Control method for washing machine, washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9416477-B2
Application number	US-201514668592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A control method for a washing machine including a wireless communication unit for communicating with an electronic device includes: causing the washing machine to operate a washing tub of the washing machine as a preliminary operation; acquiring motion information regarding a motion of the electronic device during the preliminary operation; determining whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub based on the acquired motion information and information indicating the preliminary operation; and giving the washing machine a notification indicating that the electronic device is inside the washing tub if the determining step determines that the electronic device is inside the washing tub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method of a washing machine including a wireless communicator that communicates with an electronic device, the method comprising:
storing, in advance, characteristic operation information indicating a motion pattern of a preliminary operation of the washing machine;
causing the washing machine to operate a washing tub of the washing machine according to the motion pattern of the preliminary operation;
acquiring motion information regarding a motion of the electronic device during the preliminary operation;
determining whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub based on the acquired motion information and information indicating the motion pattern of the preliminary operation; and
giving the washing machine a notification indicating that the electronic device is inside the washing tub, when it is determined that the electronic device is inside the washing tub,
wherein the preliminary operation includes a rotational operation that causes the washing tub to rotate,
the electronic device is provided with a sensor that detects a rotational motion of the electronic device, and
rotational motion information obtained by the sensor regarding the rotational motion of the electronic device during the rotational operation is acquired as the motion information,
the determining comprising:
comparing the rotational motion information obtained by the sensor with the motion pattern of the preliminary operation; and
determining whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub based on a result of the comparison between the obtained rotational motion information and the motion pattern of the preliminary operation,
wherein the rotational motion information includes acceleration or angular acceleration,
a weight of laundry inside the washing tub together with the electronic device is measured during the preliminary operation,
in the determining,
the measured weight is compared with a threshold,
the acceleration or angular acceleration is decreased when the measured weight is greater than the threshold, and
the decreased acceleration or angular acceleration is compared with the motion pattern of the preliminary operation.

2. The control method of a washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
prohibiting the washing machine from performing a main operation that is subsequent to the preliminary operation when the determining determines that the electronic device is inside the washing tub; and
allowing the washing machine to perform the main operation when the determining determines that the electronic device is not inside the washing tub.

3. The control method of a washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein
detection of rotational motion by the sensor starts when the electronic device has received a detection start signal from the washing machine by the wireless communication.

4. The control method of a washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein,
the motion pattern of the preliminary operation includes a first rotational operation at a first acceleration, and a second rotational operation at a second acceleration, following the first rotational motion, the first acceleration being different from the second acceleration, and
in the determining,
the rotational motion information obtained by the sensor is compared with the sequence of the first rotational operation and the second rotational operation with regard to the motion pattern of the preliminary operation, and
it is determined whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub, based on the result of the comparison between the sequence of the first rotational operation and the second rotational operation with regard to the motion pattern of the preliminary operation and the rotational motion information obtained by the sensor.

5. The control method of a washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein
in the giving the notification, a user of the washing machine and the washing machine by the wireless communication are notified when the determining step determines that the electronic device is inside the washing tub.

6. The control method of a washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein
the preliminary operation is an operation in which a liquid is not supplied into the washing tub, and
the main operation includes an operation in which the liquid is supplied into the washing tub.

7. The control method of a washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein
the preliminary operation is a weight measurement operation in which the washing tub rotates in order to measure a weight of laundry inside the washing tub together with the electronic device, and
the main operation is a washing operation in which the liquid is used to wash the laundry.

8. A washing machine including a wireless communicator that communicates with an electronic device, the washing machine comprising:
at least one memory that stores characteristic operation information indicating a motion pattern of a preliminary operation of the washing machine; and
circuitry operative to:
cause the washing machine to operate a washing tub of the washing machine according to the motion pattern of the preliminary operation;
acquire motion information regarding a motion of the electronic device during the preliminary operation;
determine whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub based on the acquired motion information and information indicating the motion pattern of the preliminary operation; and
give the washing machine a notification indicating that the electronic device is inside the washing tub, when it is determined that the electronic device is inside the washing tub,
wherein the preliminary operation includes a rotational operation that causes the washing tub to rotate,
the electronic device is provided with a sensor that detects a rotational motion of the electronic device, and
rotational motion information obtained by the sensor regarding the rotational motion of the electronic device during the rotational operation is acquired as the motion information,
the circuitry is operative to:
compare the rotational motion information obtained by the sensor with the motion pattern of the preliminary operation; and
determine whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub based on a result of the comparison between the obtained rotational motion information and the motion pattern of the preliminary operation,
wherein the rotational motion information includes acceleration or angular acceleration,
the circuitry is operative to:
measure a weight of laundry inside the washing tub together with the electronic device during the preliminary operation,
compare the measured weight with a threshold,
decrease the acceleration or angular acceleration when the measured weight is greater than the threshold, and
compare the decreased acceleration or angular acceleration with the motion pattern of the preliminary operation.

9. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to control a washing machine including a wireless communicator that communicates with an electronic device,
the program causing the computer to perform operations including:
causing the washing machine to operate a washing tub of the washing machine according to a motion pattern of a preliminary operation of the washing machine, the motion pattern of the preliminary operation being stored in advance as characteristic operation information;
acquiring motion information regarding a motion of the electronic device during the preliminary operation;
determining whether or not the electronic device is inside the washing tub based on the acquired motion information

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Toshiaki
• Tooyama Nozomu
• Yamaoka Masaru
• Kuroyama Kazuhiro

Classifications

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

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

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• D06F33/02 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic