CN112877990B

CN112877990B - Washing machine control method and device, storage medium and washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN112877990B
Application number: CN202011623480.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李伟铭; 王勇; 汪婷; 郭亮; 宋健
Original assignee: Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai
Current assignee: Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai
Priority date: 2020-12-31
Filing date: 2020-12-31
Publication date: 2022-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-31
Also published as: CN112877990A

Abstract

The invention provides a washing machine control method, a washing machine control device, a storage medium and a washing machine, wherein the method comprises the following steps: when clothes to be washed are put into the washing machine, soaking water is injected into the washing machine according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, and the inner cylinder of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards; during forward and reverse rotation, detecting the pH value of soaking water in the washing machine through a pH value sensor so as to identify the pH value of the clothes to be washed; during forward and reverse rotation, the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the heat conductivity of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor, the material of different clothes to be washed is identified, and/or the images of different clothes in the clothes to be washed are collected through the image collecting device, and the material of different clothes to be washed is identified through the images; determining washing parameters according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed; and washing according to the determined washing parameters. The scheme of the invention can more accurately determine the washing parameters according to different clothes materials.

Description

Washing machine control method and device, storage medium and washing machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of control, in particular to a washing machine control method and device, a storage medium and a washing machine.

Background

The existing washing machine cannot distinguish the dirtiness degree of clothes made of different materials before washing temporarily, and can only distinguish the washing modes of different clothes, such as cotton, linen, shirts, children clothes, fluff or mixed clothes. Because most of the users can not classify the clothes when washing the clothes at present, most of the clothes put into the washing machine are mixed clothes, and the washing machine can not accurately judge the material of each piece of clothes and the messy degree of the clothes before washing.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and provides a method and an apparatus for controlling a washing machine, a storage medium and a washing machine, so as to solve the problem that the material of each piece of clothes cannot be determined by the washing machine in the prior art.

One aspect of the present invention provides a control method of a washing machine, including: after clothes to be washed are put into the washing machine, soaking water is injected into the washing machine according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, and the inner cylinder of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards; when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards, the PH value of soaking water in the washing machine is detected through a PH value sensor, so that the PH value of the clothes to be washed is identified; when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate positively and negatively, the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the heat conductivity of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through a material sensor, the material of the different clothes to be washed is identified, and/or the images of the different clothes in the clothes to be washed are collected through an image collecting device, and the material of the different clothes to be washed is identified through the collected images of the different clothes; determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed; and controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters.

Optionally, when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forward and backward, detecting a PH value of immersion water in the washing machine through a PH sensor, so as to identify the PH value of the laundry, including: before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively, detecting the PH value of the soaking water in the washing machine through the PH value sensor; after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward for a preset time, detecting the pH value of the soaking water in the washing machine again through the pH value sensor; and identifying the pH value of the clothes to be washed according to the pH value change data before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively and after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively for a preset time.

Optionally, when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forward and backward, the soaking water and the laundry are heated, so as to detect the thermal conductivity of different clothes in the laundry through a material sensor, and thus identify the material of different laundry, including: before the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor; after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, detecting the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed through the material sensor again; and calculating the heat conductivity of different clothes to be washed according to the temperature change data of different clothes before and after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the materials of the different clothes to be washed are identified according to the heat conductivity.

Optionally, before determining the washing parameters for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, the pH of the laundry, and the materials of the different laundry, the method further includes: judging whether the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range or not; if the pH value of the clothes to be washed is judged to be within the preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed; if the pH value of the clothes to be washed is judged not to be in the preset pH value range, a pH regulator is put into the washing machine, and the inner barrel is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards so as to regulate the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be in the preset pH value range; after the pH value of the clothes to be washed is adjusted to be within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a control apparatus for a washing machine, comprising: the control unit is used for injecting soaking water into the washing machine according to the weight of the clothes to be washed after the clothes to be washed are put into the washing machine and controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forwards and backwards; the first identification unit is used for detecting the PH value of soaking water in the washing machine through a PH value sensor when the control unit controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forwards and backwards, so that the PH value of the clothes to be washed is identified; the second identification unit is used for heating the soaking water and the clothes to be washed when the control unit controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forwards and backwards, so that the heat conductivity of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor, the material of different clothes to be washed is identified, and/or the images of different clothes in the clothes to be washed are collected through the image collection device, and the material of different clothes to be washed is identified through the collected images of different clothes; the determining unit is used for determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed; the control unit is further configured to: and controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the washing parameters determined by the determination unit.

Optionally, the first identification unit, when the control unit controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, detects a PH of immersion water in the washing machine through a PH sensor, so as to identify the PH of the laundry, includes: before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively, detecting the PH value of the soaking water in the washing machine through the PH value sensor; after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward for a preset time, detecting the pH value of the soaking water in the washing machine again through the pH value sensor; and identifying the pH value of the clothes to be washed according to the pH value change data before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively and after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively for a preset time.

Optionally, the second identification unit, when controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, heats the soaking water together with the laundry to detect thermal conductivities of different clothes in the laundry through the material sensor, so as to identify different materials of the laundry, includes: before the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor; after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, detecting the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed through the material sensor again; and calculating the heat conductivity of different clothes to be washed according to the temperature change data of the different clothes before and after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the materials of the different clothes to be washed can be identified according to the heat conductivity.

Optionally, the method further comprises: the judging unit is used for judging whether the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range or not before the determining unit determines the washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed; the determining unit is further configured to: if the judging unit judges that the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed; the adjusting unit is used for throwing a PH regulator into the washing machine and controlling the inner barrel to rotate forwards and backwards to adjust the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be within a preset PH value range if the judging unit judges that the pH value of the clothes to be washed is not within the preset PH value range; the determining unit is further configured to: after the adjusting unit adjusts the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed.

A further aspect of the invention provides a storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a processor, carries out the steps of any of the methods described above.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a washing machine comprising a processor, a memory and a computer program stored on the memory and operable on the processor, the processor when executing the program performing the steps of any of the methods described above.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a washing machine comprising a washing machine control device as described in any one of the preceding claims.

According to the technical scheme of the invention, the PH value of the clothes to be washed before washing can be identified, so that the messy degree of the clothes can be identified, and the washing parameters can be determined according to the identified messy degree of the clothes; the method can also identify the material of each piece of clothes in the mixed clothes to be washed, thereby more accurately determining corresponding washing parameters according to different clothes materials of the mixed clothes to be washed, intelligently determining the washing temperature and water inflow of different clothes and the input amount of the detergent and softener, and enabling the clothes to reach the optimal washing state.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the invention and not to limit the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a method diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for controlling a washing machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a pH sensor and a material sensor installed in the drum washing machine;

FIG. 3 is a method diagram of another embodiment of a control method of a washing machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a method diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for controlling a washing machine according to the present invention;

fig. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control device of a washing machine according to the present invention;

fig. 6 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a control device of a washing machine according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the specific embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, and not restrictive of the full scope of the invention. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of the present invention and in the drawings described above are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used is interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements expressly listed, but may include other steps or elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Fig. 1 is a method diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for controlling a washing machine according to the present invention. The control method may be implemented in a controller of a washing machine.

As shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control method includes at least step S110, step S120, step S130, step S160, and step S170.

Step S110, after the clothes to be washed are put into the washing machine, soaking water is injected into the washing machine according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, and the inner cylinder of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards.

Specifically, after a user puts clothes to be washed into a washing machine barrel, the clothes are weighed firstly, the weight of the clothes in the barrel is judged, then soaking water is injected into the washing machine, namely, a water inlet valve is controlled to start water inlet into the washing machine, the water inlet quantity can be determined according to the weight of the clothes (for example, different water inlet quantities correspond to different weights), and then the motor is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards (the respective rotation numbers of the forward rotation and the reverse rotation are determined according to the weight of the clothes in the barrel), so that the inner barrel is driven by the motor to start to rotate forwards and backwards, the clothes in the barrel are fully rubbed with the barrel wall, the attributes of the clothes are transmitted to a PH sensor and a material identification sensor, and the PH value and the material of the clothes are respectively judged.

And step S120, detecting the PH value of soaking water in the washing machine through a PH value sensor when controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively so as to identify the PH value of the clothes to be washed.

Specifically, before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively, the pH value of the soaking water in the washing machine is detected through the pH value sensor; after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward for a preset time, detecting the pH value of the soaking water in the washing machine again through the pH value sensor; and identifying the pH value of the clothes to be washed according to the pH value change data before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively and after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively for a preset time.

The PH value sensor detects the concentration of hydrogen ions in water for soaking clothes, so that the PH value of the clothes is identified, and the working principle of the PH value sensor is that the pH value of the solution is identified by identifying the concentration of the hydrogen ions in the solution. The PH value sensor firstly detects the concentration of hydrogen ions in a clothes solution which is just added with water, the concentration of the hydrogen ions in the water changes after the inner barrel rotates forwards and backwards for a certain time, the PH value sensor detects the concentration of the hydrogen ions in the water after the inner barrel rotates forwards and backwards for a certain time again, a glass electrode is arranged in the sensor, ions in a glass film of the glass electrode and the hydrogen ions in a detected object have ion exchange reaction to form a certain potential difference, the higher the potential difference is, the higher the concentration of the hydrogen ions is, the different potential differences are fed back to the controller by the sensor, the controller receives signals of the sensor and stores and judges data, and therefore the pH value of the current clothes is judged.

Step S130, when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forward and backward, the soaking water and the laundry are heated, so as to detect the thermal conductivity of different clothes in the laundry through the material sensor, thereby identifying the material of the different laundry, and/or collect images of different clothes in the laundry through the image collecting device, thereby identifying the material of the different laundry. (it should be noted that only the former embodiment is shown in FIG. 1).

In some embodiments, before the soaking water and the laundry are heated, the temperature of different laundry in the laundry is detected by the material sensor; after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, detecting the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed through the material sensor again; and calculating the heat conductivity of different clothes to be washed according to the temperature change data of different clothes before and after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the materials of the different clothes to be washed are identified according to the heat conductivity.

Wherein, detect the temperature of different clothings in the clothing of waiting to wash through the material sensor, include: before clothes are soaked, shooting the clothes through a camera (for example, a small camera is additionally arranged at a door seal), and after shooting, carrying out image processing on images and storing the images; after soaking and heating the clothes, performing image processing on the clothes through the camera again, performing image processing and storing on the image which is photographed again, comparing and analyzing the image of the same clothes twice, combining the heat conductivity of the clothes which is respectively detected by the material sensor when the clothes are photographed twice (for example, before heating, when any clothes rotates along with the drum or the impeller and contacts with the material sensor, the material sensor detects the temperature of the clothes, simultaneously, the image of the clothes is photographed through the camera, the image is stored corresponding to the detected temperature after processing the image, and the operation is performed again after heating, namely, after heating, when any clothes rotates along with the drum or the impeller and contacts with the material sensor, the material sensor detects the temperature of the clothes, simultaneously, the image of the clothes is photographed through the camera, the image processing and the corresponding storage with the detected temperature are performed, the same clothes are identified by comparing pictures, so that the temperature change of the same clothes before and after heating can be compared, the heat conductivity is obtained), the temperature change of different clothes before and after heating is determined, and the clothes are judged according to the big data analysis of different heat conductivities of clothes made of different materials.

The theory of operation of material sensor is through calculating the change of the difference in temperature around the clothing to judge the heat conductivity of clothing, have thermistor in the inner structure of material sensor, according to the change of temperature, thermistor's resistance size is followed and is changed, and the voltage of sensor output will change, and it is what kind of material that the clothing is judged through the heat conductivity to data feedback to controller again.

The material quality identification sensor records the temperature of the whole soaking water and the clothes before heating, and then controls an electric heater of the washing machine to heat the soaking water and the whole clothes in the washing machine (the heating time is determined according to the weight of the clothes). Soaking water and the whole back of electric heater heating of clothing, the material sensor discerns soaking water and the bulk temperature of clothing once more, through the degree of change of the difference in temperature around the clothing heating to can differentiate the heat conductivity of different clothing in the mixed clothing, and convey the signal that corresponds to the controller, the controller and then discern the different materials in the mixed clothing. Store the heat conductivity information of the clothing of different materials in the controller, after the material sensor transmits the temperature difference change data of different clothing to the controller, the controller differentiates the material according to the temperature difference change data. The processor in the controller can collect the heat conductivity of different clothes, and the corresponding material is judged according to the signal sent by the sensor.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the installation of a pH sensor and a material sensor in the drum washing machine. As shown in fig. 2, 1 is a PH sensor, and 2 is a material sensor. Alternatively, the PH sensor may be a PH wireless sensor. Alternatively, the material sensor may be a material recognition wireless sensor.

In other embodiments, the image capturing device captures images of different clothes in the laundry, so as to identify the material of different laundry according to the captured images of different clothes. Specifically, when the clothes to be washed rotate along with the drum or the impeller, images of each piece of clothes are collected, and the collected images are identified through an image identification algorithm so as to identify the materials of different clothes to be washed.

Step S160, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed.

The washing parameters may specifically include water inflow, washing time, heating time, rinsing time and/or dehydration time. For example, the clothes of different materials correspond to different preset washing time, preset heating time and/or preset dehydration time, and the lowest preset washing time, preset heating time and/or preset dehydration time among the preset washing time, preset heating time and/or preset dehydration time corresponding to the clothes of different materials in the clothes to be washed is used as the washing time, the heating time and/or the dehydration time for washing the clothes to be washed. The damage to the clothes caused by too long washing time, heating time and/or dehydration time is avoided. For another example, the amount of water and/or the amount of detergent may be determined according to the weight of the laundry. For another example, the pH value can reflect the dirtiness of the laundry to be washed to a certain extent, so that the amount of the detergent required for washing the laundry can be determined according to the pH value of the laundry and the determined water inflow amount, for example, the amount of the detergent used for washing the laundry can be determined according to the preset detergent amounts (which can be measured by experiments) corresponding to different pH values and different water inflow amounts. The rinsing time can be determined according to the material of the clothes, the water absorption rates of different materials of the clothes are different, the optimal rinsing time corresponding to the clothes of different materials is tested in advance through experiments, and the optimal rinsing time is configured to be the corresponding relation between the clothes of different materials and the corresponding optimal rinsing time. And determining the optimal rinsing time corresponding to the material of the different clothes to be washed based on the corresponding relation, and taking the shortest rinsing time as the rinsing time for washing the clothes to be washed, so as to avoid the damage to the clothes due to overlong rinsing time.

And S170, controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters.

The washing parameters may specifically include: water inflow, washing time, heating time, rinsing time, and/or dewatering time. And after the washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed are determined, controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters.

Optionally, before the washing machine is controlled to wash the laundry, determining an inner drum rotation speed for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry and/or determining an amount of detergent and/or softener for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, so as to wash the laundry, controlling the washing machine according to the determined inner drum rotation speed, and/or adding the detergent and/or softener according to the determined amount of the detergent and/or softener.

For example, the rotation speed of the corresponding motor of the inner drum is calculated by using a preset logic algorithm according to the integral weight of the water content of the clothes. For example, the liquid extracting box and the dosing pump are controlled to dose corresponding amounts of the detergent and the softener according to the determined dosage of the detergent and the softener.

Fig. 3 is a method diagram illustrating another embodiment of a control method of a washing machine according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 3, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control method further includes step S140 and step S150.

And step S140, judging whether the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range.

Specifically, before determining the washing parameters for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, the pH of the laundry, and the material of the different laundry (step S160), it is determined whether the pH of the laundry is within a preset pH range. If the pH value of the laundry is determined to be within the preset pH value range, step S160 is executed, and washing parameters for washing the laundry are determined according to the weight of the laundry, the pH value of the laundry and the materials of the different laundry. If the pH value of the laundry is not within the preset pH value range, step S150 is performed.

And S150, if the pH value of the clothes to be washed is judged not to be in the preset pH value range, putting a pH regulator into the washing machine, and controlling the inner barrel to rotate forward and backward so as to regulate the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be in the preset pH value range.

After the pH value of the clothes to be washed is adjusted to be within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed, and then executing the step S170, and controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters.

For example, after a PH regulator is put into the washing machine, the motor controls the inner drum to rotate forward and backward, and after the PH regulator is fully mixed with the laundry, the PH sensor detects whether the current PH value of the laundry is within the preset PH value range again until the PH value is detected to be stabilized within the range of 4.0-7.5, and then the washing can be performed. Preferably, the pH is adjusted to 7.0.

For example, the preset PH ranges are: 4.0 to 7.5. And if the PH value of the clothes to be washed is within the range of 4.0-7.5, directly starting the washing mode, intelligently adjusting the water inflow, the washing time, the heating time, the rinsing time and the dehydration time in the washing mode according to the weight, the PH value and the material of the clothes, and washing the clothes to be washed according to the determined water inflow, the washing time, the heating time, the rinsing time and the dehydration time. If the integral PH value of the clothes to be washed is not within the range of 4.0-7.5, the damage to the skin of a human body can be indicated by the acid-base degree of the clothes before washing, after signals fed back by the PH sensor are collected and judged by the controller, the PH regulator is put in the pump according to the PH value control (on the premise that the damage does not occur to all the clothes), then the motor is controlled to drive the inner barrel to rotate positively and negatively, the PH regulator is fully mixed with the clothes and the solution through the positive and negative rotation of the inner barrel, the PH value is continuously detected until the PH value is adjusted to the preset range, and therefore the purpose of adjusting the PH concentration of the clothes to the preset PH value range is achieved. And finally, dehydrating the clothes, determining washing parameters according to the weight and the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed after the pH range of the whole clothes is within a preset pH value range, and controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters.

For example, the weight of the clothes is 3kg, after the shirt and the sweater are mixed, the pH sensor detects the pH value of the mixed clothes through the change of hydrogen ions before and after water is fed, if the pH value is lower than 7.0, the feeding pump automatically feeds a small amount of pH regulator and the pH regulator is fully mixed with the clothes, and the feeding is stopped when the clothes detect that the pH value of the mixed clothes is 7.0. The clothes are adjusted to be neutral, so that the clothes are prevented from being damaged and discolored, and the clothes are guaranteed to keep the original color. After the material sensor and the image processing identify that the clothes are shirts and sweaters, sensor signals and the image processing are fed back to the controller, and the controller determines washing time, heating time and dehydration time according to the identified material of the clothes to obtain an optimal washing mode. And (3) putting a small amount of about 30ml of laundry detergent, wherein the weight of the clothes is 3kg, the washing time is 36min, the heating time is contained in the washing time, the heating time is not too long, the sweater and the shirt are easy to deform and damage, the heating temperature is 40-60 ℃, the floating washing time is 26min, the dehydration time is within 30s-2min, the high rotation speed 1400r cannot be adjusted, and the maximum dehydration speed is 1000 r. Before washing begins, when the material sensor detects the material of the sweater, the washing unlocking is suspended to prompt a user to use the washing bag to wrap and then wash, and the material sensor identifies the washing bag again and then can start washing.

For clarity of explaining the technical solution of the present invention, the following describes an execution flow of the washing machine control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a method diagram illustrating a method for controlling a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 4, after the clothes are put into the washing machine barrel, the clothes are weighed first, the weight of the clothes in the barrel is judged, then the water inlet valve starts to feed water, the water inlet amount is determined according to the weight of the clothes, the controller controls the motor to rotate forward and backward (the respective rotation number of the forward rotation and the reverse rotation is determined according to the weight of the clothes in the barrel), the inner barrel is driven by the motor to rotate forward and backward, the clothes in the barrel and the barrel wall are fully rubbed, so that the attributes of the clothes are transmitted to the PH sensor and the material identification sensor, the two sensors respectively judge the different attributes of the clothes, and then the optimal washing mode is selected by the controller after the data are fed back to the controller.

The PH value sensor detects the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water for soaking the clothes, so as to identify the PH value of the clothes; the electric heater in the washing machine heats the soaking water and the clothes, the material identification sensor records the temperature of the soaking water before heating and the temperature of the whole clothes, and the electric heater in the washing machine heats the whole clothes soaked in the water in the drum (the heating time is determined by the weight of the clothes). The soaking water and the clothes are wholly identified by the material sensor after being heated by the electric heater, the soaking water and the whole temperature of the clothes are identified again, the heat conductivity of different clothes in the mixed clothes is identified through the change degree of the temperature difference before and after the clothes are heated, the corresponding signal (voltage value) is transmitted to the controller, and the controller identifies the clothes of different materials in the mixed clothes.

After the PH value sensor and the material sensor finish working, the controller collects signals fed back by the two sensors to carry out comprehensive judgment: if the PH value of the mixed clothes is within the range of 4.0-7.5, the washing mode is directly started, and the controller intelligently adjusts the water inflow, the washing time, the heating time, the rinsing time and the dehydration time in the washing mode according to the weight, the PH value and the material of the clothes. The controller controls the motor to adjust the rotational speed of the motor to an optimum (between 800 revolutions and 1400 revolutions) (the rotational speed is determined by a logic algorithm based on the overall weight of the laundry containing water). If the integral PH value of the clothes is not within the range of 4.0-7.5, the damage to the skin of a human body caused by the acid-base degree of the clothes before washing is shown, after the controller collects and judges signals fed back by the PH sensor, the pump is controlled to be put in to increase a small amount of PH regulator (on the premise that the clothes are not damaged), then the motor is controlled to start to be powered on, the motor drives the inner barrel to rotate positively and negatively, the PH regulator is fully mixed with the clothes and the solution through the positive and negative rotation of the inner barrel, and therefore the purpose that the PH concentration of the clothes is adjusted to be within the corresponding range is achieved. And finally, dehydrating the clothes, starting a washing mode after the pH range of the whole clothes is ensured to be 4.0-7.5 after dehydration, and determining the water inflow, the washing time, the heating time, the rinsing time and the dehydration time in the intelligent adjustment washing mode by the controller according to the weight, the pH value and the material of the clothes. And controlling the liquid pumping box and the throwing pump to throw the most appropriate dosage of the detergent and the softener, controlling the motor to adjust the rotating speed of the motor to be optimal, and starting washing.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control device of a washing machine according to the present invention. The control device may be implemented in a controller of the washing machine.

As shown in fig. 5, the washing machine control apparatus 100 includes a control unit 110, a first recognition unit 120, a second recognition unit 130, and a determination unit 160.

The control unit 110 is configured to, after laundry is put into the washing machine, inject soaking water into the washing machine according to the weight of the laundry, and control the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward.

Specifically, after the user puts the laundry into the washing machine barrel, the control unit 110 first weighs the laundry, determines the weight of the laundry in the barrel, and then injects soaking water into the washing machine, i.e., controls the water inlet valve to start to feed water into the washing machine, the water inlet amount can be determined according to the weight of the laundry (for example, different weights correspond to different water inlets) or the highest surface of the laundry is submerged by water soaking, and then controls the motor to rotate forward and backward (the respective rotation numbers of the forward rotation and the backward rotation are determined according to the weight of the laundry in the barrel), so that the inner barrel is driven by the motor to rotate forward and backward, the laundry in the barrel is fully rubbed with the barrel wall, the attribute of the laundry is transmitted to the PH sensor and the material identification sensor, and the PH value and the material of the laundry are respectively identified.

The first identification unit 120 is configured to detect a PH value of immersion water in the washing machine through a PH sensor when the control unit 110 controls the drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, so as to identify the PH value of the laundry.

The first identifying unit 12, when the control unit 110 controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, detects the PH of the soaking water in the washing machine through the PH sensor, so as to identify the PH of the laundry, specifically, may include: before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively, detecting the PH value of the soaking water in the washing machine through the PH value sensor; after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward for a preset time, detecting the pH value of the soaking water in the washing machine again through the pH value sensor; and identifying the pH value of the clothes to be washed according to the pH value change data before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively and after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively for a preset time.

The PH value sensor detects the concentration of hydrogen ions in water for soaking clothes, so that the PH value of the clothes is identified, and the working principle of the PH value sensor is that the pH value of the solution is identified by identifying the concentration of the hydrogen ions in the solution. The PH value sensor firstly detects the concentration of hydrogen ions in a clothes solution which is just added with water, the concentration of the hydrogen ions in the water changes after the inner barrel rotates forwards and backwards for a certain time, the PH value sensor detects the concentration of the hydrogen ions in the water which rotates forwards and backwards for a certain time again, a glass electrode is arranged in the sensor, ions in a glass film of the glass electrode and the hydrogen ions in a detected object perform ion exchange reaction to form a certain potential difference, the higher the potential difference is, the higher the concentration of the hydrogen ions is, the different potential differences are fed back to the controller by the sensor, and the controller receives signals of the sensor and stores and judges data, so that the pH value of the current clothes is judged.

The second recognition unit 130 is configured to heat the soaking water together with the laundry when the control unit 110 controls the inner tub of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, detect thermal conductivities of different clothes in the laundry through a material sensor, and thereby recognize materials of the different laundry, and/or collect images of the different clothes in the laundry through an image collecting device, thereby recognizing materials of the different laundry.

In some embodiments, the second identifying unit 130 heats the soaking water together with the laundry when the control unit 110 controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, so as to detect thermal conductivity of different laundry in the laundry through a material sensor, thereby identifying different materials of the laundry, and specifically may include: before the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor; after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, detecting the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed through the material sensor again; and calculating the heat conductivity of different clothes to be washed according to the temperature change data of the different clothes before and after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the materials of the different clothes to be washed can be identified according to the heat conductivity.

The material identification sensor records the temperature of the soaking water before being heated and the temperature of the whole clothes, and then controls an electric heater of the washing machine to heat the soaking water in the washing machine and the whole clothes (the heating time is determined according to the weight of the clothes). Soaking water is whole through the electric heater heating back together with the clothing, and the material sensor discerns the soaking water once more together with the bulk temperature of clothing, through the degree of change of the difference in temperature around the clothing heating to can differentiate the heat conductivity of different clothing in the mixed clothing, and with the signal transmission to the controller that corresponds, the controller and then discerns the different materials in the mixed clothing. Store the heat conductivity information of the clothing of different materials in the controller, after the material sensor transmits the temperature difference change data of different clothing to the controller, the controller differentiates the material according to the temperature difference change data. The processor in the controller can collect the heat conductivity of different clothes, and the corresponding material is judged according to the signal sent by the sensor.

In other embodiments, the second identifying unit 130 collects images of different clothes in the laundry by the image collecting device, so as to identify the material of the different laundry by the collected images of the different clothes. Specifically, when the clothes to be washed rotate along with the drum or the impeller, images of each piece of clothes are collected, and the collected images are identified through an image identification algorithm so as to identify the materials of different clothes to be washed.

The determining unit 160 is configured to determine a washing parameter for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, the pH of the laundry, and the material of the different laundry; the control unit 110 is further configured to: controlling the washing machine to wash the laundry according to the washing parameter determined by the determination unit 160.

The washing parameters may specifically include: water inflow, washing time, heating time, rinsing time, and/or dewatering time. The washing parameters may specifically include water inflow, washing time, heating time, rinsing time, and/or dehydration time. For example, the clothes of different materials correspond to different preset washing time, preset heating time and/or preset dehydration time, and the lowest preset washing time, preset heating time and/or preset dehydration time of the preset washing time, preset heating time and/or preset dehydration time corresponding to the clothes of different materials in the clothes to be washed is used as the washing time, heating time and/or dehydration time for washing the clothes to be washed. The damage to the clothes caused by too long washing time, heating time and/or dehydration time is avoided. For another example, the amount of water and/or the amount of detergent may be determined according to the weight of the laundry. For another example, the pH value can reflect the degree of soiling of the laundry to some extent, so that the amount of detergent required for washing the laundry can be determined according to the pH value of the laundry and the determined water inflow amount, for example, the amount of detergent (which can be measured by experiments) corresponding to different preset pH values and different water inflow amounts is determined as the amount of detergent required for washing the laundry. The rinsing time can be determined according to the material of the clothes, the water absorption rates of different materials of the clothes are different, the optimal rinsing time corresponding to the clothes of different materials is tested in advance through experiments, and the optimal rinsing time is configured to be the corresponding relation between the clothes of different materials and the corresponding optimal rinsing time. And determining the optimal rinsing time corresponding to the material of the different clothes to be washed based on the corresponding relation, and taking the shortest rinsing time as the rinsing time for washing the clothes to be washed, so as to avoid the damage to the clothes due to overlong rinsing time.

After the determining unit 160 determines the washing parameters for washing the laundry, the control unit 110 starts to control the washing machine to wash the laundry according to the determined washing parameters.

Optionally, the determining unit 130 may be further configured to: before the washing machine is controlled to wash the clothes to be washed, determining the inner drum rotating speed for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed and/or determining the using amount of detergent and/or softener for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, so that the clothes to be washed are washed, the washing machine is controlled according to the determined inner drum rotating speed, and/or the detergent and/or softener is put in according to the determined using amount of the detergent and/or softener.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a control device of a washing machine according to the present invention. As shown in fig. 6, the control device 100 further includes a determination unit 140 and an adjustment unit 150.

The judging unit 140 is configured to judge whether the pH value of the laundry is within a preset pH range before the determining unit 160 determines the washing parameters for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, the pH value of the laundry, and the material of the different laundry; the determining unit 160 is further configured to: if the determining unit 140 determines that the pH of the laundry is within the preset pH range, the washing parameters for washing the laundry are determined according to the weight of the laundry, the pH of the laundry, and the materials of the different laundry.

The adjusting unit 150 is configured to, if the determining unit 140 determines that the pH of the laundry is not within the preset pH range, put a pH regulator into the washing machine, and control the inner tub to rotate forward and backward to adjust the pH of the laundry to the preset pH range; the determining unit 160 is further configured to: after the adjusting unit 150 adjusts the pH value of the laundry to be washed within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, the pH value of the laundry, and the material of the different laundry. The control unit 110 controls the washing machine to wash the laundry according to the determined washing parameters.

For example, after a PH regulator is put into the washing machine, the motor controls the inner drum to rotate forward and backward, and after the PH regulator is fully mixed with the laundry, the PH sensor detects whether the current PH value of the laundry is within the preset PH value range again until the PH value is detected to be stabilized within the range of 4.0-7.5, and then the washing can be performed. Preferably, the PH is adjusted to 7.

For example, the preset PH ranges are: 4.0 to 7.5. And if the PH value of the clothes to be washed is within the range of 4.0-7.5, directly starting the washing mode, intelligently adjusting the water inflow, the washing time, the heating time, the rinsing time and the dehydration time in the washing mode according to the weight, the PH value and the material of the clothes, and washing the clothes to be washed according to the determined water inflow, the washing time, the heating time, the rinsing time and the dehydration time. If the integral PH value of the clothes to be washed is not within the range of 4.0-7.5, the damage to the skin of a human body can be indicated by the acid-base degree of the clothes before washing, after signals fed back by the PH sensor are collected and judged by the controller, the PH regulator is put in the pump according to the PH value control (on the premise that the damage does not occur to all the clothes), then the motor is controlled to drive the inner barrel to rotate positively and negatively, the PH regulator is fully mixed with the clothes and the solution through the positive and negative rotation of the inner barrel, the PH value is continuously detected until the PH value is adjusted to the preset range, and therefore the purpose of adjusting the PH concentration of the clothes to the preset PH value range is achieved. And finally, dehydrating the clothes, wherein the pH range of the whole dehydrated clothes is within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters according to the weight and the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed, and controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters.

For example, the weight of the clothes is 3kg, after the shirt and the sweater are mixed, the pH sensor detects the pH value of the mixed clothes through the change of hydrogen ions before and after water is fed, if the pH value is lower than 7.0, the feeding pump automatically feeds a small amount of pH regulator and the pH regulator is fully mixed with the clothes, and the feeding is stopped when the clothes detect that the pH value of the mixed clothes is 7.0. The clothes are adjusted to be neutral, so that the clothes are prevented from being damaged and discolored, and the clothes are guaranteed to keep the original color. After the material sensor and the image processing identify that the clothes are shirts and sweaters, sensor signals and image processing are fed back to the controller, and the controller determines washing time, heating time and dehydration time according to the identified material of the clothes to obtain an optimal washing mode. And (3) putting a small amount of about 30ml of laundry detergent, wherein the weight of the clothes is 3kg, the washing time is 36min, the heating time is contained in the washing time, the heating time is not too long, the sweater and the shirt are easy to deform and damage, the heating temperature is 40-60 ℃, the floating washing time is 26min, the dehydration time is within 30s-2min, the high rotation speed 1400r cannot be adjusted, and the maximum dehydration speed is 1000 r. Before washing begins, when the material sensor detects the material of the sweater, the washing unlocking is suspended to prompt a user to use the washing bag to wrap and then wash, and the material sensor identifies the washing bag again and then can start washing.

The invention also provides a storage medium corresponding to the control method of the washing machine, wherein a computer program is stored on the storage medium, and the program is used for realizing the steps of any one of the methods when being executed by a processor.

The invention also provides a washing machine corresponding to the washing machine control method, which comprises a processor, a memory and a computer program stored on the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to realize the steps of any one of the methods.

The invention also provides a washing machine corresponding to the washing machine control device, which comprises any one of the washing machine control devices.

Therefore, according to the scheme provided by the invention, the PH value of the clothes to be washed before washing can be identified, so that the messy degree of the clothes can be identified, and the washing parameters can be determined according to the identified messy degree of the clothes; the method can also identify the material of each piece of clothes in the mixed clothes to be washed, thereby more accurately determining corresponding washing parameters according to different clothes materials mixed with the clothes to be washed, intelligently determining the washing temperature and the water inflow of different clothes and the putting amount of the detergent and the softener, and enabling the clothes to reach the optimal washing state.

The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope and spirit of the invention and the following claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or a combination of any of these. In addition, each functional unit may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed technology can be implemented in other ways. The above-described embodiments of the apparatus are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units may be a logical division, and in actual implementation, there may be another division, for example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, units or modules, and may be in an electrical or other form.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and the parts serving as the control device may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiment.

The integrated unit, if implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present invention may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: a U-disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a removable hard disk, a magnetic or optical disk, and other various media capable of storing program codes.

The above description is only an example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method of a washing machine, comprising:

after clothes to be washed are put into the washing machine, soaking water is injected into the washing machine according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, and the inner cylinder of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards;

when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards, the PH value of soaking water in the washing machine is detected through a PH value sensor, so that the PH value of the clothes to be washed is identified;

when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate positively and negatively, the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the heat conductivity of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through a material sensor, the material of the different clothes to be washed is identified, or when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate positively and negatively, the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the heat conductivity of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor, the material of the different clothes to be washed is identified, images of the different clothes in the clothes to be washed are collected through an image collecting device, and the material of the different clothes to be washed is identified through the collected images of the different clothes;

determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed;

controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the determined washing parameters;

when the inner drum of the washing machine is controlled to rotate positively and negatively, the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the heat conductivity of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through a material sensor, and the material of different clothes to be washed is identified, and the method comprises the following steps:

before the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed is detected through the material sensor;

after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, detecting the temperature of different clothes in the clothes to be washed through the material sensor again;

and calculating the heat conductivity of different clothes to be washed according to the temperature change data of the different clothes before and after the soaking water and the clothes to be washed are heated, so that the materials of the different clothes to be washed can be identified according to the heat conductivity.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting the PH of the soaking water in the washing machine by the PH sensor while controlling the drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, thereby identifying the PH of the laundry comprises:

before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively, detecting the PH value of the soaking water in the washing machine through the PH value sensor;

after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward for a preset time, detecting the pH value of the soaking water in the washing machine again through the pH value sensor;

and identifying the pH value of the clothes to be washed according to the pH value change data before controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively and after controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate positively and negatively for a preset time.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein before determining the washing parameters for washing the laundry according to the weight of the laundry, the pH of the laundry, and the material of the different laundry, further comprising:

judging whether the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range or not;

if the pH value of the clothes to be washed is judged to be within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed;

if the pH value of the clothes to be washed is judged not to be in the preset pH value range, a pH regulator is put into the washing machine, and the inner barrel is controlled to rotate forwards and backwards so as to regulate the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be in the preset pH value range;

after the pH value of the clothes to be washed is adjusted to be within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed.

4. A washing machine control device characterized by comprising:

the control unit is used for injecting soaking water into the washing machine according to the weight of the clothes to be washed after the clothes to be washed are put into the washing machine and controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forwards and backwards;

the first identification unit is used for detecting the PH value of soaking water in the washing machine through a PH value sensor when the control unit controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forwards and backwards, so that the PH value of the clothes to be washed is identified;

a second identification unit, configured to heat the soaking water together with the laundry to be washed when the control unit controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, so as to detect thermal conductivity of different clothes in the laundry to be washed by using a material sensor, thereby identifying the material of the different laundry, or heat the soaking water together with the laundry to be washed when the control unit controls the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, so as to detect thermal conductivity of different clothes in the laundry to be washed by using a material sensor, thereby identifying the material of the different laundry, and collect images of the different clothes in the laundry by using an image collection device, thereby identifying the material of the different laundry by using the collected images of the different clothes;

the determining unit is used for determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed;

the control unit is further configured to: controlling the washing machine to wash the clothes to be washed according to the washing parameters determined by the determining unit;

the second recognition unit, when controlling the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, heats the soaking water together with the laundry to detect the thermal conductivity of different clothes in the laundry through the material sensor, so as to recognize the material of different laundry, including:

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first identification unit, when the control unit controls the drum of the washing machine to rotate forward and backward, detects the PH of the soaking water in the washing machine through a PH sensor, thereby identifying the PH of the laundry, comprises:

6. The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, further comprising:

the judging unit is used for judging whether the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range or not before the determining unit determines the washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed;

the determining unit is further configured to: if the judging unit judges that the pH value of the clothes to be washed is within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed;

the adjusting unit is used for throwing a PH regulator into the washing machine and controlling the inner barrel to rotate forwards and backwards to adjust the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be within a preset PH value range if the judging unit judges that the pH value of the clothes to be washed is not within the preset PH value range;

the determining unit is further configured to: after the adjusting unit adjusts the pH value of the clothes to be washed to be within a preset pH value range, determining washing parameters for washing the clothes to be washed according to the weight of the clothes to be washed, the pH value of the clothes to be washed and the materials of different clothes to be washed.

7. A storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program which, when being executed by a processor, carries out the steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. A washing machine comprising a processor, a memory and a computer program stored on the memory and operable on the processor to carry out the steps of the method of any of claims 1 to 3 when the program is executed by the processor or comprising a washing machine control apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6.