System for optical wash item recognition in dishwashers, method for optical wash item recognition, dishwasher with an optical wash item recognition system and method for operating such a dishwasher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022273158-A1
Application number	US-202017608868-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2020
Priority date	May 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 1, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for optical wash item recognition for commercial dishwashers embodied as conveyor dishwashers or as automatic programme dishwashers, in particular hood dishwashers, wherein the system includes an optical recognition system, especially a camera, for recording at least one two-dimensional image of at least some of the wash items to be treated in the dishwasher. The system also includes an analysis device for analysing at least one recorded image in such a way that individual wash items or groups of individual wash items in the recorded image are located and classified. At least one neural network is used to analyse the at least one recorded image.

First claim

1 . System for optical wash item recognition, in particular for commercial dish washers, wherein the system comprises:
an optical recognition system for recording at least one two-dimensional image of at least some of the wash items to be treated in the dishwasher; and an analysis device for analysing the at least one recorded image in such a way that in the recorded image at least individual wash items or groups of individual wash items are located and classified, wherein at least one neural network is used to analyse the at least one recorded image.

2 . System according to claim 1 ,
wherein the neural network is a convolutional neural network, Yolo, Sweaty or single-shot multibox detector network architecture.

3 . System according to claim 1 ,
wherein the neural network is a single-shot multibox detector network architecture of least five layers.

4 . System according to claim 1 ,
wherein a method of supervised learning is used when analysing the at least one recorded image.

5 . Method for optical wash item recognition in commercial dishwashers embodied as conveyor dishwashers or as program automation dishwashers,
wherein the method includes the following procedural steps: with the help of an optical recognition system, at least one two-dimensional image of at least some of the wash items to be treated in the dishwasher is recorded; and at least one recorded image is analysed with the help of an analysis device in such a way that in the recorded image at least one individual wash item or groups of individual wash items is/are located and classified, wherein for analysing the at least one recorded image at least one neural network is used, wherein the at least one neural network is a single-shot multibox detector network architecture with at least five layers, and wherein a method of super vised learning is used when analysing the at least one recorded image.

6 . Dishwasher which is embodied as a conveyor dishwasher or as a program automation dishwasher and which comprises a treatment zone or a treatment chamber that can be closed with a door or a hood in which wash items can be treated according to a pre-selected or defined treatment program, wherein the dish washer comprises an optical wash item recognition system according to claim 1 .

7 . Dishwasher according to claim 6 ,
wherein the optical recognition system is accommodated within the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher or wherein the optical recognition system is disposed in relation to the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher such that the optical recognition system is designed so that at least one two-dimensional image of at least some of the wash items to be treated in the dishwasher is recorded when the wash items to be treated are accommodated in the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher.

8 . Dishwasher according to claim 7 ,
wherein a lighting device is assigned to the optical recognition system to illuminate at least some areas of the wash items to be treated in the dishwasher, during image recording using the optical recognition system, whereby the lighting device is embodied to illuminate the wash items to be treated homogeneously and diffusely, with light of a colour temperature between 5,000 and 5,700 K.

9 . Dishwasher according to claim 6 ,
wherein the dishwasher comprises a control device in which different treatment programs for the treatment of wash items in the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher are stored, wherein the treatment programs differ with respect to at least one of the treatment parameters listed below: a time duration of a washing phase, a time duration of a final rinse phase, a time duration of a drying phase, a temperature of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or chamber during the washing phase, a temperature of a final rinse liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or chamber during the final rinse phase, a nozzle pressure of the final rinse liquid to be sprayed during the final rinse phase, a quantity of washing liquid per unit time to be sprayed during the washing phase and/or a quantity of final rinse liquid to be sprayed per time unit during a final rinse phase, wherein the control device is embodied to select and adjust accordingly a treatment program or the individual treatment parameters for the treatment of the wash items, automatically, depending on the determined classification of the wash items.

10 . Method for operating a dishwasher, which is embodied as a conveyor dishwasher or as a program automation dishwasher, with a treatment zone or treatment chamber that can be closed by a door or a hood and in which wash items, accommodated in at least one wash basket, can be treated according to a pre-selected or defined treatment program, wherein the method comprises:
classifying the wash items to be treated with the help of an optical wash item recognition system; and treating the wash items in the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher with treatment parameters that have been automatically selected depending on the classification of the wash items, wherein the treatment parameters relate to the following: a time duration of a washing phase, a time duration of a final rinse phase, a time duration of a drying phase, a temperature of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber during the washing phase, a temperature of a final rinse liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber during the final rinse phase, a nozzle pressure of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber during the washing phase, a nozzle pressure of the final rinse liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber during the final rinse phase, a quantity of washing liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber per unit time during the washing phase and/or a quantity of final rinse liquid to be sprayed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber per unit of time during a final rinse phase.

11 . (canceled)

12 . Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein before classifying the wash items to be treated, the wash items are placed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher and the treatment zone or treatment chamber is closed.

13 . Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein before the process of classification, the wash items are placed in the treatment zone or treatment chamber of the dishwasher and the treatment zone or treatment chamber is closed, and the condensation of water vapor is prevented or reduced in the closed treatment zone or treatment chamber, on a lens of the optical wash item recognition system.

14 . Method according to claim 13 ,
wherein in order to prevent or reduce water vapor condensation on the lens of the optical wash item recognition system, a pre-wash of the wash items is carried out, wherein the pre-wash lasts no longer than 10 seconds.

15 . Method according to claim 14 ,
wherein during the pre-wash liquid is sprayed in the treatment chamber, which pre-wash liquid is not heated.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Disch Harald
• Himmelsbach Björn S
• Huber Sebastian
• Dufner Patrick

Classifications

• A47L15/0076

  of non-domestic use type, e.g. commercial dishwashers for bars, hotels, restaurants, canteens or hospitals (machines specially adapted for drinking glasses A47L15/0065; drawer-type dishwashers A47L15/0084; in-sink dishwashers A47L15/0086; miniature dishwashers A47L15/0089; conveyor-type dishwashers A47L15/24; machines with crockery cleaned by brushes A47L15/37) · CPC title

• A47L2501/30

  Regulation of machine operational steps within the washing process, e.g. performing an additional rinsing phase, shortening or stopping of the drying phase, washing at decreased noise operation conditions · CPC title

• A47L15/4295 Primary

  Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the crockery or tableware, e.g. nature or quantity · CPC title

• A47L15/0081

  with vertical sliding closing doors, e.g. hood-type dishwashers · CPC title

• A47L15/0021 Primary

  Regulation of operational steps within the washing processes, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending from the detergent nature or from the condition of the crockery · CPC title