U.S. patent application number 14/927544 was filed with the patent office on 2016-05-05 for appliance diagnostics utilizing visible indicators.
The applicant listed for this patent is Electrolux Home Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Anthony Jenkins, Bryan Thomas Phillips.
Application Number | 20160123600 14/927544 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54542553 |
Filed Date | 2016-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160123600 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Phillips; Bryan Thomas ; et
al. |
May 5, 2016 |
APPLIANCE DIAGNOSTICS UTILIZING VISIBLE INDICATORS
Abstract
A cooking appliance can include diagnostic information
communication ability. The cooking appliance has a support for
supporting a cooking vessel at a cooking location. A heating
element is configured to heat the cooking vessel at the cooking
location. A user interface of the cooking appliance includes a
visible indicator that is operable to convey primary operational
information indicative of an operational aspect of the cooking
appliance to a user during normal operation of the cooking
appliance. A controller receives sensed information indicative of a
malfunction of the cooking appliance and controls an operation of
the visible indicator to display an error signal that is
incomprehensible to the user without computer assistance, but is
readable by a portable code reader. The error signal comprises
repeated illumination and deactivation of the visible indicator at
a predetermined frequency.
Inventors: |
Phillips; Bryan Thomas;
(Goodletsville, TN) ; Jenkins; Anthony;
(Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Electrolux Home Products, Inc. |
Charlotte |
NC |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54542553 |
Appl. No.: |
14/927544 |
Filed: |
October 30, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62072546 |
Oct 30, 2014 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
99/337 ; 126/19R;
99/342 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 2012/2841 20130101;
H04L 12/2825 20130101; F24C 7/082 20130101; H04B 10/116 20130101;
H04L 2012/285 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F24C 7/08 20060101
F24C007/08 |
Claims
1. A cooking appliance with diagnostic information communication
ability, the cooking appliance comprising: a support for supporting
a cooking vessel at a cooking location; a heating element
configured to heat the cooking vessel at the cooking location; a
user interface comprising a visible indicator that is operable to
convey primary operational information indicative of an operational
aspect of the cooking appliance to a user during normal operation
of the cooking appliance; and a controller that receives a signal
indicative of a malfunction of the cooking appliance and controls
an operation of the visible indicator to display an error signal
that is incomprehensible without computer assistance, but is
readable by a portable code reader, wherein the error signal
comprises repeated illumination and deactivation of the visible
indicator at a predetermined frequency or illumination
sequence.
2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the predetermined
frequency exceeds a flicker fusion threshold such that the visible
indicator appears to remain illuminated when displaying the error
signal.
3. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the error signal is
displayed simultaneously with the primary operational information
when the malfunction is sensed.
4. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the visible indicator
is operable to identify at least one of: a cooking mode active
during the normal operation of the cooking appliance, and a cooktop
burner that is operable during the normal operation of the cooking
appliance.
5. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the visible indicator
is a discrete light emitting diode.
6. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance
lacks an alphanumeric display that is operable to display the error
signal.
7. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the user interface
comprises a plurality of visible indicators being operable to
convey different primary operational information during the normal
operation of the cooking appliance, and at least two of said
visible indicators being controllable by the controller to display
respective different subsets of the error signal.
8. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the user interface
comprises a plurality of visible indicators being operable to
convey different primary operational information during the normal
operation of the cooking appliance, and at least two of said
visible indicators being controllable by the controller to
redundantly display the error signal.
9. A appliance with diagnostic information communication ability,
the appliance comprising: an appliance enclosure including a
plurality of outer walls at least partially surrounding an
operational cavity of the appliance; a user interface comprising a
visible indicator that is operable to convey primary operational
information indicative of an operational aspect of the appliance to
a user during normal operation of the appliance; and a controller
configured to determine an error code corresponding to a
malfunction of the appliance upon occurrence of the malfunction,
and to control an operation of the visible indicator to display the
error code by periodic activation and deactivation of the visible
indicator at a frequency exceeding a flicker fusion threshold, such
that the visible indicator appears to remain illuminated during the
periodic deactivation of the visible indicator when displaying the
error code.
10. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the error code is displayed
simultaneously with the primary operational information when the
malfunction is sensed.
11. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the appliance lacks an
alphanumeric display that is operable to display the error
code.
12. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises
a plurality of visible indicators being operable to convey
different primary operational information to the user during the
normal operation of the appliance, and at least two of said visible
indicators being controllable by the controller to display
respective different portions of the error code.
13. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises
a plurality of visible indicators being operable to convey
different primary operational information to the user during the
normal operation of the appliance, and at least two of said visible
indicators being controllable by the controller to redundantly
display the error code upon occurrence of the malfunction.
14. The appliance of claim 9, said appliance being a domestic
appliance.
15. A method of communicating diagnostic information from a
appliance, comprising the steps of: displaying primary operational
information indicative of an operational state of the appliance
using a visible indicator, wherein the visible indicator is part of
a user interface comprising a plurality of visible indicators for
the appliance; determining an occurrence of an error condition
during operation of the appliance; determining, by a controller of
the appliance, an error code corresponding to the error condition;
and controlling, by the controller, an operation of said or another
visible indicator to display the error code by periodically
activating and deactivating said or another visible indicator at a
frequency exceeding a flicker fusion threshold, such that said or
another visible indicator appears to remain illuminated during the
periodic deactivation of the visible indicator when displaying the
error code.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:
capturing images or video of the displayed error code using a
camera device; determining, by the camera device, the error code
from the captured images or video; determining, by the camera
device, location information corresponding to a current location of
the appliance and the camera device; and transmitting at least one
of the error code and the location information.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of
automatically determining, based on the location information, at
least one maintenance service provider located in a geographical
region corresponding to the current location of the appliance and
the camera device.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:
capturing images or video of the displayed error code using a
camera device; determining, by the camera device, the error code
from the captured images or video; determining, by the camera
device, location information corresponding to a current location of
the appliance and the camera device; and determining, based on the
location information, at least one maintenance service provider
located in a geographical region corresponding to the current
location of the appliance and the camera device.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the appliance lacks an
alphanumeric display that is operable to display the error
code.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein at least two of said visible
indicators are controllable by the controller to display respective
different portions of the error code.
21. The method of claim 15, wherein at least two of said visible
indicators are controllable by the controller to redundantly
display the error code upon occurrence of the error.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
62/072,546 filed Oct. 30, 2014, is hereby claimed and the
disclosure incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This application relates generally to a method, a domestic
appliance such as a cooking appliance, and error reporting system
for diagnosing an operational error, and, more specifically, to a
cooking appliance that can utilize a visible indicator that serves
another purpose during proper operation of the cooking appliance to
convey error information, and methods and systems for conveying
error information from a cooking appliance.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Professional cooking appliances have traditionally been
fabricated from durable materials such as stainless steel and
included analog thermometers, possibly a simple clock and/or timer,
and perhaps other such "legacy" equipment that provide the
appliances with a clean, minimalistic look. Instead of an extensive
array of options commonly found on consumer cooking appliances,
professional cooking appliances are typically sought after for
their cooking performance, allowing enough food to be prepared for
hundreds of diners each day. Thus, professional cooking appliances
typically lack sophisticated digital displays that are adaptable to
convey much information beyond the time to users. Because
professional cooking appliances in restaurants and other commercial
locations are typically maintained by a service provider who will
provide service on location, there simply is not much of a need for
sophisticated digital displays.
[0006] Even in consumer-grade appliances, to maximize the useable
interior volume of an oven cavity and/or the useful surface area of
cooktops, there can be a limited amount of space in certain cooking
appliances for dedicated hardware that perform functions unrelated
to cooking. Diagnostic and control circuitry can be concealed
within a cabinet of the cooking appliance, but digital displays
with LCD screens, for example, are often too large to be included
on a control panel or other location where they will not be damaged
by heat.
[0007] Although commonly found in restaurants and other commercial
cooking establishments, such appliances have become increasingly
popular in residential kitchens. Unlike the appliances in
commercial establishments, residential appliances are often not
maintained and serviced regularly by an outside service provider.
Owners of residential appliances are responsible for requesting
service to repair a malfunctioning unit, but may be unable to
provide an accurate description of the nature of the malfunction or
the repairs needed to a repair service provider.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure,
provided is a cooking appliance with diagnostic information
communication ability. The cooking appliance includes a support for
supporting a cooking vessel at a cooking location. A heating
element is configured to heat the cooking vessel at the cooking
location. A user interface of the cooking appliance includes a
visible indicator that is operable to convey primary operational
information indicative of an operational aspect of the cooking
appliance to a user during normal operation of the cooking
appliance. A controller receives a signal indicative of a
malfunction of the cooking appliance and controls an operation of
the visible indicator to display an error signal that is
incomprehensible without computer assistance, but is readable by a
portable code reader. The error signal comprises repeated
illumination and deactivation of the visible indicator at a
predetermined frequency or illumination sequence.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure,
provided is a appliance with diagnostic information communication
ability. The appliance includes an appliance enclosure having a
plurality of outer walls at least partially surrounding an
operational cavity of the appliance. A user interface of the
appliance includes a visible indicator that is operable to convey
primary operational information indicative of an operational aspect
of the appliance to a user during normal operation of the
appliance. A controller is configured to determine an error code
corresponding to a malfunction of the appliance upon occurrence of
the malfunction. The controller is further configured to control an
operation of the visible indicator to display the error code by
periodic activation and deactivation of the visible indicator at a
frequency exceeding a flicker fusion threshold, such that the
visible indicator appears to remain illuminated during the periodic
deactivation of the visible indicator when displaying the error
code.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure,
provided is a method of communicating diagnostic information from a
appliance. The method includes the step of displaying primary
operational information indicative of an operational state of the
appliance using a visible indicator. The visible indicator is part
of a user interface comprising a plurality of visible indicators
for the appliance. An occurrence of an error condition during
operation of the appliance is determined. A controller of the
appliance determines an error code corresponding to the error
condition. The controller controls an operation of said or another
visible indicator to display the error code by periodically
activating and deactivating said or another visible indicator at a
frequency exceeding a flicker fusion threshold, such that said or
another visible indicator appears to remain illuminated during the
periodic deactivation of the visible indicator when displaying the
error code.
[0011] The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or
methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview
of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended
to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such
systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some
concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed
description that is presented later.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0012] The invention may take physical form in certain parts and
arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in
detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of a cooking
appliance with diagnostic information communication ability;
[0014] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a user
interface including a plurality of visible indicators used to
transmit an error signal to be read by a portable code reader;
and
[0015] FIG. 3 is flow diagram for an example method of
communicating diagnostic information from an appliance.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and
is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention.
Relative language used herein is best understood with reference to
the drawings, in which like numerals are used to identify like or
similar items. Further, in the drawings, certain features may be
shown in somewhat schematic form.
[0017] A domestic appliance includes a visual indicator that
visibly conveys information unrelated to an error involving the
operational state of the appliance. A controller is configured to
operate the visual indicator in a first manner to convey the
information unrelated to the error, and to operate the visual
indicator in a second manner, that is different from the first
manner, to convey error information identifying an error involving
the operational state of the appliance. Example domestic appliances
having the ability to visually communicate diagnostic information
include household cooking appliances, such as cooking ranges and
microwave ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, washing
machines, dryers, and other appliances commonly found in homes.
However, for the sake of brevity, the visual communication of
diagnostic information will be described below in the context of a
cooking appliance, and in particular for a free-standing range.
[0018] An illustrative embodiment of a cooking appliance 10 with
diagnostic information communication ability is shown in FIG. 1.
Although the illustrated embodiment is a free-standing range or
oven, including both an oven cavity 12 and a cooktop 14 with a
plurality of surface burners 16, alternate embodiments of the
present cooking appliance 10 can include only the oven cavity 12 or
only the cooktop 14. The oven cavity 12 is an operational cavity of
the appliance, and is partially surrounded by a plurality of outer
appliance walls 11 forming the generally box-shaped enclosure or
cabinet of the cooking appliance 10.
[0019] The cooking appliance 10 includes at least one, and
optionally a plurality of supports on which a cooking vessel such
as a pot, pan, tray, sheet, rack, etc . . . with food to be cooked
can be placed. The cooktop 14, for instance, can include a support
in the form of a glass pane 18 that overlays a plurality of
electric and/or inductive heating elements forming the burners 16.
Pots, pans, etc . . . containing food rest on the glass pane 18
above the operational heating elements forming the burners 16
during stovetop cooking of the food.
[0020] Within the oven cavity 12 there are a plurality of supports
in the form of rack flanges 20 arranged vertically along the side
walls defining the lateral extent of the cavity 12. The rack
flanges 20 on each opposite side wall can each receive a lateral
end of an oven rack (not shown) on which a cooking vessel or food
is to be supported while the food is being cooked in the oven
cavity 12. A gas and/or electric heating element 22 arranged
adjacent to, e.g., the top and/or bottom of the oven cavity 12 is
operable to generate the heat required to bake and/or broil the
food in the oven cavity 12, and a door 24 is pivotally coupled to
the cabinet of the cooking appliance 10 to selectively open and
close the oven cavity 12.
[0021] A user interface 26 is provided to the cooking appliance 10,
and includes a plurality of input devices 28 such as a knob,
pushbutton, touch-sensitive display, or any other device that can
be manipulated by a user to establish a desired operational
parameter of the cooking appliance 10. For example, a first knob 30
can be turned to establish a desired cooking mode in the oven
cavity 12. Illustrative, non-limiting examples of such mode include
a bake mode, in which both the top and bottom heating elements 22
are operational to cook food in the oven cavity 12; a convection
bake mode, in which the top and bottom heating elements 22 are
operational along with a fan to promote air circulation within the
oven cavity 12; a convection roast mode, which is similar to the
convection bake mode, but utilizing a hotter temperature in the
oven cavity 12 than is utilized for the convection bake mode; and a
broil mode, in which the top heating element 22 is fully
operational while the bottom heating element 22 is not operational
or operational at a lower power than it is operated in the bake
mode.
[0022] Similarly, a second knob 32 provided to the user interface
26 can be utilized to further refine the desired cooking mode input
via the first knob 30. For example, the second knob 32 can be
rotated by the user to establish a desired cooking temperature for
the selected cooking mode. The temperature range can encompass any
temperatures utilized for cooking food, such as 200.degree. F. to
about 550.degree. F. The second knob 32 can optionally include
markings in 25.degree. F., 50.degree. F. or 100.degree. F.
increments, for example, providing the user with a reference for
selecting the desired cooking temperature.
[0023] The illustrative embodiment of the cooking appliance 10 in
FIG. 1 includes a limited display device 34 that can display a
time, a timer counting down the duration of a cooking operation, or
other limited information. An example of the display device 34
includes a linear arrangement of a plurality of seven-segment
displays, a liquid crystal display, or other suitable display that
can present the user with a string of numbers and/or characters
relating to the operation of the cooking appliance 10. So-called
professional embodiments of the cooking appliance, however, can
optionally lack any display device 34 that is operable to display
alphabetical, numerical, alphanumerical, graphical or other types
of user-readable characters.
[0024] A region 36 of the user interface 26, shown enlarged in FIG.
2, also includes at least one, and optionally a plurality of
visible indicators 38 (e.g., light-emitting diodes "LEDs") that are
operable to convey primary operational information indicative of an
operational aspect or state of the cooking appliance 10 to a user
during normal operation of the cooking appliance 10. In other
words, in the absence of a malfunction involving an erroneous
operation of the cooking appliance 10, the visible indicator(s) 38
can be illuminated to identify the mode or state in which the
cooking appliance 10 is operating, a set temperature, or any other
operational aspect of the cooking appliance 10. The operational
aspect of the cooking appliance 10 indicated during normal, proper
operation of the cooking appliance 10 is considered the primary
operational information conveyed by the LED 38. The LED 38 is
controlled during normal operation between on and off states to
convey human-perceptible information, which can be observed by the
human eye without computer assistance and understood and
interpreted, such as the selected cooking mode.
[0025] According to the embodiment of the region 36 shown in FIG.
2, each of the plurality of visible indicators is a discrete,
individual LED 38 that is varied between on and off states. A label
40 is applied to the user interface adjacent to each LED 38 to
identify the primary operational aspect or information of the
cooking appliance signaled through operation of the LED 38. For
example, the LED 38 adjacent to the label 40 that reads "Bake" is
illuminated to indicate that the cooking appliance 10 is operating
in the bake mode. Each such LED 38 can be activated by a controller
42 (FIG. 1) in response to the user input during normal operation
(e.g., absent any errors or other malfunctions) of the cooking
appliance 10 in response to the user input entered via the user
interface 26. According to alternate embodiments, the LED 38 can
convey operational information pertaining to one of the cooktop
burners 16, the oven cavity 12, or any other feature of the cooking
appliance 10. Further, although the LED 38 described for the
illustrative embodiment is a discrete LED that functions solely to
indicate an operational state of a feature of the cooking appliance
10, alternate embodiments can utilize one or a plurality of
segments of a seven-segment display, or any visible indicator that
does not spell out the nature of a malfunction in a human-readable
manner to the user.
[0026] The controller 42 can be an electronic controller and can
include one or more processors. For example, the controller 42 can
include one or more of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a
digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), discrete
logic circuitry, or the like. The controller 42 can further include
memory and may store program instructions that cause the controller
to provide the functionality ascribed to it herein. The memory may
include one or more volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or
electrical media, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access
memory (RAM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM),
flash memory, or the like. The controller 42 can further include
one or more analog-to-digital (A/D) converters for processing
various analog inputs to the controller.
[0027] One or more sensors can be arranged on the cooking appliance
10 at one or more suitable locations for sensing a property of the
cooking appliance 10, and can be operatively connected to
communicate with the controller 42. For example, a temperature
sensor can be positioned adjacent to a burner 16 to sense an
operational temperature of the burner 16, once activated. The
controller 42 receives from the sensor temperature information
indicative of the operational temperature of the burner 16. The
controller 42 also receives information indicative of the desired
operational parameter, a burner setting for the burner with the
sensor in the present example, input by the user via the
appropriate input device 28 provided to the user interface 26. The
controller 42 is configured to determine that a malfunction has
occurred in response to making a determination that the temperature
information transmitted by the sensor is not consistent with, or
does not reflect the desired burner temperature input by the user.
Voltage or current sensors can be included in the appliance to
allow the controller to detect anomalies such as under and
overvoltage conditions, short circuits, etc. As will be appreciated
by one of ordinary skill in the art, various malfunctions and error
conditions, such as a communication failure for example, can be
detected by the controller 42, with or without the use of
sensors.
[0028] In response to determining that a malfunction has occurred,
the controller 42 identifies a particular error signal or error
code (e.g., from a table stored in memory) corresponding to the
malfunction, and controls operation of one LED 38 or other visible
indicator to display an error signal or code. The error signal or
code can be embodied as the repeated activation and deactivation of
the LED 38 at a predetermined frequency (e.g., binary data) that is
incomprehensible to the human observer (e.g. imperceptible to the
human eye) without computer assistance, but is readable by a
portable code reader 44 (FIG. 2) as described below. At such a
frequency, the LED 38 may appear to flicker to a user observing
transmission of the error code, but the user cannot interpret the
error code viewing the operation of the LED 38 at such a high
frequency with the naked eye. Thus, the controller 42 is configured
to utilize the LED 38 or other visible indicator that serves a
primary purpose other than error indication during normal operation
of the cooking appliance 10 to convey error information in response
to a malfunction. The error signal or code is displayed only during
the malfunction, with the LED conveying the primary operational
information when the malfunction does not exist. Such visible
indicators have not traditionally been utilized for sophisticated
error indication. Sophisticated error indication (something more
than a few LED flashes to be counted by a user) can be readily done
using an alphanumeric display. However, it can be desirable to
exclude from the control panel 26 an alphanumeric display that is
operable to display the error code, to give the appliance a
professional look and feel for example. In such embodiments,
employing LED-based error communication as discussed herein can be
useful.
[0029] In certain embodiments, the frequency of the periodic
activation and deactivation of the LED 38 can be high enough so as
to exceed the flicker fusion threshold and appear to remain
illuminated during display of the error code. The flicker fusion
threshold is a threshold, typically in the range of 50 Hz to 60 Hz,
beyond which an average person cannot perceive the deactivation of
a light source during periodic activation and deactivation of the
light source. If the frequency of activation/deactivation of the
LED 38 exceeds the flicker fusion threshold, the primary
operational information and the error code can be displayed
simultaneously, since the LED will appear to remain illuminated.
However, the existence of the error condition may not be
appreciated by the user viewing the primary operational information
(since any flickering of the LED to communicate the error code
would be too fast to be observed). In this case, other LEDs,
audible annunciators, etc., can be activated to indicate to the
user that an alarm has occurred. In certain embodiments, the
cooking appliance 10 can include a dedicated error LED that does
not display primary operational information to a user and that
indicates the occurrence of an error condition by flashing at a
frequency either below or above the flicker fusion threshold while
displaying the error code. The error condition can also be
indicated by activation/deactivation of the LED using a short pulse
width, so that the LED appears to be off or dim while display the
error code.
[0030] The embodiments discussed above utilize a single, discrete
LED 38 to transmit the error signal. However, according to
alternate embodiments the controller 42 can control operation of a
plurality of LEDs 38 or other closely-arranged visible indicators
to transmit an error signal or code. The visible indicators
utilized according to such embodiments are arranged close enough
together on the cooking appliance to be captured within the same
frame (represented by broken lines 46 in FIG. 2) in a viewfinder of
a camera 41 or other image capture device provided to the portable
code reader 44. Each of the plurality of visible indicators can be
operated by the controller to convey different primary operational
information to the user during the normal operation of the cooking
appliance. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, each LED 38 represents
a different operational mode of the oven. However, two or more of
the LEDs 38 can also be controlled by the controller 42 to display
a different respective portion or subset of the error signal or
code to be received by the portable code reader 44. Two or more of
the LEDs 38 can also be controlled by the controller 42 to
redundantly display the error signal or code, to help ensure that
the error code is correctly captured and interpreted by the
portable code reader 44. Data integrity verifications can be
included as part of the error signal or code displayed by the
appliance. For example, checksums or cyclic redundancy checks (CRC)
can be included in the error signal. If multiple LEDs 38 are used
to display the error signal or code, such LEDs can be spaced apart
from each other in a manner suitable for establishing a proper
positional relationship between portable code reader 44 and the
user interface 26, to help ensure that the error code is correctly
captured and interpreted by the reader.
[0031] During a malfunction, the error signal or code transmitted
through use of the LED 38 or other visible indicator can be
captured utilizing the camera 41 provided to the portable code
reader which, in the present example, is a cellular telephone
commonly referred to as a smart phone. Examples of such a phone
include, but are not limited to, the iPhone.RTM. from Apple, Inc.,
and the Galaxy S.RTM., from Samsung Electronics, Co., but other
phones and other portable devices (e.g., tablet computer, etc . . .
) equipped with a camera can also be used. The camera 41 can be a
video camera, operable to capture motion picture video or at least
a series of still photographic images at a frame rate high enough
(e.g., at least twice the frequency at which the LED 38 is switched
on and off by the controller 42) to accurately capture the error
signal. The portable code reader 44 can be programmed with an
application that, when executed, reads the error code represented
by the flashing LED 38, and optionally converts the code into
diagnostic signal that is subsequently transmitted by the portable
code reader 44 over a cellular and/or public switched communication
network, or other network such as the Internet. The error code can
be displayed to the user in alphanumeric form on the display of the
reader 44, along with a description of the error and possibly other
information, such as a recommended service provider or instructions
on correcting the malfunction. If transmitted, the diagnostic
signal can be provided to a remote server 48 along with location
information (e.g., GPS data) corresponding to the current location
of the appliance and reader 44. The remote server 48 can respond
with diagnostic information and information regarding a service
provider capable of servicing the appliance. Either the reader 44
or server 48 can be programmed to automatically determine, based on
the location information, a service provider located near the
appliance, in a geographical region corresponding to the current
location of the domestic appliance and the reader. The diagnostic
signal can optionally indicate a specific part of the cooking
appliance 10 that has malfunctioned and must be replaced or
repaired, the existence of a condition that caused the malfunction,
or any other data that is useful in identifying the cause of the
malfunction, and optionally resolving the malfunction. In certain
embodiments, the reader 44 can be configured to display, based on
the information about the appliance obtained by the reader 44,
information about the appliance, such as accessories available for
the appliance, user manuals, installation instructions, recipes,
and the like.
[0032] Examples of data that can be displayed by the LED 38,
captured by the portable code reader 44, and optionally transmitted
to the remote server 48 includes: current error code, date and/or
time stamp of current error, previous error codes, date and/or time
stamp of previous errors, appliance model number, appliance serial
number, part numbers of various components that may need to be
serviced or replaced, operational modes when errors occurred,
operational temperature when errors occurred, user setpoints when
errors occurred, firmware IDs, nonvolatile data identifiers, run
time since install, power quality information, control input data,
control output states, a website address for obtaining information
about the appliance, user habits (e.g., common cooking cycles,
temperatures, food probe temperatures, heating element and fan
status, etc.), software versions, and the like.
[0033] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram for an example method of
communicating diagnostic information from a domestic appliance.
Primary operational information indicative of an operational state
of the domestic appliance is displayed using a visible indicator as
described above (step S10). The occurrence of an error condition is
determined during operation of the domestic appliance (step S12).
When the error condition is detected by the controller, or the
controller is otherwise informed of the error condition, the
controller determines a corresponding error code (step S14). The
controller then controls the operation of one or more visible
indicators to display the error code by periodically activating and
deactivating the visible indicator (step S16). The visible
indicator can be activated and deactivated at a frequency above or
below the flicker fusion threshold as discussed above. The portable
code reader captures images or video of the displayed error code
via its camera (step S18), and the portable code reader determines
the error code from the captured images or video (step S20). The
portable code reader can determine location information
corresponding to the current location of the appliance and reader
(step S22). The error code and location information can be
transmitted from the portable code reader to a remote server as
discussed above. Either the portable code reader or the remote
server can make determinations based on the error code and/or the
location information, such as determining a maintenance service
provider located in a geographical region corresponding to the
current location of the domestic appliance and the camera device
(step S24), determining replacement parts for the appliance,
determining steps to correct the error condition, etc. Such
information can be transmitted to and/or displayed on the portable
code reader.
[0034] Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above
devices and methods are not limited to the disclosed embodiments,
and may incorporate changes and modifications without departing
from the general scope of the present disclosure.
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