# US 12,184,441 B2 · Method and device for operating a domestic appliance and system having a domestic appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,441 B2 - Document ID: US12184441B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/442,153 - Filed: 2020-04-29 - Published: 2022-06-09 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-03 - Assignees: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH - Applicants: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH - Inventors: Frank Schumacher; Sabine Harrer; Tobias Schmidt; Thomas Eric Beliveau; Katja Schönfuss - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184441B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/048: Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 12/282: {based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204)} - A47L 15/4293: {Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels} - D06F 34/28: Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating programme parameters, e.g. the selected programme or its progress - F24C 7/082: {on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination} - G06V 10/245: {by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning} - G06V 10/56: relating to colour - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - H04L 12/2807: {Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50)} - H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom - F24C 15/2021: {Arrangement or mounting of control or safety systems} - F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices - F25D 2400/361: Interactive visual displays - H04L 2012/285: {Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators} - H04M 2250/52: including functional features of a camera - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - 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) - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract In a method for operating a household appliance which includes a display device having a display element comprising an adjustable property and which includes a control apparatus for actuating the display device, an optical sensor of an external device detects an item of activation information from an object. A processing unit of the external device processes the detected activation information to generate an activation signal which is transmitted to the control apparatus for activating an adjustment of the property of the display element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a household appliance, the household appliance including a display device having a display theme configured to control an appearance of elements displayed by the display device and a control apparatus configured to control the display device, the method comprising the steps of: a) detecting an item of activation information from a physical accessory of the household appliance using an optical sensor of an external device; b) processing the detected activation information to generate an activation signal using a processing unit of the external device; and c) transmitting the generated activation signal to the control apparatus via a communication interface of the household appliance to activate an adjustment of the display theme, such that the appearance of subsequent elements displayed by the display device of the household appliance is controlled by the adjusted display theme; wherein the household appliance is selected from the group consisting of a cooking appliance, a refrigeration appliance, a washing appliance, a drying appliance, and a dishwasher, and the communication interface comprises a radio module, which is coupled to the control apparatus for transmitting data between the household appliance and the external device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is a camera, and the method further comprises arranging the activation information on the physical accessory or on a packaging of the physical accessory. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the display theme includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of a color tone, a color saturation, a brightness, a color scheme, and one or more symbols displayed by the display device of the household appliance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generated activation signal is used to initially activate or repeatedly activate the adjustment of the display theme. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generated activation signal includes a specific validity which comprises an unlimited validity or a limited validity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the activation information comprises a two-dimensional code. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the activation information comprises a Quick Response code. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is a camera, and the method further comprising: identifying the physical accessory by object recognition; and generating the activation signal as a function of the detected and identified physical accessory. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A computer program product for operating a household appliance, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored therein, wherein the computer program, when loaded into a program-controlled device and executed by the program-controlled device, causes the program-controlled device to perform the method as set forth in claim 1. ### Claim 10 A method for operating a household appliance, the household appliance including a display device having a display theme configured to control an appearance of elements displayed by the display device and a control apparatus configured to control the display device, the method comprising the steps of: a) detecting an item of activation information from a physical accessory of the household appliance using an optical sensor of an external device; b) processing the detected activation information to generate an activation signal using a processing unit of the external device; and c) transmitting the generated activation signal to the control apparatus via a communication interface of the household appliance to activate an adjustment of the display theme, such that the appearance of subsequent elements displayed by the display device of the household appliance is controlled by the adjusted display theme; wherein the household appliance is selected from the group consisting of a cooking appliance, a refrigeration appliance, a washing appliance, a drying appliance, and a dishwasher and, the communication interface comprises a network module coupled to the control apparatus, and the method further comprising: transmitting by the external device the activation signal to a server; and receiving the activation signal at the household appliance from the server via the network module. ### Claim 11 A method for operating a household appliance, the household appliance including a display device having a display theme configured to control an appearance of elements displayed by the display device and a control apparatus configured to control the display device, the method comprising the steps of: a) detecting an item of activation information from a physical accessory of the household appliance using an optical sensor of an external device; b) processing the detected activation information to generate an activation signal using a processing unit of the external device; and c) transmitting the generated activation signal to the control apparatus to activate an adjustment of the display theme, such that the appearance of subsequent elements displayed by the display device of the household appliance is controlled by the adjusted display theme; wherein the household appliance is selected from the group consisting of a cooking appliance, a refrigeration appliance, a washing appliance, a drying appliance, and a dishwasher, and the external device comprises a mobile terminal of a user, wherein the processing of the detected item of activation information and the adjustment of the property are carried out by the user via the processing unit running on the mobile terminal and embodied as an application.