Abstract: An appliance development toolkit according to the invention 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 comprises an editor configured to enable creation of a variable holder, to associate the variable holder with a variable, to create a value holder related to a valid value of the variable, and to associate the variable holder with the value holder. A user can use either of the variable holder or the value holder in creating a hierarchy of elements for content independent of any relationship that may otherwise exist between the variable and other elements and between the value and other elements. With this structure, the variable and the value can be used in different contexts with different relationships while maintaining their relationship with each other by way of the variable holder and the value holder.

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: An appliance development toolkit (10) has a system configurator (28) to create content (20) that affects the operation of and user interaction with an appliance (12). For example, an editor (30, 32) creates instances (42) and associations by which the appliance (12) can create a dynamic user interface (64) at runtime.

Abstract: A method is provided of customizing a fault tree for diagnosing a fault in an appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation on an article. The appliance must also be configured to communicate by electronic message. The method includes providing a plurality of fault trees associated with appliances and appliance components, where the fault trees include an ordered collection of steps. The method continues with communicating with an appliance by electronic message to obtain information about components associated with the appliance, selecting a subset of the plurality of fault trees based on the information, and dynamically aggregating the subset to create a customized fault tree comprising an ordered collection of steps.

Abstract: A method is provided to diagnose a fault in an appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation on an article. The appliance must also be configured to communicate by electronic message. The method includes providing a fault tree having a plurality of entry points associated with fault symptoms where the fault tree includes an ordered collection of steps. The method continues with communicating with the appliance by electronic message to obtain information about components associated with the appliance, ascertaining an entry point the fault tree from the plurality in based on the information, and performing the ordered collection of steps in the fault tree starting at the ascertained entry point. Using this method results in expediting the diagnosis of the appliance.

Abstract: An appliance development toolkit according to the invention is provided to enable creation of content associated with appliance control functionality for two or more content targets. The toolkit includes an editor for creating data associated with appliance control functionality, and at least two converters for creating content from the data for each of the content targets, respectively. The content for each of the content targets is different. Thus, different content can be created for different content targets from a single data creation, and multiple contents can be updated by the converters with a single change to the data.

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, and includes appliance user domain data or source identification domain data, an editor to create instances of data elements related to functionality of an appliance or the editor derived in part from the domain data, an interactive user interface on which the editor is displayed for use by a developer, and a converter to generate content using the data elements created by the instance. The editor is configured at least in part by the domain data irrespective of the appliance so that the appliance development toolkit can be used for different appliances without recoding.

Abstract: An appliance development toolkit according to the invention 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 comprises an editor configured to enable creation of a variable holder, to associate the variable holder with a variable, to create a value holder related to a valid value of the variable, and to associate the variable holder with the value holder. A user can use either of the variable holder or the value holder in creating a hierarchy of elements for content independent of any relationship that may otherwise exist between the variable and other elements and between the value and other elements. With this structure, the variable and the value can be used in different contexts with different relationships while maintaining their relationship with each other by way of the variable holder and the value holder.

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: 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.