JP7606711B2 - How coin laundry fees are collected - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for collecting fees for using coin laundries.

As is well known, a coin laundry is a store that has multiple laundry machines. A customer visits a coin laundry, puts clothes and other items into the laundry machine, and pays the fee by inserting coins into the laundry machine, which then washes, dries, or washes and dries the clothes.

Patent No. 3562580 JP 2017-205480 A

As mentioned above, a typical coin laundry first accepts coins inserted by the customer, and then the laundry machine starts operating. In other words, the usage fee is collected on a prepaid basis. For the drying operation, the operating time is determined according to the number of coins inserted by the customer, and the drying operation is performed for that operating time. For this reason, a customer who wishes to use the drying operation must predict the operating time required to dry their clothes, etc., and insert the corresponding number of coins. However, the required operating time varies depending on the type and amount of clothes, etc. to be dried, the temperature of the day, the specifications and condition of the laundry machine being used, etc., and it is very difficult for the average customer to correctly predict the required operating time.

If the number of coins inserted corresponds to a time shorter than the required operating time, the drying operation will end before the clothes are sufficiently dry. In this case, the user must insert more coins to perform an additional drying operation, which causes inconvenience and dissatisfaction.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide technology that can increase the satisfaction of coin laundry users.

To achieve this objective, the present invention takes the following measures:

In other words, the laundry machine of the present invention is a laundry machine that transmits and receives data via a user terminal device and a server device and performs a drying operation of an item to be dried, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a drying condition determination unit that determines the drying condition of the item to be dried, a data notification unit that notifies the user terminal device of data including the dryness degree corresponding to the drying condition determined by the drying condition determination unit, and an operation termination determination unit that, when it receives a notification of an instruction for additional drying and a notification of additional operation time from the user terminal device during the drying operation, determines to terminate the drying operation when the operating time equivalent to the prepaid fee has elapsed after the additional operation time has elapsed .

The laundry machine of the present invention preferably further comprises a usage fee calculation unit which calculates a usage fee for an additional drying operation based on the additional operation time notified from the user terminal device.

In the laundry machine of the present invention, it is preferable that the usage fee calculation unit calculates the usage fee for the additional drying operation by subtracting the prepaid fee from a fee based on operation time .

In the laundry machine of the present invention, it is preferable that the usage fee calculation unit calculates the usage fee for the additional drying operation after completion of the drying operation .

The laundry machine of the present invention preferably further comprises a payment processing unit which performs payment processing for the usage fee for the additional drying operation.

In the laundry machine of the present invention, the operation end judgment unit judges that the drying operation will be ended when the operation time equivalent to the prepaid fee has elapsed when a notification that additional drying will not be performed is received from the user terminal device.The laundry machine of the present invention is characterized in that the operation end judgment unit judges that the drying operation will be ended when the operation time equivalent to the prepaid fee has elapsed when the notification that additional drying will not be performed is received from the user terminal device.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an overall configuration of a usage fee collection system SY according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration realized in the usage fee collection system SY. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall flow of processing executed in a usage fee collection system SY. 1 is a diagram showing the overall flow of processing executed in a usage fee collection system SY. A diagram showing the flow of processing related to setting an operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SY. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration realized in a usage fee collection system SYa according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for setting an operation end flag, which is executed in the usage fee collection system SYa. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration realized in a usage fee collection system SYb according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for setting an operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SYb. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for setting an operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SYb. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for setting an operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SYb. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reception screen 8 displayed on a touch panel 30 of a user terminal device 3b. FIG. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration realized in a usage fee collection system SYc according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall flow of processing executed in the usage fee collection system SYc. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for setting an operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SYc. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for setting an operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SYc. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reception screen 9 displayed on a touch panel 30 of a user terminal device 3c. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
＜1. Overall structure＞
A method for collecting usage fees for a coin laundry according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a usage fee collection system SY, which is a system for implementing the method for collecting usage fees for a coin laundry according to an embodiment.

The usage fee collection system SY is a system for collecting usage fees for the coin laundries 1, and is composed of multiple coin laundries 1, a server device 2, and a user terminal device 3 held by users of the coin laundries 1.

The coin laundry 1 is a store in which multiple laundry machines 11 are installed. Each laundry machine 11 is a machine that dries clothes, fabric products, etc., or washes and dries them. Each laundry machine 11 is provided with an operation panel that accepts various operations from users. Each laundry machine 11 also has a control unit that includes a microcomputer. The microcomputer includes a CPU, which is a central processing unit, a memory consisting of a volatile storage device such as RAM, a storage unit consisting of a non-volatile storage device such as ROM, a network interface for managing connections via a communication network N, and the like.

The server device 2 is composed of a general personal computer including a CPU, memory, storage unit, network interface, display unit, input unit, etc., or a workstation, which is a computer with higher performance than a general personal computer.

The user terminal device 3 is a communication terminal device held by a user of the coin laundry 1, and is configured to include a CPU, memory, storage unit, network interface, display unit, input unit, etc., and is capable of realizing general information processing functions. Specific examples of the user terminal device 3 include smartphones, tablet-type communication terminals, mobile phones, and notebook computers. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the display unit and input unit of the user terminal device 3 are configured by the touch panel 30.

Each laundry machine 11, server device 2, and user terminal device 3 installed in each coin laundry 1 are capable of sending and receiving data to and from each other via a communication network N such as the Internet.

<2. Functional blocks>
Next, the functional configuration of the usage fee collection system SY will be described with reference to Fig. 2 in addition to Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration realized in the usage fee collection system SY.

Each laundry machine 11 installed in each coin laundry 1 comprises a start processing unit 101 that performs processing related to the start of operation, a maximum operation time setting unit 102 that sets the maximum drying operation time (hereinafter referred to as the "maximum operation time") T, a flag management unit 103 that manages the settings of the operation start flag and operation end flag, an operation control unit 104 that performs control related to the drying operation, and an operation end judgment unit 105 that judges whether or not to end the drying operation. Each functional unit of the laundry machine 11 is realized by a microcomputer constituting the control unit of the laundry machine 11 executing a program stored in memory.

The server device 2 includes a usage fee calculation unit 201 that calculates the usage fee from the operation time notified by the laundry machine 11, and a payment processing unit 202 that performs payment processing for the usage fee. Each functional unit of the server device 2 is realized by installing a specific application software on the personal computer that constitutes the server device 2.

The user terminal device 3 includes a payment information notification unit 301 that notifies the user of payment details, etc. Each functional unit of the user terminal device 3 is realized by installing a specific application software in the communication terminal device that constitutes the user terminal device 3.

<3. Processing flow>
<3-1. Overall flow>
Next, the overall flow of the processing executed in the usage fee collection system SY will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the flow of the processing.

Step S1: After the power of the laundry machine 11 is turned on, the user inputs predetermined user information (e.g., identification information and password) from the operation panel provided on the laundry machine 11 and presses the operation start button, and the start processing unit 101 accepts the input operation.

Step S2: Next, the start processing unit 101 notifies the server device 2 of the input user information together with the identification information of the machine itself. The server device 2 checks the notified user information against the customer database stored in the memory unit, and if it matches the registered user information, notifies the laundry machine 11 of permission to start operation. On the other hand, if the notified user information does not match any of the registered user information, the server device 2 notifies the laundry machine 11 that it is not allowed to start operation. When the start processing unit 101 obtains a notification of permission to start operation from the server device 2, it proceeds to the processing of step S3. On the other hand, when a notification of not allowing the start of operation is obtained from the server device 2, the start processing unit 101 displays an error message or the like on the operation panel, and returns to the processing of step S1 again.

Step S3: Upon receiving a notification of permission to start driving from the server device 2, the start processing unit 101 causes the flag management unit 103 to set the driving start flag to on.

Step S4: The start processing unit 101 also causes the maximum operation time setting unit 102 to set the maximum operation time T. The maximum operation time setting unit 102 adds a predetermined margin of time to the standard operation time that is determined according to the weight of the material to be dried placed in the drum, and sets the obtained time as the maximum operation time T.

Step S5: On the other hand, after the power of the laundry device 11 is turned on, the operation control unit 104 determines whether the operation start flag is set to on or not.

Step S6: If it is determined that the operation start flag is set to ON, the operation control unit 104 starts controlling the drive mechanisms of the drum motor, fan motor, and gas burner, thereby starting operation of each of these units in sequence and starting the drying operation. The operation control unit 104 also starts counting up the operation time.

Step S7: When the drying operation is started, the operation control unit 104 determines whether the operation end flag is set to on. The process related to setting the operation end flag will be described later.

Step S8: If it is determined that the operation end flag is set to ON, the operation control unit 104 controls the drive mechanisms of the drum motor, fan motor, and gas burner to stop the operation of each of these parts in sequence, and ends the drying operation.

Step S9: After that, the operation control unit 104 stops counting up the operation time and notifies the server device 2 of the counted operation time, i.e., the operation time from when the drying operation is started to when it is ended. Furthermore, the operation control unit 104 clears the count of the operation time.

Step S10: Next, the operation control unit 104 causes the flag management unit 103 to set both the operation start flag and the operation end flag to off.

Step S11: Meanwhile, the server device 2 determines whether or not the operation time has been notified from the laundry device 11 that notified the operation start permission.

Step S12: When the operation time is notified from the laundry machine 11, the usage fee calculation unit 201 calculates the usage fee based on the notified operation time. Specifically, the usage fee is obtained by multiplying the notified operation time by a predetermined fee per unit time.

Step S13: Next, the payment processing unit 202 pays the calculated usage fee by cashless payment. Specifically, the payment processing unit 202 refers to the customer database stored in the memory unit, reads the account information registered in association with the user information acquired in step S1, and debits the calculated usage fee from the account.

Step S14: When payment is completed, the payment processing unit 202 notifies the user terminal device 3 of the payment details (specifically, the paid usage fee). When the user terminal device 3 acquires the notification of the payment details, the payment information notification unit 301 generates a notification screen displaying the fact that the drying operation has ended and the notified payment details, and displays this on the touch panel 30. By looking at the notification screen displayed on the touch panel 30, the user can know that the drying operation has ended and can also confirm the payment details.

<3-2. Setting the operation end flag>
Next, the flow of processing related to setting of the driving end flag will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

Step S101: When the drying operation is started, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges whether or not the maximum operation time T has elapsed, that is, whether or not the elapsed time from the start of operation (elapsed operation time) has exceeded the maximum operation time T. If it is judged that the maximum operation time T has elapsed, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S107. On the other hand, if it is judged that the maximum operation time T has not elapsed, the processing proceeds to step S102.

Step S102: The user visits the coin laundry 1 at any time after the drying operation has started, and checks the drying status of the items to be dried. Specifically, the user first operates the operation button to instruct the door of the laundry machine 11 that the user is using to unlock. If operation of the operation button to instruct the door to be unlocked is detected, the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if such operation is not detected, the process returns to step S101.

Step S103: If operation of the operation button instructing to unlock the door is detected, the operation control unit 104 accepts the operation and temporarily stops the drying operation. That is, the operation control unit 104 controls the drive mechanisms of the drum motor, fan motor, and gas burner to temporarily stop the operation of each of these parts. After that, the operation control unit 104 unlocks the door.

When the door is unlocked, the user opens the door and touches the item to be dried inside to check its drying status. If the user determines that the item is sufficiently dry, the user operates the operation button to end the drying operation. On the other hand, if the user determines that the item is not sufficiently dry, the user closes the door again and operates the operation button to restart the drying operation.

Step S104: If the operation button is operated to instruct the end of the drying operation, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be ended and proceeds to the processing of step S107.

Step S105: On the other hand, if the operation button is operated to instruct the drying operation to be restarted, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should not be ended and proceeds to the processing of step S106.

Step S106: If it is determined that the drying operation should not be terminated, the operation termination determination unit 105 instructs the operation control unit 104 to resume the drying operation. In response to the instruction, the operation control unit 104 relocks the door and controls the drive mechanisms of the drum motor, fan motor, and gas burner to resume the drying operation.

Step S107: If it is determined that the drying operation should be terminated (i.e., if it is determined that the maximum operation time T has elapsed (YES in step S101), or if the operation button to instruct the end of the drying operation has been operated (YES in step S104)), the operation termination determination unit 105 causes the flag management unit 103 to set the operation termination flag to ON. As described above, when the operation termination flag is set to ON, the drying operation is terminated.

<4. Effects>
According to this embodiment, the method includes an operation start process (step S6) for starting the drying operation, an operation end judgment process (steps S101 to S107) for judging whether or not to end the drying operation after the drying operation has been started based on the drying state of the object to be dried, an operation end process (step S8) for terminating the drying operation if it is judged in the operation end judgment process that the drying operation should be ended, a usage fee calculation process (step S12) for calculating a usage fee based on the operating time from when the drying operation is started to when it is ended after the operation end process, and a payment process (step S13) for paying the usage fee.

According to this configuration, the drying operation is not performed for a time period corresponding to the prepaid usage fee, but the usage fee is calculated and settled according to the actual operation time, so the user does not have to predict the required operation time before the drying operation begins. In addition, here, the timing to end the drying operation is determined based on the actual drying state, so it is unlikely that the operation time will be longer than necessary or that the operation time will be insufficient, and the user is charged an appropriate usage fee. This provides a high level of satisfaction to users of coin laundry 1.

In addition, this embodiment includes a setting process (step S4) for setting the maximum operation time. Then, in the operation end determination process, it is determined that the drying operation should be ended when the maximum operation time has elapsed, regardless of the drying state of the object to be dried (step S101).

With this configuration, the drying operation ends when the maximum operation time T has elapsed, regardless of the drying state of the objects to be dried, so the operation time never exceeds the maximum operation time T. Therefore, for example, even if a user forgets to come and check the drying state, excessive drying operation will not be performed, and the user will not be charged an excessive usage fee. Therefore, users can use the coin laundry 1 with peace of mind.

In addition, in this embodiment, the usage fee is paid by cashless payment, improving convenience for users. Furthermore, when paying by cash by inserting coins, the operating time corresponding to one coin is the unit time, making it difficult to adjust the operating time in small increments, but with cashless payment there are no such constraints, so the operating time can be adjusted freely. As a result, the usage fee can be made particularly appropriate.

In addition, in this embodiment, in the operation end determination process, the door of the laundry machine 11 is unlocked to allow the user to check the drying state of the items to be dried (step S103), and then, if an instruction to end the drying operation is obtained from the user, it is determined that the drying operation is to be ended (step S104). With this configuration, the user can open the door of the laundry machine 11, actually touch the items to be dried inside to check their drying state, and end the drying operation at the desired drying state.

In addition, in this embodiment, after the drying operation is completed, a notification process is performed to notify the user that the drying operation has been completed and to provide payment details (step S13). Therefore, the user can know that the drying operation has been completed and can confirm the payment details without having to wait at the coin laundry 1.

<<Second embodiment>>
A fee collection system SYa according to the second embodiment will be described. As with the fee collection system SY according to the first embodiment, the fee collection system SYa includes a plurality of coin laundries 1 in which a plurality of laundry machines 11a are installed, a server device 2, and a user terminal device 3. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be described. Also, the same elements as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

<1. Functional blocks>
The functional configuration of the usage fee collection system SYa will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration realized in the usage fee collection system SYa.

Each laundry machine 11a is provided with a temperature sensor 111 in the exhaust pipe. In addition to the above-mentioned functional units 101 to 105, each laundry machine 11a also has a temperature information acquisition unit 106 that acquires the detection value of the temperature sensor 111, and a drying state determination unit 107 that determines the drying state of the object to be dried.

2. Processing flow
The overall flow of the process executed in the fee collection system SYa according to this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment (FIGS. 3 and 4). However, in the fee collection system SYa, the process flow related to setting the driving end flag is different from that in the first embodiment. The process related to setting the driving end flag executed in the fee collection system SYa will be described below with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the process flow.

Step S201: When the drying operation is started, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges whether or not the maximum operation time T has elapsed. If it is judged that the maximum operation time T has elapsed, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S205. On the other hand, if it is judged that the maximum operation time T has not elapsed, the processing proceeds to step S202.

Step S202: Next, the temperature information acquisition unit 106 determines whether or not it has acquired temperature information from the temperature sensor 111 provided in the exhaust pipe. That is, when the drying operation is started, the temperature sensor 111 provided in the exhaust pipe acquires temperature information in the exhaust pipe at predetermined regular intervals (e.g., every minute) and notifies the temperature information acquisition unit 106. If the temperature information acquisition unit 106 acquires temperature information, the process proceeds to step S203. On the other hand, if the temperature information has not been acquired, the process returns to step S201.

Step S203: The temperature inside the exhaust pipe correlates with the dryness of the items to be dried, and the memory unit of the laundry machine 11a stores correlation data that indicates the correlation between the dryness of the items to be dried and the temperature inside the exhaust pipe. Here, "dryness" is a parameter that quantifies the dryness (degree of dryness) of the items to be dried, for example, from 0 to 100. When the dryness determination unit 107 acquires the temperature information, it refers to the correlation data stored in the memory unit and acquires the dryness corresponding to the temperature information. This identifies the dryness of the items to be dried.

Step S204: Next, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges whether the dryness level identified in step S203 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value. The "first threshold value" is a dryness level value (e.g., 95) that corresponds to a dryness state that can generally be considered as a state in which the object to be dried is sufficiently dried, and is registered in advance in the storage unit. In other words, here, it is judged whether the object to be dried is sufficiently dried. If it is judged that the dryness level is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S205. On the other hand, if it is judged that the dryness level is less than the first threshold value, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should not be terminated, and returns to the processing of step S201.

Step S205: If it is determined that the drying operation should be terminated (i.e., if it is determined that the maximum operation time T has elapsed (YES in step S201), or if it is determined that the dryness is equal to or greater than the first threshold (YES in step S204)), the operation termination determination unit 105 causes the flag management unit 103 to set the operation termination flag to ON. As described above, when the operation termination flag is set to ON, the drying operation is terminated.

<3. Effects>
In this embodiment, in the operation end determination process (steps S201 to S205), the drying state of the object to be dried is identified using the detection value of the temperature sensor 111 provided in the exhaust pipe of the laundry equipment 11a (steps S202 to S203), and it is determined whether or not to end the drying operation based on the identified drying state (step S204).

With this configuration, whether or not to end the drying operation is determined based on the drying state identified using the detection value of the temperature sensor 111 installed in the exhaust pipe of the laundry machine 11a, so there is no need for the user to actually touch the items to be dried to check their drying state. Therefore, there is no need for the user to visit the coin laundry 1 to check the drying state, improving user convenience. Also, because the drying operation is not temporarily stopped to allow the user to check the drying state, the operating time is accordingly shorter.

<<Third embodiment>>
A fee collection system SYb according to the third embodiment will be described. As with the fee collection systems SY and SYa according to the first and second embodiments, the fee collection system SYb includes a plurality of coin laundries 1 in which a plurality of laundry machines 11b are installed, a server device 2, and a user terminal device 3b. In the following description, differences from the first and second embodiments will be described. Also, the same elements as those in the first and second embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

<1. Functional blocks>
The functional configuration of the usage fee collection system SYb will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration realized in the usage fee collection system SYb.

Each laundry machine 11b is provided with a temperature sensor 111 in the exhaust pipe. In addition to the functional units 101 to 107 described above, each laundry machine 11b also includes a transition data generating unit 108 that generates data (transition data) D1 indicating the transition of the drying state, a prediction data generating unit 109 that generates data (prediction data) D2 indicating a prediction of the future transition of the drying state, and a data notification unit 110 that notifies the user terminal device 3b of the data D1 and D2.

In addition to the functional unit 301 described above, the user terminal device 3b also includes an end instruction receiving unit 302 that receives an instruction from the user to end the drying operation.

2. Processing flow
The overall flow of processing executed in the usage fee collection system SYb according to this embodiment is similar to that of the first and second embodiments (FIGS. 3 and 4). However, in the usage fee collection system SYb, the flow of processing related to setting the operation end flag differs from that of the first and second embodiments. The processing related to setting the operation end flag executed in the usage fee collection system SYb will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIGS. 9 to 11 are diagrams showing the processing flow.

Step S301: When the drying operation is started, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges whether or not the maximum operation time T has elapsed. If it is judged that the maximum operation time T has elapsed, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S311. On the other hand, if it is judged that the maximum operation time T has not elapsed, the processing proceeds to step S302.

Step S302: Next, the temperature information acquisition unit 106 determines whether or not it has acquired temperature information from the temperature sensor 111 provided in the exhaust pipe. If the temperature information acquisition unit 106 has acquired temperature information, the process proceeds to step S303. On the other hand, if the temperature information has not been acquired, the process returns to step S301.

Step S303: When the temperature information is acquired, the dryness determination unit 107 refers to the correlation data stored in the memory unit and acquires the degree of dryness corresponding to the temperature information. This identifies the dryness state of the object to be dried.

Step S304: Next, the transition data generating unit 108 judges whether the degree of dryness identified in step S303 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold. The "second threshold" is a value of the degree of dryness (e.g., 70) that corresponds to a state in which the drying of the object to be dried has progressed to a certain degree, and is registered in advance in the storage unit. In other words, here, it is judged whether the drying of the object to be dried has progressed to a certain degree. If it is judged that the degree of dryness is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the transition data generating unit 108 judges that transition data D1 should be generated, and proceeds to the processing of step S305. On the other hand, if it is judged that the degree of dryness is less than the second threshold, the processing returns to the processing of step S301.

Step S305: If it is determined that trend data D1 should be generated, the trend data generating unit 108 generates data that chronologically organizes a group of dryness degrees acquired from the start of the drying operation to the present time based on the time at which the temperature information corresponding to the dryness degrees was acquired, and acquires this as trend data D1.

Step S306: The change in dryness is classified into several patterns depending on the type of object to be dried, and the memory unit stores a number of patterns of the change in data D1 in advance. When the change in data D1 is acquired in step S305, the prediction data generation unit 109 extracts the pattern that has the highest degree of agreement with the acquired change in data D1 from the multiple patterns stored in the memory unit, predicts the future change in dryness based on the extracted pattern, and generates prediction data D2.

Step S307: Once the trend data D1 and forecast data D2 are acquired, the data notification unit 110 notifies the user terminal device 3 of these data D1 and D2 via the server device 2.

Step S401: In the user terminal device 3b, the end instruction receiving unit 302 determines whether the transition data D1 and the prediction data D2 have been acquired. When both data D1 and D2 have been acquired, the process proceeds to step S402.

Step S402: When the transition data D1 and the prediction data D2 are acquired, the end instruction receiving unit 302 generates a reception screen 8 for receiving an end instruction and displays it on the touch panel 30.

Figure 12 shows an example of the configuration of the reception screen 8. As shown here, the reception screen 8 displays the progress data D1 and the prediction data D2 in graph form. By looking at these data D1 and D2 on the reception screen 8, the user can understand how far the drying has progressed at the present time, and how the degree of dryness will progress in the future.

The reception screen 8 includes an end icon 81 that displays "End drying" and an end reservation icon 82 that displays "Reserve the end of drying." When reserving the end of drying, an input box 83 is also displayed in which the user can input the number of minutes after which the drying should end. If the user wants to end the drying immediately, the user operates the end icon 81. If the user wants to reserve the end of drying, the user operates the end reservation icon 82 after specifying the desired time in the input box 83.

Steps S403 and S404: When the operation of the end icon 81 is accepted, the end instruction accepting unit 302 notifies the laundry device 11b of this via the server device 2.

Steps S405 and S406: On the other hand, if an operation of the end reservation icon 82 is accepted, the end instruction accepting unit 302 notifies the laundry machine 11b of this fact via the server device 2 together with the time (standby time) entered in the input box 83.

Step S308: If a notification is obtained that the end icon 81 has been operated, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be ended and proceeds to processing of step S311.

Step S309: On the other hand, if a notification is obtained that the end reservation icon 82 has been operated, the driving end judgment unit 105 proceeds to processing of step S310.

Step S310: When a notification is received that the end reservation icon 82 has been operated, the operation end determination unit 105 starts counting the timer and determines whether the waiting time obtained along with the notification has elapsed. If it is determined that the waiting time has elapsed, the operation end determination unit 105 determines that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S311.

Step S311: If it is determined that the drying operation should be terminated (i.e., if it is determined that the maximum operation time T has elapsed (YES in step S301), if a notification has been obtained that the termination icon 81 has been operated (YES in step S308), or if a notification has been obtained that the termination reservation icon 82 has been operated and the specified waiting time has elapsed (YES in step S310)), the operation termination determination unit 105 causes the flag management unit 103 to set the operation termination flag to ON. As described above, when the operation termination flag is set to ON, the drying operation is terminated.

<3. Effects>
In this embodiment, the operation end determination process (steps S301 to S311, steps S401 to S406) includes a transition data generating process (steps S302 to S305) for generating transition data D1 indicating a transition of the drying state of the objects to be dried based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 111 provided in the exhaust pipe of the laundry machine 11b, and a display process (step S402) for displaying the transition data D1 on the touch panel 30 which is the display screen of the user terminal device 3 of the user. Then, when an instruction to end the drying operation is obtained from the user terminal device 3, it is determined that the drying operation is to be ended (steps S308, S311).

With this configuration, the user can decide whether or not to end the drying operation based on the transition data D1 that indicates the transition of the drying state. Therefore, the user can end the drying operation at the desired dryness level. In addition, since the user does not need to visit the coin laundry 1 to check the drying state, convenience for the user is improved. Furthermore, since the drying operation is not temporarily stopped to allow the user to check the drying state, the operation time can be shortened accordingly.

In this embodiment, the operation end determination process (steps S301 to S311, steps S401 to S406) includes a prediction data generation process (step S306) that generates prediction data D2 predicting the future change in the drying state of the object to be dried based on the change data D1, and the prediction data D2 is displayed on the touch panel 30, which is the display screen of the user terminal device 3 of the user, together with the change data D1 (step S402). In addition, when a reservation instruction to end the drying operation is obtained from the user terminal device 3, it is determined that the drying operation will be ended after the specified waiting time has elapsed (steps S309 to S311).

With this configuration, the user can decide whether or not to end the drying operation based on the transition data D1 and the prediction data D2. The user can also schedule the drying operation to end at any time. By looking at the prediction data D2, the user can easily predict the time when the items to be dried will reach the desired dryness, so the user can easily identify an appropriate waiting time for stopping the drying operation when the items reach the desired dryness.

<<Fourth embodiment>>
A fee collection system SYc according to the fourth embodiment will be described. As with the fee collection systems SY, SYa, and SYb according to the first to third embodiments, the fee collection system SYc includes a plurality of coin laundromats 1 in which a plurality of laundry machines 11c are installed, a server device 2, and a user terminal device 3c. In the following description, differences from the first to third embodiments will be described. Also, the same elements as those in the first to third embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

<1. Functional blocks>
The functional configuration of the usage fee collection system SYc will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration realized in the usage fee collection system SYc.

Each laundry machine 11c is provided with a temperature sensor 111 in the exhaust pipe. In addition to the above-mentioned functional units 101 to 107, each laundry machine 11c also has a dryness notification unit 112 that notifies the user terminal device 3c of the dryness of the items to be dried. In this embodiment, each laundry machine 11c also has a usage fee calculation unit 113 that calculates the usage fee from the operating time, and a payment processing unit 114 that performs payment processing for the usage fee.

The user terminal device 3c is equipped with an end instruction receiving unit 302.

2. Processing flow
<2-1. Overall flow>
Next, the overall flow of the processing executed in the usage fee collection system SYc will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the flow of the processing.

Step S51: After the power of the laundry machine 11 is turned on, the start processing unit 101 accepts a prepaid fee from the user. The prepaid fee is paid, for example, by the user inserting cash (e.g., coins) into a payment machine installed in the laundry machine 11 or a payment machine installed in the coin laundry 1.

Step S52: When the advance payment is accepted and an instruction to start the drying operation is received from the user, the start processing unit 101 causes the flag management unit 103 to set the operation start flag to on.

Step S53: The start processing unit 101 also causes the maximum driving time setting unit 102 to set the maximum driving time T, the minimum driving time S, and the notification waiting time M. The maximum driving time setting unit 102 sets the driving time equivalent to the prepaid fee paid in step S51 as the minimum driving time S. The maximum driving time setting unit 102 also sets the time obtained by subtracting a predetermined time (e.g., a few minutes) from the minimum driving time S as the notification waiting time M.

Step S54: On the other hand, after the power of the laundry device 11 is turned on, the operation control unit 104 determines whether the operation start flag is set to on.

Step S55: If it is determined that the operation start flag is set to ON, the operation control unit 104 starts the drying operation. The operation control unit 104 also starts counting up the operation time.

Step S56: When the drying operation is started, the operation control unit 104 determines whether the operation end flag is set to on. The process related to setting the operation end flag will be described later.

Step S57: If it is determined that the operation end flag is set to on, the operation control unit 104 ends the drying operation.

Step S58: After that, the operation control unit 104 stops counting up the operation time, calculates the counted operation time, i.e., the operation time from when the drying operation starts to when it ends, and notifies the usage fee calculation unit 113. Furthermore, the operation control unit 104 clears the operation time count.

Step S59: Next, the operation control unit 104 causes the flag management unit 103 to set both the operation start flag and the operation end flag to off.

Step S60: Meanwhile, the usage fee calculation unit 113 calculates the usage fee based on the notified operation time. Specifically, the usage fee is obtained by multiplying the notified operation time by a predetermined fee per unit time minus the prepaid fee accepted in step S51. This usage fee corresponds to the usage fee for the additional drying operation described below, and is the amount obtained by multiplying the additional operation time by the fee per unit time.

Step S61: Next, the payment processing unit 114 pays the calculated usage fee (i.e., the usage fee for the additional drying operation) by cashless payment. Specifically, when the user has a card reader read an IC card or the like on which a value is stored, the payment processing unit 114 obtains the usage fee for the additional drying operation from the IC card.

<2-2. Setting the operation end flag>
Next, the flow of processing related to setting of the driving end flag will be described with reference to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16. Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 are diagrams showing the flow of the processing.

Step S601: When the drying operation is started, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges whether or not the maximum operation time T has elapsed. If it is judged that the maximum operation time T has elapsed, the operation end judgment unit 105 judges that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S611. On the other hand, if it is judged that the maximum operation time T has not elapsed, the processing proceeds to step S602.

Step S602: Next, the driving end determination unit 105 determines whether the notification waiting time M has elapsed. If it is determined that the notification waiting time M has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S603.

Step S603: Here, the temperature information acquisition unit 106 acquires temperature information from the temperature sensor 111 installed in the exhaust pipe.

Step S604: When the temperature information is acquired, the dryness determination unit 107 refers to the correlation data stored in the memory unit and acquires the dryness level corresponding to the temperature information. This identifies the dryness state of the object to be dried.

Step S605: Once the dryness level is acquired, the dryness level notification unit 112 notifies the user terminal device 3c of the identified dryness level via the server device 2.

Step S701: In the user terminal device 3c, the end instruction receiving unit 302 determines whether the dryness level has been acquired. If the dryness level has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S702.

Step S702: Once the dryness level is acquired, the end instruction receiving unit 302 generates a reception screen 9 for receiving an end instruction and displays it on the touch panel 30.

FIG. 17 shows an example of the configuration of the reception screen 9. As shown here, the reception screen 9 displays the degree of dryness, which indicates the current drying state of the object to be dried. The reception screen 9 also includes an end icon 91 that displays "Do not perform additional drying" and an additional instruction icon 92 that displays "Perform additional drying". If an additional drying operation is to be performed, an input box 93 is also displayed for receiving the specification of the operation time (additional operation time). If the user wishes to end the drying operation without performing an additional drying operation, the user operates the end icon 91. If the user wishes to perform an additional drying operation, the user inputs a desired time in the input box 93 and then operates the additional instruction icon 92.

Steps S703 and S704: When the operation of the end icon 91 is accepted, the end instruction accepting unit 302 notifies the laundry device 11c of this via the server device 2.

Steps S705 and S706: On the other hand, if an operation of the additional instruction icon 92 is accepted, the end instruction accepting unit 302 notifies the laundry machine 11c of this fact via the server device 2 together with the time (additional operation time) entered in the input box 93.

Steps S606 and S607: When a notification is received in the laundry device 11c that the end icon 91 has been operated, the operation end determination unit 105 determines that the operation should be ended without performing an additional drying operation. In this case, the operation end determination unit 105 waits for the minimum operation time S to elapse, and then proceeds to the processing of step S611.

Steps S608 and S609: On the other hand, if a notification is received in the laundry device 11c that the additional instruction icon 92 has been operated, along with a specification of additional operation time, the operation end determination unit 105 waits for the minimum operation time S to elapse and then proceeds to processing in step S610.

Step S610: When the minimum operation time S has elapsed, the operation end determination unit 105 starts counting the timer and determines whether the specified additional operation time has elapsed. If it is determined that the additional operation time has elapsed, the operation end determination unit 105 determines that the drying operation should be terminated, and proceeds to the processing of step S611.

Step S611: If it is determined that the drying operation should be terminated (i.e., if it is determined that the maximum operation time T has elapsed (YES in step S601), if a notification is obtained that the end icon 91 has been operated and the minimum operation time S has elapsed (YES in step S607), or if a notification is obtained that the additional instruction icon 92 has been operated and the specified additional operation time has elapsed (YES in step S610)), the operation termination determination unit 105 causes the flag management unit 103 to set the operation termination flag to ON. As described above, when the operation termination flag is set to ON, the drying operation is terminated.

<3. Effects>
In this embodiment, a prepayment fee receiving step (step S51) is performed before the operation start step (step S55). Then, in a usage fee calculation step (step S60), a deficiency fee is calculated by subtracting the prepayment fee from the fee corresponding to the operation time from the start to the end of the drying operation.

According to this configuration, although the prepaid fee is accepted prior to the start of the drying operation, the actual operation time is determined not from the prepaid fee but from the drying state of the objects to be dried. Then, based on the actual operation time, a usage fee equivalent to the shortfall from the prepaid fee (i.e., the usage fee for the additional drying operation) is calculated and settled. Therefore, even if the prepaid fee corresponds to a time shorter than the required operation time, the drying operation is not uniformly terminated before the objects to be dried are sufficiently dried, and user satisfaction is increased.

<<Modifications>>
In the first embodiment, after checking the drying status of the items to be dried, the user inputs an instruction to end operation by operating a specific operation button provided on the operation panel of the laundry equipment 11, but instead of this (or in addition), the configuration may be such that the user is able to input the instruction via the user terminal device 3.

In the second embodiment, the value of the first threshold used to determine whether the object to be dried has been sufficiently dried is registered in advance in the memory unit, but this value may also be set arbitrarily by the user when the drying operation is started.

In the second embodiment, the degree of dryness acquired in step S203 is transmitted to the user terminal device 3, and the notified degree of dryness is displayed on the touch panel 30 of the user terminal device 3. Upon seeing this, an instruction to end the drying process may be received from the user via the user terminal device 3. In this case, when the user inputs an instruction to acquire the degree of dryness via the user terminal device 3, temperature information is acquired (step S202) and the degree of dryness is determined (step S203), and the determined degree of dryness may be transmitted to the user terminal device 3.

In the third embodiment, the creation and notification of the prediction data D2 may be omitted. That is, only the trend data D1 may be generated, and this may be notified to the user terminal device 3b, and only the trend data D1 may be displayed on the user terminal device 3b.

In the third embodiment, the timing at which the transition data D1 and the prediction data D2 are generated is determined based on the drying state of the object to be dried, but both data D1 and D2 may be generated in response to an instruction from a user. Specifically, for example, when a user inputs an instruction to generate data via the user terminal device 3, the transition data D1 is generated (step S305) and the prediction data D2 is generated (step S306), and both the generated data D1 and D2 may be displayed on the touch panel 30 of the user terminal device 3.

In the third embodiment, the user inputs an instruction to end operation via the user terminal device 3b, but instead of this (or in addition), the user may input the instruction by operating a specific operation button provided on the operation panel of the laundry machine 11b.

In the third embodiment, the value of the second threshold used to determine whether the drying of the object to be dried has progressed to a certain extent may be set by the user at will when the drying operation is started.

In the fourth embodiment, the prepaid fee may be a predetermined amount, or may be an amount selected arbitrarily by the user. In addition, the prepaid fee may be paid by having a card reader read an IC card or the like on which a value is stored.

In each of the above embodiments, payment of the usage fee is made by cashless payment, but it may also be made by cash payment.

In each of the above embodiments, the usage fee is paid each time a drying operation is performed, but it may be paid in a lump sum on a monthly basis, for example. In other words, the total amount of the usage fee for one month may be paid in one lump sum.

In each of the above embodiments, after the drying operation is completed, it is determined whether or not the drying operation has been performed normally, and if it is determined that the drying operation has not been performed normally, payment may not be made. In this case, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the user is charged a usage fee even if the drying operation has not been performed normally due to a malfunction of the laundry equipment 11, 11a, 11b, 11c. Also, in the case of the conventional prepayment method, if the drying operation has not been performed normally due to a malfunction of the laundry equipment 11, 11a, 11b, 11c, the manager of the coin laundry 1 had to refund the usage fee to the user, but this modified example eliminates this hassle.

In the above modified example, if there is a time period during which the drying operation is performed normally, the usage fee may be charged only for the time during which the drying operation is performed normally. In this case, for example, even if a malfunction occurs in the laundry equipment 11, 11a, 11b during the drying operation, the usage fee can be collected from the user for the time during which the drying operation is performed normally.

In each of the above embodiments, when using the laundry machine 11, the user inputs user information from an operation panel provided on the laundry machine 11. However, this input may also be performed by displaying a screen showing an identification code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark), an OCR code, a barcode, etc.) on the touch panel 30 of the user terminal device 3 and having the laundry machine 11 read the screen.

In each of the above embodiments, the maximum driving time T may be set by accepting a specification of the maximum driving time T from the user. Specifically, for example, the maximum driving time setting unit 102 may accept a specification of a usage fee limit from the user, and set the driving time corresponding to the limit as the maximum driving time T.

In each of the above embodiments, the maximum operating time T does not have to be set.

In each of the above embodiments, at least one of the functional units 101 to 114 provided in the laundry machines 11, 11a, 11b, and 11c may be realized in the server device 2 or the user terminal device 3, 3b, and 3c.

In each of the above embodiments, the user terminal devices 3, 3b, and 3c are communication terminal devices held by users of the coin laundry 1, but the user terminal devices 3, 3b, and 3c may also be communication terminal devices installed in the coin laundry 1, etc.

In each of the above embodiments, it goes without saying that the coin laundry 1 may be equipped with laundry equipment that only washes clothes and fabric products (i.e., laundry equipment that does not have a drying function).

The processes exemplified in each of the above embodiments may be combined with each other. For example, in the overall processing flow according to the fourth embodiment, the setting of the operation end flag may be performed by the processes described in the first to third embodiments.

Other configurations can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say, the configurations illustrated in each embodiment can also be partially combined with each other.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Coin laundry 11, 11a, 11b, 11c Laundry equipment 111 Temperature sensor 101 Start processing unit 102 Flag management unit 103 Maximum operation time setting unit 104 Operation control unit 105 Operation end determination unit 106 Temperature information acquisition unit 107 Dryness state identification unit 108 Progression data generation unit 109 Prediction data generation unit 110 Data notification unit 112 Dryness notification unit 113 Usage fee calculation unit 115 Payment processing unit 2 Server device 201 Usage fee calculation unit 202 Payment processing unit 3, 3b Terminal device 30 Touch panel 301 Payment information notification unit 302 End instruction reception unit SY, SYa, SYb, SYc Usage fee collection system

Claims (6)

A laundry machine that transmits and receives data via a user terminal device and a server device and performs a drying operation for an object to be dried,
A dryness determining unit that determines the dryness of the object to be dried;
a data notification unit that notifies the user terminal device of data including a dryness level corresponding to the dryness state identified by the dryness state identification unit ;
This laundry machine is characterized by having an operation end judgment unit that, when receiving a notification of an instruction for additional drying and a notification of additional operation time from the user terminal device during a drying operation, judges to end the drying operation when the additional operation time has elapsed after the operation time equivalent to a prepaid fee has elapsed . The laundry machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a usage fee calculation unit that calculates a usage fee for the additional drying operation based on the additional operation time notified from the user terminal device. The laundry machine according to claim 2 , wherein the usage fee calculation unit calculates the usage fee for the additional drying operation by subtracting the prepaid fee from a fee based on operation time. The laundry machine according to claim 2 , wherein the usage fee calculation unit calculates the usage fee for the additional drying operation after the drying operation is completed. The laundry machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a payment processing unit that performs payment processing for a usage fee for the additional drying operation. A laundry machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the operation end judgment unit judges to end the drying operation when a notification is received from the user terminal device that additional drying will not be performed, when the operation time equivalent to the prepaid fee has elapsed.

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