Method for remote monitoring of the operation of a household appliance, portable communication end device, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299675-A1
Application number	US-201415038497-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method remotely monitors an operation of a household appliance by a portable communication end device by receiving status data of the appliance. A current operating state of the appliance is detected based on received status data via a control unit and by actuating a display for displaying a graphical user interface for remote monitoring of the operation by the control unit. The current operating status of the appliance is output. The outputting of the current operating status includes an image depiction which characterizes the current operating status. To generate the image depiction, differential features between the current operating status and a reference status of the appliance are identified and a basis image, in which the appliance is shown in the reference status, is overlaid by an overlay image illustrating the differential features, which overlay image illustrates the appliance in the current operating status in interaction with the basis image.

First claim

1 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . A method for remote monitoring of an operation of a household appliance by a portable communication end device, which comprises the steps of:
receiving status data of the household appliance via a communication apparatus of the portable communication end device; detecting a current operating status of the household appliance on a basis of received status data by means of a control unit of the portable communication end device; and actuating a display apparatus of the portable communication end device for displaying a graphical user interface for remote monitoring of the operation by means of the control unit, wherein the current operating status of the household appliance is output via the user interface, an outputting of the current operating status includes an image depiction provided by the control unit in the user interface, the image depiction characterizing the current operating status, wherein, in order to provide the image depiction, differential features between the current operating status and a reference status of the household appliance are identified and a basis image in which the household appliance is depicted in the reference status is overlaid by at least one overlay image illustrating the differential features, the overlay image, in cooperative interaction with the basis image, visualizes the household appliance in the current operating status.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises displaying just the basis image in the user interface, without the overlay image, when an off state of the household appliance is detected by the control unit of the portable communication end device.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises displaying the image depiction containing the basis image and the overlay image in the user interface when an activated state of the household appliance in which the household appliance is performing an operating process is detected by the control unit of the portable communication end device.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises providing the overlay image in a form of a pictorial animation by means of which the differential features are represented by moving images.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises selecting the overlay image from the group consisting of:
an image in which water drops and/or water sprays are depicted as the differential features; an image in which clouds of steam are depicted as the differential features; an image in which clouds of vapor are depicted as the differential features; an image in which heat waves and/or microwaves are depicted as the differential features; an image in which frost is depicted as the differential features; and an image by means of which a vibration of the household appliance is effected.

15 . The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises providing a color filter by means of which a coloring of the basis image is changed and is generated as an overlay image.

16 . The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises reading out at least one of the basis image or the overlay image from a data memory of the portable communication end device in dependence on the current operating mode.

17 . A portable communication end device configured for performing a method according to claim 10 .

18 . A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium storing computer executable instructions for carrying out a method according to claim 10 when executed on a portable communication end device.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Winde Mirco

Classifications

• G06T11/10

  Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) · CPC title

• H04L12/6418

  Hybrid transport · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G06F3/04847 Primary

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title