Dishwasher and operation management system of dishwasher

Abstract

To provide a dishwasher and an operation management system capable of solving the problem that water stains and water spots are easily left on dishes since the water quality of city water to be used is different and the aggregation and re-adhesion of dirt are promoted by a hardness component such as magnesium in an area where the hardness of water is high.SOLUTION: A control unit that controls a washing process, a rinsing process, and a drying process according to control conditions, an address information acquisition unit that acquires address information capable of specifying an installation area, a communication unit that can transmit the address information to an external server, a control information acquisition unit, and a measurement unit that measures a remaining amount of liquid detergent used in the washing process, wherein the control unit acquires control information of a first control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is soft water and acquires control information of a second control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is hard water, when the remaining amount of the liquid detergent is equal to or more than a reference value, the control unit starts the operation according to either the first control condition or the second control condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dishwasher that washes dishes and an operation management system thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, dishwashers that wash and dry dishes include those that operate in an eco-friendly manner based on turbidity information about the wash water, and those that adjust the amount of detergent added based on turbidity information about the wash water (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, a technique has been proposed in which a tank for storing liquid detergent is provided outside the washing tub of a dishwasher, and the detergent is automatically dispensed into the washing tub (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-011310 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-178864 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, detergents specifically designed for dishwashers are commercially available, but even if the same amount of detergent is used, the cleaning effect will vary depending on the quality of the tap water or other water supplied to the dishwasher. The dishwasher disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not give sufficient consideration to the drying finish after washing, and the drying finish may leave customers dissatisfied. This phenomenon is caused by regional differences in the quality of water used for dishwashing, such as the hardness of the water. In areas with high water hardness, hardness components such as magnesium and calcium promote the aggregation and redeposition of dirt, making it easier for scale and water spots to remain on dishes. In addition, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the remaining amount of detergent is low, detergent is replenished, but since it is not easy to know the water quality information at that time, it is not always possible to replenish detergent that is suitable for the water quality. For these reasons, even if the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 were adopted, they did not fully meet the expectation that they would reduce the burden on users in terms of managing remaining amounts of consumable products and replenishing them.

[0006] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a highly convenient dishwasher and its operation management system that utilizes water quality information in the area or location where the dishwasher is used to suppress the occurrence of limescale and water spots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The dishwasher according to the first disclosure comprises: a control unit that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process according to control conditions; an address information acquisition unit that holds address information that can identify an installation area; a communication unit capable of transmitting the address information to an external server; a control information acquisition unit; a measuring unit that measures the remaining amount of liquid detergent to be used in the cleaning process; Equipped with the control unit acquires, from the external server, control information for a first control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is soft water, and acquires, from the external server, control information for a second control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is hard water; the control unit starts operation in accordance with either the first control condition or the second control condition when the remaining amount of the liquid detergent is equal to or greater than a reference value; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0008] The dishwasher according to the second disclosure comprises: a control unit that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process according to control conditions; an address information acquisition unit that holds address information that can identify an installation area; a communication unit capable of transmitting the address information to an external server; a control information acquisition unit; a detergent supply unit that supplies a detergent to be used in the cleaning step; a measuring unit that measures the remaining amount of the detergent; a consumption information acquisition unit that calculates the amount of detergent consumed after one washing cycle is completed; Equipped with the control information acquisition unit acquires control information generated by the external server after acquiring the address information, for changing a parameter of the control condition; the control unit starts an operation in accordance with the control information when the amount of the detergent measured by the measuring unit satisfies an operation start condition, transmitting the amount of detergent consumed in the washing process from the consumption information acquisition unit to the external server; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0009] The dishwasher operation management system according to the third disclosure includes: a dishwasher that sequentially performs a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit that allows address information to be input, a consumption information acquisition unit that acquires consumption information of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit; an external server that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit, the dishwasher notifies the user of the remaining amount of detergent acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit, acquires water quality information of a water source in a region corresponding to the address information from the external server, generates two types of control information for hard water and soft water according to the water quality information, and executes the washing process and the drying process; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0010] The dishwasher operation management system according to the fourth disclosure is a dishwasher that sequentially performs a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit that allows address information to be input, a consumption information acquisition unit that acquires consumption information of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit; an external server that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit, the external server acquires water quality information of a water supply source in a region corresponding to the address information, and generates first control information corresponding to soft water and second control information corresponding to hard water according to the water quality information; the dishwasher notifies the user of the remaining amount of detergent acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit, acquires either the first control information or the second control information from the external server before starting the washing process, and executes the washing process and the drying process; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0011] The dishwasher operation management system according to the fifth disclosure is a dishwasher that sequentially performs a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit that allows address information to be input, a consumption information acquisition unit that acquires consumption information of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit; The dishwasher includes an external server that communicates wirelessly with the communication unit of the dishwasher, the external server acquires water quality information of a water supply source in a region corresponding to the address information, and generates first control information corresponding to soft water and second control information corresponding to hard water according to the water quality information; the external server executes a process for estimating the number of times the dishwasher can be operated based on the status information acquired from the dishwasher; the external server provides the result of the remaining number of operations estimation process to the dishwasher or the communication terminal; This is a configuration characterized by the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In areas with hard water, temperature and time controls allow the water to evaporate longer than usual, reducing limescale and water spots on dishes. It is also easy to purchase detergents suitable for use in dishwashers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a network configuration of a dishwasher and an external network according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is an explanatory diagram of operation steps of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart 1 showing the control operation of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the dishwasher shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a dishwasher showing a second embodiment according to the second disclosure. [Figure 7] 7 is an explanatory diagram of operation steps of the dishwasher according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 7 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the dishwasher shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a dishwasher according to a third embodiment and an operation management system including an external network configuration. [Figure 10] 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication terminal (information processing terminal) used in the operation management system for the dishwasher shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a network configuration to which a dishwasher operation management system according to the present disclosure is applied. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a network configuration to which the operation management system for the dishwasher shown in FIG. 9 is applied. [Figure 13] 10 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of a dishwasher to which the dishwasher operation management system shown in FIG. 9 is applied. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing, in partial vertical cross section, the entire system for measuring the remaining amount of liquid detergent in a dishwasher according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a dishwasher according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a time chart 1 showing the basic operation of a dishwasher according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart 2 showing the basic operation of the dishwasher according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart 3 showing the basic operation of the dishwasher according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing the basics of the liquid detergent metering operation of the dishwasher according to the third embodiment. [Figure 20] 20 is a flowchart showing the basics of a modified example in which a part of the liquid detergent metering operation shown in FIG. 19 is improved. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart showing the determination operation of the control unit accompanying the operation of installing a liquid detergent container (tank) in the dishwasher 1 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit when the door is opened in the dishwasher according to the third embodiment. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart 1 showing the process from the initial measurement of liquid detergent through the washing process to the end of operation of the dishwasher 1 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart 2 showing the process from the initial measurement of liquid detergent through the washing process to the end of operation of the dishwasher 1 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the operation of the operation management system of the dishwasher according to the third embodiment in chronological order. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram 1 of the operation of a communication terminal, showing a scene in which the communication terminal receives a notification from a first server in an operation management system according to a modification of the third embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the operation of the communication terminal, showing a scene where the communication terminal receives a notification from the first server in the operation management system according to the modified example of the third embodiment. [Figure 28] 10 is a flowchart showing the operations of the dishwasher 1 according to the fourth embodiment up to the notification of operation time information. [Figure 29] 10 is a time chart 1 showing an overall picture of an operation management system for a dishwasher according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 30] 10 is a time chart 2 showing an overall picture of an operation management system for a dishwasher according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Embodiment 1 <Network configuration of Dishwasher 1> Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a dishwasher 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure 1, and an operation management system including an external network configuration. In Fig. 1, 1 is a dish dryer for home or commercial use, and has a drying function. In homes, there are built-in types that are installed inside kitchen furniture 100 (not shown), and freestanding types that are placed on kitchen furniture or the like, but either type is acceptable. The dishwasher 1 shown in embodiment 1 is primarily a household dishwasher, and is equipped with a function of drying washed dishes directly with warm air. However, the term "dishwasher" as used here also includes commercial dishwashing devices used in restaurants and other stores.

[0015] The dishwasher 1 has a communication unit 2 that can exchange data (including numerical values ​​and images) with a network NW (described later) via wireless communication. Dishwasher 1 is connected to a water supply facility installed in a home, a store, or the like, and performs a washing operation using water supplied from the water supply (tap water).

[0016] Reference numeral 12 denotes a measuring circuit that measures the remaining amount of special detergent that is put into the washing tank (not shown) when the washing process is performed in the dishwasher 1. This measuring circuit 12 has the function of measuring at least one of the weight and volume of the special detergent that has entered the tank (not shown) using a weight sensor or an optical sensor.

[0017] Reference numeral 11 denotes a consumption information acquisition unit that receives data on the measurement results from the measurement circuit 12, calculates the amount of detergent consumed after one washing cycle is completed, and stores the latest remaining amount (weight or volume) data in a memory unit (not shown).

[0018] Reference numeral 71 denotes an external server located outside a home, store, or the like, and is configured by connecting multiple server groups via a wireless communication network NW. For ease of explanation, the following description will be given on the assumption that this external server 71 is configured from a first server 72 and a second server 73. The network NW is a wide-area public network such as the Internet, and allows data (text, voice, images, etc.) to be sent and received via wireless communication even with a communication terminal 200 such as a smartphone.

[0019] The first server 72 may be composed of multiple servers divided by function, such as information processing, determining the remaining amount of detergent, and acquiring water quality data, but for simplicity of explanation, Figure 1 shows it as a single box on a single piece of hardware with various functions.

[0020] The first server 72 acquires water quality information from a water quality database 73A held by the second server 73 via the network NW and stores it in a water quality storage unit 72B. This first server 72 is, for example, a dedicated server for the manufacturer or distributor of the dishwasher 1 (hereinafter referred to as "manufacturer, etc."), but it may also be a server operated by a company that manufactures and sells multiple types of detergents for dishwashing. In other words, in the latter case, the server may also serve as a server that transmits information such as the uses and functions of the detergents.

[0021] The first server 72 has a user registration unit (not shown) that registers (stores) unique information U of the user's dishwasher 1 when the user who uses the dishwasher 1 receives unique information (including identification information of the dishwasher 1) when the user first registers the user. The control information S3 (described later) generated by the control information generation unit 72E of the first server 72 reflects the unique information U for each user held in the user registration unit. In other words, the control information S3 is generated to suit the specific model and structure of each individual dishwasher 1.

[0022] The unique information U includes address information indicating the location where the dishwasher 1 is installed when it is used. In the following explanation, "address information" does not necessarily refer to the location where the user of the dishwasher 1 lives, but rather to information indicating the location where the dishwasher 1 is located. For example, for a commercial dishwasher 1 used in a facility such as a restaurant, it does not matter whether the user lives in the facility.

[0023] The control information generating unit 72E generates control information required for the operation of the dishwasher 1. For example, when dishwasher 1 performs a series of dish washing and drying operations from the washing process to the drying process, it is necessary to select and execute one of the washing menus for each operation. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, when the dishwasher is operated by operating the "washing course selection" button (or input key) provided on the operation unit 32 (see Figure 2) (this is called "normal control mode"), "command data" CD1 for executing the normal control mode can be generated inside the control unit 31.

[0024] On the other hand, when an operation pattern is selected by operating communication terminal 200, first server 72 receives such input and can generate command data CD2 from control information generator 72E. This command data CD2 is then sent from communication terminal 200 to dishwasher 1, which can then acquire and operate dishwasher 1. This type of operation method is hereinafter referred to as "external control mode."

[0025] The command data CD1 of the control unit 31 can change the operation content from, for example, a course for washing and drying dishes for four people to a course for washing and drying dishes for six people.

[0026] On the other hand, the command data CD2 received from the control information generating unit 72E can automatically change the operating conditions stored in the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1. This change cannot be invalidated or changed by inputting through the operation unit 32 (FIG. 2).

[0027] As is clear from the above description, in this first embodiment, the command data CD2 is a command from first server 20 to set the operating conditions of dishwasher 1. For example, the command data CD1 that determines the operation details includes instructions (command data) that specify the means (heater 35, etc.) for generating the hot water that will be used as the washing liquid and the operating conditions (including, but not limited to, at least one of the washing time, the temperature of the hot water, and the drying time after washing) so that the items to be washed (dishes) can be washed. This applies to both the case of a series of operation programs for changing the operating conditions and the case of specifying the parameter setting values ​​to be set, the calculation formula for judgment, etc. Furthermore, the command data CD1 generated by the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 is basically the same as the command data CD2.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the command data CD1 and CD2 are divided into the following types: (1) First command data D1: Specifies the operation course of the dishwasher 1 (for example, the "normal washing" course). (2) Second command data D2: Specifies a "reservation mode" that starts the dishwasher 1 after a specified time or at a specified time. For example, specifies a "reservation course" to be described later. (3) Third command data D3: Requests the provision of status information A of dishwasher 1. Requests the provision of at least the latest remaining amount (weight, etc.) of consumables (e.g., liquid detergent) used in dishwasher 1. (4) Fourth command data D4: Restricts or stops the operation conditions of the dishwasher 1. For example, this refers to a command to reduce the maximum power consumption of a specific dishwasher 1 (peak cut) in response to power reduction information or tightness information from the power company, or to cancel the reservation contents set in the reservation course, or to delay the operation start time to avoid periods of peak power consumption.

[0029] When the dishwasher 1 receives the first command data D1 from the first server 72, if it completes the reception process of the first command data D1 and starts operation immediately, it will notify the user in advance via the notification unit 42 of the dishwasher 1 for safety reasons, and operation will not begin until the user makes any confirmation input or operation start input on the operation unit 32 (Figure 2).

[0030] In the following description, when the command data CD is simply mentioned, it refers to a case where at least one of the first to fourth command data D1 to D4 is included. As is clear from the above explanation, in this embodiment 1, the command data CD2 refers to a command supplied directly from first server 20 to dishwasher 1. In addition, a command supplied from first server 20 to dishwasher 1 via communication terminal 200 is also a type of command data CD2.

[0031] When the dishwasher 1 acquires command data CD from the outside (first server 72), it receives a setting command (control command) signal requesting compliance with the above-mentioned operating conditions. After this, the dishwasher 1 further receives a status command (status check) signal. In response, the dishwasher 1 receives the setting command (control command) signal and replies with the latest status indicating the current state of the dishwasher 1 as a "status command response (status confirmation response)" signal. By repeating this transmission and response several times, the dishwasher 1 is controlled by the command data CD1 from the first server 72. In the following description, such detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0032] When the first server 72 constantly monitors the operation of the dishwasher 1, it does not send or receive the setting command (control command) signal, but instead repeatedly communicates two types of signals at a predetermined monitoring time interval (for example, 5 minutes): a status command (status check) signal and a "status command response (status check response)" signal in response to the status command. If the status of the dishwasher 1 changes during the 5-minute monitoring period, the "status command response (status check response)" signal is immediately sent to the first server 72 at that time.

[0033] 1 shows an example of a dishwasher 1 in which the control unit 31 can generate the command data CD2, but there are cases in which a dishwasher 1 incapable of generating the command data CD2 is connected to the first server 72. Furthermore, if the control unit 31 can generate command data CD2 corresponding to water quality data, which will be described later, the function of the control unit 31 is automatically set so as not to receive the command data CD2 from the first server 72.

[0034] 72A is a water quality determination unit that, if there is no data to distinguish between hard water and soft water in the water quality data provided by the second server 73, determines at least two types of water: hard water and soft water, based on the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water quality data of tap water.

[0035] The control information generation unit 72E receives the water quality judgment result from the water quality judgment unit 72A and generates command data CD2 for changing the operation control "parameters" for each individual dishwasher 1. Such parameter change command data CD2 may be referred to as "control information S3." The "parameters" will be explained later.

[0036] The first server 72 may be what is generally called a "Web server" (hereinafter referred to as "Web server"). A Web server refers to a service program that provides HTML and object (image, etc.) display information to a Web browser on the software of an information processing device (client) on the "information receiving side," such as various communication terminals 200 or a home gateway (not shown), in accordance with HTTP (a protocol used to exchange data such as HTML documents and images between a Web server and a Web browser), and a server computer on which the service operates.

[0037] As mentioned above, in the description of this embodiment 1, unless otherwise specified, the dishwasher 1 includes a dishwasher for home use or a commercial use. Although not shown, dishwashers 1 installed in other homes, stores, etc. are also individually connected to the first server 72 via the network NW. In order to identify each individual dishwasher 1, the first server 72 holds the identification information of the dishwasher and personal information of the user, and the first server 72 identifies each individual dishwasher 1 when communicating via the network NW. In addition, electronic commerce (EC) sites such as online shops for online shopping services that sell specialized detergents for dishwashing are connected to the network NW, but are not shown in the figure.

[0038] In Figure 1, 23 is a detergent information storage unit that stores status information A sent from dishwasher 1 according to the device identification information of the dishwasher 1. Information on the remaining amount of consumables (liquid or granular dedicated detergent) consumed in the operation of dishwasher 1 is sent to this first server 72 when dishwasher 1 is operating, and is updated as needed and stored in this detergent information storage unit.

[0039] 73B is a detergent database, which holds various information about detergents corresponding to each dishwasher 1 (for example, detergent manufacturer name, detergent product name, detergent weight per unit, capacity, etc.). The detergent database 73B includes various information such as a "product category" indicating the type of dishwasher in which a particular liquid detergent is used, a "manufacturer name" indicating the name of the manufacturer (vendor) that produces the detergent, a "product category" indicating the type of detergent, "detergent identification information" indicating an identifier that can identify the detergent, a "product name" indicating the official name of the detergent, and "volume or weight information" indicating the sales unit (number of bottles, number of pieces, etc.) and volume of the detergent. It also includes functional information indicating whether the detergent is more effective for hard water or soft water.

[0040] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a control unit that controls the entire first server 72, and controls the operations of the water quality determination unit 72A, water quality storage unit 72B, detergent information holding unit 23, and control information generation unit 72E.

[0041] <Control unit 31> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 31 has the function of controlling the operation unit 32, display unit 33, audio notification unit 34, heater 35, washing pump 36, blower fan 37, and drying heater 38, and has one or more microcomputers (not shown) as its core. The control unit 31 can communicate with an external server 71, generate location information S2, and provide it to the external server 71 to obtain water quality information S1 for the address (location) indicated by the location information. Note that the communication unit 2 is not shown in FIG. 2. The "water quality information" referred to here includes basic data indicating the amount of "calcium, magnesium, etc." contained in tap water. Secondary data that determines whether water is "soft water" or "hard water" from this basic data is not required. Therefore, it is not required to provide a water quality determination unit 31J that determines whether water is soft or hard within the control unit 31, but it may be provided as shown in FIG. 2.

[0042] The location information S2 may be information that can be input via the operation unit 32 during a trial run after the dishwasher 1 is installed. Alternatively, it may be transmitted from the dishwasher 1 at a later date. Information such as the name of the prefecture or city / town / village may be input directly, as in normal address registration, or a postal code or latitude / longitude information may be input. This information is stored in the address information acquisition unit 61 and transmitted to the first server 72 when the user is registered. Furthermore, it is subsequently used by the first server 72 for user authentication, etc., when exchanging information with the first server 72.

[0043] The control unit 31 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a central processing unit (CPU: not shown), and contains a memory unit 31M such as a semiconductor memory device (flash memory, ROM, RAM), and a timekeeping means (timekeeping circuit) 31T that calculates time. Note that this timekeeping circuit 31T is configured so that power continues to be supplied (for example, power is supplied from an auxiliary power supply) even if a main power switch (not shown), which will be described later, is turned off.

[0044] Reference numeral 51 denotes a water quality information acquisition unit that acquires tap water quality information S1 from the first server 72. Reference numeral 61 denotes a location information acquisition unit that transmits location information S2 indicating the location of the kitchen (house), store, etc. where dishwasher 1 is used. As described above, in the case of a built-in (household) dishwasher 1, location information S2 can be information about the location of the house where the installed kitchen furniture is located. Similarly, for a freestanding (household) dishwasher 1, location information S2 can be information about the location of the house. However, rather than providing detailed information such as "1-1, XX-cho, XX-ku, Tokyo," dishwasher 1 may instead acquire latitude and longitude information of the house where dishwasher 1 is installed using communication terminal 200 or the like, and use that information as location information S2.

[0045] 31P is a control information generation unit that generates the control information S3, which determines the conditions for actually driving the cleaning function performance unit 41, using the water quality information S1 that the water quality information acquisition unit 51 acquires from the external server 71.

[0046] Reference numeral 81 denotes a control information generation unit provided outside the control unit 31. The control information generation unit 81 in Fig. 2 acquires water quality information S1 provided by the first server 72, and determines specific washing time, drying temperature, etc. according to this water quality information S1. In other words, this information is necessary when determining control conditions. Therefore, it is this control information generation unit 81 that generates the control information S3.

[0047] If the control information generating unit 81 is not provided and the control unit 31 itself uses the water quality information S1 to correct the "parameters" of the washing program that determines the washing operation and the drying program that determines the drying operation time and drying temperature, determine the control conditions, and execute them, the control condition generating unit 31P is required, but the external control information generating unit 81 is not required. Therefore, this control information generating unit 81 is shown in a dashed line frame.

[0048] The "parameter" refers to a control variable used to control, for example, the power supply rate, temperature, and rotation speed of the cleaning pump 36 when controlling the heater 35, the cleaning pump 36, the blower fan 37, and the drying heater 38. For example, if there is a data table for temperature control, the "parameter" refers to each control value (numerical value) in the data table.

[0049] The water quality information acquisition unit 51, the address information acquisition unit 61, and the control information generation unit 81 are individually controlled by the control unit 31. A washing function performing part 41 corresponds to a configuration for performing the functions of washing and drying dishes. Specifically, the washing function performing section 41 includes a shower nozzle (not shown) that sprays washing water such as hot water onto the dishes, and a washing pump 36 that supplies the washing water. It also includes a heater 35 that produces hot water for washing, a drying heater 38 that dries the dishes after washing, and a blower fan 37 that circulates hot air in the internal space of the washing tank (not shown). In addition, a detergent supply unit (not shown), such as an electromagnetic pump that supplies a dedicated liquid detergent (not shown), located outside and in front of the washing tank (not shown), is also part of the washing function exerting unit 41.

[0050] <Dishwasher 1 operation> Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation steps of the dishwasher 1 according to embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 1. To facilitate overall understanding, the operation of the first server 72 is also shown.

[0051] 3, steps SA1, SA2, SA6 and SA7 show the operation of dishwasher 1. Steps SA3 to SA5 show the operation of first server 72. Note that the operation of second server 73 is not shown in the figure. First, when the operation button of the main power switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32 is pressed to turn on the main power switch, power from the commercial power source is applied to the control unit 31 (step SA1).

[0052] The control unit 31 is started up and transmits a signal to the first server 72 via the communication unit 2 requesting the provision of the latest water quality information S1 (step SA2). When the first server 72 receives a signal from one of the dishwashers 1 requesting the provision of the latest water quality information S1 as described above, it receives location information (address information) S2 along with the identification information of that dishwasher 1. However, if the identification information and location information S2 of each individual dishwasher 1 are paired (linked) and pre-stored in an internal storage device M (not shown) in the first server 72, even if the location information S2 does not arrive from the dishwasher 1, it can read the location information from the storage device M and send it to the second server 73 to request the provision of water quality information S1 for a specific location. This completes the processing of step SA3.

[0053] In the next step SA4, the first server 72 obtains water quality data from the second server 73 and temporarily stores it in the water quality memory unit 72B. The water quality determination unit 72A then determines whether the water is hard or soft. It may also be classified as "weakly hard" or "moderately hard." If the second server 73 performs a primary determination of whether the water is hard or soft, basic data on the content of elements such as calcium and magnesium in the water is not required. The first server 72 may obtain the primary determination information from the water purification plant and temporarily store it in the water quality memory unit 72B.

[0054] Next, the first server 72 transmits the determination result of the water quality information stored in the water quality memory unit 72B to the dishwasher 1 as water quality information S1 (step SA5). In this case, the water quality information S1 may also be transmitted to the communication terminal 200 that has completed connection settings with the first server 72 in advance. The next step SA6 is an operation on the dishwasher 1 side. In this step SA6, the control unit 31 changes various control conditions to control contents corresponding to the water quality (hard water or soft water) (hereinafter referred to as "water-quality-adaptive control"). Then, the process transitions to a state (standby state) where it waits for the user to input an operation start command from the operation unit 32 (step SA7). This water-quality-adaptive control will be explained in detail with reference to the following FIG. 4.

[0055] Next, FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment. Step SN1 is the start step of the "water quality response control" and is a step for determining the water quality. In step SN1, if the water hardness obtained from the water quality information S1 is soft water, the process proceeds to step SN2A, where an operation program for a normal dishwasher 1 is applied to control the dish washing and drying operations. Step SN2A is a step in which a "rinsing process" is carried out at a high temperature (high-temperature water) and drying is carried out at a high temperature, and in the next step SN3A, drying is carried out while maintaining the drying time in the normal mode. The control unit 31 selects "control condition 1" (step SN1) in order to execute step SN2A and step SN3A in sequence.

[0056] On the other hand, if the water hardness obtained from the water quality information S1 in step SN1 is hard water, the process proceeds to step SN2B. In step SN2B, the "rinsing process" is performed using hot water that is colder than in step SN2A. Then, drying is performed using hot air that is colder than in step SN2A. In this way, in step SN2B, "control condition 2" is selected based on the determination result of step SN1 so that the "temperature T" in the drying process is set lower than when soft water is used. This temperature T is, for example, the temperature of the hot air supplied to the internal space of a washing tub (not shown) that contains tableware. For example, if the washing tub has a hot air supply means for circulating hot air inside, it refers to the temperature at which the hot air is blown out from the hot air supply path. Alternatively, it may be a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the internal atmosphere of the washing tub using a temperature sensor installed at another position in the washing tub. The power supply to the heat source (electric heater) of the hot air supply means is controlled so that this target temperature is reached.

[0057] Next, the process proceeds to step SN3B. In step SN3B, since step SN2B was "low temperature drying," the drying time is longer than in step SN3A. That is, the control unit 31 executes "control condition 2" to sequentially execute step SNB and step SN3B, and the control unit 31 sets the operation time condition in control condition 2 so that the drying time is longer (compared to the case of "control condition 1").

[0058] The water quality information S1 acquired by the water quality information acquisition unit 51 from the first server 72 includes a signal that identifies hard water and soft water, and is sorted into two in step SN1, so that at the stages of steps SN2A, SN3A, SN2B and SN3B, the control unit 31 does not need to determine the water quality of hard water or soft water each time.

[0059] In step SN2B, the temperature of the "rinsing step" before the drying step may be lowered ("low-temperature rinsing"), thereby keeping the temperature at the beginning of the subsequent "drying step" low.

[0060] The operation example of FIGS. 3 and 4 is an example in which the command data CD2 generated by the first server 72 is not used, but the command data CD1 is generated on the dishwasher 1 side. Therefore, in the case of a dishwasher 1 that does not have the function to generate command data CD1, the first server 72 acquires the command data CD1 from the second server 73, and based on the results determined by the water quality determination unit 72A, the control information generation unit 72E generates command data CD2 corresponding to hard water and soft water, and sends this to the dishwasher 1, causing it to execute control under either control condition 1 or control condition 2 of Figure 4.

[0061] Next, FIG. 5 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart 2 showing the basic operation of the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 shown in FIG. 5, steps ST1 to ST9 are operation steps defined in a series of control operation programs from washing to drying stored in the control unit 31. Note that the steps after the start of the washing operation are not shown in the figure. First, when the operation button of the main power switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32 is pressed (step ST1), the control unit 31 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the next step ST2. For example, the control unit 31 checks signals from various sensors (not shown) to determine whether or not there is an abnormality, such as whether there is an electrical abnormality in the washing pump 36 that constitutes the washing function exerting unit 41, or whether there is a water leak from the washing tank (not shown) that contains the dishes.

[0062] If no abnormality is found, the display unit 33 is activated in the next step ST3 to display the message "Since there is no abnormality, washing of dishes can begin." At step ST2, if the dishwasher 1 is set to send startup information to the communication terminal 200 or the first server 20, the startup information (initial operating status data OS1) is sent wirelessly from the communication unit 2 at this stage.

[0063] In step ST3, the display unit 33 and the audio notification unit 34 provide notifications and audio guidance to prompt the user to make necessary inputs, such as selecting a "cleaning course," on the operation unit 32. Since this dishwasher 1 uses liquid detergent (consumable product), a check is made in step ST4 to see if the remaining amount of liquid detergent is less than a specified amount. If the result of measurement by the metering circuit 12 shows that the remaining amount of detergent is less than a specified value (threshold value), the display unit 33 will display a message recommending that the detergent be replenished at this stage, and the audio notification unit 34 will also issue an audio notification.

[0064] In step ST4, if the remaining amount of detergent is less than a specified value (threshold value), the user refills the tank (not shown) with detergent, and the amount of detergent is re-determined by re-measuring (weighing) it after the refill, and when the specified amount is reached, the display unit 33 and audio notification unit 34 notify the user that detergent has been refilled. If the amount of detergent is less than the specified amount, the process cannot proceed to the next step ST5.

[0065] In the next step ST5, an initial screen is displayed on the display unit 33, and a display is displayed prompting the user to select an operation course to be selected before starting operation. The washing course indicates the basic form or type of washing operation, and is also called a "washing mode." In this first embodiment, the washing courses are, for example, a "normal course," a "thorough course," a "reserved course," and the like.

[0066] The "normal course" is convenient to select when washing dishes immediately after a meal, and is advantageous in terms of saving water, time, and energy. The "thorough course" is convenient to select when thoroughly washing heavily soiled or oily dishes, and the washing process takes longer than the normal course. It is recommended to select this course when washing dishes that have been left for a while after eating.

[0067] The "reserved course" is a course in which operation starts a certain time (for example, four hours) after it is set, or conversely, an operation end time is set and the start of operation is left to the dishwasher 1. In this embodiment 1, the control program is set so that operation starts automatically four hours after the reservation is set. In addition to this, there is also a "drying course" that only dries hand-washed dishes, and courses that combine the courses mentioned above.

[0068] Furthermore, in this dishwasher 1, the user US can also set the "reserved course" to start the washing operation by command from the communication terminal 200 (this will be called "reserved course #2"). The reserved course can also be set from the communication terminal 200 by the second command data CD2.

[0069] To ensure that the user does not forget to start operating reserved course #2, a push notification is sent to communication terminal 200 at regular intervals from the time reserved course #2 is set. For example, the notification is sent via first server 72 at a notification timing previously selected by user US, such as 3 hours, 3 hours and 30 minutes, or 4 hours.

[0070] When the user sees a notification on the display of communication terminal 200 requesting a command to start operation of reserved course #2, the user performs a predetermined operation on the communication terminal, which generates command data CD2 and commands the start of the washing process via first server 20. Therefore, even if the user is away from home, the user can command the washing of dishes from a remote location.

[0071] Once the selection of the cleaning course has been completed (step ST6), the next step ST7 determines whether the required cleaning course (operating mode) has been selected using the operation unit 32. If the selection has been entered, the result of step ST6 is "Yes" and the process proceeds to step ST7. If a washing course (operation mode) is not selected through the operation unit 32, the determination in step ST6 is repeated for a certain period of time (for example, 10 minutes) until an input is made.

[0072] In the next step ST7, a signal is sent to the first server 72 via the communication unit 2 requesting the provision of water quality information S1. As a result, when the water quality information S1 is provided from the first server 72, the display unit 33 or the audio notification unit 34 displays or audio notifies that the water quality information S1 has been acquired. In step ST7, the first server 72 provides command data CD2 for an operating program corresponding to the washing course selected in step ST6.

[0073] If the dishwasher 1 itself can generate control information S3 corresponding to the command data CD2, the command data CD is not acquired as described in step ST7. Instead, the control unit 31 generates control information S3 for hard water or control information S3 for soft water in accordance with the water quality information S1, and operation from step ST9 onwards is carried out based on this control information S3.

[0074] Next, in step ST8, it is determined whether the operation start key (button) on the operation unit 32 has been pressed, and if it has been pressed, the determination is "Yes" and the process proceeds to step ST9. In step ST9, the cleaning pump 36 is operated to store a certain amount of cleaning water in the cleaning tank (not shown), and power is also started to be supplied to the heater 35 that heats the cleaning water.

[0075] After this, the detergent is added to the wash water in an amount determined by the control unit 31. Note that, in the reserved course, operation starts four hours after the course is set, so detergent is automatically added after operation starts.

[0076] The warm wash water (mixed with the detergent) is sprayed from a wash nozzle (not shown) toward the dishes placed in a dish basket (not shown) in the washing tub. The wash nozzle rotates in reaction to the spray of wash water, spraying the water evenly onto the dishes. In this way, the washing process begins from step ST9.

[0077] <Summary of First Embodiment> As described above, one embodiment of the dishwasher 1 according to the disclosure includes: a control unit 31 that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process in accordance with control conditions; a notification unit 42; an address information acquisition unit 61 that holds address information S2 that can identify an installation area; a communication unit 2 capable of transmitting the address information S2 to an external server 71; a water quality information acquisition unit (51) that acquires water quality information (S1) that is determined by the external server (71) as to whether the water quality of the water source in the area specified by the address information (S2) is soft water or hard water; a consumption information acquisition unit 11 that detects the remaining amount of detergent used in the washing step, The control unit 31 operates under a first control condition when the water quality information acquisition unit 51 receives the water quality information S1 indicating soft water, and operates under a second control condition when the water quality information acquisition unit 51 receives the water quality information S1 indicating hard water; the notification unit 42 notifies at least one of the information regarding the remaining amount of detergent and the water quality information S1; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0078] More specifically, the water quality information acquisition unit 51 acquires water quality information S1 from an external server 71 and determines whether the water is soft water or hard water based on the water quality information S1. The control unit 31 is a dishwasher 1 characterized in that when the water quality information acquisition unit 51 determines that the water is soft, it operates under control condition 1 (see steps SN2A and SN3A in Figure 4), and when it determines that the water is hard, it operates under control condition 2 (see steps SN2B and SN3B).

[0079] With this configuration, in areas with high water hardness, the temperature and time control allows the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. Furthermore, the notification unit 42 notifies the user of at least one of the information regarding the remaining amount of detergent and the information regarding the water quality determination result of the water quality information acquisition unit 51 (see steps ST4 and ST7 in FIG. 5), so that the user can know that detergent is running low and the quality of the supplied water, and can replenish the necessary detergent in the preparation stage before starting the wash operation. In addition, the user can also arrange for detergent according to the water quality.

[0080] Furthermore, one embodiment of the dishwasher operation management system according to the disclosure shown in this embodiment 1 is a dishwasher (1) that sequentially executes a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit (32) that can input address information (S2), a detergent consumption information acquisition unit (11) that acquires information on the detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit (2); an external server 71 that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 2; the dishwasher 1 notifies the user of the remaining amount of detergent acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit 11, acquires water quality information S1 of the water source in the area corresponding to the address information from the external server 71, generates two types of control information S3 for hard water and soft water according to the water quality information S1, and executes the washing process and the drying process; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0081] With this configuration, in areas where the water is hard, for example, the temperature and time can be controlled to allow the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. In addition, the dishwasher 1 notifies the user of information regarding the remaining amount of detergent (see step ST4 in Figure 5), so the user can easily know when detergent is running low and can replenish the necessary detergent during the preparation stage before starting the washing operation.

[0082] Embodiment 2 <Control unit 31> A second embodiment according to the second disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram of dishwasher 1 in embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operational steps of the dishwasher shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the water quality acquisition operation of control unit 31 of dishwasher 1 shown in Fig. 6. Note that parts that are the same as or equivalent to the configuration of embodiment 1 described in Figs. 1 to 5 are given the same reference numerals.

[0083] Referring to FIG. In this embodiment 2, the dishwasher 1 does not have a configuration equivalent to the water quality information acquisition unit 51 described in Fig. 2 of embodiment 1. In other words, the dishwasher 1 itself does not determine the content of the water quality, and therefore does not have the function to determine whether the water is hard or soft. 72D is a control information database for the dishwasher 1. This stores various control information data for executing the washing process and the drying process for each identification information such as the type name and model number of the dishwasher 1. Reference numeral 72E denotes a control information generation unit. This control information generation unit 72E generates control information S3 for each individual dishwasher 1 on a case-by-case basis, for determining control conditions suitable for each individual dishwasher 1, based on water quality data (such as from each regional water purification plant) obtained from second server 73 or water quality data obtained directly by first server 72 itself. Therefore, in this second embodiment, control information acquisition unit 81 of dishwasher 1 can ultimately acquire control information S3 that is compatible with both soft water and hard water.

[0084] In Figure 6, 40 is a calendar function unit with a calendar function, which, upon receiving a start command from the operation unit 32, reads the current year, month, date, and time information from a calendar information unit (not shown) and continues timing operations thereafter, automatically providing data such as the current time and elapsed time to the control unit 31. Note that this calendar function unit 40 does not need to be configured as an independent processing circuit. For example, the calendar function unit 40 may be realized by software such as a microcomputer that constitutes the control unit 31, and need not be a (dedicated) timing circuit 31T (see Figure 2) configured separately on hardware.

[0085] Here, a method for the address information acquisition unit 61 to acquire the address information S2 will be described. (1) Method 1: The input keys and operation buttons of the operation unit 32 are operated to input the address indicating the location where the dishwasher 1 is installed. (2) Method 2: A method of acquiring address information S2 by reading it from communication terminal 200 such as a smartphone. For example, communication terminal 200 may acquire latitude and longitude information from the Internet, and address information S2 may be input via communication terminal 200. One method of Method 2 involves using an electronic map available free of charge on the Internet to select a specific facility (e.g., an apartment building) and acquire the latitude and longitude information corresponding to that facility. This method allows the latitude and longitude information to be quickly viewed on the terminal display unit 216 of communication terminal 200, for example, on a terminal display screen (including a pop-up screen) (not shown). Therefore, the latitude and longitude information displayed there may be stored in communication terminal 200, and then transmitted from communication terminal 200 to dishwasher 1 via wireless communication (including a "near field communication" method known as NFC).

[0086] The control information S3 mentioned above can be of two types: one containing the entire "washing operation (operation) program" that determines a series of "control conditions" from washing to rinsing and drying processes (hereinafter referred to as "first case"), and the other containing commands (setting instructions) for changing individual parameters such as "temperature" and "time" that constitute part of the "washing operation (operation) program" held by the dishwasher 1 (hereinafter referred to as "second case"). The latter (the second case) has the advantage of reducing the data volume during data communication.

[0087] In this embodiment 2, for the sake of simplicity, the second case is adopted, and the following explanation is based on the assumption that, as in embodiment 1, two types of setting commands, "control condition 1" and "control condition 2," for changing parameters are provided from the first server 72.

[0088] <Dishwasher 1 operation> In this second embodiment, the configuration of the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 and its operating program are different from those in the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation steps of the dishwasher 1 shown in FIG. To facilitate overall understanding, the operation of the first server 72 is also shown. Also, since Fig. 7 corresponds to Fig. 3, the following description will focus on the differences from Fig. 3.

[0089] 7, steps SA1, SA2A, SA6A, and SA7 show the operation of dishwasher 1. Steps SA3A to SA5A show the operation of first server 72. Note that the operation of second server 73 is not shown here. First, when the operation button of the main power switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32 is pressed to turn on the main power switch, power from the commercial power source is applied to the control unit 31 (step SA1).

[0090] When the control unit 31 is started, it transmits a signal via the communication unit 2 to the first server 72 requesting the provision of control information S3 corresponding to the latest water quality information (step SA2A). In other words, the dishwasher 1 does not request the provision of information about the quality of tap water (including the amount of various substances contained in the tap water and the result of the determination whether the water is hard or soft). This is different from the first embodiment.

[0091] When the first server 72 receives a signal from a dishwasher 1 requesting control information S3 corresponding to the latest water quality, as described above, it also receives location information S2 along with the identification information of that dishwasher 1. However, if the identification information and location information of each dishwasher 1 are paired (linked) and pre-stored in an internal storage device M (not shown) in the first server 72, even if the location information S2 does not arrive from the dishwasher 1, the first server 72 can read the location information S2 (corresponding to the specific dishwasher 1) from the storage device M (not shown) and send it to the second server 73 to request water quality data from the water supply source (such as a water purification plant) responsible for the area of ​​the address (installation location) identified by the location information S2. This completes the processing of step SA3A. Step SA3A also differs from step SA3 in the first embodiment.

[0092] In the next step SA4A, the first server 72 acquires water quality data from the second server 73 and temporarily stores it in the water quality storage unit 72B. The water quality determination unit 72A then determines the water quality into at least two categories: hard water or soft water. Other categories, such as "weakly hard water" and "medium hard water," may also be used. This step SA4A also differs from step SA4 in the first embodiment.

[0093] If the second server 73 makes an initial judgment as to whether the water is hard or soft, basic data on the content of "calcium, magnesium, etc." in the water is not required in step SA4A, and the first server 72 can obtain the initial judgment information from the water purification plant and temporarily store it as is in the water quality memory unit 72B.

[0094] Next, the first server 72 transmits the determination result of the water quality information stored in the water quality memory unit 72B to the control information generation unit 72E. The control information generation unit 72E generates at least two types of control information S3 (S3A, S3B) corresponding to the received water quality information (for example, two types of hard water and soft water) and transmits this to the dishwasher 1 (step SA5A). This step SA5A also differs from step SA5 in the first embodiment. In this case, the determination result of the water quality information may also be transmitted to the communication terminal 200 for which connection settings to the first server 72 have been completed in advance.

[0095] Here, the control information S3A is "first control information" (control information for soft water) that specifies the first control condition generated by the control information generating unit 72E in the case of soft water. Moreover, the control information S3B is "second control information" (control information for hard water) that specifies the second control conditions generated by the control information generating unit 72E in the case of hard water.

[0096] The next step SA6A is an operation on the dishwasher 1 side. In this step SA6A, the control unit 31 changes the "reference control conditions" in accordance with the control information S3 (although it may not change them). That is, the control unit 31 changes some of the various parameters used to determine the control conditions according to the control information S3, and determines one control condition corresponding to the water quality. This step SA6A also differs from step SA6 in the first embodiment. Note that the "reference control conditions" are, for example, control conditions for soft water. Then, the dishwasher 1 enters a state (standby state) in which it waits for the user to input an operation start command from the operation unit 32 (step SA7).

[0097] Next, FIG. 8 will be described. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the water quality acquisition operation of the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 shown in Fig. 6. In particular, the operation relates to an operation of requesting the external server 71, such as the first server 72, to transmit control information S3.

[0098] 8, steps SB1 to SB7 are stored in advance as a data request processing program in memory unit 31M in control unit 31. Whenever dishwasher 1 is used in response to an input from operation unit 32 of dishwasher 1, step SB1 is checked. Therefore, when the main power switch is turned on to start use, a determination is first made in step SB1 as to whether or not user registration has been completed. User registration information must include identification information (such as name) of the user who will be using the dishwasher 1, and address information that identifies the installation location.

[0099] When the user operates the operation unit 32 to select the item "User Registration," the address information and user identification information are displayed on the display unit 33 along with the information and input method (procedure), and the voice notification unit 34 also guides the user through input in an interactive manner using voice.

[0100] When dishwasher 1 is installed in a home or store, the completion of "user registration" is checked first in step SB1. If user registration has not been completed, the process proceeds to step SB6, where the completion of address information entry is checked. Once the address information entry is completed and a completion command is given via operation unit 32, the result of step SB6 is "Yes." In other words, after user registration, the process proceeds to step SB7, where the calendar function is activated.

[0101] Therefore, when the dishwasher 1 is first installed, if the installer or dealer first operates the operation unit 32 to give a command to start a test run, the result of step SB2 will be "Yes", and the user registration information will be sent to the first server 72 via the communication unit 2. Note that a description of the mutual authentication procedure between the first server 72 and the communication terminal 200 will be omitted.

[0102] After step SB2, the first server 72 stores the user information for the specific dishwasher 1 in a predetermined user database (storage unit), and the dishwasher 1 can be extracted together with the corresponding address information.

[0103] Thereafter, the user presses the operation button of the main power switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32 to turn on the main power switch, and when the control unit 31 starts up, it determines whether or not to send a signal via the communication unit 2 to the first server 72 requesting the provision of control information S3 corresponding to the latest water quality information. These steps are steps SB3 and SB4. First, if the operation is not a test run, step SB3 determines the time (period) that has elapsed since the previous use of the dishwasher 1. Information on the date and time of the previous use is read from memory unit 31M in control unit 31, and is compared with the current date and time information from calendar function unit 40. If the period (number of days) that has elapsed is less than 30 days, the determination is "No" and the process proceeds to step SB4.

[0104] In step SB4, the current date and time information from the calendar function unit 40 is used. For example, if the start of each of the four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) is set to the first day of April, July, October, or January, step SB4 will return a "Yes" result if the first day has passed. If the determinations in steps SB3 and SB4 are "Yes," the process proceeds to step SB5. As a result, the address information is again sent from the dishwasher 1 to the first server 72, and the first server 72 acquires water quality data from an information provider site that holds information on the water quality of the water source (tap water), such as a water purification plant or water supply facility, that corresponds to the address indicated in the address information. Therefore, the control information S3 provided by the first server 72 can be generated based on the latest water quality data that also captures seasonal changes, so it is expected that the control of the dishwasher 1 that receives this information will also correspond to the actual water quality data.

[0105] <Summary of Embodiment 2> As described above, one embodiment of the dishwasher 1 according to the disclosure includes: a control unit 31 that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process in accordance with control conditions; an address information acquisition unit 61 that holds address information S2 that can identify an installation area; a communication unit 2 capable of transmitting the address information S2 to an external server 71; a control information acquisition unit 81; a measuring unit 12 for measuring the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 to be used in the cleaning process; Equipped with The control unit acquires control information S3A of a first control condition from the external server 71 when the water quality of the water supply source is soft water, and acquires control information S3B of a second control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is hard water, the control unit 31 measures the remaining amount of the liquid detergent 57 by the measuring unit 12, and when the remaining amount is equal to or greater than a reference value, starts operation in accordance with either the first control condition or the second control condition; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0106] With this configuration, in areas where the water is hard, for example, the temperature and time can be controlled to allow the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. Furthermore, the remaining amount of the liquid detergent 57 is measured, and operation is possible if the remaining amount is equal to or greater than a specified value, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which operation is started without noticing that the amount of liquid detergent 57 is less than the specified amount.

[0107] Furthermore, since there is no need for the dishwasher 1 to determine the water quality, such as hard water or soft water, and the water quality determination is performed on the external server 71 side, the internal circuitry (determination function, etc.) of each dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to that of embodiment 1, which is advantageous in terms of cost. In other words, control information S3A specifying the first control condition or control information S3B specifying the second control condition according to the water quality, provided by the external server 71 according to the address information S2, can be obtained and used to set the control conditions for the washing process and drying process, so the configuration of the dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to embodiment 1.

[0108] As described above, in the second embodiment, the operation management system for a dishwasher according to the disclosure is implemented as follows. That is, one embodiment of the dishwasher operation management system is: a dishwasher (1) that sequentially executes a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit (32) that can input address information (S2), a detergent consumption information acquisition unit (11) that acquires information on the detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit (2); an external server 71 that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 2; The external server 71 acquires water quality information S1 of the water supply source in the area corresponding to the address information S2, and generates first control information S3A corresponding to soft water and second control information S3B corresponding to hard water according to the water quality information S1; the dishwasher 1 notifies the user of the remaining amount of detergent acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit 11, acquires either the first control information S3A or the second control information S3B from the external server 71 before starting the washing process, and executes the washing process and the drying process; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0109] With this configuration, in areas where the water is hard, for example, the temperature and time can be controlled to allow the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. In addition, the dishwasher 1 notifies the user of information regarding the remaining amount of detergent, so the user can easily know when detergent is running low, and can replenish the necessary detergent in the preparation stage before starting the washing operation.

[0110] Furthermore, since there is no need for the dishwasher 1 to determine the water quality, such as hard water or soft water, and the water quality determination is performed on the external server 71 side, the internal circuitry (determination function, etc.) of each dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to that of embodiment 1, which is advantageous in terms of cost. In other words, control information S3A specifying the first control condition or control information S3B specifying the second control condition according to the water quality, provided by the external server 71 according to the address information S2, can be obtained and used to set the control conditions for the washing process and drying process, so the configuration of the dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to embodiment 1.

[0111] Embodiment 3 <Network configuration of Dishwasher 1> FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a dishwasher 1 according to the third embodiment and an operation management system including an external network configuration. In Fig. 9, reference numeral 1 denotes a household dishwasher having a drying function. There are built-in types that are installed inside kitchen furniture 100 in a home kitchen, and freestanding types that are placed on kitchen furniture or the like, but either type is acceptable. Note that parts that are the same as or equivalent to the configurations of the first and second embodiments described in Figs. 1 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0112] In this embodiment 3, the water quality (hardness, etc.) of the tap water source (water purification plant, etc.) is not determined by the dishwasher 1 itself, but is determined by an external first server 72, etc., and control information S3 generated from the determination result is provided to the dishwasher 1.

[0113] (Configuration of the third embodiment) The third embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIGS. First, FIG. 9 will be described. Figure 9 is a configuration diagram 1 of a dishwasher operation management system according to embodiment 3. As is clear from Figure 9, this operation management system is made up of a dishwasher 1, an information processing terminal (communication terminal) 200 such as a smartphone, a wide area public network NW, a first server 72, and an information providing server (second server) 73.

[0114] The first server 72 may be configured as multiple servers divided by function, such as information processing, determining the remaining amount of liquid detergent for the dishwasher 1, and data storage, but for simplicity of explanation, Figure 9 shows it as a single hardware configuration.

[0115] The first server 72 is connected to one or more second servers 73 via a network NW to keep the information held in the database 28 of various consumer goods such as liquid detergents and the electrical equipment information storage unit 23 up to date. The second (information providing) server 73N may be, for example, a dedicated server for the maintenance and inspection service department of a manufacturer of a single electrical device 1E, or may be a server operated by a company that manufactures and sells multiple types of detergents, and disseminates information such as the uses and functions of the detergents.

[0116] The dishwasher 1 of the third embodiment is used in each home, and each home is connected to the first server 72 via the network NW.

[0117] Furthermore, dishwashers 1 and other electrical appliances 1E (not shown) installed in other homes or offices are also connected to the first server 72 via the network NW. It should be noted that an EC site that handles electronic commerce, such as an online shop that offers online shopping, is connected to the network NW, but is not shown in the figure.

[0118] Dishwasher 1, which will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 to 6, includes housing 2 that houses washing tub 3 (see Figure 13) for storing dishes, a water supply pipe (not shown) connected to a water main, a drain pipe (not shown) connected to a drainage channel, washing (water supply) pump 36, drain pump 94, etc. Here, washing pump 36, drain pump 94, etc. are power generating parts that make up washing function exerting section 41.

[0119] Reference numeral 32 denotes an input section that has various input keys, input buttons, and other operation sections (not shown) that are operated by touch or pressure from the user, and is exposed on the front surface of the housing 2 of the dishwasher 1. Note that the operation section 32 may be provided in two locations: a front operation section 32F and an upper operation section 32U (not shown) provided on the top display section of the door 4, as shown in FIG.

[0120] The operation unit 32 does not necessarily have to employ an input method based on touch operation, but may be a voice input device that receives the user's voice and converts it into an electrical signal, or a combination of these. It may also employ a means for detecting the user's fingertip movements in a non-contact manner, or for acquiring the sound (knocking sound) produced when lightly tapping an object such as the door 4 with a fingertip, and converting it into an electrical input signal.

[0121] Reference numeral 6 denotes an appliance information storage unit that stores various information related to the dishwasher 1. The "appliance information" referred to here includes the appliance identification information. It also stores basic information related to the consumption of consumables (liquid detergent) for the consumption information acquisition unit 11, which will be described later. For example, the amount of liquid detergent 57 consumed when washing a standard amount of dishes using the normal wash cycle is stored as a weight value, such as "XX g." In this case, the unit also stores data on the available volume of the tank 56 (see FIG. 14) into which the detergent is dispensed, and therefore stores data on the maximum capacity (weight) of the liquid detergent 57.

[0122] Reference numeral 82 denotes a power supply unit to which AC power, for example, at a voltage of 100V or 200V and a frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz, is supplied from a commercial power source (not shown). By operating the operation portion of a main power switch (not shown) located on the operation unit 32, the supply of commercial power to the power supply unit 82 can be started or cut off. However, in the case of a built-in dishwasher 1 installed in kitchen furniture 100 or the like, as in this third embodiment, the power cord (not shown) is always connected to the power supply unit of the house and is configured so that the user cannot plug or unplug it each time.

[0123] Reference numeral 2 denotes a communication unit. This communication unit is composed of two units, communication unit A and communication unit B. Communication unit A is compatible with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication method, which is one of the short-range wireless communication standards, so that it can communicate with the communication terminal 200. On the other hand, communication unit B uses a wireless LAN communication method such as WiFi (registered trademark) so that it can communicate with a wireless router 104 (see FIG. 11) that serves as an access point of the network NW.

[0124] When the communication unit 2 transmits the status information A, the status information A is linked to the device identification information so that the receiving side can identify the sender of the status information A. Therefore, the first server 72 that receives the status information A can identify which user and which dishwasher 1 the status information comes from.

[0125] A washing function performing section 41 is provided. In the third embodiment, since the dishwasher 1 is used, the washing function performing section 41 corresponds to a configuration for performing the functions of washing and drying dishes. The shower nozzle 15 described in FIG. 14 and the detergent supply unit 5 that dispenses the liquid detergent 57 are also part of the washing function exerting unit 41.

[0126] The control unit 31 controls the operation of the cleaning function exerting unit 41 by supplying various electric signals to the cleaning function exerting unit 41 for driving, speed control, or stopping. The control content of the control unit 31 is transmitted as driving information OS from the communication unit 2 to the first server 72. For example, when a main power switch (not shown) is turned on, a start signal SS (driving information OS1), which is a type of driving signal, is transmitted to the first server 72.

[0127] Reference numeral 11 denotes a consumption information acquisition unit, which receives the consumption amount of "dedicated liquid detergent 57," one of the consumable products used in dishwasher 1, from measurement unit 12 in the form of data in a predetermined format (first measurement data MD1). It also has a function of retaining data indicating the measurement results.

[0128] In addition, the consumption information acquisition unit 11 has the function of chronologically accumulating the results of measurement by the measuring unit 12 (weight values ​​of liquid detergent 57), and also generating and storing data (second measurement data MD2) indicating the amount and rate of change.

[0129] The consumption information acquisition unit 11 calculates the amount of consumables (liquid detergent 57) consumed in each operation (main power ON to main power OFF). As a result, the average consumption amount over a certain period or a certain number of operations is also generated as needed, and the stored data is updated. In other words, the data is updated each time a washing operation is performed and kept as the latest data. Note that the first measurement data MD1 and the second measurement data MD2 are collectively referred to as "measurement data MD" in the following description.

[0130] The amount of the consumable product (in this case, liquid detergent 57) acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit 11 is ultimately transmitted to and stored in the device information storage unit 6. At that time, the "status information A" is generated according to the amount of the consumable product.

[0131] For example, if the amount of consumable goods (in this case, liquid detergent 57) is low and only the amount expected to be used in one normal dishwashing run remains, information such as a "recommended message" that encourages the user to take action, such as "The detergent is running low. Please refill," or information for "alarm processing" that requests the control unit 31 to issue a specific "alarm" indicating that the detergent has run out, is generated as one type of "status information A."

[0132] The status information A is transmitted from the communication unit 2 to the outside in response to a command from the control unit 31. The control unit 31 also acquires the "status information A" as needed and notifies the remaining amount of consumables by the notification unit 42. In the worst case scenario where the consumables do not reach the specified amount, even if a command to start cleaning is received from the operation unit 32, a command is issued to the cleaning function performance unit 41 and the cleaning operation is not started.

[0133] Reference numeral 80 denotes a bus (bus-type network) that interconnects the control unit 31, the device information storage unit 6, the consumption information acquisition unit 11, the cleaning function exertion unit 41, and the like.

[0134] In this embodiment 3, the device information storage unit 6 does not randomly generate "status information A" during the dishwashing operation. In other words, the timing when the measuring unit 12 measures the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 and the timing when the communication unit 2 transmits status information A to the outside are controlled by the control unit 31.

[0135] The functions of the control unit 31, the device information storage unit 6, and the consumption information acquisition unit 11 shown in Fig. 9 are realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit that realizes each function may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processor that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0136] When the processing circuit is a processor, the functions of the control unit 31, the device information storage unit 6, and the consumption information acquisition unit 11 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the storage unit 31M, which is memory. The processor realizes the functions of the control unit 31, the device information storage unit 6, and the consumption information acquisition unit 11 by reading and executing the programs stored in the storage unit 31M.

[0137] These programs cause the microcomputer to execute the control procedures of the control unit 31, the device information storage unit 6, and the consumption information acquisition unit 11. The storage unit 31M is typically a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM.

[0138] Next, FIG. 9 will be described. In the first server 72, the control unit 21 is responsible for the overall control of the first server 72, and may have built-in or separately provided central processing unit (CPU: not shown) composed of a microcomputer or the like, memory unit 22 such as a semiconductor memory device (flash memory, ROM, RAM, HDD), and timing means (clock circuit: not shown) for calculating time, for example.

[0139] The control unit 21 shown in Figure 9 controls each functional unit, such as the user / facility identification unit 24, electrical equipment information storage unit 23, judgment criteria memory unit 25, consumer goods database 28, control information generation unit 72E, and listing history unit 72L, which will be described later, to realize the functions of the first server 72.

[0140] 9, the functions of the user / facility identification unit 24, the electrical appliance information storage unit 23, the criterion storage unit 25, the consumable product database 28, the control information generation unit 72E, the listing history unit 72L, etc. may be realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit realizing each function may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processor that executes a program stored in the storage unit 22. For example, the functions of the user / facility identification unit 24, the electrical appliance information storage unit 23, the criterion storage unit 25, the consumable product database 28, the control information generation unit 72E, etc. may be realized by software using a program stored in the storage unit 22.

[0141] The electric appliance information storage unit 23 stores various information relating to the dishwasher 1 and various other electric appliances 1E (not shown) for each of the appliance identification information. For example, there are separate databases for dishwasher 1 model number A001 and dishwasher 1 model number A002, each holding information about the corresponding dishwasher 1 for each model number. In particular, the amount of detergent consumed when washing a standard amount of dishes using the normal wash course is stored as a weight value, such as "XX g." In this case, data on the available volume of tank 56 (see Figure 14) into which liquid detergent 57 is poured is also stored, and therefore data on the maximum capacity (weight) of liquid detergent 57 is also stored.

[0142] 23R is an appliance consumable goods database that stores the "status information A" transmitted from the dishwasher 1 and various other electrical appliances 1E (not shown) according to the appliance identification information of the dishwasher 1 and the electrical appliance 1E.

[0143] Various information about consumer goods corresponding to various electrical appliances including the dishwasher 1 (for example, detergent manufacturer name, detergent product name, detergent weight per unit, capacity, etc.) is stored in a consumer goods database 28. The consumer goods database 28 contains various information such as a "product category" indicating the type of electrical equipment in which the consumer goods (e.g., a specific liquid detergent) is used, a "manufacturer name" indicating the name of the manufacturer (vendor) that produces the consumer goods, a "product category" indicating the type of consumer goods, "product identification information" indicating an identifier that can identify the consumer goods, a "product name" indicating the official name of the consumer goods, and "capacity or weight information" indicating the sales unit (number of bottles, number of pieces, etc.) and capacity of the consumer goods. The "product category" includes dishwashers 1 and clothes washing machines (not shown), etc.

[0144] The information in the consumer goods database 28 is updated periodically in response to an update command from the schedule determination unit 26 (described later) or whenever necessary in response to a notification from the manufacturer indicated in the "manufacturer name" field. For example, the information held by the consumer goods database 28 can be updated and enriched whenever necessary using the latest information obtained from the second (information providing) server 73 via the network NW.

[0145] In FIG. 9, 24 is a user identification unit. This user / facility identification unit 24 holds information (user information) about users who use (register) various electrical appliances, including the dishwasher 1. To uniquely identify a user, it holds information corresponding to a "user ID" issued to each user and a "family ID" that indicates that the user is a family member (constituent member) of the user US. Furthermore, since the user ID or family ID is linked to the device identification information, the relationship between a specific electric device 1E (not shown) and the user US or the family can be grasped. Furthermore, as explained in the first and second embodiments, the installation location of the dishwasher 1, that is, the address information indicating the address of the registered user, is also stored in association with each user ID.

[0146] 9, the first server 72 also issues a "facility ID" for each "facility identification information" that identifies the house, store, etc. in which the dishwasher 1 is installed, and this "facility ID" is linked to the "user ID," and the facility ID information is stored in the user / facility identification unit 24. Therefore, if one user registers multiple IDs in the first server 72, each corresponding to a home, an office, etc., the status information A can be stored and retrieved separately for the office or home.

[0147] In FIG. 9, 25 is a criterion storage unit. The determination criterion storage unit 25 stores determination criterion data that serves as a criterion for determining the remaining amount of consumable products such as the liquid detergent 57. The criteria data is stored with predetermined "keywords" and "remaining capacity levels" linked to each other so that it can be collated with text data provided by the voice recognition unit 116, which will be described later.

[0148] The keywords include various words and phrases related to consumer goods. For example, in the classification of electrical appliances as cleaning appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, keywords such as "detergent," "fabric softener," and "tank" are provided. For other types of electrical appliances, such as electric vacuum cleaners, keywords such as "replacement parts," "filters," "paper packs," and "batteries" are provided.

[0149] On the other hand, the "remaining amount level" indicates the remaining amount of a consumable product and the need for replenishment, replacement, etc. The remaining amount level is divided into multiple levels according to the type of consumable product and the need for replenishment or replacement. The "remaining amount level" is classified into, for example, "full," "sufficient level," "acceptable level," "low level," etc. "Full" and "sufficient level" indicate that there is a large amount remaining and no need to replenish yet. Furthermore, keywords associated with the "low level" level may include words that indicate the user's wishes or expectations, such as "want to replenish" or "run out."

[0150] Furthermore, the criteria storage unit 25 stores criteria data for determining the "urgency" described below in a list (table format) for each type of consumable product and each piece of device identification information for each electrical device. In other words, the criteria for determining the urgency are determined in advance for the relationship between the liquid detergent 57 and the dishwasher 1.

[0151] As an electrical appliance, the above-mentioned dishwasher 1 stores status information A in the appliance information storage unit 6, and the control unit 31 can determine whether or not the liquid detergent 57 needs to be refilled from measurement data MD, such as the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 measured by the measuring unit 12. Therefore, the first server 72 does not essentially need a function to determine whether or not the liquid detergent 57 needs to be refilled. However, not only the dishwasher 1 but also various other electrical appliances may be connected to the first server 72. Some of these electrical appliances may not be able to determine the need for replenishment of consumable products on their own. Therefore, in this third embodiment, the first server 72 is also able to identify the type and characteristics of the electrical appliance from the appliance identification information, identify the consumable products to be used, determine the remaining amount of the consumable products, and determine the need for replenishment or replacement and the degree of urgency.

[0152] In FIG. 9, 26 is a schedule determination unit. The schedule determination unit 26 has a calendar function and can store event schedule information for at least one year (maximum 365 days).

[0153] The schedule management function itself has already been proposed in many patent documents. In this embodiment 3, the operation unit 32 of the dishwasher 1 can register the scheduled date and scheduled start time (or time period) of an event (e.g., shopping, going out, starting cooking, etc.) for each user US at home, office, store, etc.

[0154] If event information is stored in the schedule determination unit 26, a notification will be issued from the schedule determination unit 26 at the stored date and time. In the case of the dishwasher 1, the notification may be displayed on the display unit 33 or notified by voice from the notification unit 42. Alternatively, the notification may be sent to the communication terminal 200 carried by the user (also called "push notification").

[0155] When the dishwasher 1 is running, a notification may be sent to the dishwasher 1 based on the event information registered by the schedule determination unit . In addition, at a certain time, a command may be issued to each pre-registered electrical appliance in a home, office, etc., requesting that the aforementioned "status information A" be provided, including information on the remaining amount of consumable goods.

[0156] The "command" in this case is a type of "command data (command command) CD" described later. Furthermore, since the command command can also be transmitted via the communication terminal 200, the user can simultaneously collect remaining amount information of consumable goods for multiple electrical appliances in the home using the communication terminal 200 when going out for shopping, etc. However, not all electrical appliances receive and respond to the command data CD; electrical appliances whose main power is turned off cannot receive and therefore cannot respond. Furthermore, even if an electrical appliance is turned on and operating, it may not immediately receive the command data CD from an external source depending on its operation. Taking these circumstances into consideration, the first server 72 stores the status of consumable goods from each electrical appliance in the appliance consumable goods database 23R as soon as it receives status information A from each electrical appliance, so that it can respond to data inquiries (requests for the provision of a shopping list PL) from the communication terminal 200.

[0157] The "Shopping List PL" aggregates and displays information on consumables that need to be procured for the user US, so that the user can know when the consumables used in electrical equipment such as a dishwasher 1 that the user owns or manages are running low on the remaining amount, or when the functionality of the electrical equipment has deteriorated due to long-term use and parts need to be replaced.

[0158] The schedule determination unit 26 also has a convenient function in which, if the time for creating the shopping list PL is set, the latest shopping list PL is updated at the set time and automatically sent to the communication terminal 200 (a type of push-type notification).

[0159] In FIG. 9, 27 is a determination history recording unit. This determination history recording unit 27 is a database that stores the determination history of the process of creating a list (the shopping list PL) regarding the need to replenish or replace consumable products, generated by the control unit 21. Note that, as in the case of the dishwasher 1 described above, if the "status information A" includes a determination result indicating that a specific consumable product (liquid detergent 57) needs to be replenished, information about that consumable product (liquid detergent 57) is also recorded in the shopping list PL.

[0160] The shopping list PL is stored for each "device identification information" of at least one electrical device in each home or office, and is stored in the device consumable goods database 23R so that it can be provided for each communication terminal 200, i.e., for each registered user.

[0161] The judgment history recording unit 27 stores the latest versions of the numerical values ​​of the judgment criteria and the calculation formulas of the shopping list PL generated by the control unit 21. On the other hand, the numerical values ​​of the judgment criteria and the calculation formulas used when creating past shopping lists PL are stored in the listing history unit 72L, which will be described later, and this data is held for a certain period of time.

[0162] In FIG. 9, 28 is the consumer goods database as described above. The information in this consumer goods database 28 is automatically updated periodically in response to an update command signal from the schedule determination unit 26. For example, information is acquired via the network NW from the second server 73, which is provided by a consumer goods retailer or the like, and the information is updated as needed. Therefore, the latest information about the liquid detergent 57 is also stored in this consumer goods database 28.

[0163] In FIG. 9, 29 denotes a provider of application software (hereinafter referred to as an "application provider") that can be acquired by the communication terminal 200 or the dishwasher 1 via wireless communication via the network NW. By downloading the application software of this app providing unit 29, the dishwasher 1, other electrical appliances, and the communication terminal 200 can smoothly exchange information with the first server 72, and can also request various processes (including the provision of data contained in the shopping list PL) from the first server 72.

[0164] The dishwasher 1 can also receive from the first server 72 a control program that indicates effective operation of the dishwasher 1, and data on consumable products (liquid detergent 57) stored in the consumable product database 28. Furthermore, the dishwasher 1 can receive command data CD requesting the provision of the status information A, and can return the latest status information A to the first server 72.

[0165] In FIG. 9, 115 is a transmitting / receiving unit that performs wireless communication via the network NW. The transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives the status information A from various electrical appliances such as the dishwasher 1. In addition, upon receiving a request from the communication terminal 200, it transmits inventory information and the like of consumable goods stored in the appliance consumable goods database 23R.

[0166] That is, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 can transmit to the communication terminal 200 a shopping list PL related to a specified electrical appliance or dishwasher 1 from the shopping list PL held in the electrical appliance information holding unit 23. The control unit 21 uses the "user ID" and device identification information (facility ID) included in the request signal from the communication terminal 200 to extract the shopping list PL of various electrical devices and the dishwasher 1 related to the specific user. The transmitting / receiving unit 115 can transmit this to the communication terminal 200.

[0167] Therefore, the user US can obtain comprehensive information about consumable products such as liquid detergent 57 that need to be replenished or replaced by using the communication terminal 200. In other words, for the dishwasher 1 described above, the information about the liquid detergent 57 as a consumable product includes the name of the detergent's manufacturer or distributor, the product name, or a product ID that can identify the product. Note that this product ID is, for example, unique information such as two-dimensional information that can be searched for on a network NW such as the Internet.

[0168] 9, 72E is a control information generator. As described in the first and second embodiments, the control information S3 generated by this control information generator 72E determines the conditions for a series of operations from the washing process to the drying process in the dishwasher 1 that receives this control information.

[0169] In this embodiment 3, too, it is possible to operate either in a normal control mode, which is operated by operating the ``cleaning course selection'' button (or input key) provided on the operation unit 32, or in an external control mode, which is operated by external information selected by operating the communication terminal 200.

[0170] As with the dishwasher 1 described in embodiment 1, the dishwasher 1 of embodiment 3 also has four types of command data, namely, first command data CD1 to fourth command data CD4. As described in embodiment 1, when the first server 72 constantly monitors the operation of the dishwasher 1, it repeatedly communicates two types of signals at predetermined monitoring time intervals: the status command (status check) signal and the "status command response (status check response)" signal in response to the status command.

[0171] 9, reference numeral 116 denotes a voice recognition unit. User speech information received by communication terminal 200 can be converted into standard commands prepared in advance in first server 72. That is, the speech information uttered to the communication terminal 200 is converted into text data in the communication terminal 200, and then transmitted to the first server 72 in the form of text data (voice input signal).

[0172] The voice recognition unit 116 of the first server 72 receives the text data (voice input signal) via the transmitting / receiving unit 115 and determines whether it can be converted into a standard command stored in the storage unit 22.

[0173] The voice recognition unit 116 requests the control information generation unit 72E to convert the text data of the utterance information (voice input signal) into various commands (command data) CD prepared as standard commands. Therefore, when the user inputs a command content by voice to the communication terminal 200, the control information generation unit 72E generates command data CD of the corresponding command content.

[0174] Therefore, the user US can obtain status information A of electrical appliances (previously registered) at home, such as dishwasher 1, from the first server 72 by voice input using a communication terminal while away from home or in a remote location. Even if the main power of the electrical appliances at home is turned off, the information on the consumable products has been obtained by the first server 72, so data on various consumable products, such as liquid detergent, can be obtained without any problems.

[0175] In FIG. 9, 72L is a list history section. The listing history unit 72L stores the criteria used for the latest and previous versions of the shopping list PL generated by the control unit 21, the target data at the time of the judgment, the measurement data MD, etc. In other words, each time the shopping list PL is updated, the criteria used when the old shopping list PL was created, such as the threshold value for the urgency of refilling (for example, a remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 of 50 g or less is determined to be "high urgency"), is sequentially stored and saved in the listing history unit 72L. The criteria data is retained for a certain period of time.

[0176] The basic data, evaluation criteria, and other data of past shopping lists PL stored in this listing history unit 72L are arranged in chronological order based on the time of storage and are also searchable, so that when a specific user requests it via communication terminal 200, control unit 21 can provide information such as the remaining amount of consumables sorted by device identification information for various electrical appliances such as dishwasher 1 and by type of consumables from past data. Note that when a specific key on operation unit 32 of dishwasher 1 is pressed, first server 72 may transmit the shopping list PL data stored in listing history unit 72L to electrical appliance 1E (not shown) that made the request, such as dishwasher 1.

[0177] Reference numeral 110 denotes a bus (bus-type network) that interconnects the control unit 21, the electrical device information storage unit 23, the judgment criteria storage unit 25, the control information generation unit 72E, the listing history unit 72L, the transmission / reception unit 115, and the like.

[0178] Next, FIG. 10 will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication terminal (information processing terminal) 200 used in the dishwasher operation management system of the third embodiment. Dishwasher 1 can acquire various data through wireless communication with communication terminal 200 such as a smartphone. As described above, within a single home, communication terminal 200 performs wireless communication with dishwasher 1 using a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0179] When the communication terminal 200 is indoors, it is connected to the network NW via a specific wireless router 104 (see FIG. 11) installed there, and can access the first server 72 in the external space via the network NW.

[0180] Communication terminal 200 can achieve "remote control" of dishwasher 1 by downloading (loading) control application software from application provider 29. "Remote control" here refers to control using the external control mode described above. In other words, even if a user is in a remote outdoor location, they can use communication terminal 200 to send the command data CD to the target dishwasher 1 via network NW.

[0181] The communication terminal 200 can be easily carried by the user US and can be used for making calls and transmitting data (including e-mail information) indoors, outdoors, or anywhere on the go. It is a device that can download information from an outdoor information site, send and receive e-mail, and transmit remote control signals, but it can also be a terminal device that cannot make calls. A small portable personal computer is also a type of communication terminal 200.

[0182] The communication terminal 200 in the third embodiment has a function for transmitting and receiving signals through short-range communication when it is positioned within a few centimeters of (or may be in contact with) the operation unit 32 of each dishwasher 1. This short-range communication is an international standard technology for wireless communication known as Near Field Communication (abbreviated as NFC).

[0183] In this NFC communication, a so-called wireless tag (NFC tag) is embedded in the dishwasher 1 side. On the other hand, the dishwasher 1 can also be controlled by sending control information S3 (command data CD) from the communication terminal 200 to an NFC storage unit (not shown) of the dishwasher 1.

[0184] The communication terminal 200 shown in FIG. 10 will be described in more detail. The communication terminal 200 has a communication unit 210, a communication control unit 211, a terminal control unit (central processing unit: CPU) 212, ROM and RAM 213, a speaker 214, a touch-type operation unit 215, a terminal display unit 216 having a display screen (with touch-type input function), an electrical equipment database (memory unit) 217 ​​of dishwashers 1, etc., a posture detection unit 218, a remote control information generation unit 219, a memory unit 220, a shopping list creation unit 231, and a mail order processing unit 234.

[0185] The communication unit 210 has an NFC input / output unit 221 for short-distance wireless communication. Therefore, two paths can be used: wireless communication via the network NW and short-distance wireless communication (NFC).

[0186] 222 is a voice input unit that converts the voice of the user US or the like into an input signal. The touch-type operation unit 215, terminal display unit 216, and voice input unit 222 are integrated in hardware to form a display operation unit 225. Note that a search unit that analyzes the voice signal from the voice input unit 222 and performs term search, information search, etc. is not shown. The search unit may be provided inside the communication terminal 200, or may be provided in an external first server 72, providing a search function outside the communication terminal 200.

[0187] The attitude detection unit 218 is equipped with various sensors such as a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gravity sensor, and can detect the tilt and orientation of the communication terminal 200. As a result, a signal that detects the up-down direction of the communication terminal 200 is output to the terminal control unit 212.

[0188] The terminal control unit 212 receives a detection signal from the orientation detection unit 218 and controls the display orientation of the terminal display unit 216 . The terminal control unit 212 inputs the signal received from the communication unit 2 of the dishwasher 1 to the remote operation information generation unit 219.

[0189] The terminal control unit 212 has an audio processing unit 230, an electrical device selection unit 232, a video processing unit 233, and a remote operation information generation unit 219. The remote operation information generation unit 219, the audio processing unit 230, the electrical device selection unit 232, and the video processing unit 233 may all be functionally realized by a single computer program, or may be configured by separate processing circuits.

[0190] The image processor 233 analyzes and processes images (including still images and videos) captured through a camera lens (not shown). For example, the image processor 233 generates information that accurately identifies the consumer product (liquid detergent 57) from the display surface of the bottle or the outer box of the liquid detergent 57 captured by a user at a store or the like.

[0191] The voice processing unit 230 converts the user's voice received by the voice input unit 222 into a voice signal in a predetermined format.

[0192] The electrical equipment database 217 holds "notification data" 223 of the dishwasher 1 in order to generate notification information (including image information) for the display unit 33 and notification unit 42 of the dishwasher 1. The electrical equipment database 217 also holds “remote control data” 224 for the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 .

[0193] Furthermore, the electrical equipment database 217 can store status information A obtained from the dishwasher 1. Furthermore, the electrical appliance database 217 can store consumable goods data 227 acquired from the dishwasher 1 and shopping list data 228 generated by the communication terminal 200, respectively.

[0194] The notification data 223 and the remote control data 224 may be stored in this communication terminal 200 from the beginning, or may be connected to the first server 72, which is an information providing means, via the network NW and downloaded from the first server 72 (application providing unit 29). In other words, the notification database does not need to be constructed by storing data in a fixed manner, and may be in a form in which information is acquired as needed and temporarily stored in a volatile memory.

[0195] The remote operation information generation unit 219 processes the signal acquired from the dishwasher 1 via the terminal control unit 212 and the input signal from the display operation unit 225, and generates remote operation information (control information for the "external control mode") for the dishwasher 1. In other words, it can generate command data CD.

[0196] Furthermore, the remote control information generating unit 219 can generate the first command data CD1 to the fourth command data CD4.

[0197] The remote control information generation unit 219, which receives an input command from the display operation unit 225 and transmits command data CD from the communication unit 210 to the dishwasher 1, is controlled by the central processing unit 212 so that it cannot perform the operation of acquiring the status information A while the command data CD is being transmitted from the communication unit 210.

[0198] The terminal control unit 212 executes the processing of the entire communication terminal 200 in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM / RAM 213, and reads data required in the process of executing the processing from the ROM / RAM 213, and stores data generated in the process of executing the processing in the ROM / RAM 213.

[0199] The storage unit 220 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory that can store information about various dishwashers 1 and electrical appliances read from the communication unit 210. For example, it is used to temporarily store information about a shopping list PL for a specific dishwasher 1 that has been downloaded (read) from the first server 72. Note that the information about this shopping list PL may also be stored in the electrical appliance database 217 as data about extracted consumable goods. In other words, the data resulting from data processing by the terminal control unit 212 is basically stored in the electrical appliance database 217.

[0200] When the user touches a specific portion of the terminal display unit 216 of the communication terminal 200, the remote operation information generating unit 219 generates remote operation information based on this touch signal. The remote operation information is transmitted from the communication unit 210 to the target electrical appliance such as the dishwasher 1.

[0201] If the dishwasher 1 has already been started with power supplied to the power supply unit 82, the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 treats the received remote operation information as command data CD. Note that the dishwasher 1 does not necessarily operate in accordance with all the remote operation information from the communication terminal 200. Even if the dishwasher 1 does operate, the range in which it operates according to the command data CD may be limited to a certain range.

[0202] Meanwhile, on the side of communication terminal 200 that transmitted the remote operation information, the display on terminal display unit 216 changes based on the remote operation information. In other words, the content displayed on the screen of terminal display unit 216 on display operation unit 225 of communication terminal 200 and the content displayed on display unit 33 of dishwasher 1 change in similar content and order, but the timing of the change does not necessarily have to be real time. Also, depending on the type of dishwasher 1, command data CD may be transmitted from communication terminal 200 only once.

[0203] When remote operation information is generated and transmitted by communication terminal 200, the dishwasher 1 only acquires the information as a legitimate remote operation signal (command data CD) received within a reception period determined by each dishwasher 1. This point will be explained in FIG. 18. Furthermore, the remote operation information from the communication terminal 200 is transmitted all at once when a predetermined confirmation transmission key is pressed on the communication terminal 200.

[0204] 10, 226 is a terminal identification information storage unit. This terminal identification information storage unit 226 stores a unique number for identifying this communication terminal 200. The unique number is, for example, a telephone number or a manufacturing number (serial number) assigned by the manufacturer of the communication terminal.

[0205] 10, reference numeral 229 denotes a user information storage unit. This user information storage unit 229 stores user specific information (for example, information such as name and biometric information such as fingerprint) for identifying the user US who uses this communication terminal 200.

[0206] 2, reference numeral 235 denotes an option setting section. After the user of this communication terminal 200 registers the dishwasher 1 with the first server 72 using his / her user ID, he / she can change the urgency criteria for the dishwasher 1, such as "urgency of acquisition: within two days," within the range determined by the first server 72.

[0207] The judgment criteria in this case are stored in the judgment criteria storage unit 25, and the judgment criteria for one dishwasher 1 can be identified by the user ID and device identification information. The "urgency" here can be freely set by the user, taking into consideration the "number of days" until the user obtains the consumable product (liquid detergent 57). Note that, by default, anything within three days is classified as "urgent," but in cases where the user US needs a considerable amount of time to obtain the consumable product due to their own circumstances, it would be better for the user US to receive an alert earlier, so the criteria may be changed to, for example, within seven days as "high urgency."

[0208] The difference between the "urgency" and "reservation" will now be described. The margin is determined based on the standard consumption amount per operation determined by the manufacturer of the dishwasher 1, and corresponds to the number of days until the remaining amount of consumables becomes so low that it interferes with the operation of the dishwasher 1. In other words, since the threshold value for determining the margin is determined by the manufacturer, it can be said to be a common index that applies to all users of the same dishwasher 1.

[0209] In contrast, the "urgency" can be freely set by the user S, taking into consideration the "number of days" until the user S acquires the consumable goods. For example, even if the default setting is to classify everything within three days as "urgent," the threshold (three days) can be changed to one day or even ten days depending on the user's circumstances. In other words, even if the same dishwasher 1 is used by different users, this "urgency" allows the level and range of notifications to be flexibly selected to suit the circumstances of each individual user.

[0210] The margin can be displayed in three levels, for example. For example, a large margin can be displayed as "A" or "large," and a medium margin can be displayed as "B" or "medium." Note that instead of using letters or symbols, the margin can be displayed as a graphic such as a bar graph on the display unit 3D (see FIG. 1).

[0211] It should be noted that the dishwasher 1 is not limited to one that always generates the margin data. Even if the dishwasher 1 is not capable of acquiring such data, the dishwasher operation management system of this embodiment 1 can be used.

[0212] Next, FIG. 11 will be described. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a network configuration to which the dishwasher operation management system of Fig. 8 is applied. Fig. 11 shows kitchen furniture 100 in one home and a network environment.

[0213] In FIG. 11, 104 denotes a wireless router installed in one house, which can wirelessly connect a network NW such as the Internet line to the dishwasher 1. Although not shown, the first server 72 cooperates with other servers to form a cloud server 300. This cloud server 300 includes the first server 72, the second server 73, and the like.

[0214] Reference numeral 200 denotes a communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The kitchen furniture 100 includes, for example, a sink and a water tap (faucet) 101 connected to a water supply. This kitchen furniture 100 is equipped with a built-in dishwasher 1. Reference numeral 102 denotes a cooking appliance, which is a type of electrical appliance, and in the example of Fig. 11, it is a built-in induction cooking appliance or a built-in gas cooking appliance. 102H denotes a heating portion using a gas burner or a heating port using an induction heating source. 105 denotes a top plate.

[0215] Reference numeral 103 denotes an exhaust port cover having a highly breathable structure such as wire mesh, which covers an exhaust port (not shown) that discharges high-temperature air and water vapor generated in a heating chamber (not shown) inside the cooking device 102.

[0216] The dishwasher 1 is a type in which the washing tub 3 (see FIG. 12) can be pulled out toward the front of the kitchen furniture 100, and a front operation panel 32F that allows the user to input by touch operation is arranged horizontally at the top of the door 4 that makes up the entire front surface. A handle 7 is formed in the center of the left and right of the front operation panel 32F, into which the user can insert their fingertips. The front operation panel 32F constitutes the operation panel 32 shown in FIG. 9.

[0217] Next, FIG. 12 will be described. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing kitchen furniture 100 to which the dishwasher operation management system shown in Fig. 9 is applied. A front display unit 33F that indicates whether a wash operation is in progress or whether the main power is on is provided on the front operation unit 32F. A top display unit 33U is also provided on the top surface of the door 4. The top display unit 33U has a display screen that can display the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 numerically, graphically, etc. Furthermore, this top display unit 33U may also be provided with an upper operation unit 32U (not shown) equipped with touch-input type input keys as part of the front operation unit 32F.

[0218] The door 4 has a certain thickness in the front-rear direction, and this thickness is utilized to form a storage space 58 (see FIG. 14) inside. The storage space 58 is an enclosed space to prevent the infiltration of water vapor generated inside the cleaning tank 3 during cleaning, and only the opening for inserting the tank (container) 56 is connected to the outside.

[0219] In Figure 12, reference numeral 9 denotes a lid that can be opened and closed to close the entrance to the storage space 58. By opening this lid 9, a tank (container) 56 containing liquid detergent 57 can be installed in the storage space 58 of the door 4. That is, as shown by the thick arrow in Figure 12, the tank 56 can be detachably installed inside from the right side surface of the door 4. When the lid 9 is completely closed, the storage space 58 is isolated from the interior of the washing tub 3 and other spaces, preventing the intrusion of water vapor and the like from the washing tub 3 side. The lid 9 is rotatably supported on the door 4 by a hinge (not shown).

[0220] Next, FIG. 13 will be described. FIG. 13 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of a dishwasher 1 to which the dishwasher operation management system is applied, showing the state in which the door 4 is pulled forward to the maximum extent. Reference numeral 2 denotes a housing that forms the outer shell of dishwasher 1, and 16 denotes the internal space of housing (main body case) 2. Reference numeral 11 denotes a fixed rail that is installed inside housing 2 in the front-to-rear direction, and reference numeral 10 denotes a movable rail that is supported by this fixed rail 11 and moves in the front-to-rear direction together with washing tub 3.

[0221] As shown in FIG. 13, legs 20 that come into contact with an interior installation surface 19 of the kitchen furniture 100 are provided on the bottom 18 of the housing 2 at two locations on each of the front, rear, left and right sides. A restricting member 52 that restricts the position of the rear leg 20 is attached to the kitchen furniture 100 with a fastening member such as a screw near the rear of the housing 2. This prevents the dishwasher 1 from accidentally moving from its predetermined position inside the kitchen furniture 100. Reference numeral 53 denotes a flat upper cover that closes the top opening of the cleaning tank 3 when the cleaning tank 3 is stored inside the housing 2.

[0222] The cleaning tank 3 has a box shape with a bottom and an opening on the entire top surface. The opening of the cleaning tank 3 is closed by an upper cover 53 (described later) while the cleaning tank 3 is housed inside the housing 2. That is, the inside of the cleaning tank 3 is an airtight space, that is, a cleaning space 17.

[0223] Reference numeral 12 denotes a mesh shelf or basket that is installed inside the washing tub 3 and can be freely removed, and is installed to place tableware 13 on. The shelf 12 is installed detachably inside the washing tub 3. Reference numeral 15 denotes a shower nozzle that sprays hot water mixed with liquid detergent 57 onto the tableware 13.

[0224] Reference numeral 54 denotes an installation opening formed on the front surface of the kitchen furniture 100. When the cleaning tub 3 is pushed together with the door 4 to the correct position in the housing 2, this installation opening 54 faces closely to the top, bottom, left and right end surfaces of the door 4. In other words, when the door 4 is pushed in, the gaps (facing distances) between the four peripheral surfaces (top, bottom, right side, left side) of the door 4 and the installation opening 54 of the kitchen furniture 100 are several millimeters or less.

[0225] Although not shown in Figures 12 and 13, the cleaning tank 3 and door 4 are pulled backward by a door drive device 86 (see Figure 15) having a drive motor 70 (see Figure 7). The door 4 is also pushed out by the power of this drive motor 70, but the door may be pulled forward by the user rather than being pushed out by the power of the door drive device 86. Alternatively, only the initial small opening (for example, about 10 cm) may be performed by a spring or the power of the drive motor 70. The third embodiment employs this "initial pushing out within a certain range" configuration.

[0226] In this embodiment 3, the door 4, together with the washing tub 3, is pulled back from the pushed-out state to the inside of the housing 2 by a door drive device 86 having a drive motor 70. In other words, when a user lightly touches the front operation unit 32F, the control unit 31 detects the touch action and moves the door 4 from the forward position to the storage position. Note that, instead of using a touch operation on the front operation unit 32F, a command to open or close the door 4, or both, may be given by the door drive device 86 using voice input or other methods.

[0227] Next, FIG. 14 will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram, partly in vertical cross section, showing the entire system for measuring the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 in the dishwasher 1 shown in FIGS. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of part of the door 4, which covers the front side of the washing tub 3 of the dishwasher 1 and moves back and forth together with the washing tub. It is an enlarged schematic view of the circled X in FIG.

[0228] In Figure 14, 4F is a front wall surface that constitutes the front surface (surface) of the door 4. 4B is a rear wall surface that forms a vertically long rectangular storage space 58 when viewed from the side between the front wall surface 4F and the rear wall surface 4B. Note that the storage space 58 may be formed between another member that is provided inside the rear wall surface 4B and that member.

[0229] Reference numeral 56 denotes a tank (container) whose external shape when viewed from the front (front) side is a long rectangle, and the entire tank (container) is made of a transparent plastic material. A lid 56A provided on the ceiling surface that can be freely opened and closed can be opened to pour a dedicated liquid detergent 57 into the inside of the tank 56. The tank 56 can be placed in the storage space 58 from the right side by opening the lid 9 shown in FIG.

[0230] The distance between the storage space 58 in the front-to-rear direction is slightly larger than the thickness of the tank 56 in the front-to-rear direction, so that the tank 56 can be easily inserted into the storage space 58 through the entrance thereof with the door 4 pulled forward from the housing 2 of the dishwasher 1, as shown in Figure 13. Note that the tank 56 is kept horizontal inside the storage space 58 when inserted.

[0231] Reference numeral 62 denotes a weighing circuit that constitutes a part of the weighing unit 12 shown in FIG. Reference numeral 63 denotes a light-emitting circuit that issues a command to emit a predetermined light upon receiving a signal from the measuring circuit 62. Reference numeral 65 denotes a light-emitting element that emits light for detecting the water level upon receiving a command from the light-emitting circuit 63. Reference numeral 66 denotes a light-receiving element that receives the light from the light-emitting element 65 and transmits a signal of the received light to the light-receiving circuit 64.

[0232] The light emitting element 65 and the light receiving element 66 are installed on the front wall surface 4F and the rear wall surface 4B at positions facing each other on a single horizontal line. In FIG. 14, the dashed arrows pointing from the light-emitting element 65 to the light-receiving element 66 are the light rays for detecting the water level.

[0233] For example, if the light-emitting element 65 is installed in the vertical center position of the tank 56, when more than half of the liquid detergent 57 remains inside the tank 56, the light transmittance will be low due to the inherent color of the liquid detergent 57. Therefore, the amount of light received by the light-receiving element 66 will be lower than the threshold value. Therefore, it can be detected that at least 50% or more of the liquid detergent 57 remains. On the other hand, when the surface of the liquid detergent 57 is below the horizontal line that intersects the light-emitting element 65 and the light-receiving element 66, the amount of light received by the light-receiving element 66 exceeds the threshold value because the amount of light emitted from the light-emitting element 65 is not reduced by the liquid detergent 57. This causes the measuring circuit 62 to determine that the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is less than 50%.

[0234] In this way, the light-emitting element 65 and the light-receiving element 66 can detect whether there is proper liquid detergent 57 inside the tank 56 that has poor light transmittance (opaqueness), so if the detergent that is not proper liquid detergent 57 is a transparent liquid, the quality of such detergent can also be detected. The light-emitting element 65 and the light-receiving element 66 constitute a third sensor that can measure the mass of the liquid detergent 57. If a plurality of combinations of the light-emitting element 65 and the light-receiving element 66 are provided in the vertical direction, the amount of the liquid detergent 57 can be detected more precisely.

[0235] A weight sensor 68 is located at the bottom of the storage space 58, and measures the total weight of the liquid detergent 57 and the tank 56, and inputs the measurement result to the weighing circuit 62. With this configuration, the weighing circuit 62 can estimate the amount of liquid detergent 57 remaining in the tank 56 from the weight measurement result. Since the weighing circuit 62 knows the weight of the tank 56 itself in advance, it can measure the net weight of the liquid detergent 57 inside the tank 56. Furthermore, when the tank 56 is moved directly sideways over the weight sensor 68 and stored in a predetermined position in the storage space 58, the measuring portion of the weight sensor 68 comes into contact with the area directly below the center of gravity of the tank 56 in a supporting manner, and therefore the weight sensor 68 can accurately measure the weight of the tank 56.

[0236] Reference numeral 70 denotes a permanent magnet attached to the bottom of the tank 56. Reference numeral 69 denotes a reed switch (magnetically sensitive switch) that faces the permanent magnet 70 in close proximity when the tank 56 is inserted to the correct installation position. This reed switch 69 is inserted into the tank detection circuit 62S of the metering circuit 62, so when the tank 56 is installed in the correct position, the metering circuit 62 detects that the tank 56 has been installed. Reference numerals 71A and 71B denote signal lines connecting the reed switch 69 and the metering circuit 62.

[0237] That is, the permanent magnet 70 and reed switch 69 are sometimes called tank position detection means 72 because when the tank 56 is installed in the correct position, they send a signal to the weighing circuit 62 to detect that the tank 56 is installed correctly.

[0238] If the installation detection signal of the tank 56 does not reach the control unit 31 from the metering circuit 62 (metering unit 12), an alarm saying "tank installation forgotten" is issued at the stage of step SC3 described in Fig. 16. Furthermore, if the installation detection signal of the tank 56 does not reach, the control unit 31 cannot issue an operation start command at step SC6 described in Fig. 16.

[0239] Although not adopted in this embodiment 3, it is also possible to float a float (floating body) in the liquid detergent 57 and detect the vertical position of the float mechanically or optically to detect the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57. In this third embodiment, the mechanical configuration is less than that of a configuration using such a float, and a light emitting element 65, a light receiving element 66, and a weight sensor 68 are adopted as a method for detecting the amount of liquid detergent 57 without contact.

[0240] Reference numeral 67 denotes an (electric) control valve (or a small pump) that feeds the liquid detergent 57 in the tank 56 into the washing tank 3, and is connected to the washing tank 3 by a supply pipe 88. This control valve 67 dispenses liquid detergent 57 into the washing tank 3 at a predetermined timing in accordance with commands from the control unit 31. If the control valve 67 itself does not have a flow rate control function, a flow meter may be inserted midway in the detergent dispensing path (pipe) and the control valve 67 may be opened or closed according to data from the flow meter. Numeral 5 denotes a detergent supply unit that is composed of a tank 56, the light emitting element 65, the light receiving element 66, and the like.

[0241] Next, FIG. 15 will be described. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the main components of the dishwasher 1. As shown in FIG. 15, reference numeral 91 denotes a water volume detection unit. This water volume detection unit 91 is made up of, for example, a water level sensor, and detects whether a preset amount of cleaning water has been supplied to the bottom of the cleaning tank 3.

[0242] Reference numeral 92 denotes a cleaning effect determination unit, which acquires water quality detection data from a turbidity sensor 92S at a predetermined timing, such as the initial stage of the cleaning process. Alternatively, when a user requests data indicating the cleaning effect via the operation unit 32 or a communication terminal 200 (described later), the cleaning effect determination unit acquires turbidity measurement data from the turbidity sensor 92S, determines whether the cleaning level is good or bad, and notifies the notification unit 42 (display unit 33). Alternatively, the determination result is transmitted to the communication terminal 200 via the communication unit 2. The "cleaning effect" may be evaluated on a scale of several levels according to a turbidity determination standard data table prepared in advance and presented. The cleaning effect determination unit 92 does not determine whether the water is hard or soft.

[0243] The measurement data or judgment data of the cleaning effect judgment unit 92 is input to the control unit 31 and is used to judge whether to add additional liquid detergent 57 or add more rinses during the cleaning process or rinsing process.

[0244] The turbidity sensor 92S may be a commonly known turbidity sensor that can optically measure the turbidity of water. It may also be used alone or in combination with a sensor that analyzes other physical properties, such as pH value or electrical conductivity. The measuring unit of the turbidity sensor 92S may be installed facing a pipeline of a certain size that is connected to the water in the cleaning tank 3, and the turbidity may be measured as the cleaning water flows through the pipeline.

[0245] Reference numeral 35 denotes the heater, which is not shown but is composed of a first heater 35A and a second heater 35B. The first heater 35A is provided inside the cleaning tank 3 and heats the cleaning water stored therein. The second heater 35B is provided in an air passage that connects the blower fan 37 and the cleaning tank 3, and heats the outside air that is supplied to the cleaning tank 3. The various components described above are electrically connected to the control unit 31.

[0246] The blower fan 37 supplies outside air into the washing tub 3, and exhausts the hot and humid air in the washing tub 3 to the outside of the housing 2 of the dishwasher 1 through an exhaust port (not shown) provided in the door 4.

[0247] The temperature detector 93 detects the temperature of the washing water. The drain pump 94 is provided outside the washing tub 3 and discharges the washing water inside the washing tub 3 to the outside of the dishwasher 1.

[0248] The water supply valve 95 is provided between the rear of the cleaning tank 3 and the rear wall of the housing 2, and controls the supply of tap water to the cleaning tank 3. The cleaning pump 36 is provided in the cleaning tank 3, and pressure-feeds the cleaning water stored at the bottom of the cleaning tank 3 to the cleaning nozzle (shower nozzle) 15 (see Figure 13).

[0249] The water supply valve 95, the heater 35, the washing pump 36, the drain pump 94 and the blower fan 37 are each provided with a separate drive circuit (not shown).

[0250] The detergent supply section 73 described in FIG. 14 includes the control valve 67 and a drive circuit 96, as shown in FIG. The notification unit 42 has a display unit 33 such as an LCD screen, a voice drive circuit (voice synthesizer) 97 for making voice notifications, and a display drive circuit 98 for controlling the display operation of the display unit 33.

[0251] 15, the measuring unit 12 described in Fig. 1 includes the measuring circuit 62, the weight sensor 68, the control valve 67, and the drive circuit 96. In Fig. 15, the control valve 67 and the drive circuit 96 are included in the detergent supply unit 73. The weighing unit 12 further includes the light emitting circuit 63 and the light receiving circuit 64 as optical detection units. 56T is an open detection circuit that detects the opening of a lid 56A that is provided on the ceiling surface of the tank 56 so as to be able to be opened and closed. 56R is a detection circuit that detects the state of a locking mechanism (not shown) that keeps the lid 56A in the closed position. For example, when the locking mechanism is released, it issues a signal (release signal) indicating that the lid 56A is in the open state. The release signal is input to the control unit 31. 72 is the tank position detection means.

[0252] The consumption information acquisition unit 11 acquires and stores data on the weight measurement results of the liquid detergent 57 obtained from the weighing unit 12. 11A is a consumption information analysis unit that estimates the amount of liquid detergent 57 consumed and estimates the number of times that washing operations can be performed based on the remaining amount of liquid detergent. The consumption information analysis unit 11A performs a process AP1 for estimating the remaining amount (amount used) of the liquid detergent 57, which will be described later, and a process AP2 for estimating the number of remaining operations based on the remaining amount estimation result.

[0253] The dishwasher 1 of this third embodiment has a door drive device 86 for driving the door 4 and the washing tub 3 forward and closing the door 4 by the power of the drive motor 70. The door drive device 86 is proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 4874142 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-24678.

[0254] In this third embodiment, there are provided a drive motor 70, a pinion gear (not shown), a slide shaft (not shown), and a closing detection switch 87. By rotating one drive motor 70 in the forward direction and the reverse direction, the door 4 can be opened and closed.

[0255] Furthermore, the door drive device 86 is provided with a drive circuit 89 that drives the drive motor 70, and an overcurrent detection device 90 that detects an overcurrent flowing through the drive motor 70. The overcurrent detection device 90 measures the current of the drive circuit 89, and if the measured current exceeds a preset current value, it detects it as an overcurrent and protects the drive motor 70.

[0256] The close detection switch 87 is made up of, for example, a limit switch, and when it detects that the door 4 is closed based on the position of the slide shaft (not shown), it inputs a detection signal to the control unit 31 and stops driving the drive motor 70. In other words, when the door 4 is pulled back to the innermost part of the housing 2, the drive of the door 4 is stopped. Note that, since the door 4 is not configured to be pushed forward to its maximum extent when it is opened, an "open detection switch" is not provided when the door is open, but one may be provided.

[0257] When the door 4 is opened by the door drive device 86, the door 4 does not easily move in the opening or closing direction due to the resistance provided by a combination of a pinion gear (not shown), a slide shaft (not shown), etc., but a latch mechanism may be provided to prevent the door 4 from moving once it has reached a predetermined open position. Also, a latch mechanism may be provided to mechanically hold the door 4 in the closed position, and the locked state of the latch mechanism may be automatically released when the drive motor 70 starts to drive.

[0258] Next, FIG. 16 will be described. FIG. 16 is a time chart 1 showing the basic operation of the dishwasher 1 in the third embodiment. In FIG. 16, SC1 to SC15 indicate the basic operations of the control unit 31. First, the control unit 31 detects that the main power switch (not shown) has been turned on (step SC1), and transmits data indicating that the device has been started (initial operating state data OS1) from the communication unit 2 to the outside.

[0259] Next, the display unit 33 is started (step SC3), and after displaying the initial standby screen on the display unit 33, a display is displayed to prompt the user to select a wash course (operation mode) (step SC4). At this step SC4, the notification unit 42 also simultaneously provides audio guidance to prompt the user to select a wash course.

[0260] When the user presses a specific input key (operation button) on the operation unit 32 to select a wash course (step SC5), a process is performed to measure the initial value of the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 (step SC6). The measurement in step SC6 is set after step SC5, in which an operation course (mode) is selected, but it may be set before step SC5. In this way, if the initial measurement of liquid detergent 57 is set before the selection of a wash course, the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is checked before operating the wash course selection button (or input key) to select the "normal control mode" or the "external control mode." If the amount of liquid detergent 57 is less than the specified amount, a notification is issued requesting the user to replenish liquid detergent 57. Furthermore, if the "external control mode" is selected, the "result of the remaining amount check" is notified to communication terminal 200 at that time, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0261] That is, the dishwasher 1 checks the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 measured by the measuring unit 12, and if the remaining amount is such that operation cannot be started, the notification unit 42 issues an alarm such as "low detergent remaining." This can prompt the user to refill the liquid detergent 57, and can avoid a situation where operation is started with insufficient detergent and the machine is forced to stop midway due to insufficient liquid detergent.

[0262] In the next step SC7, communication unit 2 transmits a request signal requesting the provision of control information S3 to external server 71. In other words, a request is made to first server 72 to provide control information S3 corresponding to water quality data of the water source (such as a water purification plant) related to the address (location) of this dishwasher 1.

[0263] In the next step SC8, the control information S3 corresponding to the water quality is received from the first server 72. That is, the command data CD transmitted from the first server 72 can be received. As shown in Fig. 16, a period TB1 during which the command data CD can be acquired begins from the point at which step SC4 is displayed. This period TB1 lasts until just before a command to start the cleaning operation is issued by the operation unit 32, as shown in Fig. 16.

[0264] In step SC8, the command data CD is actually obtained from the communication terminal 200. Therefore, mutual authentication has been performed in advance between the communication terminal 200 and the dishwasher 1.

[0265] In step SC8, communication unit 2 of dishwasher 1 compares the contents of the data, including the device identification information, transmitted immediately before with the contents of command data CD received from communication terminal 200. This data collection and comparison is performed multiple times within a certain time limit on the dishwasher 1 side. If data comparison is not completed within the certain time limit, the communication is treated as having failed.

[0266] Then, if it is determined that there is no discrepancy between the content of the data sent from the communication unit 2 and the content of the received command data CD (in terms of device identification information, etc.), it determines that the command data CD is normal data and stores the command data CD in a specified memory area of ​​the memory unit 31M.

[0267] The dishwasher 1 actually acquires the command data CD when a specific input operation is performed on the dishwasher 1 side, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0268] In FIG. 16, step SC9 indicates the stage where the operation unit 32 starts the cleaning operation. The period TB1 during which the command data CD can be acquired is limited from step SC4 to step SC6, and this period TB1 is set to, for example, 30 minutes based on step SC4. This time is measured by the timer 31T and input to the control unit 31. Therefore, when the aforementioned 30 minutes (timeout period) has elapsed, the control unit 31 forcibly turns off the main power switch of the power supply unit 82, and all preparations for starting operation are terminated. After step SC9, command data CD cannot be acquired from outside until step SC13 is completed. Even if command data CD is sent from communication terminal 200, dishwasher 1 will reject the reception of the command data CD.

[0269] After step SC9, the water supply process is started. Then, a specified amount of cleaning water is supplied to the cleaning tank 3 from the cleaning pump 36 of the cleaning function exerting unit 41. In other words, tap water is supplied from a tap (not shown). A specified amount of liquid detergent 57 is also supplied to the cleaning tank 3 from the tank 56. Then, the cleaning process of step SC10 is started.

[0270] One of the features of this third embodiment is that liquid detergent 57 is additionally added (once or several times) after step SC9.

[0271] That is, after the start of the cleaning process (step SC9), the cleaning effect determining section 92 receives a command from the control section 31 and checks the water quality (turbidity) of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 3. The cleaning effect determination unit 92 receives a detection signal from the turbidity sensor 92S and determines the degree of dirtiness of the cleaning water. The determination result is sent to the control unit 31, which controls the control valve 67 of the detergent supply unit 73. Note that additional liquid detergent 57 is not necessarily added during each cleaning process, but is determined based on the quality (turbidity) of the cleaning water. In Figure 16, this series of controls is called the "turbidity determination process" SLP for the cleaning tank 3.

[0272] Step SC11 is followed by the "rinsing step" after the cleaning step. This rinsing process varies depending on the washing course (operating mode), but for example, it is a process in which the washing water after the washing process is first drained using the drain pump 94, and then new washing water is sprayed onto the tableware 13 once or multiple times.

[0273] After the rinsing step is started (step S11), the cleaning effect determining section 92 receives a command from the control section 31 and checks the quality of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 3. The water quality determination unit 72A receives a detection signal from the water quality sensor 17S and determines the degree of contamination of the wash water inside the wash tank 3 during the rinsing process. The determination result is sent to the control unit 31, which then issues a command to add or delete (reduce) the number of rinses to the drive circuits of the wash pump 36, the water supply valve 95, etc. Note that this turbidity determination process SLP is not necessarily performed during every rinsing process, and depending on the settings of the user US, an operating mode that omits this turbidity determination process SLP can also be selected. In order to distinguish between two or more "turbidity determination processes SLP" like this, the turbidity determination process in the washing step is designated by the symbol "SLP1", and the process in the rinsing step is designated by the symbol "SLP2".

[0274] The drying process starts from step SC12. This drying process is carried out after the draining process following the rinsing process has been completed and as much water as possible has been drained from the cleaning tank 3. That is, the electric heater for drying (second heater 35B) and the blower fan 37 are energized, and the inside of the cleaning tank 3 is filled with high-temperature hot air to carry out the drying process.

[0275] In the drying process from step S12, fresh air is introduced into the cleaning tank 3 from the outside, and the blower fan 37 is operated continuously to expel moisture from the cleaning tank 3 to the outside. The drying process ends automatically when the time set by control unit 31 has elapsed (step SC13), and notification unit 42 notifies the user that the operation has ended. Display unit 33 also displays a similar indication that the operation has ended (step SC14). Thereafter, the power supply from power supply unit 82 is automatically cut off, and the series of cleaning and drying operations ends (step SC15).

[0276] During the period from step S10 to step SC13 shown in FIG. 16, the consumption information analysis unit 11A performs a process AP1 for estimating the remaining amount (amount used) of the liquid detergent 57 and a process AP2 for estimating the number of remaining operations based on the remaining amount estimation result. The information obtained by these processes is transmitted to the first server 72 from the communication unit 2 via the network NW as one type of the status information A. The process AP1 for estimating the remaining amount (amount used) of the liquid detergent 57 and the process AP2 for estimating the number of possible operations based on the remaining amount estimation result will be described in detail later.

[0277] Next, FIG. 17 will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart 2 showing the basic operation of the dishwasher 1, illustrating the relationship between the washing process and the operation of obtaining command data CD.

[0278] In FIG. 17, SP1 to SP14 indicate operation steps of the control unit 31 from when the main power switch is turned on until when a command to start the cleaning process is received. When the main power switch of the operation unit 32 is turned on (step SP1), the control unit 31 determines whether or not there is an abnormality (step SP2), similar to step SC2 in Fig. 16. If the dishwasher 1 is set to transmit startup information, the communication unit 2 wirelessly transmits the startup information (initial operating state data OS1) at this stage.

[0279] 16, in the next step SP3, the display unit 33 and the audio notification unit 34 provide notifications and audio guidance to prompt the user to make necessary inputs, such as selecting a "cleaning course," on the operation unit 32. From this point on, the device enters a "standby state," and an (initial) standby period begins.

[0280] As explained in the second embodiment, this dishwasher 1 has a control information acquisition unit 81. The control information acquisition unit 81 can automatically change the operating conditions stored in the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 based on control information S3 received from the external first server 72, i.e., command data CD2 in this case. For example, if the control conditions for one wash course stored in the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 are, for example, an "AA course" for washing and drying four people's worth of dishes using soft water, upon receiving command data CD2, the control unit 31 can change the operating conditions to a "BB course" for washing and drying four people's worth of dishes using hard water.

[0281] When the control unit 31 determines that it is ready to receive command data CD (CD2 in this case) from the outside (step SP4), the notification unit 42 notifies that it is ready to receive control information S3 (step SP5).

[0282] Step SP5 is an operation for the purpose of asking the user to confirm in advance whether or not to transmit a signal requesting provision of command data CD2 to the communication terminal 200 or the first server 72 that has been registered in advance. A "confirmation screen" is displayed on the display unit 33 and also notified by voice. This "confirmation screen" is one of the initial standby screens.

[0283] If the user sets in advance that the external connection is to be automatically executed at this step SP5 using a function setting key (not shown) of the operation unit 32, the external connection is automatically executed at a specified timing. For example, it is possible to set in advance that the external connection is to be automatically executed at the step SC2 in FIG.

[0284] That is, the communication terminal 200 and the dishwasher 1 can be paired automatically, and wireless communication between the communication terminal 200 and the dishwasher 1 can be established.

[0285] If the setting to automatically permit reception of the second command data CD2 has not been made, when the user presses a specific input key or operation button on the operation unit 32, this operation will send a command to permit reception to the control unit 31. Therefore, in step SP6 shown in Fig. 17, it is determined that "the reception permission key has been turned ON," and the process proceeds to step SP7.

[0286] In step SP7, the display unit 33 and the audio notification unit 34 again notify by display and audio that the operation to obtain the second command data CD2 is about to begin. Then, a reception permission signal RS is transmitted from the communication unit 2 to the first server 72. The reception permission signal is transmitted immediately, for example, by pressing a specific input key on the operation unit 32. For example, an input key labeled "External Control" may be constantly displayed on the display unit 33, or may be temporarily displayed at the timing of step SP7, and the reception permission signal RS may be transmitted when the key is selected.

[0287] At the point when the receive permission signal RS is issued, the "waiting state" (standby state) from step SP3 ends, that is, the waiting period in FIG. Furthermore, if the user manually sets the cleaning course using the operation unit 32 and issues a command to start the cleaning process using the input key without obtaining the second command data CD2, the "standby state" from step SP3 ends at that point.

[0288] The process of acquiring second command data CD2 from outside involves repeated transmission and reception between dishwasher 1 and communications terminal 200 and first server 20. For example, when dishwasher 1 first transmits signal 1, communications terminal 200 receives signal 1 and transmits setting signal 1 including setting information. In response to this, dishwasher 1 checks the internal restriction status (for example, whether another setting signal has put it in standby or operation prohibited state), and if there are no problems, transmits signal 2 to proceed to the next stage.

[0289] During such a reception operation, the display unit 33 displays a signal RS indicating that reception is in progress, which differs from the initial standby screen up to that point (step SP7), and indicates that reception is in progress. Note that steps SP6 and SP7 are not essential steps in Figure 17, and are therefore indicated by dashed lines as shown in Figure 17, and these two steps can be omitted. Steps SP6 and SP7 can be added if the user sets a special option using the operation unit 32.

[0290] In the next step SP8, it is determined whether or not a cleaning course has been selected using the operation unit 32. Next, the control unit 31 causes the weighing unit 12 to measure the stock amount (remaining amount) of liquid detergent 57 (step SP9). Then, the measurement result is temporarily stored in the memory unit within the weighing unit 12.

[0291] Furthermore, the control unit 31 issues a signal to the first server 72 requesting that the first server 72 generate control information W3 according to the water quality of the water supply source and transmit it to the dishwasher 1. At the same time, the control unit 31 transmits data indicating the latest inventory amount of liquid detergent 57 acquired in step SP9 (step SP10).

[0292] In the next step SP11, it is determined whether or not the control information S3, i.e., the desired second command data CD2, has been received from the first server 72. If reception is not successful within a certain period of time (including cases where the cause is a communication failure), an error process is performed and an alarm is issued by the alarm unit 42.

[0293] Then, when it is confirmed that the second command data CD2 has been received, the next step SP11A determines whether it is acceptable to propose an operating course using control information S3 corresponding to the water quality of the tap water from the water source (such as a water purification plant). For example, if the user selects the "quick" wash course (step SP8), the operation time required, including both the wash and dry processes, may be long. Therefore, if the judgment result is likely to be contrary to the user's expectations, the notification unit 42 will notify the user in advance at this point. For example, the audio notification unit 34 will notify the user, for example, "Because the water quality is hard, the drying time will be longer than usual (for soft water)."

[0294] In the next step SP12, it is determined whether all the condition settings, etc., via the operation unit 32 have been completed. If they have been completed, the detergent supply unit 73 is driven to dispense a specified amount of liquid detergent 57 (step SP13). Then, the process waits for an operation start command from the operation unit 32 (step SP14). This step corresponds to step SC9 described in FIG. 16.

[0295] Next, FIG. 18 will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart 3 showing the basic operation of the dishwasher 1, and shows the relationship of the "turbidity determination process SLP" for the wash water to confirm the washing effect during the washing process.

[0296] When the user presses the start switch (key) at step SP15 in FIG. 17, the cleaning process starts and the process proceeds to step SP15 in FIG. First, the notification unit 42 notifies the user that the cleaning process is to begin. Next, the cleaning function exerting section 41 starts to be driven. In addition, the operating state data OS2 is transmitted from the communication section 2 to the external first server 72 or the communication terminal 200. Furthermore, measurement of the elapsed time starts (step SP17).

[0297] In the next step SP18, it is determined whether a predetermined time T1 has elapsed. This time T1 is the time from the start of the cleaning process to check the cleaning effect midway. For example, the time T1 is programmed to be 10 minutes so that a check can be made 10 minutes after the start.

[0298] If step SP18 returns "Yes," the first turbidity determination process SLP1 is performed. The cleaning effectiveness determination unit 92 determines the detection data from the turbidity sensor 92S (step SP19). Here, the quality of the cleaning water (mixed with liquid detergent 57) in the cleaning tank 3 is checked. The turbidity sensor 92S acquires the turbidity and transparency of the cleaning water and other physical data, and based on this, the cleaning effectiveness determination unit 92 determines whether the dirt on the tableware 13 has been sufficiently removed. The cleaning effectiveness determination unit 92 stores and holds threshold values ​​for determination in advance.

[0299] If the judgment result is OK (step SP20), the judgment result data is stored in the memory unit (not shown) of the cleaning effect judgment unit 92 (step SP21), but when the status information A is sent externally, it is absorbed into the status information and sent all at once.

[0300] In the next step SP22, it is determined whether a predetermined time T2 has elapsed since the start of the cleaning process (step SP17). This time T2 is a time predetermined in the cleaning process program. If this time T2 has elapsed, the process proceeds to step SP23, where the cleaning process ends, followed by a rinsing process.

[0301] If the determination result in step SP20 is "No," the process proceeds to step SP24. In step SP24, it is determined whether or not additional liquid detergent 57 needs to be added, and if it is determined that additional liquid detergent 57 is needed, the amount of additional liquid detergent 57 to be added is determined. For example, if it is determined that the cleaning effect would be improved by slightly extending the cleaning time, additional liquid detergent is not added, and the process extends the time of the cleaning process.

[0302] If it is determined that liquid detergent 57 needs to be added, a supply command is issued to detergent supply unit 73 at this stage to add liquid detergent 57, and the washing process continues. After a certain period of time has elapsed, a second "turbidity determination process SLP2" is performed in step SP25.

[0303] Again, the cleaning effect determination unit 92 determines the detection data from the turbidity sensor 92S (step SP25). Here, the water quality (cleaning effect) of the cleaning water (mixed with the liquid detergent 57) in the cleaning tank 3 is checked.

[0304] If it is determined in step SP26 from the data of the judgment result of step SP25 that the addition of liquid detergent 57 is effective and that further addition is unnecessary, the data of the judgment result is stored in the memory unit (not shown) of the cleaning effect judgment unit 92 (step SP21). Due to time constraints in the washing process, the liquid detergent 57 can be added only twice in principle, but in the case of the above-mentioned "thorough washing" course for heavily soiled dishes 13, the program allows for further addition of liquid detergent 57 as shown in Figure 18.

[0305] Next, FIG. 19 will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of measuring liquid detergent 57 in dishwasher 1 according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 19, SD1 to SD8 indicate operation steps of the control unit 31, the weighing unit 12, the notification unit 42, and the like. The following description will be given on the assumption that the maximum allowable volume of the tank 56 is 310 cc. The weighing capacity of the weight sensor 68 is in the range of 60 g to 400 g, with the minimum unit being 1 g.

[0306] First, the control unit 31 detects that the main power switch (not shown) has been turned on (step SD1), and issues a command to the weighing circuit 62 upon activation. If the reed switch 69 is ON, the weighing circuit 62 determines that the tank 56 is in the predetermined storage position and issues a weighing (measurement) command to the weight sensor 68 to measure the weight. Then, data indicating the weight value of the measurement result (e.g., 350 g) is temporarily stored in the memory unit 12M (not shown) built into the weighing unit 12 (step SD1).

[0307] In step SD1, the weighing unit 12 subtracts the weight of the tank 56 itself (e.g., 60 g), which is known in advance, from the measured value (weight value, e.g., 350 g), and calculates that the weight of the liquid detergent 57 is 290 g. Since the specific gravity of the liquid detergent 57 is approximately 1.0, it can be seen that approximately 290 cc of liquid detergent 57 is contained. In other words, the tank is full at this point.

[0308] The threshold value of "Condition 1" used in the determination of step SD2 (Condition 1 not met) is "200 g or more." Therefore, if the weight is 295 g as described above, the determination of step SD2 will be "No," and since there is sufficient liquid detergent 57, no further weight measurement will be performed.

[0309] If the weight measured in step SD1 is 250 g, subtracting the weight of the tank 56 itself (60 g), the weight of the liquid detergent 57 is calculated to be 190 g. Therefore, step SA2 returns "Yes" and the process proceeds to step SD3.

[0310] Next, step SD3 will be described. At step SD2, the measuring circuit 62 has already started the light emitting circuit 63, causing the light emitting element 65 to emit light in a predetermined wavelength range. As in the example described in step SD1, if the weight measurement result of the tank 56 is 250 g, the net weight of the liquid detergent 57 will be 190 g, and in this case the liquid level will be above the midpoint between the top and bottom of the tank 56. Therefore, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 14, the light beam for detecting the water level penetrates the liquid detergent 57, and the light receiving element 66 cannot receive the specified amount of light. The light receiving circuit 64 inputs this state to the measuring circuit 62.

[0311] In the next step SD4, it is determined that the liquid detergent 57 has reached a level that blocks the progress of the light beam for detecting the water level, so the amount of water at this point is 155 cc (half of the full amount of 310 cc) or more. However, since the threshold for the judgment in this step SD4 is "150 g," the judgment in this step SD4 is "Yes," and the process proceeds to step SD5.

[0312] In the next step SD5, the display unit 33 displays, using characters or a bar graph, that there is a sufficient amount of liquid detergent 57 remaining, and the notification unit 42 also notifies the same by voice. Then, the device transitions to a state where it waits for a command to start operation from the user.

[0313] On the other hand, if the weight measured in step SD1 is 150 g, the net weight of liquid detergent 57 is calculated to be 90 g, so if "Condition 2" of the determination in step SD4 is 150 g, the result in step SD4 will be "No." Then, the process proceeds to step SD6.

[0314] In step SD6, the display unit 33 displays, by means of text, a bar graph, or the like, that the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is insufficient, and the notification unit 42 also notifies the user by voice, urging the user to refill the liquid detergent 57.

[0315] If the user subsequently removes the tank 56 from the storage space 58, refills it with liquid detergent 57, and then sets it back in the storage space 58, the weighing circuit 62 detects this removal and attachment of the tank 56. As described above, this is because the reed switch 69 is temporarily turned off when the tank 56 is removed. When the tank 56 is set back in the correct position, the process returns to step SD1 and the weight is measured (the previous measurement value is reset).

[0316] Furthermore, before removing the tank 56, the lid 56A is opened, and since there is a detection circuit 56C (not shown) that detects the state of a locking mechanism (not shown) that keeps the lid 56A in a closed position, when the locking mechanism is released to open the lid 56A, a signal (release signal) indicating that the lid 56A is in an open state is input from the detection circuit 56C (not shown) to the control unit 31.

[0317] On the other hand, if the tank 56 is not removed from the storage space 58, the process proceeds to step SD8. In step SD8, the display unit 33 displays in text a message that the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is insufficient and that operation cannot be started unless it is replenished, and the notification unit 42 also notifies the same message by voice. Then, after a certain grace period (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed, the power supply unit 82 is forcibly shut off.

[0318] The contents of steps SD6 and SD8 are temporarily stored in the memory unit 12M (not shown) built into the weighing unit 12 each time. 15 acquires the most recent weight measurement data from the various data stored in the memory unit 12M (not shown) of the weighing unit 12. In this case, the consumption information acquisition unit 11 extracts and stores the calculated weight data of the liquid detergent 57, excluding the weight of the tank 56. The consumption information acquisition unit 11 then enters a state of waiting for a dishwashing operation start command.

[0319] Next, FIG. 20 will be described. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the basics of a modified example in which a part of the liquid detergent metering operation shown in FIG. 19 is improved. Steps SD8 to SD10 in FIG. 20 are different from the operation steps shown in FIG. In step SD8 of Fig. 20, it is determined whether the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is sufficient for one dishwashing. For example, if 40 g (minimum) of liquid detergent 57 is required for one dishwashing, and the weight value (including the weight of tank 56) measured in step SD1 is, for example, 120 g, and the weight of tank 56 is 60 g as described in Fig. 19, the weight to be determined in step SD8 is 120 g - 60 g = 60 g.

[0320] As described above, if 60 g of liquid detergent 57 remains, the determination in step SD8 is "Yes," and the process can proceed to step SD9. In other words, in step SD9, one-time dishwashing is permitted, and this is displayed on display unit 33, and notification unit 42 can also make an audio announcement such as "There is enough detergent for one wash, so you can start operation."

[0321] On the other hand, if it is determined in step SD8 that there is not enough liquid detergent 57 remaining for one wash run, the process proceeds to step SD10. In step SD10, the display unit 33 displays in text a message indicating that there is not enough liquid detergent 57 remaining for one run and that the run cannot start until it is replenished, and the notification unit 42 also issues a similar message by voice. Then, after a certain grace period (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed, the power supply unit 82 is forcibly shut off.

[0322] In this way, the operation program in Figure 20 is more flexible than the operation program in Figure 19 in that it can perform a single wash even when there is little liquid detergent 57 remaining.It is also highly convenient because it can perform a single wash even if the user accidentally forgets to refill the liquid detergent 57 and there is no stock of liquid detergent on hand.

[0323] 19 and 20 do not explain the relationship with the amount of liquid detergent 57 to be added in the turbidity determination process SLP1 for the washing step. However, for example, in steps SD4 and SD8 in Fig. 20, the threshold value is set taking into consideration the amount of liquid detergent 57 that will be required if additional detergent is to be added in the turbidity determination process SLP1 for the washing step. For example, even if the weight of liquid detergent determined in step SD2 is 60 g, if the amount expected to be required for additional addition is 10 to 15 g, then 40 g of liquid detergent will be added once at the beginning of the washing step, and the maximum amount to be added will be 15 g, for a total of 55 g, which can be accommodated within the 60 g range.

[0324] Next, FIG. 21 will be described. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the determination operation of the control unit 31 in the dishwasher 1 when the container (tank 56) for the liquid detergent 57 is installed. The operation steps SU1 to SU10 shown in FIG.

[0325] Before removing the tank 56, the user opens the lid 56A, and when the lid 56A is opened, a signal (release signal) indicating that the lid 56A is in an open state is input to the control unit 31. When the lid 56A is then closed, the release signal stops.

[0326] Furthermore, when the tank 56 is pulled out, the reed switch 69 is turned off once, and then the reed switch 69 is turned on, so that the control unit 31 detects that the tank 56 has been removed and is now attached.

[0327] The control unit 31 can detect that the installation operation of the tank 56 has been performed by either or both of the opening and closing of the lid 56A and the change of the reed switch 69 from OFF to ON. In this third embodiment, step SU1 is started when the opening and closing of the lid 56A is detected.

[0328] After step SU1, the next step SU2 determines whether the reed switch 69 is turned ON. As described above, the permanent magnet 70 and reed switch 69 constitute the tank position detection means 72, which detects that the tank 56 has been correctly installed when the tank 56 is installed in the correct position. Therefore, if the tank 56 is installed in the correct position, the determination in step SU2 is "Yes."

[0329] If the tank 56 is not in the correct position, the process proceeds to step SU7, where the display unit 33 displays a message requesting the user to check the position of the tank 56. At the same time, the audio notification unit 34 also uses audio to alert the user to check the position of the tank 56.

[0330] When the user selects the cleaning course, the metering circuit 62 activates the light emitting circuit 63, causing the light emitting element 65 to emit light in a predetermined wavelength range (step SU3). 19, if there is 290 g of liquid detergent 57 present, the liquid level is close to the ceiling of tank 56. Therefore, as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 14, the light beam for detecting the liquid level is emitted toward the inside of liquid detergent 57, and the light receiving element 66 cannot receive the specified amount of light. The light receiving circuit 64 inputs this state to the measuring circuit 62.

[0331] If it is determined that the liquid detergent 57 has reached a level that blocks the progress of the light beam for detecting the liquid level, the amount of liquid detergent 57 at that point is 155 cc (155 g) or more. However, since the threshold for the determination in step SU4 is "150 g," the determination in step SU4 is "Yes," and the process proceeds to step SU5.

[0332] In the next step SU5, the display unit 33 displays, by means of text, a bar graph, etc., that there is a sufficient amount of liquid detergent 57 remaining. Thereafter, the audio notification unit 34 also notifies the same effect by audio. Then, in step SU6, if a command to start cleaning is received from the user, a notification is issued that the cleaning process can be started, and the standby state is maintained. The history up to this point is temporarily stored in the memory unit 12M (not shown) built into the weighing unit 12, but it may also be recorded in the memory unit 31M.

[0333] Step SU6A is a process similar to step SP11A. That is, in this step SU6A, it is determined whether or not it is acceptable to propose an operating course based on the control information S3 corresponding to the water quality of tap water from the water supply source (such as a water purification plant). For example, if the user selects the "quick" wash cycle (step SP8 in FIG. 17), the operation time required for both the wash cycle and the drying cycle may be long, so if the determination result is likely to be contrary to the user's expectations, the notification unit 42 will notify the user in advance at this point. For example, the audio notification unit 34 will notify the user, for example, "Because the water quality is hard, the drying time will be longer than usual (for soft water)."

[0334] On the other hand, if the weight of the liquid detergent 57 is measured to be 90 g in step SU3, as described above, the determination result in step SU4 will be "No." Then, the process proceeds to step SU8.

[0335] In step SU8, the display unit 33 displays, by means of text, a bar graph, or the like, that the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is insufficient, and the audio notification unit 34 also notifies the user by audio. The user is then prompted to refill the liquid detergent 57.

[0336] If the user subsequently removes the tank 56 from the storage space 58, refills it with liquid detergent 57, and then sets it back in the storage space 58, the weighing circuit 62 detects this removal and attachment of the tank 56. As described above, this is because the reed switch 69 is temporarily turned off when the tank 56 is removed. When the tank 56 is set back in the correct position, the process returns to step SU3 and the weight is measured (the previous weight measurement value is reset).

[0337] Furthermore, before removing the tank 56, the lid 56A is opened, and because there is a detection circuit 56C (not shown) that detects the state of a locking mechanism (not shown) that keeps the lid 56A in the closed position, the control unit 31 detects that the lid 56A has changed from an open state to a closed state. Therefore, when the tank 56 is pulled out, the reed switch 69 turns OFF temporarily, and the control unit 31 detects that the tank 56 has been attached or detached.

[0338] On the other hand, if the tank 56 is not removed from the storage space 58, the process proceeds to step SU10. In step SU10, the display unit 33 displays in text a message that the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is insufficient and that operation cannot be started unless it is replenished, and the audio notification unit 34 also notifies the same effect by audio. Then, after a certain grace period (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed, the power supply unit 82 is automatically shut off.

[0339] The details indicating the process leading up to step SU8 are also temporarily stored in the storage unit 12M (not shown) built into the weighing unit 12, but may also be recorded in storage unit 31M.

[0340] Next, FIG. 22 will be described. FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 31 when the door is opened in the dishwasher 1 of the third embodiment. The operation steps SW1 to SW6 shown in FIG.

[0341] When the door 4 is open, the user can close the door 4 at any time. When the user places his / her finger on the handle 7 of the operating unit 32, an operating switch (not shown) located inside the handle 7 detects the operation and sends a signal to the control unit 31. The control unit 31 issues a command to the drive circuit 89 to drive the drive motor 70, thereby moving the door 4 in the closing direction.

[0342] Step SW1 shown in FIG. 22 is a step for determining whether or not a door operation signal has been received from the operation switch (not shown) of the handle portion 7, as described above. In the next step SW2, as explained in step SU1 of FIG. 21, if the tank position detection means 72, which is composed of a permanent magnet 70 and a reed switch 69, detects that the tank 56 has been installed correctly, the result is "Yes" and the process proceeds to the next step SW3.

[0343] In step SW3, for example, the audio notification unit 34 issues an audio message such as "The door will close." Then, the process proceeds to step SW4, where the process waits for a command to move (close) the door 4. If a movement command is received, step SW4 becomes "Yes," the process proceeds to step SW5, and the control unit 31 issues a command to the drive circuit 89. This causes the drive motor 70 to rotate in a predetermined direction, and starts the operation of pulling the door 4 back into the housing 2.

[0344] On the other hand, if the determination in step SW2 is "No," the process proceeds to step SW6, where the voice notification unit 34 and the display unit 33 prompt the user to confirm that the tank 56 is correctly installed. For example, the user is prompted to check that the lid 56A of the door 4 is completely closed.

[0345] As is clear from the above explanation, unless the tank 56 refilled with liquid detergent 57 is placed in the correct position in the storage space 58 and the lid 56A is completely closed, the control unit 31 will not issue a command to move the door 4 even if the user operates the handle 7. Therefore, the door 4 will not move inadvertently with part of the tank 56 protruding outward from the right end face of the door 4, so that the tank 56 will not collide with the edge of the installation opening 54 of the kitchen furniture 100 and be damaged.

[0346] Although not described in detail, if the tank 56 is removed from the storage space 58 while the door 4 is open, a display (not shown) on the top surface of the door 4 may display the fact that the tank 56 is not installed, or a light emitting element such as an LED may be emitted from the top surface toward the installation opening 54 of the kitchen furniture 100 to draw attention. It is even more preferable to configure the device so that when the tank position detection means 72 determines that the tank 56 has been correctly stored in the door 4, the light emitting element (shown) stops emitting light at that stage.

[0347] 14, the storage space 58 that stores the tank 56 also houses the weight sensor 68 and other electrical components, so it is undesirable for moisture and water vapor generated inside the cleaning tank 3 to flow in. However, in this embodiment 3, unless it has been confirmed that the lid 56A is closed, the door 4 will not close from the open state and the cleaning process will not start, so safety is also high in this respect.

[0348] Next, FIG. 23 will be described. Fig. 23 is a flowchart 1 showing the process from the initial measurement of liquid detergent through the washing process to the end of operation in dishwasher 1. Unlike embodiment 1, dishwasher 1 in Fig. 23 does not have a function for detecting (determining) the quality of wash water.

[0349] When main power is supplied to the control unit 31, the inventory amount of liquid detergent 57 is measured by the measuring unit 12, and the result is sent from the communication unit 2 to the external server 71 as status information A. Then, control information S3 corresponding to the tap water hardness of the installation location (area) identified by the device identification information of the dishwasher 1 is received from the external server 71 (first server 72) (step SV1).

[0350] After the user places the cleaning tank 3 in the housing 2, the user issues a command to start operation using the operating unit 32 (step SV2). During the period when the drain pump 94 is stopped, the water supply valve 95 located in the water supply line connected to the cleaning tank 3 is opened, and tap water is supplied into the cleaning tank 3, starting the water supply process (step SV3).

[0351] When a specified amount of wash water (tap water) accumulates in the washing tub 3, a water volume detection unit 91 equipped with a water level sensor (not shown) sends a signal to the control unit 31 to close the water supply valve 95. Then, a control valve (or supply pump) 67 in a supply path connecting the tank 56 to the inside of the washing tub 3 opens in response to a command from the control unit 31, and the liquid detergent 57 required for one dish wash is injected into the washing tub 3 (step SV4). Note that the amount of liquid detergent 57 varies depending on the number of dishes to be washed and the selected washing course (for example, "thorough wash"), and is not always a constant amount.

[0352] After the liquid detergent 57 has been poured into the washing tub 3, the water stored in the washing tub 3 is heated by the heater 35 (first heater 35A) until it becomes hot water, which is then used for washing dishes. That is, the control unit 31 automatically starts the washing operation. Thereafter, the control unit 31 determines whether the specified washing time determined by the control unit 31 has elapsed, and if the washing time has elapsed, the washing process ends (step SV5). The washing time is determined using the time data of the timing unit 31T.

[0353] Next, the drain pump 94 is started to operate, and the draining process begins (step SV6). When draining is completed, the drain pump 94 is stopped, and the washing pump 36 is started again to collect clean water (tap water) in the washing tank 3. The water collected in the washing tank 3 is heated by the heater 35 (35A) to become hot water, which is also used for rinsing (step SV7). When the specified rinsing process time has elapsed, the drain pump 94 is started to operate, and the draining process begins (step SV8).

[0354] It is determined whether drainage is complete (step SV9), and if so, power is supplied to second heater 35B, which heats the air inside cleaning tank 3 and starts the drying process (step SV10). By operating blower fan 37, outside indoor air is introduced into cleaning tank 3, and this introduced air is heated by second heater 35B to become warm air, causing hot air to circulate throughout the cleaning tank 3. As a result, humid air is continuously released from the interior space of cleaning tank 3 to the outside, and is gradually replaced by dry air.

[0355] In step SV11, status information B is generated including data showing the results of a series of operations from the cleaning process to the drying process. Then, this status information B is stored in memory unit 31M (step SV12). Thereafter, the status information B is transmitted from communication unit 2 to external server 71 (step SV13).

[0356] The transmitted status information B is stored in the appliance consumable goods database 23R (see FIG. 9) of the electric appliance information storage unit 23 of the first server 72 in association with the appliance identification information of the dishwasher 1.

[0357] As explained in Fig. 16, the transmission process of step SV13 is executed at the latest by the end of the drying process (see step SC13 in Fig. 16). Therefore, the main power switch is not turned off before the transmission, and step SV13 is executed every time dishes are washed. Note that the process of step SV13 may be executed at a timing before the end of the washing process (see step SC11 in Fig. 16).

[0358] 16, the drying process automatically ends when the time set by control unit 31 has elapsed, and notification unit 42 notifies the user that the operation has ended (step SV14). Display unit 33 also displays a similar indication that the operation has ended (step SV14). Thereafter, the power supply from power supply unit 82 is automatically cut off, and the series of cleaning and drying operations ends (step SV15).

[0359] In step SV11, the status information B stored in a predetermined area of ​​the memory unit 31M includes data reflecting the amount of liquid detergent 57 added during the washing process, if any. If the user has set these in advance, the fact that liquid detergent 57 has been added during the washing process and the fact that the number of rinses during the rinsing process has been changed are notified to the user and are included as related information in the status information B sent to the first server 72. Furthermore, if the dishwasher 1 is started again after this, status information A is generated again in step SV1, but this status information A may be substantially the same as status information B stored in the processing of step SV12. However, if date and time information is included, the date and time information of the restart is reflected in status information A at the stage of step SV1.

[0360] Next, FIG. 24 will be described. FIG. 24 is a flowchart 2 showing the process of the dishwasher 1 from the initial measurement of liquid detergent through the washing process to the end of operation. The dishwasher 1 of Figure 24 differs from the configuration described in Figure 23 in that the remaining amount (amount used) of liquid detergent 57 estimation process AP1 and the number of times it can be operated based on the remaining amount estimation result process AP2 are performed on the external server 71 side.

[0361] In FIG. 24, step SV11A is significantly different from that in FIG. 23, so this step SV11A will be explained. First, in step SV11A, the total weight value of tank 56 at the time of step SV1 and the amount of liquid detergent 57 (weight value: for example, 40 g) commanded and supplied in step SV4 of Fig. 23 are generated as status information B. Furthermore, in step SV11A, the total weight of liquid detergent 57 may be measured again and reflected in status information B.

[0362] Then, the status information B is transmitted to the external server 71 via the communication line 2 (step SV12). Thereafter, the first server 72 performs a process AP1 for estimating the remaining amount (amount used) of the liquid detergent 57 and a process AP2 for estimating the number of remaining operations shown in FIG.

[0363] Next, FIG. 25 will be described. FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing part of the operation of the operation management system of the dishwasher 1 in chronological order. As described in step SV11A of Figure 24, the dishwasher 1 generates status information B (step SE1) and transmits it to the first server 72 (step SE2). Next, the first server 72 acquires the status information B via the network NW (step SE3). Next, the first server 72 uses the identification information and the like included in the status information B to identify a specific electrical appliance (in this case, the dishwasher 1) of a specific user using the user / facility identification unit 24. The electric appliance information storage unit 23 includes an appliance consumables database 23R, which stores remaining amount (weight) data of consumables for each specific electric appliance of the user.

[0364] The electrical equipment information storage unit 23 also stores data on status information A sent from the dishwasher 1 at step SV1 (Figure 24) before the washing process, and includes data on the total weight of the liquid detergent 57 (including the weight of the tank 56) before the washing process begins. Therefore, the average value (average weight value WA) of the amount of liquid detergent 57 dispensed per dispense in step SV4 (FIG. 24) is read from this appliance consumable goods database 23R (step SE4). For example, if the average value of the past five wash operations is 45g, it is possible to calculate an estimated result that the amount of liquid detergent has decreased by 45g, even if the actual amount (weight) of liquid detergent dispensed in step SV4 (Fig. 24) is unknown. In other words, if status information A stating "remaining amount: 290g" was received at the beginning of the past five wash operations, the latest remaining amount can be estimated based on that. This is the remaining amount (used amount) estimation process SE5.

[0365] If the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 can be estimated in this way, in the next step SE6, the electrical device information storage unit 23 performs remaining operation count estimation process AP2. Specifically, if the latest remaining amount is 200 g and the average amount consumed per wash is 45 g, then 200 / 45=4.4 times, which means that four wash operations are possible in the future.

[0366] In Figure 25, the amount (weight) of liquid detergent 57 dispensed from tank 56 for each dish wash is not constant, but if it is constant, the "average value (average weight value WA)" of the amount of liquid detergent 57 dispensed is a constant value.

[0367] On the other hand, if the amount (weight) of liquid detergent 57 dispensed from tank 56 for one dishwashing run is not constant, the "average value (average weight value WA)" of the amount of liquid detergent 57 dispensed can be determined from the results of weight measurement (step SV11A in Figure 24) after one washing run is completed and before the next wash is performed.

[0368] That is, the difference between the weight measurement value of the tank 56 performed before the start of the immediately preceding cleaning cycle (step SV1 in FIG. 24) and the weight value measured after the completion of the cleaning operation (step SV11A) is presumed to indicate the actual amount of liquid detergent 57 used. Therefore, by sequentially adding up these measured values ​​and dividing, for example, the total weight value WT for five cleaning operations by the number of cleaning operations (five), the average weight value WA can be calculated.

[0369] 24 and 25, in the remaining operation count estimation process AP2, since it is desired to notify the user of the remaining operation count with a margin of one operation, the above-mentioned "four times" is corrected to "three times" by the control unit 21, and this is stored in the appliance consumable goods database 23R (step SE7). Then, the result of this process is notified to the user (step SE8).

[0370] The latest information regarding the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 and the result of the remaining number of operations estimation process AP2 are transmitted to the communication terminal 200 (step SE8). The communication terminal 200 receives the latest information (including the result of the remaining driving count estimation process AP2) transmitted from the first server 72 (step SE9), and displays the received information on the terminal display unit 216 (step SE10).

[0371] Next, FIG. 26 will be described. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram 1 of the operation of the communication terminal 200, showing a scene where the communication terminal 200 receives a notification from the first server 72 in the operation management system according to the modified example of the third embodiment (FIGS. 24 and 25).

[0372] In FIG. 26(A), 216 indicates a terminal display unit. FIG. 26(A) shows a case where an application program called "Consumable Goods Management" in the communication terminal 200 is started. FIG. 26(A) is a type of "select screen" that allows selection of various individual menus. 200BG is the menu display section for "Consumable Goods Management," one of the individual menus. When either the icon 261R or 261L is touched, the terminal control unit 212 (see FIG. 10) switches the screen of FIG. 26(A) to the screen of FIG. 26(B). FG indicates the user's fingertips for touch operations.

[0373] 281 is a name display section that displays the name of one consumer product (liquid detergent 57) "AA detergent." In the example of Figure 26(A), important information (hereinafter referred to as "warning information 1") is displayed in display area 282, indicating that the remaining consumable product (liquid detergent 57) will run out in the next run of dishwasher 1, i.e., that future runs will be affected. In this example, the text "Expected to be empty" is displayed, but an illustration or other appropriate symbol may also be displayed. This warning information 1 informs the user of the urgency of refilling liquid detergent 57.

[0374] Reference numeral 283 is a display area that displays cautions (also called "advice information A") about a specific consumer product (in this case, AA detergent). In this example, it is recommended to "use the dedicated XX detergent." In the case of dishwasher 1, it is prohibited to use general detergents (kitchen detergents) that are used when washing dishes by hand in the kitchen, etc. This is because such general kitchen detergents generate a lot of foam. If this detergent were to be used, a large amount of foam would be generated during the dishwashing operation, and the foam could leak out of washing tub 3 or penetrate into the electrical circuitry, causing a malfunction.

[0375] The advice information A 283 about a particular consumer product may include information introducing a commercially available detergent (liquid detergent 57) suitable for hard water. In other words, useful information may be added to help the user select a more appropriate detergent.

[0376] Also, the display area 283 may display that baking soda should not be used, as baking soda can harden and cause clogging of pipes, drains, etc. Furthermore, display area 283 also displays water source information for dishwasher 1 used by this user, and in FIG. 26, it is indicated in text that the water quality of the water source (tap water) is "hard water."

[0377] Reference numeral 285 denotes a selection section (icon) for selecting to connect to an external EC site (electronic commerce site) via the network NW. When this icon 285 is pressed, a dedicated input screen is displayed so that the consumer product (liquid detergent) displayed in Fig. 26(A) can be purchased via the network NW. For this purpose, the mail order processing section 234 described in Fig. 10 is activated.

[0378] 274 is an icon. In the case of Fig. 26(A), pressing this icon 274 causes explanatory information about the individual consumable product stored in the consumable product database 28 and the electrical appliance information storage unit 23 of the first server 72 to be acquired from the first server 72 and displayed on the terminal display unit 216. In other words, as shown in Fig. 26(B), detailed information about the liquid detergent 57 (AA detergent) can be displayed. This icon 274 is a first selection means for requesting detailed information about the consumable product (liquid detergent 57) related to the "warning information 1."

[0379] In the display area 282, information is not necessarily displayed on the terminal display unit 216, and there are cases where no information is displayed if there is no relevant consumable product or warning information 1. Furthermore, the display area of ​​the displayed area changes automatically each time depending on the amount of information to be displayed, and the display area is not fixed. 273 is an icon for returning the display from the state of Fig. 26(A) to the initial display screen of consumable goods management (the select screen). 274 is an icon for proceeding to the detailed display screen, as mentioned above.

[0380] Next, FIG. 27 will be described. FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the operation of the communication terminal 200, showing a scene where the communication terminal 200 receives a notification from the first server 72 in the operation management system according to the modified example of the third embodiment (FIGS. 24 and 25).

[0381] FIG. 27(A) shows a modification of FIG. 26(A). The example in Figure 27(A) is an example in which important information ("warning information 1") is displayed in display area 282, indicating that the remaining consumable product (liquid detergent 57) will run out in the next run of dishwasher 1, meaning that future runs will be affected. In this example, the text "Expected to run out in one more run" is displayed, but an illustration or other appropriate symbol may also be displayed. This warning information 1 informs the user of the urgency of refilling liquid detergent 57.

[0382] 283 is a display area that displays a warning (advice information A) about a specific consumer product (in this case, AA detergent). In this example, it is recommended to "use the dedicated YY detergent." It also indicates that the use of a specific detergent (general kitchen detergent) is prohibited.

[0383] Next, FIG. 27(B) will be described. In FIG. 27(A), when icon 274 is touched, the screen switches to an individual screen (input screen) of FIG. 27(B) that displays detailed information about one consumable item (consumable part) called the residue filter.

[0384] Here, the "residue filter" refers to a fine mesh filter that is removably installed at the bottom of the washing tank 3. This residue filter collects food residue that separates from the dishes during dishwashing, and since the residue in the residue filter can emit an unpleasant odor when the dishwasher 1 is not in use, it is recommended that the filter be cleaned regularly (for example, once a week). Therefore, in the example of FIG. 27(B), a display area 294 indicates that there are accessories that will soon need to be cleaned. 291 is a name display section that identifies accessories that require inspection or cleaning. The residue filter is extracted in the example of FIG. 27(B) from the viewpoint of being a consumable item or replacement part that requires inspection, replacement, replenishment, etc. in the same dishwasher 1. That is, the schedule determination unit 26 (see FIG. 9) extracts items that need to be cleaned or inspected periodically (in this case, weekly) from the electrical device information storage unit 23.

[0385] Schedule determination unit 26 can register consumables and replacement parts that require inspection, replacement, replenishment, etc., at intervals set by the user, such as weekly or monthly, or at intervals recommended by the manufacturer of dishwasher 1. This registration can be done from either dishwasher 1 or communication terminal 200. Once this registration is done, a notification is automatically sent at the set interval to encourage inspection and cleaning of the relevant accessory parts.

[0386] In Fig. 27(B), when icon 274 (second selection means) is touched, the display screen can be changed to show detailed information such as the following: Furthermore, as described above, the changed display screen may be configured to connect to an EC site. (1) The product name, model name, specifications (external dimensions, etc.) and sales format (single unit, multiple units, etc.) of the genuine product (residue filter) (2) Standard usage period (useful life) (3) Manufacturer name of genuine product (residue filter) (4) Product model name, etc.

[0387] <Summary of the Third Embodiment> As described above, one embodiment of the dishwasher 1 according to the disclosure shown in the third embodiment is as follows: a control unit 31 that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process in accordance with control conditions; an address information acquisition unit 61 that holds address information S2 that can identify an installation area; a communication unit 2 capable of transmitting the address information S2 to an external server 71; a control information acquisition unit 81; a detergent supply unit 73 for supplying a detergent used in the cleaning step; a measuring unit 12 for measuring the remaining amount of the detergent; a consumption information acquisition unit 11 that calculates the amount of detergent consumed after one washing cycle is completed; Equipped with the control information acquisition unit 81 acquires control information S3 that is generated by the external server 71 after acquiring the address information S2 and is used to change parameters of the control conditions; When the amount of the detergent measured by the measuring unit 12 satisfies an operation start condition, the control unit 31 starts an operation according to the control information S3, transmitting the amount of detergent consumed in the washing process from the consumption information acquisition unit 11 to the external server; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0388] With this configuration, in areas where the water is hard, for example, the temperature and time can be controlled to allow the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. Furthermore, since the remaining amount of detergent can be automatically checked from the measurement results of the measuring unit 12, it is possible to avoid a shortage of detergent after the start of the washing operation, and it is also possible to replenish the detergent as needed in the preparation stage.

[0389] Furthermore, since there is no need for the dishwasher 1 to determine the water quality, such as hard water or soft water, and the water quality determination is performed on the external server 71 side, the internal circuitry (determination function, etc.) of each dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to that of embodiment 1, which is advantageous in terms of cost. In other words, since control information S3 according to the water quality provided by the external server 71 according to the address information S2 can be obtained and used to set the control conditions for the washing and drying processes, the configuration of the dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to embodiment 1.

[0390] As described above, in the third embodiment, the operation management system for a dishwasher according to the disclosure is implemented as follows. That is, one embodiment of the dishwasher operation management system is: a dishwasher (1) that sequentially executes a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit (32) that can input address information, a unit (11) that acquires information on the consumption of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit (2); The dishwasher includes the communication unit 2 of the dishwasher 1 and an external server 71 that performs wireless communication, The external server 71 acquires water quality information of the water supply source in the area corresponding to the address information, and generates first control information S3A corresponding to soft water and second control information S3B corresponding to hard water according to the water quality information, The external server 71 executes an operation remaining count estimation process AP2 based on the status information A acquired from the dishwasher 1, the external server 71 provides the result of the remaining operation count estimation process AP2 to the dishwasher 1 or the communication terminal 200; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0391] With this configuration, in areas with high water hardness, the temperature and time controls are changed to allow the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. In addition, the dishwasher 1 notifies the user of information regarding the remaining amount of detergent, so the user can easily know when detergent is running low, and can replenish the necessary detergent in the preparation stage before starting the washing operation.

[0392] Furthermore, since there is no need for the dishwasher 1 to determine the water quality, such as hard water or soft water, and the water quality determination is performed on the external server 71 side, the internal circuitry (determination function, etc.) of each dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to that of embodiment 1, which is advantageous in terms of cost. In other words, control information S3A specifying the first control condition or control information S3B specifying the second control condition according to the water quality, provided by the external server 71 according to the address information S2, can be obtained and used to set the control conditions for the washing process and drying process, so the configuration of the dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to embodiment 1.

[0393] Furthermore, the number of times the machine can be operated is estimated based on the actual consumption data of detergents such as liquid detergent 57. By checking this estimated result, the user can know the urgency of needing to replenish the detergent, thereby providing a system that is highly convenient for the user.

[0394] Embodiment 4 <Dishwasher 1 Configuration> Fig. 28 is a flowchart showing the operation of dishwasher 1 according to embodiment 4 up to the notification of operation time information. Fig. 29 is time chart 1 showing an overview of the operation management system of dishwasher 1 according to embodiment 4. Fig. 30 is time chart 2 showing an overview of the operation management system and detergent purchasing support system of dishwasher 1 according to embodiment 4. Note that parts that are the same as or equivalent to the configurations of embodiments 1 to 3 described in Figs. 1 to 27 are given the same reference numerals.

[0395] This embodiment 4 differs from embodiments 1 to 3 in that it automatically determines whether to control the water supply source in "water quality responsive mode" and notifies the user in advance of the difference in operating time that occurs when the water quality responsive mode is adopted and when it is not adopted.

[0396] Furthermore, this embodiment 4 differs from embodiments 1 to 3 in that an electronic commerce (EC) site such as an online shop for online shopping services that sells a special (liquid) detergent 57 for dishwashing is connected to the network NW. Embodiment 4 will be described below with reference to Figures 28 and 29. In this embodiment 4, the water quality (hardness, etc.) of the tap water source (water purification plant, etc.) is not determined by the dishwasher 1 itself, but is determined by an external first server 72, etc. Therefore, the dishwasher 1 obtains water quality information S1 that indicates the water quality determination result from the first server 72, etc. The dishwasher 1 then uses the water quality information S1 to generate control information S3, and executes the washing process, etc., based on this control information S3.

[0397] Referring to FIG. In FIG. 28, steps SG1 to SG11 are a flowchart showing the main operational steps in the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 for notifying operation time information. First, when a user performs an input operation on the operation unit 32 to use the dishwasher 1, it is checked whether or not this operation has been performed (step SG1). The operation mode of the dishwasher 1 of the fourth embodiment can be selected from a total of four modes: a quick mode, an energy saving mode, a thorough mode, and a reservation mode. Step SG2 is a process for requesting the user to confirm whether or not the selected operating course should be confirmed. When the user presses an input button (not shown) labeled "Start" on the operation unit 32, the operating course is confirmed.

[0398] In this embodiment 4, the “normal control mode” described in embodiment 1 is called a “water quality incompatible mode.” In other words, since the dishwasher 1 itself cannot determine the water quality of the water source, such as tap water, control information S3 for hard water and soft water is not prepared in advance. On the other hand, in this embodiment 4, there is no button (not shown) for selecting the "external control mode" as explained in the embodiment 1, but if address information is input in advance using the operation unit 32, the mode is automatically switched to the external control mode. In other words, the "water quality responsive mode" is selected in step SG7 of this Figure 28. In step SG3, a determination is made as to whether the mode is "water quality incompatible mode." If address information has not been input in advance from the operation unit 32, the determination in step SG3 is "Yes." Then, the process proceeds to step SG4.

[0399] In step SG4, the control unit 31 selects one piece of control information from among the "Quick Course," "Energy Saving Course," "Thorough Course," and "Reservation Course," which correspond to the four operating courses and are stored in the memory unit 31M (see FIG. 2) of the control unit 31. The control information in this case is created in advance, for example, assuming the average water quality (hardness) across Japan.

[0400] The storage unit 31M stores data on the required driving time corresponding to each of the four driving courses. For example, the "Rush Course" stores a fixed value of the required time, such as "xx minutes," in a one-to-one correspondence. If the required time is to be corrected according to the indoor air temperature, the temperature of tap water from the water source, or the number of dishes 13 to be washed, the required time is generated by the control unit 31 as a result of calculation processing for such correction (hereinafter referred to as "estimation processing A"). This is step SG5.

[0401] As a result of step SG5, information on the required time stored in memory unit 31M, or information on the (estimated) required time calculated as a result of estimation process A, is displayed on display unit 33. Alternatively, the information may be notified by voice via voice notification unit 34 (step SG10). Step SG11 is a notification function that control unit 31 has as an optional function, and is a process that automatically transmits the required time information of step SG10 to pre-registered communication terminal 200. As a result, immediately before or after the start of washing process 1, communication terminal 200 can know the required operation time of dishwasher 1.

[0402] If, at the stage of step SG3, input for generating address information S2 has been previously performed on the operation unit 32, the result of step SG3 will be "No" and the processing will proceed to the "water quality response mode" processing route (step SG6). The dishwasher 1 requests the first server 72 to provide water quality information on the water source and control information S3 corresponding to that water quality. In response to this request, first server 72 generates control information S3 in control information generation unit 72E. That is, command data CD2 is generated for the specific dishwasher 1 requesting the provision of control information S3. This command data CD2 is set in advance to be sent from communication terminal 200 to dishwasher 1.

[0403] However, if the address information S2 sent by the dishwasher 1 is a non-existent address, or if wireless communication via the network NW between the external server 71 and the dishwasher 1 malfunctions due to communication infrastructure or the like, step SG6 will result in a "No" judgment and the process will proceed to step SG4. Furthermore, if the user does not transmit command data CD2, which should be transmitted from external server 71 to communication terminal 200, to dishwasher 1 from communication terminal 200 within the time limit, timeout processing will automatically occur. For example, if command data CD2 from communication terminal 200 does not reach dishwasher 1 within a certain timeout period (time limit) from step SG2, the process proceeds to step SG4.

[0404] Thus, in step SG8, ​​the control unit 31 of the dishwasher 1 first obtains (from the first server 72 via the communication terminal 200) control information S3 of the water supply source (such as a water purification plant) of the specific region in which the dishwasher 1 is installed, using the control information generation unit 81 (see Figure 2). Furthermore, in step SG8, ​​control unit 31 extracts data on the required operating time for one of the four operating modes, "Quick mode," "Energy saving mode," "Thorough mode," and "Reservation mode," which are stored in memory unit 31M (see FIG. 2) by control unit 31. Note that at this point, the transmission of control information S3 via communication terminal 200 may be stopped, and external server 71 may transmit control information S3 directly to the dishwasher 1 that made the request.

[0405] In the next step SG9, the data on the required operation time for one operating course selected in step SG8 is used to estimate the influence of the control information S3 (command data CD2) and estimate the required time. Hereinafter, the process of determining the required time by calculation processing, machine learning processing, etc., taking into account the control information S3 corresponding to the water quality, will be referred to as estimation process B.

[0406] As a result of the estimation process B shown in step SG9, information on the calculated (estimated) required time is displayed on the display unit 33. Alternatively, the information may be notified by voice from the voice notification unit 34 (step SG10). The required time information calculated in step SG9 can also be automatically transmitted to communication terminal 200 in step SG11. This allows communication terminal 200 to know the required operation time of dishwasher 1 immediately before or after the start of washing process 1, even in the water quality adaptive mode.

[0407] Referring to FIG. FIG. 29 is a time chart 1 showing the time series of operations of the dishwasher 1, external server 71, etc. in the operation management system and detergent purchase support system of the fourth embodiment. 29, steps SF1 to SF12 are the main operational steps of the dishwasher 1 and the associated operational steps of the first server 72. Also, some of the notifications to the communication terminal 200 are shown.

[0408] Step SF1 is when a dealer or the like installs dishwasher 1 in kitchen furniture 100 and performs an initial test (also called a "trial run"). At this time, the user or the dealer or the like, at the user's request, operates operation unit 32 to input the installation location (the location of the user's residence, the location of the store, etc.). Once the initial test has completed registration of the dishwasher 1's model identification information, user name, installation location, etc. to the first server 72, the address information acquisition unit 61 of the dishwasher 1 (see Figure 2) provides the address information S2 of the dishwasher 1 to the first server 72 (step SF2). The device identification information and installation location information (address information S2) sent from dishwasher 1 are stored in first server 72. For example, they are saved in the "user / facility identification unit 24" described in embodiment 3 (FIG. 9). This completes user registration on the first server 72 side (step SF3).

[0409] Furthermore, when the user performs "service registration" to receive various information from the first server 72 (step SF4), the user can set the first server 72 to receive warning information A (282) regarding the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 and cautions (advice information A) 283 regarding the liquid detergent 57. Note that the warning information A (282) and advice information A (283) can also be set to be received by push notification via a specific communication terminal 200 carried by the user so that the user can check the information even when the dishwasher 1 is not in operation.

[0410] The first server 72 has a function of registering a "service menu" for a specific user. For example, the first server 72 has the electric appliance information storage unit 23 and the appliance consumable goods database 23R described in the third embodiment (FIG. 9).

[0411] When a new user registers a dishwasher 1, the first server 72 extracts information about the installation location of the dishwasher 1 from the user registration information and transmits the information about the installation location to the second server 73 (not shown in FIG. 29). The second server 73 identifies the water supply source (such as a water purification plant) under its jurisdiction from the information about the installation location, and provides water quality information about the water supply source to the first server 72 (step SF5). In other words, the first server 72 can associate each individual dishwasher 1 with water quality information and store it in the appliance consumable goods database 23R.

[0412] The first server 72 has a user support unit (not shown). If the "remaining amount notification menu" for liquid detergent 57 is registered when the "service menu" for a specific user is registered in step SF3, this user support unit (not shown) provides warning information A (282) regarding the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 and cautions (advice information A) 283 regarding liquid detergent 57 at an appropriate timing.

[0413] Step SF6 shown in FIG. 29 is an example in which the user support unit (not shown) of the first server 72 provides two types of information immediately after performing "user registration" for a specific user. One type of information is information about the quality of water from a water purification plant or the like in the area where the dishwasher 1 is installed, and includes at least information about whether the water is hard water or soft water. The second information is coupon (discount) information that can be used when purchasing liquid detergent 57 or the like that is suitable for use in the registered dishwasher 1. These two types of information may also be sent by push notification to communication terminal 200 when "user registration" has been performed in advance with first server 72 (step SF6A).

[0414] After the initial test as described above, the case where the dishwasher 1 is actually used will be described. When the main power switch is turned ON to start the dishwasher 1, startup information (operating status data OS1) is sent to the external server 71 (step SF7). Then, a request is made for control information S3 corresponding to the water quality information. That is, as explained in step SG3 of FIG. 28, if address information has been registered, the dishwasher 1 starts the water-quality-adaptive mode and proceeds to the operation of acquiring the control information S3 (see steps SG6 and SG7 of FIG. 28). Then, first server 72 generates control information S3 and transmits this control information S3 to dishwasher 1 (step SF8). In practice, first server 72 transmits control information S3 to communication terminal 200 so that control information S3 can be reliably and easily transmitted to dishwasher 1 (step SF8A).

[0415] When dishwasher 1 starts operation such as a washing cycle (step SF9), dishwasher 1 measures the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 during operation, as shown in, for example, embodiment 3 (step SV11 in FIG. 23 or step SV11A in FIG. 24), and generates status information B. Then, such information is provided to first server 72 (step SF10).

[0416] When the dishwasher 1 finishes operation (step SF11), the dishwasher 1 transmits information indicating the end of operation to the first server 72. The first server 72 registers data including the operating history provided by the dishwasher 1 in the appliance consumable goods database 23R of the specific dishwasher 1, and updates the already registered inventory amount of liquid detergent 57 to the latest inventory amount (step SF12).

[0417] Next, FIG. 30 will be described. FIG. 30 is a time chart 2 showing the operations of the dishwasher 1, the external server 71, etc. in the operation management system and the detergent purchase support system according to the fourth embodiment in chronological order. 30, steps SF13 to SF25 are the main operational steps of the dishwasher 1 and the associated operational steps of the first server 72 and the third server 74. Also shown is a portion of the notification to the communication terminal 200 and the ordering of detergent by the communication terminal 200.

[0418] The third server 74 is a server of an electronic commerce (EC) site such as an online shop for online shopping services that sells liquid detergent 57 specifically for dishwasher 1. The third server 74 may also serve as a server that accepts orders for various detergents and consumables (fabric softener, granular detergent, liquid rinse aid, etc.) other than liquid detergent 57.

[0419] When the dishwasher 1 is started again (step SF13), status information A indicating the operating status and data indicating the measurement result of the consumable (liquid detergent 57) are sent to the first server 72 (step SF14), similar to step SF10. The first server 72 updates the stored consumable consumption data in the same manner as in step SF12 (step SF15). If the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 falls below a specified amount, it generates warning information A and transmits it to the dishwasher 1 (step SF16).

[0420] When this warning information A is sent, the purchase of a liquid detergent 57 specifically for the dishwasher 1 may be recommended. In this case, a detergent suitable for the water quality of the water supply source (such as a water purification plant) of the dishwasher 1 is extracted from the consumer goods database 28, and the purchase of that detergent is recommended. Furthermore, when the notification is sent in step SF15, similar warning information A and detergent purchase recommendation information are also sent to communication terminals 200 that have been pre-registered as being compatible with the dishwasher 1 (step SF16A).

[0421] The first server 72 provides a set of the operation history data of the dishwasher 1 from the specific user and consumption data indicating the history of consumption of consumables to the third server 74 (step SF17). At this time, data indicating the specific user's detergent purchase preference is also transmitted.

[0422] The third server 74 electronically issues and provides product information useful for purchasing consumables (liquid detergent 57) and a coupon for a discount purchase to the specific user (step SF18). Note that the product information and coupon may be transmitted by the third server 74 to the communication terminal 200 associated with the specific user via the network NW, or may be transmitted via the first server 72.

[0423] On the display unit 33 of the dishwasher 1, the user can check the warning information A and the recommendation information for purchasing detergent. Meanwhile, the user can also check the warning information A and the recommended information for purchasing detergent on the terminal display unit 216 of the communication terminal 200, and when a specific input is made on the communication terminal 200, a signal indicating a desire to purchase a consumable item (liquid detergent 57) is sent, and this signal is sent to the third server 74 (step SF19).

[0424] When a user uses the coupon to order liquid detergent 57, the third server 74 accepts the order and records the order as received by the specific user (step SF20). The third server 74 then delivers the liquid detergent 57 to the user who has received the order (step SF21). When the liquid detergent 57 arrives at the user who placed the order, the user may receive a receipt confirmation notice of the ordered item (liquid detergent 57) from the communication terminal 200 (step SF22). Alternatively, the third server 74 may receive an email from the delivery company via the network NW reporting completion of delivery. The third server 74 then updates the information in the database showing the sales history of the specific user (step SF24).

[0425] In addition, when the dishwasher 1 is started to refill the purchased liquid detergent 57 in the dishwasher 1, the tank 56 is measured, and when the liquid detergent is refilled to the full amount, a notification signal indicating that the liquid detergent is at the full level is sent to the first server 72 (step SF25). Upon receiving this notification signal, the first server 72 updates the remaining detergent amount data for the corresponding dishwasher 1 in the appliance consumable goods database 23R (step SF26: not shown).

[0426] In the fourth embodiment described with reference to Figures 28 to 30, the water quality of the water supply source (such as a water purification plant) is not determined in the dishwasher 1, but is determined by the first server 72. However, the dishwasher 1 itself may have the function of determining water quality.

[0427] <Summary of the Fourth Embodiment> As described above, the embodiment of the dishwasher 1 according to the disclosure shown in the fourth embodiment is as follows: a control unit 31 that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process in accordance with control conditions; a notification unit 42; an address information acquisition unit 61 that holds address information S2 that can identify an installation area; a communication unit 2 capable of transmitting the address information S2 to an external server 71; a water quality information acquisition unit (51) that acquires water quality information (S1) that is determined by the external server (71) as to whether the water quality of the water source in the area specified by the address information (S2) is soft water or hard water; a consumption information acquisition unit 11 that detects the remaining amount of detergent used in the washing step, The control unit 31 operates under a first control condition when the water quality information acquisition unit 51 receives the water quality information S1 indicating soft water, and operates under a second control condition when the water quality information acquisition unit 51 receives the water quality information S1 indicating hard water; the notification unit 42 notifies at least one of the information regarding the remaining amount of detergent and the water quality information S1; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0428] With this configuration, in areas where the water is hard, for example, the temperature and time can be controlled to allow the water to evaporate over a longer period than usual, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. Furthermore, the remaining amount of the liquid detergent 57 is measured, and operation is possible if the remaining amount is equal to or greater than a specified value, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which operation is started without noticing that the amount of liquid detergent 57 is less than the specified amount.

[0429] Furthermore, since there is no need for the dishwasher 1 to determine the water quality, such as hard water or soft water, and the water quality determination is performed on the external server 71 side, the internal circuitry (determination function, etc.) of each dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to that of embodiment 1, which is advantageous in terms of cost. In other words, control information S3A specifying the first control condition or control information S3B specifying the second control condition according to the water quality, provided by the external server 71 according to the address information S2, can be obtained and used to set the control conditions for the washing process and drying process, so the configuration of the dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to embodiment 1.

[0430] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the detergent purchasing support system according to the disclosure is implemented as follows. That is, one embodiment of the detergent purchasing support system is as follows: A detergent purchasing support system including a plurality of dishwashers (1) each having a communication unit (2) and a measuring unit (12) that measures the remaining amount of detergent such as liquid detergent (57), and an external server (71) that acquires measurement result data of the measuring unit (12) via the communication unit (2), The dishwasher 1 has an address information acquisition unit 61 that generates address information S2 that identifies the location where the dishwasher 1 is installed, and a function that transmits the address information and the measurement result data from the communication unit 2 to the external server 71 via the network NW, The external server 71 has a function of accumulating the measurement result data for each of the dishwashers 1, a function of acquiring water quality information S1 relating to the water supply source of the area identified by the address information S2 acquired from the dishwasher 1, and providing the dishwasher 1 with the water quality information S1 or control information S3 generated in accordance with this water quality information, and a function of retaining information capable of identifying a specific detergent from among liquid detergents 57 compatible with the water quality. The external server 71 (1) receiving the measurement result data, transmitting warning information A to the dishwasher 1 or a communication terminal 200 corresponding to the dishwasher; (2) transmitting information about the specific detergent when transmitting the warning information A; This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0431] With this configuration, the dishwasher 1 can acquire or generate control information S3 suited to the water hardness and use it for operation, thereby reducing the occurrence of limescale and water spots on dishes. In addition, the remaining amount of liquid detergent 57 is measured, and if the remaining amount is low, warning information A is sent. At that time, information on liquid detergent 57 that is compatible with the water quality in the area where dishwasher 1 is installed is also sent, so the user can check this warning information A and information on liquid detergent 57 and refill liquid detergent 57 or purchase new liquid detergent.

[0432] Furthermore, the detergent purchasing support system shown in the fourth embodiment has the following features: The system further includes a communication terminal (200) that receives the warning information (A) for the dishwasher (1) from the external server (71) via a network, The warning information A and information about the liquid detergent 57 that is compatible with the water quality are simultaneously displayed on the terminal display unit 216 of the communication terminal 200. This is a configuration characterized by the above.

[0433] With this configuration, the warning information A and the liquid detergent 57 that is suitable for the water quality can be easily confirmed using the communication terminal 200, and the liquid detergent 57 that is suitable for the water quality can be easily purchased.

[0434] Furthermore, since there is no need for the dishwasher 1 to determine the water quality (hard water, soft water, etc.) and the water quality is determined by the external server 71, the internal circuitry (determination function, etc.) of each dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to that of embodiment 1, which is advantageous in terms of cost. In other words, since control information according to water quality provided by the external server 71 in accordance with the address information S2 is used, the configuration of the dishwasher 1 can be simplified compared to embodiment 1.

[0435] The dishwasher 1 of the present disclosure is applicable not only to dishwashers 1 installed in kitchen furniture (system kitchens), but also to movable tabletop dishwashers.

[0436] In response to the change in the address information S2, the tabletop dishwasher acquires the water quality information S1 again and changes the operation control.

[0437] In the embodiment described above, the method by which the first server 72 acquires water quality information has not been described in detail, so an example will be described below. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Waterworks makes detailed water quality data and information identifying water purification plants available online when you input address information for any location in Tokyo. For example, if you search for the address "Kajicho 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku," the Asaka Water Purification Plant is found, and the published data shows that the water quality at the plant's water supply outlet is determined by "calcium, magnesium, etc.", which determine water hardness, is 60.5 mg per liter from April to June, 65.0 mg from July to September, and 85.5 mg from October to December (as of the end of December 2022). Therefore, if the unique information U provided by each dishwasher 1 includes the installation location of the dishwasher 1, i.e., the user's address information, the first server 72 can identify the water purification plant for each dishwasher 1 and distinguish between soft water and hard water based on the water quality measurement results (basic data) from the water purification plant. As mentioned above, the dishwasher 1 may also distinguish between hard water and soft water based on the water quality measurement results (basic data) from the water purification plant.

[0438] Furthermore, since it is known that the quality of raw water taken from rivers, etc. at water purification plants changes depending on the season, it is desirable that the water quality data acquired by the first server 72 and dishwasher 1 not be acquired only once, when the dishwasher 1 is installed or when it is first started to be used, but rather, for example, each time the dishwasher 1 is started to operate or for each season, such as spring, summer, autumn, or winter. From this perspective, the first server 72 may periodically collect water quality information S1 corresponding to the installation area of ​​each dishwasher 1 from the second server 73, such as monthly or four times a year (spring, summer, fall, winter), and store the information in the water quality memory unit 72B.

[0439] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the quality of tap water generally does not change between hard and soft water every day, so dishwasher 1 does not necessarily need to acquire water quality data every time. Therefore, if dishwasher 1 is used once and water quality information S1 is obtained, it may be configured to perform a series of operations, such as dishwashing, rinsing, and drying, without acquiring water quality information S1 again within one week or one month from the date of use. For example, control unit 31 may be provided with a clock function or calendar function that measures elapsed time (even when the main power switch is turned off), and may be configured to acquire water quality information S1 only once per week or month. [Industrial Applicability]

[0440] The dishwasher 1, dishwasher operation management system, and detergent purchasing support system according to the present disclosure can be widely used not only in kitchens of ordinary homes, but also in kitchens of public facilities, stores, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0441] 1 Dishwasher, 2 Communication unit, 3 Washing tank, 6 Equipment information storage unit, 11 Consumption information acquisition unit, 13 Tableware, 23 Electrical equipment information storage unit (detergent information storage unit), 24 User / facility identification unit, 28 Consumable goods database, 29 App provision unit, 31 Control unit, 31T Timekeeping circuit (timekeeping unit), 31P Control information generation unit, 32 Operation unit, 33 Display unit, 34 Notification unit, 35 Heating heater, 36 Washing pump, 37 Blower fan, 38 Drying heater, 41 Washing function performance unit, 42 Notification unit, 51 Water quality information acquisition unit, 57 Liquid detergent, 61 Address information acquisition unit, 62 Metering circuit, 67 Control valve, 70 Drive motor, 71 External server, 72 First server, 72A Water quality determination unit, 72B Water quality memory unit, 72E Control information generation unit, 72L Listing history unit, 73 second server, 74 third server, 81 control information generation unit, 82 power supply unit, 86 door drive device, 91 water volume detection unit, 92 cleaning effect determination unit, 93 temperature detection unit, 94 drain pump, 95 water supply valve, 96 drive circuit, 98 display drive circuit, 100 kitchen furniture, 200 communication terminal, 225 display operation unit.

Claims

1. a control unit that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process according to control conditions; an address information acquisition unit that holds address information that can identify an installation area; a communication unit capable of transmitting the address information to an external server; a control information acquisition unit; a measuring unit that measures the remaining amount of liquid detergent to be used in the cleaning process; Equipped with the control unit acquires, from the external server, control information for a first control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is soft water, and acquires, from the external server, control information for a second control condition when the water quality of the water supply source is hard water; the control unit starts operation in accordance with either the first control condition or the second control condition when the remaining amount of the liquid detergent is equal to or greater than a reference value; A dishwasher characterized by:

2. 2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the second control condition is such that the temperature of the hot water in the rinsing step is lower and the temperature of the hot air in the drying step is lower than those in the first control condition.

3. a control unit that controls the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process according to control conditions; an address information acquisition unit that holds address information that can identify an installation area; a communication unit capable of transmitting the address information to an external server; a control information acquisition unit; a detergent supply unit that supplies a detergent to be used in the cleaning step; a measuring unit that measures the remaining amount of the detergent; a consumption information acquisition unit that calculates the amount of detergent consumed after one washing cycle is completed; Equipped with the control information acquisition unit acquires control information generated by the external server after acquiring the address information, for changing a parameter of the control condition; the control unit starts an operation in accordance with the control information when the amount of the detergent measured by the measuring unit satisfies an operation start condition, transmitting the amount of detergent consumed in the washing process from the consumption information acquisition unit to the external server; A dishwasher characterized by:

4. When a user turns on a main power switch that supplies power to the control unit, the remaining amount of the detergent is automatically measured by the measuring unit, 4. The dishwasher according to claim 3, wherein the control unit allows the start of the washing process when the remaining amount of detergent satisfies a first condition, and does not allow the start of the washing process when the remaining amount of detergent does not satisfy the first condition.

5. The washing machine further comprises a tank for storing the detergent, and a tank position detection means for detecting that the tank has been removed in order to replenish the detergent, 4. The dishwasher according to claim 3, wherein when the tank position detection means detects that the tank has been removed, the control unit measures the remaining amount of detergent again using the measuring unit after the tank is reinstalled, and determines whether the amount of detergent satisfies the operation start condition.

6. a dishwasher that sequentially performs a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit that allows address information to be input, a consumption information acquisition unit that acquires consumption information of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit; an external server that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit, the dishwasher notifies the user of the remaining amount of detergent acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit, acquires water quality information of a water source in a region corresponding to the address information from the external server, generates two types of control information for hard water and soft water according to the water quality information, and executes the washing process and the drying process; A dishwasher operation management system characterized by the above.

7. the external server has a detergent information storage unit that stores the status information transmitted from the dishwasher according to the device identification information of the dishwasher; 7. The dishwasher operation management system according to claim 6, wherein information on the remaining amount of detergent consumed during operation of the dishwasher is stored in the detergent information storage unit when the dishwasher is in operation.

8. the external server has a detergent database; 8. The dishwasher operation management system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the detergent database stores information identifying the detergent linked to functional information indicating whether the detergent is more effective in hard water or soft water.

9. a dishwasher that sequentially performs a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit that allows address information to be input, a consumption information acquisition unit that acquires consumption information of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit; an external server that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit, the external server acquires water quality information of a water supply source in a region corresponding to the address information, and generates first control information corresponding to soft water and second control information corresponding to hard water according to the water quality information; the dishwasher notifies the user of the remaining amount of detergent acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit, acquires either the first control information or the second control information from the external server before starting the washing process, and executes the washing process and the drying process; A dishwasher operation management system characterized by the above.

10. The external server has a water quality determination unit and a control information generation unit, 10. The dishwasher operation management system of claim 9, wherein the control information generation unit generates the first control information when the water quality determination unit determines that the water is soft water, and generates the second control information when the water quality determination unit determines that the water is hard water.

11. a dishwasher that sequentially performs a washing step and a drying step and includes an operation unit that allows address information to be input, a consumption information acquisition unit that acquires consumption information of detergent used in the washing step, and a communication unit; The dishwasher includes an external server that communicates wirelessly with the communication unit of the dishwasher, the external server acquires water quality information of a water supply source in a region corresponding to the address information, and generates first control information corresponding to soft water and second control information corresponding to hard water according to the water quality information; the external server executes a process for estimating the number of times the dishwasher can be operated based on the status information acquired from the dishwasher; the external server provides the result of the remaining number of operations estimation process to the dishwasher or the communication terminal; A dishwasher operation management system characterized by the above.

12. the dishwasher includes a detergent supply unit that supplies the detergent, a measuring unit that measures the remaining amount of the detergent, and the consumption information acquisition unit that calculates the amount of detergent consumed after one washing cycle is completed; the dishwasher acquires control information generated by the external server after acquiring the address information, the control information being for changing parameters of control conditions; 12. The dishwasher operation management system according to claim 11, wherein the dishwasher starts operation in accordance with the control information when the amount of detergent measured by the measuring unit satisfies an operation start condition.

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