Appliance information communication system

• US 7,554,463 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Hill, Eric A., Ulius-Sabel, Sara B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US11/379,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 341/22, 341/23, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

Communicating operational information to a user of an appliance regarding the operational mode of the appliance and the options available for a selected operational mode and the options selected.

Claims

1. A user interface for an appliance comprising:

a cycle selector comprising a plurality of operating cycles of an appliance with a corresponding cycle indicator for indicating which of the operating cycles is selected;

an option selector comprising a plurality of options for the plurality of operating cycles of an appliance with a corresponding option indicator for indicating a status of the option; and

a controller operably coupled to the cycle selector and the option selector wherein the controller activates the cycle indicator corresponding to a selected operating cycle of an appliance, activates in a first activation state the option indicator for each available and selected option associated with the selected operating cycle, activates in a second activation state the option indicator for each available and non-selected option associated with the selected operating cycle, and maintains the activation of the available and non-selected options after selection of the available and selected options.

2. The user interface of claim 1 wherein at least one of the option indicator and the cycle indicator comprises a visual indicator.

3. The user interface of claim 2 wherein the option indicator comprises a visual indicator for at least some of the plurality of options.

4. The user interface of claim 3 wherein the visual indicator comprises an illumination source operable in multiple illumination states corresponding to the activation states.

5. The user interface of claim 4 wherein the multiple illumination states comprises a first illumination state corresponding to the selected available options and the second illumination states corresponding to the non-selected available options.

6. The user interface of claim 4 wherein the multiple illumination states comprises a third illumination state corresponding to an unavailable option.

7. The user interface of claim 6 wherein the first, second and third illumination states differ in at least one of color and intensity produced by the illumination source.

8. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the first and second activation states comprise the visual indicator differing in at least one of color and intensity.

9. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to maintain the second activation state for the option indicator for the non-selected available options until the operating cycle progresses to a point beyond which the non-selected available option can be implemented.

10. The user interface of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured to maintain the first activation state for the option indicator for the selected available options until at least the completion of the operating cycle.

11. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to activate the option indicator to indicate the available options after the abnormal stopping of the operational cycle.

12. A method of communicating to a user of an appliance operational information related to an operational cycle of the appliance through a user interface, comprising:

indicating options available for selection by the user for an operating cycle of the appliance;

indicating which of the available options is selected by the user;

distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options;

continuing to indicate the non-selected available options subsequent to the selection of the selected available option;

continuing to indicate the non-selected available options after the initiation of the operating cycle; and

continuing to indicate the non-selected available options until the operating cycle progresses to a point beyond which the non-selected available option can be implemented.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the indicating of available options comprises visually indicating the available options.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options comprises visually distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein visually distinguishing between the selected available option and the non-selected available options comprises illuminating the selected available options in a first illumination state and illuminating the non-selected available options in a second illumination state different from the first illumination state.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second illumination states differ in at least one of color and intensity.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second illumination states are color.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the color indicating the non-selected available option is amber.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising distinguishing the unavailable options from the available options.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the indicating of the selected available options comprises indicating multiple selected available options.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the indicating of the selected available options comprises indicating a selected parameter associated with the selected available options.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the indicating of a selected parameter comprises indicating a selected parameter from a group of parameters.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the group of parameters comprises a group of available parameters.

24. The method of claim 12 further comprising indicating the operating cycle selected by the user from a plurality of operating cycles.

25. The method of claim 12 wherein the indicating of available options comprises visually indicating the available options.

26. The method of claim 12 wherein the distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options comprises visually distinguishing between the selected available options and the non-selected available options.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein visually distinguishing between the selected available option and the non-selected available options comprises illuminating the selected available options in a first illumination state and illuminating the non-selected available options in a second illumination state different from the first illumination state.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second illumination states differ in at least one of color and intensity.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the first and second illumination states are color.

30. The method of claim 12 further comprising indicating the available options after the abnormal stopping of the operational cycle.