LAUNDRY SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION METHOD, COMMUNICATION PROGRAM AND WASHING MACHINE

• US 20140236328A1
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamon, Kenichi, Kurimoto, Kazunori, Kuroyama, Kazuhiro, Omura, Yuko
• Granted Patent: US 9,850,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
• 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 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

A display control unit switches a display screen to a detergent name list screen based on detergent name list screen information received by a second communication unit, an operation unit accepts a selection of an arbitrary detergent name by a user from a plurality of detergent names displayed as a list on the detergent name list screen, the second communication unit transmits, to a server, detergent name specifying information for specifying the arbitrary detergent name accepted by the operation unit and washing machine specifying information and receives, from the server, detergent information related to a detergent specified based on the detergent name specifying information and the washing machine specifying information, and a first communication unit transmits the detergent information received by the second communication unit to a washing machine.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A communication method comprising:

a first transmitting step in which a first communication unit that communicates with a washing machine using wireless communication requests washing machine specifying information for specifying a washing machine from the washing machine;

a first receiving step in which the first communication unit receives the washing machine specifying information from the washing machine;

a second transmitting step in which a second communication unit that communicates with a server using a network transmits the received washing machine specifying information to the server;

a second receiving step in which the second communication unit receives, from the server, detergent name list information for displaying a detergent name list that displays a detergent name corresponding to at least one detergent to be used in the washing machine;

a first displaying step in which the detergent name list is displayed based on the received detergent name list information;

a first accepting step in which a detergent name selected by a user among one or more detergent names displayed in the detergent name list is accepted;

a third transmitting step in which the second communication unit transmits detergent name specifying information for specifying the selected detergent name to the server;

a third receiving step in which the second communication unit receives, from the server, detergent information related to a detergent specified based on the detergent name specifying information and the washing machine specifying information; and

a fourth transmitting step in which the first communication unit transmits the received detergent information to the washing machine.

16. The communication method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second displaying step in which a communication instructing screen that instructs the user to cause the first communication unit and the washing machine to communicate with each other is further displayed before the first transmitting step; and

a third displaying step in which the communication instructing screen is displayed before the fourth transmitting step.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein

the wireless communication is near-field wireless communication, and

the communication instructing screen is a screen for instructing the user to cause the first communication unit and the washing machine to approach each other so that communication is performed between the first communication unit and the washing machine.

18. The communication method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a fourth receiving step in which a storage completion notification notifying that the detergent information has been stored in the washing machine is received from the washing machine; and

a fourth displaying step in which a storage completion notification screen notifying the user that the detergent information has been stored in the washing machine is further displayed when the storage completion notification is received.

19. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein

the detergent information includes a table representing a relationship between water levels and cup counts of a detergent.

20. The communication method according to claim 19, wherein the table represents a relationship among water levels, cup counts of a detergent, and the number of rinses.

21. The communication method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a fifth receiving step in which the second communication unit receives, from the server, softener name list information for displaying a softener name list that displays a softener name corresponding to at least one softener to be used in the washing machine;

a fifth displaying step in which the softener name list is displayed based on the received softener name list information;

a second accepting step in which a softener name selected by the user among one or more softener names displayed in the softener name list is accepted;

a fifth transmitting step in which the second communication unit transmits softener name specifying information for specifying the selected softener name to the server;

a sixth receiving step in which the second communication unit receives, from the server, softener information related to a softener specified based on the softener name specifying information and the washing machine specifying information; and

a sixth transmitting step in which the first communication unit transmits the received softener information to the washing machine.

22. A washing machine comprising:

a storage unit that stores washing machine specifying information for specifying the washing machine;

a communication unit that communicates with a communication device using wireless communication; and

a control unit which, when request information that requests the washing machine specifying information from the communication device is received by the communication unit, reads out the washing machine specifying information from the storage unit and controls the communication unit so as to transmit the read-out washing machine specifying information to the communication device, and when detergent information related to a detergent specified based on detergent name specifying information for specifying a detergent name selected by a user and the washing machine specifying information is received by the communication unit, controls a laundry operation based on the received detergent information.

23. The washing machine according to claim 22, wherein

the storage unit further stores the detergent information, and

when the detergent information from the communication device is received by the communication unit, the control unit further stores the received detergent information in the storage unit and controls a laundry operation based on the detergent information stored in the storage unit.

24. The washing machine according to claim 23, wherein

the control unit controls the communication unit so as to transmit, to the communication device, a storage completion notification notifying that the detergent information has been stored in the storage unit.

25. The washing machine according to claim 22, wherein

when the washing machine stores, in advance, a table representing a relationship between water levels and standard cup counts of a detergent, the detergent information includes a coefficient to be multiplied by the standard cup counts of the detergent in the table.

26. A communication device comprising:

a first communication unit that communicates with a washing machine using wireless communication;

a second communication unit that communicates with a server using a network;

a display unit that displays a detergent name list displaying a detergent name corresponding to at least one detergent to be used in the washing machine;

an accepting unit that accepts input by a user; and

a control unit that controls a display screen to be displayed on the display unit, wherein

the first communication unit transmits, to the washing machine, request information that requests washing machine specifying information for specifying the washing machine and receives the washing machine specifying information from the washing machine,

the second communication unit transmits the received washing machine specifying information to the server and receives, from the server, detergent name list information for causing the detergent name list to be displayed,

the control unit causes the display unit to display the detergent name list based on the received detergent name list information,

the accepting unit accepts a detergent name selected by the user from the detergent names displayed in the detergent name list,

the second communication unit transmits detergent name specifying information for specifying the selected detergent name to the server and receives, from the server, detergent information related to a detergent specified based on the detergent name specifying information and the washing machine specifying information, and

the first communication unit transmits the received detergent information to the washing machine.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a communication program for causing a computer to function as at least:

a first communication control unit which controls a first communication unit that communicates with a washing machine using wireless communication;

a second communication control unit which controls a second communication unit that communicates with a server using a network; and

a display control unit which controls a display unit that displays a detergent name list displaying a detergent name corresponding to at least one detergent to be used in the washing machine, wherein

the first communication control unit controls the first communication unit so as to transmit, to the washing machine, request information that requests washing machine specifying information for specifying the washing machine and controls the first communication unit so as to receive the washing machine specifying information from the washing machine,

the second communication control unit controls the second communication unit so as to transmit the received washing machine specifying information to the server and controls the second communication unit so as to receive, from the server, detergent name list information for causing the detergent name list to be displayed,

the display control unit controls the display unit so as to display the detergent name list based on the received detergent name list information,

the second communication control unit controls the second communication unit so as to transmit, to the server, detergent name specifying information for specifying a detergent name selected by a user from detergent names displayed in the detergent name list and controls the second communication unit so as to receive, from the server, detergent information related to a detergent specified based on the detergent name specifying information and the washing machine specifying information, and

the first communication control unit controls the first communication unit so as to transmit the received detergent information to the washing machine.