Systems for mode switching in an appliance

• US 10,571,869 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Su, Jun, Chen, Anju, Wang, Yi, Yu, Zhuoli
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US14/842,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24001 Maintenance, repair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2638 Airconditioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0291 Switching into safety or degraded mode, e.g. protection and supervision after failure

Abstract

Described herein are systems for mode switching in an appliance, and related analysis and reporting. Associated methods can include determining, by circuitry of an appliance, that an operation of the appliance is abnormal. The determination can include sensing the abnormality and identifying that the operation of the appliance is an abnormal operation according to the sensing of the abnormality. The methods also include switching, by the circuitry, the operation of the appliance to a safe mode. The safe mode can include reducing power used with the operation (such as to stop or reduce speed of rotation of a fan in the appliance). The method also includes communicating, by the circuitry, information regarding the abnormality and/or that the abnormality was resolved, to an electronic device and/or a server. The electronic device can display the information on a display device. The server can generate statistics according to the information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a circuitry of an air purifier, that an operation of the air purifier is abnormal,

wherein the determination includes sensing that a door of the air purifier is open for a predetermined period of time and identifying that the operation of the air purifier is an abnormal operation according to the sensing that the door is open for the predetermined period of time;

switching, by the circuitry, the operation of the air purifier to a safe mode when determining that the operation of the air purifier is abnormal, wherein the safe mode includes stopping or reducing speed of rotation of a fan in the air purifier;

communicating, by the circuitry, information regarding that the door is open for the predetermined period of time to an electronic device due to the abnormal operation of the air purifier; and

communicating, to the electronic device, the information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved when determining that the abnormal operation was resolved, which includes sensing that the door is closed,

wherein the circuitry is communicatively coupled with the electronic device, the electronic device displays the information on a display device to show the abnormal operation of the air purifier and displays on the display device abnormality recovery information to be compared with the information to show the abnormal operation of the air purifier, and the information includes a position of the door, an issue with the door, a time associated with the position and the issue, and an image of the door at the time associated with the position and the issue.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication to the electronic device is over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, by the circuitry, the information regarding that the door is open for the predetermined period of time, to a server, wherein the circuitry is communicatively coupled with the server and the server generates statistics according to the information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the communications to the server are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the communications to the electronic device are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the circuitry, that the abnormal operation was resolved, which includes sensing that the door is closed;

communicating, to the electronic device, the information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved, wherein the display device displays information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved; and

communicating, by the circuitry, the information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved, to a server, wherein the circuitry is communicatively coupled with the server and the server generates statistics according to the information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the communications to the server and the electronic device are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding that the door is open includes an image illustrating the abnormal operation.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding that the door is open includes an image illustrating how to resolve the abnormal operation.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the door of the air purifier includes at least one selected from a group consist of:

a top door with blades, a lower door, and a back filter door.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the air purifier comprises a switch selected from a group consist of:

an R-type switch, a microswitch and a magnetomotive switch, which is triggered when the door is opened; and

the air purifier detects whether the door is opened through a trigger condition of the switch.

13. An air purifier, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium, including;

instructions executable by the processor to determine that an operation of the air purifier is abnormal, wherein the determination includes sensing a foreign object in or on the air purifier for a predetermined period of time and identifying that the operation of the air purifier is an abnormal operation according to the sensing of the foreign object;

instructions executable by the processor to switch the abnormal operation of the air purifier to a safe mode when determining that the operation of the air purifier is abnormal, wherein the safe mode includes stopping or reducing speed of rotation of a fan in the air purifier;

instructions executable by the processor to direct a communications device in the air purifier to communicate information regarding the foreign object to an electronic device due to the abnormal operation of the air purifier; and

instructions executable by the processor to direct the communications device to communicate, to the electronic device and a server, information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved when determining that the abnormal operation was resolved, which includes directing a sensor to sense that the foreign object is no longer present,

wherein the communications device is communicatively coupled with the electronic device, the electronic device displays the information on a display device to show the abnormal operation of the air purifier and displays on the display device abnormality recovery information to be compared with the information to show the abnormal operation of the air purifier, and the information includes a position of the foreign object, an issue with the foreign object, a time associated with the position and the issue, and an image of the foreign object at the time associated with the position and the issue.

14. The air purifier according to claim 13, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to direct the communications device to communicate the information regarding the foreign object to a server,

wherein the server is communicatively coupled to the communications device and the server generates statistics according to the information, and

wherein the communications to the electronic device and the server are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

15. The air purifier according to claim 13,

wherein the display device displays information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved, wherein the server generates statistics according to the information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved, and

wherein the communications to the electronic device and the server are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

16. The air purifier according to claim 13, wherein the information regarding the foreign object includes a first image illustrating the abnormal operation and a second image illustrating how to resolve the abnormal operation.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

instructions executable by a processor to determine that an operation of an air purifier is abnormal, wherein the determination includes;

sensing that the operation is obstructed by an external force and that the obstruction exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

identifying that the operation of the air purifier is an abnormal operation according to the sensing;

instructions executable by a processor to switch the abnormal operation of the air purifier to a safe mode when determining that the operation of the air purifier is abnormal, wherein the safe mode includes stopping or reducing speed of rotation of a fan in the air purifier;

instructions executable by a processor to direct a communications device in the air purifier to communicate information regarding the obstruction to an electronic device due to the abnormal operation of the air purifier; and

instructions executable by a processor to direct the communications device to communicate, to the electronic device and a server, information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved when determining that the abnormal operation was resolved, which includes directing a sensor to sense that the obstruction is no longer present,

wherein the communications device is communicatively coupled with the electronic device, the electronic device displays the information on a display device to show the abnormal operation of the air purifier and displays on the display device abnormality recovery information to be compared with the information to show the abnormal operation of the air purifier, and the information includes a position of the obstruction, an issue with the obstruction, a time associated with the position and the issue, and an image of the obstruction at the time associated with the position and the issue, and

wherein the information regarding the obstruction includes a first image illustrating the abnormal operation and a second image illustrating how to resolve the abnormal operation.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by a processor to direct the communications device to communicate the information regarding the obstruction to a server, wherein the server is communicatively coupled to the communications device and the server generates statistics according to the information, and wherein the communications to the electronic device and the server are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17,

wherein the display device displays information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved, wherein the server generates statistics according to the information regarding that the abnormal operation was resolved, and

wherein the communications to the electronic device and the server are over a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof.