OPTICAL PROCESSING TO CONTROL A WASHING APPARATUS

• US 20100328450A1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Wagner, Christopher Carroll
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/10 Temperature of washing liquids; Heating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/56 Remaining operation time; Remaining operational cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/62 Stopping or disabling machine operation
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress

Abstract

A control unit may automatically enable and/or disable a washing apparatus based on processing of an image of wares to be washed by the washing apparatus. In one example, a system includes a camera configured to capture an image of one or more wares to be washed by a washing apparatus, a computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of item profiles, each of the item profiles comprising a visual signature and one or more wash cycle characteristics, and a control unit configured to retrieve the image, detect one of the visual signatures of the plurality of item profiles in the image, select the one of the item profiles corresponding to the detected visual signature, enable the washing apparatus, and automatically disable the washing apparatus after the ware is determined to be clean in accordance with the selected one of the item profiles.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, with an item recognition module of a control unit, a visual signature of a ware to be washed by a washing apparatus coupled to the control unit in an image captured by a camera controlled by the control unit;

selecting an item profile corresponding to the detected visual signature;

enabling the washing apparatus; and

automatically disabling, with the control unit, the washing apparatus after the ware is determined to be clean in accordance with the selected item profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the visual signature comprises:

applying each of a plurality of visual signatures to the captured image, wherein each of the plurality of visual signatures are associated with one of a plurality of item profiles; and

detecting the visual signature when one of the plurality of visual signatures matches a portion of the image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the item profile comprises selecting the one of the plurality of item profiles that is associated with the detected visual signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the item profile comprises the detected visual signature and one or more wash cycle characteristics.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises an amount of detergent to apply during the wash cycle, the method further comprising causing the washing apparatus to apply the amount of detergent of the item profile.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises a wash cycle time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein automatically disabling the washing apparatus comprises automatically disabling the washing apparatus when the wash cycle time period elapses, wherein the ware is determined to be clean when the wash cycle time period elapses

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the ware comprises a first ware, wherein the item profile comprises a first item profile, wherein the visual signature comprises a first visual signature, and wherein the wash cycle time period comprises a first wash cycle time period, the method further comprising:

detecting a second visual signature of a second ware in the image;

selecting a second item profile corresponding to the second detected visual signature, wherein the second item profile comprises a second wash cycle time period;

determining whether the first wash cycle time period or the second wash cycle time period is longer; and

wherein automatically disabling the washing apparatus comprises;

automatically disabling the washing apparatus after the first wash cycle time period when the first wash cycle time period is determined to be longer than the second wash cycle time period; and

automatically disabling the washing apparatus after the second wash cycle time period when the second wash cycle time period is determined to be longer than the first wash cycle time period.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises a cleanliness threshold, and wherein automatically disabling the washing apparatus comprises:

calculating a cleanliness value for the ware;

comparing the cleanliness value to the cleanliness threshold; and

automatically disabling the washing apparatus when the cleanliness value exceeds the cleanliness threshold, wherein the ware is determined to be clean when the cleanliness value exceeds the cleanliness threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating a cleanliness value comprises:

retrieving a second image of the ware;

calculating a histogram from luminosity values of pixels of the second image, wherein the histogram comprises a plurality of bins corresponding to a range of the luminosity values, and wherein each bin of the histogram comprises a bin index and a bin value representative of a number of pixels in the digital image that have the luminosity value corresponding to the bin index; and

calculating an average luminosity value from the histogram as the cleanliness value.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprise at least one of a wash time, a rinse time, an amount of detergent, a fresh water flush indicator, a conveyor speed, a wash water temperature, a rinse water temperature, an amount of rinse aid, a wash volume, and a rinse volume.

12. A system comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of one or more wares to be washed by a washing apparatus;

a computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of item profiles, each of the item profiles comprising a visual signature and one or more wash cycle characteristics; and

a control unit configured to retrieve the image, detect one of the visual signatures of the plurality of item profiles in the image, select the one of the item profiles corresponding to the detected visual signature, enable the washing apparatus, and automatically disable the washing apparatus after the ware is determined to be clean in accordance with the selected one of the item profiles.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein to detect the one of the visual signatures, the control unit is configured to apply each of the visual signatures of the plurality of item profiles to the captured image and to detect the one of the visual signatures when one of the plurality of visual signatures matches a portion of the image.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein to select the item profile, the control unit is configured to select the one of the plurality of item profiles that is associated with the detected one of the visual signatures.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises an amount of detergent to apply during the wash cycle, and wherein the control unit is configured to cause the washing apparatus to apply the amount of detergent of the selected item profile.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises a wash cycle time period.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to automatically disable the washing apparatus when the wash cycle time period elapses, wherein the ware is determined to be clean when the wash cycle time period elapses.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the ware comprises a first ware, wherein the item profile comprises a first item profile, wherein the visual signature comprises a first visual signature, and wherein the wash cycle time period comprises a first wash cycle time period, and wherein the control unit is configured to detect a second visual signature of a second ware in the image, select a second item profile corresponding to the second detected visual signature, wherein the second item profile comprises a second wash cycle time period, determine whether the first wash cycle time period or the second wash cycle time period is longer, to automatically disable the washing apparatus after the first wash cycle time period when the first wash cycle time period is determined to be longer than the second wash cycle time period, and to automatically disable the washing apparatus after the second wash cycle time period when the second wash cycle time period is determined to be longer than the first wash cycle time period.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises a cleanliness threshold, and wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a cleanliness value for the ware, compare the cleanliness value to the cleanliness threshold, and to automatically disable the washing apparatus when the cleanliness value exceeds the cleanliness threshold, wherein the ware is determined to be clean when the cleanliness value exceeds the cleanliness threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein to calculate the cleanliness value, the control unit is configured to retrieve a second image of the ware, calculate a histogram from luminosity values of pixels of the second image, wherein the histogram comprises a plurality of bins corresponding to a range of the luminosity values, and wherein each bin of the histogram comprises a bin index and a bin value representative of a number of pixels in the digital image that have the luminosity value corresponding to the bin index, and calculate an average luminosity value from the histogram as the cleanliness value.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprise at least one of a wash time, a rinse time, an amount of detergent, a fresh water flush indicator, a conveyor speed, a wash water temperature, a rinse water temperature, an amount of rinse aid, a wash volume, and a rinse volume.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions to detect the visual signature comprise instructions to:

apply each of a plurality of visual signatures to the captured image, wherein each of the plurality of visual signatures are associated with one of a plurality of item profiles; and

detect the visual signature when one of the plurality of visual signatures matches a portion of the image.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions to select the item profile comprise instructions to select the one of the plurality of item profiles that is associated with the detected visual signature.

22. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

detect a visual signature of a ware to be washed by a washing apparatus coupled to the programmable processor in an image captured by a camera coupled to the programmable processor;

select an item profile corresponding to the detected visual signature;

enable the washing apparatus; and

automatically disable the washing apparatus after the ware is determined to be clean in accordance with the selected item profile.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the item profile comprises the detected visual signature and one or more wash cycle characteristics.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises an amount of detergent to apply during the wash cycle, further comprising instructions to cause the washing apparatus to apply the amount of detergent of the item profile.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises a wash cycle time period.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions to automatically disable the washing apparatus comprise instructions to automatically disable the washing apparatus when the wash cycle time period elapses, wherein the ware is determined to be clean when the wash cycle time period elapses

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the ware comprises a first ware, wherein the item profile comprises a first item profile, wherein the visual signature comprises a first visual signature, and wherein the wash cycle time period comprises a first wash cycle time period, further comprising instructions to:

detect a second visual signature of a second ware in the image;

select a second item profile corresponding to the second detected visual signature, wherein the second item profile comprises a second wash cycle time period;

determine whether the first wash cycle time period or the second wash cycle time period is longer; and

wherein the instructions to automatically disable the washing apparatus comprise instructions to;

automatically disable the washing apparatus after the first wash cycle time period when the first wash cycle time period is determined to be longer than the second wash cycle time period; and

automatically disable the washing apparatus after the second wash cycle time period when the second wash cycle time period is determined to be longer than the first wash cycle time period.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprises a cleanliness threshold, and wherein the instructions to automatically disable the washing apparatus comprise instructions to:

calculate a cleanliness value for the ware;

compare the cleanliness value to the cleanliness threshold; and

automatically disable the washing apparatus when the cleanliness value exceeds the cleanliness threshold, wherein the ware is determined to be clean when the cleanliness value exceeds the cleanliness threshold.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions to calculate the cleanliness value comprise instructions to:

retrieve a second image of the ware;

calculate a histogram from luminosity values of pixels of the second image, wherein the histogram comprises a plurality of bins corresponding to a range of the luminosity values, and wherein each bin of the histogram comprises a bin index and a bin value representative of a number of pixels in the digital image that have the luminosity value corresponding to the bin index; and

calculate an average luminosity value from the histogram as the cleanliness value.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more wash cycle characteristics comprise at least one of a wash time, a rinse time, an amount of detergent, a fresh water flush indicator, a conveyor speed, a wash water temperature, a rinse water temperature, an amount of rinse aid, a wash volume, and a rinse volume.