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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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.