Appliance network with messaging

• US 9,929,874 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Satanek, Brandon, Shi, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US15/647,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20170317846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method and appliance for a communicating on a network includes an appliance interactive display coupled to an appliance communication module, wherein the appliance communication module is configured to receive a message, and in response to the received message, the appliance is configured to send a return message that relates to the message.

Claims

1. An appliance for a home network comprising:

an appliance interactive display coupled to an appliance communication module;

wherein the appliance communication module is configured to receive a message having an embedded interactive element configured to operate a functionality of the appliance embedded into the message; and

wherein the appliance is configured to send a return message that relates to the embedded interactive element.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance receives the message from at least one of a mobile device or server.

3. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the appliance sends the return message to at least one of the mobile device or server.

4. The appliance of claim 3 wherein the appliance receives the message from the mobile device through the server or sends the return message to the mobile device through the server.

5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the return message is an alert message and includes information that the embedded interactive element has not been activated.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the return message is an alert message if the embedded interactive element is not activated within a predetermined time, and wherein the predetermined time is configurable by a user.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the return message is generated based on user input.

8. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the embedded interactive element includes a link to one of download an application or start a cycle of operation.

9. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the return message includes information related to completed tasks.

10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the return message includes comments from a user.

11. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the embedded interactive element is displayed at the appliance interactive display.

12. A method of communicating among at least one appliance having an appliance interactive display coupled to an appliance communication module and a server having a server communication module, the method comprising:

receiving in the appliance communication module a message having an embedded interactive element having a functionality of the appliance embedded into the message from the server;

displaying the embedded interactive element on the appliance interactive display; and

sending a return message to the server by way of appliance communication module that relates to the embedded interactive element.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the message is received from a mobile device through the server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the return message is sent to the mobile device through the server.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the return message is an alert message if the embedded interactive element is not activated within a predetermined time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the alert message includes information that the embedded interactive element has not been activated.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined time is configurable by a user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined time is generated based on user input.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the embedded interactive element includes a link to download an application or start a cycle of operation.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the sending a return message is initiated by user input received at the appliance interactive display.