Appliance control identification system employing user interface scan matrix

• US 20040004635A1
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: King, Jonathan D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/741
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/00 User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/056 Keyboard or overlay identification features

Abstract

A universal controller is employed in a domestic appliance including a user interface. In order to determine the particular user interface utilized and, correspondingly, the available cycles, features and options of the appliance, a scan of a keypad matrix associated with the user interface is performed to determine the presence and/or absence of shorts used to reflect the existence of permanently closed keys of the matrix. In accordance with the invention, the shorts can be indicated individually, in sequence and/or in combination in order to indicate to the controller which firmware to execute for a particular user interface.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a select user interface connected to a universal controller for a domestic appliance comprising:

assembling the domestic appliance with the controller and the select user interface having an associated keypad matrix;

initiating a keypad matrix scan;

signaling shorts sensed during the keypad matrix scan to the controller; and

establishing a set of pre-stored operational firmware, corresponding to the select user interface, to be executed by the controller of the domestic appliance based on the shorts signaled in the keypad matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling a short when a permanently closed key is encountered during the keypad matrix scan.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of pre-stored operational firmware is established based on combinations of shorts sensed during the keypad matrix scan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of pre-stored operational firmware is established based on one or more sequences of shorts sensed during the keypad matrix scan.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in addition to establishing the set of pre-stored operational firmware based on the shorts signaled in the keypad matrix, further establishing the set of pre-stored operational firmware due to an absence of a short in the keypad matrix scan.

6. A method of operating of a domestic appliance comprising:

assembling the domestic appliance with a universally programmed controller and a user interface selected from a plurality of user interfaces;

performing a scan of a keypad matrix for the appliance;

signaling a presence or absence of shorts during the keypad matrix scan to the controller;

identifying the user interface based on signals received during the scan of the keypad matrix; and

executing firmware during operation of the domestic appliance based on the identified user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

signaling a short when a permanently closed key of the user interface is encountered during the keypad matrix scan.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interface is identified based on combinations of shorts sensed during the keypad matrix scan.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interface is identified based on one or more sequences of shorts sensed during the keypad matrix scan.

10. A domestic appliance comprising:

a control panel including a predetermined user interface having a plurality of control elements for selecting a desired one of a plurality of available operating cycles for the appliance, said plurality of control elements defining a keypad matrix corresponding to the predetermined user interface;

a controller, linked to the control panel, for establishing the one of the plurality of desired operating cycles, said controller being configured to operate with a plurality of distinct user interfaces; and

means for performing a scan of and signaling shorts in the keypad matrix in order to automatically identify the predetermined user interface of the control panel.

11. The domestic appliance according to claim 10, wherein the performing and signaling means indicates a short when a permanently closed key of a respective one of the plurality of control elements is encountered during the keypad matrix scan.

12. The domestic appliance according to claim 10, wherein the performing and signaling means determines combinations of shorts during the scan of the keypad matrix in order to identify the predetermined user interface.

13. The domestic appliance according to claim 10, wherein the performing and signaling means determines sequences of shorts during the scan of the keypad matrix in order to identify the predetermined user interface.

14. The domestic appliance according to claim 10, wherein the domestic appliance constitutes a dishwasher.