Filter element monitoring method and apparatus, water dispenser device, and storage medium

Abstract

A filter element monitoring method and apparatus, a water dispenser, and a storage medium. The method is applied to a water dispenser. The water dispenser comprises a filter element and a water tank. The method comprises: on the basis of a preset period, regularly acquiring regular detection data of the water dispenser, wherein the regular detection data comprises at least one of filter element detection data, water tank detection data, and dispensed water detection data; on the basis of a comparison result between the regular detection data and reference detection data, determining the use state of the filter element; and in response to the use state indicating that the filter element needs to be replaced, giving a filter element replacement reminder.

Description

Filter element monitoring method, device, water dispenser equipment and storage medium

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application number 202311001471.X, filed on August 8, 2023, entitled “Filter element monitoring method, device, water dispenser equipment and storage medium,” the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of filtration equipment, and in particular to a filter element monitoring method, device, water dispenser equipment, and storage medium. Background Art

[0004] The cleanliness of drinking water determines the health of its users. For convenience, people now generally use water dispensers to filter water before drinking, thereby ensuring the safety of drinking water. Water dispensers often use filter cartridges to filter water. However, existing water dispensers cannot clearly monitor the usage of the filter cartridges. If the filter cartridges no longer have the filtering function, the resulting drinking water can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and other harmful effects to the human body. Users are required to replace the filter cartridges in the water dispensers based on their experience. However, this method may prematurely replace the filter cartridges that still have filtering functions, resulting in waste of usable filter cartridges. Furthermore, if the filter cartridges that no longer have filtering functions are not replaced in a timely manner, users may drink unfiltered water, which may affect their health.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a filter element monitoring method, device, water dispenser equipment and storage medium to solve the problem of premature replacement of water dispenser filter elements leading to filter element waste, or delayed replacement of water dispenser filter elements causing users to drink unfiltered water and affect their health.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a filter element monitoring method, which is applied to a water dispenser, wherein the water dispenser includes the filter element and a water tank, and the method includes:

[0008] Regularly acquiring periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of filter element detection data, water tank detection data, and water outlet detection data;

[0009] determining the usage status of the filter element according to a comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data;

[0010] Corresponding to the usage status being to be replaced, a filter element replacement reminder is issued.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present application provides a filter element monitoring device, the device comprising:

[0012] an acquisition module, configured to periodically acquire periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of filter element detection data, water tank detection data, and water outlet detection data;

[0013] a determination module, configured to determine the usage status of the filter element based on a comparison result between the periodic detection data and reference data;

[0014] The prompt module is used to issue a filter element replacement prompt corresponding to the usage status being to be replaced.

[0015] In a third aspect, the present application provides a water dispenser, which includes the above-mentioned filter element monitoring device.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, the present application also provides a non-volatile computer storage medium storing computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are used to execute the above-mentioned filter element monitoring method.

[0017] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages over the prior art: the method provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to a water dispenser, the water dispenser including the filter cartridge and the water tank, and periodic detection data of the water dispenser is regularly obtained according to a preset cycle, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of filter cartridge detection data, water tank detection data, and water outlet detection data; based on the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data, the usage status of the filter cartridge is determined, that is, the usage status of the filter cartridge in the water dispenser that gradually changes with the usage time is analyzed, so as to timely determine whether the filter cartridge needs to be replaced; corresponding to the usage status being to be replaced, a filter cartridge replacement prompt is issued. The user does not need to determine when to replace the filter cartridge, which is more accurate than the user determining the replacement point of the filter cartridge, thereby solving the problem of premature replacement of the water dispenser filter cartridge leading to waste of the filter cartridge, or delayed replacement of the water dispenser filter cartridge leading to the user drinking unfiltered water and affecting their health. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0020] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, which do not limit the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic flow chart of a filter element monitoring method provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a filter element monitoring method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG3 is a flow chart of a filter element monitoring method provided in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a filter element monitoring device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a water dispenser provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different configurations of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and configurations of specific examples are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0028] In one embodiment, FIG1 is a flow chart of a filter element monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG1 , a filter element monitoring method is provided. This embodiment mainly applies this method to a water dispenser, which includes a filter element and a water tank. The filter element and the water tank can be installed in any type of water dispenser, for example, a hot and cold direct drinking water dispenser with a heating water tank, a purified water dispenser, a warm water dispenser, etc., or a water dispenser without a heating water tank. The filter element monitoring method specifically includes the following steps S210 to S230.

[0029] Step S210: periodically obtain periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of filter element detection data, water tank detection data, and water outlet detection data.

[0030] Specifically, the preset period can be customized according to the actual application scenario, such as 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, one week, one month, etc. The shorter the preset period, the higher the precision of monitoring the timing of filter element replacement, and whether the filter element needs to be replaced can be monitored in time. The regular inspection data of the water dispenser is used to reflect whether the filtering function of the filter element is effective. For different models of water dispenser filter elements, before monitoring the filter element, its manufacturer information and usage under laboratory conditions (appearance during use, water tank scale accumulation, etc.) are entered for subsequent comparison. The regular inspection data includes at least one of the filter element inspection data, water tank inspection data, and water outlet inspection data. The filter element inspection data is the inspection data after scanning the filter element. The filter element inspection data at least includes the filter element end face radius, the thickness of the filter element surface protrusion, the depth of the filter element surface depression, the color value of the filter element surface area, the filter element positioning data, etc. The water tank inspection data is the inspection data after scanning the heating water tank in the water dispenser, and the water outlet inspection data is the inspection data for diagnosing the water outlet detection of the water dispenser. The filter element test data can be used to determine the scaling, corrosion and installation conditions on the filter element surface; the water tank test data can be used to determine the scaling conditions in the heating water tank; and the water outlet test data can be used to determine the water quality of the water dispenser.

[0031] Step S220: determining the usage status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data.

[0032] Specifically, the reference data is used to indicate whether the filter element in the water dispenser has qualified filtering function, and the regular inspection data uses the reference data as the standard to judge the usage of the filter element, and the regular inspection data is compared and analyzed with the reference data.

[0033] Based on the comparison results between the regular detection data and the reference data, the current usage status of the filter element can be determined. The usage status can be to be replaced or usable. When the usage status is usable, it means that the filter element currently still has filtering performance and can be used for water filtration. When the usage status is to be replaced, it means that the filter element currently still has filtering performance but is about to lose filtering performance, that is, the filter element is currently in a critical state of having filtering performance and losing filtering performance, and the filter element needs to be replaced.

[0034] Step S230: corresponding to the usage status being to be replaced, a filter element replacement reminder is issued.

[0035] Specifically, when the filter cartridge is detected to be in the waiting state, a filter replacement reminder is issued. This reminder can be broadcasted by the water dispenser voice and / or sent to a mobile terminal connected to the water dispenser via wireless communication to inform the user to replace the filter cartridge in the water dispenser in a timely manner. This eliminates the need for the user to determine when to replace the filter cartridge, which is more accurate than user-determined filter replacement timing. This addresses the issue of premature filter cartridge replacement leading to filter waste, or delayed replacement leading to users drinking unfiltered water, which can affect their health.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, when the filter element is in usable state, the usable duration of the filter element is determined and issued based on the degree of difference between the periodic detection data and the reference data. The usable duration of the filter element refers to the length of time the filter element can still be used, so as to remind the user how long the filter element needs to be replaced after continued use. The usable duration of the filter element is determined and issued based on the degree of difference between the periodic detection data and the reference data, specifically including: determining the candidate duration corresponding to the difference interval to which the difference between each detection parameter in the periodic detection data and the corresponding detection parameter in the reference data belongs; and determining the candidate duration with the smallest value among multiple candidate durations as the usable duration of the filter element. The detection parameters include the radius of the filter element end face, the thickness of the filter element surface protrusions, the depth of the filter element surface depressions, the color value of the filter element surface area, etc. Each detection parameter corresponds to multiple difference intervals, and different difference intervals correspond to different candidate time lengths. The candidate time length is used to indicate the time length when the detection parameter changes to make the filter element's usage status ready for replacement. When any detection parameter changes to exceed the corresponding threshold, the filter element's usage status will change to ready for replacement. Therefore, the shortest candidate time length is used as the filter element's usable time length.

[0037] In one embodiment, before obtaining the periodic detection data of the water dispenser at a preset period, the method further includes:

[0038] Obtaining initial detection data of the filter element when it is used for the first time;

[0039] Obtaining preset testing requirements and determining whether the initial testing data meets the preset testing requirements;

[0040] Corresponding to the initial detection data meeting the preset detection requirements, the initial detection data is used as filter element reference data, wherein the reference data includes the filter element reference data.

[0041] Specifically, when the filter element is a new filter element used for the first time, the scanner in the water dispenser is started to scan the filter element to obtain initial scanning data, and the camera is started to shoot the surface of the filter element to obtain initial image data. The initial scanning data and image data are combined to generate initial detection data. The detection data includes the filter element end face radius, the protrusion thickness of the filter element surface, the depression depth of the filter element surface, the color value of the filter element surface area, the filter element positioning data, etc., that is, the scanner can perform a three-dimensional stereoscopic scan of the filter element to scan out the structural parameters and position parameters of the filter element, that is, the structural parameters include the above-mentioned filter element end face radius, the protrusion thickness of the filter element surface, the depression depth of the filter element surface, and the color value of the filter element surface area, and the position parameters indicate the filter element positioning data. Based on the structural parameters of the filter element, it can be determined whether the filter element has defects, and based on the position parameters of the filter element, it can be determined whether the filter element is installed standardly.

[0042] The preset detection requirements can be obtained locally from the filter element monitoring device, and can also be obtained from the server through wireless communication. The preset detection requirements are used to indicate the factory standards for qualified filter elements. The initial detection data is matched with the preset detection requirements to determine whether the filter element in the water dispenser meets the factory standards for qualified filter elements. Only when the initial detection data meets the preset detection requirements will the initial detection data be used as reference data for monitoring the usage status of the filter element in the future. The initial detection data that does not meet the factory standards for qualified filter elements will be fed back as after-sales data to the mobile terminal bound to the water dispenser to inform the user that the filter element does not meet the factory standards and to conduct after-sales processing in a timely manner.

[0043] In one embodiment, when the initial detection data meets the preset detection requirements, the initial detection data is used as filter element reference data, including:

[0044] Corresponding to the fact that the filter element end face radius in the initial detection data is within the radius threshold range, and the protrusion thickness of the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to the preset protrusion thickness, and the depression depth of the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to the preset depression depth, and the color value of the filter element surface area in the initial detection data is within the corresponding color threshold range, and the matching degree between the filter element positioning data in the initial detection data and the preset positioning data is higher than the matching degree threshold, the initial detection data is used as the filter element reference data.

[0045] Specifically, the radius of the filter element end face is used to reflect the thickness of the filter element to determine whether the filter element is corroded. The thickness of the protrusions on the filter element surface is used to reflect the adhesion of filtered attachments on the filter element surface. The depth of the depressions on the filter element surface is used to reflect the defects on the filter element surface. The color values ​​of the filter element surface area are used to reflect the corrosion and attachment conditions. The color threshold ranges corresponding to the regional color values ​​of different areas on the filter element surface are different or the same. Because different positions of the filter element come into contact with the water source in different orders and frequencies, different areas on the filter element surface have different filtration orders and filtration frequencies for the water source. Therefore, the colors of different areas on the filter element surface must be recorded separately and the corresponding color threshold ranges must be provided.

[0046] If the filter element end face radius in the initial detection data is within a radius threshold range, it indicates that the filter element is not corroded. If the thickness of the protrusion on the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to a preset protrusion thickness, it indicates that there is no or minimal attachment on the filter element surface. If the depth of the concave on the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to a preset concave depth, it indicates that the filter element is not defective or has minimal defects. If the color value of the filter element surface area in the initial detection data is within a corresponding color threshold range, it indicates that the filter element surface is not corroded or has minimal corrosion. If the matching degree between the filter element positioning data in the initial detection data and the preset positioning data is greater than a matching degree threshold, the matching degree between the filter element positioning data and the preset positioning data represents the overlap between the installation area indicated by the filter element positioning data and the installation area indicated by the preset positioning data. A higher overlap indicates a higher matching degree, while a lower overlap indicates a lower matching degree. If the matching degree is greater than the matching degree threshold, it indicates that the filter element installation position meets the installation standard. If all of the above conditions are met, that is, the initial detection data meets the preset detection requirements, the initial detection data is determined as the filter element reference data.

[0047] The above-mentioned radius threshold range, preset protrusion thickness, preset recess depth, color threshold range, and matching threshold can all be customized according to application requirements. In this embodiment, the radius threshold range is 50mm±2mm, the preset protrusion thickness is 1mm, the preset recess depth is 1mm, the color threshold range is 128±10 (RGB value), and the matching threshold is 98%.

[0048] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes filter element detection data, and determining the usage status of the filter element based on a comparison result between the filter element detection data and reference data includes:

[0049] When the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element detection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the first threshold value, and the difference between the protrusion thickness of the middle filter element surface in the filter element detection data and the protrusion thickness of the filter element surface in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the second threshold value, and the difference between the depression depth of the middle filter element surface in the filter element detection data and the depression depth of the filter element surface in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the third threshold value, and the difference between the color value of the middle filter element surface area in the filter element detection data and the color value of the filter element surface area of ​​the same area in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the fourth threshold value, it is determined that the usage status of the filter element is usable.

[0050] Optionally, in one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes filter element detection data, and determining the usage status of the filter element based on a comparison result between the filter element detection data and reference data includes:

[0051] When at least one of the following conditions exists: the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element detection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is greater than a first threshold value; the difference between the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element reference data is greater than a second threshold value; the difference between the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element reference data is greater than a third threshold value; and the difference between the filter element surface area color value in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface area color value of the same area in the filter element reference data is greater than a fourth threshold value, it is determined that the usage status of the filter element is to be replaced.

[0052] Specifically, the regular inspection data is the filter element inspection data, and the reference data is the filter element reference data. The regular inspection data is compared with the reference data to determine whether the difference between the parameter value in the regular inspection data and the corresponding parameter value of the same parameter in the reference data is less than the corresponding threshold value. The first threshold value, the second threshold value, the third threshold value, and the fourth threshold value can all be customized according to actual needs. When the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element inspection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the first threshold value, and the difference between the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element inspection data and the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the second threshold value, and the difference between the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element inspection data and the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the third threshold value, and the difference between the filter element surface area color value in the filter element inspection data and the filter element surface area color value of the same area in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the fourth threshold value, it indicates that the degree of corrosion on the filter element surface is low, there are fewer attachments, and the filter element still has the filtering function, then the filter element is determined to be usable.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2, when the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element detection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is greater than a first threshold value, it indicates that the filter element is severely corroded; when the difference between the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element reference data is greater than a second threshold value, it indicates that there are many attachments on the filter element surface; when the difference between the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element reference data is greater than a third threshold value, it indicates that the filter element is severely corroded or has serious defects; when the difference between the filter element surface area color value in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface area color value of the same area in the filter element reference data is greater than a fourth threshold value, it indicates that the filter element surface is severely corroded or has many attachments or wear, the filtering function of the filter element is about to be lost, and it is about to be unable to continue to provide filtering treatment for the water quality, and the filter element needs to be replaced, then the usage status of the filter element is determined to be to be replaced.

[0054] The fourth threshold value includes the color threshold values ​​corresponding to each color channel. The color value of the filter surface area includes the color values ​​corresponding to the three color channels, recorded as RGB values ​​(red value, green value, blue value), as shown in the following table:

[0055] When calculating the difference between the color values ​​of the filter element surface area in the filter element detection data and the color values ​​of the filter element surface area in the same area in the filter element reference data, each color value in the color values ​​of the filter element surface area in the filter element detection data is subtracted from the corresponding color value in the color values ​​of the filter element surface area in the filter element reference data. For example, the color values ​​of the filter element surface area in the filter element detection data are (10, 10, 258), and the corresponding color values ​​of the filter element surface area in the filter element reference data are (0, 0, 255). The difference between the two color values ​​of the filter element surface area is (10-0=10, 1 0-0=10,258-255=3), at this time assuming that the fourth threshold is (10,10,10), since 10=10,10=10,3<10, it can be determined that the difference between the color value of the filter element surface area in the filter element detection data and the color value of the filter element surface area in the same area in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the fourth threshold, if there is at least one color channel corresponding to a difference value greater than the color threshold of the corresponding color channel, then it is determined that the difference between the color value of the filter element surface area in the filter element detection data and the color value of the filter element surface area in the same area in the filter element reference data is greater than the fourth threshold.

[0056] Compare the filter element test data with the filter element reference data to determine whether there is any obvious color difference or appearance difference between the current filter element and the unused filter element. For example, if the filter element is made of sponge, it appears fluffy and has many holes, but the adsorbed object has no tiny holes, such as the green unidentified object in the water, determine whether there are many adsorbed objects adsorbed on the surface of the filter element or in the numerous holes of the filter element. The degree of difference between the filter element test data and the filter element reference data can be used to determine whether the filter element physically affects the filtration effect and whether it needs to be replaced.

[0057] The filter surface image captured by the camera is used to determine whether there is any debris adsorbed on the filter surface. For example, if there are particles in the water before purification, the judgment method is an image processing algorithm. The position of the protrusion in the scan data is compared with the filter element before use to determine whether there is any obvious color difference or appearance difference.

[0058] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes the water tank detection data, and the reference data includes first preset scale data. Regularly obtaining the periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period includes:

[0059] Get the water tank type of the water dispenser;

[0060] When the water tank type of the water dispenser is a heating water tank, the scanner is periodically started to scan the heating water tank in the water dispenser according to a first preset interval, and first scale data after the scanner scans the heating water tank is obtained, wherein the periodic detection data includes the first scale data, and the preset period includes the first preset interval.

[0061] Determining the usage status of the filter element according to a comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes:

[0062] When the difference between the first scale data and the first preset scale data in the preset detection requirement is greater than or equal to a first preset difference value, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

[0063] Specifically, the water tank type of the water dispenser is a heating water tank, which means that the water dispenser has a heating function and can use the heating water tank to heat the filtered water. The scanner is started regularly at a first preset interval to scan the heating water tank in the water dispenser, and the scale deposited in the heating water tank can be scanned, that is, the first scale data data2 is generated. The first preset scale data is used to indicate the detection data when there is no scale in the heating water tank under a laboratory environment. The peak area in the detection data is calculated to obtain the first preset scale data, which is recorded as data1. The difference between the first scale data and the first preset scale data in the preset detection requirement is greater than or equal to the first preset difference, indicating that there is a lot of scale in the heating water tank. The first preset difference can be customized according to the actual application scenario. The smaller the first preset difference, the easier it is to determine that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced, and the larger the first preset difference, the more difficult it is to determine that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced. The large amount of scale is caused by the reduction of the filtering performance of the filter element. Therefore, at this time, it is determined that the filter element needs to be replaced, and the use status of the filter element is determined to be to be replaced.

[0064] Generally, scale is primarily composed of carbonates formed by calcium and magnesium ions, and is mostly white or pale yellow. It appears in areas easily exposed to air, so in this example, only the white color is considered. Thick scale accumulation will affect the filter element replacement decision. Even if scale is not particularly thick, accumulation will affect the filter element qualification decision.

[0065] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes the water outlet detection data, and the reference data includes the second preset scale data. The periodic detection data of the water dispenser is obtained regularly according to a preset period, including:

[0066] Get the water tank type of the water dispenser;

[0067] When the water tank type of the water dispenser is a non-heating water tank, the scanner is periodically started to scan the hot water outlet of the water dispenser according to a second preset interval, and second scale data after the scanner scans the hot water outlet is obtained, wherein the preset period includes the second preset interval, the second preset interval is longer than the first preset interval, and the water outlet detection data includes the second scale data.

[0068] Determining the usage status of the filter element according to a comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes:

[0069] When the difference between the second scale data and the second preset scale data in the preset detection requirement is greater than or equal to a third preset difference, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

[0070] Specifically, when the water tank type of the water dispenser is a non-heating water tank, it means that the water dispenser is not equipped with a heating water tank and the water dispenser does not have a heating function. The scanner is started regularly at a second preset interval to scan the hot water outlet of the water dispenser to detect the scale condition at the hot water outlet, that is, to obtain the second scale data. The second preset scale data is used to indicate the detection data of no scale at the hot water outlet of the water dispenser under a laboratory environment. The difference between the second scale data and the second preset scale data in the preset detection requirement is greater than or equal to the third preset difference, indicating that there is a lot of scale at the hot water outlet of the water dispenser. The third preset difference can be customized according to the actual application scenario. The scale is mostly caused by the low filtering performance of the filter element. Therefore, when there is a lot of scale at the hot water outlet, it is judged that the filter element needs to be replaced, that is, the usage status of the filter element is determined to be to be replaced.

[0071] In one embodiment of the present application, the second preset interval is longer than the first preset interval because scale is not easily formed at the hot water outlet, while scale is easily formed when heating water in the heating water tank. Therefore, the scale detection period for the heating water tank is shorter than the scale detection period for the hot water outlet.

[0072] In one embodiment, after obtaining the first scale data after the scanner scans the heating water tank, or obtaining the second scale data after the scanner scans the hot water outlet, the method further includes:

[0073] Acquire the previous scale data obtained by scanning earlier than the target scale data, wherein the scanning time corresponding to the previous scale data is close to and earlier than the scanning time corresponding to the target scale data, and the target scale data is the first scale data or the second scale data;

[0074] When the difference between the target scale data and the previous scale data is greater than or equal to a third preset difference, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

[0075] Specifically, the usage status of the filter element is determined based on the comparison result between the difference between the previous scale data scanned before the first scale data and the first scale data and the third preset difference, or based on the comparison result between the difference between the previous scale data scanned before the second scale data and the second scale data and the third preset difference. If the difference between the first scale data and its corresponding previous scale data is greater than the third preset difference, or the difference between the second scale data and its corresponding previous scale data is greater than the third preset difference, it means that the difference between the two scale data adjacent in time has undergone a sudden change, which may be due to a filter element failure resulting in a reduction in filtration performance. In order to ensure that the content of particulate impurities in the water quality is low, the usage status of the filter element is also determined to be to be replaced, so that the filter element with lower filtration performance is replaced in time to avoid users drinking drinking water with more particulate impurities.

[0076] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes water outlet detection data, the water outlet detection data also includes water outlet conductivity, and the reference data includes a conductivity threshold. Regularly obtaining the periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period includes:

[0077] The conductivity of the outlet water of the water dispenser is obtained according to a third preset interval, wherein the preset period also includes the third preset interval.

[0078] Determining the usage status of the filter element according to a comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes:

[0079] When the outlet water conductivity is greater than the conductivity threshold, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

[0080] Specifically, a conductivity sensor provided at the water outlet of the water dispenser is used to collect the conductivity of the outlet water. The conductivity sensor is controlled by a microcontroller or processor to collect the conductivity of the outlet water. The conductivity of the outlet water of the water dispenser is used to indicate the mineral content in the outlet water of the water dispenser. The higher the outlet water conductivity, the higher the mineral content in the outlet water, which means that the filtration performance of the filter element is poorer. The outlet water conductivity is compared with the conductivity threshold value in the reference data to determine whether the mineral content in the outlet water of the water dispenser is too high. The conductivity threshold value can be a parameter value in the filter element reference data or a pre-configured parameter value. When the conductivity threshold value is a parameter value in the filter element reference data, it is used to indicate the outlet water conductivity detected when the water dispenser is used for the first time. That is, the initial detection data includes the outlet water conductivity detected when the water dispenser is used for the first time. Since the initial detection data of the water dispenser meets the preset detection requirements, it also indicates that the filtration performance of the filter element is good. Therefore, the outlet water conductivity detected when the water dispenser is used for the first time can be used as the conductivity threshold value for subsequently judging the filtration performance of the filter element. When the outlet water conductivity is greater than the conductivity threshold, it indicates that the outlet water contains a high mineral content and a large amount of impurity particles. The filtration performance of the filter element is judged to be poor, and the filter element is determined to be in the state of needing replacement. A filter element replacement reminder is issued to remind the user to replace the filter element in time to avoid the user drinking drinking water with a lot of particulate impurities.

[0081] Based on the above filter element monitoring method, laboratory data is entered before using the water dispenser. The laboratory data is obtained by continuously changing the sample water dispenser in an environment such as an assembly line or a sampling survey. Then, through scanning, an ideal structural parameter threshold range is finally trained. For example, the radius threshold range is 50mm±2mm, the maximum value of irregular surface protrusions cannot exceed 1mm (that is, the preset protrusion thickness is 1mm), etc. If the subsequent scanned data is within this range, it is considered to be a product with qualified shape; then the color of the filter element is recorded. Specifically, by pre-processing the image scanned by the camera, digital image processing algorithms such as openCV can be used to determine the color of the object. The image processing algorithm is used to divide it into N areas and record the RGB number of each area, for example: (128±10, 128±10, 128±10), and the optimal color threshold range is trained to obtain the ideal preset detection requirements.

[0082] When a new filter element is used for the first time, it is tested: directly compared with the laboratory data (i.e. the preset test requirements). If the specifications, surface smoothness and surface area color of the filter element meet the preset test requirements, the "new filter element" is considered a qualified product.

[0083] For old filter elements that have been used for a period of time: This type of filter element should have passed the inspection steps for new filter elements, and after a period of use, the regular inspection data should be compared with the reference data. If the thickness of the filter element surface protrusions in the regular inspection data exceeds the preset protrusion thickness in the reference data, it may be caused by a large amount of pollutants such as mud and sand during the filtration process. If the depth of the filter element surface depressions in the regular inspection data exceeds the depth of the filter element surface depressions in the reference data, it may be caused by corrosive substances in the water source. If the color of the filter element surface area in the regular inspection data is too dark or too light compared to the color of the filter element surface area in the same area in the reference data, it may be caused by some scale. In summary, a low degree of match between the regular inspection data and the reference data may lead to unqualified filtration results.

[0084] Figures 1-3 are flowcharts of a filter element monitoring method in one embodiment. It should be understood that although the various steps in the flowcharts of Figures 1-3 are displayed in sequence as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there are no strict order restrictions for the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps in Figures 1-3 may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages, and these sub-steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a portion of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0085] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG4 , a filter element monitoring device is provided. The filter element monitoring device can be installed in a water dispenser and includes: a regular detection module, a determination module, and a prompt module.

[0086] The periodic detection module is used to regularly obtain the periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of the filter element detection data, the water tank detection data, and the water outlet detection data.

[0087] The determination module is used to determine the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data.

[0088] The prompt module is used to issue a filter element replacement prompt corresponding to the usage status being to be replaced.

[0089] In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a processing module configured to:

[0090] Obtaining initial detection data of the filter element when it is used for the first time;

[0091] Obtaining preset testing requirements and determining whether the initial testing data meets the preset testing requirements;

[0092] Corresponding to the initial detection data meeting the preset detection requirements, the initial detection data is used as filter element reference data, wherein the reference data includes the filter element reference data.

[0093] In one embodiment, the processing module is further configured to:

[0094] Corresponding to the fact that the filter element end face radius in the initial detection data is within the radius threshold range, and the protrusion thickness of the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to the preset protrusion thickness, and the depression depth of the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to the preset depression depth, and the color value of the filter element surface area in the initial detection data is within the corresponding color threshold range, and the matching degree between the filter element positioning data in the initial detection data and the preset positioning data is higher than the matching degree threshold, the initial detection data is used as the filter element reference data.

[0095] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes the filter element detection data, and the determination module is further configured to:

[0096] When the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element detection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the first threshold, and the difference between the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the second threshold, and the difference between the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the third threshold, and the difference between the filter element surface area color value in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface area color value of the same area in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to the fourth threshold, it is determined that the usage status of the filter element is usable.

[0097] In one embodiment, the periodic inspection data includes the filter element inspection data, and the determination module is further used to: determine that the usage status of the filter element is to be replaced when at least one of the following exists: the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element inspection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is greater than a first threshold, the difference between the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element inspection data and the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element reference data is greater than a second threshold, the difference between the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element inspection data and the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element reference data is greater than a third threshold, and the difference between the filter element surface area color value in the filter element inspection data and the filter element surface area color value of the same area in the filter element reference data is greater than a fourth threshold.

[0098] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes the water tank detection data, and the reference data includes first preset scale data. The acquisition module is further configured to: obtain the water tank type of the water dispenser; if the water tank type of the water dispenser is a heated water tank, periodically activate the scanner at a first preset interval to scan the heated water tank in the water dispenser, and obtain first scale data after the scanner scans the heated water tank, wherein the water tank detection data includes the first scale data, and the preset period includes the first preset interval.

[0099] The determining module is further configured to determine that the usage status of the filter element is to be replaced, corresponding to a difference between the first scale data and the first preset scale data being greater than or equal to a first preset difference.

[0100] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes the water outlet detection data, and the reference data includes second preset scale data. The acquisition module is further configured to: obtain the water tank type of the water dispenser; and, when the water tank type of the water dispenser is a non-heated water tank, periodically activate a scanner to scan the hot water outlet of the water dispenser at a second preset interval, and obtain second scale data after the scanner scans the hot water outlet. The preset period includes the second preset interval, and the water outlet detection data includes the second scale data.

[0101] The determining module is further configured to determine that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced when the difference between the second scale data and the second preset scale data is greater than or equal to a second preset difference.

[0102] In one embodiment, after obtaining the first scale data after the scanner scans the heating water tank, or obtaining the second scale data after the scanner scans the hot water outlet, the determination module is further used to: obtain the previous scale data obtained by scanning earlier than the target scale data, wherein the scanning time corresponding to the previous scale data is close to and earlier than the scanning time corresponding to the target scale data, and the target scale data is the first scale data or the second scale data; when the difference between the target scale data and the previous scale data is greater than or equal to a third preset difference, it is determined that the usage status of the filter element is to be replaced.

[0103] In one embodiment, the periodic detection data includes water outlet detection data, the water outlet detection data also includes water outlet conductivity, and the reference data includes a conductivity threshold. The acquisition module is further configured to: acquire the water outlet conductivity of the water dispenser at a third preset interval, wherein the preset period also includes the third preset interval.

[0104] The determining module is further configured to determine that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced when the outlet water conductivity is greater than the conductivity threshold.

[0105] As shown in Figure 5, an embodiment of the present application provides a water dispenser, including a processor 711, a communication interface 712, a memory 713 and a communication bus 714, wherein the processor 711, the communication interface 712, and the memory 713 communicate with each other through the communication bus 714.

[0106] The memory 713 is used to store computer programs.

[0107] In one embodiment of the present application, the processor 711 is configured to implement the filter element monitoring method provided by any one of the aforementioned method embodiments when executing a program stored in the memory 713 .

[0108] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in Figure 5 is merely a block diagram of a partial structure related to the present application scheme, and does not constitute a limitation on the water dispenser to which the present application scheme is applied. A specific water dispenser may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0109] In one embodiment, the filter cartridge monitoring device provided herein can be implemented as a computer program that can be run on a water dispenser as shown in Figure 5 . The water dispenser's memory can store the various program modules that comprise the filter cartridge monitoring device, such as the periodic detection module, determination module, and prompt module shown in Figure 4 . The computer program, comprised of these modules, causes a processor to execute the steps of the filter cartridge monitoring method according to various embodiments of the present application as described in this specification.

[0110] The water dispenser shown in Figure 5 can utilize the periodic detection module in the filter element monitoring device shown in Figure 4 to periodically acquire periodic detection data from the water dispenser at a preset interval. The water dispenser can utilize the determination module to determine the filter element's usage status based on a comparison between the periodic detection data and reference data. The water dispenser can utilize the prompt module to issue a filter element replacement reminder when the filter element's usage status indicates that it is ready for replacement.

[0111] An embodiment of the present application further provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the filter element monitoring method provided in any of the aforementioned method embodiments are implemented.

[0112] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of this embodiment.

[0113] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus a general hardware platform, or of course by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution, in essence, or the part that contributes to the relevant technology, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc., and includes a number of instructions for enabling a water dispenser device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or certain parts of the embodiment.

[0114] It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the order of execution is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0115] The foregoing description is intended only to provide specific embodiments of the present invention, which will enable those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A filter element monitoring method, applied to a water dispenser, wherein the water dispenser comprises the filter element and a water tank, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining periodic detection data of the water dispenser regularly according to a preset period, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of filter element detection data, water tank detection data, and water outlet detection data; Determining the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data; Corresponding to the usage status being to be replaced, a filter element replacement reminder is issued.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before regularly acquiring the periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period, the method further includes: Obtaining initial detection data of the filter element when it is used for the first time; Obtaining preset testing requirements, and determining whether the initial testing data meets the preset testing requirements; Corresponding to the initial detection data meeting the preset detection requirements, the initial detection data is used as filter element reference data, wherein the reference data includes the filter element reference data.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Corresponding to the initial detection data meeting the preset detection requirements, the initial detection data is used as the filter element reference data, including: Corresponding to the fact that the radius of the filter element end face in the initial detection data is within the radius threshold range, and the protrusion thickness of the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to the preset protrusion thickness, and the depression depth of the filter element surface in the initial detection data is less than or equal to the preset depression depth, and the color value of the filter element surface area in the initial detection data is within the corresponding color threshold range, and the matching degree between the filter element positioning data in the initial detection data and the preset positioning data is higher than the matching degree threshold, the initial detection data is used as the reference data of the filter element.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The periodic detection data includes the filter element detection data, and determining the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes: The difference between the radius of the filter element end face in the filter element detection data and the radius of the filter element end face in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the difference between the thickness of the protrusion on the filter element surface in the filter element detection data and the thickness of the protrusion on the filter element surface in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to a second threshold, and the difference between the depth of the concave surface of the filter element in the filter element detection data and the depth of the concave surface of the filter element in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to a third threshold, and the color of the filter element surface area in the filter element detection data is less than or equal to a third threshold. When the difference between the value and the color value of the filter element surface area of ​​the same area in the filter element reference data is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, it is determined that the usage status of the filter element is usable.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The periodic detection data includes the filter element detection data, and determining the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes: When at least one of the following exists: the difference between the filter element end face radius in the filter element detection data and the filter element end face radius in the filter element reference data is greater than a first threshold, the difference between the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface protrusion thickness in the filter element reference data is greater than a second threshold, the difference between the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface depression depth in the filter element reference data is greater than a third threshold, and the difference between the filter element surface area color value in the filter element detection data and the filter element surface area color value in the same area in the filter element reference data is greater than a fourth threshold, it is determined that the usage status of the filter element is to be replaced.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The periodic detection data includes the water tank detection data, and the reference data includes first preset scale data; The periodic detection data of the water dispenser is obtained regularly according to a preset period, including: Obtain the water tank type of the water dispenser; The water tank type corresponding to the water dispenser is a heating water tank, and a scanner is periodically started to scan the heating water tank in the water dispenser according to a first preset interval, and first scale data after the scanner scans the heating water tank is obtained, wherein the water tank detection data includes the first scale data, and the preset period includes the first preset interval; Determining the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes: Corresponding to the difference between the first scale data and the first preset scale data being greater than or equal to a first preset difference, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The periodic detection data includes the water outlet detection data, and the reference data includes second preset scale data; Obtain the regular inspection data of the water dispenser according to the preset period, including: Get the water tank type of the water dispenser; When the water tank type corresponding to the water dispenser is a non-heating water tank, the scanner is periodically started to scan the hot water outlet of the water dispenser according to a second preset interval, and second scale data after the scanner scans the hot water outlet is obtained, wherein the preset period includes the second preset interval, and the water outlet detection data includes the second scale data; Determining the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes: When the difference between the second scale data and the second preset scale data is greater than or equal to the second preset difference, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: After obtaining the first scale data after the scanner scans the heating water tank, or obtaining the second scale data after the scanner scans the hot water outlet, the method further includes: Acquire the last scale data obtained by scanning earlier than the target scale data, wherein the scanning time corresponding to the last scale data is close to and earlier than the scanning time corresponding to the target scale data, and the target scale data is the first scale data or the second scale data; When the difference between the target scale data and the previous scale data is greater than or equal to a third preset difference, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The periodic detection data includes water outlet detection data, the water outlet detection data also includes water outlet conductivity, and the reference data includes a conductivity threshold value; Obtain the regular inspection data of the water dispenser according to the preset period, including: Acquiring the outlet water conductivity of the water dispenser according to a third preset interval, wherein the preset period also includes the third preset interval; Determining the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data includes: When the outlet water conductivity is greater than the conductivity threshold, it is determined that the use status of the filter element is to be replaced.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The filter element replacement reminder is issued by the water dispenser in the form of voice broadcast, and / or is sent to an external mobile terminal bound to the water dispenser via wireless communication.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: Corresponding to the use state of the filter element being usable, determining a candidate duration corresponding to a difference interval to which a difference between each detection parameter in the periodic detection data and a corresponding detection parameter in the reference data belongs; The candidate time length with the smallest value among the multiple candidate time lengths is determined as the usable time length of the filter element.

12. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The radius threshold range is 50 mm±2 mm, the preset convex thickness is 1 mm, the preset concave depth is 1 mm, the color threshold range is 128±10, and the matching degree threshold is 98%.

13. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The fourth threshold value includes a red value threshold value, a green value threshold value and a blue value threshold value corresponding to the red channel, the green channel and the blue channel of the filter element surface area respectively; Corresponding to at least one color channel whose corresponding difference is greater than the color threshold of the corresponding color channel, it is determined that the difference between the color value in the filter element detection data and the color value of the filter element surface area of ​​the same area in the filter element reference data is greater than a fourth threshold.

14. A filter element monitoring device, applied to a water dispenser, the water dispenser comprising the filter element and a water tank, characterized in that: The device comprises: An acquisition module, used for periodically acquiring the periodic detection data of the water dispenser according to a preset period, wherein the periodic detection data includes at least one of the filter element detection data, the water tank detection data, and the water outlet detection data; A determination module, used to determine the use status of the filter element according to the comparison result between the periodic detection data and the reference data; The prompt module is used to issue a filter element replacement prompt corresponding to the use status being to be replaced.

15. A water dispenser, characterized in that: The water dispenser includes the filter element monitoring device as described in claim 14.

16. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 are implemented.

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