Method for improving washing machine performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106924-B2
Application number	US-201615139789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2016
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A method for controlling the performance of a washing machine wash cycle wherein the wash cycle uses a set of wash cycle parameters, the method including receiving feedback of one or more previous wash cycles, adjusting a subset of the set of wash cycle parameters responsive to the feedback and outputting consequences of said adjusting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling the performance of a washing machine wash cycle using a set of wash cycle parameters, the method comprising:
receiving feedback regarding the results of one or more previous wash cycles;
adjusting a subset of the set of wash cycle parameters responsive to the feedback;
outputting consequence information regarding consequences of said adjusting;
receiving further feedback responsive to the consequence information; and
readjusting the subset of the set of wash cycle parameters responsive to the further feedback; wherein:
the feedback comprises input regarding one or more feedback parameters;
the consequence information comprises at least some of the one or more feedback parameters and a value assigned to each feedback parameter; and
the further feedback comprises an adjustment to the value of a feedback parameter of the consequence information.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:
the consequence information is outputted to a graphical user interface module wherein each feedback parameter thereof is an adjustable dial indicating the value of the feedback parameter;
the further feedback is received by adjustment of one or more of the adjustable dials; and
at least two dials are synchronized, such that an indication of the value of a second dial changes responsive to an input of an adjustment to a first dial.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the feedback parameters of the consequence information include stain removal, fragrance, residue, whiteness, ironability, wetness, length of cycle, colour fading, care, energy consumption or water consumption.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein one of the feedback parameters of the consequence information is energy consumption or water consumption or cycle length.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein one of the feedback parameters of the consequence information is energy consumption or water consumption or cycle length and another of the feedback parameters of the consequence information is stain removal or fragrance or residue or whiteness or ironability or wetness or color fading, or care.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the subset of wash cycle parameters and the adjustment thereof are determined using a set of rules, each rule linking one or more wash cycle parameters with one or more feedback parameters, and the consequence information is determined using a set of relationship formulas each relationship linking to a feedback parameter to another feedback parameter.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Cruickshank Graeme Duncan
• Murashov Vladimir
• Pochart Nicolas Remy Denis Joseph
• Smith Andrew John

Classifications

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L12/2829 Primary

  involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title