Sensor system for refrigerator

• US 9,795,010 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kendall, James W., Licht, Kevin Edward, Snyder, Jill C., Kincaid, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Monica C
• Application Number:
  US15/460,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 215 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2327/001 Lighting arrangements on the external side of the refrigerator, freezer or cooling box
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/04 Sensors detecting the presence of a person
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/06 Sensors detecting the presence of a product
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An interactive appliance is provided. The interactive appliance includes at least a housing, and an intelligent control disposed within the housing. One or more lighting devices are electrically connected to the intelligent control, as are one or more sensors. The sensors provide sensor data for the interactive appliance. The intelligent control is configured to alter operation of at least one of the one or more lighting devices based on data provided by the sensor to provide interactive feedback to a user of the interactive appliance. The feedback can include altering light intensity, color, consistency, or the like depending on the sensor data. Furthermore, the lighting device can be placed on a surface, such as an exterior surface of the housing of the appliance, or can be disposed within an interior portion of the appliance.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

an appliance housing having an exterior and a handle;

a plurality of lighting devices electrically and interactively connected to at least one proximity sensor that acquires sensor data within a sensor field that extends a distance away from the exterior of the appliance housing;

wherein each of the plurality of lighting devices perform a programmed function and are responsive to a disruption of the sensor field; and

wherein a disruption in the sensor field activates at least one of the plurality of lighting devices proximate the bottom of the appliance and the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices proximate the bottom of the appliance illuminates a general boundary area proximate the bottom of the appliance;

wherein the plurality of lighting devices are integrated into a user facing surface of the exterior of the appliance; and

wherein the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is positioned on a surface of the handle.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is positioned on the surface of the handle to illuminate the handle and wherein a disruption in the sensor field of at least one proximity sensor activates the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices positioned on the surface of the handle.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lighting devices are on the exterior of the appliance and an interior of the appliance and at least one lighting device is on an exterior surface of a handle.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the plurality of lighting devices further include at least one dispenser illuminating lighting device that, when activated, illuminates a dispenser on the exterior of the appliance and the at least one proximity sensor is associated with the dispenser to determine if a container is proximate the dispenser.

5. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the plurality of lighting devices are a plurality of interior lighting devices that have an alterable intensity and the appliance further comprises at least one time sensor and a dimmer switch and the alterable intensity is changed based upon input from either the at least one time sensor or the dimmer switch.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein illumination of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is an altered light color based upon a disruption of the sensor field.

7. The appliance of claim 1, wherein a light intensity and visible light color of the plurality of lighting devices is altered based upon input from the at least one proximity sensor over time.

8. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the alterable intensity is changed based upon both the input from the at least one time sensor and the input from the dimmer switch.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein an operation of the plurality of lighting devices comprises a predicted usage of the appliance based on the sensor data to provide feedback to a user based upon the predicted usage.

10. A refrigerator comprising:

an appliance housing having an exterior surface and a door having a handle and having at least one door proximity sensor and at least one interior proximity sensor;

a refrigerator bottom lighting device and a handle lighting device connected to a proximity sensor that acquires sensor data within a sensor field that extends a distance away from the exterior of the appliance housing;

wherein the refrigerator bottom lighting device and the handle lighting device perform a programmed function and is responsive to a disruption of the sensor field; and

wherein a disruption in the sensor field activates the refrigerator bottom lighting device and the refrigerator bottom lighting device proximate the bottom of the refrigerator illuminates a general boundary area proximate the bottom of the refrigerator;

wherein the refrigerator bottom lighting device and the handle lighting device are integrated into a user facing surface of the exterior of the refrigerator; and

wherein the handle lighting device is positioned on a surface of the handle.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the at least one door proximity sensor is positioned on the exterior surface of the door, each door proximity sensor associated with an exterior sensor field loop that extends outward and back toward the door proximity sensor, wherein disruption of the exterior sensor field loop activates at least one exterior appliance lighting device that illuminates an area proximate the refrigerator.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the at least one interior proximity sensor senses motion within an interior volume of the refrigerator and a plurality of interior lighting devices wherein an interior lighting device is associated with each defined subvolume with the interior of the refrigerator such that movement sensed by the at least one interior proximity sensor alters a lighting intensity of the defined subvolume.

13. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the at least one interior proximity sensor senses motion within an interior volume of the refrigerator and a plurality of interior lighting devices wherein an interior lighting device is associated with each defined subvolume with the interior of the refrigerator such that movement sensed by the at least one interior proximity sensor alters a lighting intensity of the defined subvolume.

14. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator cabinet having an exterior surface and a dispenser on the exterior surface that dispenses water and ice;

a door for providing access to a compartment within the refrigerator cabinet;

at least one dispenser lighting device associated with the dispenser and operably connected to at least one dispenser proximity sensor associated with and positioned on a dispenser well wall of the dispenser where the at least one dispenser proximity sensor has a loop sensor field associated therewith that extends away from and through a recessed dispensing area of the dispenser and wherein the at least one dispenser lighting device illuminates the recessed dispensing area of the dispenser upon a disruption in the sensor field;

at least one door proximity sensor positioned on the exterior surface of the door, the at least one door proximity sensor having an associated exterior sensor field loop that extends outward and back toward the at least one door proximity sensor, wherein a disruption of the exterior sensor field loop activates at least one exterior refrigerator lighting device that illuminates an area proximate the refrigerator; and

at least one interior proximity sensor wherein each of the at least one interior proximity sensor senses motion within an interior volume of the refrigerator and a plurality of interior lighting devices wherein an interior lighting device is associated with each defined subvolume with the interior of the refrigerator such that movement sensed by the at least one interior proximity sensor alters a lighting intensity of the defined subvolume.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 further comprising a handle lighting device and a door opened time sensor that senses an amount of time a door having a handle associated with the handle lighting device has been open where, after a period of time has passed the door opened time sensor causes the handle lighting device to illuminate the handle.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the refrigerator further comprises an environmental sensor configured to sense ambient light in a room where the refrigerator is located.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the environmental sensor, the at least one dispenser proximity sensor, the at least one door proximity sensor, the at least one interior proximity sensor, and the door opened time sensor are positioned on a surface chosen from the group consisting of a liner surface, a shelf surface, a door surface, an interior crisper surface, a refrigerator cabinet surface, a dispenser well surface, a handle surface, and a dispenser mount fascia surface.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the lighting intensity or visible light color of the at least one dispenser lighting device associated with the dispenser is altered based upon feedback from at least one dispenser proximity sensor and the environmental sensor.

19. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the at least one dispenser proximity sensor, the at least one door proximity sensor, and the at least one interior proximity sensor include both capacitive sense sensors and infrared light sensors.

20. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein a predefined subvolume is a drawer within the interior of the refrigerator where the lighting intensity of a light illuminating the drawer provided by the interior lighting device associated with the drawer is altered upon sensing of motion by an interior proximity sensor associated with the drawer and wherein the refrigerator further comprises a time sensor which after a predetermined amount of time has passed, causes the at least one exterior refrigerator lighting device associated with the door to flicker or pulse on and off thereby allowing a user that the drawer was left open.