Computer program product for a robot for operating a domestic dishwasher, and system comprising a domestic dishwasher and a computer program product for a robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12495944-B2
Application number	US-202117912878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A computer program product for a robot which includes a computer for operating a household dishwasher having a plurality of treatment programs is disclosed. The computer program product includes a non-transitory computer readable medium having commands which when the computer program product is run by the computer prompt the robot to carry out the steps of loading dishwasher skills which are specific to the household dishwasher from a storage device, and carrying out at least some of the loaded dishwasher skills in order to operate the household dishwasher.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A computer program product for a robot which comprises a computer for operating a household dishwasher having a plurality of treatment programs, said computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising commands which when the computer program product is run by the computer prompt the robot to carry out the steps of:
identifying a type of the household dishwasher, the household dishwasher comprising one or more receptacles on which to arrange one or more items to be washed; loading dishwasher skills which are specific to the identified type of the household dishwasher from a storage device, the loaded dishwasher skills comprising a dishwasher skill related to a maintenance operation of the household dishwasher; and carrying out at least some of the loaded dishwasher skills in order to operate the household dishwasher.

2 . The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising further commands which when the computer program product is run by the computer prompt the robot to carry out the steps of:
receiving a signal indicative of a user input by a user; selecting at least one subset of loaded dishwasher skills as a function of the received signal; and carrying out the selected subset of loaded dishwasher skills in order to operate the household dishwasher.

3 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the loaded dishwasher skills further comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of loading the household dishwasher with the one or more items to be washed, selecting and starting one of the plurality of treatment programs of the household dishwasher, unloading the one or more items to be washed from the household dishwasher, introducing detergent into the household dishwasher, actuating an adjustable part of the one or more receptacles for the one or more items to be washed of a washing container of the household dishwasher, adjusting a cup support in the washing container of the household dishwasher, removing a removable holder from the washing container of the household dishwasher, and arranging the removable holder in the washing container of the household dishwasher.

4 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the loaded dishwasher skills further comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of detecting a first optical sensor signal of the one or more items to be washed, detecting a second optical sensor signal of a washing container of the household dishwasher, and detecting a third optical sensor signal of a detergent for washing the one or more items to be washed.

5 . The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the first, second, and third optical sensor signals are detectable by an optical sensor of the robot.

6 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the loaded dishwasher skills further comprise an object recognition of the one or more items to be washed based on the detected first optical sensor signal, an object recognition of objects located in the washing container based on the detected second optical sensor signal, and/or an object recognition of the detergent based on the detected third optical sensor signal.

7 . The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the loaded dishwasher skills further comprise a transmission of data of the first, second, or third optical sensor signals and/or data indicative of the object recognition, from and to the household dishwasher.

8 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the loaded dishwasher skills further comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of an output of a recommendation to a user for operating the household dishwasher, and a provision of feedback relative to a particular treatment program of the plurality of treatment programs performed by the household dishwasher.

9 . The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising further commands which when the computer program product is run by the computer prompt the robot to carry out the step of generating a further one of the dishwasher skills based on a loaded instruction manual of the household dishwasher, based on a loaded handbook of the household dishwasher, or based on tracked usage data of the household dishwasher.

10 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the robot is communicatively coupled to the storage device that is part of a cloud, and wherein the dishwasher skills are loaded from the storage device via a network into the computer of the robot.

11 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance operation is performed by the robot.

12 . The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising further commands which when the computer program product is run by the computer prompt the robot to carry out the step of:
outputting an instruction to a user to perform the maintenance operation.

13 . A system, comprising:
a household dishwasher including a plurality of treatment programs and comprising one or more receptacles on which to arrange one or more items to be washed; and a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising commands which when the computer program product is run causes execution of the steps of:
identifying a type of the household dishwasher;
loading dishwasher skills which are specific to the identified type of the household dishwasher from a storage device, the loaded dishwasher skills comprising a dishwasher skill related to a maintenance operation of the household dishwasher; and
carrying out at least some of the loaded dishwasher skills in order to operate the household dishwasher.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a robot comprising a computer configured to run the computer program product for operating the household dishwasher.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the maintenance operation is performed by the robot.

16 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising further commands which when the computer program product is run causes execution of the step of:
outputting an instruction to a user to perform the maintenance operation.

17 . A method for operating a robot comprising a computer for operating a household dishwasher which includes a plurality of treatment programs, said method comprising:
identifying a type of the household dishwasher, the household dishwasher comprising one or more receptacles on which to arrange one or more items to be washed; storing dishwasher skills which are specific to the identified type of the household dishwasher in the robot, the stored dishwasher skills comprising a dishwasher skill related to a maintenance operation of the household dishwasher; and carrying out at least some of the stored dishwasher skills by the robot in order to operate the household dishwasher.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the dishwasher skills are generated based on an instruction manual of the household dishwasher, based on a handbook of the household dishwasher, or based on usage data of the household dishwasher tracked during operation of the household dishwasher.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the maintenance operation is performed by the robot.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
outputting an instruction to a user to perform the maintenance operation.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Paintner Kai
• Rupp Michael

Classifications

• B25J11/008

  Manipulators for service tasks · CPC title

• A47L2501/36

  Other output · CPC title

• A47L2401/04

  Crockery or tableware details, e.g. material, quantity, condition · CPC title

• A47L15/46

  Devices for the automatic control of the different phases of cleaning {; Controlling devices (A47L15/449 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A47L15/0018 Primary

  Controlling processes, i.e. processes to control the operation of the machine characterised by the purpose or target of the control (for control of water softening or water softener regeneration A47L15/4229; for control of water level A47L15/4244; for control of bad smells or odours A47L15/4276; for control of water temperature A47L15/4287; for control of water pressure A47L15/4289; for control of condition of crockery or tableware A47L15/4295; for control of condition of washing water A47L15/4297) · CPC title