Network and protocol for controlling washing and drying machines which share common utilities

Abstract

A system for controlling a plurality of washing machines in a laundry facility which share a common resource. A plurality of autonomously operated washing machines are connected through a network, so that a slave controller of each washing machine may be controlled by a master controller of the network. The master controller issues periodic polling commands over the network to obtain status information from each of the washing machines. Each slave controller of the washing machine can be prohibited from proceeding through a washing cycle when a common resource used by all machines has reached capacity limits.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is based on provisional application No. 60 / 546,187, filed Feb. 23, 2004, and claims priority thereto.[0002] The present invention relates to operating multiple machines of a laundry facility. Specifically, a system and network protocol are disclosed for controlling laundry machines which use a common resource. [0003] Large laundry facilities utilize numerous washing / drying machines which necessarily share common utilities, such as power and / or a drain. As the number of machines in a facility increases, the ability of the common resources to adequately service each additional machine is limited. For instance, in the case of a common drain used by all washing machines, the drain capacity may be such that only a certain number of machines may discharge wash water at a given time. Accordingly, the facility must include a way to avoid an overload of any common resources such as a drain, and it is necessary to avoid completel...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The invention also includes a method for sharing resources among the plurality of laundry machines. A common network connects a slave device of the laundry machine to a controller which is common to all machines. The controller receives data indicating the number of machines using the shared resource, and if the number of machines has exceeded the capacity of the shared resource to service additional machines, the controller can inhibit any additional machines from attempting to use the shared resource. The additional machines may be placed in a waiting mode and are later authorized to use the shared resource when the number of machines using the resource has decreased by one.

[0008] In accorda...

Problems solved by technology

As the number of machines in a facility increases, the ability of the common resources to adequately service each additional machine is limited.

For instance, washing machines, or drying machines in a laundry facility, may only be draining or using an excessive amount of power during a portion of their washing / drying cycle.

Thus, in the case of the drain, a machine needing the drain may be inhibited until such time as the drain capacity is available.

However, by recognizing that the machines are power intensive only during portions of their machine cycles, it is possible to inhibit a machine from entering a power intensive portion of its operational cycle if inadequate power is available for the machine.

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