Laundry treating appliance with state of dryness based imaging control

• US 8,522,452 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ashrafzadeh, Farhad, Carow, James P., Kanchanavally, Shreecharan, Sundaram, Sathish Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORMACK, JOHN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/388,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 344/45, 345/24, 345/29, 344/49, 34/88, 345/60, 341/30, 813/7, 356/914, 73/15.6, 382/107, 382/111, 725/12, 700/259, 700/275, 116/213
• US Class Current: 34/524
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/08 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/36 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/20 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/24 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/30 Blowers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/38 Conditioning or finishing, e.g. control of perfume injection
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/48 Drum speed
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/56 Remaining operation time; Remaining operational cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/00 Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/32 Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/38 of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1765 Method using an image detector and processing of image signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum defining a laundry treating chamber. The laundry in the laundry treating chamber may be imaged and a state of dryness of the laundry determined based on the imaging of the laundry. The operation of the laundry treating appliance may be based on the determined state of dryness.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an operation of a laundry treating appliance comprising a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment in accordance with a treating cycle of operation, the method comprising:

imaging the laundry to generate image data, the laundry comprising multiple articles;

determining a change in a collective size of the laundry based on the image data; and

determining a state of dryness where the surface of the laundry is free of liquid based on the determined change in the collective size of the laundry.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting at least one parameter of the treating cycle of operation based on the determined state of dryness.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the at least one parameter is one of a cycle step time, a cycle time, a cycle end time, a cycle step end time, a cycle temperature, a direction of drum rotation, a drum rotational speed, an air flow rate in the treating chamber, a direction of agitator rotation, an agitator rotational speed, a wash liquid fill level, a type of treating chemistry, a time to dispense a treating chemistry or an amount of treating chemistry.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting at least a step of operation for the treating cycle of operation based on the determined state of dryness.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the selecting at least a step of operation comprises selecting a cycle of operation.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dispensing a treating chemistry into the treating chamber, wherein at least one of a type, time to dispense or amount of the treating chemistry is selected based on the determined state of dryness.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising dispensing the treating chemistry in response to the determined state of dryness.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the treating chemistry is dispensed until the determined state of dryness is no longer present.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein a drying cycle of operation is continued until the determined state of dryness returns.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising terminating at least one of the treating cycle of operation or a step in the treating cycle of operation in response to the determined state of dryness.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the at least a step of the treating cycle of operation comprises at least one of:

a heating step, an air flow step, a dispensing step, or a rotational step.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the imaging comprises taking at least one of a still image or a moving image.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the imaging comprises capturing a digital image.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the imaging comprises taking at least one of a visible light image, an ultraviolet light image or an infrared image.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the state of dryness is indicative of the surface of the laundry being substantially free of liquid.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining a change comprises determining at least one of an absolute change or a time rate of change.

17. The method according to claim 3 wherein setting the at least one of a cycle end time and a cycle step end time comprises setting an end time for at least one of:

a heating step, an air flow step, a dispensing step or a rotational step.

18. A method for controlling an operation of a laundry treating appliance comprising a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment in accordance with a treating cycle of operation, the method comprising:

imaging the laundry to generate image data, the laundry comprising multiple articles;

determining a change in a relative movement of the articles forming the laundry based on the image data; and

determining a state of dryness where the surface of the laundry is free of liquid based on the determined change in the relative movement of the articles forming the laundry.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising setting at least one parameter of the treating cycle of operation based on the determined state of dryness.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the at least one parameter is one of a cycle step time, a cycle time, a cycle end time, a cycle step end time, a cycle temperature, a direction of drum rotation, a drum rotational speed, an air flow rate in the treating chamber, a direction of agitator rotation, an agitator rotational speed, a wash liquid fill level, a type of treating chemistry, a time to dispense a treating chemistry or an amount of treating chemistry.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein setting the at least one of a cycle end time and a cycle step end time comprises setting an end time for at least one of:

a heating step, an air flow step, a dispensing step or a rotational step.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising selecting at least a step of operation for the treating cycle of operation based on the determined state of dryness.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the selecting at least a step of operation comprises selecting a cycle of operation.

24. The method according to claim 18, further comprising dispensing a treating chemistry into the treating chamber, wherein at least one of a type, time to dispense or amount of the treating chemistry is selected based on the determined state of dryness.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising dispensing the treating chemistry in response to the determined state of dryness.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the treating chemistry is dispensed until the determined state of dryness is no longer present.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein a drying cycle of operation is continued until the determined state of dryness returns.

28. The method according to claim 18, further comprising terminating at least one of the treating cycle of operation or a step in the treating cycle of operation in response to the determined state of dryness.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein the at least a step of the treating cycle of operation comprises at least one of:

a heating step, an air flow step, a dispensing step, or a rotational step.

30. The method according to claim 18 wherein the imaging comprises taking at least one of a still image or a moving image.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the imaging comprises capturing a digital image.

32. The method according to claim 18 wherein the imaging comprises taking at least one of a visible light image, an ultraviolet light image or an infrared image.

33. The method according to claim 18 wherein the state of dryness is indicative of the surface of the laundry being substantially free of liquid.

34. The method according to claim 18 wherein the determining a change comprises determining at least one of an absolute change or a time rate of change.

35. A method for controlling an operation of a laundry treating appliance comprising a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment in accordance with a treating cycle of operation, the method comprising:

imaging the laundry to generate image data;

determining a change in a separation of an article from a collection of articles forming the laundry based on the image data; and

determining a state of dryness where the surface of the laundry is free of liquid based on the determined change in the separation of an article from the collection of articles forming the laundry.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising setting at least one parameter of the treating cycle of operation based on the determined state of dryness.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the at least one parameter is one of a cycle step time, a cycle time, a cycle end time, a cycle step end time, a cycle temperature, a direction of drum rotation, a drum rotational speed, an air flow rate in the treating chamber, a direction of agitator rotation, an agitator rotational speed, a wash liquid fill level, a type of treating chemistry, a time to dispense a treating chemistry or an amount of treating chemistry.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein setting the at least one of a cycle end time and a cycle step end time comprises setting an end time for at least one of:

a heating step, an air flow step, a dispensing step or a rotational step.

39. The method according to claim 35, further comprising selecting at least a step of operation for the treating cycle of operation based on the determined state of dryness.

40. The method according to claim 39 wherein the selecting at least a step of operation comprises selecting a cycle of operation.

41. The method according to claim 35, further comprising dispensing a treating chemistry into the treating chamber, wherein at least one of a type, time to dispense or amount of the treating chemistry is selected based on the determined state of dryness.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising dispensing the treating chemistry in response to the determined state of dryness.

43. The method according to claim 42 wherein the treating chemistry is dispensed until the determined state of dryness is no longer present.

44. The method according to claim 43 wherein a drying cycle of operation is continued until the determined state of dryness returns.

45. The method according to claim 35, further comprising terminating at least one of the treating cycle of operation or a step in the treating cycle of operation in response to the determined state of dryness.

46. The method according to claim 45 wherein the at least a step of the treating cycle of operation comprises at least one of:

a heating step, an air flow step, a dispensing step, or a rotational step.

47. The method according to claim 35 wherein the imaging comprises taking at least one of a still image or a moving image.

48. The method according to claim 47 wherein the imaging comprises capturing a digital image.

49. The method according to claim 35 wherein the imaging comprises taking at least one of a visible light image, an ultraviolet light image or an infrared image.

50. The method according to claim 35 wherein the state of dryness is indicative of the surface of the laundry being substantially free of liquid.

51. The method according to claim 35 wherein the determining a change comprises determining at least one of an absolute change or a time rate of change.