Cycle selection method and apparatus

• US 5,960,804 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Cooper, Randall L., Corbett, Mitchell N., Gardner, Douglas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US08/777,633
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 134/57 D, 134/56 D, 134/58 D, 68/12.02
• US Class Current: 134/56.00D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0021 Regulation of operational steps within the washing processes, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending from the detergent nature or from the condition of the crockery
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/00 Manual input in controlling methods of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. information entered by a user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/10 Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/12 Water temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/24 Spray arms status, e.g. detection of spray arm rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/30 Variation of electrical, magnetical or optical quantities
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/30 Regulation of machine operational steps within the washing process, e.g. performing an additional rinsing phase, shortening or stopping of the drying phase, washing at decreased noise operation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/20 Washing liquid condition, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/24 Spin speed; Drum movements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/52 Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/22 Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity

Abstract

A method of selecting a washing cycle for an intelligent appliance uses several factors to make a cycle selection. The first factor is a combination of the water turbidity, conductivity and temperature as well as the wash arm speed. The other factors are the average of previously selected cycles, the number of times the appliance door has been opened, and the time between wash cycles. The appliance also allows the user to bump up the selected cycle to a higher cycle if the user is unsatisfied with the performance of the appliance. If a failure has occurred with any of the sensors or in the communications routine, the appliance selects the average of previously selected cycles as the wash cycle.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of sensors electrically coupled to the controller for sensing a plurality of operating conditions in the washing machine, the plurality of sensors including a wash arm speed sensor;

a user interface panel electrically coupled to the controller for receiving a user input;

wherein the controller uses the sensed operating conditions and the user input to make a wash cycle selection from a number of progressively higher wash cycle.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the user input causes the controller to select a higher level wash cycle.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of:

a turbidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a conductivity sensor, and a wash arm speed sensor.

4. A washing machine having a plurality of progressively higher washing cycles, the washing machine comprising:

a plurality of sensors within the washing machine for sensing a plurality of operating conditions in the washing machine, the plurality of sensors including a wash arm speed sensor;

a user interface panel electrically coupled to the controller for receiving a user input;

a fuzzy logic controller for determining the relative dirtiness of wash liquid within the washing machine and automatically selecting one of the progressively higher washing cycles based on the determined relative dirtiness of the wash liquid, wherein the fuzzy logic controller controls the operation of the washing machine based on the selected washing cycle until the selected washing cycle is completed.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a turbidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a conductivity sensor, and a wash arm speed sensor.

6. The washing machine of claim 4 wherein the fuzzy logic controller controls the operation of the washing machine based on the selected wash cycle and on user input received by the user interface panel.

7. An intelligent appliance in which a number of possible washing cycles are available from a plurality of progressively higher wash cycles, and in which a number of previous wash cycles have been selected from the plurality of wash cycles, comprising:

a plurality of sensors for sensing a plurality operating conditions in the appliance and generating a first value based on the sensed conditions;

a processor operatively coupled to the plurality of sensors for performing the processing steps of;

determining an average selected cycle from the number of previously selected wash cycles;

generating a second value based on the determined average selected cycle; and

making a cycle selection based on the first and second values.

8. A washing machine having a plurality of progressively higher wash cycles comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of sensors electrically coupled to the controller for sensing a plurality of operating conditions in the washing machine;

a user interface panel electrically coupled to the controller for receiving a user input;

the controller being capable of using the sensed operating conditions and the user input to make a wash cycle selection from the number of progressively higher wash cycles;

the controller being capable of determining when one of the sensors has failed, wherein the controller determines an average cycle from previously selected cycles and selects the average cycle if one of the sensors has failed.

9. A washing machine having a plurality of progressively higher washing cycles, the washing machine comprising:

a plurality of sensors within the washing machine for sensing a plurality of operating conditions in the washing machine;

a user interface panel electrically coupled to the controller for receiving a user input;

a controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and being capable, in response to signals from one or more of the plurality of sensors, of determining the relative dirtiness of wash liquid within the washing machine and automatically selecting one of the progressively higher washing cycles based on the determined relative dirtiness of the wash liquid, wherein the controller controls the operation of the washing machine based on the selected washing cycle until the selected washing cycle is completed;

the plurality of sensors including a door sensor for sensing when a door on the washing machine is opened;

the controller being capable of taking into account the number of times the washing machine door has been opened while automatically selecting one of the progressively higher washing cycles.

10. An intelligent appliance in which a number of possible washing cycles are available from a plurality of progressively higher wash cycles, and in which a number of previous wash cycles have been selected from the plurality of wash cycles, comprising:

a processor programmed to keep a record of the number of previous wash cycles which have been selected, determine the average selected cycle from the number of previous wash cycles which have been selected, and make a new cycle selection based on the determined average selected cycle.

11. A washing machine comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of sensors electrically coupled to the controller for sensing a plurality of operating conditions in the washing machine;

a user interface panel electrically coupled to the controller for receiving a user input;

wherein the controller uses the sensed operating conditions and the user input to make a wash cycle selection from a number of progressively higher wash cycle;

a rotating wash arm for spraying water in the washing machine; and

a wash arm speed sensor for sensing the speed of the rotating wash arm, wherein the controller uses the sensed speed of the rotating wash to make a wash cycle selection.