AUTOMATED SELECTION OF SETTINGS FOR AN IRONING DEVICE

• US 20160145794A1
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Janakiraman, Janani, Kostick, Megan D., Madden, Dany R., Sripal, Meenakshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,994,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 75/08 Hand irons internally heated by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 75/10 with means for supplying steam to the article being ironed D06F75/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 75/26 Temperature control or indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 75/40 Stands or supports attached to the iron

Abstract

Embodiments provide a method and device that enables automatic selection of settings for ironing one or more pieces of fabric. A digital camera on an ironing device captures an image of a fabric. A wireless communication device on the ironing device communicates the image to a remote computing system for digital image processing to determine a fabric type and to select a set of settings based on the fabric type. The wireless communication device receives the set of settings from the remote computing system. The set of settings are applied to the ironing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing, by a digital camera on an ironing device, a first image of a fabric;

communicating, by a wireless communication device on the ironing device, the first image to a remote computing system for digital image processing to determine a first fabric type and to select a set of settings based on the first fabric type;

receiving, via the wireless communication device, the set of settings from the remote computing system; and

applying the set of settings to the ironing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of settings comprises a heat setting, and wherein the applying the set of settings to the ironing device comprises adjusting a temperature of a soleplate on the ironing device based on the heat setting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of settings comprises a steam setting, and wherein the applying the set of settings to the ironing device comprises adjusting an amount of steam produced based on the steam setting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of settings comprises a speed setting, and wherein the applying the set of settings to the ironing device comprises adjusting an automated speed for the ironing device based on the speed setting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing, by the digital camera, a second digital image of a label comprising ironing instructions;

communicating, by the wireless communication device, the second digital image to the remote computing system for processing to extract the ironing instructions, wherein the set of settings is further based on the ironing instructions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by a microphone on the ironing device, audio identifying a second fabric type;

communicating, by the wireless communication device, the audio to the remote computing system to extract the second fabric type using speech recognition, wherein the set of settings is further based on the second fabric type.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, by the wireless communication device, information about the ironing device to the remote computing system, wherein the set of settings is further based on the information about the ironing device.

8. An ironing device, the device comprising:

a soleplate;

a thermostat configured to maintain the soleplate at a set temperature;

a digital camera configured to capture a digital image of a fabric;

a wireless communication device configured to transmit the digital image of the fabric to a remote computing system for processing and further configured to receive a set of settings from the remote computing system, the set of settings comprising a temperature setting; and

a settings control module configured to receive the set of settings from the wireless communication device and adjust the set temperature of the thermostat based on the temperature setting.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a steam generator, wherein the set of settings comprises a steam setting, and wherein the settings control module is further configured to adjust an amount of steam produced by the steam generator based on the steam setting.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

an automatic drive system configured to drive the device at a fixed speed, wherein the set of settings comprises a speed setting, and wherein the settings control module is configured to adjust the fixed speed of the automatic drive system based on the speed setting.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the digital camera is further configured to capture a digital image of a label comprising ironing instructions;

and wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate the digital image of the label to the remote computing system for processing.

12. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a microphone configured to record audio identifying a fabric type, wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate the audio to the remote computing system to extract the fabric type using speech recognition.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate information about the device to the remote computing system.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, from an ironing device with a wireless communication device, a digital image of a fabric;

determining a first fabric type based on the digital image of the fabric;

determining a set of settings based on the first fabric type; and

communicating the set of settings to the ironing device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the set of settings based on the first fabric type comprises:

identifying, in an iron settings database, the set of settings, the set of settings associated with the first fabric type, the iron settings database comprising a plurality of fabric types and iron settings associated with each of the plurality of fabric types.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of settings comprises a temperature setting.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of settings comprises a steam setting.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the ironing device, a digital image of a label comprising ironing instructions; and

extracting the ironing instructions from the digital image of the label, wherein the set of settings is further based on the ironing instructions.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the ironing device, audio identifying a second fabric type; and

extracting the second fabric type from the audio using speech recognition, wherein the set of settings is further based on the second fabric type.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the ironing device, information about the ironing device, wherein the set of settings are further based on the information about the ironing device.