Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A taxonomy engine in a software architecture generates a taxonomy dataset establishing the group of well formed commands, and at least one command generator of the system is adapted to generate a well formed command using the taxonomy dataset. The taxonomy engine is configured to deliver the taxonomy dataset to the command generator, and the command generator is configured to deliver the well formed command to the controller.

Abstract: A comprehensive product management system for a product is provided. The system (10) includes discrete processes for planning (1000), engineering (2000), testing (3000), producing (4000), selling (6000), using (8000), and servicing (10000) a product comprising one or more components. It also includes a comprehensive relational database (30) containing information about the product, performance, sales, consumers, and markets, and system tools (20) for operating on the discrete processes.

Abstract: An appliance configured to perform an operation cycle to effect a physical operation on an article, the appliance includes at least one component configured to effect the physical operation, and a cycle engine on the component. The cycle engine can build a cycle structure for the operation cycle to enable the component to perform the physical operation.

Abstract: 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.

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

Abstract: A method of enabling adaptable demonstrations of a household appliance comprising providing consumer-specific updates to a demonstration software at a location remote from an appliance and downloading the consumer-specific updates to the appliance over an information network in response to a determined characteristic of the consumer or enabling a video conference over multimedia interface during the demonstration.

Abstract: A consumable holder includes a source of a consumable, at least one appliance coupling point configured to convey the consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable in a cycle of operation on an article, and electronics adapted to connect to a process control apparatus in the appliance. The electronics can thus cause a consumable to affect a resource or an article in an appliance using the process control apparatus when the consumable holder is coupled to the appliance.

Abstract: A consumable holder has a source of a consumable, a first appliance coupling point configured to receive a resource from and convey the resource or consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable and the resource in a physical operation on an article, a process control apparatus to control conveyance of the resource or consumable to and from the consumable holder, and a second appliance coupling point in communication with the process control apparatus and configured to connect to an appliance. Thus, an appliance coupled to the consumable holder can communicate with the process control apparatus via the second coupling point.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An appliance includes one or more control boards having control software to control the cycle of operation, and a graphical user interface with one or more instances of a user interface control in communication with the control boards. The appliance also has a binding map for associating the user interface control instances with one or more locator objects or one or more binding objects associated with the locator objects. The locator objects are associated with addressing information used to find renderable data for user interface control instances. The appliance also has a software framework for acquiring the renderable data at runtime by resolving the location of the renderable data from the addressing information and retrieving the renderable data from the location for use by the graphical user interface. With this structure, the software framework dynamically renders the graphical user interface at runtime based on the associations and addressing information in the binding map.

Abstract: An appliance includes one or more control boards having control software to control a cycle of operation, access to memory, a graphical user interface in communication with the control boards for allowing a user to observe and interact with the appliance regarding the cycle of operation, and a software framework in communication with the graphical user interface and the memory access. The software framework has animation definitions and access to builder content containing instance information with which it can create at least one instance of a user interface control and can associate one or more animation definitions with memory information associated with at least two locations in the memory. With this structure, the software framework dynamically renders animation in the graphical user interface at runtime using the animation definitions, and the rendering of the graphical user interface is dynamically affected by association of the animation definitions and the memory information.

Abstract: An appliance includes one or more control boards having control software to control a cycle of operation of the appliance, a graphical user interface in communication with the control boards for allowing a user to observe and interact with the appliance regarding the cycle of operation, and a software framework configured to run in a processor having memory in communication with the graphical user interface. The software framework has theme definitions and access to builder content containing information with which it associates a theme definition with one or more resources. The software framework dynamically renders the graphical user interface at runtime based on the resources in response to selection of a theme so that a user can cause the control board to control the cycle of operation via the selected theme in the graphical user interface.

Abstract: An appliance development toolkit includes access to a user interface domain data model, access to an appliance user domain data model, a model instance editor configured to create one or more instances of user interface domain data derived from the user interface domain data model, to create one or more instances of appliance user domain data derived from the appliance user domain data model, and to associate one or more user interface elements with one or more appliance user elements. The toolkit also has a model instance converter for creating content including portions of the instances of user interface domain data, instances of appliance user domain data, and a map of the association. The content is in a builder file. An appliance can use the builder file at runtime to dynamically render its graphical user interface.

Abstract: An appliance development toolkit includes access to user interface domain data, an editor configured to create one or more instances of user interface control data, to create a map for associating the instances with one or more resource identifiers, and to create a map for associating one or more theme identifiers with the resource identifiers. The toolkit also has a converter for creating content based on the instances of user interface control data and the maps. The content is in a builder file. An appliance, having a graphical user interface with which a user can control and observe operation of the appliance, can use the builder file at runtime to dynamically render its graphical user interface based on resources in response to selection of a theme.

Abstract: A development toolkit can create a message data payload for use on a communications network having rules for data representation. The development toolkit includes an editor configured to create a first portion of a message data payload having usable data for transmission over the communications network, and to create a second portion of the message data payload having information to describe the usable data. The editor includes constraints that limit the manner in which creating the first and second portions and the association occurs. The constraints are defined in part by the rules for data representation. The toolkit also includes a user interface to display a visualization of the message data payload from the editor. With this configuration, a user can conveniently create a message data payload for immediate use and see a graphical representation of the message data payload as it is created.

Abstract: An appliance development toolkit is provided to enable creation of content to affect operation of a component in an appliance or to affect user interaction with an appliance. The toolkit has access to instances of appliance user domain data and control system domain data, an editor configured to associate at least one instance of appliance user domain data to at least one instance of control system domain data or at least one instance of other appliance user domain data, an interactive user interface on which the instances of appliance user domain data and control system domain data are displayed for use by a developer, and a model converter to generate the content using the instances from the editor. The content is usable to affect the operation or to affect the user interaction as determined by the associations.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method of self servicing an appliance includes connecting a service accessory to an appliance, recording diagnostics data associated with the appliance onto the service accessory, removing the service accessory from the appliance, coupling the service accessory to a personal computer, and uploading the diagnostics data to an automated service system. Another embodiment includes coupling a service accessory to a computer having a test script, transferring a test script from the computer to the service accessory, connecting the service accessory to the communication network of the appliance, establishing communications between the service accessory and the appliance using the communication network; and executing the test script over the communication network.

Abstract: A consumable holder for use in an appliance configured to perform an operation cycle related to a consumable in the consumable holder, in response to a cycle structure, has or is enabled to acquire information about the cycle structure. The information about the cycle structure can be communicated to the appliance for use by the appliance to change the cycle structure and thereby change the operation cycle related to the consumable.