System and method for measuring laundry appliance air flow using a camera and artificial intelligence
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsJe Kwon Yoon, Hyoyeol Maeng, JunHo Kang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laundry appliance includes a camera for determining the air flow through an appliance during operation. A controller is operably coupled to the camera. The controller is configured for obtaining one or more images of an air flow indicator positioned in the path of the air flow. An artificial intelligence image recognition process is used to perform image classification and determine whether air flow through the appliance is fully or partially obstructed based on the amount of deflection of the air flow indicator. In the event of an air flow obstruction, operation of the laundry appliance is adjusted.
Claims20
A laundry appliance comprising:
- a cabinet;
- a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet, the drum defining a chamber for receipt of clothes;
- a filter mounted within the cabinet;
- an air flow indicator attached within the cabinet, at least a portion of the air flow indicator extending into the chamber;
- a camera for monitoring the air flow indicator;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the camera, the controller configured to:
- obtain one of more images of the air flow indicator using the camera;
- determine the air flow state based on the one or more images;
- and
- adjust at least one operating parameter of the laundry appliance if the air flow state is below a threshold air flow.
A method of operating a laundry appliance, the laundry appliance comprising a cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet, the drum defining a chamber for receipt of clothes, a filter mounted within the cabinet, an air flow indicator attached within the cabinet, at least a portion of the air flow indicator extending into the chamber, and a camera for monitoring the air flow indicator, the method comprising:
- obtaining one of more images of the air flow indicator using the camera;
- determining the air flow state based on the one or more images;
- and
- adjusting at least one operating parameter of the laundry appliance if the air flow state is below a threshold air flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.