Laundry treating apparatus and method for controlling the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus in which a main apparatus and an auxiliary apparatus are paired with each other, and thus, the auxiliary apparatus is also able to be controlled in the main apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a laundry accommodating portion formed inside the cabinet to accommodate laundry therein;   a driver configured to rotate the laundry accommodating portion inside the cabinet;   a controller configured to control the driver;   a communication module communicably connected to the controller;   an auxiliary cabinet disposed under the cabinet and having an opening formed in a front surface thereof;   a drawer accommodated in the auxiliary cabinet and withdrawable and retractable via the opening;   an auxiliary accommodating portion accommodated in the drawer and having an inlet formed in a top surface thereof to accommodate the laundry therein;   an auxiliary module disposed inside the auxiliary cabinet and configured to be in communication with the communication module;   an auxiliary controller configured to control the auxiliary module;   an withdrawer withdrawer disposed in the auxiliary cabinet to withdraw the drawer; and   a multi-function inputter disposed on an exposed surface of the drawer and configured to receive an extension command for the withdrawer to withdraw the drawer,   wherein the multi-function inputter is also configured to receive a connection command for the auxiliary module to be in communication with the communication module.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-function inputter is configured to receive the connection command in case that being pressed continuously for a certain period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a control panel coupled to the cabinet and configured to receive a series of commands for controlling the controller and the communication module,
 wherein the control panel includes an apparatus selector configured to receive a reception command for the communication module to recognize the auxiliary module and receive the connection command.   
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary module is configured to transmit recognition information capable of specifying the auxiliary module to the communication module in case that the connection command is input via the multi-function inputter,
 wherein the communication module is configured to transmit recognition information capable of specifying the communication module to the auxiliary module in case that the reception command is input via the apparatus selector.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the communication module maintains a state of being in communication with the auxiliary module when receiving the recognition information from the auxiliary module,
 wherein the auxiliary module maintains a state of being in communication with the communication module in case that receiving the recognition information from the communication module.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the control panel further includes a display portion configured to externally display the state that the communication module and the auxiliary module have received the recognition information from each other. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to approve the connection or display on the display portion whether to approve the connection when confirming that the communication module and the auxiliary module have received the recognition information from each other. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the display portion is configured to externally display a connection complete state when the communication module and the auxiliary module are connected to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the display portion is configured to display a state of the auxiliary module or the auxiliary controller in case that the connection between the communication module and the auxiliary module has been approved. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the display portion is configured to display a state of the controller or the auxiliary controller supplied with power in case that the power is supplied to only one of the controller and the auxiliary controller, in case that the connection between the communication module and the auxiliary module has been approved. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the display portion is configured to display states of the controller and the auxiliary controller in a separate manner in case that the power is supplied to both the controller and the auxiliary controller, in case that the connection between the communication module and the auxiliary module has been approved. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module and the auxiliary module are set to be automatically connected to each other after power is supplied thereto in case that the connection therebetween has been completed previously. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the communication module is configured to store recognition information of the auxiliary module in case that the connection with the auxiliary module has been completed,
 wherein the auxiliary module is configured to store recognition information of the communication module in case that the connection with the communication module has been completed.   
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary module is configured to be disconnected from the communication module in case that the multi-function inputter receives the connection command again, even when the connection with the communication module has been completed previously. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the auxiliary module is configured to delete recognition information of the communication module in case that the multi-function inputter receives the connection command again, even when the connection with the communication module has been completed previously.