Control method and system of integrated water tank

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, in particular to a control method and system of an integrated water tank, according to the method, the integrated water tank is used for conducting water insulation or water bath heating unfreezing, food materials cannot make direct contact with water in the unfreezing process, the original flavor and nutritional value of the food materials can be kept, and a heating mechanism is located in an interlayer and surrounds an inner tank in the circumferential direction; heat is released in the circumferential direction, the heat is uniform, the unfreezing time is shortened, the unfreezing efficiency is improved, the automation degree is improved based on size parameter monitoring of the light curtain assembly, the unfreezing process is automatically monitored and adjusted, and it is ensured that food materials reach the ideal unfreezing state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, and in particular to a control method and system for an integrated sink. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of modern kitchen appliances, products integrating multiple functions are gradually accepted and liked by consumers, such as the design that combines the sink with the steam oven, disinfection cabinet or dishwasher. This design not only improves the practicality of the product, but also effectively saves kitchen space.

[0003] Currently, when consumers use a sink to thaw food, they add a heating component to the bottom of the sink to thaw the food. However, during the thawing process, the heat is concentrated on the bottom of the food, the food is heated unevenly, the thawing time is long, and the thawing effect cannot be accurately judged. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a control method and system for an integrated water tank.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for an integrated water tank, the method comprising:

[0006] Receive a thawing instruction, and obtain a thawing mode and an expected thawing effect of the thawing instruction;

[0007] Determine the initial volume of the object to be thawed by combining the first monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies;

[0008] Based on the preset mapping relationship, determine the thawing temperature and thawing time corresponding to the thawing effect;

[0009] In response to the user's confirmation operation, determining whether the water level of the radiator in the integrated water tank is a high water level;

[0010] If yes, control the water pump connected to the connecting pipe between the radiator and the kitchen appliance to stop running, and control the heating device to run at the operating power corresponding to the defrosting mode to reach and maintain the defrosting temperature;

[0011] Combining the second monitoring data and the initial volume of all light curtain components, it is determined whether the thawing effect is achieved;

[0012] If not, run in the current operation mode until the thawing effect or thawing time is reached.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, before the step of determining whether the water level in the radiator is a high water level, the method further includes:

[0014] If not, based on historical operating data, determine whether the radiator is a backup tank;

[0015] If yes, determine whether there is water in the radiator;

[0016] If not, the water pump is controlled to run for a preset time and the first water level of the radiator is obtained until the first water level reaches a high water level, or the number of times the water pump runs reaches a threshold number.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, after the step of controlling the water pump to run for a preset time and obtaining the first water level of the radiator until the number of times the water pump runs reaches a threshold, the method further includes:

[0018] Get the second water level of the radiator;

[0019] If the second water level is still a low water level, it is determined that the water tank of the kitchen appliance is short of water, and a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water is returned.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, after the step of determining the initial volume of the object to be thawed in combination with the first monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies, the method further includes:

[0021] If the initial volume is zero, make sure that there is no item to be thawed in the integrated water tank;

[0022] Exits defrost mode and returns to the empty sink message.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, after the step of operating in the current operating mode until the thawing effect or thawing time is reached, the method further includes:

[0024] If the defrosting effect is not achieved and the defrosting time is reached, a prompt message suggesting defrosting again will be returned.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, after the step of determining the thawing temperature and thawing time corresponding to the thawing effect based on the preset mapping relationship, the method further includes:

[0026] In response to the user's editing operation on the thawing temperature and the thawing time, determining a target thawing temperature and a target thawing time;

[0027] Determine whether the water level in the radiator is high;

[0028] If yes, control the water pump connected to the radiator to stop running, and control the heating device to run at the operating power corresponding to the thawing mode to reach and maintain the target thawing temperature;

[0029] Combine the third monitoring data of all light curtain components with the initial volume to determine whether the thawing effect is achieved and whether the current time reaches the target thawing time;

[0030] If the defrosting effect has been achieved and the current time has not reached the target defrosting time, the system will continue to run in the current operation mode and control the buzzer to operate;

[0031] If the thawing effect is not achieved and the current time has reached the target thawing time, the thawing mode is exited and a prompt message suggesting thawing again is returned.

[0032] In combination with the first aspect, the kitchen appliance is a dishwasher, and the method further includes:

[0033] Receive a washing instruction and obtain a washing mode corresponding to the washing instruction;

[0034] When the dishwasher is running low on water, determine whether there is water in the integrated sink;

[0035] If not, exit the washing mode and return to the water shortage prompt message;

[0036] If yes, start the water pump to transfer the water in the radiator in the integrated water tank to the dishwasher until the water level in the dishwasher reaches a preset water level;

[0037] Control the dishwasher to run in wash mode.

[0038] In combination with the first aspect, the kitchen appliance is a cooking component, and the method further includes:

[0039] Obtaining the switch status of the water tank connected to the cooking component and the operating status of the cooking component;

[0040] If the switch state is closed and the operation state is stopped, the drain pump is turned on after the thawing is completed to drain the water in the radiator into the water tank.

[0041] In combination with the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0042] receiving a cooking instruction and obtaining a cooking mode of the cooking instruction;

[0043] Controlling the cooking component to operate in a cooking mode;

[0044] If the water tank connected to the cooking component is short of water, determine whether the attribute information of the radiator is a spare water tank;

[0045] If yes, when the water level in the water tank is low, the drainage pump on the pipe connecting the radiator and the water tank is controlled to operate so as to add water to the water tank;

[0046] Determine whether there is water in the water tank;

[0047] If yes, controlling the cooking component to continue to operate in the cooking mode;

[0048] If not, a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water is returned, and the cooking component is controlled to stop running.

[0049] In a second aspect, the present application provides a control system for an integrated water tank, including a controller and an integrated water tank, wherein the controller is used in the above method.

[0050] The embodiments of the present invention bring about the following beneficial effects: the control method and system of the integrated water tank provided in the present application utilize an integrated water tank for water isolation or water bath heating and thawing. The food will not directly contact the water during the thawing process, which helps to maintain its original flavor and nutritional value. The heating mechanism is located in the interlayer and circumferentially surrounds the inner tank to release heat circumferentially. The uniform heat is conducive to shortening the thawing time and improving the thawing efficiency. The degree of automation is improved based on the dimensional parameter monitoring of the light curtain assembly, so as to automatically monitor and adjust the thawing process to ensure that the food reaches the ideal thawing state.

[0051] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and partly become apparent from the description, or understood by practicing the present invention. The purpose and other advantages of the present invention are realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings.

[0052] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] 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 those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0054] Figure 1 A flow chart of a control method for an integrated water tank provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 2 A flow chart of a control method for an integrated water tank provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 3 A structural side view of an integrated water tank provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 4 A structural side view of an integrated water tank provided in Example 3 of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 5 A flow chart of another integrated water tank control method provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Reference numerals:

[0061] 1-inner tank, 2-outer tank, 3-interlayer, 4-radiator, 5-heating device, 6-light curtain assembly, 7-cooling fan;

[0062] 130 - processor, 131 - memory, 132 - bus, 133 - communication interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] 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 those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0064] In order to facilitate the understanding of this embodiment, the technical terms designed in this application are briefly introduced below.

[0065] An integrated sink is a design that integrates the sink with the countertop and kitchen appliances. The design of an integrated sink with a dishwasher or a steam oven is becoming more and more popular, especially when kitchen space is limited. This design integrates multiple functions into one device, which not only saves space but also improves convenience.

[0066] After introducing the technical terms involved in this application, the application scenarios and design concepts of the embodiments of this application are briefly introduced.

[0067] The existing integrated sink is used for washing or placing items. During the thawing process through the integrated sink, the bottom is usually heated, which causes local heat impact, resulting in low thawing efficiency and unsatisfactory thawing effect.

[0068] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method and system for an integrated water tank.

[0069] Example 1

[0070] The present application provides a control method for an integrated water tank. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0071] S110, receiving a thawing instruction, and obtaining a thawing mode and an expected thawing effect of the thawing instruction.

[0072] S120, determining the initial volume of the object to be thawed in combination with the first monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies.

[0073] S130, determining a thawing temperature and a thawing time corresponding to the thawing effect based on a preset mapping relationship.

[0074] S140, in response to the user's confirmation operation, determining whether the water level of the radiator in the integrated water tank is a high water level.

[0075] If so, execute step S150.

[0076] S150, controlling the water pump connected to the connecting pipe between the radiator and the kitchen appliance to stop running, and controlling the heating device to operate at an operating power corresponding to the defrosting mode to reach and maintain the defrosting temperature.

[0077] S160, combining the second monitoring data and the initial volume of all the light curtain components to determine whether the thawing effect is achieved.

[0078] If not, execute step S170.

[0079] S170, running in the current running mode until the thawing effect or thawing time is reached.

[0080] The control method of the integrated water sink provided in the present application is applied to an integrated water sink control system, which uses an integrated water sink for water isolation or water bath heating and thawing. The food will not directly contact the water during the thawing process, which helps to maintain its original flavor and nutritional value. The heating device 5 is located in the interlayer 3 and circumferentially surrounds the inner tank 1 to release heat circumferentially. The uniform heat is conducive to shortening the thawing time and improving the thawing efficiency. The degree of automation is improved based on the dimensional parameter monitoring of the light curtain assembly 6, so as to automatically monitor and adjust the thawing process to ensure that the food reaches the ideal thawing state.

[0081] Among them, step S110, after the user starts the integrated water tank, the control instruction is sent to the control unit by input, selection, mobile terminal transmission, etc. After receiving the thawing control instruction, the control unit identifies, analyzes, and extracts data from the instruction to obtain the thawing mode and expected thawing effect carried by the instruction. Among them, the thawing effect at least includes the thawing degree of full, half, and seven-part thawing; the thawing mode at least includes fast thawing, ordinary thawing, and ultra-fast thawing.

[0082] Step S120 determines the initial volume of the object to be thawed based on the working principle of the light curtain assembly 6 .

[0083] Among them, the light curtain is an electronic device that senses the change in the light intensity it receives, and includes an optical system, an amplifier, and a switching output device. During operation, the photoelectric sensor emits light. When the object to be detected is placed in the water tank, the object either absorbs the light or reflects the light to the light receiver of the photoelectric sensor, thereby causing a change in the light intensity received by the light receiver. When there is no item to be thawed, the waveform is a square wave. When there is an item, the waveform changes and the change value triggers the output of a switching signal. At the same time, multiple groups of light curtains are installed on the long side, wide side, and height of the integrated water tank, so as to realize the function of detecting the volume of the item and its volume change. By installing multiple light curtain components 6 in the integrated water tank to obtain monitoring data in real time at different times, the current thawing effect can be accurately obtained, thereby improving the accuracy of controlling the thawing process.

[0084] For the i-th light curtain component 6, the transmitting end of the light curtain component 6 emits a waveform with a frequency of fi. At the same time, the waveform fi’ received by the receiving end of the light curtain component 6 satisfies (fi - xi) < fi’ < (fi + xi), where xi is the waveform tolerance value of the i-th light curtain component 6.

[0085] At this time, it can be determined that no item to be thawed is detected at the position where the i-th group of light curtain components is located. On the contrary, if the receiving end monitors that some signals are incorrect or there is no signal, but other parts receive waveforms, it proves that there is an item to be thawed in the monitoring area of this i-th group of light curtain components and the single-side length can be determined.

[0086] Similarly, by combining the inner wall of the inner tank 1 provided at the bottom and all the light curtain components 6 provided on the side wall of the inner tank 1, the length, width, and height of the item to be thawed in the inner tank 1 can be obtained, and then the approximate volume of the item to be thawed can be estimated. When the machine is powered on and the user operates a function or logic that needs to judge the thawing state of the water tank, n groups of light curtain components 6 can be controlled simultaneously for monitoring, and the volume of the item to be thawed in the water tank can be quickly and accurately judged.

[0087] Step S130, specific thawing temperatures and times corresponding to different thawing effects are preset in the controller, and the system will determine the optimal thawing temperature and time suitable for the current thawing task.

[0088] Step S140, after the user confirms the thawing settings, the system will check whether the water level of the radiator 4 in the integrated water tank is at a high level. If the water level is indeed very high, the operation of the water pump will be stopped to prevent water from overflowing. At the same time, the heating device 5 will be started and heating will begin at the power set according to the selected thawing mode to ensure that the required thawing temperature can be reached and maintained.

[0089] Afterwards, step S150 compares the second set of monitoring data provided by all light curtain components 6 with the previously measured initial volume, and the system will continue to monitor the thawing process to determine whether the expected thawing effect has been achieved. If the ideal thawing effect is not achieved within the predetermined time, the system will continue to operate in the currently set mode until the thawing effect meets the standard or the preset maximum thawing time is reached.

[0090] In combination with the first aspect, after step S130, the method further includes:

[0091] If not, execute step S141.

[0092] S141, based on historical operation data, determine whether the radiator is a spare water tank.

[0093] If so, execute step S142.

[0094] S142, determining whether there is water in the radiator.

[0095] If not, execute step S143.

[0096] S143, controlling the water pump to run for a preset time and obtaining a first water level of the radiator, until the first water level reaches a high water level, or the number of times the water pump runs reaches a threshold number.

[0097] The integrated water tank has a double-layer structure, specifically an inner tank 1, an outer tank 2, and an interlayer 3 between the inner tank 1 and the outer tank 2. A heating device 5 and a radiator 4 are arranged in the interlayer 3.

[0098] In this embodiment, the kitchen appliance includes: a dishwasher. At this time, the radiator 4 is arranged in the lateral interlayer 3 and the bottom interlayer 3, and the radiator 4 is located inside the heating device 5. The radiators 4 are connected in sequence along the height direction. The water inlet of the top radiator 4 is the water inlet of the sink, and the water inlet is connected to the water inlet of the dishwasher below through a breather and a hose. The water outlet of the bottom radiator 4 is the drain of the integrated sink, and the drain is connected to the breather water inlet pipe in the dishwasher through a pipeline. A drainage pump is arranged on the connecting pipeline, and the drainage of the radiator is achieved through the drainage pump.

[0099] It can be understood that the radiator water inlet of the side wall of the dishwasher integrated water tank is at the upper part, and water can be ensured to flow from high to low when filling water, ensuring that the radiators of the side wall interlayer and the bottom interlayer of the integrated water tank are full of water; at the same time, the water inlet is connected to the water inlet of the dishwasher below through a breather and a water softener. After the water at the dishwasher water inlet passes through the breather and the water softener, the water flow rate can be calculated. At the same time, a water level detection is provided inside the radiator to ensure that the radiator is filled with water but does not overflow.

[0100] The main function of a dishwasher is to wash tableware, and a large amount of washing water will be generated during its operation. Therefore, in order to improve the effectiveness and service life of the light curtain monitoring, the light curtain assembly 6 needs to have a waterproof function. It can be understood that the light curtain assembly 6 appears in groups, and the light curtain assembly includes a transmitting end and a receiving end, which are arranged opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the light curtain assembly 6 is embedded in the interlayer 3 of the integrated water tank, and a groove is formed on the peripheral structure of the light curtain to avoid the retention of residual water. In addition, the model, quantity, size, distance between adjacent light curtain assemblies 6, and setting position of the light curtain assembly 6 can be selected and adjusted according to actual use requirements, and are not limited here. The installation method can also be fixed by punching, sputtering on the inner wall of the inner tank, integration, etc. This is only an example and is not limited here.

[0101] It is worth noting that at least two sets of light curtain assemblies 6 should be provided on the inner wall of the inner tank 1 at the bottom to monitor the length and width of the items to be thawed, and at least one set of light curtain assemblies 6 should also be provided on the inner wall of the inner tank 1 at the side to monitor the height. It is understandable that as the number of light curtain assemblies 6 increases, the covered monitoring area becomes larger; the smaller the distance between adjacent light curtain assemblies 6, the higher the monitoring accuracy, which is only an example and not limited here.

[0102] After the thawing temperature and thawing time are obtained in step S130, firstly, it is determined whether the radiator was used as a backup water tank in the previous operation process according to the historical operation data. If so, the radiator has been used as a backup water tank to supply water to the dishwasher, resulting in insufficient water or no water in the radiator. At this time, the heat cannot be evenly dissipated to the inner space of the inner tank 1 through fluid conduction, which affects the thawing effect.

[0103] Therefore, if the judgment result is affirmative (that is, the radiator is indeed a spare water tank), it is further checked whether there is water in the radiator. If it is detected that there is no water in the radiator, the water pump will be started to supply water to the radiator, and it will continue to run for a period of time (preset duration, in this embodiment, the preset duration is set in the range of 5s-8s). During this period, the system will continuously monitor the water level in the radiator (called the "first water level"). This process will continue until one of the following two conditions is met: 1. The first water level rises to the set high water level standard; 2. The number of times the water pump runs reaches the preset maximum number of times (number threshold, in this embodiment, the number threshold is in the range of 5-8). In this way, it can be ensured that the water level in the radiator is maintained within a safe range to ensure uniform heat conduction.

[0104] In combination with the first aspect, in step S143, the water pump is controlled to run for a preset time and the first water level of the radiator is obtained until the number of times the water pump runs reaches a threshold number, and further includes:

[0105] S144, obtaining a second water level of the radiator.

[0106] S145, if the second water level is still a low water level, it is determined that the water tank of the cooking device is short of water, and a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water is returned.

[0107] After the radiator is replenished with water through the water pump, the water level is continuously detected. If the water level is still low after the water pump has worked to replenish water for a preset number of times, it is determined that the water tank of the kitchen appliance (i.e., the dishwasher) is short of water, and a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water is returned.

[0108] In combination with the first aspect, after step S120, the method further includes:

[0109] S131, if the initial volume is zero, determining that no items to be thawed are placed in the integrated water tank;

[0110] S132, exiting the defrosting mode and returning to a prompt message indicating that there is no object in the integrated sink.

[0111] It is understandable that if all the light curtain assemblies 6 are monitored and the initial volume is zero, then no objects to be thawed are detected in different directions. At this time, the thawing mode is exited and a prompt message is returned to remind the user that the items to be thawed are missed.

[0112] In combination with the first aspect, after step S160, the method further includes:

[0113] If so, execute step S171.

[0114] S171, exit the defrost mode and run in the preset prompt mode.

[0115] Specifically, when the thawing is completed, the currently ongoing thawing process is stopped, and a prompt is sent to the user in a preset manner (such as sound, light or screen display, etc.) to inform that the thawing process has been completed.

[0116] This step ensures that after the unfreezing target is reached, the system can respond in a timely manner and notify the user that the unfreezing is completed so that the user can take the next step.

[0117] In combination with the first aspect, after step S170, the method further includes:

[0118] If the thawing effect is not achieved and the thawing time is reached, S180 returns a prompt message suggesting thawing again.

[0119] Specifically: if the expected thawing effect is not achieved during the thawing process (for example, the food has not been completely thawed), the system will continue to work in the current operating mode until the expected thawing effect is achieved (that is, the food has been completely thawed), or the thawing time reaches the preset time limit. However, if the expected thawing effect is still not achieved after the thawing time is reached, the system will give a prompt message suggesting thawing again, informing the user that further thawing is required.

[0120] In combination with the first aspect, after step S130, the method further includes:

[0121] S1400: In response to the user's editing operation on the thawing temperature and the thawing time, a target thawing temperature and a target thawing time are determined.

[0122] S1500: Determine whether the water level in the radiator is high.

[0123] If so, execute step S1600.

[0124] S1600 controls the water pump connected to the radiator to stop running, and controls the heating device to run at the operating power corresponding to the thawing mode to achieve and maintain the target thawing temperature.

[0125] S1700, combining the third monitoring data of all light curtain components with the initial volume, to determine whether the thawing effect is achieved, and whether the current time reaches the target thawing time.

[0126] S1800: If the thawing effect has been achieved and the current time has not reached the target thawing time, continue to run in the current running mode and control the buzzer to run.

[0127] S1900, if the thawing effect is not achieved and the current time has reached the target thawing time, exit the thawing mode and return to the prompt message suggesting thawing again.

[0128] After the user actively modifies the thawing temperature and thawing time, the modified values ​​are used as the target thawing temperature and target thawing time. In the same way as above, the water level inside the radiator 4 is judged and adjusted to control the heating device 5 to generate heat when there is enough water in the radiator 4. The light curtain component 6 monitors data collection in real time to calculate the current volume of the item to be thawed. The thawing effect can be calculated based on the current volume and the initial volume. When the thawing effect is achieved but the target thawing time is not reached, the system continues to run and a buzzer prompts. At this time, the thawing time set by the user may be too long and the user should be reminded to adjust it immediately to avoid excessive thawing that affects the taste of the food. When the thawing effect is not achieved but the target thawing time is reached, the target thawing time set by the user may be too short. At this time, the thawing mode is exited and another thawing reminder is given.

[0129] Example 2

[0130] In combination with the first aspect, the kitchen appliance is a dishwasher, such as Figure 2 As shown, the method also includes:

[0131] S210, receiving a washing instruction, and obtaining a washing mode corresponding to the washing instruction.

[0132] S220: When the dishwasher is running low on water, determine whether there is water in the integrated sink.

[0133] If not, execute step S230; if so, execute steps S240-S250.

[0134] S230, exit the washing mode and return to the water shortage prompt message.

[0135] S240, starting a water pump to transport water in the radiator in the integrated water tank to the dishwasher until the water level in the dishwasher reaches a preset water level.

[0136] S250, controlling the dishwasher to operate in a washing mode.

[0137] When the kitchen appliance is a dishwasher, the radiator 4 in the integrated water tank can be used as a backup water tank to supply water to the dishwasher when the machine detects that there is insufficient water in the dishwasher. Specifically, a washing instruction is received and the corresponding washing mode is determined according to the instruction. Before preparing to start washing, the system will check whether there is enough water in the dishwasher. If the water is insufficient, the system will further check whether there is enough water in the radiator. If there is no water in the radiator 4, the dishwasher cannot be replenished with water. At this time, the current washing mode will be stopped and a water shortage prompt message will be sent to the user, informing the user that water needs to be replenished before continuing the operation; if there is enough water in the integrated water tank, the water pump will be started to extract water from the radiator 4 and transport it to the dishwasher until the water in the dishwasher reaches the preset standard amount. Once the water in the dishwasher reaches the requirement, the system will start or continue to run the washing program according to the previously selected washing mode. The entire process design is designed to ensure that the dishwasher operates safely and effectively with sufficient water, and also provides users with a simple way to solve the problem of temporary water shortage.

[0138] Combination Figure 3 As shown, when the kitchen appliance is a dishwasher, the radiator 4 is located on the inner side of the integrated water tank 1, and the heating device 5 is located on the outer side. In this way, the heating device 5 is located behind the radiator. The main purpose is that when the heating device is heated, the water inside the radiator 4 can reach a preset temperature, thereby realizing rapid thawing of food ingredients. The thawed water tank can be used as the heat preservation function of the machine.

[0139] Example 3

[0140] In combination with the first aspect, the kitchen appliance may also be a cooking component, such as a steam-bake combination machine. The method further includes:

[0141] S310, obtaining the switch status of the water tank connected to the cooking component and the operating status of the cooking component.

[0142] S320, if the switch state is closed and the operation state is stopped, the drain pump is turned on after the thawing is completed to drain the water in the radiator into the water tank.

[0143] Combination Figure 4 As shown, when the kitchen appliance connected to the integrated sink is a cooking component, a cooling fan 7 is arranged in the lateral interlayer 3. The cooling fan 7 is located on the outside of the heating device 5, which can ensure air flow, so that the temperature in the interlayer 3 can be quickly heated up to reach the thawing temperature required for thawing food, thereby reducing the time required for thawing food.

[0144] In addition, since the water tank capacity of the cooking component is fixed and the water tank requires manual water addition by the user, in order to improve the user experience and reduce the situation where the machine reports water shortage, and also to improve the thawing effect of the water tank, and because the bottom of the inner tank 1 is in direct contact with the food when the user thaws the food, the radiator 4 is only added to the bottom interlayer 3, and the water inlet and outlet of the radiator 4 are connected to the water tank of the cooking component. Since the water tank capacity is fixed, it is recommended that the volume of the water tank be ≥ the volume of the radiator 4 full of water during factory design. This can reduce the user's multiple operations on the water tank. At the same time, a water level detection is also provided inside the radiator 4. The water level is identified by the on and off of the water level detection to determine whether the radiator is filled with water.

[0145] The status of the water tank is judged to determine whether to pull the water tank for water replenishment, and the operating status of the cooking component is also judged. If no water is added manually and the cooking component stops running, the drain pump is turned on after thawing to discharge the water in the radiator into the water tank to replenish the water tank of the cooking component for standby use.

[0146] Combined with the first aspect, Figure 5 The method further includes:

[0147] S410, receiving a cooking instruction and acquiring a cooking mode of the cooking instruction.

[0148] S420, controlling the cooking component to operate in a cooking mode.

[0149] S430: If the water tank connected to the cooking component is short of water, determine whether the attribute information of the radiator is a spare water tank.

[0150] If so, execute step S440.

[0151] S440, when the water level of the water tank is low, control the drainage pump on the pipeline connecting the radiator and the water tank to operate so as to add water to the water tank.

[0152] S450, determining whether there is water in the water tank.

[0153] If so, execute step S460; if not, execute step S470.

[0154] S460, controlling the cooking component to continue to operate in the cooking mode.

[0155] S470, returning a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water, and controlling the cooking component to stop running.

[0156] Specifically: First, the cooking device receives the cooking instructions input by the user and determines the corresponding cooking mode according to these instructions. Then, the cooking device controls the various components inside it (such as the heating device, the fan, etc.) to start working according to the selected cooking mode. During the cooking process, if it is detected that there is a lack of water in the water tank connected to the cooking component, the system will check the attribute information of the radiator 4 to see whether the radiator 4 is configured as a spare water tank. If it is confirmed that the radiator 4 is a spare water tank, when the water level in the cooking device is at a low level, the control system will start the drainage pump in the integrated water tank to transport water from the spare water tank (i.e., radiator 4) to the water tank for water replenishment.

[0157] After that, the system checks again whether the water tank has been successfully filled with water. If the water tank has enough water, the cooking components are controlled to operate in cooking mode to complete the cooking process. However, if the water tank is still short of water, the system will display a warning message to remind the user that the water tank is short of water and immediately stop the operation of all cooking components to prevent damage to the equipment due to lack of water.

[0158] As such, monitoring water levels is particularly important in ensuring that cooking components can operate safely and efficiently, especially in cooking modes that involve water circulation and steam generation.

[0159] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control system for an integrated water tank, including a controller and an integrated water tank, wherein the controller is used to execute the method as described above.

[0160] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device, Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device includes a memory 131 and a processor 130. The memory 131 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 130 runs the computer programs to enable the electronic device to perform the above method.

[0161] Furthermore, combined with Figure 6The electronic device shown further includes a bus 132 and a communication interface 133 , and the processor 130 , the communication interface 133 and the memory 131 are connected via the bus 132 .

[0162] The memory 131 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 133 (which may be wired or wireless), and the Internet, wide area network, local area network, metropolitan area network, etc. may be used. The bus 132 may be an ISA bus, a PCI bus, or an EISA bus, etc. The bus may 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.

[0163] The processor 130 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 130. The above processor 130 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-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiment 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 131, and the processor 130 reads the information in the memory 131 and completes the steps of the method of the above embodiment in combination with its hardware.

[0164] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a readable storage medium, in which computer program instructions are stored. When the computer program instructions are read and executed by a processor, the above method is executed.

[0165] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the system and device described above can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0166] In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0167] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), disk or optical disk, etc., which can store program codes.

[0168] 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.

[0169] Finally, it should be noted that the above 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 embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the above 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 based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an integrated water tank, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receiving a thawing instruction, and obtaining a thawing mode and an expected thawing effect of the thawing instruction; Determine the initial volume of the object to be thawed by combining the first monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies; Based on a preset mapping relationship, determining a thawing temperature and a thawing time corresponding to the thawing effect; In response to the user's confirmation operation, determining whether the water level of the radiator in the integrated water tank is a high water level; If yes, control the water pump connected to the connecting pipe between the radiator and the kitchen appliance to stop running, and control the heating device to run at the operating power corresponding to the thawing mode to reach and maintain the thawing temperature; Combining the second monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies and the initial volume, determining whether the thawing effect is achieved; If not, run in the current operation mode until the thawing effect or the thawing time is reached.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before the step of determining whether the water level in the radiator is a high water level, the method further includes: If not, based on historical operating data, determining whether the radiator is a spare water tank; If yes, determining whether there is water in the radiator; If not, the water pump is controlled to run for a preset time and the first water level of the radiator is obtained until the first water level reaches a high water level, or the water pump runs for a number of times reaching a threshold number.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that After the step of controlling the water pump to run for a preset time and obtaining the first water level of the radiator until the number of times the water pump runs reaches a threshold, the method further includes: obtaining a second water level of the radiator; If the second water level is still a low water level, it is determined that the water tank of the kitchen appliance is short of water, and a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water is returned.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After the step of determining the initial volume of the object to be thawed by combining the first monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies, the method further includes: If the initial volume is zero, it is determined that no items to be thawed are placed in the integrated water tank; Exit the defrosting mode and return to the prompt message that there is no object in the integrated sink.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After the step of operating in the current operating mode until the thawing effect or the thawing time is achieved, the method further includes: If the thawing effect is not achieved and the thawing time is reached, a prompt message suggesting thawing again is returned.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that After the step of determining the thawing temperature and thawing time corresponding to the thawing effect based on the preset mapping relationship, the method further includes: In response to a user's editing operation on the thawing temperature and the thawing time, determining a target thawing temperature and a target thawing time; Determining whether the water level in the radiator is a high water level; If yes, control the water pump connected to the radiator to stop running, and control the heating device to run at the operating power corresponding to the thawing mode to reach and maintain the target thawing temperature; Combining the third monitoring data of all the light curtain assemblies with the initial volume, determining whether the thawing effect is achieved, and whether the current time reaches the target thawing time; If the thawing effect has been achieved and the current time has not reached the target thawing time, continue to run in the current running mode and control the buzzer to run; If the thawing effect is not achieved, and the current time has reached the target thawing time, the thawing mode is exited, and a prompt message suggesting thawing again is returned.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The kitchen appliance is a dishwasher, and the method further comprises: Receiving a washing instruction and obtaining a washing mode corresponding to the washing instruction; When the dishwasher is short of water, determining whether there is water in the integrated water tank; If not, exit the washing mode and return to the water shortage prompt message; If yes, start the water pump to transfer the water in the radiator in the integrated water tank to the dishwasher until the water level in the dishwasher reaches a preset water level; The dishwasher is controlled to operate in the washing mode.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The kitchen appliance is a cooking component, and the method further comprises: Acquire the switch status of the water tank connected to the cooking component, and the operation status of the cooking component; If the switch state is the closed state, and the operation state is the stopped operation state, the drainage pump is turned on after the thawing is completed to discharge the water in the radiator into the water tank.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a cooking instruction and obtaining a cooking mode of the cooking instruction; controlling the cooking component to operate in the cooking mode; If the water tank connected to the cooking component is short of water, determining whether the attribute information of the radiator is a spare water tank; If yes, when the water level in the water tank is low, controlling the drainage pump on the pipeline connecting the radiator and the water tank to operate so as to replenish water into the water tank; Determining whether there is water in the water tank; If yes, controlling the cooking component to continue to operate in the cooking mode; If not, a prompt message indicating that the water tank is short of water is returned, and the cooking component is controlled to stop running.

10. A control system for an integrated water tank, characterized in that: The invention comprises a controller and an integrated water tank, wherein the controller is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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