Appliance monitoring systems and methods

• US 8,981,930 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Martin Kelly Jones, Scott A. Horstemeyer
• Inventors: Horstemeyer, Scott Andrew, Jones, Martin Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/761,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.14, 340/539.1, 340/3.1, 340/3.43, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 340/539.14
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring appliances at a site, such as a household, business office, etc. The appliances can include, for example but not limited to, an electric oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry washer, freezer, pool controller, light bulb, microwave oven, computer, television, telephone, etc. In many of the embodiments, the appliance has a computer based architecture or a controller that enables communication of data concerning the electronic appliance. In some embodiments the appliance is an apparatus with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or other passive device that can be interrogated for information concerning the appliance.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a host computer system associated with a site having one or more appliances that communicate with the host computer system via one or more networks, comprising:

monitoring health data concerning an appliance or an appliance part;

determining that the appliance or appliance part exhibits a maintenance issue based upon the health data;

accessing a remote computer system over an Internet;

receiving one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase, or seek repair for the appliance or appliance part from the remote computer system;

producing a notification regarding the maintenance issue, the notification including the one or more suggestions and price information pertaining to each of the suggestions; and

enabling a user to select and purchase the one or more suggestions, based at least in part upon the price.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is a message sent to a personal communication device or a remote computer system and wherein the message includes an identification of the appliance and detail concerning the maintenance issue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the health data is a battery condition associated with a battery that provides power to the appliance or the appliance part.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

initiating a notification communication session with a personal communication device (PCD); and

communicating a report during the notification communication session indicative of the maintenance issue.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the PCD is associated with any of the following:

an vendor, a repair service entity, a replacement service entity, manufacturer, or an information provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database having maintenance information pertaining to a plurality of appliances;

storing in the database first type of maintenance information pertaining to a first type of appliance; and

storing in the database a second type of maintenance information pertaining to a second type of appliance, the second type being different than the first type.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically by operation of the host computer system, turning off an appliance or part or disabling one or more functions associated with the appliance or part, after determining that the maintenance issue exists and is a hazard.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a user interface to enable a party to input maintenance information pertaining to the appliance, the maintenance information used, at least in part, in determining when the appliance exhibits the maintenance issue.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

engaging in a communication session over the Internet with a computer system associated with a repair or replacement service business; and

during the communication session, requesting service in connection with the appliance.

10. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances at a site via one or more networks, comprising:

one or more memories that store computer program code; and

one or more processors that execute the computer program code, the computer program code comprising;

code that determines that an appliance or appliance part exhibits a maintenance issue comprising;

code that accesses reference data, the reference data comprising a first numerical array, the first numerical array comprising a first collection of related successive signal sample values that represent a time varying environmental signal;

code that receives appliance condition data, the appliance condition data comprising a second numerical array, the second numerical array comprising a second collection of related successive signal sample values derived from a time varying environmental signal sensed by a transducer at the site;

code that compares the arrays associated with the appliance condition data and the reference data in a time domain, frequency domain, or both; and

code that initiates a notification regarding the maintenance issue, when determined.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program code further comprises code that produces one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase, or seek repair for the appliance or the appliance part.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program code further comprises:

code that provides price information pertaining to each of a plurality of suggestions; and

code that enables a user to select and purchase one of the plurality of suggestions.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the code that correlates the numerical arrays is designed to compare a correlation output and a predefined threshold in order to determine when the appliance or appliance part exhibits the maintenance issue.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the transducer is a microphone and the environmental signal is an audio signal produced by the appliance or appliance part.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the code that determines that the appliance or appliance part exhibits the maintenance issue makes this determination based at least in part upon a lifespan expectancy and a length of time in which the appliance or the appliance part has been in service or in use.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the code that initiates the notification comprises:

code that initiates a notification communication session with a personal communication device (PCD); and

code that causes communication of a report during the notification communication session indicative of the maintenance issue.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the PCD is associated with any of the following:

an owner or user of the appliance, a vendor, a repair service entity, a replacement service entity, manufacturer, or an information provider.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program code further comprises:

code that maintains a database having maintenance information pertaining to a plurality of appliances;

code that stores in the database first type of maintenance information pertaining to a first type of appliance; and

code that stores in the database a second type of maintenance information pertaining to a second type of appliance, the second type being different than the first type.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program code further comprises code that causes an appliance to be turned off or that disables one or more functions associated with the appliance, after determining that the maintenance issue exists.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program code further comprises code that enables a party to input maintenance information pertaining to the appliance or appliance part, the maintenance information used, at least in part, in determining when the appliance or appliance part exhibits the maintenance issue.

21. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances at a site via one or more networks, comprising:

one or more memories that store computer program code; and

one or more processors that execute the computer program code, the computer program code comprising;

code that determines that an appliance or appliance part exhibits a maintenance issue; and

code that initiates a communication session with a remote computer system associated with a manufacturer, vendor, or insurance company and communicates claim information in connection with an insurance policy or warranty associated with the appliance or appliance part.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the computer program code further comprises:

code that receives appliance identification information from the appliance or appliance part; and

code that initiates a communication session with the remote computer system associated with the manufacturer, vendor, or insurance company and communicates the information so that a claim can be later made in connection with the insurance policy or warranty associated with the appliance or appliance part.

23. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances at a site via one or more networks, comprising:

one or more memories that store computer program code; and

one or more processors that execute the computer program code, the computer program code comprising;

code that receives appliance identification information from an appliance or appliance part; and

code that initiates a communication session with the remote computer system associated with a manufacturer, vendor, or insurance company and communicates the information so that a claim can be later made in connection with the insurance policy or warranty associated with the appliance or appliance part.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

code that receives an insurance or warranty registration request from the appliance or appliance part and that prompts the communication session with the remote computer system.

25. A method for a computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances at a site via one or more networks, comprising:

receiving identification information regarding an appliance or appliance part that is derived by interrogating the appliance or appliance part over the one or more networks;

receiving contact information for a personal communication device (PCD) associated with a user of the appliance or appliance part;

generating a lifespan expectancy corresponding to when the appliance or appliance part is expected to exhibit a maintenance issue, based upon an occurrence of maintenance issues in other appliances or appliance parts;

determining a length of time that the appliance or appliance part has been in existence or operation;

when the length of time approaches the lifespan expectancy, engaging in a communication session with the PCD of the user; and

during the communication session, communicating one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase, or seek repair for the appliance or appliance part and price information pertaining to each of the suggestions.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

enabling a user to select and purchase the one or more suggestions.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the lifespan expectancy is generated by averaging longevities of the other appliances or appliance parts.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a location of the appliance or appliance part; and

determining the lifespan prediction based at least in part upon the location.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining weather information associated with an environment in which the appliance or appliance part are exposed; and

determining the lifespan prediction based at least in part upon the weather information.