초록 ▼

The operating status of a plurality of laundry appliances including washing machines and/or driers is sensed, and a controller generates and transmits corresponding status signals to remote transceivers which include visual or audio indicators for indicating the information. Each transceiver can int

The operating status of a plurality of laundry appliances including washing machines and/or driers is sensed, and a controller generates and transmits corresponding status signals to remote transceivers which include visual or audio indicators for indicating the information. Each transceiver can interrogate the controller to determine the status of the appliances, with the status being transmitted only to the interrogating transmitter. Each transceiver can also transmit a reservation signal to the controller to reserve a selected appliance for a predetermined period of time. The controller also transmits status signals for the selected appliance only to the transceiver of the user who reserved the appliance when the operating cycle is finished, or at a predetermined period of time prior to the end of the operating cycle. The transceivers can communicate with the controller over a telephone line, or over A.C. power lines.

대표청구항 ▼

A condition responsive indicating system for interactively indicating status of a plurality of electrical appliances, comprising: a controller for sensing an operational status parameter of each of the appliances and generating and transmitting status signals corresponding thereto; said controller i

A condition responsive indicating system for interactively indicating status of a plurality of electrical appliances, comprising: a controller for sensing an operational status parameter of each of the appliances and generating and transmitting status signals corresponding thereto; said controller including a memory device storing an association between a prospective user and a call back request signal, an association between the call back request signal and a selected appliance type of the appliances, and a number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation; said controller embodying a call back request processing routine which adjusts the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation in response to the call back request signal and a reservation request signal and transmits a call back in response to the call back request signal depending upon the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation; said controller further comprising a reservation unit for selectively controlling the appliances to accept control inputs from only a specified user in response to the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation and the reservation request signal; and a plurality of remote transceivers, each including: a transmitter for generating and transmitting interrogation signals including the call back request signal and the reservation request signal; a receiver for receiving the status signals and the call back; and at least one indicator for producing indications of the status signals and the call back.