CONSUMABLE HOLDER WITH ELECTRONICS TO COMMUNICATE WITH AN APPLIANCE

• US 20100102051A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: LUCKMAN, JOEL A., KAEDING, JANICE M., WRIGHT, TREMITCHEL, EBROM, MATTHEW P., MCCOY, RICHARD A., GLOTZBACH, MARK E., HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL S.
• Application Number:
  US12/256,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/520
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12

Abstract

A consumable holder includes a source of a consumable, at least one appliance coupling point configured to convey the consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable in a cycle of operation on an article, and electronics adapted to connect to a process control apparatus in the appliance. The electronics can thus cause a consumable to affect a resource or an article in an appliance using the process control apparatus when the consumable holder is coupled to the appliance.

Claims

1. A consumable holder comprising

a source of a consumable;

at least one appliance coupling point configured to convey the consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable in a cycle of operation on an article; and

electronics adapted to connect to a process control apparatus in the appliance,

whereby the electronics can cause a consumable to affect a resource or an article in an appliance using the process control apparatus when the consumable holder is coupled to the appliance.

2. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising a second process control apparatus in the consumable holder to control dispensing a consumable from the source.

3. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the electronics includes a controller and the controller is connected to a source of power.

4. A consumable holder according to claim 3 wherein the source of power is in the consumable holder.

5. A consumable holder according to claim 3 wherein the source of power is external to the consumable holder.

6. A consumable holder according to claim 2 wherein the second process control apparatus enables the consumable holder to discover at least one functionality of an appliance by using network messages.

7. A consumable holder according to claim 2 wherein the second process control apparatus has at least one functional identifier.

8. A consumable holder according to claim 2 wherein the second process control apparatus is enabled to propagate messages to enable discovery of functionalities.

9. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising a consumable reader.

10. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the source of a consumable is a reservoir.

11. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the source of a consumable is a bulk dispenser.

12. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the source of a consumable is a removable cartridge.

13. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one coupling point for exchanging a resource with an appliance.

14. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one coupling point for exchanging data with an appliance.

15. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one coupling point for conveying a consumable to an appliance.

16. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one coupling point for connecting to a source of information about the consumable.

17. A consumable holder according to claim 16 wherein the source of information is a consumable reader.

18. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising a coupling point for connecting to resource from somewhere other than the appliance

19. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising a coupling point for receiving a consumable from outside the holder.

20. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor to sense attributes about one of the source and the consumable.

21. A consumable holder according to claim 20 wherein the attributes include one of amount, brand, type, composition, structural form, and concentration.

22. A consumable holder according to claim 21 further comprising a controller to inventory attributes from at least one consumable.

23. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein information about one of the source, a cycle of operation, and the consumable is conveyed to a user interface.

24. A consumable holder according to claim 1 comprising more than one source for consumables.

25. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the process control apparatus is configured to direct functionalities of an appliance.

26. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the process control apparatus is configured to modify functionalities of an appliance.

27. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the process control apparatus is configured to be controlled by an appliance.

28. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising an arbitrary software component configured to deliver a cycle of operation to an appliance.

29. A consumable holder according to claim 28 wherein the arbitrary software component is configured by information received from one of a user interface and the appliance.

30. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the electronics are configured to observe the cycle of operation using a data collection scheme.

31. A consumable holder according to claim 30 wherein the electronics are configured to alter the cycle of operation in response to an observation.