Laundry treating appliance with remotely controlled airflow and method of operating the same

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber, a fan fluidly coupled with the laundry treating chamber and a controller. The controller is configured to operate an automatic cycle of operation for the laundry treating appliance. The controller is also adapted to send an alert signal to an electronic device remote from the laundry treating appliance, during the cycle of operation, indicative of an ending of the cycle of operation. Upon receiving an authorization signal to enable an anti-sour cycle from the remote electronic device prior to the ending of the cycle of operation, the controller automatically initiates the anti-sour cycle for the laundry treating appliance. The anti-sour cycle comprises energizing the fan to flow air through the laundry treating chamber. Upon failing to receive the authorization signal from the remote electronic device, the controller does not initiate the anti-sour cycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating appliance, comprising:
 a rotatable drum at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber;   a fan fluidly coupled with the laundry treating chamber;   a controller configured to operate an automatic cycle of operation for the laundry treating appliance and configured to operate an anti-sour cycle comprising energizing of the fan to flow air through the laundry treating chamber;   wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a user selection of an anti-sour cycle at a user interface prior to initiation of the automatic cycle of operation and the controller automatically initiates the anti-sour cycle at the end of the automatic cycle of operation.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to send an alert signal to an electronic device remote from the laundry treating appliance. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 2  wherein the controller sends the alert signal during the cycle of operation indicative of an ending of the cycle of operation. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 3  wherein the controller is adapted to receive an authorization signal from the remote electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 4  wherein upon receiving the authorization signal, the controller automatically initiates the anti-sour cycle. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 4  wherein upon failing to receive the authorization signal from the remote electronic device, not initiating the anti-sour cycle. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 4  wherein the controller only sends the alert signal when the anti-sour cycle is selected on a user interface of the laundry treating appliance. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  further comprising a user interface having an anti-sour cycle input. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the anti-sour cycle comprises flowing unheated air through the treating chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 9  wherein the anti-sour cycle comprises rotating the drum to reposition the laundry. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 10  wherein the rotating the drum is intermittent. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to at least one of intermittently rotate the rotatable drum or intermittently flow air from by way of the fan during the anti-sour cycle. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 2  wherein the alert signal comprises a status signal for the cycle of operation. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 13  wherein the status signal comprises a remaining time for the cycle of operation. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 14  further comprising displaying a countdown timer on the electronic device based on the remaining time. 
     
     
         16 . A laundry treating appliance, comprising:
 a rotatable drum at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber;   a fan fluidly coupled with the laundry treating chamber; and   a controller configured to operate an automatic cycle of operation for the laundry treating appliance and adapted to send an alert signal to an electronic device remote from the laundry treating appliance, during the cycle of operation, indicative of an ending of the cycle of operation, and upon receiving an authorization signal to enable an anti-sour cycle from the remote electronic device prior to the ending of the cycle of operation, automatically initiating the anti-sour cycle for the laundry treating appliance comprising energizing of the fan to flow air through the laundry treating chamber, and upon failing to receive the authorization signal from the remote electronic device, not initiating the anti-sour cycle.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 16  further comprising a user interface having an anti-sour cycle input. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 17  wherein the controller is configured to send the alert signal when the anti-sour cycle input is selected. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 18  wherein the controller is configured to send the alert signal only when the anti-sour cycle input is selected. 
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 16  wherein the controller is configured to at least one of intermittently rotate the rotatable drum or intermittently flow air from by way of the fan, upon receiving the authorization signal.