DE102021205652A1 - Dosing container, dosing aid system and method for adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agents and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dosing container (1) for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent, the dosing container (1) comprising: a housing (2) with a chamber (9) for accommodating the laundry treatment agent, a first display device (3) for displaying a marking on a side wall of the chamber (9), the marking indicating a fill level to be reached in the chamber (9), the first display device (3) being integrated in particular in the side wall of the chamber (9), and a communication device (5) for wireless Communication with a control unit (10), wherein the communication device (5) is configured to receive the level to be reached from the control unit (10) and to cause the first display device (3) to display the level to be reached by means of the marking.

Description

The present invention relates to a dosing container for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agents, a dosing aid system for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agents, a method for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agents and a computer program.

It has been shown that even after the user has selected a program for washing (presorted) laundry, several steps are still necessary before the correct amount of laundry treatment agent is added to the laundry treatment appliance. These steps are made more difficult by the fact that users usually do not know the recommendations for the amount of laundry treatment agent by heart and, on the other hand, do not always know all the relevant influencing factors, such as the amount of laundry or the weight of the laundry and/or the local water hardness, etc., for the Know or be able to estimate the choice of quantity and take it into account. Against this background, determining the right amount of laundry treatment agent and the associated collection of relevant information is often associated with a certain amount of effort for the user on the one hand and often leads to fairly imprecise results on the other. In particular, due to uncertainty and to speed up the process, users often tend to use too large a dose of laundry treatment agent, which may have a negative effect on washing, consumes money and resources unnecessarily and is harmful to the environment.

One solution known in the prior art for correct dosing is the use of a measuring cup, which is used by the user in conjunction with instructions on the packaging of the laundry treatment agent in order to obtain the correct amount of laundry treatment agent. However, the user is still dependent on determining several parameters, e.g. the weight of the laundry, the water hardness and degree of soiling, and the influence of the parameters themselves. An alternative solution envisages a fully automatic dosing system using an internal supply of laundry treatment agent in a washing machine. This alternative has the advantage that the user no longer has to determine the correct amount himself, but it requires complex and expensive mechanisms in the machine. Such systems can therefore generally only be implemented with considerable additional costs and often cannot be retrofitted in old washing machines in a sensible manner. Furthermore, such systems can make the flexible use of different laundry treatment agents more difficult, since there is often only one or two chambers in which a larger amount of laundry treatment agent is stored.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dosing container, a dosing aid system and a method for dosing laundry treatment agents, as well as a corresponding computer program, with which a large number of laundry treatment agents can be metered individually and based on currently relevant influencing factors as simply, precisely and efficiently as possible.

This problem is solved with a dosing container according to claim 1, a dosing aid system according to claim 4, a method according to claim 11 and a computer program according to claim 12. Further advantages and features result from the subclaims and the description and the attached figures.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a dosing container for adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent is proposed, the dosing container comprising: a housing with a chamber for accommodating the laundry treatment agent, a first display device for displaying a marking on a side wall of the chamber, the marking indicates the fill level in the chamber that is being reached, with the first display device being integrated in particular in the side wall of the chamber, and a communication device for wireless communication with a control unit, with the communication device being configured to receive information from the control unit (which can also be integrated in the dosing container). to receive the filling level to be reached and to cause the first display device to display the filling level to be reached by means of the marking. The term “adaptive dosing” can be understood in particular as meaning that the dosing can take place as a function of one or more relevant parameters. Relevant parameters can be, for example, one or more of an amount of laundry, a type of laundry, a water hardness and a type of laundry treatment agent. The laundry treatment agent can be a detergent for cleaning textiles and/or a laundry additive such as fabric softener or an impregnating agent. The laundry treatment agent can in particular be in liquid, powder or gel form. Advantageously, the dosing container according to the invention can enable a user to take the right amount of laundry treatment agent without the user having to know about influencing factors, such as the selected program, the laundry weight or the laundry quantity, a laundry type, a degree of soiling and/or the water hardness itself must take into account. In particular, the user does not have to calculate or estimate himself what amount of laundry treatment agent is needed is taken for a good washing result. Advantageously, this can prevent or reduce the use of an unsuitable amount of laundry treatment agent. Advantageously, the dosing container can also be used with older laundry treatment devices that do not have any dosing recommendations or automatic dosing. In comparison to washing machines with automatic dosing, the dosing container according to the invention can also be used with many different or virtually all types of laundry treatment agents. The user can therefore fall back on types of laundry treatment agents that are well known to him and does not have to switch to specialized types, as is often the case with automated systems integrated in washing machines. A type of laundry treatment agent can designate a general type of laundry treatment agent, eg "heavy duty detergent powder" or "fabric softener", or preferably also the brand, eg "Persil Universal Megapearls®". The user also retains control over how much laundry treatment agent he actually wants to use, with the user being able to deviate from a recommended amount if necessary, if this seems sensible to him. Finally, the dosing container can represent a relatively inexpensive update because, in particular, no complex changes or implementations in the laundry treatment appliance need be necessary.

The housing of the dosing container can be made of plastic, glass and/or metal, for example. Advantageously, it can be provided that the housing is transparent at least partially or in places, in particular on its side wall, or essentially everywhere, e.g. made of transparent plastic. In particular, the size and shape of the housing can be dimensioned in such a way that a user can easily insert the dosing container into can hold and/or manipulate in one hand. In particular, the dosing container can include a handle or handle. The chamber can in particular be enclosed by the housing or be defined as an interior space formed by the housing. The chamber can preferably be designed in such a way that it can accommodate the laundry treatment agent. In other words, a liquid or a powder can be accommodated in the chamber without it escaping or flowing out of the chamber unintentionally. The chamber can preferably have at least one opening through which the laundry treatment agent can be filled into the chamber and poured out of the chamber. The opening is preferably located in an upper area; the dosing container can, for example, be in the form of a cup with a round or oblong bottom. For this purpose, the chamber can have a spout or pouring spout at the opening, which is shaped in such a way that the laundry treatment agent can be poured out or sprinkled out of the chamber in a defined manner. In particular, the spout can be designed in such a way that it can be poured out without the formation of drops. For example, the spout can be designed as a bulge in the chamber wall up to the edge of the opening, in particular as a beak-like formation and/or spout.

The marking can be displayed, for example, in the form of horizontal lines, in particular on the side wall of the chamber, e.g. in the manner of a scale. Cross-bars are to be understood in particular as meaning that the cross-bars run parallel to the ground when the dosing container is standing upright on a floor surface for filling, in particular with the opening oriented upwards. The position of the marking can preferably be variable depending on the filling level to be reached, in particular in the vertical installation direction or in the direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional area of the opening and/or to a bottom area of the dosing container. The fill level to be reached corresponds in particular to a quantity of laundry treatment agent required for a washing program. The fill level to be reached can, for example, indicate a height up to which the laundry treatment agent is to be filled into the dosing container.

On the one hand, the fill level to be reached can be transmitted directly as such to the dosing container. On the other hand, the dosing container can also be designed so that a control chip calculates the filling level from a transmitted volume or a transmitted amount of laundry treatment agent. The dosing container can be configured, for example, in such a way that it can display the fill level by means of light-emitting elements, in particular LEDs, which are arranged along a vertical direction or height direction of the dosing container. For example, a large number of LEDs and/or horizontal rows of LEDs can be arranged in the vertical direction or in a direction essentially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the dosing container, with the dosing container being able to be configured to have individual LEDs or individual ones depending on the level to be reached driving horizontal rows of LEDs. The lighting means or LEDs can be integrated in particular in the side wall of the chamber. This can be understood in particular in such a way that the lighting means are attached to the side wall permanently and/or in a position that cannot be changed. In particular, the lighting means can also be arranged inside the side wall, with the side wall being made of a light-transmitting or transparent material. Integrating within the side wall can on the one hand protect the lamps from environmental influences on the other hand, ensure that the bulbs do not impair the haptics of the cup for holding and for filling and pouring liquid. For example, it may be conceivable to arrange LEDs vertically one above the other and to redirect the light through light guides in such a way that horizontal lines in the color of the respective LED become visible on the side wall of the chamber.

The communication device for wireless communication can be integrated, for example, on a control chip which is arranged in or on the housing of the dosing container. For example, the communication device can be based on low-energy technology, in particular RFID (“radio-frequency identification”—identification by means of electromagnetic waves), NFC (“near field connection”), a W-LAN connection and/or Bluetooth.

The control unit can, for example, be integrated into a laundry treatment device or be part of the laundry treatment device. Alternatively, the control unit can also be part of a computer or other multimedia device, for example a portable electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet. In this case, the control unit is connected to or equipped with a corresponding communication device for wireless communication with the dosing container. In a particular embodiment, the dosing container can have its own control unit, with its own control unit being able to take over all or at least one of the functions of the control unit. The control unit or the dosing container can optionally include voice recognition, which is configured so that a user can enter commands or information, e.g. an amount of laundry, a laundry type and/or a degree of soiling of the laundry, by speech.

According to one embodiment, it can be provided that the dosing container comprises a second display device, the second display device being configured to display a type of laundry treatment agent, the second display device having a display or screen for displaying the type of laundry treatment agent or a visually displayed list of types of laundry treatment agent and a Light display for identifying one or some of the laundry treatment agent types of the list includes. The second display device can also be located on a side wall of the housing of the dosage container. Alternatively, the second display device can also be arranged on a handle of the dosage container, in particular on an upper part of the handle. The second display device can also be integrated into a (partial) cover of the dosing container. In particular, the second display device can be arranged on a surface that is parallel to a bottom surface and/or to the opening of the dosage container. In other words, the second display device can be arranged in such a way that, when the dosing container is standing on a surface parallel to the ground for filling, it is aligned essentially upwards parallel to the ground. Such an orientation of the second display device can enable a particularly simple and efficient reading by a user. The second display device can be a small screen or display. Alternatively, the second display device can be a list of types of laundry treatment agent, with the dosing container being configured to use an illuminated display to identify at least one or some of the types of laundry treatment agent, in particular by lighting up a light source, e.g. one or more LEDs, next to the respective type of laundry treatment agent. For example, the list may include generic terms, e.g., very hot temperature detergents, synthetics detergents, delicates detergents, cotton detergents, wool detergents, etc. In this case, a user can advantageously select from the available detergents that which best matches the description on the second display device. As an alternative or in addition, specific information about the laundry treatment agent can also be provided, in particular also special brands or types. For example, additional descriptive information and/or images, in particular images of packaging for the laundry treatment agent, can also be displayed. This can be implemented in particular with the help of a screen or display. The laundry treatment agents displayed can be based, for example, on an input by the user, in particular via the control unit, with regard to existing or available laundry treatment agents. Advantageously, this embodiment allows the user to find the right laundry treatment agent and also the appropriate laundry treatment agent and also the determine the amount of it needed. The probability that an incorrect or unsuitable detergent is selected can thus advantageously be reduced. Alternatively or additionally, a voice output can also be provided on the dosing container, which outputs the type of laundry treatment agent in spoken form.

According to one embodiment, it can be provided that the first display device is configured to use the marking to display different, in particular three, fill levels for different degrees of soiling of the laundry at the same time. In this case, the user can advantageously select an amount that matches the respective degree of soiling of the laundry. In particular, since it can be difficult to determine a degree of soiling automatically in a meaningful way, it can make sense for the user to specify different options. For example, three fill levels can be provided for heavy soiling, medium soiling and light soiling of the laundry. In particular, it can be provided that the first display device is configured to display the different filling levels with a color code, so that the different filling levels can be assigned to the different degrees of soiling by means of the color coding, the first display device in particular having different-colored illuminants, e.g. LEDs for displaying the different markings may include. For example, the display can be provided via a traffic light system. In particular, the filling level for heavy soiling can be displayed in red, the filling level for medium soiling in yellow and the filling level for light soiling in green. The use of colors can enable a particularly simple and quick orientation for the user and reduce the risk of confusion. However, it is also possible to display the different fill levels in the same color.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a dosing aid system for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent that is to be supplied to a laundry treatment appliance for use in a laundry treatment process is provided. The dosing aid system comprises a laundry treatment appliance, in particular a washing machine, a dosing container, in particular a dosing container as described herein, the dosing container comprising a chamber for receiving the laundry treatment agent, and a control unit, the control unit being configured for this purpose based on a program selection relating to the laundry treatment process , a water hardness of the water used for the laundry treatment process and/or an amount of laundry to be treated during the laundry treatment process, to determine a fill level of the dosing container to be reached and a type of laundry treatment agent to be used and to transmit it to the dosing container, with the dosing container being designed to detect the transmitted fill level and to receive and display the transmitted type of laundry treatment agent, the dosing container being designed to measure the fill level on a side wall of the chamber by means of a measure mark. The laundry treatment appliance can in particular be a washer-dryer or a washing machine. All advantages and features of the dosing container can be transferred analogously to the dosing aid system and vice versa. The control unit can be part of the laundry treatment device or can be arranged externally to the laundry treatment device, in particular as part of a multimedia device. The control unit can be designed to obtain information from the laundry treatment appliance and/or a database, in particular via the Internet, by means of an interface. For this purpose, the control unit can be connected or can be connected to the Internet. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit can be designed to be able to communicate with the laundry treatment appliance using Bluetooth, W-LAN, RFID or NFC in order to obtain information that is used to determine the amount of laundry treatment agent or the type of laundry treatment agent, e.g. the average water hardness at the installation site of the laundry treatment device. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit can have a memory unit or include a memory unit, wherein the control unit can be configured in particular to store information on the memory unit that does not change dynamically or that changes only rarely or little, such as water hardness or existing laundry treatment agent to store. The laundry treatment appliance can in particular be configured to use suitable means to determine usage parameters, in particular a water hardness and/or a quantity of laundry or a total weight of the laundry loaded. Means for determining usage parameters that already exist in the prior art can advantageously be used, for example. As an alternative or in addition, the laundry treatment appliance can include input means, via which a user can set a water hardness. The laundry treatment appliance can also include a means of communication, e.g. Bluetooth, W-LAN, RFID or NFC, and be configured to use the means of communication to send usage parameters, in particular a selected laundry treatment program, the water hardness and/or the amount of laundry or the total weight of the laundry loaded to transmit to the control unit. The control unit and/or the dosing container can also comprise a corresponding, compatible means of communication. The control unit can be configured to calculate a quantity of laundry treatment agent and/or a corresponding filling level and optionally a laundry treatment agent type with the aid of the usage parameters and using prefabricated algorithms and/or arithmetic operations to be determined and transmitted to the dosing container. The transmission preferably takes place wirelessly (e.g. via Bluetooth, W-LAN, RFID, NFC or the like), but can also take place via a physical data line. For example, the dosing container could have a defined position, for example a socket, on the upper side of the laundry treatment appliance, for example, in which it is connected to the control unit via electrical contacts.

According to one embodiment, the dosing aid system can comprise a multimedia device, in particular a smartphone or a tablet, with a computer program installed thereon, the computer program being designed such that when it is executed on the multimedia device it causes the multimedia device to have the function of the control unit. For example, additional functions can be enabled by using a multimedia device. For example, the multimedia device can be used to display additional information or to enter additional parameters. For example, a laundry quantity and/or a laundry type can be entered via the multimedia device. This can be particularly advantageous if the laundry treatment device used does not have weighing and/or communication means. Furthermore, the computer program can be configured in such a way that, if necessary, it requests additional information from the user or from the Internet via the multimedia device. For example, the computer program can be configured to request additional input information if, based on the known parameters, several types of laundry treatment agents are classified as equally suitable. Furthermore, the computer program can be configured to output additional information to the user based on context, e.g. care instructions for particularly dirty, difficult-to-clean or particularly sensitive laundry. For example, the computer program can be integrated into a smart home system, such as the BSH Home Connect. In this case, the laundry treatment device can also be connected to the smart home system. Such an implementation can advantageously make it possible for only one program or only one app to be required for a number of household-related functions.

According to one embodiment, the computer program can be configured to cause the multimedia device to inform a user upon completion of the laundry treatment process. The information can be provided, for example, by a signal tone, a text message and/or a voice message. Advantageously, the user can also notice the end of the laundry treatment process without being in direct reach of the laundry treatment appliance.

According to one embodiment, the computer program can be configured to cause the multimedia device to display a type of laundry treatment agent to be used for the respective laundry treatment process. The multimedia device can in particular include a screen, with the computer program being configured to cause the display on this screen. The display on the multimedia device can be provided in addition or as an alternative to a display on the dosing container. The laundry treatment type can be displayable in text form or in image form, e.g. in the form of a logo or an image of the packaging. The display on the multimedia device can enable a simpler and more cost-effective design of the dosing container, in that the dosing container does not require such a display. Alternatively, the display on the multimedia device can also serve as an additional source of information for the user, who can see the relevant information immediately, regardless of whether he just has the dosing container or the multimedia device to hand.

According to an alternative embodiment, the control unit can be part of the laundry treatment appliance. Such an embodiment advantageously makes it possible to dispense with the additional multimedia device. This can represent a possibility in particular if the laundry treatment appliance already has comprehensive analysis and communication means.

According to one embodiment, the control unit can be designed to detect and store the type of laundry treatment agent by scanning the packaging or part of the packaging of a laundry treatment agent, in particular a bar code, a QR code, a label and/or a logo can, wherein the control unit can be configured to create an availability database of laundry treatment agents present by the user by scanning the packaging of multiple laundry treatment agents. Scanning can be made possible, for example, by the scan function of a smartphone or tablet, in particular controlled by the computer gram. Optionally, the control unit can be configured to monitor an inventory of laundry treatment agents present and to issue a warning if the quantity of a laundry treatment agent type falls below a threshold value. The threshold value can be, for example, the amount of detergent required for three average washes with this laundry treatment medium is needed. In particular, the control unit can be configured to collect data on usage behavior and use this to predict when a laundry treatment agent is about to run out. For example, the control unit can recognize that a user always washes sportswear on Saturdays and accordingly send a reminder to the user in good time to buy new laundry treatment agent in good time before this time.

The control unit can optionally be configured to obtain data on the detected laundry treatment agents from a database and to take the data into account for determining the fill level and/or for determining the type of laundry treatment agent to be used for a particular laundry treatment process. For example, the data may be specific usage recommendations obtained from an online database or from an internal database. For example, the recommendations for use can include at least one type of laundry and/or at least one washing program for which the laundry treatment agent is optimized. By creating a database and optionally retrieving usage recommendations, an even more precise selection for a type of laundry treatment agent and its quantity can potentially be made.

According to one embodiment, the control unit can include speech recognition, wherein the control unit is configured to detect a spoken input of the type and/or the amount of laundry items to be washed by the user and to determine the amount of laundry to be treated during the laundry treatment process and/or the To use laundry treatment agent type. Provision can be made, for example, for the user to specify the type and quantity of the laundry items in the form “5 trousers, three T-shirts...” or more specifically “5 cotton trousers,...”. The specification of the type and quantity of the laundry items can be used in particular to determine the weight of the laundry, with which the quantity of laundry treatment agent and thus the fill level to be reached can then be determined. The determination can be made more precise by an additional upstream collection of user data (e.g. person X is size 40, person Y is size 52). User voice input can provide a relatively simple and rapid means of conveying this information. In particular, voice input can be advantageous if the laundry treatment appliance does not have a function for determining the laundry weight. The control unit can also be configured to transmit further information, e.g. a degree of soiling, to the control unit by voice recognition. In addition or as an alternative, information can also be transmitted to the user by voice message.

According to one embodiment, the control unit can include locating means for determining the current position, wherein the control unit can be configured to determine the local water hardness of the water provided by the local water supplier based on its current position by retrieving it from a database. The positioning means can be GPS (Global Positioning System), for example, and/or be based on dial-in information for the respective network or Internet. This embodiment can represent a particularly simple option for the user, since no input is required by the user. In addition, existing locating means, e.g. a multimedia device, can be used, which ideally results in no or hardly any additional costs. Furthermore, the control unit can optionally be configured to adjust the water hardness used as a basis precisely for each point in time in accordance with fluctuations over time.

1. a) Ermitteln von Informationen durch eine Steuereinheit, wobei die Informationen
   • - eine den Wäschebehandlungsprozess betreffende Programmauswahl,
   • - eine Wasserhärte des für den Wäschebehandlungsprozess verwendeten Wassers und/oder
   • - eine während des Wäschebehandlungsprozesses zu behandelnden Wäschemenge umfassen,
2. b) Bestimmen eines zu erreichenden Füllstands eines Dosierbehältnisses, insbesondere eines Dosierbehältnisses gemäß einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, und/oder eines zu verwendenden Wäschebehandlungsmitteltyps basierend auf den Informationen durch die Steuereinheit,
3. c) Übermitteln des bestimmten Füllstands und/oder Wäschebehandlungsmitteltyps an das Dosierbehältnis
4. d) Anzeigen des Füllstands und/oder des Wäschebehandlungsmitteltyps an dem Dosierbehältnis, wobei der Füllstand mittels einer Markierung an einer Seitenwand einer Kammer zur Aufnahme des Wäschebehandlungsmittels angezeigt wird.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent that is to be supplied to a laundry treatment appliance for use in a laundry treatment process is provided, the method comprising the following steps:

1. a) determining information by a control unit, the information
   • - a program selection related to the laundry treatment process,
   • - a water hardness of the water used for the laundry treatment process and/or
   • - comprise an amount of laundry to be treated during the laundry treatment process,
2. b) determining a fill level to be reached in a dosing container, in particular a dosing container according to one of Claims 1 to 3, and/or a type of laundry treatment agent to be used based on the information from the control unit,
3. c) Transmission of the determined fill level and/or type of laundry treatment agent to the dosing container
4. d) Displaying the filling level and/or the type of laundry treatment agent on the dosing container, the filling level being indicated by means of a marking on a side wall of a chamber for receiving the laundry treatment agent.

All the advantages and features of the dosing container and the dosing aid system can be transferred analogously to the method and vice versa. Preferably, the dosing aid system described herein is used in the above method.

The information determined in step a) can also include a list of available laundry treatment agent types. Furthermore, user inputs, for example the command for a quick wash cycle or an input for a low laundry load, can be taken into account. The fill level determined and/or the type of laundry treatment agent can be transmitted to the dosing container in particular wirelessly, preferably via Bluetooth.

• - Eingabe der zur Verfügung stehenden Wäschebehandlungsmittel, insbesondere durch Scannen der Verpackung oder eines Teils der Verpackung des Wäschebehandlungsmittels, und Speichern der vorhandenen Wäschebehandlungsmittel in einer Verfügbarkeits-Datenbank,
• - Beziehen von Daten zu den eingegebenen Wäschebehandlungsmitteln von einer weiteren Datenbank und/oder
• - Ermitteln einer aktuellen Position des Wäschebehandlungsgeräts durch ein Ortungsmittel und abrufen der lokalen Wasserhärte des durch den lokalen Wasserversorger bereitgestellten Wassers an dieser Position durch Abruf von einer Datenbank.

According to one embodiment, it can be provided that the method also includes preparatory steps that are carried out before the actual method. In particular, the preparation steps can be carried out as set-up steps only once or only occasionally. For example, the preparation steps can include:

• - Entering the available laundry treatment agents, in particular by scanning the packaging or part of the packaging of the laundry treatment agent, and storing the existing laundry treatment agents in an availability database,
• - Obtaining data on the laundry treatment agents entered from another database and/or
• - Determining a current position of the laundry treatment device using a locating means and retrieving the local water hardness of the water provided by the local water supplier at this position by retrieving it from a database.

According to one embodiment, a user can be given the option of choosing between several suitable types of laundry treatment agent. This allows greater flexibility for the user.

• e) Protokollieren des verwendeten Wäschebehandlungsmitteltyps und der verwendeten Menge und Überwachen eines Bestands an vorhandenen Wäschebehandlungsmitteln und
• f) Ausgeben einer Warnung, sobald die Menge eines vorhandenen Wäschebehandlungsmitteltyps einen Schwellenwert unterschreitet.

According to a further embodiment, the method can additionally include the step:

• e) logging the type and amount of laundry treatment agent used and monitoring an inventory of laundry treatment agents present and
• f) outputting a warning as soon as the quantity of a type of laundry treatment agent present falls below a threshold value.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a computer program is provided, the computer program being designed in such a way that, when it is executed by a control unit, in particular the control unit of a multimedia device, it causes the control unit to carry out method steps a) to c) of the herein carry out the procedure described. All the advantages and features of the dosing container, the dosing aid system and the method can be transferred analogously to the computer program and vice versa. The computer program can be provided in particular as a computer program product. The control unit that can execute the inventive method can be any processing unit, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit can be part of a cloud, a server and/or a multimedia device, in particular a computer, a mobile device such as a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone and so on.

The invention is also directed to a computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a suitable entity, cause the entity to carry out the method according to the invention. Such a computer-readable medium can be any digital storage medium, for example a hard drive, a flash memory, a server, a cloud or a computer, a CD-ROM, an SSD card, an SD card, a DVD or a USB stick or another memory stick. In particular, the computer program can be stored on the computer-readable medium.

Individual features and embodiments mentioned above can be combined with one another and the advantages associated with the individual features also apply to a combination of these features.

• 1 ein Dosierbehältnis gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung in einer Seitenansicht,
• 2 ein Dosierbehältnis gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung in einer Draufsicht von oben,
• 3 ein Dosierhilfesystem gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung,
• 4 ein Dosierhilfesystem gemäß einer alternativen Ausführungsform der Erfindung und
• 5 eine schematische Darstellung eines Verfahrens gemäß der Erfindung.

Further advantages and features of the invention result from the following description of preferred embodiments of the subject according to the invention with reference to the attached figures. The following description is merely illustrative of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the appended claims to any embodiment. Show it

• 1 a dosing container according to an embodiment of the invention in a side view,
• 2 a dosing container according to an embodiment of the invention in a plan view from above,
• 3 a dosing aid system according to an embodiment of the invention,
• 4 a dosing aid system according to an alternative embodiment of the invention and
• 5 a schematic representation of a method according to the invention.

1 and 2 show a dosing container 1 according to an embodiment of the invention in a side view and a plan view from above. In this case, the dosing container 1 comprises a housing 2 and a handle 4. The housing 2 forms a chamber 9 for receiving laundry treatment agent. The 2 housing is open at the top, so that the laundry treatment agent can be added to the chamber 9 from above. The housing 2 is also made of transparent material, so that when the laundry treatment agent is poured in, the fill level can be read from the side. To mark a fill level to be reached, the dosing container 1 includes a first display device 3 on the side wall of the housing 2 or the chamber 9. In this exemplary embodiment, the three horizontal lines on the display device 3 show three possible fill levels at the same time. The top line indicates the level for heavily soiled laundry, the middle line indicates the level for normally soiled laundry and the bottom line indicates the level for lightly soiled laundry. The lines can also have different colors according to a traffic light system, with the top line (for heavily soiled laundry) being red, the middle yellow and the bottom green. Depending on the level required, the vertical position of the lines may vary. The required filling level depends in particular on the selected washing program, the water hardness, the amount of laundry to be treated and/or the type of detergent. The colored lines can be generated by several LEDs, which each produce a colored line at the desired position when switched on. A second display device 6 is arranged on the handle 4 at the top. In particular, a type of laundry treatment agent to be used can be displayed on this second display device 6 . Optionally, further information, eg alternative types of laundry treatment agent and/or further care instructions can also be displayed on the second display device 6 . The dosing container 1 also includes a communication device 5, via which the dosing container 1 can receive information about the filling level and the type of laundry treatment agent, in particular from a control unit 10.

3 shows a dosing aid system according to an embodiment of the invention. The dosing aid system includes a laundry treatment device 7, a multimedia device 8 and a dosing container 1. The dosing container 1 can in particular correspond to that which is in the 2 and 3 is shown. In this embodiment, the multimedia device 8 has the function of the control unit 10. The laundry treatment device 7 comprises a communication device 5 by means of which information, such as in particular a program selection by a user, water hardness and/or a quantity of laundry determined by weight, is transmitted to the multimedia device 8 . The information can be transmitted to the multimedia device 8 either directly, in particular via Bluetooth, or indirectly, for example via a W-LAN network or the Internet. Optionally, the multimedia device can also transmit commands or information to the laundry treatment device 7 . For example, a user can start the washing process via the multimedia device 8 or transmit parameters, such as a program selection, via the multimedia device 8 to the laundry treatment device 7 . With the help of the transmitted information and possibly with additional information, e.g. information about a stock of existing laundry treatment agents and/or information about their properties, the multimedia device can now determine the filling level and/or the laundry treatment agent to be used and communicate it to the communication device 5 of the dosing container 1 submit. The multimedia device 8 is configured in particular to scan packaging for a laundry treatment agent, in particular a bar code or QR code on the packaging, in order to determine the inventory of laundry treatment agents present. Furthermore, the multimedia device 8 can call up information about the available laundry treatment agents from a database. The dosing container 1 is in turn configured to display the transmitted filling levels and laundry treatment agent by means of its display devices.

4 shows a dosing aid system according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 is integrated into the laundry treatment appliance 7 . The fill levels to be reached and the types of laundry treatment agent to be used are determined directly in the laundry treatment appliance 7 by means of the control unit 10 and then transmitted via the communication device 5 of the laundry treatment appliance 7 to the communication device 5 of the dosing container 1 for display on the dosing container 1 .

5 shows a schematic representation of a method according to the invention. The first step 101 is a preparatory step in which the available laundry treatment agents are determined by scanning the packaging and in which the current position is determined using locating means in order to determine the water hardness at this position from online data bank and store it on a data store. In a second step 102, information is collected by the control unit 10, the information including in particular a set program selection for the laundry treatment process, a water hardness and/or an amount of laundry. From this information, in a next step 103, the control unit 10 determines a fill level of the dosing container 1 to be reached and the laundry treatment agent to be used. The filling level 1 and the laundry treatment agent to be used are transmitted to the dosing container 1 in the following step 104 and finally displayed in step 105 on the dosing container 1 by means of the first display device 3 and the second display device 6 . Step 106 can now optionally follow, in which the type of laundry treatment agent used and the amount used thereof is logged, with a stock of existing laundry treatment agents being monitored and a warning being issued as soon as the quantity of an existing type of laundry treatment agent falls below a threshold value.

Reference List

1

dosing container

2

Housing

3

first display device

4

grab handle

5

communication device

6

second display device

7

laundry treatment device

8th

multimedia device

9

chamber

10

control unit

101-106

process steps

Claims (12)

Dosing container (1) for adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent, wherein the dosing container (1) comprises: a housing (2) with a chamber (9) for accommodating the laundry treatment agent, a first display device (3) for displaying a mark on a side wall of the chamber (9), the mark indicating a level to be reached in the chamber (9), the first display device (3) being in particular embedded in the side wall of the chamber (9 ) is integrated, and a communication device (5) for wireless communication with a control unit (10), the communication device (5) being configured to receive the level to be reached from the control unit (10) and to cause the first display device (3) to use the marking indicate the fill level to be reached. Dosing container (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the dosing container (1) comprises a second display device (6), the second display device (6) being configured to display a type of laundry treatment agent, the second display device (6) having a display for displaying the type of laundry treatment agent or a visually presented list of types of laundry treatment agent and an indicator light for identifying one of the laundry treatment agent types on the list. Dosing container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first display device (3) is configured to display different, in particular three, filling levels for different degrees of soiling of the laundry at the same time with the marking. Dosing aid system for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent, which is to be supplied to a laundry treatment appliance (7) for use in a laundry treatment process, the dosing aid system comprising: a laundry treatment device (7), in particular a washing machine, a dosing container (1), in particular a dosing container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the dosing container (1) comprises a chamber (9) for receiving the laundry treatment agent, and a control unit (10), the control unit (10) being configured based on - a program selection related to the laundry treatment process, - a water hardness of the water used for the laundry treatment process and/or - to determine a fill level of the dosing container (1) to be reached and a type of laundry treatment agent to be used for a quantity of laundry to be treated during the laundry treatment process and to transmit it to the dosing container (1), the dosing container (1) being designed to transmit the transmitted fill level and the transmitted To receive and display laundry treatment agent type, wherein the dosing container (1) is designed to indicate the level on a side wall of the chamber (9) by means of a marking. Dosing aid system according to claim 4 , The dosing aid system being a multimedia device (8), in particular a smartphone or a tablet, with a computer program installed on it comprises, wherein the computer program is designed such that it causes the multimedia device (8) to have the function of the control unit (10) when executed on the multimedia device (8). Dosing aid system according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit (10) is part of the laundry treatment appliance (7). Dosing aid system according to one of Claims 4 until 6 , wherein the control unit (10) is designed to detect and store the type of laundry treatment agent by scanning the packaging or part of the packaging of a laundry treatment agent, in particular a bar code, QR code, label and/or logo can, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to create an availability database of laundry treatment agents present by the user by scanning the packaging of a plurality of laundry treatment agents. dosing aid system claim 7 , wherein the control unit (10) is configured to obtain data on the detected laundry treatment agents from a database and to take the data into account for determining the filling level and/or for determining the type of laundry treatment agent to be used for a respective laundry treatment process. Dosing aid system according to one of Claims 4 until 8th , wherein the control unit (10) comprises speech recognition, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to detect a spoken input of the type and/or the quantity of items of laundry to be washed by the user and to determine the quantity of laundry to be treated during the laundry treatment process and/or to use the type of laundry treatment agent. Dosing aid system according to one of Claims 4 until 9 , wherein the control unit (10) comprises locating means for determining the current position, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to determine the local water hardness of the water provided by the local water supplier based on its current position by retrieving it from a database. Method for the adaptive dosing of laundry treatment agent, which is to be supplied to a laundry treatment device (7) for use in a laundry treatment process, the method comprising the following steps: a) determining information by a control unit (10), the information - a program selection relating to the laundry treatment process , - a water hardness of the water used for the laundry treatment process and/or - an amount of laundry to be treated during the laundry treatment process, b) determining a level to be reached of a dosing container (1), in particular a dosing container (1) according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , and a type of laundry treatment agent to be used based on the information from the control unit (10), c) transmission of the specific filling level and type of laundry treatment agent to the dosing container (1), d) displaying the filling level and the type of laundry treatment agent on the dosing container (1), the filling level is indicated by a marking on a side wall of a chamber (9) for receiving the laundry treatment agent. Computer program, the computer program being designed in such a way that, when it is executed by a control unit (10), in particular the control unit (10) of a multimedia device (8), it causes the control unit (10) to carry out method steps a) to c) according to the procedure claim 11 to execute.

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