Network for changing resource consumption in an appliance

• US 8,027,752 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Moes, Christopher S., Horst, Gale R., Jeffery, Randy L., Voss, Randy A., Nibbelink, Matthew J., Castaldo, Rodrigo C., Whipple, Andrew D., Ebrom, Matthew P., McCoy, Richard A., Jenkins, Anthony E., Elston, Wallace J., Pires, Andre O.
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/933,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20080122585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700/275, 700/295, 700/286, 700/296, 700/297
• US Class Current: 700/296
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A network includes a smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, and an appliance configured to perform an operation on a physical article. The appliance is one that consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation. The network also includes a source of information about the resource. The smart coupler is in communication with the appliance and the source, and the processor and memory operate to request a change to the operation of the appliance in response to a resource parameter or a request communicated by the source.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a smart coupler having a processor, a memory, a power source to energize the processor and the memory, and a software component in one of the memory and processor, wherein the software component has a routing table and a protocol converter;

at least one appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation on a physical article, wherein the at least one appliance consumes at least some of a resource in performing the cycle of operation, the at least one appliance in network communication with the smart coupler using a first protocol,

a supplier of the resource in network communication with the smart coupler, and

a source of information about the resource in network communication with the smart coupler using a second protocol,

wherein the smart coupler is configured to convert network messages between the first and second protocols, propagate discovery queries over the network from the source of information, populate the routing table from responses to discovery queries from the source of information, and facilitate communication with the at least one appliance and the source of information including a request to change the cycle of operation of the appliance based on the information.

2. The network according to claim 1 wherein the appliance has a user interface and one of the at least one appliance and the smart coupler has software to affect the cycle of operation, whereby a user can actuate the software by way of the user interface to affect the cycle of operation in response to the request.

3. The network according to claim 2 wherein the user interface is graphical.

4. The network according to claim 1 wherein the first protocol communicates by packet and the second protocol communicates by binary.

5. The network according to claim 1 wherein the resource is one of electricity, hot water, gray water, gas, water, replaceable parts, and consumables.

6. The network according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the network communication is wireless.

7. The network according to claim 1 wherein the information is a resource parameter that is one of greater than a threshold and less than a threshold.

8. The network according to claim 1 wherein the request is one of reduce consumption of the at least one resource, delay consumption of the at least one resource, and halt consumption of the at least one resource.

9. The network according to claim 1 wherein the smart coupler further comprises a visual indicator that communicates information about an appliance.

10. The network according to claim 9 wherein one of the information about the appliance and the information about the resource is licensable.

11. The network according to claim 9 wherein the visual indicator is a tricolor LED.

12. The network according to claim 9 wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one light diffuser.

13. The network according to claim 9 wherein the visual indicator communicates information about the coupler.

14. The network according to claim 1 wherein the appliance has a user interface and one of the appliance and the smart coupler has software to change the cycle of operation, whereby a user can actuate the software by way of the user interface to change the cycle of operation in response to a request.

15. The network according to claim 14 wherein the user interface is graphical.

16. The network according to claim 14 wherein the user interface includes a display, and information about one of the source, the request, and the response is displayed on the user interface.

17. The network according to claim 1 wherein the supplier is a power utility.

18. The network according to claim 17 wherein the supplier is also the source of information.