JP2014027440A - Radio communication system and washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user-friendly radio communication system capable of performing Internet communication with high usability and security.SOLUTION: The communication system includes a portable terminal and a washing machine which perform short-distance radio communication with the portable terminal. A radio transmission/reception section 35 at the washing machine side displays an image 41 suggesting a touch. When the radio transmission/reception section 103 at the portable terminal performs data communication with the radio transmission/reception section 35 at the washing machine side, a display section 107 of the portable terminal 100 displays an image 110 similar to the image at the washing machine side on the display section 107. With this, a user easily recognizes the position of the radio transmission/reception section at the washing machine based on the images free from recognition error of the touch position on the portable terminal due to a communication failure from miss agreement of the position of the radio transmission/reception section on both sides.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and a washing machine suitable for a home appliance service system using a communication network such as the Internet.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for connecting a plurality of home appliances such as a washing machine to a communication network and performing the operation from a single control terminal is known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 is configured by a multi-controller in which various home appliances in a home are connected to a network and are connected to be communicable with each other. On the multi-controller, an interface for operating and controlling various types of home appliances is provided. Various operation screens are displayed on the liquid crystal screen of the multi-controller, and a desired function is executed by selecting an operation target or operation content from a basic initial menu. A plurality of home appliances are displayed as a list of device names, and by selecting a home appliance to be operated, the home appliance can be operated and controlled.

  As the above-mentioned home appliances are being converted into data, devices called white goods are generally used in daily life, regardless of age or gender, and so their ease of use is very important. In other words, if a single home appliance is only connected to the Internet, there is no problem in usability and the service can be fully enjoyed. However, when data conversion of home appliances spreads and multiple home appliances are connected to the Internet and become a service target, children and elderly people indicate which individual device the target device represents in the bidirectional exchange of device data. And people who are not familiar with information equipment are difficult to understand and difficult to use. In addition, for example, when there are two or more devices in the home, a problem such as operating the device with wrong settings is foreseen.

  In addition, security measures are also a major issue. In other words, considering the reality that even a system such as an administrative organization protected by a very high level of security can suffer cyber damage, there is a good chance that home appliance data will cause damage to home equipment and data. . For example, there is a risk that device data will be leaked and a risk that the device will be controlled without permission. Although measures to protect by various security technologies are socially taken, there is a possibility that the basic function of the product may be impaired especially when the setting is changed without permission.

  For this reason, an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag is provided on the home appliance main body, and the portable terminal is brought close to the RFID tag, whereby data is exchanged between the home appliance main body and the portable terminal, and Internet communication is performed via the portable terminal. Communication systems and home appliances have been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

This communication system and home appliances are designed to communicate using ultra-short-range communication called RFID tags, such as a system that performs general wireless communication without erroneously identifying the target device. The problem of solid identification is eliminated and usability is improved. Further, since the RFID tag data is directly read by the portable terminal, there is no security problem as in the case of reading data via a communication network such as the Internet, and safety is improved. In addition, a service can be provided by connecting to the Internet via a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone without adding an expensive configuration such as a communication function for Internet communication to the home appliance itself.

JP 2002-78036 A JP 2004-228923 A

  However, it was difficult to understand the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit including the RFID tag provided in the home appliance, and it was found that there was a need for improvement in terms of usability. In particular, when trying to perform wireless communication for the first time, or for those who are unfamiliar with children, the elderly, and information devices, there is a problem that the location where the mobile terminal is brought close to and touched, that is, the position of the wireless transceiver unit cannot be specified .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an easy-to-use wireless communication system and washing machine in which the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side can be easily specified.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a communication system including a portable terminal and a washing machine that performs short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal, wherein the washing machine is short-range with the portable terminal. A washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit that performs wireless communication; and a figure that is provided in the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit and that reminds the wireless transmission / reception unit of touch; When the mobile terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit performs data communication with the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit, the mobile terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit includes a display unit for displaying data of the mobile terminal and the mobile terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit. It is set as the structure which displays the figure which recalls the concept similar to the figure of the said washing machine side on the display part of the portable terminal side.

  As a result, when the user activates the application software to perform wireless communication with the mobile terminal, a graphic with a concept similar to the graphic provided in the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal. It is understood that it is only necessary to bring the mobile terminal close to the graphic display part of the washing machine on which the concept graphic similar to this graphic is displayed, and the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side can be recognized naturally and is easy to use It becomes.

  According to the present invention, the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side that wirelessly communicates with the mobile terminal can be recognized naturally without adding an expensive communication function, and is easy to use.

1 is an external view of a washing machine used in the wireless communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Schematic sectional view of the washing machine Schematic sectional view of the drying function part of the washing machine Schematic configuration diagram of the radio communication system Control block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wireless communication system comprising the washing machine and a portable terminal Enlarged view of the display operation section of the washing machine Schematic showing the operation of the washing machine and mobile terminal

The present invention is a communication system including a portable terminal and a washing machine that performs short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal, wherein the washing machine performs short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal. Side wireless transmission / reception unit, and a wireless terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit that is provided in the wireless transmission / reception unit and has a figure that reminds the wireless transmission / reception unit of touch, and the portable terminal performs near field communication with a washing machine And a display unit for displaying the data of the portable terminal, and when the portable terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit performs data communication with the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit, the display unit on the portable terminal side displays the washing It is configured to display a figure that recalls a concept similar to the figure on the machine side.

  As a result, when the user activates application software (hereinafter referred to as an application) to wirelessly communicate with the mobile terminal, a graphic of a concept similar to the graphic provided in the washing machine side wireless transceiver is displayed on the display of the mobile terminal. Therefore, the user understands that the portable terminal should be brought close to the graphic display part of the washing machine on which the graphic similar to this graphic is displayed, and the position of the wireless transceiver on the washing machine side is naturally It can be recognized and is easy to use.

  In the present invention, the graphic displayed on the portable terminal side is larger than the graphic on the washing machine side.

  As a result, the user can touch the portable terminal so as to cover the small figure of the washing machine, so that the wireless transmission / reception unit of both of them does not shift and cause poor communication, which is always good. Communication performance can be maintained.

  In the present invention, the graphic on the washing machine side and the graphic displayed on the portable terminal side are similar.

  As a result, the user can reliably recognize the position of the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit.

  Further, the present invention is a wireless communication system and a washing machine in which the wireless communication system of the wireless communication system and the washing machine is an NFC (Near Field Communication) standard using an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag.

  Thereby, it is suitable for short distance communication of about several centimeters and is highly versatile.

  In addition, the present invention includes a washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit that performs short-range wireless communication with a portable terminal, and the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit is similar to a figure displayed on the portable terminal during data communication. It is a washing machine with a figure that recalls the concept.

  Thereby, the wireless communication position with the portable terminal can be easily recognized, and the washing machine is easy to use.

  In addition, the present invention further includes an information storage unit that stores a usage status of the washing machine, a notification unit provided in the washing machine, a wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side, an information storage unit, and a control unit that controls the notification unit. And when the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit receives a data request from the portable terminal, the control unit transmits data stored in the information storage unit from the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit to the portable terminal. The notification unit is driven and the notification unit is stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed.

As a result, when the portable terminal is touched to the wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side and data communication with the portable terminal is started, the notification unit provided in the washing machine operates, for example, lights up from the wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side. The user can be notified that data is being transmitted. Therefore, when the user does not start reception at the mobile terminal, the user has anxiety by knowing that the communication between the mobile terminal side radio transceiver unit and the washing machine side radio transceiver unit is not being performed well. Disappears. In addition, when a predetermined time has elapsed after starting communication between the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit and the mobile terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit, for example, when all the data on the washing machine side has been transmitted, the notification unit stops operating, for example, turns off. The user can release the portable terminal from the wireless transmitter / receiver on the washing machine side at this timing, and even when the person who is unfamiliar with information devices such as children and elderly people should release the portable terminal. Data reception can be completed without hesitation.

  In addition, the present invention provides a data request by the mobile terminal when the data request from the mobile terminal is not received for a predetermined time, or when the amount of data stored in the information storage unit after the previous data transmission reaches a predetermined amount. The request notification is performed.

  As a result, after the previous data request operation, the user is informed that the data request operation has not been performed for a long time, for example, for one month, or the data storage amount has reached a predetermined value or more. Prompt request operation, or conversely, because the amount of data stored is small, there is no need for data request operation at present, or even if data request operation is performed, the amount of data that can be acquired is small, so there is no data request operation It is possible to inform that it is good, and usability is further improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is an external view of a washing machine used in a wireless communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the washing machine, FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a drying function portion of the washing machine, and FIG. Is a schematic configuration diagram of the radio communication system, and FIG. 5 is a control block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a radio communication system including the washing machine and a portable terminal. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the operation display panel portion of the washing machine, and FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the operation of the washing machine and the portable terminal.

  1 and 2, the overall configuration of the washing machine according to the present embodiment will be described. The washing machine 1 is a drum type washing machine with a dry drying function. A water tank 2 is supported in the washing machine 1 main body by a suspension structure (not shown). A rotating drum 3 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is disposed in the water tank 2. The rotating drum 3 has a bottomed cylindrical opening side on the front side of the washing machine 1 housing, a bottom surface on the back side of the washing machine 1 housing, and the direction of the rotating shaft 3 from the front side to the back side. It is provided so as to be inclined downward. The rotating drum 3 is rotationally driven by a drum driving motor 5 attached to the back surface of the water tank 2 through a rotating shaft 4 extending from the bottom axis position of the rotating drum 3.

  On the front side of the water tub 2, an opening 6 for taking in and out the laundry from the rotary drum 3 is formed. A door body 7 is provided on an inclined surface formed on the front side of the washing machine 1 so as to face the opening 6 so as to be opened and closed. Since the opening 6 opens upward and the door body 7 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the laundry 7 can be easily put in and out of the rotating drum 3 by opening the door body 7. Further, by forming a part or the whole of the door body 7 with a transparent body, it becomes easy to view the inside of the rotary drum 3 from the outside.

  At a plurality of positions on the inner peripheral wall of the rotating drum 3, stirring protrusions 8 are provided. By changing the position of the laundry by the shape of the stirring protrusion 8 and the rotational drive control of the rotary drum 3 by the drum drive motor 5, the laundry tends to gather at the lower part on the bottom surface side, which is the lowest position in the rotary drum 3. These positions are exchanged so that the washing power is uniformly applied to all the laundry, and the state where the laundry is evenly stuck to the inner peripheral wall of the rotating drum 3 is obtained in the dehydrating operation. Further, in the washing machine 1, a water supply unit 10 having a water supply valve 9 for supplying water into the water tank 2, a drain valve 11 for draining water in the water tank 2, or a drainage unit 12 having a drain pump. It is arranged.

  As for the drying function portion, as shown in FIG. 3, the air in the water tank 2 exhausted from the exhaust port 13 formed in the upper part of the water tank 2 is dehumidified pipe 14, the lint collecting filter 15, the air duct 16, A drying air circulation path through which air is blown again from the air blowing port 18 into the water tank 2 through the heating pipe line 17 is provided. A dehumidifying means 21 including a water injection nozzle 19 for spraying cooling water and a heat exchanger 20 through which water sprinkled from the water injection nozzle 19 flows is disposed in the dehumidification conduit 14. The sprinkled cooling water flows along the bottom surface of the water tank 2 and is discharged from the drainage part 12 to the outside, as indicated by broken line arrows. A blower fan 22 is disposed at a connection portion between the blower duct 16 and the heating duct 17, and a one-way air flow is formed in the drying air circulation path. A heater 23 is disposed in the heating pipe line 17 to heat the dehumidified air and feed it into the water tank 2. The heating line 17 includes a blowing temperature sensor 24 that detects the temperature of the air blown from the blowing line 16 and a hot air temperature sensor 25 that detects the temperature of the air heated by the heater 23 and sent to the blowing port 18. Are arranged. A water injection valve 26 is provided for the water injection nozzle 19, and a cooling water temperature sensor 27 is provided in the drainage section 12 so as to detect the discharged cooling water temperature.

  Although the drying function is a heater type, a heat pump type including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, an expansion valve, and the like may be used.

  Also, the washing machine 1 is operated by washing the clothes soaked in detergent water and rotating the rotating drum 3 to remove dirt, rinsing the clothes soaked in detergent water with water, and dewatering the clothes containing water. An operation including at least one of a dehydration operation for drying and a drying operation for drying clothes by applying warm air is performed. And each of these driving | operation performs various detailed processes. For example, in the case of a washing operation, there are a cloth amount determination step, a detergent amount display step, a water supply step, a press washing step, a fir washing step, and so on. The clothes are washed as described above.

  In addition, an operation display panel 30 is provided at the top of the main body of the washing machine 1. The operation display panel 30 includes a power on / off switch and a start / pause button for accepting an input operation by the user, water level setting, washing time, number of times of rinsing, dehydration time, drying time, amount of detergent, amount of softening agent, bath water An operation unit 31 such as various setting buttons for setting selection of use, remaining time, reservation time, and the like, and a display unit 32 for displaying contents set by the operation unit 31 are provided. The display unit 32 displays the content set by the operation unit 31 with a pattern liquid crystal.

  Here, the operation unit 31 is an individual setting button, and the display unit 32 is a pattern liquid crystal. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  If the display unit 32 is configured by a dot matrix type liquid crystal panel and a part or all of the operation unit 31 is configured by a touch panel in combination with the liquid crystal panel and an electrostatic touch switch, a sentence, a photograph, or a figure is displayed to the user. For example, buttons for presenting options can be displayed as a diagram on the liquid crystal panel while the information is used to detect the selection by the user in the button area. Thereby, it can be set as a more intuitive and easy-to-understand information provision and operation means.

  Next, the configuration of the wireless communication system will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a radio communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a control block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a radio communication system including the washing machine and a portable terminal. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of an operation display panel equipped with the wireless communication system of the washing machine. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the operation of the washing machine and the portable terminal.

This wireless communication system includes a washing machine 1 and a portable terminal 100, and is connected to a server 300 including a known server computer via a network 200 so as to be communicable. The network 200 is, for example, a mobile communication network or the Internet.

  FIG. 5 is a control block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a wireless communication system including the washing machine and the portable terminal.

  The washing machine 1 includes a washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35, and the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 includes an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag including a communication unit 36 and a loop antenna 37.

  The washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 is provided on the operation display panel 30 of the washing machine 1.

  The washing machine 1 also includes an information storage unit 38 that stores necessary information with the portable terminal, a notification unit 39 that notifies a communication state with the portable terminal, and data communication between the information storage unit and the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit. And a control unit 40 is provided that outputs a notification signal to the notification unit.

  The control unit 40 is responsible for operation control such as washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying, which are the original functions of the washing machine 1, and displays the setting state and the operation state on the display unit 32 in accordance with instructions from the operation unit.

  Here, the information storage unit 38 is composed of a nonvolatile memory. Here, the notification unit is configured by the LED lamp 39a, and is controlled to be turned on during data communication with the mobile terminal 100 and to be turned off when data communication is completed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the operation display panel 30 of the washing machine 1 is provided with a washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35, and the portable terminal is touched at a position where the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 is located. A graphic 41 that is reminiscent is shown. In this embodiment, an RFID tag with a passive tag method and a communication distance of 100 mm or less is used.

  In data communication between the washing machine 1 and the portable terminal 100, the usage data of the washing machine 1 is output and transmitted to the portable terminal 100. Conversely, control data sent to the portable terminal 100 via the Internet communication is transmitted to the portable terminal 100. Is configured to receive a simple wireless communication system.

  The mobile terminal 100 may be any device provided with a reader / writer that can communicate with the RFID of the washing machine 1 or NFC (Near Field Communication), but is portable such as a mobile phone or a PDA. Equipment is more preferred. In the present embodiment, a general smartphone is exemplified. The portable terminal 100 includes a first communication unit 101 that performs short-range communication and a portable terminal-side wireless transmission / reception unit 103 including a loop antenna 102, a second communication unit 104 for communication and Internet communication, an antenna 105 thereof, and communication portions thereof. A control unit 106 that controls the display, a display unit 107 such as a liquid crystal display, an operation unit 108 such as a touch switch, and an information storage unit 109 that stores information data from the Internet or the washing machine 1.

  When an application is activated to perform wireless communication with the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 by the operation of the portable terminal side operation unit 108, the display unit 107 on the portable terminal side is similar to the figure 41 described in the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 A graphic 110 that recalls the concept to be displayed is displayed.

As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, a similar figure 110 larger than the figure 41 of the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 is displayed on the display unit 107 of the portable terminal 100, and a data request signal is transmitted to the other party. To receive data from the other party. Conversely, when data is received by the first communication unit 101 of the mobile terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit 103, the control unit 106 on the mobile terminal side switches the display of the display unit 107 and displays the data received by the first communication unit 101. 107 is displayed.

  When the user performs a touch operation on the portable terminal 100, that is, when the portable terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit 103 is brought close to the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35, the short-range wireless communication is performed between the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 and the portable terminal 100. Communication takes place. Data is transmitted / received by this operation, and is displayed on the display unit 107 of the portable terminal 100 based on the data from the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35.

  The detailed operation will be described below based on the technical contents.

  As a data communication unit of the portable terminal 100, there is a method of performing according to a protocol based on the NFC standard, for example. The NFC standard is a short-range wireless communication technology that has been approved as an international standard, and is widely used at present because devices equipped with the NFC communication standard can communicate bidirectionally.

  For example, the NFC standard is used as a transportation card or electronic money, and also as an Osaifu-Keitai in a mobile phone. Therefore, the data communication of the washing machine 1 can also be bidirectionally communicated with the mobile terminal 100 by using a communication method based on the NFC standard.

  In addition, since NFC performs communication at a short distance, in order to improve operability for the user, it is usually desirable to perform data communication with the mobile terminal 100 in the vicinity of the operation display panel 30 on the washing machine side. As shown in FIG. 6, the operation display panel 30 is provided with an RFID tag as data communication means.

  In the RFID tag, device information including an ID number for identifying a product is registered, and an individual product can be identified by transmitting and receiving the ID number.

  A home appliance service system configured to transmit / receive to / from a service provider's host computer via an Internet line is configured.

  The loop antenna 102 is an antenna for performing short-range wireless communication. In the present embodiment, for example, RFID or NFC in a high frequency band using the 13.56 MHz band is assumed as the short-range wireless communication, but is not limited to this frequency band. The frequency band for short-range wireless communication may be a UHF band of 90 MHz to 1 GHz, or a frequency band exceeding 2 GHz band.

  In short-range wireless communication, the communication distance is short, and it is necessary to make the loop antennas of two wireless communication devices that perform communication approach each other. A mark indicating the position of the loop antenna is attached to the surface of the wireless communication device on which the loop antenna is mounted, and the user moves the marks of the two wireless communication devices closer to each other between the two wireless communication devices. Communicate with. Since the RFID built in the portable terminal cannot increase the output of the loop antenna, it is necessary to align the loop antennas in units of several mm, for example, and it is necessary to bring the loop antennas close to each other accurately.

When a current is passed through the mobile terminal side loop antenna 102 by the first communication unit 101 of the mobile terminal 100, a magnetic flux passing through the mobile terminal side loop antenna 102 is generated. When the mobile terminal side loop antenna 102 and the washing machine side loop antenna 37 are sufficiently close, the magnetic flux passing through the mobile terminal side loop antenna 102 penetrates the washing machine side loop antenna 37. Thereby, the portable terminal side loop antenna 102 and the washing machine side loop antenna 37 are magnetically coupled. If the 1st communication part 101 of the portable terminal 100 changes the electric current of the portable terminal side loop antenna 102, the magnetic flux which passes along the portable terminal side loop antenna 102 will change, and the magnetic flux which passes along the washing machine side loop antenna 37 will also respond | correspond accordingly. When the communication unit 36 of the washing machine 1 changes and the change is detected, information such as control data is transmitted from the portable terminal 100 to the washing machine 1.

  Moreover, the magnetic flux which passes along the washing machine side loop antenna 37 changes by changing the load impedance of the feeding point of the washing machine side loop antenna 37 by the communication part 36 of the washing machine 1. Since the change in the magnetic flux is a change in the current flowing through the mobile terminal-side loop antenna 102, information from the washing machine 1 to the mobile terminal 100 is detected by the first communication unit 101 of the mobile terminal 100 detecting the change in the current. Is sent.

  As described above, transmission / reception between the washing machine 1 and the portable terminal 100 is realized by magnetic coupling between the portable terminal-side loop antenna 102 and the washing machine-side loop antenna 37, and magnetic flux for magnetic coupling is transmitted. The occurrence is realized by supplying power to the mobile terminal side loop antenna 102, and the output of the power supply cannot be increased. Therefore, it is necessary to bring the mobile terminal side loop antenna 102 and the washing machine side loop antenna 37 close to each other. It is.

  The control unit 40 of the washing machine 1 operates the notification unit 39 when the data is being transmitted to the portable terminal 100, turns on the LED lamp 39a, and turns off the light when the data transmission is completed. In addition, when the control data from the portable terminal 100 is received by the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35, the notification unit 39 on the washing machine side is turned on and turned off when reception is completed. .

  In addition, the control unit 40 of the washing machine 1 determines that the amount of data stored in the information storage unit 38 reaches a predetermined amount when there is no data request from the mobile terminal 100 for a predetermined time, for example, one month, or after the previous data transmission. In this case, for example, when the upper limit of the memory of the information storage unit 38 is reached, the mobile terminal 100 issues a request for data request.

  As a result, after the previous data request operation, the user is informed that the data request operation has not been performed for a long time, for example for one month, or the data storage amount has reached the upper limit, and the data request is made to the user. It is not necessary to perform a data request operation at present because the amount of data stored is small, or it is not necessary to perform a data request operation because the amount of data that can be acquired is small even if a data request operation is performed. It is possible to inform the fact that the usability is further improved.

  In the present embodiment, the communication between the portable terminal 100 and the washing machine 1 is short-range wireless communication via the loop antenna 37, but is not limited to this. Communication between the portable terminal 100 and the washing machine 1 may be performed by a method capable of communication between a plurality of terminals by a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi, or a one-to-one communication method such as radio wave, light, infrared communication, etc. May be used.

  Note that the communication for connecting the mobile terminal 100 to the network 200 may be a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi.

  As described above, the wireless communication system according to the present embodiment acquires data by bringing the mobile terminal 22 directly close to the washing machine itself that is the target device. Because the mobile terminal is brought in by touching the washing machine, even a child, the elderly, or a person unfamiliar with information devices can understand the target intuitively without misunderstanding It can be used safely without hesitation, is easy to use, and the data is directly received by the target washing machine and the portable terminal without using the Internet, so there is no security problem and the safety is improved.

  In addition, the washing machine and the Internet can be indirectly connected through the portable terminal, and various services can be provided.

  Further, as described above, in this wireless communication system, when the wireless communication application of the portable terminal 100 is activated to wirelessly communicate with the washing machine, the display unit 107 resembles the figure 41 displayed on the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35. Since the figure 110 is displayed, the user naturally uses the portable terminal 100 side wireless transmission / reception unit 103 of the portable terminal 100 based on the figure 110 to display a part similar to the figure 110, that is, the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception. The part 35 is to be touched, so that it is possible to recognize the place where the mobile terminal 100 is touch-operated without hesitation even when it is used for the first time or even a child or an elderly person, and the usability is improved. In particular, since the graphic 41 on the washing machine side and the graphic 110 displayed on the portable terminal side are similar, the user can reliably recognize the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit on the washing machine side.

  In addition, since the figure 110 described in the mobile terminal side wireless transceiver unit 103 is configured to be displayed larger than the shape of the figure 41 of the washing machine side wireless transceiver unit 35, the user can Since the portable terminal 100 is touched so as to cover the small figure of the machine, the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 and the portable terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit 103 are not misaligned and cause a communication failure. Good communication performance can always be maintained.

  On the other hand, as described above, when the portable terminal 100 starts to receive data by touching the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 with the portable terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit 103, the notification unit 39 provided on the outer surface of the washing machine operates and lights up. During the transmission of data from the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35, the light is turned on to notify the user of this. Therefore, when reception is not started by the mobile terminal 100, the user may have anxiety, for example, knowing that the communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 is not performed well. Disappear. In addition, when a predetermined time has elapsed after the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 and the portable terminal 100 have started communication, for example, when all the data on the washing machine side has been transmitted, the notification unit 39 stops operating, for example, turns off. The person can know that the communication has been completed, knows that the portable terminal 100 should be separated from the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 at this timing, and even a person unfamiliar with children, the elderly, or information devices. Data reception can be completed without hesitation.

  As described above, the washing machine described in this embodiment can perform Internet communication with high usability and security safety without adding an expensive communication function, and in addition, the washing machine side wirelessly communicates with the portable terminal. Although the position of the transmission / reception unit can be recognized naturally and is easy to use, what has been described in the above embodiment is a form for realizing the present invention, and various modifications can be made within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention. It is.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the figure 41 of the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 and the figure 110 of the portable terminal 100 are similar, but the figure 110 displayed on the portable terminal 100 is the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35. If it is a figure that recalls a concept similar to the figure 41 of FIG. In addition, the graphic 41 and the notification unit 39 of the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit 35 are configured separately. For example, an LED or the like is arranged around the graphic 41 so that the graphic 41 itself is lit or blinked. May be used. In the case of lighting display, a plurality of LEDs may be provided, and the number of lighting may be changed according to the degree of progress of data communication. Moreover, although the notification part 39 was set as the structure which alert | reports communication and communication completion by lighting, you may make it alert | report by a buzzer, an audio | voice, and a melody. Furthermore, it may be notified by graphics or characters on the liquid crystal screen of the display unit, and the convenience for the user can be further improved.

  As a matter of course, the communication state may be notified on the mobile terminal side. For example, you may alert | report using lighting by LED, the vibration by a vibration motor, a text, a photograph, a figure, a moving image, etc. on a liquid crystal display screen.

  As described above, the present invention can perform Internet communication with high usability and security safety without adding an expensive communication function, and naturally recognizes the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit on the refrigerator side for wireless communication with the mobile terminal. It is easy to use.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine 30 Operation display panel 32 Display part 35 Washing machine side radio | wireless transmission / reception part 38 Information storage part 39 Notification part 40 Control part 41 Graphic (washing machine side)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Portable terminal 103 Portable terminal side radio | wireless transmission / reception part 106 Control part (mobile terminal side)
107 Display (mobile terminal side)
109 Information storage (mobile terminal side)
110 figures (mobile terminal side)

Claims (8)

A communication system including a mobile terminal and a washing machine that performs short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal,
The washing machine has a washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit that performs short-distance wireless communication with the mobile terminal, and a figure that is provided in the wireless transmission / reception unit and recalls a touch to the wireless transmission / reception unit, The portable terminal includes a portable terminal side wireless transmission / reception unit that performs short-range wireless communication with the washing machine, and a display unit that displays data of the portable terminal,
When the portable terminal-side wireless transmission / reception unit performs data communication with the washing machine-side wireless transmission / reception unit, a graphic reminiscent of a concept similar to the washing machine-side graphic is displayed on the portable terminal-side display unit. A wireless communication system. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein a graphic displayed on the portable terminal side is larger than a graphic on the washing machine side. The wireless communication system according to claim 2, wherein the graphic on the washing machine side and the graphic displayed on the portable terminal side are similar. The wireless communication system of the wireless communication system and the washing machine is an NFC (Near Field Communication) standard using an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Wireless communication system. A washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit that performs short-range wireless communication with a portable terminal is provided, and the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit recalls a concept similar to a figure displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal during data communication. A washing machine displaying a figure. 6. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication system and the wireless communication system of the washing machine are NFC (Near Field Communication) standards using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags. An information storage unit for storing the usage status of the washing machine;
A notification unit provided in the washing machine;
A wireless transmission / reception unit, an information storage unit, and a control unit for controlling the notification unit,
When the wireless transmission / reception unit receives a data request from the portable terminal, the control unit transmits data stored in the information storage unit from the washing machine side wireless transmission / reception unit to the portable terminal and the notification unit The washing machine according to claim 5 or 6, wherein driving of the notification unit is stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed after driving. The control unit requests the data request from the portable terminal when there is no data request from the portable terminal for a predetermined time or when the amount of data stored in the information storage unit after the previous data transmission reaches a predetermined amount. The washing machine according to any one of claims 5 to 6, which performs notification.