APPLIANCE WITH A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR CONFIGURING AN ACCESSORY

• US 20100161082A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: EBROM, MATTHEW P., MCCOY, RICHARD A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• 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

An appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article includes a controller that controls the cycle of operation, an interface in network communication with the controller and adapted to connect to an accessory configurable to affect the cycle of operation, and a graphical user interface in network communication with the controller and the interface so that an accessory connected to the interface is configurable using the graphical user interface to affect the cycle of operation of the appliance.

Claims

1. An appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article, the appliance comprising

a controller that controls the cycle of operation,

an interface in network communication with the controller and adapted to connect to an accessory configurable to affect the cycle of operation, and

a graphical user interface in network communication with the controller and the interface whereby an accessory connected to the interface is configurable using the graphical user interface to affect the cycle of operation of the appliance.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to configure an accessory based on inputs from the graphical user interface.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to configure both the controller and an accessory.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes a cycle engine in communication with the controller to build a cycle structure for the operation cycle, wherein the graphical user interface configures one of the cycle engine and the cycle structure.

5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the interface is in communication with an external network and the graphical user interface is adapted to activate an accessory, directly by way of the interface or indirectly by way of the external network.

6. The appliance of claim 5 wherein the graphical user interface is remote from the appliance.

7. The appliance of claim 5 wherein the graphical user interface is local to the appliance.

8. The appliance of claim 5 wherein the graphical user interface prompts the user for the information.

9. The appliance of claim 8 wherein the prompt is based on a detection event.

10. The appliance of claim 8 wherein the prompt is based on a user interface event.

11. The appliance of claim 1 further configured to accept information about one of a consumable, an accessory, and a configuration of an accessory wherein the information is used in the cycle of operation.

12. A graphical user interface adapted to communicate with one of an appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article, a consumable adapted for use an appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article, a consumable information holder, and a consumable holder, wherein the graphical user interface comprises software configured to communicate by network message with one of the appliance, the consumable, the consumable information holder, and the consumable holder for effecting the configuration, enablement, functionality, or operation of one of the consumable, the consumable information holder, and the consumable holder.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the graphical user interface is remote from the appliance.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the graphical user interface is local to the appliance.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein graphical user interface also displays information about a selection for one of a cycle of operation and options for a cycle of operation based on the information.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the information is about one of an amount, a price, an attribute, a resource usage, a performance metric, a consumables usage, and replenishment data.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the consumable information holder is one of a consumable tag and a consumable data pod.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein a network message includes information associated with a consumable.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein the information associated with a consumable includes one of data about a consumable, a cycle structure or portion thereof, an indirect representation of a cycle structure or portion thereof, and data for a response to a previous network message.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the previous network message is a query message.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the consumable holder is configured to dispense one of a substance, consumable, resource, and a mixture thereof for use in the cycle of operation.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 21 wherein the communications includes sending and receiving information associated with consumables whereby the information is used by the appliance to effect a cycle of operation.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 22 wherein the information includes one of information about chemistry, information about food, information about soils, and information about clothes.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the software enables the graphical user interface to be configured in response to discovering the appliance, the consumable, the consumable information holder, and the consumable holder.

25. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein a portion of the communication is enabled by discovering the appliance, the consumable, the consumable information holder, and the consumable holder.

26. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the user interface displays information about a cycle of operation based on information associated with a consumable.

27. The graphical user interface of claim 26 wherein the information is included in a network message received by the graphical user interface

28. The graphical user interface of claim 27 wherein the information is in response to the information about the cycle of operation wherein the information about the cycle of operation

29. An appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article, the appliance comprising

a network,

a controller that controls the cycle of operation in communication with the network,

an interface connected to the network and adapted to communicate to an accessory having memory when the accessory is connected to the interface,

a user interface in communication with the controller and the interface for interaction with a user,

wherein the user interface uses data in the memory when the accessory is connected to the interface to change the interaction with the user.

30. The appliance of claim 29 wherein the data includes information associated with one of graphics, audio, music, images, video, user interface screens, information about a resource, text, instructions, warnings, diagnostic information, and information associated with a consumable.

31. The appliance of claim 29 wherein the information associated with a consumable includes one of data about a consumable, a cycle structure or portion thereof, an indirect representation of a cycle structure or portion thereof, and data for a response to a previous network message.

32. The appliance of claim 29 wherein the network includes more than one physical network and routing capability to route messages between a first and a second network.

33. The appliance of claim 32 wherein the controller is on the first network and the accessory can connect to the second network.

34. A graphical user interface adapted to communicate on a first network with an appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article and selectively receive an appliance accessory configured to communication with the appliance, wherein the graphical user interface comprises software configured to send a network message to the accessory for effecting the configuration, enablement, functionality, or operation of the accessory.

35. The graphical user interface of claim 34 wherein the accessory is one of a clock and time synchronization accessory, a stirring and ingredient addition accessory, a cooking sensor accessory, an operation cycles accessory, a consumable messaging and reader accessory, a recipe book, a recipe wand, a laundry credit accessory, a smart dimmer and adapter, a network binder accessory, a remote user interface, a smart coupler, a resource communication accessory, a cellular telephone accessory, a configuration mechanism, an audio communication accessory, and a remote audio communication accessory.

36. The graphical user interface of claim 34 wherein the network message includes routing information.

37. The graphical user interface of claim 36 wherein the routing information is for a second network.

38. The graphical user interface of claim 34 further comprising user interface screens for receiving information from a user wherein the information or other information based on the information is included in the network message to the accessory for effecting the configuration, enablement, functionality, or operation of the accessory.

39. The graphical user interface of claim 34 wherein the network message is a virtual message sent between software components.