Patent Application
20240150950
The present subject matter relates generally to methods for regulating humidity via controlling appliances, particularly household appliances.
In the cold months of the year, households can get very dry due to the external environment having relatively low humidity. A typical solution is to add home humidification systems and supplemental sources of water vapor into the home in order to increase the humidity. Further, having humidity in the home can help with cost saving measures by reducing the amount of work performed by the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC). However, adding whole home humidifiers is a very costly solution.
As such, a way to humidify a household without significant cost of adding a humidification system would be advantageous.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one example embodiment, a method of controlling a plurality of home appliances to regulate humidity includes monitoring a humidity value from one or more of a humidity sensor. The method also includes detecting, by at least one of the one or more humidity sensors, the humidity value is less than a threshold humidity value. The method further includes releasing, at one or more appliances of the plurality of home appliances, water vapor. Artificial intelligence detects the one or more humidity sensors that detects the humidity value less than the threshold humidity value, and releases water vapor at the one or more appliances of the plurality of appliances proximate the one or more humidity sensors.
In another example embodiment, a method of controlling a plurality of home appliances to regulate humidity across a network includes monitoring a humidity value from one or more of a humidity sensor. The method also includes detecting, by at least one of the one or more humidity sensors, the humidity value is less than a threshold humidity value. The method further includes releasing, at one or more appliances of the plurality of home appliances, water vapor. Artificial intelligence detects the one or more humidity sensors that detects the humidity value less than the threshold humidity value, and releases water vapor at the one or more appliances of the plurality of appliances proximate the one or more humidity sensors.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “includes” and “including” are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). In addition, here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged. Such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “generally,” “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a ten percent (10%) margin, i.e., including values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. In this regard, for example, when used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms include within ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction, e.g., “generally vertical” includes forming an angle of up to ten degrees in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise, with the vertical direction V.
References to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Any implementation described herein as “example embodiment” or “an embodiment” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Appliance 110 may include various components. For instance, appliance 110 may include a user interface panel (not labeled). The user interface panel may represent a general-purpose input/output (“GPIO”) device or functional block. In some embodiments, the user interface panel may include one or more of a variety of digital, analog, electrical, mechanical, or electro-mechanical input devices including rotary dials, control knobs, push buttons, and touch pads. The user interface panel may include a display component, such as a digital or analog display device designed to provide operational feedback to a user.
Generally, appliance 110 may include a controller (not labeled) in operative communication with the user input device. The user interface panel of appliance 110 may be in communication with the controller via, for example, one or more signal lines or shared communication busses, and signals generated in controller operate appliance 110 in response to user input via the user input devices. Input/Output (“I/O”) signals may be routed between controller and various operational components of appliance 110. Thus, operation of appliance 110 can be regulated by the controller that is operatively coupled to the user interface panel.
The controller may be a “processing device” or “controller” and may be embodied as described herein. The controller may include a memory and one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS), CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of appliance 110, and the controller is not restricted necessarily to a single element. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM, electrically erasable, programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or FLASH. In one example embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, the controller may be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.
Appliance 110 may be in operative communication directly or indirectly with a remote or external computing device 130. Moreover, external device 130, such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, etc., may be in operative communication with appliance 110 through a network WC. Specifically, according to an example embodiment, network WC is configured for signal communication between appliance 110, a user via external device 130, and/or a remote server 140. According to example embodiments, appliance 110 may communicate with external device 130 either directly (e.g., through a local area network (LAN), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, etc.) or indirectly (e.g., via a mesh network), as well as with remote server 140, e.g., through a router 150, to receive notifications, provide confirmations, input operational data, transmit sound signals and sound signatures, etc., on network WC.
In general, external device 130 may be any suitable device for providing and/or receiving communications or commands from a user. In this regard, external device 130 may include, for example, a personal phone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a smart home assistant (e.g., Google® Assistant, Amazon® Alexa, or Kitchen Hub™) or another mobile device. In addition, or alternatively, communication between appliance 110 and the user may be achieved directly through the control panel on appliance 110. In general, network WC can be any type of communication network. For example, network WC can include one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, a personal area network, a local area network, a wide area network, the internet, a cellular network, etc. In general, communication with network may use any of a variety of communication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, FTP), encodings or formats (e.g. HTML, XML), and/or protection schemes (e.g., VPN, secure HTTP, SSL).
As stated above, humidity sensor 112 may be configured to detect the humidity value in different rooms of home 200. The humidity value in home 200 may be between thirty percent (30%) humidity and sixty percent (60%) humidity. A threshold humidity value may be about thirty percent (30%) humidity. In response to humidity sensor 112 detecting the humidity value less than thirty percent (30%) humidity, the threshold humidity value, the adjacent appliance 110 may release water vapor in order to humidify home 200. Additionally or alternatively, an upper threshold humidity value may be about sixty percent (60%) humidity so as to not over-saturate the air in home 200.
For example, at 310 of method 300, a controller, e.g., external device 130, may monitor the humidity value of one or more humidity sensor 112. External device 130 may monitor the humidity value being measured by the humidity sensor 112. Particularly, external device 130 may be monitoring the humidity for values between thirty percent (30%) humidity and sixty percent (60%) humidity. At 320 of method 300, the humidity sensor 112 may detect the humidity value being monitored by external device 130 is lower than the threshold humidity value. Specifically, humidity sensor 112 may detect the humidity value is less than the threshold humidity value, e.g., thirty percent (30%) humidity.
At 330 of method 300, water vapor may be released from one or more appliances 110 so as to raise the humidity value in home 200. Specifically, as stated above, method 300 at 310 may include detecting which of the humidity sensors 112 detected the humidity value less than the threshold humidity value and may trigger the release of water vapor at the appliance(s) 110 proximate the detected humidity sensor(s) 112. Water vapor specifically for discharge into home 200 may be generated from appliances 110 through prolonged cycles. For example, appliance 110 may include cycles that typically produce water vapor, e.g., a dishwasher washing or drying dishes, a clothes washer performing a hot water load, a steam clean cooling oven, water vapor from a water heater. At 310, the method 300 may include prolonging the cycles that generate water vapor in order to help humidify home 200.
Additionally, in some example embodiments, at 340 of method 300, external device 130 may regulate the humidity value in order to stay proximate, e.g., within ten percent (10%), the threshold humidity value. For example, the method 300 at 340 may automatically release water vapor from one or more appliance 110 in response to the humidity value being detected less than the threshold humidity value. As such, the external device 130 may set and control humidity levels in home 200 by releasing water vapor from multiple appliances without over-saturating the air. It would be understood that the provided home 200 is provided for example purposes only and method 300 may be used in other styles of home, with other layouts, and additional stories.
As may be seen from the above, a combination of different appliances 110 may be operable to heat water and produce vapor. The vapor may escape the appliances 110 and enter the air in the home 200 in order to increase and control the humidity of the home 200. Using an external device 130, appliance control system 100 may control multiple and different appliances 110 such as a dishwasher, stove, and/or water heater to monitor, detect, and release water vapor into the surrounding areas 114.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
