Appliance Information Communication System

• US 20070241938A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Hill, Eric, Ulius-Sabel, Sara
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

Communicating operational information to a user of an appliance regarding the operational mode of the appliance and the options available for a selected operational mode and the options selected.

Claims

1. A method of communicating to a user of an appliance operational information related to an operational mode of the appliance through a user interface, comprising:

indicating options available for selection by the user for an operating mode of the appliance;

indicating which of the available options is selected by the user;

distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options; and

continuing to indicate the non-selected available options subsequent to the selection of the selected available option.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the continued indicating of the non-selected available options continues after the initiation of the operating mode.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the continued indicating of the non-selected available options continues for each non-selected available option until the operating mode progresses to a point beyond which the non-selected available option can be implemented.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the indicating of available options comprises visually indicating the available options.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options comprises visually distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein visually distinguishing between the selected available option and the non-selected available options comprises illuminating the selected available options in a first illumination state and illuminating the non-selected available options in a second illumination state different from the first illumination state.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second illumination states differ in at least one of color and intensity.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first and second illumination states are color.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the color indicating the non-selected available option is amber.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising indicating the unavailable options.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising distinguishing the unavailable options from the available options.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating of the selected available options comprises indicating multiple selected available options.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating of the selected available options comprises indicating a selected parameter associated with the selected available options.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the indicating of a selected parameter comprises indicating a selected parameter from a group of parameters.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the group of parameters comprises a group of available parameters.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising indicating the operating mode selected by the user from a plurality of operating modes.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating of available options comprises visually indicating the available options.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options comprises visually distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein visually distinguishing between the selected available option and the non-selected available options comprises illuminating the selected available options in a first illumination state and illuminating the non-selected available options in a second illumination state different from the first illumination state.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first and second illumination states differ in at least one of color and intensity.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first and second illumination states are color.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising indicating the available options after the abnormal stopping of the operational mode.

23. A user interface for an appliance comprising:

a mode selector comprising a plurality of operating modes with a corresponding mode indicator for indicating which of the operating modes is selected;

an option selector comprising a plurality of options for the plurality of operating modes with a corresponding option indicator for indicating a status of the option; and

a controller operably coupled to the mode selector and the option selector wherein the controller activates the mode indicator corresponding to a selected operating mode, activates in a first activation state the option indicator for each available and selected option associated with the selected operating mode, activates in a second activation state the option indicator for each available and non-selected option associated with the selected operating mode, and maintains the activation of the available and non-selected options after selection of the available and selected options.

24. The user interface of claim 23 wherein at least one of the option indicator and the mode indicator comprises a visual indicator.

25. The user interface of claim 24 wherein the option indicator comprises a visual indicator for at least some of the plurality of options.

26. The user interface of claim 25 wherein the visual indicator comprises an illumination source operable in multiple illumination states corresponding to the activation states.

27. The user interface of claim 26 wherein the multiple illumination states comprises a first illumination state corresponding to the selected available options and the second illumination states corresponding to the non-selected available options.

28. The user interface of claim 26 wherein the multiple illumination states comprises a third illumination state corresponding to an unavailable option.

29. The user interface of claim 28 wherein the first, second and third illumination states differ in at least one of color and intensity produced by the illumination source.

30. The user interface of claim 23 wherein the first and second activation states comprise the visual indicator differing in at least one of color and intensity.

31. The user interface of claim 23 wherein the controller is configured to maintain the second activation state for the option indicator for the non-selected available options until the operating mode progresses to a point beyond which the non-selected available option can be implemented.

32. The user interface of claim 31 wherein the controller is configured to maintain the first activation state for the option indicator for the selected available options until at least the completion of the operating mode.

33. The user interface of claim 23 wherein the controller is configured to activate the option indicator to indicate the available options after the abnormal stopping of the operational mode.