# US 2014/0192678 A1 · Home appliance and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192678 A1 - Document ID: US20140192678A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/107,639 - Filed: 2013-12-16 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Yanghwan Kim; Minyoung Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192678A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04L 41/0846: {based on copy from other elements} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A home appliance includes a first module to communicate with a communication module of a terminal; a second module to communicate with a router; and a control unit controlling a communication connection between the second module and the router by using information stored in the first module. The first module includes a module recognition unit recognizing whether the communication module of the terminal is within a preset distance; and a memory unit storing network configuration information to be used when the second module accesses the router. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A home appliance comprising: a first module to communicate with a communication module of a terminal; a second module to communicate with a router; and a control unit to control a communication connection between the second module and the router by using information stored in the first module, wherein the first module comprises: a module recognition unit to recognize whether the communication module of the terminal is within a preset distance; and a memory unit to store network configuration information to be used by the control unit when the second module accesses the router. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the first module includes a near field communication (NFC) module. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The home appliance of claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the first module so that the terminal reads unique information on the home appliance or information on communication or write the network configuration information to the first module. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The home appliance of claim 2, wherein the control unit reads the network configuration information from the first module. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the second module includes a WiFi modem and the control unit transmits the network configuration information to the second module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, further comprising a display unit, wherein the control unit displays on the display unit information on a connection result between the second module and the router. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein a communication mechanism between the first module and the control unit is an inter integrated circuit (I2C) and a communication mechanism between the second module and the control unit is a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the network configuration information includes an identification (ID) and password of the router. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The home appliance of claim 8, wherein the terminal is accessible through a first router and the control unit communicates with the second module, to access information through the first router. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The home appliance of claim 8, wherein the terminal is accessible through a first router, and the control unit communicates with the second module, to access information through a second router. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the network configuration information includes information of a communication security mechanism, and one of wired equivalent privacy (WEP), WiFi protected access (WPA), WPA2 and OPEN in the communication security mechanisms is displayed on a display unit of the terminal to be able to be selected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein a data transmission and reception mode for a connection between the second module and a router is displayed on a display unit of the terminal to be able to be selected if an application stored in the terminal is executed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit selectively reads the network configuration information from the first module depending on whether the home appliance is turned on or off. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the terminal writes the network configuration information to the first module and the control unit reads the network configuration information from the first module if the home appliance is turned on and the module recognition unit recognizes that the communication module of the terminal is within a preset distance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the terminal writes the network configuration information to the first module and the control unit reads the network configuration information from the first module when the home appliance is turned on if the home appliance is turned off and the module recognition unit recognizes that the communication module is within a preset distance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the memory unit comprises: a first area to store unique information, communication information or installation information on the home appliance; a second memory area to store error information on the home appliance, information on an error diagnosis result or information on consumption power of the home appliance; and a third memory area to store information on configuring communication for a router of the home appliance. ### Claim 17 A method of controlling a home appliance, the method comprising: executing an application of a home appliance and executing a network configuration mode of near field communication (NFC); tagging a terminal to the home appliance for data transmission or reception; writing, by the terminal, network configuration information to a first module of the home appliance if the tagging is performed, and reading, by a control unit of the home appliance, the network configuration information from the first module; and transmitting, by the control unit of the home appliance, the network configuration information read from the first module, to a router. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting of the network configuration information to the router comprises: transmitting the network configuration information to a second module of the home appliance; and communicably connecting the second module of the home appliance to the router based on the network configuration information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising outputting guide information by the home appliance or the terminal on a location of the tagging after a preset time passes, if an error in the data transmission or reception occurs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the outputting of the guide information comprises: outputting the guide information after the first preset time passes, if an error occurs due to failure of the tagging; and outputting the guide information after a second preset time shorter than the first preset time passes, if an error occurs during the data transmission or reception.