Water purifier

Abstract

The application provides a water purifier, comprising a scanning module, a rotating wheel module, a flow detection module, a water outlet valve and a controller; the scanning module is movably arranged at a water outlet of the water purifier and is used for scanning a water receiving area below the water outlet; the scanning module is installed on the rotating wheel module and rotates around a rotating shaft of the rotating wheel module under the driving of the rotating wheel module; the flow detection module is used for detecting the water outlet flow of the water purifier; the water outlet valve is used for opening and / or closing the water outlet; and the controller is used for controlling the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area and controlling the opening and closing of the water outlet valve according to the scanning result and the detection result of the flow detection module. In this way, the controller can control the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area, accurately determine the volume of a water receiving container in the water receiving area, and automatically discharge the water purifier with a proper water purifier amount to the water receiving container, thereby improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water purifier technology, and in particular to a water purifier. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most water purifiers on the market are equipped with flow rate calculation functions, meaning that when the water purifier dispenses water, it can output a corresponding flow rate of purified water according to the user's needs. These flow rates are mostly expressed in volume units (ml). Users can select in advance how many ml of purified water they need and start the water purifier, which will then dispense the corresponding volume (ml) of purified water from the outlet.

[0003] However, in actual use of water purifiers, most users are not very sensitive to the unit of volume and cannot accurately determine the specific volume of water they need to purify. For example, when filling a water cup, a user may not know exactly how many milliliters their cup can hold, and therefore cannot select the correct amount of water. Therefore, this method of controlling the metered water output of a water purifier through volume units (ml) is not suitable for users' actual usage scenarios, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a water purifier in which the controller controls the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area, and controls the opening and closing of the water outlet valve according to the scanning results and the detection results of the flow detection module, so as to accurately identify whether there is a water receiving container in the water receiving area and automatically dispensing water to the water receiving container, thereby improving the user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a water purifier, comprising: a scanning module, a rotating wheel module, a flow detection module, a water outlet valve, and a controller; the scanning module is movably disposed at the water outlet of the water purifier, and is used to scan the water receiving area below the water outlet; the scanning module is mounted on the rotating wheel module, and the scanning module rotates around its rotation axis under the drive of the rotating wheel module; the flow detection module is used to detect the water output of the water purifier; the water outlet valve is used to open and / or close the water outlet; the controller is used to control the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area, and to control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve according to the scanning result and the detection result of the flow detection module.

[0006] In an optional embodiment of this application, the controller is used to control the scanning module to perform scanning operations, and the scanning module emits scanning signals vertically downwards; the controller is used to control the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to rotate, so that the scanning module scans the water receiving area below the water outlet; the controller is used to determine whether the object placed in the water receiving area is a water receiving container based on the scanning results.

[0007] In an optional embodiment of this application, the aforementioned rotating wheel module is provided with an angle detection sensor, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the rotating wheel module and send the rotation angle to the control. The scanning module is used to scan when no object is placed in the water receiving area to determine a first distance between the scanning module and the zero plane, wherein the zero plane is the plane where the water receiving area is located. The scanning module is also used to scan after an object is placed in the water receiving area to determine a second distance between the scanning module and the object. The controller is used to determine the height of the object based on the angle, the first distance, and the second distance; determine whether the object is a water receiving container based on the height of the object; if the object is a water receiving container, the controller is also used to determine the shape and volume of the water receiving container based on the height of the object.

[0008] In an optional embodiment of this application, the scanning module performs multiple scans at different angles of rotation of the rotating wheel module to obtain multiple first distances and multiple second distances; the controller is used to determine the height of the object based on multiple angles, multiple first distances, and multiple second distances respectively; the controller is used to record multiple heights of different parts of the object that are greater than or equal to a preset height threshold; determine the highest and lowest heights among the recorded multiple heights, and determine the regions where the highest height and the lowest height are located; the region where the highest height is located is taken as the cup wall region, and the region where the lowest height is located is taken as the cup bottom region; if the cup wall region surrounds the cup bottom region, the object is determined to be a water receiving container; if the cup wall region does not surround the cup bottom region, the object is determined not to be a water receiving container.

[0009] In an optional embodiment of this application, the controller is used to determine whether there are any heights other than the lowest and highest heights among the recorded multiple heights; if there are no other heights, the shape of the water receiving container is determined to be cylindrical; if there are other heights, the shape of the water receiving container is determined to be bowl-shaped.

[0010] In an optional embodiment of this application, if the rate of change of the recorded multiple heights is fixed, the controller is used to determine that the shape of the water receiving container is a frustum-shaped bowl; if the rate of change of the recorded multiple heights is not fixed, the controller is used to determine that the shape of the water receiving container is an arc-shaped bowl.

[0011] In optional embodiments of this application, if the water receiving container is cylindrical, the controller is used to substitute the recorded multiple heights into a preset formula for calculating the volume of a cylindrical container to calculate the volume of the water receiving container; if the water receiving container is bowl-shaped, the controller is used to determine whether the shape of the water receiving container is a frustum bowl shape or an arc bowl shape based on the recorded multiple heights; if the water receiving container is frustum bowl-shaped, the controller is used to substitute the recorded multiple heights into a preset formula for calculating the volume of a frustum bowl shape to calculate the volume of the water receiving container; if the water receiving container is arc bowl-shaped, the controller is used to divide the rim of the water receiving container into multiple regions, calculate the cylindrical volume corresponding to each region based on the recorded multiple heights, and use the sum of the cylindrical volumes corresponding to each region as the volume of the water receiving container.

[0012] In an optional embodiment of this application, the controller is used to determine the water output based on the volume of the water receiving container and the water output ratio information, and to control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve based on the water output; wherein, the water output ratio information is used to characterize the ratio of water output to volume.

[0013] In an optional embodiment of this application, the water purifier further includes a control module; the control module is used to send water flow ratio information to the controller in response to the user's operation, so that the controller of the water purifier controls the opening and closing of the water outlet valve of the water purifier based on the water flow ratio information.

[0014] In an optional embodiment of this application, if no object is placed in the water receiving area or the object is not a water receiving container, the controller is also used to control the water outlet valve to close.

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention bring the following beneficial effects:

[0016] This invention provides a water purifier with a scanning module movably disposed at the water outlet. The scanning module scans the water receiving area below the outlet. The scanning module is mounted on a rotating wheel module and rotates around its axis under the drive of the rotating wheel module. A flow detection module detects the water output of the water purifier. The outlet valve opens and / or closes the outlet. A controller controls the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area and controls the opening and closing of the outlet valve based on the scanning results and the flow detection module's detection results. In this method, the controller can control the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area and control the opening and closing of the outlet valve based on the scanning results and the flow detection module's detection results, accurately determining the volume of the water receiving container in the receiving area and automatically discharging an appropriate amount of purified water into the container, thereby improving the user experience.

[0017] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in the following description, or some features and advantages may be inferred from the description or determined without doubt, or may be learned by practicing the techniques described above.

[0018] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an electrical control module for a water purifier provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a water purifier without a water receiving container provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a water purifier with a water receiving container provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning blind zone structure of a water purifier that holds a water receiving container, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a bowl-shaped water receiving container and a cylindrical water receiving container provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 A front view of an arc-shaped bowl and a frustum-shaped bowl provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the calculation of the volume of an arc-shaped bowl, provided as an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the electrical control module of another water purifier provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of a water purifier's water output control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] Currently, most water purifiers on the market are equipped with flow rate calculation functions, meaning that when the water purifier dispenses water, it can output a corresponding flow rate of purified water according to the user's needs. These flow rates are mostly expressed in volume units (ml). Users can select in advance how many ml of purified water they need and start the water purifier, which will then dispense the corresponding volume (ml) of purified water from the outlet.

[0031] However, in actual use of water purifiers, most users are not very sensitive to the unit of volume and cannot accurately determine the specific volume of water they need to purify. For example, when filling a water cup, a user may not know exactly how many milliliters their cup can hold, and therefore cannot select the correct amount of water. Therefore, this method of controlling the metered water output of a water purifier through volume units (ml) is not suitable for users' actual usage scenarios, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0032] Based on this, the water purifier provided in this embodiment of the invention can control the water output. When a user fills a container with water, the controller automatically scans the container's shape, height, position, and other information, and automatically calculates the container's volume, i.e., how many milliliters of water the container can hold. Subsequently, the user can select options such as 50% water, 80% water, or 100% water as the water output ratio. The controller will automatically calculate the appropriate water output based on the user's selection and the container's volume. This water output control method is closer to the user's actual usage habits, resulting in a better user experience.

[0033] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a water purifier disclosed in this embodiment of the invention will first be described in detail.

[0034] Example 1:

[0035] This invention provides a water purifier, see [link / reference] Figure 1The diagram shows an electrical control module for a water purifier. The water purifier includes: a scanning module, a rotor module, a flow detection module, an outlet valve, and a controller. The scanning module is movably disposed at the outlet of the water purifier and is used to scan the water receiving area below the outlet. The scanning module is mounted on the rotor module and rotates around its rotation axis under the drive of the rotor module. The flow detection module is used to detect the water output of the water purifier. The outlet valve is used to open and / or close the outlet. The controller is used to control the rotor module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area and to control the opening and closing of the outlet valve based on the scanning results and the detection results of the flow detection module.

[0036] The scanning module in this embodiment can be an infrared module or a radar module. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the rotary wheel module is connected to the scanning module and controlled by the controller. The function of the rotary wheel module is to rotate the scanning module and increase the scanning area of ​​the scanning module.

[0037] The scanning module can scan and detect the shape, height, and position of the water-receiving container within the water-receiving area as scanning results. The scanning module can send the scanning results to the controller, which can automatically calculate the volume of the water-receiving container based on the scanning results.

[0038] Users can select their desired water dispensing ratio through the control module, such as 50% water, 80% water, or 100% water. The controller can then determine the specific water dispensing volume based on this ratio, such as 100, 200, or 300 ml.

[0039] After determining the water output, the controller can open the water outlet valve and release the specified amount of purified water through the flow detection module, thereby automatically discharging an appropriate amount of purified water.

[0040] This invention provides a water purifier with a scanning module movably disposed at the water outlet. The scanning module scans the water receiving area below the outlet. The scanning module is mounted on a rotating wheel module and rotates around its axis under the drive of the rotating wheel module. A flow detection module detects the water output of the water purifier. The outlet valve opens and / or closes the outlet. A controller controls the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area and controls the opening and closing of the outlet valve based on the scanning results and the flow detection module's detection results. In this method, the controller can control the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area and control the opening and closing of the outlet valve based on the scanning results and the flow detection module's detection results, accurately determining the volume of the water receiving container in the receiving area and automatically discharging an appropriate amount of purified water into the container, thereby improving the user experience.

[0041] Example 2:

[0042] This embodiment provides another water purifier, implemented based on the above embodiment. The scanning module in this embodiment specifically scans the water container by calculating the distances between various parts of the container and the scanning module, that is, the heights of various parts of the container, to obtain the necessary information.

[0043] Specifically, a flat water receiving area can be defined near the water outlet of the water purifier; a scanning plate can be laid in the water receiving area; the scanning plate is used to assist the scanning module in scanning.

[0044] See also Figure 2 The diagram shows a water purifier without a water receiving container. First, the purifier will define a water receiving area (also called a scanning area) near the water outlet. This area must be flat and easy to scan. For more accurate scanning results, a scanning plate can be pre-installed in this area to assist the controller. The specific division of the water receiving area and the installation of the scanning plate can be determined during the installation of the water purifier, based on the user's home layout.

[0045] In some embodiments, the controller controls the scanning module to perform scanning operations, and the scanning module emits scanning signals vertically downwards; the controller controls the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to rotate, so that the scanning module scans the water receiving area below the water outlet; the controller determines whether the object placed in the water receiving area is a water receiving container based on the scanning results.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the water purifier has a rotating wheel module installed inside, and the scanning module is connected to the rotating wheel module. When the scanning module is scanning, the rotating wheel module can also be started and rotated simultaneously. By rotating the rotating wheel module, the scanning direction of the scanning module can be adjusted, thereby scanning the entire water receiving area. The rotating wheel module is small in size, which can reduce the size of the water purifier. The cost of the rotating wheel module is also lower than that of the push rod motor, and it is easier to install and maintain.

[0047] In some embodiments, the rotating wheel module is provided with an angle detection sensor, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the rotating wheel module and send the rotation angle to the control; the scanning module is used to scan when no object is placed in the water receiving area to determine a first distance between the scanning module and the zero plane; wherein, the zero plane is the plane where the water receiving area is located; the scanning module is also used to scan after an object is placed in the water receiving area to determine a second distance between the scanning module and the object; the controller is used to determine the height of the object based on the angle, the first distance and the second distance; determine whether the object is a water receiving container based on the height of the object; if the object is a water receiving container, the controller is also used to determine the shape and volume of the water receiving container based on the height of the object.

[0048] In this embodiment, the scanning direction of the scanning module is not fixed. Therefore, the first distance L0, the second distance L, and the object height H need to be converted based on the angle θ between the scanning direction and the initial direction. In this embodiment, the initial scanning direction is vertically downward. The verticality of the angle θ can be calculated by dividing the rotation angle on the rotating wheel module. Let X be the number of rotation angles in one revolution of the rotating wheel module. Then, for each rotation angle, the angle changes by 360 / X°. For example, if there are 360 ​​rotation angles on the rotating wheel, then for each rotation angle, the angle of the rotating wheel changes by 360 / 360 = 1°, and the scanning direction of the scanning module also changes by 1°. Therefore, based on the initial scanning direction, for each rotation angle of the rotating wheel module, θ increases by 1°.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotation angle of the wheel module can be determined by reading the rotation angle. See also... Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of a water purifier with a water receiving container. When the controller starts scanning, the scanning module begins operation, emitting a scanning signal vertically downwards. The controller controls the rotating wheel module to rotate, adjusting the scanning direction of the scanning signal to scan the entire water receiving area. After the water receiving area is planned and the rotating wheel module is rotated, the controller can first scan the water receiving area when no object is placed there, recording the plane where the water receiving area is located as the zero plane, and the distance between the scanning module and the zero plane as the first distance L0. Subsequently, the user places the water receiving container in the water receiving area, activates the scanning function, and records the second distance L between the scanning module and the water receiving container.

[0050] The controller can determine the height H based on angle θ and the difference between the first distance L0 and the second distance L. With angle θ available, the object height H can be calculated. First, based on the size of the water-receiving area, the maximum angle θm of the rotating wheel in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions is determined (the larger the water-receiving area, the larger θm). This is the number of rotation angles the wheel must rotate. Then, with no object placed in the water-receiving area, the scanning module performs an initial scan, essentially scanning the zero-plane area. The scanning module starts recording data from the initial direction and rotates clockwise. Each time the wheel module rotates, the scanning module records the first distance between the current scanning module and the water-receiving area as L0. Note that a separate L0 needs to be recorded for each angle θ. After reaching θm in the clockwise direction, the wheel module returns to the initial direction and records data in the same way in the counterclockwise direction.

[0051] After the initial scan is completed, the user can place the water container to be measured in the water-collecting area. The controller will scan the water-collecting area in the same way as the zero-plane scan, and record the second distance L between the scanning module and the object at each angle θ. At this time, the height of the object is H = (L - L0) × cosθ.

[0052] After scanning an object in the water-receiving area, the controller first determines whether the object is a water-receiving container. Taking common water-receiving containers (cups, bowls, bottles, etc.) as an example, for a container to receive water, it must have at least two structures: a cup wall and a cup bottom. That is, it needs to meet the structure of "high around the edges and low in the center." Otherwise, it cannot achieve the effect of storing water (this only considers common water-receiving containers in daily life; some special containers, such as curved-neck bottles, are not suitable for this scanning function).

[0053] In some embodiments, the scanning module performs multiple scans at different angles of rotation of the rotating wheel module to obtain multiple first distances and multiple second distances; the controller is used to determine the height of the object based on the multiple angles, the multiple first distances and the multiple second distances respectively.

[0054] The controller records multiple heights of different parts of an object that are greater than or equal to a preset height threshold; determines the highest and lowest heights among the recorded heights, and identifies the regions where the highest and lowest heights are located; designates the region where the highest height is located as the cup wall region and the region where the lowest height is located as the cup bottom region; if the cup wall region surrounds the cup bottom region, the object is determined to be a water container; if the cup wall region does not surround the cup bottom region, the object is determined not to be a water container.

[0055] Although the rotary module provided in the embodiments of the present invention has advantages such as smaller size, lower cost and convenient disassembly, it still has the problem of scanning blind spots.

[0056] See Figure 4 The diagram shows a blind zone structure for a water purifier with a water container. When the water container is a tall, bottle-shaped container and is far from the scanning probe, the signal emitted by the scanning module is blocked by the container wall, resulting in some areas inside the container that cannot be scanned. Figure 4 The scanning blind zone is marked in the figure. To avoid the occurrence of scanning blind zones, in this embodiment, the water container can be placed as close as possible to the scanning module, thereby reducing or avoiding scanning blind zones.

[0057] When the scanning module operates, it first records the areas where objects are present. The condition for determining the presence of an object is that the scan height H ≥ H0, where H0 is a height threshold. This threshold can be considered the minimum height of the bottom of the cup. Only when the scan height is greater than or equal to this threshold can an object be considered to exist in that area, and only areas with a height greater than this threshold will be recorded. The purpose of setting this height threshold is to eliminate interference from residual moisture, stains, tea leaves, and other impurities on the water-receiving area.

[0058] After the scan is complete, the controller will record the lowest area within the region as Hd, which represents the bottom of the cup; and the highest area within the region as Hb, which represents the cup wall. If, within the water-receiving area of ​​an object, the controller detects that the cup wall area Hb surrounds the bottom area Hd, then it determines that the object is a water-receiving container.

[0059] In addition, in some embodiments, if no object is placed in the water receiving area or the object is not a water receiving container, the controller is also used to control the water outlet valve to close.

[0060] If no object is placed in the water receiving area or the object is not a water receiving container, the controller can close the water outlet valve, and the water purifier will not release purified water.

[0061] After determining the water receiving area and placing the water container, we also need to confirm the container's shape in order to calculate its volume. (See [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 5 The diagram shows a bowl-shaped water receiving container and a cylindrical water receiving container. The area scanning data recorded by the controller can be referenced. Figure 5 As shown, different fill line densities represent different height regions. Figure 5 The image on the left shows the scan of a cylindrical water container, while the image on the right shows the scan of a bowl-shaped water container. These are the two most common types of water containers in our daily lives.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller is used to determine whether there are any heights other than the lowest and highest heights among the recorded multiple heights; if there are no other heights, the shape of the water receiving container is determined to be cylindrical; if there are other heights, the shape of the water receiving container is determined to be bowl-shaped.

[0063] Based on everyday experience, if a scan reveals only two height regions—the cup wall and the cup bottom—then the container is likely cylindrical. Conversely, if a scan reveals three regions—the cup wall, the cup bottom, and the cup rim—the container is likely bowl-shaped, with the rim representing the area between the cup wall and the cup bottom where the height varies.

[0064] If there are heights other than the minimum and maximum heights, then a rim can be considered to exist, and the shape of the water-receiving container is determined to be bowl-shaped. If no other heights exist, then a rim can be considered to not exist, and the shape of the water-receiving container is determined to be cylindrical.

[0065] In some embodiments, if the rate of change of the recorded multiple heights is fixed, the controller determines that the shape of the water receiving container is a frustum-shaped bowl; if the rate of change of the recorded multiple heights is not fixed, the controller determines that the shape of the water receiving container is an arc-shaped bowl.

[0066] If the height of the rim increases uniformly, the bowl shape is a frustum; otherwise, it is an arc-shaped bowl. For example, during the scanning process, let the interval between each scanning point be t0, and the current height point be denoted as Hn. If the rate of height change A = (Hn+1-Hn) / t0 remains constant in the rim region, it indicates that the rim height increases uniformly.

[0067] See also Figure 6 The image shows a front view of an arc-shaped bowl and a frustum-shaped bowl, and a top view of the arc-shaped bowl and the frustum-shaped bowl. Figure 1 They are similar, but the differences can be seen from the front view. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the side of the arc-shaped bowl is curved, so it cannot be directly substituted into mathematical formulas; while the side of the frustum-shaped bowl is straight, so the corresponding mathematical formulas can be used directly for calculation.

[0068] In some embodiments, if the water container is cylindrical, the controller calculates the volume of the water container by substituting the recorded multiple heights into a preset formula for calculating the volume of a cylindrical shape; if the water container is bowl-shaped, the controller determines whether the water container is a frustum bowl shape or an arc bowl shape based on the recorded multiple heights; if the water container is frustum bowl-shaped, the controller calculates the volume of the water container by substituting the recorded multiple heights into a preset formula for calculating the volume of a frustum bowl shape; if the water container is arc bowl-shaped, the controller divides the rim of the water container into multiple regions, calculates the cylindrical volume corresponding to each region based on the recorded multiple heights, and uses the sum of the cylindrical volumes corresponding to each region as the volume of the water container.

[0069] Once we have the shape of the container, we can calculate its volume. First, using the controller's built-in algorithm, we can easily calculate the area S of each region inside the container. The areas of the container wall, bottom, and rim are denoted as Sb, Sd, and Sy, respectively.

[0070] If the water container is cylindrical, the volume calculation formula for a cylinder can be directly applied: V = Sd × (Hb - Hd); if the water container is frustum-shaped, the volume calculation formula for a frustum-shaped container can be applied: V = 1 / 3(Hb - Hd) × (S1 + (S1 + S2)¹ / ² + S2), where S1 = Sd, S2 = Sd + Sy; the difference between frustum-shaped and arc-shaped containers can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 6 As shown, the main difference between the two lies in whether the sides of the containers are curved or straight.

[0071] If the water container is shaped like an arc bowl, the volume calculation formula cannot be directly applied. In this case, a method similar to integration can be used to calculate the volume of the container.

[0072] See also Figure 7 The diagram shown illustrates a method for calculating the volume of a circular arc bowl. Figure 7 The water receiving container is an arc-shaped bowl. In this case, the controller selects to divide the rim of the cup into multiple regions, and calculates the volume of each region as a cylinder. The more regions divided, the more accurate the volume calculation. The regions can be divided in various ways, such as equal-height division (where each region is spaced at equal height), equal-width division, or equal-time division.

[0073] Let the area of ​​each region be Sn, the area of ​​the bottom of the cup be S1, the height of the region boundary be Hn, and the height of the bottom of the cup be H1. Then the volume of the cylinder corresponding to that region is Vn, where Vn = (Sn + Sn + 1) / 2 × (Hn + 1 - Hn), and n represents the number of each region. After the calculation is completed, the volumes of each cylindrical region are added together to obtain the total volume V of the water-receiving container, V = V1 + V2 + V3 + ... + Vn.

[0074] The specific number and method of segmentation can be set according to the actual situation of the scanning module and the water container. Taking equal-height segmentation as an example, the number of segments can be determined based on the accuracy of the scanning probe. For example, if the accuracy of a scanning probe is 1cm, then a segmentation can be performed every 1cm in height, recording one cylinder. Assuming the height of the water container is 20cm, then the container can be segmented every 1cm in height, dividing it into 20 cylinders, each with a height Hn+1-Hn of 1cm. Substituting these cylinders into the volume formula Vn, the volume of the water container can then be obtained.

[0075] In addition to scanning the volume of the water container, the scanning module in this embodiment can also scan and detect when the user is filling the container to confirm whether the container is within the water outlet range, thus preventing water splashing or waste when the water purifier dispenses water due to misalignment of the container. Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, a water receiving area can also be set up near the water outlet of the water purifier. Before the water purifier dispenses water, the controller can use a scanning module to scan the water receiving area to confirm whether a container is placed in the area. If no container is detected, the water can be stopped and a prompt can be sent to the user to remind the user to adjust the position of the water receiving container.

[0076] In some embodiments, the controller is used to determine the water output based on the volume of the water receiving container and the water output ratio information, and to control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve based on the water output; wherein, the water output ratio information is used to characterize the ratio of water output to volume.

[0077] The method provided in this embodiment of the invention first reserves a water-receiving area near the water outlet of the water purifier. The water purifier then scans this area using an infrared or radar module to determine if a water-receiving container is placed there. If a water-receiving container is detected, the controller automatically calculates its volume, which is recorded as V0.

[0078] The controller in this embodiment can also acquire water output ratio information, determine the water output V0 based on the volume of the water receiving container and the water output ratio information, and control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve based on the water output.

[0079] See also Figure 8 The diagram shows another type of water purifier's electronic control module. The water purifier also includes a control module. The control module is used to respond to user operations and send water flow ratio information to the controller so that the controller can control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve based on the water flow ratio information.

[0080] Users can send water dispensing ratio information to the controller via the control module, such as: 50% water V1 (half a cup of water), 80% water V2, 100% water V3 (one cup of water), etc. These percentages can be understood as how full the container is intended to be. The controller automatically calculates the appropriate water dispensing volume based on the user's selection and the container's volume, with a proportional relationship between the dispensing volume and the container's volume. For example: V1 = 0.5 × V0, V2 = 0.8 × V0, V3 = 0.95 × V0 (to prevent overflow, some margin is left, so V3 cannot be directly set to V0). Simultaneously, the controller can scan the location of the receiving container during dispensing. If it detects that the water outlet exceeds the receiving container's range, it can promptly issue a prompt reminding the user to adjust the container's position.

[0081] Example 3:

[0082] This embodiment provides a water outlet control method for a water purifier, which is implemented based on the above embodiment. This embodiment specifically describes the overall process of the water outlet control method for a water purifier. See also... Figure 9The diagram shows the overall flow of a water purifier's water outlet control method. The overall flow of this water purifier's water outlet control method includes the following steps:

[0083] Step A1: The water purifier starts working.

[0084] Step A5: The user selects the working mode of the water purifier. In addition to the traditional continuous water output and quantitative water output, this embodiment also allows for a mode that adjusts the water output according to the volume of the water container, referred to as the volumetric water output mode.

[0085] Step A3: Does the user select the volumetric water dispensing mode for operation? If yes, proceed to A5; otherwise, proceed to A4.

[0086] Step A4: At this point, the user selects either continuous water output or quantitative water output mode to operate the water purifier, which then operates normally according to the traditional method.

[0087] Step A5: The rotor module starts up, and the scanning module starts working at the same time. The controller first scans the water-contaminated area and sets that area as the zero plane.

[0088] Step A6: Initial scan complete. The controller issues a prompt, reminding the user to place the water container in the water collection area.

[0089] Step A7: After the user places the object, the controller scans the water area again to record the height of objects within the area.

[0090] In step A8, the controller determines whether there is an object in the area, and whether it is a water container. If yes, proceed to A10; otherwise, proceed to A9. The specific determination method has been described above.

[0091] In step A9, the controller cannot recognize the water container. This could be due to the container being placed incorrectly or having a unique shape that causes the controller to misidentify it. The controller will then issue a prompt reminding the user to adjust the container.

[0092] In step A10, the controller calculates the volume V of the water receiving container based on the information obtained from scanning in A7. The specific calculation method has been described in the previous embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0093] In step A11, the user places the container at the water outlet and selects the desired water volume ratio. The water volume can be vertically represented as 50% full (0.5V), 80% full (0.8V), 100% full (0.95V), etc.

[0094] Step A12: The scanning module scans and detects the water area to identify objects within the area.

[0095] Step A13: Can an object be detected in the water-receiving area? If yes, proceed to A15; otherwise, proceed to A14.

[0096] In step A14, since no object is placed in the water receiving area, it indicates that the container is outside the water outlet range. The controller stops discharging water and prompts the user to adjust the position of the water receiving container.

[0097] In step A15, the controller dispenses the corresponding amount of purified water according to the water output ratio selected by the user in A11.

[0098] Step A16: The water purifier has completed its operation.

[0099] It should be noted that the overall process of the water purifier outlet control method provided in this embodiment is only one feasible water purifier outlet control method, and the water purifier outlet control method in this embodiment is not limited to the overall process of the water purifier outlet control method provided in this embodiment.

[0100] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0101] If a function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0102] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0103] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely specific implementations of the present invention, used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit it. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A water purifier, characterized in that, The water purifier includes: a scanning module, a rotor module, a flow detection module, a water outlet valve, and a controller; The scanning module is movably disposed at the water outlet of the water purifier, and the scanning module is used to scan the water receiving area below the water outlet; The scanning module is mounted on the rotating wheel module, and the scanning module rotates around its rotation axis under the drive of the rotating wheel module; The flow detection module is used to detect the water output of the water purifier; The outlet valve is used to open and / or close the outlet. The controller is used to control the rotary wheel module to drive the scanning module to scan the water receiving area, and to control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve based on the scanning results and the detection results of the flow detection module.

2. The water purifier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is used to control the scanning module to perform scanning operations, and the scanning module emits scanning signals vertically downwards; The controller is used to control the rotating wheel module to drive the scanning module to rotate, so that the scanning module scans the water receiving area below the water outlet; The controller is used to determine, based on the scanning results, whether an object placed in the water-receiving area is a water-receiving container.

3. The water purifier according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating wheel module is equipped with an angle detection sensor, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the rotating wheel module and send the rotation angle to the control. The scanning module is used to scan the water-receiving area when no object is placed there, and to determine a first distance between the scanning module and the zero plane; wherein, the zero plane is the plane where the water-receiving area is located; The scanning module is also used to scan after an object is placed in the water-receiving area to determine a second distance between the scanning module and the object; The controller is used to determine the height of the object based on the angle, the first distance, and the second distance; and to determine whether the object is the water receiving container based on the height of the object. If the object is the water receiving container, the controller is also configured to determine the shape and volume of the water receiving container based on the height of the object.

4. The water purifier according to claim 3, characterized in that, The scanning module performs multiple scans at different angles of rotation of the rotating wheel module to obtain multiple first distances and multiple second distances; the controller is used to determine the height of the object based on the multiple angles, the multiple first distances, and the multiple second distances respectively. The controller is used to record multiple heights of different parts of the object that are greater than or equal to a preset height threshold; determine the highest and lowest heights among the recorded heights, and determine the regions where the highest height and the lowest height are located; designate the region where the highest height is located as the cup wall region and the region where the lowest height is located as the cup bottom region; if the cup wall region surrounds the cup bottom region, the object is determined to be the water receiving container; If the cup wall area does not surround the cup bottom area, the object is determined not to be the water receiving container.

5. The water purifier according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is used to determine whether there are any heights other than the lowest and highest heights among the recorded multiple heights; if there are no other heights, the shape of the water receiving container is determined to be cylindrical; if there are other heights, the shape of the water receiving container is determined to be bowl-shaped.

6. The water purifier according to claim 5, characterized in that, If the rate of change of the recorded multiple heights is fixed, the controller is used to determine that the shape of the water receiving container is a frustum-shaped bowl; If the rate of change of the recorded multiple heights is not constant, the controller is used to determine that the shape of the water receiving container is an arc-shaped bowl.

7. The water purifier according to claim 6, characterized in that, If the water receiving container is cylindrical, the controller is used to substitute the recorded multiple heights into a preset formula for calculating the volume of the cylindrical container to calculate the volume of the water receiving container. If the water receiving container is bowl-shaped, the controller is used to determine whether the shape of the water receiving container is a frustum bowl or an arc bowl based on the recorded multiple heights; If the water receiving container is shaped like a frustum, the controller is used to substitute the recorded multiple heights into a preset formula for calculating the volume of the frustum shape to calculate the volume of the water receiving container. If the water receiving container is shaped like an arc bowl, the controller is used to divide the rim of the water receiving container into multiple regions, calculate the cylindrical volume corresponding to each region based on the recorded multiple heights, and use the sum of the cylindrical volumes corresponding to each region as the volume of the water receiving container.

8. The water purifier according to claim 7, characterized in that, The controller is used to determine the water output based on the volume of the water receiving container and the water output ratio information, and to control the opening and closing of the water outlet valve based on the water output information; wherein, the water output ratio information is used to characterize the ratio of the water output to the volume.

9. The water purifier according to claim 8, characterized in that, The water purifier further includes a control module; the control module is used to respond to user operations and send water output ratio information to the controller, so that the controller of the water purifier controls the opening and closing of the water outlet valve of the water purifier based on the water output ratio information.

10. The water purifier according to claim 3, characterized in that, If no object is placed in the water receiving area or the object is not the water receiving container, the controller is also used to control the water outlet valve to close.

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