Control systems and methods for a water dispenser assembly

• US 7,869,901 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tummala, Anil Kumar, Hooker, John Kenneth, Johnson, Eric Scott, Paez, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/495,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/14 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2600/04 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler

Abstract

An appliance includes a dispenser having a water valve for controlling a flow of water through the dispenser and a flowmeter for measuring the amount of water dispensed through the dispenser, and a controller operatively coupled to the water valve and the flowmeter. The controller is configured to receive an input relating to a target volume of water, adjust the target volume for a volume error correction to obtain an adjusted target volume, wherein the volume error correction is based on a flow rate, open the water valve, determine a total volume dispensed using the flowmeter, and close the water valve when the total volume dispensed equals the adjusted target volume.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cooling system;

a dispenser coupled to said cooling system, said dispenser comprising a water valve for controlling a flow of water through said dispenser and a flowmeter for measuring the amount of water dispensed through said dispenser; and

a controller operatively coupled to said water valve and said flowmeter, said controller configured to;

receive an input relating to a target volume of water;

adjust the target volume for a volume error correction to obtain an adjusted target volume, wherein the volume error correction is based on a flow rate;

open said water valve;

determine a total volume dispensed using said flowmeter; and

close said water valve when the total volume dispensed equals the adjusted target volume.

2. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to determine the total volume dispensed by counting pulses of said flowmeter to determine a total pulse count, and converting the total pulse count to a total volume.

3. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to measure a pulse frequency of said flowmeter, wherein the volume error correction is based on the pulse frequency of said flowmeter.

4. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to measure a pulse frequency of said flowmeter, wherein said flowmeter operates at one of a normal pulse frequency and a low pulse frequency, wherein the volume error correction is based on an amount of time said flowmeter operates at the low pulse frequency and the amount of time said flowmeter operates at the normal pulse frequency.

5. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to:

measure a flow rate using said flowmeter;

store the flow rate in a memory; and

predict a dispense time based on the stored flow rate and one of the target volume and the adjusted target volume.

6. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to:

count pulses of said flowmeter to determine a current flow rate of water through said flowmeter;

predict a flowmeter spin-up time based on a preceding flow rate;

predict a dispense time based on the flow rate and one of the target volume and the adjusted target volume; and

compare the dispense time to the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of said flowmeter,

wherein if the dispense time is greater than the sum of the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of said flowmeter, then the volume error correction is based on the current flow rate, and

wherein if the dispense time is less than the sum of the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of said flowmeter, then the volume error correction is based on the preceding flow rate.

7. A method of controlling a water valve for a water dispensing system coupled to a cooling system of a refrigerator, the water dispensing system having a controller communicating with the water valve and a flowmeter, said method comprising:

receiving a target volume at the controller from a user interface;

adjusting the target volume for a volume error correction to obtain an adjusted target volume, wherein the volume error correction is based on a flow rate;

opening the water valve;

measuring the volume using the flowmeter to determine a total volume; and

closing the water valve when the total volume equals the adjusted target volume.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said measuring the volume using the flowmeter to determine a total volume further comprises:

counting pulses of the flowmeter to determine a total pulse count; and

converting the total pulse count to a total volume.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising measuring a pulse frequency of the flowmeter, wherein the volume error correction is based on the pulse frequency of the flowmeter.

10. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising measuring a pulse frequency of the flowmeter, wherein the flowmeter operates at one of a normal pulse frequency and a low pulse frequency, wherein the volume error correction is based on an amount of time the flowmeter operates at the low pulse frequency and the amount of time the flowmeter operates at the normal pulse frequency.

11. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising:

measuring a flow rate using the flowmeter;

storing the flow rate in a memory; and

predicting a dispense time based on the stored flow rate and one of the target volume and the adjusted target volume.

12. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising:

counting pulses of the flowmeter to determine a current flow rate of water through the flowmeter;

predicting a flowmeter spin-up time based on a preceding flow rate;

predicting a dispense time based on the flow rate and one of the target volume and the adjusted target volume; and

comparing the dispense time to the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of the flowmeter,

wherein if the dispense time is greater than the sum of the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of the flowmeter, then the volume error correction is based on the current flow rate, and

wherein if the dispense time is greater than the sum of the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of the flowmeter, then the volume error correction is based on the preceding flow rate.

13. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising receiving a measurement unit at the controller from a user interface, and wherein said adjusting the target volume for a volume error correction to obtain an adjusted target volume further comprises adjusting the target volume for a volume error correction based on the measurement unit to obtain an adjusted target volume.

14. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising determining a calibration coefficient based upon a manual calibration of the water dispensing system, and wherein said adjusting the target volume for a volume error correction to obtain an adjusted target volume further comprises adjusting the target volume for a volume error correction based on the calibration coefficient to obtain an adjusted target volume.

15. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising:

detecting a presence of a container proximate to the water dispensing system; and

closing the water valve when a container is no longer present proximate to the water dispensing system.

16. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for controlling a water valve for a water dispensing system coupled to a cooling system of a refrigerator, the water dispensing system having a controller communicating with the water valve and a flowmeter, said computer program comprising:

a code segment that receives an input relating to a target volume of water;

a code segment that adjusts the target volume for a volume error correction to obtain an adjusted target volume, wherein the volume error correction is based on a flow rate;

a code segment that opens the water valve;

a code segment that determines a total volume dispensed using inputs from the flowmeter; and

a code segment that closes the water valve when the total volume dispensed equals the adjusted target volume.

17. A computer program in accordance with claim 16 further comprising a code segment that measures a pulse frequency of the flowmeter, wherein the volume error correction is based on the pulse frequency of the flowmeter.

18. A computer program in accordance with claim 16 further comprising a code segment that measures a pulse frequency of the flowmeter, wherein the flowmeter operates at one of a normal pulse frequency and a low pulse frequency, wherein the volume error correction is based on an amount of time the flowmeter operates at the low pulse frequency and the amount of time the flowmeter operates at the normal pulse frequency.

19. A computer program in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

a code segment that measures a flow rate using the flowmeter;

a code segment that stores the flow rate in a memory; and

a code segment that predicts a dispense time based on the stored flow rate and one of the target volume and the adjusted target volume.

20. A computer program in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

a code segment that counts pulses of the flowmeter to determine a current flow rate of water through the flowmeter;

a code segment that predicts a flowmeter spin-up time based on a preceding flow rate;

a code segment that predicts a dispense time based on the flow rate and one of the target volume and the adjusted target volume; and

a code segment that compares the dispense time to the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of said flowmeter,

wherein if the dispense time is greater than the sum of the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of the flowmeter, then the volume error correction is based on the current flow rate, and

wherein if the dispense time is less than the sum of the spin-up time and a time required to measure a minimum pulse count of the flowmeter, then the volume error correction is based on the preceding flow rate.