Appliance and method for cleaning context detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11930980-B2
Application number	US-202217736228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2022
Priority date	May 4, 2022
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A system and method for cleaning context detection and appliance operation are provided. The system includes a first appliance communicatively coupled to a second appliance to receive and transmit signals therebetween. The first appliance and the second appliance each include a controller configured to execute operations. The operations include receiving, at the first appliance, a first control signal corresponding to executing a cleaning mode at the first appliance; transmitting, from the first appliance, a second control signal to the second appliance, the second control signal corresponding to a cleaning state; and generating, at the second appliance, a third control signal corresponding to executing the cleaning mode at the second appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for operating a system of interconnected appliances, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first appliance, a first control signal corresponding to executing a cleaning mode at the first appliance;
transmitting, from the first appliance, a second control signal to a second appliance, the second control signal corresponding to a cleaning state; and
generating, at the second appliance, a third control signal corresponding to executing the cleaning mode at the second appliance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first control signal at the first appliance comprises receiving a user input at the first appliance, the user input corresponding to the cleaning mode at the first appliance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first control signal at the first appliance causes the first appliance to transmit the second control signal to the second appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 , the method comprising:
performing a self-cleaning cycle at the first appliance based on receiving the first control signal at the first appliance.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the self-cleaning cycle at the first appliance causes the first appliance to transmit the second control signal to the second appliance.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the third control signal at the second appliance causes the second appliance to perform an appliance cleaning cycle at the second appliance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning mode is a self-cleaning cycle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first appliance and the second appliance are operably coupled via a network to transmit and receive signals to one another.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third control signal corresponds to a visual message or an audio message suggesting starting an appliance maintenance step at the second appliance.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the appliance maintenance step corresponds to cleaning a component, replacing a filter element, cycling a cleaning solution at the appliance, performing a cleaning function at the appliance, or performing a manual operation by a user, or combinations thereof.

11. An interconnected system of appliances, the system comprising:
a first appliance communicatively coupled to a second appliance to receive and transmit signals therebetween, wherein the first appliance and the second appliance each comprise a controller configured to execute operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, at the first appliance, a first control signal corresponding to executing a cleaning mode at the first appliance;
transmitting, from the first appliance, a second control signal to the second appliance, the second control signal corresponding to a cleaning state; and
generating, at the second appliance, a third control signal corresponding to executing the cleaning mode at the second appliance.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein receiving the first control signal at the first appliance comprises receiving a user input at the first appliance, the user input corresponding to the cleaning mode at the first appliance.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein receiving the first control signal at the first appliance causes the first appliance to transmit the second control signal to the second appliance.

14. The system of claim 11 , the operations comprising:
performing a self-cleaning cycle at the first appliance based on receiving the first control signal at the first appliance.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein performing the self-cleaning cycle at the first appliance causes the first appliance to transmit the second control signal to the second appliance.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the third control signal at the second appliance causes the second appliance to perform an appliance cleaning cycle at the second appliance.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the cleaning mode is a self-cleaning cycle.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first appliance and the second appliance are operably coupled via a network to transmit and receive signals to one another.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the third control signal corresponds to a visual message or an audio message suggesting starting an appliance maintenance step at the second appliance.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the appliance maintenance step corresponds to cleaning a component, replacing a filter element, cycling a cleaning solution at the appliance, performing a cleaning function at the appliance, or performing a manual operation by a user, or combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Scheckelhoff Ryan James
• Reeves Joshua

Classifications

• A47L15/0049 Primary

  Detection or prevention of malfunction, including accident prevention (arrangements to prevent clogging of filters A47L15/4208; safety arrangements for preventing water damage A47L15/421) · CPC title

• A47L15/0063

  using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems · CPC title

• H04L12/2814

  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 title

• A47L2501/26

  Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

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