Home appliance and online system including the same

• US 10,386,802 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Junpil, Ha, Mikyung, Sung, Byunggee
• Primary Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US15/695,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 700 90
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

An online system, including a smart laundry machine, which is capable of easily and inexpensively using the smart laundry machine is disclosed. A further extended type of a smart home appliance, an online system including the same, and a method of using the online system are also disclosed. A method of using an online system includes transmitting user information to a server through an external terminal to log in to the server, the server specifying a home appliance for a remote service based on the user information received from the external terminal and determining whether remote service activation of the specified home appliance is set, upon determining that the remote service activation of the home appliance is set, the server transmitting operation information of the home appliance to the external terminal, the external terminal transmitting a command signal to the server such that the home appliance is operated based on the received operation information, the server receiving the command signal, and the server transmitting the command signal to the home appliance such that the home appliance is operated.

Claims

1. A method of using an online system comprising:

setting remote service activation of a home appliance via a remote service activation unit, provided at the home appliance, configured to set or cancel the remote service activation, when power of the home appliance is on, and the home appliance having a power input unit separately provided at the home appliance from the remote service activation unit, wherein the home appliance comprises a laundry machine;

transmitting user information to a server through an external terminal to log in to the server;

the server specifying a home appliance for a remote service based on the user information received from the external terminal and determining whether remote service activation of the specified home appliance is set;

upon determining that the remote service activation of the home appliance is set, the server transmitting at least part of the variable operation information of the home appliance to the external terminal;

the external terminal to select at least part of the variable operation information;

the external terminal transmitting a command signal to the server such that the home appliance is operated based on the selected variable operation information;

the server receiving the command signal; and

the server transmitting the command signal to the home appliance such that the home appliance is operated,

wherein the home appliance includes a variable operation information selection unit, provided at the home appliance to set the variable operation information by a user manually, being configured to be deactivated when the remote service activation of the specified home appliance is set by the remote service activation unit such that a variable operation information selection by a user via the variable operation information selection unit is prevented during the set remote service activation while the home appliance is powered on,

wherein the server specifies operation information corresponding to the home appliance information and transmits the specified operation information to the external terminal,

wherein the variable operation information comprises a washing course and option information of the washing course,

wherein the option information comprises at least one selected from among a washing degree, the number of times of rinsing, a spin-drying degree, temperature of wash water, and whether or not steam is used.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server specifies a home appliance for a remote service based on the user information received from the external terminal and home appliance information stored in the server in a state of being matched with the user information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server specifies a home appliance for a remote service based on home appliance information received from the external terminal together with the user information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variable operation information is changeable by the external terminal when the remote service activation of the specified home appliance is set by the remote service activation unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the external terminal sets the variable operation information and transmits the set variable operation information to the server such that the home appliance is operated based on the set variable operation information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein an operation state of the home appliance is transmitted to the external terminal through the server such that the operation state of the home appliance is displayed on the external terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the external terminal transmits a command to pause operation of the home appliance to the home appliance through the server during the operation of the home appliance such that the operation of the home appliance is paused.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, in a paused state of the home appliance, the home appliance transmits the paused state and the set variable operation information to the external terminal through the server.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in the paused state of the home appliance, the external terminal changes the set variable operation information and transmits a command to resume the operation of the home appliance to the home appliance through the server such that the operation of the home appliance is resumed.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the external terminal transmits a command to power off the home appliance to the home appliance through the server during operation of the home appliance such that the home appliance is powered off.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the external terminal transmits at least one selected from between a command to pause operation of the home appliance and a command to power off the home appliance during the operation of the home appliance.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the home appliance has:

the remote service activation input unit to set or cancel the remote service activation according to user selection;

a Wi-Fi communication module having an input means configured to enable Wi-Fi communication between the home appliance and the server,

wherein the remote service activation is settable only in a state in which the home appliance is communication connected to the server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote service activation is canceled when the power input unit is selected by a user.

14. A method of using an online system comprising:

setting remote service activation of a home appliance via a remote service activation unit configured to set or cancel the remote service activation, when power of the home appliance is on, the remote service activation unit provided at the home appliance, the home appliance having a power input unit at the home appliance and being separately provided from the remote service activation unit, wherein the home appliance comprises a laundry machine;

transmitting user information to a server through an external terminal to log in to the server;

the server specifying a home appliance for a remote service based on the user information received from the external terminal and determining a remote service activation state of the specified home appliance;

upon determining that the remote service activation of the home appliance is set, the server receiving state information of the home appliance from the home appliance and transmitting the received state information of the home appliance to the external terminal, the state information including at least one selected from among a state in which remote control is ready, a state in which the home appliance is being operated, a state in which operation of the home appliance is paused, and a scheduled operation state; and

receiving and displaying the state information of the home appliance on the external terminal,

wherein the home appliance includes a variable operation information selection unit, provided at the home appliance to set the variable operation information by a user manually, being configured to be deactivated when the remote service activation of the specified home appliance is set by the remote service activation unit such that variable operation information selection by a user via the variable operation information selection unit is prevented during the set remote service activation while the home appliance is powered on,

wherein the server specifies operation information corresponding to the home appliance information and transmits the specified operation information to the external terminal

wherein the variable operation information comprises a washing course and option information of the washing course, and

wherein the option information comprises at least one selected from among a washing degree, the number of times of rinsing, a spin-drying degree, temperature of wash water, and whether or not steam is used.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, in a case in which the state information is the state in which the laundry machine is being operated or the scheduled operation state, a wrinkle prevention selection unit to select a wrinkle prevention function for driving a drum after a course of the laundry machine is ended to prevent wrinkles from being formed on laundry through the external terminal is displayed on the external terminal.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the wrinkle prevention function is selected and performed only through the external terminal.