A removable control panel for controlling a household appliance

Abstract

A removable control panel (100) for controlling a household appliance (300), comprising a user interface comprising a display, the user interface being arranged to receive commands from a user, and to display operational data of the household appliance to a user using the display (110), and a communication interface (220) arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to commands from a user via the user interface, and to receive operational data from the household appliance. The removable control panel further comprises at least one of a machine learning module (230b) arranged to provide a machine learning engine for processing the operational data of the household appliance, a network interface module (230a) for transmitting and receiving data via a wireless communications network, and a voice recognition module (230c) comprising a microphone (115), arranged to receive voice commands from a user.

Description

[0001] A REMOVABLE CONTROL PANEL FOR CONTROLLING A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention concerns removable control panels for controlling household appliances. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention concerns removable control panels for controlling household appliances, which have additional and / or more advanced functionality. The present invention also concerns household appliance systems, and methods of upgrading household appliance systems.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Household appliances (also known as “domestic” appliances) such as ovens, fridges, hobs, washing machines and the like can come with different functionality, for example providing the ability to connect to and be controlled over the Internet, different methods of or functionality for operation of the household appliance, and / or different methods of providing control instructions to the household appliance.

[0006] It may be that a newer model of a household appliance provides additional or more advanced functionality than provided by a model of household appliance belonging to a user. The user may wish to have a household appliance with the additional or more advanced functionality. However, this requires the user to purchase a new household appliance, which can be expensive. Further, it may be that the household appliance belonging to the user is still in good condition, and so the user will not wish to dispose of it until it is no longer able to provide its basic functionality, for example for environmental reasons.

[0007] The present invention seeks to solve or mitigate some or all of the abovementioned problems. Alternatively, or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide improved removable control panels for controlling household appliances, household appliance systems, and methods of upgrading a household appliance system.

[0008] Summary of the Invention

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a removable control panel for controlling a household appliance, comprising: a user interface comprising at least a display, the user interface being arranged to receive commands from a user, and to display operational data of the household appliance to a user using the display; and a communication interface in communication with the user interface, the communication interface being arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to commands from a user via the user interface, and to receive operational data from the household appliance; wherein the removable control panel further comprises at least one of:

[0010] (a) a machine learning module arranged to provide a machine learning engine for processing the operational data of the household appliance,

[0011] (b) a network interface module for transmitting and receiving data via a wireless communications network, wherein the removable control panel is operable to transmit the operational data of the household appliance to a remote server via the network interface module, and to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the remote server via the network interface module, and

[0012] (c) a voice recognition module comprising a microphone, the voice recognition module being arranged to receive voice commands from a user, and wherein the communication interface is further arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to voice commands from a user via the voice recognition module.

[0013] By providing a removable control panel for controlling a household appliance, where a user has an existing household appliance with a removable control panel, the existing removable control panel can be removed, and replaced with the removable control panel described above. As the replacement removable control panel has at least one of a network interface module, a machine learning module and a voice recognition module, the existing household appliance of the user can be provided with the functionality these modules provide, via the replacement removable control panel. In this way, the household appliance of the user can be provided with the additional and / or more advanced functionality provided by these modules, without the entire household appliance needing to be replaced.

[0014] The removable control panel may be arranged to be removably mounted on the household appliance. The communication interface may be arranged to communicate with the household appliance using a wired connection. In this case, the removable control panel may comprise a rechargeable battery, and the household appliance may be arranged to charge the rechargeable battery via the wired connection. This provides a convenient method to provide power to the removable control panel when there is a wired connection.

[0015] Alternatively, the communication interface may be arranged to communicate with the household appliance using a wireless connection. This allows a user to use the removable control panel to control or monitor the household appliance from a distance. The wireless connection may be one of: a Bluetooth connection, and a Near Field Communication, NFC, connection. Alternatively, the wireless connection may use any other connection protocol suitable for communicating over a short distance (or even longer range), such as Thread, Zigbee, or other IEEE 802.15.4- standard wireless protocol, or other type of wireless protocol such as a proprietary protocol. The removable control panel may comprise a rechargeable battery, and the household appliance may be arranged to charge the rechargeable battery via magnetic induction. This provides a convenient method to provide power to the removable control panel when there is a wireless connection.

[0016] Where the removable control panel further comprises the network interface module, the network interface module may be arranged to transmit and receive data via the wireless communication network to a gateway. The network interface module may comprise a Wi-Fi interface. In this way, the removable control panel can communicate with standard home wireless networking equipment, or other gateway, for example to allow communication via the Internet. The removable control panel may thereby allow the household appliance to communicate with a remote server connected to the Internet.

[0017] Where the removable control panel further comprises the machine learning module, the machine learning engine of the machine learning module may be arranged to perform food recognition on image operational data received from the household appliance. This may for example enable the removable control panel to determine the type of food being cooked by an oven, so enabling it to control the oven to correctly cook the food with reduced or no further input from the user. Alternatively or additionally, where the removable control panel further comprises the machine learning module, the machine learning engine of the machine learning module may be arranged to perform browning level analysis on image operational data received from the household appliance. This may for example enable the removable control panel to determine the degree of browning of food in the oven.

[0018] In other embodiments, other processing of data from the household appliance using machine learning may be performed by the machine learning module. Regardless of the type of tasks performed by the machine learning module, it can allow processing to be undertaken locally on the hardware of the removable control panel, which may be specialised hardware optimised for performing tasks using machine learning, to provide additional functionality regarding the operation of the household appliance without requiring processing to be done using remote servers (i.e. on the “cloud”). For example, the machine learning module may allow the removable control panel to better understand the task a user is trying to perform using the household appliance, or may allow the removable control panel to control the household appliance so that a task is better performed.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a household appliance system comprising: a removable control panel as described above; and a household appliance comprising: a controller for controlling the household appliance; a communication interface in communication with the controller, the communication interface being arranged to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the removable control panel, and to send operational data to the removable control panel; wherein the household appliance is arranged to operate in accordance with control instructions received from the removable control panel.

[0020] The household appliance may comprise a bracket, wherein the bracket is arranged to receive the removable control panel. The household appliance may be arranged to operate in accordance with control instructions received from the removable control panel only when the removable control panel is received in the bracket.

[0021] The removable control panel may further comprise the network interface module, wherein network interface module comprises a Wi-Fi interface, and wherein the household appliance does not comprise a Wi-Fi interface. In this way, the removable control panel can provide Wi-Fi functionality to a household appliance that does not itself have Wi-Fi functionality. The household appliance may be an oven, fridge, hob, washing machine, or any other suitable household appliance.

[0022] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of upgrading a household appliance system, the household appliance system comprising: a first removable control panel; and a household appliance comprising: a controller for controlling the household appliance; a communication interface in communication with the controller, the communication interface being arranged to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the first removable control panel, and to send operational data to the first removable control panel; wherein the household appliance is arranged to operate in accordance with control instructions received from the first removable control panel; the method comprising the steps of: providing a replacement removable control panel as described above; removing the first removable control panel from the household appliance system; adding the replacement removable control panel to the household appliance system; and controlling the operation of the household appliance using the replacement removable control panel.

[0023] In this way, a household appliance can be “upgraded” to have additional or more advanced functionality, by replacing the first removable control panel with a replacement removable control panel, without requiring the entire household appliance to be replaced.

[0024] The replacement removable control panel may be arranged to provide functionality not provided by the first removable control panel. This may be additional and / or more advanced functionality.

[0025] The step of removing the first removable control panel from the household appliance may include using the first removable control panel to send a control instruction to the household appliance indicating that the replacement removable control panel is to be used in place of the first removable control panel.

[0026] The first removable control panel may not comprise any of: (a) a machine learning module arranged to provide a machine learning engine for processing the operational data of the household appliance,

[0027] (b) a network interface module for transmitting and receiving data via a wireless communications network, wherein the removable control panel is operable to transmit the operational data of the household appliance to a remote server via the network interface module, and to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the remote server via the network interface module, and

[0028] (c) a voice recognition module comprising a microphone, the voice recognition module being arranged to receive voice commands from a user, and wherein the communication interface is further arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to voice commands from a user via the voice recognition module.

[0029] The household appliance may not comprise a Wi-Fi interface.

[0030] The household appliance may comprise a bracket, wherein the bracket is arranged to receive a removable control panel, wherein removing the first removable control panel from the household appliance system comprises removing the first removable control panel from the bracket, and wherein adding the replacement removable control panel to the household appliance system comprises receiving the replacement removable control panel in the bracket

[0031] It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention and vice versa.

[0032] Description of the Drawings

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

[0034] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a removable control panel for controlling a household appliance according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the removable control panel of Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a household appliance incorporating the removable control panel of Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a household appliance system, including the removable control panel of Figure 1, the household appliance of Figure 3, and a remote server; and

[0037] Figure 5 is a flow chart showing a method of upgrading a household appliance according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0038] Detailed Description

[0039] A removable control panel 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0040] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the removable control panel 100, which is used to control a household appliance 300 as described in more detail below. The removable control panel 100 comprises a touchscreen 110, which displays various data items 101a, 101b, 101c that display operational data of the household appliance 300, i.e. information relevant to its operation. The touchscreen 110 further comprises buttons 102a, 102b, 102c, which a user can use to input commands to the household appliance 300 to control its operation.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the household appliance 300 is an oven, and the data items 101a, 101b, 101c of the touchscreen 110 indicate the mode of operation of the oven (heat, fan, grill, etc.), the desired temperature of the oven, and the actual temperature of the oven. The buttons 102a, 102b, 102c of the touchscreen 110 allow different modes of operation to be selected, and the desired temperature of the oven to be increased or decreased. In other embodiments, the household appliance 300 can be a different type of appliance, and the data items 101a, 101b, 101c and buttons 102a, 102b, 102c will provide information and functionality relevant to the type of application. For example, in embodiments in which the household appliance 300 is a washing machine, the data items 101a, 101b, 101c can indicate type of washing cycle of the washing machine (cotton, mixed, wool, different temperatures, etc.), and the time remaining on the present washing cycle; and the buttons 102a, 102b, 102c can allow different types of washing cycle to be selected, and the washing cycle to be cancelled, etc.

[0042] It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, other types of display and input may be used, for example an LED display and physical buttons, rather than the touchscreen 110. In some implementations, one or more physical buttons / controls for controlling the appliance may be provided in the removable control panel and one or more physical buttons / controls may be provided in a non-removable interface of the appliance. For example, the on / off button may remain in the non-removable part of user interface of the appliance. Finally, the removable control panel 100 also comprises a microphone 115, as discussed in more detail below.

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the removable control panel 100. The removable control panel 100 comprises a processor 200, and memory 250 in communication with the processor 200. The processor 200, using the memory 250, controls the removable control panel 100. The processor 200 is in communication with the touchscreen 110. The removable control panel 100 further comprises a communication interface 220 in communication with the processor 200, using which the removable control panel 100 can communicate with the household appliance 300, as described in more detail below.

[0044] The removable control panel 100 also comprises a rechargeable battery 240, which provides power for the various components of the removable control panel 100, and which is connected to an induction charge receiver 245. The induction charge receiver 245 can receive an oscillating magnetic field and convert it to electricity to use to charge the rechargeable battery 240.

[0045] The removable control panel 100 further comprises a network interface module 230a, a machine learning module 230b, and a voice recognition module 230c, each of which is in communication with the processor 200. The voice recognition module 230c is further in communication with the microphone 115. The network interface module 230a, the machine learning module 230b and the voice recognition module 230c are described in more detail below.

[0046] The household appliance 300, incorporating the removable control panel 100, and a household appliance system 400, including the household appliance 300 and the removable control panel 100, are now described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0047] Figures 3 is a perspective view of a household appliance 300, which as mentioned above is in the present embodiment an oven. The household appliance 300 comprises a bracket 310, within which the removable control panel 100 is removably mounted. The bracket 310 is arranged to allow easy removal and mounting of the removable control panel in the bracket 310, by the user of the household appliance, such that disassembly and / or a service engineer is not needed to remove, mount or change the removable control panel. The bracket 310 could be arranged to secure the control panel in place also when the household appliance is vibrating, e.g. in the case of a washing machine, or moving, e.g. in the case of a vacuum cleaner. It could for example be a snap-in, snap-on or slide-in bracket to allow easy mounting of the panel by a user without the need for screws. The bracket 310 could be located such that it is accessible during normal use of the appliance. For example, the bracket 310 could be provided in the upper front side of the housing of the appliance, on a door and / or on a handle of the appliance. In some implementations, the household appliance could comprise a hosting slot, without or without a bracket 310, for receiving the panel. The household appliance 300 comprises a door 320, on the inside of which is a camera 315, so that the camera 315 can take images of the interior of the household appliance 300, and particularly food placed within it, as described in more detail below.

[0048] Figure 4 shows schematically a household appliance system 400, which includes the household appliance 300 and the removable control panel 100, amongst other things.

[0049] As can be seen from the schematic diagram of the household appliance 300 shown in Figure 4, the household appliance 300 comprises a controller 450, which controls the operation of the household appliance 300, and is in communication with a communication interface 460. As shown by the dashed line, the communication interface 460 is in wireless communication with the communication interface 220 of the removable control panel 100, to allow the removable control panel 100 to send data to, and receive data from, the household appliance 300. Using the communication interface 460, the control panel can send commands to the household appliance and receive updates from the household appliance to keep the control panel always up to date with the appliance status. In the present embodiment the wireless connection between the household appliance 300 and the removable control panel 100 is a Bluetooth connection, but it will be appreciated that in other embodiments other types of wireless connection could be used, for example NFC, Thread, Zigbee, or other IEEE 802.15.4-standard wireless protocol, other standard or proprietary wireless protocol that is not in accordance with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, or indeed a wired connection. When a wired connection is used the bracket 310 (and / or hosting slot) may be arranged to align, when the removable control panel is mounted in / on the bracket 310 and / or in the hosting slot, a connector of the communication interface 460 of the appliance 300 with a connector of the communication interface 220 of the removable control panel, and create a physical connection between them, to allow the control panel and the controller 450 of the appliance to exchange signals via the communication interfaces and the physical connection. Alternatively, the bracket may be co-located with a cable connected to the communication interface 460 of the appliance 300 for connecting to an input / output of the removable control panel when placed in the bracket 310.

[0050] The household appliance 300 further comprises an induction charge emitter 445, which emits an oscillating magnetic field, which can be received by the induction charge receiver 245 of the removable control panel 100, as shown by the dotted line. In this way, the removable control panel 100 can be provided with power by the household appliance 300, which will be connected to a mains power supply. However, in other embodiments the removable control panel 100 can be provided with power in other ways. For example, there may be a wired rather than wireless data connection between the removable control panel 100 and the household appliance 300, in which case the wired connection can also provide power to the removable control panel 100. In other embodiments, the removable control panel 100 may alternatively or additionally comprise solar panels that provide a source of power.

[0051] The household appliance system 400 further comprises a router 420, which is in communication with the network interface 230a of the removable control panel 100, as shown by the dashed line, as described in more detail below. The router 420 is a standard household router, used as a gateway to provide a connection to the Internet 430 for devices of the household of which the household appliance 300 is part. The router 420 provides a connection between the removable control panel 100, and a remote server 410 at a remote location which is also connected to the Internet 430.

[0052] Various aspects of the operation of the household appliance system 400, and particularly the operation of the removable control panel 100 together with the household appliance 300, are now described.

[0053] As mentioned above, the communication interface 220 of the removable control panel 100 is in wireless communication with the communication interface 460 of the household appliance 300, to allow the removable control panel 100 to send data to, and receive data from, the household appliance 300. In particular, the removable control panel 100 can send control instructions to the household appliance 300, in response to commands it is given by a user via the touchscreen 110, or as discussed below via the network interface 230a, or via the microphone 115 and voice recognition module 230c. The controller 450 of the household appliance 300 then controls the operation of the household appliance 300 in accordance with the received control instructions. In the other direction, the household appliance 300 can send operational data to the removable control panel 100, which the removable control panel 100 can display as appropriate on the touchscreen 110 (e.g. to display the current status of the household appliance 300, such as the current temperature of the oven), or use in other ways as discussed in more detail below, for example send on to the remote server 410.

[0054] The operation of the network interface 230a of the removable control panel 100 is now described. The network interface 230a is in communication with the router 420, via a standard Wi-Fi connection. The network interface 230a may be provided by an electronic circuit board comprising a Wi-Fi chip. In this way, the removable control panel 100, and ultimately the household appliance 300, is able to communicate with the remote server 410. This allows, for example, the remote server 410 to send control instructions to the removable control panel 100, which can in turn be sent to the household appliance 300. In this way, a user can remotely control the household appliance 300, by connecting to the remote server 410 over the Internet 430, for example using a smartphone app, without needing to be in the vicinity of the household appliance 300 or the removable control panel 100. Additionally, or alternatively, telemetric data of the appliance can be sent from the household appliance 300 to the removable control panel 100 and, via the network interface 230a, onwards to the server 410 to be analysed by the server 410, for example for diagnostic purposes, or sent to a smartphone associated with the appliance for a user to monitor operation of the appliance via an app on the smartphone. The control panel thereby provides the household appliance with capability to communicate over a network with an external device. The household appliance 300 may not have any other capability for communicating with the remote server 410. For example, if Wi-Fi is used for remote control and / or monitoring of the household appliance 300, the household appliance 300 may not have its own separate Wi-Fi module and the only Wi-Fi module accessible by the household appliance 300 may be the Wi-Fi module in the removable control panel 100. In other words, all messages exchanged between the household appliance 300 and the remote server 410 may be sent via the network interface 230a of the removable control panel 100.

[0055] In some embodiments, instructions, monitoring data and / or other data, such as configuration data, may be communicated directly from the network interface 230a to the smartphone or other user device, rather than being communicated via the server 410. In other words, the network interface 230a may be used to set up a direct wireless communication connection to a user device.

[0056] Although the network interface 230a has been described to able to connect via Wi-Fi, it could comprise components for, and be configured to communicate with, any suitable wireless communication technology. The network interface 230a could comprise a telecommunication module and a sim card to allow the network interface 230a to communicate over a cellular network such as a 4G, 5G or 6G network. If a telecommunication module is included in the network interface 230a, as an alternative to a Wi-Fi module, the household appliance system 400 may not comprise a router 420 or any data sent by the appliance to the server may not be sent via the router 420. Additionally, or alternative, the network interface 230a could comprise a Bluetooth module for communicating with external devices. For example, where the household appliance 300 does not have its own Bluetooth Low Energy chip installed during manufacture, the removable control panel 100 may comprise a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip to allow the household appliance 300 to communicate with an external device using BLE communication technology. The external device could be a gateway, such as a home hub or a smartphone or other user device. The external device may allow onward communication to the external server. Alternatively, or additionally, the external device may be a peripheral device such as a food sensor. The network interface 230a may be used to obtain information from the peripheral device.

[0057] The operation of the machine learning unit 230b of the removable control panel 100 is now described. When a user places food in the household appliance 300 (which as above is an oven), they can select using the touchscreen 110 of the removable control panel 100 that they wish to use automatic food recognition functionality. The removable control panel 100 then receives image data from the camera 315 of the household appliance 300, which is sent to the removable control panel 100 as operational data, via the communication interface 460 and communication interface 220. This image data is then sent by the processor 200 to the machine learning unit 230b, which uses a machine learning algorithm to identify the type of food that is shown in the images. The processor 200 can then use this identification to determine the optimal settings for cooking the food and / or propose appropriate recipes, and send appropriate control instructions to the household appliance 300 accordingly. Alternatively or additionally, when a user places food in the oven, they can select using the touchscreen 110 of the removable control panel 100 that they wish to automatically monitor the browning level of the food. The removable control panel 100 then receives image data from the camera 315 of the household appliance 300, which is sent to the removable control panel 100 as operational data, via the communication interface 460 and communication interface 220. This image data is then sent by the processor 200 to the machine learning unit 230b, which uses a machine learning algorithm to evaluate a browning level of the food in the oven, including determining a degree of browning indicated by the image data. The processor 200 can then use the results of the evaluation in the machine learning unit 230b to determine whether the food has finished cooking or the optimal settings and timings for the remainder of the cooking process, and send appropriate control instructions to the household appliance 300 accordingly. In these ways, the removable control panel 100 provides local machine learning functionality to the household appliance 300, without any data having to be sent remotely, for example no image data needs to be uploaded to a remote server on the “cloud” or the like.

[0058] It will be appreciated that in other embodiments where the household appliance 300 is an oven, the machine learning unit 230b can provide additional or alternative machine learning functionality. Further, in other embodiments where the household appliance 300 is not an oven (or other appliance used for cooking food), the machine learning unit 230b can provide alternative machine learning functionality. For example, where the household appliance 300 is a washing machine, the machine learning unit 230b may again use image data, or alternatively or additionally use data from a water quality sensor of the household appliance, say, to determine the optimal settings for cleaning clothes.

[0059] The operation of the voice recognition module 230c of the removable control panel 100 is now described. The voice recognition module 230c is connected to the microphone 115, and in this way can receive audio data corresponding to a spoken command from a user, and determine the command the user is giving from the audio data. The determined command can then be used to control the operation of the household appliance 300, in the same way as a command provided by a user using the touchscreen 110 is used. In this way, the removable control panel 100 provides local voice recognition functionality in the household appliance 300, again without any data having to be sent remotely, for example again no audio data needs to be uploaded to a remote server on the “cloud” or the like. Further, the removable control panel 100 provides the microphone 115 to receive the audio of the voice commands, and so the household appliance 300 does not need to comprise a microphone in order to have voice recognition functionality.

[0060] In some embodiments, the removable control panel 100 may comprise additional hardware to that described above. For example, it may comprise graphics engines for the display, additional control means such as gesture based control means, or hardware that can support updated versions of operative systems. A method of upgrading a household appliance 300 according to an embodiment of the invention is now described, with reference to the flowchart 500 of Figure 5. The method can be performed on a household appliance such as the household appliance 300, but for example where the household appliance 300 is being used in conjunction with a first removable control panel with limited functionality, and the user wants to have the additional and / or more advanced functionality provided by the removable control panel 100, as is provided by the network interface module 230a, machine learning module 230b and / or voice recognition module 230c, some or all of such functionality not being provided by the first removable control panel. For example, the first removable control panel may comprise a network interface configured to communicate according to the Wi-Fi 4 standard whereas the replacement removable control panel may comprise a network interface 130a configured to communicate according to the Wi-Fi 6 standard. As another example, the first removable control panel may have no or very limited machine learning capability and the machine learning unit 230b of the replacement removable control panel may comprise one or more graphics processing units (GPU) (for example more GPUs than in the first removable control panel) to provide capability for running, or improving performance of, machine learning algorithms. The replacement removable control panel may additionally comprise one or more of an improved display 110, a faster graphics engine for the display, a camera and more computational power.

[0061] In a first step, a replacement removable control panel with additional and / or more advanced functionality, such as the removable control panel 100, is provided (step 510). The first removable control panel is removed from the bracket 310 of the household appliance (step 520), and a command is entered using the user interface of the first removable control panel indicating that the first removable control panel is to be replaced with a new removable control panel (step 530).

[0062] The replacement removable control panel is then mounted in the bracket of the household appliance (step 540), and a command is entered using the user interface of the replacement removable control panel indicating that the replacement removable control panel is the replacement for the first removable control panel (step 550). In this way, the household appliance knows to communicate with, i.e. receive data from and send data to, the replacement removable control panel. The operation of the household appliance is then controlled using the replacement removable control panel (step 560), particularly with the additional and / or more advanced functionality provided by the replacement removable control panel being available to a user, despite the household appliance not having been replaced.

[0063] It will be appreciated that in different embodiments the household appliance may be arranged to communicate with the replacement removable control panel when it is provided, and to no longer communicate with the first removable control panel following its replacement, in various different ways. The household appliance may be arranged to communicate with any suitable removable control panel, and so will immediately be able to communicate with the replacement removable control panel, and the first removable control panel is merely disposed of or disabled to avoid it being used to control the household appliance. In embodiments in which the household appliance comprises a bracket 310 arranged to receive a removable control panel, the household appliance may be arranged to communicate only with a removable control panel received within the bracket, whether that is the first removable control panel or the replacement removable control panel. For example a sensor, located in / on or near the bracket, may be configured to detect whether a control panel is mounted in / on the bracket. Alternatively, or additionally, in embodiments in which the household appliance and the removable control panel communicate wirelessly, the controller of the household appliance may be configured to communicate with the removable control panel only if the signal strength of signals received from the removable control panel is above a predetermined threshold, indicating that the removable control panel is located close to the household appliance. Alternatively or additionally, the control panel may be configured to implement a corresponding signal strength analysis and only communicate with the household appliance if it is determined that the signal strength is above a threshold. In embodiments in which the household appliance has wired communication with the removable control panel, the cable from the household appliance can simply be disconnected from the first removable control panel and connected to the replacement removable control panel. In at least some of the above cases, there may be no need to enter a command on the first removable control panel indicating it is to be replaced, or on the replacement removable control panel indicating that it is the replacement.

[0064] In embodiments in which the household appliance and (first and replacement) removable control panel communicate wirelessly, entering the command on the first removable control panel indicating it is to be replaced can cause the household appliance to enter a “handshake” mode, in which it waits for a new removable control panel with which to communicate. Entering the command on the replacement removable control panel indicating that it is the replacement can then cause it to indicate to the household appliance that it is the replacement, so causing the household appliance and replacement removable control panel to set up a permanent connection, with the household appliance then exiting the “handshake” mode.

[0065] By allowing at least part of the user interface of the appliance to be replaced with an upgraded version, the lifetime of the appliance can be extended. Appliances can be fully operative for ten years or more. In this timeframe the style and customer appreciated ways to control the appliances can vary significantly. With time, a customer may also be able to afford an appliance with more premium functionality, such as connectivity capability, artificial intelligence aided operation and improved remote control. By providing a removable control panel that can be exchanged for a different, improved control panel comprising new desired functionality, the user may continue to use the appliance beyond a point at which it would typically have discarded the whole appliance for a new appliance because, for example, the appliance is perceived as outdated or the customer can afford a more premium appliance, or for another reason.

[0066] While the present disclosure has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

[0067] In particular, it will be appreciated that while the replacement removable control panel 100 described in the above embodiments comprises all three of the network interface module 230a, the machine learning module 230b, and the voice recognition module 230c, in other embodiments the replacement removable control panel may comprise only one, or only two, of the network interface module 230a, the machine learning module 230b, and the voice recognition module 230c. Moreover, the replacement removable control panel may not comprise a microphone. Additionally, although the control panel has been described with respect to Figure 1 to include a rechargeable battery and an induction charge receiver 245, in other implementations the removable control panel may not comprise an induction charge receiver 245 or other means for recharging the battery 240. In those cases, the removable control panel may be arranged to allow a user to change the battery. The battery may be a rechargeable or a disposable battery. In implementations in which a wired connection between the removable control panel and the household appliance is used, the control panel may not comprise a battery but may be powered via the household appliance and the wired connection when mounted to the household appliance. Although it has been described, especially with respect to the method of Figure 5, that the household appliance can include a bracket for receiving the removable control panel, other means for attaching the removable control panel to the household appliance can be used.

[0068] Moreover, although the removable control panel has been described above to be provided for controlling a household appliance, the teaching can also be applied to removable control panels for other types of controllable consumer devices for which it may be advantageous to have upgradable control panels.

[0069] Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

Claims1. A removable control panel for controlling a household appliance, comprising: a user interface comprising at least a display, the user interface being arranged to receive commands from a user, and to display operational data of the household appliance to a user using the display; and a communication interface in communication with the user interface, the communication interface being arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to commands from a user via the user interface, and to receive operational data from the household appliance; wherein the removable control panel further comprises at least one of:(a) a machine learning module arranged to provide a machine learning engine for processing the operational data of the household appliance,(b) a network interface module for transmitting and receiving data via a wireless communications network, wherein the removable control panel is operable to transmit the operational data of the household appliance to a remote server via the network interface module, and to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the remote server via the network interface module, and(c) a voice recognition module comprising a microphone, the voice recognition module being arranged to receive voice commands from a user, and wherein the communication interface is further arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to voice commands from a user via the voice recognition module.

2. A removable control panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removable control panel is arranged to be removably mounted on the household appliance.

3. A removable control panel as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication interface is arranged to communicate with the household appliance using a wired connection.

4. A removable control panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the removable control panel comprises a rechargeable battery, and wherein the household appliance is arranged to charge the rechargeable battery via the wired connection.

5. A removable control panel as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication interface is arranged to communicate with the household appliance using a wireless connection.

6. A removable control panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wireless connection is one of: a Bluetooth connection, and a Near Field Communication, NFC, connection.

7. A removable control panel as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the removable control panel comprises a rechargeable battery, and wherein the household appliance is arranged to charge the rechargeable battery via magnetic induction.

8. A removable control panel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the removable control panel further comprises the network interface module, and wherein network interface module comprises a Wi-Fi interface.

9. A removable control panel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the removable control panel further comprises the machine learning module, and wherein the machine learning engine of the machine learning module is arranged to perform at least one out of food recognition and browning level analysis on image operational data received from the household appliance.

10. A household appliance system comprising: a removable control panel as claimed in any preceding claim; and a household appliance comprising: a controller for controlling the household appliance; a communication interface in communication with the controller, the communication interface being arranged to receive control instructions forcontrolling the household appliance from the removable control panel, and to send operational data to the removable control panel; wherein the household appliance is arranged to operate in accordance with control instructions received from the removable control panel.

11. A household appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the household appliance comprises a bracket, wherein the bracket is arranged to receive the removable control panel.

12. A household appliance system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the household appliance is arranged to operate in accordance with control instructions received from the removable control panel only when the removable control panel is received in the bracket.

13. A household appliance system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the removable control panel further comprises the network interface module, wherein network interface module comprises a Wi-Fi interface, and wherein the household appliance does not comprise a Wi-Fi interface.

14. A method of upgrading a household appliance system, the household appliance system comprising: a first removable control panel; and a household appliance comprising: a controller for controlling the household appliance; a communication interface in communication with the controller, the communication interface being arranged to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the first removable control panel, and to send operational data to the first removable control panel; wherein the household appliance is arranged to operate in accordance with control instructions received from the first removable control panel; the method comprising the steps of: providing a replacement removable control panel as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9;removing the first removable control panel from the household appliance system; adding the replacement removable control panel to the household appliance system; and controlling the operation of the household appliance using the replacement removable control panel.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the replacement removable control panel is arranged to provide functionality not provided by the first removable control panel.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the step of removing the first removable control panel from the household appliance includes using the first removable control panel to send a control instruction to the household appliance indicating that the replacement removable control panel is to be used in place of the first removable control panel.

17. A method as claimed in any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the first removable control panel does not comprise any of:(a) a machine learning module arranged to provide a machine learning engine for processing the operational data of the household appliance,(b) a network interface module for transmitting and receiving data via a wireless communications network, wherein the removable control panel is operable to transmit the operational data of the household appliance to a remote server via the network interface module, and to receive control instructions for controlling the household appliance from the remote server via the network interface module, and(c) a voice recognition module comprising a microphone, the voice recognition module being arranged to receive voice commands from a user, and wherein the communication interface is further arranged to send control instructions for controlling the household appliance to the household appliance in response to voice commands from a user via the voice recognition module.

18. A method as claimed in any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the household appliance does not comprise a Wi-Fi interface.

19. A method as claimed in any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the household appliance comprises a bracket, wherein the bracket is arranged to receive a removable control panel, wherein removing the first removable control panel from the household appliance system comprises removing the first removable control panel from the bracket, and wherein adding the replacement removable control panel to the household appliance system comprises receiving the replacement removable control panel in the bracket.

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