HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE WITH USER SELECTED DEFAULT SETTINGS

• US 20080065244A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kmet, David, Woerdehoff, Christopher, Carroll, Joshua, Reck, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/14 Time settings
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/18 Target temperature for the drying process, e.g. low-temperature cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/34 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/38 Time, e.g. duration
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/30 Blowers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/52 Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
• 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

Abstract

A household appliance functions according to multiple operating cycles, wherein each operating cycle comprises at least one step characterized by a parameter having a factory-set default value. A user can access a controller of the household appliance through a user interface to simultaneously set new default values for a parameter common to at least two of the multiple operating cycles.

Claims

1. In a household appliance having multiple operating cycles, with each operating cycle having at least one step characterized by a parameter having a factory-set default value, a method for setting a new default value comprising:

permitting a user of the household appliance to simultaneously set new default values for a parameter common to at least two of the multiple operating cycles.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the simultaneous setting of new default values comprises selecting a set of default values from multiple sets of default values.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the set of default values is selected through a user interface of the household appliance.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the simultaneous setting of new default values comprises shifting a mean of the parameter common to at least two multiple operating cycles.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new default values are simultaneously set for the common parameter in all of the multiple operating cycles.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the simultaneous setting of new default values comprises setting new default values for multiple parameters common to the at least two of the multiple operating cycles.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the multiple operating cycles is a drying cycle for a household clothes dryer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the simultaneous setting of new default values comprises selecting a set of default values from multiple sets of default values.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein each set of default values contains multiple values for the common parameter, with each value corresponding to one of the drying cycles.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the common parameter is a DRYING TIME which is the sum of a BASE DRY TIME and an ADD-ON DRY TIME.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the value is an ADDITIONAL DRY TIME that is summed with the DRYING TIME to form a new DRYING TIME.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the value is a DRYING TIME MULTIPLIER.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the DRYING TIME is multiplied by the DRYING TIME MULTIPLIER to form a new DRYING TIME.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ADD-ON DRY TIME is multiplied by the DRYING TIME MULTIPLIER and the product of the ADD-ON DRY TIME and the DRYING TIME MULTIPLIER is summed with the BASE DRY TIME to form a new DRY TIME.