Home appliance updates

Abstract

A method for updating a household appliance comprises the steps of: determining a configuration of the household appliance, wherein the configuration relates to a state of at least one component of the household appliance; determining a restriction, wherein the restriction corresponds to predetermined update information of the household appliance, wherein the restriction includes the household appliance; and if the configuration of the household appliance satisfies the restriction, updating control information of at least one component of the household appliance based on the update information. Here, the configuration includes an attribute of the component of the household appliance, and the attribute is determined based on an identification of the household appliance and a correspondence between the identification and the attribute.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to upgrading of household appliances. In particular, the present invention relates to upgrading of household appliances having a plurality of components in different configurations. Background Art

[0002] The household appliance comprises a plurality of components, at least one of which represents a combination of hardware and software and is embodied as a control device. Such components can be updated by adding new software or changing or deleting existing software. In this way, for example, a faulty control program can be corrected or a new function can be added. The household appliance is preferably capable of being manufactured in series, wherein different embodiments of the household appliance can be manufactured in the same series. For example, a part of the manufactured household appliance can be equipped with a first component, while another part is equipped with another component. This may be necessary, for example, if the first component is no longer in piece count, or the second component is found to be a better alternative. In addition, different variants can be manufactured, for example, one of which has a predetermined component and the other does not. Such a component can also be added to the household appliance by a service person or by a user at a later point in time. Through these variants, a variety of different configurations can exist for the household appliance.

[0003] In order to update a control device, it must be ensured that the updated control device is compatible with the existing configuration. Due to this condition, providing common update information for a plurality of household appliances that are implemented differently but are essentially comparable may be difficult.

[0004] US 2017 0 329 596 A1 proposes providing update information comprising a plurality of updates for components of a household appliance in order to then decide which of the updates should be executed based on the configuration of the household appliance. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to specify an improved technique for updating a domestic appliance, which may be in a plurality of different configurations, with the aid of update information that is as universal as possible.

[0006] The invention achieves this object by means of the subject matter of the invention. The technical solution of the invention represents a preferred embodiment.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for updating a household appliance comprises the following steps: determining a configuration of the household appliance, wherein the configuration relates to a state of at least one component of the household appliance; determining a restriction corresponding to predetermined update information of the household appliance, the update information comprising the household appliance; if the configuration of the household appliance satisfies the restriction, then updating control information of at least one component of the household appliance based on the update information. Here, the configuration comprises attributes of the components of the household appliance, and the attributes are determined based on an identification of the household appliance and a correspondence between the identification and the attributes.

[0008] The components of the household appliance may be active or passive. Active components are preferably capable of communicating so that their state can be determined dynamically. Passive components may comprise any device.

[0009] The restriction may indicate which configurations the update information is suitable for. By incorporating the attribute into the configuration, it is possible to prevent the failure of the update of components whose status cannot be determined dynamically. For example, the update of the WLAN module may include support for a new protocol. To this end, it is possible to check whether the module installed in the household appliance has sufficient processing resources for the protocol and whether the driver level can handle the frequency corresponding to the protocol. In particular, the status of the module and its driver level can be determined by querying the module. However, the new protocol may use a frequency that requires a specific antenna, which is only installed in a part of a series of household appliances. Other antennas installed may not be suitable or only poorly suitable for the frequency. However, in some cases, the specifications of the antenna are unknown to the module. Therefore, it is proposed to determine the attribute based on the identification of the household appliance, which in the current case involves the availability of the antenna of the household appliance for the relevant frequency. To this end, in particular, a database with the identification of the household appliance and the elements installed in the household appliance can be maintained. The attribute can be formed based on the information stored in the database, and the attribute can be optionally stored in the database.

[0010] This makes it easier to provide common update information for a plurality of differently configured or equipped household appliances. The number of household appliances that are not taken into account in the update information, for example for economic reasons, can be reduced.

[0011] The restriction may include multiple configurations. In one variant, the restriction may include a list of configurations for which the update information is permitted. Alternatively, a list of non-permitted configurations may also be maintained. Permitted or non-permitted configurations may also be expressed in a parameterized manner. In another embodiment, the restriction may include a method for determining whether a given household appliance has a permitted configuration. The update information may correspond to multiple household appliances, such as all household appliances of a predetermined type, optionally limited to a predetermined series or sub-series, a predetermined production time period, or a predetermined configuration.

[0012] The property of any component of a household appliance cannot usually be determined dynamically. The element corresponding to the property may be passive in the sense that it cannot communicate electronically by means of a communication protocol. However, the element may be controlled by an active component that is able to communicate.

[0013] The properties may include, in particular, the presence, variant, construction mode, embodiment or capability of a component of a household appliance. For example, a property may include the construction type of a bearing which is implemented as a plain bearing in a first version and as a rolling bearing in a second version. A specific update may only be performed if the bearing exists in the second version, for example because the update may impose a greater load on the bearing, causing the plain bearing to be overloaded for a long time. The properties may also include, for example, the material of the component or the date of production, delivery or installation of the component.

[0014] The property corresponding to the identification can be changed. For example, the change can be made by replacing damaged, worn or expired parts. In this case, the description of the installed parts can be associated with the identification of the household appliance. In particular, the description can be stored in the above-mentioned database. Alternatively, the description can also be stored in electronic form on the household appliance. In addition to the identification of the household appliance, the history of service interventions can also be used to determine the property.

[0015] The state may include the presence, implementation, setting or version of the control information of a component. Such a component can communicate via a communication protocol and is therefore considered active. In fact, every setting that can be determined by a protocol can be used to determine the state.

[0016] In a first variant, the update information includes an application for a component of the household appliance. The application can be configured, for example, to perform an optional function. The application can also include settings that can also be updated.

[0017] In a second variant, the update information includes an embedded program ("firmware") of a component of the household appliance. Such a program is usually permanently connected to the component and can be stored in a special memory which also stores its contents in a currentless manner, for example in a ROM, (E)EPROM or flash memory. Such a program cannot usually be changed by the user or can only be changed with the aid of specific means or functions. Changing the firmware can be difficult because, in the event of an error, the communication capability of the component can be impaired, which is required for further changes.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a control device for a household appliance having one or more components comprises: a communication device configured to receive update information; a processing device. Here, the processing device is configured to: determine the attribute of at least one component based on an identification of the household appliance; determine the configuration of the household appliance based on the attribute and the state of at least one component; if the configuration of the household appliance meets a predetermined restriction corresponding to the update information, update the control information of the at least one component based on the update information.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an update server comprises: a communication device; a first data storage device for storing an identification of a household appliance and an attribute corresponding to the identification; a second data storage device for storing update information; and a processing device. Here, the processing device is configured to: determine the corresponding attribute based on the identification of the household appliance received by means of the communication device; and provide the stored update information to the household appliance if the configuration of the household appliance satisfies the restriction corresponding to the update information, the configuration comprising the determined attribute and state of at least one component of the household appliance.

[0020] The control device described herein and / or the update server described herein can be used to fully or partially carry out the method described herein. In this case, one of the processing devices can include a programmable microcomputer or microcontroller, and the method can be in the form of a computer program product with program code means. The computer program product can also be stored on a computer-readable data carrier. Features or advantages of the method can be transferred to the control device or the update server, and vice versa.

[0021] In a variant of the technology described here, the configuration can be determined from the perspective of the household appliance, in particular the control device. In another variant, the configuration can be determined from the perspective of the update server, in particular its processing device. In both cases, information about the components of the household appliance can be collected and processed by means of a communication protocol. In both cases, the fulfillment of the restrictions can be checked either from the perspective of the household appliance or from the perspective of the update server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 An exemplary system with a home appliance and a remote location is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 A diagram showing the update process; and

[0025] Figure 2 A flow chart showing an exemplary method is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1An exemplary system 100 is shown having a household appliance 105 and a remote location 108. The household appliance 105 may, for example, include a floor treatment machine, such as a vacuum cleaner robot or an automatic lawn mower. In another embodiment, the household appliance 105 includes a kitchen appliance. The household appliance 105 includes a component 110 configured as a processing device and one or more components. The first exemplary component 115 is an active component in that it is communicatively connected to the component 110 configured as a processing device. The component 110 configured as a processing device can in particular determine the state of the active first component 115 in that it inquires about the state or state indication of the component 115. In the scope of this example, the component 110 configured as a processing device can also be regarded as a component of the household appliance 105.

[0027] The second exemplary component 120 is also active and is configured to control a passive third component 125. Although the passive component can be controlled by another component and optionally also includes a sensor for providing a value to the other component, the passive component is not configured for communication. This generally means that the passive component 125 cannot receive a message and provide a differentiated response to the message. In particular, a communication protocol with the passive component 125 is not provided. The passive component 125 generally does not have a control device in the form of a microcomputer or microprocessor. The passive component 125 can also be directly controlled by the component 110 configured as a processing device. The passive component 125 can also be configured to have no sensor connection or actuation connection to the component 110 or one of the components 115, 120 configured as a processing device. Therefore, the passive component can also include, for example, a housing, a bearing or a container. However, the way in which the passive component 115 is constructed or the state in which the passive component is in may have an impact on the function that can be brought about by means of the component 110 or one of the components 115, 120 configured as a processing device. In particular, the properties of passive component 115 may be incompatible or not recommended for a function with a program that can be loaded onto a control unit or onto one of components 115 , 120 .

[0028] The component 110 configured as a processing device is preferably connected to a component 130 configured as a communication device in order to connect to the remote location 108. The remote location 108 includes a corresponding communication device 135, so that communication can be carried out via a connection 140, which can include a section of a communication network. Thus, the remote location 108 can be installed at any location or can also be realized abstractly at the location as a service in the cloud. The component 130 configured as a communication device can also be regarded as an active or passive component of the household appliance 105.

[0029] The remote location 108 comprises a processing device 145, a first data memory 150 and an optional second data memory 155. The first data memory 150 is configured to store update information 160, which can be used to update a program or parameter of the component 110 or one of the components 115, 120 configured as a processing device. Existing functions can thereby be changed, expanded or removed. The second data memory 155 preferably comprises a correspondence table 170, which is configured to correspond one or more information to a preferably univocal identifier 175 of a household appliance 105. Whether the update information 160 can be applied to a specific household appliance 105 can be stored in a restriction 165.

[0030] In order to update the household appliance 105, it is proposed to determine the configuration of the household appliance 105 in the form of the state of at least one component 115, 120. In addition, based on the identification 175, for example, the properties of the components 115-125 of the household appliance 105 can be determined by means of the correspondence table 170, which properties can also be included in the determined state. Then, based on the determined configuration, it can be determined whether the update information 160 is suitable for use on the household appliance 105. If this is the case, one or more components 115, 120 or the component 110 configured as a processing device can be updated. The update can be initiated or controlled by a person, for which purpose, a further device 180 can be provided, which is implemented as a smartphone here, for example, and can be connected to the household appliance 105 and / or the remote location 108 in communication.

[0031] Figure 2 A diagram of an update process 200 is shown. An existing configuration 205 of a household appliance 105 can be determined by dynamically determining the state 210 of components 110, 115, 120. In addition, properties 215 of components 110-125 can be determined and form another part of the existing configuration 205. In order to determine the properties 215, the identification 175 can be used as a key for the corresponding table 170 in order to determine the information corresponding to the household appliance 105. The properties 215 can then be determined based on the information. The corresponding table 170 can be created based on the documentation of the manufacturer of the household appliance 105. In particular, information about the installed components 110-130 can be stored in the corresponding table 170. This information can also be filled into the corresponding table 170 only later, in particular when it is known which properties 215 are relevant for determining the configuration 205 for the predetermined update information 160.

[0032] With the aid of a method 220, it is possible to check whether the existing configuration 205 meets the restrictions 165 corresponding to the predetermined update information 160, which method can be run in particular in the form of a computer program on one of the components 110 or the processing devices 145 designed as processing devices. If this is the case, a target configuration 225 that the household appliance 105 should have after the update can be determined. The target configuration 225 can include one or more changed states 210. It is usually not possible to change the properties 215 of the existing configuration 205 by updating, but the unchanged properties 215 can be included in the target configuration 225. Before the actual update, the target configuration 225 can be checked, for example, by an operator. Then program parts, information or parameters on the components 110, 115, 120, 130 of the household appliance 105 can be updated.

[0033] The actual update may include uploading information, which may be stored in different blocks 230 of the update information 160. The correspondence of one or more blocks 230 to one or more components 110, 115, 120 may be defined by the generated target configuration 225 or determined in another way, in particular by means of the method 220. Figure 2 An exemplary assignment is illustrated with the aid of arrows.

[0034] Figure 3 A flow chart showing an exemplary method 300 is shown, which may include, among other things, Figure 2 The method 300 may be performed in part or in its entirety by means of a component 110 of the domestic appliance 105 which is configured as a processing device. Parts of the method 300 may also be performed externally, in particular from a remote location 108.

[0035] In step 305, the components 110-130 installed in the domestic appliance 105 can be determined. For this purpose, known active components 110, 115, 120, 130 can be contacted by means of corresponding queries. The components 110-130 can provide information about themselves and / or about the connected passive components 125. In step 310, the state 210 of at least the active component of a specific component 115, 120 can be determined. The state 210 can be provided in response to a corresponding query of the corresponding active component 115, 120.

[0036] In step 315, the identification 175 of the household appliance 105 can be determined. The identification 175 can be stored in a memory provided for this purpose in an electronically readable manner. Alternatively, the identification 175 can also be provided by the user, for example by means of another device 180 of a mobile phone. The identification 175 can be mounted on the outside of the household appliance 105 in a readable manner. As explained in more detail above, the properties 215 of the components 110-130 determined based on the identification 175 can be determined. In step 325, the collected state 210 and the properties 215 can be used to determine the configuration 205.

[0037] In step 330, the update information 160 may be provided. Typically, the update information 160 is downloaded from a remote location via the connection 140 to the household appliance 105; however, other acquisition paths are possible, such as by means of a data carrier. In step 335, the restrictions 165 corresponding to the update information 160 may be determined. Steps 330, 335 may be performed in parallel with steps 305-325. In one embodiment, the restrictions may be provided before the configuration 205 is determined in steps 305-325 based on the restrictions 165. Irrelevant states 210 or attributes 215 may therefore remain undetermined.

[0038] In step 340 it can be determined whether the determined configuration 205 satisfies the restrictions 165. If this is the case, a target configuration 225 can be created in step 345. In step 350, authorization for the target configuration 225 can be checked and in step 355 the update information 160 can be applied to the household appliance 105 and its components 110-130.

[0039] Reference numerals

[0040] 100 Systems

[0041] 105 Household appliances

[0042] 108 Remote Location

[0043] 110 Components configured as processing devices

[0044] 115 Parts

[0045] 120 Parts

[0046] 125 Passive components

[0047] 130 Component configured as a communication device

[0048] 135 Communication devices

[0049] 140 connections

[0050] 145 Processing Device

[0051] 150 First data storage

[0052] 155 Second data storage

[0053] 160 Update information

[0054] 165 Restrictions

[0055] 170 Correspondence table

[0056] 175 Logo

[0057] 180 devices

[0058] 200 Update process

[0059] 205 Existing Configuration

[0060] 210 Status

[0061] 215 Attributes

[0062] 220 Method (Update Program)

[0063] 225 Target Configuration

[0064] 230 yuan

[0065] 300 Methods

[0066] 305 Determine the components

[0067] 310 Determine the status of the component

[0068] 315 Confirm the logo

[0069] 320 Determine attributes

[0070] 325 Confirm configuration

[0071] 330 Provide update information

[0072] 335 Provides restrictions 340 Is it compliant?

[0073] 345 Provide target configuration 350 Is it authorized?

[0074] 355 Update control information

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a household appliance, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: determining a configuration of the household appliance, wherein the configuration relates to a state of at least one component of the household appliance, the configuration comprising attributes of the component of the household appliance, the attributes being determined based on an identification of the household appliance and a correspondence between the identification and the attributes, wherein the attributes of any component of the household appliance cannot be determined dynamically, wherein the attributes are determined by an update server, the update server comprising a first data storage device for storing the identification of the household appliance and the attributes corresponding to the identification; determining a restriction, the restriction corresponding to predetermined update information of the household appliance, the update information including the household appliance, If the configuration of the household appliance satisfies the restriction, control information of at least one component of the household appliance is updated based on the update information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The restrictions include various configurations.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The attributes include the presence, variation, structural mode, implementation or capability of a component of the household appliance.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The attribute corresponding to the identification can be changed.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The status includes the existence, implementation, setting or version of control information for the component.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The update information includes an application program for a component of the household appliance.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The update information includes embedded programs of components of the household appliance.

8. A control device for a household appliance, the household appliance having one or more components, wherein: The control device comprises: a communication device, the communication device being configured to receive update information; a processing device arranged to determine a property of at least one of the components based on the identification of the household appliance, wherein the property of any component of the household appliance cannot be determined dynamically, The processing device is also configured determining a configuration of the household appliance based on the property and a state of at least one of the components; If the configuration of the household appliance satisfies a predetermined restriction corresponding to the update information, control information of at least one of the components is updated based on the update information.

9. An update server, comprising the following elements: communication devices; A first data storage device for storing the identification of the household appliance and the attributes corresponding to the identification; A second data storage device, used for storing update information; as well as a processing device comprising a programmable microcomputer or microcontroller and configured to determine a corresponding attribute based on the household appliance identification received by means of the communication device; and If the configuration of the household appliance satisfies the restrictions corresponding to the update information, the saved update information is provided to the household appliance, wherein the configuration includes determined properties and states of at least one component of the household appliance, wherein the properties of any component of the household appliance cannot be dynamically determined.

10. The update server according to claim 9, wherein: The processing means is arranged to determine the configuration.

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