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US 11,026,559 B2Granted
Dishwasher with image-based fluid condition sensing
AssigneeMidea Group Co., Ltd.
InventorJoel Boyer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image-based fluid condition sensor is configured to sense turbidity or another condition of fluid in the sump of a dishwasher using an image device positioned outside of the sump.
Claims21
A dishwasher, comprising:
- a wash tub including a sump;
- an imaging device positioned above the sump and configured to capture images of the sump;
- an illumination source disposed in the sump and directed at the imaging device;
- and
- a controller coupled to the imaging device and the illumination source and configured to sense a turbidity of a fluid disposed in the sump by:
- controlling the illumination source to emit light;
- controlling the imaging device to capture one or more images of the sump while light is emitted by the illumination source;
- and
- determining a value representative of the turbidity of the fluid disposed in the sump based upon a sensed light intensity for the illumination source in the captured one or more images.
6 more elements
A dishwasher, comprising:
- a wash tub including a sump;
- an imaging device positioned outside of the sump and configured to capture images of the sump, wherein the imaging device is positioned above the sump and above a maximum fluid level for the sump to capture images of the fluid through a top surface of the fluid;
- an illumination source configured to illuminate a portion of the sump within the field of view of the imaging device;
- and
- a controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to sense turbidity of a fluid disposed in the sump by controlling the imaging device to capture one or more images of the sump from which a condition of the fluid in the sump may be determined while the illumination source illuminates the portion of the sump, wherein the controller is further configured to perform a calibration operation by controlling the imaging device to capture one or more images of the sump while the illumination source illuminates the portion of the sump and when clean water is disposed in the sump for use in determining a baseline light intensity for clear water such that the condition of the fluid in the sump may be determined based in part on a comparison of a light intensity sensed in the captured one or more images with the baseline light intensity, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the imaging device to capture one or more additional images within the dishwasher to perform a non-fluid condition sensing operation in the dishwasher.
2 more elements
A method of sensing condition of a fluid disposed in a sump of a dishwasher, the method comprising:
- performing image analysis on one or more images of the sump of the dishwasher captured using an imaging device positioned outside of the sump and while a portion of the sump within the field of view of the imaging device is illuminated by an illumination source disposed in the sump;
- and
- determining the condition of the fluid based upon the image analysis performed on the captured one or more images, wherein the condition of the fluid is determined based upon direct illumination from the illumination source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.