received by the International Bureau on 15 August 2016 (15.08.2016)

1. An appliance monitoring and reporting system for monitoring an appliance configured to operate according to a plurality of cycles of operation, each cycle denoted by a classification, the monitoring system comprising:

a data acquisition module configured to sense or receive from the appliance signals indicative of the operation of the appliance; and

a data processing module configured to receive and process information indicative of the operation of the appliance, the received information based on the sensed or received signals from the appliance, the data processing module comprising:

a memory for storing associations between a plurality of classifications and

a corresponding plurality of sets of reference data; and

a processor configured to:

compare the received information to the plurality of sets of reference data,

identify a match between the received Information and one of the sets of reference data; and

upon Identification of a match, determine the classification associated with the matched set of reference data,

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the data acquisition module Is removably attachable to the appliance.

3. The system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the data acquisition module further comprises:

one or more sensors for sensing the state of a component of the appliance; and one or more sensor inputs, each configured to receive a signal from a corresponding one of the one or more sensors. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more sensors is removably attachable to the respective component of the appliance.

5. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the data acquisition module further comprises one or more appliance inputs, each configured to receive a signal generated by the appliance.

6. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the data acquisition module further comprises one or more utility meter inputs, each configured to receive a signal generated by a utility meter. 7. The system of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the components of the appliance include one or more relays configured to control the operation of the appliance, each relay having an active state and an inactive state.

8, The system of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the signal generated by the appliance Is a utility supply signal for controlling the supply of a utility from a utility source separate-from the appliance.

9, The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises data pertaining to a plurality of unique utility supply signals.

10, The system of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the appliance Is a washing machine, the utility source is a chemical dispenser, and the utility supply signal is a chemical pump signal for controlling the supply of chemicals from the chemical dispenser. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the chemical pump signal is one of a formula select signal and a formula reset signal.

12. The system of any one of claims 6 to 11 , wherein the utility meter is a water meter and the signal generated by the water meter is indicative of the volume of cold water and/or hot water supplied to the appliance, and wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises a plurality of unique Indications of the volume of cold water and/or hot water supplied to the appliance.

13. The system of any one of claims 6 to 11 , wherein the utility meter is an electricity meter and the signal generated by the electricity meter is indicative of the electrical energy supplied to the appliance, and wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises a plurality of unique Indications of the electrical energy supplied to the appliance.

14. The system of any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises a plurality of unique state patterns of the one or more relays,

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of unique state patterns of the one or more relays Includes information on the duration for which each of the one or more relays is in the active state and/or the Inactive state, and the order in which each of the one or more relays switches between the active and inactive states.

16. The system of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the one or more relays configured to control the operation of the appliance Include one or more of the following:

a relay, the state of which is indicative of the start of a cycle of operation of the appliance;

a relay, the state of which Is indicative of the end of a cycle of operation of the appliance;

a relay, the state of which is indicative of a call for the supply of a utility from a utility source separate from the appliance, preferably a call for the supply of chemicals from a chemical dispenser;

a relay, the state of which is Indicative of the door lock status of the appliance; a relay, the state of which Is indicative of the alarm status of the appliance; a relay, the state of which is indicative of the lint filter lock status of the appliance; and

a relay, the state of which Is Indicative of the drain input status of the appliance.

17. The system of any preceding claim , wherein In the absence of a match between the received information and one of the sets of reference data, the processor is configured to identify the set of reference data that is closest to the received Information and determine the classification associated with the closest set of reference data.

18. The system of any preceding claim, wherein in the absence of a match between the received Information and one of the sets of reference data, the processor is configured to store in the memory:

a new classification;

a new set of reference data corresponding to the received information; and an association between the new classification and the new set of reference data.

19. The system of any preceding claim, wherein in the absence of a match between the received information and one of the sets of reference data, the processor is configured to determine that an error has occurred.

20. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the data processing module is located on a remote server; and the system further comprises a local gateway communicatively coupled to the data acquisition module and the data processing module; wherein the data acquisition module is configured to generate a data packet containing data Indicative of the operation of the appliance based on the sensed or received signals and transmit it to the local gateway; and

the local gateway Is configured to receive and process data packets sent by the data acquisition module, and transmit information Indicative of the operation of the appliance to the remote server, said Information based on the received data packets.

21. The system of any one of claims1 to 19, wherein the data processing module and

at least part of the data acquisition module are located within a common housing,

22. The system of claim 21, when dependent on claims 3 to 16, wherein the one or more sensor inputs, appliance inputs and/or utility meter Inputs comprise one or more ports In the common housing.

23. A method of monitoring an appliance configured to operate according to a plurality of cycles of operation, each cycle denoted by a classification, the method comprising: sensing or receiving, by a data acquisition module, signals from the appliance indicative of the operation of the appliance;

sending information indicative of the operation of the appliance to a data processing module, the information based on the signals sensed or received by the data acquisition module;

comparing, by the data processing module, the information indicative of the operation of the appliance with a plurality of sets of reference data stored in a memory;

Identifying a match between the information and one of the sets of reference data; and

determining the classification associated with the matched set of reference data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the sensing comprises sensing the state of one or more components of the appliance,

25. The method of claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the method further comprises attaching one or more sensors to a component of the appliance and the sensing comprises sensing the state of the one or more components of the appliance at the sensors.

26. The method of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the receiving comprises receiving one or more signals generated by the appliance.

27. The method of any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the data acquisition module, a signal generated by one or more utility meters.

28. The method of any one of claims 23 to 27, wherein the com ponents of the

appliance Include one or more relays configured to control the operation of the appliance, each relay having an active state and an Inactive state.

29. The method of any one of claims 23 to 28, wherein the signal generated by the appliance is a utility supply signal for controlling the supply of a utility from a utility source separate from the appliance.

30. The method of any one of claims 23 to 29, wherein the plurality of sets of referenoe data comprises data pertaining to a plurality of unique utility supply signals.

31. The method of any one of claims 23 to 30, wherein the appliance is a washing machine, the utility source is a chemical dispenser, and the utility supply signal Is a chemical pump signal for controlling the supply of chemicals from the chemical dispenser.

32. The method of any one of claims 23 to 31 , wherein the chemical pump signal is one of a formula select signal and a formula reset signal.

33. The method of any one of claims 23 to 32, wherein the utility meter Is a water meter and the signal generated by the water meter is indicative of the volume of cold water and/or hot water supplied to the appliance, and wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises a plurality of unique Indications of the volume of cold water and/or hot water supplied to (he appliance. 34. The method of any one of claims 23 to 33, wherein the utility meter is an electricity meter and the signal generated by the electricity meter is indicative of the electrical energy supplied to the appliance, and wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises a plurality of unique indications of the electrical energy supplied to the appliance.

35. The method of any one of claims 23 to 34, wherein the plurality of sets of reference data comprises a plurality of unique state patterns of the one or more relays.

36. The method of any one of claims 23 to 35, wherein each of the plurality of unique state patterns of the one or more relays includes information on the duration for which each of the one or more relays is in the active state and/or the inactive state, and the order In which each of the one or more relays switches between the active and Inactive -states.

37. The method of any one of claims 23 to 36, wherein the one or more relays configured to control the operation of the appliance include one or more of the following: a relay, the state of which is indicative of the start of a cycle of operation of the appliance;

a relay, the state of which is indicative of the end of a cycle of operation of the appliance;

a relay, the state of which is indicative of a call for the supply of a utility from a utility source separate from the appliance, preferably a call for the supply of chemicals from a chemical dispenser;

a relay, the state of which is indicative of the door lock status of the appliance; a relay, the state of which is indicative of the alarm status of the appliance; a relay, the state of which is indicative of the lint filter lock status of the appliance; and

a relay, the state of which is indicative of the drain input status of the appliance.

38. The method of any one of claims 23 to 37, wherein, in the absence of a match between the received Information and one of the sets of reference data the method further comprises the steps of:

identifying the set of reference data that Is closest to the received information; and determining the classification associated with the closest set of reference data.

39. The method of any one of claims 23 to 36 wherein, in the absence of a match between the received information and one of the sets of reference data the method further comprises the step of storing in the memory: a new classification;

a new set of reference data corresponding to the received information; and an association between the new classification and the new set of reference data. 40, The method of any one of claims 23 to 39, wherein in the absence of a match between the received Information and one of the sets of reference data the method further comprises determining that an error has occurred.

41. The method of any one of claims 23 to 40, wherein the data processing module is located on a remote server and a local gateway is communicatively coupled to the data acquisition module and the data processing module and wherein the method further comprises:

generating a data packet by the data acquisition module, the data packet containing data indicative of the operation of the appliance based on the sensed or received signals;

transmitting the data packet from the data acquisition module to the local gateway; receiving the data packet at the local gateway;

processing the data packet at the local gateway; and

transmitting information indicative of the operation of the appliance to the remote server, said information being based on the received data packets.

42. The method of any one of claims 23 to 41 , wherein the data processing module and at least part of the data acquisition module are located within a common housing, the data processing module communicatively coupled to a remote server external to the common housing, and wherein the method further comprises:

handling the sensed or received signals at the data acquisition module in the common housing;

sending the sensed or received signals from the data acquisition module to the data processing module In the common housing;

receiving the signals at the data processing module;

processing the data packet at the data processing module; and

transmitting information indicative of the operation of the appliance to the remote server, said information being based on the sensed or received signals,

43. A data acquisition module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22, the data acquisition module being configured to sense or receive from the appliance signals indicative of the operation of the appliance. 44. A data processing module configured to receive and process information indicative of the operation of an appliance, the received information based on the sensed or received signals from the appliance, the data processing module comprising:

a memory for storing associations between a plurality of classifications and a corresponding plurality of sets of reference data; and

a processor configured to:

compare the received information to the plurality of sets of reference data, identify a match between the received information and one of the sets of upon identification of a match, determine the classification associated with the matched set of reference data.

45, A data acquisition device for monitoring an appliance, the device being removably attachable to the appliance and comprising:

one or more sensors, each sensor being removably attachable to a component of the appliance for sensing a state of that component;

an interface configured, when the apparatus Is attached to the appliance, to receive, process and transmit data indicative of the operation of the appliance, the interface Including:

one or more sensor inputs, each configured to receive a signal from a corresponding one of the one or more sensors;

a processor configured to process the signals received from the one or more sensors and generate a data packet containing data indicative of the operation of the appliance based on the received signals; and

a communications module configured to transmit the data packet generated by the processor to a local gateway or remote server.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein the interface further Includes:

one or more appliance inputs, each configured to receive a signal generated by the appliance, and wherein the processor is further configured to process the signals generated by the appllanoe.

47. The device of claim 45 or 46, wherein the interface further includes:

one or more utility meter Inputs, each configured to receive a signal generated by a utility meter, and wherein the processor is further configured to process the signals generated by the utility meter.

48. The device of any one of claims 45 to 47, wherein the components of the appliance include one or more relays configured to control the operation of the appliance, each relay having an active state and an inactive state. 49. The device of any one of claims 45 to 48, wherein the one or more relays Includes one or more of:

a relay, the state of which of the start of a cycle of operation of the appliance;

a relay, the state of wh ative of the end of a cycle of operation of the appliance;

a relay, the state of which is indicative of a call for the supply of a utility from a utility source separate from the appliance, preferably a call for the supply of chemicals from a chemical dispenser;

a relay, the state of which is indicative of the door lock status of the appliance; a relay, the state of which is Indicative of the alarm status of the appliance; a relay, the state of which is indicative of the lint filter lock status of the appliance; and

a relay, the state of which is indicative of the drain input status of the appliance, 50, The device of claim 45 to 49, wherein the signal generated by the appliance Is a utility supply signal for controlling the supply of a utility from a utility source separate from the appliance.

51. The device of claim 45 to 50, wherein the appliance is a washing machine, the utility source is a chemical dispenser, and the utility supply signal is a chemical pump signal for controlling the supply of chemicals from the chemical dispenser.

52. The device of claim 45 to 51 , wherein the chemical pump signal is one of a formula select signal and a formula reset signal.

53. The device of claim 45 to 52, wherein the utility meter is a water meter, and the signal generated by the water meter is Indicative of the volume of cold water and/or hot water to the appliance,

54. The device of claim 45 to 53, wherein the utility meter is an electricity meter, and the signal generated by the electricity meter is indicative of the electrical energy delivered to the appliance.

55. An appliance monitoring and reporting system comprising:

one or more data acquisition devices according to any one of claims 45 to 54, each data-acquisition device removably attached to an appliance; and

a local gateway configured:

i. to receive and process data packets sent by the communications modules of the one or more data acquisition devices; and ii. to transmit information indicative of the operation of the corresponding appliances to a remote server, said information based on the received data packets.