Household appliance with luminary communication interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338564-B2
Application number	US-202318395054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2023
Priority date	Sep 27, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A household appliance for performing a cycle of operation according to a cycle of operation. The household appliance includes a cabinet defining a treating chamber, a tub located within the cabinet interior and defining a tub interior and having an access opening, a rotatable drum located within the tub interior, a user interface carried by the cabinet and coupled to a controller to provide data communication between the controller and a user, a pedestal for supporting the cabinet and comprising a liquid recirculation system for recirculating liquid to the treating chamber, at least one consumable received in a dock positioned in the pedestal for use in performing the cycle of operation, and, a luminary communication interface physically separated from the user interface and configured to emit at least one of colored light motion or light intensity patterns to illustrate a status of the at least one consumable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing a status of at least one consumable in a household appliance comprising a cabinet defining a treating chamber, a dock positioned in the cabinet, a controller programmed with a cycle of operation, and a user interface carried by the cabinet and physically spaced apart from the dock and coupled to the controller for providing data communication between the controller and user, the method comprising:
emitting at least one of a colored light pattern, a light motion pattern, or a light intensity pattern from a luminary communication interface to illustrate the status of the at least one consumable, and wherein a door overlies at least a portion of the dock and the luminary communication interface, or the luminary communication interface circumscribes at least a portion of the dock, or the luminary communication interface circumscribes the at least one consumable, or a second port is located in the cabinet and spaced from the dock and spaced from the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one consumable includes a treating chemistry, a water softener, or water filter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one consumable comprises multiple consumables and a unique combination of at least one of a colored light pattern, a light motion pattern, or a light intensity pattern is emitted for each of the multiple consumables.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a first of the multiple consumables is a filter cartridge and a second of the multiple consumables is a softener cartridge.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein a first color is utilized to provide a status of a first of the multiple consumables and a second color is utilized to provide a status of a second of the multiple consumables.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the door is transparent or semi-transparent.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emitting further illustrates a status of a cycle of operation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second port comprises a second internal dock for receiving a second consumable.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second internal dock comprises a drawer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the emitting is in an annulus.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet further comprises a pedestal for supporting a portion of the cabinet and wherein the dock is positioned in the pedestal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dock is positioned in a port in the pedestal.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the port is annular.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one consumable comprises multiple consumables wherein the luminary communication interface is physically associated with only one of the multiple consumables while the at least one of a colored light pattern, a light motion pattern, or a light intensity pattern provides directional indicia for at least one of the other multiple consumables.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the emitting comprises at least two of the group of: the colored light pattern, the light motion pattern, and the light intensity pattern.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining motion, via a sensor, and activating the emitting based thereon.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting ambient light, via a sensor, and adjusting the emitting based thereon.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Carpenter Scott E
• Fischer Marcus R
• Fytczyk Joli A
• Hammond Richard L

Classifications

• G08B5/36

  using visible light sources · CPC title

• D06F34/22

  Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity · CPC title

• A47L15/4463

  Multi-dose dispensing arrangements · CPC title

• A47L15/44

  Devices for adding cleaning agents; {Devices for dispensing cleaning agents, rinsing aids or deodorants} · CPC title

• D06F2105/42

  Detergent or additive supply · CPC title