A laundry washing machine and method detect the presence of outlier articles in a load of articles added to a wash tub based in part on color composition data collected from the load of articles using a color detection sensor. In some instances, color composition data may be used to generate an alert to a user to notify the user that an outlier article is potentially present in the load, and in some instances, color compensation data may be used to modify a load type selection to account for the presence of an outlier article in the load.

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a washing machine comprising an outer tub containing water, an inner tub which accommodates laundry and is rotatably installed in the outer tub, a dispenser which supplies detergent into the inner tub, and a spray nozzle for spraying water into the inner tub, including the steps of: (a) supplying water into the inner tub via the dispenser; (b) supplying water into the inner tub through the spray nozzle, during when water is supplied into the inner tub via the dispenser; and (c) rotating the inner tub at a cloth wetting speed at which at least some of the laundry in the inner tub is adhered to an inner surface of the inner tub and can be rotated integrally with the inner tub, during when water is supplied through the spray nozzle.

A method and apparatus for breaking a unit dose package in a chamber within a post located in a basket of a laundry washing machine. The method includes filling the basket and the chamber, increasing a rotation speed of the basket and/or the post to raise the water level in the basket and lower the water level in the chamber to cause a unit dose package within the chamber to move downwards; reducing the rotation speed to lower the water level in the basket and raise the water level in chamber to cause the unit dose package within the chamber to move upwards; and repeating the steps of increasing and reducing the rotational speed to cause the unit dose package to break open and at least partially dissolve. A laundry washing machine configured to perform this process is also provided.

An appliance having: a control unit managing the operation of the appliance; at least one hydraulic component actionable for distributing water/treating liquids within the appliance; a plurality of sensors arranged for acquiring information regarding physical parameters associated with the operation of the appliance, and a module managing at least part of the water/treating liquids distribution within the appliance. The module includes the at least one hydraulic component; at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors, and a local control unit managing the operation of the at least one hydraulic component and/or receiving the information acquired by the at least two sensors.

Provided are a laundry treating device and a water temperature control method and apparatus therefor. The laundry treating device includes a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet, and the control method includes: detecting a water temperature in the laundry treating device in response to determining that warm water is to be introduced into the laundry treating device, and controlling the laundry treating device based on the water temperature to enable inflowing of cold water through the cold water inlet and inflowing of hot water through the hot water inlet alternately; detecting a water level in the laundry treating device, and controlling the laundry treating device to stop water inflow in response to determining that the water level in the laundry treating device reaches a first predetermined water level; and controlling the laundry treating device to perform washing for a first predetermined duration based on a predetermined washing cycle.

A laundry washing machine and a method for operating the washing machine offer ways to load a unit dose package into a compartment of the washing machine. A control unit controls the washing machine to add water to a compartment having a unit dose package. The tub is then filled with hot or cold water depending on the temperature of the water in the tub, or whether a sanitizing cycle of a washing program has been selected.

A laundry treating appliance includes a cabinet defining an interior and having an access opening to the interior, a treating chamber located within the interior and accessible through the access opening, a dispenser having a drawer with at least one chemistry container and a faucet, and a water supply fluidly coupled to the faucet.

A laundry washing machine and method automate the selection of various operational settings for a wash cycle based in part on color composition data collected from a load of articles using a color detection sensor. In some instances, the capture of color composition data is triggered by detected weight changes sensed by a weight sensor as the load of articles is added to a wash tub, and is based in part on the detection of a stable weight in the wash tub for at least a predetermined duration. In addition, in some instances, color compensation data may be used to characterize a load of articles based in part on a color decision algorithm that assigns pixels in the color compensation data to different color categories.

A laundry appliance includes a basket rotatably mounted within a cabinet and defining a chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes, a water supply valve for regulating a flow of water into the chamber, and a camera assembly mounted within the cabinet in view of the chamber. A controller is configured to determine that the water supply valve is open to permit the flow of water into the chamber, identify an anticipated fog condition within the chamber based at least in part on the water supply valve being open, obtaining one or more images of the chamber using the camera assembly, analyzing the one or more images of the chamber to determine an actual fog condition in the chamber, and implementing a responsive action if the actual fog condition is different than the anticipated fog condition, e.g., providing a user notification.

A washing machine appliance, as provided herein, may include a fluid additive dispenser and a controller. The fluid additive dispenser may include a housing, a dispenser drawer, a water supply conduit, a first water valve, a shower plate, and a second water valve. The water supply conduit may be directed to the pod compartment defined by the dispenser drawer and define a water inlet. The shower plate may be disposed upstream from a primary compartment and the pod compartment. The controller may be configured to initiate a washing operation that includes initiating a wetting water flow at the second water valve to the pod compartment through the shower plate, initiating a break water flow to the pod compartment through the water supply conduit following the wetting water flow, and initiating a fill water flow through the shower plate following the break water flow.