GB2564230A

GB2564230A - Automatic assistance for a kitchen appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2564230A
Application number: GB1807574.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: A Desautels Philip; Isaacs Glen
Original assignee: Howden Joinery Ltd
Current assignee: Howden Joinery Ltd
Priority date: 2017-05-09
Filing date: 2018-05-09
Publication date: 2019-01-09
Also published as: GB201707444D0; GB201807574D0; WO2018206952A1

Abstract

An assistance module for a kitchen appliance with a notification module to receive indication 202 that there is a problem with the appliance and to alert the user 204, and a communications module, configured to establish a communications connection between the user and remote customer service representative 208 upon the user causing an input to a user input device 206. The module may comprise a microphone, speaker, video camera and/or display screen. The communications connection can be a telephone call or a video call. The module may also send the customer service representative information identifying the appliance status. A system comprising the assistance module and a kitchen appliance is also disclosed, having at least one sensor to measure an operating parameter of the appliance and which can cause the assistance module to activate if the operating parameter deviates from normal.

Description

Most modern kitchens have a plethora of different appliances ranging from small appliances such as toasters, kettles and irons to large appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. There many times during the lifetime of such appliances that a user of the appliance will seek assistance in operating the appliance. For example, users typically seek assistance when initially setting up an appliance, when they encounter a problem with the appliance (e.g. when the appliance is not behaving as expected), and/or when they are attempting to use the appliance in a different manner than normal (e.g. when attempting to use a feature or functionality of the appliance that the user does not use on a regular basis). Obtaining such assistance typically involves locating either a physical paper copy, or an on-line copy, of the user manual for the appliance and searching through the manual for relevant information; and/or obtaining contact information for the manufacturer or distributer and contacting the manufacturer or distributor via email or phone.

Locating a physical paper copy of a manual is often a cumbersome task as many people tend to keep all their appliance manuals etc. in a large pile making it time consuming and difficult to locate the correct manual. While many manuals and other assistance information can be found on-line, locating the correct manual and/or assistance information online often requires identifying the make and model of the appliance which is not always easy task as often the model number is placed in a location that is difficult to see (e.g. in the back the appliance or on the bottom of the appliance). Furthermore, even when such manuals or assistance information can be located, they may not be easy to navigate and/or many only contain a limited amount of information that may not provide an answer to the specific issue the user is concerned with.

While a user is more likely to get the assistance that they require if they can contact a customer service representative (e.g. via telephone), this still typically requires that the user obtain the correct contact information (e.g. from a user manual or on-line) and that the user provide the customer service representative with the make and model number (which as described above it often difficult to determine)

The embodiments described below are provided by way of example only and are not limiting of implementations which solve any or all the disadvantages of known appliance assistance methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Described herein are methods, systems and assistance modules to automatically connect a user of a kitchen appliance with a customer service representative with knowledge of the appliance in response to receiving an assistance request from the user. The assistance module includes an input device configured to receive input from a user indicating a request for assistance in relation to the appliance; a communication module; and a processor, configured to, in response to the input device receiving an input from a user indicating a request for assistance, cause, via the communication module, a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative to enable communication between the user and the remote customer service representative.

A first aspect provides an assistance module for a kitchen appliance, the assistance module comprising: a notification module configured to receive information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance and, in response to receiving said information, issue an alert to a user; an input device configured to receive input from the user; a communications module; and a processor, configured to, in response to the input device receiving an input from the user responsive to the issuing of the alert to the user, cause, via the communication module, a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative to enable communication between the user and the remote customer service representative.

A second aspect provides a kitchen appliance comprising the assistance module of the first aspect.

A third aspect provides a method for providing assistance to a user of a kitchen appliance, the method comprising: receiving information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance; in response to receiving said information, issuing an alert to a user; receiving, at a module associated with the appliance, input from the user; and in response to receiving input from the user responsive to the issuing of the alert to the user, causing, using the module, a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative to enable communication between the user and the remote customer service representative.

A fourth aspect provides a system comprising: a kitchen appliance having at least one sensor configured to measure an operating parameter of the appliance and a processor configured to detect from the at least one measured operating parameter a deviation from a predetermined set of normal operating parameters and form information indicative of a potential problem with the appliance; and an assistance module, the assistance module comprising: a notification module configured to receive the information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance and, in response to receiving said information, issue an alert to a user; an input device configured to receive input from a user; a communications module; and a processor, configured to, in response to the input device receiving input from a user responsive to the issuing of the alert to the user, cause, via the communication module, a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative to enable communication between the user and the remote customer service representative.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system to provide assistance to a user of a kitchen appliance; and

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example method of providing assistance to a user of a kitchen appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is presented by way of example to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Embodiments are described by way of example only.

Described herein are methods, systems and assistance modules for automatically establishing a communication connection between a user of a kitchen appliance and a customer service representative with expertise in relation to the kitchen appliance in response to the user requesting assistance with the kitchen appliance. By automatically establishing a communication connection between a user of a kitchen application and a customer service representative, in response to the user indicating that assistance is desired, may simplify and improve the user’s experience with the appliance. For example, the user no longer has to complete the time consuming and frustrating process of rifling through piles of manuals to locate the correct manual, or scour the Internet for the appropriate contact information, which may or may not be useful even if found. In addition, it allows the user to be provided with assistance that is tailored to the individual and to the specific kitchen appliance.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1 which illustrates an example system 100 to automatically connect a user with a customer service representative for the appliance in response to receiving input from a user indicating assistance is desired in relation to the appliance. The system 100 includes an appliance 102 comprising one or more sensors and a processing unit configured to receive data from the sensors, an assistance module 103, a communications network 104, and a customer service centre 106 affiliated with one or more customer service representatives 108 which are each associated with one or more devices 107. The processing unit of the appliance 160 is configured to communicate with assistance module 103.

The appliance 102 may be any kitchen appliance such as, but not limited to, a toaster, a kettle, a microwave, an oven, a dishwasher, a dryer etc. The appliance 102 may comprise at least one sensor 150 configured to measure one or more operational parameters of a kitchen appliance and a processing unit 160 configured to receive data from the one or more sensors and detect a potential problem associated with the kitchen appliance. The processor 160 of the appliance may detect a potential problem with the appliance by, for example, detecting a change in one of the operational parameters measured by the sensor(s) 150 of the appliance. The processor may be configured to detect from the at least one operating parameter measured by the at least one sensor a deviation from a predetermined set of normal operating parameters and form the information indicative of a potential problem with the appliance. Upon receiving information indicative of a potential problem with the appliance, assistance module 103 is configured to transmit an alert to a user and to receive assistance requests from the user in response to such an alert being generated. The assistance module can, in response to receiving an assistance request, establish a communication session between a device associated with the user (which may include any device in the proximity of the user such as the assistance module 103 itself or another device 130, such as a mobile telephone or a computer associated with the user) and a device 107 associated with a customer service representative 108. The term ‘customer service representative’ is used herein to mean a person, computer, or system that is knowledgeable, and/or has particular expertise, about the appliance 102 and as such can provide suitable advice in relation to the configuration and operation of the appliance 102. The customer service representative 108 may, for example, be an employee (e.g. an engineer or customer service specialist) of the manufacturer or vendor of the appliance 102; an employee (e.g. an engineer or customer service specialist) of a company that provides customer support for products manufactured and/or sold by a variety of different companies; or a computer system (e.g. an automated computer system such as, but not limited to, an automated telephone system) that has been configured to be able troubleshoot and diagnose problems with the appliance 102 and/or offer configuration advice in response to input provided by a user.

The assistance module 103 comprises a notification device 140, an input device 110, a processor 112, memory 113 and a communications module 114. The input device 110 allows the user to request assistance in relation to the appliance 102. In some examples, the input device 110 may be a physical button, which the user can press to request assistance in relation to the appliance 102. In other examples, the input device 110 may be a touch screen which may display a virtual button which the user can activate (e.g. by touching or pressing) to request assistance in relation to the appliance 102. It will be evident to a person of skill in the art that these are examples only and the input device 110 may be implemented in any suitable manner that allows the user to request assistance in relation to the appliance 102.

The notification device 140 may be configured to receive information transmitted by the processing unit of the appliance 102. The notification device may receive information indicative of a potential problem with the appliance. Upon receiving such information, the notification device may issue an alert to a user. The notification device may issue an alert to the user of the appliance by, for example, causing speaker 118 to emit a warning sound, displaying information regarding the potential problem or a warning message on display 120, or displaying a flashing light. The alert may ask the user if they require assistance in relation to the appliance and/or the alert may prompt the user to request assistance via the input device, if assistance is required. The received information may be obtained from the processing unit of the appliance which is configured to receive data measured by the one or more sensors in the appliance and detect a problem associated with the kitchen appliance 102, as described previously.

In one embodiment of the invention, the appliance 102 may be a washing machine. In this embodiment, a problem associated with the appliance 102 may be, but is not limited to, a defective component, insufficient power input, excessive power input, insufficient water drainage, insufficient water input, pipework blockage, overheating of the appliance, underheating of the appliance, excessive sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) caused by detergent, foreign objects in the basket or tub of the machine, excessive clothing load, water leakage, unlevel grounding, improper position of washer feet, unbalanced clothing load or contaminated residue in the appliance. Defective components of the appliance may include a power supply, a mains supply, a washer motor, a safety lock, a drum, an agitator, a timer, a timer knob, a drain pump, a filter, a belt, a main drive motor, a fill hose, a water inlet valve, a water hose a door seal, a tub, a tub seal or a detergent dispenser.

In a secondary embodiment of the invention, the appliance 102 may be a freezer. In this embodiment a problem associated with the appliance 102 may be, but is not limited to, a defective component, loss of refrigerant, pipework blockage, pipework choke, air channel blockage or obstruction, over-accumulation of ice, build-up of debris, overheating of the appliance, over-freezing of the appliance, insulation failure, a shortage of gas or spillage of fluid. Defective components of the appliance may include a power supply, a mains supply, a condenser coil, an evaporator coil, an electric fan, an expansion valve, a compressor vessel, a fan motor, a thermostat, a thermistor, a light bulb, a door switch, a changeover valve, an expansion valve, a heatexchanging pipe, a defrost tray or a door seal.

In another embodiment of the invention, the appliance 102 may be a refrigerator. In this embodiment a problem associated with the appliance 102 may be, but is not limited to, a defective component, loss of refrigerant, pipework blockage, pipework choke, air channel blockage or obstruction, an accumulation of ice or frost, a build-up of debris, overheating of the appliance, overcooling of the appliance, insulation failure, a shortage of gas or spillage of fluid. Defective components of the appliance may include a power supply, a mains supply, a condenser coil, an evaporator coil, an electric fan, an expansion valve, a compressor vessel, a fan motor, a thermostat, a thermistor, a light bulb, a door switch, a changeover valve, an expansion valve, a heatexchanging pipe, a defrost tray or a door seal.

In another embodiment of the invention, the appliance 102 may be an oven. In this embodiment, a problem associated with the appliance 102 may be, but is not limited to, a defective component, insufficient power input, excessive power input, gas pipework blockage, overheating of the appliance and underheating of the appliance. Defective components of the appliance may include a power supply, a mains supply, a timer, a timer knob, a filter, a fan, a light, a heating element or a cooling element.

The appliance may be a thermostatically controlled appliance, or may be a nonthermostatically controlled appliance.

The processor 112 is configured to execute software stored in a non-transient form of memory 113 in order to cause the assistance module 103 to perform its functions. The processor 112 is in communication with the input device 110, and in response to the input device 110 receiving an assistance request, the processor 112 causes, via the communications module 114 and the communications network 104, a communications connection to be established between a device 107 associated with a customer service representative 108 and a device 103, 130 associated with the user of the appliance 102. The term ‘communication connection’ is used herein to mean a connection that enables two users to communicate verbally and/or visually and may comprise an audio communication connection in which the users are able to hear and speak to one another; a video communication connection in which the users are able to see (and optionally hear) each other; and a text communication connection in which the users are able to exchange written messages.

The type of communication connection (e.g. audio; video; audio and video; text) and the mechanism for causing the communication connection to be established may be dependent on the configuration and capabilities of the assistance module 103. For example, where the assistance module 103 comprises components, such as a microphone 116 and a speaker 118, that allow the assistance module 103 to facilitate an audio communication connection, the processor 112 may be configured to, in response to the input device 110 receiving an assistance request, cause an audio connection to be established between the assistance module 103 (via the microphone 116 and speaker 118) and a device 107 associated with an appropriate customer service representative (e.g. via the microphone 123 and speaker 122 of the remote device 107).

Where the appliance 102 also comprises components, such a display screen 120 and a video camera 121) capable of facilitating a video communication connection the processor 112 may also, or alternatively, be configured to, in response to receiving an assistance request, cause a video connection to be established between the assistance module 103 (via the display screen 120 and video camera 121) and a device 107 associated with an appropriate customer service representative (e.g. via the display screen 128 and video camera 126 of the device 107).

In some examples, the assistance module 103 may be configured to cause a video communication connection or an audio communication connection to be established between the assistance module 103 and a device 107 associated with an appropriate customer service representative by sending a direct communication request, via the communications module 114 and the communications network 104, to a device, such as a request server 125, that is configured to process communication requests for a particular customer service centre 106. The direct communication request may include information identifying the request as an audio communication request and/or a video communication request, information identifying the assistance module 103 to establish the audio and/or video communication connection (e.g. IP address), and information identifying the appliance 102 (e.g. make and model).

In response to receiving a direct communication request, the request server 125 may determine from the direct communication request (e.g. based on the information identifying the appliance) the appropriate customer service representative to deal with the request. The request server 125 may then forward the communication request to a device 107 associated with that customer service representative so that the device 107 can establish an audio and/or video communication connection with the assistance module 103.

It will be evident to a person of skill in the art that this is an example only and the processor 112 may be configured to cause an audio and/or video communication connection to be established between the assistance module 103 and a device 107 associated with an appropriate customer service representative in any suitable manner. For example, in other cases, the processor 112 may be configured to cause an audio communication connection to be established between the assistance module 103 and a device associated with a customer service representative by initiating a telephone call to a telephone number known to be associated with a customer service representative, and the processor 112 may be configured to cause a video communication connection to be established between the assistance module 103 and a device associated with a customer service representative by initiating a video call to an a video call ID that is known to be associated with a customer service representative.

Where, however, the appliance 102 does not comprise components, such as a microphone and speaker, capable of facilitating an audio connection; or components, such as a display screen and a video camera, to facilitate a video communication, the processor 112 may be configured to cause a communication connection to be established between an external device 130 associated with the user (such as, but not limited to, a computer, a tablet, a home telephone, or mobile telephone) and a device 107 associated with an appropriate customer service representative.

For example, in some cases the processor 112 may be configured to, in response to receiving an assistance request from a user (e.g. via the input device 110), send an indirect communication request to a device, such as a request server 125, that is configured to process requests, that causes a device 107 associated with a customer service representative to establish a communication connection with an external communication device associated with the user. An indirect communication request may include information indicating whether the request is an audio communication request or a video communication request, information that identifies the external device associated with the user (e.g. telephone number, Skype™ ID or FaceTime™ ID), and information that identifies the appliance (e.g. make and model).

In response to receiving an indirect communication request the request server 125 may determine from the direct communication request (e.g. based on the information identifying the appliance) the appropriate customer service representative to service the request. The request server 125 may then forward the indirect communication request to a device 107 associated with that customer service representative. In response to receiving an indirect communication request the device 107 may be configured to determine whether the request is an audio request or a video request. If the request is an audio request the device 107 may initiate a telephone call with the specified external device associated with the user (e.g. a home telephone or a mobile telephone). If, however, the request is a video request the device 107 may initiate a video call, such as a FaceTime™ call or a Skype™ call, with the external device associated with the user (e.g. a video capable device such as, but not limited to, a desktop computer, tablet, laptop or mobile telephone). It will be evident to a person of skill in the art that this is an example only and the processor 112 may be configured to cause an audio and/or video communication connection to be established between an external device 130 associated with the user and a device 107 associated with an appropriate customer service representative in any suitable manner.

Where the processor 112 is configured to establish a communication session with the user and a customer service representative via an external device associated with the user, the processor 112 may be preconfigured (e.g. during initial set-up of the appliance 102) with the type of communication (video; audio; or video and audio) to be established when a user assistance request is received, and/or information identifying the external device (e.g. telephone number, Skype ID, Facetime ID) so that a communication can be quickly and automatically established when the user requests assistance. In other cases, the processor 112 may be configured to prompt the user to specify the type of communication to be established and/or the information enabling the connection to be established.

In yet other cases the processor 112 may be preconfigured (e.g. during initial set-up of the appliance) with a default type of communication and default information to be used to establish a connection with a user’s external device, and the processor 112 may be configured to prompt the user to indicate (e.g. via the input device 110) whether they wish to use the default settings or whether they wish to manually enter an alternative communication type and/or information to be used to establish the connection with the device 130 associated with the user. This allows the processor 112 to quickly and easily establish a communication using the default settings, yet provides the user with flexibility to specify different parameters where desirable (e.g. when the default settings are configured to establish an audio/telephone call with the user’s mobile telephone but the user has misplaced their mobile telephone).

Once the communication session has been established between the device 103, 130 associated with the user and the device 107 associated with the customer service representative, the user and the customer service representative can communicate to identify the nature of the problem/inquiry and work through a resolution. Where the communication session includes a video communication session the customer service representative may be able to provide the user with images or pictures of the appliance

102 which may aid the user in identify a problem or configuring the appliance to act in a certain way.

As described above, in many cases the make and/or model of a kitchen appliance is difficult to determine from the appliance itself (e.g. because it may be displayed on a portion of the appliance that is difficult to access, such as the back or bottom of an appliance, or because it is printed on the appliance in a cryptic manner that makes it difficult to determine that is the make and/or model) and thus by automatically providing the device 107 (and thus the customer service representative) with information identifying the appliance the user does not have to perform the difficult and time consuming search of the appliance to identify the appliance make and model.

Automatically providing the information identifying the appliance 102 to the device 107 also ensures that the appliance 102 is correctly identified to the customer service representative which can aid in identifying and resolving problems or questions more quickly. Specifically, a user may incorrectly identify the make and model which may confuse the customer service representative which may increase the time to resolve the user’s problem or query. Furthermore, where the customer service centre has multiple customer service representatives 108 the information identifying the appliance may be used to identify the most suitable customer service representative to provide the desired assistance (e.g. the customer service representative with the most experience with this type of appliance).

In some cases, the processor 112 may also be configured to provide information on the state of the appliance 102 to the device 107 associated with the customer service representative. The information on the state of the appliance 102 may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: information on power consumption of the appliance 102, the position of any positionable component(s) of the appliance 102, the current configuration settings of the appliance etc. This may allow the customer service representative to more quickly identify a problem or provide advice on configuration the appliance 102.

The communications module 114 is responsible for transmitting data to, and receiving data from, remote devices (such as the request server 125 and the device 107 associated with the customer service representative) via the communications network 104. The communications module 114 may be a wireless communications module that supports one or more wireless protocols, such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™ or Near Field Communication (NFC); or the communications module 114 may be a wired communication module that supports one or more wired communication protocols such as, but not limited to, Ethernet. Although the communications module 114 is shown as directly attached to the communications network 104, in other examples the communications module 114 may be configured to transmit data to and receive data from the communications network 104 via a relay device (not shown).

The communications network 104 may be any network, or combination of networks capable of enabling data communication between the remote devices in the system 100. For example, the communications network 104 may be a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a mobile telephone network, a wireless data network, a wired data network, or any combination thereof.

Although a single communications network 104 is shown, it will be evident to a person of skill in the art that the communications network may comprise a plurality of connected communications networks or a plurality of separate and independent communications networks. Different devices may use different aspects of the communications network 104 to communicate with each other. For example, some devices may communicate using a mobile communications aspect of the communications network 104 and other devices may communicate using the Internet aspect of the communications network 104.

Although the assistance module 103 is shown in FIG. 1 as being part of, or integrated with, the appliance 102, in other examples, the assistance module 103 may be attached to or in communication with the appliance 102.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which illustrates an example method 200 for providing assistance to a user of an appliance which may be implemented by the assistance module 103 of FIG. 1. The method 200 begins at block 202 where an assistance module 103 receives (e.g. via an input device) information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance 102. In response to receiving the information, an alert may be issued to a user at step 204. At step 206, the method comprises receiving input from a user, which may be responsive to the issuing of the alert. Once the input from the user has been received the method 200 proceeds to block 208.

At block 208 the assistance module 103 causes a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative to allow the user and the customer service representative to communicate. As described above, there are many ways in which the assistance module 103 may cause a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative.

In some cases, where the assistance module 103 comprises components to facilitate an audio communication connection and/or a video communication connection the assistance module 103 may be configured to cause a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative by sending a direct communication request to a device, such as a request server 125, which processes communication requests for a particular customer service centre 106. In response to receiving the direct communication request the request server 125 may be configured to identify an appropriate customer service representative to service the request and forward the request to a device associated with the identified customer service representative. Upon receiving the request the device establishes an audio and/or video communication connection with the assistance module 103.

In other cases, where the assistance module 103 does not comprise components to facilitate an audio communication connection or a video communication connection the assistance module 103 may be configured to cause a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative by sending an indirect communication request to a device, such as a request server 125, which processes communication requests for a particular customer service centre 106. In response to receiving the direct communication request the request server 125 may be configured to identify an appropriate customer service representative to service the request and forward the request to a device associated with the identified customer service representative. Upon receiving the request the device determines whether the request is an audio request or a video request. If the request is an audio request the device may initiate a telephone call with the specified external device 130, and if the request is a video request the device may initiate a video call with the specified external device 130.

The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An assistance module (103) for a kitchen appliance (102), the assistance module (103) comprising:

a notification module (140) configured to receive information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance (102) and, in response to receiving said information, issue an alert to a user;

an input device (110) configured to receive input from a user (102);

a communications module (114); and a processor (112), configured to, in response to the input device (110) receiving input from a user responsive to the issuing of the alert to the user, cause, via the communication module (114), a communication connection to be established between a device (103, 130) associated with the user and a device (107) associated with a remote customer service representative (108) to enable communication between the user and the remote customer service representative.

2. The assistance module (103) of claim 1, further comprising a microphone (116) and a speaker (118), and wherein the processor (112) is configured to cause a communication connection to be established between a device (103) associated with the user and a device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative by causing an audio communication connection to be established between the assistance module (103) and the device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative via the microphone (116) and speaker (118).

3. The assistance module (103) of any preceding claim, further comprising a video camera (121) and a display screen (120), and wherein the processor (112) is configured to cause a communication connection to be established between a device (103) associated with the user and a device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative by causing a video communication connection to be established between the assistance module (103) and the device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative via the video camera (121) and display screen (120).

4. The assistance module (103) of any preceding claim, wherein the processor (112) is configured to cause a communication connection to be established between a device (130) associated with the user and a device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative by sending a request to a customer service centre computing device (125) which causes a device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative to initiate a telephone call with an external telephone (130) associated with the user.

5. The assistance module (103) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor (112) is configured to cause a communication connection to be established between a device (130) associated with the user and a device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative by sending a request to a customer service centre computing device (125) which causes a device (107) associated with the remote customer service representative to initiate a video call with an external computing device (130) associated with the user.

6. The assistance module (103) of any preceding claim, wherein the processor (112) is further configured to provide the device (107) associated with the customer service representative with information identifying the appliance (102).

7. The assistance module (103) of any preceding claim, wherein the processor (112) is further configured to provide the device (107) associated with the customer service representative with information indicating a status of the appliance (102).

8. A kitchen appliance (102) comprising the assistance module (103) of any of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method (200) for providing assistance to a user of a kitchen appliance, the method (200) comprising:

receiving (202) information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance;

in response to receiving said information, issuing (204) an alert to the user;

receiving (206), at a module associated with the appliance, input from the user; and in response to receiving input from the user responsive to the issuing of the alert to the user, causing, using the module, a communication connection to be established between a device associated with the user and a device associated with a remote customer service representative to enable communication between the user and the remote customer service representative (208).

10. A system (100) comprising:

a kitchen appliance (102) having at least one sensor (150) configured to measure an operating parameter of the appliance and a processor (160) configured to detect from the at least one measured operating parameter a deviation from a predetermined set of normal operating parameters and form information indicative of a potential problem with the appliance; and an assistance module (103), the assistance module (103) comprising:

a notification module (140) configured to receive the information indicative of a potential problem with the kitchen appliance (102) and, in response to receiving said information, issue an alert to a user;

an input device (110) configured to receive input from a user (102);