METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING WATER DAMAGE TO ARTICLES

• US 20090146811A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Karl M., Burka, Peter W.
• Application Number:
  US11/954,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/60 Audible signals
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/62 Stopping or disabling machine operation
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/47 Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps safety arrangements D06F37/42
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 93/00 Counting, sorting, or marking arrangements specially adapted for laundry purposes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for preventing water damage to non-washable articles in a washing machine. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: providing an article with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag identifying the article as being non-washable; preventing the article from being washed in a washing machine by: scanning the washing machine using an RFID reader; and generating an alarm upon detection of a predetermined code emitted by the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A washing system, comprising:

an article;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the article and identifying the article as being non-washable;

a washing machine; and

an RFID reader associated with the washing machine for detecting the RFID tag.

2. The washing system of claim 1, wherein the article is non-washable.

3. The washing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm system for generating an alarm upon detection of the RFID tag.

4. The washing system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is attached to the article.

5. The washing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery for powering the article, wherein the battery includes the RFID tag.

6. The washing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory card for storing data associated with the article, wherein the memory card includes the RFID tag.

7. The washing system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is:

built into the washing machine;

attached to the washing machine;

or

provided as a separate unit disposed in a vicinity of the washing machine.

8. A method, comprising:

providing an article with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag identifying the article as being non-washable;

preventing the article from being washed in a washing machine by;

scanning the washing machine using an RFID reader; and

generating an alarm upon detection of a predetermined code emitted by the RFID tag.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

attaching the RFID tag to the article.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

powering the article using a battery, wherein the battery includes the RFID tag.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing data associated with the article on a memory card, wherein the memory card includes the RFID tag.

12. A method for preventing washing of a non-washable article, comprising:

providing the non-washable article with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag;

scanning a washing machine using an RFID reader to detect the RFID tag; and

generating an alarm upon detection of the RFID tag.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

preventing operation of the washing machine until the non-washable article is removed from the washing machine.