Laundry appliances reservation systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12188175-B2
Application number	US-202217954998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2022
Priority date	Sep 28, 2022
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A method of operating a group of laundry appliances includes identifying a washing machine appliance from the group of laundry appliances which is accessed by a user. The method also includes determining a dryer appliance from the group of laundry appliances is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance and reserving the determined dryer appliance for the user. The method further includes activating the reserved dryer appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a group of laundry appliances, the method comprising:
receiving, by a remote user interface device, a user input from a user;
transmitting a signal from the remote user interface device to a washing machine appliance of the group of laundry appliances in response to the user input, the washing machine appliance comprising a controller and an antenna;
receiving, by the washing machine appliance via the antenna, the signal transmitted from the remote user interface device;
identifying the washing machine appliance from the group of laundry appliances which is accessed by the user;
activating the identified washing machine appliance by the controller of the washing machine appliance in response to the signal transmitted from the remote user interface device, wherein activating the identified washing machine appliance comprises initiating a cycle of the washing machine appliance, and wherein the cycle of the washing machine appliance comprises operating a mechanical component of the washing machine appliance, wherein operating the mechanical component comprises opening a valve to fill a wash tub of the washing machine appliance with a volume of wash fluid;
determining an end time for the cycle of the washing machine appliance during the cycle of the washing machine appliance, wherein the end time of the cycle of the washing machine appliance is proportional to the volume of wash fluid;
determining a dryer appliance from the group of laundry appliances is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance wherein determining the dryer appliance from the group of laundry appliances is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance comprises determining the dryer appliance is available for use within a maximum wait time after the end time of the cycle of the washing machine appliance;
reserving the determined dryer appliance for the user; and
activating the reserved dryer appliance, wherein activating the reserved dryer appliance comprises at least one of rotating a drum of the dryer appliance and activating a heating system of the dryer appliance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dryer appliance that is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance is determined by a remote computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dryer appliance that is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance is determined based on a floor plan, the floor plan comprising location information of each laundry appliance from the group of laundry appliances.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the washing machine appliance comprises receiving an access request for the washing machine appliance.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user input received from the user by the remote user interface device comprises the access request, and wherein the signal transmitted from the remote user interface device comprises the access request and is received by the antenna of the washing machine appliance from the remote user interface device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a prompt to automatically reserve a closest available dryer after identifying the washing machine appliance, wherein reserving the determined dryer appliance comprises reserving the determined dryer appliance in response to an affirmative response to the prompt.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by a remote computing device, an upload comprising a floor plan of a room, the group of laundry appliances located in the room, and receiving, by the remote computing device, location information for each laundry appliance of the group of laundry appliances.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving, by the remote computing device, dimensions of the room, and scaling the floor plan and the location information for each laundry appliance based on the dimensions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dryer appliance that is available for use and is closest to the identified washing machine appliance is determined based on the floor plan.

10. A method of operating a group of laundry appliances, the method comprising:
receiving an access request for a washing machine appliance from the group of laundry appliances, wherein the access request is received from a remote user interface device, wherein the washing machine appliance comprises a controller and an antenna, wherein the access request is transmitted from the remote user interface device via a wireless signal, and wherein the access request is received by the antenna of the washing machine appliance;
activating the washing machine appliance by the controller of the washing machine appliance in response to the access request from the remote user interface device, wherein activating the washing machine appliance comprises initiating a cycle of the washing machine appliance, and wherein the cycle of the washing machine appliance comprises operating a mechanical component of the washing machine appliance, wherein operating the mechanical component comprises opening a valve to fill a wash tub of the washing machine appliance with a volume of wash fluid;
providing a prompt on the remote user interface device to automatically reserve a closest available dryer after the cycle of the washing machine appliance;
determining an end time for the cycle of the washing machine appliance, wherein the cycle of the washing machine appliance is a current cycle of the washing machine appliance, whereby the end time is determined while operating the mechanical component of the washing machine appliance, wherein the end time of the cycle of the washing machine appliance is proportional to the volume of wash fluid;
determining a dryer appliance from the group of laundry appliances is available for use and is closest to the washing machine appliance, wherein determining the dryer appliance is available for use comprises determining the dryer appliance is available for use within a maximum wait time after the end time of the cycle of the washing machine appliance;
reserving the determined dryer appliance in response to an affirmative response to the prompt; and
activating the reserved dryer appliance, wherein activating the reserved dryer appliance comprises at least one of rotating a drum of the dryer appliance and activating a heating system of the dryer appliance.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the dryer appliance that is available for use and is closest to the washing machine appliance is determined by a remote computing device.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving, by a remote computing device, an upload comprising a floor plan of a room, the group of laundry appliances located in the room, and receiving, by the remote computing device, location information for each laundry appliance of the group of laundry appliances.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the remote computing device, dimensions of the room, and scaling the floor plan and the location information for each laundry appliance based on the dimensions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dryer appliance that is available for use and is closest to the washing machine appliance is determined based on the floor plan.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Chung Myunggeon

Classifications

• D06F33/44

  Control of the operating time, e.g. reduction of overall operating time · CPC title

• D06F2101/00

  User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers · CPC title

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• D06F33/30

  Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control  (controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50) · CPC title

• D06F58/34

  characterised by the purpose or target of the control · CPC title