Washing and/or drying system

Abstract

 A washing or drying system comprises a washing or drying appliance having an electronic control unit and in which laundry items are loaded. The system further comprises a radio frequency identification device (4,5) associated with the appliance (1) and able to capture automatically data stored on a remotely accessible data media (6) associated with each item of laundry, such radio frequency identification device being part of or connected to the control unit of the appliance and being suitable to adjust the washing or drying process according to data read by the identification device.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing or drying system comprising a washing or drying appliance having an electronic control unit.

[0002] Today most of the clothes available on the market have labels with all relevant data on how to wash and/or dry and/or care about. Set up of washing and/or drying parameter requires a manual activity by the user.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide washing and/or drying system, which is completely automatic, i.e. does not require any other activity other than opening the door, placing the clothes inside and start the washer or dryer.

[0004] According to the invention, the washing/drying system is characterised by the features reported in the appended claims.

[0005] The invention provides a method of communication between laundry items or garments and the laundry appliance. This will allow the laundry appliances (i.e. clothes washers, dryers, and washer-dryers) to optimise the laundry cycle and safely handle any type of laundry loads. According to the invention, a special label (similar to those used by stores that retain videotapes) is applied to garments that will communicate information from the garments to the laundry appliances. In a first embodiment of the invention, label contains basic information on garments, like the type of fabric, the recommended wash cycle, the wash and drying recommended temperature, and if bleaching is indicated. These labels are preferably flexible labels (for instance made of a plastic laminate), and in a general form, they are available on the market, for instance under the name "Tag-it" (produced by Texas Instruments). This kind of label is presently used on library books, at highway tool-booths and at automobile gas stations, but there was no suggestion in the art of using these labels for providing information to a washing or drying machine in order to control and to adjust automatically a washing or drying cycle.

[0006] According to another embodiment of the invention, the label, in addition to the basic information on garments, has micro sensors that will communicate with the laundry appliances for providing information about the washing/drying process, for instance the actual water temperature, actual drying temperature, indications on fabric care, humidity and for controlling the appliance directly.

[0007] According to the invention, the label typically contains an integrated circuit or "chip" that is capable to store information (typically up to 128 bites of information) enough to store key information about each item of laundry. When a radio frequency signal from an external transmitter is beamed at the label, its coil and capacitor imprinted on a plastic flexible support form a resonant circuit that excites the chip that stores the information. The information is read from the chip, which transmits it back to the external transmitter/receiver.

[0008] Preferably the invention uses a read-/writeable chip, that is preferably attached to the clothes. On this read-/writeable chip as e.g. an EEPROM all relevant data are stored.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the external transmitter/receiver comprises an antenna installed in the washer tub (or in the dryer drum). This solution is used when the tub and drum are of plastic material, so that there is no shield effect in transmitting data. If a metallic drum is used in the appliance, the antenna is preferably located in the appliance door in order to avoid the shield effect to RF.

[0010] From the antenna, the data are used in various ways for washing/drying control.

[0011] The washing/drying system of the present invention is programmed automatically according to the clothes identification and the pre-defined program data on the chip. At the beginning of the washing/drying procedure, the data from the chip on the clothes is automatically read and transferred by means of the radio frequency automated data capture device to the control unit of the appliance. The washing/drying system washes or dries the clothes according to the program stored on the chip by using multiple features of the appliance, i.e. by using the appropriate drum speed, controlling the water or air temperature, selecting the right spinning speed. The washing/drying system should be able also to define the right washing/drying compromise when different type of clothes are processed together, or advise when different clothes are not compatible. For instance, if the consumer mixes a delicate wool garment with jeans, the washer would either alert the user or it would default the wash cycle to "delicate". This automatic washer correction would avoid damage to wool garment.

[0012] The data on the chip can be used for several other purposes such as optimisation of logistics, inventory control in stores, protection against theft, etc.

[0013] The present invention overcomes the problem of setting up washing/drying systems with the right parameters in order to have the optimum set-up and control of the washing/drying process for all the loaded clothes. There is no interaction of the user necessary to set-up the washing/drying system. The integration of a chip in the clothes, and related wireless communication, allows an automatic read-/write access along the whole supply chain from production down to the point of sale and the set-up of the washing/drying system such as washer or dryer for home or for professional use. The chip can be integrated in several ways in the clothes, for example part of the label or in the textile itself and it may be disposable.

[0014] On top of relevant data such as textile type, washing and drying parameter, other information about the clothes etc., the EAN code may be stored in the chip so that this latter may be used for identifying the product in the shop or supermarket and/or in the supply chain of the product.

[0015] Moreover, appliances are preferably provided with a display that shows to the user the relevant data of clothes items (for example, which item, ideal washing temperature, spinning speed, etc.). The display should also show, in case, the washing/drying conflicts among the loaded clothes, the necessary compromise needed to process them together, for example if different type of clothes need different washing temperature the system will set it at the lower one to avoid damage obviously advising it on the display. If two different clothes are not compatible at all the system should inhibit the start and advise on the display.

[0016] The chip may be integrated in the clothes directly by the clothes manufacturer.

[0017] For advanced use it is also possible to program the chip with a handheld computer device or with a special interface with a personal computer. In this way, data downloaded from an Internet website can also be stored on the chip. With this advanced use, the system can be enlarged to other items different from clothes that can help to manage the house chores, for example labelling with chip other things like food, drinks, medicine, etc. in order to have, when necessary, information about expiring date, storage location, etc.

[0018] The increased storage capacity of the chip allows the chip on the clothes to contain all necessary data. It will not be necessary to refer to a central database to query for the relevant data.

[0019] The chip will allow a tracking of each single clothes through the whole supply chain until final shops.

[0020] The washing/drying data to be stored on the chip will be done by the producer.

[0021] A washing/drying system in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

• figure 1 shows a washing or drying machine according to the invention, and
• figure 2 shows a piece of laundry items provided with a label according to the present invention.

[0022] With reference to the drawing, a washer/dryer 1 include a cabinet 2 with inside a tub (not shown) that contain a rotating drum 4 accessible through an opening 5 in the cabinet 2 lockable by an appropriate door 6. The washer/dryer 1 has a control board 7 equipped with knobs 8 and button 9 to control the domestic appliance. The knobs and buttons 8 and 9 are connected to a control unit 10 that controls the domestic appliance in a known way. The control unit 10 comprises a radio frequency device connected to an antenna 11 able to detect and capture data stored on label 12 on clothes, each label 12 containing a chip in which are stored data of the piece of laundry to which the label is attached. Each label suppgrt also a small coil connected to the chip. The antenna 11 can also be connected, through the control unit 10, to a display located on the machine (front or top), not shown in the drawing. The display can be part of a remote control wirelessly connected to the control unit 10. The label 12 may be a transponder type so that it does not need any electrical supply. The antenna 11 is preferably located in the appliance door in order to avoid the obstacle to RF may be given by the metallic drum. In top loader machines the antenna should be located in the tub and the interaction with chips can be done through appropriate opening in the drum protected for example by plastic agitators.

[0023] In another embodiment of the invention, the antenna (transmitter/receiver) is mounted around the washer tub, and it is made of small size copper wire that transmit RF signals. The energy transferred by the RF coil powers the chip, which in turn applies a RF signal to the coil in the label 12 and this RF signal is received by the antenna.

[0024] Once the washer/dryer is loaded in the drum 4, the chips in the clothes interact with the antenna 11 that will transmit data to the control unit 10 that will decode and elaborate the information contained in the RF signal and will apply consequently the appropriate program. The client will be advised, by means of a display and/or a voice advisor, about the chosen program, the compromise taken, and about any other information useful for him. The client will also be able to change washing parameters manually.

Claims

1. Washing or drying system comprising a washing or drying appliance (1) having an electronic control unit (10) and in which laundry items are loaded, characterised in that the system comprises a radio frequency identification device (11) associated with the appliance (1) and able to capture automatically data stored on a remotely accessible data media (12) associated with items of laundry, such radio frequency identification device (11) being part of or connected to the control unit (10) of the appliance (1) and being suitable to adjust the washing or drying process according to data read by the identification device (11).

2. Washing or drying system according to claim 1, characterised in that the radio frequency identification device (11) is a transmitter/receiver.

3. Washing or drying system according to claim 1, characterised in that the remotely accessible data media comprise a chip and a coil supported by a flexible label (12) suitable to be connected to clothes label.

4. Washing or drying system according to claim 3, characterised in that the chip is a read/writeable chip.

5. Washing or drying system according to claim 3, characterised in that the chip comprises or is connected to at least one sensor suitable for providing information about the actual washing or drying process.

6. Washing or drying system according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control unit (10) comprises means for alerting the user in case the items of laundry require washing or drying process which are too different from each other.

7. Washing or drying system according to any of claims 1-5, characterised in that the control unit (10) comprises means for selecting the most appropriate washing or drying cycle depending on all the different items of laundry loaded in the appliance (1).

8. Washing or drying system according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control unit (10) is linked to a display that shows to the user the relevant data of clothes items loaded in the appliance (1).

9. Washing or drying system according to claim 8, characterised in that the display shows data related to the necessary compromise needed to process different items of laundry together.

Drawing