User-activated dish status signaling for a dishwasher appliance

Abstract

A dishwasher appliance includes a wash tub positioned within a cabinet and defining a wash chamber for receipt of a load of articles for washing, and a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the wash chamber. A load status indicator is mounted to a handle of the door for indicating a load status of the load of articles. The dishwasher appliance includes a controller that communicates with a remote device over an external network to receive and provide the load status of the load of articles to users of the dishwasher appliance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dishwasher appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwasher appliance comprising:
 a wash tub positioned within a cabinet and defining a wash chamber for receipt of a load of articles for washing;   a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the wash chamber; and   a load status indicator for indicating a load status of the load of articles.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the load status indicator is a manual toggle switch mounted to the dishwasher appliance. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the manual toggle switch is a slider switch, a rotator switch, or a light switch. 
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the manual toggle switch is mounted to a handle of the door. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the manual toggle switch is formed within or molded onto the door. 
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller in operative communication with a remote device over an external network, the controller being configured to:
 receive the load status of the load of articles from a user; and   provide a user notification including the load status of the load of articles.   
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a user interface panel comprising a load status indicator, wherein providing the user notification comprises illuminating a load status indicator.   
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine that a cleaning cycle has been completed;   determine that the door has been opened; and   transmit a prompt to the remote device requesting the load status from the user.   
     
     
         9 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 6 , wherein providing the user notification comprises providing the user notification to the remote device over the network. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a dishwasher appliance, the dishwasher appliance comprising a wash tub positioned within a cabinet and defining a wash chamber for receipt of a load of articles for washing and a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the wash chamber, the method comprising:
 receiving a load status of the load of articles from a user through a remote device over an external network; and   providing a user notification including the load status of the load of articles.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein providing the user notification comprises illuminating a load status indicator on a user interface panel of the dishwasher appliance. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein providing the user notification comprises providing the user notification to the remote device over the external network. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining that a cleaning cycle has been completed;   determining that the door has been opened; and   transmitting a prompt to the remote device requesting the load status from the user.   
     
     
         14 . A dishwasher appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwasher appliance comprising:
 a wash tub positioned within a cabinet and defining a wash chamber for receipt of a load of articles for washing;   a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the wash chamber; and   a controller in operative communication with a remote device over an external network, the controller being configured to:
 receive a load status of the load of articles from a user; and 
 provide a user notification including the load status of the load of articles. 
   
     
     
         15 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a user interface panel comprising a load status indicator, wherein providing the user notification comprises illuminating a load status indicator.   
     
     
         16 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine that a cleaning cycle has been completed;   determine that the door has been opened; and   transmit a prompt to the remote device requesting the load status from the user.   
     
     
         17 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 14 , wherein providing the user notification comprises providing the user notification to the remote device over the network. 
     
     
         18 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a load status indicator for indicating a load status of the load of articles, wherein the load status indicator is a manual toggle switch mounted to the dishwasher appliance.   
     
     
         19 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 18 . wherein the manual toggle switch is a slider switch, a rotator switch, or a light switch. 
     
     
         20 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 18 . wherein the manual toggle switch is mounted to a handle of the door.