CN116829780A

CN116829780A - Laundry treatment apparatus, control program, control method, and laundry treatment system

Info

Publication number: CN116829780A
Application number: CN202280013424.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 寺冈广基; 宇美纮太郎; 高桥启太
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-22
Filing date: 2022-02-04
Publication date: 2023-09-29
Also published as: WO2022176656A1; JPWO2022176656A1; TW202233935A

Abstract

A washing machine (100) as an example of a laundry treatment apparatus of the present disclosure is provided with a water tank for storing laundry, a plurality of boxes, an automatic dispensing unit, and a control device. The plurality of cartridges are used for storing the treatment agent to be put into the water tank during operation. The automatic throwing unit is used for throwing the treating agent stored in the box into the water tank. The control device has an operation course setting unit and a treatment agent recommending unit. The operation course setting unit receives a setting of an operation course for treating laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit has accepted the setting, the treatment agent recommendation unit recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation.

Description

Laundry treatment apparatus, control program, control method, and laundry treatment system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, a control program for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus, a control method, and a laundry treatment system.

Background

Conventionally, a washing machine having a function of automatically feeding a treating agent such as a detergent or a softener into a tub during operation is known (for example, refer to patent document 1). Such a conventional washing machine automatically feeds a proper amount of the treating agent into the tub at a proper timing according to the type of the treating agent stored in the detergent box.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2020-523158

Disclosure of Invention

However, when the user sets the treatment agent to be automatically administered during the washing operation, there may be a case where an appropriate type of treatment agent is not selected.

Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a technique for appropriately controlling the operation of a laundry treatment apparatus such as a washing machine.

The laundry treatment apparatus of the present disclosure includes a tub for accommodating laundry, a plurality of cartridges, a loading unit, and a control device. The plurality of cartridges are used to store the treatment agent that is thrown into the tank during operation. The delivery unit delivers the treatment agent stored in the cartridge into the tank. The control device has an operation course setting unit and a treatment agent recommending unit. The operation course setting unit receives a setting of an operation course for treating laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit has accepted the setting, the treatment agent recommendation unit recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation.

The control program of the present disclosure is used to cause a computer to function as an operation process setting unit and a treatment agent recommending unit. The operation course setting unit receives a setting of an operation course for treating laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit has accepted the setting, the treatment agent recommendation unit recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation.

The control method of the present disclosure is used for causing a computer to execute a step of accepting a setting of an operation process for treating laundry. In addition, the control method of the present disclosure is used to cause a computer to execute the steps of: when a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation for which the setting is accepted, the treatment agent is recommended based on the set operation.

The laundry treatment system of the present disclosure is provided with a laundry treatment apparatus and a control apparatus that controls the laundry treatment apparatus. The control device is provided with an operation process setting unit and a treatment agent recommending unit. The operation course setting unit receives a setting of an operation course for treating laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit has accepted the setting, the treatment agent recommendation unit recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation.

Any combination of the above components, and a mode in which the present disclosure is converted between methods, apparatuses, systems, recording media, computer programs, and the like are also effective as modes of the present disclosure.

According to the technology of the present disclosure, the operation of the laundry treating apparatus can be properly controlled.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a washing system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a washing machine of embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a view showing an external appearance of an automatic detergent dispenser of a washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a structure of a casing of the washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a control device of a washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of internal data of the operation process (course) information holding section.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the operation display unit of the washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic delivery setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 10 is a view showing an example of the treatment agent setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 11 is a view showing an example of the treatment agent setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 12 is a view showing an example of the treatment agent setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 13 is a view showing another example of the automatic delivery setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 14 is a view showing another example of the treatment agent setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the operation course setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic delivery setting screen displayed on the operation display unit.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a terminal device according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic delivery setting screen displayed on the display device of the terminal device.

Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic delivery setting screen displayed on the display device of the terminal device.

Fig. 20 is a view showing another example of the operation display part of the washing machine.

Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a control process of the washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 22 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a control process of the washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Detailed Description

The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, too detailed explanation may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of known matters or a repeated description of substantially the same structure may be omitted.

Furthermore, the drawings and the following description are provided for a full understanding of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

As embodiments of the present disclosure, the following techniques are explained: when setting an operation course for treating laundry in a laundry treatment apparatus such as a washing machine, use of a treating agent suitable for the set operation course is recommended. Specifically, the washing machine of the embodiment maintains a correspondence relationship between an operation process that the washing machine can perform to wash laundry, the kind of treatment agent that can be used during the operation, and a recommended order of the treatment agents in the case where there are a plurality of treatment agents that can be used. The washing machine recommends a treatment agent associated with the set operation course by using the correspondence relationship. Thus, even if the user does not know the type of the treating agent suitable for the operation process, the washing machine can assist in setting the proper automatic feeding of the treating agent. Thus, the washing machine can improve washing efficiency and can improve user convenience. In addition, in the embodiments, a washing machine as an example of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present disclosure will be mainly described. The clothing is not limited to clothing, but also includes carpets, shoes, towels, cloth doll toys, and the like. The treatment of the laundry is not limited to washing, and includes a drying treatment, a treatment of immersing the laundry in a treating agent, and the like.

(embodiment 1)

Next, embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 22.

[1-1. Structure ]

Fig. 1 shows a structure of a washing system 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The washing system 1 is an example of the laundry treatment system of the present disclosure, and includes a washing machine 100, a terminal device 200, a washing support server 300, and the internet 2, wherein the internet 2 is an example of a communication network connecting these devices. The terminal device 200 can execute an application program for setting an operation process of the washing machine 100 and the like. The washing assistance server 300 serves to assist washing by the washing machine 100.

The washing machine 100 can set a plurality of operation processes for automatically controlling the operations of the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydrating process, the drying process, and the like. In each operation, the operation mode of each step is defined by parameters such as time, cloth amount, water amount, detergent delivery reference amount, temperature, rotation speed of the drum, rotation torque, rotation mode, and the like. The washing machine 100 receives a designation of an operation process from a user via a user interface such as a touch panel. The washing machine 100 sets an operation course designated by a user, and controls each process according to parameters defined by the set operation course.

The terminal device 200 executes an application program functioning as a user interface for specifying an operation process of the washing machine 100 or the like instead of the user interface of the washing machine 100, or executes an application program functioning as a user interface for specifying an operation process of the washing machine 100 or the like in addition to the user interface of the washing machine 100. The terminal device 200 notifies the washing machine 100 of the operation process designated by the user. The washing machine 100 sets the operation process notified from the terminal device 200. In this way, the terminal device 200 sets the operation process designated by the user to the washing machine 100. That is, the terminal device 200 can be said to execute an application program functioning as a user interface for setting the operation process of the washing machine 100 and the like. The terminal device 200 may also communicate with the washing machine 100 via the washing assistance server 300. In this case, the terminal device 200 notifies the washing support server 300 of the operation process designated by the user, and the washing support server 300 notifies the washing machine 100 of the notified operation process. The terminal device 200 may directly communicate with the washing machine 100.

The control device of the present disclosure may be a control device 81 described later incorporated in the washing machine 100, or may be implemented by an application program executed in the terminal device 200. Alternatively, the control device of the present disclosure may be realized by both the control device 81 and an application program executed in the terminal device 200.

The washing assistance server 300 provides information about the operation course to the washing machine 100 or the terminal device 200. In addition, the washing assistance server 300 provides the data of the operation process that can be performed in the washing machine 100 to the washing machine 100. The washing assistance server 300 may search for an operation course matching with the type of the laundry such as the laundry washed by the washing machine 100, the washing method or the contamination method of the laundry, or the like from among a plurality of operation courses, and may provide the search result to the washing machine 100. The washing assistance server 300 may also acquire a set history of the operation process in the plurality of washing machines 100. The washing support server 300 may learn an algorithm for determining an operation course matching the type of the washing target, the cleaning method or the contamination method of the washing target, or the like, which is washed by the washing machine 100, using the acquired setting history as learning data.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the washing machine 100 of embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the vertical direction in the state where the washing machine 100 is installed as shown in fig. 2 may be referred to as the vertical direction. The side of the washing machine 100 where the cover 52 is located (left side in fig. 2) may be referred to as a front side of the washing machine 100, and the opposite side (right side in fig. 2) may be referred to as a rear side of the washing machine 100.

In fig. 2, an operation display unit 79 is provided on the upper front surface of the washing machine 100, and a washing machine communication unit 230 is provided in the vicinity of the operation display unit 79. The operation display unit 79 is configured as a touch panel provided with both an input device capable of designating (selecting) a mode of an operation process or the like or various functions, and a display device for displaying information or the like inputted in the input device. An input unit 104 such as a power button is also provided on the upper front surface of the washing machine case 41. The user can designate modes such as operation and various functions via the operation display 79 and the input unit 104.

A control device 81 is provided at an upper portion in the washing machine housing 41. The control device 81 is constituted by a microcomputer or the like.

A water tank unit 49 is provided inside the washing machine housing 41 of the washing machine 100. The water tank unit 49 includes a water tank 42, a rotary drum 43, and a first motor 101.

The water tank 42 is swingably disposed inside the washing machine housing 41 by a suspension structure. The suspension structure is composed of a plurality of vibration-proof dampers 51 attached to the lower portion of the washing machine housing 41 and a plurality of spring bodies 50 provided between the upper portion of the washing machine housing 41 and the water tank 42, and vibration-proof supports the water tank 42 so that the water tank 42 can swing freely.

A rotary drum 43 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is rotatably disposed inside the water tank 42. A rotation shaft (rotation center shaft) 44 extending in the horizontal direction is provided at the rotation center portion of the rotation drum 43. The first motor 101 disposed near the rear surface side of the water tank 42 is coupled to the rotation shaft 44 via a belt 46. The rotary drum 43 is driven to rotate in the forward or reverse direction by the first motor 101.

A plurality of protruding plates 47 for stirring laundry such as laundry are provided on the inner wall surface of the rotary drum 43, and a large number of water through holes 48 are provided on the outer peripheral wall of the rotary drum 43.

In the washing machine casing 41, a casing opening 45 is provided at a position facing the laundry inlet/outlet 53 of the rotary drum 43. A cover 52 is provided to cover the case opening 45 so as to be openable and closable. By opening the cover 52, laundry, such as laundry, can be put into the rotary drum 43 or taken out of the rotary drum 43 through the laundry inlet/outlet 53.

A water supply path 54 for supplying washing water (for example, tap water) into the water tank 42 and a drain path 55 for draining the washing water in the water tank 42 to the outside of the washing machine housing 41 are provided in the washing machine housing 41.

The water supply path 54 is constituted by a first water supply hose 59, a second water supply hose 60, an automatic detergent dispenser 61, a water injection hose 62, and the like.

The first water supply hose 59 is provided with a first water supply valve 57. The second water supply hose 60 is provided with a second water supply valve 58. The automatic detergent dispenser 61 can store a predetermined amount of detergent.

When the first water supply valve 57 is opened, water is supplied from the first water supply hose 59 into the water tank 42 through a water filling port, not shown.

Further, by opening the second water supply valve 58, water is supplied from the second water supply hose 60 into the automatic detergent dispenser 61, and supplied into the water tank 42 from the water injection hose 62 together with a predetermined amount of detergent discharged from a detergent valve (not shown) of the automatic detergent dispenser 61.

The drain path 55 is composed of a drain pipe 64, a filter 65, a drain pump 63, and a drain hose 66.

The drain pipe 64 is connected to a drain port 95 and a strainer 65 provided in the recess 71 at the bottom of the water tank 42. The filter 65 is configured to trap broken thread ends in the washing water and is detachable from the outside.

A heater 72 for heating the washing water is provided at the recess 71, and a temperature detecting portion 73 for detecting the temperature of the washing water is provided in the vicinity of the heater 72.

The drain pump 63 is connected to the filter 65 and the drain hose 66. The drain hose 66 is provided so as to extend from the inside of the washing machine housing 41 to above the outside of the washing machine housing 41. At a predetermined timing such as when the washing process is finished or when the rinsing process is finished, the drain pump 63 is driven to drain the washing water in the water tank 42 to the outside through the drain pipe 64, the filter 65, the drain pump 63, and the drain hose 66 in this order.

An air trap 74 is formed on a side wall of the bottom rear of the water tank 42 so as to communicate with the drain pipe 64. The air catcher 74 is connected to an air duct 75, and the air duct 75 is connected to a water level detecting portion 85 provided at an upper portion in the washing machine housing 41. The water level detection unit 85 is constituted by, for example, a pressure sensor or the like, and detects the water level of the washing water in the water tank 42 based on the water pressure of the washing water in the water tank 42, that is, the pressure in the corresponding air catcher 74.

A vibration detecting unit 78 for detecting vibration of the water tank unit 49 is disposed at the upper rear portion of the water tank 42. In the present embodiment, an acceleration sensor that detects not only vibration in one direction but also vibration components in three dimensions of the front-rear direction (X-axis direction), the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) is used as the vibration detecting portion 78.

Each axis in the three-dimensional direction to be detected by the vibration detection unit 78 is referred to herein as a "detection axis". Since the vibration of the actual water tank unit 49 is not necessarily generated in only one direction, the vibration of the water tank unit 49 can be detected with high accuracy by using the acceleration sensor that detects the vibrations in a plurality of directions as the vibration detecting portion 78. The control device 81 controls the operation based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit 78.

Fig. 3 shows an external appearance of an automatic detergent dispenser 61 of the washing machine 100 according to embodiment 1. The automatic detergent dispenser 61 includes three cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c capable of storing the treatment agent therein, an automatic dispenser unit 87 for automatically dispensing the treatment agent stored in each of the cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c into the water tank 42, and a hall IC 90. The automatic dispensing unit 87 is constituted by a piston, a cylinder, a pump, a motor, a valve, and the like. At least one of the three cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c is configured to be capable of changing the type of the stored treatment agent. For example, a treatment agent such as a detergent, a top-grade laundry detergent, a softener, or a bleaching agent may be stored in one of the three boxes 86a, 86b, and 86c so as to be changeable. High-end laundry detergents include, for example, neutral detergents. The remaining two cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c may be defined as the type of the stored treatment agent, or may be set to be capable of storing any type of treatment agent. In the former case, for example, a detergent-dedicated case and a softener-dedicated case may be provided. In the present embodiment, the cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c are sometimes referred to as a cartridge 86, three cartridges 86, or a plurality of cartridges 86 without being particularly distinguished.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the casing 86 of the washing machine 100 according to embodiment 1. The cartridge 86 is provided with a float (float) 88 and a magnet (magnet) 89 to detect the remaining amount of the treatment agent stored inside. The head of the float 88 is configured to float on the liquid surface of the treating agent, and thus the float 88 is rotated in conformity with the liquid surface of the treating agent. The position of the magnet 89 is moved by the rotation of the float 88, and the magnetic force corresponding to the position of the magnet 89 is detected by the hall IC 90. This allows the remaining amount of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 to be detected. In the present embodiment, the hall IC 90 is provided on the bottom surface of the case 86, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the hall IC 90 may be provided in a case (not shown) covering the case 86.

Fig. 5 shows a functional configuration of a control device 81 of a washing machine 100 according to embodiment 1. The present drawing mainly shows a functional structure for setting an operation course performed in the washing machine 100 and a treating agent automatically dosed during the execution of the operation course. The control device 81 includes a processing device 120 and a storage device 160.

The storage 160 is used to store data, programs, parameters, and the like used by the processing device 120. The storage device 160 includes an operation process information holding unit 161, an operation process data holding unit 162, and a treatment agent information holding unit 163. The storage 160 may be a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a cloud memory, or the like.

The operation course information holding unit 161 is configured to hold information on an operation course that can be set by the washing machine 100. The operation course information holding unit 161 holds information such as the name, outline, time required, capacity of the washable washing target, type of washable washing target, type or degree of washable dirt, priority of display, and number of settings of the operation course in association with the operation course. The operation process information holding unit 161 also holds the types and amounts of the treatment agents that can be used during the operation, the priority of the recommended treatment agent when a plurality of treatment agents can be used, and the like in association with the operation process.

Fig. 6 shows an example of the internal data of the operation process information holding section 161. Fig. 6 shows the types and priorities of the treatment agents that can be used during the operation among the information held by the operation process information holding section 161. In the figure, the "excellent" indicates a treatment agent recommended to be automatically administered, the "o" indicates a treatment agent capable of being automatically administered, and the "x" indicates a treatment agent incapable of being automatically administered. In this case, the high-grade laundry detergent is used only during a special operation in which water flow is suppressed because of an increase in foaming. Thus, as shown in the figure, the high-grade laundry detergent can be automatically put in the "high-grade laundry" process, the "soft washing" process, and the "blanket" process. The "top-grade clothing" process is a process in which damage to clothing is suppressed as a priority. The "soft washing" process is a process that can wash clothes made of materials such as cashmere, which have been conventionally washed by a washing practitioner. The "felt" process is a process of washing the felt. In contrast, in the "fully automatic" process, a relatively strong water flow is used to ensure detergency, and thus high-grade laundry detergent cannot be automatically fed. In addition, the bleaching agent may damage the laundry, and thus cannot be automatically put in during a "top-grade laundry" process, a "soft-wash" process, or the like. The "soft wash" process is assumed to wash laundry that cannot be washed with normal detergent, and thus is capable of automatically dosing high-end laundry detergent, but is incapable of automatically dosing normal detergent. In the "soft wash" process, in the case where the manufacturer recommended brand of high-grade laundry detergent and the other brand of high-grade laundry detergent are stored in the box 86, the manufacturer recommended brand of high-grade laundry detergent may be recommended. Since the "top-grade laundry" process may be selected even when washing laundry of a material that can be washed with a normal detergent, the top-grade laundry detergent can be automatically dispensed even when the top-grade laundry detergent is stored in the box 86 although the normal detergent is recommended. In the "tub cleaning" process, no detergent, softener, and top-grade laundry detergent are used, so any treatment agent cannot be automatically dosed. However, when the tank cleaning treatment agent is stored in the cartridge 86, the tank cleaning treatment agent can be automatically dispensed. In the case where the tank cleaning agent of the brand recommended by the manufacturer and the tank cleaning agent of other brands are stored in the case 86, the tank cleaning agent of the brand recommended by the manufacturer may be recommended. The availability of the treatment agent and the priority of the treatment agent may be determined according to the content, specification, and the like of the operation process of the washing machine 100. Alternatively, the type of the treatment agent set to be automatically administered when the operation process has been executed in the past may be recorded in the operation process information holding unit 161. In this case, as the treatment agent that can be automatically administered during the operation, the type of treatment agent that is set to be automatically administered when the operation is performed before may be recommended. In addition, the process of preferentially recommending branding of treatment agent recommended by the manufacturer is not limited to the "soft wash" process, the "tank wash" process.

The operation process data holding unit 162 holds values of parameters specified for the operation process, and the like.

The treating agent information holding portion 163 is for holding information on the treating agent stored in each of the plurality of cartridges 86. The processing agent information holding unit 163 holds information such as the type, brand, reference amount of delivery, and timing of delivery of the stored processing agent in association with each of the plurality of cartridges 86.

The processing device 120 includes a user interface control unit 121, an operation procedure setting unit 122, an automatic dispensing setting unit 123, an automatic dispensing availability determination unit 124, a treatment agent recommendation unit 125, an operation procedure storage unit 126, a user information acquisition unit 127, a treatment agent remaining amount acquisition unit 128, and an automatic dispensing control unit 129. These structures can be realized in hardware by a CPU (Central Processing Unit: central processing unit), a memory, and other LSI (Large Scale Integration: large scale integrated circuit) of an arbitrary computer. In addition, these structures can be realized in software by a program or the like loaded into a memory. Fig. 5 shows, as an example, a configuration of the processing device 120 realized by cooperation of hardware and software by using functional blocks. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms, either by hardware alone, or by a combination of hardware and software. The program executed by the CPU is not limited to the program recorded in the memory in advance, and may be provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided by a telecommunication line such as the internet 2.

The user interface control unit 121 generates a display screen displayed on the operation display unit 79, and displays the display screen on the operation display unit 79. The user interface control unit 121 acquires the operation input received by the operation display unit 79.

The operation course setting unit 122 receives, from a user, a setting of an operation course for washing the laundry. Specifically, the operation course setting unit 122 acquires the information of the plurality of operation courses stored in the operation course information storage unit 161, displays the information on the operation display unit 79, and receives a selection instruction from the user. The operation course setting unit 122 sets an operation course selected by the user. The display by the operation course setting unit 122 may be performed by the user interface control unit 121.

The operation procedure setting unit 122 may acquire the type of the treatment agent stored in the cassette 86 from the treatment agent information holding unit 163, and determine the type and display order of the operation procedure displayed on the operation display unit 79 according to the type of the treatment agent. For example, when a specific treatment agent such as a bleaching agent is stored in the box 86, the operation process requiring the treatment agent is displayed, and when the treatment agent is not stored in the box 86, the operation process requiring the treatment agent may not be displayed. In addition, when a specific treatment agent such as a bleaching agent is stored in the box 86, the display order of the operation process in which the treatment agent can be used may be increased, and when the treatment agent is not stored in the box 86, the display order of the operation process in which the treatment agent can be used may be decreased.

The automatic-addition setting unit 123 sets the treatment agent automatically added from the cartridge 86 to the water tank 42 during the washing operation. The automatic dispensing setting unit 123 obtains the types of the processing agents stored in the respective cartridges 86 from the processing agent information holding unit 163, displays the types of the processing agents on the operation display unit 79, and receives a selection instruction from the user as to whether or not to automatically dispense the processing agents. The automatic dispensing setting unit 123 sets automatic dispensing of the treatment agent selected by the user. In the present embodiment, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 also functions as a treatment agent presentation unit that presents to the user a treatment agent that can be used during the operation set by the operation course setting unit 122. The treatment agent presentation unit and the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may be provided separately. The display by the automatic delivery setting unit 123 may be performed by the user interface control unit 121.

The automatic delivery availability determination unit 124 refers to the operation course information holding unit 161 to determine whether or not automatic delivery of the treatment agent during operation is possible. The automatic dispensing determination unit 124 may read the content of a washing marker (japanese: ) attached to the laundry such as the laundry by a camera or the like, and determine whether or not the automatic dispensing of the treating agent is possible based on the washing condition specified by the washing marker. The automatic dispensing availability determination unit 124 may determine whether or not the automatic dispensing of the treatment agent is available when the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 displays the type of the treatment agent on the operation display unit 79. In this case, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may display the type of the treatment agent on the operation display unit 79 in a different manner according to whether the treatment agent can be automatically dispensed. Thus, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 can notify the user of the treatment agent that can be dispensed automatically and the treatment agent that cannot be dispensed automatically during operation in an easily understood manner. The automatic dispensing possibility determination unit 124 may determine whether or not the automatic dispensing of the treating agent is possible after the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 receives the setting of the automatic dispensing of the treating agent. In this case, when the received treatment agent cannot be automatically dispensed, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 notifies the user of this, and does not set automatic dispensing of the treatment agent. The automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may notify the user of the reason why the treatment agent cannot be automatically dispensed during the operation.

When there are a plurality of kinds of treatment agents that can be automatically dispensed into the water tank 42 during the washing operation, the treatment agent recommendation unit 125 refers to the operation course information holding unit 161 to recommend a treatment agent that is suitable for the content of the operation course or a treatment agent that is set to be automatically dispensed when the operation course has been executed before. The automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may automatically set the agent recommended by the treatment agent recommending unit 125. The treatment agent recommendation unit 125 may read the content of a washing marker attached to a laundry such as a laundry using a camera or the like, and determine the priority of the treatment agent based on the washing condition specified by the washing marker. The automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may display the treatment agent recommended by the treatment agent recommending unit 125 so as to indicate that the recommended treatment agent is recommended, or may set the recommended automatic dispensing of the treatment agent by default. For example, when the box 86 stores a detergent and a top-grade laundry detergent, if an operation process for washing the top-grade laundry is selected, both the detergent and the top-grade laundry detergent can be used, but a normal detergent is recommended. In this case, the automatic detergent delivery setting unit 123 may notify the user of the recommended use of the normal detergent, or may perform initial setting of automatic delivery of the normal detergent. When the user desires to automatically dispense the treatment agent other than the treatment agent recommended by the treatment agent recommendation unit 125, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may receive a change in the setting of the treatment agent to be automatically dispensed from the user. The treatment agent recommendation unit 125 may recommend the type of the treatment agent or the brand of the treatment agent.

The operation course storage unit 126 stores setting information of the automatically administered treatment agent in the operation course information storage unit 161 in association with the type of operation course. For example, when the case 86 stores the softener a and the softener B, if the user wants to use the washing operation of automatically dispensing the softener a and the washing operation of automatically dispensing the softener B separately, each washing operation is set as a new operation course and stored in the operation course information holding unit 161. Thus, when the operation course setting unit 122 receives a setting of the operation course, the operation course of automatically dispensing the softener a and the operation course of automatically dispensing the softener B are displayed on the operation display unit 79. Thus, the user can set the automatic dispensing of the desired softener simply by selecting the operation course. In this case, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 automatically sets automatic dispensing of the treatment agent in association with the operation process.

The user information acquisition unit 127 acquires information about the user or the resident of the user from the terminal device 200, the washing support server 300, and the like. The user information acquisition unit 127 acquires information such as schedule, action history, presence or absence of a user or a resident. The operation course setting unit 122 may determine the display order of the operation courses based on the information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 127. For example, in the case where the user takes part in the athletic meeting by using the washing machine 100 the next day, the operation process suitable for the sludge may be preferentially displayed. In addition, in the case where the washing machine 100 is used the next day when the user and the acquaintance get together, the operation process suitable for the high-grade laundry may be preferentially displayed. The operation procedure setting unit 122 may further determine the display order of the operation procedure based on weather information such as weather, rainfall, snowfall, snow accumulation, temperature, and humidity.

The processing agent remaining amount acquiring unit 128 acquires the remaining amount of the processing agent stored in the cartridge 86 from the hall IC 90. The automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may not accept the setting of automatic dispensing of the treatment agent when the remaining amount of the treatment agent in the cartridge 86 is smaller than the dispensing amount. Even in this case, when the same type of treatment agent is stored in the other cartridge 86, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may receive the setting of automatic dispensing of the treatment agent. In this case, the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 may notify the user that the remaining amount of the treatment agent in the cartridge 86 is small.

When the automatic dispensing is set by the automatic dispensing setting unit 123, the automatic dispensing control unit 129 controls the automatic dispensing unit 87 at a predetermined dispensing timing during the washing operation so that a predetermined amount of the treatment agent is automatically dispensed from the cartridge 86 into the water tank 42. The automatic dispensing control unit 129 may switch to another cartridge 86 storing the same type of treatment agent when the remaining amount of treatment agent in the cartridge 86 is not enough but smaller than the dispensing amount, and automatically dispense the remaining dispensing amount from the other cartridge 86.

The treating agent information acquiring unit 130 acquires information on the treating agent stored in the cartridge 86, and stores the information in the treating agent information holding unit 163. The treating agent information acquiring unit 130 acquires information such as the type, brand, reference amount to be put in, timing to be put in, and the like of the treating agent from the user, the terminal device 200, the washing support server 300, and the like. When detecting that the type or brand of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 has been changed, the treatment agent information acquisition unit 130 acquires information on the changed treatment agent and updates the information stored in the treatment agent information holding unit 163. The type or brand of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 may be detected to be changed based on a change in the remaining amount of the treatment agent acquired by the remaining amount of the treatment agent acquiring unit 128, a change in the amount of foam during the washing operation detected by a foam amount sensor, not shown, or the like. For example, when the remaining amount of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 is increased by a predetermined amount or more from the remaining amount at the end of the previous operation, it may be detected that the type or brand of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 has been changed. In addition, when the remaining amount at the end of the previous operation is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, it may be detected that the type or brand of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 has been changed.

Fig. 7 shows an example of a display screen displayed on the operation display unit 79 of the washing machine 100 according to embodiment 1. The display screen shown in fig. 7 is a top screen 400 displayed after the power button of the washing machine 100 is turned on. The header area 405 is always displayed in the top screen 400. The header area 405 includes a menu button 401, a top screen button 402, a search button 403, and a notification button 404. The menu button 401 is a button for shifting to the menu screen 430. The top screen button 402 is a button for shifting to the top screen 400 in the case where a screen other than the top screen 400 is displayed. The search button 403 is a button for shifting to a search screen of the operation process. The notification button 404 is a button for displaying a notification to a user. When each button of the head area 405 is input, content corresponding to the input button is displayed. The header area 405 is not limited to be displayed on the top screen 400, and may be displayed on a screen other than the top screen 400.

The operation course setting unit 122 may determine the type of the operation course to be displayed and the display order based on the type of the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 on the operation course search screen. When there is a recommended operation course according to the schedule of the user, weather information, or the like, the operation course setting unit 122 may preferentially display the recommended operation course on the search screen of the operation course. Alternatively, the operation course setting unit 122 may display the recommended operation course on a notification screen displayed when the notification button 404 is input.

Fig. 8 shows an example of the menu screen 430 displayed in the operation display section 79. An automatic dispensing setting button 431 for performing settings related to automatic dispensing of the treatment agent is displayed on the menu screen 430. When the automatic dispensing setting button 431 is input, the treating agent information acquiring unit 130 moves to the automatic dispensing setting screen 440 for setting the automatic dispensing of the treating agent. The display by the treating agent information acquiring unit 130 may be performed by the user interface control unit 121.

Fig. 9 shows an example of the automatic delivery setting screen 440 displayed on the operation display unit 79. The figure shows an example in which a detergent is stored in the case 86a, a softener is stored in the case 86b, and a top-grade laundry detergent is stored in the case 86 c. The automatic dispensing setting screen 440 displays the type and brand of the stored treatment agent for each of the plurality of cartridges 86a, 86b, 86 c. When any one of the buttons 441a, 441b, 441c of the plurality of cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c is input, the treating agent information acquiring unit 130 shifts the screen as follows. That is, the processing agent information acquisition unit 130 moves to the processing agent setting screen 450, and the processing agent setting screen 450 is used to set information on the processing agent stored in the cassette 86 corresponding to the inputted button.

Fig. 10 shows an example of the treatment agent setting screen 450 displayed on the operation display unit 79. A treatment agent setting screen 450 displays a treatment agent setting input unit for inputting a treatment agent setting and a treatment agent reference amount input unit for inputting a treatment agent reference amount for each 30L of water. The presence or absence of automatic dispensing of the treatment agent stored in the cassette 86 and the amount of adjustment of the dispensing of the treatment agent are set in the dispensing setting input unit. A delivery reference amount for automatic delivery of the treating agent is set in a delivery reference amount input unit. The processing agent information acquisition unit 130 stores the received setting contents in the processing agent information holding unit 163.

Fig. 11 shows an example of the treatment agent setting screen 450 displayed on the operation display unit 79. The treatment agent setting screen 450 displays none, a little more, a standard, and a little less in a selectable manner on the input unit of the setting screen. If a little more, standard, or little less is selected, the selected content is stored as a setting of the delivery adjustment amount. If none is selected, a setting is stored that no automatic delivery is to be performed.

Fig. 12 shows an example of the treatment agent setting screen 450 displayed on the operation display unit 79. The reference amount of treatment agent to be added per 30L of water is set in the reference amount input unit of treatment agent setting screen 450.

Fig. 13 shows another example of the automatic delivery setting screen 440 displayed on the operation display 79. The figure shows an example in which a detergent is stored in the cartridge 86a, a softener is stored in the cartridge 86b, and any kind of treatment agent is stored in the cartridge 86 c.

Fig. 14 shows another example of the treatment agent setting screen 450 displayed on the operation display 79. A treatment agent setting screen 450 for setting information of the treatment agent stored in the cassette 86c displays a reference amount input unit, a setting input unit, and a cassette setting input unit. As in the example of fig. 10, the reference amount input unit is an input unit for inputting a reference amount of treatment agent to be administered per 30L of water, and the administration setting input unit is an input unit for inputting an administration setting of treatment agent. The cartridge setting input unit is an input unit for setting the type of the processing agent stored in the cartridge 86 c. As described above, the reference amount of treatment agent to be administered per 30L of water is set in the reference amount input unit. The presence or absence of delivery and the delivery adjustment amount are set in the delivery setting input unit. The type of the processing agent stored in the cassette 86c is set in the cassette setting input unit. The processing agent information acquisition unit 130 stores the received setting contents in the processing agent information holding unit 163.

Fig. 15 shows an example of the operation course setting screen 460 displayed on the operation display unit 79. In the present embodiment, the icons 461a, 461b, 461c are sometimes referred to as icons 461 without being particularly distinguished. The operation course setting screen 460 displays the content of the operation course selected by the user. In addition, the setting contents of the automatic delivery, which are set in the automatic delivery setting screen 440, that can/cannot be automatically delivered and that can/cannot be used are displayed. The setting content of the amount of the treatment agent to be administered may be displayed. In the example of the present figure, since the "fully automatic" process is selected, it is impossible to automatically deliver the high-grade laundry detergent as shown in fig. 6. Therefore, in the operation course setting screen 460, the icon 461c of the top-grade laundry detergent is displayed differently from the icon 461a of the automatically-administrable detergent and the icon 461b of the softener. Icons of the treatment agent that cannot be automatically dispensed may be displayed in such a manner that they are easily visually recognized as being unable to be input, for example, gray. Accordingly, the washing machine 100 can notify the user of the treatment agent that is not recommended during the selected operation, and thus can prevent the treatment agent from being manually administered. The treatment agent that cannot be automatically dispensed may be displayed in a different manner from the icon 461. For example, the icon 461 of the cartridge 86 storing the processing agent that cannot be automatically dispensed may be displayed in gray. On the other hand, the icon 461 of the cartridge 86 which is not set to be automatically thrown in may be displayed only with the image of the cartridge grayed out, while the character string is displayed with no graying out. In the operation course setting screen 460, the automatic dispensing setting of the treating agent is made changeable by the user, and when any one of the icons 461 is input, the operation is shifted to the automatic dispensing setting screen 470.

Fig. 16 shows an example of the automatic delivery setting screen 470 displayed on the operation display unit 79. The automatic dispensing setting screen 470 displays information set as the type of the treatment agent stored in the three cartridges 86a, 86b, 86 c. The user can input the setting buttons 471a, 471b, 471c to change the presence or absence of automatic administration of various kinds of treatment agents stored in the cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c and the administration adjustment amount of the various kinds of treatment agents. In the automatic delivery setting screen 470, icons of the treatment agents that cannot be automatically delivered according to the operation process are displayed in a different display manner from other icons.

Fig. 17 shows a functional configuration of a terminal device 200 according to embodiment 1. The present figure mainly shows a functional configuration for setting automatic delivery of the treatment agent stored in the box 86 of the washing machine 100 in the application program executed in the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 includes a communication device 201, an input device 202, a display device 203, a processing device 220, and a storage device 260. The terminal device 200 may be a terminal device such as a personal computer, a portable terminal device such as a mobile phone terminal, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a home terminal, a television receiver, a vehicle-mounted device, or the like.

The communication device 201 controls communication with other devices. The communication device 201 may perform communication by any communication method of wired or wireless. The input device 202 communicates instruction input by the user of the terminal device 200 to the processing device 220. The input device 202 may also be a mouse, keyboard, touchpad, etc. The display device 203 displays the screen generated by the processing device 220. The display device 203 may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence: electroluminescence) display device, or the like. The input device 202 and the display device 203 may also be implemented as touch panels.

The storage 260 stores programs, data, and the like used by the processing device 220. The storage 260 may be a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a cloud storage, or the like. The storage device 260 includes an operation process information holding unit 261 and a treatment agent information holding unit 263.

The operation course information holding unit 261 is configured to hold information on an operation course that can be set by the washing machine 100. The information held in the operation course information holding section 261 is the same as the information held in the operation course information holding section 161 of the washing machine 100. The information held in the operation course information holding unit 261 may be synchronized with the information held in the operation course information holding unit 161 of the washing machine 100 at a predetermined timing, for example, at a predetermined time interval. The synchronization of information between the terminal device 200 and the washing machine 100 may also be performed via the washing assistance server 300.

The treatment agent information holding portion 263 is for holding information on the treatment agent stored in each of the plurality of cartridges 86.

The processing device 220 includes a treatment agent information acquisition unit 221, an operation procedure setting unit 222, an automatic delivery setting unit 223, an automatic delivery availability determination unit 224, a treatment agent recommendation unit 225, an operation procedure storage unit 226, a user information acquisition unit 227, a user information transmission unit 228, and a setting information transmission unit 229. These structures can also be implemented in various forms by hardware alone, or by a combination of hardware and software, or the like. Fig. 17 shows, as an example, a configuration of a processing device 220 realized by cooperation of hardware and software by using functional blocks. The software is not limited to a program recorded in advance in a memory constituting the processing device 220, and may be provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided by a telecommunication line such as the internet 2.

The treating agent information acquiring unit 221 acquires the type of treating agent stored in the casing 86 of the washing machine 100 from the washing machine 100, and stores the type of treating agent in the treating agent information holding unit 263. The operation course setting unit 222 receives, from a user, a setting of an operation course performed in the washing machine 100. The automatic-addition setting unit 223 sets the treatment agent automatically added from the cartridge 86 to the water tub 42 during the washing operation. The automatic delivery availability determination unit 224 refers to the operation course information holding unit 261 to determine whether or not the automatic delivery of the treatment agent during operation is possible. When there are a plurality of kinds of treatment agents that can be automatically put into the water tank 42 during the washing operation, the treatment agent recommendation unit 225 refers to the operation course information holding unit 261 to recommend treatment agents that are suitable for the content of the operation course. The automatic delivery setting unit 223 may set the treatment agent recommended by the treatment agent recommending unit 225. The operation course information holding unit 226 holds setting information of the treatment agent to be automatically administered in the operation course information holding unit 261 in association with the type of the operation course. The user information acquisition unit 227 acquires information on the user, the resident of the user, or the like from data of the user or another application program, or the like. The user information transmitting unit 228 transmits the information acquired by the user information acquiring unit 227 to the washing machine 100. The setting information transmitting unit 229 transmits information set by each configuration to the washing machine 100. The user information transmitting unit 228 and the setting information transmitting unit 229 may transmit the information to the washing machine 100 via the washing assistance server 300.

Fig. 18 shows an example of an automatic delivery setting screen 500 displayed on the display device 203 of the terminal device 200. On the automatic dispensing setting screen 500, default settings of the type and brand of the stored treatment agent, the presence or absence of automatic dispensing, and the dispensing adjustment amount are displayed for each of the plurality of cartridges 86a, 86b, 86 c. In the automatic dispensing setting screen 500, the user can change the presence or absence of automatic dispensing of the treatment agent and the setting of the dispensing adjustment amount for each of the plurality of cartridges 86a, 86b, and 86 c.

Fig. 19 shows an example of an automatic delivery setting screen 500 displayed on the display device 203 of the terminal device 200. In the example of the present figure, the automatic dispensing availability determination unit 224 determines that the automatic dispensing is not possible, and the processing agent stored in the cartridge 86b is indicated to be manually dispensed.

Fig. 20 shows another example of the operation display 79 of the washing machine 100. In the present embodiment, the buttons 600a, 600b, and 600 are sometimes referred to as buttons 600 without being particularly distinguished. In the example of the present figure, as the operation display portion 79, a switch, an LED (including a mechanical type, a capacitance type), or the like is provided instead of the touch panel. The operation display 79 is provided with buttons 600a, 600b, 600c for setting automatic dispensing of the processing agents stored in the cartridges 86a, 86b, 86 c. The button 600 for automatically adding a treating agent during a set operation is provided to be able to input, and each time the treating agent is input, the setting value is changed like "none" (not lit), "standard", "slightly more", "slightly less", "none" (not lit). The button 600 of the treatment agent that cannot be automatically dispensed is turned off, and no input is accepted. When there are a plurality of kinds of treatment agents that can be automatically administered during the set operation, the recommended automatic administration of the treatment agent is initially set, and the LED of the treatment agent is turned on. When the type of the processing agent stored in the cassette 86 is changed, the operation is shifted to the adjustment function mode by inputting a specific button, and the setting of the type of the processing agent is accepted by inputting a specific button in the adjustment function mode.

[1-2. Action ]

Next, the operation and operation of the washing machine 100 configured as described above will be described.

Fig. 21 and 22 are flowcharts showing a procedure of a control process of the washing machine 100 according to embodiment 1. When the power of the washing machine 100 is turned on (step S1 of fig. 21), as shown in fig. 7, the control device 81 displays a top screen 400 on the operation display 79 (step S2). When setting the information on the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 (step S3: yes), the treatment agent information acquiring unit 130 displays an automatic delivery setting screen 440 shown in fig. 9 (step S4). That is, when the user inputs the automatic placement setting button 431 in the menu screen 430 shown in fig. 8 (yes in step S3), the treating agent information acquiring unit 130 performs the processing in step S4, and the menu screen 430 shown in fig. 8 is a screen displayed by the user inputting the menu button 401 in the top screen 400. When it is detected that the treatment agent stored in the cassette 86 has been changed, the operation display unit 79 may display a display content for prompting the user to set information on the treatment agent, and may display the automatic delivery setting screen 440.

When any one of the buttons 441a, 441b, 441c of the plurality of cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c displayed on the automatic delivery setting screen 440 is input, the treatment agent information acquiring unit 130 shifts the screen as follows. That is, the processing agent information acquisition unit 130 moves to the processing agent setting screen 450 shown in fig. 10 to set information on the processing agent stored in the cassette 86 corresponding to the inputted button. The treatment agent information acquisition unit 130 acquires the treatment agent delivery adjustment amount in the delivery setting input unit as shown in fig. 11 (step S5), and acquires the treatment agent delivery reference amount in the delivery reference amount input unit as shown in fig. 12 (step S6). When any type of processing agent can be stored in the cartridge 86, the processing agent information acquisition unit 130 acquires the type of processing agent in the cartridge setting input unit as shown in fig. 14 (step S7). The processing agent information acquisition unit 130 stores the acquired setting content in the processing agent information holding unit 163 and sets the setting content (step S8). If the information on the treating agent is not set (no in step S3), the control device 81 skips the processing in steps S4 to S8.

The operation course setting unit 122 receives a selection instruction of an operation course from the user on the operation course setting screen 460 shown in fig. 15, and sets the selected operation course (step S10 of fig. 22). When there are a plurality of types of treatment agents that can be automatically administered during the set operation (step S14: yes), the automatic administration setting unit 123 performs initial setting of the recommended automatic administration of the treatment agents (step S16). If there are no more treatment agents that can be automatically administered (step S14: NO), the process of step S16 is skipped. When the user changes the automatic delivery setting from the initial setting on the automatic delivery setting screen 470 shown in fig. 16, the automatic delivery setting unit 123 receives the change (step S18). The user starts an operation based on the operation procedure set in step S10 by pressing a button (not shown) for instructing the start of the operation (step S20). When automatic supply of the treatment agent is set (yes in step S22), the automatic supply control unit 129 automatically supplies the treatment agent from the cassette 86 into the water tank 42 based on the supply reference amount of the treatment agent held in the treatment agent information holding unit 163 (step S24). If the automatic administration of the treating agent is not set (no in step S22), the process in step S24 is skipped. The operation is performed in accordance with the operation procedure (step S26).

The above description has been given of the case where automatic addition of the treatment agent is set in the washing machine 100, but the same applies to the case where automatic addition of the treatment agent is set in the terminal device 200. The operation course setting unit 222 receives an instruction to select an operation course from the user, and sets the selected operation course (step S10). When there are a plurality of types of treatment agents that can be automatically administered during the set operation (step S14: yes), the automatic administration setting unit 223 performs initial setting of the recommended automatic administration of the treatment agent (step S16). If there are no more treatment agents that can be automatically administered (step S14: NO), the process of step S16 is skipped. The automatic delivery setting unit 223 receives from the user a change of the automatic delivery setting performed on the automatic delivery setting screen 500 shown in fig. 18 or 19, and if there is no change, the automatic delivery setting is performed with the default setting (step S18). The setting information transmitting unit 229 transmits the setting information acquired by the treating agent information acquiring unit 221 to the washing machine 100.

[1-3. Effect etc. ]

As described above, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 includes the water tank 42 for storing laundry, the plurality of boxes 86, the automatic dispensing unit 87, and the control device 81. The plurality of cartridges 86 store the treatment agent to be put into the water tank 42 during operation. The automatic dispensing unit 87 dispenses the treatment agent stored in the cassette 86 into the water tank 42. The control device 81 includes an operation course setting unit 122 and a treatment agent recommending unit 125. The operation course setting unit 122 receives a setting of an operation course for washing the laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in the plurality of cartridges 86 can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit 122 has received the setting, the treatment agent recommendation unit 125 recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation. Here, the water tank 42 is an example of a tank of the present disclosure, and the automatic dispensing unit 87 is an example of a dispensing unit of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the laundry treatment apparatus includes the washing machine 100 and the terminal device 200. The washing machine 100 includes a tub 42 for storing laundry, a plurality of boxes 86, and an automatic dispensing unit 87. The plurality of cartridges 86 store the treatment agent to be put into the water tank 42 during operation. The automatic dispensing unit 87 dispenses the treatment agent stored in the cassette 86 into the water tank 42. The terminal device 200 includes an operation procedure setting unit 222 and a treatment agent recommending unit 225. The operation course setting unit 222 receives a setting of an operation course for washing the laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in the plurality of cartridges 86 can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit 222 receives the setting, the treatment agent recommending unit 225 recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation. Here, the terminal device 200 is an example of the control device of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the washing machine 100 can enable the user to select the automatic supply of the treating agent suitable for the operation process, and thus can appropriately control the operation, with the result that the washing efficiency can be improved and the user's convenience can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the control device 81 includes an automatic-delivery setting unit 123 (an example of the treatment agent presentation unit of the present disclosure) for presenting the treatment agent that can be used during operation to the user. In the present embodiment, the terminal device 200 includes an automatic delivery setting unit 223 (an example of the treating agent presentation unit of the present disclosure). Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the control device 81 includes an automatic dispensing setting unit 123, and the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 receives a setting of the treatment agent dispensed from the cartridge 86 into the water tank 42 when the operation is performed. The automatic delivery setting unit 123 can accept a setting of a treatment agent different from the treatment agent recommended by the treatment agent recommending unit 125. In the present embodiment, the terminal device 200 includes an automatic dispensing setting unit 223, and the automatic dispensing setting unit 223 receives a setting of the treatment agent dispensed from the cassette 86 into the water tank 42 when the operation is performed. The automatic delivery setting unit 223 can accept a setting of a treatment agent different from the treatment agent recommended by the treatment agent recommending unit 225. Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 further includes an operation course storage unit 126 for storing setting information of the treatment agent to be automatically dispensed in association with the operation course. In the present embodiment, the terminal device 200 further includes an operation process storage unit 226 for storing setting information of the treatment agent to be automatically dispensed in association with an operation process. Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the operation course setting unit 122 presents the operation course that can be used with the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 to the user. In the present embodiment, the operation course setting unit 222 presents the operation course that can be used with the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 to the user. Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the operation course setting unit 122 acquires information about the user or weather, and presents the operation course recommended based on the acquired information to the user. In the present embodiment, the operation course setting unit 222 acquires information about the user or weather, and presents the operation course recommended based on the acquired information to the user. Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, at least one of the plurality of cartridges 86 is configured to be capable of changing the type of the stored treatment agent. Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 further includes a treatment agent information acquisition unit 130, and the treatment agent information acquisition unit 130 acquires information on the treatment agent stored in the cartridge 86 configured to be able to change the type of the stored treatment agent. In the present embodiment, the terminal device 200 further includes a processing agent information acquisition unit 221, and the processing agent information acquisition unit 221 acquires information on the processing agent stored in the cartridge 86 configured to be able to change the type of the stored processing agent. Thus, the washing machine 100 can automatically and appropriately dispense the treating agent.

In the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 further includes an automatic delivery control unit 129. When the remaining amount of the treatment agent is insufficient when the treatment agent stored in one of the plurality of cartridges 86 is automatically dispensed into the water tank 42, the automatic dispensing control unit 129 controls as follows. That is, the automatic dispensing control unit 129 automatically dispenses the treatment agent into the water tank 42 by switching to another cassette 86 when the same treatment agent is stored in another cassette 86 among the plurality of cassettes 86. Thus, the washing machine 100 can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the control program is used to cause the computer to function as the operation course setting unit 122 and the treatment agent recommending unit 125. The operation course setting unit 122 receives a setting of an operation course for washing the laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in the plurality of cartridges 86 can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit 122 has received the setting, the treatment agent recommendation unit 125 recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation. In the present embodiment, the control program is used to cause the computer to function as the operation course setting unit 222 and the treatment agent recommending unit 225. The operation course setting unit 222 receives a setting of an operation course for washing the laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in the plurality of cartridges 86 can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit 222 receives the setting, the treatment agent recommending unit 225 recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation. Accordingly, the washing machine 100 can enable the user to select the automatic supply of the treating agent suitable for the operation process, and thus can appropriately control the operation, with the result that the washing efficiency can be improved and the user's convenience can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the control method is used to cause the computer to execute a step of accepting a setting of an operation process for washing the laundry. In addition, the control method is used for causing a computer to execute the following steps: when a plurality of types of processing agents stored in the plurality of cartridges 86 can be used during the operation for which the setting is accepted, the processing agent is recommended based on the set operation. Accordingly, the washing machine 100 can enable the user to select the automatic supply of the treating agent suitable for the operation process, and thus can appropriately control the operation, with the result that the washing efficiency can be improved and the user's convenience can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the washing system 1 includes the washing machine 100 and the terminal device 200 that controls the washing machine 100. The terminal device 200 includes an operation procedure setting unit 222 and a treatment agent recommending unit 225. The operation course setting unit 222 receives a setting of an operation course for washing the laundry. When a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in the plurality of cartridges 86 can be used during the operation for which the operation setting unit 222 receives the setting, the treatment agent recommending unit 225 recommends the treatment agent based on the set operation. Accordingly, the washing machine 100 can enable the user to select the automatic supply of the treating agent suitable for the operation process, and thus can appropriately control the operation, with the result that the washing efficiency can be improved and the user's convenience can be improved.

As described above, the embodiments are illustrated as examples of the technology of the present disclosure. However, the technique of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modification, substitution, addition, omission, and the like are performed. The components described in the above embodiments may be combined to form a new embodiment.

As a reception of setting of an operation process by the control device of the present disclosure, the following examples are described in the embodiments: the operation course setting unit 122 displays information of the operation course on the operation display unit 79, and receives a selection instruction from the user via the operation display unit 79. This is an example, and the reception of the setting of the operation process of the present disclosure is not limited to the reception by the screen display and the operation on the operation display unit 79, and may be performed by, for example, the output of sound from a speaker or the like and the input of sound from a microphone or the like.

The presentation of the usable treating agent by the control device of the present disclosure is not limited to the presentation by the screen display as described in the embodiment, and may be, for example, a presentation by an audio output from a speaker or the like. In addition, the usable treating agent may be presented differently from the unusable treating agent, and in the case of presenting by audio output, the type of usable treating agent and the type of unusable treating agent may be at least one of volume, frequency, and the like may be changed, for example, to output audio. The treatment agent that cannot be automatically administered may be presented differently from the treatment agent that is not set to be automatically administered, and the presentation of the different form is not limited to the presentation by the screen display, and may be presented by an audio output from a speaker or the like, for example. In the case of rendering by audio output, similarly to the above, at least one of the processing agent which cannot be automatically fed and the processing agent which is not set to be automatically fed may be audio-output with a change in, for example, volume, frequency, or the like.

In the same manner, the presentation of the operation process by the control device of the present disclosure is not limited to the case of displaying the information of the operation process on the screen, and may be presented by, for example, outputting sound from a speaker or the like.

In the present embodiment, the automatic delivery setting unit 123 is described as being notified by displaying on the operation display unit 79, but may be notified by outputting sound from a speaker or the like, for example. When the automatic dispensing setting unit 123 outputs the sound of the type of the treatment agent in a different manner according to whether the treatment agent can be automatically dispensed, the sound may be output by changing at least one of the volume, the frequency, and the like, for example, of the type of the treatment agent that can be used and the type of the treatment agent that cannot be used. The same applies to the automatic dispensing setting section 223.

The reception of the setting of the operation process, the presentation of the treatment agent, the presentation of the operation process, and the notification by the automatic delivery setting unit 123 and the automatic delivery setting unit 223 may be performed by a user selecting one of the screen display and the audio output.

The input and operation by the user of the present disclosure are not limited to the case of operating the display 79 and the input device 202 as described in the embodiment, and may be performed by voice input by means of a microphone or the like, or may be performed in a manner selectable by the user. As described above, the output by the screen display on the operation display unit 79 and the display device 203 in the embodiment can be replaced with the audio output, and the input by the operation display unit 79 and the input device 202 in the embodiment can be replaced with the audio input.

In the embodiment, three cartridges 86a, 86b, 86c are described as examples of the plurality of cartridges provided in the laundry machine according to the present disclosure, but the number of the plurality of cartridges according to the present disclosure may be not three, may be two, or may be four or more.

Industrial applicability

The present disclosure can be applied to laundry treatment apparatuses such as various washing machines (for example, a vertical washing machine, a drum washing machine, a twin tub washing machine, and the like).

Description of the reference numerals

1: a washing system; 2: the Internet; 41: a washing machine housing; 42: a water tank; 43: rotating the drum; 44: a rotation shaft; 45: a housing opening; 46: a belt; 47: a protruding plate; 48: a water through hole; 49: a water tank unit; 50: a spring body; 51: vibration-proof dampers; 52: a cover body; 53: a laundry inlet and outlet; 54: a water supply path; 55: a drainage path; 57: a first water supply valve; 58: a second water supply valve; 59: a first water supply hose; 60: a second water supply hose; 61: an automatic detergent feeding device; 62: a water injection hose; 63: a draining pump; 64: a drain pipe; 65: a filter; 66: a drain hose; 71: a concave portion; 72: a heater; 73: a temperature detection unit; 74: an air catcher; 75: an air tube; 78: a vibration detecting section; 79: an operation display unit; 81: a control device; 85: a water level detecting section; 86: a case; 86a: a case; 86b: a case; 86c: a case; 87: an automatic delivery unit; 88: a float; 89: a magnet; 90: a Hall IC;95: a water outlet; 100: a washing machine; 101: a first motor; 104: an input unit; 120: a processing device; 121: a user interface control unit; 122: an operation process setting unit; 123: an automatic delivery setting unit; 124: an automatic delivery possibility determination unit; 125: a treatment agent recommending unit; 126: an operation process storage unit; 127: a user information acquisition unit; 128: a treatment agent remaining amount acquisition unit; 129: an automatic delivery control unit; 130: a treating agent information acquisition unit; 160: a storage device; 161: an operation process information holding unit; 162: an operation process data holding unit; 163: a treating agent information holding unit; 200: a terminal device; 201: a communication device; 202: an input device; 203: a display device; 220: a processing device; 221: a treating agent information acquisition unit; 222: an operation process setting unit; 223: an automatic delivery setting unit; 224: an automatic delivery possibility determination unit; 225: a treatment agent recommending unit; 226: an operation process storage unit; 227: a user information acquisition unit; 228: a user information transmitting unit; 229: a setting information transmitting unit; 230: a washing machine communication part; 260: a storage device; 261: an operation process information holding unit; 263: a treating agent information holding unit; 300: a washing auxiliary server; 400: a top frame; 401: a menu button; 402: a top screen button; 403: a search button; 404: a notification button; 405: a head region; 430: a menu screen; 431: automatically putting a setting button; 440: automatically putting a setting picture; 441a: a button; 441b: a button; 441c: a button; 450: a treating agent setting screen; 460: an operation process setting screen; 461: an icon; 461a: an icon; 461b: an icon; 461c: an icon; 470: automatically putting a setting picture; 471a: a setting button; 471b: a setting button; 471c: a setting button; 500: automatically putting a setting picture; 600: a button; 600a: a button; 600b: a button; 600c: a button.

Claims

1. A clothes treatment device is provided with:

a tub for accommodating laundry;

a plurality of cartridges for storing the treatment agent thrown into the tank during operation;

a delivery unit for delivering the treatment agent stored in the cartridge into the tank; and

the control device is used for controlling the control device,

wherein the control device has:

an operation course setting unit that receives a setting of an operation course for treating the laundry; and

and a treatment agent recommending unit that recommends a treatment agent based on the set operation course, when a plurality of treatment agents stored in a plurality of the cartridges can be used during the operation course for which the setting is accepted by the operation course setting unit.

2. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the control device has a treatment agent presentation unit that presents to a user a treatment agent that can be used during the operation.

3. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the control device has an automatic dispensing setting unit that receives a setting of a treatment agent dispensed from the cartridge into the tank when the operation process is performed,

The automatic delivery setting unit is capable of receiving a setting of a treatment agent different from the treatment agent recommended by the treatment agent recommending unit.

4. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein,

the control device further includes an operation course storage unit that stores setting information of the treatment agent to be automatically administered in association with an operation course.

5. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein,

the operation course setting unit presents to a user an operation course in which the treatment agent stored in the cartridge can be used.

6. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

the operation course setting unit acquires information on the user or weather, and presents the operation course recommended based on the acquired information to the user.

7. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein,

at least one of the cartridges is configured to be capable of changing the type of the stored treatment agent.

8. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

the control device further includes a treatment agent information acquisition unit that acquires information on the treatment agent stored in the cartridge configured to be capable of changing the type of the stored treatment agent.

9. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein,

the control device further includes an automatic dispensing control unit that, when the remaining amount of the treatment agent is insufficient when the treatment agent stored in one of the plurality of cartridges is automatically dispensed into the tank, switches to another one of the plurality of cartridges when the same treatment agent is stored in the other one of the plurality of cartridges, and automatically dispenses the treatment agent into the tank.

10. A control program for causing a computer to function as:

an operation course setting unit that receives a setting of an operation course for treating laundry; and

and a treatment agent recommending unit that recommends a treatment agent based on the set operation course, when a plurality of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation course for which the setting is accepted by the operation course setting unit.

11. A control method for causing a computer to execute the steps of:

receiving a setting of an operation process for treating laundry; and

when a plurality of types of treatment agents stored in a plurality of cartridges can be used during the operation for which the setting is accepted, the treatment agent is recommended based on the set operation.

12. A clothing processing system is provided with:

a laundry treatment apparatus; and

a control device which controls the laundry treating device,

wherein the control device has: