Menu-based control system for refrigerator that predicts order and replace dates for filters
AssigneeMaytag Corporation
InventorNelson J. Ferragut, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a cabinet for enclosing a refrigerating compartment, the cabinet having a door for providing access to the refrigerating compartment, a user interface operatively connected to the cabinet having a display for displaying refrigerator function selections and a plurality of buttons for selecting refrigerator functions and a control unit operatively connected to the user interface and adapted to control a plurality of refrigerator functions. The control unit can be adapted for determining refrigerator filter information and displaying refrigerator filter information, the refrigerator filter information can include a date associated with the refrigerator filter.
Claims21
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet for enclosing a refrigerating compartment, the cabinet having a door for providing access to the refrigerating compartment;
- a user interface operatively connected to the cabinet having a display for displaying refrigerator function selection screens and a plurality of buttons for selecting refrigerator functions associated with the refrigerator function selection screens;
- and
- a control unit operatively connected to the display and the plurality of buttons and adapted to control a plurality of refrigerator functions;
- the refrigerator function associated with each of the plurality of buttons based on the refrigerator function selection screen being displayed;
- and
- the plurality of buttons being physical buttons positioned near the display.
A refrigerator, comprising:
- a cabinet for enclosing a refrigerating compartment;
- a display operatively connected to the cabinet;
- a control unit electrically connected to the display adapted for determining refrigerator filter information and displaying refrigerator filter information on the display;
- the refrigerator filter information including an estimated replacement date and an ordering date associated with the refrigerator filter;
- a plurality of buttons operatively connected to the control unit and positioned proximate the display;
- and
- the control unit adapted to receive a button press from the plurality of buttons daring display of the refrigerator filter information to indicate replacement of a refrigerator filter.
A method for providing user control of a refrigerator, comprising:
- providing a menu button on the refrigerator for selecting one of a plurality of refrigerator function screens;
- receiving a selection from a user of one of the plurality of refrigerator function screens;
- displaying the selected refrigerator function screen an the display, the selected refrigerator function screen providing a plurality of refrigerator function selections;
- receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of refrigerator function selections by receiving a button press from one of a plurality of buttons positioned proximate the display such that the plurality of refrigerator function selections are associated with the plurality of buttons;
- and
- performing the selected refrigerator function.
A method for providing refrigerator filter information comprising:
- providing a display on a refrigerator and a plurality of buttons positioned near the display;
- displaying on the display a date associated with a refrigerator filter;
- and
- receiving a button press from the plurality of buttons during display of the date associated with the refrigerator filter to indicate replacement of the refrigerator filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.