CN111051830A

CN111051830A - Hand-held scanner for improved washing detection, system comprising the hand-held scanner and method for operating the system

Info

Publication number: CN111051830A
Application number: CN201880056416.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: P·诺伊迈尔; K·雷德林
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2017-09-01
Filing date: 2018-08-24
Publication date: 2020-04-21
Also published as: WO2019042879A1; DE102017215370A1; EP3676583A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand-held scanner (1) comprising an IR spectrometer (3) with a radiation source (4) and a radiation detector (5), a control unit (6) and an interface (11) for wireless data communication, wherein the hand-held scanner (1) has RGB sensors (2). The invention further relates to a system (14) having the handheld scanner (1) and to a method for operating the system (14).

Description

Hand-held scanner for improved washing detection, system comprising the hand-held scanner and method for operating the system

Technical Field

The invention relates to a hand-held scanner for improved laundry recognition, comprising an IR spectrometer with a radiation source and a radiation detector, a control unit and an interface for wireless data communication. The invention further relates to a system having the hand-held instrument and to a method for operating the system.

Background

The laundry may be more or less mechanically loaded depending on the material constituting the laundry and allowed to be heated only to a determined temperature. This is to be noted in the washing process and in the drying process. Furthermore, there are limitations, since a plurality of items of laundry cannot be treated with a defined chemical agent. It is also known that laundry items are to be treated differently depending on the degree or type of contamination thereof. In general, the laundry should be treated as harmlessly as possible, whereas its contaminants should be removed as completely as possible. Furthermore, the energy requirement for treating the laundry is important, which should be as low as possible. Finally, the duration is important, which should be as short as possible for the treatment of the laundry.

The known laundry treatment appliance therefore comprises, for example, depending on its configuration, a plurality of washing programs and a further laundry treatment program, for example a drying program, in which case the user of the laundry treatment appliance can select the program which, at his own discretion, is most suitable for the laundry to be treated. For this reason, however, the user needs as much information as possible and, in addition to this knowledge, also needs a lot of experience in order to be able to judge what the laundry to be treated is of and what kind of contamination of the laundry is involved. This is particularly difficult when the laundry no longer has a label. It is then generally not possible to identify the material type of the laundry and to determine the permitted treatment method.

An alternative may be, for example, an RFID chip. The chip enables information to be transmitted also remotely and without direct line of sight contact about individual items of laundry. However, the disadvantage of the chip is that the chip has to be placed on each individual wash. This is partly associated with high costs. Furthermore, individual washing items equipped with RFID chips can also give rise to an unpleasant sensation of "monitoring" or "control".

It is therefore desirable to improve the treatment of laundry in the household in such a way that the negative impact of the treatment on the laundry and on the duration and energy consumption of the treatment program carried out is minimized as much as possible.

Household appliances and methods for improving the treatment of laundry are already known.

Publication WO 2001/046509 a1 describes an appliance for treating textiles with a device for detecting properties of textiles, wherein the device comprises at least one transmitting element for transmitting electromagnetic radiation and at least one receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation, and an evaluation circuit connected to the receiving element, wherein radiation transmitted by the transmitting element and reflected and/or transmitted by the textiles can be received by the receiving element and can be evaluated in the evaluation circuit.

The publication DE 102015100395 a1 describes a spectrometer, in particular for incorporation into a sensor module having a radiation source and the following components defining or arranged along an optical path: a sample space for a fluid to be examined, a first lens, a diffraction element, a second lens and a detector. A limiting aperture for limiting the effective diameter of the radiation beam irradiated onto the diffraction element is provided between the sample space and the diffraction element.

Publication EP 1242665B 1 describes an appliance for treating textiles by means of an evaluation circuit for identifying the type of textiles and/or the moisture of the laundry. The device comprises a transmitting element for transmitting the electromagnetic beam, a receiving element for receiving the electromagnetic beam, and an evaluation circuit connected to the receiving element. A method for identifying characteristics of textiles, for example in a washing machine or a laundry dryer, is also described.

Publication DE 102013104976 a1 describes a system comprising a household appliance, a mobile communication device and at least one RFID transponder spatially assigned to the household appliance. The communication device can read the identification of the RFID transponder located in the detection area of the communication device, and the respectively read identification can invoke the action specified in the memory of the communication device.

In order to better design the laundry treatment program, it is also known to analyze the laundry before it is placed in the laundry treatment appliance.

The publication DE 102013210996 a1 thus describes an analysis device for analyzing laundry outside a laundry treatment appliance, which analysis device has at least one camera and an evaluation device for determining at least one laundry care-related property of at least one laundry on the basis of at least one image recorded by means of the camera. In one embodiment, the at least one laundry care-related property of the laundry may be selected from the group of properties comprising at least maximum treatment temperature, suitability for machine drying, degree of drying, suitability for chemical cleaning, colour, texture, type of textiles, degree of soiling and type of laundry. Furthermore, the analysis device is preferably provided for displaying a recommendation for at least one laundry treatment program and/or for at least one laundry care agent on the basis of at least one recognized laundry care-relevant property of one or more laundry items. The evaluation device can be provided to allow the selection of at least one laundry treatment program by the operator and to transmit the result of the selection to the laundry treatment appliance.

Publication DE 102015201948 a1 describes a household appliance for treating articles, having a control device and an operating device, which operating device comprises: a data processing unit; a data storage unit in which a library having a processing program for an article is stored; a data communication unit and an operating device, wherein the data communication unit provides a data connection between the operating device, a data processing unit, a data memory unit and a control device of the household appliance, wherein the operating device is designed to enable a user to perform data for a plurality of items to be processedAn allocation routine is stored in the data processing unit, which can compare the program library with the data input and can derive at least one optimized processing possibility B for the simultaneous processing of a plurality of items to be processed_optAnd the operating means allow the user to use the optimized treatment option or to change it within predefined limits and then to change it if necessary_optTransmitted to the control device of the household appliance to execute the processing program.

Publication DE 102014112375 a1 describes a device for controlling a household appliance, wherein the device has the following features: an interface for reading in image information from a sensor array of a display unit of a household appliance, wherein the sensor array comprises a photosensor which is a constituent of an image point of the display unit; and an evaluation device for providing a control signal for controlling the household appliance by using the graphical information.

The publication DE 102014102531 a1 describes a method for operating a household appliance, in which images of encoded information are recorded by means of a mobile telephone comprising a camera and the encoded information or useful data contained by the encoded information are transmitted to the household appliance. The household appliance extracts the useful data contained in the encoded information from the encoded information and receives the useful data or the useful data to be received directly in the internal memory, wherein the household appliance interprets the useful data as an automatic control program and executes it as an automatic control program.

Publication WO 2015/055239 a1 describes a washing machine with voice recognition and reaction capability and a method for its operation, in which the user inputs information about the type (bedding, shirt, underwear, etc.) and a description of the characteristics of the type, in particular the type of material, the degree of soiling and the color and the intensity of the color, for each item of laundry. The data is stored and the data management system determines the most suitable washing program among the possible washing programs based on the information.

Publication WO 00/32865 a1(EP 1135553 a1) describes a laundry treatment machine having an electronic control device for automatically executing a laundry treatment program, wherein a decision device is provided for machine-identifying the type of laundry and for machine-deciding by which laundry treatment program the identified laundry can be treated, and an information output device is provided by means of which the laundry treatment program derived by the decision device can be displayed as a recommendation to a person, and an input device operable by the person is provided for confirming the laundry treatment program derived by the machine. For identifying the laundry, the latter can be placed in turn manually in front of a measuring head or sensor of the decision device, wherein the measuring head can be a hand-held instrument and the decision device preferably comprises a spectrometer for identifying the type of laundry.

Disclosure of Invention

Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held scanner (sometimes also referred to simply as "hand-held instrument") and a system having the hand-held scanner, which allow a user of a household appliance to treat laundry without damage, with high energy efficiency and for an optimum length of time, without the user having to obtain a multiplicity of information about the type of laundry. The most suitable laundry treatment program in terms of the fibre material, fibre content and colour of the laundry should preferably be suggested to the user and can be carried out in a domestic appliance. It is also desirable if wireless networked appliances can be used, so that particularly efficient and comfortable use of the networked appliances in the home can be achieved. Furthermore, a method for operating the system should be provided.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a hand-held scanner and a system comprising the hand-held scanner and a method for operating the system having the features of the respective independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the handheld scanner according to the invention and of the system according to the invention and of the method according to the invention are set forth in the respective dependent claims. Preferred embodiments of the handheld scanner according to the invention correspond to preferred embodiments of the system according to the invention and of the method according to the invention and vice versa, even if this is not explicitly emphasized here.

The subject matter of the invention is therefore a handheld scanner comprising an IR spectrometer, preferably an NIR spectrometer, with a radiation source and a radiation detector, a control unit and an interface for wireless data communication, wherein the handheld scanner has RGB sensors.

The configuration of the handheld scanner according to the present invention is not limited. The handheld scanner may have any shape and any configuration wherein the components may be arranged in any manner and method. In any event, the handheld scanner may be used by a user with one or both hands.

According to the invention, the type of the at least one radiation detector is not limited. Any radiation detector that enables detection in the IR range and in particular in the NIR range may be used. Typically, the structure of at least one IR spectrometer is used in reflection.

NIR spectrometers typically operate in the wavelength range of 800 to 2500 nm.

RGB sensors are optical instruments that generate signals for selective detection and evaluation of the visible spectral range, with broadband light sources (in most cases high-power white LEDs) being used. RGB sensors generally operate according to a three-zone method in which color measurements are derived broadband and separately for the colors, i.e., red, green, and blue, by using suitable color filters in the three channels.

In a preferred embodiment, the handheld scanner has an optical and/or acoustic display for the evaluated data of the IR spectrometer and/or of the RGB sensor.

Preferably, the handheld scanner comprises an input unit for input by a user. This is in particular the input of additional information about the laundry, for example about its shape or other configuration; such as short or long sleeved shirts, blouses, etc. The input of the additional information can also be, in particular, a selection under predefined decision options, for example under a possible clothing Type group (also referred to here as clothtype group or accessory Category group) displayed as the second information. In an embodiment of the invention, however, the treatment program to be executed by the laundry treatment appliance can be selected for execution by a user input on a hand-held scanner, which can preferably also be referred to as a "hand-held instrument" in general. In principle, the laundry treatment appliance can also be controlled by a hand-held scanner. According to the present invention, the operation mode of the input unit is not limited. Thus, input may be by touch, voice, or by entering text.

The operating unit and the optical and/or acoustic display device can also be present in the handheld scanner as a unit, for example in the form of a touch screen.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the hand scanner, the control unit is provided for communication with an external server (also referred to as "cloud") via an interface for wireless data communication, in which first data relating to the laundry measured by the hand scanner, the IR spectrometer and/or the RGB sensor, preferably the IR spectrometer and the RGB sensor, are transmitted to the external server, in which the first data are evaluated as second data with regard to the fibre material and the fibre content and/or the visual color, and the second data are transmitted to the hand scanner and/or the laundry treatment appliance.

The second data are preferably transmitted to the handheld scanner, where they can be displayed, preferably in the form of selection possibilities, on an optical and/or acoustic display device, and the user can make additional inputs with respect to the measured items of laundry on the basis of the second data. Generally, based on the input of the user, a more suitable laundry treatment program is suggested or selected. The laundry treatment program itself can be already stored in the control unit of the hand scanner or in the control unit of the household appliance. However, it is also possible according to the invention for the user to modify the treatment program to be carried out in the laundry treatment appliance, for example by further input on the hand-held scanner, for example the drum speed or the treatment temperature.

Advantageously, the first data is assigned to the type of textile fabric as the second data in the external server as a function of the fiber material and the fiber content determined in the external server. The textile type can be designed differently depending on whether only the type of textile (for example synthetic polymers, so-called Poly-Cluster; Silk, so-called "Silk-Cluster"; chemical Cellulose and the like, so-called "Chem-Cellulose + Elastan-Cluster") is considered or, in addition, also the fiber content. Preferably, the fiber content is also taken into account. It has proven advantageous here to divide the fiber content into different range groups (for example 90-99% for the main component) and to evaluate the different fiber contents differently. The result is then a so-called Sensor Signal Code (SSC), which is then preferably the basis for outputting and displaying the second data.

Furthermore, the subject matter of the invention is a system for treating laundry, comprising a handheld scanner, an external server and a laundry treatment appliance, wherein the handheld scanner has an IR spectrometer, preferably an NIR spectrometer, with a radiation source and a radiation detector, a control unit, an interface for wireless data communication with the external server and an RGB sensor.

Preferably, the hand-held scanner, the external server and the laundry treatment appliance are provided for carrying out a method for operating the system, comprising the following steps:

(a) scanning at least one laundry and receiving IR spectrum and/or RGB sensor signals by a handheld scanner;

(b) transmitting the IR spectrum and/or RGB sensor signals as first data to an external server;

(c) evaluating the IR spectrum and/or the RGB sensor signals as second data in terms of fiber material and fiber content and/or visual color; and

(d) the second data are transmitted to the hand-held scanner and/or the laundry treatment appliance.

Furthermore, the subject matter of the invention is a method for operating a system for treating laundry, comprising a hand-held scanner, an external server and a laundry treatment appliance, wherein the hand-held scanner has an IR spectrometer, preferably an NIR spectrometer, with a radiation source and a radiation detector, a control unit, an interface for wireless data communication with the external server and RGB sensors, comprising the following steps:

In a preferred embodiment of the method, in step (d), the second data are transmitted to the handheld scanner and displayed on an acoustic and/or optical display of the handheld scanner, and the user makes at least one additional input with respect to the measured items of laundry on the basis of the second data. The display device is preferably designed as a touch screen, which also enables input by the user.

In the method according to the invention, it is furthermore preferred that the first data are first assigned to the textile type in the external server depending on the fiber material and the fiber content determined in the external server. It is also advantageous here if the first data are assigned to clusters of fiber contents and/or fiber quantities in the external server as a function of the fiber material and fiber contents determined in the external server and if the clusters of the textile type and the fiber contents and/or fiber quantities form a so-called sensor signal code, in which the fiber material and the fiber contents are contained as information, as a function of the second data.

In a preferred embodiment, the sensor signal code is assigned to a type of clothing and/or a group of types of clothing as the second data, which type of clothing and/or group of types of clothing is the most probable in terms of fibre material and fibre content, and which type of clothing and/or group of types of clothing is accordingly provided on the display device with its reduced probability of occurrence.

Furthermore, it is preferred according to the invention that in the laundry treatment appliance a laundry treatment program is assigned to the second data as a function of the mechanical energy which is input into the laundry by the laundry treatment appliance. It is also advantageous here if one or more laundry treatment programs are assigned to the laundry type and/or the group of laundry types, respectively, as a function of the determined visual color as second data. It is advantageous here to classify the determined visual colors into color classes.

Furthermore, it is preferred according to the invention that the second data are assigned one or more laundry treatment programs in the laundry treatment appliance as a function of the type of laundry and/or the group of types of laundry, in which the temperature and/or the rotational speed of the laundry drum are reduced by a defined amount or limited to a lower maximum value in relation to an otherwise similar program. In other words, the rotational speed and/or the temperature are/is adjusted in the case of a specific type of laundry and/or group of types of laundry, for example, in order to take into account the most sensitive laundry during loading.

If the user makes additional input about the measured laundry, the user selects, for example, one laundry type or a group of laundry types, whereby a plurality of laundry treatment programs, for example washing programs or drying programs, can be allocated to this selection. However, since the determined color or color class and the permissible mechanical energy input for the selected laundry can strongly limit the number of possible treatment programs in the system, an optimal treatment program can be suggested to the user, which is then executed, however, or automatically.

Generally, the laundry treating appliance is selected from the group consisting of a washing machine, a washer-dryer and a dryer.

The invention has a number of advantages. The invention makes it possible to identify and communicate between the user, the laundry treatment appliance and the laundry to be treated, wherein the user is supported by the laundry treatment appliance in his decision about good laundry treatment even if different textile materials, types of laundry and colors are present in the laundry. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a possibility for monitoring the properties of the laundry with respect to its treatment, which is inexpensive compared to RFID chips, for example. The optimized laundry treatment possible according to the invention makes it possible to prevent or at least significantly reduce adverse effects on the laundry treatment program, such as color loss, damage and wear of the laundry itself. The invention does not require, in particular, the laundry to be provided with a coding and/or a written description and/or a chip, a tag or a label.

The invention enables a simple and clear display of usage-Case program suggestions for the user of the household appliance and, in an embodiment of the invention, a simple and convenient connection and control of the suggested on-line query and laundry treatment appliance. This can be achieved with minimal user interaction in accordance with the present invention.

Drawings

Further details of the invention emerge from the following description of non-limiting embodiments. Reference is made herein to fig. 1 to 3.

Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a handheld scanner according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the system according to the invention comprising a handheld scanner, an external server and a laundry treatment appliance.

Fig. 3 shows a list of clothing items which can be displayed for example on a display device of the handheld scanner to a user of the household appliance for selection decisions.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows one non-limiting embodiment of a handheld scanner 1 according to the present invention. The configuration of the handheld scanner 1 with the spherical housing can be seen here by way of example and is intended merely for illustration. According to the present invention, the external configuration of the handheld scanner is not limited. The hand scanner 1 has an RGB sensor 2, by means of which the visual color of the items of laundry 10 or color information 7 can be determined. The visual color is measured by the values r red, g green and c clear (reference), and is transmitted via the control unit 6 and the interface 11 for wireless data communication to an external server (cloud), not shown here. Furthermore, the handheld scanner 1 has an IR spectrometer 3, here an NIR spectrometer, comprising a radiation source 4 and a radiation detector 5. The fiber material and the fiber content in the laundry 10 can be determined by means of the IR spectrometer 3 by applying a radiation beam 8 from the radiation source 4 to the laundry 10 and detecting the reflected radiation beam 9 as a measurement signal by the radiation detector 5. The data determined by the RGB sensor 2 and the IR spectrometer 3, the so-called first data, are transmitted to an external server, not shown, which, together with the hand-held scanner 1 and a laundry treatment appliance, also not shown here, forms a system for treating laundry, in which a method comprising the following steps is carried out:

(a) scanning at least one laundry 10 by means of the handheld scanner 1 and receiving IR spectra and/or RGB sensor signals;

(d) the second data are transmitted to the hand-held scanner 1 and/or the laundry treatment appliance.

The handheld scanner 1 has an operation unit 12. At least one piece of information about the laundry 10 can be entered by the user via the operating unit 12, for example by entering a mask. For this purpose, the so-called second data are displayed for the user on an acoustic and optical display device 13. The embodiments shown here relate to the display of the type of clothing and/or the group of types of clothing, which are most likely to be evaluated in the external server with regard to the fiber material and the fiber content. An example of this is shown in figure 3. The clothing type and/or the group of clothing types are arranged on the display device 13 with a reduced probability of occurrence thereof. As an input on the operating unit 12, the user can select one of the types of clothing and/or groups of types of clothing, preferably by touching an operating device designed as a touch screen, which has the functions of both the operating unit 12 and the display device 13.

The data transmitted in step (b) to the external server, that is to say the IR spectrum and the RGB sensor signals, are evaluated there and transmitted in step (d) as second data to the handheld scanner 1 and displayed on the acoustic and optical display of the handheld scanner 1, where the user makes additional inputs with respect to the measured items of laundry 10 on the basis of the second data.

Fig. 2 shows one non-limiting embodiment of a system 14 according to the invention comprising a hand-held scanner 1, an external server 28 and a washing machine 15 as a non-limiting example for a laundry treatment appliance.

The handheld scanner 1 has an operation unit 12. At least one piece of information about the laundry 10 can be entered by the user via the operating unit 12, for example by entering a mask. For this purpose, the so-called second data are displayed for the user on an acoustic and optical display device 13. This information is used to supplement the information about the laundry 10 that has been obtained by means of the handheld scanner 1. The information pertains in particular to data about the type of laundry, for example a blouse, underwear, bedding, a long-sleeved or short-sleeved shirt, etc. In addition, the reference numerals have the same meanings as in fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown here, the handheld scanner 1, the washing machine 15 and the external server 28 can communicate with each other wirelessly, even though only the interface for wireless communication is shown for the handheld scanner 1.

The washing machine 15 used in the system 14 has a lye container 16 in which a drum 17 for receiving the laundry 10 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. In the drum 17, a laundry catch 18 is arranged. Furthermore, the washing machine 15 has an automated dosing unit 25 for the treatment agent, which is connected to the flushing housing 22. Water can be supplied from the fresh water line 23 to the lye container 16 by means of the pouring shell 22. For this purpose, a check valve 21 is located in the fresh water line 23, which check valve is controlled by the control device 20 in accordance with the process program sequence. Furthermore, in the embodiment described, the washing machine 15 has an optical display unit 19 which is designed to display information in the form of text, images and/or animation in black/white and/or in color. In principle, the information displayed on the handheld scanner 1 can also be displayed on the optical display unit 19. The input by the user can likewise be carried out directly on the washing machine 15, if necessary.

Fig. 3 shows a list of clothing items which can be displayed for example on a display device of the handheld scanner to a user of the household appliance for selection decisions. In the table, for example, as evaluation results of the first data, a clothing master group (CTC) and an assistant Category group (ACC) are given, which result from the evaluation described here. Here, in this view, the probability of correctness of the selected cluster or the auxiliary cluster is not taken into account. In practice, however, the sensor signal codes described here, which result from the evaluation of the first data, are assigned to the most likely cluster or the secondary category cluster for easier handling by the user. In this case, the user is presented with a classification on the display of the handheld scanner according to the reduced probability of occurrence of the original and auxiliary category clusters of the item of clothing, so that the user can more easily make a decision for the user input. As can be taken from fig. 3, a plurality of clusters are merged in a secondary category cluster.

List of reference numerals

1 hand-held scanner

2 RGB sensor

3 IR spectrometer, in particular NIR spectrometer

4 radiation source

5 radiation detector

6 control unit (in a hand-held scanner)

7 color information

8 emitted beam

9 reflected beam

10 washing article

11 interface for wireless data communication in a hand-held scanner

12 operating unit (for example touch screen)

13 optical and/or acoustic display device in a hand-held scanner

14 System for treating laundry

15 laundry treatment appliance, for example washing machine

16 lye container

17 treatment chamber (Cylinder)

18 washing article driving device

19 control unit (in a washing machine)

20 optical or acoustic display device of washing machine

21 check valve

22 punch-in shell

23 fresh water pipeline

24 outflow line

25 (automatic) dosing unit

26 drive motor

27 Pump

28 (particularly in the cloud) external servers

29 fluff separator

30 alkali liquor container drainage pipeline

Claims

1. A hand-held scanner (1) comprising an IR spectrometer (3) with a radiation source (4) and a radiation detector (5), a control unit (6) and an interface (11) for wireless data communication, characterized in that the hand-held scanner has RGB sensors (2).

2. The hand-held scanner (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hand-held scanner (1) has an optical and/or acoustic display device (13) for the evaluated data of the IR spectrometer (3) and/or the RGB sensor (2).

3. The handheld scanner (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises an input unit (12) for input by a user.

4. The hand-held scanner (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit (6) is provided for communicating with an external server (28) via an interface (11) for wireless data communication, in which communication first data of the IR spectrometer (3) and/or the RGB sensors (2) with respect to the laundry (10) measured by the hand-held scanner (1) are transmitted to the external server (28), in which external server (28) the first data are evaluated as second data with respect to fibre material and fibre content and/or visual color, and the second data are transmitted to the hand-held scanner (1) and/or laundry treatment appliance (15).

5. The hand-held scanner (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the second data are transmitted to the hand-held scanner (1), where they can be displayed on an optical and/or acoustic display device (13), and the user can make additional inputs with respect to the measured laundry (10) on the basis of the second data.

6. The hand-held scanner (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the first data are configured in the external server (28) to the type of textile as second data according to the fiber material and fiber content determined in the external server (28).

7. A system (14) for treating laundry (10), comprising a hand-held scanner (1), an external server (28) and a laundry treatment appliance (15), wherein the hand-held scanner (1) has an IR spectrometer (3) with a radiation source (4) and a radiation detector (5), a control unit (6), an interface (11) for wirelessly data communicating with the external server (28) and RGB sensors (2).

8. A method for operating a system (14) for treating laundry (10), the system comprising a hand-held scanner (1), an external server (28) and a laundry treatment appliance (15), wherein the hand-held scanner (1) has an IR spectrometer (3) with a radiation source (4) and a radiation detector (5), a control unit (6), an interface (11) for wirelessly data communicating with the external server (28) and RGB sensors (2), the method comprising the steps of:

(a) -scanning at least one laundry (10) and receiving IR spectra and/or RGB sensor signals by the hand-held scanner (1);

(b) transmitting the IR spectrum and/or the RGB sensor signals as first data to the external server (28);

(c) evaluating the IR spectrum and/or the RGB sensor signal as second data in terms of fiber material and fiber content and/or visual color; and

(d) transmitting the second data to the hand-held scanner (1) and/or the laundry treatment appliance (15).

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that in step (d) the second data are transmitted to the hand-held scanner (1) and displayed on an acoustic and/or optical display device (13) of the hand-held scanner (1), and the user makes at least one additional input with respect to the measured laundry (10) on the basis of the second data.

10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the first data is first configured to the textile type in the external server (28) according to the fiber material and the fiber content determined in the external server (28).

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the first data are assigned to clusters of fibre content and/or fibre amount in the external server (28) according to the fibre material and fibre content determined in the external server (28), and that a sensor signal code is formed from the textile type and the clusters of fibre content and/or fibre amount as second data, in which sensor signal code fibre material and fibre content are included as information.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the sensor signal code is assigned to a garment type and/or a group of garment types as second data, which garment type and/or group of garment types is the most probable in terms of the fibre material and fibre content, and which garment type and/or group of garment types are accordingly provided on the display device (13) with their reduced probability of occurrence.

13. Method according to any of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that a laundry treatment program is configured in the laundry treatment appliance (15) for the second data as a function of the mechanical energy which the laundry treatment appliance inputs into the laundry (10).

14. Method according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that one or more laundry treatment programs are assigned to the second data in the laundry treatment appliance (15) as a function of the type of laundry and/or the group of types of laundry, in which the temperature and/or the rotational speed of the laundry drum are reduced by a certain amount or limited to a smaller maximum value relative to an otherwise identical program.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the laundry type and/or the group of laundry types is/are each allocated one or more laundry treatment programs, if necessary, depending on the determined visual colour as second data.

16. Method according to any of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that a laundry treatment program, which is one or more laundry treatment programs configured in case the user makes a selection under the laundry type and/or group of laundry types by means of an additional input with respect to the measured laundry (10), is executed in the laundry treatment appliance (15).