Clothing treatment system

Abstract

To provide a clothing treatment system that enables a clothing treatment machine to operate in a more energy-saving manner.SOLUTION: A clothing treatment system includes a clothing treatment part, determination means, and control means. The clothing treatment part executes clothing treatment including a drying operation step for drying clothing. The determination means determines drying control in the drying operation step according to an operation time period of the clothing treatment part. The control means causes the clothing treatment part to execute the drying operation step through the determined drying control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a clothing processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a clothing treatment system that uses a clothing treatment machine to treat clothing. However, it is expected that the operation of the clothing treatment machine will become more energy efficient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-84468 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothes treating system that can operate a clothes treating machine in a more energy-efficient manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A clothing processing system according to an embodiment includes a clothing processing unit, a determination unit, and a control unit. The clothing processing unit performs clothing processing including a drying operation process for drying clothing. The determination unit determines a drying control for the drying operation process according to an operation time of the clothing processing unit. The control unit causes the clothing processing unit to perform the drying operation process according to the determined drying control. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a clothing processing system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a clothes treating machine according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3A]FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a first display screen of the operation panel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a second display screen of the operation panel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram for explaining the life rhythm and the operation status of a washing machine of a specific user U in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing clothing processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of analyzing a life pattern of a user U in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart relating to a process for analyzing a life pattern of a user U in the first embodiment. [Figure 10A] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a time period during which clothing processing is performed in the second embodiment. [Figure 10B] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a time period during which clothing processing is performed in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of an input means for inputting an operation end time according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 3C is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the second display screen of the operation panel in FIG. 3B. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a terminal device 300 according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the program, computer system, and laundry processing machine of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to components having the same or similar functions. Then, duplicated descriptions of those components may be omitted. "Based on XX" means "based on at least XX" and may include a case where it is based on another element in addition to XX. "Based on XX" is not limited to the case where XX is directly used, and may include a case where it is based on XX that has been calculated or processed. "XX or YY" is not limited to either one of XX and YY, and may include both XX and YY. This also applies to the case where there are three or more selective elements. "XX" and "YY" are any element (for example, any information). In this application, "acquisition" is not limited to the case where it is actively acquired by transmitting a transmission request, and may also include the case where it is acquired by passively receiving information transmitted from another device. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the operation unit may be referred to as a "button".

[0008] (First embodiment) As a first embodiment, a clothing processing system 1 that controls the clothing processing machine 100 by the clothing processing machine 100 receiving an operation by a user U (user) who sets or selects the operation content of the clothing processing machine 100 will be described.

[0009] <1. Clothes processing system> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a clothing processing system 1 of the first embodiment. The clothing processing system 1 includes, for example, a clothing processing machine 100, a server 200, and a home appliance management application APP of a terminal device 300. The clothing processing system 1 may be realized by the clothing processing machine 100 alone without including the server 200, or by a combination of the clothing processing machine 100 and the home appliance management application APP of the terminal device 300. This will be described later. The clothing processing system 1 may be realized by only the server 200, or by the server 200 and the home appliance management application APP of the terminal device 300. The clothing processing system 1 is an example of a "computer system."

[0010] The clothes processing machine 100 is an electric device mainly used at home. The term "clothes processing machine" broadly means a device that performs some processing on clothes (for example, one or more of washing, drying, wrinkle removal, crease strengthening, deodorization, pollen removal, dust removal, or sterilization). The clothes processing machine 100 is, for example, a washing machine that performs a drying process, but also includes a closet-type dry cleaner. The clothes processing machine 100 is installed in the residence of a user U and is connected to a network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M installed in the residence of the user U. The clothes processing machine 100 can communicate with a server 200 or a terminal device 300 via the network NW. The network NW may be, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), or other public or dedicated lines, depending on the situation.

[0011] The server 200 is a management server that manages the clothes processing machine 100. The server 200 is composed of one or more server devices (e.g., cloud servers). The server 200 may be referred to as a "server system." The server 200 is capable of communicating with the clothes processing machine 100 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW. The server 200 may include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in the network NW. The server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in the residence of the user U, or a home router (e.g., a wireless router WR).

[0012] The terminal device 300 is a terminal device used by a user U. The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, the terminal device 300 is not limited to a mobile terminal device and may be a personal computer or the like. The terminal device 300 has, for example, a display device 301, an input device 302, and a communication unit 303. The display device 301 has a display screen 301a that can display various information. The input device 302 can accept input from the user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel that is provided on top of the display screen 301a of the display device 301. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, and the like provided in the terminal device 300. The communication unit 303 is a communication module capable of wireless communication. The communication unit 303 is connected to the network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M or directly. The communication unit 303 can communicate with the clothing processing machine 100 or the server 200 via the network NW. The modem M transmits electrical or optical signals to the network NW and receives electrical or optical signals from the network NW.

[0013] An application program P is installed in the terminal device 300, and the functions described below are supported. The application program P is, for example, an application program for managing the clothes processing machine 100. In this embodiment, application software that is started by executing the application program P is referred to as a "home appliance management application APP." The terminal device 300 is an example of a "computer." The application program P is an example of a "program."

[0014] <2. Clothes processing machine> Next, the clothes treating machine 100 will be described using a drum-type washing machine as an example. Note that the following description does not limit the scope of the "clothes treating machine" or "washing machine" of this application. The clothes treating machine is not limited to a drum-type washing machine, and may be a vertical washing machine. In addition, the clothes treating machine may be a washing machine with a drying function, or a dryer.

[0015] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the clothes treating machine 100. The clothes treating machine 100 includes, for example, a housing (outer box) 111, an operation panel 112, a washing mechanism 120, a drying mechanism 130, a communication unit 140, and a control device 150. The washing mechanism 120 and the drying mechanism 130 are examples of a clothes treating unit.

[0016] The housing 111 is a member that forms the outer shell of the clothes treating machine 100. The housing 111 is formed in a box shape with a door. The housing 111 is provided with a door sensor for detecting a state in which the door is open.

[0017] The operation panel 112 is a panel through which the user U operates the laundry treatment machine 100. The operation panel 112 is provided on the front end of the top surface of the housing 111, for example. For example, operation panel 112 may include a display device and an input device. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) device, and has a display screen. The input device is, for example, a touch panel provided over the display screen. Details of operation panel 112 will be described later.

[0018] The washing mechanism 120 includes, for example, a water tub 121, a drum (rotary tub) 122, a motor 123, a water supply device 124, and an automatic clothing treatment agent dispenser 125. The water tub 121 is provided in the housing 111 and is elastically supported via a suspension (not shown). The drum 122 is rotatably provided in the water tub 121. The motor 123 is provided behind the water tub 121 and connected to the drum 122 via a rotating shaft. The motor 123 drives the drum 122 to rotate via the rotating shaft. The water supply device 124 is provided above the water tub 121.

[0019] The drying mechanism 130 includes, for example, a circulation air passage 131, a heat pump 132, and a blower 133. The circulation air passage 131 connects the water tank 121 and the heat pump 132, and circulates dry air between the water tank 121 and the heat pump 132. The heat pump 132 is a heating device provided in the circulation air passage 131. The heat pump 132 heats the dry air passing through the circulation air passage. The blower 133 is provided in the circulation air passage 131, and circulates the dry air between the water tank 121 and the heat pump 132 through the circulation air passage 131. The heat pump 132 includes, for example, a compressor 132C driven by an electric motor to discharge a refrigerant, a pair of heat exchangers, a throttle that limits the flow rate of the refrigerant, and a pipe that circulates the refrigerant. In addition, the clothes treating machine 100 may have a heater for heating the drying air, instead of the heat pump 132.

[0020] The communication unit 140 is, for example, a communication module capable of wireless communication. The communication unit 140 is connected to a network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M, and communicates with the server 200 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW.

[0021] The control device 150 comprehensively controls the entire laundry treating machine 100. The control device 150 will be described in detail later.

[0022] (Display screen of operation panel 112) Next, an example of a display screen of operation panel 112 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Fig. 3A is a diagram for explaining a first display screen of operation panel 112. Fig. 3B is a diagram for explaining a second display screen of operation panel 112. The first display screen in Fig. 3A is used to set the course of the drying operation, and the second display screen in Fig. 3B (referred to as the "drying finish setting screen") is used to set detailed drying settings.

[0023] The user U can operate the operation panel 112 to adjust the "drying finish setting" to obtain the desired finish state of the drying operation. For example, when the first display screen of FIG. 3A is displayed on the operation panel 112, if the user U taps the "change" button in the first display screen of FIG. 3A, the display is switched to display the "Drying Finish Setting Screen" of FIG. 3B. For example, there are "Quick," "Power Saving," "High Quality Drying," "Thorough," and "Timer Setting" as drying finish settings. Each drying setting value has a feature set in advance for adjusting the finish. The "Quick" setting is a setting that can complete the operation in a shorter time than other drying settings by increasing the output of the compressor 132C of the heat pump 132 more than other drying settings and operating the fan rotation speed (referred to as the fan rotation speed; the same applies below) of the blower 133 at a higher speed. The "Power Saving" setting is a setting that maintains the output of the compressor 132C lower than other drying settings and performs energy-saving operation. The "fine drying" setting operates the drum rotation cycle and the fan air volume of blower 133 (hereinafter referred to as fan air volume) at a lower level to give clothes a fluffier finish after drying than the other drying settings. The "thorough" setting is a setting in which the drying operation time is set longer than the other drying settings, and an extra drying operation is performed. The "timer setting" is a setting in which drying is performed for a set period of time. As described above, each drying setting has its own characteristics, and when server 200 determines that "energy saving operation" can be performed based on the operating data, it is preferable to switch the drying operation to the "power saving" setting, which is one of the drying settings. In this way, even if there are multiple drying settings, the effect of saving energy can be obtained by changing to the drying setting that performs the operation that saves energy by comparing them.

[0024] Note that operation panel 112 is not limited to the above example. For example, operation panel 112 may include a display device and an input device instead of the above configuration. Operation panel 112 may have, for example, a plurality of operation units and a plurality of light-emitting units provided on a membrane panel.

[0025] Next, a description will be given of the control device 150. The control device 150 is mainly configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like.

[0026] 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device 150 according to the embodiment. The control device 150 includes, for example, a control unit 151, a display control unit 152, an operation receiving unit 153, and an information transmitting unit 154. All or part of these functional units are realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). However, all or part of these functional units may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a discrete circuit, or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware.

[0027] (Control unit) The control unit 151 controls the washing mechanism 120 and the drying mechanism 130 to perform a washing operation, a rinsing operation, a spin-drying operation, or a drying operation by the laundry treating machine 100. The washing operation, the rinsing operation, and the spin-drying operation may be included in a washing operation process. The drying operation may be included in a drying operation process. The control unit 151 detects the state of the door from the signal of the door sensor, and estimates the time when the user removed the clothes based on the state of the door. For example, it is preferable to detect the door opening from the signal of the door sensor after the drying operation is completed, and estimate that the clothes have been removed.

[0028] (Display control unit) The display control unit 152 controls the display of the operation panel 112. For example, the display control unit 152 displays the operation details of the clothes treating machine 100 that are set or selected and accepted by the operation acceptance unit 153 formed as a touch panel.

[0029] (Operation reception section) The operation reception unit 153 receives operations of the user U inputted to the clothes treating machine 100 through the operation panel 112. For example, the operation reception unit 153 receives operations of the user U to set or select the operation contents of the clothes treating machine 100 through the operation panel 112 (hereinafter, may be referred to as "setting-related operations"). More specific examples of settings will be described later.

[0030] (Information transmission section) The information transmitting unit 154 transmits various information to the server 200 via the communication unit 140. When a setting-related operation for setting or selecting the operation content of the clothes treating machine 100 is accepted by the operation accepting unit 153, the information transmitting unit 154 transmits to the server 200 information indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation (hereinafter, may be referred to as "operation data D1").

[0031] Here, in this application, "a setting or selecting operation is accepted" is not limited to the case where both "a setting operation is accepted" and "a selecting operation is accepted" are realized in the clothes processing machine 100 (or the terminal device 300), but may include the case where only one of "a setting operation is accepted" or "a selecting operation is accepted" is realized. In other words, in this application, "when a setting-related operation for setting or selecting an operation content is accepted" may include the case where an operation for setting an operation content is accepted in a clothes processing machine (or a terminal device) that only accepts an operation for setting an operation content and does not have a function for accepting an operation for selecting an operation content.

[0032] In this embodiment, when multiple setting-related operations are accepted before one operation course or option of the clothes processing machine 100 is finalized, the information transmission unit 154 transmits operation data D1 indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation to the server 200 each time a setting-related operation is accepted. In this application, "before one operation course or option is finalized" means, for example, "in the process of selecting one operation course" or "in the process of selecting one option."

[0033] In this embodiment, the home appliance management application APP of the terminal device 300 acquires identification information capable of identifying the clothing treatment agent from a container that contains the clothing treatment agent or an associated member associated with the container.

[0034] The information transmission unit 154 may directly transmit the driving data D1 to the terminal device 300 instead of transmitting the driving data D1 to the server 200. In this case, the communication unit 140 may directly communicate with the communication unit 303 of the terminal device 300 via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). This will be described later.

[0035] <3. Server 200> Next, the server 200 will be described. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the server 200 according to the embodiment. The server 200 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 210, an information transmission unit 220, an information function unit 230, and a storage unit 290.

[0036] When a setting-related operation for setting or selecting the operation content of the clothing processing machine 100 is accepted by the operation acceptance unit 153 of the clothing processing machine 100, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires operation data D1 indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation from the clothing processing machine 100. In this embodiment, each time a setting-related operation is accepted by the operation acceptance unit 153 of the clothing processing machine 100, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires operation data D1 indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation from the clothing processing machine 100. When the control unit 151 detects the state of the door from the signal of the door sensor, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires the detection result. For example, when the information acquisition unit 210 detects from the signal of the door sensor that the door has been opened after the drying operation has ended, it may assume that the clothes have been removed.

[0037] Furthermore, when a setting-related operation for setting or selecting the operation content of the clothes treating machine 100 is accepted by the operation acceptance unit 330 of the terminal device 300 described later, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires operation data D2 indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation from the terminal device 300. In this embodiment, every time a setting-related operation is accepted by the operation acceptance unit 330 of the terminal device 300, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires operation data D2 indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation from the terminal device 300. Every time operation data D is acquired from the clothes treating machine 100, the information acquisition unit 210 adds the acquired operation data D to the operation history data DB of the storage unit 290.

[0038] The information transmission unit 220 notifies the clothes processing machine 100 of the results of the processing by the information function unit 230.

[0039] The information function unit 230 of this embodiment is associated with the clothing processing machine 100 and the terminal device 300 of each user U, for example. The information function unit 230 acquires information capable of identifying a clothing product from the terminal device 300. The information function unit 230 performs settings for controlling the clothing processing machine 100 in accordance with the lifestyle pattern of the user U based on the identifiable information.

[0040] The information function unit 230 may determine settings for controlling the clothes treating machine 100 based on the identifiable information.

[0041] As described above, the program SVP is installed in the server 200, and the functions described below are supported. The program SVP is, for example, an application program for managing the clothes treating machine 100. The functions provided by this program SVP include an automatic input amount management function for clothes treating agents (clothing products) in the clothes treating machine 100. In this embodiment, the application software that is started by executing the program SVP is called the "home appliance management program SVAPP." In this embodiment, the server 200 executes the program SVP to provide the functions of the "home appliance management program SVAPP."

[0042] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the life rhythm and the operation status of the washing machine of a specific user U in the embodiment. This user U has a tendency to start the operation of the clothes treating machine 100 before going to bed, wash clothes while sleeping at night, and when he wakes up in the morning, take out the clothes from the clothes treating machine 100. For example, the washing starts at about 11:00 p.m., and the clothes are often taken out at about 6:30 a.m.

[0043] By the way, according to the clothes processing by the "normal" course shown in the upper part of FIG. 6, the clothes processing machine 100 starts the washing process immediately after receiving the operation of the user U. As a result, the start time of the washing process is around 23:00, which corresponds to the operation start time. As a result of setting the start time of the washing process in this way, the period from the start of the washing process to the removal of the clothes is from 23:00 to around 6:30. The actual operation time in this embodiment is determined by the operation start time. Therefore, the operation time may be much earlier than the removal time of the clothes at 6:30. For example, if the drying setting is set to the standard course, it is expected to finish at 2:00, including the washing process and the subsequent drying process. For the user U who takes out the clothes at around 6:30, it is often difficult to find the advantage of finishing the clothes processing at 2:00.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, the lifestyle patterns of the user U and the usage tendency of the clothes treating machine 100 are analyzed, and the drying setting is automatically switched from the "standard" course to the "energy saving" course based on the analysis results. For example, in the present embodiment, when processing clothes using the "energy saving" course, the output of the compressor 132C used in the clothes processing is reduced compared to the "standard" course, and the clothes processing machine 100 operates in an energy-saving manner. This results in a somewhat longer clothes processing time, but the amount of power consumed during the clothes processing is reduced, thereby saving electricity. This has the economic advantage of reducing electricity bills.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a flowchart relating to clothing processing in this embodiment. The clothing treatment machine 100 detects an operation by the user U and executes a process to start the operation of the clothing treatment machine 100 (S11). In response to the start of operation, the laundry treating machine 100 enters a laundry treating operation (S12), for example, during a laundry treatment process. The clothes treating machine 100 acquires basic information such as the weight of the clothes during the washing process of the clothes treating machine 100. The clothes treating machine 100 transmits the basic information and operation data including setting information to the server 200.

[0046] The server 200 acquires the operation data D1 transmitted from the clothes treating machine 100 and adds it as time-series information data to the operation history data DB in the memory unit 290. The information function unit 230 of the server 200 (SVAPP) executes an analysis process using this operation data D1 (S22) and transmits a drying control change command based on the results of the analysis process to the clothes treating machine 100. The clothes treating machine 100 acquires the drying control change command transmitted from the server 200 and uses this to execute a change in the drying control.

[0047] During the operation related to the processing of clothes, the clothes treating machine 100 performs a washing process and a subsequent drying process. In the drying process, control corresponding to the drying control change command is performed. When the predetermined time arrives, the clothes treating machine 100 finishes the drying process, executes the operation end process (S13), compiles the information collected from each sensor during the operation, notifies the server 200 as the operation data D1, and waits for the clothes to be removed.

[0048] In the morning, the user U opens the door and takes out the clothes. When the user U opens the door, the door sensor of the clothes treating machine 100 detects that the door is open. The clothes treating machine 100 notifies the server 200 of the operation data D1 including the detection result that the door is open (S14). This operation data D1 includes information on the time when the clothes were taken out, that is, the time when the door was opened (hereinafter referred to as the "clothes taking out time").

[0049] The server 200 adds the acquired operation data D1, etc. to the operation history data DB of the storage unit 290. The server 200 stores the acquired operation data D1, etc. as history information of the operation data of the clothes treating machine 100, and uses it in the analysis process (S22) to be performed later.

[0050] In this manner, the clothes treating machine 100 and the server 200 adjust the drying control in the drying process according to the above procedure.

[0051] The process of analyzing the life pattern of the user U will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the process of analyzing the lifestyle pattern of user U in this embodiment. FIG. 8 shows a model of some of the information of the driving data recorded for each drive. The white circle at the start (origin) of each arrow indicates the time when the drive started, and the black circle at the tip of each arrow indicates the time when the clothes were taken out. The driving data includes information on the date of the drive, in addition to the time when the drive started and the time when the clothes were taken out. For example, the driving data may be recorded every day or every other day depending on whether or not the drive was performed. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the operation start time varies within a range of t11 to t12 within the predetermined period T, generally between 10pm and midnight. The time when the clothes are removed varies within a range of t21 to t22, generally between 6am and 8am. The above-mentioned predetermined period T may be, for example, a period of about one week in the past based on the current time, or alternatively, may be one month. From the driving record above, it can be estimated that the user U has a habit of starting driving at least before midnight, going to bed between midnight and 6 a.m., and taking out clothes at the earliest after 6 a.m. The server 200 extracts, for example, the earliest time t21 from the range of clothes taking-out times (from t21 to t22), and adjusts the time period for processing clothes based on this time t21.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a flowchart relating to a process for analyzing a life pattern of a user U in this embodiment. An operation history data DB is held in the storage unit 290 of the server 200. The operation history data DB stores operation data D1 previously received from the clothes treating machine 100.

[0053] When the server 200 acquires the operation data of the start of operation from the clothes treating machine 100, the server 200 extracts data on the history of the time when the user U took out the clothes from the operation history data DB (S221). The server 200 determines the operation end time based on the data of the history of the time when the user U removed the clothes (S222). The operation end time may be determined using, for example, the method shown in Fig. 8. The server 200 notifies the determined operation end time to the clothes processing machine 100 (S223).

[0054] According to the above embodiment, the clothing processing system 1 includes a clothing processing unit, a decision unit, and a control unit. The clothing processing unit performs clothing processing including a drying operation process for drying clothing. The determination means determines the drying control of the drying operation process according to the operation time of the clothing processing section. The control device 150 (control means) controls the clothes processing section to carry out the drying operation process according to the determined drying control, thereby making it possible to operate the clothes processing machine in a more energy-efficient manner.

[0055] As mentioned above, in the present embodiment, an example of a means that is easily recognized by the user U, that is, changing the "dry setting" from the "standard" course to the "energy saving" course, is given as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, while the "dry setting" course is maintained at the "standard" course, the control command (dry control command) for each part in the washing machine during the drying operation may be changed. Examples of this case include reducing the output torque (kW) of the compressor 132C, reducing the number of rotations of the fan of the blower 133 that circulates air for drying, and reducing the rotation frequency of the drum.

[0056] This makes it possible to obtain energy saving effects by analyzing the operating history of past laundry processing and the operating conditions for the laundry processing to be performed in the future, and correcting the drying control during laundry processing.

[0057] (First Modification) As a first modified example, a case in which the server 200 analyzes the usage tendency of the user U based on the operation time received from the clothes processing machine 100 will be described.

[0058] <Clothing processing adjustments>> The server 200 adjusts the clothes treatment based on the operation time received from the clothes treatment machine 100. For example, the time period is roughly divided into late night hours (for example, between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am) and other times (normal times). When performing a washing operation during the late night hours, it is desirable to improve the volume or quality of the sound generated during operation compared to other times. It is preferable that the sound and vibration generated during high speed spin-drying in the drying operation and the sound of the fan of the blower 133 are small.

[0059] To achieve this, the maximum rotation speed of the drum during the spin-drying process during the nighttime hours (referred to as the maximum spin-drying rotation speed) should be set lower than the maximum spin-drying rotation speed during normal times. Specifically, if the maximum spin-drying rotation speed during normal times is set to 1400 rpm, the maximum spin-drying rotation speed during the nighttime hours is set to 1000 rpm. The clothes treating machine 100 performs spin-drying control based on such settings.

[0060] In addition, the rotation speed of the fan of the blower 133 during the drying process may be reduced from the normal rated rotation speed to the rated rotation speed for the nighttime hours. For example, if the normal rated rotation speed is set to 5500 rpm, the rated rotation speed for the nighttime hours may be set to 4800 rpm. Furthermore, it is advisable to lower the output of the compressor 132C during the drying process from the normal rated speed to the late-night rated speed. The clothes treating machine 100 performs drying control based on such settings. In addition, the amount of power consumption can be reduced by suppressing the output of the compressor 132C. By suppressing the operating time of the compressor 132C itself, the electricity bill can be reduced.

[0061] For example, the control device 150 of the clothes treating machine 100 or the information function unit 230 (decision means) of the server 200 may decide the drying control of the drying process operation step based on the operation time of the user U of the clothes treating machine 100.

[0062] Furthermore, the items included in the operation data D1 may include the time to remove the clothes. By analyzing the operation start time, end time, and time to remove the clothes in combination, it becomes easier to extract the characteristics of the user U's lifestyle pattern. The time to remove the clothes may be detected by being triggered by opening or closing the door of the clothing processing machine 100 after the operation of the clothing processing machine 100 ends. For example, the door of the clothing processing machine 100 may be provided with a switch or a sensor (door sensor) that detects whether the door is open or closed, making it possible to identify whether the door is open or closed. For example, the control device 150 of the clothing processing machine 100 or the information function unit 230 (determination means) of the server 200 may determine the operating time of the clothing processing machine 100 (clothing processing unit) based on the time taken to remove clothing from the clothing processing machine 100 after a user U of the clothing processing machine 100 had previously completed washing.

[0063] This allows the user U's lifestyle patterns to be inferred from the time the clothes are removed, and the drying process can be carried out with control suitable for energy conservation.

[0064] Alternatively, the clothes treating machine 100 may be equipped with a sensor that detects the weight in the tub and identifies the removal of clothes based on an increase or decrease in the weight.

[0065] (Second Modification) As a second modified example, a case will be described in which it takes a particularly long time from the start of operation until the removal of clothes, or there is a long time until the scheduled end time of operation.

[0066] In this modified example, in the above case, energy-saving operation is performed for a long time. For example, energy-saving operation is an example of an operation controlled based on adjustments such as lowering the output of the compressor 132C from normal, lowering the fan rotation speed from normal, lowering the drum rotation power from normal, and lowering the maximum rotation speed during spin-drying. When the clothes treating machine 100 starts operation, that is, when the user U instructs the start of operation, the clothes treating machine 100 transmits operation data from the clothes treating machine 100. This operation data includes data related to the operation time, such as the start time, as well as data such as various sensor values, operation course, and operation content at the start of operation. The server 200 analyzes the operation data received from the clothes treating machine 100, and when it is determined based on the analysis result that the clothes treating machine 100 meets the conditions for performing energy-saving operation, it issues a command to change the drying control. The clothes treating machine 100 automatically changes the drying setting value that was set in advance at the start of operation based on the analysis result. The drying setting value is determined based on the weight of the clothes, the fabric type, the outside air temperature, various sensor values, and the like. Based on this setting value, the control method of the drum rotation speed, the fan rotation speed, the output of the compressor 132C, and the like is determined. According to this embodiment, the server 200 analyzes the operation data and transmits a drying control change command to the clothes treating machine 100 based on the analysis result, thereby realizing control using a setting value suitable for energy-saving control and performing the drying process. For example, the server 200 may set a second drying setting value different from the first drying setting value for the drying operation process that is preset when the clothing processing machine 100 starts operating, based on the analysis results of the operating time of the user U of the clothing processing machine 100. It is preferable that the drying operation process based on the second dryness set value is determined so as to be more energy-efficient than the drying operation process based on the first dryness set value.

[0067] The server 200 may acquire the operation time desired by the user U of the clothes treating machine 100, and execute the operation of the clothes treating machine 100 based on the acquired operation time. The clothes treating machine 100 includes an operation panel 112 for inputting a desired operation end time by a user U of the clothes treating machine 100. The clothes treating machine 100 may perform an operation based on an operation time including the input operation end time.

[0068] Second embodiment A second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which the operation time of the clothing processing machine 100 is started in a relatively short time without waiting for a long time after the user U operates the clothing processing machine 100. Instead, in the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the time period of the operation time of the clothing processing machine 100 is adjusted based on the lifestyle pattern of the user U.

[0069] (Clothing processing) The time periods during which clothing processing is performed will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining time periods during which clothing processing is performed according to this embodiment, with Fig. 10A showing a first application example and Fig. 10B showing a second application example.

[0070] (First application example) For example, as shown in Fig. 10A, the "operation time" in the clothing processing system 1 is basically set according to the request of the user U. The "operation time" is defined by, for example, a "start time", a "end time", a "reserved operation start time", and a "reserved operation end time". These will be described in order below.

[0071] The "start time" is the time when the user U presses the "start" button to start the operation (clothing processing) of the clothing processing machine 100. The "end time" is the time when a series of operations related to clothing processing ends. For example, the user U can press the "start" button to immediately start the operation (clothing processing) of the clothing processing machine 100.

[0072] The reservation setting for "operating time" will be described. The "reserved operation start time" will be explained. There are two ways to set the "reserved operation start time." The first pattern is to set the reserved operation time as "D hours later." For example, it is set in "hours" such as "9 hours later" or "10 hours later." This pattern specifies that the operation should end "D hours later" from the current time.

[0073] The time required for the clothes processing is called the "total required time." For example, if the total required time for the "standard" course is about 40 minutes, the "reservation time" for the "standard" course can be set within the range of 1 hour to 24 hours later. If the total required time for the "soaking" course is about 2 hours and 30 minutes, the "reservation time" for the "soaking" course can be set within the range of 3 hours to 24 hours later. In other words, the clothes processing machine 100 accepts requests in one-hour increments so that operation will end at least the time required for the clothes processing.

[0074] In the second pattern, the reserved operation time (start time, end time, etc.) is set in "minutes" units. For example, a user U who wants the operation to finish by 5:30 sets the "reservation setting time" to 5:30.

[0075] Now, let us assume that the total time required for the "standard" course mentioned above is 40 minutes. When setting this reservation, let us say that user U wishes the operation to end in 10 hours, and sets the reservation setting to 10 hours later. In this case, if the operation starts 9 hours after the current time, the washing operation can be completed in the 10 hours desired by user U. In this case, the operation will be on standby until 9 hours have passed since the reservation was set. In this case, if the "start time" is the current time, the "reserved operation start time" will be 9 hours after the current time. In this case, the time indicated by the "reserved operation start time" and the time indicated by the "start time" will be different from each other. Figure 10A shows an example where the total required time for the "Soak" course is two hours and operation starts at 11pm. Note that operation starts at 11pm, which is the same as above, but the total required time for the "Energy Saving" course is four hours.

[0076] For example, the server 200 determines from the operation data accumulated so far that switching the drying control setting to the energy saving control setting will not cause any problems to the user U, and changes the drying control of the clothes treating machine 100 when a predetermined condition is met. More specifically, the energy saving control is to reduce the output pressure of the compressor 132C and to slow down the rotation speed of the drum. This allows the machine to perform more energy saving operation than usual when the machine is started as usual.

[0077] The "reserved operation end time" will be explained. The "reserved operation end time" is the time when the washing and drying operations are completed. This time is used for internal processing of the washing machine. For example, the washing machine may start idling after the "reserved operation end time". The idling operation rotates the drum intermittently to prevent moisture absorption and wrinkles in the clothes that have finished the drying operation.

[0078] (Second application example) FIG. 10B shows an example in which the total required time for the "standard" course is one hour, and operation starts at 11pm. Note that operation starts at 11pm, and the course is switched to the "energy saving" course, etc., are the same as the example (first application example) shown in FIG. 10A above, but there are differences in that the "reserved operation start time" is delayed by about one hour, the "reserved operation end time" is brought forward by about one hour, idling operation is performed after that, and the total required time for the "energy saving" course is set to two hours. Note that the time from the "reserved operation start time" to the "reserved operation end time" is set appropriately depending on the weight of the clothes to be processed, the courses specified for the washing process and the drying process, etc.

[0079] Here is an example. Suppose user U wants the washing operation to finish at exactly 6 o'clock, and sets the timer for 6 o'clock. The total time required for the standard course is 40 minutes. However, the time required for actual control may be shorter than 40 minutes or longer depending on the conditions during operation. For example, the amount of clothes may be 1 kg or 12 kg. The washing time varies depending on the amount of clothes. Also, if the clothes become unevenly distributed during the spin cycle, the spin cycle may not be completed and the time may be extended.

[0080] On the other hand, if the water supply faucet of the clothes treating machine 100 is clogged or the opening of the water supply faucet is small, the flow rate of water supplied to the clothes treating machine 100 may be low. In this case, the water supply time may be longer than expected, and the time until the drum is rotated may be longer, which may increase the operating time of the clothes treating machine 100.

[0081] On the other hand, the drain flow rate may be reduced if the drain hose of the laundry processing machine 100 is clogged or if debris accumulates in the drain filter. In this case, the drain time may be longer than expected, and the operation time may be extended.

[0082] In this way, there is a possibility that the required time may be longer than initially expected due to various factors. In preparation for such an event, it is advisable to determine a longer estimated total required time so that the driving will end at the reservation time desired by the user U even if such an event occurs.

[0083] Therefore, unless an event occurs that would prolong the operation time as described above, the operation may end earlier than the reserved time. In that case, the clothes treating machine 100 may continue idling operation even after the clothes treating operation has ended, and when the reserved time set by the user U is reached, the idling operation may be stopped and an operation end buzzer may be sounded to completely end the operation. In this way, the "reserved operation end time" may be defined as the time when the operation ends as a process inside the washing machine and the idling operation begins.

[0084] According to this embodiment, the time period during which the clothes treating machine 100 operates can be adjusted based on the user U's lifestyle pattern.

[0085] An example of an input means for inputting the driving end time according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of an input means for inputting the operation end time in this embodiment. The input means shown in Fig. 11 has several buttons that accept operations by the user U. The "Good Morning Reservation" and "Welcome Home Reservation" buttons are intended to simplify operations when the previous settings are to be used repeatedly. In addition to these buttons, there is an input button for setting the time, and this time can be set within the settable time taking into account the total driving time.

[0086] For example, when setting a time using an input button for setting a time, a time after the total operation time has elapsed from the current time can be set as the operation end time for the clothes processing. The operation end time is the time by which the user U wants the clothes processing (washing operation) to be completed. For example, if the current time is 5:00 and the total operation time is 40 minutes, the time that can be reserved is from 5:50 today to 4:50 tomorrow (23 hours and 50 minutes later). Assume that the operation start time is 22:00 and the operation end time is set to 6:00. At this time, there are 8 hours of grace until the operation end time. Then, the total operation time is calculated based on the operation contents set by the user U. Assume that the result is 3 hours. At this time, if the total operation time is sufficient compared to the grace time, and the total time required is 4 hours even if the operation is changed to energy saving operation, it is more advantageous for the user U to change to energy saving operation. According to this, the clothes processing machine 100 can execute different drying control depending on whether the energy saving operation is performed based on the analysis result acquired from the server 200 or not.

[0087] The clothes treating machine 100 can either control operation based on the analysis results obtained from the server 200, or control operation according to the conditions (operation end time) set from the operation panel 112 without using the analysis results. This allows the clothes treating machine 100 to perform different drying controls.

[0088] (Modifications common to the first and second embodiments) A modified example of the second display screen (drying finish setting screen) of the operation panel in FIG. 3B will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the second display screen of the operation panel in FIG. 3B. The following description will focus on the differences from FIG. 3B described above. As described above, the drying finish settings include "Quick", "Energy saving", "Fine drying", "Thorough", and "Timer setting", and among these, the settings that are applied to make the operation of the clothes processing machine 100 more energy-efficient may be restricted. For example, an example of the drying finish setting screen when restricting the selection to "Quick" and "Energy saving" is shown below. By displaying a frame showing the above selections, the information can be visually presented to the user U.

[0089] Third embodiment A third embodiment will now be described. In the above-described embodiment, the user U inputs the operation time using the operation panel 112 of the clothes processing machine 100. In the present embodiment, instead of this, the operation time may be input using a web page referenced via a network, or an external terminal (app) is used.

[0090] <Terminal device> Next, the terminal device 300 will be described. 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal device 300 according to this embodiment. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 310, a display control unit 320, an operation acceptance unit 330, an information transmission unit 340, and a storage unit 390.

[0091] The information acquisition unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the information transmission unit 340 are realized by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300 executing the application program P. In other words, the information acquisition unit 310, the display control unit 320, the operation reception unit 330, and the information transmission unit 340 are software function units included in the home appliance management application APP, or software function units that function under control from the home appliance management application APP. The home appliance management application APP is an example of an information function unit related to the clothes processing machine 100.

[0092] The information acquisition unit 310 acquires the operation data D1 directly from the clothes treating machine 100 or via the server 200. In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires operation data D1 indicating the operation content set or selected by the setting-related operation each time a setting-related operation is accepted by the operation acceptance unit 153 of the clothes treating machine 100. In addition, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires operation data D1 for setting or selecting the detergent or fabric softener each time the clothes treating machine 100 detects a change in the amount of detergent and fabric softener by the user U. The information acquisition unit 310 is an example of a means for inputting a desired operation end time of the user U of the clothes treating machine 100.

[0093] The display control unit 320 controls the display device 301 of the terminal device 300 to control the contents displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301. For example, when the information acquisition unit 310 receives the operation data D1 directly from the clothes treating machine 100 or via the server 200, the display control unit 320 changes the information to be displayed on the display device 301 of the terminal device 300 according to the received operation data D1. In this embodiment, the display control unit 320 changes the information to be displayed on the display device 301 of the terminal device 300 according to the received operation data D1 every time the information acquisition unit 310 receives the operation data D1 directly from the clothes treating machine 100 or via the server 200. For example, when the display control unit 320 receives the operation data D1 indicating the set operation course directly from the clothes treating machine 100 or via the server 200, it is preferable that the display control unit 320 changes the information to be displayed on the display device 301 according to the received information indicating the operation course.

[0094] (Modification) According to the present patent, the operation data D1 received from the clothes processing machine 100 may be analyzed by the server 200 or the home appliance management application APP of the terminal device 300.

[0095] Also, the server 200 is configured to instruct the clothes treating machine 100 to change the drying control, but the data analyzed by the server 200 is not itself a drying control change command, and the clothes treating machine 100 may itself determine whether or not to change the drying control based on the analyzed data, i.e., the processed data. Furthermore, the final decision on whether or not to change the drying control may be made by the user U himself. For example, an inquiry such as "Do you want to change the drying control?" may be made to the operation panel 112 of the clothes treating machine 100 or to the home appliance management app APP of the terminal device 300 connected to the clothes treating machine 100 via a network, and the drying control may be changed based on the response.

[0096] Furthermore, one of the operation times is the start time for processing clothes. Or, it may be a time range between what time the user U wants the laundry to be done. The washing machine starts operation from the start time input by the user U. This allows the user U, who has signed an electricity contract with a plan that provides cheaper electricity during late night hours, to operate the washing machine at the desired time period. In this way, the server may determine the operation contents including the operation conditions desired by the user U, and change the control contents of the clothes processing machine 100.

[0097] Several embodiments have been described above. However, the embodiments are not limited to the above examples. Furthermore, the above-described several embodiments can be realized in combination with each other.

[0098] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the clothing processing system includes a clothing processing unit, a determination means, and a control means. The clothing processing unit performs clothing processing including a drying operation process for drying clothing. The determination means determines a drying control for the drying operation process according to an operation time of the clothing processing unit. The control means causes the clothing processing unit to perform the drying operation process according to the determined drying control. This allows the operation of the clothing processing machine to be more energy-efficient.

[0099] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0100] For example, the following case can be applied as a similar application example. After the user U performs an operation to start the washing operation, the clothes treating machine 100 may not be started immediately, but may be operated according to a specific time period if the user U has signed up for a plan that provides cheaper electricity during that time period. For example, if a tendency to use a specific time period is observed, the clothes treating system 1 may operate the washing machine during that time period. In this way, when the user U's desired operating time appears in the user U's habits, by applying this embodiment, the information on the time period when electricity rates are low is not registered in the clothing processing system 1. Operation can be timed to coincide with times when electricity rates are low, which not only provides energy savings through the drying control itself, but also brings advantages to the user U in terms of external factors such as electricity bills. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Clothes processing system, 100...clothes processing machine (clothes processing device), 200...server, 300...terminal device.

Claims

1. A clothes processing unit that performs clothes processing including a drying operation process for drying clothes; A determination means for determining a drying control of the drying operation process according to an operation time of the clothing processing unit; A control means for causing the clothing processing unit to carry out the drying operation process according to the determined drying control; A clothing processing system comprising:

2. A washing operation process and a drying operation process are included in an operation time designated by a user of the clothing processing device including the clothing processing section, and a drying control of the drying operation process is determined according to the operation time. A clothing processing system as described in claim 1.

3. A drying control of the drying operation process is determined based on the operation time of the user of the laundry processing device. The clothing processing system of claim 2.

4. The determining means is The operation time of the laundry processing unit is determined based on the time taken by a user of the laundry processing device to remove laundry after the completion of a previous wash. The clothing processing system of claim 2.

5. A means for setting a second drying setting value, which is different from a first drying setting value related to the drying operation process that is preset at the start of operation of the clothing processing device, based on an analysis result of the operation time of a user of the clothing processing device. The clothing processing system according to claim 3 .

6. The drying operation based on the second drying set value saves energy compared to the drying operation based on the first drying set value. The clothing processing system of claim 5.

7. A means for acquiring the operation time desired by a user of the laundry processing device, The operation of the laundry processing device is performed based on the acquired operation time. The clothing processing system of claim 4.

8. A means for inputting a desired operation end time for a user of the laundry processing device is provided, The clothing processing device executes an operation based on the operation time including the input operation end time. The clothing processing system of claim 4.

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