ). Here, in the case where the device list  4700  does not contain information on the device  200 , the server  300  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. Then, the server  300  transmits a device list update notification to the out-home home controller  100  (S 5106 ). The out-home home controller  100  updates the device list  3100  in accordance with the content of the received device list update notification (S 5107 ). Here, in the case where the device list  3100  does not contain information on the device  200 , the device management section  105  of the out-home home controller  100  adds information on the device  200  as a new device. Then, the display screen is updated (S 5108 ). 
     According to the example, even in the case where one home controller  100  is located away from the home and the other home controller  100  is located in the home, it is possible to prevent occurrence of deviation between the states of the device  200  recognized by the two home controllers  100 . 
     The sequences and the process flows described above are merely exemplary, and the order of the steps may be changed and some of the steps may be omitted as long as the intended process may be embodied. For example, a control command may be transmitted to the device A  200  and the device B  200  asynchronously. 
     In the foregoing description, a plan view that planarly represents the position and the shape of rooms forming each floor is adopted as the floor plan  500 . However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and a diagram that schematically shows how many rooms of what type are located on each floor may be adopted as the floor plan. 
     Floor plans in other patterns will be specifically described below.  FIG. 52  is a diagram showing a floor plan  5200  in another pattern. In the floor plan  5200 , rooms forming one floor are each represented by one rectangular block, and the moms on the one floor are disposed in a matrix. The blocks have the same size, and are each provided with the name of the room. 
     In the floor plan  5200 , the name and the number of the rooms forming each floor are indicated, but the relative size and the position in the floor of the rooms are not represented. In the embodiment, such a diagram is treated as the floor plan  5200 . That is, in the embodiment, any diagram that represents at least what rooms are provided on each floor are treated as the floor plan. 
     For example, it is seen that a floor plan  5201  for the first floor includes rooms such as a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a bath, a lavatory, a toilet, a staircase, and a hallway. Meanwhile, it is seen that a floor plan  5202  for the second floor includes rooms such as a main bedroom, a bedroom 1, a bedroom 1, a child&#39;s room, and a staircase. 
     The user can drag and move a desired room on the floor plan  5200  to change the position of the room on the floor plan  5200 . In the case where a large number of devices  200  are disposed within a room and all the device icons  501  cannot be displayed within the room on the floor plan  5200  using a default room size, the display control section  103  may increase the size of the room such that all the device icons  501  can be accommodated within the room. 
       FIG. 53  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen that adopts the floor plan  5200 . The floor plan  5200  is displayed on the basic screen. In addition, the device icons  501  for the devices  200  actually disposed are displayed within each room. 
     For example, the device icons  501  for the television set and the illumination device are displayed in the living room, and therefore it is seen that the television set and the illumination device are installed in the living room. 
     The device list display change button  503  is a button for switching the screen display from the basic screen to the device list display screen discussed earlier (see  FIG. 24 ). 
       FIG. 54  is a diagram showing the display state of the device control screen  502  for a case where the floor plan  5200  shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. In the basic screen shown in  FIG. 53 , when the touch panel control section  102  senses that the user selects the device icon  501 , the display control section  103  causes the display  101  to display the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501 . In  FIG. 54 , the device icon  501  for the air conditioner is selected, and therefore the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner is displayed as overlapped on the floor plan  5200 . 
     In displaying the device control screen  502 , the display control section  103  disposes the device icons  501  displayed on the floor plan  5200  outside the display region of the device control screen  502 . In the example of  FIG. 54 , all the device icons  501  are disposed in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  5200 . 
     In disposing the device icons  501  in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  5200 , the display control section  103  may group the device icons  501  under particular conditions. For example, the device icons  501  may be grouped in accordance with the room, may be grouped in accordance with the type of the device  200 , or may be grouped in accordance with the category based on the type of the device  200 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 54 , the device icons  501  are disposed on the left side of the floor plan  5200 . However, the device icons  501  may be disposed in one vertical line on the right side of the floor plan  5200 , or may be disposed in one horizontal line on the upper or lower side of the floor plan  5200 . 
     In the case where all the device icons  501  cannot be displayed on the left side of the floor plan  5200 , the display control section  103  may scroll the device icons  501  upward or downward in accordance with a swipe operation performed upward or downward on the device icons  501  disposed in one line on the left side to cause the device icons  501 , which have been hidden, to be displayed within the display  101 . 
     In disposing the device icons  501  in one vertical line on the left side of the floor plan  5200 , the display control section  103  may display the device icon  501  selected by the user in a display mode that is different from that for the unselected device icons  501 . For example, the selected device icon  501  may be displayed in a color that is different from that of the unselected device icons  501 , may be displayed more brightly than the unselected device icons  501 , may be displayed more densely than the unselected device icons  501 , or may be flashed on and off at a constant cycle. 
     The display control section  103  may scroll an array of the device icons  501  such that the device icon  501  selected by the user is positioned at a conspicuous position (for example, the top, middle, or bottom position) in the line of icons. 
     In displaying the device control screen  502 , the display control section  103  may dispose all the device icons  501  on the outer periphery of an ellipse as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     Next, transition between the display state of the basic screen and the display state of the device control screen  502  will be described using  FIG. 55 . 
     In the basic screen shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 55 , the user selects the device icon  501  for the device  200  (here, the air conditioner) that is desired to be controlled, and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection. Then, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 55 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501  as overlapped on the floor plan  5200 . This results in transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen  502 . 
     On the other hand, as shown in the right diagram of  FIG. 55 , in the display state of the device control screen  502 , the user selects the device icon  501  for the air conditioner corresponding to the device control screen  502  or a location outside the display region of the device control screen  502  (for example, the display region of the floor plan  5200  outside the display region of the device control screen  502 ), and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection. Then, as shown in the left diagram of  FIG. 55 , the display control section  103  erases the device control screen  502 , and returns from the display state of the device control screen  502  to the display state of the basic screen. 
       FIG. 56  is a diagram showing the configuration of a floor plan  5600  for a case where the size of each block is varied in accordance with the actual room size in the floor plan  5200  shown in  FIG. 52 . 
     In the left diagram of  FIG. 56 , a floor plan  5601  for the first floor is shown. In the right diagram of  FIG. 56 , a floor plan  5602  for the second floor is shown. 
     In the floor plan  5601  for the first floor, the living room is the largest in terms of the room size, and is followed by the kitchen, the bath, and the staircase. Therefore, the sizes of the rooms are displayed in this order. Also in the floor plan  5602  for the second floor, the rooms are represented in accordance with the actual room size. In this case, information that indicates the actual room size may be registered in advance in room information  6800  to be discussed later, and the display control section  103  may decide the size of each room in accordance with the information. 
       FIG. 57  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen that adopts the floor plan  5600  shown in  FIG. 56 . In the floor plan  5600 , each room is displayed with a size matching the actual size. In addition, the device icons  501  for the devices  200  actually disposed are displayed in each room. 
     In the case where the mode in which each room is represented with a size matching the actual room size on the floor plan  5600  is adopted, displaying all the rooms within the display  101  may result in small display of the rooms to make a user operation difficult. Thus, a room display button  5603  with a text “DISPLAY OTHER ROOMS” is provided in  FIG. 57 . 
     When the user selects the room display button and the touch panel control section  102  senses the selection, the display control section  103  switches the screen display to the floor plan  5600  which displays the remaining rooms. 
     In the example of  FIG. 57 , the floor plan  5600  is partitioned into the floor plan  5601  for the first floor and the floor plan  5602  for the second floor. Therefore, when the room display button  5603  is selected, the display control section  103  switches display on the display  101  to the floor plan  5602  for the second floor. In this case, the room display button  5603  is also provided on the floor plan  5602  for the second floor. Therefore, when the room display button  5603  is selected, the display control section  103  switches display on the display  101  to the floor plan  5601  for the first floor. 
     Although the floor plan is provided for each floor in the example of  FIG. 57 , the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, in the case where the floor plan  5601  for the first floor cannot be displayed on the display  101  at the same time, the display control section  103  may divide the floor plan  5601  for the first floor, and display a divided portion of the floor plan  5601  on the display  101 . In this case, when the room display button  5603  is selected, a hidden portion of the floor plan  5601  for the first floor may be displayed. 
     In the case where the floor plan  5601  for the first floor and the floor plan  5602  for the second floor can be displayed on the display  101  at the same time, the display control section  103  may display the floor plan  5601  for the first floor and the floor plan  5602  for the second floor on the display  101  at the same time. In this case, the room display button  5603  is omitted from the floor plan  5600 . 
     In the case where the staircase is tapped on on the floor plan  5600 , the display control section  103  may switch between the floor plan  5601  for the first floor and the floor plan  5602  for the second floor. 
       FIG. 58  is a diagram showing the display state of the device control screen  502  for a case where the floor plan  5600  shown in  FIG. 56  is adopted as the floor plan. In  FIG. 58 , as in  FIG. 54 , the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner is displayed.  FIG. 58  is otherwise the same as  FIG. 54 , and therefore is not described. 
       FIG. 59  is a diagram showing a floor plan  5900  in still another pattern according to the embodiment of the disclosure. The floor plan  5900  of  FIG. 59  is the same as the floor plan  5200  in that rooms are represented by blocks of the same size, but is different from the floor plan  5200  in arrangement of the rooms. Specifically, in the floor plan  5900 , the floor numbers are displayed in the vertical direction, and the rooms forming the same floor are arranged in one horizontal line. In the example of  FIG. 59 , the house has three floors, namely the first floor to the third floor, and therefore the rooms forming the third floor are disposed in the first line, the rooms forming the second floor are disposed in the second line, and the rooms forming the first floor are disposed in the third line. The floor number such as 1F, 2F, and 3F is indicated at the left end of each line. It is seen at a glance from the floor plan  5900  on which floor each room is disposed. 
     Also in the floor plan  5900 , the size of each room may be varied in accordance with the actual room size. In the floor plan  5900 , in addition, in the case where all the rooms cannot be displayed within the display region of the display  101 , the floor plan  5900  may be scrolled in the horizontal direction so that a desired room can be displayed on the display  101 . 
     For example, in the case where there are further rooms on the second floor, when the touch panel control section  102  senses that the user performs a swipe operation from the left to the right, the display control section  103  may scroll the rooms forming the second floor, or the rooms forming the first floor to the third floor, from the left to the right in accordance with the amount of the swipe operation. 
       FIG. 60  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen that adopts the floor plan  5900  shown in  FIG. 59 . The floor plan  5900  is displayed on the basic screen. In addition, the device icons  501  for the devices  200  actually disposed are displayed within each room. The device list display change button  503  is a button for switching the screen display from the basic screen to the device list display screen discussed earlier (see  FIG. 24 ). 
       FIG. 61  is a diagram showing the display state of the device control screen  502  for a case where the floor plan  5900  shown in  FIG. 59  is adopted. In the basic screen shown in  FIG. 60 , when the touch panel control section  102  senses that the user selects the device icon  501 , the display control section  103  causes the display  101  to display the device control screen  502  corresponding to the selected device icon  501 . In  FIG. 61 , the device icon  501  for the air conditioner is selected, and therefore the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner is displayed as overlapped on the floor plan  5900 . In displaying the device control screen  502 , the display control section  103  disposes the device icons  501  displayed on the floor plan  5900  outside the display region of the device control screen  502 . In the example of  FIG. 61 , all the device icons  501  are disposed in one horizontal line on the lower side of the floor plan  5900 . 
     In disposing the device icons  501  in one vertical line on the lower side of the floor plan  5900 , the display control section  103  may group the device icons  501  under particular conditions. For example, the device icons  501  may be grouped in accordance with the room, may be grouped in accordance with the type of the device  200 , or may be grouped in accordance with the category based on the type of the device  200 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 61 , the device icons  501  are disposed on the lower side of the floor plan  5900 . However, the device icons  501  may be disposed in one horizontal line on the upper side of the floor plan  5900 , or may be disposed in one vertical line on the left or right side of the floor plan  5900 . 
     In the case where all the device icons  501  cannot be disposed on the lower side of the floor plan  500 , the display control section  103  may scroll the device icons  501  leftward or rightward in accordance with a swipe operation performed leftward or rightward on the device icons  501  disposed in one horizontal line on the lower side to cause the device icons  501 , which have been hidden, to be displayed within the display  101 . 
     In disposing the device icons  501  in one horizontal line on the lower side of the floor plan  5900 , the display control section  103  may display the device icon  501  selected by the user in a display mode that is different from that for the unselected device icons  501 . For example, the selected device icon  501  may be displayed in a color that is different from that of the unselected device icons  501 , may be displayed more brightly than the unselected device icons  501 , may be displayed more densely than the unselected device icons  501 , or may be flashed on and off at a constant cycle. 
     The display control section  103  may scroll an array of the device icons  501  such that the device icon  501  selected by the user is positioned at a conspicuous position (for example, the leftmost, middle, or rightmost position) in the line of icons. 
     In displaying the device control screen  502 , the display control section  103  may dispose all the device icons  501  on the outer periphery of an ellipse as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     In the floor plan  5900 , the rooms on all the floors are displayed on the display  101  at the same time, which may result in small display of the rooms to make a user operation difficult. Thus, the display control section  103  may display the floor plan  5900  as enlarged in accordance with the user operation. Specifically, when the user performs an operation of pinching out on a certain room in the floor plan  5900  and the touch panel control section  102  senses the operation, the display control section  103  may display the room on the display  101  as enlarged at an enlargement scale matching the amount of the pinch out. 
       FIG. 62  is a diagram showing a floor plan that displays a certain room in the floor plan  5900  as enlarged. As shown in  FIG. 62 , the display control section  103  may display a plan view that planarly represents the shape of the relevant room as overlapped on the floor plan  5900 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may switch to displaying the plan view. This allows the user to grasp the configuration of the rooms in the house and the devices  200  disposed in each room on the floor plan  5900  shown in  FIG. 60 , and to grasp the actual arrangement position of the devices  200  in the enlarged room on the floor plan  5900  shown in  FIG. 62 . 
     In the floor plan  5900  not displayed as enlarged shown in  FIG. 60 , it is not necessary for the display control section  103  to display the device icons  501  for all the devices  200  disposed within the rooms, and the display control section  103  may display only some of the device icons  501 . 
     In this case, the display control section  103  may display one or a plurality of (for example, two) device icons  501  frequently used by the user on the floor plan  5900 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may not display the device icons  501  on the floor plan  5900  not displayed as enlarged. This prevents the viewability of the floor plan  5900  from being lowered because of an increased number of the device icons  501  displayed on the floor plan  5900  not displayed as enlarged. 
       FIG. 63  is a diagram showing the display state of the device control screen  502  in the floor plan  5900  displayed as enlarged shown in  FIG. 62 . In  FIG. 63 , as in  FIG. 54 , the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner is displayed. In  FIG. 63 , only the device icons  501  disposed in the room (living room) displayed as enlarged are displayed on the left side of the plan view and in the block of the living room. In the example of  FIG. 62 , the device icons  501  for the air conditioner, the illumination device, and the television set are displayed in the living room within the plan view, and the device icon  501  for the air conditioner is selected by the user. Therefore, the device icons  501  are displayed in one vertical line on the left side of the plan view. 
     In the case where a certain room is displayed as enlarged, it is highly likely that the user operates the device  200  disposed within the room. In the case where a certain room is displayed as enlarged, in addition, the device icons  501  for devices in the other rooms are not displayed on the display  101 . Therefore, if the device icons  501  for devices disposed in the other rooms are displayed on the left side of the plan view when the user selects a certain device icon  501 , the user may be given a sense of wrongness. 
     Thus, in the case where a certain room is displayed as enlarged, the display control section  103  causes only the device icons  501  for the devices  200  disposed in the room to be displayed in one vertical line on the left side of the plan view. In the example of  FIG. 64 , the device icons  501  are displayed on the left side of the plan view. However, the device icons  501  may be displayed in one vertical line on the right side of the plan view, or may be displayed in one horizontal line on the upper or lower side of the plan view. 
       FIG. 64  is a diagram showing screen transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen  502 . It is assumed that the user taps on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, for example, in the basic screen which displays the floor plan  5900  not displayed as enlarged as shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 64 . Then, as shown in the upper right diagram of  FIG. 64 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner as overlapped on the basic screen. In the screen shown in the upper right diagram of  FIG. 64 , on the other hand, when the user taps on a region on the floor plan  5900  other than the device control screen  502  or taps on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, the display control section  103  returns the screen display to the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 64 . 
     It is assumed that the user pinches out on the living room in the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 64 . Then, as shown in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 64 , the display control section  103  enlarges the block of the living room, and at the same time displays the plan view of the living room having a size matching the size of the enlarged block as overlapped on the enlarged block. It is assumed that the user pinches in on the living room in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 64 . Then, the display control section  103  returns the screen display to the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 64 . 
     When the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, for example, is selected in the basic screen shown in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 64 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner as overlapped on the plan view as shown in the lower right diagram of  FIG. 64 . In the lower right diagram of  FIG. 64 , when the user taps on a region on the floor plan  5900  other than the device control screen  502  or on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, the display control section  103  returns the screen display to the screen shown in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 64 . 
       FIG. 65  is a diagram showing the configuration of a basic screen  5900  which adopts the floor plan shown in  FIG. 59  and in which device icons  501  are not displayed. In the mode shown in  FIG. 65 , only rooms forming each floor are displayed, and the device icons  501  are not displayed. 
       FIG. 66  is a diagram showing screen transition from the display state of the basic screen to the display state of the device control screen  502  for a case where the basic screen in which device icons  501  are not displayed is adopted. It is assumed that the user pinches out on the living room, for example, in the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram of  FIG. 66 . Then, as shown in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 66 , the display control section  103  displays the block of the living room as enlarged, and displays the plan view of the living room as overlapped on the block displayed as enlarged. It is assumed that the user taps on the device icon  501  for the air conditioner, for example, in the screen shown in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 66 . Then, as shown in the lower right diagram of  FIG. 66 , the display control section  103  displays the device control screen  502  for the air conditioner as overlapped on the plan view of the living room, and disposes the device icons  501  for the living room in one vertical line on the left side of the plan view of the living room. In the lower right diagram of  FIG. 66 , when the user taps on a region on the floor plan  5900  and outside the display region of the device control screen  502 , the display control section  103  returns the display screen to the screen shown in the lower left diagram of  FIG. 66 . 
       FIG. 67  is a diagram showing the configuration of the home information  2700  for a case where the floor plan  5200  shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. As shown in  FIG. 67 , the home information  6400  includes the floor plan  5200 , the room information  6800 , and the device list  4700  managed by the server. In the floor plan  5200 , the display positions of the rooms are determined in advance. Therefore, the vertex information  2800  included in the home information  2700  is omitted from the home information  6400 . 
     The floor plan  5200  is image data obtained by representing the floor plan  5200  shown in  FIG. 52  in a bitmap format, for example. Alternatively, the floor plan  5200  may be information that prescribes the color, the shape, the size, and so forth for displaying the floor plan  5200 . The room information  6800  is information for deciding the regions of rooms from the floor plan  5200 . 
       FIG. 68  is a diagram showing the configuration of room information  6800  shown in  FIG. 67 . As shown in  FIG. 68 , the room information  6800  includes a room ID  6801 , a room type  6802 , a floor level  6803 , and a display position  6804 . The room ID  6801  is an identifier that identifies a room on the floor plan  5200 . The room type  6802  indicates the type of the room. The floor level  6803  indicates the floor level (floor) on which the room is disposed. The display position  6804  indicates the arrangement position of the room on the floor plan  5200 . 
       FIG. 69  is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the display position  6804  in the room information  6800  and the floor plan  5200 . As shown in  FIG. 69 , the order of the blocks on the floor plan  5200  is prescribed such that the block in the first row and the first column corresponds to the first cell, the block in the first row and the second column corresponds to the second cell, the block in the first row and the third column corresponds to the third cell, the block in the second row and the first column corresponds to the fourth cell, and so forth. 
     For example, the room with a room ID  6801  of A has a display position  6804  of “FIRST CELL ON FIRST FLOOR”. Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 69 , the display control section  103  interprets the block in the first cell (in the first row and the first column) on the floor plan  5201  for the first floor as the living room. 
     In the example of  FIG. 69 , the blocks are disposed in three horizontal lines, and therefore the cell in the second row and the first column corresponds to the fourth cell, and the cell in the third row and the first column corresponds to the seventh cell. It should be noted, however, that this is merely exemplary. For example, in the case where the cells are arranged in four columns in the horizontal direction, the correlation between the order of the cells and the arrangement positions of the blocks is changed as appropriate in accordance with the number of blocks in the horizontal direction, and the cell in the second row and the first column corresponds to the fifth cell, and the cell in the third row and the first column corresponds to the ninth cell. 
       FIG. 70  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list  4700  managed by the server  300  for a case where the floor plan  5200  shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. It is not necessary for the floor plan  5200  to indicate the arrangement position of the device  200  in the room. Therefore, in the device list  4700  shown in  FIG. 70 , unlike  FIG. 34 , the room type  6802  is registered in the arrangement  4704 . The device list  4700  shown in  FIG. 70  is otherwise the same as the device list  4700  shown in  FIG. 34 . For example, the air conditioner with a device ID  4701  of A is disposed in the living room, and therefore “LIVING ROOM” is registered in the arrangement  4704 . In the example of  FIG. 70 , the room type  6802  is adopted as the arrangement  4704 . However, any other information that specifies a room may be registered. For example, the room ID  6801  may be adopted as the arrangement  4704 . 
       FIG. 71  is a diagram showing the configuration of a device list  3100  managed by the home controller  100  for a case where the floor plan  5200  shown in  FIG. 52  is adopted. Also in the device list  3100  of  FIG. 71 , for the same reason as that for the device list  4700  of  FIG. 70 , the room type  6802  is registered in the arrangement  3104 . The device list  3100  of  FIG. 71  is otherwise the same as the device list  3100  shown in  FIG. 35 . Also in  FIG. 71 , the room ID  6801  may be adopted as the arrangement  3104 . 
     Next, the device list  3100  for a case where the plan view of a certain room is displayed in the case where a pinch-out operation is performed on the room on the basic screen of the floor plan  5900  as shown in  FIG. 62  will be described. In this case, the room information  6800  shown in  FIG. 68  may include an item of the plan view of the room. Then, image data for the plan view of the relevant room may be registered in the item of the plan view of the room. For the plan view of the room, as shown in  FIG. 33 , the origin may be set at the left end of the room, for example, the X axis and the Y axis may be set in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, and the position of the room may be represented by the X and Y coordinates. 
     Meanwhile, not only the room type  6802  but also the coordinate in the room is registered in the arrangement  3104  of the device list  3100  shown in  FIG. 71 . This allows the display control section  103  to discriminate from the content of the arrangement  3104  at what position on the plan view representing the room the device icon  501  is to be disposed. 
     In the embodiment, the server  300  is not an essential constituent element, and various types of information managed by the server  300  (such as the home information  2700  and the state of the devices  200 ) may be managed by the home controller  100 . This allows the embodiment described above to be embodied without the server  300 . In this case, it is not necessary for the home controller  100  to manage information on the entire house, and it is only necessary to manage information related to the devices  200  controlled by the home controller  100  and the house in which the devices  200  are disposed. 
     (Control of Specific Target Device) 
     An embodiment of an aspect that does not limit target device type has been described above. Hereinafter, an embodiment of an aspect in which a target device is a specific target device will be described in detail. A specific target device is a device of a type storing a set content at the time power of the device has been turned off among the devices  200 . In other words, a specific target device is a device which, when power is turned on, starts operation according to a set content at the time power of the device has been previously turned off. In the present embodiment, examples of a specific target device include the air conditioner  201  and the television set  209 . As examples of the specific target device, an embodiment of an air conditioner will be described first, and an embodiment of a television set will be subsequently described. 
     (Control Screen of Air Conditioner) 
       FIGS. 72 to 75  are, respectively, diagrams showing an example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 .  FIG. 76  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 76  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 76  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 72 . 
     For example, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 76 , a basic screen including the floor plan  500 , the device icons  501 , and the like is displayed by the display control section  103  on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . In this display state, when the user taps (selects) a device icon  10201  (corresponding to an example of the device icon representing the specific target device according to an aspect of the present disclosure) of an air conditioner disposed in a room  10200  in which an air conditioner is installed, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . As a result, as shown in  FIGS. 72 to 75  and in the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 , the display control section  103  displays a control screen  10100  of an air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     In this control of an air conditioner, as shown in  FIGS. 72 to 75  and in the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 , the floor plan  500  and the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner share the same display content. In other words, when the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner, the floor plan  500  also functions as the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. 
     For example, on the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 76 , when the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner that is disposed in the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . As a result, the display control section  103  displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . Therefore, as shown in  FIGS. 72 to 75  and in the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 , a control target region  10101  of an air conditioner that is included in the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner is a region corresponding to the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed. 
     In addition, when the touch panel control section  102  senses selection of the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner by the user in the basic screen display state (for example, the upper diagram in  FIG. 76 ), as described above, the display control section  103  moves the device icons  501  out of a display region of the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner (the floor plan  500 ) as shown in  FIGS. 72 to 75  and in the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 . In the example shown in  FIGS. 72 to 75  and in the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 , the device icons  501  are aligned in a single vertical column at a left end in the display screen of the display  101  so as to avoid the display region of the floor plan  500 . 
     In addition, in the example shown in  FIG. 72 , the selected device icon  10201  of the air conditioner is displayed so as to be distinguished from unselected device icons by, for example, being enclosed in a bold frame. Moreover, a mode of displaying the selected device icon  10201  of the air conditioner so as to be distinguished from unselected device icons is not limited to a mode involving enclosing the selected device icon  10201  in a bold frame. As described earlier, the display control section  103  can adopt various modes such as displaying the selected device icon  10201  of the air conditioner in a color that differs from that of the unselected device icons and displaying the selected device icon  10201  with higher brightness. 
     In addition, as shown in  FIGS. 72 to 75 , the display control section  103  displays a detail control screen  522  in the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. The detail control screen  522  is configured in a similar manner to the device control screen  502  (for example,  FIG. 12 ). Specifically, the detail control screen  522  displays an image of an air conditioner to enable the user to quickly recognize that the detail control screen  522  belongs to an air conditioner in order to prevent a misoperation. An image representing an air flow direction is displayed below the image of the air conditioner. For example, by repetitively tapping this image, the user can select a desired air flow direction. A numerical value displayed in the detail control screen  522  represents a current set temperature of the air conditioner. In addition, on the detail control screen  522 , a button shaped in an upward-pointing triangle is a higher temperature button and a button shaped in a downward-pointing triangle is a lower temperature button. When the higher temperature button is tapped once, the set temperature of the air conditioner rises by a prescribed temperature (for example, 0.5 degrees), and when the lower temperature button is tapped once, the set temperature of the air conditioner falls by a prescribed temperature (for example, 0.5 degrees). Furthermore, an operation mode of the air conditioner is displayed at a left end of the detail control screen  522 . For example, “heater” is displayed in  FIG. 72  and “cooler” is displayed in  FIG. 73 . 
       FIGS. 72 and 74  show the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner when the air conditioner is operating in the heater mode. In  FIGS. 72 and 74 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red).  FIG. 73  shows the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner when the air conditioner is operating in the cooler mode. In  FIG. 73 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a cold color (for example, blue). 
     By displaying the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color, the user can instantaneously recognize that the air conditioner installed in a room corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner is operating with its operation mode set to the heater mode. In a similar manner, by displaying the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a cold color, the user can instantaneously recognize that the air conditioner installed in a room corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner is operating with its operation mode set to the cooler mode. 
       FIG. 75  shows the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner when the air conditioner is not in operation. In  FIG. 75 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness (for example, signal level  64  in case of 8 bits) lower than specified brightness (for example, signal level  128  in case of 8 bits) and in, for example, gray. By displaying the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly in gray, the user can instantaneously recognize that the air conditioner installed in a room corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner is not operating. 
     As described above, by controlling a color and brightness of the displayed control target region  10101  of the air conditioner, the user can instantaneously recognize an operation state of the air conditioner that is installed in a room. As a result, a misoperation by the user can be prevented and an unnecessary increase in the number of process steps can be avoided. 
     In  FIGS. 73 to 75 , the display control section  103  further displays an operation state display section  551  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. In  FIG. 73 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including the description “air conditioner operating as cooler”. In  FIG. 74 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including the description reading “air conditioner operating as heater”. In  FIG. 75 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including the description “air conditioner off”. As shown, by displaying the operation state display section  551  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner, the user can visually recognize an operation state of the air conditioner that is installed in the room through characters. 
       FIGS. 77 to 79  are diagrams showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 77  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 77  represents an example of a control screen of an air conditioner when the air conditioner is not operating. An upper diagram in  FIG. 78  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 72  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 78  represents the display screen represented by the lower diagram in  FIG. 77 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 79  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 , a lower left diagram in  FIG. 79  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 72 , and a lower right diagram in  FIG. 79  represents the display screen represented by the lower diagram in  FIG. 77 . 
     When the user selects a device icon of an air conditioner in the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed in a state where the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 79  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 76 , the upper diagram in  FIG. 77 ) is being displayed on the display  101 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the air conditioner installed in the room  10200  from a device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . Based on state information of the air conditioner that is included in the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  controls display of the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner that is included in the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. 
     When the air conditioner in the room  10200  has been turned on in, for example, the heater mode, as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 79  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101 . 
     On the other hand, when the air conditioner in the room  10200  has been turned off, as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 79  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 77 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Furthermore, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101 . 
     When the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 79  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 78 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 79  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 78 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner of the room  10200  (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 79  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 78 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 79  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 78 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red). 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner of the room  10200  (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     When the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner or the outside of the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner (for example, a display region of the floor plan  500  that is outside the display region of the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner) in the display state represented by the lower left diagram in  FIG. 79  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 76 ) or the lower right diagram in  FIG. 79  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 77 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 79  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 76 , the upper diagram in  FIG. 77 ), the display control section  103  restores the display screen of the display  101  to a basic screen display state. 
     As described above with reference to  FIGS. 72 to 79 , when the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner is selected by the user, the floor plan  500  functions as the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. Therefore, control of an on-off state of the air conditioner can be performed without having to display an operation screen for operating the air conditioner on the display  101 . As a result, a step where the display control section  103  displays an operation screen on the display  101  separately from the floor plan  500  is no longer necessary and an increase in the number of process steps performed by the display control section  103  (the home controller  100 ) can be prevented. 
     (Device Icon Used in Common of Air Conditioner) 
       FIG. 80  is a diagram showing a basic screen that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms.  FIGS. 81 to 83  are diagrams showing the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100  when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common.  FIG. 84  is a diagram showing an example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 84  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80 , an upper right diagram in  FIG. 84  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 81 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 84  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 82 , and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 84  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 83 . 
     On the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80  (the upper left diagram in  FIG. 84 ), a used-in-common device icon  11301  of an air conditioner is displayed in the living room. In the present embodiment, the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner is also used by an air conditioner in the bedroom. Therefore, a device icon of an air conditioner is not displayed in the bedroom (an upper left room in the floor plan  500  shown in  FIG. 80 ) on the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80  (the upper left diagram in  FIG. 84 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 80  (the upper left diagram in  FIG. 84 ), the display control section  103  displays a basic screen on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . When the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using a contacting object (for example, a finger of the user)  10600  in this display state, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that the air conditioner in the living room is operating in the heater mode and the air conditioner in the bedroom has been turned off. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in  FIG. 81  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 84 ) and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     The control screen  10100  of the air conditioner shown in  FIG. 81  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 84 ) includes a first control target region  11302  of an air conditioner and a second control target region  11303  of an air conditioner. In addition, as described with reference to  FIG. 72 , the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner includes the same display contents as the floor plan  500  ( FIG. 72 ). As shown in  FIG. 81  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 84 ), the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red). Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  has been turned on in the heater mode. The display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  has been turned off. 
     In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner of the room corresponding to the first control target region  11302  on the display  101 . As shown in  FIG. 81 , a name of the room (“living room” in  FIG. 81 ) is described on the detail control screen  522 . The display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner of whichever room in which the air conditioner has been turned on among the respective rooms corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the second control target region  11303  on the display  101 . When both air conditioners of the respective rooms corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the second control target region  11303  have been turned on, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner of a room with the largest size (for example, the living room) on the display  101 . 
     When the user selects the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  as shown in  FIG. 82  (lower right diagram in  FIG. 84 ) in a state where the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner is being displayed on the display  101  by the display control section  103  as shown in  FIG. 81  (upper right diagram in  FIG. 84 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as shown in  FIG. 83  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 84 ), the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner in a warm color. The display control section  103  switches the detail control screen  522  to be displayed on the display  101  from the detail control screen  522  of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner to the detail control screen  522  of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     As described above with reference to  FIGS. 80 to 84 , by using the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner, the air conditioners in two control target regions including the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner can be controlled. Therefore, the number of device icons of air conditioners on the basic screen that are displayed on the display  101  can be reduced. As a result, the basic screen displayed on the display  101  can be prevented from becoming cluttered by a large number of device icons. 
     Moreover, while the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner is used in common in order to control air conditioners in two rooms in  FIGS. 80 to 84 , the home controller  100  according to the present embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner may be used in order to control air conditioners in three or more rooms. In addition, generally, air conditioners are installed in all of the rooms. Therefore, the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner may be used in order to control the air conditioners in all of the rooms. This also applies to other display examples using the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner to be described later. 
     (Another Example of Control Screen of Air Conditioner) 
       FIG. 85  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . In  FIG. 85 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. Accordingly, it is shown that power of the air conditioner in the room (for example, the living room in  FIG. 85 ) corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner has been turned off. In  FIG. 85 , unlike the example shown in  FIG. 75 , the display control section  103  does not display a detail control screen on the display  101 . 
       FIGS. 86 to 88  are diagrams showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the control screen of the air conditioner shown in  FIG. 85 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 86  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 86  represents the control screen of the air conditioner shown in  FIG. 85 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 87  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 72  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 87  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 85 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 88  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 , a lower left diagram in  FIG. 88  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 72 , and a lower right diagram in  FIG. 88  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 85 . The upper diagram and the lower left diagram in  FIG. 88  are respectively the same as the upper diagram and the lower left diagram in  FIG. 79 . A transition of the display screen between the upper diagram and the lower left diagram in  FIG. 88  is performed in exactly the same manner as the transition of the display screen between the upper diagram and the lower left diagram in  FIG. 79 . 
     When the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner that is displayed in a region of the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed in a display state of the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 86  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 88 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the air conditioner of the room  10200  (for example, the living room) from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . 
     When the acquired status  1709  represents an off state, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 86  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 88 ). In addition, the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     On the other hand, when the acquired status  1709  represents an on state in the heater mode, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 88 . In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in the living room. 
     When the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 87  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 88 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 87  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 88 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  from the display  101 . The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 87  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 88 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 87  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 88 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color. The display control section  103  erases the operation state display section  551  from the display  101 . The display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in the room  10200  on the display  101 . 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     In the display example shown in  FIGS. 85 to 88 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  only when the power of the air conditioner is turned on. The display control section  103  does not display the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  when the power of the air conditioner is turned off. Since the air conditioner is not operating when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, no problems should occur by not displaying the detail control screen  522  on the display  101 . 
     In the display example shown in  FIGS. 85 to 88 , when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, the display control section  103  does not display the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  but displays the operation state display section  551  on the display  101 . Therefore, according to the display example shown in  FIGS. 85 to 88 , the user can be clearly notified that power of the air conditioner is turned off. 
     (Yet Another Example of Control Screen of Air Conditioner) 
       FIGS. 89 to 92  are, respectively, diagrams showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . In  FIGS. 89 to 92 , the display control section  103  displays a detail setting button  504  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. In  FIGS. 90 to 92 , the display control section  103  further displays the operation state display section  551  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     In  FIG. 89 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red). In  FIG. 90 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) and, at the same time, displays the operation state display section  511  including a description reading “air conditioner operating as heater”. In  FIG. 91 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a cold color (for example, blue) and, at the same time, displays the operation state display section  511  including a description reading “air conditioner operating as cooler”. In  FIG. 92 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness and, at the same time, displays the operation state display section  511  including a description reading “air conditioner off”. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 89 to 92 , the detail setting button  504  includes a description reading “air conditioner detail setting”. The detail setting button  504  is a button for displaying the detail control screen  522  on the display  101 . When the user desires to perform detailed setting of the air conditioner, by selecting the detail setting button  504 , the detail control screen  522  is displayed on the display  101 . 
       FIGS. 93 to 96  are diagrams showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the display screen shown in  FIG. 89 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 93  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 93  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 89 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 94  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 94  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 92  on which the operation state display section  551  is not displayed. An upper diagram in  FIG. 95  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 95  represents the display screen represented by the lower diagram in  FIG. 94 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 96  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 96  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 92  on which the operation state display section  551  is not displayed, and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 96  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 89 . 
     When the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner that is displayed in the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed in a display state of the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 93  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 96 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the air conditioner in the room  10200  from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 93  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 96 ) or the lower diagram in  FIG. 94  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 96 ) and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     When the acquired status  1709  represents an on state in the heater mode, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 93  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 96 ). In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     On the other hand, when the acquired status  1709  represents an off state, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 94  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 96 ). In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     When the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner or the outside of the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner (for example, a display region of the floor plan  500  that is outside the display region of the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner) in the display state represented by the lower diagram in  FIG. 93  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 96 ) or the lower diagram in  FIG. 94  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 96 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  restores the display screen of the display  101  to a basic screen display state (the upper diagram in  FIG. 93 , the upper diagram in  FIG. 94 , the upper diagram in  FIG. 96 ). 
     When the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 95  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 96 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 95  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 96 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 95  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 96 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 95  (the upper left diagram in  FIG. 96 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red). The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 97  is a diagram showing an example where the detail control screen  522  is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . As shown in  FIG. 89 , when the user taps (selects) the detail setting button  504  in a state where the detail setting button  504  is displayed, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 97 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
       FIGS. 98 to 100  are, respectively, diagrams showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  on which the detail setting button  504  is displayed. 
     An upper diagram in  FIG. 98  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 98  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 97 . When the user taps (selects) the detail setting button  504  in the display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 98  ( FIG. 89 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 98  ( FIG. 97 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     On the other hand, when the user taps (selects) the detail setting button  504  in the display state shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 98  ( FIG. 97 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 98  ( FIG. 89 ), the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner from the display  101 . 
     An upper diagram and a lower diagram in  FIG. 99  are similar to the upper diagram and the lower diagram in  FIG. 98  with the exception of the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner being displayed with brightness lower than the specified brightness. In  FIG. 99 , a transition of a display screen is performed in a similar manner to  FIG. 98 . When selection of the detail setting button  504  by the user is sensed by the touch panel control section  102  in a state where the detail control screen  522  is not displayed (the upper diagram in  FIG. 99 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 99 ). 
     On the other hand, when selection of the detail setting button  504  by the user is sensed by the touch panel control section  102  in a state where the detail control screen  522  is being displayed (the lower diagram in  FIG. 99 ), the display control section  103  erases the displayed detail control screen  522  from the display  101  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 99 ). 
     An upper diagram in  FIG. 100  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 97 . When the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 100  ( FIG. 97 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 100 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Furthermore, the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  from the display  101 . 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     In the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIG. 100 , when the power of the air conditioner is turned off, the detail control screen  522  is erased from the display  101 . Therefore, according to the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIG. 100 , an on-off state of the power of the air conditioner can be clearly indicated. 
     (Device Icon Used in Common of Air Conditioner when Detail Setting Button is Displayed) 
       FIGS. 101 to 103  are, respectively, diagrams showing the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner displaying a detail setting button when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms.  FIG. 104  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100  when a device icon of the air conditioner is used in common. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 104  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80 , an upper right diagram in  FIG. 104  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 101 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 104  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 102 , and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 104  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 103 . 
     First, when the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 104  ( FIG. 80 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that air conditioners in the living room and the bedroom are both operating in the heater mode. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in  FIG. 101  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 104 ) and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in  FIG. 101  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 104 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  are in an on state in the heater mode. In addition, the display control section  103  displays a detail setting button  5041  in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and displays a detail setting button  5042  in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     Next, when the user selects the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 101  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 104 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 102  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 104 ), the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  has been turned off. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the living room (an example of the first room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 102  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 104 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 103  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 104 ), the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  has been turned off. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the second on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the bedroom (an example of the second room) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 105  is a diagram showing an example of a transition that differs from  FIG. 104  of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 105  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80  and an upper right diagram, a lower right diagram, and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 105  represent the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. 
     First, when the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 105 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that both air conditioners in the living room and the bedroom have been turned off. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 105  and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 105 . Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioners in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  have been turned off. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5041  in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and displays the detail setting button  5042  in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     Next, when the user selects the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 105 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner has been operating in the heater mode when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off. Based on this determination, the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner in a warm color (red) as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 105 . Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  is operating in the heater mode. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the living room (an example of the first room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 105 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner in the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner has been operating in the heater mode when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off. Based on this determination, the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 105 . Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  is operating in the heater mode. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the second on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the bedroom (an example of the second room) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIGS. 106 to 108  are diagrams showing another example of the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner which displays a detail setting button.  FIG. 109  is a diagram showing yet another example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 109  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80 , an upper right diagram in  FIG. 109  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 106 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 109  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 107 , and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 109  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 108 . 
     First, when the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 109  ( FIG. 80 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that the air conditioner in the living room is operating in the heater mode and the air conditioner in the bedroom has been turned off. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in  FIG. 106  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 109 ) and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , as shown in  FIG. 106  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 109 ), the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) and displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Accordingly, it is shown that the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  is in an on state in the heater mode and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  is in an off state. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5041  in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and displays the detail setting button  5042  in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     Next, when the user selects the detail setting button  5041  that is displayed in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 106  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 109 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as shown in  FIG. 107  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 109 ), the display control section  103  displays a detail control screen  5221  of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 107 , the detail control screen  5221  includes a description reading “living room”. Due to the description, it is clearly shown that the detail control screen  5221  is a detail control screen of the air conditioner in the living room. In this manner, by displaying the detail control screen  5221  on the display  101 , settings of the air conditioner in the living room can be controlled in detail. 
     Next, when the user selects the detail setting button  5042  that is displayed in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 107  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 109 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as shown in  FIG. 108  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 109 ), the display control section  103  displays a detail control screen  5222  of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner on the display  101  in place of the detail control screen  5221 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 108 , the detail control screen  5222  includes a description reading “bedroom”. Due to the description, it is clearly shown that the detail control screen  5222  is a detail control screen of the air conditioner in the bedroom. In this manner, by displaying the detail control screen  5222  on the display  101 , settings of the air conditioner in the bedroom can be controlled in detail. 
       FIGS. 110 and 111  are diagrams showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100  including another display example of a detail setting button. An upper diagram in  FIG. 110  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 110  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 85 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 111  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80 , a lower left diagram in  FIG. 111  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 89  (the upper diagram in  FIG. 110 ), and a lower right diagram in  FIG. 111  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 85  (the lower diagram in  FIG. 110 ). 
     When the user selects the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner that is displayed in the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed in a display state of the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 111  ( FIG. 80 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the air conditioner in the room  10200  from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 111  or the lower right diagram in  FIG. 111  and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     When the acquired status  1709  of the air conditioner represents an on state in the heater mode, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 110  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 111 ). In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     On the other hand, when the acquired status  1709  of the air conditioner represents an off state, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 110  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 111 ). In addition, the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     When the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 110  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 111 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 110  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 111 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  504  from the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 110  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 111 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner has been operating in the heater mode when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off. Based on this determination, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 110  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 111 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  10101  is operating in the heater mode. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  10101  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 112  is a diagram showing yet another example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 112  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 97  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 112  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 85 . 
     In the upper diagram in  FIG. 112 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red). Accordingly, it is shown that the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  10101  is in an on state and in the heater mode. The display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. The display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101 . 
     When the user selects the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner in a display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 112 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 112 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  504  from the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. The display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  from the display  101 . The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the room  10200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. As described above, according to the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIG. 112 , when the air conditioner is turned off, the detail control screen  522  in addition to the detail setting button  504  is erased from the display  101 . 
       FIGS. 113 and 114  are diagrams showing the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner including another display example of a detail setting button.  FIG. 115  is a diagram showing yet another example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 115  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80 , an upper right diagram in  FIG. 115  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 101 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 115  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 113 , and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 115  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 114 . 
     First, when the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 115  ( FIG. 80 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that air conditioners in the living room and the bedroom are both operating in the heater mode. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 115  ( FIG. 101 ) and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 115  ( FIG. 101 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  are in an on state in the heater mode. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5041  in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and displays the detail setting button  5042  in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     Next, when the user selects the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper right diagram in FIG.  115  ( FIG. 101 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 113  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 115 ), the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5511  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner has been turned off. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  5041  from the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the living room (an example of the first room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 113  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 115 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 114  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 115 ), the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5512  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  has been turned off. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  5042  from the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the second on-off control command) for turning off the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the bedroom (an example of the second room) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 116  is a diagram showing an example of a transition that differs from  FIG. 115  of a display screen of the display  101  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 116  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80  and an upper right diagram, a lower right diagram, and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 116  represent the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. 
     First, when the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 116  ( FIG. 80 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that both air conditioners in the living room and the bedroom have been turned off. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 116  and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 116 . In addition, the display control section  103  respectively displays the operation state display sections  5511  and  5512  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner and the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioners in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  have been turned off. 
     Next, when the user selects the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 116 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner has been operating in the heater mode when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off. Based on this determination, the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 116 . Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  is operating in the heater mode. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5041  in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the living room (an example of the first room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 116 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner in the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner has been operating in the heater mode when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off. Based on this determination, the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 116 . Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  is operating in the heater mode. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5042  in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the second on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the bedroom (an example of the second room) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIGS. 117 to 119  are diagrams showing the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner including another display example of a detail control screen.  FIG. 120  is a diagram showing yet another example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  when one device icon of the air conditioner is used in common to control air conditioners in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 120  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 80 , an upper right diagram in  FIG. 120  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 117 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 120  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 118 , and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 120  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 119 . 
     First, when the user selects the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 120  ( FIG. 80 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of each of the air conditioners of rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that the air conditioner in the living room is operating in the heater mode and the air conditioner in the bedroom has been turned off. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 120  ( FIG. 117 ) and displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 120  ( FIG. 117 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  has been turned on in the heater mode. The display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5041  in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner. 
     The display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5512  including a description reading “air conditioner off” in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  has been turned off. 
     Next, when the user selects the detail setting button  5041  that is displayed in the first control target region  11302  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 120  ( FIG. 117 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as shown in  FIG. 118  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 120 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  on the display  101 . 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 118  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 120 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  determines that the air conditioner in the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner has been operating in the heater mode when the power of the air conditioner had previously been turned off. Based on this determination, the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner in a warm color (for example, red) as shown in  FIG. 119  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 120 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the air conditioner of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  is operating in the heater mode. 
     The display control section  103  erases the operation state display section  5512  including a description reading “air conditioner off” from the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  5042  in the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner. Furthermore, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5222  of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  of the air conditioner on the display  101  in place of the detail control screen  5221 . 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning on the power of the air conditioner. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the air conditioner in the bedroom (an example of the first room) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     As described above, in the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIGS. 117 to 120 , when the user selects the second control target region  11303 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5222  corresponding to the second control target region  11303  on the display  101 . Therefore, the desired detail control screen  5222  can be displayed on the display  101  without having to select the detail setting button  5042  of the second control target region  11303 . 
     In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5222  corresponding to the second control target region  11303  on the display  101  in place of the detail control screen  5221  that is being displayed. Therefore, a situation where the display screen becomes cluttered by both the detail control screen  5221  and the detail control screen  5222  being displayed on the display  101  can be avoided. 
       FIG. 121  is a diagram showing the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner including another display example of a detail control screen. In  FIG. 121 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the room corresponding to the first control target region  11302  on the display  101 . 
     In the example of transition shown in  FIG. 120 , a transition is made from the display screen shown in  FIG. 118  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 120 ) to the display screen shown in  FIG. 119  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 120 ). Alternatively, a transition may be made from the display screen shown in  FIG. 118  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 120 ) to the display screen shown in  FIG. 121 . In other words, instead of switching the detail control screen  5221  of the room corresponding to the first control target region  11302  to the detail control screen  5222  of the room corresponding to the second control target region  11303 , the detail control screen  5221  may remain displayed on the display  101 . 
     Even in this case, as shown in  FIG. 121 , the detail setting button  5042  is displayed in the second control target region  11303 . Therefore, the detail control screen  5222  of the room corresponding to the second control target region  11303  can be displayed on the display  101  by selecting the detail setting button  5042 . 
     Moreover, while the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner is disposed on one of the rooms that are control targets in the description given above, the home controller  100  according to the present embodiment is not limited thereto. 
       FIG. 122  is a diagram showing another example of arrangement of the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner. In  FIG. 122 , the display control section  103  arranges the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner outside of the display region of the floor plan  500 . In particular, when the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner is used in common to control the air conditioners of all of the rooms, as shown in  FIG. 122 , the display control section  103  favorably arranges the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner outside of the display region of the floor plan  500 . According to this arrangement, it can be shown that the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner is used in common to control the air conditioners of all of the rooms instead of being limited to the control of a specific room. 
     Moreover, while the display control section  103  constructs the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner using an image imitating an air conditioner in the description given above, alternatively, an icon constituted by characters reading, for example, “air conditioner mode” may be used. In addition, the icon constituted by characters reading “air conditioner mode” may be used in common to control the air conditioners of all of the rooms. In this manner, by adopting an icon constituted by characters reading “air conditioner mode”, it can be shown that the air conditioners of all of the rooms can be controlled in the air conditioner mode. 
     (Control Screen of Television Set) 
       FIGS. 123 and 124  are diagrams showing an example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 .  FIG. 125  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  of the home controller  100 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 125  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5 , a lower left diagram in  FIG. 125  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 123 , and a lower right diagram in  FIG. 125  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 124 . 
     For example, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 125 , the display control section  103  displays the basic screen including the floor plan  500 , the device icons  501 , and the like on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . In this display state, when the user taps (selects) a device icon  20201  (corresponding to an example of the device icon representing the specific target device according to an aspect of the present disclosure) of a television set disposed in a room  20200  in which a television set is installed, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set of the room  20200  (for example, the living room) from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . Based on information of the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays a control screen  20100  of a television set on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 123  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 125 ) and  FIG. 124  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 ). Moreover, in the present embodiment, the room  10200  in which the air conditioner is installed and the room  20200  in which the television set is installed are the same room (for example, the living room). 
     In this control of the television set, as shown in  FIGS. 123 to 125 , the floor plan  500  and the control screen  20100  of the television set share the same display content in a similar manner to the control of the air conditioner. In other words, when the user selects the device icon  20201  of the television set, the floor plan  500  also functions as the control screen  20100  of the television set. 
     For example, on the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 125 , when the user selects the device icon  20201  of the television set that is disposed in the room  20200  in which the television set is installed, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . As a result, the display control section  103  displays the control screen  20100  of the television set on the display  101 . Therefore, as shown in  FIGS. 123 to 125 , a control target region  20101  of a television set that is included in the control screen  20100  of the television set is a region corresponding to the room  20200  in which the television set is installed. 
     In addition, when the user selects the device icon  20201  of the television set in the basic screen display state (for example, the upper diagram in  FIG. 125 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as described above, the display control section  103  moves the device icons  501  out of the display region of the control screen  20100  of the television set (the floor plan  500 ) as shown in  FIG. 123  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 125 ) and  FIG. 124  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 ). In the example shown in  FIG. 123  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 125 ) and  FIG. 124  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 ), the device icons  501  are aligned in a single vertical column at a left end in the display screen of the display  101  so as to avoid the display region of the floor plan  500 . In addition, for example, in the example shown in  FIG. 123 , the selected device icon  20201  of the television set is displayed enclosed in a bold frame or the like in a similar manner to the device icon  10201  of the air conditioner described earlier so as to be distinguished from unselected device icons. 
     When the acquired status  1709  indicates that the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) is operating, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness as shown in  FIG. 123  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 125 ). 
     The display control section  103  displays an operation state display section  552  in the control target region  20101  of the television set. For example, when the acquired status  1709  indicates that the television set is tuned in channel  4 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  552  including a description reading “television set 4 ch” in the control target region  20101  of the television set as shown in  FIG. 123 . 
     When the acquired status  1709  indicates that the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) is operating, the display control section  103  further displays a detail control screen  522  on the display  101 . The detail control screen  522  is configured in a similar manner to the device control screen  2403  ( FIG. 27 ). Specifically, the detail control screen  522  includes descriptions reading “volume” and “channel”. 
     A numerical value described in correspondence to “volume” represents a current volume of the television set. A button shaped in an upward-pointing triangle which is described in correspondence to “volume” is a higher volume button and a button shaped in a downward-pointing triangle is a lower volume button. When the higher volume button is tapped once, the volume of the television set is increased by a prescribed level (for example, 1 notch), and when the lower volume button is tapped once, the volume of the television set is reduced by a prescribed level (for example, 1 notch). 
     A numerical value described in correspondence to “channel” represents a channel to which the television set is currently set. A button shaped in an upward-pointing triangle which is described in correspondence to “channel” is a higher channel button and a button shaped in a downward-pointing triangle is a lower channel button. When the higher channel button is tapped once, the channel of the television set is increased by, for example, one channel, and when the lower channel button is tapped once, the channel of the television set is reduced by, for example, one channel. 
     When the user taps (selects) the lower volume button, the higher volume button, the higher channel button, or the lower channel button, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the device control section  106  generates a control command based on a sensing result of the touch panel control section  102 . The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the acquired status  1709  indicates that the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) has been turned off, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in  FIG. 124  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 ). The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  552  including a description reading “television set off” in the control target region  20101  of the television set. Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  20101  of the television set has been turned off. 
     When the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set in a display state shown in  FIG. 123  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 125 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 124  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  from the display  101 . The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  552  including a description reading “television set off” in the control target region  20101  of the television set. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. As described above, in the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIGS. 124 and 125 , when the television set is turned off, the detail control screen  522  is erased from the display  101 . 
     When the user taps (selects) the device icon  20201  of the television set or the outside of the control target region  20101  of the television set (for example, a display region of the floor plan  500  that is outside the display region of the control target region  20101  of the television set) in the display state shown in the lower left diagram or the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  restores the display screen of the display  101  to the basic screen display state (the upper diagram in  FIG. 125 ). 
     In  FIG. 123  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 125 ) and  FIG. 124  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 125 ), the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  552  in the control target region  20101  of the television set. Therefore, whether or not the television set is operating can be clearly shown. 
       FIG. 126  is a diagram showing another example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on the display  101 .  FIG. 127  is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display  101  including the display screen shown in  FIG. 126 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 127  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 127  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 126 . 
     When the user selects the device icon  20201  of the television set that is disposed in the room  20200  in which the television set is installed in a state where the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 127  ( FIG. 5 ) is being displayed, the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set of the room  20200  (for example, the living room) from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . 
     When the acquired status  1709  indicates that the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) is operating, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness as shown in  FIG. 126  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 127 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) is operating. Furthermore, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     On the other hand, when the acquired status  1709  indicates that the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) has been turned off, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 127 . Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  20101  of the television set has been turned off. Furthermore, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     When the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set in a display state shown in  FIG. 126  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 127 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 127 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set in a display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 127 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 126  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 127 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning on the power of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 128  is a diagram showing an example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  when one device icon of the television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 128  represents a basic screen displayed on the display  101  when the device icon of the television set is used in common. An upper right diagram, a lower right diagram, and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 128  show the control screen  20100  of the television set. 
     In the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128 , a used-in-common device icon  21301  of a television set is displayed in the living room. In the present embodiment, the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set is also used by a television set in the bedroom. Therefore, the device icon of the television set is not displayed in the bedroom on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128 . 
     When the user selects the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set of the rooms (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that the television set in the living room is operating with its “channel” tuned in to “4” and its “volume” set to “16” and that the power of the television set in the bedroom has been turned off. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128  and displays the control screen  20100  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     The control screen  20100  of the television set shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128  includes a first control target region  21302  of the television set and a second control target region  21303  of the television set. In addition, in a similar manner to the air conditioner described with reference to  FIG. 72 , the control screen  20100  of the television set includes the same display contents as the floor plan  500  (the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128 ). 
     As shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  21302  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness. Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  is turned on. The display control section  103  displays the second control target region  21303  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  is turned off. 
     In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the television set of the room corresponding to the first control target region  21302  on the display  101 . As shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128 , a name of the room (“living room” in  FIG. 128 ) is described on the detail control screen  5221 . The display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the television set of the room in which the television set has been turned on among the respective rooms corresponding to the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303  on the display  101 . When both television sets of the respective rooms corresponding to the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303  have been turned on, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the television set of a room with the largest size (the living room in  FIG. 128 ) on the display  101 . 
     When the user selects the second control target region  21303  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 128  in a state where the control screen  20100  of the television set is being displayed on the display  101  by the display control section  103  as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 128 , the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  21303  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  switches the detail control screen to be displayed on the display  101  from the detail control screen  5221  of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  of the television set to the detail control screen  5222  of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning on the power of the television set of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     As described above, in the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIG. 128 , when the user selects the second control target region  11303 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5222  of the room corresponding to the second control target region  11303  on the display  101 . Therefore, the desired detail control screen  5222  can be displayed on the display  101  without having to, for example, display a detail setting button. 
     In addition, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5222  corresponding to the second control target region  11303  on the display  101  in place of the detail control screen  5221  that is being displayed. Therefore, a situation where the display screen becomes cluttered by both the detail control screen  5221  and the detail control screen  5222  being displayed on the display  101  can be avoided. 
       FIG. 129  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of a television set that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 . In  FIG. 129 , the display control section  103  displays a detail setting button  504  in the control target region  20101  of the television set. As shown in  FIG. 129 , the detail setting button  504  includes a description reading “television set detail setting”. The detail setting button  504  is a button for displaying a detail control screen on the display  101 . In  FIG. 129 , the display control section  103  further displays an operation state display section  552  in the control target region  20101  of the television set. In  FIG. 129 , the operation state display section  552  includes a description reading “television set 4 ch”. 
       FIG. 130  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the display screen shown in  FIG. 129 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 130  represents the basic screen shown in  FIG. 5  and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 130  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 129 . 
     When the user selects the device icon  20201  of the television set that is displayed in the room  20200  in which the television set is installed in a display state of the basic screen represented by the upper diagram in  FIG. 130  ( FIG. 5 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set in the room  20200  from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in the lower left diagram or the lower right diagram in  FIG. 130  and displays the control screen  20100  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     When the acquired status  1709  indicates that the power is turned on and the “channel” is set to “4”, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness as shown in  FIG. 129  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 130 ). The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  552  including a description reading “television set 4 ch” in the control target region  20101  of the television set. The display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  including a description reading “television set detail setting” in the control target region  20101  of the television set. 
     On the other hand, when the acquired status  1709  indicates that the power is turned off, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 130 . The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  552  including a description reading “television set off” in the control target region  20101  of the television set. The display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in the control target region  20101  of the television set. 
     When the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set in a display state shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 130 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 130 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set in a display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 130 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 130 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness. The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning on the power of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room  20200  (for example, the living room) via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 131  is a diagram showing yet another example of the control screen  20100  of the television set that is displayed on the display  101  of the home controller  100 .  FIG. 132  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the display screen shown in  FIG. 131 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 132  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 129  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 132  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 131 . 
     When the user selects the detail setting button  504  using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 132  ( FIG. 129 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 132  ( FIG. 131 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     On the other hand, when the user selects the detail setting button  504  using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 132  ( FIG. 131 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 132  ( FIG. 129 ), the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  of the television set from the display  101 . 
       FIG. 133  is a diagram showing another example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the display screen shown in  FIG. 131 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 133  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 131 . 
     When the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 133  ( FIG. 131 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 133 , the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  of the television set from the display  101 . The display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  changes the content of the description included in the operation state display section  552  from “television set 4 ch” to “television set off”. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  20101  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  20101  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 134  is a diagram showing another example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the display screen shown in  FIG. 131 . An upper diagram in  FIG. 134  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 131  and a lower diagram in  FIG. 134  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 124 . 
     When the user selects the control target region  20101  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper diagram in  FIG. 134  ( FIG. 131 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram in  FIG. 134 , the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  of the television set from the display  101 . The display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  changes the content of the description included in the operation state display section  552  from “television set 4 ch” to “television set off”. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  504  from the control target region  20101  of the television set. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  20101  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the control target region  20101  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIGS. 135 to 137  are diagrams showing another example of a control screen of a television set when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms.  FIG. 138  is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display screen of the display  101  including the control screen of the television set shown in  FIGS. 135 to 137 . An upper left diagram in  FIG. 138  is the same as the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128  and represents the basic screen displayed on the display  101  when the device icon of the television set is used in common. An upper right diagram in  FIG. 138  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 135 , a lower right diagram in  FIG. 138  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 136 , and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 138  represents the display screen shown in  FIG. 137 . 
     When the user selects the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 138 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set of the room (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that the television sets of both the living room and the bedroom are operating with their “channel” set to “4” and “volume” set to “16”. The display control section  103  moves the respective device icons as shown in  FIG. 135  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 138 ) and displays the control screen  20100  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     The control screen  20100  of the television set shown in  FIG. 135  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 138 ) includes the first control target region  21302  of the television set and the second control target region  21303  of the television set. In addition, in a similar manner to the air conditioner described with reference to  FIG. 72 , the control screen  20100  of the television set includes the same display contents as the floor plan  500  (the upper left diagram in  FIG. 138 ). 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  21302  of the television set and the second control target region  21303  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness as shown in  FIG. 135  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 138 ). Accordingly, it is shown that the television sets in both the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  are operating. 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  respectively displays the operation state display sections  5521  and  5522  including a description reading “television set 4 ch” in the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303 . The display control section  103  respectively displays the detail setting buttons  5041  and  5042  in the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303 . 
     Next, when the user selects the first control target region  21302  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 135  (the upper right diagram in  FIG. 138 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 136  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 138 ), the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  21302  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  switches the content of the description included in the operation state display section  5521  from “television set 4 ch” to “television set off”. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  21303  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in  FIG. 136  (the lower right diagram in  FIG. 138 ), the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 137  (the lower left diagram in  FIG. 138 ), the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  21303  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  switches the content of the description included in the operation state display section  5522  from “television set 4 ch” to “television set off”. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the second on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
       FIG. 139  is a diagram showing another example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 139  is the same as the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128  and represents the basic screen displayed on the display  101  when the device icon of the television set is used in common. An upper right diagram, a lower right diagram, and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 139  show a control screen of a television set. 
     When the user selects the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 139 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set of the room (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that the television set in the living room is operating with its “channel” set to “4” and its “volume” set to “16” and that the television set in the bedroom has been turned off. 
     As shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 139 , the display control section  103  moves the respective device icons and displays the control screen  20100  of the television set including the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303  of the television set on the display  101 . The display control section  103  respectively displays the detail setting buttons  5041  and  5042  in the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 139 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  21302  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5521  including a description reading “television set 4 ch” in the first control target region  21302  of the television set. Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  is operating. 
     In addition, based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  21303  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5522  including a description reading “television set off” in the second control target region  21303  of the television set. Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  is turned off. 
     Next, when the user selects the detail setting button  5041  that is displayed in the first control target region  21302  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 139 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 139 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  on the display  101 . The detail control screen  5221  includes a description reading “living room” to clearly show that the detail control screen belongs to the living room. 
     When the user selects the detail setting button  5042  that is displayed in the second control target region  21303  using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 139 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 139 , the display control section  103  switches the detail control screen to be displayed from the detail control screen  5221  of the living room to the detail control screen  5222  of the bedroom. 
       FIG. 140  is a diagram showing yet another example of a transition of a display screen of the display  101  when one device icon of a television set is used in common to control television sets in a plurality of rooms. An upper left diagram in  FIG. 140  is the same as the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128  and represents the basic screen displayed on the display  101  when the device icon of the television set is used in common. An upper right diagram, a lower right diagram, and a lower left diagram in  FIG. 140  show a control screen of a television set. 
     When the user selects the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  on the basic screen shown in the upper left diagram in  FIG. 140 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Consequently, the display control section  103  acquires status  1709  of the television set of the room (for example, the living room and the bedroom) which uses in common the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set from the device list  1700  to be described later with reference to  FIG. 144B . In this case, it is assumed that both of the television sets in the living room and the bedroom are operating. 
     As shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 140 , the display control section  103  moves the respective device icons and displays the control screen  20100  of the television set including the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     Based on the acquired status  1709 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  21302  of the television set and the second control target region  21303  of the television set brightly with brightness not lower than the specified brightness as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 140 . In addition, the display control section  103  respectively displays the detail setting buttons  5041  and  5042  in the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303 . Accordingly, it is shown that the television sets in both the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  and the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  are operating. 
     Next, when the user selects the first control target region  21302  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 140 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 140 , the display control section  103  displays the first control target region  21302  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  5041  from the first control target region  21302  of the television set. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5521  including a description reading “television set off” in the first control target region  21302 . Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  has been turned off. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the first on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set of the room (for example, the living room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the living room (an example of the first room) corresponding to the first control target region  21302  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     Next, when the user selects the second control target region  21303  of the television set using the contacting object  10600  in the display state shown in the lower right diagram in  FIG. 140 , the selection is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 . Subsequently, as shown in the lower left diagram in  FIG. 140 , the display control section  103  displays the second control target region  21303  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. The display control section  103  erases the detail setting button  5042  from the second control target region  21303  of the television set. The display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5522  including a description reading “television set off” in the second control target region  21303 . Accordingly, it is shown that the television set of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  has been turned off. 
     The device control section  106  generates a control command (an example of the second on-off control command) for turning off the power of the television set of the room (for example, the bedroom) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set. The device control section  106  transmits the generated control command to the television set in the bedroom (an example of the second room) corresponding to the second control target region  21303  of the television set via the communication control section  107  and the network. 
     As described above, in the example of transition of a display screen shown in  FIG. 140 , when television sets in rooms corresponding to the first control target region  21302  and the second control target region  21303  of the television set are turned on, the display control section  103  respectively displays the detail setting buttons  5041  and  5042 . On the other hand, when television sets of corresponding rooms are turned off, the display control section  103  displays the operation state display sections  5521  and  5522  including a description reading “television set off”. Accordingly, an on-off state of a television set is clearly displayed. 
       FIG. 141  is a diagram showing another example of arrangement of the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set. In  FIG. 141 , instead of arranging the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set in one of the rooms that are control targets, the display control section  103  arranges the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set to the outside of the display region of the floor plan  500  in a similar manner to the case shown in  FIG. 122 . 
       FIG. 142  is a diagram showing yet another example of a control screen of an air conditioner that is displayed on a display of a home controller when a device icon of an air conditioner is used in common.  FIG. 143  is a diagram showing yet another example of a detail control screen of a room. 
     In  FIG. 142 , the display control section  103  displays device icons  501  which include the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner and which have been moved out of the floor plan  500  and the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner including the first control target region  11302  and the second control target region  11303  on the display  101 . Furthermore, the display control section  103  displays a detail setting display button  5040  to the outside of a region of the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . In the example shown in  FIG. 142 , the detail setting display button  5040  is displayed at a top right corner of the display  101 . 
     When the user performs a leftward sliding action while keeping a contacting object in contact with the detail setting display button  5040  in the display state shown in  FIG. 142 , the touch panel control section  102  senses the sliding action. Consequently, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the room (the living room in  FIG. 142 ) corresponding to the first control target region  11302  and the detail control screen  5222  of the room (the bedroom in  FIG. 142 ) corresponding to the second control target region  11303  on the display  101  in a mode where the detail control screens are pulled out by the detail setting display button  5040 . 
     When the user slides the detail setting display button  5040  to a left end of the display  101  using a contacting object, the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  5221  of the living room and the detail control screen  5222  of the bedroom on the display  101  as shown in  FIG. 143 . 
     Moreover, when the user taps the detail setting display button  5040  with the contacting object in the display state shown in  FIG. 142 , the detail control screen  5221  of the living room and the detail control screen  5222  of the bedroom may be displayed on the display  101  as shown in  FIG. 143 . 
       FIG. 144A  is a diagram showing a configuration example of a device list managed by the server  300  which differs from that shown in  FIG. 34 . In the example shown in  FIG. 144A , a device list  1600  includes a device ID  1601 , a device type  1602 , a model number  1603 , an arrangement  1604 , capability information  1605 , a control command transmission destination  1606 , status  1608 , and a specific target device flag  1609 . 
     The device ID  1601 , the device type  1602 , the model number  1603 , the arrangement  1604 , the capability information  1605 , and the control command transmission destination  1606  are respectively the same as the device ID  4701 , the device type  4702 , the model number  4703 , the arrangement  4704 , the capability information  4705 , and the control command transmission destination  4706  described earlier with reference to  FIG. 34 . 
     The device ID  1601  is an identifier of the device  200 . The device type  1602  represents a type of the device  200 . The model number  1603  represents a model number of the device  200 . The arrangement  1604  represents a room in which the device  200  is installed. 
     The capability information  1605  represents a content in which the device  200  can be controlled and a state that can be acquired from the device  200 . For example, with respect to an air conditioner with device ID of A, temperature, air flow direction, and air flow amount can be controlled. A control command transmission destination  1606  represents a transmission destination of a control command for controlling the device  200 . For example, with the air conditioner with a device ID of A, since the control command transmission destination  1606  is a device, the control command is directly transmitted from the home controller  100  to the device  200 . A control command is a command for operating the device  200  or checking the state of the device  200 . 
     The status  1608  represents current status of the device  200  or a set content at the time power of the device  200  had previously been turned off. For example,  FIG. 144A  shows that the air conditioner with a device ID of A is currently operating at a set temperature of 27° C. in the heater mode.  FIG. 144A  also shows that the television set with a device ID of B is currently operating, a volume thereof is set to “16”, and a channel thereof is set to “4 ch”.  FIG. 144A  also shows that the air conditioner with a device ID of C is currently turned off and that the air conditioner has been operating at a set temperature of 25° C. and in the heater mode at the time power had previously been turned off.  FIG. 144A  also shows that the television set with a device ID of D is currently turned off and that a volume thereof has been set to “16” and a channel thereof has been set to “4 ch” at the time power had previously been turned off. 
     The specific target device flag  1609  represents whether or not each device is a specific target device. For example,  FIG. 144A  shows that the air conditioners with device IDs of A and C and the television sets with device IDs of B and D are specific target devices and that the washing machine with a device ID of E and a refrigerator with a device ID of F are not specific target devices. 
     Moreover, the device list  1600  that is managed by the server may be omitted from home information  1300 . In this case, the home controller  100  may directly acquire information corresponding to the device type  1602 , the model number  1603 , and the capability information  1605  described in the device list  1600  that is managed by the server from the device  200 . 
       FIG. 144B  is a diagram showing a configuration example of a device list managed by the home controller  100  which differs from that shown in  FIG. 35 . Based on information of a device list  1700 , the home controller  100  arranges a device icon  501  on the basic screen and controls the device  200 . 
     The device list  1700  includes a device ID  1701 , a device type  1702 , a model number  1703 , an arrangement  1704 , capability information  1705 , a control command transmission destination  1706 , an IP address  1707 , status  1709 , and a specific target device flag  1710 . The device ID  1701  to the control command transmission destination  1706 , the status  1709 , and the specific target device flag  1710  share the same contents with items having the same names in  FIG. 144A . 
     In the device list  1700 , contents of the device type  1702 , the model number  1703 , the arrangement  1704 , the capability information  1705 , the control command transmission destination  1706 , the status  1709 , and the specific target device flag  1710  can be acquired by the device management section  105  by having the server  300  transmit the device list  1600 . The IP address  1707  is acquired by the device management section  105  from the device  200 . However, when the device type  1702 , the model number  1703 , the capability information  1705 , and the control command transmission destination  1706  can be directly acquired from the device  200 , the device management section  105  may prioritize such directly acquired contents. 
     Moreover, instead of acquiring the control command transmission destination  1706  from the server  300  or the device  200 , contents determined in advance by the home controller system may be adopted as the control command transmission destination  1706 , the control command transmission destination  1706  may be automatically determined based on a state of a network to which the home controller  100  is connected, or the control command transmission destination  1706  may be set by the user. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 144A and 144B , in the present embodiment, device lists are managed by both the home controller  100  and the server  300 . Alternatively, only one of the home controller  100  and the server  300  or, for example, only the server  300  may manage a device list, and the other of the home controller  100  and the server  300  or, for example, the home controller  100  acquire the device list from the server  300  whenever necessary. In this case, the IP address  1707  included in the device list  1700  managed by the home controller  100  may be also managed by the server  300 . 
     Moreover, while the arrangements  1604  and  1704  are respectively represented in  FIGS. 144A and 144B  by room names such as “living room” for the sake of brevity, the arrangements  1604  and  1704  actually include coordinate data as shown in  FIGS. 34 and 35 . 
     (Control Flow of Specific Target Device) 
     Next, a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls a specific target device will be described. In the present embodiment, as described with respect to the various examples of transition of a display screen of the display  101 , there are four display patterns in correspondence to an on-off state of a specific target device for displaying the detail setting button  504  and the detail control screen  522 . Hereinafter, a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed will be referred to as a display pattern P1. A pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed will be referred to as a display pattern P2. A pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device will be referred to as a display pattern P3. A pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device will be referred to as a display pattern P4. 
       FIGS. 145A and 145B  are flow diagrams showing an example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P1 or P3. 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  senses that a device icon  501  representing a given device  200  has been selected by the user on the basic screen (S 12201 ). Next, the display control section  103  moves all device icons  501  out of the display region of the control screen of the device (S 12202 ). In this case, for example, as shown in  FIG. 72 , the device icons  501  are moved outside the display region of the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. 
     Next, the display control section  103  adjusts display positions of the moved device icons  501  (S 12203 ). For example, as shown in  FIG. 72  or  FIG. 123 , the display control section  103  adjusts display positions so that the selected device icons  10201  and  20201  are displayed on the display  101 . 
     Next, the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not a device corresponding to the device icon selected by the user is a specific target device (S 12204 ). When the device corresponding to the selected device icon is not the specific target device (NO in S 12204 ), the display control section  103  displays a control screen of the device corresponding to the selected device icon on the display  101  (S 12205 ) and the process advances to S 12211 . 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 12204  that the device corresponding to the selected device icon is the specific target device (YES in S 12204 ), the display control section  103  displays the floor plan  500  as the control screen of the specific target device (for example, the control screen  20100  of the television set) on the display  101  (S 12206 ). Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the specific target device from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 12207 ). 
     Next, the display control section  103  draws a control screen based on the acquired operation state of the specific target device (S 12208 ). Subsequently, the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  or the detail control screen  522  of the specific target device on the display  101  (S 12210 ) and the process advances to S 12211 . 
     When a start of contact made by the contacting object  10600  with the display  101  is sensed by the touch panel control section  102  in S 12211 , the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not a contact target is the device icon  501  (S 12212 ). 
     When the touch panel control section  102  determines that the contact is with the device icon  501  (YES in S 12212 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the contacting object  10600  has made contact with the same device icon as the device icon of the device selected in S 12201  (S 12213 ). If not the same device icon (NO in S 12213 ), the process returns to S 12203 . On the other hand, when it is determined that the contacting object  10600  has made contact with the device icon of the device selected in S 12201  (YES in S 12213 ), the display control section  103  hides the control screen of the device and displays the basic screen on the display  101  (S 12214 ) to finish the present flow. 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 12212  that the contact is not with the device icon  501  (NO in S 12212 ), the touch panel control section  102  further determines whether or not the contact target is the control screen of the device (S 12215 ). When it is determined that the contact target is not the control screen of the device (NO in S 12215 ), the process is advanced to S 12214 . 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 12215  that the contacting object  10600  has made contact with a button or the like in the control screen of the device (YES in S 12215 ), the process is advanced to the control flow (in case of the specific target device,  FIG. 147  to be described later) of the device (S 12216 ) and the process subsequently returns to S 12211 . 
     Moreover, in S 12207 , the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the specific target device from the status  1709  in the device list  1700 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state of the specific target device from the server  300 . Further alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state directly from the specific target device. 
     In addition, in S 12210 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  in case of the display pattern P1 and displays the detail setting button  504  on the display  101  in case of the display pattern P3. 
     (Control Flow of Specific Target Device) 
       FIGS. 146A and 146B  are flow diagrams showing another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P2 or P4. 
     S 14601  to S 14608  are the same as S 12201  to S 12208  in  FIG. 145A . Following S 14608 , the display control section  103  determines whether or not the operation state of the specific target device is off (S 14609 ). When the operation state of the specific target device is off (YES in S 14609 ), the process is advanced to S 14611 . 
     On the other hand, when the operation state of the specific target device is not off (NO in S 14609 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  or the detail control screen  522  of the specific target device on the display  101  (S 14610 ) and the process is advanced to S 14611 . S 14611  to S 14616  are the same as S 12211  to S 12216  in  FIG. 145B . 
     Moreover, in S 14607 , the display control section  103  may acquire the operation state of the specific target device from the server  300  in a similar manner to S 12207 . Furthermore, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state directly from the specific target device. 
     In addition, in S 14610 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  in case of the display pattern P2 and displays the detail setting button  504  on the display  101  in case of the display pattern P4. 
       FIG. 147  is a flow chart showing a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  generates a control command of the specific target device in accordance with a content of a contact made by the contacting object  10600 . 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not contact made by the contacting object  10600  has been sensed in the control target region of the device on the floor plan  500  (in other words, the control screen of the device) (S 12301 ). When contact made by the contacting object  10600  had not been sensed in the control target region of the device (NO in S 12301 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not contact made by the contacting object  10600  has been sensed on the detail control screen  522  of the device (S 12304 ). 
     When contact made by the contacting object  10600  had also not been sensed on the detail control screen  522  of the device (NO in S 12304 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not contact made by the contacting object  10600  has been sensed on the detail setting button  504  of the device (S 12306 ). When contact made by the contacting object  10600  had also not been sensed on the detail setting button  504  of the device (NO in S 12306 ), the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  senses contact made by the contacting object  10600  in the control target region of the device in S 12301  (YES in S 12301 ), the process is advanced to S 12302 . In addition, when the touch panel control section  102  senses contact made by the contacting object  10600  on the detail control screen  522  of the device in S 12304  (YES in S 12304 ), the process is advanced to S 12305 . 
     When the touch panel control section  102  senses contact made by the contacting object  10600  on the detail setting button  504  of the device in S 12306  (YES in S 12306 ), the display control section  103  switches between display and non-display of the detail control screen  522  (S 12307 ) and terminates the present flow. In other words, in S 12307 , when the detail control screen  522  is displayed, the detail control screen  522  is erased, and when the detail control screen  522  is not displayed, the detail control screen  522  is displayed. 
     In S 12302 , the device control section  106  generates a control command for turning off the device if the device is turned on and generates a control command for turning on the device if the device is turned off, and subsequently the process advances to S 12303 . In S 12305 , the device control section  106  generates a control command corresponding to the control selected on the detail control screen  522 , and the process advances to S 12303 . 
     In S 12303 , the process is advanced to a control command transmission flow and, subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the device from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 12308 ). 
     Next, the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the device corresponding to the device icon  501  selected by the user is the specific target device (S 12309 ). When the device corresponding to the selected device icon is not the specific target device (NO in S 12309 ), the display control section  103  updates screen display of the display  101  based on the operation state of the device acquired in S 12308  (S 12310 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 12309  that the device corresponding to the selected device icon is the specific target device (YES in S 12309 ), the process is advanced to a display control flow (S 12311 ) and the present flow is subsequently terminated. 
     The control command transmission flow in S 12303  is executed in a similar process flow as, for example, the process flow represented by the flow chart in  FIG. 41 . Moreover, in the present control of the specific target device (in the present embodiment, for example, the air conditioner and the television set), a device that is a control command transmission destination in S 3702  and S 3703  in  FIG. 41  corresponds to the specific target device corresponding to the device icon of the selected specific target device. In addition, in the present control of the specific target device, the simultaneously operated devices in S 3706  in  FIG. 41  correspond to, for example, specific target devices in a plurality of rooms corresponding to device icons of the specific target device that are used in common. 
       FIG. 148A  is a flow chart showing an example of the display control flow in S 12311  in  FIG. 147 . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P1 in which the detail control screen  522  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     First, the display control section  103  determines whether or not the device control section  106  has switched the specific target device from an on state to an off state (S 14801 ). When the specific target device has been switched from an on state to an off state (YES in S 14801 ), the display control section  103  changes the control target region of the specific target device (for example, the control target region  20101  of the television set) on the floor plan  500  to a display corresponding to an off state (S 14802 ). For example, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness. Next, the display control section  103  changes the detail control screen  522  to a display corresponding to an off state (S 14803 ). For example, the display control section  103  erases a symbol representing an air flow direction on the detail control screen  522 . Once S 14803  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, when the specific target device has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 14801 ), the display control section  103  changes the control target region of the specific target device (for example, the control target region  20101  of the television set) on the floor plan  500  to a display corresponding to the operation state acquired in S 12308  in  FIG. 147  (S 14804 ). For example, when the television set is turned on, the display control section  103  displays the control target region  20101  of the television set with brightness not lower than the specified brightness. 
     Next, the display control section  103  determines whether or not the detail control screen  522  of a device in another room is already displayed on the display  101  (S 14805 ). When the detail control screen  522  of a device in another room is already displayed on the display  101  (YES in S 14805 ), the display control section  103  switches the displayed detail control screen  522  to a screen of the corresponding device in the room (S 14806 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, when the detail control screen  522  of a device in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14805 ), the display control section  103  switches the detail control screen  522  of the device to a display corresponding to the operation state (S 14807 ). In other words, in the display pattern P1, since the detail control screen  522  of the device is displayed on the display  101  both when the device is in an on state and in an off state, S 14807  is executed. Once S 14807  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
       FIG. 148B  is a flow chart showing an example of the display control flow in S 12311  in  FIG. 147  which differs from  FIG. 148A . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P2 in which the detail control screen  522  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     S 14821  and S 14822  are the same as S 14801  and S 14802  in  FIG. 148A . Following S 14822 , when the detail control screen  522  of the device is displayed on the display  101 , the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  from the display  101  (S 14823 ). Next, the display control section  103  displays the device type and the operation state in the room corresponding to the device (S 14824 ). For example, as shown in  FIG. 124 , the display control section  103  sets “television set off” as a description content of the operation state display section  552 . Once S 14824  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, when the specific target device has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 14801 ), the process is advanced to S 14825 . S 14825  to S 14827  are the same as S 14804  to S 14806  in  FIG. 148A . 
     In S 14826 , when the detail control screen  522  of a device in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14826 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding device is already displayed on the display  101  (S 14828 ). When the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding device is already displayed on the display  101  (YES in S 14828 ), the display control section  103  changes the detail control screen  522  of the device to a display corresponding to the operation state (S 14829 ). For example, as shown in  FIG. 123 , the display control section  103  changes the volume and the channel on the detail control screen  522  of the television set to a display corresponding to the operation state. Once S 14829  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 14828 , when the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding device is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14828 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding device on the display  101  (S 14830 ). In other words, in the display pattern P2, the detail control screen  522  of the device is displayed on the display  101  only when the device is in an on state. Since a state of NO in S 14828  means that the device has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 14821 ), S 14830  is executed. Once S 14830  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
       FIG. 148C  is a flow chart showing an example of the display control flow in S 12311  in  FIG. 147  which differs from  FIGS. 148A and 148B . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P3 in which the detail setting button  504  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device. 
     S 14841  and S 14842  are the same as S 14801  and S 14802  in  FIG. 148A , and S 14843  is the same as S 14823  in  FIG. 148B . Once S 14843  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 14841 , when the specific target device has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 14841 ), the process is advanced to S 14844 . S 14844  to S 14846  are the same as S 14804  to S 14806  in  FIG. 148A . 
     In S 14845 , when the detail control screen  522  of a device in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14845 ), the process is advanced to S 14847 . S 14847  and S 14848  are the same as S 14828  and S 14829  in  FIG. 148B . In S 14847 , when the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding device is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14847 ), the present process is terminated. In other words, in the display pattern P3, while the detail setting button  504  is displayed both when the device is in an on state and in an off state, the detail control screen  522  is displayed on the display  101  upon selection of the detail setting button  504 . Therefore, in the display pattern P3, when NO in S 14847 , the present process is terminated. 
       FIG. 148D  is a flow chart showing an example of the display control flow in S 12311  in  FIG. 147  which differs from  FIGS. 148A, 148B, and 148C . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P4 in which the detail setting button  504  is displayed only when the specific target device is in an on state. 
     S 14861  and S 14862  are the same as S 14801  and S 14802  in  FIG. 148A . Following S 14862 , when the detail control screen  522  or the detail setting button  504  of the device is displayed on the display  101 , the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  and the detail setting button  504  from the display  101  (S 14863 ) and the process is advanced to S 14864 . S 14864  is the same as S 14824  in  FIG. 148B . Once S 14864  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 14861 , when the specific target device has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 14861 ), the process is advanced to S 14865 . S 14865  to S 14867  are the same as S 14804  to S 14806  in  FIG. 148A . 
     In S 14866 , when the detail control screen  522  of a device in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14866 ), the process is advanced to S 14868 . S 14868  and S 14869  are the same as S 14828  and S 14829  in  FIG. 148B . 
     In S 14868 , when the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding device is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14868 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the detail setting button  504  is already displayed on the display  101  (S 14870 ). When the detail setting button  504  is already displayed on the display  101  (YES in S 14870 ), the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 14870 , when the detail setting button  504  is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 14870 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  on the display  101  (S 14871 ). In other words, in the display pattern P4, the detail setting button  504  is displayed on the display  101  only when the device is in an on state. Since a state of NO in S 14870  means that the device has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 14861 ), S 14871  is executed. Once S 14871  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
       FIG. 149  is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process by which the home controller  100  acquires a state of the specific target device. The specific target device  200  notifies a change in a device state to the home controller  100  (S 14901 ). In this case, the specific target device  200  may periodically notify a change in the device state or may notify a change in the device state when such a state change occurs. 
     The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  updates the status  1709  in the device list  1700  according to contents of the received device state (S 14902 ). The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  notifies the change in the device state to the server  300  (S 14903 ). The server  300  updates the status  1608  in the device list  1600  according to the received device state change notification (S 14904 ). 
     The touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses selection of a device icon by the user (S 14905 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  acquires a state of the specific target device from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 14906 ). Next, the display control section  103  of the home controller  100  displays the control screen of the specific target device (for example, the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner) on the display  101  (S 14907 ). Moreover, S 14901  to S 14904  and S 14905  to S 14907  are normally executed mutually asynchronously. 
       FIG. 150  is a sequence diagram showing another example of a process by which the home controller  100  acquires a state of the specific target device. First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a control instruction to the specific target device due to selection of the control screen of the specific target device (for example, the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner) by the user (S 15001 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command in accordance with the selection by the user and transmits the generated control command to the specific target device  200  (S 15002 ). 
     The specific target device  200  having received the control command executes the control command (S 15003 ) and transmits a control result to the home controller  100  (S 15004 ). In addition, the specific target device  200  notifies a change in a device state to the home controller  100  (S 15005 ). The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  updates the status  1709  in the device list  1700  according to contents of the received device state change (S 15006 ). 
     The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  updates the display of the control screen of the specific target device based on the received control result (S 15007 ). The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  notifies the change in the device state to the server  300  (S 15008 ). The server  300  updates the status  1608  in the device list  1600  according to the received change in device state (S 15009 ). 
     Moreover, in  FIG. 150 , the specific target device  200  executes transmission of a control result (S 15004 ) and notification of a change in device state (S 15005 ) in separate steps. Alternatively, the specific target device  200  may simultaneously execute the transmission of a control result and the notification of a change in device state in a same step. 
       FIG. 151  is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process by which the home controller  100  acquires a state of the specific target device from the server  300 . The specific target device  200  notifies a change in a device state to the server  300  (S 15101 ). In this case, the specific target device  200  may periodically notify a change in the device state or may notify a change in the device state when such a state change occurs. The server  300  updates the status  1608  in the device list  1600  according to the received change in the device state (S 15102 ). 
     The touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses selection of a device icon by the user (S 15103 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  transmits a request for a device state to the server  300  (S 15104 ). In response to the received request for a device state, the server  300  transmits the device state to the home controller  100  (S 15105 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  displays the control screen of the specific target device based on the received device state (S 15106 ). Moreover, S 15101 , S 15102  and S 15103  to S 15106  are normally executed mutually asynchronously. 
       FIG. 152  is a sequence diagram showing another example of a process by which the home controller  100  acquires a state of the specific target device from the server  300 . First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses a control instruction to the specific target device due to selection of the control screen of the specific target device (for example, the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner) by the user (S 15201 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command in accordance with the selection by the user and transmits the generated control command to the server  300  (S 15202 ). 
     The server  300  having received the control command transmits the control command to the specific target device  200  (S 15203 ). The specific target device  200  having received the control command executes the control command (S 15204 ) and transmits a control result to the server  300  (S 15205 ). The specific target device  200  further notifies a change in a device state to the server  300  (S 15206 ). The server  300  updates the status  1608  in the device list  1600  according to a content of the received change in the device state (S 15207 ). 
     The server  300  having received the control result transmits the control result to the home controller  100  after updating the device list  1600  (S 15208 ). The device management section  105  of the home controller  100  transmits a request for a device state to the server  300  (S 15209 ). The server  300  having received the request for a device state transmits the device state to the home controller  100  (S 15210 ). Based on the received device state, the display control section  103  of the home controller  100  updates the control screen of the specific target device (S 15211 ). 
     Moreover, in  FIG. 152 , the specific target device  200  executes transmission of a control result (S 15205 ) and notification of a change in device state (S 15206 ) in separate steps. Alternatively, the specific target device  200  may simultaneously execute the transmission of a control result and the notification of a change in device state in a same step. 
       FIG. 153  is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process by which the home controller  100  acquires a device state from the specific target device  200 . First, the touch panel control section  102  of the home controller  100  senses selection of a device icon by the user (S 15301 ). Next, the display control section  103  of the home controller  100  transmits a request for a device state to the specific target device  200  corresponding to the selected device icon (S 15302 ). 
     The specific target device  200  having received the request for a device state transmits the device state to the home controller  100  (S 15303 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  displays the control screen of the specific target device based on the received device state (S 15304 ). The home controller  100  transmits the device state to the server  300  (S 15305 ). The server  300  having received the device state updates the status  1608  in the device list  1600  (S 15306 ). 
       FIG. 154  is a sequence diagram showing another example of a process by which the home controller  100  acquires a device state from the specific target device  200 . First, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  generates a control command for the specific target device (S 15401 ). Next, the device control section  106  of the home controller  100  transmits the generated control command to the specific target device  200  (S 15402 ). 
     The specific target device  200  having received the control command executes the control command (S 15403 ) and transmits a control result to the home controller  100  (S 15404 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  having received the control result transmits a request for a device state to the specific target device  200  (S 15405 ). 
     The specific target device  200  having received the request for a device state transmits the device state to the home controller  100  (S 15406 ). The display control section  103  of the home controller  100  displays the control screen of the specific target device based on the received device state (S 15407 ). The home controller  100  transmits the device state to the server  300  (S 15408 ). The server  300  having received the device state updates the status  1608  in the device list  1600  (S 15409 ). 
     (Control Flow of Specific Target Device when Device Icon is Used in Common) 
     Next, a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device when a device icon is used in common will be described. Hereinafter, separate descriptions will be given for the display patterns P1 to P4 described earlier. 
       FIGS. 155A and 155B  are flow diagrams showing an example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device when a device icon is used in common. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P1. The display pattern P1 is a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     Specifically, the touch panel control section  102  senses that a device icon  501  used in common has been selected by the user on the basic screen (S 15501 ). The touch panel control section  102  senses that the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner has been selected by the user on the basic screen shown in, for example,  FIG. 80 . Alternatively, the touch panel control section  102  senses that the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set has been selected by the user on the basic screen shown in, for example, the upper left diagram in  FIG. 128 . 
     Next, the display control section  103  moves all the device icons  501  out of the display region of the control screen of the device (S 15502 ). In this case, for example, as shown in  FIG. 81 , the device icons  501  are moved outside the display region of the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner. Alternatively, for example, as shown in the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128 , the device icons  501  are moved outside the display region of the control screen  20100  of the television set. 
     Next, the display control section  103  then adjusts display positions of the moved device icons  501  (S 15503 ). The display control section  103  adjusts display positions of the device icons so that the selected used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner is displayed on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 81 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  adjusts display positions of the device icons so that the selected used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set is displayed on the display  101  as shown in, for example, the upper right diagram in  FIG. 128 . 
     Next, the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not a device corresponding to the device icon selected by the user is the specific target device (S 15504 ). When the device corresponding to the selected device icon is not the specific target device (NO in S 15504 ), the display control section  103  displays a control screen of the device corresponding to the selected device icon on the display  101  (S 15505 ) and the process advances to S 15521 . 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 15504  that the device corresponding to the selected device icon is the specific target device (YES in S 15504 ), the display control section  103  displays the floor plan  500  as the control screen of the specific target device on the display  101  (S 15506 ). In this case, when the touch panel control section  102  senses in S 15501  that the used-in-common device icon  11301  of the air conditioner has been selected by the user or the used-in-common device icon  21301  of the television set has been selected by the user, the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 15504  that a device corresponding to the selected device icon is the specific target device (YES in S 15504 ). In addition, in S 15506 , the display control section  103  displays the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner or the control screen  20100  of the television set on the display  101 . 
     Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the specific target device from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 15507 ). Next, the display control section  103  draws a control screen based on the acquired operation state of the specific target device (S 15508 ). The display control section  103  then determines whether or not there are other devices of the same type as the selected specific target device (S 15509 ). When there are devices of the same type as the selected specific target device (YES in S 15509 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of a device arranged in a largest room on the display  101  (S 15510 ) and the process is advanced to S 15521 . On the other hand, when there is no device of the same type as the selected specific target device (NO in S 15509 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the selected device on the display  101  (S 15511 ) and the process is advanced to S 15521 . 
     In S 15521 , when a start of contact made by the contacting object  10600  with the display  101  is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 , the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not a contact target is the device icon  501  (S 15522 ). 
     When the touch panel control section  102  determines that the contact target of the contact is the device icon  501  (YES in S 15522 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the contacting object  10600  has made contact with the same device icon as the used-in-common device icon selected in S 15501  (S 15523 ). If not the same device icon (NO in S 15523 ), the process returns to S 15503 . On the other hand, when it is determined that the contacting object  10600  has made contact with a device icon that is the same as the used-in-common device icon selected in S 15501  (YES in S 15523 ), the display control section  103  hides the control screen of the device and displays the basic screen on the display  101  (S 15524 ) to finish the present flow. 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 15522  that the contact is not with the device icon  501  (NO in S 15522 ), the touch panel control section  102  further determines whether or not the contact target is the control screen of the device (S 15525 ). When it is determined that the contact target is not the control screen of the device (NO in S 15525 ), the process is advanced to S 15524 . 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 15525  that the contacting object  10600  has made contact with a button or the like in the control screen of the device (YES in S 15525 ), the process is advanced to the control flow (in case of the specific target device,  FIG. 147  described earlier) of the device (S 15526 ) and the process subsequently returns to S 15521 . 
     Moreover, in S 15507 , the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the specific target device from the status  1709  in the device list  1700 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state of the specific target device from the server  300 . Further alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state directly from the specific target device. 
       FIGS. 156A, 156B, and 156C  are flow diagrams showing another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device when a device icon is used in common. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P2. The display pattern P2 is a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     S 15601  to S 15609  are the same as S 15501  to S 15509  in  FIG. 155A . In S 15609 , when there is another device of the same type as the selected specific target device (YES in S 15609 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not there is at least one device with power turned on (S 15610 ). 
     When there is at least one device with power turned on (YES in S 15610 ), the display control section  103  displays on the display  101 , the detail control screen  522  of a device arranged in a largest room among the devices with their power turned on (S 15611 ) and the process is advanced to S 15612 . On the other hand, if there is no device with power turned on (NO in S 15610 ), the process is advanced to S 15612 . In S 15612 , the display control section  103  displays a type name and an operation state of the device with power turned off in the room in which the device is arranged on the display  101 . In S 15612 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5511  including a description reading “air conditioner off” on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 113 . Once S 15612  is finished, the process is advanced to S 15621 . 
     On the other hand, in S 15609 , when there is no device of the same type as the selected specific target device (NO in S 15609 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the operation state of the selected specific target device is a power off state (S 15613 ). When the operation state of the selected specific target device is a power off state (YES in S 15613 ), the display control section  103  displays a type name and an operation state of the device in the corresponding room in a similar manner to S 15612  (S 15614 ) and the process is advanced to S 15621 . 
     On the other hand, in S 15613 , when the operation state of the selected specific target device is not a power off state (NO in S 15613 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the selected specific target device on the display  101  (S 15616 ) and the process is advanced to S 15621 . S 15621  to S 15626  are the same as S 15521  to S 15526  in  FIG. 155B . 
       FIGS. 157A and 157B  are flow diagrams showing another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device when a device icon is used in common. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P3. The display pattern P3 is a pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device. 
     S 15701  to S 15709  are the same as S 15501  to S 15509  in  FIG. 155A . In S 15709 , when there are devices of the same type as the selected specific target device (YES in S 15709 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in all the rooms in which devices of the same type are arranged (S 15710 ) and the process is advanced to S 15721 . 
     On the other hand, when there is no device of the same type as the selected specific target device (NO in S 15709 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  of the selected specific target device in the corresponding room (S 15711 ) and the process is advanced to S 15721 . S 15721  to S 15726  are the same as S 15521  to S 15526  in  FIG. 155B . 
       FIGS. 158A, 158B, and 158C  are flow diagrams showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the specific target device when a device icon is used in common. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P4. The display pattern P4 is a pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device. 
     S 15801  to S 15809  are the same as S 15501  to S 15509  in  FIG. 155A . In S 15809 , when there is another device of the same type as the selected specific target device (YES in S 15809 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not there is at least one device with power turned on (S 15810 ). 
     When there is at least one device with power turned on (YES in S 15810 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in all the rooms in which devices with their power turned on are arranged on the display  101  (S 15811 ) and the process is advanced to S 15812 . On the other hand, if there is no device with power turned on (NO in S 15810 ), the process is advanced to S 15812 . In S 15812 , the display control section  103  displays a type name and an operation state of the device with power turned off in the room in which the device is arranged on the display  101 . In S 15812 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5511  including a description reading “air conditioner off” on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 113 . Once S 15812  is finished, the process is advanced to S 15821 . 
     On the other hand, in S 15809 , when there is no device of the same type as the selected specific target device (NO in S 15809 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the operation state of the selected specific target device is a power off state (S 15813 ). When the operation state of the selected specific target device is a power off state (YES in S 15813 ), the display control section  103  displays a type name and an operation state of the device in the corresponding room in a similar manner to S 15812  (S 15814 ) and the process is advanced to S 15821 . 
     On the other hand, in S 15813 , when the operation state of the selected specific target device is not a power off state (NO in S 15813 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  of the selected specific target device on the display  101  (S 15815 ) and the process is advanced to S 15821 . S 15821  to S 15826  are the same as S 15521  to S 15526  in  FIG. 155B . 
     (Control Flow of Air Conditioner as Example of Specific Target Device) 
     Next, a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls an air conditioner as an example of the specific target device will be described. 
       FIGS. 159A, 159B, and 159C  are flow diagrams showing an example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P1 or P3. The display pattern P1 is a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. The display pattern P3 is a pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device. 
     S 12251  to S 12255  are the same as S 12201  to S 12205  in  FIG. 145A . When the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 12254  that the device corresponding to the selected device icon is the specific target device (in this case, the air conditioner) (YES in S 12254 ), the display control section  103  displays the floor plan  500  as the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101  (S 12256 ). Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the air conditioner from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 12257 ). 
     Next, based on the acquired operation state of the air conditioner, the display control section  103  determines whether or not the operation state of the air conditioner is a power off state (S 12258 ). When the operation state of the air conditioner is a power off state (YES in S 12258 ), the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  is displayed darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness (S 12259 ) and the process is advanced to S 12264 . 
     On the other hand, in S 12258 , when the operation state of the air conditioner is not a power off state (NO in S 12258 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the air conditioner is operating in the heater mode (S 12260 ). When the air conditioner is operating in the heater mode (YES in S 12260 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  in a warm color (S 12261 ) and the process is advanced to S 12264 . 
     On the other hand, in S 12260 , when the air conditioner is not operating in the heater mode (NO in S 12260 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the air conditioner is operating in the cooler mode (S 12262 ). When the air conditioner is operating in the cooler mode (YES in S 12262 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  in a cold color (S 12263 ) and the process is advanced to S 12264 . 
     On the other hand, in S 12262 , even when the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 12262 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  in a cold color (S 12263 ) and the process is advanced to S 12264 . 
     In S 12264 , the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  or the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner on the display  101 . Once S 12264  is finished, the process is advanced to S 12265 . 
     Subsequent S 12265  to S 12270  are substantially the same as S 12211  to S 12216  in  FIG. 145B . However, in S 12267 , the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the contacting object  10600  has made contact with a device icon that is the same as the device icon of the air conditioner selected in S 12251 . In addition, in S 12270 , a control flow of the air conditioner is executed. 
     Moreover, in S 12262 , when the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 12262 ), the process is advanced to S 12263  and the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  is displayed in a cold color. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 12262 ), the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  may be displayed in another color. Moreover, cases where the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode in S 12262  include a dehumidifier mode. 
     In addition, in S 12257 , the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the air conditioner from the status  1709  in the device list  1700 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state of the air conditioner from the server  300 . Further alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state directly from the air conditioner. 
     Furthermore, in S 12264 , the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  on the display  101  in case of the display pattern P1 and displays the detail setting button  504  on the display  101  in case of the display pattern P3. 
       FIG. 160  is a flow diagram showing another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device. The flow diagram shows an example of the display pattern P2 or P4. The display pattern P2 is a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. The display pattern P4 is a pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device. 
       FIG. 160  only shows S 12258  to S 12264 . Steps up to S 12258  are the same as S 12251  to S 12257  shown in  FIG. 159A  and steps after S 12264  are the same as S 12265  to S 12270  shown in  FIG. 159C . 
     In S 12258 , based on the acquired operation state of the air conditioner, the display control section  103  determines whether or not the operation state of the air conditioner is a power off state. When the operation state of the air conditioner is a power off state (YES in S 12258 ), the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  is displayed darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness (S 12259 ) and the process is advanced to S 12265 . On the other hand, in S 12258 , when the operation state of the air conditioner is not a power off state (NO in S 12258 ), the process is advanced to S 12260 . S 12260  to S 12264  are the same as S 12260  to S 12264  shown in  FIG. 159B . 
       FIG. 161  is a flow chart showing a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  generates a control command of the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device in accordance with the content of a contact made by the contacting object  10600 . 
     First, the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not contact made by the contacting object  10600  has been sensed in a control target region of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  (in other words, the control screen of the air conditioner) (S 16101 ). When contact made by the contacting object  10600  had not been sensed in a control target region of the air conditioner (NO in S 16101 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not contact made by the contacting object  10600  has been sensed on the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner (S 16104 ). 
     When contact made by the contacting object  10600  had also not been sensed on the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner (NO in S 16104 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not contact made by the contacting object  10600  has been sensed on the detail setting, button  504  of the air conditioner (S 16106 ). When contact made by the contacting, object  10600  had also not been sensed on the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner (NO in S 16106 ), the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  senses contact made by the contacting object  10600  in the control target region of the air conditioner in S 16101  (YES in S 16101 ), the process is advanced to S 16102 . In addition, when the touch panel control section  102  senses contact made by the contacting object  10600  on the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in S 16104  (YES in S 16104 ), the process is advanced to S 16105 . 
     When the touch panel control section  102  senses contact made by the contacting object  10600  on the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner in S 16106  (YES in S 16106 ), the display control section  103  switches between display and non-display of the detail control screen  522  (S 16107 ) and terminates the present flow. In other words, in S 16107 , when the detail control screen  522  is displayed, the detail control screen  522  is erased, and when the detail control screen  522  is not displayed, the detail control screen  522  is displayed. 
     In S 16102 , the device control section  106  generates a control command for turning off the power of the device if the power of the device is turned on and generates a control command for turning on the power of the device if the power of the device is turned off, and subsequently the process advances to S 16103 . In S 16105 , the device control section  106  generates a control command corresponding to the control selected on the detail control screen  522 , and the process advances to S 16103 . 
     In S 16103 , the process is advanced to a control command transmission flow and, subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the air conditioner from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 16108 ). Next, the process is advanced to the display control flow (S 16111 ) and, subsequently, the present flow is terminated. 
     The control command transmission flow in S 16103  is executed in a similar process flow as, for example, the process flow shown in the flow chart in  FIG. 41 . Moreover, in the present control of the air conditioner, the device that is a control command transmission destination in S 3702  and S 3703  in  FIG. 41  corresponds to the air conditioner corresponding to the selected device icon of the air conditioner. In addition, in the present control of the air conditioner, the simultaneously operated devices in S 3706  in  FIG. 41  correspond to, for example, air conditioners in a plurality of rooms corresponding to the used-in-common device icon of the air conditioner. 
       FIG. 162  is a flow chart showing an example of the display control flow in S 16111  in  FIG. 161 . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P1 in which the detail control screen  522  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     First, the display control section  103  determines whether or not the device control section  106  has switched the power of the air conditioner from an on state to an off state (S 16201 ). When the power of the air conditioner has been switched from an on state to an off state (YES in S 16201 ), the display control section  103  changes the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  to a display corresponding to an off state (S 16202 ). Next, the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner is changed to the display corresponding to an off state (S 16203 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 16201 , when the power of the air conditioner has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 16201 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the air conditioner is operating in the heater mode based on the operation state acquired in S 16108  (S 16204 ). When the air conditioner is operating in the heater mode (YES in S 16204 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  in a warm color (S 16205 ) and the process is advanced to S 16208 . 
     On the other hand, in S 16204 , when the air conditioner is not operating in the heater mode (NO in S 16204 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the air conditioner is operating in the cooler mode (S 16206 ). When the air conditioner is operating in the cooler mode (YES in S 16206 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  in a cold color (S 16207 ) and the process is advanced to S 16208 . 
     On the other hand, in S 16206 , even when the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 16206 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  in a cold color (S 16207 ) and the process is advanced to S 16208 . 
     In S 16208 , the display control section  103  determines whether or not the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in another room is already displayed on the display  101 . When the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in another room is already displayed on the display  101  (YES in S 16208 ), the display control section  103  switches the displayed detail control screen  522  to a screen of the air conditioner corresponding to the room (S 16209 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 16208 , when the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16208 ), the display control section  103  changes the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner to a display corresponding to the operation state (S 16210 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     Moreover, in S 16206 , when the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 16206 ), the process is advanced to S 16207  and the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  is displayed in a cold color. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 16206 ), the control target region  10101  of the air conditioner on the floor plan  500  may be displayed in another color. Moreover, cases where the air conditioner is not operating in the cooler mode in S 16206  include a dehumidifier mode. 
       FIG. 163  is a flow chart showing another example of the display control flow in S 16111  in  FIG. 161 . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P2 in which the detail control screen  522  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     S 16301  and S 16302  are the same as S 16201  and S 16202  in  FIG. 162 . Following S 16302 , the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner from the display  101  (S 16303 ). Next, the display control section  103  displays a text reading “air conditioner” and an operation state in the room corresponding to the air conditioner on the display  101  (S 16304 ). In S 16304 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 85 . Once S 16304  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 16301 , when the power of the air conditioner has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 16301 ), the process is advanced to S 16305 . S 16305  to S 16310  are the same as S 16204  to S 16209  in  FIG. 162 . 
     In S 16309 , when the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16309 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding air conditioner is already displayed on the display  101  (S 16311 ). When the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding air conditioner is already displayed on the display  101  (YES in S 16311 ), the display control section  103  changes the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner to a display corresponding to the operation state (S 16312 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 16311 , when the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding air conditioner is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16311 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner on the display  101  (S 16313 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
       FIG. 164  is a flow chart showing yet another example of the display control flow in S 16111  in  FIG. 161 . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P3 in which the detail setting button  504  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device. 
     S 16401  and S 16402  are the same as S 16201  and S 16202  in  FIG. 162 . Following S 16402 , the display control section  103  erases the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner from the display  101  (S 16403 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     On the other hand, in S 16401 , when the power of the air conditioner has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 16401 ), the process is advanced to S 16404 . S 16404  to S 16409  are the same as S 16204  to S 16209  in  FIG. 162 . 
     In S 16408 , when the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16408 ), the process is advanced to S 16410 . S 16410  and S 16411  are the same as S 16311  and S 16312  in  FIG. 163 . In S 16410 , when the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding air conditioner is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16410 ), the present process is terminated. 
       FIG. 165  is a flow chart showing yet another example of the display control flow in S 16111  in  FIG. 161 . The flow chart represents an example of the display pattern P4 in which the detail setting button  504  is displayed only when the specific target device is in an on state. 
     S 16501  and S 16502  are the same as S 16201  and S 16202  in  FIG. 162 . S 16503  and S 16504  are the same as S 16303  and S 16304  in  FIG. 163 . Once S 16504  is finished, the present flow is terminated. 
     In S 16501 , when the power of the air conditioner has not been switched from an on state to an off state (NO in S 16501 ), the process is advanced to S 16505 . S 16505  to S 16510  are the same as S 16204  to S 16209  in  FIG. 162 . In S 16509 , when the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner in another room is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16509 ), the process is advanced to S 16511 . S 16511  and S 16512  are the same as S 16311  and S 16312  in  FIG. 163 . 
     In S 16511 , when the detail control screen  522  of the corresponding air conditioner is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16511 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner is already displayed on the display  101  (S 16513 ). When the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner is already displayed on the display  101  (YES in S 16513 ), the present flow is terminated. On the other hand, in S 16513 , when the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner is not displayed on the display  101  (NO in S 16513 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner on the display  101  (S 16514 ) and the present flow is terminated. 
     (Control Flow of Air Conditioner when Device Icon is Used in Common) 
     Next, a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when the device icon is used in common will be described. Hereinafter, separate descriptions will be given for the display patterns P1 to P4 described earlier. 
       FIGS. 166A, 166B .  166 C, and  166 D are flow diagrams showing an example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when the device icon is used in common. The flow diagrams represent an example of the display pattern P1. The display pattern P1 is a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
     S 16601  to S 16605  are the same as S 15501  to S 15505  in  FIG. 155A . In S 16604 , when the touch panel control section  102  determines that the device corresponding to the selected device icon is the specific target device (in this case, the air conditioner) (YES in S 16604 ), the display control section  103  displays the floor plan  500  as the control screen  10100  of the air conditioner on the display  101  (S 16606 ). Subsequently, the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the air conditioner from the status  1709  in the device list  1700  (S 16607 ). 
     Next, the display control section  103  determines whether or not there is the air conditioner with power turned off (S 16608 ). When there is the air conditioner with power turned off (YES in S 16608 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region of the air conditioner with power turned off darkly with brightness lower than the specified brightness (S 16609 ) and the process is advanced to S 16610 . On the other hand, in S 16608 , when there is no air conditioner with power turned off (NO in S 16608 ), the process is advanced to S 16610 . 
     In S 16610 , the display control section  103  determines whether there is the air conditioner operating in the heater mode. When there is the air conditioner operating in the heater mode (YES in S 16610 ), the display control section  103  displays the control target region of the air conditioner that is operating in the heater mode in a warm color (S 16611 ) and the process is advanced to S 16612 . On the other hand, in S 16610 , when there is no air conditioner that is operating in the heater mode (NO in S 16610 ), the process is advanced to S 16612 . 
     In S 16612 , the display control section  103  determines whether there is the air conditioner operating in the cooler mode. When there is the air conditioner operating in the cooler mode (YES in S 16612 ), the process is advanced to S 16613 . On the other hand, even when there is no air conditioner operating in the cooler mode (NO in S 16612 ), the process is advanced to S 16613 . In S 16613 , the display control section  103  displays the control target region of air conditioners other than air conditioners with power turned off and air conditioners operating in the heater mode in a cold color and the process is advanced to S 16614 . 
     In S 16614 , the display control section  103  determines whether or not a plurality of air conditioners are installed (S 16614 ). When a plurality of air conditioners are installed (YES in S 16614 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner installed in a largest room (S 16615 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617 . When a plurality of air conditioners are not installed (NO in S 16614 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner corresponding to the device icon selected in S 16601  (S 16616 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617 . 
     In S 16617 , when a start of contact made by the contacting object  10600  with the display  101  is sensed by the touch panel control section  102 , the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not a contact target is the device icon  501  (S 16618 ). 
     When the touch panel control section  102  determines that the contact target of the contact is the device icon  501  (YES in S 16618 ), the touch panel control section  102  determines whether or not the contacting object  10600  has made contact with the same device icon as the used-in-common device icon (in this case, the used-in-common device icon of the air conditioner) selected in S 16601  (S 16619 ). If not the same device icon (NO in S 16619 ), the process returns to S 16603 . On the other hand, when it is determined that the contacting object  10600  has made contact with the device icon that is the same as the used-in-common device icon selected in S 16601  (YES in S 16619 ), the display control section  103  hides the control screen of the air conditioner and displays the basic screen on the display  101  (S 16620 ) to finish the present flow. 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 16618  that the contact is not with the device icon  501  (NO in S 16618 ), the touch panel control section  102  further determines whether or not the contact target is the control screen of the air conditioner (S 16621 ). When it is determined that the contact target is not the control screen of the air conditioner (NO in S 16621 ), the process is advanced to S 16620 . 
     On the other hand, when the touch panel control section  102  determines in S 16621  that the contacting object  10600  has made contact with a button or the like in the control screen of the air conditioner (YES in S 16621 ), the process is advanced to the control flow (for example,  FIG. 161  described earlier) of the air conditioner (S 16622 ) and the process subsequently returns to S 16617 . 
     Moreover, in S 16607 , the display control section  103  acquires an operation state of the air conditioner from the status  1709  in the device list  1700 . Alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state of the air conditioner from the server  300 . Further alternatively, the display control section  103  may acquire an operation state directly from the air conditioner. 
       FIG. 167  is a flow chart showing another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when the device icon is used in common. This flow diagram shows an example of the display pattern P2. The display pattern P2 is a pattern where the detail control screen  522  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device and the detail setting button  504  is not displayed. 
       FIG. 167  only shows S 16701  to S 16707 . Steps up to S 16701  are the same as S 16601  to S 16613  shown in  FIGS. 166A and 166B  and steps after S 16707  are the same as S 16617  to S 16622  shown in  FIG. 166D . 
     In S 16701 , the display control section  103  determines whether or not a plurality of air conditioners are installed. When a plurality of air conditioners are installed (YES in S 16701 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not there is at least one air conditioner with power turned on (S 16702 ). 
     When there is at least one air conditioner with power turned on (YES in S 16702 ), the display control section  103  displays on the display  101 , the detail control screen  522  of the air conditioner arranged in a largest room among the air conditioners with their power turned on (S 16703 ) and the process is advanced to S 16704 . On the other hand, if there is no air conditioner with power turned on (NO in S 16702 ), the process is advanced to S 16704 . 
     In S 16704 , the display control section  103  displays a text reading “air conditioner” and an operation state in the room in which the air conditioner with its power turned off is arranged on the display  101 . In S 16704 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  5511  including a description reading “air conditioner off” on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 113 . Once S 16704  is finished, the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
     On the other hand, in S 16701 , when a plurality of air conditioners are not installed (NO in S 16701 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not an operation state of the selected air conditioner is a power off state (S 16705 ). When the operation state of the selected air conditioner is a power off state (YES in S 16705 ), the display control section  103  displays a type name and an operation state of the device in the corresponding room in a similar manner to S 16704  (S 16706 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
     On the other hand, in S 16705 , when the operation state of the selected air conditioner is not a power off state (NO in S 16705 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail control screen  522  of the selected air conditioner on the display  101  (S 16707 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
       FIG. 168  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when the device icon is used in common. The flow diagram represents an example of the display pattern P3. The display pattern P3 is a pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed in both an on state and an off state of the specific target device. 
       FIG. 168  only shows S 16801  to S 16803 . Steps up to S 16801  are the same as S 16601  to S 16613  shown in  FIGS. 166A and 166B  and steps after S 16803  are the same as S 16617  to S 16622  shown in  FIG. 166D . 
     In S 16801 , the display control section  103  determines whether or not a plurality of air conditioners are installed. When a plurality of air conditioners are installed (YES in S 16801 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in all of the rooms in which the air conditioner is installed (S 16802 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
     On the other hand, when a plurality of air conditioners are not installed (NO in S 16801 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  of the air conditioner corresponding to the device icon selected in S 16601  (S 16803 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
       FIG. 169  is a flow chart showing yet another example of a flow of a process by which the home controller  100  controls the air conditioner as an example of the specific target device when the device icon is used in common. The flow diagram represents an example of the display pattern P4. The display pattern P4 is a pattern where the detail setting button  504  is displayed only in an on state of the specific target device. 
       FIG. 169  only shows S 16901  to S 16907 . Steps up to S 16901  are the same as S 16601  to S 16613  shown in  FIGS. 166A and 166B  and steps after S 16907  are the same as S 16617  to S 16622  shown in  FIG. 166D . 
     In S 16901 , the display control section  103  determines whether or not a plurality of air conditioners are installed. When a plurality of air conditioners are installed (YES in S 16901 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not there is at least one air conditioner with power turned on (S 16902 ). 
     When there is at least one air conditioner with power turned on (YES in S 16902 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  in all rooms in which air conditioners with their power turned on are arranged on the display  101  (S 16903 ) and the process is advanced to S 16904 . On the other hand, if there is no air conditioner with power turned on (NO in S 16902 ), the process is advanced to S 16904 . 
     In S 16904 , the display control section  103  displays a text reading “air conditioner” and an operation state in the room in which the air conditioner with its power turned off is arranged on the display  101 . In S 16904 , the display control section  103  displays the operation state display section  551  including a description reading “air conditioner off” on the display  101  as shown in, for example,  FIG. 85 . Once S 16904  is finished, the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
     On the other hand, in S 16901 , when a plurality of air conditioners are not installed (NO in S 16901 ), the display control section  103  determines whether or not an operation state of the selected air conditioner is a power off state (S 16905 ). When the operation state of the selected air conditioner is a power off state (YES in S 16905 ), the display control section  103  displays a type name and an operation state of the device in the corresponding room in a similar manner to S 16904  (S 16906 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
     On the other hand, in S 16905 , when the operation state of the selected air conditioner is not a power off state (NO in S 16905 ), the display control section  103  displays the detail setting button  504  of the selected air conditioner on the display  101  (S 16907 ) and the process is advanced to S 16617  ( FIG. 166D ). 
     Moreover, in the present specification, a “warm color” refers to a color in a range of for example, 5RP to 5GY in the Munsell color system. In addition, in the present specification, a “cold color” refers to a color in a range of, for example, 10PB to 10BG in the Munsell color system. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present disclosure provides a useful control method of suitably controlling one or more target devices connected to a network.