Household appliance with user interface with bi-colored LEDs

• US 7,236,099 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Schult, Denise L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US11/096,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 340/644, 340/540, 340/679, 340/815.45, 210/87, 210/109, 210/134, 700/22, 700/27, 700/293
• US Class Current: 340/815.45
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

A household appliance, includes an appliance cabinet, an appliance user interface having multiple settings. Each setting has multiple selection options. There is a bi-color LED associated with each of the selection options. The bi-colored LEDs are used to indicate the current settings of the appliance and the availability of appliance selection options. The bi-colored LEDs can also be used to provide feedback during programming of the settings of the household appliance.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising:

an appliance cabinet;

an appliance user interface comprising a program button and a plurality of appliance settings, each of the settings having a plurality of selection options, and a plurality of bi-color LEDs, each of the bi-color LEDs associated with one of the selection options;

wherein the user interface is adapted for receiving a first press of the program button, lighting the plurality of bi-color LEDs associated with the plurality of appliance selection options, receiving a selection of one or more buttons associated with the plurality of bi-color LEDs and the plurality of appliance selection options, and receiving a second press of the program button to indicate programming complete.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the user interface is adapted to light one of the plurality of LEDs to a first color state to indicate that the selection option associated with the one of the plurality of LEDs is available for selection and adapted to light the one of the plurality of LEDs to a second color state to indicate that the selection option associated with the one of the plurality of LEDs is unavailable for selection.

3. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the one of the plurality of LEDs is lit to the first color state or the second color state during one of a plurality of operation cycles.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein each bi-color LED is disposed adjacent a membrane button.

5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance is configured as a laundry appliance.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance is configured as a washing machine.

7. A method for programming a household appliance, comprising:

(a) receiving a press of a program button from a user to initiate programming;

(b) lighting a plurality of LEDs associated with an appliance setting, each LED associated with one of a plurality of appliance setting selection option buttons, each LED being a bi-color LED;

(c) receiving a press of the appliance setting option button to select the appliance setting selection option LED associated with the appliance setting;

(d) turning off all LEDs associated with the appliance setting except maintaining the LED associated with the selected appliance setting selection option as lit;

(e) lighting all LEDs associated with the appliance setting selection options made unavailable by the selection made in the receiving step in a second color;

(f) receiving a second press of the program button from the user to retain the appliance setting.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying a number of cycles programmed on an estimated time display of the appliance.

9. The method of claim 7 performed upon a laundry appliance.

10. The method of claim 7 performed upon a washing machine.

11. A method of using bi-color LEDs in an appliance user interface comprising:

associating each of the bi-color LEDs with each of a plurality of selection options;

lighting the bi-color LEDs during an appliance operation cycle to a first color state to indicate chosen selection options and to a second color state to indicate selection options unavailable for selection;

using the bi-color LEDs during programming by (a) lighting all of the bi-color LEDs associated with a setting, (b) after receiving a user selection, turning off all bi-color LEDs associated with the setting except the bi-color LED associated with the setting. and (c) during programming, lighting LEDs associated with the setting to a first color state to indicate a chosen selection and to a second color state to indicate options made unavailable by the chosen selection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the appliance is a laundry appliance.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the appliance is a washing machine.