WO2016134935A1

WO2016134935A1 - Method and system for projecting information in a room

Info

Publication number: WO2016134935A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/052271
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kay-Uwe CLEMENS
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2015-02-25
Filing date: 2016-02-03
Publication date: 2016-09-01
Also published as: DE102015203340A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a method (400) and a system (200) for providing information. The method (400) comprises determining (401) sensor data relating to a user. The method (400) further comprises determining (402), on the basis of the sensor data, an indication that the user is interested in a piece of information relating to a household appliance (210) of a plurality of household appliances (210), and identifying (403), on the basis of the sensor data, a projection location. The method (400) also comprises projecting (404) the information relating to the household appliance (210) of the plurality of household appliances (210) on the projection location.

Description

Method and system for the projection of information in one

room

The invention relates to a method and a corresponding system for the flexible provision of information relating to a domestic appliance or several domestic appliances.

Under a household appliance is below basically understood any device that may be found in a private household. In particular, it may be a telecommunications device such as a television, a radio or a telephone device, it may also be a PC or household appliance used for household management such as a cooking appliance, a cooker hood, a refrigerator, a dishwasher or a device for laundry care.

Home appliances today provide a variety of information to a user, e.g. Information relating to the status of a sequence program of the domestic appliance. This information is typically only available directly to a control panel of a household appliance for a user.

The publication US201 1 / 0288964A1 shows an input / output device by means of which the user interface of a mobile telephone can be projected onto a surface and can be detected via the inputs on the projected user interface. The input / output device shown in US 201 1 / 0288964A1 is limited to a particular mobile phone with respect to the information represented by this input / output device. The present invention is concerned with the technical task of providing information regarding at least one domestic appliance from a plurality of household appliances in a flexible manner for a user of the domestic appliance.

The object is achieved with respect to a method and with respect to a system by the subject matter of the respective independent patent claim. Advantageous embodiments are described inter alia in the dependent claims and the following description and are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings. According to one aspect of the invention, a method of providing information is described. The method includes determining sensor data regarding a user. The sensor data can be detected by one or more sensors. This at least one sensor can be set up to detect a room in which the user is located. The sensor data may include image data from one or more cameras configured to image the user. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor data may include motion data of a motion sensor or a plurality of motion sensors configured to detect a movement of the user. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor data may include infrared data of an infrared sensor or of a plurality of infrared sensors, wherein this at least one infrared sensor is set up to detect a thermal radiation of the user. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor data acoustic data of an acoustic sensor or a plurality of acoustic sensors (eg noise sensors) include, this is at least one acoustic sensor is arranged to detect the user caused acoustic see signals (eg a knock signal or a voice signal of the user. The method further comprises determining, on the basis of the sensor data, an index that the user is interested in information relating to a domestic appliance from a plurality of domestic appliances, In particular, it can be determined which domestic appliance from the plurality of domestic appliances the user is interested in and / or what information from a variety of different information the user is interested in. The multiplicity of domestic appliances can include, for example, an oven, a stove, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a dryer and / or a food processor Information about it comprehensive which sequence program is active from a plurality of sequence programs and / or which status has an active sequence program. Determining the index may include determining, based on the sensor data, a behavior of the user. The behavior of the user may include, for example, a viewing direction of the user, a movement direction of the user, a gesture of the user and / or an acoustic signal generated by the user (eg a knocking signal or a voice signal). The indication that the user is interested in information regarding a domestic appliance can then be determined depending on the behavior of the user. For example, the viewing direction of the user can provide an indication as to which domestic appliance the user is interested in. Furthermore, a speech signal of the user can be evaluated to determine what information is of interest to the user. The method also includes determining, based on the sensor data, a projection location. Specifically, determining a projection location may include determining, based on the sensor data, a viewing direction of the user. The projection location can then depend on the viewing direction of the user. In particular, the projection location can be selected such that a movement of the user for viewing the projection location (starting from a current position / position of the user) is minimized. For example, a predefined plurality of possible projection locations may exist (eg due to limitations of a multi-directional projector). It can then, depending on the sensor data, a projection from the plurality of possible projection locations are selected. In particular, the projection location can be selected from the multiplicity of possible projection locations by which a required movement of the user is minimized. Furthermore, the method comprises projecting the information regarding the domestic appliance at the projection location. Projecting may be accomplished by a multi-directional projector described in this document.

The described method provides a user with information regarding a household appliance in an efficient manner. In this case, the information regarding a home appliance can be provided at a current position of the user, so that the user does not have to go to the household appliance in order to obtain the desired information. Furthermore, by evaluating the sensor data relating to the user, it can be determined for which domestic appliance and / or for which information the user is interested, so that different information concerning different domestic appliances can be provided in a flexible manner. The method may further comprise determining an active one or more active home appliances from the plurality of home appliances. The list of home appliances that the user may be interested in or provided with the information may be limited to the one or more active home appliances. Thus, the probability can be increased that, based on the sensor data regarding the user, it is correctly determined which information and / or which home appliance the user is interested in. The method may further comprise determining historical location data, wherein the historical location data indicates one or more projection locations to which information has been projected in the past. The projection location can then also be determined as a function of the historical location data. Thus, the projection locations can be adapted to the preferences of the user. In particular, it is thus possible to increase the probability that a projection location which is advantageous for the user is selected.

Similarly, the method may further comprise determining historical information data, the historical information data indicating which information and / or which of a plurality of home appliances the user has been interested in in the past. The indication can then also be determined as a function of the historical information data. Thus, the probability can be increased that it is determined on the basis of the sensor data in the correct manner for which information and for which domestic appliance the user is interested. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system for providing information is described. The system includes a multi-directional projector configured to project a plurality of images to a corresponding plurality of different spatial regions of a room. The multi-directional projector may include a plurality of subprojectors, wherein each of the plurality of subprojectors may be configured to project a different image to a different local area of the space. Alternatively or additionally, the multi-directional projector may comprise a rotatable part-projector which can be rotated about an axis of rotation. The rotatable sub-projector may be configured to rotate at a rotational speed about the axis of rotation. The rotational speed can be greater than or equal to 25 revolutions per second, so that an image can be projected at a specific location with sufficient frequency to generate the visual impression of a continuously projected image. The rotatable sub-projector may be further configured to project a plurality of different images in one revolution around the rotation axis at a plurality of locations. Thus, by using only a partial projector, a plurality of images can be projected at a plurality of different locations. The system may further include a controller configured to determine sensor data regarding a user. The control unit is further configured based on the sensor data Indicate that the user is interested in informing about a domestic appliance. In addition, the control unit is set up to determine a projection location on the basis of the sensor data. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to cause the multi-directional projector to project the information regarding the home appliance in an image at the projection location. In particular, the control unit may be configured to select and control a sub-projector from a plurality of sub-projectors of the multi-directional projector depending on the particular projection location. Alternatively or additionally, the control unit may be configured to cause a rotatable sub-projector to rotate in dependence on the particular projection location.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a software (SW) program is described. The SW program can be set up to run on a processor and thereby perform the method of the invention described herein.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a storage medium is described. The storage medium may include a SW program that is set up to run on a processor and thereby perform the method described in this document.

It should be understood that the methods, devices, and systems described herein may each be used alone or in combination with other methods, devices, and systems described herein. Furthermore, any aspects of the described methods, devices, and systems may be combined in a variety of ways. In particular, the features of the claims can be combined in a variety of ways.

In the following the invention will be described in more detail by means of exemplary embodiments, which are illustrated in the figures of the attached drawing. Showing: FIG. 1 shows an exemplary projection of information in a room;

FIG. 2 shows exemplary components of a system for providing

Information about a household appliance; FIGS. 3a and 3b show an exemplary construction of a multi-directional projector; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for providing information about a home appliance. As stated above, the present document deals with the flexible provision of information in a household, in particular information relating to a domestic appliance. In this context, Fig. 1 shows an exemplary living space - hereinafter referred to as "space" - with a multi-directional projector 100 which is configured to project different images 101 in different directions to project in each case an image 101 in three different areas or at three different locations on the walls of the room Each of the projected images 101 may be different, ie the projector 100 may project different information onto the different areas of the walls.

As shown in FIG. 1, the projector 100 may be mounted to a ceiling within the room and project information in various directions to one or more walls of the room. The projection may be displayed via a plurality of partial projectors 301 (as shown in FIG. 3a) and / or via a partial projector 301 rotating about a central axis 302 (as shown in FIG. 3b). The multi-directional projector 100 is typically connected to a power supply. Furthermore, the multi-directional projector 100 may include a (possibly wireless) transmission module to receive information to be displayed in an image 101 or multiple images 101. In particular, information about one or more devices in the household to which the room belongs may be received and displayed in a projected image 101 or multiple projected images 101. As shown in FIG. 3a, a multi-directional projector 100 may include a plurality of sub-projectors 301. The partial projectors 301 may be arranged in a circle, for example. In this case, for example, the individual partial projectors 301 and / or the entire circle of partial projectors 301 can be designed to be rotatable and / or displaceable. For example, the partial projectors 301 may be slidable and the entire circle or ring rotatable. 3a also shows a quadrangular or a triangular arrangement of sub-projectors 301 in a multi-directional projector 100. The sub-projectors 301 can be monochrome and / or high-resolution. The partial projectors 301 may be manually or electrically alignable (by means of one or more motors) to set an area on a projected image 101 wall. The partial projectors 301 may each have a fixed focal length or an automatically adjustable focal length.

Fig. 3b shows an example of a multi-directional projector 100 having a partial projector 301 rotatably mounted on a rotation axis 302. The partial projector 301 may be rotated as needed to project an image 101 to different areas of the walls of the room. The areas for projecting images 101 and / or the information shown therein may optionally be determined by a user. The sub-projector 301 can rotate around the rotation axis 302 so fast (e.g., 50Hz or more) that a sub-projector 301 can concurrently project a plurality of images 101 at different locations in the space. The sub-projector 301 may also be configured to continuously project images 101 (e.g., 360 °).

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary system 200 for providing information about one or more home appliances 210 of a home. The system 200 includes a projector 100 that is configured to project different images 101 in different areas of a room. Furthermore, the system 200 includes one or more sensors 110 (eg, one or more cameras, one or more ultrasonic sensors, etc.) configured to acquire sensor data relating to a user of the system 200 and provide it to a controller 220 of the system 200. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the one sensor 10 or the plurality of sensors 110 may be arranged at different positions in a space in order to be able to detect the user of the system 200 from different directions. The control unit 220 may be configured to determine a position of the user in a room on the basis of the sensor data. Furthermore, a viewing direction of the user can be determined on the basis of the sensor data. The control unit 220 can thus be set up to determine a projection location for the projection of an image 101 by the projector 100 (for example, depending on the position and / or the viewing direction of the user).

The control unit 220 may be further configured to determine, based on the sensor data, an indication of information of interest to the user at a particular point in time. For example, a particular line of sight (e.g., a view of the kitchen) may be an indication that the user is interested in a particular home appliance 210 (e.g., a home appliance 210 in the kitchen). The control unit 220 may then, based on the index, query the appropriate information and have it projected in an image 101 by the projector 100. For example, it may be determined that the user is interested in the state of a particular home appliance 210, and the status of that particular home appliance 210 may be queried and projected onto a wall in a room in which the user is located.

Thus, a user-adapted projection location and / or information relevant to a user can be automatically determined and used for a projection. In one example, user acoustic signals may be used to determine the projection location and / or the projected information. The sensors 110 may include a noise sensor (eg a microphone) for this purpose. For example, by tapping on a specific area on a wall, a projection location can be specified. Alternatively or additionally, it can be determined by voice input and speech recognition (eg the command "project the weather") which information is to be projected In the example mentioned, information regarding the weather (eg from a weather station of the household) can be obtained Projection locations of the projector and / or the information displayed therein may be taught, for example, by identifying commonly used projection locations and / or frequently requested information within the context of use and subsequently preferentially using it. On the basis of the sensor data (eg based on the sensor data of motion sensors and / or infrared sensors), a movement of the user can be determined. A projection location and / or a projected information can then be adjusted depending on the movement of the user. For example, it can be determined that the user is moving towards the kitchen. It may then be displayed on the kitchen door, the minutes that remain until the end of a program of a dishwasher 210 or until the end of a cooking time of a furnace 210. The respective domestic appliance 210 can be identified, for example, by means of a suitable graphic.

As already stated above, it can be determined what interest the user might have if the user is going to a certain area or to a certain room in a household. It can thus be determined which information might be of interest to the user. This information may then be displayed by a projector 100.

4 shows a flow chart of an example method 400 for providing information, particularly information related to a home appliance 210. The method 400 includes determining 401 sensor data for a user. The sensor data may be used to determine a behavior (e.g., a direction of movement or a line of sight) of the user. The method 400 further comprises determining 402, based on the sensor data, an indication that the user is interested in information regarding a home appliance 210. For example, based on the behavior of the user (e.g., based on a direction of movement of the user), it may be concluded that the user is interested in information regarding a home appliance 210 that is in a location to which the user is moving.

The method 400 further includes determining 403 based on the sensor data of a projection location. The projection location can be determined, for example, based on a viewing direction of the user. In particular, a projection location can be selected which correlates with the direction of view of the user (for example, which coincides with the viewing direction of the user). The information regarding the home appliance 210 (eg, the status of an active schedule of the home appliance 210) may then be projected at the projection location by means of a projector 100 (step 404). The system 200 described in this document and the corresponding method 400 make it possible to provide a user via projection information in a flexible manner when needed and with high relevance. In particular, information can be displayed to a user if and only if the user requires this information and at a location where the user requires this information. Home appliances, communication devices, consumer electronics may be able to dispense with displays, and information may be collected and displayed contextually via a projector 100. So a level of stress can be reduced to query relevant information.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. In particular, it should be noted that the description and figures are intended to illustrate only the principle of the proposed methods, apparatus and systems.

Claims

A method (400) for providing information, the method comprising (400)

- determining (401) sensor data relating to a user;

- determining (402), on the basis of the sensor data, an index that the user is interested in informing about a home appliance (210) from a plurality of home appliances (210);

- determining (403), based on the sensor data, a projection location; and

- projecting (404) the information regarding the home appliance (210) from the plurality of home appliances (210) at the projection site.

The method (400) of claim 1, wherein

- determining (402) the index comprises determining, based on the sensor data, a behavior of the user; and

the indication that the user is interested in information regarding a home appliance (210) is determined depending on the behavior of the user.

The method (400) of claim 1, wherein the behavior of the user comprises one or more of

- a line of sight of the user;

a direction of movement of the user;

a gesture of the user; and or

an acoustic signal generated by the user.

Method (400) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

- determining (403) the projection location comprises determining, based on the sensor data, a viewing direction of the user; and

- The projection location depends on the viewing direction of the user. Method (400) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor data comprise one or more of

- Image data of a camera or multiple cameras that is set up to capture the user's image;

Motion data of a motion sensor or a plurality of motion sensors configured to detect movement of the user;

- Infrared data of an infrared sensor or multiple infrared sensors, which are adapted to detect a thermal radiation of the user; and or

- Acoustic data of an acoustic sensor or a plurality of acoustic sensors, which are adapted to detect acoustic signals caused by the user.

Method (400) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method (400) further comprises determining, based on the sensor data, which domestic appliance (210) from the plurality of domestic appliances (210) the user is interested in and / or for which information a variety of different information, the user is interested.

The method (400) according to claim 6, wherein

- the method (400) further comprises determining an active home appliance (210) or a plurality of active home appliances (210) from the plurality of home appliances (210); and

a list of home appliances (210) that may be of interest to the user to whom an active home appliance (210) or the plurality of active home appliances (210) is restricted.

Method (400) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

the method (400) further comprises determining historical location data;

the historical location data indicate one or more projection locations to which information has been projected in the past; and

- The projection location is also determined depending on the historical location data. Method (400) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

the method (400) further comprises determining historical information data;

- display the historical information data for what information and / or which of the plurality of home appliances (210) the user has been interested in in the past; and

- The indicator is also determined depending on the historical information data.

10. A system (200) for providing information, the system comprising (200)

a multi-directional projector (100) arranged to project a plurality of images (101) to a corresponding plurality of different spatial regions of a room; and

a control unit (220) that is set up

- to determine sensor data relating to a user;

on the basis of the sensor data, to find an indication that the user is interested in information relating to a domestic appliance (210);

- on the basis of the sensor data, to determine a projection location; and

- causing the multi-directional projector (100) to project the information regarding the home appliance (210) into an image (101) at the projection location.

The system (200) of claim 10, wherein

the multi-directional projector (100) comprises a plurality of sub-projectors (301); and

- Each of the plurality of sub-projectors (301) is arranged to project a different image (101) to a different local area of the space.

The system (200) of claim 1 1, wherein the control unit (220) is arranged to select and drive a partial projector (301) of the plurality of partial projectors (301) in dependence on the particular projection location.

13. System (200) according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein

- The multi-directional projector (100) comprises a rotatable part-projector (301) which can be rotated about a rotation axis (302); and

- The control unit (220) is arranged to cause the rotatable part of the projector (301) rotates in dependence on the particular projection location.

14. System (200) according to claim 13, wherein

- the rotatable sub-projector (301) is arranged to rotate at a rotational speed about the axis of rotation (302);

the rotational speed is greater than or equal to 25 revolutions per second; and

- The rotatable part-projector (301) is arranged to project a plurality of different images (101) in one revolution around the rotation axis (302) at a plurality of locations.

The system (200) of any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein

- The home appliance (210) has a plurality of sequence programs;

the information comprises a status of an active sequence program; and or

- The household appliance (210) comprises one or more of: an oven, a stove, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a dryer and / or a food processor.