Clothes care method and spot cleaning device

Abstract

A method may include transmitting, by a spot cleaner, an end signal to notify an end of a washing process performed by the spot cleaner in which a garment was cleaned by the spot cleaner, based on completion of the washing process, wherein the spot cleaner is positionable inside a clothes care apparatus so that the washing process is performable by the spot cleaner while the spot cleaner and garment are inside the clothes care apparatus, and the spot cleaner is positionable outside of the clothes care apparatus so that the washing process is performable by the spot cleaner while the spot cleaner and garment are outside of the clothes care apparatus; and performing, by the clothes care apparatus, a clothes care process or providing an interface to start the clothes care process, based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaner.

1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a spot cleaning device, an end signal to notify an end of a washing process performed by the spot cleaning device in which a garment was cleaned by the spot cleaning device, based on completion of the washing process, wherein the spot cleaning device is positionable inside a clothes care apparatus so that the washing process is performable by the spot cleaning device to clean a garment while the spot cleaning device and the garment are inside the clothes care apparatus, and the spot cleaning device is positionable outside of the clothes care apparatus so that the washing process is performable by the spot cleaning device to clean a garment while the spot cleaning device and the garment are outside of the clothes care apparatus; and   performing, by the clothes care apparatus, a clothes care process or providing an interface to start the clothes care process, based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaning device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the performing provides the interface, and   the method further comprising:
 transmitting, by the clothes care apparatus, a start command to start the washing process, based on receiving, by the interface, a user input to start the washing process; and 
 starting, by the spot cleaning device, the washing process based on the start command having been transmitted by the clothes care apparatus. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a user input to start the washing process; and   starting, by the spot cleaning device, the washing process based on receiving the user input to start the washing process.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by the spot cleaning device, the washing process,   wherein the garment is fixed to a fixing plate, and the performing the washing process includes:
 moving, by the spot cleaning device, the spot cleaning device so that the spot cleaning device is in close contact with the garment fixed to the fixing plate, to perform the washing process, and 
 moving, by the spot cleaning device, the spot cleaning device so that spot cleaning device is separated from the garment based on completion of the washing process. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the clothes care apparatus, a location of the spot cleaning device,   wherein the performing performs the clothes care process or provides the interface based on the identified location.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the performing performs the clothes care process based on the identified location being in a cabinet of the clothes care apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the performing provides the interface based on the identified location being outside a cabinet of the clothes care apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a user input to start a predetermined course of the clothes care apparatus; and   identifying, by the clothes care apparatus, a location of the spot cleaning device based on receiving the user input to start the predetermined course of the clothes care apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing, by the clothes care apparatus, feedback to notify that the spot cleaning device is not detected in a cabinet of the clothes care apparatus, based on the identified location being outside the cabinet.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the clothes care apparatus, a start command to start the washing process, based on the identified location being in a cabinet of the clothes care apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the clothes care apparatus, an amount of garments to be treated by the clothes care apparatus based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaning device; and   determining a set value of the clothes care process based on the identified amount of garments.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by the clothes care apparatus, a steam process during the washing process of the spot cleaning device while the spot cleaning device and the garment are inside the clothes care apparatus.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the clothes care apparatus includes at least one of a clothes management apparatus, a washing machine, or a dryer, and   the clothes care process includes at least one of a drying process, a rinsing process, or a spin-drying process.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 the clothes care apparatus is the clothes management apparatus, and   the performing, by the clothes care apparatus, the clothes care process or providing the interface to start the clothes care process, based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaning device further includes:
 performing, by the clothes management apparatus, the drying process or providing an interface to start the drying process, based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaning device. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 the clothes care apparatus is the dryer, and   the performing, by the clothes care apparatus, the clothes care process or providing the interface to start the clothes care process, based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaning device further includes:
 performing, by the dryer, the drying process without rotation of a drum or providing an interface to start the drying process without the rotation of the drum, based on the end signal having been transmitted by the spot cleaning device.