Laundry system, communication device, communication method, communication program and washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850613-B2
Application number	US-201214342950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2012
Priority date	Sep 9, 2011
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A display control unit switches a display screen to a detergent name list screen based on detergent name list screen information received by a second communication unit, an operation unit accepts a selection of an arbitrary detergent name by a user from a plurality of detergent names displayed as a list on the detergent name list screen, the second communication unit transmits, to a server, detergent name specifying information for specifying the arbitrary detergent name accepted by the operation unit and washing machine specifying information and receives, from the server, detergent information related to a detergent specified based on the detergent name specifying information and the washing machine specifying information, and a first communication unit transmits the detergent information received by the second communication unit to a washing machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication method to a washing machine, comprising:
performing by a communication device which comprises at least a processor and a plurality of communication units, wherein the processor executes program codes stored in a memory, configures the communication device to perform communication steps in the following sequence, comprising:
prior to communication to a remote server:
communicating by a first communication unit of the communication device with a washing machine using wireless communication, requesting washing machine specifying information be sent back to the communication device, wherein the washing machine specified information comprises washing machine model information, and wherein laundry operation instructions has been previously installed in the washing machine for controlling operations of the washing machine at the time of manufacture;
receiving by the first communication unit of the communication device, the washing machine specifying information from the washing machine;
afterwards, communicating by a second communication unit of the communication device with the server using a network to transmit the received washing machine specifying information to the server;
receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, information consisting of only a detergent name list for displaying a plurality of detergent names comprised in the detergent name list to be used in the washing machine according to the washing machine specified information on the communication device;
next, selecting by an operation unit of the communication device, only a detergent name from the plurality of detergent names in the detergent name list;
accepting a selection on the communication device, the selected detergent name among the plurality of detergent names displayed in the detergent name list;
afterwards, transmitting by the second communication unit of the communication device, only the selected detergent name to the server;
receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, information consisting of only the selected detergent name; and
then, transmitting by the first communication unit of the communication device, the received information of only the selected detergent name from the server to the washing machine, in order that the washing machine operates at a volume of water according to the received information of only the selected detergent name.

2. The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying on a communication instructing screen of the communication device, instructions prior to the first communication unit of the communication device communicating with the washing machine to request for the washing machine specifying information.

3. The communication method according to claim 2 , wherein
the wireless communication is near-field wireless communication, and
the communication instructing screen is a screen for instructing a user to initiate the near-field wireless communication with the washing machine.

4. The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from the washing machine, a storage completion notification notifying that the information of only the selected detergent name has been stored in the washing machine; and
displaying on a storage completion notification screen, that the information of only the selected detergent name has been stored in the washing machine.

5. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein
the information of only the selected detergent name includes a table representing a relationship between water levels and cup counts of a corresponding detergent.

6. The communication method according to claim 5 , wherein the table represents a relationship among water levels, cup counts of the detergent name, and the number of rinses.

7. The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, softener name list information and displaying a softener name list corresponding to at least one softener to be used in the washing machine;
selecting by the communication device, a softener name from the softener name list;
transmitting by the second communication unit of the communication device, the selected softener name to the server;
receiving by the second communication unit of the communication device from the server, selected softener information based on the softener name list and the washing machine specifying information; and
transmitting by the first communication unit of the communication device, the received selected softener information to the washing machine.

8. A washing machine comprising:
a storage unit that stores washing machine specifying information for specifying the washing machine, wherein the washing machine specified information comprises washing machine model information;
an operation unit that accepts operation input, wherein laundry operation instructions has been previously installed in the operation unit for controlling operations of the washing machine at the time of manufacture;
a communication unit that communicates with a communication device using wireless communication; and
a control unit which, when receiving request for the washing machine specifying information from the communication device, reads out the washing machine specifying information from the storage unit and controls the communication unit so as to transmit the read-out washing machine specifying information to the communication device, and when information consisting of only a selected detergent name selected from a detergent name list comprising a plurality of detergent names according to the washing machine specifying information is forwarded by the communication device from a server to the communication unit, the received information consisting of only the selected detergent name is to be utilized by the control unit to control water volume in a laundry operation of the washing machine.

9. The washing machine according to claim 8 , wherein
the storage unit further stores detergent information, and
when the information consisting of only the selected detergent name is received from the communication device, the control unit further stores the received information consisting of only the selected detergent name for controlling the laundry operation.

10. The washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein
the control unit controls the communication unit so as to transmit, to the communication device, a storage completion notification notifying that the information consisting of only the selected detergent name has been stored in the storage unit.

11. The washing machine according to claim 8 , wherein
when the washing machine stores, in advance, a table representing a relationship between water levels and standard cup counts of a corresponding detergent, the information consisting of only the selected detergent name includes a coefficient to be multiplied by the standard cup counts of the corresponding detergent in the table.

12. A communication device comprising:
at least a processor and a plurality of communication units, wherein the processor executes program codes stored in a memory, configures the communication device to perform communication steps in the following sequence, comprising:
an operation unit that selects a detergent name;
wherein prior to communication to a remote server:
a first communication unit that first communicates with a washing machine using wireless communication to request washing machine specifying information be sent back t

Assignees

• Kamon Kenichi
• Kurimoto Kazunori
• Kuroyama Kazuhiro
• Omura Yuko
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kamon Kenichi
• Kurimoto Kazunori
• Kuroyama Kazuhiro
• Omura Yuko

Classifications

• H04M2250/04

  including near field communication means, e.g. RFID · 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

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• H04M1/7253

  Electricity · mapped topic

• D06F2216/00

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic