EP2853819B1 - Household device with a gesture detection device and with a gesture distinguishing device and method for operating a domestic appliance - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a household appliance with an operating device which has a gesture recognition device in which at least one operating setting of the household appliance can be set by gesture control. The invention also relates to a method for operating a household appliance.

From the DE 10 2007 057 076 A1 a hob and a method for operating a hob is known. The hob includes a proximity sensor with which an approach of a hand of a user is recognized.

From the EP 2 615 376 A1 a method for operating a hob is known, it being possible to set operating conditions for the hob. The operating condition can be set by gestures by the user.

Particularly in the case of hobs, during a preparation process, for example, the items located in the preparation vessel can overflow and reach the top of the hob plate. Other substances, such as splashing fat or the like, can also get onto the hob during the preparation process. If necessary, this must be wiped off immediately. In the known cooktop, however, the problem then arises that an approach is falsely recognized as a gesture and an undesired operating setting of the cooktop then takes place.

It is the object of the present invention to create a household appliance and a method for operating such a household appliance in which or with which undesired operating settings can at least be reduced.

This object is achieved by a household appliance and a method according to the independent claims.

A household appliance according to the invention comprises an operating device which has a gesture recognition device. With the gesture recognition device, at least one operating setting of the household appliance can be set by gesture control. This means that at least when a gesture is recognized in which a part of the body of a user is specifically moved and / or oriented and is held in a non-contact manner with respect to the operating device, an operating condition of the household appliance assigned to this gesture is then activated or implemented.

An essential idea of the invention is that the operating device has a gesture differentiation unit, the recorded information of which is taken into account for the assessment of a gesture not intended and performed for setting an operating cessation, and thus a gesture performed for an operating cessation of a gesture not intended for operating cessation is distinguishable. The gesture differentiation unit is designed to detect information for distinguishing between a gesture for setting an operational setting from a gesture not carried out for an operational setting, and the operating device is dependent on the information from at least the gesture distinguishing unit for distinguishing a gesture for setting an operational setting from one not for operational setting performed gestures.

This is particularly advantageous in that the operating device is now designed more intelligently and not only, as in the prior art, can in principle be gesture recognition or no gesture recognition, but with the invention more differentiated gestures of the most varied of types are recognized. This refinement makes it possible to avoid undesired operating settings, so that user satisfaction is increased and, moreover, higher security requirements are also met.

It is provided that the gesture differentiation unit has at least one optical transmitter and an optical proximity sensor, the optical transmitter emitting infrared rays in a detection area of the gesture recognition device designed for gesture recognition and a position and / or orientation and / or movement sequence of a body part being detected via the proximity sensor and from this a gesture is then recognized. The gesture differentiation unit also has a brightness detection unit with at least one brightness sensor, which is provided directly adjacent to the proximity sensor and with which the brightness in the detection area of the gesture recognition device designed for gesture recognition is recorded and depending on a comparison of the brightness with a brightness threshold value and / or a change in brightness with a brightness change threshold value, the information is recorded as to whether a gesture intended for operating the setting is present. In this way, for example, when a body part, for example a hand, approaches, it can be recognized very precisely in the course of the movement of this hand whether there is actually a gesture to stop operation or whether this is not the case. Even if a partial movement of this body part is carried out in the detection area of the gesture recognition device and / or there is an orientation of the body part that corresponds to a gesture for the cessation of operation, but when this body part continues to move, a gesture is formed that is not related to all of it Movement corresponds to a gesture to stop operation, this can be recognized. Especially when a body part, in particular a hand, approaches a hob plate in the area of the operating device relatively quickly and very closely, the brightness changes very strongly and / or the brightness as such is then very low. As a result, just at the end of this gesture movement, a movement segment is recognized in the detection area that does not conform to a gesture actually intended for the cessation of operation, so that it is precisely at the end of this movement path of the body part in the direction of the operating device that it is recognized that this gesture is not intended for the cessation of operation.

The brightness threshold value is the brightness when the brightness detection unit is covered and / or the brightness change threshold value is the brightness change during a wiping movement with a cleaning element over the gesture differentiation unit. This is a particularly noteworthy feature, because precisely in the event of boiling over or the like and thus a relatively immediate wiping of the top of a domestic appliance plate, in particular a hob plate, a gesture not carried out to stop the operation is recognized. Since, precisely in such situations, a user may react relatively quickly and move relatively quickly with a cleaning element towards this upper side, and then finally also is touched, the corresponding is recognized. Even if there is a movement and / or orientation of the body part during this approaching movement of a body part, which would initially be assessed by the gesture recognition device as a gesture for an operational cessation, the further movement of the body part is then recognized by the gesture distinction device that the gesture performed as a whole, however, is not one with which an actual cessation of operation is desired. It is precisely in these above-mentioned specific situations that undesired changes to the operating settings or basic operating settings are avoided. Since the situation requires a very quick wiping of the top of the hob plate during a preparation process and any immediate wiping of the top of the hob plate, in particular, the wiping of hobs is absolutely paramount for a user and he may then no longer pay attention to the further operational processes. If, precisely in such situations, an undesired and, in particular, possibly even unnoticed change in an operating setting would occur, if the gesture carried out during the wiping process were incorrectly assessed as a gesture for operating the setting, the preparation result would at least possibly be impaired, in particular possibly even safe operation of the household appliance, especially the hob.

The gesture differentiation unit now also makes it possible to use gestures that initially appear in a specific movement phase and / or in a specific position as a gesture intended for an operational cessation, but then subsequently a movement and / or orientation and / or action takes place that this original assignment and categorization refuted to recognize.

It can be provided that the gesture differentiation unit is arranged separately and adjacent to the gesture recognition device. This structural separation provides two individual physical components that can then also be exchanged and serviced individually.

However, it can also be provided that the gesture differentiation unit is designed to be integrated in the gesture recognition device. This enables a structurally very compact design.

Provision is preferably made for the operating device to be designed in such a way that the gesture recognition device can be deactivated when a gesture that is not intended for the operational setting is recognized. This is also particularly advantageous because furthermore, if necessary, when a more extensive cleaning process is then required, a wide variety of cleaning gestures can then be carried out without any problems, without any change in operating settings.

It is preferably provided that the gesture recognition device is deactivated for a deactivation period. In particular, the deactivation period is defined or provided with at least one primary period of a wiping movement with a cleaning element via the gesture differentiation unit. This means that this gesture recognition device is deactivated at least for the period of time in which the wiping movement is then carried out.

It is preferably provided that the deactivation period additionally includes a dwell period occurring after the primary period in which the brightness has again exceeded the brightness threshold value. It is therefore also preferred to take into account the situations in which, after wiping, a user lifts his hand with the cleaning element, for example a mopping cloth, more slowly and as a result the brightness in the detection area of the gesture differentiation unit slowly increases again. It should also include situations in which the gesture recognition device is deactivated not only when the gesture discrimination unit is completely darkened, but this is also the case when the cleaning element is lifted off the covered gesture discrimination device slowly and / or abruptly Removal of the cleaning element from the gesture differentiation device takes place, as is done, for example, when wiping again at a different location with the cleaning element on the top of the domestic appliance plate, in particular the hob plate. Thus, even if, starting from the covered state of the gesture differentiation unit, an abrupt jump in brightness occurs again by moving the cleaning element on this domestic appliance panel, the deactivation of the gesture recognition device is maintained for the dwell time.

The residence time can be a few seconds, preferably between two seconds and eight seconds.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it can also be provided that the deactivation of the gesture recognition device is maintained until it is activated again by the user himself. This can be done by a specific activation gesture and / or actuation of a specific activation control element of the control device, for example a touch-sensitive control element.

It is preferably provided that the household appliance is a hob. This includes in particular a hob plate which has one or more cooking zones on which a preparation vessel for preparing food can be placed. In particular, the operating device is also arranged or integrated in the area of the hob plate and can be operated via the top of the hob plate.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for operating the aforementioned household appliance with the operating device which has the gesture recognition device with which at least one operating setting of the household appliance is set by a gesture control. The gesture differentiation unit of the operating device is used to record information for distinguishing between a gesture for setting an operational setting and a gesture not carried out for the setting of operations, and depending on the information from at least the gesture differentiation unit, a gesture for setting an operational setting from a gesture not intended for operational setting is generated using the operating device differentiated. This differentiation of the gestures occurs in particular in that, through a specific partial path of a gesture movement and / or a specific distance between the part performing the gesture, in particular a body part, from the gesture differentiation unit, a gesture that is not intended for operation is also differentiated from a gesture intended for operation can be made if the gesture that is ultimately not intended for the cessation of operation with a partial path of its gesture movement that was recorded in the detection area or detection area of the gesture recognition device, has taken place in such a way that it corresponds to a movement of a gesture provided for the operational setting.

The gesture recognition device has at least one proximity sensor which detects a position and / or orientation and / or movement of a body part. It is designed to work on an optical basis. It has an infrared transmitter for this purpose. If a part of the body is then brought and / or moved into the area for the transmission of this signal, the transmission beams directed by the body part in the direction of the proximity sensor in particular can be detected and recognized.

Such a proximity sensor alone cannot reliably detect the procedure when wiping the top of the domestic appliance plate, in particular when the body part makes gestures in the detection area of the gesture recognition device or at least has to reach through this detection area to reach the place to be wiped on the upper side of the domestic appliance plate. In this way, all light emitted by the sensor can be covered and does not reach the receiver. Very close objects or body parts are then recognized incorrectly or not at all.

The gesture differentiation unit, which has at least one brightness sensor, enables the ambient light to be recorded precisely and precisely, and the above-mentioned gesture differentiation can then also take place.

Even if a suspected gesture initially intended for the cessation of operation is recognized and the associated operation cessation is then immediately activated and carried out, this is also automatically deactivated and switched off again if it is subsequently recognized that the gesture is actually not intended for the cessation of operation respectively was.

In particular, it is provided that changes in brightness are detected by a difference between an instantaneous brightness and an average value of a brightness. In the case of a wiping process, it is correspondingly characteristic that when the brightness of the sensor field and thus of the gesture differentiation unit is low, a specifically characterizing change in brightness has preceded it. In particular is therefore also It is provided that such a wiping process can be precisely recognized and categorized as a stored reference brightness and / or a reference brightness change, so that explicitly these actions and gestures can be reliably identified and sorted out during a wiping process, so that no undesired operating settings occur here or are not undesirably long operating settings that have already been made.

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings.

Fig. 1

eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts;

Fig. 2

eine vereinfachte Seitenansicht von Komponenten einer Bedienvorrichtung des Haushaltsgeräts gemäß Fig. 1; und

Fig. 3

ein Diagramm, bei dem Signalverläufe betreffend die Spannung in Abhängigkeit von dem Abstand zu den jeweiligen Sensoren der Bedienvorrichtung gezeigt sind.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic perspective illustration of an embodiment of a household appliance according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a simplified side view of components of an operating device of the household appliance according to FIG Fig. 1 ; and

Fig. 3

a diagram in which signal curves relating to the voltage are shown as a function of the distance from the respective sensors of the operating device.

Identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

In Fig. 1 a household appliance is shown, which is designed as a hob. The hob 1 comprises a hob plate 2, which can be made of glass or glass ceramic, for example. On an upper side 3 of the hob plate 2, cooking zones 4, 5, 6 and 7 are formed in number and position only by way of example, on which preparation vessels for preparing food can be placed. In addition, the hob 1 comprises an operating device 8, which is formed within the dimensions of the hob plate 2 and can be operated via the top 3. The operating device 8 comprises a gesture recognition device 9, so that operating conditions and thus also operating settings of the hob 1 are carried out contactless gestures can be made. For this purpose, the gesture recognition device 9 comprises components with which, when a body part, for example a hand, is brought into the detection area of the device 9, this is also recognized accordingly.

In addition, the operating device 8 comprises a gesture differentiation unit 10, with which, in particular in connection with the gesture recognition device 9, a gesture for setting an operational setting can be differentiated from a gesture not intended for the operational setting. The information acquired by the unit 10 for this purpose is used as the basis for the assessment of whether a gesture is present to stop the operation or a gesture is present that is not intended to cause the operation to stop. An evaluation unit (not shown) evaluates the information from the unit 10 and in particular also from the device 9 for this gesture assessment. The evaluation unit can also be part of the unit 10 or the device 9.

It can be provided that the gesture differentiation unit 10 is arranged separately and adjacent to the gesture recognition device 9 or that the gesture differentiation unit 10 is embodied in an integrated manner in the gesture recognition device 9.

In Fig. 2 an arrangement of subcomponents of the operating device 8 is shown in a schematic representation. In this context, an optical transmitter 12, which is designed to emit infrared rays, is arranged on a circuit carrier 11. These are emitted in a specific detection area. If a hand of a user is then brought into this detection area or detection area and specifically moved and / or specifically oriented therein, this can be recognized as a gesture for setting an operational setting. A proximity sensor 13 of the gesture recognition device 9 is provided for this purpose. The gesture recognition device 9, which operates on an optical basis, then uses this proximity sensor 13 to detect the position and / or orientation and / or the sequence of movements of the body part and can then recognize the gestures therefrom and then start and / or the associated operating setting via a control unit (not shown) of the operating device 8 be performed.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 2 a brightness sensor 14, which is designed to detect a brightness value and / or a value of a change in brightness, is then provided immediately adjacent to this proximity sensor 13. This brightness sensor 14 constitutes a brightness detection unit which the gesture discrimination unit 10 specifies. With the brightness sensor 14, the brightness is detected at least in some areas in a detection area of the gesture recognition device 9 designed for gesture recognition and, depending on a comparison of the brightness with a stored, referenced brightness threshold value and / or a detected change in brightness with a stored and referenced brightness change threshold value, a gesture that is not intended for the operational setting is recognized . To do this, in Fig. 3 a diagram is shown in which the electrical voltage U as a function of the distance s of a body part from the units, as shown in Fig. 2 shown is recorded. In this context, a response threshold value is specified and stored by a curve I, which represents a horizontal straight line. A near range is specified up to the distance s1. In addition, a straight line II indicates a change in brightness which is characterized via the voltage and which, in the illustration shown, also intersects this intersection point, in particular in the interface between curve I and the near region of a point s1.

In addition, a curve III is shown, which characterizes the detection curve of the proximity sensor 13. On the basis of these curves, a gesture intended for the cessation of operation is then clearly differentiated and recognized from a gesture not intended for a cessation of operation. In particular, a gesture that involves a wiping process in which at least a partial area of the top 3 of the hob plate 2 is wiped is then recognized and clearly distinguished from a gesture that is intended and desired to stop the operation.

If a gesture is recognized that is not intended for setting an operational setting, the gesture recognition device 9 is then deactivated.

List of reference symbols

1

Home appliance

2

Hob plate

3

Top

4th

Cooking zone

5

Cooking zone

6th

Cooking zone

7th

Cooking zone

8th

Control device

9

Gesture recognition device

10

Gesture discrimination unit

11

Circuit carrier

12th

Optical transmitter

13th

Proximity sensor

14th

Brightness sensor

U

Electric voltage

s

distance

s1

distance

I.

Curve

II

Straight

III

Curve

Claims (9)

1. Household device (1) having an operating device (8) which has a gesture detection device (9) with which at least one operation setting of the household device (1) can be set by gesture control, wherein the operating device (8) has a gesture distinguishing unit (10) which is designed to acquire information for distinguishing a gesture for setting an operation setting from a gesture not performed for the operation setting, and the operating device (8) comprises an evaluation unit which as a function of the information from at least the gesture distinguishing unit (10) is designed to distinguish a gesture for setting an operation setting from a gesture not performed for the operation setting,
   characterised in that

   - the gesture detection device (9) has at least one optical transmitter (12) and an optical proximity sensor (13), wherein the optical transmitter (12) emits infrared beams in a detection range of the gesture detection device (9) designed for gesture detection and a position and/or orientation and/or movement sequence of a body part is detected via the proximity sensor (13) and a gesture is then detected therefrom;

   - the gesture distinguishing unit (10) has at least one brightness detection unit (14) with at least one brightness sensor (14), wherein the brightness sensor (14) is provided immediately adjacent to the proximity sensor (13) and with which the brightness can be detected in the detection range of the gesture detection device (9) designed for gesture detection, and as a function of a comparison of the brightness with a brightness threshold value and/or a change in brightness with a brightness change threshold value the information regarding whether a gesture intended for the operation setting is present is acquired; wherein the brightness threshold value is the brightness when the brightness detection unit (14) is covered and/or the brightness change threshold value is the change in brightness during a wiping movement with a cleaning element over the gesture distinguishing unit (10).
2. Household device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the gesture distinguishing unit (10) is arranged separately and adjacent to the gesture detection device (9).
3. Household device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the gesture distinguishing unit (10) is designed to be integrated in the gesture detection device (9).
4. Household device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the operating device (8) is designed such that the gesture detection device (9) can be deactivated when a gesture that is not intended for operation setting is detected.
5. Household device (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the gesture detection device (9) is deactivated for a deactivation period.
6. Household device (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the deactivation period corresponds to at least one primary period of a wiping movement with a cleaning element over the gesture distinguishing unit (10).
7. Household device (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the deactivation period additionally comprises a dwell period occurring after the primary period, in which the brightness has again exceeded the brightness threshold value.
8. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is a hob (1).
9. Method for operating a household device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein by means of the gesture distinguishing unit (10) of the operating device (8) information is detected for distinguishing a gesture for setting an operation setting from a gesture not performed for the operation setting, and by means of the operating device (8) a gesture for setting an operation setting is distinguished from a gesture not intended for the operation setting as a function of the information at least from the gesture distinguishing unit (10), characterised in that

   - the gesture distinguishing unit (10) uses a brightness detection device (14) to detect the brightness in a detection range of the gesture detection device (9) designed for gesture detection, and based on a detection of a position and/or orientation and/or movement sequence of a body part by the proximity sensor (13) and as a function of a comparison of the brightness with a brightness threshold value and/or a change in brightness with a brightness change threshold value the information for evaluating a gesture not intended for operation setting is detected, and wherein the brightness threshold value is the brightness when the brightness detection unit (14) is covered and/or the brightness change threshold value is the change in brightness during a wiping movement with a cleaning element over the gesture distinguishing unit (10).

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