Method for determining at least one operating parameter of a handheld household appliance and computer program product

Abstract

Method (1) for determining (8) at least one operating parameter of a hand-held household appliance (2), characterized in that at least the following method steps are included: - Acquiring (3) measurement data from at least one sensor of at least one data processing device (5) worn close to the body by a user (4) during the use of the handheld household appliance (2), wherein the sensor measures vibrations generated by the handheld household appliance (2) which are at least partially transmitted to the body of the user (4), - Determine (8) at least one operating parameter of the hand-held household appliance (2) using at least some of the measurement data.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining at least one operating parameter of a handheld household appliance. Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program product for executing a method for determining at least one operating parameter of a handheld household appliance using at least one processor of a data processing device.

[0002] Numerous methods for determining the operating parameters of handheld household appliances are known in the prior art. Handheld household appliances are, in particular, electrical household appliances driven by at least one motor, such as hand mixers, stick blenders, or vacuum cleaners.

[0003] To determine operating parameters of a household appliance, such as usage time or filter fill level, household appliances known from the prior art have, for example, their own sensors and at least one data interface to transmit measurement data from the sensors, e.g., to a smartphone or other data processing device. Furthermore, it is known that a household appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, is directly integrated into a data network via a data interface, e.g., WLAN, to provide or transmit operating parameters. Such a system and method are known, for example, from DE 10 2017 116 747 A1.

[0004] DE 10 2016 207 601 A1 discloses a communication module for a household appliance and a method for determining an operating state of a household appliance, in which a sensor device of a communication module is attached directly to the household appliance in order to record measurement data on the operating state.

[0005] DE 10 2017 223 224 A1 discloses a system for controlling and / or regulating one or more household appliances. For this purpose, a centrally located interface device is provided, which is designed for communication with various household appliances as well as with a server and / or a user's mobile device.

[0006] DE 10 2018 205 331 A1 discloses a method for recording operating parameters of a treatment chamber of a household appliance. To record the operating parameters, a self-contained sensor is arranged directly on the household appliance and at least one operating parameter of the treatment chamber is measured during use.

[0007] DE 10 2017 116 747 A1 discloses a floor cleaning device and a method for its operation. The floor cleaning device can be controlled by a data viewing and data input device connected via a data interface.

[0008] However, the methods and systems known from the prior art have the disadvantage that they require increased configuration effort from the user to set up and configure data exchange between the household appliance and a data processing device. This is particularly true when a household appliance is to be integrated into an existing data network, such as Wi-Fi. Furthermore, equipping household appliances with sensors and data interfaces increases development and manufacturing costs, as requirements such as data security must be considered and met.

[0009] Based on the aforementioned prior art, the present invention aims to provide a method and a computer program product for determining at least one operating parameter of a hand-held household appliance, avoiding the disadvantages known from the prior art.

[0010] The aforementioned problem is solved in a generic method for determining at least one operating parameter of a hand-held household appliance by including at least the following process steps: - Recording measurement data from at least one sensor or at least one data processing device worn close to the body by a user during the use of the handheld household appliance, - Determine at least one operating parameter of the handheld household appliance using at least some of the measurement data.

[0011] Handheld household appliances within the meaning of the present invention are household appliances that have at least one motor and are, in particular, electrically operated. The household appliance is powered by at least one battery or is supplied with electricity via a cable. The handheld household appliance is typically used by the user holding or guiding at least part of the household appliance, in particular by performing movements with at least part of the household appliance. For example, the household appliance is a vacuum cleaner, a hand mixer, or a stick blender.

[0012] Handheld household appliances generate vibrations during use, which are at least partially transmitted to the user's body. These are primarily hand-arm vibrations. These vibrations can be measured with at least one sensor of a data processing device worn close to the body. Furthermore, the measurement data recorded by the sensor of the data processing device during use of the household appliance includes typical user movements, such as forward and backward thrusts or tilting and twisting motions when vacuuming.

[0013] To acquire measurement data with the data processing device, using at least one sensor, preferably a plurality of sensors, the user wears the data processing device close to the body, at least when using the handheld household appliance. For the purposes of this invention, a data processing device is considered to be worn "close to the body" if the sensor(s) of the data processing device can detect structure-borne sound and / or body movements. For example, the data processing device is worn in direct contact with at least one part of the user's body. Alternatively, the data processing device is provided for close-to-the-body wear in at least one pocket of a garment or is otherwise attached to the garment.

[0014] For example, the data processing device is designed as a mobile phone, in particular as a smartphone, or as a watch, in particular as a smartwatch, as a wristband, or as glasses. The data processing device has at least one processor, at least one memory, at least one data interface, at least one sensor, preferably a plurality of sensors, and in particular at least one display device for displaying data. If the data processing device is designed as a mobile phone, it is, for example, located in the user's trouser pocket during use of the household appliance.

[0015] The data processing device is preferably designed as a watch, especially a smartwatch. This allows for the advantageous detection of hand-arm vibrations generated during the use of the appliance, as well as movements performed by the user during its operation. If the data processing device is designed as a watch, it is worn on the wrist, similar to a bracelet. A data processing device designed as glasses is typically worn on the head.

[0016] The acquisition of measurement data from the at least one sensor of the data processing device is carried out by the data processing device itself, in particular using at least one processor of the data processing device. Measurement data is acquired at least during the time the handheld household appliance is being used by a user.

[0017] Using at least some, and preferably all, of the recorded measurement data, at least one operating parameter of the household appliance is determined. Preferably, multiple operating parameters of the household appliance are determined. An operating parameter is, for example, any information about the household appliance and / or its use that can be derived directly or indirectly from the measurement data or determined, and in particular calculated, using the sensor measurement data. The method is preferably carried out each time the household appliance is used.

[0018] The invention has the advantage over the prior art that no data interfaces are required between the household appliance and the data processing device. This allows the method to be carried out with any handheld household appliance, especially those that do not have their own sensors or data interfaces. Operating parameters of the household appliance are determined indirectly, in particular by means of an external – and already existing – sensor, through evaluation of the measurement data.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the method, it has proven advantageous to include at least one further process step, namely the detection of user activity of the handheld household appliance using the measurement data. Preferably, the measurement data from at least one sensor, or preferably several sensors, of the data processing device are acquired and evaluated by the data processing device in order to detect use of the household appliance.

[0020] Detection preferably occurs during the acquisition of further measurement data, particularly using at least some of the already acquired measurement data. Measurement data is acquired at least during the use of the household appliance. Preferably, the detection step is performed continuously during the acquisition process.

[0021] However, it is also intended that the measurement data will be recorded and the device detected, particularly before and / or after actual use, especially at least while the data processing device is being worn close to the body. This allows the determination of operating parameters to be initiated automatically, without requiring any user interaction. It is intended that the determination of at least one operating parameter will only occur once the use of the household appliance has been detected.

[0022] Preferably, the detection of a household appliance's use is based on the presence of a vibration frequency typical for that appliance in the measurement data. The typical vibration frequency for a household appliance, particularly a vacuum cleaner, lies between 20 Hz and 24 Hz, especially 22.5 Hz, and is measurable on the user's body during use.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, it is provided that the detection of the use of the household appliance is based on a typical acceleration, in particular of at least one body part of the user, preferably hand-arm acceleration. A typical acceleration for a household appliance, in particular a vacuum cleaner, is between 0.5 m / s². 2 and 4 m / s 2 .

[0024] Alternatively, it is provided that the recording of measurement data is initiated manually by the user, particularly at the beginning of or immediately before using the household appliance. It is also specifically provided that the recording is manually stopped by a user. For example, initiating and stopping the recording is done by user input on the data processing device.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the method, measurement data from a plurality of sensors, particularly the data processing device, are acquired. Preferably, the data processing device comprises a plurality of sensors whose measurement data are acquired simultaneously and subsequently used to determine at least one or more operating parameters. In particular, it is provided that at least some of the measurement data from the plurality of sensors are also used to detect usage.

[0026] For example, each data processing device has at least two, at least three, at least four, or at least five sensors. In particular, when determining the at least one operating parameter and / or during detection, the measurement data from the individual sensors are correlated with each other or evaluated in relation to one another. Preferably, the determination and / or detection is carried out using digital filters, detection algorithms from the field of machine learning, such as neural networks or decision trees, or comparable algorithms.

[0027] According to a further embodiment of the method, it has proven particularly advantageous if the data processing device has at least one accelerometer and / or at least one gyroscope and / or at least one microphone and / or at least one ambient light sensor and / or at least one barometer and / or at least one camera as a sensor or sensors. Typical mobile phones or smartwatches are equipped with at least one accelerometer and one gyroscope as sensors. By acquiring and jointly evaluating the measurement data from both sensors, operating parameters of the household appliance can be advantageously determined, or its use can be detected.

[0028] In one embodiment of the method, it is particularly preferred that at least one or more operating parameters are determined, including at least the duration of use, tilting operations, rotational operations, movement strokes, vibration profile, collisions with obstacles, lifting operations, and / or sound emissions of the household appliance. For example, the duration of the household appliance's vibrations on the user's arm can be determined by recording this duration, particularly with an acceleration and / or gyroscope sensor.

[0029] By analyzing the measurement data from an acceleration and a gyroscope, tilting, rotational, or, for example, movement patterns—that is, the forward and backward movements of a vacuum cleaner during operation—can be determined. Furthermore, collisions with obstacles, such as a door frame or a piece of furniture, can be identified as an operating parameter.

[0030] A microphone, acting as a sensor in the data processing device, can detect the sound emissions of the household appliance. It is intended that, at least, the operating time can be determined using the sound emissions detected by the microphone. Furthermore, it is intended, for example, that a malfunction of the household appliance can be detected and / or wear and tear of at least one component of the household appliance can be determined using the detectable vibrations and the simultaneously recorded sound emissions. In the case of a vacuum cleaner, for example, the fill level of at least one filter will be determined using the detected vibrations and sound emissions.

[0031] Another embodiment of the procedure stipulates that the determination of at least one or more operating parameters only occurs once the end of the appliance's use has been detected. The end of use is recognized, in particular, by the fact that no vibration can be measured or detected by the sensor(s) within a predetermined period. Specifically, the usage duration, as an operating parameter, is determined after the end of use.

[0032] Alternatively or additionally, it is provided that at least one or more operating parameters are determined during the use of the household appliance. In particular, this determination takes place in parallel with the acquisition of measurement data. Preferably, at least one operating parameter is determined during use, and at least one other operating parameter is determined only after the end of the household appliance's use.

[0033] Another embodiment of the procedure provides that the determination and / or detection of usage is performed at least partially by the data processing device, in particular by at least one processor of the data processing device. Depending on the operating parameter(s) to be determined, the computational effort for this determination may be increased. Therefore, alternatively or additionally, it is provided that at least some of the measurement data for determining and / or detecting usage is transmitted to at least one further data processing device, and that the determination and / or detection is performed at least partially by this further data processing device.

[0034] Data transmission occurs, for example, via a data interface of the data processing device, such as wireless technology, particularly WLAN or Bluetooth, or via a wired connection. Transmission also occurs, for example, via a data network, e.g., the internet, to a data server as a second data processing device, which performs the calculations to determine the operating parameter(s) and / or to detect usage.

[0035] Preferably, it is provided that the determined operating parameters are subsequently transferred back to the data processing device, for example to be displayed to the user, or to be kept available for further evaluation, in particular in a memory.

[0036] If the data processing device is, for example, a wristband, in particular a fitness tracker or similar, it is intended, for example, that the measurement data is recorded and then transferred to a watch also worn by the user, in particular a smartwatch, or to a smartphone, in order to use the watch or smartphone to perform the step of determining and / or the step of recognizing the use and / or, in particular, of displaying the operating parameter(s).

[0037] Preferably, in order to keep the measurement data and / or the at least one operating parameter, preferably a plurality of operating parameters, available for further, in particular statistical, evaluations, a further embodiment provides that the measurement data and / or the at least one operating parameter are stored by the data processing device and / or another data processing device to which the measurement data and / or the operating parameter have been transferred. In particular, it is provided that the measurement data and / or the operating parameter are alternatively or additionally stored in an online data storage system.

[0038] For further use of the stored measurement data and / or the at least one stored operating parameter, it has proven advantageous to process this data statistically and / or graphically, preferably for display to a user. For example, the usage times of the household appliance within a period, such as per week and / or month, the number of tilting cycles of the household appliance within a period, the number of cleaning cycles of the household appliance per use, and / or the vibration exposure of the user within a period can be displayed.

[0039] According to a final embodiment of the method, at least some of the measurement data, in particular the stored measurement data, and / or at least one operating parameter, in particular at least some of the stored operating parameters, are displayed. Preferably, this display is performed on a display unit of the data processing device.

[0040] The aforementioned problem is further solved by a computer program product which includes instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a data processing device, in particular a smartphone or a smartwatch, cause the one or more processors to execute a method comprising: - Recording measurement data from at least one sensor assigned to the data processing system, in particular at least during the use of a handheld household appliance by a user, - Determining at least one operating parameter of the household appliance using at least part of the recorded measurement data and / or transmitting at least part of the measurement data via a data interface to at least one other data processing device to determine at least one operating parameter of the household appliance using at least part of the measurement data.

[0041] Features of the computer program product or of the method initiated by the computer program product are particularly evident from the preceding description of the exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention.

[0042] The data processing device is, for example, a smartwatch, a wristband (especially a fitness tracker), and / or a smartphone. The aforementioned data processing devices typically have integrated sensors, which are also associated with the data processing device. These sensors are primarily accelerometers and gyroscopes, the measurement data of which can be acquired by the computer program during the execution of the process.

[0043] The acquisition of measurement data from at least one sensor assigned to the data processing system, preferably a plurality of sensors assigned to the data processing system, is initiated by the computer program product and takes place at least during the use of the household appliance, and in particular also before and / or after use. The data processing device is preferably worn close to the body during the execution of the method, together with the assigned, in particular integrated, sensor.

[0044] According to a further embodiment, measurement data is to be recorded from at least one accelerometer and / or at least one gyroscope and / or at least one microphone and / or at least one ambient light sensor and / or at least one barometer and / or at least one camera.

[0045] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the figures and the dependent subclaims.

[0046] They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of the process of an exemplary embodiment of the method and Fig. 2. A representation of a hand-held household appliance during the execution of the procedure.

[0047] In the various figures of the drawing, identical parts are always labelled with the same reference symbols.

[0048] The following description claims that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and not to all or several features of the described combinations of features; rather, each individual partial feature of the exemplary embodiment(s) is also significant for the subject matter of the invention, independent of all other partial features described in connection therewith, both on its own and in combination with any features of another exemplary embodiment.

[0049] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic sequence of an embodiment of a method 1 for determining operating parameters of an exemplary in Fig. 2. Household appliance 2 shown. The household appliance 2 is designed here as a handheld vacuum cleaner.

[0050] According to Fig. 1. First, measurement data from at least one sensor or at least one data processing device is acquired. 5. The data processing device is operated by a user at least during the process – for example, in Fig. 2 shown - Use of the hand-held household appliance 2 carried close to the body.

[0051] According to Fig. 2. The data processing device 5 is designed as a watch, specifically a smartwatch. The data processing device 5 is worn close to the body, as it is attached to the user's wrist, particularly with a wristband. Vibrations of the household appliance 2 during use are transmitted as structure-borne sound to the user's arm 4 and can be measured by the sensors of the data processing device 5 and converted into measurement data.

[0052] The data processing device 5 exhibits according to Fig. 2. A housing 6 and a display device 7, here in the form of a display, are provided. Information, for example measurement data and / or operating parameters, can be displayed on the display device 7. The housing 6 contains at least one processor, at least one memory, and a plurality of sensors, in particular an accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

[0053] According to Fig. 1. After acquiring 3 measurement data, 8. a plurality of operating parameters of the handheld household appliance 2 are determined using the measurement data. In particular, the measurement data of a plurality of sensors are used in the determination process. For example, usage time or vibration profile during use is determined as an operating parameter.

[0054] Optionally, the detection step 8 is preceded by a recognition step 9 of the use of the handheld household appliance 2 by a user 4 using the data processing device 5. Detection 8 only occurs if the handheld household appliance 2 is actually used by the user 4 and this use has been detected by the data processing device 5.

[0055] Preferably, detection 9 is based on the presence of a vibration frequency typical for the household appliance 2 and / or on the presence of an acceleration of the user's hand and / or arm 4. In such a configuration, measurement data is acquired 3 both before and after use. During acquisition 3, detection 9 is continuously performed to identify use. Upon detection of use, at least one operating parameter is determined 3 and / or measurement data is stored – at least temporarily – 11 for later determination 8, for example, after the household appliance 2 has ended.

[0056] It is intended that the detection 8 and also the recognition 9 will be carried out entirely by the data processing device 5, in particular at least one processor of the data processing device 5.

[0057] Alternatively or additionally, it is provided that at least part of the measurement data is transmitted to at least one further data processing device. Furthermore, it is provided that the measurement data and / or the operating parameter(s) are stored in at least one memory location. This storage takes place either at least partially on the data processing device 5, in particular in a memory location of the data processing device 5, and / or at least partially on another data processing device.

[0058] Furthermore, it is provided that at least part of the measurement data and / or at least one operating parameter is displayed on the display device 7 of the data processing device 5. For example, the measurement data, in particular the stored measurement data, and / or the operating parameter(s), in particular the stored operating parameter(s), are statistically evaluated or processed. For example, the operating hours of the household appliance 2 per month, a number of tilting cycles, a number of cleaning strokes per use, and / or a vibration load on the user 4 can be displayed.

[0059] According to Fig. In this embodiment, the household appliance 2, designed as a vacuum cleaner, has a multi-part housing 13 with a handle 14 attached to it. The handle 14 can be gripped by the user 4 during use. Vibrations, for example, are transmitted to the user 14 via the handle 14. At least one filter device for cleaning the suction air is arranged in the housing 13. A motor-driven attachment 15 is arranged at the bottom of the household appliance 2.

[0060] According to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The measurement data and / or the determined operating parameters recorded by the data processing device 5 are transmitted via a data network 16, here the Internet, to another data processing device 17, here a server accessible from the data network 16.

[0061] The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated and described, but also encompasses all embodiments that have the same effect within the meaning of the invention. It is expressly emphasized that the embodiments are not limited to all features in combination; rather, each individual feature can also have inventive significance independently of all other features. Furthermore, the invention is not yet limited to the combination of features defined in claim 1, but can also be defined by any other combination of specific features from all disclosed individual features. This means that, in principle, virtually any individual feature of claim 1 can be omitted or replaced by at least one individual feature disclosed elsewhere in the application. Reference symbol list 1 Procedure 2 household appliances 3 Capture 4 users 5 Data processing device 6 cases 7" Display 8 Determine 9. Recognize 10 Transfer 11. Save 12 ads 13 Multi-part housing 14 Handle 15 attachment device 16 Data network 17. Additional data processing equipment

Claims

[1] Method (1) for determining (8) at least one operating parameter of a handheld household appliance (2), characterized by that at least the following procedural steps are included: - Acquiring (3) measurement data from at least one sensor of at least one data processing device (5) worn close to the body by a user (4) during the use of the handheld household appliance (2), wherein the sensor measures vibrations generated by the handheld household appliance (2) which are at least partially transmitted to the body of the user (4), - Determine (8) at least one operating parameter of the hand-held household appliance (2) using at least some of the measurement data. [2] Method (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the data processing device (5) is designed as a mobile phone, in particular a smartphone, or as a watch, in particular a smartwatch, or as a wristband or as glasses. [3] Method (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the following procedural step is also included: - Detecting (9) the use of the handheld household appliance (2) by the user (4) using at least part of the measurement data, in particular that the detection (9) is based on a vibration frequency typical for the household appliance (2), in particular between 20 Hz and 24 Hz, and / or on an acceleration, in particular between approximately 0.5 m / s² 2 and 4 m / s 2 , has been done. [4] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that measurement data (3) from a plurality of sensors is acquired, in particular from at least two, three, four or five sensors, preferably that the measurement data of several sensors are used in determining (8) the at least one operating parameter. [5] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized bythat the sensor or a plurality of sensors is or are designed as an accelerometer and / or as a gyroscope and / or as a microphone and / or as an ambient light sensor and / or as a barometer and / or as a camera. [6] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that at least one or more operating parameters are determined, including usage duration, tipping operations of the household appliance, rotation operations of the household appliance, movement strokes of the household appliance, vibrations of the household appliance, collisions of the household appliance with obstacles, lifting operations of the household appliance and / or sound emissions of the household appliance. [7] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by, that the determination (8) of at least one operating parameter takes place during the use of the household appliance (2) and / or that the determination (8) of at least one operating parameter takes place when the end of the use of the hand-held household appliance has been detected. [8] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that the determination (8) is carried out at least partially by the data processing device (5), in particular at least one processor of the data processing device (5) and / or that the measurement data are transferred at least partially to at least one further data processing device (10) for the determination (8), and that the determination (9) is carried out at least partially by the further data processing device. [9] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the following procedural step is also included: - Storing (11) at least part of the measurement data and / or the operating parameter in at least one memory of the data processing device (5) and / or transmitting (10) at least part of the measurement data via at least one data interface, in particular via at least one data network, to at least one further data processing device, preferably that storage (11) is carried out by the further data processing device. [10] Method (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the following procedural step is also included: - Display (12) at least part of the measurement data and / or at least one operating parameter, in particular on a display device (7) of the data processing device (2). [11] Computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of at least one data processing device (5), cause the one or more processors to execute a method comprising: - Acquiring (3) measurement data of at least one sensor associated with the data processing device at least during the use of a handheld household appliance (2) by a user (4), wherein the sensor measures vibrations generated by the handheld household appliance (2) which are transmitted at least partially to the body of the user (4), - Determine (8) at least one operating parameter of the household appliance (2) using at least one part of the recorded measurement data and / or transmit (10) at least one part of the measurement data via at least one data interface to at least one further data processing device to determine (8) at least one operating parameter of the household appliance (2) using at least one part of the measurement data. [12] Computer program product according to claim 11, characterized by the characterizing part of one of claims 3 to 10.

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