Electronic appliance control with usage responsive default cycle
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorRodney F. Seeland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an appliance operable in any of a number of different cycles, selectable by a user, a default control selects a default cycle of operation of the appliance in an absence of a current user selection. The control counts the number of times each cycle is executed by the appliance and compares the relative magnitudes of the cycle counts to identify the cycle that currently is the "favorite". In the preferred embodiment, default cycles and options in a dishwasher are selected based upon prior patterns of usage.
Claims24
In an appliance having user selectable cycles of operation, input means for receiving cycle selections entered by the user and means responsive to said input means for controlling said appliance to operate in user selected cycles, a default control for selecting a default cycle of operation of the appliance in an absence of a user selected cycle at said input means, comprising:
- means for monitoring the cycles of operation executed by said appliance;
- means for counting the number of times each cycle of operation is executed by the appliance;
- and, in response, selecting one of said cycles counted as the default cycle.
In an appliance having user selectable cycles of operation, input means for receiving cycle selections made by the user and means responsive to said input means for controlling said appliance to execute a cycle currently selected by the user, a method of selecting a default cycle of operation of said appliance in an absence of a current user selected cycle, comprising the steps of:
- monitoring the cycles executed by said appliance;
- counting the number of times each cycle is executed by the appliance;
- determining a maximum cycle count;
- and
- selecting the cycle corresponding to the maximum cycle count as the default cycle.
A dishwasher, comprising:
- means for controlling said dishwasher to operate in a user selected cycle;
- input means for receiving user cycle selections;
- and
- default cycle selection means for selecting a cycle in an absence of a user selected cycle at said input means, said default cycle selection means including means responsive to said input means for counting the number of times each cycle is executed by the dishwasher, means for identifying a particular cycle having a count that has a first predetermined relationship to the counts of the other cycles, and means for selecting said particular cycle as the default cycle.
In a dishwasher operable in user selected cycles, input means for receiving user cycle selections and default means for controlling said dishwasher to operate in a default cycle in an absence of a user cycle selection at said input means, an improvement comprising means for monitoring user cycle selections made at said input means, means for counting the cycles previously executed, and means responsive to the cycle counts for selecting one of said previously executed cycles as the default cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.