Systems and methods for providing variable output feedback to a user of a household appliance
First Claim
1. A system for providing user feedback comprising:
- an input device operated by a user to indicate a desired operational status of a household appliance;
a microcontroller controlling a household appliance, the microcontroller receiving input from the input device, the microcontroller providing in response a first output signal and a second output signal;
one of a plurality of heating elements operatively connected to the microcontroller and causing heat to be generated in response to the first output signal; and
a plurality of discrete LEDs controlled by the second output signal, the microcontroller activating at least two or more of the plurality of discrete LEDs associated with the heating element generating heat.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention uses an on-board microcontroller of a household appliance to receive signals from a directionless encoder attached to a knob for receiving user input and processing the signals from the direction encoder according to a control algorithm. The microcontroller may increase the output to an electric heating element on the appliance based on a variety of criteria, including either direction of rotation, current heating element setting, or a change in directional rotation. Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller may provide various types of graduate visual or aural feedback to the user regarding the output provided by the microcontroller.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for providing user feedback comprising:
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an input device operated by a user to indicate a desired operational status of a household appliance;
a microcontroller controlling a household appliance, the microcontroller receiving input from the input device, the microcontroller providing in response a first output signal and a second output signal;
one of a plurality of heating elements operatively connected to the microcontroller and causing heat to be generated in response to the first output signal; and
a plurality of discrete LEDs controlled by the second output signal, the microcontroller activating at least two or more of the plurality of discrete LEDs associated with the heating element generating heat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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6. The system 5 wherein the input device comprises a rotational directionless encoder.
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11. A method of providing visual feedback to a user of a household appliance comprising:
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receiving input regarding a operational status of the household appliance from the user at a microcontroller controlling the operation of the household appliance;
determining in the microcontroller a variable output control signal controlling the operational status of the household appliance;
generating at least one signal in the microcontroller activating at least one of a plurality of discrete LEDs in proportion with the variable output control signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for providing user feedback comprising:
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an input device operated by a user to indicate a desired operational status of a household appliance;
an audible sound generator receiving a variable input signal and capable of generating a sound of one of a plurality of frequencies;
a microcontroller controlling a household appliance, the microcontroller receiving input from the input device, the microcontroller providing in response an appliance control signal and the variable output signal, wherein the microcontroller produces the variable output signal based in part from the input from the input device and selecting from a memory one from a plurality of data for generating the variable input signal, wherein further the selected variable output signal is of a characteristic to produce the one of a plurality of frequencies in the audible sound generator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for providing user feedback comprising:
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an input device operated by a user to indicate a desired operational status of a household appliance;
a microcontroller controlling a household appliance, the microcontroller receiving input from the input device, the microcontroller providing in response a first output signal and a second output signal;
one of a plurality of heating elements operatively connected to the microcontroller and generating heat in response to the first output signal; and
an audible sound generator controlled by the second output signal, the microcontroller determining the second output signal based in part on the first output signal and causing the audible sound generator to generate a selected one from a set of frequencies based on the first output signal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of providing audible feedback to a user of a household appliance comprising:
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receiving input at a microcontroller from the user altering the operational status of a burner on the household appliance;
determining which of one of a plurality burners the operation status is to be altered;
determining one of a plurality of audio control signals associated with the one of the plurality of burners and the output level of the burner; and
providing the audio control signal to an audio output device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification