Method of connecting to network for home appliance, home appliance, and method of connecting to network for home appliance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019246346-A1
Application number	US-201716341887-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Aug 8, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are a method of connecting to a network for a home appliance, a home appliance, and a method of connecting to a network for a home appliance system. The method of connecting to a network for a home appliance includes: in response to a network connection failure of a WiFi module in the home appliance when the WiFi module is in a monitoring mode for network connection, entering, by the WiFi module, a hotspot mode for network connection. This method provides favorable compatibility, is simple in operation, high in network connection efficiency, and provides favorable user experience. A home appliance employing the network connection method can easily communicate with a network, enabling simple remote control of the home appliance.

First claim

1 . A method for connecting a home appliance to a network, comprising:
receiving, by a WiFi module in the home appliance, a network connection trigger message; entering, by the WiFi module, a monitoring mode according to the network connection trigger message; in response to successfully receiving and parsing a network configuration information broadcast packet under the monitoring mode, connecting, by the home appliance, to the network; in response to the home appliance failing to connect to the network, entering, by the WiFi module, a hotspot mode according to the network connection trigger message; and in response to the WiFi module successfully receiving network configuration information under the hotspot mode, connecting, by the home appliance, to the network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the home appliance failing to connect to the network comprises:
the WiFi module failing to receive the network configuration information broadcast packet within a first preset period of time T 1 , or the WiFi module failing to parse the network configuration information broadcast packet within a second preset period of time T 2 .

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the WiFi module failing to receive the network configuration information within a third preset period of time T 3 , or in response to the WiFi module receiving the network configuration information within a fourth preset period of time T 4 but the home appliance fails to connect to the network, it is determined that the network connection fails and is ceased.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising, subsequent to that the network connection fails and is ceased:
automatically driving the WiFi module to enter the monitoring mode or the hotspot mode or to switch between the monitoring mode and the hotspot mode for connecting to the network within a preset time, by using the home appliance; or manually driving the WiFi module to enter the monitoring mode or the hotspot mode or to switch between the monitoring mode and the hotspot mode for connecting to the network within a preset time, by touching a button on the home appliance.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein a duration of the first preset period of time T 1 is less than or equal to that of the second preset period of time T 2 ; and
a duration of the third preset period of time T 3 is less than or equal to that of the fourth preset period of time T 4 .

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the network connection trigger message comprises:
in response to touching a button on the home appliance to send the network connection trigger message to the WiFi module, receiving, by the WiFi module, the network connection trigger message; or automatically receiving, by the WiFi module, the network connection trigger message after being turned on in the case where the home appliance has not connected to a network or has not successfully connected to a network after being shipped from a factory.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the network configuration information broadcast packet or the network configuration information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a service set identifier (SSID) and password information of a router, and a unique identification code of a mobile client.

8 . A home appliance, comprising: a processor, a memory and a WiFi module;
wherein the memory is configured to store a software program, a computer-executable program and module; and the processor is configured to execute a plurality of functional applications and perform data processing by running the software program, instructions, and the module, enabling the WiFi module to connect to a network by using a method for connecting the home appliance to the network, the method comprising: receiving, by the WiFi module in the home appliance, a network connection trigger message; entering, by the WiFi module, a monitoring mode according to the network connection trigger message; in response to successfully receiving and parsing a network configuration information broadcast packet under the monitoring mode, connecting, by the home appliance, to the network: in response to the home appliance failing to connect to the network, entering, by the WiFi module, a hotspot mode according to the network connection trigger message; and in response to the WiFi module successfully receiving network configuration information under the hotspot mode, connecting, by the home appliance, to the network.

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . A home appliance system, comprising a home appliance, a router, a server and a mobile terminal; wherein the home appliance comprises a WiFi module configured to connect the home appliance to the router, wherein the home appliance connects to the server via the router;
wherein the WiFi module is configured to receive network connection trigger message, and enter a monitoring mode according to the network connection trigger message, and in response to successfully receiving and parsing a network configuration information broadcast packet under the monitoring mode, the home appliance connects to a network; and in response to the home appliance failing to connect to the network, the WiFi module enters a hotspot mode according to the network connection trigger message, and in response to successfully receiving network configuration information under the hotspot mode, the home appliance connects to the network; wherein the server is configured to provide home appliance management platform services, including registration and management of a user account, binding and management of the home appliance and the user account, sending a control command to the home appliance, and receiving information reported by the home appliance; and wherein the mobile terminal is in communication with the router and the server.

12 . A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions being configured for executing the method of claim 1 .

13 . The home appliance of claim 8 , wherein the home appliance failing to connect to the network comprises:
the WiFi module failing to receive the network configuration information broadcast packet within a first preset period of time T 1 , or the WiFi module failing to parse the network configuration information broadcast packet within a second preset period of time T 2 .

14 . The home appliance of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
in response to the WiFi module failing to receive the network configuration information within a third preset period of time T 3 , or in response to the WiFi module receiving the network configuration information within a fourth preset period of time T 4 but the home appliance fails to connect to the network, it is determined that the network connection fails and is ceased.

15 . The home appliance of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises, subsequent to that the network connection fails and is ceased:
automatically driving the WiFi module to enter the monitoring mode or the hotspot mode or to switch between the monitoring mode and the hotspot mode for connecting to the network within a preset time, by using the home appliance; or manually driving the WiFi module to enter the monitoring mode or the hotspot mode or to switch between the monitoring mode and the hotspot mode for connecting to the network within a preset time, by touching a button on the home appliance.

16 . The home appliance of claim 14 , wherein a duration of the first preset period of time T 1 is less than or equ

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Washing Mach Co

Inventors

• Huang Zhenxing
• Xu Sheng

Classifications

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W48/20

  Selecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W48/12

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title