Water shortage detection method, device, ice maker and product

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of smart home appliance technology, and discloses a water shortage detection method, device, ice maker and product, including: obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control a water pump when the water output of a water pump in a target ice maker cannot reach a target detection probe; after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to an ice making tank in the target ice maker through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than the target duty cycle, and the voltage value between a reference conductive member and a target detection probe is collected; the reference conductive member is provided at the water outlet of the water pump; if the voltage value is not less than a voltage threshold, it is determined that the target ice maker is short of water. The present application can effectively detect the water shortage in an ice maker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of smart home appliances, and in particular to a water shortage detection method, device, ice maker and product. Background Art

[0002] Ice makers are increasingly used in daily life. When there is less water in the ice maker, the water pump in the ice maker will pump less water to the ice trough, which is insufficient to fill the ice trough with water, resulting in the subsequent ice being unformed and uneven in shape. Therefore, how to accurately detect the lack of water in the ice maker is a technical problem that needs to be solved in the relevant technology. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application propose a water shortage detection method, device, ice maker and product to solve the problem of accurately detecting water shortage in the ice maker in the related art.

[0004] The embodiment of the present application is implemented by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a water shortage detection method, comprising: obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control the water pump when the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe; after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making groove in the target ice maker through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and whose duty cycle is not less than the target duty cycle, and the voltage value between a reference conductive member and the target detection probe is collected; the reference conductive member is arranged at the water outlet of the water pump; if the voltage value is not less than a voltage threshold, it is determined that there is a lack of water in the target ice maker.

[0006] In a second aspect, the present application provides a water shortage detection device, comprising: an acquisition module, used to acquire a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control the water pump when the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe; a control module, used to control the water pump to pump water to the ice making groove in the target ice maker after the target ice maker starts making ice, through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than the target duty cycle, and collect the voltage value between a reference conductive member and the target detection probe; the reference conductive member is arranged at the water outlet of the water pump; a water shortage determination module, used to determine that there is a water shortage in the target ice maker if the voltage value is not less than a voltage threshold.

[0007] In a third aspect, the present application provides an ice-making machine, comprising: a processor; a memory, wherein computer instructions are stored in the memory, and when the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the above method is implemented.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the above-mentioned method is implemented.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, comprising computer instructions, which implement the above method when executed by a processor.

[0010] In the present application, a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker is introduced. The target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control the water pump when the water output of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe. That is to say, if the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump in the target ice maker is greater than the target duty cycle, the head of the water pump can ensure that the water pumped by the water pump reaches the target detection probe. Therefore, after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice-making tank in the target ice maker through the target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than the target duty cycle. If the voltage value collected between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is less than the voltage threshold, since the duty cycle of the target PWM signal is not less than the target duty cycle, in this case, it can be determined that there is a lack of water in the target ice maker, rather than the failure of the water outlet of the water pump to reach the target detection probe due to the small head of the water pump. Therefore, it can be avoided that the situation in which the water outlet of the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe due to the small head of the water pump is identified as a lack of water in the ice maker, the accuracy of the water shortage detection in the ice maker can be improved, the lack of water in the ice maker can be effectively detected, and the occurrence of unformed ice can be effectively reduced.

[0011] In addition, in the present application, a target PWM signal with a gradually decreasing duty cycle and a duty cycle not less than a target duty cycle is used to control the water pump to pump water to the ice-making trough in the target ice maker. In the early stage, a target PWM signal with a larger duty cycle is used to control the water pump to pump water. This can shorten the time required to fill the ice-making trough with water and reduce the long time required for ice-making due to identifying water shortage.

[0012] These and other aspects of the present application will become more clearly understood in the description of the following embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0014] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of a water shortage detection method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of step 120 shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of the steps before step 110 shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of the steps before step 120 shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a water shortage detection method according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a water shortage detection method according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a block diagram of a water shortage detection device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an ice maker provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0023] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0024] In the following description, the terms "first\second" and the like are merely used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects. It is understandable that "first\second" can be interchanged with a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0025] The "plurality" mentioned in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. In the following description, it involves "some embodiments or some embodiments", which describe a subset of all possible embodiments, but it can be understood that "some embodiments" can be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments, and can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0026] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a water shortage detection method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method of the present application can be executed by a target ice maker, such as Figure 1 As shown, the method includes steps 110 to 130:

[0027] Step 110, obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal used to control the water pump when the water output of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe.

[0028] The target ice maker refers to the ice maker currently to be tested for water shortage. Any ice maker that needs to be tested for water shortage can be used as the target ice maker in this application.

[0029] The target ice making includes a water pump and an ice making tank, and the water pump is used to pump water into the ice making tank to make ice in the ice making tank. The power of the water pump can be adjusted by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal.

[0030] The duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal refers to the ratio of the high level time of the signal to the entire cycle time. In other words, the larger the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the higher the power of the water pump; conversely, the smaller the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the lower the power of the water pump.

[0031] The power of the water pump directly affects the head of the water pump. The head of the water pump refers to the net increase in energy per unit weight of liquid obtained by the water pump. Simply put, the head of the water pump reflects the height to which the water pump can suck up water. Among them, the larger the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the higher the power of the water pump and the greater the head of the water pump; conversely, the smaller the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the lower the power of the water pump and the smaller the head of the water pump.

[0032] The target detection probe may be disposed on the water channel between the water outlet of the water pump and the ice making tank. That is to say, if the power of the water pump is sufficient, the water pumped out of the water outlet of the water pump will flow through the target detection probe, that is, the water output from the water pump will reach the target detection probe. In order to more accurately detect water shortage, the target detection probe may be disposed on the side close to the water outlet of the water pump. For example, the distance between the target detection probe and the water outlet of the water pump may be set to be less than the first distance threshold. In this way, the accuracy of water shortage detection may be avoided due to the excessive distance between the target detection probe and the water outlet.

[0033] As can be seen from the above analysis, the higher the power of the water pump, the greater the head of the water pump, the higher the energy (kinetic energy) of the water pumped by the water pump, and the higher the probability that the water pumped by the water pump flows through the target detection probe; conversely, the lower the power of the water pump, the smaller the head of the water pump, the lower the energy (kinetic energy) of the water pumped by the water pump, and the lower the probability that the water pumped by the water pump flows through the target detection probe.

[0034] The target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of the pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control the water pump when the water output of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe. Then, it can be determined that if the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump is less than the target duty cycle, the kinetic energy of the pumped water is less than the kinetic energy of the water pumped when the duty cycle is equal to the target duty cycle. Therefore, the water output of the water pump (i.e., the water pumped by the water pump) cannot reach the target detection probe (i.e., it will not flow through the target detection probe); if the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump is greater than the target duty cycle, the kinetic energy of the pumped water exceeds the kinetic energy of the water pumped when the duty cycle is equal to the target duty cycle. Therefore, at this time, the water output of the water pump may reach the target detection probe.

[0035] In some embodiments, the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker can be read from the memory of the target ice maker. Accordingly, the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker needs to be written into the memory of the target ice maker in advance.

[0036] In other embodiments, the target ice maker can be connected to other devices through a wired or wireless network communication, such as a user's terminal device, a cloud server, or a gateway device. The target ice maker can send a duty cycle request to the other devices, and the other devices respond to the duty cycle request and return the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker to the target ice maker.

[0037] Step 120, after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank in the target ice maker through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than a target duty cycle, and the voltage value between the reference conductive element and the target detection probe is collected; the reference conductive element is arranged at the water outlet of the water pump.

[0038] For the sake of distinction, the PWM signal used to control the water pump in the target ice maker during the ice making process is called the target PWM signal. It is understandable that when the target ice maker is just started to make ice, the duty cycle of the target PWM signal used exceeds the target duty cycle, and then, as the ice making process progresses, the duty cycle of the target PWM signal is gradually reduced.

[0039] In some embodiments, a maximum reference duty cycle of the target PWM signal used can be set, and the maximum reference duty cycle refers to the duty cycle of the target PWM signal used when the target ice maker is just started to make ice. The maximum reference duty cycle is greater than the target duty cycle. For example, the maximum reference duty cycle can be set to the maximum value of the duty cycle, that is, 100%. Of course, it can be other values, for example, 99%, 98%, 95%, 90%, etc.

[0040] In some embodiments, the total number of pumping stages involved in one ice-making process can be set, and the total number of pumping stages set is greater than 1. In one pumping stage, a target PWM signal with a constant duty cycle is used to control the water pump, and the duty cycles of the target PWM signals used in different pumping stages are different. The total number of pumping stages can be set according to actual needs, for example, the total number of pumping stages is 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. For example, if the total number of pumping stages is 2, then in the first pumping stage, a target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to the maximum reference duty cycle is used to control the water pump, and in the second pumping stage, a target PWM signal with a duty cycle less than the maximum reference duty cycle and not less than the target duty cycle is used to control the water pump. For example, a target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to the target duty cycle can be used to control the water pump.

[0041] In addition, on the basis of setting the total number of pumping stages involved in an ice-making process, the duration of each pumping stage can also be set. The duration of a pumping stage can also be understood as the duration of using the same duty cycle to control the water pump. Among them, the durations set for different pumping stages can be the same or different. In some embodiments, the duration of the earlier pumping stages can be set to be longer, and the duration of the later pumping stages can be set to be shorter. In this way, the duration of using a larger duty cycle to control the water pump is longer, which can avoid taking a long time to fill the ice trough with water.

[0042] In some embodiments, the minimum reference duty cycle for the target ice maker can also be determined according to the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, and the minimum reference duty cycle refers to the duty cycle of the target PWM signal used in the last pumping stage of an ice making process. The minimum reference duty cycle is not less than the target duty cycle. For example, the target duty cycle can be used as the minimum reference duty cycle, or the sum of the target duty cycle and the set duty cycle increment can be used as the minimum reference duty cycle.

[0043] In some embodiments, the continuous working time corresponding to a single duty cycle can be preset. That is, after the duration of controlling the water pump by a target PWM signal with a duty cycle of A reaches the set continuous working time, A is reduced to obtain a duty cycle of B, and then the water pump is controlled to work using a target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to B, and so on. The continuous working time set for different duty cycles can be the same or different. The sum of the continuous working time corresponding to the set multiple duty cycles does not exceed the total duration of one ice making.

[0044] In some embodiments, the duty cycle of the target PWM signal can be gradually attenuated according to a preset attenuation ratio, and the attenuation ratio can be set according to actual needs, for example, the attenuation ratio is 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, etc. Continuing with the above example, after the duration of controlling the water pump by a target PWM signal with a duty cycle of A reaches the set continuous working duration, A is reduced according to the attenuation ratio, and the resulting duty cycle is B. After that, the target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to B is used to control the water pump to work, and so on. The attenuation ratio is the reduction ratio of the duty cycle used in the latter pumping stage relative to the previous pumping stage in two adjacent pumping stages.

[0045] In some embodiments, the attenuation ratio corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages can be determined according to the maximum reference duty cycle, the total number of pumping stages, and the minimum reference duty cycle determined above. For example, the attenuation ratio can be determined according to the following formula:

[0046] ;(Formula 1)

[0047] Wherein, p1 is the maximum reference duty cycle; N is the total number of pumping stages, and N is an integer greater than 1; is the attenuation ratio; is the minimum reference duty cycle.

[0048] In some embodiments, the duty cycle reduction amount corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages can be determined based on the maximum reference duty cycle, the total number of pumping stages, and the minimum reference duty cycle determined above, and then, after the previous pumping stage ends, the duty cycle used in the previous pumping stage is reduced by the duty cycle reduction amount to obtain the duty cycle of the next pumping stage. For example, the duty cycle reduction amount corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages can be determined according to the following formula:

[0049] ;(Formula 2)

[0050] Wherein, p1 is the maximum reference duty cycle; N is the total number of pumping stages, and N is an integer greater than 1; is the duty cycle reduction corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages; is the minimum reference duty cycle.

[0051] In some embodiments, the duty ratio corresponding to each pumping stage may be pre-stored, and then the target PWM signal corresponding to the duty ratio is used to control the water pump in the corresponding pumping stage.

[0052] In the present application, the reference conductive member is made of a conductive material, such as a metal material. In addition, the target detection probe is also conductive, and the target detection probe is spaced apart from the reference conductive member.

[0053] Since water is conductive, if water flows from the water outlet of the water pump through the target detection probe (that is, the water will first flow through the reference conductive part and then flow through the target detection probe), in this case, the reference conductive part and the target detection probe form a conductive path, and the voltage value between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe is small. On the contrary, if the water outlet of the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe, in this case, the reference conductive part and the target detection probe cannot form a conductive path, which is equivalent to an open circuit between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe. At this time, the voltage value between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe is large.

[0054] Therefore, in this application, based on this principle, during the operation of the water pump, the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is collected to detect whether there is a water shortage in the target ice maker. In some embodiments, the reference conductive member can be a screw fixedly installed at the water outlet of the water pump.

[0055] In some embodiments, the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe can be periodically collected during the operation of the water pump according to the set target collection interval. The target collection interval is less than the duration of a pumping stage; for example, the duration of a pumping stage is 7s, and the target collection interval can be 100ms. Of course, the target collection interval can be set according to actual needs, and is not specifically limited here.

[0056] In some embodiments, the collected voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe may be a value converted into a digital signal, also referred to as a voltage AD value.

[0057] In some embodiments, multiple voltage values ​​collected during the use of the same duty cycle to control a water pump can be used to calculate the average value of the multiple voltage values ​​collected under the same duty cycle using a floating average method, and the obtained average value is used as the voltage value corresponding to the duty cycle. In this way, it is possible to determine whether there is a lack of water in the target ice maker based on the voltage value under the duty cycle.

[0058] Step 130: If the voltage value is not less than the voltage threshold, it is determined that the target ice maker is short of water.

[0059] As described above, if the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is not less than the voltage threshold, it is considered that there is an open circuit between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe, indicating that the water output of the water pump has not reached the target detection probe; conversely, if the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is less than the voltage threshold, it is considered that the reference conductive member and the target detection probe form a conductive path, and the water output of the water pump reaches the target detection probe. The set voltage threshold is the critical voltage value corresponding to when the water output of the water pump reaches the target detection probe and does not reach the target detection probe, and is not specifically limited here.

[0060] For example, if the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is represented by a 12-bit binary number, then the theoretical maximum value of the voltage value is 4095. However, in practice, considering the influence of water quality, when water of different water qualities flows through the reference conductive member and the target detection probe, there are differences in the critical voltage values ​​between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe. Based on this consideration, the voltage threshold can be set to a value less than 4095, for example, the voltage threshold can be set to 4000, 3600, etc.

[0061] For an ice maker, there are two reasons why the water output from the water pump in the ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe (i.e., the voltage value between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe is less than the voltage threshold): first, there is a lack of water in the ice maker. For example, the water level in the water tank of the ice maker is low, resulting in less water pumped out by the water pump or basically no water being pumped out. In this case, no matter how large the lift of the water pump is, the water output from the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe; second, there is enough water in the ice maker, but the working power of the water pump is low, the lift of the water pump is small, and the kinetic energy of the water pumped out by the water pump is small, resulting in the water output from the water pump failing to reach the target detection probe.

[0062] Obviously, if the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe caused by the second situation is less than the voltage threshold, it is inaccurate to identify that there is a lack of water in the ice maker.

[0063] In the present application, a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker is introduced. The target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control the water pump when the water output of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe. That is to say, if the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump in the target ice maker is greater than the target duty cycle, the head of the water pump can ensure that the water pumped by the water pump reaches the target detection probe. Therefore, after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice-making tank in the target ice maker through the target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than the target duty cycle. If the voltage value collected between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is less than the voltage threshold, since the duty cycle of the target PWM signal is not less than the target duty cycle, in this case, it can be determined that there is a lack of water in the target ice maker, rather than the failure of the water pump's outlet to reach the target detection probe due to the small head of the water pump. Thus, the problem of the water pump's outlet failing to reach the target detection probe and being identified as a lack of water in the ice maker can be avoided, the accuracy of the water shortage detection in the ice maker can be improved, the lack of water in the ice maker can be effectively detected, and the occurrence of unformed ice such as "fingernail ice" can be effectively reduced.

[0064] In addition, in the present application, a target PWM signal with a gradually decreasing duty cycle and a duty cycle not less than a target duty cycle is used to control a water pump to pump water to an ice trough in a target ice maker. In the early stage, a target PWM signal with a larger duty cycle is used to control the water pump to pump water. This shortens the time required to fill the ice trough with water and reduces the long time required to make ice due to identifying a water shortage.

[0065] In some embodiments, after step 130, the method further includes at least one of the following: providing a water shortage reminder; opening a channel between the target ice maker and an external water source, and replenishing water for the target ice maker from the external water source.

[0066] The water shortage prompt may be a voice alarm, or a water shortage prompt message may be displayed on a display screen of the target ice maker, or a water shortage prompt light may be controlled to light up in the target ice maker. By providing a water shortage prompt, the user is prompted to add water to the target ice maker in time, such as adding water to a water tank in the target ice maker, thereby reducing the occurrence of unformed ice such as "nail ice" and reducing the waste of ice making performance.

[0067] After the passage between the target ice maker and the external water source is opened, the target ice maker can be supplied with water from the external water source, so that water can be replenished in time when the main water tank in the target ice maker is short of water. The external water source can be an auxiliary water tank provided in the target ice maker, or in other embodiments, can be other water sources external to the target ice maker, which is not specifically limited here.

[0068] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, step 120 includes the following steps 210 to 250:

[0069] Step 210, in the i-th pumping stage after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle is equal to the i-th duty cycle; the i-th duty cycle is not less than the target duty cycle; i is a positive integer and i∈[1,N]; when i is greater than 1, the i-th duty cycle is less than the i-1th duty cycle used in the i-1-th pumping stage; when i=N, the i-th duty cycle is equal to the target duty cycle.

[0070] Wherein, N can be set according to actual needs, for example, N is 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. As described above, when i=1, the first duty cycle can be the maximum reference duty cycle. When i is greater than 1, the i-th duty cycle is less than the i-1th duty cycle used in the i-1th pumping stage, so that the duty cycle used in the previous pumping stage is guaranteed to be greater than the duty cycle used in the next pumping stage.

[0071] As described above, the duration of each pumping stage can be pre-set. Therefore, in the i-th pumping stage, according to the target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to the i-th duty cycle, the duration of continuous operation of the water pump is controlled to be the duration corresponding to the i-th pumping stage, and the duty cycle of the target PWM signal used in the i-th pumping stage is the i-th duty cycle.

[0072] In some embodiments, the duty cycles corresponding to the various pumping stages may be stored in a memory of a target ice maker. Thus, during ice making by the target ice maker, the duty cycle corresponding to the current pumping stage may be read from the memory of the target ice maker according to the current pumping stage.

[0073] In addition, as described above, the duty cycle required for the current pumping stage can also be calculated in real time according to the attenuation ratio corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages, or the duty cycle reduction corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages, based on the maximum baseline duty cycle, the target duty cycle and the serial number of the current pumping stage (for example, the serial number of the i-th pumping stage is i).

[0074] Step 220 , in the i-th pumping stage, detecting the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe.

[0075] In the i-th pumping stage, the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe may be periodically collected according to a set target collection interval, and each collected voltage value may be compared with a voltage threshold.

[0076] Step 230, determining whether the voltage value detected in the i-th water pumping stage is less than a voltage threshold; if yes, executing step 240; if no, determining that the target ice maker is short of water.

[0077] Step 240, determine whether i is less than N; if i is less than N, execute step 250; if i=N, enter the refrigeration process after the i-th pumping stage, that is, turn the water in the ice making tank into ice.

[0078] Step 250 , after the i-th pumping stage is finished, i is cumulatively incremented by 1, and the process returns to step 210 .

[0079] When i is less than N, it indicates that the ice making process has not yet ended. Therefore, i is accumulated and added by 1 to enter the next water pumping stage.

[0080] In this embodiment, an ice-making process is pre-divided into multiple pumping stages, and a duty cycle is used to control the water pump in one pumping stage to ensure that the duty cycle used in the previous pumping stage is greater than the duty cycle used in the next stage, and both are not less than the target duty cycle, thereby achieving an orderly reduction in the duty cycle of the target PWM signal in an ice-making process.

[0081] In some embodiments, the target duty cycle is read from the memory of the target ice maker; Figure 3 As shown, before step 110, the method further includes the following steps 310 to 350:

[0082] Step 310, using a test PWM signal whose duty cycle is stepwise decayed from a maximum value, controlling a water pump in a target ice maker to pump water, and recording the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at multiple time points to obtain duty cycle data.

[0083] The water level in the target ice maker refers to the water level of the water tank connected to the water pump in the target ice maker. For ease of distinction, the PWM signal used to control the water pump in the target ice maker during the test phase is referred to as a test PWM signal. Among them, the maximum value of the duty cycle can be 100%. Since the main purpose of this embodiment is to find the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, therefore, in this embodiment, in the process of using the test PWM signal to control the operation of the water pump, the refrigeration device in the target ice maker does not need to be turned on to cool the water in the ice trough. Of course, in the process of using the test PWM signal to control the operation of the water pump, the refrigeration device in the target ice maker can be turned on to cool the water in the ice trough to test the performance of the refrigeration device in the target ice maker, or the performance of other structures in the target ice maker.

[0084] The stepwise reduction of the duty cycle of the test PWM signal may be similar to the gradual reduction process performed in step 110 above.

[0085] In some embodiments, the duration of each pumping stage can be set, and the duty cycle attenuation ratio of the duty cycles corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages can be set, so that when the end time of the previous pumping stage is reached, the duty cycle used in the previous pumping stage can be decayed according to the set duty cycle attenuation ratio to obtain the duty cycle of the next pumping stage. Among them, the duty cycle attenuation ratios of the duty cycles corresponding to different adjacent pumping stages can be the same or different. For example, in the front pumping stage, the duty cycle attenuation ratio of the duty cycle corresponding to the two adjacent pumping stages can be set to be larger, and in the back pumping stage, the duty cycle attenuation ratio of the duty cycle corresponding to the two adjacent pumping stages can be set to be smaller.

[0086] In some embodiments, the duration of each pumping stage can be set, and the duty cycle reduction amount of the duty cycle corresponding to two adjacent pumping stages can be set, so that when the end time of the previous pumping stage is reached, the duty cycle can be reduced according to the set duty cycle reduction amount on the basis of the duty cycle used in the previous pumping stage to obtain the duty cycle of the next pumping stage. Among them, the duty cycle reduction amounts of the duty cycles corresponding to different adjacent pumping stages can be the same or different. For example, in the front pumping stage, the duty cycle reduction amount of the duty cycle corresponding to the two adjacent pumping stages can be set larger, and in the back pumping stage, the duty cycle reduction amount of the duty cycle corresponding to the two adjacent pumping stages can be set.

[0087] The duty cycle data includes the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at multiple time points. In some embodiments, considering that one pumping stage uses one duty cycle, the duty cycle of the test PWM signal can be recorded in units of pumping stages, and multiple time points in the same pumping stage share the same duty cycle.

[0088] Step 320 , in the process of controlling the water pump using the test PWM signal, periodically collect the test voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe according to a preset collection interval to obtain voltage collection data.

[0089] For the sake of distinction, the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe collected during the process of controlling the water pump using the test PWM signal is called the test voltage value. The voltage collection data includes the test voltage values ​​at multiple time points in multiple pumping stages. The collection interval can be set according to actual needs, for example, it can be the same as the target collection interval mentioned above, or it can be different, and is not specifically limited here.

[0090] It is understandable that in the process of controlling the water pump in the target ice maker to pump water using the test PWM signal whose duty cycle is stepwise attenuated from the maximum value, the conduction state between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe will theoretically sequentially experience the three states of full conduction, probabilistic non-conduction and complete non-conduction. Among them, the full conduction state means that a conductive path is basically formed between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe (that is, the water output of the water pump can completely reach the target detection probe); from the perspective of the collected test voltage value, in the full conduction state, multiple test voltage values ​​collected continuously are all less than the voltage threshold.

[0091] The state of probabilistic non-conduction means that a conductive path is formed between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe at some time points and is open at other time points (that is, the water output from the water pump can reach the target detection probe at some time points and cannot reach the target detection probe at other time points); from the perspective of the collected test voltage values, in the state of probabilistic non-conduction, among the multiple test voltage values ​​collected continuously, some test voltage values ​​are less than the voltage threshold, and some test voltage values ​​are not less than the voltage threshold.

[0092] The completely non-conductive state means that the circuit between the reference conductive part and the target detection probe is completely open (that is, the water output from the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe at all). From the perspective of the collected test voltage value, multiple continuously collected test voltage values ​​are not less than the voltage threshold.

[0093] In some embodiments, when using a test PWM signal with a duty cycle that is step-wise attenuated from a maximum value to control the water pump in the target ice maker to pump water, the duty cycle may be attenuated according to a first attenuation ratio before reaching a state of probability non-conduction; after reaching a state of probability non-conduction, the duty cycle may be attenuated according to a second attenuation ratio, wherein the first attenuation ratio is greater than the second attenuation ratio, for example, the first attenuation ratio is 10% and the second attenuation ratio is 5%, so that a smaller attenuation ratio is used in the later pumping stages, which can facilitate more accurate determination of the target duty cycle. In some embodiments, the continuous working time under a duty cycle can be set to 10s, but it is certainly not limited to this.

[0094] In some embodiments, in order to avoid the situation that when the duty cycle of the test PWM signal is at the maximum value (100%), the water output of the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe, thereby causing the target duty cycle determined subsequently to be inaccurate, the duty cycle of the test PWM signal can be pre-tested to be at the maximum value (100%), and the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe is collected. If it is determined that the voltage value is less than the voltage threshold, it can be determined that the target ice maker is working normally. Afterwards, the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker can be tested and determined according to the process of steps 310-340.

[0095] Step 330: Determine, based on the voltage acquisition data, a first target acquisition time period in which the test voltage values ​​are all lower than the voltage threshold.

[0096] The target acquisition time period refers to a sub-time period in the time period involved in the voltage acquisition data, in which the test voltage values ​​acquired at multiple consecutive time points are lower than the voltage threshold for the first time.

[0097] Since the voltage acquisition data includes test voltage values ​​collected at multiple time points, the first sub-time period in which the test voltage values ​​at multiple consecutive time points are all lower than the voltage threshold can be determined based on the test voltage values ​​at multiple time points in the voltage acquisition data, and it can be used as the target acquisition time period. The duration of the target acquisition time period can be set according to actual needs. For example, the target acquisition time period can be 1s, 2s, 3s, etc. The duration of the target acquisition time period exceeds the duration of the acquisition interval. It is understood that the first target acquisition time period here can be regarded as a shorter time period after switching from the state of probable non-conduction to the state of complete non-conduction in the above text.

[0098] Step 340: Determine a target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker according to the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at each time point in the target acquisition period in the duty cycle data.

[0099] Based on the determined target acquisition time period, the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at each time point in the target acquisition time period can be obtained from the duty cycle data.

[0100] In some embodiments, the maximum duty cycle of the duty cycles of the test PWM signal at multiple time points in the target acquisition time period may be used as the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0101] In other embodiments, the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at multiple time points in the target acquisition time period may be averaged, and the average value obtained by calculation may be used as the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0102] Step 350: write the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice-making machine into the memory of the target ice-making machine.

[0103] After writing the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker into the memory of the target ice maker, the target ice maker can read the target duty cycle from the memory when it needs to make ice, so as to detect whether the target ice maker is short of water during the ice making process through the target duty cycle.

[0104] In some embodiments, the memory may be a flash memory, so that the target duty cycle stored in the flash memory can be updated as needed later.

[0105] In some embodiments, the process of steps 310 to 350 above tests the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, which can be tested before the target ice maker leaves the factory, and the target duty cycle determined by the test is written into the memory of the target ice maker. In other embodiments, the process of steps 310 to 350 above can also be initiated by the consumer user to test the target ice maker after the target ice maker is sold to the consumer user, so as to determine the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker and write it into the memory of the target ice maker.

[0106] In this embodiment, the target ice maker is tested to determine the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, so that the compatibility between the determined target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker and the target ice maker is guaranteed, that is, it can be ensured that the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker can be accurately applied to the subsequent water shortage detection of the target ice maker, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the subsequent water shortage detection and avoiding the situation where the target duty cycle corresponding to other ice makers is used for the water shortage detection of the target ice maker, resulting in low accuracy of water shortage detection.

[0107] In some embodiments, N=3, the second duty cycle is read from the memory of the target ice maker; Figure 4 As shown, before step 120, the method further includes the following steps 410 to 420:

[0108] Step 410, receiving a write request; the write request includes a second duty cycle determined for the target ice maker; the second duty cycle is determined based on an average critical duty cycle; the average critical duty cycle is obtained by averaging target duty cycles corresponding to multiple ice makers.

[0109] Among them, the target duty cycle corresponding to multiple ice machines can be calculated according to Figure 3 The test determination is performed by a similar process in , which will not be repeated here. The multiple ice makers may include the current target ice maker, or may not include the current ice maker. It is understandable that the second duty cycle determined for the target ice maker is greater than the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, and the second duty cycle determined for the target ice maker is less than the maximum reference duty cycle.

[0110] In some embodiments, considering that the average critical duty cycle may be greater than the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, or may not be greater than the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, if the average critical duty cycle is greater than the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, the average critical duty cycle can be used as the second duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker; if the average critical duty cycle is not greater than the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker, the average critical duty cycle and the specified duty cycle increment can be used as the second duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0111] Step 420: In response to the write request, write the second duty cycle into the memory.

[0112] After the second duty cycle is written into the memory of the target ice maker, the second duty cycle can be read from the memory accordingly in the first pumping stage.

[0113] In some embodiments, for the target ice maker, the first duty cycle for the first pumping phase may be 100%.

[0114] In some embodiments, when N=3, the second duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker can also be determined based on the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker. For example, the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker is added to a specified value to obtain the second duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0115] In some embodiments, the target ice maker may be provided with a background interface for writing the duty cycle, through which the target duty cycle and the second duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker described above may be written into the memory of the target ice maker.

[0116] In some embodiments, if any one of the second to Nth duty cycles corresponding to the target ice maker needs to be updated subsequently, the new duty cycle can also be written into the memory of the target ice maker through the background interface.

[0117] In some embodiments, step 110 includes: obtaining a target distance between a water outlet of a water pump in a target ice maker and a target detection probe; and obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to the target distance as a target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0118] The target distance refers to the distance between the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker and the target detection probe. In some embodiments, the distance between the reference conductive member provided at the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker and the target detection probe can also be approximated as the distance between the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker and the target detection probe.

[0119] For an ice maker, the farther the distance between the water outlet of the water pump and the target detection probe, the greater the lift of the water pump required for the water outlet of the water pump to reach the target detection probe, that is, the higher the duty cycle of the PWM signal required to control the water pump. Therefore, based on this principle, target duty cycles applicable to various distances (the distance between the water outlet in the ice maker and the target detection probe) can be stored, and then the target duty cycle corresponding to the target distance can be obtained according to the target distance as the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker. For example, the target duty cycle for various distances (the distance between the water outlet in the ice maker and the target detection probe) can be stored on the target ice maker, or it can be stored on the cloud server, and then the target ice maker can request the cloud server according to the target distance to obtain the target duty cycle relative to the target distance.

[0120] If the target ice machine is not adjusted according to Figure 3 The process shown tests the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker in a targeted manner, and the target duty cycles determined by tests on other ice makers, as well as the distances between the water outlets of the water pumps in other ice makers and the corresponding target detection probes, can be associated and stored in the memory of the target ice maker, so that when the target duty cycle is not determined by targeted tests on the target ice maker, the target duty cycles applicable to various distances (i.e., the distances between the water outlets of various water pumps and the corresponding target detection probes, and the associated stored target duty cycles) can be used to determine the target duty cycle applicable to the target ice maker.

[0121] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the method further includes the following steps 510 to 520:

[0122] Step 510, obtaining the water level of the water tank in the target ice maker.

[0123] Step 520, determining whether the water level of the water tank in the target ice maker is lower than a reference water level.

[0124] If the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is not lower than the reference water level, it indicates that the current water volume in the target ice maker is sufficient and there will be no water shortage in a short time. If the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is lower than the reference water level, it indicates that the current water volume in the target ice maker is small and there is a high probability of water shortage in a short time.

[0125] In some embodiments, a float ball may be placed in a water tank in the target ice maker, and the water level of the water tank may be detected by the float ball.

[0126] In this embodiment, if it is determined that the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is lower than the reference water level, the water pump in the target ice maker is controlled to operate according to the process shown in steps 110 to 130, and during the operation, it is detected whether there is a water shortage in the target ice maker.

[0127] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, if the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is not lower than the reference water level height, step 530 can be executed. After the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank in the target ice maker according to the target PWM signal whose duty cycle is equal to the maximum reference duty cycle; the maximum reference duty cycle is greater than the target duty cycle.

[0128] Among them, the maximum reference duty cycle can be equal to 100%. That is to say, when there is a large amount of water in the target ice maker, it is not necessary to gradually reduce the duty cycle to gradually detect whether there is a water shortage in the target ice maker. In this case, according to the target PWM signal of the maximum reference duty cycle, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank in the target ice maker, which can improve the efficiency of pumping water, shorten the time for pumping water, and shorten the duration of ice making as a whole. Furthermore, in this case, since there is basically no water shortage, when the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is not lower than the reference water level, after starting ice making, it is also unnecessary to collect the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe.

[0129] When the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is lower than the reference water level, the process of steps 110-130 is performed, that is, ice is made while detecting whether there is water shortage in the ice maker. The water shortage in the target ice maker can be identified in time, and the situation of ice not being formed in the ice trough is reduced.

[0130] In some implementations, two water pumps may be provided in the target ice maker, wherein the fixed lifts of the two water pumps are different (i.e., the lifts when the duty cycle of the PMW signal is 100%), and the two water pumps are respectively referred to as a first water pump and a second water pump, wherein the fixed lift of the first water pump is greater than the fixed lift of the second water pump, and furthermore, a target detection probe may be provided on the pipeline between the water outlet of the second water pump and the ice making tank of the target ice maker, and a reference conductive member may be provided at the water outlet of the second water pump. No target detection probe is provided on the pipeline between the water outlet of the first water pump and the ice making tank of the target ice maker. On this basis, if before starting ice making, it is determined that the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is not lower than the reference water level, the first water pump can be controlled by a PWM signal with a duty cycle of 100% to pump water into the ice making trough for subsequent ice making; if before starting ice making, it is determined that the water level in the water tank of the target ice maker is lower than the reference water level, the method of the present application can be used to enable the second water pump to pump water into the ice making trough, and the voltage value between the reference conductive element and the target detection probe can be collected to detect in real time whether there is a lack of water in the target ice maker.

[0131] The solution of the present application is described below in conjunction with a specific embodiment.

[0132] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a water shortage detection method according to an embodiment of the present application, and the method can be applied to any ice maker. Figure 6 As shown, after starting ice making, the water pumping process is first entered, that is, the water in the water tank of the ice maker is pumped into the ice making tank by the water pump in the ice maker. In this embodiment, N is 3, and the water pumping process includes the following steps 610-660:

[0133] Step 610, pumping water for 7 seconds using the first duty cycle. That is, the duration of the first pumping phase is 7 seconds. In the first pumping phase, the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump is equal to the first duty cycle. The first duty cycle can be 100%.

[0134] Step 620 , determining whether the voltage value collected in the first pumping stage is less than a voltage threshold; if not, determining that there is a water shortage in the ice maker; if yes, executing step 630 .

[0135] The collected voltage value is the voltage value between the reference conductive member provided at the water outlet of the water pump and the target detection probe.

[0136] Step 630, pumping water for 7 seconds using the second duty cycle. That is, the duration of the second pumping stage is 7 seconds, and in the second pumping stage, the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump is equal to the second duty cycle. The second duty cycle is smaller than the first duty cycle.

[0137] Step 640 , determining whether the voltage value collected in the second pumping stage is less than the voltage threshold; if not, determining that there is water shortage in the ice maker; if yes, executing step 650 .

[0138] Step 650, pumping water for 8 seconds using the third duty cycle. That is, the duration of the third pumping stage is 8 seconds, and in the third pumping stage, the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlling the water pump is equal to the third duty cycle. The third duty cycle is less than the second duty cycle, and the third duty cycle is equal to the target duty cycle corresponding to the ice maker.

[0139] Step 660, determine whether the voltage value collected in the third pumping stage is less than the voltage threshold; if not, determine that there is water shortage in the ice maker; if yes, enter the refrigeration process (i.e., refrigerate the water in the ice making tank to form ice).

[0140] Through the scheme of the present application, as the pumping process proceeds, a PWM signal with a gradually decreasing duty cycle is used to control the water pump, so that the water pump head is dynamically reduced by the PWM signal with a gradually decreasing duty cycle, and it is ensured that the duty cycle of the PWM signal is not less than the maximum duty cycle at which the water output of the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe. This can avoid the situation where the water output of the water pump cannot reach the target detection probe due to insufficient head of the water pump being misidentified as lack of water in the ice maker. Therefore, the water shortage situation can be accurately identified during the normal ice-making pumping process, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of unformed ice such as "nail ice" and can also reduce the waste of refrigeration performance.

[0141] The following describes an apparatus embodiment of the present application, which can be used to execute the method in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiment of the present application, please refer to the above-mentioned method embodiment of the present application.

[0142] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a water shortage detection device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the water shortage detection device includes: an acquisition module 710, which is used to obtain a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to the maximum duty cycle of a pulse width adjustment PWM signal used to control the water pump when the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe; a control module 720, which is used to control the water pump to pump water to the ice making tank in the target ice maker through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than the target duty cycle after the target ice maker starts making ice, and collect the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe; the reference conductive member is provided at the water outlet of the water pump; a water shortage determination module 730, which is used to determine that there is a water shortage in the target ice maker if the voltage value is not less than the voltage threshold.

[0143] In some embodiments, the control module 720 includes: a first control unit, used to control the water pump to pump water to the ice making tank in the i-th pumping stage after the target ice maker starts making ice, through a target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to the i-th duty cycle; the i-th duty cycle is not less than the target duty cycle; i is a positive integer and i∈[1,N]; when i is greater than 1, the i-th duty cycle is less than the i-1th duty cycle used in the i-1-th pumping stage; when i=N, the i-th duty cycle is equal to the target duty cycle; a first acquisition unit, used to detect the voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe in the i-th pumping stage; an accumulation unit, used to add 1 to i after the i-th pumping stage ends if the voltage value detected in the i-th pumping stage is less than the voltage threshold and i is less than N, and return to execute the step of controlling the water pump to pump water to the ice making tank in the i-th pumping stage after the target ice maker starts making ice, through a target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to the i-th duty cycle.

[0144] In some embodiments, the target duty cycle is read from the memory of the target ice maker; the water shortage detection device also includes: a second control unit, which is used to control the water pump in the target ice maker to pump water using a test PWM signal whose duty cycle is stepwise attenuated from a maximum value, and record the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at multiple time points to obtain duty cycle data; a second acquisition unit, which is used to periodically acquire the test voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe according to a preset acquisition interval during the process of controlling the water pump using the test PWM signal to obtain voltage acquisition data; a target acquisition time period determination unit, which is used to determine the first target acquisition time period in which the test voltage values ​​are all lower than the voltage threshold according to the voltage acquisition data; a target duty cycle determination unit, which is used to determine the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker according to the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at each time point in the target acquisition time period in the duty cycle data; and a first writing unit, which is used to write the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker into the memory of the target ice maker.

[0145] In some embodiments, N=3, the second duty cycle is read from the memory of the target ice maker; the water shortage detection device also includes: a write request receiving module, used to receive a write request; the write request includes the second duty cycle determined for the target ice maker; the second duty cycle is determined based on the average critical duty cycle; the average critical duty cycle is obtained by averaging the target duty cycles corresponding to multiple ice makers; a write module, used to write the second duty cycle into the memory in response to the write request.

[0146] In some embodiments, the acquisition module 710 includes: a distance acquisition unit, used to acquire the target distance between the water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker and the target detection probe; a target duty cycle acquisition unit, used to acquire the target duty cycle corresponding to the target distance as the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0147] In some embodiments, the water shortage detection device further includes: a water level acquisition module for acquiring the water level of a water tank in a target ice maker; correspondingly, the acquisition module 710 is further used to: if the water level of the water tank is lower than a reference water level height, acquire a target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

[0148] In some embodiments, the water shortage detection device also includes: a second control module, which is used to control the water pump to pump water to the ice-making tank in the target ice-making machine according to a target PWM signal whose duty cycle is equal to the maximum reference duty cycle after the target ice-making machine starts making ice if the water level in the water tank is not lower than the reference water level height; the maximum reference duty cycle is greater than the target duty cycle.

[0149] In some embodiments, the water shortage detection device further includes at least one of the following: a water shortage prompt module for providing a water shortage prompt; and a water supply supplement module for opening a channel between the target ice maker and an external water source to supplement water supply to the target ice maker from the external water source.

[0150] Figure 8 8 is a block diagram of an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present application. The ice making machine may include: a processor 810 and a memory 820, the memory 820 stores computer readable instructions, and when the computer readable instructions are executed by the processor 810, the method in any of the above method embodiments is implemented. In addition, the ice making machine also includes a water pump, an ice making tank, a water tank, and a refrigeration device ( Figure 8 The water inlet of the water pump is connected to the water tank, the ice making tank is connected to the water outlet of the water pump, the water pump is used to pump water from the water tank to the ice making tank, and the refrigeration device is used to refrigerate the water in the ice making tank to form ice. In addition, a reference conductive member ( Figure 8 ), a target detection probe ( Figure 8 The ice maker is also provided with a voltage detection device (not shown) for detecting the voltage value between the target detection probe and the reference conductive member. Figure 8 not shown).

[0151] The processor 810 may include one or more processing cores. The processor 810 uses various interfaces and lines to connect various parts of the entire electronic device, and executes various functions of the electronic device and processes data by running or executing instructions, programs, code sets or instruction sets stored in the memory 820, and calling data stored in the memory 820. Optionally, the processor 810 can be implemented in at least one hardware form of digital signal processing (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and programmable logic array (PLA). The processor 810 can integrate one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a modem. Among them, the CPU mainly processes the operating system, user interface, and application programs; the GPU is responsible for rendering and drawing display content; and the modem is used to process wireless communications. It can be understood that the above-mentioned modem may not be integrated into the processor 810, but may be implemented separately through a communication chip.

[0152] The memory 820 may be used to store instructions, programs, codes, code sets or instruction sets. The memory 820 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store instructions for implementing an operating system, instructions for implementing at least one function, instructions for implementing the following various method embodiments, etc. The data storage area may also store data created by the electronic device during use, etc.

[0153] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor, the method in any of the above method embodiments is implemented.

[0154] The computer-readable storage medium may be an electronic memory such as a flash memory, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), an EPROM, a hard disk or a ROM. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium has a storage space for computer-readable instructions for executing any method step of the above method. These computer-readable instructions can be read from or written to one or more computer program products. The computer-readable instructions can be compressed, for example, in a suitable form.

[0155] According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, so that the computer device executes the method in any of the above embodiments.

[0156] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the equipment for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present application, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into being embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0157] Through the description of the above implementation methods, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation methods described here can be implemented by software, or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation method of the present application can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a touch terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation method of the present application.

[0158] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the embodiments disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present application, which follow the general principles of the present application and include common knowledge or customary technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present application.

[0159] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A water shortage detection method, characterized in that: include: Obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to a maximum duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal used to control the water pump when the water output of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe; After the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank in the target ice maker through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and is not less than a target duty cycle, and a voltage value between a reference conductive member and the target detection probe is collected; The reference conductive member is arranged at the water outlet of the water pump; If the voltage value is not less than the voltage threshold, it is determined that the target ice maker is short of water.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank in the target ice maker through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle is gradually reduced and is not less than a target duty cycle, and a voltage value between a reference conductive member and the target detection probe is collected, including: In the i-th pumping stage after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water to the ice making tank through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle is equal to the i-th duty cycle; the i-th duty cycle is not less than the target duty cycle; i is a positive integer and i∈[1,N]; when i is greater than 1, the i-th duty cycle is less than the i-1th duty cycle used in the i-1th pumping stage; when i=N, the i-th duty cycle is equal to the target duty cycle; In the i-th pumping stage, detecting a voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe; If the voltage value detected in the i-th pumping stage is less than the voltage threshold, and i is less than N, after the i-th pumping stage ends, i is accumulated and added by 1, and the process returns to execute the i-th pumping stage after the target ice maker starts making ice, and controls the water pump to pump water to the ice making tank through the target PWM signal with a duty cycle equal to the i-th duty cycle.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The target duty cycle is read from a memory of the target ice maker; the method further comprising: Using a test PWM signal whose duty cycle is stepwise attenuated from a maximum value, controlling a water pump in the target ice maker to pump water, and recording the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at multiple time points to obtain duty cycle data; In the process of controlling the water pump by using the test PWM signal, periodically collecting the test voltage value between the reference conductive member and the target detection probe according to a preset collection interval to obtain voltage collection data; Determine, based on the voltage acquisition data, a first target acquisition time period in which the test voltage values ​​are all lower than the voltage threshold; Determining a target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker according to the duty cycle of the test PWM signal at each time point in the target acquisition period in the duty cycle data; The target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice-making machine is written into the memory of the target ice-making machine.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: N=3, the second duty cycle is read from the memory of the target ice maker; The method further comprises: receiving a write request; the write request including a second duty cycle determined for the target ice maker; the second duty cycle is determined based on an average critical duty cycle; the average critical duty cycle is obtained by averaging target duty cycles corresponding to a plurality of ice makers; In response to the write request, the second duty cycle is written into the memory.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The step of obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker includes: Acquire a target distance between a water outlet of the water pump in the target ice maker and the target detection probe; A target duty cycle corresponding to the target distance is acquired as the target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: Obtaining the water level of a water tank in the target ice maker; The step of obtaining a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker includes: If the water level of the water tank is lower than the reference water level, a target duty cycle corresponding to the target ice maker is obtained.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that After obtaining the water level of the water tank in the target ice maker, the method further includes: If the water level of the water tank is not lower than the reference water level height, after the target ice maker starts making ice, the water pump is controlled to pump water into the ice making tank in the target ice maker according to a target PWM signal whose duty cycle is equal to the maximum reference duty cycle; the maximum reference duty cycle is greater than the target duty cycle.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that If the voltage value is not less than the voltage threshold, after determining that the target ice maker is short of water, the method further includes at least one of the following: Provide water shortage reminder; A passage between the target ice-making machine and an external water source is opened, and the external water source supplies water to the target ice-making machine.

9. A water shortage detection device, characterized in that: include: An acquisition module, used to acquire a target duty cycle corresponding to a target ice maker; the target duty cycle refers to a maximum duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal used to control the water pump when the water output of the water pump in the target ice maker cannot reach the target detection probe; a control module, for controlling the water pump to pump water to an ice making tank in the target ice making machine through a target PWM signal whose duty cycle gradually decreases and whose duty cycle is not less than a target duty cycle after the target ice making machine starts making ice, and collecting a voltage value between a reference conductive member and the target detection probe; The reference conductive member is arranged at the water outlet of the water pump; The water shortage determination module is used to determine that the target ice maker is short of water if the voltage value is not less than a voltage threshold.

10. An ice making machine, characterized in that: include: processor; A memory, wherein computer instructions are stored in the memory, and when the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

11. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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