Laundry storage device, clothes treating system having the same, and clothing treating method thereof

Abstract

A clothes treating system having a laundry storage device and a clothes treating method are disclosed. The clothes treating system includes a laundry storage device having a plurality of storage boxes to sort and store laundry according to a laundry type, and a clothes treating apparatus to perform a washing course upon receiving washing information, related to laundry sorted and stored in each storage box, from the laundry storage device. The clothes treating method includes sorting and introducing clothing into a plurality of storage boxes according to a clothing type, transmitting washing information of the laundry sorted and stored in the respective storage boxes to a clothes treating apparatus, and performing a washing course according to the transmitted washing information.

1 . A laundry storage device comprising:
 a body having a plurality of storage boxes to sort and store laundry according to a laundry type; and   a memory in which washing information related to the laundry stored in each storage box is stored.   
   
   
       2 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an input part through which a user inputs a laundry type; and   a display part to indicate which one of the storage boxes the user must introduce the laundry into according to the laundry type input via the input part.   
   
   
       3 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensing part to automatically sense laundry information stored in an information medium that is attached to the laundry; and   a display part to indicate which one of the storage boxes the user must introduce the laundry into according to the information sensed by the sensing part.   
   
   
       4 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 3 , wherein the information medium is a Radio Frequency (RF) card or a bar code. 
   
   
       5 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 3 , wherein the memory stores a database related to laundry sorting standards. 
   
   
       6 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of storage boxes are separable from the body, respectively. 
   
   
       7 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 6 , wherein a weight sensor is installed underneath each storage box, to measure a weight of the laundry stored in each storage box. 
   
   
       8 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 7 , wherein the weight of the laundry stored in each storage box is displayed via the display part. 
   
   
       9 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an indicator to inform the user of an excess weight of the laundry when the weight sensor senses that the laundry stored in each storage box exceeds a predetermined level.   
   
   
       10 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a transmitter to transmit washing information related to laundry stored in the memory to a clothes treating apparatus,   wherein the clothes treating apparatus calculates a washing course by combining the transmitted washing information with information related to the measured weight of the laundry introduced into the clothes treating apparatus.   
   
   
       11 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 10 , wherein the transmitter transmits the laundry washing information when each storage box is separated from the body. 
   
   
       12 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a controller to calculate a washing course by combining the laundry washing information stored in the memory with information related to the weight of the laundry measured by the weight sensor; and   a transmitter to transmit information related to the calculated washing course to the clothes treating apparatus.   
   
   
       13 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 12 , wherein the clothes treating apparatus includes a sensor to sense the laundry introduced into the clothes treating apparatus,
 wherein, when the introduction of the laundry into the clothes treating apparatus is sensed, the transmitter transmits the information related to the washing course to the clothes treating apparatus.   
   
   
       14 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a transmitting button to cause the transmitter to transmit the washing course information.   
   
   
       15 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mover provided at the bottom of the body, to move the laundry storage device to the clothes treating apparatus.   
   
   
       16 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 1 , wherein a dehumidifier is installed in the body, to remove moisture from the laundry stored in each storage box. 
   
   
       17 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 16 , wherein the dehumidifier includes a housing having one side communicating with each storage box, and a blower mounted in the housing to discharge the interior air of each storage box to the outside. 
   
   
       18 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 17 , wherein the housing is provided with a deodorizing filter to remove bad odors from the air discharged from each storage box. 
   
   
       19 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a receiver to receive weather information from an external station.   
   
   
       20 . The laundry storage device according to  claim 19 , wherein an appropriate washing course is calculated by combining the washing information related to the laundry and the weather information. 
   
   
       21 . A clothes treating system comprising:
 a laundry storage device having a plurality of storage boxes to sort and store laundry according to a laundry type; and   a clothes treating apparatus to perform a washing cycle upon receiving washing information, related to the sorted laundry stored in each storage box, from the laundry storage device.   
   
   
       22 . The clothes treating system according to  claim 21 , wherein the laundry storage device includes a transmitter to transmit the washing information related to the laundry stored in the storage boxes, and the clothes treating apparatus includes a receiver to receive the washing information transmitted from the transmitter. 
   
   
       23 . The clothes treating system according to  claim 22 , wherein the laundry storage device further includes a controller to command the transmitter to transmit the washing information to the receiver when the clothes treating apparatus is operated. 
   
   
       24 . The clothes treating system according to  claim 23 , wherein the laundry storage device further includes a memory in which weather information transmitted from an external station is stored. 
   
   
       25 . A clothes treating method comprising:
 sorting and introducing clothing into a plurality of storage boxes according to a clothing type;   transmitting washing information of the laundry sorted and stored in the respective storage boxes to a clothes treating apparatus; and   performing a washing course according to the transmitted washing information.   
   
   
       26 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 calculating information related to the washing course of the laundry from a laundry storage device having the plurality of storage boxes.   
   
   
       27 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 26 , wherein the calculation step is performed on the basis of the washing information related to the laundry and a weight of the laundry. 
   
   
       28 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 27 , further comprising:
 transmitting information related to the calculated washing course to the clothes treating apparatus.   
   
   
       29 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 28 , wherein the transmission step is performed when it is sensed that the user introduces the laundry into the clothes treating apparatus. 
   
   
       30 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 28 , further comprising: after the calculation step,
 displaying information related to the calculated washing course.   
   
   
       31 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 26 , further comprising:
 sensing the washing information of the laundry and displaying the sensed washing information to the user.   
   
   
       32 . The clothes treating method according to  claim 26 , further comprising:
 receiving weather information and calculating a washing course according to the weather information.