Consumer appliances and methods of operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945582-B1
Application number	US-201916662549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 24, 2019
Priority date	Oct 24, 2019
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A consumer appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a user interface attached to the cabinet, a motor mounted within the cabinet, and a control board in electrical communication with the user interface and the motor. The user interface may include one or more connected electrical elements. The control board may be configured to initiate an initial operation. The initial operation may include activating the control board and detecting the one or more connected electrical elements from a predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements. The initial operation may further include selecting an operating personality from a plurality of preset personalities based on detecting the one or more connected electrical elements. The initial operation may still further include directing the motor according to the selected operating personality.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a consumer appliance comprising:
activating a control board within the consumer appliance;
detecting one or more connected electrical elements from a predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements connected to the control board at a corresponding plurality of connection pins;
selecting an operating personality from a plurality of preset personalities based on detecting the one or more connected electrical elements; and
directing a motor of the consumer appliance according to the selected operating personality,
wherein the plurality of connection pins defines a total number of selectively-filled connection pins determining a total number of possible electrical components, and wherein selecting the operating personality is based on one or more empty pins of the total number of selectively-filled connection pins.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the control board comprises directing an initial current through one or more connection pins corresponding to the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements prior to detecting the one or more connected electrical elements.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting one or more connected electrical elements comprises detecting a predicted voltage reading at a predetermined connection pin of the control board.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements comprises a plurality of diodes.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of diodes correspond to a plurality of light emitting diodes within a user interface of the consumer appliance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each potential electrical element of the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements is a light emitting diode.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a number of detected one or more electrical elements, wherein selecting the operating personality is based on the determined number of detected one or more electrical elements.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the operating personality is based on which one or more connected electrical elements are detected.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumer appliance is a dishwashing appliance, and wherein the motor is a pump motor mounted within the dishwashing appliance.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the dishwashing appliance comprises a door rotatably mounted to a cabinet, wherein the door holds a user interface comprising a plurality of connected light emitting diodes, and wherein the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements comprises a plurality of potential light emitting diodes.

11. A consumer appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a user interface attached to the cabinet, the user interface comprising one or more connected electrical elements;
a motor mounted within the cabinet; and
a control board in electrical communication with the user interface and the motor, the control board comprising a plurality of connection pins at which the one or more connected electrical elements are connection, the control board being configured to initiate an initial operation comprising
activating the control board,
detecting the one or more connected electrical elements from a predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements,
selecting an operating personality from a plurality of preset personalities based on detecting the one or more connected electrical elements, and
directing the motor according to the selected operating personality,
wherein the plurality of connection pins defines a total number of selectively-filled connection pins determining a total number of possible electrical components, and wherein selecting the operating personality is based on one or more empty pins of the total number of selectively-filled connection pins.

12. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein the control board comprises a plurality of connection pins corresponding to the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements, wherein activating the control board comprises directing an initial current through one or more connection pins of the plurality of connection pins prior to detecting the one or more connected electrical elements.

13. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein detecting the one or more connected electrical elements comprises detecting a predicted voltage reading at a predetermined connection pin of the control board.

14. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements comprises a plurality of diodes.

15. The consumer appliance of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of diodes correspond to a plurality of light emitting diodes within the user interface.

16. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein each potential electrical element of the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements is a light emitting diode.

17. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein the initial operation further comprises determining a number of detected one or more electrical elements, wherein selecting the operating personality is based on the determined number of detected one or more electrical elements.

18. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein selecting the operating personality is based on which one or more connected electrical elements are detected.

19. The consumer appliance of claim 11 , wherein the consumer appliance is a dishwashing appliance, and wherein the motor is a pump motor.

20. The consumer appliance of claim 19 , wherein the dishwashing appliance further comprises a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet, wherein the user interface is mounted within the door, wherein the one or more connected electrical elements comprises a plurality of connected light emitting diodes, and wherein the predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements comprises a plurality of potential light emitting diodes.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Morman Brian J
• Rice Steven Andrew
• Farris Brett Alan

Classifications

• G05B19/0426

  Programming the control sequence · CPC title

• A47L15/4293 Primary

  Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels · CPC title

• A47L15/4274

  Arrangement of electrical components, e.g. control units or cables (A47L15/4293 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/25092

  Customized control features, configuration · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title