Diagnostic system and method for home appliance

• US 8,983,798 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Han, Jonghye, Cho, Inhaeng, Lee, Phaljin, Jeong, Hoijin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUN, XIUQIN
• Application Number:
  US12/842,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 379/106.01
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24067 Processor stores variables, events and date in eeprom, for external monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24084 Remote and local monitoring, local result to remote, remote takes action
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

A home appliance diagnostic system and method are disclosed. A home appliance outputs product information in the form of a sound signal, which is transmitted to a service center at a remote site over a communication network so that the service center can readily check the state of the home appliance. The home appliance performs a sound signal re-output operation in such a manner that it re-outputs the same product information in the form of a different sound signal. Therefore, it is possible to improve a sound recognition rate, so as to improve fault diagnosis accuracy.

Claims

1. A home appliance, comprising:

a selector to receive a command for execution of a fault diagnosis;

a memory that stores product information of the home appliance for the fault diagnosis;

a main controller that, upon receipt of the command through the selector, implements a mode for diagnosing the home appliance;

an encoder that, while the mode for diagnosing is being implemented, defines a symbol time and frequencies constituting frequency signals, and encodes the product information to generate a digital signal consisting of symbols which constitute the product information;

a modulator that converts the symbols into frequency signals according to the digital signal, each of the frequency signals having any one of defined frequencies which are different from each other, each of the defined frequencies being associated with one of the symbols having different data values from each other, each of the frequency signals having an output duration of the symbol time; and

a sound output device that outputs sound signals according to the frequency signals, wherein each of the sound signals has a frequency corresponding to one of the frequency signals and is output for the symbol time, wherein the main controller, when the command is re-input through the selector, controls the encoder to execute at least one of increasing the symbol time or changing at least one of the frequencies constituting the frequency signals.

2. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein, when the symbol time is increased, the modulator converts the symbols into frequency signals based on the increased symbol time, and the sound output device outputs each of the sound signals for the increased symbol time.

3. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein, when the at least one of the frequencies is changed, the modulator converts the symbols into the frequency signals based on the at least one of the frequencies changed, and the sound output device outputs sound signals according to the at least one of the frequencies changed.

4. The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the selector is configured to receive input of the command from a user.

5. A method for operating a home appliance, the method comprising:

controlling an encoder to generate a digital signal consisting of symbols which constitute product information;

controlling a modulator to convert the symbols into frequency signals according to the digital signal, wherein each of the frequency signals has one of predetermined frequencies which are different from each other, each of the predetermined frequencies is associated with one of the symbols having different data values from each other, and each of the frequency signals has an output duration of a predetermined symbol time;

controlling a sound output device to output sound signals according to the frequency signals, wherein each of the sound signals has a frequency corresponding to one of the frequency signals and is output for the symbol time;

receiving a command for re-outputting sound signals through a selector; and

controlling the encoder to execute at least one of increasing the symbol time or changing at least one of the frequencies constituting the frequency signals.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

controlling the modulator to convert the symbols into frequency signals based on the increased symbol time; and

controlling the sound output device to output each of the sound signals for the increased symbol time.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

controlling the modulator to convert the symbols into the frequency signals based on the at least one of the frequencies changed; and

controlling the sound output device to output sound signals according to the at least one of the frequencies changed.