# US 2014/0207256 A1 · Electric device and electric device control method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0207256 A1
- Document ID: US20140207256A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/240,708
- Filed: 2012-10-12
- Published: 2014-07-24
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-27
- Assignees: Pansonic Corporation
- Applicants: Panasonic Corporation
- Inventors: Tetsuya Kouda; Satoshi Tsujimura; Naofumi Nakatani; Toshihisa Ikeda; Yasuo Yoshimura; Kazunori Kurimoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207256A1

## CPC

- D06F 33/46: Control of the energy or water consumption
- F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F 11/46: Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
- F24F 11/56: Remote control
- F24F 11/63: Electronic processing
- G05B 13/02: electric
- A47L 15/0047: {Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water}
- D06F 2103/38: Time, e.g. duration
- D06F 2105/00: Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
- D06F 2105/52: Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
- D06F 2105/58: Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
- F24F 11/61: using timers
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)

## Abstract

An electric device includes operation unit, working unit, and a number-of-times detecting unit that counts the number of times of instructions being against energy savings. In addition, the device includes time measuring unit that measures time from when the number-of-times detecting unit starts the counting, and a controller that generates a signal to induce a modification of a first energy-saving pattern. When the time is within a first predetermined period, the controller generates a signal that requires the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into a more lenient second energy-saving pattern, with the time being from when time measuring unit starts the measurement to when the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit reaches a predetermined value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electric device comprising:
an operation unit, to which an operation instruction is inputted;
a working unit for working in accordance with a first energy-saving pattern, based on the operation instruction inputted to the operation unit;
a number-of-times detecting unit for detecting, from the operation instruction, an instruction being against energy savings and for counting a number of times of the instruction being against the energy savings;
a time measuring unit for measuring time from when the number-of-times detecting unit starts counting; and
a controller for generating a signal inducing a modification of the first energy-saving pattern, based on both the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit and the time measured by the time measuring unit,
wherein, when the time is within a first predetermined period, the time being from when the time measuring unit starts measuring to when the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit reaches a predetermined value, the controller generates the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into a second energy-saving pattern more lenient than the first energy-saving pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the controller generates the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into a third energy-saving pattern severer than the first energy-saving pattern when the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit does not reach the predetermined value even after the time exceeds a second predetermined period longer than the first predetermined period, the time being from when the time measuring unit starts measuring.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electric device according to claim 2, wherein the controller does not generate the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern when a period in time exceeds the first predetermined period and is within the second predetermined period, the period in time being from when time measuring unit starts measuring to when the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit reaches the predetermined value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The electric device according to claim 2, wherein the controller lengthens the first predetermined period after the controller generates the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into the third energy-saving pattern.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The electric device according to claim 2, wherein the controller lengthens the second predetermined period after the controller generates the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into the third energy-saving pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the controller shortens the first predetermined period after the controller generates the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into the second energy-saving pattern.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the controller shortens the second predetermined period after the controller generates the signal requesting the modification of the first energy-saving pattern into the second energy-saving pattern.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the first energy-saving pattern and the second energy-saving pattern are indicated by a time variation of a setting temperature.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the first energy-saving pattern and the second energy-saving pattern are indicated by a relation between a setting temperature and a room temperature.

### Claim 10

A method of controlling an electric device including: an operation unit, an operation instruction being inputted to the unit; a working unit for working in accordance with a first energy-saving pattern, based on the instruction inputted to the operation unit; a number-of-times detecting unit for detecting, from the operation instruction, an instruction being against energy savings and for counting a number of times of the instruction being against the energy savings; a time measuring unit for measuring time from when the number-of-times detecting unit starts the counting; and a controller for generating a signal inducing a modification of the first energy-saving pattern, based on both the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit and the time measured by the time measuring unit,
the method comprising the steps of generating, performed by the controller, a signal requesting a modification of the first energy-saving pattern into a second energy-saving pattern more lenient than the first energy-saving pattern when the time is within a first predetermined period, the time being from when time measuring unit starts measuring to when the number of the times counted by the number-of-times detecting unit reaches a predetermined value.