Household appliance having a signal relay

• US 9,549,658 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Beshears, Paul E. Jr., Delgado, Kristopher L., Deweerd, Brent A., Sundaram, Sathish A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cormier, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graf, Irina
• Application Number:
  US13/292,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20120125384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0055 Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/006 using wireless communication between internal components of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4445 Detachable devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/449 Metering controlling devices A47L15/4229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/023 Quantity or concentration of the consumable product
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/04 Crockery or tableware details, e.g. material, quantity, condition
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/10 Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/12 Water temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/26 Loading door status, e.g. door latch opened or closed state
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/30 Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control

Abstract

A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article may have a treating chamber for holding the physical article during performance of the useful cycle of operation. The household appliance may include a temporary controllable device located within the treating chamber where the temporary controllable device may be communicated with via a signal relay.

Claims

1. A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article, comprising:

a treating chamber for holding the physical article during the performance of the useful cycle of operation and having an open face;

a door moveably mounted between an open position, wherein a user can access the treating chamber, and a closed position, wherein the door closes the open face of the treating chamber;

at least one controllable component for use in implementing the useful cycle of operation;

a repeater signal relay including a plurality of repeater signal relays located within the treating chamber and where the repeater signal relay is physically removed from a treating chemistry dispenser integrated in the household appliance and where the repeater signal relay includes a signal receiver configured to receive a wireless transmission emanating from a temporary controllable device, where the temporary controllable device is configured to be controlled autonomously or via an externally provided control signal to implement an action, when the temporary controllable device is within the treating chamber and where the repeater signal relay is configured to provide an output signal corresponding to the received wireless transmission; and

a controller operably coupled to the at least one controllable component, operably coupled to the repeater signal relay to receive the output signal, and having a memory in which is stored a computer program configured to implement the useful cycle of operation by at least in part controlling the at least one controllable component according to the computer program based at least in part on the output signal; and

wherein the repeater signal relay ensures adequate communication coverage between the temporary controllable device and the controller when the temporary controllable device is placed anywhere within the treating chamber.

2. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller outputs a control signal for the temporary controllable device, and the repeater signal relay emits the control signal into the treating chamber for receipt by the temporary controllable device such that the temporary controllable device is operated based thereon.

3. The household appliance of claim 1, further comprising a storage element located within the treating chamber and configured to receive the physical article.

4. The household appliance of claim 3 wherein the household appliance is a dishwasher and the storage element is a dish rack.

5. The household appliance of claim 4 wherein the repeater signal relay is located in the treating chamber at an elevation either above or below the dish rack.

6. The household appliance of claim 4, further comprising a rotating spray arm and the repeater signal relay is located on the rotating spray arm.

7. The household appliance of claim 3 wherein the appliance is a laundry treating appliance and the storage element is a rotating drum.

8. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the repeater signal relay is configured to receive a wireless signal that is at least one of a light wave signal or radio wave signal.

9. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the repeater signal relay is configured to receive a low power wireless signal.

10. The household appliance of claim 9 wherein the repeater signal relay is configured to receive a low power wireless signal less than 3 milliwatts.

11. The household appliance of claim 1, wherein the repeater signal relay is configured to receive the wireless transmission and modify the transmission such that the output signal provided corresponds to the modified received wireless transmission.

12. The household appliance of claim 11 wherein the output signal from the repeater signal relay is a modified by at least one of amplifying the received transmission or duplicating the received transmission.

13. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the repeater signal relay is on a sidewall or back wall of the treating chamber.

14. A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article, comprising:

a treating chamber for holding the physical article during the performance of the useful cycle of operation;

a door selectively providing access to the treating chamber;

at least one controllable component for use in implementing the useful cycle of operation;

a set of repeater signal relays located within the treating chamber, physically removed from the door, and where a repeater signal relay includes a signal receiver configured to receive a wireless transmission emanating from a temporary controllable device, where the temporary controllable device is configured to be controlled autonomously or via an externally provided control signal to implement an action, when the temporary controllable device is within the treating chamber and where the repeater signal relay is configured to provide an output signal corresponding to the received wireless transmission; and

a controller operably coupled to the at least one controllable component, operably coupled to the repeater signal relay to receive the output signal, and having a memory in which is stored a computer program for implementing the useful cycle of operation by at least in part controlling the at least one controllable component according to the computer program based at least in part on the output signal; and

wherein the set of repeater signal relays ensures adequate communication coverage between the temporary controllable device and the controller when the temporary controllable device is placed anywhere within the treating chamber.

15. The household appliance of claim 14, wherein the repeater signal relay is configured to receive the wireless transmission and modify the wireless transmission such that the output signal provided corresponds to the modified received wireless transmission.

16. The household appliance of claim 15 wherein the wireless transmission may be modified by at least one of amplifying the received wireless transmission or duplicating the received wireless transmission.

17. The household appliance of claim 14 wherein the temporary controllable device emits a low-power wireless signal.

18. The household appliance of claim 17 wherein the low-power wireless signal is a signal less than 3 milliwatts.