Whirlpool Corporation

Other

Whirlpool Corportion

Matthew Peter Ebrom

Richard A McCoy

Mark Eugene Glotzbach

Neomar Giacomini

Andrew D Whipple

Donald John Gilmore

Joshua George Abdoo

Brian N Radford

Anthony E Jenkins

Wallace J Elston, Iii

Layne E Heilman

Patrick J Glotzbach

Ariana Bruno

Matthew J Nibbelink

Christopher S Moes

Eric Joseph Schuh

David John Kmet

Donald E Maynard

Andre O Pires

Randy A Voss

Phillip A Molloy

Cristiano Vito Pastore

Brandon Lynn Satanek

Gianpiero Santacatterina

Alexander L Clayton

Daniel M Putnam

Bruce M Wiatrak

Tamara Distaso

Seth Herndon

Christopher D Cullen

John Doyle

Pallavi Manjrekar

Heng Tong Pit

James P O'Shaughnessy

Michael Tsai

Joel Adam Luckman

Gale Richard Horst

Aaron Edward Showers

Sithaarth T Subramaniyam

Collin Andrew Stipe

Joshua Paul Carroll

Sugosh Venkataraman

Philip Andrew Molloy

Robert J Feldbruegge

Miguel F Thimann

Rodrigo C Castaldo

Randy L Jeffery

Michael Stephen Hendrickson

Ronald L Voglewede

Peter Richmond

Mihir Ponkshe

Ajay Ram Narayana Pillai

Anders B Zeijlon

Michael Earl Gatt

Stephen David Krefman

Michael A Morrell

Shivayogi Annigeri

Timothy M Knezic

Eduardo K Yamakawa

Cesario Zimmerman

Alexandre De Sonza Grosse

Judith Godeke Kicklighter

Udayakumar Arumugam

Steve Pearson

Guilherme Martinhon

A method of cooking a food item in a cooking appliance having a cooking chamber and a user interface with a selector that allows a user to set a target degree of browning includes imaging, by an imaging device for capturing a real-time image, the food item inside the cooking chamber. A computing device in communication with the imaging device, and having a software module that receives the captured image, receives the captured real-time image from the imaging device.

Cooking appliance with a user interface

Example human-machine interface (HMI) assemblies are disclosed. One example HMI assembly includes a fascia, a touch film having a first raised contact, a PCB having a second raised contact, and a piercing member passing through the first and second contacts to electrically couple the first and second contacts.

Human-machine interface assemblies

A cooking appliance can include a cooking chamber and an imaging device for capturing an image of a food item inside the chamber. The appliance can include a transparent, touchscreen display for displaying the interior contents of the cooking appliance to a user without requiring the user to open the cooking appliance, as well as providing for the user controlling, operating, and interacting with the cooking appliance.

Cooking appliance with an imaging device

A cooking appliance having a cooking chamber, a user interface with a selector that allows a user to set a target degree of browning, an imaging device that captures an image of a food item inside the cooking chamber, a computing device in communication with the imaging device and has a software module that receives the captured image from the imaging device and computes a target image based on the captured image and the target degree of browning, and where the target image and the target degree of browning are displayed on the user interface.

A food storage system is disclosed. The can system comprises an appliance having a cabinet defining an interior, the interior comprising at least one of a shelf, compartment, or drawer configured to store at least one food item, a vision system comprising at least one imager configured to record image data related to the at least one food item stored within the interior, and a controller in communication with the vision system. The controller can be operable to generate an augmented reality representation of the interior.

Augmented reality feedback of inventory for an appliance

Example human-machine interface (HMI) assemblies are disclosed. An example human-machine interface assembly can include a fascia. The human-machine interface assembly can further include a printed circuit board (PCB). The printed circuit board can have a light emitting diode (LED) to emit light through the fascia. The human-machine interface assembly can further include a backer that can be attached to the fascia.

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

An object tracking system is disclosed. The system comprises an appliance comprising at least one operating volume and an access region through which the operating volume is accessed. The system further comprises at least one imager and a controller. The controller is operable to detect at least one part of a person's body in the access region based on the image data and identify the object in connection with the part of the person's body. Based on the detection of the object in connection with the person's body, the controller is configured to identify the object. An action is determined for the object based on one or more characteristics of the physical object indicated in the image data.

Interaction recognition and analysis system

A cooking appliance can include a cooking chamber and an imaging device for capturing an image of a food item inside the chamber. A computing device can be configured to compute a parameter for the food item based on the captured image which can be displayed on a user interface.

Example human-machine interface (HMI) assemblies are disclosed. An example HMI assembly includes a fascia, a touch film having a first raised contact, a printed circuit board (PCB) having a second raised contact, and a backer having an extending member and attached to the fascia, the member configured to press the first contact against the second contact by applying a force to the PCB at substantially the second raised contact.

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

A refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage compartment with a door pivotally coupled the cabinet between open and closed positions. A mullion assembly is operably coupled to the door between retracted and deployed positions relative to the door. The mullion assembly includes at least one receiving recess disposed on an inner surface thereof. At least one camera device is mounted on an inside edge of the door and vertically aligned with the at least one receiving recess of the mullion assembly, such that the camera device faces into the storage compartment when the first door is in the closed position, and is received in the receiving recess of the mullion assembly when the mullion assembly is in the retracted position. The camera device may also be mounted to a fixed portion of a hinge assembly that interconnects the mullion assembly and the door.

Refrigerator having a camera selectively enclosed by a rotating mullion assembly

An object status tracking system is disclosed. The system comprises an appliance comprising at least one operating volume and an access region through which the operating volume is accessed. The system further comprises at least one imager and a controller. The controller is operable to detect at least one part of a person's body in the access region based on the image data and identify the object in connection with the part of the person's body. Based the detection of the object in connection with the person's body, the controller is configured to identify a status of the object. The status of the object is determined based on a process occurring in the operating volume of the appliance.

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MI, United States of America

Matthew Peter Ebrom