Conveyor warewasher and method for operating a conveyor warewasher

A conveyor warewasher for cleaning washware, wherein the conveyor warewasher has at least one washing zone and at least one rinsing zone as well as a conveyor apparatus for conveying the washware through the at least one washing zone and the at least one rinsing zone,

• wherein the conveyor warewasher has a camera system, which is arranged above or below or to the side of the conveyor apparatus and is configured in order to capture at least one image of an area of the conveyor apparatus continuously or at predetermined or determinable times and/or events, wherein an image processing device is connected to receive the at least one image captured by the camera system, said image processing device being configured to pre-process the at least one image captured by the camera system, segment the pre-processed image, and extract and classify features of objects contained in the image, wherein the image processing device is further configured in order to evaluate and determine on the basis of the classification performed, which of the following categories of washware were present in the area of the conveyor apparatus at the time of image capture:
• cutlery or pieces of cutlery;
• pots, pans, or GN containers;
• drinking glasses;
• trays or tray-like objects;
• plates, cups, or bowls;
• utensils;
• other washware;
• mixed washware;
• or
• plastic washware;
• wherein the image processing device is further configured to determine a number of pieces of washware that were present in the area of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture for each category of washware determined to be present;
• wherein the conveyor warewasher further comprises a control device connected with the image processing device by a communication connection, wherein the control device is configured such that, when multiple categories of washware are determined to be present, the control device will select a pre-determined or determinable treatment program automatically depending upon the determined number of pieces of washware in each one of the multiple categories of washware determined to be present, according to which selected treatment program the washware is to be treated in the at least one washing zone and/or in the at least one rinsing zone.