Information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system and an information processing method, each enabling suppression of such a problem that a dried state of clothing becomes inadequate.SOLUTION: An information processing system of the embodiment has an information recording section, a condition specifying section, and a correction section. The information recording section accumulates an operation condition information indicating an operation condition of a clothing dryer and an operation result relating to a dried state of clothing when the clothing dryer is operated in the operation condition, the information recording section accumulating the operation condition information and the operation result in a state in which both of them are made to correspond to each other . The condition specifying section specifies a specific operation condition that is the operation condition causing the dried state of clothing to easily become inadequate based on the information accumulated by the information recording section. The correction section corrects content of drying control of the clothing dryer when the clothing dryer is operated in the specific operation condition specified by the condition specifying section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing system and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] A clothes dryer has been proposed that includes a drying information acquisition unit that acquires drying information related to drying of clothes from the outside, and a period estimation unit that estimates the period required for drying the clothes using the acquired drying information.

[0003] By the way, the drying operation performed by a clothes dryer is affected by many operating conditions such as the operation course, the weight of the clothes, and the fabric of the clothes. Therefore, under certain operating conditions, the drying state of the clothes may become inappropriate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing system and an information processing method that can suppress the drying state of clothes from becoming inappropriate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing system of the embodiment comprises an information recording unit, a condition identification unit, and a correction unit. The information recording unit stores operating condition information indicating the operating conditions of a clothes dryer and operating results relating to the drying state of clothes when the clothes dryer is operated under the operating conditions, in a corresponding state. The condition identification unit identifies specific operating conditions that tend to result in an unsuitable drying state of clothes, based on the information stored by the information recording unit. The correction unit corrects the drying control of the clothes dryer when the clothes dryer is operated under the specific operating conditions identified by the condition identification unit. The operating condition information includes, in addition to the operating conditions, information regarding defects or malfunctions of the clothes dryer. If the operating condition information includes information indicating the defects or malfunctions, the condition identification unit identifies the operating conditions that result in sufficient drying of the clothes as the specified appropriate operating conditions. If the operating condition information includes information indicating the defects or malfunctions, the correction unit corrects the contents of the drying control so that the specified appropriate operating conditions are met. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of the garment processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the washing machine and dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the configuration related to the drying mechanism of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] An electrical circuit diagram showing a motor control unit that drives the drum motor of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of the screen of the control panel of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the device management server in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the process for accumulating correspondence information in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing the processing flow in the device management server of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the device management server in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram showing an example of the screen of the control panel of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] A diagram showing an example of the display screen of a terminal device in a modified embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The information processing system and information processing method of the embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplication of these components may be omitted. In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX," and may also include cases where XX is based on another element in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to cases where XX is used directly, but may also include cases where XX has been processed or modified. In this application, "XX or YY" is not limited to cases where either XX or YY is used, but may also include cases where both XX and YY are used. This also applies when there are three or more optional elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (e.g., arbitrary information).

[0009] In this application, "acquisition" is not limited to actively acquiring information by sending a transmission request, but may also include acquiring information by passively receiving information transmitted from another device. Furthermore, "acquisition" may also include obtaining the target information by performing calculations or processing on information obtained from an external source to generate the target information.

[0010] (First Embodiment) <1. Overall Structure> Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the clothing processing system 1 of the first embodiment. The clothing processing system 1 includes, for example, one or more clothes dryers 100, a device management server 200, and one or more terminal devices 300 with home appliance management applications APP. The network NW, which will be described later, may utilize, for example, the internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or other public lines or dedicated lines, depending on the situation.

[0011] In this embodiment, an example of an "information processing system" is realized by a device management server 200 and one or more clothes dryers 100. However, the "information processing system" is not limited to the above example and may be realized by the device management server 200, by the device management server 200 and one or more terminal devices 300 with a home appliance management application APP, or by the device management server 200, one or more clothes dryers 100 and one or more terminal devices 300 with a home appliance management application APP. Each of the clothes dryer 100, the device management server 200, and the terminal device 300 is an example of a "computer".

[0012] The clothes dryer 100 is placed inside the residence of user U. The clothes dryer 100 is connected to a network NW via, for example, a wireless router and modem (not shown) installed inside the residence of user U. The clothes dryer 100 can communicate with a device management server 200 via the network NW. In this application, "clothes dryer" refers to, for example, a washer-dryer, but is not limited to this, and may also include closet-type clothes processing machines. For convenience of explanation below, "clothes dryer 100" may be referred to as "washer-dryer 100". However, "washer-dryer" in the following description may be read as "clothes dryer" as appropriate.

[0013] The device management server 200 is a management server that manages the clothes dryer 100. For example, the device management server 200 manages the status and remote operation of the clothes dryer 100. The device management server 200 consists of one or more server devices (e.g., a cloud server). The device management server 200 can communicate with the clothes dryer 100 and the terminal device 300 via a network NW. The device management server 200 may also include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in the network NW. The device management server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, but may also be a computer in the user U's residence, or a home router, etc.

[0014] The terminal device 300 is a computer used by the user U. The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, the terminal device 300 is not limited to a mobile terminal device and may be a personal computer or the like. The terminal device 300 has, for example, a display device 301, an input device 302, and a communication unit 303. The display device 301 has a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information. The input device 302 can receive the input of the user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided overlapping the display screen 301a of the display device 301. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, etc. provided in the terminal device 300. The communication unit 303 is a communication module capable of wireless communication. The communication unit 303 can communicate with the clothes dryer 100 or the device management server 200 via the network NW. The communication unit 303 may be able to directly communicate with the washing and drying machine 100 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0015] An application program P is installed in the terminal device 300, and the functions described below are supported. The application program P is, for example, an application program for managing the clothes dryer 100. Hereinafter, the application software started by executing the application program P is referred to as "home appliance management app APP".

[0016] <2. Washing and Drying Machine (Clothes Dryer)> <2.1 Overall Configuration of Washing and Drying Machine> FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the washing and drying machine 100. The washing and drying machine 100 is, for example, a drum-type washing and drying machine. The washing and drying machine 100 has, for example, a housing (outer box) 11, a door 12, an operation panel PU, a water tank 13, a drum 14, a bellows 15, a drum motor 16, a water supply valve 21, a water injection case 22, a water injection pipe 23, a drain pipe 24, a drying mechanism 30, and a control device 50 (see FIG. 5).

[0017] The enclosure 11 has a front panel, a rear panel, a left panel, a right panel, a bottom panel, and a top panel, and is formed in a hollow shape. The front panel of the enclosure 11 is provided with an entrance / exit 11a, which is a through-hole. The door 12 is attached to the front panel of the enclosure 11. The door 12 closes the entrance / exit 11a so that it can be opened and closed.

[0018] The control panel PU is located, for example, at the front upper end of the housing 11. The control panel PU includes a touch panel and accepts operation from the user U. For example, the control panel PU accepts the user U's selection of a washing course. Examples of washing courses include a standard course, a quick course (express course), a delicate course (gentle wash course), and a quiet course. The quick course is a course that completes the washing and drying cycle in a shorter operating time compared to the standard course. The quiet course is a course that suppresses noise compared to the standard course (i.e., suppresses vibration of the water tub 13 or drum 14).

[0019] In this embodiment, the control panel PU receives user U's evaluation regarding the drying state of the clothes at the end of the drying cycle. This will be described in detail later. The control panel PU is an example of an "input unit". The "input unit" may be implemented by a microphone capable of receiving voice input instead of / in addition to the touch panel.

[0020] The water tank 13 is located inside the housing 11. The water tank 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its rear end closed. The water tank 13 is positioned at a downward slope towards the rear. The front of the water tank 13 has an opening. When the door 12 is closed to the entrance 11a, the door 12 airtightly closes the opening on the front of the water tank 13.

[0021] The drum 14 is located inside the water tank 13. The drum 14 is a storage chamber in which clothes (laundry) are placed. The drum 14 is cylindrical and is rotatably supported inside the water tank 13. The drum 14 is configured to rotate around an inclined axis (central axis CL) that extends in the front-to-back direction and is tilted slightly downward from the horizontal. The drum 14 is an example of a "rotating tank".

[0022] The periphery and rear walls of the drum 14 are provided with numerous holes 14a for water and air passage. The inner surface of the periphery wall of the drum 14 is provided with multiple baffles 14b for agitating the laundry. The clothes inside the drum 14 are agitated by moving in a circular direction while getting caught on each baffle 14b, and then falling due to gravity. The front of the drum 14 is provided with a circular opening for loading and unloading clothes. The front of the water tank 13 is provided with an inlet 13a that connects to the opening of the drum 14. The inlet 13a of the water tank 13 and the inlet / outlet 11a of the housing 11 are connected via a bellows 15.

[0023] The drum motor 16 is located at the rear of the water tank 13. The drum motor 16 constitutes the drive mechanism of the washing and drying machine 100. The drum motor 16 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor. However, the drum motor 16 may also be a DC motor with speed control. The tip of the rotating shaft 16a of the drum motor 16 penetrates the back of the water tank 13 and protrudes into the water tank 13, and is connected and fixed to the center of the rear end of the drum 14. As a result, the drum 14 is directly rotationally driven by the drum motor 16.

[0024] The water supply valve 21 is fixed inside the housing 11. The inlet of the water supply valve 21 is connected to a water tap via a hose (not shown). The outlet of the water supply valve 21 is switched between an open state and a closed state by a water supply valve motor. The outlet of the water supply valve 21 is connected to a water filling case 22. The water filling case 22 is connected to the inside of the water tank 13 via a cylindrical water filling pipe 23. When the water supply valve 21 is opened, water supplied from the water tap is supplied into the water tank 13.

[0025] A drain outlet 13b is provided at the bottom of the water tank 13. The upper end of a drain pipe 24 is connected to the drain outlet 13b. A drain valve (not shown) is provided on the drain pipe 24. The drain valve is switched between an open state and a closed state by a drain valve motor. When the drain valve is opened, the laundry water in the water tank 13 is discharged from the drain pipe 24.

[0026] An exhaust port 13c for discharging air from inside the water tank 13 is provided at the top of the front of the water tank 13. An air intake port 13d for supplying drying air into the water tank 13 is provided at the top of the rear of the water tank 13. Inside the housing 11, a drying mechanism 30 is provided for circulating and supplying drying air (hot air) into the drum 14 to perform a laundry drying operation.

[0027] <2.2 Drying mechanism> Figure 3 shows the configuration related to the drying mechanism 30. The drying mechanism 30 includes, for example, a circulating air passage 31, a lint filter 32, a blower fan 33, and a heat pump 40.

[0028] The circulating air passage 31 is a duct located inside the housing 11 and outside the water tank 13. The circulating air passage 31 sends warm drying air (drying air) into the water tank 13. More specifically, the inlet of the circulating air passage 31 is connected to the exhaust port 13c of the water tank 13. The outlet of the circulating air passage 31 is connected to the air intake port 13d of the water tank 13. The circulating air passage 31 is equipped with a removable unit-type lint filter 32 for capturing lint from the drying air. The lint filter 32 is an example of a "filter".

[0029] The blower fan 33 circulates the air discharged from the exhaust port 13c of the water tank 13 through the circulation air passage 31 in the direction of arrow A, and supplies the dehumidified and heated air from the heat pump 40 through the air intake port 13d into the drum 14 via the water tank 13.

[0030] The heat pump 40 generates dry air (warm air) by dehumidifying and heating the air passing through the circulating air passage 31. The heat pump 40 constitutes a refrigeration cycle by cyclically connecting, for example, a compressor 41, a condenser 42, a throttling device 43, and an evaporator 44 via piping 45. The heat pump 40 is an example of a "heating device" that heats the air passing through the circulating air passage 31. However, the "heating device" is not limited to the heat pump 40 and may also be a heater (electric heater), etc.

[0031] In the circulating air passage 31, an inlet temperature sensor S1 is provided upstream of the air intake port 13d of the water tank 13. The inlet temperature sensor S1 detects the temperature of the air (air supplied to the water tank 13) that is heated by passing through the heat pump 40 and supplied to the drum 14. The temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor S1 is an example of the "inlet temperature for the water tank in the circulating air passage". In this application, "inlet temperature" is not limited to the temperature at the inlet in the strict sense, but broadly means the temperature on the inlet side (upstream side) of the water tank 13. For this reason, "inlet temperature" in the following description may be read as "inlet side temperature".

[0032] In the circulating air passage 31, an outlet temperature sensor S2 is provided downstream of the exhaust port 13c of the water tank 13. The outlet temperature sensor S2 is installed between the 13c exhaust port of the water tank 13 and the heat pump 40, and detects the temperature of the air that passes through the drum 14 and returns to the heat pump 40 (air that passes through the water tank 13 and returns to the heat pump 40). The temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2 is an example of the "outlet temperature relative to the water tank in the circulating air passage". In this application, "outlet temperature" is not limited to the temperature at the outlet in the strict sense, but broadly means the temperature on the outlet side (downstream side) relative to the water tank 13. For this reason, "outlet temperature" in the following description may be read as "outlet side temperature".

[0033] <2.3 Electrical Circuit Configuration of Motor Drive System> Figure 4 is an electrical circuit diagram showing the motor control unit 111 that drives the drum motor 16. The inverter circuit 132 is configured by connecting six IGBTs (semiconductor switching elements) 133a to 133f in a three-phase bridge configuration, and flywheel diodes 134a to 134f are connected between the collector and emitter of each IGBT 133a to 133f. The emitters of the IGBTs 133d, 133e, and 133f on the lower arm side are connected to ground via shunt resistors 135u, 135v, and 135w. Each connection point between the emitters of IGBTs 133d, 133e, and 133f and the shunt resistors 135u, 135v, and 135w is connected to the control circuit 111c via a level shift circuit 136. In this embodiment, the combination of shunt resistors 135u, 135v, and 135w and the level shift circuit 136 constitutes an example of the current flowing through the current sensor 61 (see Figure 5).

[0034] The level shift circuit 136 includes an operational amplifier and generates a signal by amplifying the terminal voltages of the shunt resistors 135u, 135v, and 135w, and applies a bias so that the output range of the generated signal falls within the positive side. The overcurrent comparison circuit 138 detects overcurrent if the upper and lower arms of the inverter circuit 132 are short-circuited.

[0035] A drive power supply circuit 139 is connected to the input side of the inverter circuit 132. The drive power supply circuit 139 performs voltage doubler full-wave rectification of a 100V AC power supply 140 using a full-wave rectifier circuit 141 composed of a diode bridge and two capacitors 142a and 142b connected in series, supplying a DC voltage of approximately 280V to the inverter circuit 132. Each phase output terminal of the inverter circuit 132 is connected to the respective phase windings 16u, 16v, and 16w of the drum motor 16.

[0036] The control circuit 111c operates using power supply 145 as its power source and controls the six IGBTs 133a to 133f via PWM (Pulse Wide Modulation) through the drive circuit 144 and the high-voltage driver circuit 146. The drive circuit 144 operates using power supply 143 as its power source and converts the drive signal output by the control circuit 111c into a higher voltage drive signal, which is then applied to the gates of the IGBTs 133d, 133e, and 133f on the lower arm side. The high-voltage driver circuit 146 converts the output of the drive circuit 144 into a voltage higher than the voltage doubler full-wave rectified voltage, which is then applied to the gates of the IGBTs 133a, 133b, and 133c on the upper arm side. The control circuit 111c receives the output signal from the rotor position sensor 161 provided on the drum motor 16. The control circuit 111c generates a drive signal to drive the drum motor 16 using the output signal from the rotor position sensor 161 as a reference.

[0037] The control circuit 111c detects the three-phase currents Iau~Iaw flowing through the windings 16u~16w of the drum motor 16 obtained via the level shift circuit 136, estimates the phase θ and rotational angular velocity ω of the secondary rotating magnetic field based on the detected current values, and calculates the excitation current component Id and the torque current component Iq (hereinafter referred to as "q-axis current") by performing orthogonal coordinate transformation and dq (direct-quadrature) coordinate transformation on the three-phase currents Iau~Iaw. The q-axis current is a current component that increases in proportion to the motor torque acting on the drum motor 16. The q-axis current is an example of a "torque current". However, the term "torque current" as used in this application is not limited to the q-axis current, but can be any current that increases in accordance with the motor load.

[0038] <3. Control device> Next, the control device 50 of the washer-dryer 100 will be described. The control device 50 is mainly composed of a computer consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The control device 50 comprehensively controls the entire washer-dryer 100 and executes the washing operation, which includes the washing, rinsing, and spinning operations, as well as the subsequent drying operation (drying operation).

[0039] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 50. The control device 50 is connected to an operation panel PU, a current sensor 61, an inlet temperature sensor S1, an outlet temperature sensor S2, a room temperature sensor S3, a water temperature sensor S4, a filter detection sensor S5, and a door open detection sensor S6. The current sensor 61 measures the current flowing through the drum motor 16. For the sake of explanation, the current sensor 61 and the motor control unit 111 are shown separately in Figure 5. However, the current sensor 61 may be included in the motor control unit 111.

[0040] The room temperature sensor S3 is provided, for example, in the housing 11 and detects the room temperature of the room in which the washing machine 100 is installed. The water temperature sensor S4 is provided, for example, in the water supply case 22 and detects the temperature of the water used for washing. If the drying mechanism 70 includes a water-cooled dehumidification device (e.g., evaporator 44), a water temperature sensor S4 for detecting the temperature of the water used for water cooling may be provided instead of / in addition to the above example. The filter detection sensor S5 is provided, for example, in the housing 11 and detects the removal of the lint filter 32 from the housing 11. The door open detection sensor S6 is provided, for example, in the housing 11 and detects the opening of the door 12 to the entrance 11a of the housing 11.

[0041] In addition to the motor control unit 111 described above, the control device 50 includes, for example, a weight detection unit 51, a fabric type detection unit 52, a filter clogging detection unit 53, a control command acquisition unit 54, a control unit 55, an evaluation acquisition unit 56, an information transmission unit 57, and a storage unit 59.

[0042] All or part of the weight detection unit 51, fabric type detection unit 52, filter clogging detection unit 53, control command acquisition unit 54, control unit 55, evaluation acquisition unit 56, and information transmission unit 57 are realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). However, all or part of these functional units may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), discrete circuits, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The motor control unit 111 may be provided as part of the control unit 55.

[0043] <3.1 Weight Detection Unit> The weight detection unit 51 determines the weight (amount of fabric) of the clothing by, for example, utilizing the fact that the load on the drum motor 16 changes depending on the weight of the clothing. For example, before supplying water to the water tank 13, the weight detection unit 51 rotates the drum 14 with the drum motor 16 while the clothing is placed in the drum 14, and detects the weight of the clothing based on the magnitude of the torque current flowing through the drum motor 16 (for example, the current value of the q-axis current).

[0044] <3.2 Fabric type detection section> The fabric type detection unit 52 determines the fabric type by, for example, utilizing the fact that the load on the drum motor 16 changes depending on the difference in water absorption of the fabric type. The fabric type detection unit 52 determines the fabric type by, for example, determining whether the laundry is mainly cotton-based or mainly synthetic fiber-based. The fabric type detection unit 52 detects the fabric type by combining two indicators, for example, (1) the average value (or integral value) of the q-axis current while the drum 14 is rotating at a constant speed during the washing operation, and (2) the average value of the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the q-axis current during one rotation of the drum 14 during the washing operation.

[0045] <3.3 Filter Clogging Detection Unit> The filter clogging detection unit 53 detects whether or not the lint filter 32 is clogged with lint, based on the temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor S1 and the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2. For example, if the amount of lint attached to the lint filter 32 increases, the airflow in the circulating air passage 31 deteriorates, and the difference between the temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor S1 and the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2 increases. Therefore, the filter clogging detection unit 53 detects that the filter is clogged if the difference between the temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor S1 and the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2 is greater than or equal to a threshold. In addition to detecting whether or not the filter is clogged, the filter clogging detection unit 53 may also detect the degree of filter clogging based on the difference between the temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor S1 and the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2.

[0046] <3.4 Control Command Acquisition Unit> The control command acquisition unit 54 acquires control commands from the equipment management server 200 and outputs them to the control unit 55. When the control command acquisition unit 54 acquires a correction command (described later) from the equipment management server 200, the control unit 55 stores the acquired correction command as correction information INF2 in the storage unit 59.

[0047] <3.5 Control Unit> The control unit 55 controls the entire washing and drying machine 100. For example, the control unit 55 controls the rotation of the drum 14 by controlling the drive of the drum motor 16. The control unit 55 controls the washing and drying operations based on the basic operation information INF1 stored in the memory unit 59. The basic operation information INF1 specifies the operation details (for example, the length of the drying time, the amount of drive of the blower fan 33, the amount of drive of the heat pump 40 (for example, the amount of drive of the compressor 41)) corresponding to various operating conditions of the washing and drying machine 100 (for example, the operating course, the weight of the clothes detected by the weight detection unit 51, the fabric type of the clothes detected by the fabric type detection unit 52, the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor S3, and the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor S4) for the drying operation.

[0048] The control unit 55 acquires operating information corresponding to the operating conditions based on the basic operating information INF1, and drives the drum 14, blower fan 33, and heat pump 40, etc., based on the acquired operating information. The basic operating information INF1 may include specific numerical values ​​corresponding to the drive amount, and may also include a calculation formula for calculating the drive amount. Note that the basic operating information INF1 does not need to include all of the above items as items of operating conditions; for example, it may include only three items: the operating course, the weight of the clothing detected by the weight detection unit 51, and the fabric type of the clothing detected by the fabric type detection unit 52.

[0049] If correction information INF2 related to specific operating conditions, which will be described later, exists in the storage unit 59, the control unit 55 corrects the contents of the basic operating information INF1 with the correction information INF2 when operating under specific operating conditions, and determines the operating content. This content will be described in detail later.

[0050] The control unit 55 updates the usage history information INF3 stored in the storage unit 59 after each operation of the washing machine 100 is completed. The usage history information INF3 includes one or more of the following: the total number of drying operations of the washing machine 100, the total drying time, and the number of years the washing machine 100 has been in use. The total number of drying operations, the total drying time, and the number of years the washing machine 100 has been in use may be calculated from the time the washing machine 100 was purchased, or, if there is a record of maintenance for the washing machine 100, it may be calculated from the date of the last maintenance. This information indirectly indicates, for example, the amount of lint accumulated in the circulating air passage 31 of the washing machine 100.

[0051] <3.6 Evaluation Acquisition Section> The evaluation unit 56 acquires the user U's evaluation of the drying state of the clothes based on the user U's input to the operation panel PU of the washing machine 100 after the operation of the washing machine 100 has finished (for example, after the drying operation has finished). The user U's evaluation of the drying state of the clothes is, for example, an evaluation of whether the clothes are still dry. In addition to an evaluation indicating whether the clothes are still dry or not, the evaluation of whether the clothes are still dry may also include an evaluation of the degree of stillness if the clothes are still dry. In this embodiment, the evaluation unit 56 acquires the user U's evaluation, which is a three-stage or higher evaluation of the drying state.

[0052] Figure 6 is an example of the screen of the control panel PU. The evaluation unit 56 displays the content shown in Figure 6 on the display screen of the control panel PU after the drying operation of the washing machine 100 is completed. For example, the evaluation unit 56 displays operation units 71a to 71e on the display screen of the control panel PU for receiving an evaluation of the drying status. Operation units 71a to 71e correspond to, for example, the drying status of the clothes as "very good," "good," "normal," "somewhat insufficient," and "insufficient," respectively. The user U selects and operates one of the operation units 71a to 71e according to the drying status of the clothes removed from the washing machine 100. In this example, the drying status is evaluated in five stages, but it is sufficient if the drying status is three stages or higher. Alternatively, instead of a multi-stage evaluation, the evaluation unit 56 may accept the user U's evaluation by providing a two-choice option indicating whether the clothes are not dry or not.

[0053] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 56 may acquire user U's evaluation of the drying state of the clothes based on user U's actions, instead of direct operation by user U. For example, if a display confirming the drying state of the clothes as described above is shown to user U, and there is no operation corresponding to user U's response, the evaluation unit 56 acquires an evaluation from user U indicating that the drying state of the clothes is appropriate. On the other hand, if the drying operation is performed again immediately after the completion of the drying operation, the evaluation unit 56 acquires an evaluation from user U indicating that the drying state of the clothes is inappropriate (not dried).

[0054] <3.7 Information Transmission Section> The information transmission unit 57 transmits the operating conditions information and the operating result information to the equipment management server 200 after the drying operation of the washing machine 100 is completed. The operating conditions information and the operating result information may be sent simultaneously, or they may be sent separately, linked to the same ID.

[0055] "Operating conditions information" is information indicating the operating conditions of the washer-dryer 100. "Operating conditions information" includes, for example, first information indicating the operating conditions of the washer-dryer 100, second information regarding defects or malfunctions of the washer-dryer 100, and third information indicating whether or not the operation of the washer-dryer 100 is irregular.

[0056] The first information includes, for example, the operating course performed by the washing machine 100, the weight of the clothes detected by the weight detection unit 51, the fabric type of the clothes detected by the fabric type detection unit 52, the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor S3, and the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor S4. In this embodiment, the first information also includes one or more of the following, which are included in the usage history information INF3: the total number of drying operations performed by the washing machine 100, the total drying time, and the number of years the washing machine 100 has been in use.

[0057] The second piece of information includes at least one of the following: whether or not the lint filter 32 was cleaned within a predetermined period in the past (e.g., one month), the detection result regarding clogging of the lint filter 32, and whether or not the heating operation of the heating device (heat pump 40) was interrupted. "Whether or not the lint filter 32 was cleaned" refers, for example, to whether or not the removal of the lint filter 32 was detected by the filter detection sensor S5. "Detection result regarding clogging of the lint filter 32" may include, for example, only the presence or absence of clogging detected by the filter clogging detection unit 53, or it may include the detection result of the degree of clogging detected by the filter clogging detection unit 53 in addition to the presence or absence of clogging. "Whether or not the heating operation of the heating device was interrupted" refers, for example, to the number of times the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 was turned ON / OFF. If the heating device of the washing machine dryer 100 is implemented by a heater (electric heater) instead of a heat pump 40, then "Whether or not the heating operation of the heating device was interrupted" refers to the number of times the heater was turned ON / OFF. The heating operation of the heating device is interrupted if, for any reason, the temperature of the hot air flowing through the circulating air passage 31 (for example, the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2) exceeds a threshold, in order to protect the drying mechanism 20, etc.

[0058] The third piece of information includes, for example, at least one of the following: whether the drying operation performed by the washer-dryer 100 is a "continuous drying operation," whether or not user U has manually entered settings to change the operation of the washer-dryer 100, and whether or not the door 12 has been opened or closed during the operation. A "continuous drying operation" is an operation in which the drying operation is performed twice in succession. The second drying operation in a continuous drying operation differs from a normal drying operation in that the initial temperature of the device is higher. "User U manually entering settings to change the operation of the washer-dryer 100" is, for example, an operation by user U to change settings that affect the dewatering rate of clothes, such as the water level for the washing operation, the content of the rinsing operation, and the number of spin cycles, from the default settings set for the washer-dryer 100. "Whether or not the door 12 has been opened or closed during the operation" is, for example, whether or not the door 12 has been opened to add clothes or remove some clothes during the operation, and is the presence or absence of the door 12 being opened as detected by the door open detection sensor S6.

[0059] "Operation result information" is information indicating the operation result regarding the drying state of clothes when the clothes dryer 100 is operated under the above operating conditions. "Operation result information" is, for example, information indicating the evaluation of user U obtained by the evaluation acquisition unit 56.

[0060] <3.8 Storage section> The memory unit 59 is implemented by one or more combinations of RAM, ROM, and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). The memory unit 59 stores basic operation information INF1, correction information INF2, and usage history information INF3.

[0061] <4. Device Management Server> Next, we will describe the device management server 200. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the device management server 200. The device management server 200 includes an information acquisition unit 210, an evaluation acquisition unit 220, an information recording unit 230, a condition identification unit 240, a correction unit 250, a control command output unit 260, and a storage unit 290.

[0062] The information acquisition unit 210, evaluation acquisition unit 220, information recording unit 230, condition identification unit 240, correction unit 250, and control command output unit 260 are implemented by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU mounted on the equipment management server 200, executing a program. However, some or all of these functional units may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. These functional units may be provided separately in multiple server devices. Furthermore, one or more of these functional units may be provided in the clothes dryer 100 or the home appliance management application APP of the terminal device 300 instead of the equipment management server 200.

[0063] <4.1 Information acquisition section> The information acquisition unit 210 acquires operating condition information transmitted from the washing and drying machine 100 via the network NW, and outputs the acquired operating condition information to the information recording unit 230. In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires operating condition information from each of the multiple washing and drying machines 100.

[0064] <4.2 Evaluation Acquisition Section> The evaluation acquisition unit 220 acquires operation result information transmitted from the washing machine / dryer 100 via the network NW and outputs the acquired operation result information to the information recording unit 230. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 220 acquires operation result information from each of the multiple washing machines / dryers 100. Note that the information acquisition unit 210 and the evaluation acquisition unit 220 may be provided as a single acquisition unit.

[0065] <4.3 Information Recording Section> The information recording unit 230 stores the operating condition information acquired by the information acquisition unit 210 and the operating result information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 220 in the storage unit 290 as part of the correspondence relationship information INF4, in a corresponding state. In this application, "stored in a corresponding state" is not limited to cases where operating condition information and operating result information that are not previously associated are stored in a corresponding state, but also includes, for example, cases where operating condition information and operating result information that are previously associated and received inside the washing machine / dryer 100 are stored while maintaining the associated state.

[0066] In this embodiment, the equipment management server 200 can communicate with multiple washing and drying machines 100 used by multiple users U. The information recording unit 230 individually associates the operating condition information and operating result information collected from the multiple washing and drying machines 100 and stores them in the storage unit 290 as part of the correspondence relationship information INF4. The information recording unit 230 manages the information collected from the multiple washing and drying machines 100 separately, for example, by the model of the washing and drying machine 100.

[0067] <4.4 Condition specification part> The condition identification unit 240 identifies operating conditions (hereinafter referred to as "specific operating conditions") that are likely to result in an improper drying state of clothes, based on the information accumulated by the information recording unit 230. An improper drying state of clothes means, for example, that the clothes are not dry. An improper drying state of clothes means, for example, that the operating result information includes an evaluation by user U indicating that the drying state is insufficient. Note that an improper drying state of clothes is not limited to that the clothes are not dry, but may also include cases where the clothes have drying wrinkles or uneven drying. These will be explained in detail in the second embodiment.

[0068] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 counts the number of times a user U has evaluated that the drying state is insufficient, based on the information accumulated by the information recording unit 230, for each operating condition. The condition identification unit 240 then identifies operating conditions where the number or percentage of times a user U has evaluated that the drying state is insufficient is above a threshold as specific operating conditions. "Identifying specific operating conditions" means extracting combinations of multiple items that define the operating conditions (for example, operating course, weight of clothing, fabric type of clothing, room temperature, and water temperature) that are likely to result in insufficient drying (for example, clothing not being completely dry).

[0069] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions based on the information stored by the information recording unit 230 when operating condition information and operating result information for a predetermined number of operations or more have been stored in association with each other by the information recording unit 230. For example, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions based on the information stored by the information recording unit 230 when operating condition information and operating result information for a sufficient number of operations for information analysis have been obtained and stored from multiple washing and drying machines 100.

[0070] In this embodiment, if one or more of the following are included in the operating condition information, the condition identification unit 240 groups the washing machines 100 into predetermined categories based on their usage history using the total number of drying cycles, the total drying time, or the number of years the washing machine 100 has been in use, and identifies specific operating conditions for each washing machine 100 in the same predetermined category. This is because lint accumulates in the circulating air passage 31 due to the use of the washing machine 100, and it is preferable to identify specific operating conditions for each washing machine 100 with a similar amount of lint accumulation.

[0071] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions based on information accumulated by the information recording unit 230, including the evaluation of user U, which is a three-level or higher evaluation. For example, the condition identification unit 240 identifies operating conditions in which the number of times or percentage of times a first-level evaluation (e.g., "slightly insufficient drying state") is obtained as user U's evaluation exceeds a threshold as first specific operating conditions in which the drying state of clothes is likely to be inappropriate at the first level. The condition identification unit 240 also identifies operating conditions in which the number of times or percentage of times a second-level evaluation (e.g., "sufficient drying state"), which is more inappropriate than the first level, is obtained as user U's evaluation exceeds a threshold as second specific operating conditions in which the drying state of clothes is likely to be inappropriate at the second level.

[0072] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions by assigning a priority (degree of influence) to them when predetermined conditions are met, based on the acquired information on multiple operating conditions and operating results. The priority is set using, for example, information regarding defects or malfunctions in the clothes dryer 100, or information indicating whether the operation of the washer-dryer 100 is irregular.

[0073] For example, if the lint filter 32 is not cleaned or becomes clogged, the path of the warm air flowing through the circulating air passage 31 is obstructed, which may result in improper drying of clothes. Also, if the heating operation of the clothes dryer's heating device is interrupted, the temperature of the warm air flowing through the circulating air passage 31 drops, which may result in improper drying of clothes. For this reason, if the operating condition information includes information indicating a defect or malfunction of the clothes dryer 100, the condition identification unit 240 reduces the influence of the operating result information corresponding to that operating condition information when making a determination.

[0074] Furthermore, when the aforementioned "continuous drying operation" is performed, the conditions differ between the first and second drying cycles. For example, the temperature of each device inside the washing machine 100 at the start of the second drying cycle is higher than the temperature at the start of the first cycle. Also, the conditions differ from normal use when manual operation is performed or when the door 12 is opened or closed during drying. For example, if user U performs operations to change the water level of the washing cycle, the content of the rinse cycle, or the number of spin cycles, or if the door 12 is opened during operation to add clothes or remove some clothes, the dewatering rate of the clothes immediately before the drying cycle will differ. For this reason, if the operating condition information includes information indicating that the operation of the washing machine 100 is irregular, the condition identification unit 240 reduces the influence of the operating result information corresponding to that operating condition information when making a determination.

[0075] The condition identification unit 240 may also identify specific operating conditions based on the operating condition information when no deficiencies or operating malfunctions occur, or when the degree of deficiencies or operating malfunctions is below a predetermined standard. In other words, the condition identification unit 240 may exclude from the accumulated information, based on the operating condition information, operating condition information and operating result information when deficiencies or operating malfunctions occur, or when the degree of deficiencies or operating malfunctions exceeds a predetermined standard, and then identify specific operating conditions based on the remaining information.

[0076] Similarly, the condition identification unit 240 may identify specific operating conditions based on the operating condition information when there is no information indicating that the operation of the washing machine 100 is irregular. That is, the condition identification unit 240 may exclude from the accumulated information, based on the operating condition information, cases in which there is information indicating that the operation of the washing machine 100 is irregular, and identify specific operating conditions based on the remaining information.

[0077] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 may identify operating conditions under which the number of times or percentage of user U evaluations indicating insufficient drying conditions are obtained is below a threshold, when information indicating a defect or malfunction of the clothes dryer 100 is included in the operating condition information, as conditions under which the drying condition becomes appropriate even if there is a defect or malfunction of the clothes dryer 100 (hereinafter referred to as "specific appropriate operating conditions"). In this case, if the operating conditions of the washing machine dryer 100 are specific appropriate operating conditions, the control content correction by the correction unit 250, which will be described later, does not need to be performed.

[0078] <4.5 Correction Section> The correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to correct the drying control of the washing machine 100 when the washing machine 100 is operated under specific operating conditions identified by the condition identification unit 240. Correction information INF2 is, for example, information to make the drying state of the clothes appropriate at the end of the drying operation, and for example, information to increase the degree of dryness. Correction information INF2 is, for example, information to perform one or more of the following: extending the drying operation time of the washing machine 100, increasing the drive amount of the blower fan 33, and increasing the drive amount of the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 (amount of heating by the heating device).

[0079] The correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to extend the drying time, for example, if the drying time is less than a predetermined time. On the other hand, if the drying time is already longer than a predetermined time, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to increase the drive amount of the blower fan 33 or the drive amount of the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 (heating amount by the heating device), while suppressing the extension of the drying time.

[0080] In this embodiment, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to extend the drying time or increase the drive amount of the blower fan 33 while suppressing an increase in the drive amount of the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 (amount of heating by the heating device) when the temperature of the hot air flowing through the circulating air passage 31 during the drying operation (for example, the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor S2) is above a certain threshold.

[0081] In this embodiment, if there is information indicating a defect or malfunction of the clothes dryer 100, such as that the lint filter 32 has not been cleaned or that the lint filter 32 is clogged, correction information INF2 is generated to prioritize extending the drying time or increasing the drive amount of the blower fan 33 over increasing the drive amount of the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 (amount of heating by the heating device). In this embodiment, if there is information indicating a defect or malfunction of the clothes dryer 100, such as that that the heating operation of the heat pump 40 (heating device) has been interrupted, correction information INF2 is generated to prioritize extending the drying time or increasing the drive amount of the blower fan 33 over increasing the drive amount of the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 (amount of heating by the heating device).

[0082] In this embodiment, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 that corrects the content of the drying control of the washing machine 100 with the first correction content when the washing machine 100 is operated under the first specific operating conditions (operating conditions under which the drying state of clothes is likely to be unsuitable at the first level). On the other hand, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 that corrects the content of the drying control of the washing machine 100 with the second correction content when the washing machine 100 is operated under the second specific operating conditions (operating conditions under which the drying state of clothes is likely to be unsuitable at the second level, which is more unsuitable than the first level). The second correction content has a greater degree of correction than the first correction content. "A greater degree of correction" means correction information that increases the degree of drying, for example, a greater degree of extension of the drying operation time of the washing machine 100, a greater degree of increase in the amount driven by the blower fan 33, or a greater degree of increase in the amount driven by the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40.

[0083] In this embodiment, the correction information INF2 is transmitted to the washing machine / dryer 100 by the control command output unit 260 (described later), then stored in the storage unit 59 of the washing machine / dryer 100, and is referenced together with the basic operation information INF1 for each drying operation, and is used to correct the contents of the basic operation information INF1 for each drying operation. The correction information INF2 is not limited to the above example, and may also be transmitted to the washing machine / dryer 100 by the control command output unit 260 (described later), and then used to update the basic operation information INF1 within the washing machine / dryer 100. In this case, the updated basic operation information INF1 is stored in the storage unit 59, and the drying operation of the washing machine / dryer 100 is performed based on the updated basic operation information INF1.

[0084] In this embodiment, if the operating condition information includes information indicating a defect or malfunction of the clothes dryer 100, the correction unit 250 may generate correction information INF2 using the content of the specified appropriate operating conditions described above for operating conditions identified as specified operating conditions by the condition identification unit 240. That is, correction information INF2 may be generated to bring the specified operating condition to be corrected closer to (for example, to match) a specified appropriate operating condition that includes the same type of defect or malfunction and has a higher degree of drying than the specified operating condition to be corrected (for example, the drying time of the washing machine dryer 100 is longer, the amount of drive of the blower fan 33 is greater, or the amount of drive of the compressor 41 of the heat pump 40 is greater).

[0085] In this embodiment, the correction unit 250 may generate different correction information INF2 depending on the degree of defects or operational problems in the clothes dryer 100. For example, the correction unit 250 may generate different correction information INF2 depending on the degree of filter clogging detected by the filter clogging detection unit 53 or the number of interruptions in the heating operation of the heating device (heat pump 40).

[0086] <4.6 Control Command Output Section> The control command output unit 260 can output control commands generated by the equipment management server 200 to individual washer-dryers 100 included in the multiple washer-dryers 100. The control command output unit 260 can also output correction information INF2 generated by the correction unit 250 to individual washer-dryers 100.

[0087] In this embodiment, when the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to correct the drying control content of the washing machine 100 with respect to specific operating conditions, the control command output unit 260 transmits the correction information INF2 only to the washing machine 100 used by user U, which has shown a low evaluation below a predetermined standard with respect to the above specific operating conditions, among the multiple washing machines 100 that can communicate with the equipment management server 200.

[0088] <4.7 Storage section> The memory unit 290 is implemented by a combination of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, SSD, or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The memory unit 290 stores, for example, correspondence information INF4.

[0089] <5. Control Flow> Next, I will explain the control flow. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of accumulating correspondence information INF4. First, in the washing machine 100, the room temperature is detected by the room temperature sensor S3 and the water temperature is detected by the water temperature sensor S4 (S101). Next, the control unit 55 determines whether the lint filter 32 has been cleaned within a predetermined period in the past (for example, whether the removal of the lint filter 32 has been detected by the filter detection sensor S5 within a predetermined period in the past) as information regarding defects or operational malfunctions of the washing machine 100. The control unit 55 also determines whether the operation of the washing machine 100 is irregular, specifically whether it is in continuous drying operation (S102).

[0090] Next, the weight detection unit 51 detects the weight of the clothes (S103). Then, the control unit 55 performs a washing operation (S104), followed by a drying operation (S105). For example, during the washing operation, the fabric type detection unit 52 detects the fabric type of the clothes. Next, the control unit 55 determines whether there is a filter blockage or whether the heating operation of the heat pump 40 (heating device) has been interrupted, as information regarding defects or operational malfunctions of the washer-dryer 100 (S106). As a result, the operation of the washer-dryer 100 ends (S107).

[0091] Next, the control unit 55 updates the total number of drying cycles or total time included in the usage history information INF3 stored in the storage unit 59 (S108). Next, the evaluation acquisition unit 56 displays a message on the display screen of the operation panel PU to obtain user U's evaluation of the drying state of the clothes, and accepts user U's response. As a result, the evaluation acquisition unit 56 obtains user U's evaluation (S109).

[0092] Next, the control unit 55 determines whether or not it has detected any information regarding a defect or malfunction of the washing machine 100 (S110). If the control unit 55 has not detected any information regarding a defect or malfunction of the washing machine 100 (S110: YES), it determines whether or not the clothes are properly dried based on the evaluation of user U (S111).

[0093] If the control unit 55 determines that the clothes are properly dried (S111:YES), it transmits operating condition information and operating result information to the equipment management server 200 as information regarding normal operation (operation without defects or malfunctions) and operation in which the clothes are properly dried (S112). On the other hand, if the control unit 55 determines that the clothes are not properly dried (S111:NO), it transmits operating condition information and operating result information to the equipment management server 200 as information regarding normal operation and operation in which the clothes are not properly dried (S113).

[0094] Furthermore, if the control unit 55 detects information regarding a defect or malfunction of the washing and drying machine 100 (S110: NO), it determines whether the clothes are properly dried based on the evaluation of user U (S114).

[0095] If the control unit 55 determines that the clothes are properly dried (S114: YES), it transmits operating condition information and operating result information to the equipment management server 200 as information regarding an operation in which there is a defect or malfunction and the clothes are properly dried (S115). On the other hand, if the control unit 55 determines that the clothes are not properly dried (S114: NO), it transmits operating condition information and operating result information to the equipment management server 200 as information regarding an operation in which there is a defect or malfunction and the clothes are not properly dried (S116).

[0096] The equipment management server 200 then acquires the information transmitted from the washing machine / dryer 100 and stores the operating condition information and operating result information in an associated manner for each operation (S117). These processes S101 to S117 are executed each time the washing machine / dryer 100 is operated.

[0097] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing flow at the equipment management server 200. First, the information acquisition unit 210 receives operating condition information from the washing machine 100. The evaluation acquisition unit 220 also receives operating result information from the washing machine 100. The information recording unit 230 stores the operating condition information and operating result information in an associated state (S201).

[0098] Next, the condition identification unit 240 determines whether the amount of information stored in the information recording unit 230 exceeds a predetermined number (S202). In other words, in the identification of specific operating conditions, the reliability improves as more information is stored in the information recording unit 230. For this reason, the condition identification unit 240 waits to start the process of identifying specific operating conditions until the information recording unit 230 has stored operating condition information and operating result information for a predetermined number of times or more (for example, 5000 times or more). When the amount of stored information exceeds a predetermined number (step S202: YES), the condition identification unit 240 proceeds to step S203.

[0099] Next, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions that are likely to result in improper drying of clothes, based on a large amount of operating condition information and operating result information (S203). The identification of specific operating conditions is performed by comparing, for example, combinations of operating course, weight of clothes, fabric type of clothes, room temperature, water temperature, etc., with operating result information that indicates the evaluation of the drying state.

[0100] Next, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to correct the drying control of the washing machine 100 when the washing machine 100 is operated under specific operating conditions identified by the condition identification unit 240 (S204). For example, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to extend the drying time under operating conditions where clothes are likely to remain incompletely dry.

[0101] Next, the control command output unit 260 transmits the correction information INF2 generated by the correction unit 250 to the individual washing and drying machines 100 (S205). This completes the series of processes in the equipment management server 200.

[0102] <6. Advantages> The information processing system according to this embodiment includes an information recording unit 230 that stores operating condition information indicating the operating conditions of the clothes dryer 100 and operating results regarding the drying state of clothes when the clothes dryer 100 is operated under the above operating conditions in an associated state; a condition identification unit 240 that identifies specific operating conditions which are operating conditions that tend to result in an inappropriate drying state of clothes based on the information stored by the information recording unit 230; and a correction unit 250 that corrects the content of the drying control of the clothes dryer 100 when the clothes dryer 100 is operated under the specific operating conditions identified by the condition identification unit 240. As stated above, "correcting the content of the drying control of the clothes dryer 100 when the clothes dryer 100 is operated under specific operating conditions" does not only mean that the drying control correction is performed for each operation, but also that the content of the basic operating information INF1 of the washing machine dryer 100 is updated based on the correction information INF, and thereafter the drying control is performed based on the updated basic operating information INF1 (corrected basic operating information INF1).

[0103] With this configuration, operating condition information and operating results regarding the drying state of clothes under each operating condition are stored in a correlated state. By using this information to correct the drying control settings, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of inadequate drying of clothes. This improves user convenience.

[0104] In this embodiment, the operating conditions include the operating course, the weight of the clothing, and the fabric type of the clothing. Here, if the weight of the clothing is large, drying takes longer. Also, if the clothing is made of a lot of cotton, drying takes longer. Therefore, according to this embodiment, operating conditions that tend to result in an unsuitable drying state of the clothing can be analyzed and identified in terms of the operating course, the weight of the clothing, and the fabric type of the clothing.

[0105] In this embodiment, the operating conditions include room temperature or water temperature. Here, if the room temperature is low, drying takes longer. Also, if the water temperature is low, the temperature of the clothes before drying is low, and drying takes longer. Furthermore, in the case of a water-cooled dehumidification system, the dehumidification efficiency changes depending on the water temperature. Therefore, according to this embodiment, operating conditions that tend to result in an unsuitable drying state of clothes can be analyzed and identified from the perspective of room temperature or water temperature.

[0106] In this embodiment, the operating conditions include the total number of drying cycles or total drying time of the clothes dryer 100, or the number of years the clothes dryer 100 has been in use. Here, if the total number of drying cycles of the clothes dryer 100 is large, the total drying time is long, or the number of years the clothes dryer 100 has been in use is long, the amount of lint that tends to accumulate in the circulating air passage 31 tends to increase, and drying takes longer. Therefore, according to this embodiment, operating conditions that tend to result in an inadequate drying state of clothes can be identified by analyzing the total number of drying cycles or total drying time, or the number of years the clothes dryer 100 has been in use.

[0107] In this embodiment, the operating condition information includes, in addition to the operating conditions described above, information regarding defects or malfunctions of the clothes dryer 100. With this configuration, by including information regarding defects or malfunctions of the clothes dryer 100, it becomes possible to identify specific operating conditions by reducing (or eliminating) the influence of information regarding defects or malfunctions.

[0108] In this embodiment, information regarding defects or operational malfunctions includes whether or not the lint filter 32 of the clothes dryer 100 has been cleaned, the detection result regarding clogging of the lint filter 32, or whether or not the heating operation of the heat pump 40 of the clothes dryer 100 has been interrupted. With this configuration, the impact of defects or operational malfunctions in this information can be reduced (or eliminated), and specific operating conditions can be identified.

[0109] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions based on operating condition information, when no defects or operational malfunctions occur, or when the degree of defects or operational malfunctions is below a predetermined standard. With this configuration, specific operating conditions can be identified without being affected by information regarding defects or operational malfunctions.

[0110] In this embodiment, the information recording unit 230 is provided in a device management server 200 that can communicate with multiple clothes dryers 100, and records the operating condition information and operating results received from the multiple clothes dryers 100 in an associated state. The condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions based on the information received from the multiple clothes dryers 100 and recorded by the information recording unit 230. With this configuration, the reliability of identifying specific operating conditions can be improved by accumulating a large amount of information from multiple clothes dryers 100 and identifying specific operating conditions.

[0111] In this embodiment, after the clothes dryer 100 has finished operating, an evaluation acquisition unit 220 is provided to acquire an evaluation from user U regarding the drying state of the clothes based on user U input to the operation panel PU of the clothes dryer 100. The information recording unit 230 stores the evaluation from user U acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 220 in association with the operating condition information as an operating result. With this configuration, by storing the evaluation from user U acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 220 in association with the operating condition information as an operating result, it is possible to analyze the state in which the clothes become unsuitable and identify specific operating conditions.

[0112] In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 220 acquires the evaluation of user U, which is a graded evaluation with three or more levels. With this configuration, the evaluation of user U can be acquired in more detail. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the correction of the drying operation control content by the correction unit 250.

[0113] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240 identifies specific operating conditions based on the information stored by the information recording unit 230 when the correspondence between operating condition information and operating results for a predetermined number of operations or more has been accumulated. With this configuration, the reliability of identifying specific operating conditions can be improved by accumulating operating condition information and operating results for a predetermined number of operations or more in the information recording unit 230.

[0114] In this embodiment, when the correction unit 250 generates a correction command to correct the content of the drying control of the clothes dryer 100 with respect to specific operating conditions, the control command output unit 260 outputs the correction command only to the clothes dryer 100 used by user U who has given a low evaluation below a predetermined standard with respect to the specific operating conditions. With this configuration, only the drying control of the clothes dryer 100 used by user U who has given a low evaluation below a predetermined standard with respect to the specific operating conditions can be corrected, and the control of the clothes dryer 100 used by user U who is satisfied with the drying state can be maintained as is.

[0115] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, in addition to the degree of under-drying, the drying control is corrected based on the user U's evaluation regarding wrinkles in the clothes during drying or uneven drying. Other than what is described below, the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0116] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the equipment management server 200a of the second embodiment. The equipment management server 200a includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 210, an evaluation acquisition unit 220a, an information recording unit 230, a condition identification unit 240a, a correction unit 250, a control command output unit 260, and a storage unit 290.

[0117] <Evaluation Acquisition Department> The evaluation unit 220a acquires an evaluation of the user U, including the degree of under-drying, as well as an evaluation of wrinkles in the clothes or uneven drying. Figure 11 is an example of the screen of the control panel PU in the second embodiment. When the drying operation of the washing machine 100 is completed, the evaluation unit 56 of the washing machine 100 displays the contents shown in Figure 11 on the display screen of the control panel PU. As shown in Figure 11, the display screen of the control panel PU displays the operation units 71a to 71e for evaluating the drying state, as well as the operation units 72a to 72e for evaluating the wrinkle state of the clothes. The user U selects and inputs one operation unit from among the operation units 71a to 71e according to the drying state of the clothes, and selects and inputs one operation unit from among the operation units 72a to 72c according to the wrinkle state of the clothes. In this example, the drying state and wrinkle state are evaluated on a 5-point scale, but it is sufficient for the drying state and wrinkle state to be on a 3-point scale or higher. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 56 may also display a similar operation panel for drying unevenness (where the drying state is not uniform, and there are parts that are dry and parts that are not).

[0118] <Condition specification part> In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240a identifies a third specific operating condition in which the clothing is likely to be in a first state, and a fourth specific operating condition in which the clothing is likely to be in a second state in which there are more drying wrinkles compared to the first state, based on information accumulated by the information recording unit 230, including information including the user's evaluation regarding drying wrinkles.

[0119] In this embodiment, the condition identification unit 240a identifies a fifth specific operating condition in which the clothing is likely to be in the third state, and a sixth specific operating condition in which the clothing is likely to be in the fourth state, in which there is more uneven drying compared to the third state, based on information accumulated by the information recording unit 230, including user U's evaluation regarding uneven drying.

[0120] <Correction Section> The correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to correct the drying control when the washing machine 100 is operated under the fourth specific operating conditions, compared to when the washing machine 100 is operated under the third specific operating conditions, by shortening the drying time, lowering the drying temperature (for example, by reducing the drive amount of the heat pump 40 (heating device)), or increasing the amount of hot air (for example, by increasing the drive amount of the blower fan 33).

[0121] In this embodiment, the correction unit 250 generates correction information INF2 to correct the drying control when the washing machine 100 is operated under the sixth specific operating conditions, compared to when the washing machine 100 is operated under the fifth specific operating conditions, by increasing the amount of drying air (for example, increasing the amount driven by the blower fan 33) or by increasing the change in the rotation direction of the drum 14 included in the washing machine 100 (so that the clothes can be loosened more easily).

[0122] <Advantages> In this embodiment, the evaluation unit 220a acquires user evaluations, including not only the degree of under-drying but also evaluations regarding wrinkles in the clothing or uneven drying. With this configuration, by accumulating the user U's evaluations acquired by the evaluation unit 220a in association with operating condition information as operating results, it is possible to analyze the conditions that cause wrinkles in the clothing or uneven drying and identify specific operating conditions.

[0123] (modified version) Next, a modified example will be described. In the modified example, the configuration is the same as that of the embodiment described above, except for the configuration described below. This modified example may be implemented in combination with the first embodiment or in combination with the second embodiment.

[0124] In the embodiment described above, after the washing machine 100 has finished operating, the equipment management server 200 displays a message on the display screen of the washing machine 100's control panel PU asking the user U about the drying status, and obtains the user U's evaluation regarding the drying status and wrinkles of the clothes based on the user U's input to the control panel PU. On the other hand, in this modified example, the home appliance management app APP may, upon receiving a signal from the equipment management server 200 indicating the end of the washing machine 100's operation, display a message on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 asking the user U about the drying status, and obtain the user U's evaluation regarding the drying status and wrinkles of the clothes based on the user U's input to the terminal device 300.

[0125] Figure 12 shows an example of the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 in a modified example. When the operation of the washing machine 100 is finished, the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 displays the content shown in Figure 11. This screen displays operation units 371a to 371e, which are operation units (e.g., checkboxes) for evaluating the drying state, and operation units 372a to 372e, which are operation units (e.g., checkboxes) for evaluating the wrinkle state. User U selects and inputs one operation unit from operation units 371a to 371e and one operation unit from operation units 372a to 372c based on the drying state and wrinkle state of the clothes.

[0126] According to at least one embodiment described above, the information processing system includes an information recording unit that stores operating condition information indicating the operating conditions of a clothes dryer and operating results regarding the drying state of clothes when the clothes dryer is operated under the above operating conditions in an associated state; a condition identification unit that identifies specific operating conditions that tend to result in an inappropriate drying state of clothes based on the information stored by the information recording unit; and a correction unit that corrects the content of the drying control of the clothes dryer when the clothes dryer is operated under the specific operating conditions identified by the condition identification unit. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of clothes remaining in an under-dried state.

[0127] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0128] 100...Washing machine (clothes dryer), 200, 200a...Equipment management server, 210...Information acquisition unit, 220, 220a...Evaluation acquisition unit, 230...Information recording unit, 240, 240a...Condition identification unit, 250...Correction unit, 260...Control command output unit.

Claims

1. An information recording unit that stores operating condition information indicating the operating conditions of a clothes dryer and operating results relating to the drying state of clothes when the clothes dryer is operated under those operating conditions, A condition identification unit identifies specific operating conditions, which are operating conditions that tend to result in an improper drying state of the clothes, based on the information accumulated by the information recording unit. Regarding the case where the clothes dryer is operated under the specified operating conditions identified by the condition identification unit, a correction unit corrects the contents of the drying control of the clothes dryer. Equipped with, The aforementioned operating conditions information includes, in addition to the operating conditions, information regarding defects or malfunctions of the clothes dryer. When the operating condition information includes information indicating the deficiency or malfunction, the condition identification unit identifies the operating conditions that result in sufficient drying of the clothes as the appropriate operating conditions. If the operating condition information includes information indicating the deficiency or malfunction, the correction unit corrects the contents of the drying control so that it becomes the specified appropriate operating condition. Information processing system.

2. The aforementioned operating conditions include the operating course, the weight of the clothing, the fabric of the clothing, the room temperature, and the water temperature. The information processing system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned operating conditions include the total number of drying cycles or total drying time of the clothes dryer, or the number of years the clothes dryer has been in use. The information processing system according to claim 2.

4. The information regarding the aforementioned defects or operational malfunctions includes information regarding whether the filter of the clothes dryer has been cleaned, the results of detection regarding blockage of the filter, or whether the heating operation of the heating device of the clothes dryer has been interrupted. The information processing system according to claim 1.

5. The condition identification unit identifies the specified operating conditions based on the operating condition information, in cases where the deficiency or operating malfunction does not occur, or where the degree of the deficiency or operating malfunction is below a predetermined standard. The information processing system according to claim 1.

6. The system further includes an evaluation unit that, after the operation of the clothes dryer has finished, obtains the user's evaluation of the drying state of the clothes based on user input to the input unit of the clothes dryer, or user input to a terminal device that can communicate with the clothes dryer or a server that manages the clothes dryer. The information recording unit stores the user's evaluation obtained by the evaluation acquisition unit in association with the operating condition information as the operating result. The information processing system according to claim 1.

7. The evaluation acquisition unit acquires the user's evaluation, which is a graded evaluation with three or more levels. The information processing system according to claim 6.

8. The evaluation unit acquires, as part of the user's evaluation, an evaluation regarding wrinkles in the clothing or uneven drying, in addition to an evaluation regarding incomplete drying. The information processing system according to claim 6.

9. The condition identification unit identifies the specific operating conditions based on the stored correspondence between the operating condition information and the operating results for a predetermined number of operations or more, when the information recording unit has stored the correspondence between the two. The information processing system according to claim 1.

10. The information recording unit is provided in a server capable of communicating with multiple clothes dryers, and records the operating condition information and operating results received from the multiple clothes dryers in association with each other. The condition identification unit identifies the specific operating conditions based on the information received from the plurality of clothes dryers and recorded by the information recording unit. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Regarding each clothes dryer included in the plurality of clothes dryers, an evaluation acquisition unit is provided to acquire a user's evaluation of the drying state of the clothes after the operation of the clothes dryer has finished. A control command output unit capable of outputting control commands generated by the server to individual clothes dryers included in the plurality of clothes dryers, Furthermore, The control command output unit outputs a correction command to correct the content of the drying control with respect to the specific operating conditions, but only to the clothes dryer used by a user who has shown a low evaluation below a predetermined standard with respect to the specific operating conditions among the multiple clothes dryers. The information processing system according to claim 10.

12. One or more computers The system stores operating condition information indicating the operating conditions of the clothes dryer and the operating results regarding the drying state of clothes when the clothes dryer is operated under those operating conditions, in a corresponding manner. Based on the accumulated information, specific operating conditions that tend to result in improper drying of the clothes are identified. In the case where the clothes dryer is operated under the aforementioned specific operating conditions, the contents of the drying control of the clothes dryer are corrected. This includes, The aforementioned operating conditions information includes, in addition to the operating conditions, information regarding defects or malfunctions of the clothes dryer. Identifying the aforementioned specific operating conditions includes, in cases where the operating condition information includes information indicating the aforementioned deficiency or operating malfunction, identifying the operating conditions under which the clothes are sufficiently dried as the specified appropriate operating conditions. Correcting the contents of the drying control includes correcting the contents of the drying control so that the specific appropriate operating conditions are met if the operating condition information includes information indicating the deficiency or malfunction of the operating conditions. Information processing methods.

Images