| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090314016 | ICE IMAGING SYSTEM - A refrigerator includes a sensing system for detecting multiple physical characteristics of ice cubes in an ice cube storage bin. The system includes a digital image capture device coupled to a digital image analyzing system which captures digital images of the ice cube storage bin intermittently and compares the images to detect the presence of ice clumps. In addition, the digital image analyzing system evaluates the edges, ice size and/or image intensity of the ice cubes in the images in order to determine the presence of stale ice. An algorithm is utilized to estimate the volume of ice within the bin based on the number of pixels in an ice bin image, the number of pixels of the ice within the bin, and a known volume of the ice bin. Notifications for clumped ice, stale ice and ice volume within the bin are sent to a user interface. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090314801 | HANDS FREE, CONTROLLED AUTOFILL FOR A DISPENSER - A dispensing system includes a digital image capture device focused on a dispenser well for capturing images of containers in the dispenser well and a digital image analyzer operatively coupled to the digital image capture device. The digital image analyzer evaluates digital images of containers captured by the digital image capture device to determine physical parameters of each container placed in the dispensing well. An actual dispensing operation is automatically regulated based on characteristics of the container. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100046793 | ICE QUALITY SENSING SYSTEM EMPLOYING DIGITAL IMAGING - A refrigerator includes a sensing system for detecting quality of ice cubes in an ice cube storage bin. The system includes a digital image capture device coupled to a digital image analyzing system which captures digital images of the ice cube storage bin intermittently. The digital images are processed to determine a centroid of the ice mass within the bin, and the centroid is analyzed to determine whether it is located outside a predetermined acceptable boundary. A centroid outside of the acceptable range indicates an ice clumping situation. Additionally, the digital images are analyzed to determine whether ice cubes are smaller than a predetermined minimal acceptable size in order to detect stale ice. The level of ice in the bin can also be determined from the images. Notifications for clumping, stale and/or low level ice are sent to a user interface. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100101317 | LID BASED AMOUNT SENSOR - A device for determining the amount of a substance in a container includes an amount sensor disposed within the container, a transmitter coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit an output thereof, and an electrical power source powering the sensor and the transmitter. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100102959 | MODULAR ATTRIBUTE SENSING DEVICE - A modular device for determining attributes of a substance stored in a container having a sensing module, a transmitter module and a power source module. The sensing module is capable of sensing attributes of a substance and providing an output. The transmitter module is configured to transmit an output of the at least one sensing module when operably coupled to the sensing module. The power source module is capable of being operably connected to the sensor module and the transmitter module to power the sensor module and the transmitter module. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106446 | ATTRIBUTE SENSING PROCESSES - Methods for determining an attribute of a substance in a container in response to an access event. The methods include a method for determining an attribute of a substance including activating the sensor in response to an access event and transmitting, in response to the activating, an output of the sensor providing an indication of an attribute of the contents. The methods also include a method having the steps of associating a sensor having an identifier with the container; and receiving the identifier and an output of the sensor providing an indication of the amount of the contents. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106521 | CONSUMABLES INVENTORY MANAGEMENT METHOD - A method of managing an inventory includes associating an identifier with a container system component such as a container, a sensor or a substance, where the sensor is configured to determine an indication of an attribute of the substance stored in the container. The method further may include associating an identifier with a container system member within a dataset remote to the container; remotely receiving container system data including the identifier and the indication of the attribute; and performing at least one data processing task associated with the container system data. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106624 | METHOD OF INVENTORY MANAGEMENT - A method of managing an inventory of a consumable substance stored in a portable container including sensing at least an indication of an attribute of the substance and generating data from said sensing. The method may further provide generating a notification based on the generating, such as by applying a notification trigger rule, receiving data including the indication of the attribute of the substance, evaluating the notification trigger rule using the data, and selectively generating an access notification based on the evaluating. The method may include sensing or generating in association with a container access event. The method may include associating an identifier with one of a container, a sensor or a substance. A system implementing this and other inventory management methods is also disclosed. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106626 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING INVENTORY HISTORY - A method and system of managing inventory of consumables stored in containers including associating with a container a sensor configured to determine an indication of the amount of an attribute, such as an indication of an amount of substance stored in the container, and storing the indication of amount at various times as a usage history. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100155415 | SELECT FILL SENSOR SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATOR DISPENSERS - A refrigerator includes a dispenser having a dispenser well, a control for regulating a product dispensing operation, and a select fill sensor system for automatically initiating and terminating the dispensing operation. An optical sensing system includes a camera within the dispenser well in communication with a controller for sensing the fill rate of a container within the dispenser well. The dispensing rate of product is adjusted depending on the product fill rate of the container such that optimum fill rates are obtained without overflow or spilling events. In this manner, a hands-free dispenser is provided that can be utilized regardless of the shape or size of container utilized. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100205819 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH DRYING RACK DETECTION BASED ON IMAGING DATA - The invention relates to a method of determining the presence of a drying rack based on image data of the laundry located in a treating chamber of a laundry treating appliance. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100205823 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH FLUFFING-STATE-BASED IMAGING CONTROL - The invention relates to a method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum defining a laundry treating chamber. The laundry in the laundry treating chamber may be imaged and a fluffing state of the laundry determined based on the imaging of the laundry. The operation of the laundry treating appliance may be based on the determined fluffing state. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100205824 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH FLUFFING-STATE DETECTION - The invention relates to a method of determining a fluffing state of laundry based on a determined temperature indicative of the surface of the laundry. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100205825 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH BULKY ITEM DETECTION - A laundry treating appliance and method for controlling the operation of a laundry treating appliance comprising a treating chamber by determining the presence of a bulky laundry item based on image data of the laundry. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100205826 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH IMAGING CONTROL - A laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum defining a laundry treating chamber, where the laundry in the laundry treating chamber may be imaged and a motion condition of the laundry determined based on the imaging of the laundry. The operation of the laundry treating appliance may be based on the determined motion condition. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100223961 | TANGLING DETECTION FOR AN AUTOMATIC WASHER - A method and apparatus for determining the degree of tangling of fabric items during a wash process based on at least one of the motor speed or motor current. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100263136 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING LAUNDRY LOAD SIZE - A method and apparatus according to one embodiment for operating a laundry treating appliance includes determining a parameter representative of a rotational speed of laundry in a drum and determining a laundry load size based on the parameter. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110005339 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING LAUNDRY LOAD - A method and apparatus for operating a laundry treating appliance having an underdamped control scheme for a motor to determine a laundry load size. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110030150 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH TUMBLE PATTERN CONTROL - An apparatus and a method of operating a laundry treating appliance treating laundry according to a cycle of operation having by determining a parameter indicative of a change in packing density of the laundry in a treating chamber and taking an operating action based on the determined parameter. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110030460 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING LOAD AMOUNT IN A LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE - A method for determining the amount of laundry in a laundry treating appliance comprises determining a first load amount based on a characteristic of the oscillating of a drum and determining if the first load amount satisfies a load amount threshold. When the first load amount satisfies the load threshold, the drum may be rotated in accordance with a laundry inertia algorithm to determine inertia of the load. The second load amount may then be determined based on the inertia of the laundry. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110048056 | REFRIGERATOR ICE AND LIQUID DISPENSER INCORPORATING IMAGING SYSTEM - A safety system for an ice and liquid dispenser of a refrigerator is used to sense the presence of human skin in a dispensing well. The safety system includes a digital image capture device focused on a dispenser well for capturing images of objects, such as hands, in the dispenser well and a digital image analyzer operatively coupled to the digital image capture device. The digital image analyzer evaluates the digital images captured by the digital image capture device to determine if human skin color is detected in the image of the object in the dispensing well. If human skin color is detected, thus indicating a hand in the dispensing area, any dispensing operation will be prevented and an alert will be provided. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110113569 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH CONTROLLED RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT - A laundry treating appliance having a motor to rotate a drum about the horizontal axis of rotation and an axial drive mechanism to reciprocate the drum relative to the horizontal axis of rotation. | 05-19-2011 |
