System and method for operating a washer appliance

Abstract

A system for appliance communication and method for washer appliance operation include determining a fault condition at a dryer appliance, transmitting to the washer appliance a communications signal corresponding to the fault condition at the dryer appliance, and adjusting, at the washer appliance, a washer mode based on the communications signal. The system includes a washer appliance having a first controller having a first communications device, and a dryer appliance having a second controller having a second communications device configured to communicatively couple to the first communications device to form an interconnected pair of washer and dryer appliances.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for appliance communication, the system comprising:
 a washer appliance comprising a first controller comprising a first communications device;   a dryer appliance comprising a second controller comprising a second communications device configured to communicatively couple to the first communications device to form an interconnected pair of washer and dryer appliances;   wherein one or both of the first and second controllers is configured to execute instructions that cause the washer appliance and the dryer appliance to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 determining a fault condition at the dryer appliance; 
 transmitting, to the washer appliance, a communications signal corresponding to the fault condition at the dryer appliance; and 
 adjusting, at the washer appliance, a washer mode based on the communications signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , the operations comprising:
 communicatively coupling the dryer appliance to the washer appliance.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein communicatively coupling the dryer appliance to the washer appliance comprises communicatively coupling the first communications device of the washer appliance to the second communications device of the dryer appliance. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second communications devices comprises short range radio communications devices. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein determining the fault condition at the dryer appliance comprises determining an operational state at a heater system. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein determining the operational state at the heater system comprises determining a temperature after commanding heat generation at the heater system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein determining the operational state at the heater system comprises determining an ignition status after commanding heat generation at the heater system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the washer mode based on the communications signal comprises adjusting a period of time of a spin cycle. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the washer mode based on the communications signal comprises limiting a load size at the washer appliance. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the washer mode based on the communications signal comprises limiting a wash cycle type at the washer appliance. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , the operations comprising:
 adjusting, at the dryer appliance, a dryer mode based on transmitting the communications signal to the washer appliance.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the dryer mode comprises adjusting a period of time of a tumble cycle at the dryer appliance. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-implemented method for operating a washer appliance, the method comprising:
 determining, at a dryer appliance, a fault condition at the dryer appliance;   transmitting, from the dryer appliance to the washer appliance, a communications signal corresponding to the fault condition at the dryer appliance; and   adjusting, at the washer appliance, a washer mode based on the communications signal.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , the method comprising:
 communicatively coupling the dryer appliance to the washer appliance, wherein communicatively coupling the dryer appliance to the washer appliance comprises communicatively coupling the first communications device of the washer appliance to the second communications device of the dryer appliance.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining the fault condition at the dryer appliance comprises determining an operational state at a heater system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the operational state at the heater system comprises determining a temperature after commanding heat generation at the heater system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the operational state at the heater system comprises determining an ignition status after commanding heat generation at the heater system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein adjusting the washer mode based on the communications signal comprises one or more of adjusting a period of time of a spin cycle, limiting a load size at the washer appliance, or limiting a wash cycle type at the washer appliance. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , the method comprising:
 adjusting, at the dryer appliance, a dryer mode based on transmitting the communications signal to the washer appliance.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein adjusting the dryer mode comprises adjusting a period of time of a tumble cycle at the dryer appliance.