Method of determining a load size in a laundry treating appliance

• US 9,382,654 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Leitert, Andrew, McAllister, Karl David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ko, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELL, SPENCER E
• Application Number:
  US13/908,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20140352077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/04 Quantity, e.g. weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• 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 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• 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 33/30 Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only

Abstract

Method of determining a laundry load size in 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, an imaging device, and a controller having a processor, the method includes generating an images, detecting, marking in the generated image, and determining, by the controller, a load size based on the image.

Claims

1. A method of determining a laundry load size in 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, an imaging device, and a controller having a processor, the method comprising:

generating an image, with the imaging device, of a portion of the treating chamber where the treating chamber has detectable graduated markings located on a solid portion of the drum;

detecting, by the controller, at least one of the detectable graduated markings in the generated image; and

determining, by the controller, a load size based on the detected at least one of the detectable graduated marking,

wherein the determining the load size comprises counting the detected graduated markings and comparing to a reference value that indicates a free volume.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the image comprises generating an image of multiple detectable graduated markings that are uniformly spaced.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the image comprises generating an image of multiple detectable graduated markings that are non-uniformly spaced.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein generating the image of the multiple detectable graduated markings comprises generating an image of multiple detectable graduated markings where at least a portion of the multiple detectable graduated markings increase in number per unit height as the multiple detectable graduated markings go up in height.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the image comprises generating an image of at least one detectable graduated marking formed on a rear bulkhead of the drum.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the image comprises generating an image of at least one detectable graduated marking having a reflectance or specific color.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the load size comprises determining a height of the laundry load based on the detected at least one of the detectable graduated marking.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining a load size further comprises estimating a volume of the laundry load based on the determined height.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating the image comprises generating at least one of a still image or a video.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the generating the image further comprises capturing a digital image.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating the image comprises taking a visible light image, an ultraviolet light image, or an infrared image.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one detectable graduated marking comprises at least one curved graduation formed on the drum.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting at least one parameter of the treating cycle of operation based on the determined load size.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one parameter is a cycle time, an air flow rate in the treating chamber, a wash liquid fill level, or an amount of treating chemistry.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising indicating the set cycle time on a user interface of the laundry treating appliance.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating the determined load size on a user interface of the laundry treating appliance.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting at least one of the detectable graduated markings comprises detecting at least a portion of the at least one detectable graduated markings where laundry is not blocking the at least one detectable graduated marking.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting at least one of the detectable graduated markings comprises isolating the at least one detectable graduated marking from a background in the generated image.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the load size comprises comparing the detected at least one of the detectable graduated markings to a reference set of graduated markings.