Patent Application
20210093153
Dishwashers are used in many single-family and multi-family residential applications to clean dishes, silverware, cutlery, cups, glasses, pots, pans, etc. (collectively referred to herein as “utensils”). Many dishwashers rely primarily on rotatable spray arms that are disposed at the bottom and/or top of a tub and/or are mounted to a rack that holds utensils. A spray arm is coupled to a source of wash fluid and includes multiple apertures for spraying wash fluid onto utensils, and generally rotates about a central hub such that each aperture follows a circular path throughout the rotation of the spray arm. The apertures may also be angled such that force of the wash fluid exiting the spray arm causes the spray arm to rotate about the central hub.
While traditional spray arm systems are simple and mostly effective, they have the shortcoming of that they must spread the wash fluid over all areas equally to achieve a satisfactory result. In doing so, resources such as time, energy and water are generally wasted because wash fluid cannot be focused precisely where it is needed. Moreover, because spray arms follow a generally circular path, the corners of a tub may not be covered as thoroughly, leading to lower cleaning performance for utensils located in the corners of a rack. In addition, in some instances the spray jets of a spray arm may be directed to the sides of a wash tub during at least portions of the rotation, leading to unneeded noise during a wash cycle.
Various efforts have been made to attempt to customize wash cycles to improve efficiency as well as wash performance, e.g., using cameras and other types of image sensors to sense the contents of a dishwasher, as well as utilizing spray arms that provide more focused washing in particular areas of a dishwasher. Nonetheless, a significant need still exists in the art for greater efficiency and efficacy in dishwasher performance.
The herein-described embodiments address these and other problems associated with the art by providing a dishwasher and method that utilize an imaging system to perform various diagnostic operations within the dishwasher, including one or more of level sensing, filter cleaning, wash tub rinse down, foam detection, imaging system cleaning, and remote viewing.
Therefore, consistent with one aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub including a sump, an imaging device positioned outside of the sump and configured to capture images of the sump, and a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to determine a level state of the dishwasher by controlling the imaging device to capture one or more images of the sump from which a plurality of fluid levels at a plurality of locations in the sump may be determined.
In some embodiments, the controller is configured to determine an out of level condition of the dishwasher based upon a difference between the plurality of fluid levels. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to generate a notification in response to determining the out of level condition. Further, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the level state of the dishwasher by determining the plurality of fluid levels from the captured one or more images. In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the level state of the dishwasher by communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device that determines the plurality of fluid levels, and receiving a response associated therewith from the remote device.
Also, in some embodiments, the plurality of fluid levels includes first, second, third and fourth fluid levels respectively disposed at first, second, third and fourth fluid levels, and the controller is further configured to determine a degree and/or direction of the out of level condition. Further, in some embodiments, the sump includes one or more visually distinct features for use in determining the plurality of fluid levels. Also, in some embodiments, the one or more visually distinct features includes a plurality of parallel lines disposed at different depths in the sump. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid into the sump prior to controlling the imaging device to capture the one or more images of the sump.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub including a sump, an imaging device positioned outside of the sump and configured to capture images of the sump, and a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to determine a level state of the dishwasher by dispensing fluid into the sump, controlling the imaging device to capture one or more images of the sump after fluid has been dispensed into the sump, determining a plurality of fluid levels at a plurality of locations in the sump from the captured one or more images, and determining the level state of the dishwasher based upon the determined plurality of fluid levels.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of determining a level state of a dishwasher may include performing image analysis on one or more images of a sump of the dishwasher captured using an imaging device positioned outside of the sump, and determining a plurality of fluid levels at a plurality of locations in the sump based on the image analysis.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of determining a remaining fill amount for filling a dishwasher may include capturing one or more images of a sump of the dishwasher using an imaging device positioned outside of the sump, determining a fluid level in the sump based upon the captured one or more images, determining a current volume of fluid in the sump based upon the determined fluid level, and determining a remaining fill amount based upon the determined current volume of fluid in the sump.
Some embodiments may also include controlling an inlet valve of the dishwasher to dispense the determined remaining fill amount.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a filter disposed in the wash tub, a controllably-movable sprayer, and a controller coupled to the controllably-movable sprayer and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in the wash tub during a wash cycle, where the controller is further configured to clean the filter by controlling the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter.
In addition, some embodiments may further include an imaging device configured to capture images of the filter, and the controller is coupled to the imaging device and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter in response to a determination of a dirty filter from one or more images of the filter captured by the imaging device. Further, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the dirty filter by performing image analysis on the captured one or more images. In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the dirty filter by communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device that determines the dirty filter, and receiving a response associated therewith from the remote device.
Some embodiments may also include an imaging device configured to capture images of a sump within which the filter is disposed, and the controller is coupled to the imaging device and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter in response to a determination of an overflow condition from one or more images of the sump captured by the imaging device. Also, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to detect a slow draining condition in the dishwasher, and in response thereto, control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter while draining the sump.
Some embodiments may also include an imaging device configured to capture images of the filter, and the controller is coupled to the imaging device and configured to determine if the filter is clean after spraying fluid onto the filter based upon one or more images of the sump captured by the imaging device. In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to generate a notification in response to determining that the filter is not clean after spraying fluid onto the filter.
In some embodiments, the controllably-movable sprayer includes a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with a fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and a tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element between a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis thereof, where the controller is coupled to the tubular spray element drive and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter by controlling the tubular spray element drive to discretely direct the tubular spray element to a rotational position that directs fluid onto the filter. Further, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter by controlling the tubular spray element drive to oscillate between a plurality of rotational positions to sweep fluid across the filter.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a dishwasher may include controlling a controllably-movable sprayer in the dishwasher to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in a wash tub of the dishwasher, and cleaning a filter in the dishwasher by controlling the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub including a sump, a filter disposed in the sump, a sprayer, and a controller coupled to the sprayer and configured to determine an overflow condition in the sump, and in response thereto, control the sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter while draining the sump.
Some embodiments may also include an imaging device configured to capture images of the sump, and the controller is coupled to the imaging device and configured to control the sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter in response to a determination of the overflow condition from one or more images of the sump captured by the imaging device. In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the overflow condition by performing image analysis on the captured one or more images. In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine the overflow condition by communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device that determines the overflow condition, and receiving a response associated therewith from the remote device.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the sprayer is a controllably-movable sprayer, and the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in the wash tub during a wash cycle, and to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter in response to the overflow condition. In addition, in some embodiments, the controllably-movable sprayer includes a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with a fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and a tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element between a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis thereof, where the controller is coupled to the tubular spray element drive and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter by controlling the tubular spray element drive to discretely direct the tubular spray element to a rotational position that directs fluid onto the filter. Further, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter by controlling the tubular spray element drive to oscillate between a plurality of rotational positions to sweep fluid across the filter.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a dishwasher may include determining an overflow condition in a sump of the dishwasher, and in response to determining the overflow condition, controlling a sprayer in the dishwasher to spray fluid onto a filter disposed in the sump of the dishwasher while draining the sump.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub including a sump, a filter disposed in the sump, a sprayer, and a controller coupled to the sprayer and configured to detect a slow draining condition in the dishwasher, and in response thereto, control the sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter while draining the sump.
In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to detect the slow draining condition by determining a flow rate while draining the dishwasher. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to detect the slow draining condition using a flowmeter. Also, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to detect the slow draining condition based upon one or more images of the sump captured by an imaging device disposed in the dishwasher. Further, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to detect the slow draining condition based upon an amount of time for a fluid level in the sump to drop to a landmark depth while draining the sump.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to detect the slow draining condition by performing image analysis on the captured one or more images. In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to detect the slow draining condition by communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device that determines the slow draining condition, and receiving a response associated therewith from the remote device.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the sprayer is a controllably-movable sprayer, and where the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in the wash tub during a wash cycle, and to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter in response to the slow draining condition. In some embodiments, the controllably-movable sprayer includes a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with a fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and a tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element between a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis thereof, where the controller is coupled to the tubular spray element drive and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter by controlling the tubular spray element drive to discretely direct the tubular spray element to a rotational position that directs fluid onto the filter. In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the filter by controlling the tubular spray element drive to oscillate between a plurality of rotational positions to sweep fluid across the filter.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a dishwasher may include detecting a slow draining condition in the dishwasher, and in response to detecting the slow draining condition, controlling a sprayer in the dishwasher to spray fluid onto a filter disposed in the sump of the dishwasher while draining the sump.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub including a plurality of walls, a controllably-movable sprayer, and a controller coupled to the controllably-movable sprayer and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in the wash tub during a wash cycle, where the controller is further configured to rinse down one or more of the plurality of walls by controlling the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls.
Some embodiments may also include an imaging device configured to capture images of the dishwasher, and the controller is coupled to the imaging device and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls in response to a detection of foam in the dishwasher from one or more images captured by the imaging device. In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to detect the foam by performing image analysis on the captured one or more images. In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to detect the foam by communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device that detects the foam, and receiving a response associated therewith from the remote device.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the controllably-movable sprayer includes a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with a fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and a tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element between a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis thereof, where the controller is coupled to the tubular spray element drive and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls by controlling the tubular spray element drive to discretely direct the tubular spray element to a rotational position that directs fluid onto a wall of the wash tub. Further, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls by controlling the tubular spray element drive to oscillate between a plurality of rotational positions to sweep fluid across a first wall among the plurality of walls.
In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the tubular spray element drive to sweep fluid from proximate a top of the first wall to proximate a bottom of the first wall. Moreover, in some embodiments, the dishwasher includes a plurality of tubular spray elements controlled by a plurality of respective tubular spray element drives, and the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls by controlling the plurality of tubular spray element drives to oscillate respective tubular spray elements between a plurality of rotational positions to sweep fluid across multiple walls among the plurality of walls. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls by controlling first and second tubular spray element drives among the plurality of tubular spray element drives to oscillate respective first and second tubular spray elements in opposite directions to sweep fluid from a middle portion of a first wall among the plurality of walls.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a dishwasher may include controlling a controllably-movable sprayer in the dishwasher to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in a wash tub of the dishwasher, and rinsing down one or more of the plurality of walls by controlling the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the one or more of the plurality of walls.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a sprayer configured to spray fluid within the wash tub, an imaging device configured to capture images within the wash tub, and a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to control the imaging device to capture one or more images within the wash tub, the controller further configured to control the sprayer to spray fluid onto the imaging device in response to a determination that the imaging device is blocked based upon the captured one or more images.
Further, in some embodiments, the sprayer is a controllably-movable sprayer, and the controller is configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in the wash tub during a wash cycle, and to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the imaging device in response to the determination that the imaging device is blocked. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controllably-movable sprayer includes a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with a fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and a tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element between a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis thereof, where the controller is coupled to the tubular spray element drive and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto the imaging device by controlling the tubular spray element drive to discretely direct the tubular spray element to a rotational position that directs fluid onto the imaging device.
In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to control the imaging device to capture one or more additional images after spraying the imaging device with the sprayer to confirm that the imaging device has been cleaned. In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to generate a notification in response to a determination that the imaging device is not clean after spraying the imaging device with the sprayer. Also, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine that the imaging device is blocked by performing image analysis on the captured one or more images. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine that the imaging device is blocked by communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device that determines that the imaging device is blocked, and receiving a response associated therewith from the remote device.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a sprayer configured to spray fluid within the wash tub, an imaging device configured to capture images within the wash tub, and a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to clean the imaging device by controlling the sprayer to spray fluid onto the imaging device.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a dishwasher may include capturing one or more images in the dishwasher using an imaging device, determining that the imaging device in the dishwasher is blocked based upon the one or more images, and in response thereto, controlling a sprayer in the dishwasher to clean the imaging device by spraying fluid onto the imaging device.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a sprayer configured to spray fluid within the wash tub, an imaging device configured to capture images within the wash tub, and a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to control the imaging device to capture one or more images within the wash tub, the controller further configured to communicate the captured one or more images to a remote device for viewing on the remote device.
In addition, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to perform an operation in the dishwasher in response to a command received from the remote device. Further, in some embodiments, the command is a command to change a field of view of the imaging device, to start or stop the dishwasher, to controllably-move the sprayer, or to activate or deactivate a component in the dishwasher. In addition, in some embodiments, the remote device is associated with a manufacturer of the dishwasher. Moreover, in some embodiments, the remote device is associated with a service organization. In some embodiments, the remote device is associated with a user of the dishwasher.
Also, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to communicate the captured one or more images to the remote device is response to a remote start command received from the remote device, and the controller is configured to start a wash cycle in the dishwasher in response to a confirmation received from the remote device after communicating the captured one or more images to the remote device. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to start the wash cycle in response to the received confirmation even if a door of the dishwasher has been opened subsequent to a last user interaction with the dishwasher via a physical user interface of the dishwasher.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a sprayer configured to spray fluid within the wash tub, an imaging device configured to capture images within the wash tub, and a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to perform a remote start of a wash cycle in the dishwasher in response to receiving a remote start command from a remote device by controlling the imaging device to capture one or more images within the wash tub, communicating the captured one or more images to the remote device for viewing on the remote device, waiting to receive a confirmation from the remote device, and starting the wash cycle in response to receiving the confirmation from the remote device.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a dishwasher may include capturing one or more images in the dishwasher using an imaging device, and communicating the captured one or more images to a remote device for viewing on the remote device.
These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the Drawings, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In various embodiments discussed hereinafter, an imaging system may be used within a dishwasher to perform various operations within the dishwasher. An imaging system, in this regard, may be considered to include one or more cameras or other imaging devices capable of capturing images within a dishwasher. The images may be captured in the visible spectrum in some embodiments, while in other embodiments other spectrums may be captured, e.g., the infrared spectrum. Imaging devices may be positioned in fixed locations within a dishwasher in some embodiments, and in other embodiments may be positioned on movable and/or controllable components, as will become more apparent below. In addition, captured images may be analyzed locally within a dishwasher in some embodiments, while in other embodiments captured images may be analyzed remotely, e.g., using a cloud-based service. Furthermore, imaging devices may generate two dimensional images in some embodiments, while in other embodiments captured images may be three dimensional in nature, e.g., to enable surface models to be generated for structures within a dishwasher, including both components of the dishwasher and articles placed in the dishwasher to be washed. Images may also be combined in some embodiments, and in some embodiments multiple images may be combined into videos clips prior to analysis.
In some embodiments consistent with the invention, and as will become more apparent below, an imaging system may be utilized in connection with one or more controllable sprayers. A controllable sprayer, in this regard, may refer to a component capable of selectively generating a spray of fluid towards any of a plurality of particular spots, locations, or regions of a dishwasher, such that through control of the sprayer, fluid may be selectively sprayed into different spots, locations or regions as desired. When paired with an imaging system consistent with the invention, therefore, a controller of a dishwasher may be capable of controlling one or more controllable sprayers to direct fluid into specific spots, locations or regions based upon images captured by an imaging system.
In some instances, a controllable sprayer may be implemented using multiple nozzles directed at different spots, locations or regions and selectively switchable between active and inactive states. In other embodiments, however, a controllable sprayer may be a controllably-movable sprayer that is capable of being moved, e.g., through rotation, translation or a combination thereof, to direct a spray of fluid to different spots, locations or regions. Moreover, while some controllably-movable sprayers may include designs such as gantry-mounted wash arms or other sprayers, controllably-rotatable wash arms, motorized sprayers, and the like, in some embodiments, a controllably-movable sprayer may be configured as a tubular spray element that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and discretely directed through each of a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis by a tubular spray element drive to spray a fluid such as a wash liquid and/or pressurized air in a controlled direction generally transverse from the longitudinal axis about which the tubular spray element rotates.
A tubular spray element, in this regard, may be considered to include an elongated body, which may be generally cylindrical in some embodiments but may also have other cross-sectional profiles in other embodiments, and which has one or more apertures disposed on an exterior surface thereof and in fluid communication with a fluid supply, e.g., through one or more internal passageways defined therein. A tubular spray element also has a longitudinal axis generally defined along its longest dimension and about which the tubular spray element rotates, and furthermore, a tubular spray element drive is coupled to the tubular spray element to discretely direct the tubular spray element to multiple rotational positions about the longitudinal axis. In addition, when a tubular spray element is mounted on a rack and configured to selectively engage with a dock based upon the position of the rack, this longitudinal axis may also be considered to be an axis of insertion. A tubular spray element may also have a cross-sectional profile that varies along the longitudinal axis, so it will be appreciated that a tubular spray element need not have a circular cross-sectional profile along its length as is illustrated in a number embodiments herein. In addition, the one or more apertures on the exterior surface of a tubular spray element may be arranged into nozzles in some embodiments, and may be fixed or movable (e.g., rotating, oscillating, etc.) with respect to other apertures on the tubular spray element. Further, the exterior surface of a tubular spray element may be defined on multiple components of a tubular spray element, i.e., the exterior surface need not be formed by a single integral component.
In addition, in some embodiments a tubular spray element may be discretely directed by a tubular spray element drive to multiple rotational positions about the longitudinal axis to spray a fluid in predetermined directions into a wash tub of a dishwasher during a wash cycle. In some embodiments, a tubular spray element may be mounted on a movable portion of the dishwasher, e.g., a rack, and may be operably coupled to such a drive through a docking arrangement that both rotates the tubular spray element and supplies fluid to the tubular spray element when the tubular spray element is docked in the docking arrangement. In other embodiments, however, a tubular spray element may be mounted to a fixed portion of a dishwasher, e.g., a wash tub wall, whereby no docking arrangement is used. Further details regarding tubular spray elements may be found, for example, in U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0099054 filed by Digman et al., which is incorporated by reference herein.
It will be appreciated, however, that an imaging system consistent with the invention may, in some instances, be used in a dishwasher having other types of spray elements, e.g., rotatable spray arms, fixed sprayers, etc., as well as in a dishwasher having spray elements that are not discretely directable or otherwise controllable or controllably-movable. Therefore, the invention is not limited in all instances to use in connection with the various types of sprayers described herein.
Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout the several views,
In addition, consistent with some embodiments of the invention, dishwasher 10 may include one or more tubular spray elements (TSEs) 26 to direct a wash fluid onto utensils disposed in racks 18, 20. As will become more apparent below, tubular spray elements 26 are rotatable about respective longitudinal axes and are discretely directable by one or more tubular spray element drives (not shown in
Some tubular spray elements 26 may be fixedly mounted to a wall or other structure in wash tub 16, e.g., as may be the case for tubular spray elements 26 disposed below or adjacent lower rack 18. For other tubular spray elements 26, e.g., rack-mounted tubular spray elements, the tubular spray elements may be removably coupled to a docking arrangement such as docking arrangement 28 mounted to the rear wall of wash tub 16 in
The embodiments discussed hereinafter will focus on the implementation of the hereinafter-described techniques within a hinged-door dishwasher. However, it will be appreciated that the herein-described techniques may also be used in connection with other types of dishwashers in some embodiments. For example, the herein-described techniques may be used in commercial applications in some embodiments. Moreover, at least some of the herein-described techniques may be used in connection with other dishwasher configurations, including dishwashers utilizing sliding drawers or dish sink dishwashers, e.g., a dishwasher integrated into a sink.
Now turning to
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, pump 36 and air supply 38 collectively implement a fluid supply for dishwasher 100, providing both a source of wash fluid and pressurized air for use respectively during wash and drying operations of a wash cycle. A wash fluid may be considered to be a fluid, generally a liquid, incorporating at least water, and in some instances, additional components such as detergent, rinse aid, and other additives. During a rinse operation, for example, the wash fluid may include only water. A wash fluid may also include steam in some instances. Pressurized air is generally used in drying operations, and may or may not be heated and/or dehumidified prior to spraying into a wash tub. It will be appreciated, however, that pressurized air may not be used for drying purposes in some embodiments, so air supply 38 may be omitted in some instances, and thus a fluid supply in some embodiments may supply various liquid wash fluids to various sprayers in the dishwasher. Moreover, in some instances, tubular spray elements may be used solely for spraying wash fluid or spraying pressurized air, with other sprayers or spray arms used for other purposes, so the invention is not limited to the use of tubular spray elements for spraying both wash fluid and pressurized air.
Controller 30 may also be coupled to a dispenser 44 to trigger the dispensing of detergent and/or rinse agent into the wash tub at appropriate points during a wash cycle. Additional sensors and actuators may also be used in some embodiments, including a temperature sensor 46 to determine a wash fluid temperature, a door switch 48 to determine when door 12 is latched, and a door lock 50 to prevent the door from being opened during a wash cycle. Moreover, controller 30 may be coupled to a user interface 52 including various input/output devices such as knobs, dials, sliders, switches, buttons, lights, textual and/or graphics displays, touch screen displays, speakers, image capture devices, microphones, etc. for receiving input from and communicating with a user. In some embodiments, controller 30 may also be coupled to one or more network interfaces 54, e.g., for interfacing with external devices via wired and/or wireless networks 56 such as Ethernet, Bluetooth, NFC, cellular and other suitable networks. External devices may include, for example, one or more user devices 58, e.g., mobile devices, desktop computers, etc., and one or more cloud services 60, e.g., as may be provided by a manufacturer of dishwasher 10. Other types of devices, e.g., devices associated with maintenance or repair personnel, may also interface with dishwasher 10 in some embodiments.
Additional components may also be interfaced with controller 30, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure. For example, one or more tubular spray element (TSE) drives 62 and/or one or more tubular spray element (TSE) valves 64 may be provided in some embodiments to discretely control one or more tubular spray elements disposed in dishwasher 10, as will be discussed in greater detail below. Further, an imaging system including one or more cameras 66 (see also
It will be appreciated that each tubular spray element drive 62 may also provide feedback to controller 30 in some embodiments, e.g., a current position and/or speed, although in other embodiments a separate position sensor may be used. In addition, as will become more apparent below, flow regulation to a tubular spray element may be performed without the use of a separately-controlled tubular spray element valve 64 in some embodiments, e.g., where rotation of a tubular spray element by a tubular spray element drive is used to actuate a mechanical valve.
Moreover, in some embodiments, at least a portion of controller 30 may be implemented externally from a dishwasher, e.g., within a user device 58, a cloud service 60, etc., such that at least a portion of the functionality described herein is implemented within the portion of the controller that is externally implemented. In some embodiments, controller 30 may operate under the control of an operating system and may execute or otherwise rely upon various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc. In addition, controller 30 may also incorporate hardware logic to implement some or all of the functionality disclosed herein. Further, in some embodiments, the sequences of operations performed by controller 30 to implement the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using program code including one or more instructions that are resident at various times in various memory and storage devices, and that, when read and executed by one or more hardware-based processors, perform the operations embodying desired functionality. Moreover, in some embodiments, such program code may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of computer readable media used to actually carry out the distribution, including, for example, non-transitory computer readable storage media. In addition, it will be appreciated that the various operations described herein may be combined, split, reordered, reversed, varied, omitted, parallelized and/or supplemented with other techniques known in the art, and therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular sequences of operations described herein.
Numerous variations and modifications to the dishwasher illustrated in
Furthermore, additional details regarding the concepts disclosed herein may also be found in the following co-pending applications, all of which were filed on even date herewith, and all of which are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “DISHWASHER WITH IMAGE-BASED OBJECT SENSING,” U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “DISHWASHER WITH IMAGE-BASED FLUID CONDITION SENSING,” U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “DISHWASHER WITH CAM-BASED POSITION SENSOR,” U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “DISHWASHER WITH IMAGE-BASED POSITION SENSOR,” and U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “DISHWASHER WITH IMAGE-BASED DETERGENT SENSING.”
Now turning to
Moreover, as illustrated in
Tubular spray element 100 is in fluid communication with a fluid supply 106, e.g., through a port 108 of tubular spray element drive 102, to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures 104. Tubular spray element drive 102 is coupled to tubular spray element 100 and is configured to discretely direct the tubular spray element 100 to each of a plurality of rotational positions about longitudinal axis L. By “discretely directing,” what is meant is that tubular spray element drive 102 is capable of rotating tubular spray element 100 generally to a controlled rotational angle (or at least within a range of rotational angles) about longitudinal axis L. Thus, rather than uncontrollably rotating tubular spray element 100 or uncontrollably oscillating the tubular spray element between two fixed rotational positions, tubular spray element drive 102 is capable of intelligently focusing the spray from tubular spray element 100 between multiple rotational positions. It will also be appreciated that rotating a tubular spray element to a controlled rotational angle may refer to an absolute rotational angle (e.g., about 10 degrees from a home position) or may refer to a relative rotational angle (e.g., about 10 degrees from the current position).
Tubular spray element drive 102 is also illustrated with an electrical connection 110 for coupling to a controller 112, and a housing 114 is illustrated for housing various components in tubular spray element drive 102. In the illustrated embodiment, tubular spray element drive 102 is configured as a base that supports, through a rotary coupling, an end of the tubular spray element and effectively places the tubular spray element in fluid communication with port 108.
By having an intelligent control provided by tubular spray element drive 102 and/or controller 112, spray patterns and cycle parameters may be increased and optimized for different situations. For instance, tubular spray elements near the center of a wash tub may be configured to rotate 360 degrees, while tubular spray elements located near wash tub walls may be limited to about 180 degrees of rotation to avoid spraying directly onto any of the walls of the wash tub, which can be a significant source of noise in a dishwasher. In another instance, it may be desirable to direct or focus a tubular spray element to a fixed rotational position or over a small range of rotational positions (e.g., about 5-10 degrees) to provide concentrated spray of liquid, steam and/or air, e.g., for cleaning silverware or baked on debris in a pan. In addition, in some instances the rotational velocity of a tubular spray element may be varied throughout rotation to provide longer durations in certain ranges of rotational positions and thus provide more concentrated washing in particular areas of a wash tub, while still maintaining rotation through 360 degrees. Control over a tubular spray element may include control over rotational position, speed or rate of rotation and/or direction of rotation in different embodiments of the invention.
In addition, an optional position sensor 122 may be disposed in tubular spray element drive 102 to determine a rotational position of tubular spray element 100 about axis L. Position sensor 122 may be an encoder or hall sensor in some embodiments, or may be implemented in other manners, e.g., integrated into a stepper motor, whereby the rotational position of the motor is used to determine the rotational position of the tubular spray element, or using one or more microswitches and a cam configured to engage the microswitches at predetermined rotational positions. Position sensor 122 may also sense only limited rotational positions about axis L (e.g., a home position, 30 or 45 degree increments, etc.). Further, in some embodiments, rotational position may be controlled using time and programming logic, e.g., relative to a home position, and in some instances without feedback from a motor or position sensor. Position sensor 122 may also be external to tubular spray element drive 102 in some embodiments.
An internal passage 124 in tubular spray element 100 is in fluid communication with an internal passage 126 leading to port 108 (not shown in
In addition, it also may be desirable in some embodiments to incorporate a valve 140 into a tubular spray element drive 102 to regulate the fluid flow to tubular spray element 100. Valve 140 may be an on/off valve in some embodiments or may be a variable valve to control flow rate in other embodiments. In still other embodiments, a valve may be external to or otherwise separate from a tubular spray element drive, and may either be dedicated to the tubular spray element or used to control multiple tubular spray elements. Valve 140 may be integrated with or otherwise proximate a rotary coupling between tubular spray element 100 and tubular spray element drive 102. By regulating fluid flow to tubular spray elements, e.g., by selectively shutting off tubular spray elements, water can be conserved and/or high-pressure zones can be created by pushing all of the hydraulic power through fewer numbers of tubular spray elements.
In some embodiments, valve 140 may be actuated independent of rotation of tubular spray element 100, e.g., using an iris valve, butterfly valve, gate valve, plunger valve, piston valve, valve with a rotatable disk, ball valve, etc., and actuated by a solenoid, motor or other separate mechanism from the mechanism that rotates tubular spray element 100. In other embodiments, however, valve 140 may be actuated through rotation of tubular spray element 100. In some embodiments, for example, rotation of tubular spray element 100 to a predetermined rotational position may be close valve 140, e.g., where valve 140 includes an arcuate channel that permits fluid flow over only a range of rotational positions. As another example, a valve may be actuated through over-rotation of a tubular spray element or through counter rotation of a tubular spray element.
Tubular spray elements may be mounted within a wash tub in various manners in different embodiments, e.g., mounted to a wall (e.g., a side wall, a back wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, or a door) of a wash tub, and may be oriented in various directions, e.g., horizontally, vertically, front-to-back, side-to-side, or at an angle. It will also be appreciated that a tubular spray element drive may be disposed within a wash tub, e.g., mounted on wall of the wash tub or on a rack or other supporting structure, or alternatively some or all of the tubular spray element drive may be disposed external from a wash tub, e.g., such that a portion of the tubular spray element drive or the tubular spray element projects through an aperture in the wash tub. Alternatively, a magnetic drive could be used to drive a tubular spray element in the wash tub using an externally-mounted tubular spray element drive. Moreover, rather than being mounted in a cantilevered fashion as is the case with tubular spray element 100 of
Additional features that may be utilized in a dishwasher including tubular spray elements are described, for example, in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 16/132,091, 16/132,106, 16/132,114, 16/132,125 filed on Sep. 14, 2018 and U.S. application Ser. No. 16/298,007 filed on Mar. 11, 2019, all of which are all assigned to the same assignee as the present application, and all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Now turning to
An imaging system 170, including, for example, one or more cameras 172, may be used to collect image data within wash tub 152 for a variety of purposes. As noted above, cameras 172 may operate in the visible spectrum (e.g., RGB cameras) in some embodiments, or may operate in other spectra, e.g., the infrared spectrum (e.g., IR cameras), the ultraviolet spectrum, etc. Moreover, cameras 172 may collect two dimensional and/or three dimensional image data in different embodiments, may use range or distance sensing (e.g., using LIDAR), and may generate static images and/or video clips in various embodiments. Cameras may be disposed at various locations within a wash tub, including, for example, on any of walls 154, 156, 158, in corners between walls, on components mounted to walls (e.g., fluid supply conduits), in sump 160, on door 162, on any of racks 164, 166, or even on a spray arm 168, tubular spray element, or other movable component within a dishwasher. Moreover, different types of imaging devices may be used at different locations, or multiple imaging device of different types may be used at the same location (e.g., RGB in one location and IR in another, or RGB and IR in the same location). In addition, an imaging system 170 may also in some embodiments include one or more lights or other illumination devices 174 suitable for illuminating the wash tub to facilitate image collection. Illumination devices 174 may illuminate light in various spectra, including white light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, or even colored light in a particular segment of the visible spectra, e.g. a green, blue, or red light, or patterns of light (e.g., lines, grids, moving shapes, etc.), as may be desirable for particular applications, such as 3D applications. In addition, as illustrated by camera 172a, a camera may also capture image data outside of a wash tub, e.g., to capture images of a rack that has been extended to a loading position.
As noted above, and as is illustrated by cameras 172 and 172a, cameras may be fixed in some embodiments, and it may be desirable to utilize multiple cameras to ensure suitable coverage of all areas of a washtub for which it is desirable to collect image data. In other embodiments only a single camera may be used, and in addition, in some embodiments one or multiple cameras may be disposed on a movable component of a dishwasher to vary the viewpoint of the camera to capture different areas or perspectives within a dishwasher.
As noted above, it may be desirable in some embodiments to additionally incorporate one or more position sensors to determine the position of a tubular spray element or other sprayer in a dishwasher. Position sensor 122 of
A tubular spray element drive 230 includes a motor 232, drive shaft 234 that projects through the wall of manifold 222 and a drive gear 236 that engages with a gear 238 that rotates with tubular spray element 224, such that rotation of drive shaft 234 by motor 232 rotates tubular spray element 224 through the engagement of gears 236, 238. While gears 236, 238 are illustrated as being within manifold 222, in other embodiments, the gears may be external from manifold 222, e.g., on the same side as motor 232, or alternatively, within the wash tub and on the same side as tubular spray element 224.
A cam-based position sensor 240 includes a cam 242 mounted to drive shaft 234 and including a cam lobe 244 defined at a rotational position relative to nozzles 226 of tubular spray element, e.g., at the same rotational position as nozzles 226 in some embodiments. A cam detector 246, e.g., a microswitch, is also positioned at a predetermined position about cam 242 and positioned within a path of travel of cam lobe 244 such that when cam 242 is rotated to a position whereby cam lobe 244 physically engages cam detector 246, a switch is closed and a signal is generated indicating that the tubular spray element 224 is at a predetermined rotational position. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, cam detector 246 is positioned at a top vertical position such that cam detector 246 generates a signal when nozzles 226 are directed straight upwards.
To simplify the discussion, it may be assumed that gears 236, 238 are identically configured such that tubular spray element 224 rotates a full revolution in response to rotation of drive shaft 234 by a full revolution, whereby the rotational position of tubular spray element 224 is derivable directly from the rotational position of drive shaft 234. In other embodiments, however, gears 236, 238 may be differently configured such that a full rotation of drive shaft 234 rotates tubular spray element by less than or more than a full revolution.
It will be appreciated that a cam detector in other embodiments may utilize other sensing technologies. For example, a cam detector may be implemented as a hall or magnetic sensor, and cam lobes on a cam may be implemented using magnets that are sensed by the hall or magnetic sensor when adjacent thereto. As another alternative, a cam detector may include one or more electrical contacts that close an electrical circuit when a cam lobe formed of metal or another electrical conductor engages the cam detector, or may include optical components that sense light or the blockage of light from different holes or durations.
Moreover, while position sensing is performed using a cam coupled to a drive shaft in the embodiment of
It will also be appreciated that a cam-based position sensor may include multiple cam lobes used with one or more cam detectors, and that these multiple cam lobes may rotate about a common axis and within a common plane (as is illustrated in
Returning to
Now turning to
A rotational position of tubular spray element 272 may be defined about its longitudinal axis L, and in some embodiments may be represented using an angle A relative to some home position H (e.g., a top vertical position in the illustrated embodiment, although the invention is not so limited).
The rotational position of tubular spray element 272 may be detected from image data based upon image analysis of one or more images captured from one or more image devices, and in many embodiments, may be based upon detecting one or more visually distinctive features that may be used to determine the current orientation of the tubular spray element about its longitudinal axis L. In some embodiments, for example, distinctive structures defined on the generally cylindrical surface of tubular spray element 272, e.g., nozzles 274, may be detected in order to determine the rotational position.
In other embodiments, however, distinctive indicia 280 that are incorporated into tubular spray element 272 solely or at least partially for purposes of image-based position sensing may be disposed at various rotational positions on the outer surface of tubular spray element 272. In addition, in some instances, as illustrated at 282, the distinctive indicia may be textual in nature. Furthermore, as illustrated at 284, the distinctive indicia may be designed to represent a range of rotational positions, such that image analysis of the indicia may be used to determine a specific rotational position within the range. Indicia 284, for example, includes a series of parallel bars that vary in width and/or spacing such that a location within the series of parallel bars that is visible in a portion of an image can be used to determine a particular rotational position, similar in many respects to the manner that a bar code may be used to retrieve numerical information irrespective of the orientation and/or size of the bar code in an image. Other indicia arrangements that facilitate discrimination of a rotational position out of a range of rotational positions may also be used in some embodiments, e.g., combinations of letters or numbers. In some embodiments, for example, an array of numbers, letters or other distinctive features may circumscribe the generally cylindrical surface of a tubular spray element such that a rotational position may be determined based upon the relative position of one or more elements in the array.
The indicia may be formed in varying manners in different embodiments, e.g., formed as recessed or raised features on a molded tubular spray element, formed using contrasting colors or patterns, integrally molded with the surface of the tubular spray element, applied or otherwise mounted to the surface of the tubular spray element using a different material (e.g., a label or sticker), or in other suitable manners. For example, a reflective window 286 may be used in some embodiments to reflect light within the washtub and thereby provide a high contrast feature for detection. Further, in some embodiments an indicia may itself generate light, e.g., using an LED. It will be appreciated that in some instances, fluid flow, detergent, and/or obstructions created by racks and/or utensils may complicate image-based position sensing, so high contrast indicia may be desirable in some instances to accommodate such challenging conditions.
With reference to
In addition, in some embodiments, image-based position sensing may also be based upon the relationship of a spray pattern to a target, e.g., the example target 298 illustrated in
Now turning to
In addition, nozzles 312 are illustrated in a contrasting color that may also be used to determine the rotational position. Furthermore, each tubular spray element 302 is illustrated with an indicia (a contrasting line) 314 disposed on a docking component of the tubular spray element, which may also be used in image-based position sensing in some embodiments. Other components, e.g., gears, or rotatable components of a docking arrangement, may also include distinct indicia to facilitate position sensing in other embodiments. Furthermore, multiple colors may be used at different locations about the circumference of a tubular spray element to facilitate sensing in some embodiments.
An example process for performing image-based position sensing consistent with the invention is illustrated at 320 in
It will be appreciated that a rotational position may be determined from the detected elements in a number of manners consistent with the invention. For example, various image filtering, processing, and analysis techniques may be used in some embodiments. Further, machine learning models may be constructed and trained to identify the rotational position of a tubular spray element based upon captured image data. A machine learning model may be used, for example, to determine the position of a visually distinctive feature in block 324, to determine the rotational position given the position of a visually distinctive feature in block 326, or to perform both operations to effectively output a rotational position based upon input image data.
In addition, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to monitor for misalignments of a tubular spray element to trigger a recalibration operation. In block 328, for example, if it is known that the position to which the tubular spray element is being driven differs from the sensed position, a recalibration operation may be signaled such that, during an idle time (either during or after a wash cycle) the tubular spray element is recalibrated. In some embodiments, for example, image analysis may be performed to detect when a spray pattern is not hitting an intended target when the tubular spray element is driven to a position where it is expected that the target will be hit. In some embodiments, such analysis may also be used to detect when the spray pattern has deviated from a desired pattern, and recalibration of a flow rate may also be desired (discussed in greater detail below).
Now turning to
Next, once the tubular spray element is rotated to the desired position, one or more images are captured in block 334 while a spray pattern is directed on the target, and image analysis is performed to determine whether the spray pattern is hitting the desired target. If so, no adjustment is needed. If not, however, block 336 may adjust the position of the tubular spray element as needed to focus the tubular spray element on the desired target, which may include continuing to capture and analyze images as the tubular spray element is adjusted.
While image-based position sensing may be used in some embodiments to detect a current position of a tubular spray element in all orientations, in other embodiments it may be desirable to use image-based position sensing to detect only a subset of possible rotational positions, e.g., as little as a single “home” position. Likewise, as noted above, cam-based position sensing generally is used to detect only a subset of possible rotational positions of a tubular spray element. In such instances, it may therefore be desirable to utilize a time-based control where, given a known rate of rotation for a tubular spray element, a tubular spray element drive may drive a tubular spray element to different rotational positions by operating the tubular spray element drive for a predetermined amount of time associated with those positions (e.g., with a rate of 20 degrees of rotation per second, rotation from a home position at 0 degrees to a position 60 degrees offset from the home position would require activation of the drive for 3 seconds). Given a rotation rate of a tubular spray element drive (e.g., in terms of Y degrees per second) and a desired rotational displacement X from a known rotational position sensed by a position sensor, the time T to drive the tubular spray element drive after sensing a known rotational position is generally T=X/Y.
In order to determine the rotation rate of a tubular spray element, a calibration process, e.g., as illustrated at 340 in
In process 340, a tubular spray element is driven to a first position (e.g., a home position as sensed by an image-based position sensor or corresponding to a particular cam detector/cam lobe combination of a cam-based position sensor) in block 342, and then is driven to a second position in block 344, with the time to reach the second position determined, e.g., based upon a timer started when movement to the second position is initiated. The second position may be at a known rotational position relative to the first position, such that the actual rotational offset between the two positions may be used to derive a rate by dividing the rotational offset by the time to rotate from the first to the second position. The rate may then be updated in block 346 for use in subsequent time-based rotation control.
In some embodiments, the first and second positions may be separated by a portion of a revolution, while in some embodiments, the first and second positions may both be the same rotational position (e.g., a home position), such that the rotational offset corresponds to a full rotation of the tubular spray element. In addition, multiple iterations may be performed in some embodiments with the times to perform the various iterations averaged to generate the updated rate.
As an alternative to process 340, calibration of a tubular spray element may be based upon hitting a target, as illustrated by process 350 of
Process 360 begins in block 362 by moving the tubular spray element to a first position. Block 364 then drives the tubular spray element to a second position and determines the time to reach the second position. In addition, during this time images are captured of the spray pattern generated by the tubular spray element. Next, in block 366, blocks 362 and 364 are repeated multiple times, with different flow rates supplied to the tubular spray element such that the spray patterns generated thereby may be captured for analysis. Block 368 then determines a rate parameter in the manner described above (optionally averaging together the rates from the multiple sweeps).
In addition, block 368 may select a flow rate parameter that provides a desired spray pattern. In some embodiments, for example, the spray patterns generated by different flow rates may be captured in different images collected during different sweeps, and the spray patterns may be compared against a desired spray pattern, with the spray pattern most closely matching the desired spray pattern being used to select the flow rate that generated the most closely matching spray pattern selected as the flow rate to be used. In addition, analysis of spray patterns may also be used to control rate of rotation, as it may be desirable in some embodiments to rotate tubular spray elements at slower speeds to increase the volume of fluid directed onto utensils and thereby compensate for reduced fluid flow. Further, in some embodiments, pressure strength may be measured through captured images. As one example, a tubular spray element may be rotated to an upwardly-facing direction and the height of the spray pattern generated may be sensed via captured images and used to determine a relative pressure strength of the tubular spray element.
In addition, as illustrated in block 370, it may be desired in some embodiments to optionally recommend maintenance or service based upon the detected spray patterns. For example, if no desirable spray patterns are detected, e.g., due to some nozzles being partially or fully blocked, it may be desirable to notify a customer of the condition, enabling the customer to either clean the nozzles, run a cleaning cycle with an appropriate cleaning solution to clean the nozzles, or schedule a service. The notification may be on a display of the dishwasher, on an app on the user's mobile device, via text or email, or in other suitable manners.
Now turning to
After focusing spray on the blocked sprayer, block 386 may then attempt to return the blocked sprayer to a known position, and then monitor the position in any of the manners described above. Then, in block 388, if the movement is successful, the wash cycle may resume in a normal manner, and if not, an error may be signaled to the user, e.g., in any various manners mentioned above, for maintenance or service.
In some embodiments of the invention, it may also be desirable to utilize an imaging system to perform turbidity or other fluid condition sensing. The imaging system may include one or more cameras or other imaging devices disposed outside of a sump of a dishwasher, and in many instances above the sump as well as a maximum fluid level for the sump, but having a field of view directed towards the sump to sense the turbidity or condition of fluid disposed in the sump. In addition, in some embodiments, a light may be projected through the fluid in the sump to facilitate turbidity or fluid condition sensing by an imaging device. The light may be disposed within the sump or alternatively, may be disposed outside of the sump, with a mirror or other reflective element disposed in the sump and configured to reflect the light towards the camera or imaging device.
By positioning an imaging device utilized for fluid condition sensing outside of the sump, the imaging device may be utilized for one or more non-fluid condition sensing operations in a dishwasher in some embodiments, e.g., load sensing, object sensing, soil sensing, remote viewing, detergent sensing, filter sensing, filter cleaning, fluid level sensing, sprayer position sensing, self-cleaning, diagnostics or for other operations as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure. Moreover, in various embodiments, an imaging device utilized for fluid condition sensing may be disposed in a fixed location in a dishwasher (e.g., a tub wall) and have a fixed field of view, or alternatively may be movable and/or may have a controllably-varied field of view to enable the imaging device to be focused on a particular target (e.g., a light or reflective element in the sump) for the purpose of fluid condition sensing. Further, when utilized for multiple imaging purposes, in some embodiments an imaging device used for fluid condition sensing may be disposed within a sump but also capable of capturing images of other areas of the dishwasher that are external from the sump.
In addition, it will be appreciated that an imaging device utilized for fluid condition sensing may sense visible light or other spectra, e.g., the infrared spectrum. In addition, any supplemental illumination provided for fluid condition sensing may be visible (white) light or may be limited to various spectra, e.g., an infrared light, a red light, a green light, or other suitable spectrum for sensing turbidity or other fluid conditions. Further, while the illustrated embodiments utilize a single imaging device, other embodiments may utilize multiple imaging devices for fluid condition sensing.
Now turning to
Dishwasher 400 also includes a sump 414, which may be considered to be a lower portion of wash tub 402 within which water, wash fluid, etc., is collected for recirculation and/or drainage during a wash cycle. A filter 416 may be disposed within sump 414, and it will be appreciated that during a wash cycle fluids are generally introduced into sump 414 by an inlet valve coupled to a water supply and then distributed through tubular spray elements 410, 412 (or other sprayers) by a pump (not shown in
Dishwasher 400 also includes an imaging system including one or more imaging devices, e.g., imaging device 418 mounted in a fixed location and with a fixed field of view on the rear wall of wash tub 402, and capable of functioning as a fluid condition sensor. The field of view of imaging device 418 includes at least an unobstructed portion of sump 414, and in some embodiments, may include a portion of sump 414 that includes a light or other illumination source 420 that emits a light that is sensed by imaging device 418. Turbidity or other conditions in the fluid between illumination source 420 and imaging device 418 may in some embodiments be based on the attenuation of the illumination source 420 by the fluid, as the cloudier the fluid, the less light is received by imaging device 418. In some embodiments, no dedicated illumination source may be used, and in some embodiments, ambient illumination, e.g., from the top wall of the dishwasher, may be used to provide illumination in some embodiments.
As noted above, while in some embodiments imaging device 418 may be dedicated to fluid condition sensing, in other embodiments imaging device 418 may also be used for other purposes, e.g., to image lower rack 406 for load, object or soil sensing, to image a tubular spray element 412 for position sensing, to image filter 416 for diagnostics reasons, or for other suitable purposes.
In addition, as noted above, rather than utilizing a fixed imaging device, in other embodiments an imaging device having a controllably-variable field of view may be used, e.g., as illustrated by imaging device 422 disposed on one of tubular spray elements 412. When fluid condition sensing is desired, imaging device 422 may be moved to a position where the field of view thereof includes a target (e.g., an illumination source or reflective element) in the sump; however, at other times imaging device 422 may be moved to other positions to capture images for other purposes.
In addition, as noted above, rather than utilizing a target that is a direct illumination source that emits light in a direct line-of-sight to an imaging device as is the case with illumination source 420, a reflective element, e.g., mirror 424, may be positioned within sump 414 and utilized to reflect light towards an imaging device such that turbidity or other fluid conditions are based on indirect illumination that is reflected by the reflective element rather than direct illumination by the illumination source. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, an illumination source 426 may be disposed proximate imaging device 422 (e.g., a ring of LEDs circumscribing the imaging device) such that light emitted thereby is reflected by mirror 424 back to imaging device 422. Other locations of an imaging device, reflective element and/or illumination source may be used in other embodiments. It will also be appreciated that while two methods of fluid condition sensing are illustrated in dishwasher 400 of
Regardless of whether indirect illumination, direct illumination, or ambient illumination is used, a fluid condition such as turbidity may be represented by a value determined by the controller of the dishwasher, or alternatively, by a remote device in communication with the dishwasher. Where local fluid condition determinations are performed, for example, a controller may sense an intensity of light in the sump from the captured image(s) from one or more imaging devices, and in some instances, may focus on the intensity of light proximate a specific target, e.g., an illumination source or reflective element in the sump. As such, in some instances a bounding box may be used to extract from the captured image(s) only those pixels in the images that are proximate to the target, and pixel color data may be used to determine the relative intensity of light in the bounding box. Where remote fluid condition determinations are performed, the dishwasher controller may communicate captured images to a remote device such as a cloud service to perform the image analysis and return to the controller some value representative of turbidity or another fluid condition. It will be appreciated that in either case, a value representative of turbidity or another fluid condition may be based upon a light intensity level, a value defined in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTUs), Formazin Turbidity Units (FTUs), Formazin Nephelometric Units (FNUs) or other suitable units, in any dimensionless value that is relative to some baseline value associated with clean water, or in other suitable representations.
In addition, in some embodiments, a white balance level may also be used to determine an amount of obstruction and/or soil level. For example, white balance level may be combined with object detection in some embodiments to identify bubbles or suds on a water surface, such that even in low light, such objects may be detected and a dishwasher may take steps to reduce suds and re-evaluate.
In some embodiments, condition sensing of a fluid in the sump may be based at least in part on the intensity of light transmitted through the fluid and detected by an imaging device, as the intensity will generally be attenuated based upon the cloudiness of the fluid. As such, it may be desirable in some embodiments to calibrate an imaging device to determine a baseline light intensity for clear water.
Next, block 444 optionally controls the imaging device to be calibrated to focus the field of view on a desired target in the sump, e.g., an illumination source or reflective element, or some other structure in the sump that will be used for fluid condition sensing. For a fixed imaging device, block 444 may be omitted.
Next, in block 446, an illumination source (if used) is activated and one or more images are captured by the imaging device. Then, in block 448, a light intensity value is determined from the captured image(s) and stored for use as a baseline intensity value. The light intensity may be determined, for example, by creating a bounding box around the target in the captured images and assessing the imaging data captured within the bounding box.
Process 440 may be performed in some embodiments during manufacturing or post-manufacturing testing, or may be performed during a dedicated calibration operation for the dishwasher upon initial installation of the dishwasher. In other embodiments, however, it may be desirable to periodically perform the calibration process, e.g., to account for changes in the illumination source and/or imaging device over time. Such recalibration processes may be performed in dedicated calibration processes in some embodiments, while in other embodiments recalibration may be incorporated into a wash cycle, e.g., during or after a final rinse operation when there is relative assurance that the dishwasher and contents are clean and that water introduced into the wash tub will be in a clean state for calibration purposes.
While turbidity and other fluid condition data collected from an imaging device may be used in various embodiments in a similar manner to data collected from other types of fluid condition sensors, in the illustrated embodiment, collected data may be used either alone or in combination with additional image data collected from a load to monitor cleanliness of a load during a wash cycle.
Process 460 begins in block 462 by filling the wash tub and initiating the wash or rinse operation. Block 464 then continues the operation while sensing turbidity or another fluid condition at various points during the operation. It will be appreciated that if an imaging device used for fluid condition sensing has a controllably-variable field of view, the imaging device may be controlled to view the target used for fluid condition sensing whenever data collection is performed, and that if an illumination source is used for fluid condition sensing, that illumination source may also be activated whenever data collection is performed. In addition, as noted in block 464, optionally during the operation image data may also be collected of a load using the imaging device and/or other imaging devices such that the load itself may be analyzed for cleanliness (e.g., by monitoring soil on the utensils being cleaned). In other embodiments, however, no separate load monitoring may be performed.
Next, in block 466, the load cleanliness and/or a rate of soil removal may be calculated based upon a comparison of the currently-sensed light intensity in the turbidity or other fluid condition data with the baseline light intensity. In addition, where load monitoring is also performed, analysis of the load itself may also be performed at this time.
From the perspective of fluid condition sensing, a load cleanliness may be based upon the difference between the baseline light intensity and the currently-sensed light intensity, whereby completion of an operation may be determined based upon the currently-sensed light intensity being substantially equal to, or at least within some threshold from the baseline light intensity, which indicates that the fluid in the sump has a similar turbidity or other fluid condition to clean water. Also, a rate of soil removal from the perspective of fluid condition sensing may be based upon the rate of change of light intensity between different data. The rate of soil removal may be used, for example, to predict when to halt an operation, or whether or not to repeat another operation. For example, in some embodiments, the rate of soil removal may determine that the fluid in the sump has reached a steady state condition, so rather than continue with the current operation, the sump should be drained and refilled with clean water to continue with another wash or rinse operation.
Thus, based upon the load cleanliness and/or rate of soil removal, block 468 either returns control to block 464 to continue with the current operation, or passes control to block 470 to drain the wash tub and proceed to a next operation. Process 460 is then complete.
Some embodiments consistent with the invention may also utilize an imaging system to sense a fluid level in a sump of a dishwasher, using one or more imaging devices having a field of view directed at the sump. Fluid level sensing may be used, for example, to determine a volume of fluid in the sump, to determine when to shut off a water inlet valve when filling the dishwasher, to determine a rate of filling, to determine a rate of draining, or to determine an amount of additional water to be added to the dishwasher, or for other purposes as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure. In addition, fluid level sensing may be used to trigger various maintenance operations in a dishwasher, e.g., to clean a filter or direct a spray of fluid at the filter during draining. Further, in some embodiments, fluid level sensing may be used to determine the level state of a dishwasher, and may be used during installation or thereafter to assist in leveling the dishwasher.
In some embodiments, for example, features may be used to indicate a full height (FH) corresponding to a volume of fluid in the sump when the sump is considered full. The FH level may be used to determine when to shut off an inlet valve during a fill operation, to determine an overfull condition, or for other suitable uses.
In addition, while features may be disposed in a single area of the sump in some embodiments, in other embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in
While features 510 may be used in some embodiments, however, in other embodiments it may not be desirable to incorporate any features that are included only for the purposes of fluid level detection. Instead, the existing structure of the sump may provide various visually distinct features that are suitable for use in determining a fluid level. For example, in some embodiments the edges between the sump and the side walls of the wash tub may be used as visually distinct features. In other embodiments, a filter in the sump may be used as a visually distinct feature.
A determined fluid level may also be used in some embodiments to determine a fluid volume in the sump. Mapping between a fluid level and a fluid volume may be based upon empirical testing or modeling of a sump based upon the static nature of a sump geometry.
Determination of a fluid level via image analysis may be implemented in a number of manners consistent with the invention. For example, various image filtering, processing, and analysis techniques may be used in some embodiments, e.g., using trained machine learning models that output a fluid level or fluid volume in response to captured image data. In some embodiments utilizing the parallel lines illustrated in
Now turning to
In block 542, one or more images may be captured from a sump region using one or more imaging devices, and block 544 may then determine a current fluid level and a current volume of fluid in the sump based upon the current water level, e.g., using image analysis as discussed above. Next, block 546 may be used to determine an additional amount of water needed to fill the dishwasher, and block 548 may dispense the additional water, e.g., based upon a timed fill given a known fill rate of the inlet valve.
In addition, in some embodiments of the invention, it may be desirable to implement filter cleaning to clean a filter of debris in the sump of the dishwasher. Filter cleaning may be desirable, for example, when debris is detected on the filter, e.g., with an imaging system. In addition, filter cleaning may be performed in some embodiments in response to detection of a slow drain or overflow condition.
Dishwasher 600 also includes a sump 614, and a filter 616 may be disposed within sump 614. Filter 616 may be implemented using any number of filter designs utilized in dishwashers, and may include multiple filters of differing coarseness, and may include removable and/or cleanable portions as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
Dishwasher 600 also includes an imaging system including one or more imaging devices 618, and in some embodiments, one or more of imaging devices 618 may have a field of view that includes filter 616 such that the cleanliness of the filter may be determined via image analysis of one or more images captured of the filter by the imaging device(s) 618.
Moreover, in the illustrated embodiment, dishwasher 600 includes one or more sprayers that may be used to focus a spray of fluid on the filter for the purpose of cleaning the filter. In some embodiments, the one or more sprayers may be fixed and/or dedicated sprayers that direct a flow of fluid towards the filter. In other embodiments, however, the one or more sprayers are controllably-movable sprayers that may be utilized for other purposes in a dishwasher, and then when filter cleaning is desired, controllably-redirected to direct a fluid of fluid towards the filter. For example, in dishwasher 600, lower tubular spray elements 612 may be used for filter cleaning when not being used for washing utensils in lower rack 606, among other potential uses described herein.
Filter cleaning may be performed, for example, on a periodic basis, e.g., after every N wash cycles. However, filter cleaning may also be performed on demand and/or on an as-needed basis based upon sensed conditions in the dishwasher.
Next, in block 644, the images are analyzed to determine whether the filter is dirty. In some embodiments, for example, a machine learning module may be trained to distinguish between clean and dirty filters, and output a clean or dirty indication in response to the captured images. If determined to be dirty, block 646 may then direct one or more controllably-movable sprayers towards the filter to spray fluid on the filter.
Returning to
Once the flow rate is determined, block 686 determines whether the flow rate is too slow, e.g., whether the flow rate is below a rate threshold, or whether a calculated time to complete the drain out based upon the current flow rate exceeds a time threshold. If so, control passes to block 688 to direct one or more sprayers (whether controllably-movable or fixed) to clean the filter while draining the sump, thereby attempting to clear any blockages that are causing the slow drainage condition. Control then passes to block 690 to halt the drain operation once empty, and to discontinue spraying of the filter. Returning to block 686, if the flow rate is not too slow, block 688 is bypassed and draining continues until the sump is empty.
In still other embodiments, it may be desirable to utilize controllably-movable sprayers such as tubular spray elements to rinse down a dishwasher tub. In some embodiments, such a rinse down may be performed periodically, e.g., after N wash cycles, or may be performed at one or more points during a wash cycle. In other embodiments, however, it may be desirable to perform a rinse down in response to detecting excessive foaming in the dishwasher, e.g., during a wash cycle.
Dishwasher 700 also includes a sump 714 including a filter 716. Dishwasher 700 also includes an imaging system including one or more imaging devices 718, and in some embodiments, one or more of imaging devices 718 may have a field of view that includes sump 714 and/or one or more walls of wash tub 702 such that any foam 720 disposed on a wall or in the sump may be assessed via image analysis.
In addition, in some embodiments, foam detection as described herein may be used to notify a user and offer recommendations of how to eliminate foaming, e.g., via additives or removing utensils and hand rinsing in the sink, removing the foam by hand, etc. Such notifications may be via the dishwasher user interface, via a mobile app, via an email or text, or in other suitable manners.
In still other embodiments, it may be desirable to utilize controllably-movable sprayers such as tubular spray elements to clean the imaging system. In some embodiments, such a cleaning operation may be performed periodically, e.g., after N wash cycles, or may be performed at one or more points during a wash cycle, to ensure that the imaging devices in the imaging system are capable of capturing clean images within the dishwasher. In some embodiments, for example, it may be desirable to spray off each imaging device near the end of a rinse operation of a wash cycle to maintain the cleanliness of the imaging system. In other embodiments, however, it may be desirable to perform a cleaning operation specifically in response to detecting a blocked imaging device, e.g., during a wash cycle.
Dishwasher 800 also includes a sump 814 including a filter 816. Dishwasher 800 also includes an imaging system including one or more imaging devices 818, and in some embodiments, one or more of imaging devices 818 may become blocked during a wash cycle, e.g., due to the presence of foam 820, food particles, or other debris.
In response to detecting any debris or other occlusion of an imaging device, block 844 then directs one or more sprayers towards the blocked imaging device. In addition, in some embodiments, if the imaging device is controllably-movable, the imaging device may also be directed to point its lens in a suitable orientation for being sprayed off. Then, after the imaging device is sprayed for a predetermined time, blocks 846-850 may optionally be performed to confirm that the imaging device has been sufficiently cleaned. Block 846 captures new images from the previously-blocked imaging device and determines whether or not the imaging device is still blocked (e.g., based upon the absence of a blockage detected in the manner described above in connection with block 842). If still blocked, block 848 passes control to block 850 to generate a notification to clean the imaging device, e.g., via a user interface, mobile app, text message, etc., whereby upon receipt of the notification a user or service personnel may be prompted to manually clean the imaging device. In addition, in some embodiments, a cleaning operation may be repeated one or more times prior to generating a notification. Block 852 then continues with the wash cycle. In addition, returning to block 848, if the imaging device is no longer blocked, block 850 is skipped, and block 852 resumes the wash cycle, now with an unblocked imaging device able to capture images during the wash cycle for one or more of the various purposes described herein.
It may also be desirable to utilize an imaging system in a dishwasher for remote viewing of the contents of the dishwasher. In some embodiments, for example, any of the aforementioned imaging system implementations (e.g., as discussed above in connection with
As one example, and as illustrated by process 860 of
Process 860 begins in block 862 by establishing a connection between the dishwasher and the remote device. Doing so may include, for example, sending a request to the dishwasher from an app running on the remote device and accepting the request on a user interface of the dishwasher. Once a connection is established, still and/or video images may be captured by one or more imaging devices in the dishwasher imaging system and forwarded and/or streamed to the remote device. Moreover, as illustrated in block 864, commands may be issued to the dishwasher by the remote device, e.g., to change a field of view of an imaging device, to start/stop the dishwasher, to controllably-move one or more sprayers, to activate/deactivate various components in the dishwasher. Then, once the session is complete, the connection may be terminated in block 868.
Process 880 of
Process 880 therefore begins in block 882 by establishing a connection between the dishwasher and a remote device, e.g., via an app on a mobile device. Then, in block 884, a remote start command is received from the remote device. Prior to initiating the remote start operation, however, block 886 captures one or more still or video images from the inside of the dishwasher (optionally, with the aid of an illumination source) and communicates those images to the remote device for confirmation of the dishwasher state. If, after viewing the images the user still wishes to start the dishwasher, the user may then confirm that desire in the mobile app, and block 888 starts the wash cycle in response to that confirmation. Thus, a user is presented with a view of the inside of the dishwasher prior to a remote start to ensure that the dishwasher is in a state suitable for performing a wash cycle (e.g., containing only dirty utensils and no other objects). In addition, in such instances, a remote start may be authorized even if the door of the dishwasher has been opened since the last time the user interacted with a physical user interface of the dishwasher.
It will be appreciated that the analysis of images captured by an imaging device, and the determination of various conditions reflected by the captured images, may be performed locally within a controller of a dishwasher in some embodiments. In other embodiments, however, image analysis and/or detection of conditions based thereon may be performed remotely in a remote device such as a cloud-based service, a mobile device, etc. In such instances, image data may be communicated by the controller of a dishwasher over a public or private network such as the Internet to a remote device for processing thereby, and the remote device may return a response to the dishwasher controller with result data, e.g., an identification of certain features detected in an image, an identification of a condition in the dishwasher, an value representative of a sensed condition in the dishwasher, a command to perform a particular action in the dishwasher, or other result data suitable for a particular scenario. Therefore, while the embodiments discussed above have predominantly focused on operations performed locally within a dishwasher, the invention is not so limited, and some or all of the functionality described herein may be performed externally from a dishwasher consistent with the invention.
Various additional modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments consistent with the invention. Therefore, the invention lies in the claims hereinafter appended.
