Household electric user having an electronic control, and control and programming system thereof

• US 7,383,985 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool EMEA SpA (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wrap SpA
• Inventors: Aisa, Valerio
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koyama; Kumiko C
• Application Number:
  US10/110,250
• Time in Patent Office: 3,052 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/376, 235/385, 235/419, 235/420, 235/436, 235/439, 235/440, 219/506, 219/702, 219/704, 219/714, 700/1, 700/19, 700/65, 700/90, 702/80, 704/270
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23137 Display program step, instruction number
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24053 Diagnostic of controlled machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24055 Trace, store a working, operation history
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24137 Non volatile memory to store program on power loss
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2633 Washing, laundry

Abstract

A household electric user includes an electronic control system that contains an electronic microcontroller (MC), a read and write non volatile memory means (MNV), and means (MC,MS,A1-A5,MZ) for detecting and/or generating variables which relate to the operation status of the electric user. The control system automatically records, within the non volatile memory means (MNV), information of a first type that is indicative of the temporal trend of the status variables during successive predefined reference periods, with the last stored information of the first type causing the elimination of the oldest such information, i.e. with a backward shifting operation of the stored information of the first type. The control system further allows the stored information of the first type to be read outside of the electric user.

Claims

1. Household electric appliance, including an electronic control system comprising:

a) an electronic microcontroller;

b) program memory means, containing data which allow the control system to perform a certain number of basic programs of the appliance;

c) means for sensing the operating conditions of the appliance and for generating variables which relate to the status of the appliance, where the variables relate to internal events, external events, user-selected functions, and measurements of the appliance;

d) read and write nonvolatile memory means;

e) means for automatically storing, within said nonvolatile memory means, detailed historical information indicative of said status variables during the last operation period of the appliance, the last stored information causing the elimination of the oldest ones; and

f) communication means for making the stored information available from outside the appliance.

2. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said historical information are associated with the occurrence of internal events to the appliance.

3. The appliance according to claim 2, wherein the internal events are faults and malfunctioning of the components of the appliance.

4. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said historical information are associated with the occurrence of external events to the appliance.

5. The appliance according to claim 4, wherein the external event is a power supply blackout.

6. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the appliance has continuous operation.

7. The appliance according to claim 6, wherein the continuous operation appliance is a refrigerator, a freezer, or a boiler.

8. The appliance according to claim 6, wherein said operation period is a predefined time span.

9. The appliance according to claim 8, wherein said predefined time span is a week, a day or the last twelve hours.

10. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the appliance has discontinuous operation.

11. The appliance according to claim 10, wherein the appliance is a laundry washing machine, a cooking oven, or a dishwasher.

12. The appliance, according to claim 10, wherein said operation period is represented by a predefined number of operating cycles or programs performed by the appliance.

13. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said historical information are made available through said communication means in a remote location, for executing a deep analysis of the appliance status.

14. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the storing of the most recent information causes the elimination of the oldest ones through a backward shifting operation of the stored historical information.

15. Household electric appliance, including an electronic control system comprising:

a) an electronic microcontroller;

b) program memory means, containing data which allow the control system to perform a certain number of basic programs of the appliance;

c) means for generating variables which relate to the status of the appliances where the variables relate to internal events, external events, user-selected functions, and measurements of the appliance;

d) read and write nonvolatile memory means;

e) means for automatically storing, within said nonvolatile memory means, detailed historical information indicative of said status variables during the last operation period of the appliance, the last stored information causing the elimination of the oldest ones; and

f) communication means for making the stored information available from outside the appliance.

16. The appliance according to claim 15, wherein said historical information are associated with the occurrence of internal events to the appliance.

17. The appliance according to claim 16, wherein the internal events are faults and malfunctioning of the components of the appliance.

18. The appliance according to claim 15, wherein said historical information are associated with the occurrence of external events to the appliance.

19. The appliance according to claim 18, wherein the external event is a power supply blackout.

20. The appliance according to claim 15, wherein the appliance has continuous operation.

21. The appliance according to claim 20, wherein the continuous operation appliance is a refrigerator, a freezer, or a boiler.

22. The appliance according to claim 20, wherein said operation period is a predefined time span.

23. The appliance according to claim 22, wherein said predefined time span is a week, a day or the last twelve hours.

24. The appliance according to claim 15, wherein the appliance has discontinuous operation.

25. The appliance according to claim 24, wherein the appliance is a laundry washing machine, a cooking oven, or a dishwasher.

26. The appliance, according to claim 24, wherein said operation period is represented by a predefined number of operating cycles or programs performed by the appliance.

27. The appliance according to claim 15, wherein said historical information are made available through said communication means in a remote location, for executing a deep analysis of the appliance status.

28. The appliance according to claim 15, wherein the storing of the most recent information causes the elimination of the oldest ones through a backward shifting operation of the stored historical information.