| 摘要 |
An electrical appliance, such as a washing machine 1, which is controlled by a microprocessor, stores codes regarding the operation of the appliance, such as fault codes. These codes are converted into audible tones of the type produced by a modem and are transmitted by the loudspeaker or piezo buzzer 5 normally used on such appliances. The tones can be received by a telephone hand piece 9. These tones can be interpreted by a remote computer 13 attached to the telephone network. The information can be used to diagnose faults in the appliance. In use, the appliance owner dials the manufacturer's service centre and, and leaves the telephone off the hook while the owner presses a key or key combination on the appliance. This causes the appliance to produce the audible tones which carry information regarding the operation of the appliance. The computer 13 at the service centre converts the tones back into data, which can be interpreted by an operator at the service centre. The owner then returns to the phone and receives advice from the operator on the operation of the appliance. There is no need for the telephone hand piece to be close to the appliance, the two can be in different rooms.
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