The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 11, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2006
Steven John Joerger, Ames, IA (US);
Michael Paul Ricklefs, Webster City, IA (US);
Sean Florian Myers, Ames, IA (US);
Steven John Joerger, Ames, IA (US);
Michael Paul Ricklefs, Webster City, IA (US);
Sean Florian Myers, Ames, IA (US);
Electrolux Home Products, Inc., Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
A control user interface for laundry appliances, such as a clothes dryer or washing machine, enables a user to control multiple modes of operation and a variable associated with at least one mode of operation by manipulating a single control element. In one arrangement, the variable is time and multiple time increments are associated with at least one mode of operation. One embodiment includes a rotatable single control knob. Upon detecting the rotation of the control knob, a determination is made whether the currently selected operation mode has associated operation times to be presented to the user. If no associated operation times are presented, the user interface display is updated to reflect the next mode of operation. The operation mode and operation times may be part of different display region within the dryer control user interface. Thus, multiple menus and submenus can be traversed and selected from using a single control knob, without the need for secondary buttons or a base cycle position to control the mode operation and time settings.