System and method for determining appliance door status
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorDavid H. Lepie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of determining the status of an appliance door is provided. The status of the door of the appliance can be determined based an output signal provided by a door switch coupled in series with a latch motor feedback. A change in the output signal of the door switch can be indicative of either the opening of the appliance door or the actuating of the latch motor. The source of the change in an output of the door switch can be determined based on the latch command provided to the latch motor. The appliance can be controlled based on the status of the appliance door.
Claims20
A control system for an appliance, the appliance comprising an appliance door, the control system comprising:
- a door lock latch movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the door lock latch configured to prevent opening of the appliance door when in the locked position;
- a latch motor configured to drive the door lock latch between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a motor feedback providing a signal indicative of a state of the latch motor;
- a door switch coupled in series with the motor feedback;
- and
- a controller configured to receive an output signal from the door switch coupled in series with the motor feedback;
- wherein the controller is capable of determining a state of the appliance door based at least in part on the output signal from the door switch.
A method of determining the state of an appliance door, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller, an output signal of a door switch associated with the appliance door, the door switch coupled in series with a latch motor feedback, the latch motor feedback providing a signal indicative of a state of a latch motor capable of actuating a door latch between a lock position and an unlock position, the door latch configured to prevent opening of the appliance door when in a lock position;
- identifying a latch command provided by the controller to the latch motor;
- and
- determining a state of the appliance door based at least in part on the output signal of the door switch and the latch command.
An appliance, comprising:
- an appliance door;
- a door lock latch movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the door lock latch configured to prevent opening of the appliance door when in the locked position;
- a latch motor configured to drive the door lock latch between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a motor feedback providing a signal indicative of a state of the latch motor;
- a door switch coupled in series with the motor feedback;
- and
- a controller configured to receive an output signal from the door switch coupled in series with the motor feedback;
- wherein the controller is capable of determining a state of the appliance door based at least in part on the output signal from the door switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.