Method of managing use of an appliance through a communication network

• US 20020087351A1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jo, Seong Jin
• Application Number:
  US10/029,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087351A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of managing the use of rented electric home appliances such as a washing machine, a dish washer, and so on, through a communication network and charging for the use thereof. The method includes receiving information on use of the appliance through a communication network, calculating a charge for use of the appliance based on the received information, and transmitting the calculated charge to a user'"'"'s terminal through the communication network. The method obviates the need to buy home appliances and avoids the inconvenience of appliance installation, maintenance, replacement and moving. Additionally, a subscriber can easily upgrade to a brand-new appliance as provided by the rental company. As a result, the rental service provider can satisfy various consumer'"'"'s or subscriber'"'"'s needs promptly resulting in increased profits.

Claims

1. A method of managing use of an appliance, comprising:

receiving information on a use of the appliance through a communication network;

calculating a charge for the use of the appliance based on the received use information; and

transmitting the calculated charge to a user'"'"'s terminal through the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said appliance is a washing machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said received use information for calculating a charge includes at least one of a type of washing machine, a load capacity of the washing machine, a motor type of the washing machine, an amount of clothes to be washed, a selected washing course program, a selected washing time, a selected number of washing repetitions, a selected number of agitation or spin cycles, and a number of rinsing repetitions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance is activated by a start signal from a registered subscriber'"'"'s personal computer or a mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering a subscriber number and a unique number of an appliance through a communication network;

authenticating said subscriber number and said unique number of an appliance; and

activating said appliance if said subscriber number and said unique number of an appliance are authentic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s terminal is a personal computer or a mobile terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a for use of the appliance after each use of the appliance to a corresponding subscriber.

8. A method of managing the use of an appliance through a communication network, comprising:

authenticating a subscriber number received through the communication network;

transmitting a start signal for an appliance identified by the subscriber number from a server through the communication network to a corresponding subscriber'"'"'s terminal if the subscriber number is authenticated successfully;

receiving use information of the appliance through the communication network;

calculating a charge for the use of the appliance based on the received use information; and

transmitting the calculated charge to the subscriber'"'"'s terminal through the communication network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said appliance is a washing machine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the use information includes at least one of a selected type of the washing machine, a load capacity of the washing machine, a motor type of the washing machine, an amount of clothes to be washed, a selected washing course program, a selected washing time, a selected number of washing repetitions, a selected number of agitation or spin cycles, and a number of rinsing repetitions.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising starting the appliance when the start signal is received by the subscriber'"'"'s terminal.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

entering a subscriber number and a unique number of an appliance through a communication network;

authenticating said subscriber number and said unique number of an appliance; and

activating said appliance if said subscriber number and said unique number of an appliance are authentic.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s terminal is a personal computer or a mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a bill for use of the appliance after each use of the appliance to a corresponding subscriber.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said received information includes at least one of a type of the washing machine, a load capacity of the washing machine, a motor type of the washing machine, an amount of clothes to wash, a selected washing course program, a washing time, a number of washing repetitions, a selected number of agitation or spin cycles, and a selected number of rinsing repetitions.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user'"'"'s terminal comprises a personal computer or a mobile terminal.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending a bill for use of the washing machine after each use of the washing machine to a corresponding subscriber.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said appliance is a washing machine and wherein said received information includes at least one of a type of the washing machine, a load capacity of the washing machine, a motor type of the washing machine, an amount of clothes to be washed, a selected washing course program, a selected washing time, a selected number of washing repetitions, a selected number of spin cycles, and a selected number of rinsing repetitions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s terminal comprises a personal computer or a mobile terminal.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending a bill for use of the applicance after each use of the appliance to a corresponding subscriber.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting said charge information to said user after said user has used said appliance.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting said charge information to said user before said subscriber has used said appliance.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising cancelling use of said appliance after transmitting said charge information to said user and before said subscriber has used said appliance.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein configuring an appliance for use further comprises activating said appliance when said user pushes a start button.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein transmitting said charge information to said user further comprises displaying said charge information on a display means.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein validating said subscriber number comprises validating a debit, credit or pre-paid card, and wherein transmitting said charge information to said user further comprises billing said debit, credit or pre-paid card based on said charge information.

15. A method of managing use of a washing machine through a communication network, comprising:

receiving information on washing condition program settings based on clothes inserted in the washing machine through the communication network;

calculating a charge for use of the washing machine based on the received information;

transmitting the calculated charge to a user'"'"'s terminal through the communication network; and

transmitting a start signal to the washing machine through the communication network if a washing request is received.

19. A method of managing use of an appliance through a communication network, comprising:

authenticating a subscriber number received through the communication network;

receiving automatically selected information on appliance use conditions through the communication network;

calculating a charge for use of the appliance, if the subscriber number is authenticated successfully;

transmitting the calculated charge to a subscriber'"'"'s terminal through the communication network; and

transmitting a start signal to the appliance through the communication network if a start request is received.

23. A method of managing a usage of an appliance, comprising:

receiving a subscriber number from a user over a communication network;

validating said subscriber number;

configuring an appliance for use if said subscriber number is valid;

receiving usage information from said appliance over the communication network;

calculating charge information based on said usage information; and

transmitting said charge information to said user.