Laundry system

• US 6,862,496 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haier Group Corporation (Haier Group Company), Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Fuse, Keiji, Izutsu, Shinya, Fukuoka, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US09/821,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-381, 235/382.5, 235/449, 700/83, 700/90, 700/244, 700236-239, 700/241, 700 2- 4, 700/9, 700/19, 700/17, 700231-234, 194/343, 194/350, 194/217, 194/257, 705/41, 705 64- 67, 705 76- 79, 705 16- 21, 705/72, 705/34, 705/35, 705/44, 705/39, 705/40, 705/400, 705/1, 307/38, 414/142.1, 414/143.2, 414/803, 725/104, 340/3.1, 340/3.9, 379/91.01, 379/91.02, 709/223, 709217-219, 702/188, 455418-420, 455/90.1
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/20 for washing or drying articles, e.g. clothes, motor cars

Abstract

Purpose: To provide a laundry system with improved customer services by utilizing portable information terminals having a radiocommunication function such as mobile phones and PHS. Constitution: Upon completion of washing or drying in a laundry machine 102, data for notifying the user of the completion of the treatment are transmitted to the user'"'"'s mobile phone 100. In addition, when a prescribed time, for example, 10 minutes, elapses after washing or drying finished, a request for permission to unload the laundry is transmitted to the user'"'"'s mobile phone 100 so as to ask the user whether the clothes can be taken out from the laundry machine 102 or not. The system charges the user when a prohibition response is sent back or there is no response to the request for permission to unload the laundry.

Claims

1. A laundry system comprising laundry equipment which comprises a plurality of laundry machines, a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, and a carrier server capable of communicating with the laundry managing server wherein:

the laundry equipment comes into an operable state by receiving a signal for permitting operation thereof from the laundry managing server, and transmits operational information to the laundry managing server in response to operation of the laundry equipment which has become operable;

the laundry managing server comprises means for confirming validity of customer identification data when receiving the customer identification data along with specific information for identifying laundry equipment that the customer desires to use from a portable communication tool of the customer and transmitting a signal to the laundry equipment that has been identified by the specific information so as to permit operation of the laundry equipment, and means for receiving the operational information from the laundry equipment and creating bill data for charging the customer based on the customer identification data and the operational information; and

the carrier server comprises;

a customer file for storing customer information;

means for writing a communication charge caused by the portable communication tool in the customer file each time when the portable communication tool transmits information;

means for writing bill data transmitted from the laundry managing server in the customer file as a laundry equipment usage rate; and

means for issuing a bill to the customer, the bill claiming a sum of the communication charge and the laundry equipment usage rate.

2. The laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the laundry equipment includes a store controller (DTC) connected to the plurality of laundry machines by communication means and the store controller has another communication means for communicating with the laundry managing server.

3. The laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the means for creating bill data memorize a billing amount based on the operational information of the customer for a prescribed period, and create bill data based on aggregation of the billing amount for the prescribed period.

4. A laundry managing server for the laundry system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a customer file memorizing at least customer identification data that have been predetermined between the laundry managing server and a customer;

means capable of communicating with the laundry equipment and a portable communication tool owned by the customer for transmitting a signal for permitting operation to the laundry equipment that has been identified by information for identifying the laundry equipment that the customer desires to use, the transmission being carried out in response to receipt of the customer identification data and the information for identifying the laundry equipment transmitted from the portable communication tool of the customer;

means for receiving operational information transmitted from the laundry equipment when the laundry equipment is driven to operate; and

means for storing the received operational information in the customer file by summing up the operational information by customer, and outputting the operational information as a laundry equipment usage rate of the customer at prescribed periods.

5. The laundry system according to claim 1, wherein a server serves as both the laundry managing server and the carrier server.

6. The laundry system according to claim 1, further comprising a bank computer under contract with the carrier server, the bank computer comprising:

means for collecting the communication charge and the laundry equipment usage rate of the customer from a bank account of the customer by accessing the customer file of the carrier server; and

means for paying the collected communication charge to a bank account of a carrier and paying the collected laundry equipment usage rate to a bank account of an owner of the laundry equipment.

7. The laundry system of claim 4, further comprising:

means for transmitting a notice of completion of a prescribed treatment for the laundry in the laundry machine to a portable communication tool of a customer in response to the completion of the treatment.

8. The laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication tool comprises:

means for requesting input of a predetermined password;

means for requesting input of identification information for identifying the laundry equipment and the laundry machine; and

communication means for transmitting the password and the identification information that have been inputted by radio communication.

9. The portable communication tool according to claim 8, wherein the communication means receive at least a signal informing whether the password has been verified or not after transmitting the password.

10. The laundry system according to claim 1, wherein

the laundry equipment is capable of communicating with the portable communication tool of the customer by a first low-power, short-range radio communication means, while the portable communication tool of the customer is capable of transmitting data concerning the communication with the laundry equipment to the laundry managing server by a second radio communication means other than the first low-power radio communication means.

11. A laundry system comprising laundry equipment which comprises a plurality of laundry machines, and a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, wherein:

the laundry equipment comes into an operable state by receiving a signal for permitting operation thereof from the laundry managing server, and transmits operational information to the laundry managing server in response to operation of the laundry equipment which has become operable;

the laundry managing server comprises means for confirming validity of customer identification data when receiving the customer identification data along with specific information for identifying laundry equipment that the customer desires to use from a portable communication tool of the customer and transmitting a signal to the laundry equipment that has been identified by the specific information so as to permit operation of the laundry equipment, and means for receiving the operational information from the laundry equipment and creating bill data for charging the customer based on the customer identification data and the operational information;

the laundry equipment includes a store controller (DTC) connected to the plurality of laundry machines by communication means, and the store controller has another communication means for communicating with the laundry managing server;

each of the plurality of the laundry machines comprises information given thereto for identifying the laundry machine, an operable condition indicator, an operation part, and controlling means for driving the machine to operate upon input of an operation signal caused by operation of the operation part while the indicator indicates an operable condition, and then outputting operational information at the time to the store controller via the communication means; and

the store controller comprises external communication means, means for bringing the laundry machine into an operable condition upon receipt of information for identifying the laundry machine along with a signal for permitting operation thereof, and means for transmitting the operational information inputted from the laundry machine by the external communication means.

12. A laundry system comprising laundry equipment which comprises a plurality of laundry machines, and a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, wherein:

the laundry equipment comes into an operable state by receiving a signal for permitting operation thereof from the laundry managing server, and transmits operational information to the laundry managing server in response to operation of the laundry equipment which has become operable;

the laundry managing server comprises means for confirming validity of customer identification data when receiving the customer identification data along with specific information for identifying laundry equipment that the customer desires to use from a portable communication tool of the customer and transmitting a signal to the laundry equipment that has been identified by the specific information so as to permit operation of the laundry equipment, and means for receiving the operational information from the laundry equipment and creating bill data for charging the customer based on the customer identification data and the operational information;

p1 the laundry equipment is capable of communicating with the portable communication tool of the customer by a low-power, short-range first radio communication means, while the portable communication tool of the customer is capable of transmitting data concerning the communication with the laundry equipment to the laundry managing server by a second radio communication means other than the first low-power radio communication means;

the portable communication tool has a GPS antenna so as to identify positional information of the portable communication tool by receiving a signal from the GPS antenna; and

the laundry managing server identifies the laundry equipment to be used by the customer based on the positional information of the portable communication tool transmitted from the portable communication tool owned by the customer.

13. A laundry system comprising laundry equipment which comprises a plurality of laundry machines, and a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, wherein:

the laundry equipment comes into an operable state by receiving a signal for permitting operation thereof from the laundry managing server, and transmits operational information to the laundry managing server in response to operation of the laundry equipment which has become operable;

the laundry managing server comprises means for confirming validity of customer identification data when receiving the customer identification data along with specific information for identifying laundry equipment that the customer desires to use from a portable communication tool of the customer and transmitting a signal to the laundry equipment that has been identified by the specific information so as to permit operation of the laundry equipment, and means for receiving the operational information from the laundry equipment and creating bill data for charging the customer based on the customer identification data and the operational information;

the laundry equipment is capable of communicating with the portable communication tool of the customer by a low-power, short-range first radio communication means, while the portable communication tool of the customer is capable of transmitting data concerning the communication with the laundry equipment to the laundry managing server by a second radio communication means other than the first radio communication means;

the data to be transmitted from the laundry equipment to the portable communication tool of the customer by the first radio communication means include information for identifying the laundry equipment;

the portable communication tool of the customer transmits the information for identifying the laundry equipment received from the laundry equipment to the laundry managing server by the second radio communication means; and

the laundry managing server identifies the laundry equipment to be used by the customer based on the information transmitted thereto.

14. A laundry system comprising laundry equipment which comprises a plurality of laundry machines, and a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, wherein:

the laundry equipment comes into an operable state by receiving a signal for permitting operation thereof from the laundry managing server, and transmits operational information to the laundry managing server in response to operation of the laundry equipment which has become operable;

the laundry managing server comprises means for confirming validity of customer identification data when receiving the customer identification data along with specific information for identifying laundry equipment that the customer desires to use from a portable communication tool of the customer and transmitting a signal to the laundry equipment that has been identified by the specific information so as to permit operation of the laundry equipment, and means for receiving the operational information from the laundry equipment and creating bill data for charging the customer based on the customer identification data and the operational information;

the laundry equipment is capable of communicating with the portable communication tool of the customer by a low-power, short-range first radio communication means, while the portable communication tool of the customer is capable of transmitting data concerning the communication with the laundry equipment to the laundry managing server by a second radio communication means other than the first radio communication means;

the laundry machine has identification for identifying itself;

the laundry machine further comprises;

the first specified low-power, short-range radio communication means;

first judgment means for judging whether the machine is operable or not when the first radio communication means receive identification information from a portable communication tool;

means for indicating an operable condition of the machine and transmitting a response by the first radio communication means permitting operation of the machine based on a judgment of the first judgment means determining that the machine is operable;

second judgment means for judging whether operational information permits operation of the machine or not when the first radio communication means receives the operational information as a result of the transmission of the response permitting operation of the machine; and

means for starting operation of the machine based on a judgment of the second judgment means determining that the machine is operable, and transmitting the operational information from the first radio communication means.

15. A portable communication tool for use with a desired laundry machine in a laundry system that includes laundry equipment that comprises a plurality of laundry machines, and a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, wherein

the laundry equipment comes into an operable state by receiving a signal for permitting operation thereof from the laundry managing server, and transmits operational information to the laundry managing server in response to operation of the laundry equipment which has become operable;

the laundry managing server comprises means for confirming validity of customer identification data when receiving the customer identification data along with specific information for identifying laundry equipment that the customer desires to use from a portable communication tool of the customer and transmitting a signal to the laundry equipment that has been identified by the specific information so as to permit operation of the laundry equipment, and means for receiving the operational information from the laundry equipment and creating bill data for charging the customer based on the customer identification data and the operational information; and

the portable communication tool comprises;

means for requesting input of a predetermined password;

means for requesting input of identification information for identifying the laundry equipment and the laundry machine;

first communication means for transmitting the password and the identification information that have been inputted by radio communication;

second communication means for transceiving signals by prescribed low-power, short-range radio communication which is different from aforementioned radio communication; and

means for transmitting inputted operational information of the laundry machine in response to receipt of verification of the password by the second communication means.

16. The portable communication tool according to claim 15, further comprising transmission control means for transmitting the operational information of the laundry machine by aforementioned communication means that are different from the second communication means when the second communication means receive the operational information of the laundry machine as a response to the transmission of the operational information.

17. A laundry system comprising laundry equipment having a plurality of laundry machines for carrying out prescribed treatments including a washing machine for washing laundry and a dryer for drying laundry, and a laundry managing server for managing the laundry equipment, the laundry system additionally comprising:

means for transmitting a notice of completion of a prescribed treatment for the laundry in the laundry machine to a portable communication tool of a customer in response to the completion of the treatment;

means for transmitting a request for permission to unload the laundry to the portable communication tool of the customer for inquiring whether the laundry may be unloaded from the laundry machine, the transmission being carried out in response to a lapse of a prescribed time after the completion of the treatment for the laundry, and

means for charging the customer based on receipt of a signal for prohibiting unloading of the laundry from the portable communication tool of the customer in response to the transmission of the request for permission to unload the laundry, or based on absence of response from the portable communication tool of the customer.

18. The laundry system according to claim 17, wherein the request for permission to unload the laundry includes data for permission and prohibition as data available for the customer'"'"'s response so that either response is selected by the portable communication tool of the customer so as to be automatically transmitted to the laundry system.

19. The laundry system according to claim 18, wherein the transmission to the portable communication tool of the customer is carried out by means of characters and/or figures information.