Abstract:
A method of controlling an intelligent appliance network includes allowing a user to select a desired instruction sequence to be executed by a remote appliance. The instruction sequence contains commands to be completed by both the user and the appliance, as regulated by a CPU, with the sequence being paused when input is needed by the user and wherein the appliance commands are performed automatically. When applied to a cooking appliance, such as an oven, the appliance will automatically perform certain cooking functions according to a recipe being followed by a CPU. When applied to a washing machine, the factory set operating parameter of the machine can be altered to follow an instructed control sequence applicable to the task performed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method of controlling an appliance network. Specifically, an appliance is indirectly connected to the Internet or other database(s) to download new instruction sequences for controlling the appliance. Each of the instruction sequences used with the invention includes directions for both the appliance and the user, such that a given sequence will direct the user to perform certain functions and, when required, causes the appliance to perform a specific task. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Most modern homes have more than one electric appliance. Many of those appliances are not automated at all. When a user wants to, for example, cook according to a recipe which requires more than one temperature setting, the user is forced to watch a clock and wait for an appropriate time to adjust the temperature setting of the cooking device. This may result in an imperfectly cooked food product, as the user may forget to alter the cooking temperature or may adjust it to the wrong temperature. In certain circumstances, strict adherence to a prescribed recipe may be required for a correct result. 
     Appliances with automatic settings were developed in an attempt to deal with this problem. Microwaves have since been developed which are pre-programmed with automatic cycles, such as meat defrost or popcorn cooking, in which the user need only insert the food to be cooked and press the appropriate keys (e.g., “Popcorn”). This has allowed users to better utilize their appliances with less worry. The user no longer needs to watch the appliance to make sure that he/she has the right recipe because the recipe is already programmed into the appliance. In addition, because the appliance is automatically controlled, problems associated with remembering to change the temperature or stop the cooking are eliminated as the appliance takes over such responsibilities. Although users could take advantage of programmed sequences to assist in cooking, each appliance requires its own controls with individualized programmed sequences as the various appliances were not interconnected. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,306 to Barritt addresses this problem by using a master controller to automatically control a number of closely located electric appliances. Appliances, such as ovens, washers, and dryers, are controlled via hardwired interface control units and a master controller. The master controller is programmed to monitor the status of the various appliances and automatically make adjustments as necessary. This allows control of each of the appliances from a central location and permits more than one appliance to be operated at a time. People could now regulate an entire kitchen or laundry room from a single control center. However, in order to complete this appliance center, the control panels associated with the individual appliances are removed in favor of a centralized control. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,097 to Klausner discloses a system which can give a user added flexibility of control over interconnected appliances via a central control computer. The central computer is designed to be inserted into a specially designed port on the face of each of the networked appliances. Although the control computer may have a small display and a keyboard, the control computer is essentially a remote actuator for the variety of appliances which may be attached to the network. 
     Each of the above disclosed systems exhibit at least one major drawback in that their memory is static. The appliances come from the factory installed with a set of programs. However, it is not possible for a user to edit or replace the existing programs. Although it may be possible to have a specialized technician service the appliance and upgrade the programs installed in the appliance, this would be a time consuming and expensive process. Therefore, users are locked into a single set of sequences as selected by the appliance manufacturer. 
     It is also possible to connect various household appliances to a database, usually housed within a central processing unit (CPU). In such a system, it is possible to upgrade the memory of the system by inputting new programs or sequences directly into the database. It is also known to connect the CPU to a computer network, such as the Internet or an intranet, for centralized control and to input new programs or sequences into the various appliances via the network. When a user selects a new program, the program can be electronically transmitted to a respective appliance and executed. Just as the “Popcorn” button is utilized in a microwave, the user then has the ability to select the new downloaded program to be executed by the appliance. 
     Although the above-discussed systems allow users to input new programs into appliances, another drawback remains. Each of the systems controls the appliances alone, without interaction by the user. Though the user is required to press a button or select the program in some other manner, that is usually the extent of involvement of the user. When the appliance begins the program, the user only waits until the program is completed. This restricts the programs to narrow commands which can be performed by the appliance itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a system designed to enable an efficient interaction between a user and an appliance. This invention requires instruction sequences which are more developed than simple programs. Previous programs used with appliances have essentially been a series of commands which are interpreted and executed by an automated machine, without much interaction from a human user. The method of the invention requires human interaction with the appliances. 
     The network of the invention basically includes a CPU which is interconnected to at least one appliance via an electronic network. In order to utilize the network of the invention, an instruction sequence is required. The instruction sequence includes directions for both the appliance and the user. Before the instruction sequence is executed, a display is used to show the user what will be accomplished during the selected program. When the sequence begins, the CPU determines if the particular command is directed to the appliance or the user. If the command is an appliance command, the CPU automatically causes the appliance to perform the command. If, however, the command requires human performance, the CPU alerts the user and conveys the command to be performed. This allows more complex programs and sequences than with known programmable appliances. 
     Although the appliances to be used with the invention will often come programmed with certain instruction sequences, it is possible to acquire and use instruction sequences not provided with the machine. Because the appliance is preferably connected to a computer network, the user can input new instruction sequences into the CPU as desired. In addition, the CPU can have an Internet or other network connection, whereby additional instruction sequences may be downloaded into the CPU or simply, directly executed. 
    
    
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 diagrammatically depicts an appliance network constructed in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 represents a flow chart of a cooking scenario in accordance with the invention; and 
     FIG. 3 represents a flow chart of a clothes washing scenario in accordance with the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a network  1  arranged in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, network  1  includes an array of appliances  5 , such as a washing machine  10 , a dryer  12 , an oven  14 , a dishwasher  16 , a refrigerator  18 , a microwave  20 , and a generic representation for another appliance  22 . The other appliance  22  may be constituted by a trash compactor, mixer, or any other household or commercial appliance. Although the network  1  is shown with a plurality of specific appliances  5 , it is within the scope of this invention to vary the type and number of appliances used. 
     Attached to the appliances  5  is a computer  30 . The computer  30  is preferably constituted by a common home computer including a CPU  32 , memory (not shown), a display  34 , and a modem (not shown) or other network device for accessing external databases. Although computer  30  is used in the network  1  and is connected to the appliances  5 , it may also be used for normal computing applications, such as web browsing or word processing, because the invention may be used with a standard home computer operating under a specified program. The only distinction between a normal home computer and the computer  30  used with this invention is the presence of an appliance control node  38 . The appliance control node  38  serves as the connection and bus between the appliances  5  and the computer  30 . It is the appliance control node  38  which is directly connected to the various appliances  5 , not the computer  30  itself. This allows greater expandability of the network  1  for addition of appliances  5 . The connection between the appliances  5  and the computer  30 , through the appliance control node  38 , is bi-directional, which allows data to pass from the computer  30  to the appliances  5 , as well as from the appliances  5  to the computer  30 . The appliance control node  38  is similar to a common computer networking hub or router and functions as a repeater to broadcast inputs to the various devices connected to it. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a printer  42  which allows a user to print, not only instruction sequences used with the network  1 , but anything a typical computer can print. 
     While the CPU  32  is preferably integrated into computer  30 , it is within the scope of the invention to integrate the CPU  32  and display  34  into one of the appliances  5 , thus eliminating the separate computer  30  and appliance control node  38 , while providing one or more input buttons or a touch screen for the user. In such a network, it is possible to connect the various appliances to one central appliance, or to even have a single appliance on the network  1 . 
     The network  1  shown in FIG. 1 additionally depicts computer  30  connected to an external network  45 . Although this may be a straight direct dial-up connection to a remote computer system, it may also be connected to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider (ISP)  47 , which can be accessed by the computer  30  through the modem, or other Internet access means. Through the external network  45 , the user has the ability to order a wide range of products and services, such as by linking with a home delivery system  50 . The instruction sequences used with this invention are preferably displayed on the computer  30  before being executed such that the user has the ability to determine if any of the required elements are needed. For example, if the instruction sequence is directed to cooking, the user can determine that all necessary ingredients, such as milk, flour or a specific spice are readily available. If one or more ingredients are needed, the user can order any required ingredients through the home delivery system  50  which is accessed via the external network  45 . 
     Also accessed through the external network  45  are information services  52 . These information services  52  are often standard Internet web sites which contain various types of information. The information services  52  to be used with the invention may contain instruction sequences which can be downloaded to the computer  30  and stored in memory or immediately executed. This gives the user the unlimited ability to select new instruction sequences to be executed by the network  1 . When a user finds a new instruction sequence desired to be either downloaded to the memory or immediately executed, the user need only select the specific instruction sequence from the information service  52 , and instructs the computer  30  to either execute or save to memory. By saving to memory, the user can execute the instruction sequence at a later date. It is also possible to save instruction sequences as they are downloaded to develop a library to be archived for later use. Because the user has the ability to save instruction sequences, the external network  45  need not be accessed each time it is desired to execute an instruction sequence. Instead, an instruction sequence can be selected from memory of computer  30  and executed in the same manner as if selecting the instruction sequence was received from the external network  45 . Thus, the external network  45  is not required for execution of any given instruction sequence. 
     As indicated above, the instruction sequences used with the invention direct both the user and the appliance, as diagrammed in FIGS. 2 and 3. By giving commands both to the user and the appliance  5 , the range of tasks which can be completed is greatly increased, because the appliance  5  need not be pre-programmed with all of the execution steps. Preferably, each command contains both the actual instruction and an identity tag which identifies the correct component. When the instruction sequence is executed, the computer  30  directs the corresponding component, an appliance  5  or the user, to complete the instruction. When a specific command is reached, the computer  30 , through the CPU  32 , must determine if the command is to be completed by the user or by an appliance  5 . If it is to be competed by the user, the computer  30  alerts the user as to the existence of the command and instructs the user what to do through the display  34 . The computer  30  can be programmed to give the user a predetermined amount of time before moving to the next command, or pause until directed to continue by the user (such as by depressing an “ENTER” button). If, however, the command is to be completed by an appliance  5 , the computer  30  first determines which appliance  5 , and then sends the command to the correct appliance  5 , via the network  1 , for automatic execution. The final command of each instruction sequence is to alert the user that the instruction sequence is complete, which can be quite simple as proceeding to a subsequent step in the sequence. 
     Because the network  1  is bi-directional, the commands preferably utilize various sensors which are incorporated in the appliances  5 . For example, a thermistor in the dryer  12  may be used to detect an internal operating temperature reported back to the computer  30  for regulation. The bi-directional nature of the network  1  additionally allows for error detection and notification, e.g., if the CPU  32  attempts to operate microwave  20  while it is open, the microwave  20  can send an error message to the computer  30 , which can then alert the user to close the microwave. If a washing machine  10  with an automatic detergent dispenser is used, when the detergent dispenser is empty, the washing machine  10  can alert the computer  30  of the condition. The computer  30  can even be programmed to automatically connect to the home delivery services  50  to have more detergent delivered. 
     FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary cooking procedure  100  in accordance with the invention. In such a scenario, the instruction sequence used is a recipe with cooking instructions. In Step  102 , the user accesses the Internet to search for a recipe available from an information service  52 . This can be accomplished through the ISP  47  or another known Internet access method. Once the recipe is located, the user selects the recipe in Step  104 . In this scenario, the user wishes to immediately execute the instruction sequence and informs the CPU  32  when the recipe is selected. Selection of the recipe starts the download of the entire recipe to the CPU  32  at Step  106 . In Step  108 , the recipe is displayed by the computer  30  for review by the user. This gives the user the opportunity to review the recipe to determine if all of the ingredients are present and to make sure this is the correct recipe before beginning the instruction sequence. The CPU  32  reads the first command and accordingly, in Step  110 , automatically preheats oven  14 . Because the second command is to be completed by the user, in Step  112 , the CPU  32  alerts the user and presents instructions through the display  34  of the need to prepare the food for cooking. Usually this entails mixing the ingredients, but may be any food preparation procedure to be performed by a user. When the oven  14  reaches its preheat temperature, the CPU  32  is notified through a suitable sensor (not shown). In Step  114 , the CPU  32  informs the user that the preheat step  110  is complete and that it is time to place the food prepared in Step  112  into the oven  14 . Thereafter, the CPU  32  regulates the cooking by giving commands to either the oven  14  or to the user according to the remaining instructions recipe, in Step  116 . When the final command is reached in Step  118 , CPU  32  alerts the user that the instruction sequence, hence the cooking operation, is complete. 
     FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary clothes washing procedure performed in accordance with the invention. More specifically, FIG. 3 represents a flow chart of the steps of a typical cleaning procedure  150  in accordance with the invention. Many of the steps of cleaning procedure  150  are similar to steps of the cooking procedure  100 , but the appliance  5  used is washing machine  10  instead of oven  14 . In this example, a user is confronted with a new stain. Accordingly, the Internet is accessed to search various information services  52  for an instruction sequence directed to treating the particular the specific stain on the specific fabric in Step  152 . Just as in the cooking procedure  100 , this procedure can be accomplished through the ISP  47  or any other Internet access method. Once a new instruction sequence is located on the Internet, it is selected for execution, in Step  154 . Of course, it is possible that a program can be uploaded from a disc or the like as well. In any event, the instruction sequence is loaded on the computer  30  in Step  156 . In Step  158 , the instruction sequence is displayed for evaluation by the user. This gives the user the opportunity to review the instruction sequence again before its performance. Of course, this step could be skipped. Because the first command in this instruction sequence is to be executed by the user, the CPU  32  only displays the command. The CPU  32  then either waits for verification that the command has been executed or can simply give the user a certain time to complete the task Step  160 . 
     In Step  162 , the CPU  32  starts the washing machine  10  according to the instruction set, such as by dispensing detergent and starting the water filling process. Because Step  164  requires user intervention, the CPU  32  alerts the user and prompts to pretreat and then load the soiled clothes. In Step  166 , the CPU  32  regulates the washing procedure  150  by giving instructions to either or both the washing machine  10  or the user according to the remaining commands of the instruction sequence (Step  166 ). The regulation of the washing machine  10  will usually regulate at least one washing parameter. Normal parameters include, but are not limited to, wash time, wash temperature, rinse time, rinse temperature, spin speed, spin duration, time of application of fabric softener and/or bleach, supplemental detergent dispensing, time of detergent application, and total sequence duration. Commands sent by the CPU  32  to the washing machine  10  may change one or more of the washing parameters. When the washing machine  10  completes the final command of the instruction sequence, the CPU  32 , alerts the user that the washing procedure  150  is complete. Because a dryer  12  is preferably also part of network  1 , the instruction set may include commands which relate to the dryer  12  once the commands relating to the washing machine  10  are complete. 
     Although described with reference to preferred embodiments, it should readily understood that various changes and/or modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, although FIGS. 2 and 3 depict instruction sequences for cooking and clothes washing procedures respectively, analogous instruction sequences may be utilized to control procedures in various appliances  5 . In addition, although described with relation to the Internet, it is also within the scope of the invention to use any means to load the instruction sequences into the CPU  32 , e.g. removable memory devices, other remote networks, user scripted instruction sequences, manual keyboard input, etc. In any event, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.