IP Library Granted Patent US 9,955,844
Granted Patent B2
US 9,955,844 · App. 15/065,194 · Granted May 1, 2018

Methods of operating dishwasher with illuminable user interface

Inventors: Joel Fletty (Benton Harbor, MI); Eric A. Hill (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
A47L15/0018A47L15/22A47L15/4225A47L15/4261A47L15/4285A47L15/4287A47L15/4293A47L15/4297A47L15/502A47L15/507H05B37/029A47L2301/04A47L2501/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,955,844
App. No.
15/065,194
Granted
May 1, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of operating a dish treating appliance includes a user interface disposed along the top edge of a door for selectively opening and closing access to a treating chamber. The user interface can be illuminated and operating the user interface can include operating a user input mode when the door is open and a status mode when the door is closed.

Claims (19)

1. A method of operating a dish treating appliance, the method comprising:

operating an illuminable user interface, which is located along a top edge of a closure movable between an opened and closed condition, in a user input mode when the door closure is open including selectively illuminating at least one portion of the illuminable user interface; and

operating the illuminable user interface in a status mode when the closure is closed controlling the illumination of the illuminable user interface to provide a predetermined animation for a corresponding status condition wherein the predetermined animation comprises at least one of sweeping to indicate progress, random to indicate a rinse phase, or pulsing to indicate completion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user input mode comprises controlling illumination of the illuminable user interface based on user selections via the illuminable user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein controlling illumination of the illuminable user interface comprises illuminating at least one of a user-selected: cycle, cycle option, or start/stop condition.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein controlling the illumination of the illuminable user interface comprises illuminating at least one of an available for use: cycle, cycle option, or start/stop condition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the closure is a door.

6. A method of operating a dish treating appliance, the method comprising:

operating an illuminable user interface, which is located along a top edge of a closure movable between an opened and closed condition, in a user input mode when the closure is open including selectively illuminating at least one portion of the illuminable user interface; and

operating the illuminable user interface in a status mode when the closure is closed controlling the illumination of the illuminable user interface to provide a predetermined animation for a corresponding status condition;

wherein at least one of: a speed of the illumination is increased to indicate an end of a phase of a cycle or a color of the illumination is changed to indicate a change in a phase of a cycle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined animation comprises at least one of: sweeping, random, or pulsing.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

sweeping comprises sequentially illuminating in a predetermined direction a series of lights on the illuminable user interface;

random comprises randomly illuminating a series of lights on the illuminable user interface; and

pulsing comprises turning on/off in unison a series of lights on the illuminable user interface.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising an intensity of the illumination.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the sweeping indicates progress, the random indicates a rinse phase, and the pulsing indicates completion.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the color of the illumination indicates a temperature within the dish treating appliance.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2016
From: FLETTY, JOEL; HILL, ERIC A.
To: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037940/0815 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170258290A1 · Sep 14, 2017