Whirlpool Corporation

Andrew D Whipple

Richard A McCoy

Matthew Peter Ebrom

Mark Eugene Glotzbach

Patrick J Glotzbach

Matthew J Nibbelink

Daniel M Putnam

Donald E Maynard

David John Kmet

Christopher S Moes

Joshua Paul Carroll

Anthony E Jenkins

Wallace J Elston, Iii

Gale Richard Horst

Andre O Pires

Randy A Voss

Rodrigo C Castaldo

Randy L Jeffery

Robert J Feldbruegge

Example methods and apparatus for communicatively coupling internal components and accessories appliances, and appliances with external components and accessories are disclosed herein. A disclosed example method of operating a domestic appliance having at least one of an internal communications network and/or an external communications network among at least two components includes identifying the components, communicating the capabilities of each identified component, communicating the status of each identified component, providing a command interface for operating the components, facilitating communication between the components, and operating the appliance using the command interface and the facilitated communication.

User controllable filter system for an appliance

Methods and apparatus for communicatively coupling internal components within appliances, and appliances with external components and accessories

A client having at least one memory location is provided for use with an appliance network. The client includes an arbitrary software component for performing a useful function, a software architecture or a software architecture driver configured to generate or enable transmission of messages, and means to communicate by message over a network. Thus, the client can have full capability to act as an accessory to an appliance to communicate with and to enhance or alter the operation of the appliance.

Client for an appliance network

A method of facilitating servicing an appliance includes establishing two way communications between an appliance and a remote client, and monitoring and communicating to the remote client operational data associated with the appliance. In this way, the remote client can use the operational data to service the appliance.

Method of facilitating servicing an appliance

An appliance has a communication network with a plurality of nodes for executing commands to enable operation by components. A firewall is provided to restrict access to the commands by the nodes without a password.

Network system with electronic credentials and authentication for appliances

A network includes a smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, and an appliance configured to perform an operation on a physical article. The appliance is one that consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation. The network also includes a source of information about the resource. The smart coupler is in communication with the appliance and the source, and the processor and memory operate to request a change to the operation of the appliance in response to a resource parameter or a request communicated by the source.

Network for changing resource consumption in an appliance

A data acquisition method comprising looking into a memory heap of event structures having condition parameters of at least one of memory pointers, event operators, and arguments; identifying event conditions that evaluate as true by evaluating the condition parameters for the even structures; and generating a notification message when a true condition is found.

Data acquisition method with event notification for an appliance

A system comprising a memory heap generated dynamically by useful software and a data acquisition engine. The memory heap comprises a plurality of event structures, each including at least one each of pointers into memory external to the event structure, event operators, and arguments. The data acquisition engine is configured to look into the memory heap, evaluate event conditions as true or false based on the at least one each of the pointers, operators, and arguments, and generate a notification message when a true condition is found.

Event notification system for an appliance

In one embodiment, a system for controlling a plurality of devices having at least two operating modes comprises a first software operating layer configured to control the operation of at least one of the devices in a first operational mode and a second software operating layer configured to control the operation of at least one of the devices in a second operational mode. In another embodiment, a control system for controlling a plurality of devices connected by a communications network comprises a user interface configured to receive the selection of a cycle of operation; a first system element isolated from the network and configured to implement the selected cycle of operation to define a first control state; and a second system element exposed to the network and configured to implement the selected cycle of operation to define a second control state.

Software architecture system and method for operating an appliance in multiple operating modes

An appliance network comprising an appliance in communication with an audio communication accessory to effect communication therebetween.

Growing community of inventors

St. Joseph, MI, United States of America

Andrew D Whipple