HOME APPLIANCE AND HOME APPLIANCE SYSTEM

• US 20100040213A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong Tae, Lee, Koon Seok, Kang, Hae Yong, PARK, Hyung Jun
• Application Number:
  US12/432,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20100040213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/106.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

A home appliance and a home appliance system are provided. The home appliance converts product information into at least one acoustic signal, and an output device outputs the at least one acoustic signal as a sound. Further, the home appliance system may include a management device. The management device may receive the sound and read the product information contained in the sound. The home appliance may prevent data loss that may occur upon transmission of a sound through a communications network by converting the product information into acoustic signals of different amplitude or frequency bands.

Claims

1. In a home appliance system that transmits product information of a home appliance to a management device through a wire/wireless communication network for fault diagnosis, and diagnoses fault of the home appliance,

an output device configured to output a sound;

an input device configured to received a control command from outside of the home appliance;

a controller that includes a storage device for storing the product information of the home appliance for the fault diagnosis, and loads the product information stored in the storage device and outputs a control signal to adjust the characteristic of the sound being output by the output device, when the control command for the fault diagnosis is input through the input device; and

a conversion device that converts the control signal which includes product information into at least one acoustic signal which operates the output device to output the sound corresponding to the at least one acoustic signal.

2. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the amplitude of the at least one acoustic signal and corresponding sound.

3. The home appliance of claim 2, further comprising an amplitude adjusting device configured to allow a user to set an amplitude of the at least one acoustic signal adjusted by the controller.

4. The home appliance of claim 3, further comprising a control panel provided with at least one of the input device or the amplitude adjusting device.

5. The home appliance of claim 4, wherein the amplitude adjusting device comprises at least one of a push type adjusting device that receives input by clicking, a touch type device that receives input by touching, and a dial type adjusting device that receives input by turning.

6. The home appliance of claim 2, further comprising a display that outputs a loudness of the sound according to the amplitude of the at least one acoustic signal in the form of an image.

7. The home appliance of claim 2, wherein, after the conversion device converts the product information into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the control command from the input device and the output device outputs a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal, if the control command is re-input through the input device, the controller controls the conversion device to convert the product information into a second acoustic signal which is a signal having a different amplitude from that of the first acoustic signal.

8. The home appliance of claim 7, wherein the second acoustic signal has a larger amplitude than that of the first acoustic signal.

9. The home appliance of claim 2, further comprising a sound input device that receives a re-transmit command sound and delivers the same to the controller, wherein, after the conversion device converts the product information into a first acoustic signal and the output device outputs a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal, if a re-transmit command sound is input into the sound input device, the controller controls the conversion device to convert the product information into a second acoustic signal having a different amplitude from that of the first acoustic signal.

10. The home appliance of claim 9, wherein the second acoustic signal has a larger amplitude than that of the first acoustic signal.

11. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts a frequency band of the at least one acoustic signal and corresponding sound by controlling the conversion device.

12. The home appliance of claim 11, further comprising a frequency selection device configured to allow a user to set a frequency band of the at least one acoustic signal adjusted by the controller.

13. The home appliance of claim 11, wherein the controller controls the conversion device to convert the product information into a first acoustic signal and then into a second acoustic signal, which is a signal having a different frequency band from that of the first acoustic signal.

14. The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the first acoustic signal comprises a plurality of first unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, wherein each of the plurality of first unit signals is a first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the first frequency signal, wherein the second acoustic signal includes a plurality of second unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, and wherein each of the plurality of second unit signals is a third frequency signal or a fourth frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the third frequency signal.

15. The home appliance of claim 11, wherein, after the conversion device converts the product information into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the control command from the input device and the output device outputs a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal, if the control command is re-input from the input device, the controller controls the conversion device to convert the product information into a second acoustic signal which is a signal having a different frequency band from that of the first acoustic signal.

16. The home appliance of claim 15, wherein the first acoustic signal includes a plurality of first unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, wherein each of the plurality of first unit signals is a first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the first frequency signal, wherein the second acoustic signal includes a plurality of second unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, and wherein each of the plurality of second unit signals is a third frequency signal or a fourth frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the third frequency signal.

17. The home appliance of claim 11, further comprising:

a sound input device configured to receive a re-transmit request command from outside of the home appliance and deliver the same to the controller, wherein, after the conversion device converts the product information into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the re-transmit command from the input device and the output device outputs a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal, if a re-transmit request command is input through the sound input device, the controller controls the conversion device to convert the product information into a second acoustic signal, which is a signal having a different frequency band from that of the first acoustic signal.

18. The home appliance of claim 17, wherein the first acoustic signal includes a plurality of first unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, wherein each of the plurality of first unit signals is a first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the first frequency signal, wherein the second acoustic signal includes a plurality of second unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, and wherein each of the plurality of second unit signals is a third frequency signal or a fourth frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the third frequency signal.

19. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a user input device that receives the control command for fault diagnosis.

20. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the product information contains at least one of operation information or fault information.

21. A home appliance system, comprising:

a home appliance that converts product information into at least one acoustic signal upon receipt of a control command for fault diagnosis, outputs a sound corresponding to the at least one acoustic signal, when the fault diagnosis command is received, wherein the characteristic of the sound can be adjusted;

an external terminal connected to a communications network to transmit the sound via the communications network; and

a management device that receives the sound and inversely converts the received sound into the product information.

22. The home appliance system of claim 21, wherein the home appliance adjusts an amplitude of the sound.

23. The home appliance system of claim 22, wherein the home appliance comprises:

an output device configured to output the sound;

an input device configured to received a control command from outside of the home appliance;

a controller that includes a storage device for storing the product information of the home appliance for the fault diagnosis, and loads the product information stored in the storage device and outputs a control signal to adjust the amplitude of the sound being output by the output device, when the control command for fault diagnosis is input through the input device; and

a conversion device that converts the control signal which includes product information into at least one acoustic signal which operates the output device to output the sound corresponding to the at least one acoustic signal.

24. The home appliance system of claim 23, wherein the home appliance further comprises an amplitude adjusting device configured to allow a user to set the amplitude of the at least one acoustic signal which is adjusted by the controller.

25. The home appliance system of claim 23, wherein the home appliance further comprises an amplitude adjusting device configured to allow a user to set a volume of the sound.

26. The home appliance system of claim 23, wherein the home appliance further comprises a display device that outputs a loudness of the sound according to the amplitude of the at least one acoustic signal in the form of an image.

27. The home appliance system of claim 22, wherein, after product information is converted into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the control command and a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal is output, if the control command is re-input, the home appliance converts the product information into a second acoustic signal having a different amplitude from that of the first acoustic signal, and outputs a second sound corresponding to the second sound.

28. The home appliance system of claim 27, wherein the second acoustic signal has a larger amplitude than that of the first acoustic signal.

29. The home appliance system of claim 22, wherein the management device comprises:

a transmission/reception device connected to the external terminal by the communications network that receives the sound through the communications network;

a signal conversion device that converts the sound into the product information; and

a management device controller that reads the converted product information.

30. The home appliance system of claim 29, wherein the home appliance converts the product information into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the control command and outputs a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal, the external terminal sends the first signal to the management device, the management device receives the first sound and, if the received first sound cannot be inversely converted into the product information, sends a re-transmit command to the external terminal, the external terminal outputs a re-transmit command sound corresponding to the re-transmit command, and the home appliance converts the product information into a second acoustic signal having a different amplitude from that of the first acoustic signal, upon receipt of the re-transmit command sound, and outputs a second sound corresponding to the second acoustic signal.

31. The home appliance system of claim 30, wherein the second acoustic signal has a larger amplitude than that of the first acoustic signal.

32. The home appliance system of claim 22, wherein the home appliance adjusts an frequency band of the sound.

33. The home appliance system of claim 32, wherein the home appliance comprises:

an output device configured to output the sound;

an input device configured to received a control command from outside of the home appliance;

a controller that includes a storage device for storing the product information of the home appliance for the fault diagnosis, and loads the product information stored in the storage device and outputs a control signal to adjust the frequency band of the sound being output by the output device, when the control command for fault diagnosis is input through the input device; and

a conversion device that converts the control signal which includes product information into at least one acoustic signal which operates the output device to output the sound corresponding to the at least one acoustic signal.

34. The home appliance system of claim 33, wherein the home appliance further comprises a frequency selection device configured to allow a user to set the frequency band of the at least one acoustic signal which is adjusted by the controller.

35. The home appliance system-of claim 33, wherein, when the control command is received through the input device, the home appliance converts the product information into a first acoustic signal and then converts the product information into a second acoustic signal which is a signal having a different frequency band from that of the first acoustic signal.

36. The home appliance system of claim 35, wherein the first acoustic signal includes a plurality of first unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, wherein each of the plurality of first unit signals is a first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the first frequency signal, wherein the second acoustic signal includes a plurality of second unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, and wherein each of the plurality of second unit signals is a third frequency signal or a fourth frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the third frequency signal.

37. The home appliance system of claim 32, wherein, after product information is converted into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the control command and a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal is output, if the control command is re-input, the home appliance converts the product information into a second acoustic signal, which is a signal having a different frequency band from that of the first acoustic signal, and outputs a second sound corresponding to the second sound.

38. The home appliance system of claim 37, wherein the first acoustic signal includes a plurality of first unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, wherein each of the plurality of first unit signals is a first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the first frequency signal, wherein the second acoustic signal includes a plurality of second unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, and wherein each of the plurality of second unit signals is a third frequency signal or a fourth frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the third frequency signal.

39. The home appliance system of claim 32, wherein the management device comprises:

a transmission/reception device connected to the external terminal by the communications network that receives the sound through the communications network;

a signal conversion device that converts the sound into the product information; and

a management device controller that reads the converted product information.

40. The home appliance system of claim 39, wherein the home appliance converts product information into a first acoustic signal upon receipt of the control command and outputs a first sound corresponding to the first acoustic signal, wherein the external terminal sends the first signal to the management device, wherein the management device receives the first sound and, if the received first signal cannot be inversely converted into the product information, sends a re-transmit command to the external terminal, wherein the external terminal outputs a re-transmit command sound corresponding to the re-transmit command, and wherein the home appliance converts the product information into a second acoustic signal, which is a signal of a different frequency band from that of the first acoustic signal, upon receipt of the re-transmit command sound, and outputs a second sound corresponding to the second acoustic signal.

41. The home appliance system of claim 40, wherein the first acoustic signal includes a plurality of first unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, wherein each of the plurality of first unit signals is a first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the first frequency signal, wherein the second acoustic signal includes a plurality of second unit signals that sustain for a predetermined period of time, and wherein each of the plurality of second unit signals is a third frequency signal or a fourth frequency signal having a different frequency from that of the third frequency signal.

42. The home appliance system of claims 29 or 39, wherein the management device further includes a display device that outputs the converted product information in the form of an image.

43. The home appliance system of claim 21, wherein the product information contains at least one of operation information or fault information.