System for monitoring and controlling a set of household appliances

• US 7,363,031 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool EMEA SpA (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Indesit Company SPA (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Aisa, Valerio
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria; Sharad
• Application Number:
  US10/110,249
• Time in Patent Office: 3,003 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/66.1, 455/550.1, 455/557, 455/552.1, 455/422.1, 455/466, 455/41.2, 340/825.22, 340/310.06, 340/3.1, 340/3, 340/310.16, 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/3.43, 340/3.7, 340/3.71, 340/3.8, 340/7.1, 37910201-10203, 379/110.01, 379/100.05, 379/106.03
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A system for monitoring and controlling a set of power users, in particular household appliances, which users (U) are connected to a first communication network (RE) through appropriate interfacing means (N) for the exchange of information and/or instructions, where transmitter/receiver means (MC) connected to said first communication network (RE) are provided for establishing a communication channel to a second remote network (IN) and/or remote terminal (TC). According to the present invention, said transmitter/receiver means (MC) are associated to one of said electric users (LB) and share one of the interfacing means (N) associated to said user (LB).

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and controlling one or more electric users that communicate over a first communication network, the system including:

A. one or more nodes for communicating between respective ones of the one or more electric users over the communication network and communicating peer-to-peer with each other; and

B. a transmitter/receiver incorporated into a given one of the one or more electric users for communicating between the communication network and a remote network or remote terminal, the transmitter/receiver and the given electric user sharing the same node, the transmitter/receiver receiving SMS messages from the remote network or remote terminal and transmitting SMS messages to the remote network or remote terminal, the SMS messages from the remote network having coded therein control instructions including at least one of;

i. a start instruction, for the immediate start of the operation cycle of an electric user;

ii. a stop instruction, for the immediate stop of the operation cycle being executed by an electric user;

iii. a pause instruction, for the pause of an electric user;

iv. a delay instruction, for a delayed execution of an instruction to an electric user;

v. a reset instruction, for the cancellation of all setting information of an electric user operation cycle;

vi. a self-test instruction, for the execution of a self-test routine of said electric user; and

vii. a get instruction, for the transmission of status information or configuration parameters of an electric user.

2. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter/receiver includes the node that is shared by the transmitter/receiver and the given electric user.

3. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter/receiver communicates with a control system of the given electric user.

4. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 3, wherein the transmitter/receiver includes a modem.

5. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 3, wherein the modem is a mobile phone modem.

6. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 3, wherein the transmitter/receiver is incorporated into a structural element of the given electric user.

7. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 6, wherein the structural element attaches to the given electric user.

8. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 7, wherein the structural element is a panel of the given electric user.

9. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 6, wherein the given electric user is a laundry washing machine and the panel is incorporated into a top section of the washing machine.

10. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 1, wherein:

a. the one or more electric users include control systems, and

b. the transmitter/receiver further includes a memory for storing information provided from the control systems of the one or more electric users.

11. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter/receiver establishes a communication channel with the remote network or remote terminal for all of the electric users.

12. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 10, wherein the memory stores at least diagnostic and statistical information provided at various times from the control systems of the users.

13. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter/receiver provides access to the contents of the memory from the remote network or remote terminal.

14. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 5, wherein the remote terminal is a mobile telephone that communicates with the communication network through the mobile telephone modem.

15. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 14, wherein the transmitter/receiver receives alphanumeric messages from the mobile telephone and communicates the messages to the electric users over the communication network.

16. The system for monitoring and controlling a set of electric users, according to claim 15, wherein a given electric user includes a display for displaying the alphanumerical messages from the mobile telephone.

17. A household appliance for performing a household task, the household appliance being adapted to communicate over a communication network that includes one or more electric users and between the communication network and a remote network or remote terminal, the household appliance including:

A. a transmitter/receiver for providing information from the communication network to the remote network or remote terminal and receiving information from the remote network or remote terminal;

B. a node for communicating over the communication network, the node providing to the transmitter/receiver information from the communication network and providing to the communication network information from the household appliance and from the transmitter/receiver, with the household appliance communicating peer-to-peer with the electric users over the communications network;

C. the transmitter/receiver receiving SMS messages from the remote network or remote terminal and transmitting SMS messages to the remote network or remote terminal, the SMS messages having coded therein control instructions including at least one of;

i. a start instruction, for the immediate start of the operation cycle of the household appliance;

ii. a stop instruction, for the immediate stop of the operation cycle being executed by the household appliance;

iii. a pause instruction, for the pause of the household appliance;

iv. a delay instruction, for a delayed execution of an instruction to the household appliance;

v. a reset instruction, for the cancellation of all setting information of the household appliance operation cycle;

vi. a self-test instruction, for the execution of a self-test routine of the household appliance;

vii. a get instruction, for the transmission of status information or configuration parameters of the household appliance.

18. The household appliance according to claim 17 wherein the transmitter/receiver includes a modem.

19. The household appliance according to claim 17 further including a display for displaying messages from

i. the communication network,

ii. the remote network or remote terminal, and

iii. the given electric user.

20. The household appliance according to claim 17 wherein

the transmitter/receiver further includes a memory for retaining selected information circulating on the communication network and provided to the transmitter/receiver through the node, and

the transmitter/receiver transmits certain of the information retained by the memory to the remote network or remote terminal.

21. The household appliance according to claim 17 wherein the transmitter/receiver communicates with a control system of the appliance and retains information provided by the control system in the memory.

22. The household appliance according to claim 21 wherein the transmitter/receiver further stores in the memory information provided over the communications network from the control systems of the respective electric users.

23. The household appliance according to claim 22 wherein the transmitter/receiver establishes a communication channel with the remote network or remote terminal for the electric users.

24. The household appliance according to claim 23 wherein the memory stores at least diagnostic and statistical information provided at various times over the communications network from the control systems of the electric users.

25. The household appliance according to claim 24 wherein the transmitter/receiver provides access to the contents of the memory from the remote network or remote terminal.

26. The household appliance of claim 17, wherein the household appliance is a laundry washing machine, and

a said transmitter/receiver is incorporated into a top section of said laundry washing machine;

and

b. said node provides to the communication network information from said laundry washing machine, with said laundry washing machine communicating with the electric users over the communications network.

27. A household appliance for performing a household task, comprising:

i) an electronic control system for monitoring and controlling said household appliance;

ii) a telephone node for connecting said household appliance to a remote terminal through a telephone network;

iii) a communication line between said electronic control system and said telephone node; and

iv) said telephone node transmits over said communication line, to said electronic control system, control instructions received from said remote terminal and said telephone node further transmits, to said remote terminal, status information that is related to said household appliance and generated by said electronic control system, to allow remote monitoring of said household appliance, said telephone node receiving SMS messages from said remote network or remote terminal and transmitting SMS messages to said remote terminal, said SMS messages having coded therein control instructions including at least one of;

a. a start instruction, for the immediate start of the operation cycle of said household appliance;

b. a stop instruction, for the immediate stop of the operation cycle being executed by said household appliance;

c. a pause instruction, for the pause of said household appliance;

d. a delay instruction, for a delayed execution of an instruction to said household appliance;

e. a reset instruction, for the cancellation of all setting information of said household appliance operation cycle;

f. a self-test instruction, for the execution of a self-test routine of said household appliance;

g. a get instruction, for the transmission of status information or configuration parameters of said household appliance.

28. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said telephone node comprises a mobile phone modem, for connecting said household appliance to said remote terminal through a mobile phone network.

29. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said household appliance further comprises a display for displaying information received from said remote terminal or from said electronic control system.

30. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein the telephone node is incorporated into a structural element of said household appliance.

31. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said household appliance comprises a laundry washing machine.

32. The household appliance according to claim 31, wherein the telephone node is incorporated into the top panel of said laundry washing machine.

33. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said household appliance comprises one of a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer or an oven.

34. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said household appliance further comprises non volatile memory means, for storing said control instructions and said status information.

35. The household appliance according to claim 34, wherein said non volatile memory means further stores statistical and diagnostic information that are generated at regular intervals by said electronic control system.

36. The household appliance according to claim 34, wherein said telephone node provides access to the contents of said non volatile memory means from said remote terminal.

37. The household appliance according to claim 34, wherein telephone numbers are stored in said non volatile memory means through an installation procedure, and said telephone node connects said household appliance to remote terminals corresponding to said telephone numbers.

38. The household appliance according to claim 27 wherein said household appliance further comprises a display for displaying information received from said remote terminal or from said electronic control system, and said display displays said SMS messages.

39. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said status information is coded in said SMS messages.

40. The household appliance according to claim 39, wherein said coded status information include at least one of:

a. an off piece of information, for signalling that said household appliance is disconnected from the power mains;

b. a stand-by piece of information, for signalling that said household appliance is connected to the power mains and waiting an execution instruction;

c. a running piece of information, for signalling that said household appliance is performing an operation cycle;

d. a cycle finished piece of information, for signalling that said household appliance has ended an operation cycle;

e. a failure piece of information, for signalling an irreversible stop of an operation cycle of said household appliance due to an irreversible failure;

f. a self-test piece of information, for signalling that said household appliance is performing a self-test routine.

41. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein said telephone node is able to signal to said remote terminal, by means of SMS messages, at least one of:

a. notices about normal operation of said household appliance;

b. warnings about possible non dangerous problems having occurred to said household appliance;

c. alarms about possible serious problems concerning said household appliance or the environment of said household appliance;

d. failures about possible problems correlated to the operation of said household appliance and affecting performance of the operation cycle of said household appliance.

42. The household appliance according to claim 27, wherein

said electronic control system is equipped with a self-diagnosis system that recognizes the kinds of failures that possibly occur to said household appliance, and

said telephone node signals to said remote terminal, by means of SMS messages, the kinds of the failures in coded forms, in order to allow in a remote location the collection of diagnostic information relative to said household appliance.