Coordination of control modes among appliances and utilities

• US 10,444,717 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Gary, Jr., Wyndham F., Giacomini, Neomar, Hughes, Richard J., Jakeway, Michael J., Kelson, Christopher W., Singh, Saket, Artis, Andrew Benedict
• Primary Examiner(s): Azad, Md
• Application Number:
  US15/443,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 700275
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00

Abstract

A system for controlling a plurality of appliances is disclosed. The appliances comprise a plurality of controllers in communication with a mobile device. Each of the controllers is configured to receive an instruction from the mobile device corresponding to a selected mode of a plurality of modes and apply the selected mode among the plurality of appliances as a selected global setting of a plurality of available global settings. The controller is further operable to activate an appliance specific control routine for each of the plurality of appliances based on the selected global setting and control each appliance based on the appliance specific control routine. The appliance specific control routine comprises a plurality of controls configured control an operation of each of the appliances causing the operation to conform to the selected mode.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a plurality of appliances:

the plurality of appliances in communication via a communication interface, the appliances comprising a plurality of controllers in communication with a mobile device, wherein each of the plurality of controllers is configured to;

receive an instruction from the mobile device corresponding to a selected mode of a plurality of modes;

apply the selected mode among the plurality of appliances as a selected global setting of a plurality of available global settings;

activate an appliance specific control routine for each of the plurality of appliances based on the selected global setting; and

control each appliance based on the appliance specific control routine, wherein the appliance specific control routine comprises a plurality of controls configured to control an operation of each of the plurality of appliances causing the operation to conform to the selected mode, wherein the selected mode is a quiet mode, and in response to the quiet mode,

a first controller of the plurality of controllers is configured to control a clothes washer and wherein the appliance specific control routine for the quiet mode for the clothes washer comprises reducing a spin speed of the clothes washer and delaying a cycle start of a wash cycle, and

a second controller of the plurality of controllers is configured to control a refrigeration unit and wherein the appliance specific control routine for the quiet mode for the refrigeration unit comprises silencing audible alerts, disabling a defrost mode, and suspending ice making.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to control an application comprising the plurality of modes and identify the selected mode in response to a user input to the mobile device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface corresponds to a wireless communication network provided by a router configured to provide for wireless communication among the plurality of appliances and the mobile device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein a third controller of the plurality of controllers is configured to control a dishwasher to apply the appliance specific control routine comprising decreasing the water pressure for operation.

5. A method for controlling a plurality of appliances to apply a global setting for operation:

receiving an instruction from a mobile device corresponding to a selected mode of a plurality of modes;

applying the selected mode among the plurality of appliances as a selected global setting of a plurality of available global settings;

activating an appliance specific control routine for each of the plurality of appliances based on the selected global setting;

controlling each appliance based on the appliance specific control routine, wherein the appliance specific control routine comprises a plurality of controls configured to control an operation of each of the plurality of appliances causing the operation to conform to the selected mode, wherein the selected mode is a party mode;

in response to the party mode, deactivating a cycle start delay and activating an appliance of the plurality of appliances to initiate a processing cycle and controlling a refrigeration unit to maximize ice production and activate a maximum cooling setting.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

displaying the plurality of modes on a display of the mobile device; and

receiving a selection on the mobile device indicating the selected mode.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the party mode, activating a warming mode of an oven.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the party mode, adjusting a set temperature and activating a circulation fan of an HVAC system.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the party mode, delaying a cycle start of a clothes washer and a clothes dryer.

10. A system for controlling a plurality of appliances:

a plurality of appliances in communication via a communication interface, the plurality of appliances comprising a plurality of controllers in communication with a mobile device, wherein each of the plurality of controllers is configured to;

receive an instruction from the mobile device corresponding to a selected mode of a plurality of modes;

apply the selected mode among the plurality of appliances as a selected global setting of a plurality of available global settings;

activate an appliance specific control routine for each of the plurality of appliances based on the selected global setting; and

control each appliance based on the appliance specific control routine, wherein the selected mode comprises an away mode configured to control an operation of each of the plurality of appliances causing the operation to conform to the away mode, and in response to the away mode, the controller is configured to monitor each of the plurality of appliances and identify a manual activation of one of the plurality of appliances, and in response to the manual activation identified in the away mode, communicate the manual activation to the mobile device.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein, in response to the away mode, the plurality of controllers are configured to activate a low energy mode for the plurality of appliances.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein a first controller of the plurality of controllers is configured to control at least one of an oven, a cooktop, and a range to block a heating activation based on the away mode.