DOMESTIC APPLIANCE, SYSTEM COMPRISING A DOMESTIC APPLICANCE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE

Abstract

A household appliance includes a control device configured to carry out a treatment program from a plurality of treatment programs, with each of the plurality of treatment programs being determined by a plurality of program parameters, an output unit configured to output a feedback survey in accordance with a feedback cycle to a user of the household appliance, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the feedback cycle depending on a user feedback detected by an input means.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A household appliance, comprising: a control device configured to carry out a treatment program from a plurality of treatment programs, each of the plurality of treatment programs being determined by a plurality of program parameters; an output unit configured to output a feedback survey in accordance with a feedback cycle to a user of the household appliance; and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the feedback cycle depending on a user feedback detected by an input means.

17. The household appliance of claim 16, constructed in the form of a water-conducting household appliance.

18. The household appliance of claim 16, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to automatically extend the feedback cycle for feedback with a positive content detected by the input means or to offer the user an extension of the feedback cycle via an output by the output unit.

19. The household appliance of claim 16, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to automatically reduce the feedback cycle for feedback with a negative content detected by the input means or to offer the user a reduction of the feedback cycle via an output by the output unit.

20. The household appliance of claim 16, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the feedback cycle depending on the user feedback detected by the input means and depending on data detected during use of the household appliance.

21. The household appliance of claim 19, wherein the data detected during use of the household appliance comprises: data about device settings of the household appliance, data about treatment programs carried out, data about user inputs made before or during the treatment programs carried out and detected by the input means, an assessment history comprising a plurality of user feedbacks detected by the input means during the treatment programs carried out, and/or at least one sensor signal or a series of sensor signals of a number of sensors built into the household appliance.

22. The household appliance of claim 16, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adapt a content of the feedback survey depending on the detected user feedback.

23. The household appliance of claim 22, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adapt a content of the feedback survey depending on the detected user feedback and depending on data detected during use of the household appliance.

24. The household appliance of claim 16, further comprising a memory facility configured to store a series of a plurality of user feedbacks detected by the input means for a series of executed treatment programs, with each of the detected user feedback assigned to a corresponding one of the executed treatment programs being stored.

25. The household appliance of claim 24, wherein the memory facility is configured to store the plurality of treatment programs in the form of an N-dimensional matrix, with matrix elements of the matrix being assigned to the plurality of treatment programs in one-to-one correspondence, wherein the matrix elements are each determinable from a plurality of specified N-dimensional input vectors.

26. The household appliance of claim 25, further comprising: a selection unit configured to interpret the user feedback detected by the input means for changing at least one of the program parameters and to select one of the specified N-dimensional input vectors depending on the interpreted feedback; and a determination unit configured to determine a respective one of the matrix elements from the matrix using the selected one of the input vectors, wherein the control device is configured to carry out the treatment program assigned to the respective one of the matrix elements.

27. The household appliance of claim 16, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the feedback cycle depending on an emotional state of the user detected by an emotion detection unit.

28. The household appliance of claim 16, wherein the input means is an integral part of the household appliance, said input means configured in at least one of two ways, a first way in which the input means includes a speech dialog system configured to detect the user feedback in the form of speech inputs as responses of the user to feedback questions of the feedback survey generated by the speech dialog system, a second way in which the input means includes a touch-sensitive display configured to detect the user feedback in the form of display inputs as responses of the user to feedback questions output by the display.

29. A system, comprising: a household appliance comprising a control device configured to carry out a treatment program from a plurality of treatment programs, each of the plurality of treatment programs being determined by a plurality of program parameters, an output unit configured to output a feedback survey in accordance with a feedback cycle to a user of the household appliance, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the feedback cycle depending on a user feedback detected by an input means; and a facility external to the household appliance, wherein the input means is embodied as an App installed on the external facility.

30. A method for operating a household appliance which comprises a control device for carrying out a treatment program from a plurality of treatment programs, with each of the treatment programs being determined by a number of program parameters, said method comprising: outputting a feedback survey in accordance with a feedback cycle to a user of the household appliance; and adjusting the feedback cycle depending on a user feedback detected by an input means.

31. The method of claim 30 for operating a water-conducting household appliance.

32. A computer program product for operating a household appliance, 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 execute the method as set forth in claim 30.

Description

[0073] Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims as well as the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below. Furthermore the invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of preferred forms of embodiment that refer to the enclosed figures.

[0074] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher;

[0075] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of details of the exemplary embodiment of the household dishwasher as depicted in FIG. 1;

[0076] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a matrix for storing treatment programs for the household dishwasher as depicted in FIG. 1;

[0077] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a system with a household dishwasher; and

[0078] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a household dishwasher.

[0079] Elements that are the same or have the same functions have been provided with the same reference characters in the figures, unless stated otherwise.

[0080] A first exemplary embodiment of a household dishwasher as an example of a household appliance 1 is explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In this regard FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the household dishwasher 1. FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of details of the exemplary embodiment of the household dishwasher as depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a matrix X for storage of treatment programs BP for the household dishwasher 1 as depicted in FIG. 1.

[0081] The household dishwasher 1 comprises a washing container 2, which is able to be closed off, in particular in a watertight manner, by a door 3. 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 shape. 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 dishwashing compartment 4 for washing dishes 15.

[0082] The door is shown in FIG. 1 in its opened position. The door 3 can be closed or opened by pivoting it around a pivot axis 5 provided at a bottom end of the door 3. With the aid of the door 3 a loading opening 6 of the washing container can be opened or closed. The washing container 2 has a floor 7 and a roof 8 arranged opposite the floor 7, a rear wall 9 arranged opposite the closed door 3 and two sides walls 10, 11 arranged opposite one another. The floor 7, the roof 8, the rear wall 9 and the side walls 10, 11 can be manufactured from a sheet of stainless steel, for example. As an alternative the floor 7 can be made of a plastic material, for example.

[0083] The household dishwasher 1 further has at least one dish receptacle 12, 13, 14. Preferably a number of, at least three, dish receptacles 12, 13, 14 can be provided, wherein the dish receptacle 12 is a lower dish receptacle or a lower basket, the dish receptacle 13 is an upper dish receptacle or an upper basket and the dish receptacle 14 can be a cutlery tray. As FIG. 1 also shows, the dish receptacles 12, 13, 14 are arranged one above the other in the washing container 2. Each dish receptacle 12, 13, 14 is optionally able to be moved into the washing container 2 or moved out of it. In particular each dish receptacle 12, 13, 14 is able to be pushed into the washing container 2 in a push-in direction E and pulled out of the washing container 2 in a pull-out direction A opposite to the push-in direction E.

[0084] The household dishwasher 1 moreover has a control device 100, which is arranged on the door 3.

[0085] The control device 100 of FIG. 1 is configured to carry out a treatment program BP from a plurality M of treatment programs BP (see FIG. 3). Each of the treatment programs BP is determined by a number of program parameters RI, TI, PD. Examples of program parameters are a cleaning intensity RI, a drying intensity TI and a program duration PD, which the user can adjust.

[0086] The control device 100 of the household dishwasher 1 depicted in FIG. 1 comprises an output unit 140 and an adjustment unit 150. The household dishwasher 1 depicted in FIG. 1 further has a memory facility 200 and also an input means 300 for detecting user inputs BE of the user of the household dishwasher 1. User feedback FB in this case represents a specific user input BE.

[0087] Further examples of user inputs BE comprise those user inputs or user commands for directly changing program parameters RI, TI, PD (see FIG. 3) or for directly selecting a treatment program BP.

[0088] The memory facility 200 is embodied for example as a RAM, as an EPROM or as an EEPROM. The memory facility 200 is embodied to store the M treatment programs BP in the form of an N-dimensional matrix. For the example N=3, FIG. 3 shows an example of a matrix X for storage of 64 treatment programs for the household dishwasher 1 as depicted in FIG. 1. The x axis of FIG. 3 shows the cleaning intensity RI, the y axis shows the drying intensity TI and the z axis shows the program duration PD. Thus, in the example depicted in FIG. 3, for each of the program parameters, RI, TI and PD, there are four adjustment options and thus M=4*4*4=64 different treatment programs BP.

[0089] The matrix X of FIG. 3 has 64 matrix elements XE and each of the matrix elements XE is assigned to one of the 64 treatment programs BP, in particular uniquely assigned to it. The respective matrix element XE is able to be determined by one of a plurality of specific N-dimensional input vectors EV. As explained above, N equates to 3 for the examples depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 (N=3).

[0090] To this end FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of details of the exemplary embodiment of the household dishwasher 1 as depicted in FIG. 1. In the example of FIGS. 1 to 3 the input means 300 is part of the household dishwasher 1. With reference to FIG. 4 a further exemplary embodiment will be explained, in which the input means 300 is external to the household dishwasher 1.

[0091] The input means 300 is configured to detect user inputs BE, such as e.g. user feedbacks FB in response to a feedback survey with one or more feedback questions FF. As stated above a feedback is a specific user input BE.

[0092] In this case the output unit 140 is configured to output to the user of household dishwasher 1 a feedback survey FF in accordance with a feedback cycle FZ.

[0093] Example of such feedback questions FF comprise “Were you satisfied with the cleaning performance?”, “Were you satisfied with the drying performance?”, Were you satisfied with the program duration?”.

[0094] If the input means 300 detects a user feedback FB in response to such a feedback survey FF, then the input means 300 forwards the feedback FB detected to the adjustment device 150. The adjustment unit 150 is configured in this case to adjust the feedback cycle FZ depending on the feedback FB detected. The adjusted, where necessary extended or reduced, feedback cycle FZ is output by the adjustment unit 150 to the output unit 140 so that the output unit 140 has the opportunity of outputting the next feedback survey FF to the user of the household appliance 1 in accordance with the updated feedback cycle FZ.

[0095] If for example the input means 300 detects a feedback FB with positive content then the adjustment unit 150 will preferably automatically extend the feedback cycle FZ or offer the user an extension of the feedback cycle by means of an output by the output unit 140. If the input means 300 detects a feedback FB with negative content then the adjustment unit 150 is preferably configured to automatically reduce the feedback cycle FZ or to offer the user a reduction of the feedback cycle FZ by means of an output by the output unit 140.

[0096] To adjust the feedback cycle FZ the adjustment unit 150 preferably, as well as the detected feedback FB, also uses series of detected feedbacks FB and/or data detected during the use of the household appliance 1. Such data detected during the use of the household appliance 1 comprises for example data for device setting of the household appliance 1, data about treatment programs BP carried out, data about inputs BE of the user made before or during the treatment programs BP carried out and detected by the input means 300, an assessment history comprising a plurality of user feedbacks FB detected by the input means 300 during the treatment programs BP carried out and/or at least one sensor signal or a series of sensor signals of a number of sensors built into the household appliance 1. Examples of such sensors built into the household appliance 1 include turbidity sensors, soiling level sensors, drying sensors and cameras arranged in the dishwashing compartment 4 of the household appliance 1.

[0097] The adjustment unit 150 is further configured to adapt a content of the feedback survey FF depending on the detected feedback FB of the user. In this adaptation the adjustment unit 150 can preferably also use data mentioned above, which was detected during use of the household appliance 1.

[0098] The memory facility 200 can preferably also be configured to store a series of a plurality of detected feedbacks FB of the user for a series of treatment programs BP carried out. In this case the respective detected feedback FB is preferably assigned to the respective treatment program BP carried out.

[0099] In this case the control device 100 is especially configured, for a specific feedback FB detected by the input means 300, to select a treatment program BP of the series of treatment programs BP stored by the memory facility 200 and to carry out the selected treatment program BP. This means that the control device 100, depending on the current feedback FB in the series of feedbacks and the assigned treatment programs BP, can select the current optimal treatment program. If for example the user gives a feedback such as “The performance was better last time”, then the control device 200 can go back in the series of feedbacks given in order to then select once again the last but one treatment program BP carried out.

[0100] In other words the control device 100 can be configured, for a feedback FB detected by the input means 300 with a negative content, to select such a treatment program BP as is stored in the memory facility 200 assigned to a feedback FB with a positive content and subsequently to carry out the selected treatment program BP.

[0101] As FIG. 2 shows, the input means 300 can forward user inputs BE, such as feedbacks FB, to a selection unit 110.

[0102] Two different cases A and B will be considered differentiated below, which have in common that at least one of the program parameters RI, TI, PD is changed. In case A the input means 300 detects a user input BE for directly changing at least one of the program parameters RI, TI, PD. In case B the input means 300 detects a feedback FB, which is interpreted, wherein the interpreted feedback FB then causes at least one of the program parameters RI, TI, PD to be changed.

[0103] Case A:

[0104] The input means 300 detects a user input BE for directly changing at least one of the program parameters RI, TI, PD.

[0105] The selection unit 110 is configured to select one of the specific N-dimensional input vectors EV depending on the user input BE detected.

[0106] With N=3 the input vector EV is a three-dimensional input vector with three vector components. Each one of the vector components of the input vector EV is related to one of the three dimensions of the matrix X of FIG. 3. For example, the first vector component of the input vector EV is related to the x axis of the matrix X, the second vector component of the input vector EV is related to the y axis of the matrix X and the third vector component of the input vector EV is related to the z axis of the matrix X.

[0107] In this example there are accordingly also 64 different specific input vectors EV, which can be selected by means of the selection unit 110.

[0108] If for example the input vector is EV(RI, PD, TI)=(3, 1, 1) at a specific point in time, then this means that the cleaning intensity is set to 3, the program duration PD is set to 1 and the drying intensity TI is set to 1. If the user then changes the input vector EV(RI, PD, TI) to (4, 1, 1) by means of a user input BE, then they have increased the cleaning intensity RI by 1 by means of their user input BE (from 3 to 4). The detected user input BE is transferred from the input means 300 to the selection unit 110. The selection unit 110 then selects the three-dimensional input vector EV(RI, PD, TI)=(4, 1, 1) and passes this to the determination unit 120.

[0109] The determination unit 120 determines a matrix element XE from the matrix X by means of the selected input vector EV(RI, PD, TI)=(4, 1, 1). The matrix element XE determined is labeled with the reference character XE in FIG. 3.

[0110] The matrix element XE determined is then passed from the determination unit 120 to the control device 100 in such a way that said device is configured to carry out the treatment program BP assigned to the matrix element XE determined.

[0111] For a user input BE detected by the input means 300 for changing one of the program parameters RI, TI, PD outside the specific range of values the control device 100 preferably determines a measure and triggers or brings about the execution of the measure determined. If, for example, the range of values for the cleaning intensity RI as in the example given above is [1, 2, 3, 4] but the user gives the value of 5 for the cleaning intensity RI by means of voice input, then their user input BE for changing the program parameter cleaning intensity RI lies outside the specified range of values of [1, 2, 3, 4]. A suitable measure can then be to adapt specific operating parameters for improving the cleaning intensity, such as for example the washing liquor temperature.

[0112] Case B:

[0113] In case B the selection unit 150 receives a feedback FB detected by the input means 300 and interprets the detected feedback in order to change at least one of the program parameters RI, TI, PD. If for example the feedback detected is “Dissatisfied with the cleaning intensity” then the selection unit 100 will interpret this detected feedback FB in such a way that the program parameter cleaning intensity RI is incremented at least by 1. Accordingly the selection unit selects the input vector EV depending on the interpreted feedback FB and passes this selected input vector EV to the determination unit 120. The determination unit 120 determines a matrix element XE from the matrix X by means of the selected input vector EV. The control device 100 is then configured to carry out the treatment program BP assigned to the matrix element XE determined.

[0114] The input means 300 comprises a touch-sensitive display for example, which, for example—as shown in FIG. 1—is arranged on the outer side of the door 3.

[0115] The touch-sensitive display is configured to detect a feedback FB of the user in the form of display inputs as responses of the user to feedback questions FF output by the display. For the example given above of changing the program parameter RI such a question to the user can be “Do you want to increase the cleaning intensity?”. The user is then provided with two more input fields via the touch-sensitive display, one being the input field with “Yes” and one being the input field with “No”. In the example shown above the user has touched the input field “Yes”, so that the input vector EV(RI, PD, TI)=(4, 1, 1) is selected.

[0116] FIG. 4 further shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a system 600 with a household dishwasher 1. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 in so far as the input means 300 is arranged externally to the household dishwasher 1. In the example of FIG. 4 the input means is embodied as an App, which is installed on an external device 400, for example on a smartphone or on a tablet and is operated on said device.

[0117] The user can then input the user input BE (or the feedback FB) by means of the App 300 and by means of the App 300 the detected user input BE (or the feedback FB) is transmitted via a network 500, for example the Internet or an intranet, to the household dishwasher 1. For communication with an external facility 400 the household dishwasher 1 comprises a communication unit 130. In the example of FIG. 4 the communication unit 130 receives the detected user input BE (or the feedback FB) and forwards the received user input BE (or the feedback FB) to the selection unit 110, for example.

[0118] The App 300 can for example also form a speech dialog system on the external facility 400. The speech dialog system is configured in particular to detect a feedback FB of the user in the form of speech inputs as responses of the user to speech outputs generated by the speech dialog system as feedback questions FF. For example, the speech dialog system can ask the user whether they want a reduced feedback cycle FZ. By means of a speech input the user can then tell the speech dialog system whether they want a reduced feedback cycle FZ or not.

[0119] The other functionalities are in accordance with the example depicted in FIG. 2.

[0120] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a method for operating a household appliance, such as for example the household dishwasher 1 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 4. The method of FIG. 5 comprises the steps S1 and S2: In step S1 a feedback survey FF in accordance with a feedback cycle FZ is output to a user of the household appliance 1. The feedback cycle FZ is determined by the period of time between two consecutive feedback surveys FF for triggering a respective feedback FB by the user.

[0121] In step S2 the feedback cycle FZ is adjusted depending on user feedback FB detected by an input means 300 (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4).

[0122] Although the present invention has been described with the aid of exemplary embodiments, it is able to be modified in a variety of ways.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS USED

[0123] 1 Household dishwasher [0124] 2 Washing container [0125] 3 Door [0126] 4 Washing compartment [0127] 5 Pivot axis [0128] 6 Loading opening [0129] 7 Floor [0130] 8 Roof [0131] 9 Rear wall [0132] 10 Side wall [0133] 11 Side wall [0134] 12 Dish receptacle [0135] 13 Dish receptacle [0136] 14 Dish receptacle [0137] 100 Control device [0138] 110 Selection unit [0139] 120 Determination unit [0140] 130 Communication unit [0141] 140 Output unit [0142] 150 Adjustment unit [0143] 200 Memory facility [0144] 300 Input means [0145] 400 External facility [0146] 500 Network [0147] 600 System [0148] A Pull-out direction [0149] BE User input [0150] BP Treatment program [0151] E Push-in direction [0152] EV Input vector [0153] FF Feedback survey, feedback question [0154] FZ Feedback cycle [0155] PD Program duration [0156] RI Cleaning intensity [0157] TE Drying intensity [0158] Method step [0159] S2 Method step [0160] X Matrix [0161] XE Matrix element