Water-guiding domestic appliance and method for operating a water-guiding domestic appliance

Abstract

A water-conducting domestic appliance includes a detection unit configured to detect a type of item to be washed as the item is loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance, and an output unit configured to output a signal carrying information for a user as a function of the detected type of item.

Claims

1. A water-conducting domestic appliance, comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a type of item to be washed as the item is loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance, the detection unit being configured to detect the type of item to be washed by detecting a spatial extension and a material of construction of the item to be washed being loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance; an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image of the item to be washed, said detection unit being configured to detect the type of item to be washed in response to the image of the item in the water-conducting domestic appliance acquired by the image acquisition unit; and an output unit configured to output a signal carrying information for a user as a function of the detected type of item.

2. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a wash container, said water-conducting domestic appliance being configured to determine an arrangement of the item in response to a detection of the type of the item and a position of the item in the wash container, to compare the arrangement of the item with a previously stored arrangement, and to store the determined arrangement.

3. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 2, wherein the water-conducting domestic appliance is configured to recognize a reproducibility of the previously stored arrangement in the determined arrangement and, when reproducibility is affirmed, to determine a predefined position in the wash container according to the determined arrangement and/or the previously stored arrangement.

4. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the detection unit further comprises an optical detection unit configured to optically detect the type of item to be washed.

5. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a recording unit configured to record a position and the type of item to be washed in the water-conducting domestic appliance.

6. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit configured to store a position and the type of item to be washed in the water-conducting domestic appliance.

7. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a wash container, wherein the information outputted by the output unit includes a predefined position of the item to be washed in the wash container.

8. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to optically output the signal carrying the information for the user.

9. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the information outputted by the output unit comprises a warning message, when the detected type of the item corresponds to a reference type.

10. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to recognize the type and/or position of the item using pattern recognition.

11. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to transmit the signal carrying the information for the user to an external output facility.

12. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a wash container and at least one light barrier configured to monitor the type and/or position of the item to be washed in the wash container.

13. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a wash container, said detection unit being positioned on the wash container.

14. The water-conducting domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a wash container, and a door for opening and closing the wash container, said detection unit being positioned on the door.

15. A method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance, comprising: detecting a type of item to be washed as the item is loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance, the detecting of the type of item to be washed includes detecting a spatial extension and a material of construction of the item to be washed while being loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance; acquiring an image of the item to be washed, wherein the type of item to be washed is detected in response to the acquired image of the item; and outputting a signal from an output unit, the signal carrying information for a user as a function of the detected type of item to be washed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining an arrangement of the item in response to a detection of the type of the item and a position of the item in a wash container of the water-conducting domestic appliance, comparing the arrangement of the item with a previously stored arrangement, and storing the determined arrangement.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: recognizing a reproducibility of the previously stored arrangement in the determined arrangement and, when reproducibility is affirmed, determining a predefined position in the wash container according to the determined arrangement and/or the previously stored arrangement.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting further includes optical detection.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording a position and the type of item to be washed in the water-conducting domestic appliance.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing a position and the type of item to be washed in a memory unit.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the information outputted by the output unit includes a predefined position of the item to be washed in a wash container of the water-conducting domestic appliance.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the signal carrying the information for the user is outputted optically.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the information outputted by the output unit comprises a warning message, when the detected type of the item corresponds to a reference type.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the type and/or a position of the item to be washed is detected using pattern recognition.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the signal carrying the information for the user to an external output facility.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring the type and/or a position of the item to be washed by at least one light barrier.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising placing a detection unit to detect the type of item to be washed on a wash container of the water-conducting domestic appliance.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising placing a detection unit to detect the type of item to be washed on a door for opening and closing a wash container of the water-conducting domestic appliance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous configurations and aspects of the invention are set out in the subclaims and the exemplary embodiments of the invention described in the following. The invention is described in more detail below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement with different types of items to be washed;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a third embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance with a mobile device;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of a fourth embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance with the mobile device in FIG. 4 and a wall;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows schematic flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

(9) Identical elements or those of identical function are shown with the same reference characters in the figures, unless otherwise specified.

(10) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1. In the example in FIG. 1 the domestic appliance 1 is a dishwasher.

(11) The dishwasher 1 has a wash container 2 and a door 3. The wash container 2 and door 3 form a wash chamber 4 for washing items to be washed. The door 3 is shown in its opened position in FIG. 1. The door 3 can be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis S provided at a lower end of the door 3.

(12) The wash container 2 is for example cube-shaped and can comprise a base 5, a top 6 opposite the base 5, a rear wall 7 opposite the door 3 and two opposing side walls 8, 9. The side walls 8, 9 in particular can be made of stainless steel sheet.

(13) The dishwasher 1 also has at least one loading level 10. The at least one loading level 10 is preferably a holder for items to be washed in the dishwasher 1. In particular a number of loading levels 10 can be provided, comprising a lower rack, upper rack and/or flatware drawer. The several loading levels 10 are preferably positioned one above the other in the wash container 2. Each loading level 10 can be moved as required in an insertion direction E into the wash container 2 or in a pull-out direction A out of it. To this end a rail 11 is preferably provided on both sides of a respective loading level 10.

(14) The dishwasher 1 has a detection unit 12, which is fastened to the top 6 by way of example in FIG. 1. The detection unit 12 can be such that it can be lowered into the top 6, folded out and up or removed and mounted. The detection unit 12 can also be positioned in or on the door 3, the base 5, the rear wall 7 or one of the side walls 8, 9. The detection unit 12 can recognize a type of item to be washed introduced into the dishwasher 1 or positioned in the same. To this end the detection unit 12 has a detection region, which is directed out from the detection unit 12 in the direction of the door 3.

(15) The dishwasher 1 also has an output unit 13, which is built into the door 3 by way of example in FIG. 1. The output unit 13 has a display or screen, on which information for a user, in other words a person operating the dishwasher 1, is displayed. The information here is based on the type of item to be washed as detected by the detection unit 12.

(16) To load the items to be washed, for example a plate, glass, bowl or item of flatware, into the dishwasher 1, the door 3 is first opened, at least one of the loading levels 10 is pulled out of the wash chamber 4 and the items to be washed are moved toward the loading level 10. When items to be washed enter the detection region of the detection unit 12, the detection unit 12 acquires an image of said items to be washed and performs image or pattern recognition on the acquired image to recognize the type of item to be washed.

(17) To recognize the type of item to be washed, the detection unit 12 is preferably equipped with computation capacity. Alternatively or additionally the detection unit 12 is linked to a control unit (not shown in FIG. 1), which for example receives and analyzes the image of the item to be washed acquired by the detection unit 12.

(18) The detection unit 12 or a control unit not shown in FIG. 1 can generate an electronic signal containing information for the user after detecting the type of item to be washed. The information includes inter alia an advantageous position of the item to be washed of the type detected, for example Cup: please lie in upper compartment, Plate: please stand in left column in lower compartment or Spoon: please place in flatware basket.

(19) If the item to be washed is not suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher 1, the information includes a warning message, for example Caution! Item not suitable for dishwasher!.

(20) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an arrangement 100 of different types A1-A4 of items to be washed 101-105.

(21) The items to be washed in the arrangement 100 comprise a number of plates 101, a number of glasses 102, a number of bowls 103, a cooking spoon 104 and a fork 105, which are positioned in the loading level 10 of the dishwasher 1 in FIG. 1. A first type A1 of item to be washed comprises the plates 101, a second type A2 of item to be washed comprises the glasses 103, a third type A3 of item to be washed comprises the bowls 103 and a fourth type of item to be washed comprises the cooking spoon 104 and the fork 105.

(22) The arrangement 100 is configured in such a manner that items to be washed 101-105 belonging to one type A1-A4 of items to be washed are positioned in a respective column 106-109. In FIG. 2 the plates 101 of the first type A1 of item to be washed are positioned in a second column 107 from the left, the glasses 102 of the second type A2 of item to be washed are positioned in a third column 108, the bowls 103 of the third type A3 of item to be washed are positioned in a fourth column 109 and the flatware 104, 105 of the fourth type A4 of item to be washed is positioned in the first column 106. The columns 106-109 represent a position of the respective items to be washed 101-105.

(23) The arrangement 100 in particular represents positioning in or on one of the loading levels 10 of the dishwasher 1. The arrangement 100 is schematic and can represent a preferred positioning of items to be washed or an individual positioning of items to be washed for one user.

(24) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1. The water-conducting domestic appliance 1 is in particular a domestic dishwasher. The second embodiment in FIG. 3 is based in particular on the first embodiment in FIG. 1 and has all the features of the first embodiment in FIG. 1.

(25) Two recording units 14 are built into the door 3. When the door 3 is in a closed position, the recording units 14 are positioned at a vertical distance from one another such that they can each record a type and position of an item to be washed positioned in the water-conducting domestic appliance 1 in the respective loading level 10. In particular an image is acquired of an arrangement, in other words the positioning of the items being washed in the respective loading level 10. The acquired image allows the position and type of item to be washed positioned in the loading level 10 to be recognized and detected.

(26) The recorded type and position of the items to be washed or the acquired image of the arrangement is/are transferred to a control unit 15, which is built into the door 3 by way of example in FIG. 3. The control unit 15 is equipped with computation capacity and can evaluate the recorded type and position of the items to be washed or the acquired image and determine the arrangement therefrom. To this end the control unit 15 performs an image analysis, for example an image and pattern recognition, which is provided in the manner of an algorithm or computer program.

(27) A memory unit 16 is also provided, being positioned in the door 3. The memory unit 16 is an electronic memory unit. The recorded type and position of the items to be washed, the acquired image and/or the determined arrangement are stored as electronic data in the memory unit 16.

(28) Alternatively or additionally the recording units 14, the control unit 15 and/or the memory unit 16 can be positioned in or on the wash container 2 of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1.

(29) The control unit 15 can compare the determined arrangement with previously stored arrangements, in other words arrangements that have been determined beforehand and stored in the memory unit 16. The type and position in particular of the items to be washed in the different arrangements are compared in this process. If the type and position of the items to be washed in the determined arrangement match one of the previously stored arrangements, the determined arrangement is assigned to said previously stored arrangement. A frequency of assignments of the determined arrangement to the previously stored arrangement is stored in the memory unit 15 for each of the previously stored arrangements in this process.

(30) If the frequency of one of the previously stored arrangements reaches a predefinable threshold value, for example five, the control unit 15 (or the memory unit 16) determines a reproducibility of said previously stored arrangement. The position of the items to be washed of the respective type of item to be washed according to this predefinable arrangement is assigned to a predefined position of the items to be washed of the respective type of item to be washed. When the type of item to be washed that has been loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance 1 is detected, the information for the user, which is output with the aid of the output unit 13, includes the predefined position for the detected type of item to be washed.

(31) If a number of users in a household load the items to be washed in the water-conducting domestic appliance 1 in turn, the reproducibility is determined for a number of previously stored arrangements and the several previously stored arrangements are stored as user-specific arrangements in the memory unit 16. As the items to be washed are loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance 1, the detection unit 12 and/or control unit 15 recognizes the user from the determined arrangement and the output unit 13 can output individual information tailored specifically for the user.

(32) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a third embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1 with a mobile device 17. The third embodiment in FIG. 4 is based in particular on the first embodiment in FIG. 1 and has all the features of the first embodiment in FIG. 1.

(33) The mobile device 17, for example a smartphone, tablet or digital camera, which is equipped with a mobile image acquisition facility 18, acquires an image of the arrangement in one of the loading levels 10. The acquired image of the arrangement can either be processed in the mobile device 17 or be transferred to the control unit 15 of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1, which analyzes the acquired image and performs an image or pattern recognition, in order to detect the type and position of the items to be washed in the arrangement. The type and position of the items to be washed thus detected can be stored in the memory unit 16.

(34) FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of a fourth embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1 with the mobile device 17 and a wall 19. The fourth embodiment in FIG. 5 is based in particular on the first embodiment in FIG. 1 and has all the features of the first embodiment in FIG. 1.

(35) The mobile device 17 has a display facility 20, for example a display or screen. A signal 21 carrying the information for the user is generated by the control unit 15 and transferred to the mobile device 17. The mobile device 17 processes the signal 21 and displays the information for the user on the display facility 20.

(36) Alternatively or additionally the information is displayed with the aid of a projection unit 22, e.g. a projector, which projects the information onto a wall 19. The projection unit 22, which is built into the door 3 of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1 in FIG. 5, receives the signal 21 carrying the information for the user from the control unit 15 and generates the information optically in a projection surface 23 on the wall 19. It is also conceivable for the projection unit 22 to be positioned in or on the top 6, one of the walls 7-9 or the base 5. The projection unit 22 can also be a removable, separate projection unit.

(37) FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1. The fifth embodiment in FIG. 3 is based in particular on the first embodiment in FIG. 1 and has all the features of the first embodiment in FIG. 1.

(38) The water-conducting domestic appliance 1 has a light barrier 24, which comprises a transmitter 24a and a sensor 24b, which are positioned opposite one another for example on the respective side wall 8, 9. The transmitter 24a is a light-emitting diode and emits a monochromatic light, for example a red light with a wavelength of 660 nm or an infrared light in a wavelength range from 880-940 nm, in the direction of the sensor 24b.

(39) The sensor 24b is a photodiode or phototransistor and receives the light emitted by the sensor 24a. A straight light beam 25 is therefore produced between the transmitter 24a and the sensor 24b, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 6. The transmitter 24a and the sensor 24b are positioned in such a manner that that when an item to be washed that is too large for the respective loading level 10 is loaded into the loading level 10, the light beam 25 is interrupted. When the light beam 25 is interrupted, the transmitter 24a or the sensor 24b can generate a control signal and transfer it to the control unit 25. The control unit 15 then generates information for the user, indicating that the item to be washed that has just been loaded may disrupt operation of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1. This information can be output optically and/or acoustically by the output unit 14 of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1.

(40) FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance, in particular a domestic dishwasher. The method in FIG. 7 is suitable in particular for operating the embodiments of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1 described above.

(41) In step 701 a type of item to be washed is detected as said item to be washed is being loaded into the water-conducting domestic appliance.

(42) In step 702 a signal is output, which carries information for a user of the water-conducting domestic appliance. The information is generated as a function of the detected type of item to be washed.

(43) Although the present invention has been described based on exemplary embodiments, it can be modified in many different ways. In particular the features described for the embodiments of the water-conducting domestic appliance 1 can be applied correspondingly to the method.