Method and device for more accurate display of a program duration

Abstract

A method for operating a hot beverage machine comprising the steps: a) displaying a selection of service programs along with the duration of each service program (I), b) recording a user selection of a service program (II), c) starting the selected service program (III), d) prompting the user to perform an action (IV), e) recording the user action (V), f) concluding the service program (VI), is further developed by a step i) (VII) following step d), in which a time period for performing the user action is recorded and taken into account when displaying the duration of a service program in a step a) of a subsequent service procedure. The invention further relates to a computer program product for carrying out the method and a hot beverage machine set up for carrying out the method.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a hot beverage machine, particularly for home use, comprising the following steps: a) Displaying a selection of service programs along with the duration of each service program, b) Recording a user-selected service program, c) Starting the selected service program, d) Requesting the user to perform an action, e) Recording user activity, and f) Completion of the service program.

[0002] The invention also relates to a hot beverage machine for carrying out the method with an activation unit, an input unit, a storage unit, a control unit and a device for recording user-side service activity, as well as a computer program product for carrying out the method.

[0003] DE 10 2018 214 677 B4 describes a method for a hot beverage preparation machine, wherein, in addition to basic descaling, a rapid descaling can be selected if the device is blocked for further beverage preparation due to necessary descaling.

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of providing an improved method for predicting the times required for service programs.

[0005] The problem is solved in the above-mentioned method according to the invention by the fact that after step d) a step i) is performed in which a time period for the performance of the user-side activity is recorded and taken into account when displaying the duration of a service program in a step a) of a subsequent method.

[0006] The hot beverage machine, hereinafter also referred to simply as "the device", is a preparation machine for coffee or tea, for example a pod machine, an espresso machine or a fully automatic coffee machine, and can be operated by a single user or by several users.

[0007] Service programs for hot beverage machines regularly clean and descale the machine, or sometimes only a part of its preparation components, such as a milk frother. Many service programs can only be partially automated, meaning that one or more tasks must be performed manually by the user during a service program, for example, emptying a drip tray.

[0008] Many hot beverage machines display a predicted duration for each service program on a screen or in a device app, with a default duration initially stored in the device software. The displayed duration is intended to give the user an idea of ​​how long a selected service program will take from start to finish, including all manual steps. While the automatic steps can be determined and specified quite accurately in advance by measuring the time, there is naturally a high degree of variance with the manual steps. The time required depends not only on the speed and skill of the user, but also on spatial factors such as the distance of the hot beverage machine to the water supply and / or drainage system.Therefore, any duration predicted by the device is not very customer-specific and only applies to a user if they perform all manual steps of a service program within a standard time period assumed by the device.

[0009] In accordance with the prior art, in step a) of the inventive process, a user is shown a selection of service programs along with their respective durations. The display can, for example, include a symbolic representation, the name of the service, and an indication of how long the service program will last. The hot beverage machine retrieves the duration value from an internal memory. This value is factory preset.

[0010] The user then makes a selection from the programs displayed, which the device records in step b), whereupon the device starts the selected service program in step c).

[0011] In step d), the user is prompted to perform a manual service task. For example, the program may prompt the user to refill the water tank and insert a cleaning tablet, or at a later time, pause an automatic program section and prompt the user to empty the rinsing fluid, for example, from a residual water tray, before continuing with the automatic program.

[0012] Step e) of the inventive method involves the device detecting the user's execution of the manual task. As is known, the device can, for example, use sensors, detectors, or other measuring devices to determine that the task has been performed, such as that the water tank has been removed and replaced.

[0013] Once all process steps of the service program procedure have been executed, both on the device side and manually, the program closes in step f).

[0014] According to the invention, in step i), the time period for performing the user activity is recorded, at least during step e). Step i) can occur after the prompt to perform a user activity in step d) and thus record a maximum of the time period from the prompt until the completion of the user activity. If the device can detect both the start and the completion of the user activity, as in the example above, the actuation (removal and replacement) of the water tank, the recording of the time period only begins with the actual start of the user activity and is therefore more accurate.

[0015] According to the invention, the time period recorded in step i) is taken into account when displaying the duration of a service program in step a) of a subsequent service program. For this purpose, a new duration for the service program is calculated by replacing the factory-set time period for manual operation with the recorded time period. The new duration is stored in the device's internal memory and retrieved and displayed when the same service program is displayed again. This allows the duration of the service program(s) to be adapted to the actual user-related circumstances, making them more realistic and leading to greater user acceptance and satisfaction. This increased acceptance and user satisfaction reduces the reluctance to perform service programs. As a result, maintenance is performed more frequently and regularly, thus extending the device's lifespan.

[0016] In principle, the inventive process can be carried out exactly once to replace the factory-assumed time period of a service program for performing manual service tasks with a more realistic time period, for example, only when each service program is selected for the first time. Alternatively, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, step i) can be performed with each selection and execution of a service program. This is because the user can develop a certain routine when performing manual service tasks or make organizational optimizations, for example, changing the location of the device relative to the water supply and / or drainage. Repeated execution of step i) has the advantage that the displayed duration for a service program adapts more and more closely to, or approximates, the time actually required by the user with each user-initiated change.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, steps d), e), and i) can be repeated once or several times consecutively and / or at intervals during the course of a service program. After the service program is started, the user may be prompted to perform an action several times, either directly consecutively or at different times during the process. For example, after starting the program, the user may be prompted to place a cleaning tablet in a specific location within the device. Immediately afterward, the user may be prompted to fill the water tank with fresh water, after which the device automatically starts its program. Later in the program, the device may interrupt the process and issue another prompt to the user, for example, to empty and replace the drip tray.

[0018] According to the inventive method, the time spans of all user-side service activities of the service program are recorded and processed separately, resulting in even greater accuracy in the display of the duration of the service program in step a) of a subsequent, identical service program.

[0019] In a further advantageous embodiment, the method can include a step j) in which a specific user is identified and the recording of the time span in step i) and its consideration in the display of the service program duration in step a) of a subsequent service program are also user-specific. Thus, one or all user-related activities are not only recorded with regard to their duration, but are also assigned to a specific user by means of a processing unit. This step also leads to a more precise adaptation of the display of the service program duration, namely individualized for a specific user. If several users operate the device, the duration of a service program is displayed according to the operating user, thereby achieving a particularly high degree of accuracy in the duration display.

[0020] In a further advantageous embodiment, the identification of a specific user can be achieved through user input or automatic recognition. The user can enter information manually, for example, by typing a string of characters or by providing an audible signal. Alternatively, a user can be identified using a suitable device via their fingerprint, facial recognition, or similar methods.

[0021] The time required to perform user-side service activities can vary from instance to instance, either because the user has significantly different capabilities or because different users are involved, whose timeframes differ considerably and are not individually recorded. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method can therefore include a step k) in which an average of the recorded timeframes for identical service activities is calculated, stored, and taken into account in step a) of a subsequent, identical service program. Thus, if more than one iteration of an identical service program has been carried out and the inventive method has been applied in each selection and execution of a service program, an average of all previously recorded timeframes can be used for a subsequent display of the duration, instead of the most recently recorded timeframe.This therefore not only takes into account the time required by the immediately preceding procedure, which may have been unusually long or short, but also mitigates fluctuations and outliers, making the adjustment of a predicted time to an actual time required even more accurate.

[0022] As long as a service program has not yet been performed, the device displays the factory-set duration. Up to now, the method according to the invention has been predominantly described as adjusting the duration of a service program based on data recorded from previous identical service programs. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method can include a step (1) in which a time interval is recorded or an average of recorded time intervals is calculated, and in step (a) is taken into account not only of the same service program, but of any subsequent service program. The method according to the invention infers, from the recorded time interval of a first manual service activity within a first service program, a time interval of a second, unrecorded manual service activity within a second, different service program.If the recorded time span of the first activity – or possibly its mean value – deviates in any direction, for example by 10%, from the factory-assumed time span of the second service program, the inventive method takes the deviation into account in the manner explained above when displaying the duration of the second service program, even though it has not yet been carried out by the user, i.e., even though no user-specific value for the time span within the second service program has been recorded and could be taken into account when displaying the duration of the second service program.

[0023] Alternatively, the method according to the invention can calculate an average value from the recorded time periods of a manual service activity within a first service program and from the recorded time periods of a manual service activity within a second, different service program. By averaging all recorded time periods for manual steps in all service programs, even different ones, and taking these values ​​into account for each subsequent service program, including a third, the more accurate and user-adapted display of the duration of a service program can be achieved more quickly.

[0024] This also has the aforementioned advantage of more precise, user-specific customization of the duration display, but furthermore, it also takes into account the fact that a user or group of users who, for example, require more time for all manual steps in one service program will most likely also require more time for the manual steps in other service programs, e.g., older users. Conversely, faster or more skilled users can receive more realistic estimates for their execution of service programs.

[0025] The problem underlying the invention is solved in the aforementioned hot beverage machine by a device for recording the duration of user activity. This enables the hot beverage machine to adjust the displayed duration of a service program to the actual user-specific time requirement. The hot beverage machine is therefore particularly suitable for carrying out the aforementioned method and achieves the advantages mentioned therein.

[0026] The principle of the invention will be explained in more detail below using a drawing as an example. The drawing shows the only Fig.1. An exemplary flowchart of the inventive method is shown, using a fully automatic coffee machine as an example. The method relates to the execution of service programs on the fully automatic coffee machine, which run semi-automatically. These programs require a service action by the user of the device before the service program, for example, cleaning, descaling, a combined program for these tasks, or cleaning a milk frothing unit, can be completed.

[0027] The process begins in step I with the display of a selection of service programs, which, for example, appears on the coffee machine's display after switching it on, under the menu item "Care and Maintenance." In addition to the service programs themselves, the displayed selection also indicates the estimated time each program will take to complete. This duration is preset in the machine and is based on an assumption the manufacturer made through practical testing. The user then selects a service program from the display and enters the desired information, for example, via a touchscreen on the machine.

[0028] In step II, the device records the user's selection and starts the service program with step III.

[0029] During the service program, the program stops, and in step IV, the display prompts the user, for example, to fill the water tank with fresh water. The user complies with this prompt, removes the tank, empties it (for example, at the kitchen sink), and refills it with fresh water from the tap. They then return the water tank to the appliance and reinstall it. In step V, the user's actions are recorded by sensors built into the appliance, specifically both the removal and replacement of the water tank. This occurs regularly, at least for safety reasons, to prevent the appliance from continuing to operate without a water tank installed and to prompt the user to insert the tank if it is missing or incorrectly inserted.Simply detecting that the water tank has been correctly reinserted and / or receiving separate confirmation from the user that the service activity has been carried out can be a signal for the device to resume its interrupted service program.

[0030] According to the invention, not only is the fact that the service activity of step V is performed detected, but in step VII, the duration of the user-performed activity is also recorded. The sensors thus record the time elapsed, for example, from the removal of the water tank until its replacement, and process it by taking it into account for displaying the duration of the same service program in a subsequent step a). For this purpose, the recorded time replaces the factory-assumed value for the duration of the user-performed service activity, whereupon a new duration for the service program is calculated. If the user calls up the service program again at a later time, an updated duration for the program is displayed, which corresponds more closely to the time that the user is expected to need for the program.The increased accuracy of the duration measurement leads to greater acceptance of the service program and other service programs, resulting in more frequent implementation and thus more thorough device maintenance by the user. Furthermore, it contributes to greater user satisfaction with the device, which also promotes more careful handling and a longer device lifespan.

[0031] After the user has finished their activity, the service program continues automatically and ends with step VI after all program steps have been completed.

[0032] Since the preceding, detailed embodiment of the method is merely an example, it can be extensively modified by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the recording of the time interval can begin as soon as a request to perform a service activity is issued or with a user confirmation, and continue until a user confirms successful completion, if no suitable sensors exist for recording the service activity itself. Furthermore, the time intervals can be recorded on a user-specific basis, allowing the durations for service programs to be individually displayed for multiple users of the same device. In addition, average values ​​can be calculated from the recorded time intervals and averaged to compensate for fluctuations in the performance of the user(s).Furthermore, the use of the indefinite articles “ein” or “eine” does not preclude the possibility that the characteristics in question may also be present several times or multiple times. Reference symbol list I Display selection and duration II. Capturing a user-generated choice III Start IV. Request to perform a user action V Recording the completion of user-side activity VI End VII. Recording the duration of user activity VIII. Calculating a new duration for the service program IX Saving the new duration for the service program QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2018 214 677 B4

[0003]

Claims

[1] Method for operating a hot drinks machine, in particular for domestic use, comprising the following steps: a) Displaying a selection of service programs including the duration of the respective service programs (I), b) Recording a user’s choice of a service program (II), c) Start the selected service program (III), d) Requesting the performance of a user-side activity (IV), e) Recording the user activity (V), f) Completion of the service program (VII), characterized by a step i) following step d), in which a time period for carrying out the user activity is recorded and taken into account when displaying the duration of a service program in a step a) (I) of a subsequent service procedure (VII, VIII, IX). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that step i) (VII, VIII, IX) is executed after each selection of a service program. [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that steps d) (IV), e) (V) and i) (VII) are repeated within a service operation once or several times during the course of the service program. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the method comprises a step j) in which a specific user is recognized and the recording of the time period in step i) and its consideration when displaying the duration of the service program in step a) (I) of a subsequent service method is carried out on a user-specific basis. [5] Method according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the recognition of a specific user occurs by capturing a user-side input or by automatic detection on the device. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the method comprises a step k) in which an average value from recorded time periods for identical process steps carried out is calculated, stored and taken into account in step a) (I) of a subsequent service procedure. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the method comprises a step I) in which an average value from recorded time periods for different process steps carried out is calculated, stored and taken into account in a step a) (I) of any subsequent service procedure. [8] Hot drinks machine, in particular for domestic use, with an activation unit, an input unit, a storage unit, a control unit and a device for recording a user-side service activity, characterized bya device for detecting the time period of user activity, in particular for carrying out a method according to one of the above claims. [9] Computer program product, comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed by a hot drinks machine, in particular according to claim 8, cause the machine to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 7.

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