Integrated circuit appliance programmer including programmer modification function

In an appliance which performs a plurality of operations, an electronic control for stepping the appliance through an operating program which comprises a sequence of the operations, said electronic control comprising:

• a clock for supplying electrical pulses at discrete time intervals;
• a sequence control for establishing a sequence of appliance operations;
• a set of operator switches for modifying said sequence;
• a memory circuit connected for generating a sequence of output signals, said memory circuit including an input memory connected to said switches, an input encoder connected to said input memory and a read only memory connected to said input encoder for generating said signals;
• a plurality of output circuits connected to said read only memory for performing said operations in response to said sequence of signals;
• and
• timing means connected to said switches and operable a predetermined time after the operation of a switch to prevent further program modification.

In an appliance having a programmer which is operable to step the appliance through a basic sequence of operations and operator switches which may be operated to alter the basic program, the improvement therein comprising

• first means connected to the operator switches for timing a predetermined interval upon the operation of any of the switches,
• second means connected to the operator switches for storing information representing operation of the operator switches,
• third means connected to said first means for locking out the effect of further switch operation after said predetermined interval, and
• fourth means connected to said second and third means for causing the programmer to operate in accordance with the altered program.