Method and system for determining treatments that can be performed on an item of textile material by a household appliance or a user

Abstract

The invention describes a method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material and a corresponding system. The method comprises the following steps: a first scanning of an area of ​​the item of textile material by means of electromagnetic radiation (E1) in the near infrared band NIR, so as to obtain a first signal indicating the nature of the textile material in the scanned area; and a second scanning of an area of ​​the item of textile material by means of electromagnetic radiation (E2) in the visible band, so as to obtain a second signal (S2) indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned area. The method then provides for transmitting the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2) to an electronic processing device (3) in order to determine a treatment procedure that can be performed on the item of textile material by processing the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2). The method then comprises providing information (I) about the determined treatment procedure to a control unit (5) and / or a user interface (4) of a household appliance. The invention further describes a similar method and system for identifying a type of textile material and identifying and classifying stains present on the identified textile material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention generally relates to the technical field of determining treatments that can be performed on items of textile material by means of electronic processing (for example by means of a household appliance).

[0002] In particular, the invention relates to a method and a system for determining the treatment of an item of textile material based on scanning by means of electromagnetic radiation and subsequent processing of the signals obtained.

[0003] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method and a system for identifying types of fabrics and types of stains on the fabrics, which are also based on scanning with the aid of electromagnetic radiation and subsequent processing of the signals obtained. Background Art

[0004] In the context of determining the treatments that can be performed on fabrics by a household appliance, some solutions have been proposed that are based on the recognition of certain properties of the fabric to be treated by means of infrared scanners.

[0005] However, such solutions do not yet seem to provide sufficiently accurate results to be used reliably for the automatic determination of treatment programs (e.g. washing, drying, etc.). In fact, the information available from short-range / medium-range scanners (compatible with reasonable costs for this range of applications) allows a fairly approximate, but not completely reliable, identification of the fabric to be treated and therefore a fairly approximate, but not completely reliable, determination of the treatment to be performed.

[0006] Thus, in the technical field under consideration, there is a need for solutions that automatically determine the proper treatment of fabrics based on electronic processes more accurately and reliably than known solutions.

[0007] In addition, for most common treatments (such as washing) and even more special treatments or pre-treatments (such as stain removal), there is a pressing need for methods that can automatically identify the type of fabric and the type of stain with the help of easily accessible electronic processing of data. This demand puts forward more complex technical requirements and is combined with the requirements of simplicity, portability and low cost that the application under consideration should have (for example, involving the enrichment of the functions of existing electrical appliances).

[0008] Currently, the above-mentioned known solutions cannot meet such requirements.

[0009] At the same time, a similar need has arisen for methods and systems for identifying fabric type and stain type, both as a preparatory step to determining treatment and in itself as desirable to provide useful information to the user.

[0010] The above-mentioned known solutions currently cannot provide a satisfactory response to such a demand. Summary of the invention

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining treatments that can be performed on a textile material item, which method can at least partially overcome the drawbacks described above in conjunction with the prior art and respond to the special needs in the above-considered technical field. The present invention provides the following solution to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0012] A method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material, comprising the steps of:

[0013] - performing a first scan of an area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a first signal indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area;

[0014] - performing a second scan of an area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain a second signal indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned area;

[0015] wherein the first scan and the second scan are performed on a non-contaminated area of ​​the textile material;

[0016] - performing a third scan of the stained area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a third signal indicating the properties of the textile material in the scanned stained area;

[0017] - transmitting the first signal, the second signal and the third signal to an electronic processing device;

[0018] - the electronic processing device determines a treatment procedure that can be performed on the textile material item based on processing the first signal, the second signal and the third signal;

[0019] - providing information about the treatment program determined by the electronic processing device to a control unit and / or a user interface of the household appliance.

[0020] Optionally, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0021] - performing a fourth scan of the stained area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain a fourth signal indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned stained area; and

[0022] Wherein, the determining step comprises:

[0023] - determining, by said electronic processing device, a treatment procedure for the textile material item based on processing said first, second, third and fourth signals.

[0024] Optionally, the steps of performing the first scan and performing the third scan are performed by an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR, and the steps of performing the second scan and performing the fourth scan are performed by a color sensor operating in the visible light band.

[0025] Optionally, the step of performing a first scan by an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR comprises:

[0026] - generating electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR onto the area to be scanned of the textile material;

[0027] - receiving reflected near-infrared electromagnetic radiation from the scanned area of ​​the textile material;

[0028] - generating said first signal indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected near-infrared electromagnetic radiation; and

[0029] The step of performing a second scan by an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the visible light band comprises:

[0030] - generating electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band onto the area of ​​the textile material to be scanned;

[0031] - receiving reflected visible electromagnetic radiation from the scanned area of ​​the textile material;

[0032] - generating said second signal indicative of the colour of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected visible electromagnetic radiation.

[0033] Optionally, the step of performing a third scan by an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR comprises:

[0034] - generating electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR onto the stained area of ​​the textile material to be scanned;

[0035] - receiving reflected near infrared electromagnetic radiation from the scanned stained area of ​​the textile material;

[0036] - generating said third signal indicative of the property of the textile material in the scanned stain area based on the reflected near infrared electromagnetic radiation from the scanned stain area; and

[0037] The step of performing the fourth scan by the electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the visible light band includes:

[0038] - generating electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band onto the stained area of ​​the textile material to be scanned;

[0039] - receiving reflected visible electromagnetic radiation from the scanned stained area of ​​the textile material;

[0040] - generating said fourth signal being indicative for the colour of the textile material in the scanned stain area based on the reflected visible electromagnetic radiation from the scanned stain area.

[0041] Optionally, the determining step includes:

[0042] - processing said first signal to obtain a first signal spectrum curve corresponding to a first signal spectrum;

[0043] - comparing the first signal spectrum curve with each reference spectrum of a first plurality of stored reference spectra representing a respective known textile material type;

[0044] - determining a property of the scanned area of ​​the textile material based on the comparison.

[0045] Optionally, the electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band has known color coordinates, and wherein the determining step comprises:

[0046] - processing said second signal to identify the color coordinates of reflected visible electromagnetic radiation;

[0047] - Determining the color of the scanned area of ​​the textile material based on the identified color coordinates of the reflected radiation.

[0048] Optionally, the determining step comprises determining a treatment procedure based on the properties and colour of the scanned area of ​​the textile material.

[0049] Optionally, the determining step further comprises: processing the third signal to obtain a third signal spectrum curve corresponding to the third signal spectrum, the third signal spectrum curve indicating a property related to the stain type, and identifying the stain type based on the third signal spectrum curve, and

[0050] Therein, the determining step comprises determining a treatment procedure based on the properties and color of the scanned non-staining areas of the textile material and based on the identified stain type.

[0051] Optionally, the electromagnetic radiation in the visible band has known color coordinates, and wherein the determining step further comprises:

[0052] - processing the fourth signal to identify the color coordinates of reflected radiation from the scanned soiled area;

[0053] - identifying the color of the scanned stained area of ​​the textile material based on the identified color coordinates of the reflected visible electromagnetic radiation;

[0054] - Determining a treatment procedure based on the nature and color of the scanned clean areas of the textile material and based on the identified type of stain and the recognized color of the stain.

[0055] Optionally, the step of identifying the stain type based on the third signal spectrum curve includes:

[0056] - based on the determined textile material property and / or type, selecting a reference frequency spectrum set from a plurality of stored frequency spectrum sets, each set being associated with a respective textile material property and / or type,

[0057] wherein the set of reference spectra includes a second plurality of reference spectra representing corresponding stain types determined on the specific textile material;

[0058] - comparing the third signal spectrum curve with each of the second plurality of spectrums;

[0059] - determining the type of soiling based on said comparison between a third signal spectrum curve and each of said second plurality of spectrums.

[0060] Optionally, the first scanning step and the second scanning step are performed simultaneously by a detection device comprising a sensor operating in near infrared electromagnetic radiation and a sensor operating in visible electromagnetic radiation,

[0061] And the third scanning step and the fourth scanning step are performed simultaneously by the detection device including a sensor operating in near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and a sensor operating in visible electromagnetic radiation.

[0062] Optionally, the determining step comprises: selecting a treatment procedure from a plurality of stored treatment procedures.

[0063] Optionally, the treatment program includes a cleaning and / or pre-cleaning and / or drying program that can be performed by the household appliance, and / or the treatment program includes a decontamination action or a pre-treatment action that can be performed by a user.

[0064] Optionally, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0065] - providing a user interface configured to display information about the identified fabric type and / or stain type,

[0066] and / or configured to display information regarding a treatment procedure determined to be a recommended treatment procedure,

[0067] and / or configured to allow a user to control the action of starting a suggested treatment procedure or performing a treatment provided.

[0068] Optionally, the method further comprises the step of calibrating the electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR by the following steps:

[0069] - placing a sliding cover in front of the sensor, the sliding cover having a bottom to produce a reflection having a known predetermined near infrared spectrum;

[0070] - Close the slide cover in front of the color sensor;

[0071] - activating an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR to generate near infrared electromagnetic radiation and receive reflected radiation from the bottom of the slide;

[0072] - comparing the obtained spectrum with a reference spectrum;

[0073] - Calibrating the operating parameters of an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR so that the acquired spectrum corresponds to a reference spectrum.

[0074] Optionally, the method further comprises the step of calibrating the color sensor by the following steps:

[0075] - a slide cover is arranged in front of the sensor, said slide cover having a white bottom with known predetermined color coordinates;

[0076] - Close the slide cover in front of the color sensor;

[0077] - activating the color sensor so that it generates visible electromagnetic radiation and receives reflected radiation from the bottom of the slide;

[0078] - comparing the obtained spectrum with a reference spectrum;

[0079] - Calibrate the operating parameters of the color sensor so that the acquired spectrum matches the reference spectrum.

[0080] Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for determining treatments that can be performed on a textile material item, which is capable of implementing the above method. The present invention provides a system for determining treatments that can be performed on a textile material item, comprising:

[0081] - a first detection device operating in the near infrared band NIR, configured to perform a first scan of an area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR and to generate, based on said scan, at least one first signal indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area;

[0082] - a second detection device operating in the visible light band, configured to perform a second scan of an area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain at least one second signal indicative of the color of the textile material in the scanned area;

[0083] wherein the first scan and the second scan are performed on a non-stained area of ​​the textile material article; and the first detection device is further configured to perform a third scan on a stained area of ​​the textile material article and generate a corresponding third signal based on the third scan;

[0084] - an electronic processing device operatively connected to the first detection device to receive said third signal and said at least one first signal indicative of a property of the textile material, and operatively connected to the second detection device to receive said at least one second signal indicative of a color of the textile material,

[0085] -The electronic processing device is configured to determine a treatment procedure that can be performed on the textile material item based on processing the at least one first signal indicating the properties of the textile material, the at least one second signal indicating the color of the textile material and the third signal, and provide information about the determined treatment procedure to the control unit and / or user interface of the household appliance.

[0086] Optionally, the second detection device is further configured to perform a fourth scan on the stained area of ​​the textile material item and generate a corresponding fourth signal based on the fourth scan;

[0087] The electronic processing device is further configured to receive the fourth signal and to determine a treatment procedure based on the first signal, the second signal, the third signal and the fourth signal.

[0088] Optionally, the first detection device comprises at least one electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR, which is configured to:

[0089] - generating electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR onto the area to be scanned of the textile material;

[0090] - receiving reflected near-infrared electromagnetic radiation from the scanned area of ​​the textile material;

[0091] - generating said signal indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected near-infrared electromagnetic radiation; and

[0092] Wherein, the second detection device comprises at least one electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the visible light band, which is configured as follows:

[0093] - generating electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band onto the area of ​​the textile material to be scanned;

[0094] - receiving reflected visible electromagnetic radiation from the scanned area of ​​the textile material;

[0095] - generating said signal indicative of the colour of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected visible electromagnetic radiation.

[0096] Optionally, the system further comprises:

[0097] - a user interface operatively connected to the electronic processing device to receive information about the determined treatment program or about the fabric type and / or the identified stains, the user interface being configured to display the received information and / or allow the user to send a command to the household appliance to activate the determined treatment program.

[0098] Optionally, the processing device of the system includes a first processing device and a second processing device, wherein:

[0099] - the first processing means is configured to generate said first signal and / or second signal and / or third signal and / or fourth signal as a digital signal based on a detected analog signal associated with the received reflected electromagnetic radiation;

[0100] - The second processing device is configured to:

[0101] - receiving the first signal and / or the third signal;

[0102] - obtaining respective frequency spectrum curves based on the first signal and / or the third signal;

[0103] - comparing the obtained spectrum curve with the reference spectrum stored in the second processing device;

[0104] - receiving the second signal and / or the fourth signal;

[0105] - obtaining color coordinates based on the second signal and / or the fourth signal;

[0106] - determining a treatment procedure based on the results of the step of comparing the obtained spectral curves and / or the step of obtaining color coordinates;

[0107] - providing information about the determined treatment program to a control unit and / or a user interface of the household appliance.

[0108] Optionally, the system comprises a portable scanning device, wherein the portable scanning device comprises the first detection device and the second detection device and the first processing device.

[0109] Optionally, the portable scanning device further includes the second processing device and a user interface.

[0110] Optionally, the portable scanning device further comprises a scanning device transmission device configured to transmit a digital signal generated by the analog signal generated by the first detection device and the second detection device, and

[0111] Wherein, the system further includes a mobile communication device, which includes:

[0112] -user interface;

[0113] - said second processing means;

[0114] - telecommunication means operatively connected to the scanning device transmission means to receive said signals generated by the first detection means and the second detection means.

[0115] Optionally, the second processing device of the system is included in a remote processing unit and / or a control unit contained in the household appliance, and

[0116] The scanning device transmission device is configured to wirelessly transmit the signals generated by the first detection device and the second detection device to the remote processing unit and / or control unit contained in the household appliance.

[0117] Optionally, the portable scanning device further comprises a scanning device transmission device configured to transmit a digital signal generated by the analog signal generated by the first detection device and the second detection device, and

[0118] Wherein, the system further comprises a mobile communication device and a remote processing unit,

[0119] wherein the remote processing unit comprises the second processing device, and

[0120] The mobile communication device comprises a user interface and a telecommunication device, which is operatively connected to the scanning device transmission device to receive the signals generated by the first detection device and the second detection device, and is operatively connected to the remote processing unit to receive the results processed by the second processing device.

[0121] Optionally, the portable scanning device and the mobile communication device are integrated into a single device.

[0122] Optionally, the remote processing unit is a control unit of a household appliance adapted to perform the treatment procedure.

[0123] Optionally, the remote processing unit is a control unit accessible via cloud computing.

[0124] Another object of the present invention is a method for identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying stains present on the textile material. The present invention provides a method for identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying stains on the textile material, comprising the following steps:

[0125] - performing a first scan of a non-contaminated area of ​​the textile material by means of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a first signal indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned non-contaminated area;

[0126] - performing a second scan of the non-contaminated area of ​​the textile material by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain a second signal indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned non-contaminated area;

[0127] - performing a third scan of the stained area of ​​the textile material where the stain is present by means of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a third signal indicating the properties of the textile material in the scanned stained area;

[0128] - transmitting the first signal, the second signal and the third signal to an electronic processing device;

[0129] - based on processing the first signal, the second signal and the third signal, identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying the stains by means of an electronic processing device;

[0130] - providing information about the type of textile material and the type of stain via the electronic processing device to a control unit and / or a user interface of the household appliance.

[0131] Optionally, the method further comprises the steps of:

[0132] - performing a fourth scan of the stained area of ​​the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain a fourth signal indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned stained area;

[0133] - transmitting the fourth signal also to the electronic processing device; and

[0134] Wherein, the identification step includes:

[0135] - Based on processing the first signal, the second signal, the third signal and the fourth signal, identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying the stains by means of an electronic processing device.

[0136] Another object of the present invention is a method for performing treatment on a textile material item by a household appliance using the above method for determining treatment. The present invention provides a method for performing treatment on a textile material item by a household appliance, comprising the following steps:

[0137] - performing a method as described above for determining a treatment that can be performed on a textile material item in order to select a treatment program, wherein the treatment program can be performed by a household appliance;

[0138] - providing information about the selected treatment program to the control unit of the household appliance;

[0139] - performing the selected treatment on the textile material item by the household appliance.

[0140] Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for performing treatment on a textile material item by a household appliance using the above-mentioned method for determining treatment. The present invention provides a system for performing treatment on a textile material item, comprising:

[0141] - a system for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material as described above, wherein the treatment can be performed by a household appliance;

[0142] - a household appliance comprising a household appliance control unit,

[0143] wherein the household appliance control unit is configured to receive information about the selected treatment program from the system for determining treatment of textile material items and to activate the selected treatment program; and

[0144] The household appliance is configured to carry out the selected treatment program on the textile material item. Finally, the object of the present invention is a household appliance capable of carrying out a treatment on a textile material and of carrying out the above-mentioned method for determining a treatment. The present invention provides a household appliance adapted to carry out a treatment on a textile material item and of carrying out the above-mentioned method for determining a treatment that can be carried out on a textile material item, comprising a system for determining a treatment that can be carried out on a textile material item as described above.

[0145] Optionally, the household appliance comprises a household appliance control unit and a detection device mechanically contained and / or integrated therein,

[0146] The detection device includes a first detection device, a second detection device and the first processing device, and

[0147] The household appliance control unit comprises the second processing device configured to receive the signal generated by the detection device,

[0148] Therein, the home appliance control unit is configured to determine a treatment based on the signal received from the detection device and control the execution of the determined treatment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0149] Further features and advantages of the method and system according to the invention will become apparent from the following description illustrating preferred embodiments, by way of indicative and non-limiting examples, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0150] Figure 1 The figure shows an embodiment of a system for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material according to the invention, which system is capable of executing a corresponding embodiment of a method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material;

[0151] Figure 2Two steps of a method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material according to a further embodiment of the invention are shown;

[0152] Figures 3 to 7 Various embodiments of a system for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material are shown;

[0153] Figure 8 The figure shows a system for performing treatment on items of textile material according to the present invention;

[0154] Fig. 9 The figure shows a household appliance according to the invention, which is adapted to carry out a treatment on an item of textile material and to carry out a method for determining a treatment;

[0155] Fig.10 showing spectral curves corresponding to electromagnetic radiation reflected by different types of fabrics, the spectral curves being experimentally obtained in response to exposure to electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band, which spectral curves can be used as comparison curves in certain embodiments of the method; Fig. 10A , Fig. 10B and Fig. 10C Show Fig.10 The spectrum curves are divided into three groups to improve readability;

[0156] Fig.11 and Fig.12 A "color space" diagram is shown (based on color coordinates x, y) in which the color of the fabric area and the color of the stain are identified, respectively, according to provisions of certain embodiments of the method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0157] Reference Figures 1 to 12 , a method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material is described.

[0158] The method comprises the following steps: performing a first scan on a region R of a textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation E1 in a near-infrared light band NIR to obtain a first signal indicating the properties of the textile material in the scanned region, and performing a second scan on the region R of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation E2 in a visible light band to obtain a second signal S2 indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned region.

[0159] The method then provides for transmitting the first signal S1 and the second signal S2 to the electronic processing device 3, and the electronic processing device 3 determines the treatment procedure that can be performed on the textile material item by processing the first signal S1 and the second signal S2.

[0160] The method finally comprises providing information I about the treatment program determined by the electronic processing device 3 to the control unit 5 and / or the user interface 4 of the domestic appliance.

[0161] It should be pointed out that if Figure 1 As shown, the method provides for at least two scans of the same area of ​​the fabric in order to collect the information required to determine the treatment to be performed on the textile material item.

[0162] According to several application examples of the method, the identified treatment or treatment program may be performed by the household appliance or by the user or may include a pre-treatment performed by the user and a continuous treatment performed by the household appliance.

[0163] For example, the treatment programs may include washing and / or pre-washing and / or drying programs etc. that can be performed by a household appliance such as a washing machine or a dryer.

[0164] In this case, the step of determining a treatment procedure comprises, for example, selecting a treatment procedure from a plurality of stored treatment procedures.

[0165] According to another example, the treatment or treatment program comprises decontamination or pre-treatment actions that can be performed by the user (possibly in preparation for subsequent treatment of the household appliance).

[0166] Details of various embodiments of the above methods are provided below.

[0167] According to one embodiment, the first scan and the second scan are performed on the unstained area RC of the textile material. In this case, the method further comprises the following steps: a third scan is performed on the stained area RS of the textile material where the stain is present by means of electromagnetic radiation E3 in the near infrared band, so as to obtain a third signal S3 (e.g., Figure 2 shown).

[0168] In this case, the step of determining the treatment program comprises determining, by the electronic processing means 3, the treatment program for the textile material item by processing the above-mentioned first signal S1, second signal S2 and third signal S3.

[0169] According to another embodiment (also as Figure 2 As shown), the method further proposes to perform a fourth scan on the stain area RS of the textile material item with the aid of electromagnetic radiation E4 in the visible light band to obtain a fourth signal S4 indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned stain area.

[0170] In this case, the step of determining a treatment procedure comprises determining, by said electronic processing means 3, a treatment procedure for the textile material item based on processing said first signal S1, second signal S2, third signal S3 and fourth signal S4.

[0171] exist Figure 2In the example of FIG. 1 , two consecutive steps of the method are shown in the left and right parts of the figure, respectively: on the left, a first scan and a second scan that can be simultaneous with each other are performed to generate a first signal S1 and a second signal S2; on the right, a third scan and a fourth scan that can be simultaneous with each other are performed to generate a third signal S3 and a fourth signal S4. After performing both steps, the electronic processing device 3 has four signals S1 to S4, based on which, in the present embodiment, further processing is performed.

[0172] According to an implementation of the method, the steps of performing the first scan and the third scan are performed by an electromagnetic radiation sensor 1 operating in the near-infrared light band, and the steps of performing the second scan and the fourth scan are performed by a color sensor 2 operating in the visible light band.

[0173] According to a specific implementation option, the step of performing a first scan by means of an electromagnetic radiation sensor 1 operating in the near-infrared band comprises: generating electromagnetic radiation E1 in the near-infrared band and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation E1 in the near-infrared band to the scanned area RC of the textile material; then, receiving electromagnetic radiation ER1 in the near-infrared band reflected by the scanned area of ​​the textile material; finally, generating a first signal S1 indicating the property of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected electromagnetic radiation ER1;

[0174] According to this implementation option, the step of performing a second scan with the aid of an electromagnetic radiation sensor 2 (i.e., a "color sensor" 2) operating in the visible light band includes: generating electromagnetic radiation E2 in the visible light band, and guiding the generated electromagnetic radiation E2 in the visible light band to the area to be scanned RC of the textile material; then, receiving electromagnetic radiation ER2 in the visible light band reflected by the scanned area of ​​the textile material; and finally, generating a second signal S1 indicating the color of the textile material in the above-mentioned scanned area based on the received reflected electromagnetic radiation ER2 in the visible light band.

[0175] According to another implementation option, the step of performing a third scan with the aid of the electromagnetic radiation sensor 1 operating in the near-infrared light band includes: generating electromagnetic radiation E3 in the near-infrared light band, and guiding the generated electromagnetic radiation E3 in the near-infrared light band to the stain area RS to be scanned on the textile material; then, receiving the electromagnetic radiation ER3 in the near-infrared light band reflected by the scanned stain area of ​​the textile material; finally, based on the electromagnetic radiation ER3 in the near-infrared light band reflected by the scanned stain area, generating a third signal S3 indicating the properties of the textile material in the above-mentioned scanned stain area.

[0176] According to this implementation option, the step of performing a fourth scan by the electromagnetic radiation sensor 2 operating in the visible light band includes: generating electromagnetic radiation E4 in the visible light band, and guiding the generated electromagnetic radiation E4 in the visible light band to the stain area RS to be scanned on the textile material; then, receiving the electromagnetic radiation ER4 in the visible light band reflected by the scanned stain area of ​​the stain type textile material; finally, based on the electromagnetic radiation ER4 in the visible light band reflected by the scanned stain area, generating a fourth signal S4 indicating the color of the textile material in the above-mentioned scanned stain area.

[0177] As described above, various embodiments of the method provide two detections of the fabric based on two signals and one treatment operation, or provide three detections of the fabric based on three signals (two in the non-stain area and one in the stain area) and one treatment operation, or provide four detections of the fabric based on four signals (two in the non-stain area and two in the stain area) and one treatment operation. In any case, at least one detection is based on scanning using electromagnetic radiation in the near-infrared band, and at least one detection is based on scanning using electromagnetic radiation in the visible band.

[0178] According to a preferred embodiment, the electromagnetic radiations (E1, E3) in the near infrared band used for the first and third scans are substantially identical to each other, ie they have the same nominal spectrum. The respective reflected radiations (ER1, ER3) may be different because the scan areas are different.

[0179] Similarly, the electromagnetic radiation (E2, E4) in the visible band used for the second and fourth scans described above are substantially identical to each other, ie they have the same nominal spectrum. The respective reflected radiation (ER2, ER4) may be different because the scan areas are different.

[0180] The following is an example of some signal processing modes for achieving the purpose of the method.

[0181] In an implementation option of the method, the above-mentioned determination step includes: processing the first signal S1 to obtain a first signal spectrum curve corresponding to the first signal spectrum; then, comparing this first signal spectrum curve with each reference spectrum in a first plurality of stored reference spectra representing respective known textile material types; and finally determining the properties of the scanned area of ​​the textile material based on this comparison.

[0182] Therefore, according to this implementation option, the nature and / or type of the textile item to be treated (basic information that can be used to determine the most appropriate treatment) is identified by comparing the infrared spectral curve reflected by the fabric with known spectral curves, for example by performing the above-mentioned scans on different types of known fabrics and determining these known spectral curves a priori experimentally and appropriately storing them.

[0183] In fact, by scanning with a sensor similar to that used in the experimental characterization step, the spectral curve obtained from a given fabric will usually be highly similar, or even substantially identical, to a reference spectrum of a known fabric corresponding to the fabric to be analyzed.

[0184] It is easy to understand that the method can identify the most diverse and arbitrary number of fabric types, all of which can involve the material of the fabric (such as linen, silk, wool, cotton, rayon or the most diverse blends, as described below) and other characteristics of the fabric. The breadth and granularity of the fabric classification that can be obtained with the help of the method can be simply expanded by increasing the amount of basic experimental data.

[0185] According to different implementation options of the method, the fabrics that can be identified and classified belong to a group consisting of any combination of the following pure fabrics (PUREFABRICS):

[0186] Acetate (AC), acrylic acid (PC), cotton (CO), wool (WO), modal (MO), polyamide (PA), polyester (PL), silk (SE), viscose (CI).

[0187] For each of the above fabrics, a reference spectrum is experimentally obtained and stored (e.g. Fig.10 and FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C This allows, for example, a fabric to be identified and classified as belonging to one or another group of these fabrics (except for the fabric shown). Fig.10 and FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C In , mainly the same identifiers as indicated in brackets above are shown. The spectrum obtained represents the electromagnetic radiation reflected by a clean area of ​​the fabric after exposure to radiation in the standard near infrared band (E1, E3).

[0188] Typically, according to a preferred example, such radiation in the standard near infrared band (E1, E3) has a spectrum in the band of 1550 nm to 1850 nm.

[0189] According to a further implementation option of the method, the fabrics that can be identified and classified belong to the group consisting of any combination of the following mixed fabrics (MIXED FABRICS):

[0190] - fabrics of the "acrylic-rayon" type (e.g. acrylic-polyester);

[0191] - "cotton-polyester" type fabrics;

[0192] - "cotton-rayon" type fabrics (e.g. acetate or acrylic cotton);

[0193] - fabrics of the "cotton-vegetable fiber" type (for example modal cotton or viscose);

[0194] - "wool-cotton" type fabrics;

[0195] - "wool-polyester" type fabrics;

[0196] - fabrics of the "wool-rayon" type (for example, acrylic wool or polyester wool);

[0197] - fabrics of the "vegetable-polyester" type (for example polyester modal or polyester viscose);

[0198] - "Silk-viscose" type fabrics.

[0199] According to a further implementation option of the method, for each of the above-mentioned mixed fabrics, a subclassification is determined which consists of three subclasses:

[0200] - 75% of the first component - 25% of the second component;

[0201] - 50% of the first component - 50% of the second component;

[0202] - First component 25% - Second component 75%.

[0203] This classification is done in exactly the same way as described above for the pure fabric classification; after exposing a clean area of ​​the fabric to radiation in the standard near-infrared region (E1, E3), baseline spectra are experimentally derived for each combination (and for each subclass) and stored, which are compared to the reflected spectra.

[0204] As regards the determination within the visible band, according to an implementation option of the method, the electromagnetic radiation E2 within the visible band has known color coordinates. In this case, the determination step comprises processing the second signal S2 to identify the color coordinates of the reflected radiation ER2 and determining the color of the scanned area of ​​the textile material based on the identified color coordinates of the reflected radiation.

[0205] In this way, additional information is obtained which can be used to determine the treatment, namely information about the color of the fabric.

[0206] Thus, in this case, the determining step comprises determining a treatment procedure not only based on the nature and / or type of the scanned area of ​​textile material but also based on its color.

[0207] According to various implementation options, the color coordinates can be detected and the color can be identified by means of a color sensor 2 known per se, operating with radiation in the visible light band.

[0208] In several possible implementation options of the method, the determined color coordinates can be of different types known per se: for example RGB coordinates or xy coordinates.

[0209] This means choosing your color sensor accordingly and choosing your RGB or xy or other "color space" accordingly.

[0210] According to a specific embodiment, Fig.11 As shown, the selected color coordinates are of the xy type. A fabric area is scanned to determine its xy color coordinates.

[0211] In the example considered in this article, three measurements are taken, as shown in the following table:

[0212] Color coordinates Measurement 1 Measurement 2 Measurement 3 x 0.4516 0.4480 0.4476 y 0.4287 0.4239 0.4230

[0213] The average of these measurements is taken as the "color coordinates" of the fabric area in x and y and is shown as xy coordinates in "color space", see Fig.11 A "color space" is a known color diagram in the field of chromaticity representation. Fig.11 A "color space" (also called a "sailplane diagram") with color coordinates xy is shown, wherein x values ​​and y values ​​are shown on the axes, and wherein the parameter values ​​shown in the diagram refer to wavelength values.

[0214] The position of the color coordinates on the map allows the color of the scanned area of ​​the fabric to be determined.

[0215] According to a further embodiment of the method, the determining step further comprises processing the third signal S3 to obtain a third signal spectrum curve corresponding to a third signal spectrum, the third signal spectrum curve indicating characteristics associated with the stain type, and identifying the stain type based on this third signal spectrum curve.

[0216] In this case, the determining step comprises determining a treatment procedure based on the nature and color of the scanned non-stained area of ​​the textile material and based on the identified type of stain.

[0217] Thus, in this example, the determination is based on three measurements, two for the unstained area (near infrared band and visible band) and one for the stained area (near infrared band).

[0218] This embodiment provides an additional advantage by utilizing additional information about the type of stain to determine the treatment to be performed.

[0219] In various implementation options, the method can identify a variety of types of stains, including, for example, stains belonging to the following groups and subgroups:

[0220] - Blood stains;

[0221] - candied food, which can be further divided into subgroups such as pudding, chocolate spread, and jam;

[0222] - grease and / or oil stains, which can be further divided into the subgroups of butter, olive oil, seed oil, mineral oil (e.g. motor oil);

[0223] -Color stains, which can be classified into red wine, grass, soil, fruit (such as strawberry), and sebum;

[0224] -Other food stains can be classified into ketchup and eggs.

[0225] According to a further embodiment of the method, in addition to the above three scans, a fourth scan of the soiled area is performed. In this case, in particular, the electromagnetic radiation E4 in the visible band has known color coordinates. Furthermore, the determination step comprises: processing the above fourth signal S4 to identify the color coordinates of the radiation reflected by the scanned soiled area; identifying the color of the scanned soiled area of ​​the textile material based on the identified color coordinates of the reflected radiation E4; determining the treatment procedure based on the nature and color of the scanned non-soiled area of ​​the textile material and based on the identified type of soil and the identified color of the soil.

[0226] Even for stain colors (as observed above for fabric colors), the color coordinates determined may, in different possible embodiments of the method, be of a different type known per se: for example RGB coordinates or xy coordinates.

[0227] This means choosing the color sensor accordingly and choosing the "color space" accordingly (RGB or xy or other), dividing it into regions corresponding to different types of stains (each with its own possible color range), thus having information for identifying the stain according to the interval to which the detected color coordinates belong. By identifying the most probable colors of the different types of identifiable stains, the "color space" can be partitioned a priori by experiment.

[0228] The above example description for detecting color in fabric can be further applied to the process of detecting the color of stains. Fig.12 The results are shown as examples (referring to strawberry stains).

[0229] The position of the color coordinates on the map allows the type of stain to be determined (possibly in conjunction with spectral information).

[0230] According to a particular implementation option of this embodiment, the step of identifying the type of stain based on the third signal spectrum curve first provides: based on the determined nature and / or type of textile material, selecting a reference spectrum set from a plurality of stored spectrum sets. Each of the above sets is associated with a corresponding nature and / or type of textile material.

[0231] The set of reference spectra includes a second plurality of reference spectra representing corresponding stain types determined to be on the particular textile material;

[0232] Thus, the method proposes: comparing the above third signal spectrum curve with each spectrum of the second plurality of spectrums; and determining the type of soiling based on the comparison between such third signal spectrum curve and each spectrum of the second plurality of spectrums.

[0233] Thus, in this case, the primary information for identifying the nature and / or type of the fabric (by means of NIR detection of the cleaned area of ​​the fabric) and determining the treatment also serves as the basis for the stain type identification process. Indeed, once the fabric has been identified, a specific set of reference spectra (among all the stored sets of spectra) can be selected, each set being associated with a different type of stain on this specific fabric. Thus, comparing the third spectral curve (derived from the NIR detection of the stain) with the reference spectra belonging to the specially selected set allows the identification of the stain type from a predetermined set of stains (i.e. the stored spectra) for which experimental data are available.

[0234] According to an implementation option, the information obtained from the comparison of the above-mentioned third spectral curve (third signal) is combined with the information about the stain color (obtained from the above-mentioned fourth signal) to obtain a more accurate identification suitable for distinguishing different stains with similar spectra but different colors. The use of this option is, for example, that the stain contains a pigment of the staining substance that does not significantly change the spectrum of the clean fabric and can be detected relative to the background color. In particular, the use of this option is to identify color stains on light-colored fabrics.

[0235] According to a further implementation option, the decision regarding the appropriate treatment procedure also takes into account available information regarding the color of the fabric which can be derived from the above-mentioned second signal.

[0236] According to other different embodiments, further processing operations are performed on different possible combinations of two or more of the four available pieces of information (NIR spectra of clean fabric and stain, color of clean fabric and stain) in order to obtain useful information for determining treatment.

[0237] For example, information about the spectrum detected on the clean fabric and the stain can be combined to obtain a derived spectrum that takes into account the background; or information about the color of the clean fabric and the stain can be combined with each other to better estimate the stain color taking into account the background color.

[0238] According to a possible further implementation option, the method can take into account, based on experimental results, the way and extent to which the cleaning spectral curve is modified according to the type of fabric and with reference to the stain spectral curve. In practice, such deviations may be different and specific to different possible situations. Similar observations apply to colors and their color coordinates.

[0239] According to the implementation scheme of the method, the first scanning and the second scanning steps are simultaneously performed by the detection device 21, which includes a sensor 1 operating under near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and a sensor 2 operating under electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band; similarly, the third scanning and the fourth scanning steps are simultaneously performed by the above-mentioned detection device 21, which includes a sensor 1 operating under electromagnetic radiation in the near-infrared light band and a sensor 2 operating under electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band.

[0240] According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises the step of providing a user interface 4 .

[0241] In various implementation options, the user interface 4 is configured to display information about the identified fabric type and / or stain type and / or display information about the recommended treatment procedure and / or allow user control to start the recommended treatment procedure or perform the actions provided by the treatment.

[0242] According to a particular embodiment, the method further comprises a step of calibrating the electromagnetic radiation sensor 1 operating in the near infrared band.

[0243] This calibration step includes the following sub-steps: setting a sliding cover in front of the sensor, the sliding cover having a bottom to produce a reflection with a known predetermined near-infrared spectrum; closing the sliding cover in front of the color sensor; activating an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near-infrared light band to generate near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and receive reflected radiation from the bottom of the sliding cover; comparing the obtained spectrum with a reference spectrum; and calibrating the operating parameters of the electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near-infrared light band so that the obtained spectrum matches the reference spectrum.

[0244] According to another particular embodiment, the method further comprises a step of calibrating the color sensor 2 .

[0245] This calibration procedure includes the following steps: placing a slide cover in front of the sensor, the slide cover having a white bottom with known predetermined color coordinates; closing the slide cover in front of the color sensor; activating the color sensor so that it generates visible electromagnetic radiation and receives reflected radiation from the bottom of the slide cover; comparing the obtained spectrum with a reference spectrum; and finally, calibrating the operating parameters of the color sensor so that the obtained spectrum matches the reference spectrum.

[0246] A method according to the present invention for identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying stains present on such textile material will now be described.

[0247] This method includes the following steps: performing a first scan on the non-staining area RC of the textile material with the aid of electromagnetic radiation E1 in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a first signal S1 indicating the properties of the textile material in the scanned non-staining area; furthermore, performing a second scan on the non-staining area RC of the textile material with the aid of electromagnetic radiation E2 in the visible light band to obtain a second signal S2 indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned non-staining area; performing a third scan on the stained area RS of the textile material with stains with the aid of electromagnetic radiation E3 in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a third signal S4 indicating the properties of the textile material in the scanned stained area.

[0248] Then, the method provides for transmitting the first signal S1 , the second signal S2 and the third signal S3 to the electronic processing device 3 , and for identifying and classifying the stains based on processing the first signal S1 , the second signal S2 and the third signal S3 by the electronic processing device 3 .

[0249] The method finally comprises providing the information I′ about the type of textile material and the type of stain via the electronic processing device 3 to the control unit 5 and / or the user interface 4 of the household appliance.

[0250] According to another embodiment of this method, it further provides: performing a fourth scan on the stain area RS of the above-mentioned textile material item with the help of electromagnetic radiation E4 in the visible light band to obtain a fourth signal S4 indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned stain area; and further transmitting this fourth signal S4 to the electronic processing device 3.

[0251] In this case, the identification step comprises: identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying the stains by the electronic processing device 3 based on processing the above-mentioned first signal S1, second signal S2, third signal S3 and fourth signal S4.

[0252] The same signal processing operations previously described with respect to the method of determining treatment may also be used with the method of identifying textile material type and stains described herein.

[0253] In this method, three scans are performed (in the near infrared and visible bands for the clean fabric area and in the near infrared band for the stained area), thereby processing three signals.

[0254] A fourth scan (in the visible band of the stain area) is optional. It may be useful to distinguish between different spots that produce very similar reflectance spectra (eg different types of pigments) and can be distinguished and correctly identified by having information about their color.

[0255] In some cases it may happen that, although the method is particularly effective for identifying stains, due to multiple measurements and subsequent processing, the stain cannot be distinguished, for example because the stain is too small or because it is an unknown stain (i.e. a stain for which no characteristic information, such as a spectrum, is recorded).

[0256] To cope with such situations, an implementation option of the method provides that, if the recognition fails, the user is asked to try to scan again.

[0257] According to another example of embodiment, if the stain cannot be identified even after repeated scanning, such information is provided to the user and general treatment suggestions are given.

[0258] A method according to the invention for treating items of textile material by a household appliance will now be described.

[0259] This method includes the following steps: executing the method for determining disposal according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments to select a disposal program, which is executed by the household appliance 100; then, providing information about the selected disposal program to the control unit 5 of the household appliance 100; finally, the household appliance 100 executes the selected disposal on the textile material item.

[0260] Now refer to Figures 1 to 9 A system 10 for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material, as encompassed by the present invention, is described.

[0261] This system 10 comprises a first detection device 1 operating in the near infrared band NIR, a second detection device 2 operating in the visible band and an electronic processing device 3 .

[0262] The first detection device operating in the near infrared band NIR is configured to scan a region R of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation E1 in the near infrared band and to generate based on this scanning at least one signal S1 indicating a property of the textile material in the scanned region.

[0263] The second detection device 2 operating in the visible light band is configured to scan a region R of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation E2 in the visible light band to obtain at least one signal S2 indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned region.

[0264] The electronic processing device 3 is operatively connected to the first detection device 1 to receive at least one signal S1 indicative of a property of the textile material, and is operatively connected to the second detection device 2 to receive at least one signal S2 indicative of a color of the textile material.

[0265] In addition, the electronic processing device 3 is configured to determine a treatment procedure that can be performed on the textile material item based on processing the above-mentioned received signals (S1, S2) indicating the properties and color of the textile material, and provide information I about the determined treatment procedure to the control unit 5 and / or user interface 4 of the household appliance.

[0266] According to one implementation option, the first detection device 1 is configured to perform a first scan on the unstained area RC of the textile material item and generate a corresponding first signal S1 based on this first scan; and they are further configured to perform a third scan on the stained area RS of the textile material item and generate a corresponding third signal S3 based on this third scan.

[0267] The second detection device 2 is configured to perform a second scan of the non-contaminated region RC of the textile material item and to generate a corresponding second signal S2 based on this second scan.

[0268] The electronic processing device 3 is configured to receive the above-mentioned first signal S1 , second signal S2 and third signal S3 and determine a treatment procedure based on such first signal S1 , second signal S2 and third signal S3 .

[0269] According to an implementation option of the system, the second detection device 2 is further configured to perform a fourth scan of the stain area RS of the textile material item and generate a corresponding fourth signal S4 based on the fourth scan. In this case, the electronic processing device 3 is configured to also receive the fourth signal S4 and determine a treatment procedure based on the above-mentioned first signal S1, second signal S2, third signal S3 and fourth signal S4.

[0270] According to one implementation option, the first detection device 1 includes at least one electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near-infrared band. Such a sensor 1 is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation (E1 or E3) in the near-infrared band, and guide the generated electromagnetic radiation in the near-infrared band to the scanned area (RC or RS) of the textile material, to receive the near-infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER1 or ER3) reflected from the scanned area of ​​the textile material, and to generate a signal (S1 or S3) indicating the property of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected electromagnetic radiation (ER1 or ER3).

[0271] The second detection device 2 includes at least one electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the visible light band. Such a sensor 2 is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation (E2 or E4) in the visible light band, and guide the generated electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to the scanned area (RC or RS) of the textile material, to receive the electromagnetic radiation (ER2 or ER4) in the visible light band reflected by the scanned area of ​​the textile material, and to generate a signal (S2 or S4) indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected electromagnetic radiation (ER2 or ER4) in the visible light band.

[0272] According to a further implementation option, the system 10 further comprises a user interface 4, which is operatively connected to the processing device 3 to receive information I' about the determined treatment program or fabric type and / or identified stain. The user interface 4 is configured to display the above-mentioned received information and / or allow the user to send a control command to the household appliance to activate the determined treatment program.

[0273] In several possible implementation options of the system, the user interface 4 allows the user to perform a variety of possible actions, such as initiating a scan, saving scan results, collecting scan results to create a wash basket, asking for advice on the most appropriate grouping of scanned fabrics, obtaining advice on stain removal methods, and starting an indicated wash / drying cycle by transmitting corresponding control commands to one or more connected household appliances.

[0274] According to one implementation option (such as Figures 3 to 7 As shown in several variants of the invention, the processing device of the system 3 includes a first processing device 31 and a second processing device 32.

[0275] The first processing device 31 is configured to generate the above-mentioned first signal and / or second signal and / or third signal and / or fourth signal S1 to S4 into digital signals based on the detected analog signal associated with the received reflected electromagnetic radiation.

[0276] The second processing device 32 is configured to receive the first digital signal S1 and / or the third digital signal S3 , obtain respective spectrum curves based on the first digital signal S1 and / or the third digital signal S3 , and compare the derived spectrum curves with the reference spectrum stored in the second processing device 32 .

[0277] The second processing device 32 is further configured to receive the second digital signal S2 and / or the fourth digital signal S4 and obtain color coordinates based on such second digital signal S2 and / or fourth digital signal S4.

[0278] The second processing device 32 is also configured to determine a treatment procedure based on the results of the above-mentioned step of comparing spectral curves and / or the above-mentioned step of obtaining color coordinates; and is configured to provide information I about the determined treatment procedure to the control unit 5 and / or the user interface 4 of the household appliance.

[0279] According to one embodiment, the system 10 comprises a portable scanning device 11 , which comprises the first detection device 1 and the second detection device 2 as described above, and the first processing device 31 as described above.

[0280] In this case, the integration of the two detection means (i.e. sensors) of the system into the portable scanning device 11 allows the two detections to be advantageously performed simultaneously. The user only needs to bring the portable scanning device 11 close to the fabric on the clean area and then possibly close to the fabric on the stain and activate the portable scanning device in order to obtain all the detections and signals required to perform the method.

[0281] It should be noted that the portable scanning device 11 is able to provide a digital signal by means of the first processing means 31, which digital signal can be used for any subsequent processing.

[0282] According to an implementation option, the first processing means 31 of the portable scanning device 11 is further configured to perform compensation and / or calibration processing on the generated digital signal according to temperature or other variables, so as to ensure maximum reliability of the generated digital signal for subsequent processing.

[0283] In one implementation option (such as Figure 3 ), the portable scanning device further comprises the above-mentioned second processing means 32 and the user interface 4. Thus, in this case, the portable processing device 11 further comprises all the intelligence for signal processing and is therefore able to provide information I' about fabric and / or stain identification and / or information I' about a recommended treatment procedure. Thus, such an implementation option provides a solution fully integrated in a portable device.

[0284] According to another embodiment (such as Figure 4 As shown), the system 10 includes a portable scanning device 11 and a mobile communication device 12.

[0285] The portable scanning device 11 comprises a first detection device 1, a second detection device 2, a first processing device 31, and further comprises a scanning device transmission device 110 configured to transmit a digital signal derived from an analog signal generated by the first detection device and the second detection device.

[0286] The mobile communication device 12 comprises a user interface 4, the above-mentioned second processing means 32 and telecommunication means 120, which are operatively connected to the scanning device transmission means 110 to receive the above-mentioned signals generated by the first detection means and the second detection means.

[0287] According to one implementation option, the portable scanning device 11 operates as a scanner, and the mobile communication device 12 comprises a smartphone or another type of mobile user device that itself provides all telecommunication functions and user interface support. In this case, the second processing means 32 comprises one or more smartphone processors and one or more applications or software programs installed on the smartphone, which can be run by the processor of the smartphone and are configured to perform the processing and computing functions described above with reference to the second processing means.

[0288] According to one example, Android and iOS applications loaded onto smartphones are used. Such applications can also be incorporated into general household appliance control applications that can be used for smartphones or other mobile devices.

[0289] In one embodiment, the mobile communication device 12 can store a database containing reference data (eg, the reference spectra and reference color coordinates described above for processing required comparisons).

[0290] Such a database may contain any number of spectra measured in the characterization step for the most diverse fabric types and stain types and the most diverse fabric and stain combinations (eg, all of the above types of pure or mixed fabrics and all of the above types of stains).

[0291] Furthermore, such a database contains not only the reference data but also the algorithms for data analysis and processing.

[0292] According to an implementation option, the above-mentioned portable scanning device 11 and mobile communication device 12 are integrated into a single device.

[0293] A further embodiment (such as Figure 5 ) proposes that the system 10 comprises an additional remote processing unit 13, which is able to partially or completely perform the functions of the second processing means 32, in particular to store the reference database and to run comparisons.

[0294] According to various implementation options of this embodiment, the remote processing unit 13 may be provided in addition to or as an alternative to the mobile communication device 12 .

[0295] For example, the remote processing unit 13 may include the second processing device 32, in which case the scanning device transmission device 110 is configured to wirelessly transmit the signals generated by the first detection device and the second detection device to the remote processing unit 13. In this example, the system does not include and does not require a mobile user device.

[0296] In another example (such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the system 10 comprises: a portable scanning device 11 (provided with scanning device transmission means 110) to transmit digital signals from analog signals generated by the first detection device 1 and the second detection device 2; a mobile communication device 12 (provided with a user interface 4 and a telecommunication device 120, which is operatively connected to the scanning device transmission device 110 to receive the signals generated by the first detection device 1 and the second detection device 2); and a remote control unit 13 (provided with a second processing device 32 and thus adapted to perform processing functions). In this case, the telecommunication device 120 of the mobile communication device is operatively connected to the remote control unit 13 to send information received from the portable scanning device 11 and to receive processing results remotely performed from the second processing device 32.

[0297] Any telecommunication scheme known per se can be used to support the above-mentioned operative connections.

[0298] According to an implementation option of the system, the remote processing unit 13 is a control unit 5 of the household appliance 100 adapted to execute a treatment program. Figure 7 In addition, Figure 5 In the figure, this implementation option is indicated by a dashed connection, indicating that this option can be used as an alternative or in addition to the option of providing a remote control unit 13 that does not belong to the household appliance.

[0299] According to another implementation option of the system (such as Figure 8 As shown), the remote processing unit 13 is a remote control unit that can be accessed via a telecommunication network and / or cloud computing.

[0300] Reference Figure 8 , a system 1000 for performing treatment on an item of textile material according to the present invention is now described.

[0301] According to any of the above embodiments or implementation options, the system 1000 for performing treatment on a textile material item includes a system for determining treatment of a textile material item 10, wherein the treatment can be performed by a household appliance, and further includes a household appliance 100, which includes a household appliance control unit 5.

[0302] The household appliance control unit 5 is configured to receive information I about a selected treatment program 10 from the system for determining a treatment and to activate the treatment program thus selected.

[0303] The household appliance 100 is configured to carry out a selected treatment program on the textile material items.

[0304] According to an embodiment of such a system, the household appliance control unit 5 further comprises second processing means 32 of the system for determining the treatment 10 .

[0305] A household appliance 100 adapted to perform a treatment on a textile material according to the present invention is now described. The household appliance 100 comprises a system 10 for determining a treatment that can be performed on a textile material item according to any of the above-described embodiments, thereby being able to determine a treatment to be performed on one or more textile material items. The household appliance is also configured to perform the determined treatment.

[0306] According to one embodiment (such as Fig. 9 ), the household appliance 100 comprises a household appliance control unit 5 and further integrates a scanning device or scanner 21 (previously also referred to as "detection device 21" in this specification). In this case, the scanning device is not portable. The user is able to bring the fabric (clean area and / or stain area) close to the integrated scanning device and operate this integrated scanning device 21 in order to activate all the steps of the method for determining the treatment, which are then independently performed by the household appliance. In this case, the integrated scanning device 21 is operatively connected within the household appliance 100 to the control unit 5 of the household appliance, which in turn is configured to perform the processing functions of the above-mentioned second processing device (to determine the treatment) and control the performance of the selected treatment.

[0307] According to one embodiment, the household appliance further provides the functionality of the above-mentioned user interface 4 , for example supported by an interface mechanism of the household appliance 40 .

[0308] According to a possible implementation option, the scanner 21 is mechanically integrated and / or housed on the dashboard or door knocker of the domestic appliance, enabling the user to place the fabric on the sensor before introducing it into the domestic appliance.

[0309] It should be pointed out that, with the help of the functional and structural features of the present invention, the above method fully achieves the purpose of the present invention.

[0310] In fact, the above-described method and system for determining the treatment are based on detecting and processing multiple information (obtained from electromagnetic detection in the near infrared band and in the visible band), the combination of which allows distinguishing the type of fabric in a more precise and reliable way.

[0311] Furthermore, even for stained areas of fabric, measurements can be performed both in the near infrared range and in the visible range, and the method provides a coherent processing (by appropriately combining several parameters from several measurements) to identify both the fabric type and the stain type with satisfactory accuracy.

[0312] The methods and systems for identifying fabric type and stain type encompassed by the present invention can provide similar advantages in that they provide results that can both be used as a basis for more effectively determining treatment, and can themselves provide useful information to the user.

[0313] Without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims, those skilled in the art may modify and adapt the above methods and systems, or may replace some elements with other elements that are functionally equivalent to meet possible needs. All features of the above-mentioned one possible embodiment may be implemented independently of other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material, comprising the steps of: - performing a first scanning of a region (R) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation (E1) in the near infrared band NIR, in order to obtain a first signal (S1) indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned region; - performing a second scanning of the area (R) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain a second signal (S2) indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned area; wherein the first scan and the second scan are performed on a clean region (RC) of the textile material; - performing a third scan of the stain area (RS) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared band NIR to obtain a third signal (S3) indicative of the property of the textile material in the scanned stain area; - transmitting the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2) and the third signal (S3) to an electronic processing device (3); - the electronic processing device (3) determines a treatment procedure that can be performed on the textile material item based on processing the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2) and the third signal (S3); - providing information about the treatment program determined by the electronic processing device (3) to a control unit (5) and / or a user interface (4) of the household appliance.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises the following steps: - performing a fourth scanning of the stain region (RC) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band to obtain a fourth signal indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned stain region (S4); and Wherein, the determining step includes: - determining a treatment procedure for the textile material item by the electronic processing device (3) based on processing the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2), the third signal (S3) and the fourth signal (S4).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The steps of performing the first scan and performing the third scan are performed by an electromagnetic radiation sensor (1) operating in the near infrared light band (NIR), while the steps of performing the second scan and performing the fourth scan are performed by a color sensor (2) operating in the visible light band.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The step of performing a first scan by an electromagnetic radiation sensor (1) operating in the near infrared band NIR comprises: - generating electromagnetic radiation (E1) in the near infrared band NIR and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation (E1) in the near infrared band NIR onto the area to be scanned (RC) of the textile material; - receiving reflected near infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER1) from the scanned area of ​​the textile material; - generating, based on the received reflected near-infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER1), said first signal (S1) being indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area; and The step of performing a second scan by the electromagnetic radiation sensor (2) operating in the visible light band comprises: - generating electromagnetic radiation (E2) in the visible light band and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation (E2) in the visible light band onto the area to be scanned (RC) of the textile material; - receiving reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER2) from the scanned area of ​​the textile material; - generating, based on the received reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER2), a second signal (S2) indicative of the color of the textile material in the scanned area.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The step of performing a third scan by an electromagnetic radiation sensor (1) operating in the near infrared band NIR comprises: - generating electromagnetic radiation (E3) in the near infrared band NIR and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation (E3) in the near infrared band NIR onto the soiled area (RS) of the textile material to be scanned; - receiving reflected near infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER3) from the scanned stained area of ​​the textile material; - generating said third signal (S3) indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned stain area based on the reflected near infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER3) from the scanned stain area; and The step of performing a fourth scan by the electromagnetic radiation sensor (2) operating in the visible light band comprises: - generating electromagnetic radiation (E4) in the visible light band and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation (E4) in the visible light band onto the stained area (RS) of the textile material to be scanned; - receiving reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER4) from the scanned stained area of ​​the textile material; - generating a fourth signal (S4) indicative of the color of the textile material in the scanned stain area based on the reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER4) from the scanned stain area.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The determining step comprises: - processing said first signal (S1) to obtain a first signal spectrum curve corresponding to a first signal spectrum; - comparing said first signal spectrum curve with each reference spectrum of a first plurality of stored reference spectra representing a respective known textile material type; - determining a property of the scanned area of ​​the textile material based on the comparison.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The electromagnetic radiation (E2) in the visible band has known color coordinates, and wherein the determining step comprises: - processing said second signal (S2) to identify the color coordinates of the reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER2); - Determining the color of the scanned area of ​​the textile material based on the color coordinates of the identified reflected radiation.

8. The method according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein: The determining step includes determining a treatment procedure based on the properties and color of the scanned area of ​​the textile material.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The determining step further comprises: processing the third signal (S3) to obtain a third signal spectrum curve corresponding to the third signal spectrum, the third signal spectrum curve indicating a property related to the stain type, and identifying the stain type based on the third signal spectrum curve, and Therein, the determining step comprises determining a treatment procedure based on the properties and color of the scanned non-staining areas of the textile material and based on the identified stain type.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The electromagnetic radiation (E4) in the visible band has known color coordinates, and wherein the determining step further comprises: - processing the fourth signal (S4) to identify the color coordinates of the reflected radiation from the scanned soiled area; - identifying the color of the scanned stained area of ​​the textile material based on the identified color coordinates of the reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER4); - Determining a treatment procedure based on the nature and color of the scanned clean area of ​​the textile material and based on the identified type of stain and the identified color of the stain.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The step of identifying the type of stain based on the third signal spectrum curve comprises: - based on the determined textile material property and / or type, selecting a reference spectrum set from a plurality of stored spectrum sets, each set being associated with a respective textile material property and / or type, wherein the set of reference spectra includes a second plurality of reference spectra representing corresponding stain types determined on the specific textile material; - comparing the third signal spectrum curve with each of the second plurality of spectrums; - determining a soil type based on said comparison between a third signal spectrum curve and each of said second plurality of spectrums.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The first scanning step and the second scanning step are performed simultaneously by a detection device (21) comprising a sensor (1) operating in near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and a sensor (2) operating in visible electromagnetic radiation, And the third scanning step and the fourth scanning step are performed simultaneously by the detection device (21) comprising a sensor (1) operating within near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and a sensor (2) operating within visible electromagnetic radiation.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The determining step includes selecting a treatment procedure from a plurality of stored treatment procedures.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The treatment programs include cleaning and / or pre-cleaning and / or drying programs that can be performed by the household appliance, And / or the treatment procedure includes decontamination actions or pre-treatment actions that can be performed by the user.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: - providing a user interface (4) configured to display information about the identified fabric type and / or stain type, and / or configured to display information regarding a treatment procedure determined to be a recommended treatment procedure, and / or configured to allow a user to control the action of starting a suggested treatment procedure or performing a treatment provided.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of calibrating the electromagnetic radiation sensor (1) operating in the near infrared band NIR by: - placing a sliding cover in front of the sensor, the sliding cover having a bottom to produce a reflection having a known predetermined near infrared spectrum; - Close the slide cover in front of the color sensor; - activating an electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR to generate near infrared electromagnetic radiation and receive reflected radiation from the bottom of the slide; - compare the obtained spectrum with a reference spectrum; - Calibration of operating parameters of electromagnetic radiation sensors operating in the near infrared band NIR so that the acquired spectrum agrees with a reference spectrum.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of calibrating the color sensor (2) by: - placing a slide in front of the sensor, said slide having a white bottom with known predetermined color coordinates; - Close the slide cover in front of the color sensor; - activating the color sensor so that it generates visible electromagnetic radiation and receives reflected radiation from the bottom of the slide; - compare the obtained spectrum with a reference spectrum; - Calibrate the operating parameters of the color sensor so that the acquired spectrum matches the reference spectrum.

18. A method for identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying stains on said textile material, comprising the steps of: - performing a first scan of a non-contamination region (RC) of the textile material by means of electromagnetic radiation (E1) in the near infrared band NIR, in order to obtain a first signal (S1) indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned non-contamination region; - performing a second scan of the non-contaminated area (RC) of the textile material by means of electromagnetic radiation (E2) in the visible light band to obtain a second signal (S2) indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned non-contaminated area; - performing a third scan of the stained area (RS) of the textile material where the stain is present by means of electromagnetic radiation (E3) in the near infrared band NIR, so as to obtain a third signal (S3) indicating the property of the textile material in the scanned stained area; - transmitting the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2) and the third signal (S3) to an electronic processing device (3); - based on processing the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2) and the third signal (S3), identifying the type of textile material and identifying and classifying the stains by means of an electronic processing device (3); - providing information (I') about the type of textile material and the type of stain via the electronic processing device (3) to a control unit (5) and / or a user interface (4) of the household appliance.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of: - performing a fourth scanning of the soiled area (RC) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation (E4) in the visible light band to obtain a fourth signal (S4) indicating the color of the textile material in the scanned soiled area; - transmitting the fourth signal (S4) also to the electronic processing device (3); and in, The identification step comprises: - Based on processing the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2), the third signal (S3) and the fourth signal (S4), the type of textile material is identified and the stains are identified and classified by the electronic processing device (3).

20. A method of treating a textile article by a household appliance, comprising the steps of: - performing a method for determining a treatment that can be performed on a textile material item according to claim 1 in order to select a treatment program, wherein the treatment program can be performed by a household appliance (100); - providing information about the selected treatment program to a control unit (5) of the household appliance; - The selected treatment is performed on the textile material item by the household appliance (100).

21. A system (10) for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material, comprising: - a first detection device (1) operating in the near infrared band NIR, configured to perform a first scan of an area (R) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation (E1) in the near infrared band NIR and to generate, based on said scan, at least one first signal (S1) indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area; - a second detection device (2) operating in the visible light band, configured to perform a second scan of a region (R) of the textile material item by means of electromagnetic radiation (E2) in the visible light band, so as to obtain at least one second signal (S2) indicative of the colour of the textile material in the scanned region; wherein the first scan and the second scan are performed on a non-contaminated area (RC) of the textile material item; and the first detection device (1) is further configured to perform a third scan on a stained area (RS) of the textile material item and generate a corresponding third signal (S3) based on the third scan; - an electronic processing device (3) operatively connected to the first detection device (1) to receive said third signal (S3) and said at least one first signal (S1) indicative of a property of the textile material, and operatively connected to the second detection device (2) to receive said at least one second signal (S2) indicative of a color of the textile material, - the electronic processing device (3) is configured to determine a treatment procedure that can be performed on the textile material item based on processing the at least one first signal (S1) indicating the property of the textile material, the at least one second signal (S2) indicating the color of the textile material and the third signal (S3), and to provide information (I) about the determined treatment procedure to a control unit (5) and / or a user interface (4) of the household appliance.

22. The system (10) according to claim 21, wherein: The second detection device (2) is further configured to perform a fourth scan of the stained area (RS) of the textile material item and to generate a corresponding fourth signal (S4) based on the fourth scan; - the electronic processing device (3) is further configured to receive the fourth signal (S4) and determine a treatment procedure based on the first signal (S1), the second signal (S2), the third signal (S3) and the fourth signal (S4).

23. The system (10) of claim 21, wherein: The first detection device (1) comprises at least one electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the near infrared band NIR, which is configured to: - generating electromagnetic radiation (E1, E3) in the near infrared band NIR and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation (E1, E3) in the near infrared band NIR onto the area to be scanned (RC, RS) of the textile material; - receiving reflected near infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER1, ER3) from the scanned area of ​​the textile material; - generating said signal (S1, S3) indicative of a property of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected near-infrared electromagnetic radiation (ER1, ER3); and Wherein, the second detection device (2) comprises at least one electromagnetic radiation sensor operating in the visible light band, which is configured to: - generating electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band (E2, E4) and directing the generated electromagnetic radiation in the visible light band onto the area to be scanned (RC, RS) of the textile material; - receiving reflected visible electromagnetic radiation from the scanned area of ​​the textile material (ER2, ER4); - generating said signal (S2, S4) indicative of the colour of the textile material in the scanned area based on the received reflected visible electromagnetic radiation (ER2, ER4).

24. The system (10) of claim 21, further comprising: - a user interface (4) operatively connected to the electronic processing device (3) to receive information (I) about the determined treatment program or information (I') about the type of fabric and / or the identified stain, the user interface (4) being configured to display the received information and / or to allow a user to send a command to the household appliance to activate the determined treatment program.

25. The system (10) of claim 22, wherein: The electronic processing device (3) of the system comprises a first processing device (31) and a second processing device (32), wherein: - a first processing device (31) configured to generate the first signal (S1) and / or the second signal (S2) and / or the third signal (S3) and / or the fourth signal (S4) as a digital signal based on a detected analog signal associated with the received reflected electromagnetic radiation; - The second processing device (32) is configured to: - receiving the first signal (S1) and / or the third signal (S3); - obtaining respective frequency spectrum curves based on the first signal (S1) and / or the third signal (S3); - comparing the obtained spectrum curve with a reference spectrum stored in the second processing device (32); - receiving the second signal (S2) and / or the fourth signal (S4); - obtaining a color coordinate based on the second signal (S2) and / or the fourth signal (S4); - determining a treatment procedure based on the results of the step of comparing the obtained spectral curves and / or the step of obtaining color coordinates; - providing information (I) about the determined treatment program to a control unit (5) and / or a user interface (4) of the household appliance.

26. The system (10) of claim 25, comprising a portable scanning device (11), wherein: The portable scanning device (11) comprises the first detection device (1), the second detection device (2) and the first processing device (31).

27. The system (10) according to claim 26, wherein: The portable scanning device (11) further comprises the second processing means (32) and the user interface (4).

28. The system (10) of claim 26, wherein: The portable scanning device (11) further comprises a scanning device transmission device (110) configured to transmit digital signals (S1 to S4) generated by the analog signals generated by the first detection device and the second detection device (1, 2), and The system (10) further comprises a mobile communication device (12), comprising: - User interface (4); - the second processing device (32); - telecommunication means (120) operatively connected to the scanning device transmission means (110) to receive said signals (S1 to S4) generated by the first detection means and the second detection means.

29. The system (10) of claim 26, wherein: The second processing device (32) of the system (10) is included in a remote processing unit (13) and / or a control unit (5) contained in the household appliance (100), and The scanning device transmission device (110) is configured to wirelessly transmit the signals (S1 to S4) generated by the first detection device and the second detection device to the remote processing unit (13) and / or the control unit contained in the household appliance.

30. The system (10) of claim 26, wherein: The portable scanning device (11) further comprises a scanning device transmission device (110) configured to transmit digital signals (S1 to S4) generated by the analog signals generated by the first detection device and the second detection device, and The system (10) further comprises a mobile communication device (12) and a remote processing unit (13), The remote processing unit (13) comprises the second processing device (32), and The mobile communication device (12) comprises a user interface (4) and a telecommunication device (120), wherein the telecommunication device (120) is operatively connected to the scanning device transmission device (110) to receive the signals (S1 to S4) generated by the first detection device and the second detection device, and is operatively connected to the remote processing unit (13) to receive the results processed by the second processing device (32).

31. The system (10) of claim 28, wherein: A portable scanning device (11) and a mobile communication device (12) are integrated into a single device.

32. The system (10) of claim 29, wherein: The remote processing unit (13) is a control unit (5) of the household appliance (100) adapted to execute a treatment procedure.

33. The system (10) of claim 29, wherein: The remote processing unit (13) is a control unit (5) that can be accessed via cloud computing.

34. A system (1000) for performing a treatment on an item of textile material, comprising: - a system (10) for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material according to claim 21, wherein the treatment can be performed by a household appliance; - a household appliance (100) comprising a household appliance control unit (5), wherein the household appliance control unit (5) is configured to receive information (I) about a selected treatment program from a system for determining treatment of textile material items and to activate the selected treatment program; and Therein, the household appliance (100) is configured to perform a selected treatment program on the textile material item.

35. A household appliance (100) adapted to perform a treatment on an item of textile material and to perform the method for determining a treatment that can be performed on an item of textile material according to claim 2, comprising a system according to claim 22.

36. The household appliance (100) according to claim 35, wherein: The electronic processing device (3) of the system (10) comprises a first processing device (31) and a second processing device (32), wherein: - a first processing device (31) configured to generate the first signal (S1) and / or the second signal (S2) and / or the third signal (S3) and / or the fourth signal (S4) as a digital signal based on a detected analog signal associated with the received reflected electromagnetic radiation; - The second processing device (32) is configured to: - receiving the first signal (S1) and / or the third signal (S3); - obtaining respective frequency spectrum curves based on the first signal (S1) and / or the third signal (S3); - comparing the obtained spectrum curve with a reference spectrum stored in the second processing device (32); - receiving the second signal (S2) and / or the fourth signal (S4); - obtaining a color coordinate based on the second signal (S2) and / or the fourth signal (S4); - determining a treatment procedure based on the results of the step of comparing the obtained spectral curves and / or the step of obtaining color coordinates; - providing information (I) about the determined treatment program to a control unit (5) and / or a user interface (4) of the household appliance.

37. The household appliance (100) according to claim 36, comprising a household appliance control unit (5) and a detection device (21) mechanically accommodated and / or integrated therein, in, The detection device (21) comprises a first detection device (1), a second detection device (2) and the first processing device (31), and The household appliance control unit (5) comprises the second processing device (32) configured to receive the signal generated by the detection device (21), The household appliance control unit (5) is configured to determine a treatment based on a signal received from the detection device (21) and control the execution of the determined treatment.

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