EP3457905B1 - Control of a household appliance - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a household appliance. In particular, the invention relates to a technology for improved information of a user about a processing progress of the household appliance.

State of the art

A dishwasher is designed to treat a quantity of dishes with water, detergents and heat in order to clean the dishes in a predetermined operating cycle. The operating cycle usually comprises several phases, whereby a transition from one phase to another can be time- or event-controlled. For example, a cleaning phase and a drying phase can be supported.

The dishwasher includes a display that can inform a user about the phase of the operation or when the operation is expected to end. If a user wants to remove dishes from the dishwasher before the end of the operation, it is difficult to estimate the cleaning result that has already been achieved on the dishes removed based on the phase and remaining time information.

DE 2824973 A1 concerns a program selection on an electrical household appliance.

EP 980 929 B2 suggests a step-by-step user guide for operating a household appliance.

WO 9833427 A1 shows a dishwasher that uses warm air to dry washed dishes.

The information on the registration WO 2006 / 053 634 A1 based EP 1 824 373 B1 discloses a technique for evaluating and ensuring a thermal hygiene effect on dishes in a dishwasher. For this purpose, heat equivalent values are calculated from the measured Temperature curves are calculated and displayed. The items to be washed can only be removed from the dishwasher when the calculated heat equivalent values exceed a value that ensures sufficient hygiene.

The WO 2005 / 051 160 A1 discloses a dishwasher with an automatically controlled drying process, wherein a humidity sensor detects a humidity value of the air present in the dishwasher. The detected humidity value can also be output via suitable display means.

The DE 10 2013 219 700 A1 discloses a dishwasher and a method for cleaning items to be washed, the method comprising a rinsing step and a rinsing step. After completion of the rinsing step, a control element is activated which enables the rinsing step to be started or repeated.

The EP 0 980 929 B2 discloses a method and a device for operating a program-controlled household appliance in which chronologically successive operating steps are carried out, with a plain text display by which an operating step to be carried out next is indicated.

The invention is based on the object of providing an improved technology for controlling a household appliance that is designed to clean objects. The invention solves this problem by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. Subclaims give preferred embodiments.

disclosure of the invention

A method for controlling a household appliance comprises steps of determining an operating parameter of the household appliance during an operating run; determining, on the basis of the determined operating parameter, a degree of achievement of a result to be achieved by the operating run of the household appliance; and outputting the determined degree of achievement.

The degree of achievement can thus be made accessible to a user, who can then decide whether to interrupt the operation, for example because he is the processing result already achieved. For example, the user can end the operation prematurely if he or she immediately needs an object that the household appliance is processing. The user can accept that the household appliance does not fully achieve a processing result.

According to the invention, the result comprises a cleaning or a hygiene effect. The cleaning can in particular comprise the removal of a visible or tangible contamination from an object. The hygiene effect can comprise the targeted killing of microorganisms or the removal of metabolic products of an organism from the object. An olfactory burden on the object can alternatively be reduced by cleaning or the hygiene effect.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, degrees of achievement of several different results to be achieved by the operating cycle of the household appliance are determined and output. This enables a user to be further improved in his ability to assess whether the partial success already achieved in the operating cycle of the household appliance is sufficient to abort or shorten the operating cycle.

It is particularly preferred that the operating sequence aims to clean an object that is accommodated in an interior of the household appliance. Specifically, the household appliance can include a washing machine or a dishwasher. However, other embodiments may also be possible. If the interior is opened, for example to remove one or more objects from it, the operating sequence of the household appliance is usually interrupted or aborted. Knowing the degree to which the result to be achieved by the operating sequence has been achieved, the user can be better informed in order to, for example, change the operating sequence.

According to the invention, the operating sequence comprises a sequence of several treatment phases, whereby a premature transition from one treatment phase to another can be controlled by a user. In particular, a treatment phase can thereby be shortened or skipped completely. User intervention in the operating sequence can thus be carried out in a more qualified manner.

In a further embodiment, a transition from one treatment phase to the next requires the achievement of a threshold value by the degree of achievement, wherein the threshold value can be controlled by the user. For example, a transition can be made from a cleaning phase to an intermediate rinsing phase as soon as a predetermined cleaning success has been achieved. If the user finds it less important to achieve the complete cleaning success than to quickly complete the operating cycle, he can lower the assigned threshold value so that the cleaning is less thorough than usual, but time is saved for the operating cycle.

It is particularly preferred that a determination be made of how much time can be saved by moving to the other treatment phase early. The determined time is preferably also displayed so that a user can use it for decision making.

The operating parameter can be determined from different sources. In a simple embodiment, the operating parameter indicates an elapsed portion of an expected duration of the operating run. In this embodiment, the sequence of treatment phases can be purely time-controlled. In another embodiment, the operating parameter is determined on the basis of a sensor value that occurs during the operating run. The operating parameter can, for example, include a degree of turbidity of a cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid can be water-based and possibly also include a cleaning agent or another chemical additive. In a further embodiment, the operating parameter includes a temperature. The temperature can in particular relate to an object that is heated during the operating run. The temperature can be included in a time-based comparison value that in particular includes a heat equivalent (HUE: Heat Unit Equivalent). The HUE is a recognized standard for assessing the hygienization of an object. Whether a certain level of hygiene has been achieved as a result, for example whether a certain level of germ-freeness has been achieved, can depend on this value.

In yet another embodiment, the operating parameter can include humidity. The humidity can be determined in particular in the area of an object to be wet-cleaned using the household appliance. Alternatively, a surface humidity or a total humidity can be determined. In yet another embodiment, the air humidity in the area of the object can be determined.

In the embodiments in which the operating parameter depends on a sensor value, the absolute sensor value or the gradient of the sensor value, i.e. its change over time, can be considered alternatively. The gradient is usually not constant over the processing time, whereby the determination of the degree of achievement on the basis of the operating parameter can be determined on the basis of a predetermined relationship. The relationship can be given, for example, in the form of a table or a characteristic map. A formulaic or algorithmic description of the relationship is also possible.

A control device for a household appliance comprises a detection device which is designed to detect an operating parameter of the household appliance during an operating run to determine; a processing device which is designed to determine, on the basis of the determined operating parameter, a degree of achievement of a result to be achieved by the operation of the household appliance; and an output device for outputting the determined degree of achievement.

The control device can be used in particular in connection with a known household appliance and can realize the features and advantages described above with regard to the method.

A control system comprises a mobile device and the control device described above, wherein the control device has a data interface for exchanging data with the mobile device and the mobile device is designed to serve as an output device. The mobile device can in particular comprise a smartphone or another device that can preferably be personalized for a user.

In a further embodiment, the mobile device can also be used as an input device, in particular for influencing the operating sequence or a treatment phase.

Short description of the characters

Fig. 1

ein System mit einem Haushaltsgerät;

Fig. 2

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines exemplarischen Betriebslaufs für das Haushaltsgerät von Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum Steuern des Betriebslaufs von Fig. 2; und

Fig. 4

einen beispielhaften Verlauf eines Erreichungsgrads über eine Bearbeitungszeit im Betriebslauf von Fig. 2

darstellt.The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1

a system with a household appliance;

Fig. 2

a flow chart of an exemplary operating run for the household appliance of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a flow chart of a method for controlling the operation of Fig. 2 ; and

Fig. 4

an exemplary progression of a degree of achievement over a processing time in the operational run of Fig. 2

represents.

Figure 1 shows a system 100 with a household appliance 105, which is designed in particular for cleaning an object, and a mobile device 110. The household appliance 105 and the mobile device 110 can be connected to one another by means of a wireless connection, which in one embodiment comprises a network or a cloud 115. The household appliance 105 is preferably designed to clean an object. The household appliance 105 can in particular comprise a washing machine or, as described in more detail below, a dishwasher. The mobile device 110 usually comprises a processing device for executing a program and a user interface, for example in the form of a touchscreen.

The household appliance 105 comprises a control device 120, which is usually designed to control operating components (not shown) of the household appliance 105 in such a way that a predetermined result is achieved. In the case of the dishwasher, this result includes in particular cleaning of dishes.

The control device 120 comprises a processing device 125, an output device 130 and at least one detection device 135. The detection device 135 can comprise one or more of a timer 140, a turbidity sensor 145, a temperature sensor 150 or a humidity sensor 155. The sensors 145 to 155 are preferably arranged in an interior 160 of the household appliance 105, in which objects to be cleaned are also arranged. The interior 160 is usually designed as a cleaning chamber that can be sealed liquid-tight during a cleaning process of the objects. Opening the cleaning chamber can only be possible if there is no risk of cleaning liquid escaping from the interior 160.

In a washing machine, the objects can include items of clothing, in a dishwasher, plates, pots or cutlery. The turbidity sensor 145 can be designed to determine a degree of turbidity of a cleaning liquid, in particular an aqueous one, which can be circulated in the interior 160 to clean the object. The temperature sensor 150 can determine the temperature in the interior 160, of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid or of the object. The humidity sensor 155 can similarly determine the humidity of the object or of the atmosphere in the interior 160. The detection devices 135 are designed to to sense an operating parameter during an operating run of the household appliance 105, which indicates the degree to which an intended result of the household appliance 105 has been achieved. This result or result can comprise several partial aspects, according to the invention a cleaning or a hygiene effect and not according to the invention a drying.

The processing device 125 is configured to determine the degree of achievement of one or more partial results to be achieved during the operation of the household appliance 105 and to output them by means of the output device 130.

The output device 130 can be implemented symbolically, for example in the form of a progress bar or a row of LEDs, graphically, for example in the form of an LCD or a projector, or numerically, for example in the form of a seven-segment display. In one embodiment, the control device 120 comprises a wireless data interface 165 for exchanging data with the mobile device 110. The mobile device 110 can serve as the output device 130. Furthermore, an input can be made to the control device 120 via the mobile device 110, in particular to influence an operating sequence of the household appliance 105. In an alternative embodiment, an input device 170 can be provided in the area of the household appliance 105. Figure 2 shows a flow chart of an exemplary operating run 200 for the household appliance 105 of Figure 1 . After a start 205, the operating cycle 200 comprises the exemplary treatment phases of pre-washing 210, cleaning 215, intermediate rinsing 220, final rinsing 225 and drying 230 before the end 235 is reached. In further embodiments, other, more or less numerous treatment phases 210 to 230 can also be provided. If the household appliance 105 is, for example, a washing machine, appropriately adapted treatment phases 230 to 230 can be provided, which can include a pre-wash, a main wash or a spin cycle.

The individual treatment phases 210 to 230 can successively relate to different aspects or partial results of the operating cycle 200. For example, a user who urgently needs an object arranged in the interior 160 of the household appliance 105 during an operating cycle 200 can already be satisfied that the object has been cleaned but not yet dried. If the household appliance 105 displays a current operating phase 210 to 230, the user can start the operating cycle 200 in the given example, for example, after completion of step 215 in order to remove the object. However, if it is also important to the user that, for example, a hygienic effect of the operating run 200 has already been achieved to a certain degree, he requires the determination of the control device 120 described above.

The user can intervene in the operating sequence 200 in different ways. A first intervention 240 can cause a premature transition from a treatment phase to a subsequent treatment phase. A second intervention 245 can involve skipping a treatment phase. A treatment phase carried out at the time of the second intervention 245 can initially be completed or immediately aborted. A third exemplary intervention 250 relates to the immediate abort of the operating sequence 200.

Figure 3 shows a flow chart of a method 300 for controlling the operation 200 of Figure 2 on household appliance 105 of Figure 1 . The method 300 can in particular be provided for running on the processing device 125. For this purpose, the method 300 can be present as a computer program product and the processing device 125 can comprise a programmable microcomputer or microcontroller.

In the illustrated embodiment, the method 300 follows the division of the operating run 200 into treatment phases 210 to 230 of Figure 2 . In Figure 3 shown is a section of the method 300 which controls a treatment phase I and a transition to a subsequent treatment phase II, wherein the treatment phases I and II each correspond to a treatment phase 210 to 230 of Figure 2 can correspond.

In a first step 305, an initialization can be carried out. Since each treatment phase comprises 210 to 230 physical processes, it can be useful to initially set these up or let them start up to a certain point in time before further checking or manipulation of the processes is possible.

In a step 310, one or more of the detection devices 135 can be scanned. Based on the scanning results, a probable remaining treatment time can be determined. On the basis of the determined values, a degree of achievement of a result to be achieved by the operating run 200 or the treatment phase 210 to 230 can be determined in a step 320. In one embodiment, the expected remaining treatment time depends on the degree of achievement of the result, so that steps 310 to 320 can also be carried out in a different order.

The determined degree of achievement is preferably provided to a user in a step 325. For this purpose, the degree of achievement can be displayed by means of the output device 130 in the area of the household appliance 105 or transmitted to the mobile device 110 by means of the data interface 165 and displayed there or otherwise presented. In the embodiment shown, the method 300 is set up to move from the treatment phase I to the subsequent treatment phase II when the determined degree of achievement has reached a predetermined threshold value. This threshold value can be determined in a step 330. The threshold value can be changed and in particular lowered by the user, in particular with knowledge of the degree of achievement provided in step 325, in a step 335 by means of an input. This intervention corresponds to the first intervention 240 in Figure 2 Interventions 245 or 250 can be carried out in a corresponding manner.

If it is determined in a step 340 that the degree of achievement has not reached the threshold value, the method 300 preferably continues with step 310. In one embodiment, a processing step can also be inserted that lasts a predetermined time in order to avoid having to carry out the described determination steps too frequently. If the threshold value was reached in step 340, the method 300 preferably goes on to the first step 345 of the following treatment phase II. In this case, step 345 can correspond to step 305 if the following treatment phase 210 to 230 is to be controlled in a corresponding manner, or to the last step 235 of the operating run 200 if no further processing is planned.

It should be noted that in the simplest embodiment of the present invention, the flow of the method 300 can only be interrupted by a user if he believes that the degree of achievement provided to him in step 325 is sufficient to interrupt the operating run 200. The interruption can in particular, enable removal of an object from the interior 160.

After the interruption, the remaining operating sequence 200 can be resumed or terminated in step 235. To terminate, it may be necessary to initiate certain final physical processes, for example pumping out a cleaning fluid from the interior 160.

Figure 4 shows an exemplary course 405 of a degree of achievement over a processing time in the operating run 200 of Figure 2 . Purely by way of example, drying is assumed in step 230, whereby according to the invention a cleaning or hygienic effect is assumed.

In the horizontal direction, the time remaining until the expected end of drying 230 is indicated. In the vertical direction, a relative humidity is indicated on a left-hand scale and a percentage degree of achievement for a relative humidity to be achieved is indicated on a right-hand scale. The degrees and times indicated are to be understood as examples.

At the start of drying 230, i.e. immediately after rinsing 225, the interior 160 has a temperature of 63°C, for example. If the drying step 230 is then immediately aborted, the degree of achievement of drying 230 is 0%, but a full 60 minutes of processing time can be saved. Just 10 minutes later, the degree of achievement can already be greater than 50%, whereby a processing time of 50 minutes can be saved. If drying 230 is only aborted approximately 10 minutes before the expected end, only a few percentage points of the degree of achievement have to be sacrificed. The relationship between the time that can be saved and the degree of achievement is generally non-linear, so that it cannot easily be read by a user from the elapsed or remaining processing time. In the example shown, there is an essentially exponential relationship, in other embodiments a different, in particular non-linear, relationship can also exist.

The degree of achievement can also be determined on the basis of several parameters. For example, the degree of achievement of the processing goal "cleaning" can be determined when the turbidity of a cleaning liquid (rinsing water) no longer increases. At the same time, however, the cleaning temperature can also be significant. was achieved and for how long. If the relationship is complex, it can be specified in the form of a table or, in the case of several input parameters, as a characteristic map. Specifying the degree of achievement as a simple value can therefore be a substantial aid to a user in assessing the condition of the household appliance 105.

reference sign

100

system

105

household appliance

110

mobile device

115

Cloud

120

control device

125

processing facility

130

dispenser

135

recording device

140

timer

145

turbidity sensor

150

temperature sensor

155

humidity sensor

160

interior

165

data interface

170

input device

200

operational run

205

start

210

pre-rinse

215

Clean

220

intermediate rinsing

225

rinse

230

Dry

235

End

240

first intervention

245

second procedure

250

third intervention

300

Proceedings

305

Initialize

310

scanning detection device

315

Determine treatment time

320

Determine degree of achievement

325

Providing Achievement Level

330

Determine threshold

335

input

340

Threshold reached?

345

Initialize...

405

Course

Claims (11)

1. Method (300) for the control of a household appliance (105) by a control apparatus (120), wherein the method (300) comprises the following steps:

   - determining (310) an operating parameter of the household appliance (105) during an operating cycle (200) by a detection facility (135);

   - determining (320), on the basis of the determined operating parameter, a degree of achievement of a result to be obtained by the operating cycle (200) of the household appliance (105) by a processing facility (125); and

   - outputting (325) the determined degree of achievement by an output apparatus (130), characterised in that the result comprises one of a cleaning or a hygiene action and in that the operating cycle (200) comprises a sequence of a plurality of treatment phases (210 - 230) and a premature transition from one treatment phase (210 - 230) to another can be controlled by a user (335).
2. Method (300) according to claim 1, wherein degrees of achievement of a plurality of different results to be obtained by the operating cycle (200) of the household appliance (105) are determined and output.
3. Method (300) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the purpose of the operating cycle (200) is to clean an object which is received in an interior (160) of the household appliance (105).
4. Method (300) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating cycle (200) comprises a sequence of a plurality of treatment phases (210 - 230), a transition from one treatment phase (210 - 230) to a subsequent treatment phase requires the degree of achievement to reach (340) a threshold value and the threshold value can be controlled (335) by a user.
5. Method (300) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein it is determined how much time can be saved by the premature transition to the other treatment phase (210 - 230).
6. Method (300) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating parameter indicates an elapsed portion of an anticipated duration of the operating cycle (200).
7. Method (300) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating parameter comprises a degree of turbidity of a cleaning fluid.
8. Method (300) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating parameter comprises a temperature.
9. Method (300) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating parameter comprises a moisture.
10. Control apparatus (120) for a household appliance (105) comprising:

    - a detection facility (135) which is designed to determine an operating parameter of the household appliance (105) during an operating cycle (200);

    - a processing facility (125) which is designed to determine, on the basis of the determined operating parameter, a degree of achievement of a result to be obtained by the operating cycle (200) of the household appliance (105); and

    - an output apparatus (130) for outputting the determined degree of achievement characterised in that the result comprises one of a cleaning or a hygiene action and in that the operating cycle (200) comprises a plurality of treatment phases (210 - 230) and the control apparatus is designed such that a premature transition from one treatment phase (210 - 230) to another can be controlled by a user.
11. Control system (100) comprising a mobile device (110) and a control apparatus (120) according to Claim 10, wherein the control apparatus (120) has a data interface (165) for the exchange of data with the mobile device (110) and the mobile device (110) is designed to serve as an output apparatus (130).

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