Water tank level detection method

Abstract

The present invention provides a water tank liquid level detection method, which is applied to a water tank liquid level detection device; the water tank liquid level detection device comprises: a light source, a water tank, an image acquisition unit and an image processing unit; the light source, the water tank, the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit are all arranged inside the machine; the light source and the image acquisition unit are arranged oppositely on both sides of the water tank, and the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit are connected; the surface of the water tank corresponding to the shooting range of the image acquisition unit is a transparent surface, and the surface of the water tank corresponding to the fill light range of the light source is a transparent surface. By collecting an image of the water tank at a vertical height through the image and light source acquisition units arranged oppositely on both sides of the water tank, the image acquisition unit can identify the liquid level of the water tank based on the image through visual recognition technology, and can accurately detect the liquid level in the water tank, thereby improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of liquid level detection, and in particular to a water tank liquid level detection method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of social economy and technology, electric cooking appliances such as electric steamers and steam-bake machines have become indispensable cooking appliances in many families. At present, electric steamers and steam-bake machines on the market mainly use water tanks to supply water, and corresponding water level detection devices can be set on the water tanks to detect the water level.

[0003] However, the current water level detection device can only detect the highest and lowest water levels. The lowest water level is used to remind the user that the water tank is short of water and needs to be refilled, and the highest water level is used to remind the user that the waste water tank is full and needs to remove the waste water in the waste water tank. However, the water level in the water tank is related to the continuity of the operation of the cooking appliance. If only the highest and lowest water levels can be detected, only rough reminders of the lowest and highest water levels can be given, and the user cannot directly know the water level in the water tank and predict the working time of the water volume in the water tank, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a water tank liquid level detection method to accurately detect the liquid level in the water tank and improve the user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a water tank liquid level detection device, comprising: a light source, a water tank, an image acquisition unit and an image processing unit; the light source, the water tank, the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit are all arranged inside the machine; the light source and the image acquisition unit are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the water tank, and the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit are connected; the surface of the water tank corresponding to the shooting range of the image acquisition unit is a transparent surface, and the surface of the water tank corresponding to the fill light range of the light source is a transparent surface.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the surface of the water tank is a transparent surface, and the bottom surface of the water tank is flat; the shooting range of the image acquisition unit includes the lowest surface and the highest surface of the water tank.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the position of the image acquisition unit and the viewing angle of the shooting window are fixed.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the light source is a parallel light source.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, a light shield is provided on the outer side of the water tank.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned image acquisition unit is used to acquire an image of the water tank at a vertical height; the light source is used to fill light for the image acquisition unit; and the image processing unit is used to perform liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the frequency at which the image acquisition unit acquires images is determined based on the operating mode and operating stage of the machine.

[0012] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a machine, comprising: a bracket, a box body and the above-mentioned water tank liquid level detection device; the bracket is arranged above the box body, the water tank of the water tank liquid level detection device is detachably mounted on the bracket, and the image acquisition unit of the water tank liquid level detection device is arranged on the side of the bracket.

[0013] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a water tank liquid level detection method, which is applied to the above-mentioned water tank liquid level detection device, and the method comprises: an image acquisition unit acquires an image of the water tank at a vertical height, and sends the image to an image processing unit; wherein the light source is used to fill in the light for the image acquisition unit; and the image processing unit performs liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the image processing unit performs liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank, including: the image processing unit performs liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the height of the boundary between the water and air layers in the image; the image processing unit determines the liquid level of the water tank based on the height of the boundary line.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the above method also includes: if the image processing unit fails to determine the boundary line between the water and air layers in the image, determining the brightness of the image; if the brightness of the image is less than a preset first threshold, determining that the liquid level of the water tank is 0; if the brightness of the image is greater than a preset second threshold, determining that the liquid level of the water tank is the height of the water tank; wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the liquid level of the water tank is determined based on the height of the dividing line by the following formula: Among them, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, H Box is the actual height of the water tank, L Water is the height of the dividing line, L Box is the height of the water tank in the image.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the above method also includes: determining the expected water volume of the water tank based on the liquid level of the water tank.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the estimated water volume of the water tank is determined based on the liquid level of the water tank by the following formula: Among them, V Water is the expected water volume in the water tank, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, and A(H) is the preset area change function of the water tank on the height path.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the above method also includes: determining an estimated working time of the initial water volume based on the estimated water volume of the water tank.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the estimated working time of the initial water volume is determined based on the estimated water volume of the water tank by the following formula: Among them, t estimated is the estimated working time for searching the initial water volume, V0 is the water consumption of the machine during the preheating phase, T0 is the duration of the preheating phase, and V rated is the rated capacity of the water tank, T Duration The life of the water tank at rated volume of water.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the above method also includes: determining the remaining water volume in the water tank based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the remaining water volume in the water tank is determined by the following formula based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume: t = t estimated -t operation ; where t is the estimated working time of the initial water volume, t operation The running time of the machine.

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention bring the following beneficial effects:

[0024] A water tank liquid level detection method provided by an embodiment of the present invention collects images of the water tank at a vertical height by means of image and light source acquisition units relatively arranged on two sides of the water tank. The image acquisition unit can identify the liquid level of the water tank based on the image through visual recognition technology, and can accurately detect the liquid level in the water tank, thereby improving the user experience.

[0025] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in the following description, or some features and advantages may be inferred or unambiguously determined from the description, or may be learned by implementing the above-mentioned technology of the present disclosure.

[0026] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are specifically cited below and described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a water tank liquid level detection device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a machine provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 A flow chart of a water tank liquid level detection method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 A flow chart of another water tank liquid level detection method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of another water tank liquid level detection device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] icon:

[0035] 1-light source; 2-water tank; 3-image acquisition unit; 4-image processing unit; 5-light shield; 6-bracket; 7-box; 51-image acquisition module; 52-image processing module; 100-memory; 101-processor; 102-bus; 103-communication interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] At present, with the development of social economy and technology, electric cooking appliances such as electric steamers and steam-bake machines have become indispensable cooking appliances in many families. At present, electric steamers and steam-bake machines on the market mainly use water tanks to supply water, and corresponding water level detection devices can be set on the water tanks to detect the water level.

[0038] However, the existing water level detection device can only detect the highest water level and the lowest water level. The lowest water level is used to remind the user that the water tank is short of water and needs to be refilled, and the highest water level is used to remind the user that the waste water tank is full and needs to remove the waste water in the waste water tank.

[0039] For products with small water tanks, such as steamers, the determination of the water level in the water tank is directly related to the continuity of the cooking appliance. The detection of the minimum and maximum water levels through a fixed structure does not allow users to directly know the water level in the water tank and predict the working time of the water volume in the water tank. If a water shortage alarm occurs during the cooking process and the machine stops running, the continuity of the cooking process will be affected, affecting the user experience.

[0040] Based on this, a water tank liquid level detection method provided in an embodiment of the present invention can provide a water tank water level detection device that can obtain water level data at any height in the water tank, a steamer that reminds the water volume in the water tank and provides an early warning of the estimated working time, and a steamer control method that can obtain water level data of any water level in a short time.

[0041] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a water tank liquid level detection device disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention is first introduced in detail.

[0042] Embodiment 1:

[0043] The present invention provides a water tank liquid level detection device. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of a water tank liquid level detection device shown in the figure comprises: a light source 1, a water tank 2, an image acquisition unit 3 and an image processing unit 4;

[0044] The light source 1, the water tank 2, the image acquisition unit 3 and the image processing unit 4 are all arranged inside the machine; the light source 1 and the image acquisition unit 3 are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the water tank 2, and the image acquisition unit 3 and the image processing unit 4 are connected; the surface of the water tank 2 corresponding to the shooting range of the image acquisition unit 3 is a transparent surface, and the surface of the water tank 2 corresponding to the fill light range of the light source 1 is a transparent surface.

[0045] The machine in this embodiment may be various electrical appliances, such as a steamer. Some water may be placed inside the water tank, and the image acquisition unit may be a miniature camera, which acquires a complete vertical image of the inside of the water tank, and the acquired image includes the boundary between the water layer and the air layer. The image processing unit may be an electronic component such as an MCU (Microcontroller Unit), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc., which may perform image processing based on visual recognition technology on the acquired image, thereby distinguishing the boundary between the water layer and the air layer, and determining the height of the water, that is, determining the liquid level of the water tank. The light source is used to fill in the light for the image acquisition unit, so that the image acquired by the image acquisition unit is clearer.

[0046] In order to ensure the clarity and brightness of the image, the water tank needs to be transparent at least within the shooting range of the image acquisition unit, and at least within the fill light range of the light source, so that the boundary between the water surface and the air layer can be seen by the naked eye. Under normal conditions, due to the multi-layer state of light refraction, reflection and attenuation, the boundary between the water and air layers can be clearly seen on the outside of the transparent container.

[0047] Among them, light attenuation is also called the energy attenuation of photons. Light will decay rapidly as the distance increases during propagation. Its attenuation rate is also related to the propagation medium. Different degrees of attenuation will occur in air and water, and the attenuation in water is greater than that in air. Therefore, when water is placed in a transparent container, the boundary between the water and air layers can be clearly seen on the outside of the container.

[0048] Refraction of light refers to the phenomenon that when light is incident obliquely from one medium to another, the propagation direction changes, causing the light to be deflected at the junction of different media. Reflection of light refers to the phenomenon that light changes its propagation direction at the interface between two substances and returns to the original substance. Light will be reflected when it encounters the surface of water, glass and many other objects.

[0049] A water tank liquid level detection device provided by an embodiment of the present invention collects images of the water tank at a vertical height by means of image and light source acquisition units relatively arranged on two sides of the water tank. The image acquisition unit can identify the liquid level of the water tank based on the image through visual recognition technology, and can accurately detect the liquid level in the water tank, thereby improving the user experience.

[0050] Embodiment 2:

[0051] This embodiment provides another water tank liquid level detection device, which is implemented on the basis of the above embodiment. In order to further ensure the clarity and brightness of the image, the surface of the water tank can be made transparent and the bottom of the water tank can be flat; the shooting range of the image acquisition unit includes the lowest and highest surfaces of the water tank.

[0052] That is to say, both the lowest surface and the highest surface of the water tank can appear within the acquisition range of the image acquisition unit, and the image acquired by the image acquisition unit can include the entire height of the water tank, thereby ensuring a comprehensive measurement of the liquid level in the water tank.

[0053] Specifically, the image acquisition unit can be fixed inside the machine, and the position of the image acquisition unit and the shooting window angle are fixed. The image acquisition unit does not need to capture the entire contents of the water tank, but only needs to ensure that the height of the water tank can be captured by the image acquisition unit.

[0054] The frequency of the image acquisition unit acquiring images is determined based on the operation mode and operation stage of the machine. The frequency of acquiring images can be between 5s and 60s, depending on the operation mode and operation stage of the machine. If the machine is a steamer, the following settings can be made: the image acquisition frequency in the preheating stage of the steamer operation is higher, and the image acquisition frequency in the heat preservation stage of the steamer operation is relatively lower.

[0055] Specifically, the image acquisition unit is used to acquire an image of the water tank at a vertical height; the light source can be a parallel light source, which is used to fill in the image acquisition unit; the image processing unit is used to perform liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank. The image processing unit can perform liquid level conversion processing on the acquired image, and convert the boundary line between the water and air layers into the actual liquid level through an algorithm.

[0056] Specifically, see Figure 2 As shown in the structural diagram of a machine, a light shield 5 can be provided on the outside of the water tank to reduce the interference of stray light from other positions on image acquisition and later processing.

[0057] Embodiment three:

[0058] An embodiment of the present invention provides a machine, such as Figure 2 As shown, the machine comprises: a bracket 6, a box body 7 and the above-mentioned water tank liquid level detection device.

[0059] The bracket 6 is arranged above the box body 7 , the water tank 2 of the water tank liquid level detection device is detachably mounted on the bracket 6 , and the image acquisition unit 3 of the water tank liquid level detection device is arranged on the side of the bracket 6 .

[0060] The machine provided in this embodiment may be a cooking utensil, such as a steamer. A water tank lower bracket for mounting a water tank may be provided above the box body of the cooking utensil, and the water tank may be detachably mounted on the water tank lower bracket for taking and placing.

[0061] A machine provided by an embodiment of the present invention can accurately detect the liquid level in a water tank through a built-in water tank liquid level detection device, thereby improving the user experience.

[0062] Embodiment three:

[0063] This embodiment provides a water tank liquid level detection method, which is applied to the above water tank liquid level detection device. Figure 3 A flow chart of a water tank liquid level detection method is shown, and the water tank liquid level detection method comprises the following steps:

[0064] Step S302: the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the water tank at a vertical height and sends the image to the image processing unit; wherein the light source is used to provide supplementary light for the image acquisition unit.

[0065] The method provided in this embodiment can start collecting the water level height image of the water tank when the machine is running, that is, the image of the water tank at a vertical height. At the same time, in order to achieve better results, the light source is turned on at the same time to supplement the image acquisition unit. After the image acquisition unit collects the above image, the image can be sent to the image processing unit.

[0066] Step S304: the image processing unit performs liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank.

[0067] The image processing unit can perform liquid level conversion processing on the image through the built-in algorithm based on visual recognition technology to determine the liquid level of the water tank. For example, the boundary line between the water and air layers is obtained, and the initial water level data is obtained by comparing the height of the boundary line between the water and air layers to determine the liquid level of the water tank.

[0068] An embodiment of the present invention provides a water tank liquid level detection method. The light source acquisition unit can acquire an image of the water tank at a vertical height. The image acquisition unit can identify the liquid level of the water tank through visual recognition technology based on the image. The liquid level in the water tank can be accurately detected to improve the user experience.

[0069] Embodiment 4:

[0070] This embodiment provides another method for detecting the liquid level of a water tank. This method is implemented on the basis of the above embodiment. Figure 4 Another water tank liquid level detection method is shown in the flowchart, the water tank liquid level detection method comprises the following steps:

[0071] Step S402: the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the water tank at a vertical height and sends the image to the image processing unit; wherein the light source is used to provide fill light for the image acquisition unit.

[0072] Step S404: the image processing unit performs liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the height of the boundary between the water layer and the air layer in the image.

[0073] If the image processing unit fails to determine the boundary between the water and air layers in the image, the brightness of the image is determined; if the brightness of the image is less than a preset first threshold, the liquid level of the water tank is determined to be 0; if the brightness of the image is greater than a preset second threshold, the liquid level of the water tank is determined to be the height of the water tank; wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

[0074] Since the bottom surface of the water tank is flat, the lowest surface and the highest surface both appear within the acquisition range of the image acquisition unit. After the image processing unit performs image processing, if the image processing unit fails to determine the boundary between the water and air layers in the image, it can be considered that the liquid level of the water tank is 0 or the height of the water tank. At this time, the liquid level of the water tank can be further judged by the brightness.

[0075] Since the attenuation of light intensity in water is greater than that in air, if the brightness of the image is less than the preset first threshold, it can be considered that the brightness of the image is too low, the water tank is empty, and the liquid level of the water tank is 0; if the brightness of the image is greater than the preset second threshold, it can be considered that the brightness of the image is extremely high, the water tank is full, and the liquid level of the water tank is the height of the water tank.

[0076] Step S406: the image processing unit determines the liquid level of the water tank based on the height of the dividing line.

[0077] The actual liquid level in the water tank can be calculated by comparing the water and air boundary height and the water tank height acquired from the image with the actual water tank height. Specifically, the liquid level of the water tank can be determined based on the height of the boundary line using the following formula: Among them, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, H Box is the actual height of the water tank, L Water is the height of the dividing line, L Box is the height of the water tank in the image.

[0078] Specifically, the estimated water volume of the water tank can also be determined based on the liquid level of the water tank. The estimated water volume of the water tank can be calculated based on the integral of the liquid level in the water tank. Integration is a core concept in calculus and mathematical analysis. Integration can be used to calculate the volume formed by the variable cross section in the integral domain.

[0079] The estimated volume of water in the tank can be determined based on the tank level using the following calculation: Among them, V Water is the expected water volume in the water tank, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, and A(H) is a pre-set area change function of the water tank on the height path. A(H) may be related to the designed water tank structure shape.

[0080] Specifically, the estimated working time of the initial water volume can be determined based on the estimated water volume of the water tank. The estimated working time of the initial water volume in the water tank can be calculated based on the water volume calculated from the initial liquid level in the water tank and the current working mode time-water consumption curve.

[0081] The estimated working time of the initial water volume can be determined based on the estimated water volume in the water tank using the following formula: Among them, t estimated is the estimated working time for searching the initial water volume, V0 is the water consumption of the machine during the preheating phase, T0 is the duration of the preheating phase, and V rated is the rated capacity of the water tank, T Duration The life of the water tank at rated volume. rated , T Duration It can be obtained in advance or calculated.

[0082] Specifically, the remaining water volume in the water tank can also be determined based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume. After the machine runs the cooking program, the estimated working time of the remaining water volume in the water tank is calculated based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume and the working time of the machine.

[0083] The remaining water volume in the water tank can be determined by the following formula based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume: t = t estimatrd -t operation ; where t is the estimated working time of the initial water volume, t operation The running time of the machine.

[0084] The above method provided by the embodiment of the present invention proposes a device for detecting the water level in the steamer using visual recognition technology and a steamer for judging the estimated working time, which can realize high-frequency detection of the water level in the water tank and can calculate the estimated working time based on the water level. In this method, the visual recognition technology can be used to judge the height of the water and air layers and convert them into the actual liquid level in proportion, and then the actual water level can be calculated and displayed according to the integral formula, and the estimated working time can be converted according to the water consumption-time curve under different working modes. The solution has a fast calculation speed, a simple calculation method, and is practical.

[0085] Embodiment five:

[0086] Corresponding to the above method embodiment, the present invention provides a water tank liquid level detection device, which is applied to the above water tank liquid level detection device, see Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of another water tank liquid level detection device shown in FIG. 1 , the water tank liquid level detection device comprises:

[0087] Image acquisition module 51, used for the image acquisition unit to acquire the image of the water tank at a vertical height and send the image to the image processing unit; wherein the light source is used to fill light for the image acquisition unit;

[0088] The image processing module 52 is used for the image processing unit to perform liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank.

[0089] An embodiment of the present invention provides a water tank liquid level detection device, in which a light source acquisition unit can acquire an image of the water tank at a vertical height, and an image acquisition unit can identify the liquid level of the water tank through visual recognition technology based on the image, so as to accurately detect the liquid level in the water tank and improve the user experience.

[0090] The image processing module is used for the image processing unit to perform liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the height of the boundary between the water layer and the air layer in the image; the image processing unit determines the liquid level of the water tank based on the height of the boundary.

[0091] The above-mentioned image processing module is also used to determine the brightness of the image if the image processing unit fails to determine the boundary between the water and air layers in the image; if the brightness of the image is less than a preset first threshold, determine that the liquid level of the water tank is 0; if the brightness of the image is greater than a preset second threshold, determine that the liquid level of the water tank is the height of the water tank; wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

[0092] The image processing module is also used to determine the liquid level of the water tank based on the height of the dividing line by the following formula: Among them, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, H Box is the actual height of the water tank, L Water is the height of the dividing line, L Box is the height of the water tank in the image.

[0093] The above-mentioned image processing module is also used to determine the estimated water volume of the water tank based on the liquid level of the water tank.

[0094] The image processing module is also used to determine the estimated water volume of the water tank based on the liquid level of the water tank by the following formula: Among them, V Water is the expected water volume in the water tank, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, and A(H) is the preset area change function of the water tank on the height path.

[0095] The above-mentioned image processing module is also used to determine the estimated working time of the initial water volume based on the estimated water volume of the water tank.

[0096] The image processing module is further used to determine the estimated working time of the initial water volume based on the estimated water volume of the water tank by the following formula: Among them, testimated is the estimated working time for searching the initial water volume, V0 is the water consumption of the machine during the preheating phase, T0 is the duration of the preheating phase, and V rated is the rated capacity of the water tank, T Duration The life of the water tank at rated volume of water.

[0097] The above-mentioned image processing module is also used to determine the remaining water volume in the water tank based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume.

[0098] The image processing module is further used to determine the remaining water volume in the water tank based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume by the following formula: t = t estimated -t operation ; where t is the estimated working time of the initial water volume, t operation The running time of the machine.

[0099] The water tank liquid level detection device provided in the embodiment of the present invention has the same technical features as the water tank liquid level detection method provided in the above embodiment, so it can also solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0100] Embodiment six:

[0101] The embodiment of the present invention also provides an electronic device for executing the above-mentioned water tank liquid level detection method; see Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of an electronic device is shown, which includes a memory 100 and a processor 101, wherein the memory 100 is used to store one or more computer instructions, and the one or more computer instructions are executed by the processor 101 to implement the above-mentioned water tank liquid level detection method.

[0102] Further, Figure 6 The electronic device shown further includes a bus 102 and a communication interface 103 , and the processor 101 , the communication interface 103 and the memory 100 are connected via the bus 102 .

[0103] The memory 100 may include a high-speed random access memory (RAM), and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage. The communication connection between the system network element and at least one other network element is realized through at least one communication interface 103 (which may be wired or wireless), and the Internet, wide area network, local area network, metropolitan area network, etc. may be used. The bus 102 may be an ISA bus, a PCI bus, or an EISA bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 6 Only one bidirectional arrow is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0104] The processor 101 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the hardware integrated logic circuit or software instructions in the processor 101. The above processor 101 can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented or executed. The general processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor for execution, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor for execution. The software module may be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory 100, and the processor 101 reads the information in the memory 100 and completes the steps of the method of the above embodiment in combination with its hardware.

[0105] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are called and executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions prompt the processor to implement the above-mentioned water tank liquid level detection method. The specific implementation can be found in the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0106] The computer program product of the water tank liquid level detection method provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes a computer-readable storage medium storing program code. The instructions included in the program code can be used to execute the method in the previous method embodiment. The specific implementation can be referred to the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0107] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the above-described device and / or electronic device can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0108] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0109] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementations of the present invention, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, ordinary technicians in the field should understand that any technician familiar with the technical field can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, or can easily think of changes, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein; and these modifications, changes or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A water tank liquid level detection method, characterized in that: Applicable to a water tank liquid level detection device; the water tank liquid level detection device comprises: a light source, a water tank, an image acquisition unit and an image processing unit; the light source, the water tank, the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit are all arranged inside the machine; the light source and the image acquisition unit are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the water tank, and the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit are connected; the surface of the water tank corresponding to the shooting range of the image acquisition unit is a transparent surface, and the surface of the water tank corresponding to the fill light range of the light source is a transparent surface; The method comprises: an image acquisition unit acquires an image of the water tank at a vertical height, and sends the image to the image processing unit; wherein the light source is used to fill light for the image acquisition unit; the image processing unit performs liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank; The step of the image processing unit performing liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the liquid level of the water tank comprises: the image processing unit performing liquid level conversion processing on the image to determine the height of the boundary line between the water layer and the air layer in the image; the image processing unit determining the liquid level of the water tank based on the height of the boundary line; The method also includes: if the image processing unit fails to determine the boundary line between the water and air layers in the image, determining the brightness of the image; if the brightness of the image is less than a preset first threshold, determining the liquid level of the water tank to be 0; if the brightness of the image is greater than a preset second threshold, determining the liquid level of the water tank to be the height of the water tank; wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

2. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid level of the water tank is determined based on the height of the dividing line by the following formula: Among them, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, H Box is the actual height of the water tank, L Water is the height of the dividing line, L Box is the height of the water tank in the image.

3. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: An estimated amount of water in the water tank is determined based on the liquid level in the water tank.

4. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The estimated water volume of the water tank is determined based on the liquid level of the water tank by the following formula: Among them, V Water is the expected water volume of the water tank, H Water is the liquid level of the water tank, and A(H) is a preset area change function of the water tank on the height path.

5. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: An estimated working time of the initial water volume is determined based on the estimated water volume of the water tank.

6. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The estimated working time of the initial water volume is determined based on the estimated water volume of the water tank by the following formula: Among them, t estimated is the estimated working time for searching the initial water volume, V0 is the water consumption of the machine during the preheating phase, T0 is the duration of the preheating phase, V rated is the rated capacity of the water tank, T Duration The life time of the water tank when it is filled with water of rated volume.

7. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The remaining water amount of the water tank is determined based on the estimated operating time of the initial water amount.

8. The water tank liquid level detection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The remaining water volume of the water tank is determined by the following formula based on the estimated working time of the initial water volume: t=t estimated -t operation ; Wherein, t is the estimated working time of the initial water volume, t operation The running time of the machine.

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