Method for operating an appliance and a refrigerator appliance

• US 9,429,925 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Wait, Keith Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/155,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/06 Damage
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/14 Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power

Abstract

A method for operating an appliance, such as a refrigerator appliance, is provided. The method includes establishing a location of the appliance, obtaining weather information associated with the location of the appliance, scheduling a predicted power loss event for the appliance based at least in part on the weather information from the step of receiving, and operating the appliance according to a power loss operating profile before or during the predicted power loss event. A related refrigerator appliance is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating an appliance, comprising:

establishing a location of the appliance;

obtaining weather information associated with the location of the appliance, wherein the weather information includes a start and end time, a probability, and a type of poor or severe weather for the location of the appliance;

calculating a score from the weather information;

scheduling a power loss event for the appliance in response to the score exceeding a threshold value; and

operating the appliance according to a power loss operating profile before the scheduled power loss event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of establishing comprises at least one of:

attaining the location of the appliance based at least in part on cellular transmissions from the appliance;

operating a global positioning system (GPS) unit of the appliance;

determining the location of the appliance based at least in part on an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the appliance; and

inputting the location of the appliance on a user interface of the appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining comprises receiving a National Weather Service (NWS) radio message, an email or a Short Messaging Service (SMS) text message at the appliance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining comprises receiving the weather information via a web service response at the appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance comprises a refrigerator appliance and said step of operating comprises reducing a temperature set point of refrigerator appliance before or during the scheduled power loss event.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising inhibiting defrost operations of the refrigerator appliance before or during the scheduled power loss event.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising notifying a user of the refrigerator appliance of the scheduled power loss event.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of notifying comprises emailing or texting the user of the refrigerator appliance.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising requesting a user of the refrigerator appliance to remove ice cubes from an ice bucket of the refrigerator appliance.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising deactivating an ice maker of the refrigerator appliance before or during the scheduled power loss event.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

measuring a temperature of a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance prior to an actual power loss event;

determining an elapsed time of the actual power loss event;

gauging the temperature of the chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance after the actual power loss event; and

alerting a user of the refrigerator appliance if food items within the chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance were stored within a food safety danger zone during the actual power loss event.

12. A refrigerator appliance, comprising:

a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;

a sealed system configured for chilling air within the chilled chamber of the cabinet;

a controller in operative communication with the sealed system, the controller configured for

establishing a location of the refrigerator appliance;

obtaining weather information associated with the location of the refrigerator appliance, wherein the weather information includes a start and end time, a probability, and a type of poor or severe weather for the location of the refrigerator appliance;

calculating a score from the weather information;

scheduling a power loss event for the refrigerator appliance in response to the score exceeding a threshold value; and

operating the sealed system according to a power loss operating profile before the scheduled power loss event.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) unit, wherein the controller is configured for establishing the location of the refrigerator appliance by operating the GPS unit of the refrigerator appliance.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, further comprising a National Weather Service (NWS) radio receiver, wherein the controller is configured for obtaining the weather information by receiving an NWS radio message at the NWS radio receiver.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured for reducing a temperature set point of the sealed system before or during the scheduled power loss event.

16. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured for inhibiting defrost operations of the sealed system before or during the scheduled power loss event.

17. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured for notifying a user of the refrigerator appliance of the scheduled power loss event.

18. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, further comprising an ice maker, the controller configured for deactivating the ice maker before or during the scheduled power loss event.

19. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned for measuring a temperature of the chilled chamber of the cabinet, the controller further configured for

measuring the temperature of the chilled chamber with the temperature sensor prior to an actual power loss event;

determining an elapsed time of the actual power loss event;

gauging the temperature of the chilled chamber with the temperature sensor after the actual power loss event; and

alerting a user of the refrigerator appliance if food items within the chilled chamber were stored within a food safety danger zone during the actual power loss event.

20. A method for operating an appliance, comprising:

establishing a location of the appliance;

obtaining brownout or blackout information associated with the location of the appliance, wherein the brownout or blackout information includes a start and end time, a probability, and a type of poor or severe weather for the location of the appliance;

calculating a score from the brownout or blackout information;

scheduling a power loss event for the appliance in response to the score exceeding a threshold value; and

operating the appliance according to a power loss operating profile before the scheduled power loss event.