DISHWASHER WITH CARROUSEL INTERFACE

• US 20100139720A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: KOCH, CHRISTOPHER G., West, Jonathan, Beaudet, Douglas B.
• Application Number:
  US12/330,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20100139720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/57.D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels

Abstract

A dishwasher includes a tub having a door that provides access to the tub. The door has a handle which extends a top surface of the door beyond a front surface of the door. A touchscreen panel is mounted to the top surface of a door to provide a user interface. The user interface includes a carrousel of icons via which a user may select a wash cycle. The user interface further includes a programmed delay interface via which a user may specify a desired start time and/or stop time for the wash cycle. The user interface may further provide the user with usage guidance to aid the user in the usage of the dishwasher.

Claims

1. A dishwasher, comprising:

a tub defining a washing chamber,

a dishwasher rack positioned in the washing chamber of the tub,

a door to permit access to the washing chamber,

a touchscreen panel on the door, the touchscreen comprising an input layer to generate one or more input signals indicative of touched locations of the touchscreen panel and a display layer to display a user interface based upon one or more display signals, and

a controller coupled to the touchscreen panel, the controller to generate one or more display signals representative of a carrousel of the user interface, to receive one or more input signals indicative of touched locations of the touchscreen panel, to identify a selected wash cycle based upon a touched location in relation to icons of the carrousel, and to control operation of the dishwasher per the selected wash cycle.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the display layer animating rotation of the carrousel about an axis in response to touched locations of the touchscreen panel.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the display layer animating rotation of the carrousel about an axis in a direction dependent upon a touched location of the touchscreen panel.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein

in response to determining that the touchscreen panel was touched toward a right side of the carrousel, the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the display layer animating rotation of the carrousel in a clockwise direction, and

in response to determining that the touchscreen panel was touched toward a left side of the carrousel, the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the display layer animating rotation of the carrousel in a counter-clockwise direction.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein

the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the display layer displaying the carrousel such that one icon of the plurality of icons is positioned toward a front and center position of the carrousel, and

the controller determines that a wash cycle associated with the one icon positioned toward the front and center position is the selected wash cycle in response to determining that the touched location is proximate to the front and center position of the carrousel.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein

the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the display layer displaying available options for the selected wash cycle, and

the controller determines which of the available options have been selected based upon touched locations represented by one or more input signals of the input layer.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that depict default selections for the available options.

8. The dishwasher of claim 6, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that enables selection of a high temperature wash option only if a high temperature wash is one of the available options for the selected wash cycle.

9. The dishwasher of claim 6, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that enables selection of a sanitizing option only if sanitizing is one of the available options for the selected wash cycle.

10. The dishwasher of claim 6, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that enables selection of a zonal spray option that directs cleaning to a pre-designated zone of the washing chamber only if a zonal spray is one of the available options for the selected wash cycle.

11. A dishwasher, comprising:

a tub defining a washing chamber,

a dishwasher rack positioned in the washing chamber of the tub,

a door to permit access to the washing chamber,

a control panel to generate one or more input signals indicative of user selections and to display a user interface based upon one or more display signals, and

a controller coupled to the control panel, the controller to generate one or more display signals representative of carrousel of the user interface, to receive one or more input signals indicative of user selections, to identify a selected wash cycle based upon the received one or more input signals, and to control operation of the dishwasher per the selected wash cycle.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel animating rotation of the carrousel about an axis in response to user selections.

13. The dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel animating rotation of the carrousel about an axis in a direction dependent upon a user selection.

14. The dishwasher of claim 11, wherein

the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel displaying the carrousel such that one icon of the plurality of icons is positioned toward a front and center position of the carrousel, and

the controller determines that a wash cycle associated with the one icon positioned toward the front and center position is the selected wash cycle in response to determining that the touched location is proximate to the front and center position of the carrousel.

15. The dishwasher of claim 11, wherein

the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel indicating available options for the selected wash cycle, and

the controller determines which of the available options have been selected based upon the received one or more input signals.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel indicating default selections for the available options.

17. The dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel indicating a high temperature wash option is an available option only if a high temperature wash is one of the available options for the selected wash cycle.

18. The dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel indicating a sanitizing option is an available option only if sanitizing is one of the available options for the selected wash cycle.

19. The dishwasher of claim 16, wherein the controller generates one or more display signals that result in the control panel indicating a zonal spray option that directs cleaning to a pre-designated zone of the washing chamber is an available option only if a zonal spray is one of the available options for the selected wash cycle.