LIGHT ANIMATION IN AN APPLIANCE
An appliance such as a refrigerator includes a housing such as a refrigerator cabinet, a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet or housing, a visual display positioned at an interior of the compartment, a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner indicative of an environmental system of the refrigerator. The visual display may be a flat panel display and may show an animation.
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The present invention relates to appliance such as but not limited to refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, ice makers, washers, and dryers. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an appliance configured to provide displays with light animations within an interior and/or exterior surface or component of the refrigerator.
BACKGROUND OF THE ARTNumerous advancements have been made in refrigerators including with environmental systems within the refrigerators. However, typical users may not be aware of or understand or appreciate such advancements. What is needed are improved refrigerators and related methods and apparatuses which enhance the understanding or perception of environmental systems within the refrigerators or other features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTherefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage to improve over the state of the art. It is a further object, feature, or advantage to provide visual displays associated with refrigerators which communicate information regarding operation of appliances such as, but not limited to, refrigerators.
It is a still further object, feature, or advantage to enhance an end user's perceptions of advanced environmental systems or other features of a refrigerator or other appliance.
One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages will become apparent from the description that follows. No single embodiment need exhibit each or every object, feature, or advantage as different embodiments have different objects, features, or advantages.
According to one aspect, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a visual display positioned at an interior of the compartment, a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner indicative of an environmental system of the refrigerator. The compartment may be a refrigerator compartment, a fresh food compartment, or a freezer compartment. The visual display may include a plurality of lights including pixilated displays or array of LEDs. The lights may be multi-color lights and the circuit may be configured to use colors for the multi-color lights based on user selectable and/or default settings. The circuit may further be configured to sequence operation of the plurality of lights to perform an animation. Each of the lights may be an LED.
According to another aspect, a refrigerator is provided which includes a refrigerator cabinet, a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a display disposed along a wall of the compartment, and an intelligent control operatively connected to the display and configured to display an animation on the display indicative of a cooling system of the refrigerator. The refrigerator may further include a machine readable storage medium operatively connected to the intelligent control, the animation stored on the machine readable storage medium. The refrigerator may further include user controls operatively connected to the intelligent control and wherein the intelligent control is configured to select settings for the animation based on user input received through the user controls.
According to yet another aspect, a method is provided. The method includes providing a refrigerator including (a) a refrigerator cabinet, (b) a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, (c) a visual display disposed along a wall of the compartment, (d) a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display to show a representation of operation of an environmental system of the refrigerator. The method further includes displaying using the visual display the representation of the operation of the environmental system of the refrigerator.
According to another aspect, an appliance is provided. The appliance includes a housing or cabinet and a compartment disposed within the housing or cabinet. There is a visual display positioned at an interior of the compartment or on an exterior surface of the housing. There is a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner indicative of an environmental system of the appliance.
According to another aspect, an appliance is provided which includes an appliance housing, a compartment disposed within the appliance housing, a display disposed along a wall of the compartment, and an intelligent control operatively connected to the display and configured to display an animation on the display indicative of operation of the appliance. The appliance may further include a machine readable storage medium operatively connected to the intelligent control, the animation stored on the machine readable storage medium. The appliance may further include user controls operatively connected to the intelligent control and wherein the intelligent control is configured to select settings for the animation based on user input received through the user controls.
According to another aspect an appliance includes an appliance housing, a compartment disposed within the appliance housing a visual display positioned on a surface of the appliance, and a control circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner indicative of an environmental system of the refrigerator. The surface may be an external surface or an internal surface. The surface may be a handle of the appliance or a grill of the appliance or other surface of the appliance.
According to another aspect, an appliance is provided. The appliance includes a housing, a compartment disposed within the housing, a visual display positioned at an interior of the compartment or on an exterior surface of the housing, and a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner to provide an animation wherein the animation is indicative of an environmental system of the appliance.
Where the plurality of lights are used to provide an animation or to otherwise form a visual display, the plurality of lights may present on handles, badges, grills (such as by the floor of the appliance), or elsewhere on the appliance. The plurality of lights may provide for animation, fading, or reacting to customer interaction.
In addition to being used within a refrigerator, various other appliances may include a visual display such as those described in the interior of the refrigerator. Examples of such appliances include, without limitation, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, ice makers, washers, and dryers. These visual displays may also be operated in a manner indicative of an environmental system of the refrigerator such as temperature of a chamber within an oven, whether hot water or cold water is being used during a washer cycle, or to otherwise convey information associated with an environmental system including but not limited to air flow, water flow, heating, cooling, or other operations.
Therefore an appliance such as a refrigerator and related methods, systems, and apparatus has been described. Numerous variations in the type of appliance, the configuration of the appliance, the type of display used, the position of the display within the appliance, the type of information being visually conveyed using the visual display, the circuitry used to control the display, and other variations.
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising:
- a refrigerator cabinet;
- a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;
- a visual display positioned at an interior of the compartment;
- a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner indicative of an environmental system of the refrigerator.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the compartment is a refrigerator compartment.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the compartment is a freezer compartment.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the visual display comprises a plurality of lights.
5. The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein the lights are multi-color lights.
6. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the circuit is further configured to use colors for the multi-color lights based on user selectable settings.
7. The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein the circuit is further configured to sequence operation of the plurality of lights to perform an animation
8. The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of lights comprises an LED.
9. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the manner indicative of the environmental system of the refrigerator provides a visualization of air flow within the compartment.
10. The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the visual display comprises a plurality of lights and wherein the visualization provides for sequencing activation of the plurality of lights to show direction of air flow.
11. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the visualization provides for lighting arrows to show a perceived direction of air flow.
12. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the visual display is positioned at an air tower within the compartment.
13. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the visual display is a display unit configured to display an animation.
14. A refrigerator comprising:
- a refrigerator cabinet;
- a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;
- a display disposed along a wall of the compartment;
- an intelligent control operatively connected to the display and configured to display an animation on the display indicative of a cooling system of the refrigerator.
15. The refrigerator of claim 14 wherein the compartment is a refrigerator compartment.
16. The refrigerator of claim 14 wherein the compartment is a freezer compartment.
17. The refrigerator of claim 14 further comprising a machine readable storage medium operatively connected to the intelligent control, the animation stored on the machine readable storage medium
18. The refrigerator of claim 14 further comprising user controls operatively connected to the intelligent control and wherein the intelligent control is configured to select settings for the animation based on user input received through the user controls.
19. The refrigerator of claim 18 wherein the settings include a selection of the animation from a plurality of animations.
20. A method comprising:
- providing a refrigerator comprising (a) a refrigerator cabinet, (b) a compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, (c) a visual display disposed along a wall of the compartment, (d) a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display to show a representation of operation of an environmental system of the refrigerator;
- displaying using the visual display the representation of the operation of the environmental system of the refrigerator.
21. An appliance comprising:
- a housing;
- a compartment disposed within the housing;
- a visual display positioned at an interior of the compartment or on an exterior surface of the housing;
- a circuit operatively connected to the visual display and configured to operate the visual display in a manner to provide an animation wherein the animation is indicative of an environmental system of the appliance.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 15, 2013
Publication Date: Sep 18, 2014
Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION (Benton Harbor, MI)
Inventor: JAMES W. KENDALL (MT. PROSPECT, IL)
Application Number: 13/835,202
International Classification: F25D 27/00 (20060101);