Laundry machine and online system including the same

• US 10,425,246 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ha, Mikyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US15/697,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/30 Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home appliance which can communicate with an outside of the home appliance and an online system including the same. According to embodiments of the present invention, an online system may be provided, including a server, a home appliance provided with remote control activation input means and connected to the server to enable communication therewith, and an external terminal having application for remote control of the home appliance through the server, wherein the home appliance is remotely controlled through the external terminal only if the remote control activation input means is selected.

Claims

1. A method for using an online system comprising:

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

receiving, at the server, the user information and home appliance information;

transmitting, from the external terminal to the server, a request for state information on the home appliance;

determining, at the server, a home appliance that matches the user information and the home appliance information received at the server;

after the server determines the home appliance that matches the user information and the home appliance information, transmitting, from the server and to the home appliance, a request for state information regarding the home appliance;

in response to transmitting the request for state information, receiving the state information from the home appliance;

transmitting, from the server to the external terminal, the state information; and

receiving, at the external terminal, the state information transmitted from the server, and displaying the state information on the external terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising receiving, at the server and from the home appliance that is powered on and has received selection of a remote control activation means, a remote control activation information of the home appliance, wherein the home appliance is remotely controlled through the external terminal via the server only when the remote control activation input means is selected.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the user information and the home information includes receiving, at the server, the user information and the home information on a particular home appliance at the server for requesting service for the particular home appliance after the log in.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the user information and the home information includes receiving, at the server, the user information and the home information of a plurality of home appliances for requesting service for the plurality of home appliances after the log in.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the home appliance is a laundry machine, and the state information includes any one of:

information on whether power of the laundry machine is turned on or off,

information on whether the laundry machine is in scheduled operation or not, and

information on whether the laundry machine is in operation or not.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising when power is turned on at the home appliance, transmitting, from the external terminal to the server, an order for turning off the power at the home appliance.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the laundry machine is in scheduled operation, at least one of a remained time period until finish of operation, a selected washing course, detailed option of the set course, and a scheduled operation time period change selection unit is indicated at the external terminal.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the scheduled operation time period change selection unit is selected, a popup window is produced for enabling change of a time period remained until finish of operation, and when the remained time period is changed and noticed or the change is cancelled, the popup window disappears.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the laundry machine is in operation, at least one of a remained time period until operation finish, indication of detailed cycle progress, and detailed option of the set course is indicated on the external terminal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the laundry machine is in operation carrying out a course, a crumple prevention selection unit is indicated at the external terminal to enable to select a crumple preventive function for preventing the crumple from forming at the laundry machine by driving a drum after finishing the course.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the crumple preventive function is selected and carried out only through the external terminal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

when the state information received and thus indicates that the laundry machine is carrying out a course, indicating a crumple prevention selection unit at the external terminal, to enable to select the crumple preventive function for preventing crumple from forming at the laundry machine by driving a drum after finishing carrying out the course; and

when the crumple prevention selection unit is selected, transmitting crumple prevention selection information to the server.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the crumple preventive function is selected and carried out only through the external terminal.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein, when the crumple prevention selection unit is selected at the external terminal, a popup window is produced for enabling to change a time period required for crumple prevention, and when the time period is changed and noticed or the change is cancelled, the popup window disappears.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein descriptive words are indicated for describing the crumple preventive function, together with the crumple prevention selection unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising when the crumple prevention selection unit is selected, transmitting the crumple prevention selection information to the laundry machine through the server and displaying on a display of the laundry machine.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising indicating that the laundry machine is carrying out the course on the display after a certain time period is passed.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein when the crumple preventive function is carried out after finishing the washing course, an indication that the finishing of washing and an indication that the crumple prevention is being carried out are displayed on the display unit, alternately.

19. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

when the state information received and indicated thus indicates that the laundry machine is in scheduled operation, indicating that at least one of a remained time period until finish of operation, a selected washing course, detailed option of a set course, and a scheduled operation time period change selection unit at an external terminal;

when the scheduled operation time period change selection unit is selected, transmitting change information to the laundry machine through the server, and indicating the scheduled operation time period change information at a display at the laundry machine; and

indicating that the laundry machine is in scheduled operation at the display after a certain time period is passed.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the home appliance is provided with a remote control activation input means, and wherein the home appliance is remotely controlled through the external terminal only when the remote control activation input means is selected by a user.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the remote control activation input means is a scheduled operation button and an operation button provided at the home appliance.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the remote control activation is achieved when the scheduled operation button is selected and the operation button is selected.

23. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein when the remote control activation input means is not selected, monitoring of a present state of the home appliance is possible from the external terminal through the server.