WO2020034381A1

WO2020034381A1 - Liquid level detection apparatus and device containing same, liquid level detection method, electronic device and computer readable storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2020034381A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/110285
Authority: WO
Inventors: 杨友明
Original assignee: 广州视源电子科技股份有限公司
Priority date: 2018-08-15
Filing date: 2018-10-15
Publication date: 2020-02-20
Also published as: CN109238400A

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a liquid level detection apparatus and a device containing same, and a liquid level detection method, an electronic device and a computer readable storage medium. The liquid level detection apparatus comprises a detection component and a processing component, wherein the detection component comprises at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to a different liquid level of a liquid container, and the detection component is isolated from the liquid container; the processing component is electrically connected to the at least one sensor, and the processing component determines a liquid level on the basis of a change in an equivalent capacitance formed by conductive liquid in the liquid container and the at least one sensor. Also disclosed in the present invention are a corresponding liquid level detection method and a corresponding apparatus and device. The liquid level monitoring solution provided in the embodiment of the present invention achieves indirect liquid level measurement, solves the problem of unsafe leakage caused by direct contact measurement, and solves the problem of the structure being inconvenient to disassemble caused by direct contact measurement.

Description

Liquid level detection device and equipment containing the same, liquid level detection method, electronic device and computer-readable storage medium

Technical field

The present invention generally relates to the field of control processing, and in particular, to a liquid level detection device and a device including the same, a liquid level detection method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium.

Background technique

For clothing care machines, electric irons, ironing machines, and products that use liquid water to generate water vapor in the same way, and other electrical equipment that uses water, the amount and level of water in liquid containers such as water storage tanks need to be detected. Existing detection technologies usually use electrical signals, buoyancy, and other methods for direct detection. In these detection methods, the detection component is usually in direct contact with the liquid container, and there is a hidden danger of leakage, and the existing product structure is not convenient for the use of the liquid container.

Summary of the Invention

In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid level detection device and a device including the same, a liquid level detection method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium, which realizes the convenient and effective detection of the liquid level in an indirect measurement manner, and solves The unsafe leakage and the inconvenient disassembly of the structure caused by direct contact measurement.

In a first aspect of the present invention, a liquid level detection device is provided. The device includes: a detection component including at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to a different liquid level of the liquid container, the detection component and the liquid container are isolated from each other; and a processing component, and at least one sensor The sensor is electrically connected, and the processing component determines the liquid level based on a change in the equivalent capacitance formed by the conductive liquid in the liquid container and at least one sensor.

In some embodiments, the detection component includes a plurality of sensors constituted by a conductive sheet, and the plurality of sensors are independent of each other and electrically connected to the processing component, respectively.

In some embodiments, the distance between the detection member and the liquid container is less than a first threshold value, so that the detection member is arranged close to the liquid container.

In some embodiments, the device further includes a prompting component, which is electrically connected to the processing component and configured to output prompting information in response to an instruction of the processing component, and the instruction is generated based on the determined liquid level.

In some embodiments, the processing component calculates a change in the capacitance of each sensor to determine a positional relationship between each sensor and the current liquid, and determines a liquid level based on the positional relationship.

In a second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus including a liquid level detection device is provided. The device includes a main body part, a liquid container, and a liquid level detecting device according to the first aspect of the present invention. The liquid container is removably mounted on the main body part, and the main body part is used for supporting the liquid container and receiving or attaching the liquid level Detection device.

In a third aspect of the invention, a method for detecting a liquid level is provided. The method includes: acquiring a signal from a detection component, the detection component includes at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to a different liquid level of the liquid container, and the detection component and the liquid container are isolated from each other; based on the signal, Detecting a change in an equivalent capacitance formed by the conductive liquid in the liquid container and at least one sensor; and determining a liquid level based on the change in the equivalent capacitance.

In some embodiments, the method further includes detecting the presence of the liquid container based on the signal; and generating a prompt message in response to the absence of the liquid container.

In some embodiments, the detection component includes a plurality of sensors that are independent of each other, wherein detecting a change in the equivalent capacitance includes: calculating a capacitance representative value for each sensor based on a signal from each sensor. The capacity characteristic value uses a time signal to characterize the capacitance; and comparing the capacity characteristic value with a predetermined threshold to determine the positional relationship between each sensor and the current liquid; and wherein determining the liquid level includes determining each sensor through comparison. Positional relationship with the current liquid; and determining the liquid level based on the positional relationship.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: generating prompt information based on the determined liquid level.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: generating a prompt message indicating excessive liquid in response to the liquid level exceeding a first threshold; and generating a prompt message indicating insufficient liquid in response to the liquid level falling below a second threshold.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device including a processor and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform the method described in the third aspect of the invention.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method described in the third aspect of the invention.

The liquid level detection scheme proposed by the embodiment of the present invention realizes the detection of the liquid level by indirect measurement, which is not only convenient and effective, but also improves safety performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a scenario in which a liquid level detection device can be applied according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of a liquid level detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus of a liquid level detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a method for detecting a liquid level according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art know that the present invention is not limited to the drawings and the following embodiments.

As described herein, the term "including" and its various variations can be understood as an open-ended term that means "including but not limited to." The term "based on" can be understood as "based at least in part on." The term "one embodiment" can be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" can be understood as "at least one other embodiment".

As mentioned above, the existing liquid level detection methods have hidden safety hazards, and the existing product structure is not convenient for the use of liquid containers. The liquid level detection device and the detection method provided by the embodiments of the present invention can effectively solve the foregoing problems. The embodiments of the present invention are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a scenario 100 in which a liquid level detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. As shown in the figure, the scene application includes a liquid level detection device 110 and a liquid container 120, and the two can be separated from each other by a non-conductive casing or air. One side of the liquid container 120 may be an irregularly shaped surface, as shown in the figure, and of course, it may be a regularly shaped container. When the scenario 100 is applied to a clothes care machine, a hanging iron or an electric iron, etc., the liquid container 130 may store liquid water used to generate steam, which may have a maximum liquid level Lmax and a minimum liquid level Lmin.

The liquid level detection device 110 includes a detection part 130 and a processing part 140. The detection part 130 includes at least one sensor, and the figures show, for example, sensors 131-137. These sensors are disposed at positions corresponding to different liquid levels of the liquid container 120 to sense the position Lx of the liquid in the liquid container 130.

The processing component 140 may be any suitable component including a processing function, such as a micro control unit (MCU). The processing unit 140 reads the signal of the detection unit 130 and implements the liquid level detection of the liquid container 120, that is, determines the current liquid level. The detection unit 130 is electrically connected to the processing unit 140 by a suitable method such as a wire. When there are multiple sensors, for example, the detection unit 130 includes seven sensors 131-137, and each sensor is electrically connected to the processing unit 140 independently of each other.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid container 120 contains a conductive liquid such as water. The sensors 131-137 are conductive bodies, such as metal plates. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the liquid level detection device 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the detection component 130 includes independently segmented sensors 210-216. The sensors 210-216 can be simple metal sheets or even easily available PCB boards. Any conductive part that can generate capacitance and be separated in sections is feasible.

Since the conductive liquid is separated from the sensor by a plastic case or air, it can be equivalent to a capacitor in terms of electronics. The amount of liquid in the liquid container 120 will cause the capacitance of the capacitor to change. This change is detected by the processing unit 140, and the liquid level is determined through calculation. The specific process will be described below.

The liquid level detection device 110 may further include a prompting component (not shown). The prompting component may be electrically connected to the processing component 140 for outputting prompt information in response to an instruction of the processing component 140. The instruction is generated based on the determined liquid level. For example, it is prompted that the liquid level is too much or too little, or the liquid container 120 has been removed, and so on. The prompt information can be output in various perceptible forms such as visual, auditory, and tactile, which attracts the user's attention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a device 300 including a liquid level detection device 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the device 300 includes a body member 310 and a liquid container 120, wherein the liquid container 120 is removably coupled to the body member 310. In addition to supporting the liquid container 120, the main body member 310 houses or attaches a liquid level detection device 110. The liquid container 120 is arranged in a removable manner, which solves the inconvenient disassembly of the structure caused by direct contact measurement and the hidden danger of leakage current.

In this embodiment, the detection component 130 is closely adhered to the inner wall of the main body component 310, that is, the distance 320 is preferably close to zero. This interval can also be expressed as a negative value, that is, the detection component 130 can be disposed on the outer wall of the main body component 310. On the other hand, the smaller the distance 321 between the detection member 130 and the liquid container 120 is, the better, for example, less than 20 mm. Limited by the outer shape design of the liquid container body member 310 and the liquid container 120, the pitch 321 may be less than 30 mm, for example. In this way, when the liquid level changes, it is more advantageous to detect a change in capacitance.

It can be understood that the device 300 is only a specific example of the embodiment of the present invention, and each component is not limited to the structure shown in the figure, and may be expressed in any appropriate appearance and structure according to a specific application. In addition, the number of sensors of the detection unit 130 can also be selected according to actual applications.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a method 400 for detecting a liquid level according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 400 may be implemented at the processing component 140. At 410, a signal from the detection component is acquired. As described above, the detection component 130 includes at least one sensor, and the sensors are disposed at positions corresponding to different liquid levels of the conductive liquid in the liquid container 120, and the detection component 130 and the liquid container 120 are isolated from each other. The processing component 140 acquires signals of the sensor in real time through electrical connection.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing component 140 may detect and determine whether the liquid container 120 still exists, that is, whether it is removed from the main body component 310 or whether there is liquid in the liquid container 120. This determination can be easily known in real time based on changes in the signal of one (or more) sensors, and the processing unit 140 can further generate prompt information.

At 420, a change in the equivalent capacitance formed by the conductive liquid and the at least one sensor is calculated based on the signal from the detection component. Then at 430, the liquid level is determined based on the change in equivalent capacitance. According to an embodiment of the invention, the accuracy of the liquid level is affected by the number of sensors. In addition, in normal applications, precise measurement of the liquid level is not required, and only judgment is required according to the corresponding liquid level file. Therefore, for simplicity, the liquid level can be represented by a liquid level file corresponding to the sensor.

In one embodiment, the capacity is converted into a time signal characterization according to the difference in the capacity charging and discharging time. In this way, it is possible to know in advance the time signal of the capacitance corresponding to the liquid in the unit liquid level, for example, a pulse width of 1 ms. The processing component 140 can obtain the change of the equivalent capacitance by calculating or detecting the corresponding pulse change of the sensor, and then obtain the liquid level.

In an embodiment where there are multiple sensors, the processing component 140 may separately calculate the relative capacitance for each sensor based on the signals of each sensor. For example, based on a comparison in time with a signal corresponding to the capacitance of the liquid in the liquid level range, it is determined that the sensor is above or below the liquid level, and the first sensor below the liquid level is The position of the corresponding liquid container is determined as the liquid level.

In one embodiment, the processing component 140 generates different prompt information according to the liquid level at 440. For example, information on the liquid level can be generated, or when the liquid level exceeds a first threshold (for example, Lmax), a prompt indicating that there is too much liquid is generated, and when the liquid level is below a second threshold (for example, Lmin), an indicator that the liquid is low Prompt information, etc.

By adopting the liquid level detection scheme in an indirect manner according to the embodiment of the present invention, not only the detection is convenient, but the liquid container is more convenient for the user to operate, and the detection component does not directly contact the liquid, which causes hidden danger of leakage, and is not affected by the structure of the device.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides an electronic device, which includes a processor and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor, the electronic device is caused to perform the method according to the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method according to the invention.

Those skilled in the art may understand that the logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or described herein in other ways, for example, may be considered as a fixed sequence list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, may be specifically implemented in Any computer-readable medium for use by an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a system including a processor, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from an instruction execution system, device, or device), or Used in conjunction with these instruction execution systems, devices or equipment. For the purposes of this specification, a "computer-readable medium" may be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include the following: electrical connections (electronic devices) with one or more wirings, portable computer disk cartridges (magnetic devices), random access memory (RAM), Read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disk read-only memory (CDROM). In addition, the computer-readable medium may even be paper or other suitable medium on which the program can be printed, because, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpretation, or other suitable Processing to obtain the program electronically and then store it in computer memory.

It should be understood that each part of the present invention may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods may be implemented by software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it may be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: Discrete logic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits with suitable combinational logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGA), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), etc.

In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “examples”, “specific examples”, or “some examples” and the like means specific features described in conjunction with the embodiments or examples , Structure, material, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

A liquid level detection device, comprising:

The detection component includes at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to a different liquid level of the liquid container, and the detection component and the liquid container are isolated from each other; and

A processing component is electrically connected to the at least one sensor, and the processing component determines a liquid level based on a change in an equivalent capacitance formed by the conductive liquid in the liquid container and the at least one sensor.
The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection component comprises a plurality of sensors constituted by a conductive sheet, the plurality of sensors are independent of each other and are electrically connected to the processing component, respectively.
The device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the detection member and the liquid container is smaller than a first threshold value, so that the detection member and the liquid container are arranged close to each other.
The device according to claim 1, further comprising a prompting component electrically connected to the processing component for outputting prompt information in response to an instruction of the processing component, the instruction based on the determined Generated by the liquid level.
The device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit calculates a change in capacitance of each sensor to determine a positional relationship between each sensor and a current liquid, and determines a liquid based on the positional relationship. Bit.
An apparatus including a liquid level detecting device, comprising: a main body part, a liquid container, and the liquid level detecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the liquid container being removably mounted on On the main body part, the main body part is used for supporting the liquid container and accommodating or attaching the liquid level detecting device.
A method for detecting a liquid level, comprising:

Acquire a signal from a detection component, the detection component includes at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to a different liquid level of a liquid container, and the detection component and the liquid container are isolated from each other ;

Detecting a change in an equivalent capacitance formed by the conductive liquid in the liquid container and the at least one sensor based on the signal; and

Based on the change in the equivalent capacitance, a liquid level is determined.
The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

Detecting the presence of the liquid container based on the signal; and

In response to the absence of the liquid container, a prompt message is generated.
The method according to claim 7, wherein the detecting component comprises a plurality of sensors independent of each other, wherein detecting a change in equivalent capacitance comprises:

Calculating a capacitance representative value for each sensor based on a signal from each sensor, the capacitance representative value representing a capacitance size with a time signal; and

Comparing the capacitance characteristic value with a predetermined threshold to determine a positional relationship between each sensor and a current liquid;

And the level determination includes:

Determining the positional relationship between each sensor and the current liquid through the comparison; and

The liquid level is determined based on the positional relationship.
The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

Based on the determined liquid level, a prompt message is generated.
The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

Generating, in response to the liquid level exceeding a first threshold, prompting information indicating excessive liquid; and

In response to the liquid level being below the second threshold, a prompt message indicating that there is too little liquid is generated.
An electronic device, comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform the method according to any one of claims 7-11 .
A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that it stores machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform the method according to any one of claims 7-11 .