Laundry system, communication device, communication method, communication program and washing machine

• US 9,850,613 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamon, Kenichi, Kurimoto, Kazunori, Kuroyama, Kazuhiro, Omura, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, Michael W
• Application Number:
  US14/342,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 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. A communication method to a washing machine, comprising:

performing by a communication device which comprises at least a processor and a plurality of communication units, wherein the processor executes program codes stored in a memory, configures the communication device to perform communication steps in the following sequence, comprising;

prior to communication to a remote server;

communicating by a first communication unit of the communication device with a washing machine using wireless communication, requesting washing machine specifying information be sent back to the communication device, wherein the washing machine specified information comprises washing machine model information, and wherein laundry operation instructions has been previously installed in the washing machine for controlling operations of the washing machine at the time of manufacture;

receiving by the first communication unit of the communication device, the washing machine specifying information from the washing machine;

afterwards, communicating by a second communication unit of the communication device with the server using a network to transmit the received washing machine specifying information to the server;

receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, information consisting of only a detergent name list for displaying a plurality of detergent names comprised in the detergent name list to be used in the washing machine according to the washing machine specified information on the communication device;

next, selecting by an operation unit of the communication device, only a detergent name from the plurality of detergent names in the detergent name list;

accepting a selection on the communication device, the selected detergent name among the plurality of detergent names displayed in the detergent name list;

afterwards, transmitting by the second communication unit of the communication device, only the selected detergent name to the server;

receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, information consisting of only the selected detergent name; and

then, transmitting by the first communication unit of the communication device, the received information of only the selected detergent name from the server to the washing machine, in order that the washing machine operates at a volume of water according to the received information of only the selected detergent name.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on a communication instructing screen of the communication device, instructions prior to the first communication unit of the communication device communicating with the washing machine to request for the washing machine specifying information.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, wherein

the wireless communication is near-field wireless communication, and

the communication instructing screen is a screen for instructing a user to initiate the near-field wireless communication with the washing machine.

4. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the washing machine, a storage completion notification notifying that the information of only the selected detergent name has been stored in the washing machine; and

displaying on a storage completion notification screen, that the information of only the selected detergent name has been stored in the washing machine.

5. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein

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

6. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein the table represents a relationship among water levels, cup counts of the detergent name, and the number of rinses.

7. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, softener name list information and displaying a softener name list corresponding to at least one softener to be used in the washing machine;

selecting by the communication device, a softener name from the softener name list;

transmitting by the second communication unit of the communication device, the selected softener name to the server;

receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, selected softener information based on the softener name list and the washing machine specifying information; and

transmitting by the first communication unit of the communication device, the received selected softener information to the washing machine.

8. A washing machine comprising:

a storage unit that stores washing machine specifying information for specifying the washing machine, wherein the washing machine specified information comprises washing machine model information;

an operation unit that accepts operation input, wherein laundry operation instructions has been previously installed in the operation unit for controlling operations of the washing machine at the time of manufacture;

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

a control unit which, when receiving request for the washing machine specifying information from the communication device, 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 information consisting of only a selected detergent name selected from a detergent name list comprising a plurality of detergent names according to the washing machine specifying information is forwarded by the communication device from a server to the communication unit, the received information consisting of only the selected detergent name is to be utilized by the control unit to control water volume in a laundry operation of the washing machine.

9. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein

the storage unit further stores detergent information, and

when the information consisting of only the selected detergent name is received from the communication device, the control unit further stores the received information consisting of only the selected detergent name for controlling the laundry operation.

10. The washing machine according to claim 9, wherein

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

11. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein

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

12. A communication device comprising:

at least a processor and a plurality of communication units, wherein the processor executes program codes stored in a memory, configures the communication device to perform communication steps in the following sequence, comprising;

an operation unit that selects a detergent name;

wherein prior to communication to a remote server;

a first communication unit that first communicates with a washing machine using wireless communication to request washing machine specifying information be sent back to the communication device, wherein the washing machine specified information comprises washing machine model information, and wherein laundry operation instructions has been previously installed in the washing machine for controlling operations of the washing machine at the time of manufacture;

a second communication unit of the communication device that afterwards communicates with a server using a network to transmit the received washing machine specifying information to the server for receiving information consisting of only a detergent name list for displaying a plurality of detergent names comprised in the detergent name list to be used in the washing machine according to the washing machine specified information on the communication device;

a display unit of the communication device displays the detergent name list corresponding to a plurality of detergent names to be used in the washing machine;

an accepting unit of the communication device that accepts input selection of only a detergent name from the detergent name list; and

a control unit of the communication device controls a display screen to display information, wherein

the second communication unit of the communication device transmits the received washing machine specifying information to the server and receives, from the server, information consisting of only a detergent name list for,

the control unit of the communication device displays the detergent name list,

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

the second communication unit of the communication device next transmits only a selected detergent name to the server and receives, from the server, information consisting of only the selected detergent name according to the washing machine specifying information, and

the first communication unit of the communication device then transmits the information consisting of only the selected detergent name received from the server to the washing machine;

wherein the washing machine is configured to operate with a volume of water according to the received information consisting of only the selected detergent name.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a communication program, wherein when executed by a processor in a communication device, the communication program causes the communication device to perform communication steps in the following sequence, comprising:

prior to communication to a remote server;

controlling a first communication unit to first communicate with a washing machine using wireless communication;

controlling a second communication unit to afterwards communicate with a server using a network; and

controlling a display unit to display a detergent name list displaying a detergent name corresponding to a plurality of detergent names to be used in the washing machine, wherein

the first communication unit transmits to the washing machine, a request for specifying the washing machine and receives the washing machine specifying information from the washing machine, wherein the washing machine specified information comprises washing machine model information, and wherein laundry operation instructions has been previously installed in the washing machine for controlling operations of the washing machine at the time of manufacture,

afterwards, controlling the second communication unit to transmit the received washing machine specifying information to the server and receives from the server, information consisting of only a detergent name list for display,

wherein the display unit displays the detergent name list,

the second communication unit next transmits to the server, only a selected detergent name from among the plurality of detergent names displayed in the detergent name list and receives from the server, information consisting of only the selected detergent name, and

the first communication unit then transmits the received information of only the selected detergent name from the server to the washing machine to configure the washing machine to operate with a volume of water according to the received information of only the selected detergent name.