Household appliance

• US 9,534,330 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Bsh Hausgerate
• Inventors: Rosenbauer, Michael Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US13/214,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 700/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0021 Regulation of operational steps within the washing processes, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending from the detergent nature or from the condition of the crockery
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/34 Other automatic detections
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/28 Machine starting, e.g. normal start, restart after electricity cut-off or start scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/00 User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/14 Time settings
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/50 Starting machine operation, e.g. delayed start or re-start after power cut
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/32 Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/04 Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• 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

Abstract

A household appliance, in particular a water-conducting household appliance, which can be connected to a power supply network of an energy supplier, includes a communication and/or control facility. A bidirectional signal connection connects the communication and/or control facility to the energy supplier for exchange and/or request information, in particular network electricity information relating to electricity tariffs of the energy supplier.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising:

at least one of a communication and a control facility;

a bidirectional signal connection connecting the at least one of a communication and a control facility to an energy supplier providing a power supply network to the household appliance, for at least one of exchange and request of information, wherein the household appliance is structured to request the information from the energy supplier and is rendered operative in response to the information requested from the energy supplier; and

at least one of a signal receiver and a signal emitter,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility includes an electricity tariff selection facility to enable a user to select an electricity tariff from the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is configured to adjust household appliance operation automatically as a function of the selected electricity tariff,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is rendered operative automatically in response to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier to generate a plurality of different wash program types corresponding to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier, and

wherein the at least one of a signal receiver and a signal emitter transmits signals between the energy supplier and the electricity tariff selection facility.

2. The household appliance of claim 1, constructed in the form of a water-conducting household appliance.

3. The household appliance of claim 1, wherein the information involves network electricity information relating to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier.

4. The household appliance of claim 3, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is configured to assign at least two different types of operation to each of the electricity tariffs for a user to select.

5. The household appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is rendered operative in response to the information requested from the energy supplier to set a start time.

6. The household appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is rendered operative in response to the information requested from the energy supplier to generate a series of at least one of different start times and wash program types, from which the user is able to select at least one of a start time and a wash program type.

7. The household appliance of claim 1, further comprising a timer element operably connected to the at least one of a communication and a control facility and configured to delay a start of operation by a delay time which is predefined by the communication and/or control facility.

8. The household appliance of claim 1,

wherein the at least one of a signal receiver and a signal emitter transmits signals between the energy supplier and the at least one of a communication and a control facility.

9. The household appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility includes a display unit to display network electricity information provided by the energy supplier.

10. The household appliance of claim 9, wherein the network electricity information displayed is a time period linked to at least one of a respective electricity tariff, a manner of electricity generation and an electricity price.

11. The household appliance of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of different wash program types, which are generated by the at least one of a communication and a control facility, varies depending on the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier.

12. The household appliance of claim 11, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is configured to assign a plurality of different wash program types to each of the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier.

13. A household appliance, comprising:

at least one of a communication and a control facility;

a bidirectional signal connection connecting the at least one of a communication and a control facility to an energy supplier providing a power supply network to the household appliance, for exchange and/or request information, wherein the household appliance is structured to request information from the energy supplier and is rendered operative in response to the information requested from the energy supplier; and

at least one of a signal receiver and a signal emitter,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility includes an electricity tariff selection facility to enable a user to select an electricity tariff from the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is configured to delay a start of operation until a time linked to the selected electricity tariff,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is rendered operative in response to the information requested from the energy supplier to generate a plurality of different wash program types corresponding to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier, and

wherein the at least one of a signal receiver and a signal emitter transmits signals between the energy supplier and the electricity tariff selection facility.

14. The household appliance of claim 13, further comprising a timer element operably connected to the at least one of a communication and a control facility and configured to delay a start of operation by a delay time which is predefined by the communication and/or control facility.

15. The household appliance of claim 13,

wherein the at least one of a signal receiver and a signal emitter transmits signals between the energy supplier and the at least one of a communication and a control facility.

16. The household appliance of claim 13, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility includes a display unit to display network electricity information provided by the energy supplier.

17. The household appliance of claim 13, constructed in the form of a water-conducting household appliance.

18. A household appliance, comprising:

at least one of a communication and a control facility configured to control household appliance operation;

a signal receiver/transmitter configured to provide a bidirectional signal connection connecting the at least one of a communication and a control facility to an energy supplier providing a power supply network to the household appliance, for at least one of exchange and request of information,

wherein the signal receiver/transmitter transmits signals between the energy supplier and the electricity tariff selection facility,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is structured to request the information from the energy supplier and control the household appliance operation in response to the information requested from the energy supplier via the signal receiver/transmitter,

wherein the information includes network electricity information including electricity tariffs, and

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility includes an electricity tariff selection facility configured to receive the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier;

a display unit in communication with the at least one of a communication and a control facility, the display unit configured to display the information requested from the energy supplier; and

a control panel having a selection device configured to enable a user to select an electricity tariff from the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is configured to adjust the household appliance operation automatically as a function of the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier,

wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is rendered operative automatically in response to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier to generate a plurality of different wash program types corresponding to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier, and

wherein the selection device is configured to enable the user to select one of the plurality of different wash program types generated by the at least one of a communication and a control facility in response to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier.

19. The household appliance of claim 18, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is configured to assign a plurality of different wash program types to each of the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier.

20. The household appliance of claim 18, wherein the at least one of a communication and a control facility is rendered operative automatically in response to the electricity tariffs of the energy supplier to generate a plurality of different wash program types corresponding to the electricity tariff selected by the user,

wherein the display unit displays the plurality of different wash program types corresponding to the electricity tariff selected by the user, and

wherein the plurality of different wash program types, which are generated by the at least one of a communication and a control facility and displayed by the display unit, varies depending on the electricity tariff selected by the user out of the electricity tariffs requested from the energy supplier.