# US 10,945,579 B2 · Control of a dishwasher

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- Number: US 10,945,579 B2
- Document ID: US10945579B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/317,044
- Filed: 2017-06-29
- Published: 2019-10-03
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19
- Assignees: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
- Applicants: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
- Inventors: Florian Haidacher; Claudia Häpp; Matthias Heckes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945579B2

## CPC

- A47L 15/0063: {using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems}
- A47L 15/0026: {Rinsing phases}
- A47L 15/0028: {Washing phases}
- A47L 15/0034: {Drying phases, including dripping-off phases}
- G05B 13/021: {in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance}
- A47L 2301/04: Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
- A47L 2301/08: Other manual input
- A47L 2501/26: Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
- 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
- G05B 2219/2613: Household appliance in general
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

In a method for controlling a dishwasher, a user preference is captured for a cleaning cycle of the dishwasher. Parameters associated with a cleaning cycle of the dishwasher are read over a plurality of cleaning cycles, and a user input that indicates satisfaction by the user with one of the cleaning cycles is captured. An optimization is determined of a parameter of the parameters on the basis of the user input and the user preference.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for controlling a dishwasher, comprising:
capturing a user preference of a user for a cleaning cycle of the dishwasher;
reading, over a plurality of cleaning cycles, parameters associated with the cleaning cycle of the dishwasher;
capturing a user input that indicates satisfaction by the user with one of the plurality of cleaning cycles;
optimizing a parameter of the parameters based on based the user input and the user preference; and
controlling the dishwasher based on the optimized parameter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with advice to adapt the parameter based on the optimizing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
outputting a prompt to input indication of satisfaction of the user with a predetermined sub-aspect of the cleaning cycle; and
the optimizing of the parameter is based on the user input with regard to the sub-aspect.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising defining the prompt according to the user preference.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the prompt is given according to parameters that have already been optimized.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising successively changing the parameter over the plurality of cleaning cycles until the user input indicates sufficient optimization of the sub-aspect.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
determining at least two parameters that affect the sub-aspect, with each parameter being associated with a cost figure, and
changing one of the at least two parameters that has a higher one of the cost figures only when a change to another one of the at least two parameters is insufficient for optimization.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the at least two parameters are optimized with minimization of a sum of the cost figures when the user input indicates for a first time that the sub-aspect has been sufficiently optimized.

### Claim 9

A computer program product, comprising computer-readable program code that, when executed by an execution device or stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium, causes execution of a method for controlling a dishwasher, the method comprising capturing a user preference of a user for a cleaning cycle of the dishwasher, reading, over a plurality of cleaning cycles, parameters associated with the cleaning cycle of the dishwasher, capturing a user input that indicates satisfaction by the user with one of the plurality of cleaning cycles, optimizing a parameter of the parameters based on the user input and the user preference, and controlling the dishwasher based on the optimized parameter.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the user is provided with advice to adapt the parameter based on the optimizing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a prompt to input an indication of satisfaction of the user with a predetermined sub-aspect of the cleaning cycle is output, and wherein the parameter is optimized based on the user input with regard to the sub-aspect.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the prompt is defined according to the user preference.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the prompt is given according to parameters that have already been optimized.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the parameter is changed successively over the plurality of cleaning cycles until the user input indicates sufficient optimization of the sub-aspect.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The computer program product of claim 14, wherein at least two parameters that affect the sub-aspect are determined, with each parameter being associated with a cost figure, and wherein one of the at least two parameters that has a higher one of the cost figures is changed only when a change to another one of the at least two parameters is insufficient for optimization.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the at least two parameters are optimized with minimization of a sum of the cost figures when the user input indicates for a first time that the sub-aspect has been sufficiently optimized.

### Claim 17

Apparatus for controlling a dishwasher, comprising:
a first input device configured to capture a user preference of a user for a cleaning cycle of the dishwasher;
an interface configured to read, over a plurality of cleaning cycles, parameters associated with the cleaning cycle of the dishwasher;
a second input device configured to capture a user input that indicates satisfaction by the user with one of the plurality of cleaning cycles;
a processing device configured to optimize a parameter of the parameters based on the user input and the user preference; and
controlling the dishwasher based on the optimized parameter.