ENERGY USAGE MONITOR FOR A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

• US 20100117625A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Botts, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/103.R
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques

Abstract

An energy usage monitor for a household appliance, and a method of monitoring energy usage of a household appliance, are provided. The system and method include a system and an energy usage monitor that monitors energy usage information of the system of the household appliance. The system and method may include outputting energy usage information of the system of the household appliance based on the energy usage determined by the energy usage monitor.

Claims

1. A household appliance comprising:

a body enclosing an interior compartment;

a door being movable between open and closed states with respect to the body for providing access to the interior compartment;

a system for operating the household appliance; and

an energy usage monitor that monitors energy usage of the system.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power source that supplies power to the system of the household appliance;

wherein the energy usage monitor determines the energy usage of the system of the household appliance by monitoring power supplied to the system from the power source.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller that controls an operation of the system of the household appliance,

wherein the energy usage monitor receives operation information for the system and determines the energy usage of the system of the household appliance based on the operation information.

4. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display in communication with the energy usage monitor,

wherein the display displays energy usage information for the system of the appliance based on the energy usage of the system monitored by the energy usage monitor.

5. The household appliance according to claim 4, wherein the energy usage information includes a representation of the energy usage of the system of the household appliance.

6. The household appliance according to claim 5, wherein the representation of the energy usage of the system of the household appliance includes an amount of the energy usage.

7. The household appliance according to claim 5, wherein the representation of the energy usage of the system of the household appliance includes a graphical representation of the energy usage.

8. The household appliance according to claim 4, wherein the energy usage information includes a suggestion for reducing the energy usage of the system of the household appliance based on the energy usage determined by the energy usage monitor.

9. The household appliance according to claim 4, wherein the system of the household appliance includes a first subsystem and a second subsystem,

wherein the energy usage monitor monitors energy usage of the first subsystem and the second subsystem system, and

wherein the display displays a first energy usage information for the first subsystem and a second energy usage information for the second subsystem of the appliance based on the energy usage monitored by the energy usage monitor.

10. The household appliance according to claim 4, wherein the system of the household appliance includes a first subsystem and a second subsystem,

wherein the energy usage monitor monitors energy usage of the first subsystem and the second subsystem system, and

wherein the display displays one of a first suggestion for reducing the energy usage of the first subsystem of the household appliance and a second suggestion for reducing energy usage of the second subsystem of the household appliance based on the energy usage monitored by the energy usage monitor.

11. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor for detecting a predetermined condition,

wherein the sensor is in communication with the energy usage monitor, and

wherein the energy usage monitor receives an input from the sensor and determines the energy usage of the system based on the input from the sensor.

12. The household appliance according to claim 11, wherein the energy usage monitor outputs a suggestion for reducing energy usage based on the input from the sensor.

13. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory in communication with the energy usage monitor,

wherein the memory stores energy usage information for the system of the appliance based on the energy usage of the system monitored by the energy usage monitor.

14. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data transmission device that transmits energy usage information for the system of the appliance from the household appliance to an external device,

wherein the energy usage information for the system of the appliance is based on the energy usage of the system monitored by the energy usage monitor.

15. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a plurality of subsystems, and

wherein the energy usage monitor determines an energy usage of one of the plurality of subsystems of the household appliance.

16. A household appliance comprising:

a system for operating the household appliance; and

an energy usage monitor that monitors energy usage of the system.

17. The household appliance according to claim 16, further comprising:

a power source that supplies power to the system of the household appliance,

wherein the energy usage monitor determines the energy usage of the system of the household appliance by monitoring power supplied to the system by the power source.

18. The household appliance according to claim 16, further comprising:

a controller that controls an operation of the system of the household appliance,

wherein the energy usage monitor receives operation information for the system and determines the energy usage of the system of the household appliance based on the operation information.

19. A method of monitoring an energy usage of a household appliance, the method comprising:

determining the energy usage of a system of the household appliance using an energy usage monitor; and

outputting energy usage information of the system of the household appliance based on the energy usage determined by the energy usage monitor.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the energy usage of the system of the household appliance is determined by monitoring power supplied to the system by a power source.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the energy usage of the system of the household appliance is determined based on operation information received from a controller that controls an operation of the system of the household appliance.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the energy usage of the system of the household appliance is determined based on a condition sensed by a sensor.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the energy usage information of the system of the household appliance is output using one of a display, an interface device, a wired data transfer device, a wireless data transfer device, a memory, and an audio device.