JP2024053055A - CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL PROGRAM, CONTROL METHOD, WASHING MACHINE, AND WASHING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To appropriately control the operation of a washing machine. [Solution] A washing machine (100) includes a rotating drum that contains an object to be washed, and a control device (81) that controls the washing of the object contained in the rotating drum. The control device includes a reception unit that receives a designation of the type of object to be washed, an operation course acquisition unit that acquires an operation course according to the designated type of object to be washed and an operation course related to the designated type of object from among a plurality of settable operation courses, an operation course presentation unit that presents the operation course according to the designated type of object to be washed and the operation course related to the designated type of object acquired by the operation course acquisition unit, and a setting unit that sets the designated operation course from among the presented operation courses. [Selected Figure] FIG.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a control device for controlling a washing machine, a control program, a control method, a washing machine, and a washing system.

In order to automatically control the operation of a washing machine, an operation course that specifies the manner of operation is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In order to meet the needs of users who want to care for various items to be washed in a way that suits them, washing machines that can be set to a large number of operation courses are also provided.

JP 2020-171513 A

However, if there are too many operating modes, it becomes difficult for users to understand the performance of each operating mode and the differences between them, and as a result, it becomes difficult to select an appropriate operating mode for the item being washed.

This disclosure provides technology for appropriately controlling the operation of a washing machine.

The control device according to the present disclosure includes a reception unit that receives a designation of the type of laundry object, an operation course acquisition unit that acquires an operation course according to the designated type of laundry object and an operation course related to the designated type of laundry object from among a plurality of configurable operation courses, an operation course presentation unit that presents the operation course according to the designated type of laundry object and the operation course related to the designated type of laundry object acquired by the operation course acquisition unit, and a setting unit that sets the designated operation course from among the presented operation courses.

The washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a storage section that stores an object to be washed, and a control device that controls the washing of the object stored in the storage section. The control device includes a reception section that receives a designation of the type of object to be washed, an operation course acquisition section that acquires an operation course according to the designated type of object to be washed and an operation course related to the designated type of object from among a plurality of settable operation courses, an operation course presentation section that presents the operation course according to the designated type of object to be washed and the operation course related to the designated type of object acquired by the operation course acquisition section, and a setting section that sets the designated operation course from among the presented operation courses.

The control method disclosed herein causes a computer to execute the steps of accepting a designation of the type of laundry to be washed, acquiring an operating course corresponding to the designated type of laundry to be washed and an operating course related to the designated type of laundry to be washed from among a plurality of configurable operating courses, presenting the acquired operating course corresponding to the designated type of laundry to be washed and an operating course related to the designated type of laundry to be washed, and setting the designated operating course from among the presented operating courses.

The laundry system of the present disclosure includes a washing machine and a control device that controls the washing machine. The control device includes a reception unit that receives a designation of the type of laundry object, an operation course acquisition unit that acquires an operation course according to the designated type of laundry object and an operation course related to the designated type of laundry object from among a plurality of settable operation courses, an operation course presentation unit that presents the operation course according to the designated type of laundry object and the operation course related to the designated type of laundry object acquired by the operation course acquisition unit, and a notification unit that notifies the washing machine of the designated operation course from the presented operation courses. The washing machine sets the operation course notified from the control device.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and conversions of the expressions of this disclosure between methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also valid aspects of this disclosure.

The technology disclosed herein allows for proper control of the operation of a washing machine.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a laundry system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on an operation display unit of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a control device of a washing machine according to the first embodiment; 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of a method for controlling a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Below, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.

The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

As an embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology for allowing a user of a washing machine to appropriately select an operating course will be described. A control device of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure automatically selects an operating course suited to the type of object to be washed, the type or degree of dirt on the object to be washed (how it is dirty), or the manner in which the object to be washed is washed (how it is washed), and presents the selected operating course to the user. The user selects an operating course from among the presented operating courses. This allows the user to appropriately set an operating course suited to the object to be washed.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[1-1. Configuration]
1 shows a configuration of a laundry system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The laundry system 1 includes a washing machine 100, a terminal device 200 capable of executing an application for setting an operation course or the like of the washing machine 100, a laundry assistance server 300 that assists in washing using the washing machine 100, and the Internet 2 that is an example of a communication network that connects these devices.

Washing machine 100 can set multiple operating courses for automatically controlling operations such as the washing process, rinsing process, spin-drying process, and drying process. In each operating course, the operating mode of each process is specified by parameters such as time, amount of laundry, amount of water, standard amount of detergent added, temperature, drum rotation speed, rotation torque, and rotation pattern. Washing machine 100 accepts the specification of an operating course from the user via a user interface such as a touch panel. Washing machine 100 sets the operating course specified by the user and controls each process according to the parameters specified in the set operating course.

The terminal device 200 executes an application that functions as a user interface for setting the operation course of the washing machine 100 instead of or in addition to the user interface of the washing machine 100. The terminal device 200 notifies the washing machine 100 of the operation course specified by the user. The washing machine 100 sets the operation course notified from the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 may communicate with the washing machine 100 via the laundry support server 300. In this case, the terminal device 200 notifies the laundry support server 300 of the operation course specified by the user, and the laundry support server 300 notifies the washing machine 100 of the notified operation course. The terminal device 200 may communicate directly with the washing machine 100.

The control device of the present disclosure may be a control device 81 built into the washing machine 100, or may be an application executed on the terminal device 200. Alternatively, the control device may be realized by both the control device 81 and an application executed on the terminal device 200.

The laundry assistance server 300 provides information about the operation courses to the washing machine 100 or the terminal device 200. The laundry assistance server 300 also provides data on operation courses that can be executed by the washing machine 100 to the washing machine 100. The laundry assistance server 300 may search for an operation course that suits the type of laundry item to be washed by the washing machine 100, the washing method or the degree of dirt of the laundry item, etc. from among multiple operation courses, and provide the search result to the washing machine 100. The laundry assistance server 300 may acquire the setting history of the operation courses in multiple washing machines 100, and use the acquired setting history as learning data to learn an algorithm for determining an operation course that suits the type of laundry item to be washed by the washing machine 100, the washing method or the degree of dirt of the laundry item, etc.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

In FIG. 2, the washing machine 100 is provided with an operation display unit 79 on the upper front portion, and a washing machine communication unit 230 is provided near the operation display unit 79. The operation display unit 79 is configured as a touch panel that includes an input device that can set (select) modes such as operation courses and various functions, and a display device that displays information input to the input device. An input unit 104 such as a power button is also provided on the upper front portion of the washing machine housing 41. A user can set modes such as operation courses and various functions via the operation display unit 79 and the input unit 104.

A control device 81 is provided at the top of the washing machine housing 41. The control device 81 is composed of a microcomputer, etc.

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

The water tub 42 is arranged inside the washing machine housing 41 by a suspension structure that allows it to swing freely. The suspension structure is composed of multiple vibration dampers 51 attached to the bottom of the washing machine housing 41 and multiple springs 50 provided between the top of the washing machine housing 41 and the water tub 42, and supports the water tub 42 in a vibration-proof manner so that it can swing freely.

A rotating drum 43 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom is rotatably disposed inside the water tub 42. A horizontally extending rotation shaft (rotation center shaft) 44 is provided at the center of rotation of the rotating drum 43. A first motor 101 disposed near the rear side of the water tub 42 is connected to the rotation shaft 44 via a belt 46. The first motor 101 drives the rotating drum 43 to rotate in the forward or reverse direction.

The inner wall surface of the rotating drum 43 is provided with several protruding plates 47 for agitating the laundry, and the outer wall of the rotating drum 43 is provided with a number of water holes 48.

The washing machine housing 41 is also provided with a housing opening 45 at a position opposite the clothing entrance 53 of the rotating drum 43. A lid 52 is provided to cover this housing opening 45 in an openable and closable manner. By opening the lid 52, laundry can be put in and taken out of the rotating drum 43 through the clothing entrance 53.

In addition, inside the washing machine housing 41, there is a water supply path 54 that supplies washing water (e.g., tap water) into the water tub 42, and a drainage path 55 that drains the washing water in the water tub 42 to the outside of the washing machine housing 41.

The water supply path 54 is composed of a first water supply hose 59, a second water supply hose 60, an automatic detergent dispenser 61, a water injection hose 62, etc.

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.

By opening the first water supply valve 57, water is supplied to the water tank 42 from the first water supply hose 59 through a water inlet (not shown).

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

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

The drain pipe 64 is connected to a drain outlet 95 provided in a recess 71 at the bottom of the water tub 42 and to a filter 65. The filter 65 collects lint in the wash water and is configured to be removable from the outside.

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

The drain pump 63 is connected to a filter 65 and a drain hose 66. The drain hose 66 is arranged to extend from inside the washing machine housing 41 to above the outside of the washing machine housing 41. When the drain pump 63 is driven at a predetermined timing, such as when the washing cycle is completed or when the rinsing cycle is completed, the washing water in the water tub 42 is drained to the outside through the drain pipe 64, the filter 65, the drain pump 63, and the drain hose 66 in that order.

An air trap 74 is formed on the rear side wall of the bottom of the water tub 42 so as to communicate with the drain pipe 64. The air trap 74 is connected to an air pipe 75, which is connected to a water level detector 85 provided at the top of the washing machine housing 41. The water level detector 85 is composed of, for example, a pressure sensor, and detects the water level of the washing water in the water tub 42 based on the water pressure of the washing water inside the water tub 42, i.e., the pressure inside the corresponding air trap 74.

A vibration detector 78 that detects vibrations of the aquarium unit 49 is provided at the rear of the top surface of the aquarium 42. In this embodiment, an acceleration sensor is used as the vibration detector 78, which detects vibration components in three dimensions, including the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction), left-to-right direction (Y-axis direction), and up-down direction (Z-axis direction), as well as vibrations in one direction.

Here, each axis in the three-dimensional directions detected by the vibration detection unit 78 is referred to as a "detection axis." Since the actual vibration of the aquarium unit 49 does not necessarily occur in only one direction, an acceleration sensor that detects vibrations in multiple directions is used as the vibration detection unit 78, so that the vibration of the aquarium unit 49 can be detected with high accuracy. The control device 81 controls operation based on the detection results of the vibration detection unit 78.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a display screen displayed on the operation display unit 79 of the washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment. The display screen shown in FIG. 3 is a top screen 400 that is always displayed after the power button of the washing machine 100 is turned on. The top screen 400 always displays a header area 410 including a menu button 401 for transitioning to a menu screen, a top screen button 402 for transitioning to the top screen 400 including a display of the setting history of the operation course of the washing machine 100 when a screen other than the top screen 400 is displayed, a search button 403 for transitioning to a search screen for an operation course, and a notification button 404 for displaying a notification to the user. When each button in the header area 410 is input, the content corresponding to the input button is displayed in the display area 420. Note that the header area 410 is not limited to the top screen 400, and may also be displayed on a screen other than the top screen 400.

In the top screen 400 that is displayed immediately after the power of the washing machine 100 is turned on, the setting history of the operation course of the washing machine 100 is displayed in the display area 420. When the user selects an operation course from the setting history displayed in the display area 420, the washing machine 100 sets the specified operation course. This allows the user to easily reset the operation course most recently set. In daily washing, the same operation course is often set continuously, so by making it possible to set an operation course from the setting history of the operation course displayed on the top screen 400, convenience for the user can be improved.

The washing machine 100 of this embodiment can set an "automatic course" as an operating course for automatically setting a standard operating mode suited to the type of laundry to be washed. Since the "automatic course" is often set for daily washing, the "automatic course" is often included in the setting history displayed in the display area 420. Even if the "automatic course" is not included in the setting history, the "automatic course" may be displayed on the top screen 400. This allows the user to easily set the "automatic course" from the top screen 400, improving user convenience.

As the setting history of an operating course, only the type of operating course may be recorded and can be reset, or customizable optional settings in the operating course, such as the water level in each process, whether or not to automatically add detergent or fabric softener, and settings that have been changed in the operating course, such as the time and number of times for each process, may also be recorded and can be reset.

If the user wishes to set an operating course that is not included in the setting history, a search screen is displayed by pressing the search button 403.

Fig. 4 shows an example of a display screen displayed on the operation display unit 79 of the washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment. The display screen shown in Fig. 4 is a search screen 500 that is displayed when the search button 403 is input. The search screen 500 displays a washing object button 501 for specifying the type of washing object, and a washing method button 502 for specifying the washing method or the type or degree of dirt on the washing object. The type of washing object is, for example, the type of clothing such as a shirt, skirt, or trousers, the type of use such as everyday clothes, fashion clothes, or sportswear, or the type of material or fabric such as a blanket or towel. The washing method or dirt method includes, for example, "automatic", "remove yellowing", "food spillage stains", "mud stains", "disinfection", etc.

On the search screen 500, until the type of laundry item is specified, the laundry item button 501 is displayed in a display mode indicating that input is possible, for example in color, and the washing method button 502 is displayed in a display mode indicating that input is not possible, for example in a grayed-out state. This visually guides the user to first specify the type of laundry item.

When the laundry object button 501 is pressed, a list of types of laundry objects 510 is displayed as shown in FIG. 5, and the designation of the type of laundry object is accepted. The list of types of laundry objects 510 may be designed to fit on one page of a display screen. This can improve user convenience by eliminating the need to scroll the display screen to designate the type of laundry object. In addition, the selection of types of laundry objects is narrowed down, reducing the burden on the user in selecting the type of laundry object.

When the type of object to be washed is specified, an operation course that matches the specified type of object to be washed is displayed, as shown in FIG. 6. At this time, the specified type of object to be washed is displayed in the Washing Object button 501, and the Washing Method button 502 is displayed in a display mode that indicates that input is possible. If the object to be washed does not require a special washing method, an appropriate operating course can be specified simply by specifying the type of object to be washed, thereby improving user convenience.

When the washing method button 502 is input, as shown in FIG. 7, a list 520 of types of washing methods or staining is displayed, and the type of washing method or staining is accepted. The display order of the types of washing methods or staining may be changed according to the type of the specified laundry object. For example, the types of washing methods or staining may be displayed in descending order of frequency of specification of each washing method or staining type for the specified type of laundry object. The display order may be statically set in advance in the washing machine 100, or may be dynamically changed while the washing machine 100 is in use. The frequency of specification of the type of washing method or staining may be obtained by referring to the history of specification in the washing machine 100, or the result of the laundry support server 300 aggregating the history of specification in multiple washing machines 100 may be obtained from the laundry support server 300. This allows the types of washing methods or staining to be displayed in a display order that matches the type of laundry object, thereby improving user convenience.

The list 520 of types of washing methods or staining may also be designed to fit on one page of the display screen. This can improve user convenience by eliminating the need to scroll the display screen to specify the type of washing method or staining. In addition, the number of options for the types of washing methods or staining is narrowed down, reducing the burden on the user when selecting the type of washing method or staining.

When the type of washing method or soiling is specified, the specified type of object to be washed and the operation course that matches the specified type of washing method or soiling are displayed as shown in FIG. 8. At this time, the specified type of object to be washed is displayed on the washing object button 501, and the specified type of washing method or soiling is displayed on the washing method button 502.

The information related to the operating course includes the name, summary, required time, and capacity of the operating course. When multiple operating courses are displayed, card-type display areas summarizing the information related to the operating courses are displayed in a horizontal row. This allows the information required for the user to select an operating course to be displayed in a visually easy-to-understand manner, improving user convenience. When displaying information related to a number of operating courses that do not fit on the screen, information related to operating courses with high display priority is displayed on the screen first, and information related to operating courses with low priority that were not displayed on the screen can be displayed by scrolling the screen. This allows the user to quickly find the desired operating course, improving user convenience.

The display order when multiple operation courses are displayed may be statically set in advance, or may be dynamically changed according to a predetermined criterion. Priority may be set when multiple operation courses are displayed, and multiple operation courses may be displayed in an order according to the priority. For example, the manufacturer or maintenance entity of the washing machine 100 may assign a recommendation level to the operation course, and multiple operation courses may be displayed in the order of the assigned recommendation level. In addition, multiple operation courses may be displayed in order of the frequency with which the operation course is set. The frequency with which the operation course is set may be acquired by referring to the history of operation courses set in the washing machine 100, or the laundry support server 300 may acquire from the laundry support server 300 the results of the laundry support server 300 aggregating the history of operation courses set in multiple washing machines 100. The frequency with which the operation course is set may be aggregated for each type of laundry object, each washing method, each degree of soiling, or a combination thereof. In addition, multiple operation courses may be displayed in order of the shortest elapsed time since the previous operation course was set. This allows the operation courses to be displayed in order of the highest probability of being set by the user, thereby improving the convenience of the user.

An operation plan related to the specified type of laundry object or the specified washing method or type of dirtiness may be further displayed. For example, when a towel is specified as the type of laundry object, an operation plan for washing a blanket related to the towel may be displayed. In addition, when washing a towel blanket, which has intermediate properties between a towel and a blanket, an operation plan for washing the towel blanket may be displayed by specifying a towel or a blanket as the type of laundry object. In this way, even if the user cannot determine the appropriate option for specifying the type of laundry object or the washing method or type of dirtiness, the displayed operation plans can be made more flexible, so that appropriate operation plans can be displayed. Regular search results and related search results may be displayed together, or a separate display area may be provided for displaying related search results.

When one of the displayed operation courses is entered, the details of the selected operation course are displayed as shown in FIG. 9, and changes or option settings are accepted. On the display screen shown in FIG. 9, the user can set the time, number of times, water level, whether or not to automatically add detergent, fabric softener, etc. for each process.

Once the settings have been changed and options have been set, the washing machine 100 will set the specified operating course and execute each process according to the set operating course.

In this manner, in this embodiment, even if the washing method button 502 is pressed, the specification of the washing method or the type or degree of dirt is not accepted until the type of laundry object is specified. Since the type of laundry object is more likely to be changed on a regular basis than the washing method or type of dirt, by allowing the type of laundry object to be specified first, a user-friendly interface can be provided. Furthermore, by narrowing down the type of laundry object before the type of washing method or type of dirt, the number of options in the search results can be reduced, improving user convenience. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously setting an operating program that should not be set for the type of laundry object by displaying it as settable, such as by displaying an operating program for washing casual clothes mixed in when washing delicate clothes.

Figure 10 shows the functional configuration of the control device 81 of the washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment. This figure mainly shows the functional configuration for setting the operation course of the washing machine 100. The control device 81 includes a processing device 120 and a storage device 160.

The storage device 160 stores data, programs, parameters, etc. used by the processing device 120. The storage device 160 includes an operating course information storage unit 161, an operating course data storage unit 162, and a setting history storage unit 163.

The operation course information storage unit 161 stores information about operation courses that can be set by the washing machine 100. The operation course information storage unit 161 stores information such as the name of the operation course, an overview, a required time, a capacity of the laundry items that can be washed, a type of laundry items that can be washed, a type or degree of dirt that can be washed, a display priority, and a set number of times.

The operating course data storage unit 162 stores the parameter values and other information specified in the operating course.

The setting history storage unit 163 stores information related to the history of operation courses set in the washing machine 100. The setting history storage unit 163 stores information such as the name of the set operation course, the setting date and time, the contents of the changed settings, and the contents of the option settings. The setting history storage unit 163 may further store information such as the quality of the washing and the user's satisfaction level. This information may be determined automatically by the washing machine 100 or may be input by the user.

The processing device 120 comprises a display control unit 121, a condition receiving unit 122, a driving course acquisition unit 123, a driving course presentation unit 124, a driving course setting unit 125, and a download control unit 126. In terms of hardware, these configurations can be realized by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of any computer, and in terms of software, by programs loaded into memory, but here we depict functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware alone, or a combination of hardware and software.

The display control unit 121 generates a display screen to be displayed on the operation display unit 79 and displays it on the operation display unit 79.

The condition receiving unit 122 receives conditions for obtaining a suitable operation course, such as the type of laundry item, the washing method, or the type or degree of dirt.

The driving course acquisition unit 123 acquires a driving course that matches the conditions accepted by the condition acceptance unit 122. The driving course acquisition unit 123 may search the driving course information storage unit 161 to acquire a driving course that matches the conditions. When the driving course information storage unit 161 stores a suitable driving course associated with each condition, the driving course acquisition unit 123 may acquire a driving course associated with the conditions accepted by the condition acceptance unit 122 from the driving course information storage unit 161. When the driving course information storage unit 161 assigns a score that quantifies performance, characteristics, etc. to each driving course, the driving course acquisition unit 123 may calculate the degree of match with the conditions accepted by the condition acceptance unit 122 for each driving course, and acquire a driving course with a high degree of match.

The driving course presentation unit 124 displays the driving course acquired by the driving course acquisition unit 123 on the operation display unit 79.

The operation course setting unit 125 reads data of the operation course specified by the user from the operation course data storage unit 162 and sets it. The operation course setting unit 125 records information of the set operation course in the setting history storage unit 163.

The download control unit 126 downloads data of an operation course that is not stored in the operation course data storage unit 162 from the laundry assistance server 300 and stores it in the operation course data storage unit 162. The download control unit 126 may download data of an operation course from the laundry assistance server 300 and store it in the operation course data storage unit 162 at a predetermined timing or when notified by the laundry assistance server 300 that a new operation course is available for download.

In order to enable the setting of the downloaded operation course, an item for displaying the downloaded operation course may be added to the list 510 of types of laundry objects or the list 520 of types of washing or soiling in the search screen displayed on the operation display unit 79 by the display control unit 121. The download control unit 126 may download firmware for changing the search screen from the laundry assistance server 300 and install it in the washing machine 100.

The operation course acquisition unit 123 may acquire an operation course that matches the conditions accepted by the condition acceptance unit 122 from the laundry assistance server 300. In this case, the laundry assistance server 300 is provided with an operation course information storage unit 161, and when it accepts conditions from the washing machine 100, it selects an operation course that matches the conditions and responds to the washing machine 100. The laundry assistance server 300 may respond only with an operation course whose data is stored in the operation course data storage unit 162 of the washing machine 100, or may respond with an operation course whose data is not stored in the operation course data storage unit 162. In the latter case, when the user specifies an operation course whose data is not stored in the operation course data storage unit 162, the download control unit 126 downloads data of the specified operation course from the laundry assistance server 300 and stores it in the operation course data storage unit 162.

The laundry assistance server 300 may input the type, washing method, and soiling of the laundry object, and may use a determination algorithm to determine an appropriate operation course to match the conditions received from the washing machine 100 or the terminal device 200. This determination algorithm may be configured with a neural network having an input layer for inputting the type, washing method, and soiling of the laundry object, and an output layer for outputting the operation course. The laundry assistance server 300 may learn the determination algorithm based on the setting history of the operation courses in multiple washing machines 100. The laundry assistance server 300 may learn the determination algorithm by adjusting the intermediate layer of the neural network so that when the type, washing method, and soiling of the laundry object washed in the washing machine 100 are input to the input layer of the neural network, the operation course set in the washing machine 100 is output from the output layer of the neural network.

The operation course acquisition unit 123 may acquire an operation course selected based on meteorological information such as weather, amount of precipitation, amount of snowfall, amount of snowfall, temperature, humidity, etc., and information such as the schedule, behavior history, and whether or not the user or housemates go out. The operation course presentation unit 124 may set the display order of the operation courses based on this information. For example, if the washing machine 100 is used the day after the user's child's athletic meet is held, an operation course suitable for muddy stains may be preferentially acquired and displayed. Also, if the washing machine 100 is used the day after the user has dinner with an acquaintance, an operation course suitable for fashionable clothes may be preferentially acquired and displayed. Weather information may be acquired from a server that distributes weather information, etc. Information regarding the user or housemates may be acquired from the terminal device 200, etc.

The terminal device 200 according to the first embodiment includes an operation course notification unit that notifies the washing machine 100 of an operation course specified by a user, instead of the operation course setting unit 125 of the control device 81 shown in FIG. 10. The terminal device 200 executes an application for implementing the functions of the control device 81. The other configurations are the same as those described above. When the washing machine 100 is operated by an application executed by the terminal device 200, a switch or an LED (including a mechanical type or a capacitive type) may be provided as the operation display unit 79 of the washing machine 100, instead of a touch panel.

[1-2. motion]
The operation and function of the washing machine 100 configured as above will be described below.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the steps of the method for controlling the washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment. When the washing machine 100 is turned on (S10), the display control unit 121 displays on the operation display unit 79 a top screen 400 including an operating course whose setting history is stored in the setting history storage unit 163 and a search button 403 (S12). When an operating course is specified from the setting history (Y in S14), the operating course setting unit 125 sets the specified operating course (S30).

If no operating course is specified from the setting history (N in S14) and the search button 403 is pressed (Y in S16), the display control unit 121 displays the search screen 500 on the operation display unit 79 (S18). If the search button 403 is not pressed (N in S16), the process returns to S14.

When the laundry object button 501 is input on the search screen 500, the condition receiving unit 122 displays a list of laundry object types 510 on the operation display unit 79 and receives the designation of the laundry object type (S20). When the laundry object type is designated, the operation course acquisition unit 123 acquires an operation course that matches the designated laundry object type, and the operation course presentation unit 124 displays the acquired operation course on the operation display unit 79 (S22). When an operation course is designated from the displayed operation courses (Y in S23), the operation course setting unit 125 sets the designated operation course (S30).

If an operating course is not specified (N in S23) and the washing method button 502 is input on the search screen 500, the condition receiving unit 122 displays a list 520 of washing or soiling types on the operation display unit 79 and receives the specification of the washing or soiling type (S24). When the washing or soiling type is specified, the operating course acquisition unit 123 acquires an operating course that matches the specified type of laundry and the specified washing or soiling type, and the operating course presentation unit 124 displays the acquired operating course on the operation display unit 79 (S26). When an operating course is specified (S28), the operating course setting unit 125 sets the specified operating course (S30).

When the operation course of the washing machine 100 is specified from the terminal device 200, since the screen size and resolution of the display device are high, it is possible to display more information at once. For example, when a search button for searching an operation course is input on the top screen displayed when an application is executed on the terminal device 200, screens for searching operation courses such as washing only, washing and drying, drying only, and washing tub cleaning may be displayed as tabs that can be switched. In addition, the washing object button and the washing method button may not be provided on each tab screen, and a list of types of washing objects and a list of types of washing methods or types of soiling may be displayed from the beginning. In this case, too, the specification of the type of washing method or soiling method may not be accepted until the type of washing object is specified. In addition, when the type of washing object is specified, an operation course suitable for the specified type of washing object may be displayed.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in this embodiment, the control device 81 includes a condition receiving unit 122 that receives a designation of the type of laundry object, an operating program acquisition unit 123 that acquires an operating program corresponding to the designated type of laundry object from among a plurality of settable operating programs, an operating program presentation unit 124 that presents the acquired operating programs, and an operating program setting unit 125 that sets the designated operating program from among the presented operating programs. This makes it possible to easily set an operating program suitable for the type of laundry object, thereby improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the condition receiving unit 122 further receives a designation of the type or degree of dirt on the laundry object or the manner in which the laundry object is washed, and the operation course acquisition unit 123 acquires an operation course according to the designated type of laundry object and the designated type or degree of dirt or washing manner. This makes it possible to easily set an operation course that matches the type of laundry object and the type or degree of dirt on the laundry object or the manner in which the laundry object is washed, thereby improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the condition receiving unit 122 first receives a designation of the type of laundry to be washed, the operating course acquisition unit 123 acquires an operating course corresponding to the designated type of laundry to be washed, and the operating course presentation unit 124 presents the acquired operating course. When the condition receiving unit 122 further accepts a designation of the type or degree of dirt on the laundry to be washed or the washing mode, the operating course acquisition unit 123 acquires an operating course that further corresponds to the designated type or degree of dirt or washing mode from among the presented operating courses, and the operating course presentation unit 124 presents the acquired operating course. This makes it possible to prevent an operating course that is not suitable for the type of laundry to be erroneously set, thereby improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the condition receiving unit 122 presents multiple types or degrees of dirt or washing modes that can be specified according to the type of the specified laundry object in an order according to the type of the specified laundry object, and receives the specification of the type or degree of dirt or washing mode. This can improve the convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operating course presentation unit 124 holds the priority when presenting multiple operating courses, and presents the multiple operating courses in an order according to the priority. This can improve the convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 81 further includes a setting history storage unit 163 that stores a history of operation courses executed by the washing machine 100, and the operation course presentation unit 124 presents a plurality of operation courses in an order according to the history stored in the setting history storage unit 163. This can improve the convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operating course presentation unit 124 presents multiple operating courses in an order according to the analysis results of the operating course setting history by multiple users. This can improve user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operation program presentation unit 124 further presents operation programs related to the specified type of laundry object, the specified type or degree of dirt, or the laundry mode. This can improve user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operation course presentation unit 124 presents at least one of the name of the operation course, an overview, the required time, and the volume of laundry that can be washed. This can improve the convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operation course setting unit 125 acquires data of the specified operation course from the laundry assistance server 300 and sets it. This can improve the convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the washing machine includes a storage section that stores the objects to be washed, and a control device that controls the washing of the objects stored in the storage section, and the control device includes a reception section that receives a designation of the type of object to be washed, an operation course acquisition section that acquires an operation course corresponding to the designated type of object to be washed from among a plurality of settable operation courses, an operation course presentation section that presents the acquired operation course, and a setting section that sets the designated operation course from among the presented operation courses. This improves user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control program causes the computer to function as a reception unit that receives the designation of the type of laundry object, an operation course acquisition unit that acquires an operation course corresponding to the designated type of laundry object from among a plurality of configurable operation courses, an operation course presentation unit that presents the acquired operation courses, and a setting unit that sets the designated operation course from among the presented operation courses. This can improve user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control method causes the computer to execute the steps of accepting a designation of the type of laundry to be washed, acquiring an operating course corresponding to the designated type of laundry from among a plurality of settable operating courses, presenting the acquired operating course, and setting the designated operating course from among the presented operating courses. This can improve user convenience.

In the present embodiment, the laundry system 1 includes a washing machine 100 and a control device 81 that controls the washing machine 100. The control device 81 includes a condition receiving unit 122 that receives a designation of the type of laundry to be washed, an operating course acquisition unit 123 that acquires an operating course corresponding to the designated type of laundry from among a plurality of settable operating courses, an operating course presentation unit 124 that presents the acquired operating course, and a notification unit that notifies the washing machine 100 of the designated operating course from among the presented operating courses. The washing machine 100 sets the operating course notified by the control device 81. This can improve the user's convenience.

[1-4. Supplementary notes]
In the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 includes an operation display unit 79 and a control device 81, and the control device 81 includes a display control unit 121 that displays, on the operation display unit 79, a display screen that displays a history of operation courses set in the washing machine 100 and a search button for displaying a search screen for searching for operation courses that can be set in the washing machine 100, an operation course setting unit 125 that sets the specified operation course when an operation course is specified on the display screen, and a condition receiving unit 122 that receives search conditions on the search screen when the search button is input on the display screen. This improves the convenience for the user.

As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. It is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiments to create new embodiments.

This disclosure can be used in washing machines.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Laundry system 2 Internet 41 Washing machine housing 42 Water tub 43 Rotating drum 44 Rotating shaft 45 Housing opening 46 Belt 47 Projection plate 48 Water passage hole 49 Water tub unit 50 Spring body 51 Anti-vibration damper 52 Lid body 53 Clothes entrance/exit 54 Water supply path 55 Drain path 57 First water supply valve 58 Second water supply valve 59 First water supply hose 60 Second water supply hose 61 Automatic detergent dispenser 62 Water injection hose 63 Drain pump 64 Drain pipe 65 Filter 66 Drain hose 71 Recess 72 Heater 73 Temperature detector 74 Air trap 75 Air pipe 78 Vibration detector 79 Operation display unit 81 Control device 85 Water level detector 95 Drain outlet 100 Washing machine 101 First motor 104 Input unit 120 Processing device 121 Display control unit 122 Condition reception unit 123 Operation course acquisition unit 124 Operation course presentation unit 125 Operation course setting unit 126 Download control unit 160 Storage device 161 Operation course information storage unit 162 Operation course data storage unit 163 Setting history storage unit 200 Terminal device 230 Washing machine communication unit 300 Laundry assistance server 400 Top screen 401 Menu button 402 Top screen button 403 Search button 404 Notification button 410 Header area 420 Display area 500 Search screen 501 Washing object button 502 Washing method button 510 List of types of washing objects 520 List of types of washing methods or staining

Claims (14)

A reception unit that receives a designation of a type of object to be washed;
an operation program acquisition unit that acquires an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object from among a plurality of settable operation programs;
an operation program presentation unit that presents an operation program according to a specified type of washing object acquired by the operation program acquisition unit and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object;
A setting unit that sets a specified operation course from among the presented operation courses;
A control device comprising: The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation program presentation unit presents an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program according to a type of washing object different from the specified type of washing object. The receiving unit further receives a designation of a type or degree of dirt on the object to be washed or a manner of washing the object to be washed,
The operation course acquisition unit acquires an operation course according to a specified type of laundry object and a specified type or degree of dirt or washing mode, and an operation course related to the specified type of laundry object and the specified type or degree of dirt or washing mode,
The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation course presentation unit presents an operation course corresponding to the specified type of object to be washed and the specified type or degree of dirt or washing mode acquired by the operation course acquisition unit, and an operation course related to the specified type of object to be washed and the specified type or degree of dirt or washing mode. The reception unit first receives a designation of a type of object to be washed,
The operation program acquisition unit acquires an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object,
The operation program presentation unit presents an operation program according to the type of the specified washing object acquired by the operation program acquisition unit and an operation program related to the specified type of the washing object,
When the reception unit further receives a designation of the type or degree of dirt of the object to be washed or the manner of washing,
The operation program acquisition unit acquires an operation program that further corresponds to the specified type or degree of dirt or washing mode from the presented operation programs, and an operation program that is further related to the specified type or degree of dirt or washing mode,
The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the operating program presentation unit presents the operating program acquired by the operating program acquisition unit. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the reception unit presents a plurality of types or degrees of dirt or washing modes that can be specified according to the type of the specified washing object in an order according to the type of the specified washing object, and accepts a specification of the type or degree of dirt or the washing mode. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operating program presentation unit holds priorities for presenting a plurality of operating programs, and presents the plurality of operating programs in an order according to the priorities. A history storage unit is further provided for storing a history of the executed operating course,
The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operating mode presentation unit presents a plurality of operating modes in an order according to the history stored in the history storage unit. 8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the operating program presentation unit presents a plurality of operating programs in an order according to an analysis result of operating program setting histories by a plurality of users. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation program presentation unit presents at least one of the name of the operation program, an overview, a required time, and a volume of a laundry object that can be washed. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit acquires data of the specified operating course from a server and sets the data. A storage section for storing an object to be washed;
A control device for controlling washing of the laundry object accommodated in the accommodation unit;
Equipped with
The control device includes:
A reception unit that receives a designation of a type of object to be washed;
an operation program acquisition unit that acquires an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object from among a plurality of settable operation programs;
an operation program presentation unit that presents an operation program according to a specified type of washing object acquired by the operation program acquisition unit and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object;
A setting unit that sets a specified driving course from among the presented driving courses;
A washing machine equipped with Computer,
A reception unit that receives a designation of a type of object to be washed;
an operation program acquisition unit that acquires an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object from among a plurality of settable operation programs;
an operation program presentation unit that presents an operation program according to a specified type of washing object acquired by the operation program acquisition unit and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object;
A setting unit that sets a specified operation course from among the presented operation courses;
A control program that functions as a On the computer,
A step of accepting a designation of a type of laundry object;
A step of acquiring an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object from among a plurality of settable operation programs;
presenting the acquired operation program according to the specified type of the laundry object and an operation program related to the specified type of the laundry object;
setting a specified driving course from among the presented driving courses;
A control method for executing the above. A washing machine,
A control device for controlling the washing machine;
Equipped with
The control device includes:
A reception unit that receives a designation of a type of object to be washed;
an operation program acquisition unit that acquires an operation program according to a specified type of washing object and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object from among a plurality of settable operation programs;
an operation program presentation unit that presents an operation program according to a specified type of washing object acquired by the operation program acquisition unit and an operation program related to the specified type of washing object;
a notification unit that notifies the washing machine of a designated operation course from among the presented operation courses;
Equipped with
The washing machine is a laundry system that sets an operation course notified from the control device.

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