# US 2012/0074224 A1 · Removable component for a consumable with identifying graphic

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- Number: US 2012/0074224 A1
- Document ID: US20120074224A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/890,889
- Filed: 2010-09-27
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-27
- Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation
- Inventors: KIRK M. DUNSBERGEN; KAUSTAV GHOSH; ROBERT J. PINKOWSKI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120074224A1

## CPC

- D06F 39/02: Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
- G06K 19/06046: {Constructional details}
- A47L 15/0055: {Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration}
- A47L 2401/023: Quantity or concentration of the consumable product
- A47L 2401/026: Nature or type of the consumable product, e.g. information on detergent, e.g. 3-in-1 tablets, rinsing aid or salt
- A47L 2501/30: Regulation of machine operational steps within the washing process, e.g. performing an additional rinsing phase, shortening or stopping of the drying phase, washing at decreased noise operation conditions
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)

## Abstract

A removable component for dispensing a physical resource from a dispensing system may include a body defining a reservoir in which a physical resource may be stored, a graphic provided on the removable component having information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A removable component for dispensing a physical resource from a dispensing system, the removable component comprising:
a body defining a reservoir in which a physical resource may be stored;
a graphic provided on the removable component; and
a composite structure formed by the graphic, body, and reservoir and having optically encoded information at first and second depths in the composite structure, with the second depth being different than the first depth.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the optically encoded information comprises a first optically encoded information at the first depth and a second optically encoded information at the second depth, with the first optically encoded information being different than the second optically encoded information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The removable component of claim 2 wherein the first and second optically encoded information comprises at least one of: information indicative of a cycle of operation, information indicative of at least one operating parameter of a cycle of operation, a presence or absence of the physical resource, an amount of the physical resource, a physical property of the physical resource, an identification of the physical resource and an authentication key.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The removable component of claim 3 wherein the first optically encoded information comprises an authentication key.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The removable component of claim 4 wherein the second optically encoded information comprises an identification of the physical resource in the reservoir.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The removable component of claim 2 wherein the first optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the first depth at a first intensity of illumination and the second optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the second depth at a second intensity, which is different than the first intensity.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The removable component of claim 2 wherein the first optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the first depth at a first wavelength and the second optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the second depth at a second wavelength, with the second wavelength being different than the first wavelength.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The removable component of claim 2 wherein the first optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the first depth at multiple wavelengths and the second optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the second depth at multiple wavelengths.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The removable component of claim 2 wherein the first optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the first depth at a first polarity.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The removable component of claim 9 wherein the second optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the second depth at a second polarity, different from the first polarity.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The removable component of claim 6 wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The removable component of claim 11 wherein the first depth is at a surface of the graphic.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The removable component of claim 12 wherein the second depth is a surface of the body.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the first depth is at a surface of the graphic.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the second depth is a surface of the body.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the second depth is an interior of the graphic.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the graphic comprises a label.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the graphic comprises a substrate on which there is printed indicia.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the composite structure comprises a plurality of layers.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The removable component of claim 20 wherein at least one of the plurality of layers has at least one of a thickness, a texture, a color, a refractivity, a reflectivity, an absorbance, a transmittance, an index of refraction and an optical polarity that is different than at least one other of the plurality of layers.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 wherein the first optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the first depth at a first wavelength and the second optically encoded information is retrievable by illuminating the second depth at a second wavelength, with the second wavelength being different than the first wavelength.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The removable component of claim 1 further comprising a physical resource processor provided in the reservoir.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The removable component of claim 23 wherein the physical resource processor comprises filter material.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The removable component of claim 24 wherein the composite structure further comprises at least a portion of the filter material.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The removable component of claim 23 wherein the physical resource processor further comprises a physical resource.