Sensor system for refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9795010-B2
Application number	US-201715460291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Oct 22, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

An interactive appliance is provided. The interactive appliance includes at least a housing, and an intelligent control disposed within the housing. One or more lighting devices are electrically connected to the intelligent control, as are one or more sensors. The sensors provide sensor data for the interactive appliance. The intelligent control is configured to alter operation of at least one of the one or more lighting devices based on data provided by the sensor to provide interactive feedback to a user of the interactive appliance. The feedback can include altering light intensity, color, consistency, or the like depending on the sensor data. Furthermore, the lighting device can be placed on a surface, such as an exterior surface of the housing of the appliance, or can be disposed within an interior portion of the appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance comprising:
an appliance housing having an exterior and a handle;
a plurality of lighting devices electrically and interactively connected to at least one proximity sensor that acquires sensor data within a sensor field that extends a distance away from the exterior of the appliance housing;
wherein each of the plurality of lighting devices perform a programmed function and are responsive to a disruption of the sensor field; and
wherein a disruption in the sensor field activates at least one of the plurality of lighting devices proximate the bottom of the appliance and the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices proximate the bottom of the appliance illuminates a general boundary area proximate the bottom of the appliance;
wherein the plurality of lighting devices are integrated into a user facing surface of the exterior of the appliance; and
wherein the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is positioned on a surface of the handle.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is positioned on the surface of the handle to illuminate the handle and wherein a disruption in the sensor field of at least one proximity sensor activates the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices positioned on the surface of the handle.

3. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lighting devices are on the exterior of the appliance and an interior of the appliance and at least one lighting device is on an exterior surface of a handle.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of lighting devices further include at least one dispenser illuminating lighting device that, when activated, illuminates a dispenser on the exterior of the appliance and the at least one proximity sensor is associated with the dispenser to determine if a container is proximate the dispenser.

5. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of lighting devices are a plurality of interior lighting devices that have an alterable intensity and the appliance further comprises at least one time sensor and a dimmer switch and the alterable intensity is changed based upon input from either the at least one time sensor or the dimmer switch.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein illumination of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is an altered light color based upon a disruption of the sensor field.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein a light intensity and visible light color of the plurality of lighting devices is altered based upon input from the at least one proximity sensor over time.

8. The appliance of claim 5 , wherein the alterable intensity is changed based upon both the input from the at least one time sensor and the input from the dimmer switch.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein an operation of the plurality of lighting devices comprises a predicted usage of the appliance based on the sensor data to provide feedback to a user based upon the predicted usage.

10. A refrigerator comprising:
an appliance housing having an exterior surface and a door having a handle and having at least one door proximity sensor and at least one interior proximity sensor;
a refrigerator bottom lighting device and a handle lighting device connected to a proximity sensor that acquires sensor data within a sensor field that extends a distance away from the exterior of the appliance housing;
wherein the refrigerator bottom lighting device and the handle lighting device perform a programmed function and is responsive to a disruption of the sensor field; and
wherein a disruption in the sensor field activates the refrigerator bottom lighting device and the refrigerator bottom lighting device proximate the bottom of the refrigerator illuminates a general boundary area proximate the bottom of the refrigerator;
wherein the refrigerator bottom lighting device and the handle lighting device are integrated into a user facing surface of the exterior of the refrigerator; and
wherein the handle lighting device is positioned on a surface of the handle.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the at least one door proximity sensor is positioned on the exterior surface of the door, each door proximity sensor associated with an exterior sensor field loop that extends outward and back toward the door proximity sensor, wherein disruption of the exterior sensor field loop activates at least one exterior appliance lighting device that illuminates an area proximate the refrigerator.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the at least one interior proximity sensor senses motion within an interior volume of the refrigerator and a plurality of interior lighting devices wherein an interior lighting device is associated with each defined subvolume with the interior of the refrigerator such that movement sensed by the at least one interior proximity sensor alters a lighting intensity of the defined subvolume.

13. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the at least one interior proximity sensor senses motion within an interior volume of the refrigerator and a plurality of interior lighting devices wherein an interior lighting device is associated with each defined subvolume with the interior of the refrigerator such that movement sensed by the at least one interior proximity sensor alters a lighting intensity of the defined subvolume.

14. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator cabinet having an exterior surface and a dispenser on the exterior surface that dispenses water and ice;
a door for providing access to a compartment within the refrigerator cabinet;
at least one dispenser lighting device associated with the dispenser and operably connected to at least one dispenser proximity sensor associated with and positioned on a dispenser well wall of the dispenser where the at least one dispenser proximity sensor has a loop sensor field associated therewith that extends away from and through a recessed dispensing area of the dispenser and wherein the at least one dispenser lighting device illuminates the recessed dispensing area of the dispenser upon a disruption in the sensor field;
at least one door proximity sensor positioned on the exterior surface of the door, the at least one door proximity sensor having an associated exterior sensor field loop that extends outward and back toward the at least one door proximity sensor, wherein a disruption of the exterior sensor field loop activates at least one exterior refrigerator lighting device that illuminates an area proximate the refrigerator; and
at least one interior proximity sensor wherein each of the at least one interior proximity sensor senses motion within an interior volume of the refrigerator and a plurality of interior lighting devices wherein an interior lighting device is associated with each defined subvolume with the interior of the refrigerator such that movement sensed by the at least one interior proximity sensor alters a lighting intensity of the defined subvolume.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 further comprising a handle lighting device and a door opened time sensor that senses an amount of time a door having a handle associated with the handle lighting device has been open where, after a period of time has passed the door opened time sensor causes the handle lighting device to illuminate the handle.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the refrigerator further comprises an environmental sensor configured to sense ambient light in a room where the refrigerator is located.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the environmental sensor

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Kendall James W
• Licht Kevin Edward
• Snyder Jill C
• Kincaid Michael D

Classifications

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2700/06

  Sensors detecting the presence of a product · CPC title

• F25D2327/001

  Lighting arrangements on the external side of the refrigerator, freezer or cooling box · CPC title

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D27/005 Primary

  combined with control means · CPC title