Appliance network for a networked appliance and a remote user interface

• US 8,786,412 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ebrom, Matthew P., Elston, Wallace J. III, Heilman, Layne E., Jenkins, Anthony E., McCoy, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Nabil
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUN, NAY L
• Application Number:
  US11/933,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20080157936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,456 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340 1222- 1229, 340/12.5, 340 1251- 1254, 340/13.3, 700/90, 700/211, 219/702, 398106-114, 715825-826
• US Class Current: 340/12.29
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/04 Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 7/02 by radio
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/26 the radio signal being a near-field communication signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An appliance network has messaging protocol to establish communication between a first networked appliance and a remote user interface.

Claims

1. A remote user interface for use with an appliance, the remote user interface having at least one memory location and at least one selectable data inputs, and a taxonomy dataset in the at least one memory location, having a plurality of command components associated with at least one function of a cycle of operation in a current state of the appliance wherein at least one element of the dataset is associated with the at least one selectable data input, and wherein the taxonomy dataset is generated by the appliance at any change in a state of the appliance where the available functions for the state change from one state to another, received in the at least one memory location at runtime, and limited to only those functions available for the cycle of operation in the then current state of the appliance, and

one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver configured to create, alter, or enable transmission of messages, and

a taxonomy translator configured to convert the taxonomy dataset into software component specific interfaces associated with the at least one selectable data inputs,

the at least one selectable data input is generated as an output of the taxonomy translator whenever a new taxonomy dataset is received upon a change in state of the appliance, and wherein the remote user interface can generate a well-formed command based on the taxonomy dataset, and send the well-formed command to the appliance and to affect a cycle of operation in the then current state when at least one data input is selected.

2. The remote user interface of claim 1 wherein the remote user interface is integrated into one appliance as a monitor and configured to communicate with other appliances to monitor them.

3. The remote user interface of claim 1 wherein the remote user interface is internal to a first appliance and in communication with a component external to the first appliance.

4. The remote user interface of claim 1 further comprising a taxonomy operator for operating on the taxonomy dataset.

5. An appliance network comprising a remote user interface in communication with an appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article wherein the remote user interface has at least one memory location and at least one selectable data inputs,

a taxonomy dataset in the at least one memory location, having a plurality of command components associated with at least one function of a cycle of operation in a current state of the appliance wherein at least one element of the dataset is associated with the at least one selectable data input, and wherein the taxonomy dataset is generated by the appliance at any change in a state of the appliance where the available functions for the state change from one state to another, received in the at least one memory location at runtime, and limited to only those functions available for the cycle of operation in the then current state of the appliance, and

a taxonomy translator configured to convert the taxonomy dataset into software component specific interfaces associated with the at least one selectable data inputs,

wherein the at least one selectable data input is generated as an output of the taxonomy translator whenever a new taxonomy dataset is received upon a change in state of the appliance, and

wherein the remote user interface can generate a well-formed command based on the taxonomy dataset, and send the well-formed command to the appliance to affect the cycle of operation in the then current state when at least one data input is selected.

6. The appliance network of claim 5 wherein the remote user interface comprises at least one of:

a network communication device configured to propagate and transfer information between the communication network of a first networked appliance and at least one additional network which is not the communication network of the first networked appliance;

a network communication device configured to propagate and transfer information between at least two communication networks of the first networked appliance;

a utensil configured to be used in conjunction with the first networked appliance to accomplish the physical domestic operation;

a sensor configured to be used in conjunction with the first networked appliance to gather information for use in at least one of the cycles of operation of the physical domestic operation;

a reader;

an appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation to complete a physical operation independent of the first networked appliance;

a clock;

a notification device; and

a memory device.

7. The appliance network of claim 6 wherein the remote user interface comprises at least one of a remote keypad, a phone, a personal computer, a voice recognition device, a voice generation device, a sound generation and recognition device, a remote control, a user interface of a home automation system, a user interface of an appliance different from the first networked appliance, a user interface of a component different from the components of the first networked appliance, a television, a device that plays recorded music, a device that plays recorded video, and a personal digital assistant.

8. The appliance network of claim 5 wherein the remote user interface is configured to query the communication network for the identity of the components on the communication network.

9. The appliance network of claim 5 further comprising at least a second networked appliance wherein the remote user interface communicates with each using a software architecture or a software architecture driver.

10. The appliance network according to claim 9 wherein more than one of the appliances do not have a user interface.

11. The appliance network according to claim 9 wherein the second networked appliance comprises an appliance user interface and the remote user interface provides a functionality different than the appliance user interface.

12. The appliance network according to claim 11 wherein the remote user interface comprises at least one of a monitor, a touchpanel monitor, a remote keypad, a phone, a personal computer, a voice recognition device, a voice generation device, a sound generation and recognition device, a remote control, a user interface of a home automation system, a user interface of a component different from the components of the appliance, a television, a device that plays recorded music, a device that plays recorded video, and a personal digital assistant.

13. The remote user interface of claim 5 wherein the remote user interface is configured to present electronic credentials to the appliance before being permitted affect a cycle of operation of the appliance.