Method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11540694-B2
Application number	US-201916767518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 9, 2018
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance includes obtaining an evolution over time of a local parameter inside the appliance, the local parameter comprising an acceleration induced by the cycle or a temperature inside the appliance; obtaining reference patterns of evolutions of the local parameter during a cycle comprising different cleaning steps including a step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time; comparing the evolution of the local parameter to the reference patterns and identifying a cleaning step within the cycle when a similarity between a reference pattern and the evolution is above a predetermined threshold, and setting the release of the agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified step corresponds to a step adapted for releasing the agent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions for execution of a method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance, the method comprising:
measuring an evolution over time of a plurality of local parameters inside the household appliance, the plurality of local parameters comprising vibrations induced by the cleaning cycle in the household appliance and temperature inside the household appliance;
obtaining reference patterns of evolutions over time of each of the plurality of local parameters inside the household appliance during at least one cleaning cycle comprising different cleaning steps, a cleaning step among the different cleaning steps being adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time;
comparing each of the measured evolutions over time of the plurality of local parameters to its associated reference pattern to identify the cleaning cycle and to identify a cleaning step within the cleaning cycle when a difference between at least one of the measured evolutions over time of the plurality of local parameters and its associated reference pattern is below a predetermined threshold; and
setting the release of the cleaning agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified cleaning step corresponds to a cleaning step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent,
wherein the reference patterns comprise stored recordings of the evolution over time of each of the plurality of local parameters during cleaning cycles run by the household appliance in previous uses thereof.

2. A method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance, the method comprising:
measuring an evolution over time of a plurality of local parameters inside the household appliance, the plurality of local parameters comprising vibrations induced by the cleaning cycle in the household appliance and temperature inside the household appliance;
obtaining reference patterns of evolutions over time of each of the plurality of local parameters inside the household appliance during at least one cleaning cycle comprising different cleaning steps, a cleaning step among the different cleaning steps being adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time;
comparing each of the measured evolutions over time of the plurality of local parameters to its associated reference pattern to identify the cleaning cycle and to identify a cleaning step within the cleaning cycle when a difference between at least one of the measured evolutions over time of the plurality of local parameters and its associated reference pattern is below a predetermined threshold;
setting the release of the cleaning agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified cleaning step corresponds to a cleaning step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent, and
releasing the cleaning agent at said predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step,
wherein the reference patterns comprise stored recordings of the evolution over time of each of the plurality of local parameters during cleaning cycles run by the household appliance in previous uses thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cleaning steps comprise a main wash cycle, and a rinse cycle, the method further comprising:
releasing a first cleaning agent when the identified cleaning step corresponds to the main wash cycle, and
releasing a second cleaning agent when the identified cleaning step corresponds to the rinse cycle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
identifying a subsequent rinse cycle occurring after the rinse cycle based on the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters; and
releasing the second cleaning agent during the subsequent rinse cycle.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
identifying a subsequent rinse cycle occurring after the rinse cycle based on the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters;
identifying a last rinse cycle in the cleaning cycle of the household appliance based on the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters;
updating the reference patterns by storing a recording of the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters during at least a portion of the cleaning cycle, and
during a subsequent cleaning cycle of the household appliance, an evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters during the subsequent cleaning cycle being identified as matching patterns of the stored recording:
releasing the second cleaning agent during the identified last rinse cycle.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
identifying a subsequent rinse cycle occurring after the rinse cycle based on the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters;
updating the reference patterns by storing a recording of the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters during at least a portion of the cleaning cycle, and
during a subsequent cleaning cycle of the household appliance, an evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters during the subsequent cleaning cycle being identified as matching patterns of the stored recording:
releasing an amount of the first cleaning agent during the subsequent rinse cycle.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
identifying a nature of the cleaning cycle of the household appliance based on the evolution over time of the plurality of local parameters, the nature being one among a first cleaning cycle comprising two cleaning steps and a second cleaning cycle comprising more than two cleaning steps;
adjusting the predetermined adapted time for releasing the cleaning agent and/or an amount of cleaning agent released based on the identified nature of the cleaning cycle.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a feedback on a quality of the cleaning cycle from a user;
modifying the predetermined adapted time for the cleaning step and/or associating a different amount of cleaning agent to be released during a cleaning step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent based on the received feedback.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is a difference of 20% or less between an associated reference pattern and at least one of the measured evolutions over time of the plurality of local parameters.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined threshold is a difference of 20% or less between an associated reference pattern and at least one of the measured evolutions over time of the plurality of local parameters.

Assignees

• Henkel Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Kessler Arnd
• Juckel Thomas
• Enz Rayko
• Hoppe Volker
• Zuechner Lars
• Hernandez Robert Ruiz
• Wick Wolfgang
• Hardacker Ingo

Classifications

• D06F2103/26

  Imbalance; Noise level · CPC title

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• D06F2103/16

  Washing liquid temperature · CPC title

• A47L15/4463

  Multi-dose dispensing arrangements · CPC title

• A47L2401/03

  Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service · CPC title