Control system for appliances and the like

Claim 1

A control system for appliances and the like of the type having a plurality of machine functions to be activated and deactivated in accordance with a control strategy and a plurality of cycles of operation each of which is made up of a plurality of events, the control system comprising: an array of user actuable membrane switching devices for allowing programming of at least one of said cycles of operation, at least one optional event, and a time period for at least one of the plurality of events of the programmed cycle; a control logic including microcomputer means having a resident program and a memory including performance data and means for storing data; a display panel including means for indicating the programmed cycle, optional event, time period for the one event, and the time remaining in the programmed cycle during the operation of the appliance; buffer gate means coupled between said array of switching devices, said microcomputer means and said display panel for increasing the input and output capabilities of said microcomputer means; and said resident program having instruction means for operating said control system including first instruction means for retrieving said performance data from said memory in response to a programmed cycle, second instruction means for activating said display panel in response to said retrieved performance data, third instruction means for activating and deactivating machine functions in accordance with said retrieved data for performing the events of said programmed cycle, fourth instruction means responsive to said retrieved data for determining operational periods for said events of said programmed cycle, fifth instruction means responsive to said fourth instruction means for disabling certain of said switching devices at the completion of performance of certain of said events and for initiating the performance of the next sequential event for said programmed cycle at the completion of each event of said programmed cycle, sixth instruction means responsive to said fourth instruction means for enabling the inputting of certain selections via said array of switching devices during the performance of certain events of said programmed cycle and for returning the performance of said resident program to said second instruction means.

Claim 11

A method of controlling an appliance and the like of the type having a plurality of machine functions to be activated and deactivated in accordance with a control strategy to allow performance of a plurality of cycles of operation each of which includes a plurality of events, comprising the steps of: sequentially driving and enabling a plurality of membrane switching devices user actuatable for selecting one of said cycles of operation of the appliance, optional events of a cycle, and a time period for at least one event of the selected cycle; retrieving data from a microcomputer memory in response to actuation of at least one of said membrane switching devices; activating and deactivating said machine functions in a sequence of prearranged events in accordance with a resident program in said microcomputer and the retrieved data; indicating the selected cycle, the selected optional event and the time period for the one event of the selected cycle from a plurality of selectable cycles, optional events, and time periods; displaying a time period for and the time remaining in a selected cycle; continuously monitoring the membrane switching devices to detect user actuated changes in the cycle, optional event and time periods; and during the time period of the selected cycle, disabling certain membrane switching devices to thereafter eliminate the possibility of user actuated changes associated with such disabled switching devices.

Claim 12

A method of controlling an appliance and the like of the type having a plurality of machine functions to be activated and deactivated in accordance with a control strategy to allow performance of a plurality of cycles of operation each of which includes a plurality of events, comprising the steps of: sequentially driving and enabling a plurality of membrane switching devices user actuatable for selecting one of said cycles of operation of the appliance, optional events of a cycle, and a time period for at least one event of the selected cycle; retrieving data from a microcomputer memory in response to actuation of at least one of said membrane switching devices; activating and deactivating said machine functions in a sequence of prearranged events in accordance with a resident program in said microcomputer and the retrieved data; indicating the selected cycle, the selected optional event and the time period for the one event of the selected cycle from a plurality of selectable cycles, optional events, and time periods; displaying a time period for and the time remaining in a selected cycle; continuously monitoring the membrane switching devices to detect user actuated changes in the cycle, optional event and time periods; and during the time period of the selected cycle, disabling certain membrane switching devices to thereafter eliminate the possibility of user actuated changes associated with such disabled switching devices.