NETWORK FOR CHANGING RESOURCE CONSUMPTION IN AN APPLIANCE

• US 20080122585A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Castaldo, Rodrigo C., Pires, Andre O., Whipple, Andrew D., Ebrom, Matthew P., McCoy, Richard A., Moes, Christopher S., Horst, Gale R., Jeffery, Randy L., Voss, Randy A., Nibbelink, Matthew J., Jenkins, Anthony E., Elston, Wallace J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A network includes a smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, and an appliance configured to perform an operation on a physical article. The appliance is one that consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation. The network also includes a source of information about the resource. The smart coupler is in communication with the appliance and the source, and the processor and memory operate to request a change to the operation of the appliance in response to a resource parameter or a request communicated by the source.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory,

an appliance configured to perform an operation on a physical article, wherein the appliance consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation, and

a source of information about the resource,

wherein the smart coupler is in communication with the appliance and the source, and the processor and memory operate to request a change to the operation of the appliance in response to one of a resource parameter and a request communicated by the source.

2. The network according to claim 1 wherein the smart coupler is the source of information.

3. The network according to claim 1 wherein the appliance is the source of information.

4. The network according to claim 1 wherein the resource is one of electricity, hot water, gray water, gas, water, replaceable parts, and consumables.

5. The network according to claim 1 wherein the communication is wireless.

6. The network according to claim 1 wherein the resource parameter is one of greater than a threshold and less than a threshold.

7. The network according to claim 1 wherein the request is one of reduce consumption of the at least one resource, delay consumption of the at least one resource, and halt consumption of the at least one resource.

8. The network according to claim 1 wherein the coupler further comprises a visual indicator that communicates information about the appliance.

9. The network according to claim 8 wherein the information is licensable.

10. The network according to claim 8 wherein the visual indicator is a tricolor LED.

11. The network according to claim 8 wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one light diffuser.

12. The network according to claim 8 wherein the visual indicator communicates information about the coupler.

13. The network according to claim 1 wherein the software enables the coupler to selectively couple a remote client to the appliance to enable communication between the client and the appliance, whereby the client can request one of collecting data about the appliance and changing the operation of the appliance.

14. The network according to claim 1 further comprising a GFA sensor to provide data to the processor for determining the request to the appliance.

15. The network according to claim 1 wherein the appliance has a user interface and one of the appliance and the coupler has software to affect the operation, whereby a user can actuate the software by way of the user interface to affect the operation in response to a request.

16. The network according to claim 1 wherein the user interface is graphical.

19. The network according to claim 1 wherein two of the networks communicate by packet and one communicates by binary. (check drawing &

disclosure).

17. A network comprising:

a smart coupler having a processor, a memory, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory,

an appliance having a user interface and being configured to perform an operation on a physical article, wherein the appliance consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation, and

a source of information about the resource,

wherein the smart coupler is in communication with the appliance and the source, and the processor and memory operate to send a message containing the information about the resource to the appliance for communication to a user by the user interface.

18. A network comprising:

an appliance having a user interface and being configured to perform an operation on a physical article, wherein the appliance consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation,

a source of information about the resource,

a first smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, coupled to the source in a first network,

a second smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, coupled to the first smart coupler in a second network, and also coupled to the appliance in a third network, wherein at least two networks are of different types, and

wherein the software is configured to communicate the information across the three networks.

20. A network comprising:

an appliance having a user interface and being configured to perform an operation on a physical article, wherein the appliance consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation,

a source of information about the resource,

a first smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, coupled to the source in a first network, and

a second smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, coupled to the first smart coupler in a second network, and also coupled to the appliance in a third network, wherein at least two networks are of different types;

wherein the communication across the second network includes converting at least one protocol to Boolean or binary code and converting the Boolean or binary code back into the at least one protocol or into a second protocol.

21. The network of claim 20 wherein an energy contract communicates energy management information across the second network.