Systems and methods for controlling an appliance using another appliance communicatively coupled thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10745841-B2
Application number	US-201816037173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Jul 17, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling one appliance using another appliance communicatively coupled thereto are provided. In one example aspect, a system includes a first appliance and a second appliance communicatively coupled thereto. The first appliance includes features that allow a user to control the first appliance and the second appliance from a single user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first appliance, comprising:
one or more operational components;
a user interface comprising one or more input selectors;
a controller communicatively coupled with the user interface and the one or more operational components;

a second appliance, comprising:
one or more operational components for operating the second appliance in a cycle, the one or more operational components of the second appliance communicatively coupled with the controller of the first appliance;

wherein the controller of the first appliance is configured to:
receive a control input associated with a user input to the one or more input selectors of the user interface of the first appliance;
generate a control command based at least in part on the control input, wherein the control command is representative of instructions for controlling the one or more operational components of the second appliance; and
communicate the control command to the second appliance so that the one or more operational components of the second appliance operate the second appliance in the cycle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second appliance further comprises:
a processing device for controlling the one or more operational components of the second appliance, the processing device communicatively coupled with the controller of the first appliance, wherein the processing device is configured to:
receive the control command communicated from the controller of the first appliance; and
activate the one or more operational components of the second appliance to operate the second appliance in the cycle based at least in part on the control command received from the controller of the first appliance.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller of the first appliance is communicatively coupled with the processing device of the second appliance by a cable.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface of the first appliance further comprises:
a display communicatively coupled with the controller;
wherein after the controller communicates the control command to the second appliance so that the one or more operational components of the second appliance operate the second appliance in the cycle, the controller of the first appliance is further configured to:
receive, in real time, feedback data indicative of a cycle state of the cycle; and
activate the display to present an indicia representative of the cycle state.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the feedback data indicative of the cycle state of the cycle relates to an operational status of the one or more operational components of the second appliance.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller of the first appliance is further configured to:
determine whether the control input is directed to controlling the first appliance or the second appliance;
wherein the controller generates the control command based at least in part on whether the control input is directed to controlling the first appliance or the second appliance.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user interface of the first appliance further comprises:
a touchscreen communicatively coupled with the controller;
wherein the user input to the user interface is a touch input to the touchscreen, and wherein the controller of the first appliance determines whether the control input is directed to controlling the first appliance or controlling the second appliance by ascertaining a location of the touch input to the touchscreen.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user interface of the first appliance further comprises:
a touchscreen communicatively coupled with the controller, the touchscreen switchable between a first appliance tab and a second appliance tab;
wherein the user input to the user interface is a touch input to the touchscreen, and wherein the controller of the first appliance determines whether the control input is directed to controlling the first appliance or controlling the second appliance by ascertaining whether the touch input to the touchscreen occurred while the first appliance tab was presented or while the second appliance tab was presented.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first appliance is a washing machine appliance and the second appliance is a dryer appliance.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the washing machine appliance defines a vertical direction, and wherein the dryer appliance is stacked on top of the washing machine appliance along the vertical direction.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the washing machine appliance defines a lateral direction, and wherein the dryer appliance is positioned adjacent the washing machine appliance along the lateral direction.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second appliance further comprises:
a processing device; and
a user interface communicatively coupled with the processing device and comprising at least two input selectors.

13. A method for controlling a second appliance using a first appliance communicatively coupled thereto, the method comprising:
receiving, at a user interface of the first appliance, a control input associated with a user input to one or more input selectors of the user interface of the first appliance;
generating, by a controller communicatively coupled with the user interface and positioned onboard the first appliance, a control command based at least in part on the control input, wherein the control command is representative of instructions for activating one or more operational components of the second appliance; and
activating the one or more operational components of the second appliance based at least in part on the control command.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
communicating the control command to a processing device positioned onboard the second appliance, and wherein the processing device activates the one or more operational components of the second appliance based at least in part on the control command.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein after activating the one or more operational components of the second appliance, the one or more operational components of the second appliance operate the second appliance in a cycle, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, at the controller of the first appliance in real time, feedback data indicative of a cycle state of the cycle; and
activating a display of the user interface to present an indicia representative of the cycle state.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first appliance is communicatively coupled with the second appliance by a LAN cable extending between a first connection port of the first appliance and a second connection port of the second appliance, and wherein the first connection port is an RJ45 port and the second connection port is an RJ45 port.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein after activating the one or more operational components of the second appliance, the one or more operational components of the second appliance operate the second appliance in a cycle, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, at the controller of the first appliance in real time, feedback data indicative of a cycle state of the cycle; and
adjusting, by the controller of the first appliance, an output of the one or more operational components of the second appliance during the cycle based at least in part on the feedback data.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein after activating the one or more operational components of the second appliance, the one or m

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Yoon Je Kwon
• Jeon Woong

Classifications

• H04L12/2832 Primary

  Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks (single bridge functionality H04L12/4625) · CPC title

• D06F34/05 Primary

  for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control · CPC title

• D06F34/04

  Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements · CPC title

• D06F33/30

  Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control  (controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50) · CPC title

• D06F58/34

  characterised by the purpose or target of the control · CPC title