METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AN APPLIANCE WITH A POWER SAVING MODE

• US 20130000674A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: FERRAGUT, NELSON J. II, ROTH, RYAN K., JIRAL, DAVID W., JOHNSON, PAUL R., ROMANOWSKI, WALDEMAR
• Granted Patent: US 8,932,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/46 Devices for the automatic control of the different phases of cleaning ; Controlling devices A47L15/449 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/08 Other manual input
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/36 Other output

Abstract

A dishwasher configured to perform a physical cycle of operation and having a power savings mode during which the dishwasher periodically monitors a key press by a user to determine if the dishwasher should be taken out of the power savings mode.

Claims

1. An appliance for executing a physical cycle of operation that can selectively be placed in one of a first mode and a second mode wherein the second mode draws less power than the first mode comprising:

a control panel having at least one user input interface that, when activated, generates a key press input signal; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one user input interface to receive the key press input signal and having a clock that produces a periodic clock signal;

a timing circuit that receives the periodic clock signal and generates a strobe signal based on the periodic clock signal, and a detector logic circuit that detects the strobe signal and the key press signal when the appliance is in the second mode;

wherein the controller places the appliance in the first mode based on the detected strobe signal and key press signal.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance is a dishwasher.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the timing circuit activates the strobe signal for a predetermined strobe active time.

4. The appliance of claim 3 wherein the predetermined strobe active time is up to 3 seconds.

5. The appliance of claim 4 wherein the predetermined strobe active time is 0.1 second.

6. The appliance of claim 3 wherein the strobe signal has a periodicity equal to a predetermined strobe period.

7. The appliance of claim 6 wherein the predetermined strobe period is up to 10 seconds.

8. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the predetermined strobe period is 4.75 seconds.

9. The appliance of claim 6 wherein the predetermined strobe active time and the predetermined strobe period are both integer multiples of the period of the periodic clock signal.

10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the detector logic circuit is turned on only when the strobe signal is active.

11. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller places the appliance in the first mode when both the strobe signal and the key press signal are active.

12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein electrical components of the appliance are not provided electrical power except for the controller when the appliance is in the second mode.

13. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance consumes at most 0.5 Watts of power when in the second mode.

14. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance consumes greater than 0.5 Watts of power when in the first mode.

15. A method for toggling an appliance to a first mode from a second mode wherein the second mode draws less power than the first mode comprising the steps of:

A. generating a strobe signal by a timing circuit;

B. determining if the strobe signal is active, and if the strobe signal is not active, then returning to step A;

C. activating a detector logic circuit for a predetermined period of time;

D. receiving a key press input signal by the detector logic circuit;

E. determining by the detector logic circuit if the key press input signal is active, and if the key press input signal is active, then proceeding to step G;

F. returning to step A;

G. placing the appliance in the first mode.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the appliance is a dishwasher.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the timing circuit activates the strobe signal for a predetermined strobe active time.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the strobe signal has a periodicity equal to a predetermined strobe period.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the appliance consumes at most 0.5 Watts of power when in the second mode.