Household electrical appliance and method for controlling household electrical appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9442469-B2
Application number	US-201113880671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2011
Priority date	Oct 22, 2010
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A washer-dryer is provided with a time shift function for performing timer presetting processing on the basis of a time shift computation result which indicates an operation start time suitable for operation. The washer-dryer includes: an input operation unit for allowing a user to perform operations for operating the washer-dryer; a display unit for displaying information relating to the operation of the washer-dryer; and an operation control unit for controlling the operation of the washer-dryer on the basis of the time shift computation result. When a start button on the input operation unit is operated by the user, the operation control unit automatically performs the timer presetting processing on the basis of the time shift computation result and also displays a timer preset time at the display unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A household electrical appliance comprising:
an input operation unit in communication with one or more buttons that facilitates entry, by a user, of a start indication to start an operation of household electrical appliance, and a timer preset time for specifying a time at which to start the operation of the household electrical appliance;
a transmitter that communicates information to an apparatus control device to notify the apparatus control device that the user has indicated the start operation;
a receiver that receives information from the apparatus control device that defines a time shift time at which an electricity cost is lowest in response to communication of the indication that the user has indicated the start operation, wherein the time shift time corresponds to a time in the future for starting the operation of household electrical appliance;
an operation control unit in communication with the input operation unit, the transmitter, and the receiver, that, in response to receipt of the time shift time received from the apparatus control device or the timer preset time specified by the user, performs timer preset processing; and
a display in communication with the operation control unit that indicates whether a start time for operating the household electrical appliance or an end time for completing the operation of the household electrical appliance is based on the timer preset time entered by the user or the time shift time received from the apparatus control device and to display an amount of time remaining between a current time and the start time or an amount of time remaining between the current time and the end time,
wherein when the current time corresponds to the start time, the operation control unit controls the household electrical appliance to activate the operation selected by the user.

2. The household electrical appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the time shift time is computed on the basis of operation period information, allowed period information, power consumption information, and electricity rate information.

3. The household electrical appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the operation control unit performs control such that the household electrical appliance is not actuated in a case where an indication of timer presetting cancelation has been inputted from the input operation unit after the timer presetting of the time shift time has been fixed and before the operation start time based on the timer presetting.

4. The household electrical appliance according to claim 1 , wherein when a time adjustment button operation is performed at the input operation unit, the operation control unit changes the time shift time to the timer preset time by the operation of the user, and increases or decreases the timer preset time.

5. A method for controlling a household electrical appliance comprising:
receiving from a user, via an input operation unit of a household electrical appliance, one or more of a start indication to start an operation of household electrical appliance, and a timer preset time for specifying a time at which to start the operation of the household electrical appliance;
communicating, via a transmitter of the household electrical appliance, information to an apparatus control device that the user has indicated the start operation;
receiving, from apparatus control device and via a receiver of the household electrical appliance, information that defines a time shift time at which an electricity cost is lowest in response to the notification that the user has indicated the start operation, wherein the time shift time corresponds to a time in the future for starting the operation of household electrical appliance;
in response to receipt of the time shift time received from the apparatus control device or the timer preset time indicated by the user performing, by an operation control unit of the household electrical appliance that is in communication with the input operation unit, the transmission unit, and the reception unit, timer preset processing ; and
displaying, by a display in communication with the operation control unit, an indication of whether a start time for operating the household electrical appliance or an end time for completing the operation of the household electrical appliance is based on the timer preset time entered by the user or the time shift time received from the apparatus control device, and an amount of time remaining between a current time and the start time or an amount of time remaining between the current time and the end time,
when the current time corresponds to the start time, controlling, by the operation control unit, the household electrical appliance to activate the operation selected by the user.

6. The household electrical appliance according to claim 1 , wherein
the operation control unit immediately actuates the household electrical appliance in a case where an indication of timer presetting cancelation is inputted from the input operation unit within a predetermined time interval after the timer preset time of the time shift time is displayed at the display unit.

7. A system for controlling an appliance, comprising:
an apparatus unit disposed within the appliance configured to:
display information indicative of whether a start time for operating the apparatus or an end time for completing the operation of the household electrical appliance is based on a timer preset time entered by a user or a received time shift time, the time shift time indicating an operation start time in the future or an operation end time in the future at which an electricity cost related to the operating is the lowest,
indicate an amount of time remaining between a current time and the start time or an amount of time remaining between the current time and the end time; and
when the current time corresponds to the start time, control the household electrical appliance to activate the operation selected by the user; and

an apparatus control device disposed remote from the appliance configured to compute the time shift time and to communicate the time shift time to the apparatus unit.

Assignees

• Tsujimura Satoshi
• Ikeda Toshihisa
• Yoshimura Yasuo
• Nakatani Naofumi
• Kouda Tetsuya
• Kurimoto Kazunori
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tsujimura Satoshi
• Ikeda Toshihisa
• Yoshimura Yasuo
• Nakatani Naofumi
• Kouda Tetsuya
• Kurimoto Kazunori

Classifications

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• G06Q50/06

  Energy or water supply · CPC title

• A47L15/4293

  Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels · CPC title

• A47L2401/20

  Time, e.g. elapsed operating time · CPC title

• Y04S20/242

  Home appliances · CPC title