Device control method, device control system

A device control method in a device control system for controlling one or more devices by using one or more operation terminals, wherein

• the device control system includes the one or more devices, the one or more operation terminals, and a server device, and
• the server device includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the server device to store user information, the user information capable of including an associated set of a terminal identifier and a device identifier, the device identifier in the associated set identifying a device module attached to a device controllable by using an operation terminal having attached thereto a terminal module identified by the terminal identifier,
• the device control method comprising:
• an operation receiving step of the server device receiving a device control operation for controlling a given device, the device control operation performed by using a given operation terminal;
• a determining step of the server device determining whether the given operation terminal is in a first state or a second state, the given operation terminal having higher authority of control when in the first state compared to when in the second state;
• a limiting step of, when determined in the determining step that the given operation terminal is in the second state, the server device limiting a range of controls of the given device made available to the given operation terminal when in the second state so as to correspond to part of a range of controls of the given device made available to the given operation terminal when in the first state;
• a device controlling step of the server device controlling the given device based on the device control operation;
• and
• an updating step of, when a new device module is to be issued, the server device generating a device identifier identifying the new device module, and updating the user information by adding the device identifier identifying the new device module to the user information, wherein
• in the determining step, the server device receives a terminal identifier from the given operation terminal, and the given operation terminal is determined as being in the first state when the received terminal identifier matches the terminal identifier included in the user information, and as being in the second state when the received terminal identifier does not match the terminal identifier included in the user information,
• in the device controlling step, the given device is controlled when the given device has attached thereto a device module storing a device identifier identifying the device module, and when determined in the determining step that the given operation terminal is in the second state, the control of the given device is performed within the range of controls of the given device made available to the given operation terminal when in the second state, and
• in the updating step, the user information is updated so that the device identifier identifying the new device module is associated, in the user information, with a terminal identifier identifying a terminal module attached to an operation terminal possessed by a user who makes a request for issuance of the new device module.