Patent Application
20250228422
This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102024100982.9, filed on Jan. 12, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The disclosure relates to a method for automatically controlling a dishwasher, as well as a dishwasher and a related computer program product.
WO2020160745A1 describes a water-conducting household appliance, in particular a dishwasher which includes: a control device for executing a processing program from a plurality of processing programs, each processing program having a series of sub-program steps, each sub-program step being determined by a plurality of parameters; an input device for detecting a user input to select a processing program from the plurality of processing programs, the control device being configured to determine an optimization status based on a current operating state of the water-conducting household appliance and the selected processing program, and to determine an optimization measure based on the determined optimization status, the optimization measure including optimizing a parameter value of one of a plurality of parameters of at least one sub-program step of the selected processing program, applying the optimization measure to provide an optimized processing program and performing the optimized processing program; and an output device for outputting the optimization status, the optimization measure, and/or the optimized value to a user.
Embodiments of the application provide a method for automatically controlling a dishwasher, a dishwasher and/or a related computer program product. The dishwasher can be operated in a manner specified by a user.
The method for automatically controlling the dishwasher includes:
An important feature of modern household appliances is that the household appliances can be operated as economically and efficiently as possible and at the same time use water and cleaning agents in as efficient and environmentally friendly a way as possible. In the dishwashers, it is known that a plurality of different cleaning programs are provided and a user of the dishwashers can selectively choose from these cleaning programs. Thus, a plurality of different input devices may be present on the dishwasher, such as electronic keys or a touch screen with touch-sensitive touch fields, to enable the user to select a specific cleaning program during operation. The cleaning program is applied to a subsequent rinse process. Different cleaning programs may be different, in some embodiments a water temperature used during a rinse process may be different. In some embodiments, if the dishes and/or cutlery placed in the dishwasher to be rinsed have only light soiling, a user can select a lower water temperature, such as 40 degrees instead of 50 degrees or 65 degrees, primarily to save an electric energy used in the dishwasher for heating a water.
It is also known that so-called automatic programs are implemented in the dishwashers. When the user selects the automatic programs, a control device of the dishwasher may automatically determine an appropriate temperature for a water or for a rinse liquid. This can be achieved, in some embodiments by detecting and evaluating, via using suitable sensors, a turbidity of rinse liquid during a running period of a rinse program. The rinse liquid generally includes a fresh water supplied to the dishwasher from a pipe network, a cleaning agent, and a soiling dissolved, dispersed from a cleaning process of the dishes and/or cutlery located in the dishwasher and/or carried by the dishes and/or cutlery. In some embodiments, in a case of very turbid rinse liquid, a high degree of contamination can be expected, and thus a temperature of rinse liquid can be automatically set higher accordingly. However, if the turbidity is very low, the control device of the dishwasher can automatically set a lower temperature of rinse liquid to help to reduce a consumption of electric energy. The control device of the dishwasher, in addition to automatically controlling the temperature of the rinsing liquid, can also automatically adjust, in some embodiments, a duration of the rinse process, an amount of a cleaning agent and/or a rinse agent in different ways according to the rinse process in the automatic program.
However, disadvantages of such automatic programs are that in certain cases, the user of the dishwasher is not satisfied with a form and manner in which the automatic program automatically controls the rinse process. Thus it is true that the control device of the dishwasher may not automatically select the best running mode, in some embodiments, one possible situation is that white rice residues on the dishes to be cleaned only result in a relatively low turbidity of rinse liquid, which would be understood by the automatic program as a low contamination state, and thus a cleaning temperature (i.e., the temperature of rinse liquid) would be automatically set relatively low, to in turn result in the white rice residues possibly not being completely removed from the dishes. Therefore, when the dishwasher is emptied, the user may then notice that the rinse process was not performed in an optimal manner and may wish for a higher cleaning temperature for this type of contaminant in future rinse processes.
In order to solve such problem, according to embodiments of the disclosure, on the one hand, an automatically variable cleaning program is to be performed, but on the other hand, once it is needed, the user can still personally apply influence on the form and manner in which the cleaning program is to be performed. With the method according to the disclosure, the control device of the dishwasher and the user can communicate to a certain extent, to enable the control device to take personal wishes of the user into account while the cleaning program is automatically performed.
After the user has placed dishes and/or cutlery in the dishwasher in a usual manner and has selected a cleaning program, in some embodiments by manually operating a corresponding input device (e.g., a button), in the method according to the disclosure, firstly, a cleaning program correspondingly stored in a memory of the control device of the dishwasher is automatically started due to a start signal triggered on an input device of the dishwasher by manually operating the input device. In some embodiments, the start signal can be associated with a key as the input device and thus also associated with a corresponding specific cleaning program. Therefore, it can be configured that the user of the dishwasher presses, in some embodiments, an automatic button to start an automatic program. In some embodiments, the user may start any other optional cleaning program by operating the input device. The input device may not necessarily be mechanically disposed on the dishwasher, but if needed, the input device may be disposed on an apparatus which is separated from the dishwasher and connected to the dishwasher via control technology. In this respect, such separate apparatus can be used as a remote control. An input device of the separate apparatus can be regarded as a part of the dishwasher in a sense of control technology due to a connection via the control technology between the separate apparatus and the control device of the dishwasher.
When the automatic program is performed, a current actual value of at least one state variable in the dishwasher is automatically detected by at least one sensor of the dishwasher. A monitored state variable may be a turbidity of rinse liquid, a cleanliness state of the dishes and/or cutlery located in the dishwasher, a temperature of rinse liquid, a temperature of tap water entering the dishwasher, a type of cleaning agent added, an added amount of cleaning agent, a type of the rinse agent added, an amount of the rinse agent added, and/or a running time so far of the cleaning program. In some embodiments, the state variable may also simply represent a presence of a dishwasher tablet in a cleaning chamber of the dishwasher. In this way, the state variable will only have two possible values, namely whether the dishwasher tablet is present in the cleaning chamber or whether the dishwasher tablet is not present in the cleaning chamber. In this respect, the output signal may also request to add the dishwasher tablet to the cleaning chamber. In this case, the adjustment signal may include a confirmation by the user that the user has already placed the dishwasher tablet in the cleaning chamber.
It can be configured that only one of these state variables is detected. In some embodiments, it can be configured that two or more different state variables are detected. The plurality of state variables may be detected in a selectable manner simultaneously or not simultaneously during the cleaning program or during the rinse process.
After at least one state variable is automatically detected, in the method according to the disclosure, a detected actual value of at least one state variable is automatically compared with a reference value of a relevant state variable stored in the control device.
A parameter and/or a parameter value associated with the parameter is automatically determined based on a comparison of detected actual value of the at least one state variable with the reference value of the relevant state variable stored, for further running the dishwasher according to the cleaning program.
In some embodiments, if the turbidity of rinse liquid is used as a state variable, a high degree, average degree or low degree of contamination can be automatically determined by comparing the turbidity of rinse liquid with a turbidity reference value. In this case, in some embodiments the temperature of rinse liquid and/or the duration of the rinse process may be associated with a degree of contamination as parameters.
Therefore, the control device can be prompted by a high degree of contamination determined through comparison to increase the temperature of rinse liquid. In some embodiments, the control device can be prompted by a high degree of contamination determined through comparison to increase to the parameter value of 65 degrees. The control device can be prompted by a relatively determined average degree of contamination, in some embodiments, to keep the temperature of rinse liquid as a current parameter value at, in some embodiments, 50 degrees. In contrast, the control device can be prompted by a relatively determined low degree of contamination to reduce the temperature of rinse liquid, in some embodiments the temperature of rinse liquid as a parameter value is reduced to 45 degrees.
Similarly, the control device can be prompted by a relatively determined high degree of contamination to extend the duration of the rinse process, in some embodiments by 30 minutes longer than the normal duration of the rinse process. The control device can be prompted by a relatively determined average degree of contamination, in some embodiments, to keep a normal duration of the rinse process. In contrast, the control device can be prompted by a relatively determined low degree of contamination to shorten the duration of the rinse process, in some embodiments by 30 minutes shorter than the normal duration of the rinse process.
According to the disclosure, it can be configured in the method that at least one output signal associated with the parameter which is determined and/or a parameter value determined is automatically output to an output device associated with the dishwasher.
In the sense of examples described in more detail above, the output signal can therefore be associated with an information for the user. This information can be directly or indirectly informed to the user that the control device will automatically make what changes to the cleaning program being run as long as the control device receives a corresponding adjustment signal via the input device on the dishwasher.
Thus, in a first embodiment, the output signal may be associated with an information for the user, such as “It is recommended to increase the temperature of the rinse process because of a determined high degree of contamination. However, this may increase power consumption” or “It is recommended to decrease the temperature of the rinse process because of a determined low degree of contamination. This can help to reduce power consumption.” In a second embodiment, the output signal may be associated with an information for the user, such as “It is recommended to extend the duration of the rinse process by 30 minutes because of a determined high degree of contamination. However, this may increase power consumption”, or “It is recommended to shorten the duration of the rinse process by 30 minutes because of a determined low degree of contamination. This can help to reduce power consumption.”
Thus, in a case of an automatic output of the output signal, not only a reason for an output operation recommendation t and the operation recommendation itself can be conveyed, but also an effect of respective operation recommendation on, in some embodiments, electric energy consumption, water, cleaning agent and/or rinse agent consumption can be informed.
The automatic output of the output signal can be accomplished in different ways. In some embodiments, the dishwasher may have a display on which a descriptive statement such as “It is recommended to shorten the duration of the rinse process by 30 minutes because of a determined low degree of contamination.” In a case of a larger display, the descriptive statement may be shown statically in a form of full text. In a case of a smaller display, the descriptive statement may be shown dynamically, in some embodiments in a form of scrolling text. In a further variant of output, the dishwasher can have a loudspeaker, by which the output signal can be output in a form of a spoken text. It is not necessary for the loudspeaker to be integrated into the dishwasher. In some embodiments, the loudspeaker may be an apparatus separated from the dishwasher, that is, a part of an external apparatus. A separate apparatus may be, in some embodiments, a tablet computer, a mobile phone (particularly a smartphone) or a cloud-based voice service apparatus. In order to enable the control device of the dishwasher to output to the separate apparatus, the dishwasher can have a communication interface which can establish a connection between the control device of the dishwasher and the separate apparatus. The communication interface may be, in some embodiments, an Internet connection, a WLAN network connection or a short-range radio connection. The output signal can not only be output as a spoken text at a loudspeaker on the separate apparatus, but can also be visually displayed in text form on a display of the separate apparatus.
In the method according to the disclosure, the control device is configured to wait for and automatically detect, after the output signal is displayed optionally on the dishwasher and/or on the separate apparatus, an adjustment signal associated with the output signal which is output. The adjustment signal is generated by an input at the input device of the dishwasher or at another input device associated with the dishwasher, and is associated with the parameter and/or a parameter value. Therefore, the control device will not independently automatically change a program configuration of the cleaning program which has been started, but rather request responses from a user on the program configuration of the started cleaning program by outputting an output signal. The control device may automatically determine and detect the responses of the user by detecting an adjustment signal triggered by an input.
The input can be performed by a person, in some embodiments via an input device on the dishwasher and/or via an input device on a separate apparatus. The input device may be, in some embodiments, a key or a switch for manual input by a person. By operating the input device, in some embodiments, with a finger of hand of person, a desired adjustment signal may be transmitted to the control device. Thus, it is possible, in some embodiments, to accept an operation recommendation output on a display device by pressing some key or switch, or to reject the operation recommendation when another key or switch is pressed. In other embodiments, the input can be made by a person speaking an operating command. This command can be automatically recorded by a microphone of the dishwasher and/or of a separate apparatus, evaluated and further processed into an adjustment signal, to be introduced into the control device.
According to an actual adjustment signal received from the control device, the method according to the disclosure is configured for automatically continuing to run the cleaning program, which has been started, with an original program configuration, a modified program configuration, or a suspend strategy for ending the cleaning program according to the adjustment signal detected.
Thus, an extension of the duration of the rinse process automatically recommended by the control device because of a high turbidity of rinse liquid can be rejected by the user, in some embodiments through a corresponding input. After a corresponding command has been input manually or by voice, a corresponding adjustment signal can be generated to make the control device to continue the cleaning program unchanged, and the duration of the rinse process is not extended.
However, if the user agrees to the recommended extension of the duration of the rinse process through a corresponding input, a corresponding adjustment signal can be generated which prompts the control device to change the cleaning program and extend the duration of the rinse process.
In another embodiment, the user can reject, in some embodiments by a corresponding input, a reduction in the temperature of rinse liquid which is automatically recommended by the control device because of a low turbidity of rinse liquid. After a corresponding command is input manually or by voice, a corresponding adjustment signal can be generated which prompts the control device to continue the cleaning program unchanged and to keep the rinse liquid at a planned temperature so far, and an electric energy may possibly not be saved due to needed reheating.
However, if the user agrees to the recommended reduction in the temperature of rinse liquid through a corresponding input, a corresponding adjustment signal can be generated which prompts the control device to change the cleaning program and reduce the temperature of rinse liquid. Since no reheating or only less reheating takes place, an electric energy can be saved compared to an original process of the cleaning program.
If the control device cannot detect the adjustment signal within a predetermined waiting time after the control device automatically outputs the output signal, the control device can be configured that the control device automatically starts a recommended adjustment after the predetermined waiting time and changes the cleaning program accordingly, or the control device can be configured that the control device does not make the recommended adjustment after the predetermined waiting time and continues to perform an originally specified cleaning program without making any changes. In a condition of absence of timely feedback from the user, it can be specified in a configuration data record in the control device whether the control device is to automatically perform a recommended adjustment on the cleaning program or to refuse to perform the recommended adjustment on the cleaning program. Such specifying may be configurable by the user if desired.
In a supplementary development solution of the method, it can be configured that, after an end of the cleaning program, the control device outputs the adjustment made as required during the cleaning program and/or savings in electric energy, water, cleaning agent and/or rinse agent achieved due to the adjustment made, in some embodiments visually on a display or automatically acoustically by the dishwasher or a separate apparatus.
The output signal may convey a type of parameter, an amount of parameter value, at least one way of adjustment of the cleaning program and/or a process-related result of an automatically recommended way of adjustment.
As mentioned above, the output signal can be conveyed to the user of the dishwasher visually in a form of text on a display or can also be conveyed to the user acoustically as a speech output via a loudspeaker. In some embodiments, the output signal may also be conveyed in other ways. In some embodiments, corresponding parameters, a parameter value, a way of adjustment and/or process-related results can be shown on the display using a characteristic graphic representation (e.g., a symbol). The characteristic graphic representation can be correspondingly understood by the user. In some embodiments, a representation of a thermometer symbol in combination with a representation of a downward pointing arrow may indicate that the control device recommends lowering the temperature of rinse liquid. In some embodiments, a representation of a banknote symbol or a coin symbol may indicate process-related results of saving the electric energy and saving costs.
To perform the method, the output signal may be an acoustic output signal, which is output by a loudspeaker of the dishwasher and/or by a loudspeaker of an external apparatus connected to the dishwasher via a communication interface of the dishwasher; or the output signal may be a visual output signal, which is output by a display of the dishwasher and/or by a display of an external apparatus connected to the dishwasher via a communication interface of the dishwasher.
The external apparatus may be, in some embodiments, a tablet or a smartphone configured for remote control of the dishwasher.
The adjustment signal can be generated by a manual input on an input device on the dishwasher and/or by a manual input on another input device on an external apparatus connected to the dishwasher via a communication interface, and is transmitted to the control device to directly adjust the cleaning program which is running.
Therefore, if the user wishes to apply the way of adjustment for the cleaning program automatically recommended by the control device, the user can make a corresponding input directly on the dishwasher or on a separate external apparatus. Based on inputs made by the user, corresponding adjustment signals are then generated, optionally in the dishwasher or on the external apparatus, and the adjustment signals are transmitted to the control device of the dishwasher to enable the control to automatically and immediately make a change to the cleaning program corresponding to a recommended way of adjustment.
The adjustment signal can be generated by a manual input on an input device on the dishwasher and/or by a manual input on another input device on an external apparatus connected to the dishwasher via a communication interface, and is stored in a memory of the control device to be read out at a later point in time when a subsequent cleaning program is restarted.
Therefore, if the user wishes to have the way of adjustment automatically recommended by the control device applied not only to the cleaning program currently being run, but also to be defined as a standard for running subsequent cleaning program, the user can make a corresponding input directly on the dishwasher or a separate external apparatus and at the same time specify that an adopted way of adjustment should also be applied for running subsequent cleaning program. Thus, the user can make permanent changes to a stored cleaning program, that is, the user can reprogram the cleaning program in some permitted manner.
In the method according to the disclosure, a state variable to be detected is selected from at least one state variable selected from a group consisting of following state variables:
This object is also achieved by a dishwasher, which has: a control device with a memory, in the memory at least one cleaning program is stored; at least one input device connected to a control device and at least one sensor connected to the control device. The sensor is designed for automatically detecting a current actual value of at least one state variable in the dishwasher. The control device is designed and configured for performing the method according to one of the described embodiments.
The exemplary embodiments described so far for the method can therefore be correspondingly implemented in a dishwasher, in particular in a control device of the dishwasher. Where useful, one or more blocks of the method can also be implemented outside the dishwasher, in some embodiments in an application program on an external apparatus (in some embodiments a tablet or a smartphone) which communicates with the dishwasher. The dishwasher can also be, in some embodiments within a scope of cloud computing, connected to a web service via the Internet, to enable one or more blocks of the method to be performed on an external platform.
The dishwasher may have at least one sensor which is designed and configured to detect at least one state variable selected from a group consisting of following state variables:
The sensor is connected onto the control device and is configured to make an actual value detected by the sensor can be fed to a comparator which is disposed in the control device. The comparator is configured to compare the actual value received by the sensor with a reference value stored in the memory of the control device, and automatically output an output signal associated with at least one specific parameter and/or specific parameter value to an output device associated with the dishwasher if the actual value deviates from the reference value by more than a predetermined tolerance range.
The dishwasher may have a control device which has a data memory. The data memory is configured to make the adjustment signal associated with the parameter and/or a parameter value stored as a data record in the data memory to be automatically read out at a later point in time when a subsequent cleaning program is restarted. This adjustment signal is generated by a manual input on the input device of the dishwasher or by a manual input on a further input device on an external apparatus associated with the dishwasher.
This object is also achieved by a computer program product having a machine-readable carrier on which a program code of a program is stored. The program code is electronically readable by a control device of a dishwasher according to one of the described embodiments. The program code is designed and/or configured to make the control device perform the method according to one of the described embodiments when the program code is performed by the control device.
In the following description, specific embodiments of the disclosure will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific features of these exemplary embodiments may constitute general features of the disclosure, regardless of the specific context in which the specific features are mentioned. The specific features may, if desired, also be considered alone or in another combination.
In
In a first block S1 of the method, a cleaning program stored in a memory 2 of a control device 3 of a dishwasher 1 is automatically started by a start signal triggered on an input device 4 of the dishwasher 1. The start signal is associated with the cleaning program.
In a second block S2 of the method, a current actual value of at least one state variable in the dishwasher 1 is automatically detected by at least one sensor 11 of the dishwasher 1.
In a third block S3 of the method, a detected actual value of the at least one state variable is automatically compared with a reference value of a relevant state variable stored in the control device 3.
In a fourth block S4 of the method, a parameter and/or a parameter value associated with the parameter is automatically determined based on a comparison of a detected actual value of the at least one state variable with the reference value of the relevant state variable stored, for further running the dishwasher according to the cleaning program.
In a fifth block S5 of the method, at least one output signal is automatically output on an output device 6 associated with the dishwasher 1. The output signal is associated with a determined parameter and/or a determined parameter value.
In a sixth block S6 of the method, a adjustment signal associated with the output signal which is output is automatically detected by the control device 3, the adjustment signal being generated by an input at the input device 4 of the dishwasher 1 or at another input device 4a associated with the dishwasher 1, the adjustment signal being associated with the parameter and/or the parameter value.
In a seventh block S7 of the method, the cleaning program, which has been started, is automatically continued to run with an original program configuration, a modified program configuration or a suspend strategy for ending the cleaning program according to the adjustment signal detected.
The output signal may indicate a type of parameter, an amount of parameter value, at least one way of adjustment of the cleaning program and/or a process-related result of an automatically recommended way of adjustment.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the output signal may be a visual output signal which is output by a display 10.1 of the dishwasher 1 and/or by a display 10.2 of an external apparatus which is connected to the dishwasher 1 via the communication interface 8 of the dishwasher 1.
The adjustment signal is generated by a manual input on the input device 4 on the dishwasher 1 and/or a manual input on another input device 4a on an external apparatus connected to the dishwasher 1 via the communication interface 8, and is transmitted to the control device 3 to directly adjust the cleaning program which is running.
In some embodiments, the adjustment signal may be generated by a manual input on the input device 4 on the dishwasher 1 and/or by a manual input on another input device 4a on an external apparatus connected to the dishwasher 1 via the communication interface 8, and is stored in the memory 2 of the control device 3 to be read out at a later point in time when a subsequent cleaning program is restarted.
A state variable to be detected is selected from at least one state variable selected from a group consisting of following state variables:
In a fourth program part P 4, whether an improvement can be performed on the cleaning program is automatically determined by the control device 3. If the improvement cannot be performed (path N) on the cleaning program, a fifth program part P 5 is continued and no changes are performed on the cleaning program.
In a sixth program part P 6, the control device or the program determines whether further detection of the state variable is to be performed, and returns to the third program part P 3 (path Y) if additional detection is to be performed. If additional detection should not be performed (path N), the cleaning program up to that point is continued unchanged and without further detection of the state variable in a seventh program part P 7, and is ran to an end.
In opposition to this, if an improvement can be performed on the cleaning program according to the fourth program part P 4 (path Y), the program continues with a eighth program part P8 and accordingly automatically determines whether a data record is stored in a data memory 2.1 to be automatically read out at a later point in time when the cleaning program is started. If it is the above situation, contents of the data record are used automatically, without asking the user, and the cleaning program is adjusted accordingly by a subsequent tenth program part P 10.
If the data record states that no adjustments should be made to the cleaning program, the program jumps back to the fifth program part P 5.
If no data record for automatic adjustment is provided and there is no indication that the cleaning program should not be adjusted, in a new program part P 9 the user is asked whether a recommended change is wanted to be made to the cleaning program.
The user can then decide whether to reject the recommended change to the cleaning program according to a decision P 9.1, whether to accept the recommended change according to a decision P 9.3, or whether the user ignores this query and the program automatically continues with a decision P 9.2.
If the user accepts the recommended change according to the decision P 9.3, the program continues with the tenth program part P 10 and the cleaning program is adjusted accordingly.
The dishwasher 1 includes a washing chamber 13, in which, in some embodiments, an upper dish rack 14 and a lower dish rack 15 are arranged. At least one spray arm 16 rotates within the washing chamber 13. As shown in
The dishwasher 1 includes a control device 3 (
The at least one sensor 11 may be designed and configured to detect at least one state variable selected from a group consisting of following state variables:
The sensor 11 is connected to the control device 3 and is configured to enable an actual value detected by the sensor 11 to be fed to a comparator 12 (
The control device 3 may include a data memory 2.1. The data memory 2.1 is configured to make the adjustment signal associated with the parameter and/or a parameter value to be stored as a data record in the data memory 2.1, to be automatically read out at a later point in time when a subsequent cleaning program is restarted. This adjustment signal is generated by a manual input on the input device 4 of the dishwasher 1 or by a manual input on a further input device 4a on an external apparatus associated with the dishwasher 1.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102024100982.9 | Jan 2024 | DE | national |
