Home appliance, system, and operation method of home appliance

Abstract

A home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a communication interface that communicates with a user terminal and a server; and a processor that receives a network change request including network change information from the user terminal, registers the network change information on the basis of the network change request, transmits a device search list for neighboring home appliances to the user terminal, receives, from the server, a network change command for at least one neighboring device included in the device search list, and transmits a network change request including the network change information to the at least one neighboring home appliance according to the received network change command.

Description

Home appliances, systems, and methods of operation of home appliances

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for changing a network in batches.

[0002] With the recent popularization of mobile devices such as smartphones and the advancement of IoT (Internet of Things) technology, the adoption of home appliances equipped with communication capabilities is increasing.

[0003] Home appliances equipped with communication capabilities can be connected to a server or mobile terminal through an access point (AP), such as a router within the home.

[0004] In addition, users can conveniently check the status of home appliances and remotely control their operation via mobile devices such as phones. Furthermore, users can easily register home appliances through their mobile devices.

[0005] However, conventionally, to change the network information of home appliances, a phone was directly connected to the home appliance, and the user input the changed network information through the phone to individually transmit the changed network information to each of the multiple home appliances.

[0006] Consequently, a problem may arise where the total time required for network setup of all home appliances becomes longer.

[0007] In addition, since the connection mode setting method varies for each home appliance (e.g., some devices are registered via remote control while others are registered via QR code), there was a concern that product quality issues might be raised due to the inconvenience caused by the inability to change the settings.

[0008] The present disclosure may be for collectively changing the network settings of multiple home appliances when the network is changed.

[0009] The present disclosure may be for automatically changing the network settings of a plurality of home appliances when the network is changed.

[0010] The present disclosure may be for automatically changing the network settings of a plurality of home appliances sequentially based on the usage status of the home appliances when the network is changed.

[0011] A home appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a communication interface that communicates with a user terminal and a server; and a processor that receives a network change request including network change information from the user terminal, registers the network change information based on the network change request, transmits a device search list for peripheral home appliances to the user terminal, receives a network change command for at least one peripheral device included in the device search list from the server, and transmits a network change request including the network change information to the at least one peripheral home appliance according to the received network change command.

[0012] In a system comprising a user terminal, a server, and a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the home appliance receives a network change request including network change information from the user terminal, registers the network change information based on the network change request, transmits a device search list for surrounding home appliances to the user terminal, the user terminal selects at least one surrounding device included in the device search list as a target for automatic network change, transmits information regarding the selected at least one surrounding device to the server, the server transmits a network change command for the selected at least one surrounding device to the home appliance, and the home appliance transmits the network change information to the at least one surrounding device according to the received network change command.

[0013] A method of operation of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: receiving a network change request including network change information from a user terminal; registering the network change information based on the network change request; transmitting a device search list for surrounding home appliances to the user terminal; receiving a network change command for at least one surrounding device included in the device search list from a server; and transmitting a network change request including the network change information to the at least one surrounding home appliance according to the received network change command.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a network is changed, the network settings of a plurality of home appliances are changed collectively, thereby reducing the time required for network settings.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a network is changed, the network settings of a plurality of home appliances are automatically changed, so that the user can conveniently perform a network change without a repetitive process.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a network is changed, the network change can be quickly set starting from the home appliances frequently used by the user.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIGS. 5A and FIGS. 5B are drawings for explaining a method of changing the network of a system according to the prior art.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining a method of changing the network of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIGS. 7a to 7d are drawings illustrating the process of selecting an automatic change target list according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIGS. 8A and FIGS. 8B are drawings illustrating screens related to network batch changes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIGS. 9 to 11 are drawings illustrating a process of restoring the network connection of a home appliance through an existing network-connected home appliance in the event that the network connection of the home appliance fails, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments related to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The suffixes "module" and "part" for components used in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the ease of drafting the specification, and do not inherently have distinct meanings or roles.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, the system (1) may include a plurality of home appliances (10-1, 10-2), a user terminal (20), a router (30), and a server (40).

[0029] The system (1) can provide a service to remotely control multiple home appliances (10-1, 10-2) in the home through a user terminal (20).

[0030] Each of the multiple home appliances (10-1, 10-2) may be a device that is placed in a home or building and performs various operations. The home appliance may be any one of a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air purifier, a water purifier, or an air conditioner.

[0031] In Figure 1, two home appliances were used as an example, but this is not limited to two appliances and more than two appliances may be provided.

[0032] The user terminal (20) may include a mobile terminal that the user can carry while moving, such as a smartphone, tablet PC, smart watch, smart glasses, etc., or a fixed terminal such as a PC.

[0033] The router (30) can connect multiple home appliances (10-1, 10-2) to the server (40). For example, the multiple home appliances (10-1, 10-2) include a Wi-Fi circuit that supports Wi-Fi wireless communication and can be connected to the router (30) through the Wi-Fi circuit.

[0034] The shared device (30) can be referred to as a router.

[0035] The server (40) is a device that provides home appliance management services and can be managed by a manufacturer or a service provider. The server (40) can store information about each user who uses the home appliance management service. For example, information about each user may include user accounts, information about user terminals (20), information about routers (30), information about registered home appliances, etc.

[0036] When the server (40) receives a control command for a specific home appliance from a user terminal (20), it can transmit the received control command to the home appliance through the router (30). The home appliance (10) can operate based on the received control command.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 2, the home appliance (10) may include a communication interface (110), an input interface (120), an output interface (130), a driving unit (140), a memory (150), and a processor (190).

[0039] The communication interface (110) can transmit and receive data with external devices such as other home appliances, user terminals (20), routers (30), and servers (40) using wired and wireless communication technology.

[0040] The input interface (120) may include a camera for inputting a video signal, a microphone for receiving an audio signal, a user input interface for receiving information from a user, etc.

[0041] The output interface (130) can output information. The output interface (130) may include a display that displays a video signal and a speaker that outputs an audio signal.

[0042] The drive unit (140) may include elements for performing operations related to the functions provided by the home appliance (10). For example, if the home appliance (10) is a washing machine, the drive unit (140) may include a drum motor, a water supply device, etc.

[0043] The memory (150) can store various software and data related to the operation of the home appliance (10).

[0044] The processor (190) can control the overall operation of the home appliance (10).

[0045] When the processor (190) requires the connection of an external device to perform the operation of the home appliance (10), it can generate a control signal to control the external device and transmit the generated control signal to the external device.

[0046] The processor (190) can control at least some of the components of the home appliance (10) to run an application stored in memory (150).

[0047] FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 3, the user terminal (20) may include a communication circuit (210), an input interface (220), a memory (230), an output interface (240), and a processor (290).

[0049] The user terminal (20) can be implemented as a fixed device or a mobile device, such as a projector, mobile phone, smartphone, desktop computer, laptop, digital broadcasting terminal, PDA (personal digital assistants), PMP (portable multimedia player), navigation, tablet PC, wearable device, set-top box (STB), DMB receiver, radio, desktop computer, etc.

[0050] The user terminal (20) may include a communication circuit (210), an input interface (220), a memory (230), an output interface (240), and a processor (290).

[0051] The communication circuit (210) can transmit and receive data with external devices such as other user terminals or servers using wired and wireless communication technology.

[0052] The communication circuit (210) can perform communication using any one of the following communication standards: GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), CDMA (Code Division Multi Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), ZigBee, and NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0053] The input interface (220) may include a camera for inputting a video signal, a microphone for receiving an audio signal, a user input interface for receiving information from a user, etc.

[0054] Here, cameras or microphones can be treated as sensors, and signals acquired from cameras or microphones can be referred to as sensing data or sensor information.

[0055] The memory (230) can store various software and data related to the operation of the user terminal (20).

[0056] The output interface (240) may include a display (241) that displays a video signal received from the outside and a speaker (242) that outputs an audio signal.

[0057] The processor (290) can control the overall operation of the user terminal (20).

[0058] When the processor (290) requires the connection of an external device to perform the operation of the user terminal (20), it can generate a control signal to control the external device and transmit the generated control signal to the external device.

[0059] The processor (290) can control at least some of the components of the user terminal (20) to run an application stored in memory (230).

[0060] The processor (290) can operate two or more of the components included in the user terminal (20) in combination with each other to operate the application program.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, the server (40) may include a wireless communication interface (410), a database (420), and a processor (430).

[0063] The wireless communication interface (410) can transmit and receive data with a user terminal (20) or home appliances (10-1, 10-2) using wireless communication technology. The wireless communication interface (410) can perform communication using any one of the communication standards of LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G, WLAN (Wireless LAN), and Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity).

[0064] The database (420) may store information of the user terminal (20), information of multiple home appliances (10-1, 10-2), and information of the router (30).

[0065] The information of the user terminal (20) may include information about the user account of the user terminal (20).

[0066] Information on each home appliance may include at least one of the name of the home appliance, the type of home appliance, or the identifier of the home appliance.

[0067] The information of the router (30) may include the SSID and password of the router (30).

[0068] The processor (430) can control the overall operation of the server (40). The processor (430) can transmit and receive data with the user terminal (20) through a home appliance management application installed on the user terminal (20).

[0069] The processor (430) can transmit a control command to the home appliance according to the operation command of the home appliance received from the user terminal (20) through the wireless communication interface (410).

[0070] In the following, the router may be referred to as an AP (Access Point).

[0071] FIGS. 5A and FIGS. 5B are drawings for explaining a method of changing the network of a system according to the prior art.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 5a, the product (51) can receive an AP mode setting input for setting the AP (Access Point) mode (S501).

[0073] The connection mode of the product (51) may include AP mode and station mode.

[0074] AP mode may be a mode in which a smartphone (52) and a product (51) establish a connection without an AP (53). AP mode may be a mode in which a Wi-Fi circuit provided in the product (51) connects to a Wi-Fi circuit provided in the smartphone (52) to establish a connection between the product (51) and the smartphone (52).

[0075] Station mode may be a mode in which a smartphone (52) and a product (51) establish a connection through an AP (53). Station mode may be a mode in which a Wi-Fi circuit provided in the product (51) connects to the AP (53) to establish a connection between the product (51) and the smartphone (52).

[0076] The user can switch the connection mode of the product (51) to AP mode through a specific button provided on the product (51).

[0077] The product (51) can operate the connection mode in AP mode according to the request for AP mode setting from the smartphone (52) (S503).

[0078] Accordingly, the product (51) can be connected to a smartphone (52) without an AP (53).

[0079] The smartphone (52) can display a network change screen according to the execution of a home appliance management application (S505) and can be connected to the product (51) via WIFI / TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) (S507).

[0080] The home appliance management application may be an application for remotely controlling home appliances via a smartphone (52) and managing the status of home appliances.

[0081] The smartphone (52) receives new router information through the network change screen (S509) and can transmit the new router information to the product (51) (S511).

[0082] The new router information may include information about the router that has been changed due to the replacement of the router. The new router information may include a Service Set Identifier (SSID) for identifying the AP (53) and a password required to connect to the AP (53).

[0083] The product (51) can be connected to the AP (53) using new router information (S513).

[0084] The product (51) can transmit the connection result of the network connection with the new router to the smartphone (52) (S515).

[0085] The connection result may include a result indicating either a successful connection to the AP (53) or a failed connection.

[0086] The smartphone (52) can disconnect the network connection with the product (51) via AP mode (S517).

[0087] The smartphone (52) can send a network release request to the product (51) to terminate AP mode.

[0088] The product (51) exits AP mode (S519).

[0089] The product (51) can exit AP mode in response to a network release request received from a smartphone (52).

[0090] Referring to FIG. 5b, actions that a user must perform when products 1 to 3 are connected via an existing AP and then replaced with a new AP are illustrated. Each of products 1 to 3 may be a type of product (51).

[0091] Referring to FIG. 5b, the user switches the connection mode of Product 1 to AP mode according to the procedure of FIG. 5a.

[0092] After that, the user connects Product 1 and the smartphone (52) through a home appliance management application installed on the smartphone (52) to change the information (change information) of the replaced router. Product 1 is connected to the changed network according to the information of the router.

[0093] The user performs the same procedure for Product 2 and Product 3 to connect Product 2 and Product 3 to the changed network.

[0094] However, according to Figures 5a and 5b, when a router is replaced, the user must make individual settings for network changes for each product, so there is a problem that the total time required becomes long.

[0095] Furthermore, since the connection mode setting method varies by product (some use a remote control, others use QR code scanning), it causes problems that degrade product quality by preventing network changes or causing inconvenience.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided to collectively perform network changes for multiple home appliances when a router is replaced.

[0097] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining a method of changing the network of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0098] In the following, the bulk network change can represent the process of registering multiple home appliances to a new router in bulk when replacing a router.

[0099] Each of the first to third household appliances (10-1 to 10-3) may be an example of the household appliance (10) of FIG. 2.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 6, the processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can operate the connection mode in AP mode (S601).

[0101] In one embodiment, the processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can operate the connection mode of the first home appliance (10-1) in AP mode based on user input received through the input interface (120). The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can switch the connection mode from station mode to AP mode based on user input.

[0102] In another embodiment, the first home appliance (10-1) can operate the connection mode in AP mode according to the request of the user terminal (20).

[0103] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can transmit a network change request including network change information to the first home appliance (10-1) through the communication circuit (210) (S603).

[0104] The user terminal (20) can also operate in AP mode and perform wireless communication with the first home appliance (10-1) under AP mode. The wireless communication may be communication via a Wi-Fi standard, and for this purpose, the communication circuit (210) may include a Wi-Fi circuit.

[0105] A network change request may include information about the new router. The information about the new router may be referred to as network change information.

[0106] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can register network change information for connection with the router (30) to the new router based on a network change request (S605).

[0107] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can register network change information to the new router. Registering network change information to the new router may mean that the first home appliance (10-1) completes the connection to the new router using the network change information.

[0108] The first home appliance (10-1) can connect to the new router by registering network change information to the new router.

[0109] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can search for other home appliances in the vicinity and transmit a device search list containing the searched home appliances to the user terminal (20) (S607).

[0110] For example, other surrounding home appliances may include a second home appliance (10-2) and a third home appliance (10-3). Each of the other surrounding home appliances may also be operated in AP mode according to user input or a request from the user terminal (20).

[0111] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can search for the second home appliance (10-2) and the third home appliance (10-3) in AP mode through the communication interface (110) to generate a device search result. Based on the generated device search result, the processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can generate a device search list including items of the second home appliance (10-2) and items of the third home appliance (10-3).

[0112] The device search results may include one or more of the names or types of home appliances searched via AP mode.

[0113] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can transmit a device search list to a user terminal (20) through a communication interface (110).

[0114] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can transmit to the server (40) an automatic change target list including home appliances that want to perform automatic network changes based on a device search list received from the first home appliance (10-1) (S609).

[0115] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can display the device search list received from the first home appliance (10-1) on the display (241).

[0116] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can add home appliances that the first home appliance (10-1) has not searched to the device search list, or display them separately from the device search list.

[0117] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can select home appliances that want to change the network to a new router through user input and transmit an automatic change target list including the selected home appliances to the server (40).

[0118] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can display a network change screen containing a list of automatic change targets on the display (241), and can receive network change targets through the network change screen.

[0119] FIGS. 7a to 7d are drawings illustrating the process of selecting an automatic change target list according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] The network change screen described below may be a screen displayed upon execution of a home appliance management application.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 7a, the processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can display a first network change screen (710) on the display (241) based on a device search list received from the first home appliance (10-1).

[0122] The processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can display the first network change screen (710) on the display (241) according to the execution of the home appliance management application.

[0123] The first network change screen (710) may include text (711) inquiring whether a network change is required for a home appliance other than the first home appliance (10-1), and a device search list (712) received from the first home appliance (10-1). The first network change screen (710) may further include text indicating that the network change is performed in the background.

[0124] The user terminal (20) can receive user input selecting one or more of the home appliance items (device 2, device 3, device 4) included in the device search list (712).

[0125] Each appliance item may include one or more of the name of the appliance or an image representing the appliance.

[0126] Device 2, device 3, and device 4 may be the names or types of each home appliance.

[0127] The user terminal (20) can transmit to the server (40) an automatic change target list including one or more home appliance items selected according to the received user input.

[0128] The user can easily select all home appliances that want to change the network through the first network change screen (710).

[0129] Referring to FIG. 7b, the processor (290) of the user terminal (20) can display a second network change screen (720) on the display (241) to add existing home appliances registered in the server (40) to the network change target in addition to the device search list received from the first home appliance (10-1).

[0130] The second network change screen (720) may include text (721) indicating that additional home appliances have been found and additionally found home appliance items (722, device 5).

[0131] Additional searched home appliances may be provided by the server (40). The user terminal (20) may transmit the automatic change target list and the device search list to the server (40), and if the server (40) does not include any home appliances already registered in the server (40) based on the device search list, it may transmit information about the home appliance to the user terminal (20).

[0132] The user terminal (20) can provide a second network change screen (720) based on information about the corresponding home appliance received from the server (40). That is, based on the device search list, if the server (40) does not include a home appliance already registered in the server (40), the server (40) can send a notification containing information about the corresponding home appliance to the mobile terminal (20).

[0133] As another example, a home appliance item (device 5) additionally searched by the server (40) may be included in the device search list (712) of the first network change screen (710). The home appliance item searched by the first home appliance (10-1) and the home appliance item additionally searched by the server (40) may be displayed separately from each other.

[0134] In this way, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, devices that are not searched by the first appliance (10-1) can also be searched, making it easier to collectively change the network.

[0135] Referring to FIG. 7c, the user terminal (20) can display a third network change screen (730) on the display (241) based on a device search list received from the first home appliance (10-1).

[0136] The third network change screen (730) may include guide text (731), a first device list (732), and a second device list (733). The first device list (732) and the second device list (733) may be included in a device search list.

[0137] The guide text (731) may include text indicating that the first home appliance (10-1) cannot be used or controlled through the home appliance management application because the first home appliance (10-1) is used for network changes.

[0138] The first home appliance (10-1) may receive an operation command for controlling the first home appliance (10-1) from the user terminal (20) during the network batch change operation of the searched home appliances. The first home appliance (10-1) may not perform an operation corresponding to the operation command before the network batch change operation. The first home appliance (10-1) may perform an operation corresponding to the operation command after the network batch change operation.

[0139] The first device list (732) may include home appliance items that can change the network to a new router.

[0140] The second device list (733) may include home appliance items for which network changes to the new router are not possible. The second device list (733) may further include an indicator (734) that can provide the reason why network changes are not possible.

[0141] The user terminal (20) can display a pop-up window (740) on the display (241) indicating the reason why the home appliance cannot change the network, as shown in FIG. 7d, depending on the user input selecting the indicator (734).

[0142] The reason why network changes cannot be made may be that the home appliance is turned off or that the appliance's firmware is not up to date, but this is merely an example.

[0143] As such, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a network is changed in bulk, a reason why the network cannot be changed is provided, and the user can take appropriate measures accordingly.

[0144] Figure 6 is explained again.

[0145] The processor (430) of the server (40) can transmit a network change command to the first home appliance (10-1) based on the list of automatic change targets received from the user terminal (20) (S611).

[0146] The first home appliance (10-1) can receive a network change command from the server (40) through a newly registered router in station mode.

[0147] The network change command may be a command that performs batch network registration to a new router. The network change command may include the network change target, network change information of the new router, the network change order, and a command to register the network using the network change information.

[0148] The processor (430) of the server (40) can transmit a network change command to the first home appliance (10-1) through the new router. This is because the first home appliance (10-1) is connected to the new router.

[0149] The processor (430) of the server (40) can determine the order of network changes when there are multiple devices subject to network changes. The processor (430) can determine the order of network changes based on at least one of the usage frequency of home appliances or the usage time of home appliances stored in the server (40).

[0150] The processor (430) can give priority to the network change order of the home appliance as the frequency or duration of use of the home appliance increases.

[0151] The processor (430) can sum the usage frequency and usage time of the home appliance and give a higher priority to the network change order of the home appliance as the sum of the values ​​increases.

[0152] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can sequentially transmit network change information to the home appliance according to the network change order.

[0153] The processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can transmit a network change request containing network change information to the second home appliance (10-2) included in the automatic change target list according to the network change command received from the server (40) (S613).

[0154] The first home appliance (10-1) can communicate with the second home appliance (10-2) and the third home appliance (10-3), respectively, via AP mode.

[0155] The second home appliance (10-2) can register network change information in accordance with the received network change request (S615).

[0156] The second home appliance (10-2) can complete the connection to the new router using network change information received from the first home appliance (10-1).

[0157] Likewise, the processor (190) of the first home appliance (10-1) can transmit a network change request containing network change information to the third home appliance (10-3) included in the automatic change target list according to the network change command received from the server (40) (S617).

[0158] The third home appliance (10-3) can register network change information in accordance with the received network change request (S619).

[0159] The third home appliance (10-3) can complete the connection to the new router using network change information received from the first home appliance (10-1).

[0160] Meanwhile, the home appliance that transmits the device search list to the mobile terminal (20) and receives a network change command from the server (40) may be the device placed most centrally among the plurality of home appliances (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) in the same space (e.g., the first home appliance).

[0161] Each home appliance can measure the strength of signals exchanged with each other under AP mode, and based on the measured signals, the device with the largest sum of the strengths of each signal can become the home appliance that transmits the device search list to the mobile terminal (20) and receives a network change command from the server (40).

[0162] Meanwhile, if the server (40) receives an operation command for controlling the first home appliance (10-1) from the mobile terminal (20) while the network batch change is in progress through the first home appliance (10-1), it can transmit the operation command to the first home appliance (10-1) after the network batch change is in progress.

[0163] FIGS. 8A and FIGS. 8B are drawings illustrating screens related to network batch changes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] Each screen may be a screen resulting from the execution of a home appliance management application.

[0165] Referring to FIG. 8a, the user terminal (20) can display a network change progress screen (810) on the display (241) after transmitting an automatic target change list to the server (40).

[0166] The network change progress screen (810) may be a screen that displays the network change progress of a home appliance included in the automatic target change list.

[0167] The network change progress screen (810) may include text (811) indicating that a problem has occurred in the network change progress and a view details button (812) to provide the reason for the problem if a problem occurs in the network change progress.

[0168] The user terminal (20) can provide the reason for the problem occurring in the network change process according to user input selecting the view details button (812).

[0169] The network change progress screen (810) may further include device items (813, 814, 815) indicating the status of the network change in progress.

[0170] Referring to FIG. 8b, the user terminal (20) can display a network change completion screen (820) on the display (241) after a batch network change.

[0171] The network change completion screen (820) may include a message (821) indicating that the network batch change has been completed and device items (822, 823, 824) for which the network change has been completed.

[0172] FIGS. 9 to 11 are drawings illustrating a process of restoring the network connection of a home appliance through an existing network-connected home appliance in the event that the network connection of the home appliance fails, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] Referring to FIG. 9, it is assumed that the first home appliance (10-1) is a device registered with the router (30), and the second home appliance (10-2) is a device not registered with the router (30). The router (30) may be a new device that has been replaced.

[0174] The user may fail to register the second home appliance (10-2) to the router (30) through the user terminal (20). For example, the user may perform the process of registering the second home appliance (10-2) to the router (30) by scanning the QR code provided on the second home appliance (10-2) through the user terminal (20).

[0175] The user terminal (20) can display a QR scan screen (1010) by executing a home appliance management application as shown in FIG. 10.

[0176] The server (40) can recognize that the user terminal (20) is connected to the second home appliance (10-2) based on the QR scan screen (1010) of the home appliance management application. After a certain period of time, if the registration of the second home appliance (10-2) fails, the server (40) can send a network registration command to the first home appliance (10-1) that has already registered.

[0177] The network registration command may be a command that causes the first home appliance (10-1) to transmit information of the router (30) to the second home appliance (10-2). The network registration command may be the above-mentioned network change command.

[0178] The first home appliance (10-2) can transmit information of the router (30) to the second home appliance (10-2) in accordance with the network registration command received from the server (40). The second home appliance (10-2) can complete network registration based on the information of the router (30).

[0179] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the user terminal (20) can display a notification (1021) indicating that network registration of the second home appliance (10-2) has been completed on the home screen (1020) of the home appliance management application.

[0180] Referring to FIG. 11, if network registration of the third home appliance (10-3) fails, the user terminal (20) can display the result of the failure of network registration on the device item (1110) corresponding to the third home appliance (10-3) included in the home screen (1100) of the home appliance management application.

[0181] After that, the user terminal (20) can display on the device item (1120) that the third home appliance (10-3) is being registered through the first home appliance (10-1) that was previously registered after 20 seconds to 1 minute.

[0182] After that, when the automatic registration of the third home appliance (10-3) is completed, the user terminal (20) can display a connection success result indicating that the registration is complete on the device item (1130). Additionally, when the automatic registration of the third home appliance (10-3) is completed, the user terminal (20) can display a notification (1140) indicating that the registration is complete on the home screen (1100).

[0183] In this way, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, even if a user fails to connect a home appliance to a network, the home appliance that failed to connect can be automatically registered through a previously registered home appliance.

[0184] Accordingly, the user experience of the product registration process can be significantly improved.

[0185]

[0186] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as code that a processor can read on a medium on which a program is recorded. Examples of a medium that a processor can read include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc.

[0187] The display device described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above; rather, all or part of each embodiment may be selectively combined to allow for various modifications to be made.

Claims

1. Regarding home appliances, A communication interface that communicates with a user terminal and a server; and A processor comprising: receiving a network change request including network change information from the user terminal; registering the network change information based on the network change request; transmitting a device search list for peripheral home appliances to the user terminal; receiving a network change command for at least one peripheral device included in the device search list from the server; and transmitting a network change request including the network change information to the at least one peripheral home appliance according to the received network change command. Home appliances.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above network change command is A command to perform network registration to new routers in bulk Home appliances.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above network change command is Includes network change targets and network change order Home appliances.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above processor Transmitting the network change information sequentially to at least one peripheral home appliance according to the above network change order Home appliances.

5. In Paragraph 1, The connection mode of the above home appliance is AP (Access Point) mode in which the above home appliance establishes a connection with other devices without a router The above-mentioned home appliance includes a station mode that establishes a connection through the above-mentioned router. Home appliances.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above processor Searching for the surrounding home appliances in the above AP mode and obtaining the device search list based on the device search results Home appliances.

7. In Paragraph 5, The above processor Receiving the network change command from the server in the above station mode Home appliances.

8. User terminals, servers, and home appliances in the system, The above home appliance is Receive a network change request including network change information from the above user terminal, register the network change information based on the network change request, and transmit a device search list for surrounding home appliances to the above user terminal. The above user terminal Select at least one peripheral device included in the above device search list as a target for automatic change of the network, and transmit information about the selected at least one peripheral device to the above server. The above server is Transmit a network change command for at least one selected peripheral device to the home appliance, and The above home appliance is Transmitting the network change information to at least one peripheral device according to the received network change command System.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above network change command is A command to perform network registration to new routers in bulk System.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above network change command is Includes network change targets and network change order System.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above home appliance is Transmitting the network change information sequentially to at least one peripheral home appliance according to the above network change order System.

12. In Paragraph 10, The above server is Determining the network change order based on at least one of the usage frequency or usage time of the home appliance System.

13. In Paragraph 8, The above server is When an operation command for controlling the home appliance is received from the user terminal while a network change of at least one peripheral home appliance is in progress through the home appliance, the operation command is transmitted to the home appliance after the network change of the at least one peripheral home appliance. System.

14. In Paragraph 8, The above server is If there is a nearby home appliance not included in the above device search list, a notification containing information about the said nearby home appliance is sent to the user terminal. System.

15. In Paragraph 8, The above user terminal Display the above device search list, and The above device search list is Includes devices capable of changing the network and devices unable to change the network System.

16. In Paragraph 15, The above mobile terminal Further indicating the reasons why the above network cannot be changed System.

17. In Paragraph 8, The connection mode of the above home appliance is AP (Access Point) mode in which the above home appliance establishes a connection with other devices without a router The above-mentioned home appliance includes a station mode that establishes a connection through the above-mentioned router. System.

18. In Paragraph 17, The above home appliance is Searching for the surrounding home appliances in the above AP mode and obtaining the device search list based on the device search results System.

19. In Paragraph 17, The above home appliance is Receiving the network change command from the server in the above station mode System.

20. In the method of operating a home appliance, A step of receiving a network change request including network change information from a user terminal; A step of registering the network change information based on the above network change request; A step of transmitting a device search list for surrounding home appliances to the user terminal; A step of receiving a network change command from a server for at least one peripheral device included in the device search list; and A step of transmitting a network change request containing the network change information to at least one peripheral home appliance according to a received network change command. Method of operation of home appliances.

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