METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE, USING SMART METERING

• US 20130145565A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Haberlander, Tanja, Hpp, Claudia, Grimminger, Jochen
• Granted Patent: US 9,649,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4291 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/46 Devices for the automatic control of the different phases of cleaning ; Controlling devices A47L15/449 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/34 Other automatic detections
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/28 Machine starting, e.g. normal start, restart after electricity cut-off or start scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/30 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 Class Codes: A47L 2501/32 Stopping or disabling machine operation, including disconnecting the machine from a network, e.g. from an electrical power supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/20 Washing liquid condition, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/54 Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/46 Control of the energy or water consumption

Abstract

A method and device for controlling a domestic appliance connected to an electric grid so as to allow smart metering, wherein electric power consumed according to different consumption tariffs is measured and the domestic appliance receives information about the availability of a currently applicable consumption tariff or a switch-off condition for preventing peak loads in the grid. The domestic appliance is operated as follows: a) when an inexpensive consumption tariff is available, the appliance is put into operation as intended, and the history of the cleaning process is continuously recorded; b) when an inexpensive consumption tariff is not available or the switch-off condition is met, the appliance is not put into operation or a previously started operation is interrupted; and c) when information about an inexpensive consumption tariff is available, the domestic appliance resumes operation, and a component of a detergent is added based on the recorded history.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for controlling a domestic appliance constructed to perform a cleaning process and connected within an individual household to at least one electric mains grid implemented as an intelligent system capable of detecting measured power consumption according to different consumption tariffs and according to information about an availability of a currently applicable consumption tariff or according to a switch-off condition for preventing peak loads in the mains grid, the method comprising the steps of:

a) when an inexpensive consumption tariff is available, starting an intended operation of the domestic appliance and continuously recording a history of the cleaning process,

b) when an inexpensive consumption tariff is not available or the switch-off condition for preventing peak loads in the mains grid is met, preventing start of the intended operation of the domestic appliance or interrupting a previously started operation, and

c) when information about an inexpensive consumption tariff is available, resuming the intended operation of the domestic appliance, and adding at least one component of a detergent depending on the recorded history of the cleaning process.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the domestic appliance is a washing machine for cleaning items of clothing or a dishwasher for cleaning crockery.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the intelligent system allows smart metering.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one electric mains grid is branched off a public mains grid.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the information about availability of an inexpensive consumption tariff in step c) comprises continuously monitoring the at least one electric mains grid to forecast the availability of the inexpensive consumption tariff over a future longer time period.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein a dosage of the at least one added component of a detergent in step c) is predetermined.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the recorded history of the cleaning process comprises electric power consumed by the domestic appliance over an elapsed time during which the intended operation is performed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the consumed electric power is used to heat a wash liquor.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein recording the history of the cleaning process comprises detecting a temperature and a change in temperature of a wash liquor or rinse water.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein recording the history of the cleaning process comprises detecting a degree of foaming as a function of a change or a drop in temperature of a wash liquor or rinse water.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein when the domestic appliance is first switched on, an intended operation is started only when an inexpensive consumption tariff is identified.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting to the domestic appliance wire-based or wirelessly a plurality of inexpensive consumption tariffs to be taken into account.

28. A domestic appliance constructed to perform a cleaning process and connected to at least one electric mains grid within an individual household, wherein the at least one electric mains grid has smart metering for detecting with a meter a measured power consumption according to different consumption tariffs and for proving to the domestic appliance via a communication interface information about availability of a currently applicable consumption tariff or about a switch-off condition for preventing peak loads in the mains grid, the domestic appliance comprising a computer-based controller configured

to receive input signals and to supply a processed output signal for actuators, wherein the input signals comprise at least one input signal with information about the availability of a low consumption tariff and at least one input signal suitable for evaluating a history of the cleaning process, and wherein the output signal controls at least one dosing control element associated with at least one stored component of a detergent, and

to operate under program control so that every time the cleaning process is resumed when a low consumption tariff is available, the history of the cleaning process is checked and the at least one stored component of the detergent is dispensed by the at least one dosing control element based on the history of the cleaning process.

29. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the domestic appliance is a washing machine for cleaning items of clothing or a dishwasher for cleaning crockery.

30. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the at least one electric mains grid is branched off a public mains grid.

31. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the at least one input signal used for evaluating the history of the cleaning process comprises information about consumed electric power.

32. The domestic appliance of claim 31, wherein consumed electric power comprises electric power for heating a wash liquor.

33. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the at least one input signal used for evaluating the history of the cleaning process comprises information about an elapsed cleaning process time.

34. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the at least one input signal used for evaluating the history of the cleaning process comprises information about a temperature of a wash liquor.

35. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the at least one input signal used for evaluating the history of the cleaning process comprises information about a cleaning action of a wash liquor.

36. The domestic appliance of claim 28, further comprising a history store for storing the history of the cleaning process.

37. The domestic appliance of claim 28, wherein the controller comprises a monitor configured to forecast from past information whether new information about an inexpensive consumption tariff can be evaluated as being sustainable over a longer time.

38. The domestic appliance of claim 36, wherein the controller predetermines under program control, based on data from the recorded history in the history store, a future process sequence.

39. The domestic appliance of claim 38, wherein the future process sequence comprises adding at least one component of a detergent.