Appeal 2007-1231
Application 10/186,922
Appellant’s invention relates to a circuit for identifying which version
of a user interface is attached to an appliance controller. In the words of the
Appellant:
The user interface is identified by the controller through one or more
shorts in a keypad matrix of the user interface. The controller
executes a keypad matrix scan in order to detect the presence or
absence of the one or more shorts in the keypad matrix. The shorts, or
lack thereof, signal the identity of the particular user interface
employed in the appliance. Based upon the identified user interface,
the proper set of software or firmware associated with the particular
model appliance is executed by the controller (Br. 2: 16-22).
Claims 1 and 10 are exemplary:
1. A method of identifying a select user interface connected to a
universal controller for a domestic appliance comprising:
assembling the domestic appliance with the controller and the select
user interface having an associated keypad matrix;
initiating a keypad matrix scan;
signaling shorts sensed during the keypad matrix scan to the
controller; and
establishing a set of pre-stored operational firmware, corresponding to
the select user interface, to be executed by the controller of the domestic
appliance based on the shorts signaled in the keypad matrix.
10. A domestic appliance comprising:
a control panel including a predetermined user interface having a
plurality of control elements for selecting a desired one of a plurality of
available operating cycles for the appliance, said plurality of control
elements defining a keypad matrix corresponding to the predetermined user
interface;
2
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Last modified: September 9, 2013