Menu-based control system for refrigerator that predicts order and replace dates for filters

• US 6,715,302 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferragut, Nelson J. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M.
• Application Number:
  US10/195,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20030010043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 621/29, 62/62, 621/26, 621/27, 621/30, 236/51, 236/94
• US Class Current: 62/129
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/14 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/121 the refrigerator is characterised by a water filter for the water/ice dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet for enclosing a refrigerating compartment, the cabinet having a door for providing access to the refrigerating compartment, a user interface operatively connected to the cabinet having a display for displaying refrigerator function selections and a plurality of buttons for selecting refrigerator functions and a control unit operatively connected to the user interface and adapted to control a plurality of refrigerator functions. The control unit can be adapted for determining refrigerator filter information and displaying refrigerator filter information, the refrigerator filter information can include a date associated with the refrigerator filter.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet for enclosing a refrigerating compartment, the cabinet having a door for providing access to the refrigerating compartment;

a user interface operatively connected to the cabinet having a display for displaying refrigerator function selection screens and a plurality of buttons for selecting refrigerator functions associated with the refrigerator function selection screens; and

a control unit operatively connected to the display and the plurality of buttons and adapted to control a plurality of refrigerator functions;

the refrigerator function associated with each of the plurality of buttons based on the refrigerator function selection screen being displayed; and

the plurality of buttons being physical buttons positioned near the display.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of buttons includes a menu button to select one of the refrigerator function selection screens.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of buttons includes at least three buttons for selecting refrigerator functions associated with a menu screen displayed on the display.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include a message recording function.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include a message playback function.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include an air filter replacement function.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include a water filter replacement function.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include an ice dispensement function.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include a water dispensement function.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator functions include a clock function.

11. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet for enclosing a refrigerating compartment;

a display operatively connected to the cabinet;

a control unit electrically connected to the display adapted for determining refrigerator filter information and displaying refrigerator filter information on the display;

the refrigerator filter information including an estimated replacement date and an ordering date associated with the refrigerator filter;

a plurality of buttons operatively connected to the control unit and positioned proximate the display; and

the control unit adapted to receive a button press from the plurality of buttons daring display of the refrigerator filter information to indicate replacement of a refrigerator filter.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein the refrigerator filter information includes remaining capacity of the filter.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein the refrigerator filter information is air filter information.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 further comprising:

a dispensement screen stored in the memory for displaying at least one dispensement function selection; and

the control unit adapted to receive a button press from the plurality of buttons during display of the at least one dispensement function selection and perform an associated dispensement function.

15. A method for providing user control of a refrigerator, comprising:

providing a menu button on the refrigerator for selecting one of a plurality of refrigerator function screens;

receiving a selection from a user of one of the plurality of refrigerator function screens;

displaying the selected refrigerator function screen an the display, the selected refrigerator function screen providing a plurality of refrigerator function selections;

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of refrigerator function selections by receiving a button press from one of a plurality of buttons positioned proximate the display such that the plurality of refrigerator function selections are associated with the plurality of buttons; and

performing the selected refrigerator function.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of receiving a selection from a user of one of the plurality of refrigerator function screens is receiving one or more menu button presses from the user to select one of the plurality of refrigerator function screens.

17. A method for providing refrigerator filter information comprising:

providing a display on a refrigerator and a plurality of buttons positioned near the display;

displaying on the display a date associated with a refrigerator filter; and

receiving a button press from the plurality of buttons during display of the date associated with the refrigerator filter to indicate replacement of the refrigerator filter.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the date is an estimated replacement date for the filter.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the date is an ordering date associated with the filter.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the refrigerator filter is an air filter.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the refrigerator filter is a water filter.