Remote detection of washer/dryer operation/fault condition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294600-B2
Application number	US-201615230155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2016
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Discussed herein is a system for detecting an operating condition of a clothes washing machine or a clothes drying machine, which can include a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor, the MEMS sensor being physically attached to the clothes washing or drying machine and a computerized controller, such as a home automation controller, can be in communication with the MEMS sensor. The computerized controller can receive signals from the MEMS sensor that indicate the state of the clothes washing or drying machine. After receiving signals indicating the state of the clothes washing or drying machine, the computerized controller can use the signals to determine the operating condition of the clothes washing or drying machine and send a notification to a user device about the clothes washing or drying machine including the operating condition of the clothes washing or drying machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component, the MEMS component being physically attached to a clothes machine, the MEMS component comprising:
a MEMS sensor, and
an antenna; and

a computerized controller of a home automation system, the computerized controller being communicatively coupled to the MEMS component, and the computerized controller comprising:
one or more processors, and
a memory device having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a user request from a user device for a status of the clothes machine,
transmit a request for the status of the clothes machine to the antenna of the MEMS component,
receive, in response to the request for the status, a first signal from the antenna of the MEMS component indicating a first state of the clothes machine,
determine a first operating condition of the clothes machine based on the first state,
send a first notification to the user device indicating the first operating condition of the clothes machine,
receive a second signal after the first signal from the antenna of the MEMS component indicating a second state of the clothes machine,
determine a second operating condition of the clothes machine based on the first signal and the second signal, and
send a second notification to the user device indicating the second operating condition of the clothes machine.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS component transmits a state of the clothes machine to the computerized controller of the home automation system at least one of periodically and when the state of the clothes machine changes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clothes machine is one of a clothes washing machine and a clothes drying machine.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is running, wherein the second signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is not running, and wherein the instructions stored on the memory device for determining the second operating condition of the clothes machine comprises further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
calculate a length of time between receiving the first signal and receiving the second signal; and
based upon the length of time, determine that the second operating condition of the clothes machine is normal operation, and
wherein the second notification to the user device further indicates the clothes machine has completed normally.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is running, wherein the second signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is not running, and wherein the instructions stored on the memory device for determining the second operating condition of the clothes machine comprises further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
calculate a length of time between receiving the first signal and receiving the second signal; and
based upon the length of time, determine that the clothes machine has prematurely stopped running and the second operating condition of the clothes machine is a fault condition, and
wherein the second notification to the user device further indicates that the clothes machine has prematurely stopped running.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is running, wherein the second signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is running, and wherein the instructions stored on the memory device for determining the second operating condition of the clothes machine comprises further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
calculate a length of time between receiving the first signal and receiving the second signal; and
based upon the length of time, determine that the clothes machine has been running longer than normal and the second operating condition of the clothes machine is a fault condition, and
wherein the second notification to the user device further indicates that the clothes machine is still running.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clothes machine is a clothes washing machine, wherein the first signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes washing machine is running, wherein the second signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes washing machine is heavily vibrating, and wherein the instructions stored on the memory device for determining the second operating condition of the clothes washing machine comprises further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, based on the second signal, that the second operating condition of the clothes washing machine is a fault condition, and
wherein the second notification to the user device further indicates the clothes washing machine is unbalanced.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS component comprises a battery to power the MEMS sensor and the antenna.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS component is physically attached to the clothes machine with an adhesive.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is one of a television of the home automation system, a smartphone, or a tablet.

11. A processor readable memory device having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a user request from a user device for a status of a clothes machine,
transmit a request for the status of the clothes machine to an antenna of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component physically attached to the clothes machine,
receive, in response to the request for the status, a first signal from the MEMS component indicating a first state of the clothes machine;
determine a first operating condition of the clothes machine based on the first state;
send a first notification to the user device indicating the first operating condition of the clothes machine;
receive a second signal after the first signal from the antenna of the MEMS component indicating a second state of the clothes machine;
determine a second operating condition of the clothes machine based on the first signal and the second signal; and
send a second notification to the user device indicating the second operating condition of the clothes machine.

12. The processor readable memory device of claim 11 , wherein the second signal is received in response to the MEMS component transmitting a state of the clothes machine periodically or in response to the state of the clothes machine changing.

13. The processor readable memory device of claim 11 , wherein the clothes machine is one of a clothes washing machine and a clothes drying machine.

14. The processor readable memory device of claim 11 , wherein the first signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is running, wherein the second signal from the MEMS component indicates that the clothes machine is not running, and wherein the instructions stored on the processor readable memory device to determine the second operating condition of the clothes machine comprises further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
calculate a length of time between receiving the first signal and receiving the second

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc
• Echostar Tech International Corporation

Inventors

• Beals William Michael

Classifications

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title

• H04L12/2834

  Switching of information between an external network and a home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856) · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title