EP2394118A2

EP2394118A2 - Household appliance and auxiliary device for a household appliance

Info

Publication number: EP2394118A2
Application number: EP10704520A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Athanasios Athanasiou
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2009-02-06
Filing date: 2010-01-20
Publication date: 2011-12-14
Also published as: DE102009000666A1; WO2010089193A3; WO2010089193A2

Abstract

The invention relates, among other things, to an auxiliary device (13, 32) for a household appliance (1, 31), comprising an output module (15) having a data storage (27) and having a wireless transmitter (25) connected to the data storage (27), in particular based on UMTS and/or GPRS, for transmitting data stored in the data storage (27) to a central database (30), and an input module (14, 36), which is provided to be connected to a household appliance (1, 31) and equipped to collect data that is associated with operational modes associated with the household appliance (1, 31), and to transmit said data to the output module (15) so that said data is stored in the data storage (27).

Description

Domestic appliance and accessory for a household appliance

The invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a household refrigerator, and an attachment for a domestic appliance.

Household tests and long-term investigations of the functions of household appliances, in particular domestic refrigeration appliances are usually carried out by means of relatively complex household or customer surveys. Thus, it can be provided that a customer or the service personnel, e.g. must complete relatively large tables, which must then later be entered into a computer to compress the data and their statistical evaluation. In particular, in customer surveys and a certain subjective uncertainty factor, due to partially faulty and incomplete filling of the tables, to take into account.

The object of the invention is therefore to specify conditions for automated recording and, if appropriate, archiving of data which are associated with the operating behavior of a household appliance, in particular during household testing.

The object of the invention is achieved by an auxiliary device for a domestic appliance, in particular for a domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising an output module with a data memory and a connected to the data memory, in particular based on UMTS and / or GPRS wireless transmitter for sending the data stored in the data memory a central database, and an input module, which is provided for connection to a household appliance and is arranged to collect data associated with the domestic appliance associated operating states, and to transmit to the output module, so that this stores the data in the data memory.

The additional device according to the invention therefore has the two modules, of which the input module is provided to collect the data associated with the household appliance associated operating states. For example, the data is automatically collected as part of household testing and transmitted to the output module in order to be stored in the data memory. The output module is in turn set up the stored data by means of its transmitter wirelessly to the to send central database. Thus, the accessory allows operating states of the household appliance in operation to be automatically transmitted to the central database, whereby data eg of identical household appliances, which may be installed in different countries, can be centrally collected and evaluated in a relatively simple manner.

The two modules can be housed in a housing. According to a preferred variant of the additional device according to the invention, the components of the output module are arranged in a first housing and the components of the input module in a second housing. Thus it is e.g. possible, the input module directly on or in the domestic appliance, e.g. in the engine room, to install.

According to one embodiment of the additional device according to the invention, the input module is set up to transmit the collected data wirelessly, in particular by means of a wireless LAN, GPRS, Powerline Communication or Bluetooth interface to the output module. The output module with its transmitter can then be placed relatively far away from the household appliance in a relatively simple manner.

In order to facilitate the evaluation of the operating states of the domestic appliance, the additional device according to the invention can be designed such that its output module is set up to provide data transmitted by the input module with a time stamp assigned to the time of transmission. The timestamp may e.g. include information about the relevant time and / or the relevant date. Thereby it is e.g. possible to determine when the domestic appliance is in use, possibly e.g. whose door has been opened or e.g. in the case of a household refrigerator at which intervals the cooling device turns on.

The data memory may preferably be designed as a non-volatile data memory. As a result, there are preconditions that no data of the data memory is lost even if the power supply of the additional device according to the invention is interrupted in particular for a short time.

According to one embodiment of the additional device according to the invention whose output module is set, the data of the data memory by means of its transmitter to the central Dante bank as soon as the data store receives the data. But it is also possible that the output module sends the data of the data memory by means of its transmitter at predetermined times or intervals to the central database. Thus, if necessary, the output module sends the data to the central database on a regular basis, for example once a day, and independently.

According to a variant of the additional device according to the invention, the input module can have an input which is set up to be connected to at least one measuring device independent of the domestic appliance, which in particular determines data associated with the environment of the domestic appliance, wherein the input module is set up by the measuring device data to be transmitted to the data memory of the output module. Thus, it may be possible to analyze the operation of the household appliance depending on the location of the household appliance.

The measuring device is e.g. set up to determine the ambient temperature and / or the ambient humidity of the household appliance. However, the measuring device can also be set up to determine the temperature inside the household appliance.

According to one embodiment of the additional device according to the invention, the input module has an electronic input interface which is set up to be connected to an electronic interface of the domestic appliance in order to enable transmission of the data associated with the operating states from the domestic appliance to the auxiliary appliance. Such an embodiment is advantageous, for example, when the domestic appliance is an electronically controlled domestic appliance, for example an electronically controlled household refrigerating appliance. Such a domestic appliance can have, for example, an electronic interface, for example a D-bus, with which the input interface of the input module can be connected. Then, the input module can collect operating data or changes in the operating data of the relevant domestic appliance via its input interface in a relatively simple manner and transmit it to the data memory of the output module. The interface of the domestic appliance or the input interface can also be designed optically, for example, in the form of an optocoupler or comprise an optocoupler. Thus, another aspect of the present invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a household refrigerator, comprising an electronic interface to which the operating states associated data of the domestic appliance can be tapped, and the inventive device whose electronic input interface of the input module is connected to the electronic interface of the domestic appliance.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a domestic refrigerator, comprising the additional device according to the invention, whose input module is connected by means of at least one electromechanical relay to the domestic appliance such that its switching state is associated with the operating state of the domestic appliance. Such an embodiment is appropriate when the domestic appliance has no electronic interface at which its operating data can be tapped. This variant is e.g. suitable if the domestic appliance is an electromechanically controlled domestic appliance, e.g. is a household refrigerator with electromechanical temperature control.

Is this variant of the domestic appliance according to the invention as a household refrigeration appliance with a housing, with a battered at the housing door leaf, which limit a cold room, and executed with a compressor having a refrigeration circuit for cooling the cold room, then according to a variant of the switching state of the relay Operating state of the compressor and / or the opening state of the door leaf is assigned. Thus, for example, the input module can be designed with a lockable plug, which is connected to the household refrigerator, for example with a relay 115/230 V AC on the door switch, compressor.

The additional device according to the invention (data logger) may preferably be constructed maintenance-free, ie, for example, have no backup battery. In the event of an electrical power interruption, log data can be provided with a reboot after the power failure. If the date and time at which the data is transmitted to the data memory are stored, then the time of the local location (time zone) of the relevant domestic appliance can be used. Optionally, the transmission of the data from the electronics of the domestic appliance to the input module via a serial interface, such as a D-BUS done. The input module may preferably have an optocoupler, for example also regardless of whether on the side of the household appliance optocouplers are provided. This results in a galvanic decoupling of the input interface of the input module. An indication of a wireless connection between the two modules may be provided. It can be provided a regular and independent data transfer from the output module to the central database (eg back office server). The modules can be installed in complete housings. The two modules can have electrical power supplies, the modules each having their own power supply can include (working range, for example, 85-265 V AC, 47-63Hz). The transmitter of the output module can be implemented as a unidirectional transmitter, ie it can not receive data from the central database. The additional device according to the invention, at least the input module, can be arranged for example in a machine room of the domestic appliance.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying schematic drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a household refrigerator and connected to the household refrigerator accessory and

Fig. 2 shows another household refrigerator and connected to this household refrigeration device further accessory.

Fig. 1 shows a household refrigerator 1 as an example of a domestic appliance, which has a heat-insulating housing 2 in a generally known manner, which limits a refrigerator 3 and a freezer compartment 4. On the housing 2, for example, by means not shown hinges heat-insulating door leaf 5 for closing the refrigerator 3 and a door leaf 6 for closing the freezer compartment 4 is struck, the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 4 close in the closed state and in the open state, the refrigerator. 3 or the freezer compartment 4 free, so that they can be loaded, for example, with refrigerated goods or can be removed from them Kältegut. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 also has non-illustrated refrigeration circuits 7, which are known to the person skilled in the art, which comprise, for example, evaporators, condensers and compressors, and which are provided to cool the freezer compartment 4 and the refrigerated space 3 appropriately. In the case of the present embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 has an ice maker 8 arranged inside the freezer compartment 4. Furthermore, the household refrigerating appliance 1 has electronics that include, for example, an electronic control unit 9 for controlling or regulating the temperatures of the freezer compartment 4 and the refrigerator compartment 3 and an electronic control unit 10 for controlling or regulating the ice maker 8. The control electronics 9 controls in the well-known in the art in a well-known manner, for example, the refrigeration circuits 7, so that the cooling chamber 3 and the freezer compartment 4 have their set target temperatures at least approximately.

In the case of the present embodiment, the control electronics 9 has an interface 11, e.g. a D-BUS interface, on, at the u.A. the control signals for the refrigeration circuits 7, in particular for the compressor abut. The control electronics 10 also has an interface 12, at which the control signals for the ice maker 8 abut.

FIG. 1 also shows an additional device 13 which has a data collection module 14 and a transmission module 15.

In the case of the present embodiment, the data collection module 14 has a housing 16, in which an electronics 17 with a wireless interface 18, for example, a wireless LAN, GPRS, Powerline Communication or Bluetooth

Interface is arranged. The data collection module 14, e.g. is arranged in a machine room of the household refrigerator 1, further comprises an interface 19, for example in the form of one or more plugs, by means of which the data collection module 14 is connected to the interfaces 11, 12 of the household refrigerator 1. Thus, it is possible for the data collection module 14, i.a. the

Control signals for the refrigeration circuits 7 and the icemaker 8 to receive, i. the

Data collection module 14 is thereby enabled to the operating state of the

Household refrigerator 1 descriptive data to collect.

In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the data collection module 14 receives electrical energy via an electrical line 20 connected to the household refrigerator 1. In the case of the present embodiment, the data collection module 14 has an input 21 which is connected to a temperature sensor 22 and a humidity sensor 23. The temperature sensor 22 is provided, the ambient temperature of the household refrigerator 1 and the humidity sensor 23 is provided to measure the ambient humidity of the household refrigerator 1. Thus, the data collection module 14 is also able to collect data associated with ambient temperature and humidity.

In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the transmission module 15 has a housing 24 within which a wireless transmitter 25 based, for example, on UMTS or GPRS, a wireless interface 26 corresponding to the interface 18 of the data collection module 14 and an interface 26 and transmitter 25 operatively coupled nonvolatile data memory 27 are arranged.

For example, in the case of the present embodiment, the data collecting module 14 is configured to change upon changing the operating state of the household refrigerator 1, e.g. caused by an actuation or activation of the ice maker 8 or a change in the control of the refrigeration circuits 7 to transmit corresponding data via the interfaces 18, 26 to the transmitter module 15. The transmission module 15 is again set up to provide the data obtained with a time stamp (time and date) and to buffer it in the nonvolatile data memory 27.

In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the transmission module 15 is embodied, for example, in such a way that it sends by means of its transmitter 25 the data temporarily stored in the data memory 27 including the time stamp at predetermined time intervals or at a predetermined time, for example, once a day to a central receiver 28, which in turn the received data is forwarded to a central server 29 in which the data is stored in a database 30. Thus, the server 29 are the changing operating state of the household refrigerator 1 descriptive data that can be subsequently evaluated. However, it is also possible for the sending module 15 to transmit data stored in the data memory 27 to the receiver 28 essentially immediately upon receipt, so that these can be stored in the database 30 of the server 29.

2 shows another household refrigerator 31 as an example of a domestic appliance and another accessory 32. Unless otherwise described, then components of the household refrigerator 31 shown in FIG. 2 or the additional device 32, which are connected to components of the in FIG. 1 household appliance 1 and the auxiliary device 13 are substantially identical in construction and function, provided with the same reference numerals.

The household refrigerating appliance 31 shown in FIG. 2 differs essentially from the household refrigerating appliance 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that it does not include an icemaker 8 and control electronics 9, 10. Rather, the household refrigerator 31 and the temperatures of the cold room 3 and the freezer 4 by means of an electromechanical controller 33 (single control) is regulated, optionally in a well-known manner, the compressor 34, 35 of the refrigeration circuits 7 for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer 4 a - and off.

The two additional devices 32, 13 are essentially subject to their data collection modules 14, 36, the electronics 37 of the data collection module 36 shown in FIG. 2 likewise having the wireless interface 18 and the inputs 21, as well as electrical energy via the electrical line 20 is supplied. However, the data collection module 36 of FIG. 2 has no electronic interface 19.

In order to determine the operating state of the refrigeration circuits 7, in particular of their compressors 34, 35, ie to determine whether the compressors 34, 35 are switched on or off or when they switch on or off, the compressors 34, 35 are each a relay 38, 39, whose contact states are associated with the operating states of the compressors 34, 35 and which are connected to the electronics 37 of the data collection module 36 via electrical lines 40, 41. Thus, it is the electronics 37 of the data collection module 36 possible to recognize when the compressor 34, 35 are turned on and off, and consequently by means of the interface 18 to transmit a message to the transmission module 15, which then corresponding data with Timestamp can store in the data memory 27, which, according to the additional device 13, are transmitted to the receiver 28.

In the case of the present embodiment, the domestic refrigerator 31 door switch 42, 43, which are coupled to relays 44, 45. The relays 44, 45 are connected by means of lines 46, 47 to the electronics 37 of the data collection module 36, so that the data collection module 36 by means of the relay 44, 45 information about opening and closing the door leaves 5, 6 is available. This information is also transmitted by the data collection module 36 to the transmission module 15, which can then store corresponding data with a time stamp in the data memory 27, which are transmitted to the receiver 28 in accordance with the additional device 13.

In the case of the present embodiment, a temperature sensor 48 and in the freezer compartment 4, a temperature sensor 49 are still arranged in the cooling chamber 3, which are connected by means of lines 50, 51 to the electronics 37 of the data collection module 36. Thus, information about the temperatures of the cooling space 3 and the freezer compartment 4 is also available to the data collection module 36, so that the transmission module 15 can store corresponding data in the data memory 27.

Claims

1. accessory for a domestic appliance, in particular for a household refrigeration appliance (1, 31), comprising an output module (15) with a data memory (27) and with a data storage (27) connected, in particular based on UMTS and / or GPRS wireless transmitter (25) for transmitting the data stored in the data memory (27) to a central database (30), and an input module (14, 36) provided for connection to a home appliance (1, 31), data corresponding to the Domestic appliance (1, 31) associated with operating conditions are assigned, and to be transmitted to the output module (15), so that this the

Data in the data memory (27) stores.

2. An accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that the components of the output module (15) in a first housing (24) and the components of the input module (14, 36) in a second housing (16) are arranged.

3. Auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the input module (14, 36) is set up, the collected data wirelessly, in particular by means of a wireless LAN, GPRS, Powerline Communication or Bluetooth interface (18) to the output module (15) to convey.

4. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the output module (15) is arranged to provide from the input module (14, 36) transmitted data with a time of Übermitteins assigned time stamp, and / or that the data memory (27) is designed as a non-volatile data memory.

5. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the output module (15) is adapted to send the data of the data memory (27) by means of its transmitter (25) to the central Dantebank (30) as soon as the

Data memory (27) receives the data and / or the data of the data memory (27) by means of its transmitter (25) at predetermined times or intervals to the central database (30) to send.

6. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the input module (14, 36) has an input (21) which is arranged with at least one of the domestic appliance (1, 31) independent measuring device (22, 23 .

48, 49) determines in particular the environment of the domestic appliance (1, 31) associated with data to be connected, wherein the input module (14, 36) is set up, the data from the measuring device (22, 23, 48, 49) to transmit the output module (15).

7. An accessory according to claim 6, characterized in that the measuring device (22, 23) is adapted to determine the ambient temperature and / or the ambient humidity of the domestic appliance (1, 31) and / or a temperature inside the domestic appliance (31).

8. Auxiliary device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the input module (14) has an electronic input interface (19) which is adapted to be connected to an electronic interface (1 1, 12) of the domestic appliance (1) to allow transmission of the operating conditions associated data from the domestic appliance (1) to the auxiliary device (13).

9. domestic appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising an electronic interface (1 1, 12), at which the operating states associated data of the domestic appliance (1) can be tapped, characterized by an additional device (13) according to claim 8, whose electronic input interface (19) of the input module

(14) is connected to the electronic interface (11, 12) of the household appliance (1).

10. Domestic appliance, in particular household refrigeration appliance, characterized by an attachment (32) according to one of claims 1 to 7, whose input module (36) by means of at least one electromechanical relay (38, 39, 44, 45) is connected to the domestic appliance (31) in that its switching state is assigned to the operating state of the household appliance (31).

11. Domestic appliance according to claim 10, which as a household refrigerator (31) with a housing (2), with a on the housing (2) battered door leaf (5, 6) defining a cold room (3, 4), and with a , a refrigeration circuit (7) having a compressor (34, 35) for cooling the refrigerating room (3, 4), characterized in that the switching state of the relay (38, 39, 44, 45) the

Operating state of the compressor (34, 35) and / or the opening state of the door panel (5, 6) is assigned.