CN114645436A

CN114645436A - Drying system

Info

Publication number: CN114645436A
Application number: CN202111106224.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杉本淳一
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2020-12-17
Filing date: 2021-09-22
Publication date: 2022-06-21
Also published as: JP2022096229A

Abstract

The invention provides a drying system, which can end drying operation at a more appropriate timing. The drying system of the embodiment is provided with an information acquisition unit and a determination unit. The information acquiring unit acquires information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drying chamber or the rotary tub during the drying operation. The determination unit determines a degree of progress of drying of the cloth based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit. The drying system performs a drying operation based on the determination result of the degree of progress of the drying by the determination unit.

Description

Drying system

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a drying system.

Background

A drying system for drying a wet cloth includes a drying system for automatically ending a drying operation of a dryer with a drying function by control. In such a dryer, the drying operation of the wet cloth may be completed although the drying of the wet cloth is still incomplete.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-165328

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a drying system capable of ending a drying operation at a more appropriate timing.

The drying system of the embodiment comprises an information acquisition unit and a determination unit. The information acquiring unit acquires information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drying chamber or the rotary tub during the drying operation. The determination unit determines a degree of progress of drying of the cloth based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit. The drying system performs a drying operation based on a result of the determination of the degree of progress of the drying by the determination unit.

Effects of the invention

According to the drying system of the present invention, the drying operation can be ended at a more appropriate timing.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a first diagram showing an example of a configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a second diagram showing an example of the structure of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3is a diagram showing a state in which a door of the washing machine according to the embodiment is opened.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the drive control of the drum motor 5 according to one embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process flow of control of the drying operation according to one embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a process flow of control of the drying operation according to one embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an image acquired in the processing of one embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image obtained by simulating a state in which laundry is agitated during a drying operation.

Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the feature amount of the image shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between the color of an object and the frequency distribution of the intensity values of RGB components.

Fig. 11 is a first diagram for explaining an example of a histogram showing features of an image according to an embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a second diagram for explaining an example of a histogram showing features of an image according to an embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a configuration diagram of a drying system according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a process flow of control of the drying operation according to one embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a structural diagram of a washing machine according to a modification.

Description of the symbols

1: outer box (frame), 2: through-hole-shaped port, 3: door, 4: water storage tank (drying chamber), 5: drum motor, 6: rotation axis, 7: drum (rotary tub), 8: through-hole, 9: a plurality of baffles, 10: water supply valve, 11: water supply valve motor, 12: water injection tank, 13: water injection port, 14: drain pipe, 15: drain valve, 17: main pipe, 18: front duct, 19: fan case, 20: intake port, 21: exhaust port, 22: fan motor, 23: rotation axis, 24: fan, 25: rear duct, 26: circulation line, 27: compressor, 28: compressor motor, 29A: condenser, 29B: evaporator, 30: refrigerant tube, 31: drying unit, 32: inverter circuit, 35u, 35v, 35 w: shunt resistance, 36: level shift circuit, 44: drive circuit, 47: drain valve motor, 48: water level sensor, 49: operation panel, 82: rotational position sensor, 100: washing machine (drying system or dryer), 1000: and (4) drying the system.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a drying system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the components having the same or similar functions. Then, a repeated description of these configurations may be omitted. "based on XX" means "based on at least XX", and includes the case where the base is based on other elements in addition to XX. "based on XX" is not limited to the case of directly using XX, and includes the case of using a value obtained by performing an operation and processing on XX. "XX or YY" is not limited to either XX or YY, but includes both XX and YY. This is also the case when the number of selection elements is 3 or more. "XX" and "YY" are arbitrary elements (for example, arbitrary information). The term "detect" is not limited to a case where a physical quantity of a subject is directly detected, and includes a case where another physical quantity related to the physical quantity of the subject is directly or indirectly acquired, and the physical quantity of the subject is estimated or determined from the acquired other physical quantity. The term "acquisition" is not limited to the case of directly receiving the object (including information) itself, and also includes the case of generating the object by internally performing calculation, processing, and the like on the directly received object (including information).

Several embodiments will be described below. The drying system of the embodiment is a washing machine (a washing dryer or a dryer) capable of estimating a drying state of laundry (cloth) in a drying operation with high accuracy. The washing machine (washing and drying machine or dryer) is a drum-type washing machine (dryer), a vertical washing machine (dryer), or the like. Further, the washing machine may be a double-tub type washing machine. The drying system dries an object by a drying operation, and includes relatively large cloths such as bath towels, bath mats, and towel mats, in addition to cloths such as clothes. These are collectively referred to as laundry or cloth. The "movement of the cloth" in the drying chamber, more specifically, the drum (the rotary tub) includes a case where the cloth is agitated by the rotation of the drum and moves in the vertical direction or the front-rear direction, and the arrangement order of the cloths changes. Further, "the state of the cloth" includes the degree of swelling of the cloth and the like which change due to the progress of drying.

(first embodiment)

The structure of the washing machine 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a first diagram showing an example of the structure of a washing machine 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a second diagram showing an example of the structure of the washing machine 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3is a diagram showing a state where door 3 of washing machine 100 according to the embodiment is opened. The washing machine 100 has a drying function. The washing machine 100 is a drum-type washing machine. The washing machine 100 includes, for example, an outer casing (housing) 1, a door 3, a water storage tank 4 (an example of a drying chamber), a drum motor 5, a drum 7 (an example of a rotary tank), a water supply valve 10, a water supply valve motor 11 (shown in fig. 2), a water supply tank 12, a water supply port 13, a drain pipe 14, a drain valve 15, a main pipe 17, a front pipe 18, a fan case 19, a fan motor 22, a fan 24, a rear pipe 25, a Compressor (Compressor)27, a Compressor motor 28, a Condenser (condensor) 29A, an Evaporator (Evaporator)29B, a refrigerant pipe 30, an expansion valve (not shown), a drain valve motor 47 (shown in fig. 2), a water level sensor 48 (shown in fig. 2), an operation panel 49 (shown in fig. 2), a rotary position sensor 82 (shown in fig. 2), a camera module 3C, an illumination 3L (an illumination portion), a temperature sensor 18TS, a temperature sensor, and a temperature sensor, 25TS, 29ATS, 29BTS, and vibration sensor 4 GS. The washing machine 100 is an example of a drying system.

The outer case 1 forms an external appearance of the washing machine 100. The outer box 1 has a front plate, a rear plate, a left plate, a right plate, a bottom plate, and a top plate, and is formed in a hollow shape. A through-hole-shaped doorway 2 is formed in the front plate of the outer box 1. A door 3is attached to the front plate of the outer box 1 via a hinge so as to be rotatably locked. The door 3 can be operated by a user from the front to any one of a closed state and an open state. In the closed state of the door 3, the doorway 2 is closed. In the opened state of the door 3, the doorway 2 is opened. The door 3 can close the inlet/outlet 2 of the water storage tank 4 in an openable and closable manner. The door 3 has an inner surface 3IS facing the water storage tank 4 (drying chamber) or a drum 7 (rotary tub) described later. A camera module 3C and an illumination 3L for photographing the internal space of the drum 7 are provided on the inner surface 3IS of the door 3. The wiring for the camera module 3C and the illumination 3L is arranged so as to pass through the vicinity of the hinge. Further, a part of the front surface side surface of the door 3 may include a decorated region, and the camera module 3C may be arranged to be hidden from the outside of the door 3 by the decoration.

A water storage tank 4 is fixed inside the outer casing 1. The water storage tank 4 is cylindrical and closed at the rear. The water storage tank 4 is disposed in an inclined state in which the axis line CL of the water storage tank 4 is lowered from the front to the rear. The front of the water storage tank 4 is open. The door 3 closes the front surface of the water storage tank 4 in an airtight state in a closed state.

A drum motor 5 is fixed to the rear plate of the water storage tank 4 outside the water storage tank 4. The drum motor 5 is a motor used for washing and dewatering. The drum motor 5 is, for example, a DC (Direct Current) brushless motor capable of speed control. The rotary shaft 6 of the drum motor 5 protrudes into the water storage tank 4. The rotary shaft 6 is disposed to overlap the axis CL of the water storage tank 4. A drum 7 is fixed to the rotary shaft 6 so as to be positioned inside the water storage tank 4. The drum 7 is cylindrical with the rear surface closed. In the operation state of the drum motor 5, the drum 7 rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 6. The front surface of the drum 7 faces the doorway 2 from behind with the front surface of the water storage tank 4 interposed therebetween. In the opened state of door 3, laundry is taken out of and put into drum 7 from the front through doorway 2, the front surface of water storage tank 4, and the front surface of drum 7.

The drum 7 is formed with a plurality of through holes 8. The internal space of the drum 7 is connected to the internal space of the water storage tank 4 through each of the plurality of through holes 8. A plurality of baffles 9 are provided or fixed on the inner side of the drum 7. The plurality of shutters 9 move in the circumferential direction around the axis CL in accordance with the rotation of the drum 7. The laundry in the drum 7 moves in the circumferential direction while being caught by each of the plurality of baffles 9, and then falls by gravity, thereby being agitated.

A water supply valve 10 is fixed inside the outer case 1. The water supply valve 10 has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet of the water supply valve 10 is connected to a tap of a tap water pipe. The water supply valve 10 uses a water supply valve motor 11 as a drive source. The outlet of the water supply valve 10 is switched between an open state and a closed state according to the amount of rotation of the water supply valve motor 11. The outlet of the water supply valve 10 is connected to a water injection tank 12. In the open state of the water supply valve 10, tap water is injected into the water injection tank 12 through the water supply valve 10. On the other hand, in the closed state of the water supply valve 10, tap water is not injected into the water injection tank 12. The water injection tank 12 is fixed to the inside of the outer case 1 at a position higher than the water storage tank 4. The water injection tank 12 has a cylindrical water injection port 13. The water filling port 13 is inserted into the water storage tank 4. The tap water injected into the water injection tank 12 from the water supply valve 10 is injected into the water storage tank 4 from the water injection port 13.

The upper end of the drain pipe 14 is connected to the bottom of the water storage tank 4. A drain valve 15 is provided in the drain pipe 14. The drain valve 15 uses a drain valve motor 47 as a driving source. The discharge valve 15 is switched between the open state and the closed state in accordance with the amount of rotation of the discharge valve motor 47. In the closed state of the drain valve 15, the tap water injected into the reservoir tank 4 from the water injection port 13 is stored in the reservoir tank 4. On the other hand, in the open state of the discharge valve 15, the tap water in the reservoir tank 4 is discharged to the outside of the reservoir tank 4 through the discharge pipe 14.

A main pipe 17 located below the water storage tank 4 is fixed to the bottom plate of the outer box 1. The main pipe 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape pointing in the front-rear direction. The lower end of the front duct 18 is connected to the front end of the main duct 17. The front duct 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape directed vertically. The upper end of the front pipe 18 is connected to the internal space of the water storage tank 4 from the front end of the water storage tank 4. A fan case 19 is fixed to a rear end portion of the main duct 17. The fan case 19 has a through-hole-shaped intake port 20 and a cylindrical exhaust port 21. The internal space of the fan case 19 is connected to the internal space of the main duct 17 via the intake port 20.

A fan motor 22 is fixed to the fan case 19 outside the fan case 19. The fan motor 22 has a rotary shaft 23 projecting into the fan case 19. A fan 24 located inside the fan case 19 is fixed to the rotary shaft 23. The fan motor 22 rotates the fan 24. The fan 24 is, for example, a centrifugal fan. That is, the fan 24 sucks air in the axial direction and discharges the air in the radial direction by rotation. The inlet 20 provided in the fan case 19 faces the fan 24 in the axial direction of the fan 24. The exhaust port 21 provided in the fan case 19 faces the fan 24 in the radial direction of the fan 24.

The lower end of the rear duct 25 is connected to the exhaust port 21 of the fan case 19. The rear duct 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape directed in the vertical direction. The upper end of the rear duct 25 is connected to the internal space of the water storage tank 4 from the rear end of the water storage tank 4. The rear duct 25, the fan case 19, the main duct 17, the front duct 18, and the water storage tank 4 constitute an annular circulation duct 26 having an internal space of the water storage tank 4 as a start point and an end point, respectively. When the fan motor 22 is operated in the closed state of the door 3, the fan 24 is rotated in a constant direction, and air in the water storage tank 4 is sucked from the front duct 18 into the fan case 19 through the main duct 17, and is returned from the fan case 19 into the water storage tank 4 through the rear duct 25. Further, the front duct 18 is provided with a temperature sensor 18TS that detects the temperature inside the front duct 18. The rear duct 25 is provided with a temperature sensor 25TS that detects the temperature in the rear duct 25. When the temperature sensor 18TS or 25TS detects that the temperature in each pipe exceeds a predetermined temperature, the supply of electric power to the compressor 27, which will be described later, is cut off. The detection results of the temperature sensors 18TS and 25TS may be used for protection purposes as described above, or may be used for control of the drying process.

The compressor 27 is fixed inside the outer casing 1. The compressor 27 is disposed outside the circulation duct 26. The compressor 27 has a discharge port for discharging the refrigerant and a suction port for sucking the refrigerant. The compressor 27 uses a compressor motor 28 as a drive source. The compressor motor 28 is, for example, a DC brushless motor capable of speed control.

A condenser 29A and an evaporator 29B are fixed to the inside of the main duct 17. For example, the compressor 27, the condenser 29A, the evaporator 29B, an expansion valve (not shown), and a refrigerant pipe 30 for circulating a refrigerant therethrough form a drying unit 31 functioning as a heat pump. The drying unit 31 generates heat from the condenser 29A by the operation of the compressor 27. For example, the condenser 29A is heated by exchanging heat between air flowing through the main duct 17 and the refrigerant. The evaporator 29B vaporizes the refrigerant by the heat of the air circulating inside the main pipe 17. The drying unit 31 is an example of a drying function for drying laundry. The drying unit 31 may be formed to include a main duct 17, a fan case 19, a fan motor 22, a fan 24, and the like, which will be described later. The condenser 29A may be provided with a temperature sensor 29ATS for detecting the temperature of the condenser 29A, and the evaporator 29B may be provided with a temperature sensor 29BTS for detecting the temperature of the evaporator 29B.

The water level sensor 48 is provided in the water storage tank 4. The water level sensor 48 detects the water level in the water storage tank 4. The operation panel 49 includes a display unit 49a (not shown) and an operation input unit 49b (not shown). For example, the display unit 49a and the operation input unit 49b are panels provided with buttons and a display device that can be pressed by the user, or touch panels that can be operated by the user. The user can select an operation program for washing and drying, start the operation, and the like by operating the operation panel 49. Examples of the washing operation program include a standard program, a quick program, a fashion clothing program (a careful washing program), an indoor drying program, and a stubborn stain program. The amount of water supplied to the water storage tank 4 during washing, the flow of water in the water storage tank 4 during rinsing, and the contents of the washing stroke are different for each operation sequence of washing. The operation panel 49 displays a washing stroke, a remaining time until the end of the operation, a set water level, and the like.

The camera module 3C according to the embodiment is a camera including, for example, an imaging element having sensitivity characteristics in a visible light region and capable of generating a color image, and a wide-angle optical system (wide-angle lens). The image pickup device of the camera module 3C has an optical filter for blocking an infrared light region. The optical axis AX of the optical system faces the inside of the drum 7. More specifically, the optical axis AX is oriented in a direction in which the laundry in the drum 7 can be photographed. The camera module 3C may be configured to have the illumination 3L and be integrated with the illumination 3L.

The illumination 3L increases the illuminance of the subject in the drum 7 by its lighting. Therefore, the illumination 3L can be turned on when the camera module 3C performs shooting. The period of lighting the illumination may include the period of the drying process, may be over the period of the drying process, or may be synchronously lit with the time of shooting by the camera module 3C. The position where the illumination 3L is disposed is not limited to the camera module 3C, and may be a position distant from the camera module 3C as long as the illumination of the object in the drum 7 can be increased.

The control circuit 50 may include a hardware processor such as a cpu (central Processing unit), and executes a program (software) to realize the control. However, some or all of the above control may be realized by hardware (circuit portion; including circuit) such as ASIC (application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic device), FPGA (field Programmable Gate array), or the like, or may be realized by cooperation of software and hardware.

For example, the control circuit 50 includes a dry state detection unit 510, a storage unit 520, a processing unit 530, an interface unit 540, and a communication unit 550. The dry state detection unit 510, the storage unit 520, the processing unit 530, the interface unit 540, and the communication unit 550 are connected by a bus or the like in the control circuit 50. Part or all of the dry state detection unit 510, the storage unit 520, the processing unit 530, the interface unit 540, and the communication unit 550 may be collectively mounted on 1 or a plurality of semiconductor devices.

The interface unit 540 is connected to the drum motor 5, the drain valve motor 47, the water supply valve motor 11, and the drying unit 31. The interface unit 540 may include a drive circuit for driving the drum motor 5, the drain valve motor 47, the water supply valve motor 11, and the drying unit 31, respectively, and a part or all of the driver circuits may be provided outside the interface unit 540. The drum motor 5, the drain valve motor 47, the water supply valve motor 11, and the drying unit 31 are controlled via the interface 540.

The interface 540 is further connected to various sensors and the operation panel 49. The various sensors include temperature sensors 29ATS, 29BTS, 18TS, and 25TS, a water level sensor (not shown), a rotational position sensor 82, a vibration sensor 4GS, and a door switch (not shown). Temperature sensors 29ATS, 29BTS detect the temperatures of condenser 29A and evaporator 29B, respectively. Temperature sensors 18TS and 25TS detect the temperature of the air discharged from water storage tank 4 and the temperature of the air supplied to water storage tank 4, respectively. The water level sensor detects the water level in the water storage tank 4. The rotational position sensor 82 detects the rotational position of the drum motor 5. The current sensor detects the current flowing in the winding of the drum motor 5. The door switch detects opening and closing of the door 3. The processing unit 530, which will be described later, acquires information of various sensors via the interface unit 540, and exchanges information with the operation panel 49.

The dry state detection unit 510 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 511, an arithmetic processing unit 512, and a determination unit 513. In the following description, the function of the dry state detection unit 510 is described by being divided into the above-described units, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be divided into arbitrarily divided functional units. For example, part or all of the arithmetic processing performed by the arithmetic processing unit 512 may be performed by the information acquisition unit 511.

For example, the input of the information acquisition unit 511 is connected to the output of the camera module 3C. The information acquiring unit 511 acquires an image output from the camera module 3C, and adds data of the acquired image to a storage unit 520, which will be described later, as image data. The arithmetic processing unit 512 performs arithmetic processing on the image data (information) acquired by the information acquisition unit 511 in accordance with a predetermined arithmetic procedure. The determination unit 513 determines the degree of progress of drying the laundry (cloth) based on the calculation result of the calculation processing unit 512 according to a predetermined determination rule. The determination unit 513 can use the result of the determination as data for controlling the drying operation described later.

Further, dry state detecting unit 510 may be activated by processing unit 530, which will be described later, during the execution of the drying operation, and may be set to the idle state during the other periods.

The memory unit 520 includes semiconductor memories such as ram (random Access memory), rom (read Only memory), and eeprom (electrical Erasable rom). An EEPROM is an example of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory capable of realizing electrical erasing, and is used as a nonvolatile storage area. The storage unit 520 stores image data of a plurality of images output from the camera module 3C, data indicating a difference between features of the plurality of images, detection results of various sensors, data defining a determination criterion used in the determination process, user management information, various programs, and various information used in execution of the various programs. The user management information includes identification information for identifying the user or the washing machine 100. For example, the user management information is used when the washing machine 100 attempts to communicate with the server 200.

The processing unit 530 controls the drum motor 5, the drain valve motor 47, the water supply valve motor 11, and the drying unit 31, respectively, based on control information received by the operation panel 49 and based on the user's operation. For example, the processing unit 530 controls the respective units to perform respective controls of the washing operation, the spin-drying operation, the rinsing operation, and the drying operation. The processing unit 530 may control the above-described units based on the state detected by various sensors and the like. The processing unit 530 uses the determination result of the determining unit 513 as data for controlling the drying operation in relation to the control of the drying operation completion by the drying unit 31.

The communication unit 550 is formed to be connectable to a network NW, for example. For example, the communication unit 550 is connected to a server 200 described later via a network NW. An embodiment using the communication unit 550 will be described later.

Further, a rotational position sensor 82 is provided in the rotor of the drum motor 5. The position signal indicating the rotor position output from the rotational position sensor 82 is output to the control circuit 50. For example, when the drum motor 5 is started, the washing machine 100 performs vector control using the rotational position sensor 82 until a rotational speed at which the rotor position can be estimated is reached (for example, approximately 30 rpm). After the number of revolutions at which the rotor position can be estimated is reached, the control is switched to the sensorless vector control without using the rotational position sensor 82.

As described above, the control circuit 50 controls the entire washing machine 100. For example, the control circuit 50 also has the following protection functions: when the current flowing through the winding of drum motor 5 is detected as overcurrent, when the temperature of the drum motor is detected to be higher than or equal to a predetermined temperature during the drying operation, or the like, the supply of electric power to drum motor 5 is cut off.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the drive control of the drum motor 5 according to one embodiment. The interface unit 540 of the control circuit 50 includes the inverter circuit 32, the

shunt resistors

35u, 35v, and 35w, the level shift circuit 36, the drive circuit 44, and the drum motor control unit 541 as a drive circuit of the drum motor 5.

The drum motor control unit 541 estimates the phase θ and the rotational angular velocity ω of the rotating magnetic field in the drum motor 5 based on the detection result of the rotational position sensor 82 or the detection value of the current flowing through the winding, which will be described later. This estimation can be carried out by a known method.

The drum motor control unit 541 receives a speed command for the drum motor 5, for example, and generates a current command Idref and a current command Iqref by speed control using the rotational angular velocity ω as a control feedback value. For example, the speed command for the drum motor 5 is defined by the operation control performed by the processing unit 530. The velocity control may also use a vector control method.

Drum motor control unit 541 detects current Iau flowing through winding 5u of drum motor 5, current Iav flowing through winding 5v of drum motor 5, and current Iaw flowing through winding 5w of drum motor 5 by means of level shift circuit 36. Specifically, while the overcurrent is not detected by the overcurrent comparator circuit 38, the drum motor control unit 541 detects a current by the level shifter circuit 36. While the overcurrent is not detected, the currents detected by the drum motor control unit 541 via the level shift circuit 36 are currents Iau, Iav, Iaw. Drum motor control unit 541 performs orthogonal coordinate conversion and dq (direct-quadrature) coordinate conversion on the three-phase currents based on the detected current values and phases θ of currents Iau to Iaw to obtain a current Id of the excitation current component and a current Iq of the torque current component. As described above, the

shunt resistors

35u, 35v, and 35w, the level shift circuit 36, and the drum motor control unit 541 are examples of the wire sensors.

Drum motor control unit 541 then generates voltage commands Vd and Vq by current control based on the estimated phase θ, current Id of the field current component, current Iq of the torque current component, current command Idref, and current command Iqref.

For example, in the above current control, the drum motor control unit 541 subtracts the current Id from the current command Idref. The drum motor control unit 541 performs PI control so that the subtraction result becomes 0. Thereby, voltage command Vd is generated. Further, drum motor control unit 541 subtracts current Iq from current command Iqref. The drum motor control unit 541 performs PI control so that the subtraction result becomes 0. Thereby, voltage command Vq is generated. Then, drum motor control unit 541 performs inverse dq coordinate conversion and three-phase coordinate conversion based on voltage commands Vd and Vq and phase θ, and generates a 3-phase signal. The inverse dq coordinate conversion is a conversion opposite to the above dq coordinate conversion. Finally, a drive signal that drives the inverter circuit 32 is generated as a PWM signal.

The drive circuit 44 generates gate pulses for the IGBTs of the inverter circuit 32 based on the PWM signal output from the drum motor control unit 541, performs level conversion thereof, and supplies the gate pulses to the inverter circuit 32. The inverter circuit 32 supplies a current for driving the drum motor 5 to the windings 5u to 5w of the drum motor 5. The level shift may be configured separately from the drive circuit 44.

Next, a process related to washing in the washing machine 100 will be explained. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a process flow of the washing machine 100. Here, a description will be given of a process performed by the washing machine 100 when the user selects an operation program for performing a washing process including each of washing, rinsing, dewatering, and drying processes via the operation panel 49.

The user puts laundry into the washing machine 100 and performs an operation of starting washing. When the washing machine 100 starts the determined operation routine, the control circuit 50 (the processing unit 530, the same applies hereinafter) determines the weight of the laundry (referred to as a cloth amount) (step S1). The determination of the cloth amount is carried out before the water injection. For example, the control circuit 50 generates a PWM signal as a pre-water-filling cloth amount sensing operation, and thereby, as described in japanese patent No. 3962668, the control circuit determines the cloth amount based on the magnitude of the q-axis current Iq contributing to the torque of the drum motor 5 when the drum motor 5 is rotated by the inverter circuit 32 and the laundry is rotated in the drum 7.

For example, the washing machine 100 may store each water injection amount in association with the cloth amount of the laundry corresponding to each water injection amount, and the control circuit 50 may determine, as the pre-water-injection cloth amount sensing operation, the water injection amount corresponding to the water injection amount set by the user when determining the operation program from among the water injection amounts stored in the washing machine 100, and may determine the laundry stored in association with the determined water injection amount as the cloth amount in this case. Then, a detergent was added. The dosing of the detergent may be performed by the user. In addition, when the washing machine 100 includes an automatic detergent dispenser, the washing machine 100 may dispense detergent.

The control circuit 50 controls the drain valve motor 47 to close the drain valve 15, and controls the water supply valve motor 11 to perform a water supply stroke for supplying water into the drum 7 (step S2). When the water supply stroke is finished, the control circuit 50 generates the PWM signal to rotate the drum motor 5 via the inverter circuit 32, thereby executing the washing stroke (step S3). Specifically, the drum motor 5 repeats normal rotation and reverse rotation under the control of the control circuit 50, and thereby the laundry and detergent water in which the detergent is dissolved in the water in the drum 7 are agitated to remove dirt adhering to the laundry. At this time, the control circuit 50 determines the quality of the cloth by determining the variation of the current Iq flowing through the drum motor 5 (step S4).

When the washing stroke is completed, the control circuit 50 controls the drain valve motor 47 to open the drain valve 15, thereby executing a drain stroke for draining water from the drum 7 (step S5). When the draining stroke is finished, the control circuit 50 generates the PWM signal and rotates the drum motor 5 via the inverter circuit 32, thereby performing a first dehydrating stroke for dehydrating (step S6). When the spin-drying stroke is completed, the control circuit 50 controls the drain valve motor 47 to close the drain valve 15, and controls the water supply valve motor 11 to perform a water supply stroke for supplying water into the drum 7 (step S7).

When the water supply stroke is finished, the control circuit 50 generates the PWM signal and rotates the drum motor 5 via the inverter circuit 32, thereby performing a rinsing stroke for rinsing the detergent (step S8). When the rinsing stroke is completed, the control circuit 50 controls the drain valve motor 47 to open the drain valve 15, thereby executing a drain stroke for draining water from the drum 7 (step S9).

When the draining stroke is finished, the control circuit 50 generates the PWM signal and rotates the drum motor 5 via the inverter circuit 32, thereby executing a second dehydrating stroke (an example of a first dehydrating operation) for dehydrating (step S10).

The control circuit 50 determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the information on the laundry acquired before the second dehydration stroke (step S11). Specifically, the control circuit 50 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the cloth amount of the laundry obtained based on the pre-water-injection cloth amount sensing operation which is the process of step S1 is equal to or more than the threshold value. When the cloth amount of the laundry obtained based on the pre-water-filling cloth amount sensing operation is lower than the threshold value, the control circuit 50 determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

When determining that the predetermined condition is satisfied (that is, the cloth amount determined by the processing of step S1 is equal to or greater than the threshold) (yes in step S11), the control circuit 50 determines the cloth amount (step S12). Note that the cloth amount determination here may be determined based on the current Iq in the same manner as the processing of step S1. In addition, the cloth amount may be determined by a method using the current Iq, that is, by using the moment of inertia when the drum 7 rotates (see japanese patent No. 3962668, etc.), and instead, the water content of the laundry may be increased to increase the density of the laundry by performing the process of determining the cloth quality of the laundry in step S12, so that the weight is easily shifted to the outer side in the radial direction of the drum 7 to increase the moment of inertia, thereby improving the accuracy of the cloth amount determination.

When it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied (that is, the cloth amount determined by the processing of step S1 is lower than the threshold) (no in step S11), the control circuit 50 executes the spin-drying stroke without performing the processing of step S12 (step S13). The rotation speed of the drum motor 5 in the third dehydration stroke may be faster than that of the drum motor 5 in the second dehydration stroke.

Next, the control circuit 50 determines the content of the drying operation based on the determination result of the cloth amount (step S14). As an example of the content of the drying operation, the operation time of the heat pump 300 can be cited. That is, the control circuit 50 lengthens the time of the drying operation as the determined cloth amount increases. The determination of the operation time may be corrected based on the rotation speed, the continuous rotation time, the imbalance degree of the laundry, and the like of the drum 7 in the second dehydration process.

The control circuit 50 executes the drying process according to the determined content of the drying operation (step S15). The control circuit 50 ends the drying stroke and ends the process.

The control of the drying operation according to the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 6 and 7. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a process flow of control of the drying operation according to one embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an image acquired in the processing of one embodiment.

When the drying operation is started, the information acquiring unit 511 of the dry state detecting unit 510 acquires information on the initial state of the laundry placed in the drum 7 (step SA11), and adds the acquired information to the storage unit 520. For example, the information on the initial state of the laundry includes image information (image data) captured by the camera module 3C.

For example, an image as shown in fig. 7 (a) is captured, and image data of the image is included as an image showing an initial state. In the image shown in fig. 7 (a), the inner surface of the drum 7 and the laundry in a wet state are captured. The image of fig. 7 (b) shown in contrast to fig. 7 (a) shows a state in which the drying of the laundry has progressed. As can be seen from the image, the swelling of the laundry is small at the stage shown in fig. 7 (a), and the swelling of the laundry becomes large after the stage shown in fig. 7 (b). Such a change is detected by the following processing and the like. In order to identify the inner surface of the drum 7 and each region of the laundry, a region division method may be used, or a background difference method may be used.

Referring back to fig. 6, processor 530 then controls water supply valve motor 11 to close water supply valve 10 based on the control information received from operation panel 49 and based on the user's operation. The processing unit 530 controls the drum motor 5 and the drying unit 31 to start the drying operation (step SA 12).

The arithmetic processing unit 512 acquires image data (state information) for detecting the state of the laundry during the drying operation (step SA13), and performs predetermined arithmetic processing based on the acquired image data (step SA 14). The state of the laundry includes, for example, the movement of the cloth in the drum 7 during the drying operation or the state of the cloth. In addition, when information of various sensors other than the image data is used, the image data may be acquired and detection values of the various sensors may be acquired.

The determination unit 513 determines the result of the arithmetic processing, and determines whether or not the drying operation needs to be continued based on the determination result (step SA 18). When it is determined that the drying operation needs to be continued, the processing unit 530 continues the drying operation and repeats the processing from step S13. If it is determined that the drying operation does not need to be continued, processing unit 530 ends the drying operation (step SA 19).

Next, a method of detecting the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drum 7 during the drying operation will be described. The detection method described below basically uses image data of an image captured by the camera module 3C. Depending on the conditions, the image data output from the camera module 3C may be used instead of the data of the detection results of the various sensors, or the image data output from the camera module 3C and the data of the detection results of the various sensors may be used instead. The various sensors may also include temperature sensors 18TS, 25TS, 29ATS, 29BTS, vibration sensor 4GS, and the like. Although not a sensor that directly detects the physical quantity as described above, the various sensors described above may include a weight sensor that indirectly detects the amount of cloth (cloth amount sensing processing by the control circuit 50) or/and a current sensor (combination of the

shunt resistors

35u, 35v, and 35w, the level shift circuit 36, and the drum motor control unit 541) that detects the current flowing through the winding.

In this manner, the determination unit 513 determines the degree of progress of drying based on information obtained from one or more of the vibration sensor 4GS, the temperature sensors, the weight sensor, and the current sensor (current detection unit) provided in the washing machine 100, in addition to information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth.

For example, when using the temperature data, for example, a gradient of a temperature change of air circulating through the drum 7, or a case where the temperature of the air exceeds a predetermined temperature, or the like may be used for detecting the degree of progress of drying. As the dryness progresses, the gradient of the temperature change becomes steep from a certain point of time. The determination unit 513 may determine that the drying is sufficiently performed by detecting a change in the gradient or a temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature with a change in the temperature.

When using the data of the vibration, the comparison with the time when the drying is started or the amount of change at each detection time can be used. For example, as the drying of the cloth progresses, the amount of moisture absorbed by the cloth decreases, and the weight of the cloth decreases. When drum 7 is rotated in a state where the weight of the cloth is relatively heavy, the weight of the cloth is deviated from axis CL of drum 7 and the cloth is agitated and moved in drum 7, so that the vibration of washing machine 100 becomes relatively large. As the drying of the cloth progresses, the vibration becomes relatively small. Therefore, the drying degree can be detected by comparing the data of the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 4GS with the drying start time or detecting the amount of change.

In the case of using image data, the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth may be detected by one or more of the following methods.

As a first method, there is a method of: the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is acquired by using 2 or more image data obtained by imaging the cloth in the drum 7 with a time difference having a predetermined length.

As a second method, there is a method of: during the drying operation, the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is acquired by using 2 or more image data obtained by imaging with a time difference of a predetermined length.

As a third method, there is a method of: the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is acquired by using both one or more images obtained by imaging the cloth in the drum 7 before the drying operation or before a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the drying operation and one or more images captured during the drying operation.

As a fourth method, there is a method of: the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is acquired by using both a plurality of first images obtained by imaging the cloth in the drum 7 before the drying operation or before a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the drying operation and a plurality of second images obtained by imaging the cloth after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the drying operation.

Hereinafter, each method using the image data will be described in order.

First, an example of an image used in each of the above methods will be described with reference to fig. 8 and 9.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image obtained by simulating a state in which laundry is agitated during a drying operation. The color of cloth having a relatively large area in a specific area of an image has the following characteristics from the upper stage side of fig. 8. The image (a) in fig. 8 is a relatively large number of brown, white, and blue. The image (b) in fig. 8 is relatively white, but partially includes brown, gray, and the like. The image (c) in fig. 8 is a comparatively dark brown image. The image (d) in fig. 8 is relatively white. The image (e) in fig. 8 has a large white color and a large gray color. The image (f) in fig. 8 is a portion which is relatively rich in brown and blue and partially includes white or the like. The specific area in the image is set to be filled with the image of the laundry, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in fig. 7, the image may include a part of the drum 7.

Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the feature amount of the image shown in fig. 8. The graph shown in fig. 9 is an example of a histogram of the R component of the RGB components of each pixel in a specific region of each image.

In the case of the RGB color system, the color of each pixel constituting an image is defined by the intensity values of 3 primary color components of RGB. For example, the intensity value of the color component of each pixel is quantized with a resolution of 8 bits for each component of RGB. In this case, the intensity values of the color components of the pixels are, for example, 256-gradation values of R0 to R255, G0 to G255, and B0 to B255. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the intensity values of the respective color components may be normalized to set the maximum value to 1.

For each component of RGB, its intensity values are divided into a plurality of ranges. For example, the RGB components are divided into 7 ranges of Rz1-Rz7, Gz1-Gz7, and Bz1-Bz 7. The range of Rz1 is assigned to 0-35, the range of Rz2 is assigned to 36-70, the range of Rz 3is assigned to 71-105, the range of Rz4 is assigned to 106-175, the range of Rz5 is assigned to 141-175, the range of Rz6 is assigned to 176-210, and the range of Rz7 is assigned to 211-255. The partition described above is an example, and can be changed as appropriate.

The washing machine 100 acquires each image by repeating imaging with a predetermined cycle by the camera module 3C. Each image is represented by PICx. X is an identifier for identifying each image corresponding to the time history, and is an arbitrary integer, for example. When the images are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as images PIC. A particular picture PIC is sometimes referred to as picture PICx.

For example, the histogram is generated by summing the degrees of color components of pixels in a predetermined specific region among a plurality of pixels constituting the image PICx. Here, a function representing the degree of intensity values of color components of pixels in a specific region among a plurality of pixels constituting the image PICx is defined by the following expression (1). The examples shown below are for the R component.

In the above equation, the function fRz1(PICx) on the right side is used to extract the degree of pixels in the range Rz1 in which the intensity value of the R component of the pixels of a specific region among the plurality of pixels constituting the image PICx is included. The left YRz1(PICx) indicates the degree of the result. The functions fRz2(PICx) to fRz7(PICx) are also functions having different ranges of the intensity values of the R component, as in the function fRz1 (PICx). The intensity distribution yr (picx) of the R component of the calculation result is shown by the following formula (2).

YR(PICx)＝[YRz1(PICx)，YRz2(PICx)，YRz3(PICx)，……，YRz7(PICx)] (2)

The above description relates to the intensity distribution yr (picx) of the R component, but the intensity distribution yg (picx) of the G component and the intensity distribution yb (picx) of the B component can be defined by the following formulae (3) and (4) as in the case of the R component.

YG(PICx)＝[YGz1(PICx)，YGz2(PICx)，YGz3(PICx)，……，YGz7(PICx)] (3)

YB(PICx)＝[YBz1(PICx)，YBz2(PICx)，YBz3(PICx)，……，YBz7(PICx)] (4)

The intensity distribution of each of these components is summarized as shown in the formula (5), and defined as y (picx). Y (picx) is an example of the feature amount of each image.

Y(PICx)＝[YR(PICx)，YG(PICx)，YB(PICx)] (5)

The relationship between the color of the subject and the distribution of the degrees of the intensity values of the RGB components will be described supplementarily with reference to fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between the color of an object and the distribution of the degrees of intensity values of RGB components. A typical example will be described as to how the frequency distribution of the intensity values of the RGB components changes when the color of each subject changes as described below.

Fig. 10 (a) shows a case where the image is covered with relatively bright white. Fig. 10 (b) shows the case of being covered with black. Fig. 10 (c) shows a case where the gradation (achromatic color in which brightness gradually changes) is overlaid. Fig. 10 shows (d) to (f) in the case where the achromatic region includes a blue region, a red region, and a green region. Fig. 10 (g) and (h) show the case where the achromatic region includes a relatively bright brown region and the case where the achromatic region includes a relatively dark brown region. As described above, when the tendency of color in an image changes, the distribution of RGB components changes.

For example, if a cloth having a light brown color is wet for some time, the brightness becomes dark. In other words, the brightness of the cloth changes according to the degree of drying. This difference in brightness can also be reproduced in the image captured by the camera module 3C. By using such a feature, the drying state of the laundry can be recognized based on the change of the color component shown in the image of the laundry.

When the laundry is wet, the weight is heavy and the laundry is liable to be entangled with other laundry, and therefore, even if the drum 7 is rotated, the change in the obtained image is small. Therefore, histograms of feature values of pixels of two images are acquired, and the magnitude of a difference value is focused. For example, fig. 11 shows a histogram in the case where the image change is large, and fig. 12 shows a histogram in the case where the image change is small. Fig. 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining an example of histograms showing features of images according to an embodiment.

The histograms (a) to (d) in fig. 11 correspond to the images (a) to (d) in fig. 8, and each represents the distribution of the RGB intensity values indicated by each pixel in a partial region. Based on this, the difference between the histogram of (a) and the histogram of (b) in fig. 11 is shown in (d) in fig. 11, the difference between the histogram of (b) and the histogram of (c) in fig. 11 is shown in (e) in fig. 11, and the difference between the histogram of (c) and the histogram of (d) in fig. 11 is shown in (f) in fig. 11.

Here, in the case of creating fig. 12 shown as a sample, two images (not shown) are prepared which are modeled so as not to change significantly from the image of fig. 8 (a) in place of the images of fig. 8 (b) and (c). Based on these images, histograms of (a) to (d) in fig. 12 were produced by the same method as in fig. 11. In the case of fig. 12, similarly to the case of fig. 11, (e) to (g) in fig. 12 are also generated. It is understood that the degrees shown in fig. 12 (e) and (f) are significantly less than those shown in fig. 11 (e) to (g) and fig. 12 (g).

Therefore, the motion of the cloth and the state of the cloth are detected with attention paid to the difference value of the histograms of the two images. For example, when the image changes little, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the difference value becomes relatively small, and when the image changes much, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the difference value becomes relatively large. The determination unit 513 may detect the movement of the cloth and the state of the cloth using the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the difference values of the histogram.

In place of the above, the same result can be obtained by using the average value of the absolute values of the difference values of the histograms of the 3 color components or the sum of the absolute values of the difference values. The determination unit 513 may use any of the results of statistical processing such as the magnitude, average value, and sum of the difference values of the histogram as a target of determination processing described later.

The first method is described with reference to fig. 8 and 11. The images shown in (a) to (f) in fig. 8 are, for example, images captured at a predetermined cycle. The feature values obtained from this image are shown in fig. 11. The method described with reference to fig. 11 is an example of the first method.

According to the first method, the arithmetic processing unit 512 obtains information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth from information obtained based on a first image captured at a first time and a second image captured at a second time later than the first time. The arithmetic processing unit 512 repeats this operation periodically. As described above, the time difference between the first time and the second time may be determined to be a predetermined length. In this example, the length is set to 1 minute, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the length can be appropriately determined to facilitate detection. The same applies hereinafter.

And is described in more detail. The information acquisition unit 511 acquires data (image data) of an image captured by the camera module 3C 1 time every 1 minute. The arithmetic processing unit 512 compares the image before 1 minute (for example, PICx) with the latest image (for example, PIC (x +1)), extracts the amount of change (the amount of change in RGB or luminance (for example, Δ Yx)) between the two images, and acquires the degree of progress of drying as output information based on the extracted amount of change.

In the comparison between the two images, the histogram of the color component of each image can be used as the feature amount of the image as described above. The above treatment is represented by formula (6).

Note that, instead of the histogram of the color component of each color, the histogram of the luminance may be used as the feature amount of the image, or the histogram of a specific color (color component) among the color components of each color may be similarly used.

Thus, the amount of change in the color component (for example, RGB value) or the luminance is extracted as the amount of change in the two images, and the degree of progress of drying can be acquired as output information by a determination process based on the amount of change. Details of this case will be described later. The same applies hereinafter.

The period of acquiring the information may include a period of drying the cloth in the drum 7, and may include a period of not injecting soapy water or rinsing water into the water storage tank 4 (or the drum 7) before the start of washing or after dehydration. The information acquiring unit 511 can acquire more information on the cloth in the drum 7 by not limiting the period for acquiring the information to the period of the drying operation as described above.

The second method can be realized by the same method as the first method.

For example, according to the second method, the arithmetic processing unit 512 may obtain information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth from information obtained based on the first image and the second image captured at a predetermined time interval during the drying operation. The arithmetic processing unit 512 repeats this operation periodically. The predetermined time interval may be set to, for example, 1 minute.

And is described in more detail. The information acquisition unit 511 sequentially acquires images captured by the camera module 3C. The arithmetic processing unit 512 compares the image before 1 minute with the latest image, for example, extracts the amount of change (RGB or luminance change) between the two images, and obtains the degree of progress of drying as output information based on the extracted amount of change. In the case of the second method, images are sequentially acquired as animation or quasi-animation. In this case, the density of the acquired information in the time axis direction becomes high, and therefore, the information of the movement of the cloth is easily acquired.

According to the third method, the arithmetic processing unit 512 obtains information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth based on information obtained based on the first image captured before the start of the drying operation or before a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation and the second image captured after a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation.

And more particularly. The information acquisition unit 511 sequentially acquires images captured by the camera module 3C. The arithmetic processing unit 512 acquires the degree of progress of drying as output information, for example, based on the first image (for example, PIC1) before or immediately after the start of the drying operation (initial state) and the latest image (for example, PIC (x + 1): second image). The above case is organized as formula (7).

In the case of the third method, information indicating how much the cloth has fluctuated or how much the cloth has swelled can be obtained by comparing the image in the initial state with the image acquired recently. Since the state of the cloth when the drying stroke has elapsed since the initial stage can be compared with the initial stage of the wetting of the cloth, the swelling information of the cloth can be easily acquired.

According to the fourth method, the arithmetic processing unit 512 uses both of the plurality of first images captured before the drying operation of the cloth in the drum 7 or before a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation and the plurality of second images captured after a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation, thereby obtaining information on the degree of difference between the respective amounts of change based on the amount of change in 1 minute before the start of the drying operation or immediately after the start (initial state) and the amount of change in the latest 1 minute. The above-described case is arranged as formula (8).

In the fourth method, at the timing of the determination, for example, all of the 4 feature quantities (the group of Δ Y1 and Δ Y2 and the group of Δ Yx and Δ Y (x +1)) shown in the above equation (8) are used.

As described above, the group of images and the detection method used in the drying operation may be appropriately selected using the ease of detection of the necessary information as a selection condition.

Next, an example of detecting an index of progress of the dry state based on the detection result of the above method will be described.

As described above, when the laundry is wet, the laundry is heavy and easily entangled with other cloths. Therefore, even if the drum 7 is rotated, the change of the obtained image becomes relatively small. As described above, the determination unit 513 may use the result of statistical processing such as the magnitude, average value, and sum of the difference values of the histograms obtained from the detection results of the above methods as the target of the determination processing.

The above describes the washing machine 100 (drying system) of one embodiment.

According to the above embodiment, the washing machine 100 includes the information acquisition unit 511 and the determination unit 513. The information acquiring unit 511 acquires information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drum 7 during the drying operation. The determination unit 513 determines the degree of progress of the drying of the cloth based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 511. Washing machine 100 performs the drying operation based on the determination result of the determination section 513 on the degree of progress of drying, and thereby can end the drying operation at a more appropriate timing. The information acquired by the information acquiring unit 511 may be determined, for example, by using a predetermined threshold value and comparing the threshold value with the threshold value.

For example, the information indicating the movement of the cloth may be information indicating a change in color elements or brightness included in the image according to a change in the position of the cloth in the drum 7. The information indicating the state of the cloth may be information indicating a change in color element or brightness included in the image according to a change in the ratio of the cloth in the drum 7 to the image.

(second embodiment)

A second embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 13 and 14.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the washing machine 100 performs the drying control alone is described. In this embodiment, an example in which a part of the processing related to the drying control is performed by an external device will be described.

Fig. 13 is a configuration diagram of a drying system 1000 according to a second embodiment.

The drying system 1000 includes a server 200 configured to be able to communicate with the washing machine 100A. Drying system 1000 may be provided with washing machine 100A. The washing machine 100A and the server 200 are formed to be able to communicate via a network NW.

Washing machine 100A includes a dry state detection unit 510A instead of dry state detection unit 510. Dry state detection unit 510A includes determination unit 513A instead of determination unit 513. The dry state detection unit 510A may not include the arithmetic processing unit 512.

The server 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 250, a storage unit 270, and a control unit 290.

Communication unit 250 communicates with washing machine 100 via network NW under the control of control unit 290. When detecting a request from washing machine 100, communication unit 250 notifies control unit 290 of the detection.

The storage unit 270 includes semiconductor memories such as a RAM and a ROM, and storage devices such as a hdd (hard disk drive). The storage unit 270 stores user management information, information generated based on image data or images acquired from the washing machine 100A, various programs, and various information used for execution of the various programs.

The control unit 290 includes a processor such as a CPU. Each functional unit of the control unit 290 is realized by a processor executing a program. Some or all of the functional units of the control unit 290 may be hardware functional units such as an LSI, an ASIC, and an FPGA.

For example, the control unit 290 acquires user management information from another device and adds the user management information to the storage unit 270. Control unit 290 allows communication with washing machine 100A registered in advance in the user management information, and executes processing based on various information acquired from washing machine 100A.

For example, control unit 290 performs a part of the processing of dry state detection unit 510 instead of dry state detection unit 510. The control unit 290 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 291, an arithmetic processing unit 292, and a determination unit 293. For example, the arithmetic processing unit 292 and the determination unit 293 perform the processing corresponding to the arithmetic processing unit 512 and the determination unit 513.

When the drying operation is started, the information acquiring unit 511 of the dry state detecting unit 510A acquires information on the initial state of the laundry placed in the drum 7 (step SB11), and adds the acquired information to the storage unit 520. The processing unit 530 sets the water supply valve 10 in the closed state based on the control information based on the user's operation. The processing unit 530 controls the drum motor 5 and the drying unit 31 to start the drying operation (step SB 12).

The information acquiring unit 511 acquires image data (state information) for detecting the state of the laundry during the drying operation (step SA13), and notifies the server 200 of the image data via the communication unit 550 (step SB 15). When the process of step SA13 is first executed, information acquisition unit 511 notifies server 200 of the information stored in storage unit 520 at step SB 11.

Information obtaining portion 291 of server 200 obtains the image data and the like transmitted from washing machine 100A (step SB 21). The arithmetic processing unit 292 performs predetermined arithmetic processing based on the acquired image data (step SB 22). The arithmetic processing described in the first embodiment can be applied to this arithmetic processing. Based on the result of the arithmetic processing, determining unit 293 determines whether or not it is necessary to continue the drying operation (step SB23), and notifies washing machine 100A of the result of the determination (step SB 24).

The communication unit 550 acquires the result of the determination (step SB 16). The judgment unit 513A judges whether or not the judgment result is received at step SB16, and if not, continues the drying process and proceeds to the process at step SB 13. When determining that the drying operation has been received, determining unit 513A determines whether or not the drying operation needs to be continued, based on the result of the received determination process (step SB 18). If it is recognized that the drying operation needs to be continued, the processing unit 530 continues the drying operation and repeats the processing from step S13. If it is determined that the drying operation does not need to be continued, the processing unit 530 ends the drying operation (step SB 19).

According to the above embodiment, the server 200 of the drying system 1000 performs predetermined arithmetic processing based on the acquired image data and determination processing of whether or not the drying operation needs to be continued based on the result of the arithmetic processing. Washing machine 100A brings about the same effects as those of the first embodiment by ending the drying control based on the determination result of server 200.

(third embodiment)

A third embodiment will be explained.

In the first and second embodiments, the case where the drying control of the image by the camera module 3C is performed has been mainly described. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the drying control is performed based on information other than the image of the camera module 3C.

For example, the server 200 estimates the dry state of the cloth using an inference rule or an inference model (learning model) based on one or both of information indicating the movement of the cloth and information indicating the state of the cloth. For example, the server 200 may determine in advance and use parameters that define the inference rule or the characteristics of the inference model (learning model) by using a method such as machine learning. Data such as parameters of the inference rule or the inference model (learning model) is stored in the storage unit 270 of the server 200.

The arithmetic processing unit 292 of the control unit 290 uses the feature amount (Yx) or the variation amount (Δ Yx) extracted from the image as information indicating the movement of the cloth and information indicating the state of the cloth. The arithmetic processing unit 292 may use, as input information, a part or all of the weight of the cloth (cloth weight W) detected before the water is injected in the washing stroke, the cloth quality determination result (cloth quality Q) extracted based on the current change (Δ Ix) of the drum motor 5 in the washing stroke, the change amount (Δ Gx) of the detection value of the vibration in the drying stroke, and the detection value (temperature Tx) of each temperature sensor during the drying operation. The input information is sorted into expression (9) and expression (10) using the symbols, respectively.

[Yx,W,Q,ΔGx,Tx] (9)

[ΔYx,W,Q,ΔGx,Tx] (10)

For example, the drying system 1000 receives information such as image data from one or more washing machines 100A, and notifies each washing machine 100A of the result of determination. Since the laundry (cloth) in each washing machine 100A is generally determined by the user, a plurality of kinds of laundry are included in 1 washing. Even in such washing including a plurality of types of laundry, the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth during the drying operation tends to be different between the cloth wetting stage and the cloth drying stage, and the tendency tends to be independent of the types of laundry.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, machine learning can be applied to the processing of the control unit 290 by optimizing the parameters of the inference rule or the inference model (learning model) by using the input information as training data. In addition, the determination unit 293 may perform a part or all of the processing performed by the arithmetic processing unit 292 of the control unit 290 in the present embodiment.

In the following embodiments, an example using a deep learning type artificial intelligence will be described.

Example 1:

in the artificial intelligence of the deep learning type in the case of embodiment 1, a feedforward type multilayer neural network (DNN) is included. By associating and combining the input information with the actual laundry drying state information, the data can be used as deep learning type artificial intelligence learning data.

For example, when the above-described variation (Δ Yx) is used for the input information, the control unit 290 may have DNN. When the input information is supplied a predetermined number of times to the DNN after the learning at the time of the determination, the control unit 290 outputs an estimated value indicating the dry state to the DNN. The control unit 290 determines whether or not the estimated value is a desired value, and determines the timing at which the drying process is completed.

Example 2:

instead, when the feature value (Yx) is used for the input information, it is necessary to be able to use at least information of an image detected last time and information of an image detected this time in order to be able to use a component of a change amount related to the feature value of the image in the calculation. In this case, information of the image detected last time and information of the image detected this time are collectively included in the 1-time input information, and thus, for example, DNN using the input information as 1-time input data can be applied. In the case of this embodiment 2, the control section 290 may have DNN. The number of input nodes of DNN of this embodiment 2 is larger than that of embodiment 1.

Example 3:

in contrast, when the feature amount (Yx) of the image is included in the input information every detection, a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) may be applied. The RNN has a node that handles a state value of a hidden layer as an input variable of a node of a hidden layer at a previous stage. This allows the hidden layer to perform an operation based on the state value of the hidden layer. If this is used, the amount of change (Δ Yx) can be calculated within the RNN even if the feature amount (Yx) of the image processed as time-series data is used as input information. Whether or not to calculate the change amount (Δ Yx) is based on the learning result and therefore cannot be determined, but can be selected according to the conditions. In the case of embodiment 3, the control unit 290 may have RNN.

Although several embodiments have been described, for example, when information indicating the movement of the laundry (cloth) or the state of the laundry (cloth) is shown as the input information, the determination unit 293 of the control unit 290 may be configured to perform determination using a learning model that is machine-learned so as to output the degree of progress of drying the laundry (cloth) based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 291.

In the above embodiment, a configuration example of the server 200 is explained. The application example of the present technology is not limited to the above embodiment, and each washing machine 100 may be configured to execute the machine learning type or artificial intelligence type arithmetic processing and determination processing as described above. In this case, the arrangement of the processors actually performing the arithmetic operation and the method of dividing the functions in the case where the plurality of processors cooperate to perform the arithmetic operation are not limited to the above-described examples and can be appropriately changed.

The drying system 1000 according to one embodiment is explained above.

The drying system 1000 (e.g., the server 200) according to the embodiment includes an information acquisition unit 291 and a determination unit 293. The information acquisition portion 291 acquires information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drum 7 during the drying operation. The determination unit 293 determines the degree of progress of drying of the cloth based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 291. The drying system 1000 performs the drying operation based on the determination result of the determination unit 293 on the degree of progress of drying, and can end the drying operation at a more appropriate timing.

(first modification common to the embodiments)

A modification common to the embodiments will be described with reference to fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a structural diagram of a washing machine according to a modification. In the configuration shown in fig. 15 (a), one camera module 3C IS provided on the inner surface 3IS of the door 3. In contrast, in the configuration shown in fig. 15 (b), a plurality of (for example, 2) camera modules 3C are provided on the inner surface 3IS of the door 3.

As shown in fig. 15 (b), by providing a plurality of camera modules 3C, the blind spot of each camera module 3C can be filled. In this case, even if the view angle of the optical system of each camera module 3C is narrowed, the blind spot in the drum 7 can be reduced by combining the respective images. The arithmetic processing unit 512 may perform the arithmetic processing for feature extraction on the images of the camera modules 3C independently, or may perform the arithmetic processing for feature extraction on a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing the images.

The plurality of camera modules 3C may be classified into a camera module mainly used for detecting the movement of the cloth and a camera module mainly used for detecting the state (degree of inflation) of the cloth. For example, the upper camera module 3C may be used for the former detection, and the lower camera module 3C may be used for the latter detection.

(second modification of the embodiment)

In the case shown in the above embodiment, in order to detect the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth, the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is detected using the feature amount of each image. At this time, the individual laundry in each image is not recognized.

Instead of this, in the present modification, the control unit 290 may recognize each laundry in each image, and detect the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth based on the recognition result of each laundry in the image. For example, the control unit 290 may directly compare the image data of the first image and the image data of the second image by using the image data of the first image and the image data of the second image, respectively, detecting that the same cloth is shot as a subject in each image, and comparing the images.

In the above methods, instead of comparing the feature amounts of the two images, the two images may be directly compared to detect the movement of the cloth and the magnitude of the change in the state of the cloth. In this case, the first image and the second image themselves are used in the detection of the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the washing machine 100 or the drying system 1000 includes an information acquisition unit and a determination unit. The information acquisition unit acquires information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drying chamber or the rotary tub during the drying operation. The determination unit determines the degree of progress of drying of the cloth based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit. The washing machine 100 or the drying system 1000 performs the drying operation based on the determination result of the determination section on the degree of progress of drying, and thereby can end the drying operation at a more appropriate timing.

Several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A drying system is provided with:

an information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth in the drying chamber or the rotary tub during the drying operation; and

a determination unit for determining the degree of progress of the drying of the cloth based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit,

the drying system performs a drying operation based on the determination result of the drying progress degree by the determination unit.

2. The drying system of claim 1,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is information obtained from an image captured by a camera module provided in the dryer, or the image itself.

3. The drying system of claim 2,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is information obtained based on a first image captured at a first time and a second image captured at a second time later than the first time, or the first image and the second image themselves.

4. The drying system of claim 2,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is information obtained based on a first image and a second image captured at a predetermined time interval in the middle of the drying operation, or the first image and the second image themselves.

5. The drying system of claim 2,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is information obtained based on a first image captured before the start of the drying operation or before a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation and a second image captured after the predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation, or the first image and the second image themselves.

6. Drying system according to claim 2,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is information obtained based on a plurality of first images captured before the start of the drying operation or before a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation and a plurality of second images captured after the predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying operation, or the plurality of first images and the plurality of second images themselves.

7. Drying system according to any one of claims 2 to 6,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth is information indicating a change in color elements or brightness included in the image according to a change in position of the cloth in the drying chamber or the rotary tub.

8. Drying system according to any one of claims 2 to 7,

the information indicating the state of the cloth is information indicating a change in color element or brightness included in the image according to a change in the ratio of the cloth in the drying chamber or the spin basket.

9. Drying system according to any one of claims 2 to 8,

the camera module has a wide-angle lens.

10. Drying system according to any one of claims 2 to 9,

the above-mentioned camera module comprises a plurality of camera modules,

the information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is information obtained from the images captured by the plurality of camera modules or the images themselves captured by the plurality of camera modules.

11. The drying system according to any one of claims 2 to 10, further comprising:

a frame for accommodating the drying chamber or the rotary tank; and

a door for closing the entrance of the drying chamber in an openable and closable manner,

the door has an inner surface facing the drying chamber or the spin basket,

the camera module is disposed on an inner surface of the door.

12. Drying system according to any one of claims 2 to 11,

the camera module further includes an illumination unit for lighting illumination when the camera module performs imaging.

13. Drying system according to any one of claims 1 to 12,

the determination unit determines the degree of progress of the drying based on information obtained from one or more of a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, a weight sensor, and a current detection unit provided in the dryer, in addition to information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth.

14. Drying system according to any one of claims 1 to 13,

the determination unit performs determination based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, using a learning model that is machine-learned such that the degree of progress of the drying is output when information indicating the movement of the cloth or the state of the cloth is input.

15. Drying system according to any one of claims 1 to 14,

the drying device is provided with a control unit that performs the drying operation based on a result of the determination of the degree of progress of the drying performed by the determination unit.