Whirlpool Corporation

Matthew J Nibbelink

Richard A McCoy

Matthew Peter Ebrom

Mark Eugene Glotzbach

Andrew D Whipple

Randell Lee Jeffery

Donald E Maynard

Kevin Michael Chase

Christopher S Moes

Gale Richard Horst

Andre O Pires

Randy A Voss

Rodrigo C Castaldo

Randy L Jeffery

Andrew David Litch

Ronald Wayne Guess

Anthony E Jenkins

Anderson Bortoletto

Michael Edward Stagg

Patrick J Glotzbach

Wallace J Elston, Iii

Vincent P Anderson

James P O'Shaughnessy

Jill C Moeller

Cesario Zimmerman

Morounkeji Fatunde

Greg Hatch

Vashishtha Kadchhud

Rahul Mehta

Brian Wendling

Rodrigo Alexandre Sigwalt

Eduardo K Yamakawa

Surisack Phouapanya

Dan Medore

Andrew Gilgallon

Jordan Cohen

Kitman Chan

Vincent Paul Anderson

Michael E Stagg

Randell L Jeffery

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 refrigerator includes a sensing system for detecting a level and quality of ice cubes in an ice cube storage bin. The sensing system employs a digital image capture device that is coupled to a digital image analyzing system which scans digital images of the ice cube storage bin captured by the digital image capture device to determine a level of ice cubes in the ice cube storage bin. Digital images of the ice cubes are contrasted against a reference image which provides a point of comparison for determining the level of ice cubes in the ice cube storage bin and controlling ice production cycles of the ice maker. The sensing system also analyzes edge portions of the ice cubes to determine ice cube quality.

Ice level and quality sensing system employing digital imaging

A smart coupler for connecting two networks has a processor, a memory, a means to connect to a first network, a means to connect to a second network, and a power source. The first network has a client, and the memory has information which must be transferred to the client to enable the client to be usefully operable relative to the second network.

Smart coupling device

A central collector has appliance communication links to communicate with multiple appliances, and removable memory to store operational data retrieved from the appliances. When the memory is removed from the central collector and installed in a device capable of communication, the operational data can be communicated from the removable memory to a remote service center or a portable computing device.

Method of facilitating servicing an appliance using a central collector

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, and a battery. There is at least one fan disposed within the refrigerator cabinet and electrically connected to the battery. The battery powers the at least one fan during a power outage to thereby circulate air from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment. The at least one fan may be a direct current operated fan. The refrigerator may also include an inverter and the at least one fan may then be an alternating current operated fan electrically connected to the inverter. The battery may be disposed within the refrigerator cabinet or may be external to the refrigerator cabinet.

Extended cold (battery backup) refrigerator

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

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

Appliance network for a networked appliance and an audio communication accessory

A sensing system for a refrigerator dispensing system is used to sense the presence, positioning, height and shape of a container placed in a dispensing well. When the presence of the container is sensed in the dispensing well and the container is properly positioned relative to a dispensing nozzle of the well, a dispensing operation can be performed. The actual dispensing operation is regulated based on the height and shape of the container. In this manner, dispensing operations can only be performed when a container is appropriately arranged in the dispensing well and the dispensing operation will be timely terminated based the size and shape of particular container employed.

Sensor system for a refrigerator dispenser

Growing community of inventors

St. Joseph, MI, United States of America

Matthew J Nibbelink