Prediction method, recording medium, prediction system, server, and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410546-B2
Application number	US-202117776895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Feb 25, 2021
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A prediction method includes acquisition step, prediction step, determination step, and processing step. In acquisition step, parameters for a drying operation are acquired. In prediction step, based on the acquired parameters, a drying time required for the drying operation is predicted by a first prediction method. In determination step, when the restart of the drying operation is detected while the drying operation is stopped, whether the first prediction method performed in prediction step is applicable is determined. In processing step, when the first prediction method is determined to be applicable, the first prediction method is continued and when the first prediction method is determined not to be applicable, predetermined processing is performed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A prediction method comprising:
acquiring, from a sensor of a drying function-equipped washer, parameters for a drying operation performed by the drying function-equipped washer;
predicting, by a processor and using a first prediction method, a drying time required for the drying operation based on the parameters acquired in the acquiring;
displaying, on a display of the drying function-equipped washer, the drying time required for the drying operation;
determining, by the processor, when a restart of the drying operation is detected while the drying operation is stopped, whether the first prediction method performed in the predicting is applicable;
continuing, by the processor, the first prediction method after determining that the first prediction method is applicable; and
after determining that the first prediction method is not applicable;
switching, by the processor, a prediction method from the first prediction method to a second prediction method, and re-predicting an updated drying time required for the drying operation based on the parameters; and
updating, on the display, the drying time previously displayed with the updated drying time required for the drying operation.

2. The prediction method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the determining, whether the first prediction method is applicable is determined, by the processor, based on whether a history of the parameters before the drying operation is stopped includes parameters that are similar to the parameters for the restart of the drying operation.

3. The prediction method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drying function-equipped washer includes a function of using a heat pump to perform the drying operation, and
the parameters include a temperature of air sucked from a washing tub of the drying function-equipped washer into the heat pump and a temperature of air exhausted from the heat pump to the washing tub.

4. The prediction method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the first prediction method, a machine-learned model for predicting the drying time is used to predict the drying time.

5. The prediction method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, on the display and to a user, information on a result of whether the first prediction method is continued or the second prediction method is performed.

6. A prediction method comprising:
predicting, by a processor and using a first prediction method, a drying time required for a drying operation based on parameters for the drying operation;
outputting, by the processor, a signal for displaying the drying time required for the drying operation;
determining, by the processor, when a restart of the drying operation is detected while the drying operation is stopped, whether the first prediction method performed in the predicting is applicable;
continuing, by the processor, the first prediction method after determining that the first prediction method is determined to be applicable; and
after determining that the first prediction method is determined not to be applicable:
switching, by the processor, a prediction method from the first prediction method to a second prediction method, and re-predicting an updated drying time required for the drying operation based on the parameters; and
re-outputting, by the processor, an updating signal for displaying the updated drying time required for the drying operation.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing one or more processors to execute the prediction method according to claim 1 .

8. A prediction system comprising:
one or more memories; and
at least one processor each coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured to perform operations comprising:
acquiring parameters for a drying operation performed by a drying function-equipped washer, from a sensor of the drying function-equipped washer;
predicting, by a first prediction method, a drying time required for the drying operation based on the parameters acquired by the acquirer;
causing a display to display the drying time required for the drying operation;
determining, when a restart of the drying operation is detected while the drying operation is stopped, whether the first prediction method performed by the predictor is applicable;
continuing the first prediction method when the first prediction method is determined to be applicable; and
when the first prediction method is determined not to be applicable:
switching a prediction method from the first prediction method to a second prediction method, and re-predicting an updated drying time required for the drying operation based on the parameters; and
updating, on the display, the drying time previously displayed with the updated drying time required for the drying operation.

9. A server comprising:
the prediction system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the prediction system communicates with the drying function-equipped washer via an external network.

10. A remote display device comprising:
a communication function of communicating with the prediction system according to claim 8 ; and
a display function of displaying, when receiving, using the communication function, information on a result of execution by the processor from the prediction system, the information to present the information to a user.

11. The prediction method according to claim 1 , wherein
in the first prediction method, a machine-learned model for predicting the drying time is used to predict the drying time, and
in the second prediction method, a rule-based prediction method for predicting the drying time is used to predict the updated drying time.

12. The prediction method according to claim 6 , wherein
in the first prediction method, a machine-learned model for predicting the drying time is used to predict the drying time, and
in the second prediction method, a rule-based prediction method for predicting the drying time is used to predict the updated drying time.

13. The prediction system according to claim 8 , wherein
in the first prediction method, a machine-learned model for predicting the drying time is used to predict the drying time, and
in the second prediction method, a rule-based prediction method for predicting the drying time is used to predict the updated drying time.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Chieko
• Yamada Tatsuro

Classifications

• G06N5/022

  Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition · CPC title

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F33/68

  of the sequence of washing and drying operations · CPC title

• D06F34/28

  Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress · CPC title

• D06F34/26

  Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature · CPC title