HOUSEHOLD DISHWASHER MACHINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A HOUSEHOLD DISHWASHER MACHINE

Abstract

A household dishwasher includes a washing chamber, a controller apparatus configured to perform a wash program from a number of wash programs for washing items to be washed arranged in the washing chamber, an optical sensor configured to capture an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber during performance of the wash program, and an evaluating unit configured to ascertain a subsequent loading of items to be washed by a user as a function of the captured optical sensor signal of the washing chamber, to determine a point in time of the subsequent loading in the wash program, and to perform a predetermined action as a function of the ascertained subsequent loading and the determined point in time.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A household dishwasher, comprising: a washing chamber; a controller apparatus configured to perform a wash program from a number of wash programs for washing items to be washed arranged in the washing chamber; an optical sensor configured to capture an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber during performance of the wash program; and an evaluating unit configured to ascertain a subsequent loading of items to be washed by a user as a function of the captured optical sensor signal of the washing chamber, to determine a point in time of the subsequent loading in the wash program, and to perform a predetermined action as a function of the ascertained subsequent loading and the determined point in time.

12. The household dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the predetermined action comprises an output of an item of information to the user and/or an adjustment of the wash program currently being performed.

13. The household dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the evaluating unit is configured to determine the subsequent loading of items to be washed into the washing chamber as a function of an opening of a door of the household dishwasher and a closing of the door within a predetermined period of time while performing the wash program.

14. The household dishwasher of claim 11, further comprising an illumination device for illuminating the washing chamber when capturing the optical sensor signal.

15. The household dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the optical sensor comprises a camera, with the optical sensor signal comprising an image and/or a video of the washing chamber.

16. The household dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the evaluating unit is configured to perform an image analysis of the captured image and/or of the captured video in order to ascertain the subsequent loading of items to be washed.

17. The household dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the evaluating unit is configured to perform a spectral analysis of the captured optical sensor signal in order to ascertain the subsequent loading of items to be washed.

18. The household dishwasher of claim 11, wherein the evaluating unit is configured to ascertain a quantity of the subsequently loaded items to be washed, a type of the subsequently loaded items to be washed, a position of the subsequently loaded items to be washed in the washing chamber, and/or a soiling of the subsequently loaded items to be washed as a function of the captured optical sensor signal.

19. A method for operating a household dishwasher, said method comprising: capturing by an optical sensor an optical sensor signal of a washing chamber of the household dishwasher during performance of a wash program from a number of wash programs for washing items to be washed arranged in the washing chamber; ascertaining by an evaluating unit a subsequent loading of items to be washed by a user as a function of the captured optical sensor signal; determining a point in time of the ascertained subsequent loading in the wash program; and performing a predetermined action as a function of the ascertained subsequent loading and the determined point in time of the subsequent loading.

20. A computer program product for operating a household dishwasher, comprising a program-controlled device having stored therein a computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the computer program, when loaded into the program-controlled device and executed by the program-controlled device, causes the program-controlled device to perform the steps of: capturing by an optical sensor an optical sensor signal of a washing chamber of the household dishwasher during performance of a wash program from a number of wash programs for washing items to be washed arranged in the washing chamber; ascertaining by an evaluating unit a subsequent loading of items to be washed by a user as a function of the captured optical sensor signal; determining a point in time of the ascertained subsequent loading in the wash program; and performing a predetermined action as a function of the ascertained subsequent loading and the determined point in time of the subsequent loading.

Description

[0050] Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the invention form the subject matter of the subclaims and of the exemplary embodiments of the invention that are described below. The invention is also described in greater detail on the basis of preferred forms of embodiment with reference to the attached figures,

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher;

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a further exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher; and

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a household dishwasher.

[0054] In the figures, elements that are identical or have the same function are provided with the same reference characters unless specified otherwise.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher 1. The household dishwasher 1 comprises a dishwasher cavity 2, which is able to be closed off by a door 3, in particular in a watertight manner. A sealing facility (not shown) may be provided for this purpose between the door 3 and the dishwasher cavity 2. The dishwasher cavity 2 is preferably cuboid in shape. The dishwasher cavity 2 may be arranged in a housing of the household dishwasher 1. The dishwasher cavity 2 and the door 3 may form a washing chamber 4 for washing items to be washed 15, 20 (see FIG. 2).

[0056] The door 3 is shown in its open position in FIG. 1. The door 3 may be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis 5 provided at a lower end of the door 3. With the aid of the door 3, a loading opening 6 of the dishwasher cavity 2 can be closed or opened. The dishwasher cavity 2 has a bottom 7, a ceiling 8 arranged opposite to the bottom 7, a rear wall 9 arranged opposite the closed door 3 and two side walls 10, 11 arranged opposite one another. The bottom 7, the ceiling 8, the rear wall 9 and the side walls 10, 11 may be manufactured from a stainless steel sheet for example. Alternatively, the bottom 7 may be manufactured from a plastic material.

[0057] Furthermore, the household dishwasher 1 has at least one receptacle for items to be washed 12, 13, 14. Preferably, a plurality of receptacles for items to be washed 12, 13, 14, for example three, may be provided, wherein the receptacle for items to be washed 12 may be a lower receptacle for items to be washed or a lower basket, the receptacle for items to be washed 13 may be an upper receptacle for items to be washed or an upper basket and the receptacle for items to be washed 14 may be a cutlery drawer. As additionally shown in FIG. 1, the receptacles for items to be washed 12, 13, 14 are arranged above one another in the dishwasher cavity 2. Each receptacle for items to be washed 12 to 14 is optionally able to be shifted into or out from the dishwasher cavity 2. Each receptacle for items to be washed 12, 13, 14 is able be inserted into the dishwasher cavity 2 in an insertion direction E and pulled out from the dishwasher cavity 2 in a pull-out direction A opposite to the insertion direction E.

[0058] The household dishwasher 1 additionally has a controller apparatus 100 and also an evaluating unit 120, which are arranged on the door 3. An optical sensor 110 embodied as a camera is arranged on the ceiling 8, so that it is configured for capturing an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber 4 and the items to be washed 15, 20 arranged in the washing chamber 4 (see FIG. 2). The dashed lines below the camera 110 indicate a capture region of the camera 110. It should be noted that the capture region is not limited to the washing chamber 4.

[0059] By combining the camera 110 and the evaluating unit 120, it is advantageously possible to ascertain a subsequent loading of items to be washed 20 into the washing chamber 4 during a performance of a wash program. This is explained in more detail below with reference to Fig, 2.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a further exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher 1, for example a variant of the household dishwasher 1 in FIG. 1.

[0061] In FIG. 2, a situation is shown in which a user of the household dishwasher 1 subsequently loads soiled items to be washed 20 into a receptacle for items to be washed 12, after a wash program has already been started. The door 3 is therefore shown as being in a slightly opened position and the receptacle for items to be washed 12, which is already loaded with items to be washed 15, is pulled out from the washing chamber 4 by a small amount. The subsequently loaded soiled item to be washed 20, here a plate, has a great degree of soiling 22.

[0062] Arranged on the rear wall 9 of the household dishwasher 1 are a controller apparatus 100 and an evaluating unit 120. Arranged on a front edge of the ceiling 8 of the dishwasher cavity 2 directed towards the door 3 is an optical sensor 110. A capture region of the optical sensor 110 is indicated by the dashed lines. It can be seen that the region captured by the optical sensor 110 also protrudes out from the dishwasher cavity 4.

[0063] An arrow represents how the user introduces the soiled plate 20 into the receptacle for items to be washed 12. In this context, the user also moves the plate 20 through the region captured by the optical sensor 110. The optical sensor 110 thus captures an optical sensor signal of the subsequently loaded soiled plate 20.

[0064] The optical sensor 110 transmits the captured optical sensor signal to the evaluating unit 120. The evaluating unit 120 ascertains, as a function of the captured optical sensor signal, that a greatly soiled plate 20 has been subsequently loaded.

[0065] Consequently, the evaluating unit 120 determines a point in time of the subsequent loading. For example, the determined point in time is ten minutes after a cleaning sub-program step has begun. This means that an adding unit (not shown) has already added cleaning agent into the washing liquor. For example, this involves an adding unit which, on a first actuation by the controller apparatus 100, adds a single dispensing of cleaning agent previously dosed by the user into the washing chamber 4 and, on a further actuation, adds rinse-aid in each case. However, such an adding unit is reset by the opening of the door 3 for example, meaning that the first actuation after opening the door 3 corresponds to the first actuation, in which only cleaning agent, but not rinse-aid, is added. This would thus result in the problem of insufficient rinse-aid being added, if no corresponding countermeasure, as described below, is undertaken.

[0066] As a result of the great deal of soiling 22 of the plate 20 and due to the resetting of the adding unit by the door opening, the evaluating unit 120 identifies that the subsequent loading of the plate 20 has negative effects on the items to be washed 15, 20 as a whole in relation to the achievable cleaning result, if the wash program is continued unaltered. In order to achieve a predefined cleaning result in spite of the subsequent loading, the evaluating unit 120 performs the following predetermined actions. The washing liquor temperature of the washing liquor during the cleaning sub-program step is increased, for example from previously 50 C. to 65 C. In addition, the evaluating unit 120 prolongs the cleaning sub-program step by 10 minutes, for example. Moreover, the evaluating unit 120 sets the adding unit to add rinse-aid. Furthermore, the evaluating unit 120 outputs a corresponding item of information to the user. This comprises in particular the notice that the entire washing process will now finish ten minutes later.

[0067] Using these measures, it is thus ensured that a predefined cleaning result is achieved for the items to be washed 15, 20 as a whole.

[0068] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a household dishwasher 1, such as the household dishwasher 1 in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 for example.

[0069] In a first method step S1, an optical sensor signal of the washing chamber 4 is captured by means of an optical sensor 110 during a performance of a wash program. The optical sensor signal in particular also comprises items to be washed 15, 20 arranged in the washing chamber 4.

[0070] In a second method step S2, an evaluating unit 120 ascertains a subsequent loading of items to be washed 20 by a user as a function of the captured optical sensor signal. For example, the evaluating unit 120 performs an image analysis of the captured optical sensor signal for this purpose.

[0071] In a third method step S3, the evaluating unit 120 determines a point in time of the ascertained subsequent loading in the wash program.

[0072] In a fourth method step S4, the evaluating unit 120 performs a predetermined action as a function of the ascertained subsequent loading and the determined point in time. The predetermined action in particular comprises measures which contribute to the items to be washed 15, 20 as a whole having a predefined cleaning result after the current wash program has concluded.

[0073] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it can be modified in numerous different ways.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS USED

[0074] 1 Household dishwasher [0075] 2 Dishwasher cavity [0076] 3 Door [0077] 4 Washing chamber [0078] 5 Pivot axis [0079] 6 Loading opening [0080] 7 Bottom [0081] 8 Ceiling [0082] 9 Rear wall [0083] 10 Side wall [0084] 11 Side wall [0085] 12 Receptacle for items to be washed [0086] 13 Receptacle for items to be washed [0087] 14 Receptacle for items to be washed [0088] 15 Items to be washed [0089] 20 Items to be washed [0090] 22 Soiling [0091] 100 Controller apparatus [0092] 110 Optical sensor [0093] 120 Evaluating unit [0094] A Pull-out direction [0095] E Insertion direction [0096] S1 Method step [0097] S2 Method step [0098] S3 Method step [0099] S4 Method step