METHOD FOR OPERATING A DOMESTIC DISHWASHER, DOMESTIC DISHWASHER AND SYSTEM

Abstract

In a method for operating a household dishwasher with a control apparatus for carrying out a washing program from a plurality of washing programs for washing washware arranged in a washing chamber, an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber is captured by an optical sensor of an external facility that is external to the household dishwasher. At least one intensive washing zone for intensively washing the washware in the washing chamber is determined in response to the captured optical sensor signal, and a drive facility is actuated to drive a spraying facility for spraying the washware with washing liquid, such that the determined at least one intensive washing zone is embodied by the spraying facility.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating a household dishwasher with a control apparatus for carrying out a washing program from a plurality of washing programs for washing washware arranged in a washing chamber, said method comprising: capturing an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber by an optical sensor of an external facility that is external to the household dishwasher; determining at least one intensive washing zone for intensively washing the washware in the washing chamber in dependence on the captured optical sensor signal; and actuating a drive facility to drive a spraying facility for spraying the washware with washing liquid, such that the determined at least one intensive washing zone is embodied by the spraying facility.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical sensor is a camera, with the optical sensor signal comprising an image of the washing chamber.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: recording the image of the washing chamber by the camera; establishing actuation parameters for determining the at least one intensive washing zone depending on the recorded image based on a user input of a user on the external facility; transmitting the established actuation parameters from the external facility to the household dishwasher; and actuating the drive facility as a function of the transmitted actuation parameters in such a way that the determined at least one intensive washing zone is embodied in the washing chamber by the spraying facility.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: recording the image of the washing chamber by the camera; establishing actuation parameters for determining the at least one intensive washing zone depending on the recorded image by means of an application running on the external facility, transmitting the established actuation parameters from the external facility to the household dishwasher; and actuating the drive facility as a function of the transmitted actuation parameters in such a way that the determined at least one intensive washing zone in the washing chamber is embodied by the spraying facility.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: storing actuation parameters for actuating the drive facility in a storage facility of the external facility; recording an image of the washing chamber by the camera; adjusting the stored actuation parameters depending on the recorded image by means of an application running on the external facility and/or based on a user input of a user to the application of the external facility; transmitting the adjusted actuation parameters from the external facility to the household dishwasher; and actuating the drive facility in response to the transmitted actuation parameters.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising illuminating the washing chamber as the optical sensor signal is captured by the optical sensor.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising capturing by the optical sensor an optical sensor signal of the washware in the washing chamber.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising feeding a spray arm of the spraying facility by a circulation pump of the drive facility with washing liquid and/or an electric drive for active driving of the spray arm.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the external facility is a mobile device of a user, and further comprising running an application on the mobile device of the user to determine the at least one intensive washing zone for intensively washing the washware in the washing chamber in response to the captured optical sensor signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one intensive washing zone is selected by the application depending on a user input on the mobile device.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising establishing an incorrect loading of washware in a washware tray of the washing chamber of the household dishwasher depending on the captured optical sensor signal by means of the application.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising outputting the established incorrect loading to the user by means of the application and an output device of the mobile device.

28. A computer program product for operating a household dishwasher with a control apparatus for carrying out a washing program from a plurality of washing programs for washing of washware arranged in a washing chamber, said computer program product comprising a computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the computer program, when loaded into a program-controlled facility and executed by the program-controlled facility, causes the program-controlled facility to perform the steps of: capturing an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber using an optical sensor of an external facility that is external to the household dishwasher, determining at least one intensive washing zone for intensively washing the washware in the washing chamber in dependence on the captured optical sensor signal, and actuating a drive facility to drive a spraying facility for spraying the washware with washing liquid, such that the determined at least one intensive washing zone is embodied by the spraying facility.

29. A household dishwasher, comprising: a washing chamber for receiving washware; a control apparatus configured to carry out a washing program from a plurality of washing programs for washing the washware in the washing chamber; a spraying facility for spraying the washware with washing liquid; a drive facility configured to drive the spraying facility; a receiver unit configured to receive an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber from an external facility which is external to the household dishwasher, with the optical sensor signal being captured by an optical sensor of the external facility; a determination unit configured to determine at least one intensive washing zone for intensive washing of the washware in the washing chamber in dependence on the captured optical sensor signal; and an actuation unit configured to actuate the drive facility such that the determined at least one intensive washing zone is embodied by the spraying facility.

30. A system, comprising: a household dishwasher; and an external facility external to the household dishwasher and comprising an optical sensor, said household dishwasher comprising a washing chamber for receiving washware, a control apparatus configured to carry out a washing program from a plurality of washing programs for washing the washware in the washing chamber, a spraying facility for spraying the washware with washing liquid, a drive facility configured to drive the spraying facility, a receiver unit configured to receive an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber from the external facility, with the optical sensor signal being captured by the optical sensor of the external facility, a determination unit configured to determine at least one intensive washing zone for intensive washing of the washware in the washing chamber in dependence on the captured optical sensor signal, and an actuation unit configured to actuate the drive facility such that the determined at least one intensive washing zone is embodied by the spraying facility.

Description

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the exemplary embodiment of the household dishwasher according to FIG. 1;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of the washware tray of the household dishwasher according to FIG. 2; and

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a household dishwasher.

[0064] In the figures the same or functionally identical elements have been provided with the same reference characters, unless otherwise specified.

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher 1. FIG. 2 further represents a schematic side view of the exemplary embodiment of the household dishwasher 1 according to FIG. 1.

[0066] The household dishwasher 1 comprises a washing container 2, which can be closed by means of a door 3, in particular in a water-tight manner. To this end a sealing facility (not shown) can be provided between the door 3 and the washing container 2. The washing container 2 is preferably cuboid in form. The washing container 2 can be arranged in a housing of the household dishwasher 1. The washing container 2 and the door 3 can form a washing chamber 4 for washing washware 15.

[0067] The door 3 is shown in its open position in FIG. 1. The door 3 can be closed or opened by means of pivoting about a pivot axis 5 provided at a lower end of the door 3. With the aid of the door 3 a loading aperture 6 of the washing container 2 can be closed or opened. The washing container 2 has a floor 7, a ceiling 8 arranged opposite to the floor 7, a rear wall 9 arranged opposite to the closed door 3 and two side walls 10, 11 arranged opposite to each other. The floor 7, the ceiling 8, the rear wall 9 and the side walls 10, 11 can for example be manufactured from a stainless-steel sheet. Alternatively the floor 7 can for example can be manufactured from a plastic material.

[0068] The household dishwasher 1 further has at least one washware tray 12, 13, 14. A multiplicity, for example three, washware trays 12, 13, 14 can advantageously be provided, wherein the washware tray 12 can be a lower washware tray or a lower basket, the washware tray 13 can be an upper washware tray or an upper basket and the washware tray 14 can be a cutlery drawer. As FIG. 1 further shows, the washware trays 12, 13, 14 are arranged on top of one another in the washing container 2. Each washware tray 12, 13, 14 can optionally be laid in or extracted from the washing container 2. In particular each washware tray 12, 13, 14 can be slid into the washing container 2 in an insertion direction E and withdrawn from the washing container 2 against the insertion direction E in a withdrawal direction A.

[0069] The household dishwasher 1 additionally has a control apparatus 100, which is arranged on the door 3. The control apparatus 100 is set up to execute a washing program from a plurality of washing programs for washing washware 15 arranged in the washing chamber 4 (see FIG. 2).

[0070] To this end, FIG. 2 on grounds of clarity shows only one washware tray 12 in the washing chamber 4, on which washware 15, for example in the form of plates, is arranged. At this point it should be emphasized that the washing chamber 4 can, for example, have one washware tray, two washware trays or even three washware trays.

[0071] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 the household dishwasher 1 has at least one spraying facility 140, in the example from FIG. 2 a spray arm, for spraying the washware 15 with washing liquid and a drive facility 160 for driving the at least one spraying facility 140. The drive facility 160 can for example comprise an electric motor with a position recognition function.

[0072] As FIG. 1 in particular shows, the household dishwasher 1 comprises a receiver unit 110, a determination unit 120 and an actuation unit 130. In the example from FIG. 1 the determination unit 120 and the actuation unit 130 are integrated into the control apparatus 100.

[0073] The receiver unit 110 is set up to receive an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber 4 captured by means of an optical sensor 210 (see FIG. 2) of a facility 200 (see FIG. 2) external to the household dishwasher 1 from the external facility 200. The external facility 200 is for example a mobile device of the user, such as for example a smartphone with integrated camera. In this example the integrated camera of the smartphone then embodies the optical sensor 210. The optical sensor 210 of the mobile device 200 is for example set up to capture an image of the washware 15 arranged in the washing chamber 4 in a wide spectral range ranging from a number of micrometers to several hundred nanometers.

[0074] The determination unit 120 is set up to determine at least one intensive washing zone for intensively washing the washware 15 arranged in the washing chamber 4 depending on the captured optical sensor signal. On this point, FIG. 3 shows a top view of the washware tray 12 from FIG. 2 in a schematic representation. FIG. 3 here illustrates that the washware tray 12 is for example divided into four quadrants I-IV. For example, the determination unit 120 can determine that the quadrant II should form an intensive washing zone depending on the captured optical sensor signal.

[0075] The actuation unit 130 is then set up to actuate the drive facility 160 (see FIG. 2) in such a way that the determined at least one intensive washing zone, in the present example of quadrant II in the washware tray 12 of FIG. 3, is embodied by means of the at least one spraying facility 140.

[0076] In the representation in FIG. 2 the door 3, on which the control apparatus 100 and the receiver unit 110 are arranged, are shown in the open position, so that the door 3 with the washing container 2 form the washing chamber 4. A lighting facility 150 is arranged on the ceiling 8 of the washing container 2.

[0077] The lighting facility 156 is set up to illuminate the washing chamber 4 during capture of the optical sensor signal by the optical sensor 210 of the mobile device 200. The capturing of the image of the washing chamber 4 can hereby be improved.

[0078] FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a method for operating a household dishwasher 1, such as for example the household dishwasher 1 from FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. The household dishwasher 1 comprises a control apparatus 100, at least one spraying facility 140, for example a spray arm, for spraying the washware 15 with washing liquid, and a drive facility 160 for driving the at least one spraying facility 140. The drive facility 160 comprises for example a circulation pump for feeding the at least one spray arm 140 with washing liquid and/or an electric drive for active driving of the at least one spray arm 140.

[0079] The method from FIG. 4 comprises steps S1, S2 and S3:

[0080] In step S1 an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber 4, for example an image, of the washing chamber 4 is captured by means of an optical sensor 210, for example a camera, of a facility 2 external to the household dishwasher 1, for example a mobile device of the user. During this capturing process, the washing chamber 4 can preferably be illuminated by means of a lighting facility 150. During the capturing process, the washware arranged in the washing chamber 4 is in particular also captured.

[0081] In step S2 at least one intensive washing zone, for example quadrant II of the washware tray in FIG. 3, is determined for intensively washing the washware 15 arranged in the washing chamber 4 depending on the captured optical sensor signal. If the external facility 200 is for example a mobile device, such as a smartphone, this determination step can then be carried out by an application running on the smartphone 200. The at least one intensive washing zone, for example quadrant II in FIG. 3, is for example selected by the application depending on at least one user input on the mobile device 200. For example, the user can select an intensive washing zone on an image represented on their smartphone by the application.

[0082] In step S3 the drive facility 160 is actuated in such a way that the at least one determined intensive washing zone is embodied by means of the at least one spraying facility 140.

[0083] For example incorrect loading of washware in the washware tray 12 of the washing chamber 4 can also be established depending on the captured optical sensor signal by means of the application. Such established incorrect loading can be output to the user by means of the application and an output device of the mobile device 200.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described on the basis of exemplary embodiments, it can be modified in diverse ways.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS USED

[0085] 1 Household dishwasher [0086] 2 Washing container [0087] 3 Door [0088] 4 Washing chamber [0089] 5 Pivot axis [0090] 6 Loading aperture [0091] 7 Floor [0092] 8 Ceiling [0093] 9 Rear wall [0094] 10 Side wall [0095] 11 Side wall [0096] 12 Washware tray [0097] 13 Washware tray [0098] 14 Washware tray [0099] 15 Washware [0100] 100 Control apparatus [0101] 110 Receiver unit [0102] 120 Determination unit [0103] 130 Actuation unit [0104] 140 Spraying facility [0105] 150 Lighting facility [0106] 160 Drive facility [0107] 200 External facility, mobile device [0108] 210 Optical sensor [0109] A Withdrawal direction [0110] E Insertion direction [0111] I First quadrant of the washware tray [0112] II Second quadrant of the washware tray [0113] III Third quadrant of the washware tray [0114] IV Fourth quadrant of the washware tray [0115] S1 Method step [0116] S2 Method step [0117] S3 Method step