Household Appliance Control Unit Using Reference Marks for Image Normalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for evaluating image data within household appliances are hindered by varying lighting conditions, soiling, and external light interference, leading to poor image quality and inaccurate object identification or cooking status determination.
Innovation Solution
A control unit processes image data using reference marks with known properties, determining actual values and applying transformations to normalize the data, compensating for lighting variations and soiling, and enhancing image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If image data is captured in the interior of the household appliance, then object identification and cooking status determination can be performed, but the image quality deteriorates due to varying lighting conditions, soiling, and external light interference
Solution Approach 1:
A reference mark with known reference values serves as an intermediary element in the image. This reference mark provides a stable, known reference that mediates between the variable lighting conditions and the image evaluation process, enabling correction of lighting effects and soiling without requiring direct measurement of the object under evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by comparing actual measured values of the reference mark against its known reference values. This parameter comparison enables the determination of correction factors that compensate for lighting variations and soiling, thereby improving image quality and measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If reference marks are arranged in the interior of the household appliance, then image data can be color-normalized and evaluation precision improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reference mark acts as a simple intermediary that provides known reference values for color and lighting conditions. By placing this passive reference element in the interior, the system achieves color normalization and improved evaluation precision without requiring complex active correction systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference mark creates a known reference copy of ideal lighting and color conditions. This reference copy is used to compare against actual image data, enabling the system to normalize colors and compensate for lighting variations through software processing rather than hardware complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control unit (101) for a household appliance (100) is described, which has at least one reference mark (200) in an interior (110), wherein the reference mark (200) has reference values for one or more different properties. The control unit (101) is configured to acquire image data relating to the interior (110) of the household appliance (100) using a camera (103) of the household appliance (100) and to identify the reference mark (200) in the image data. Furthermore, the control unit (101) is configured to determine actual values for the one or more properties of the reference mark (200) based on the image data.The control unit (101) is further configured to process the image data depending on the actual values and depending on the reference values in order to determine object information relating to an object (112) in the interior (110) of the household appliance (100) and/or to provide an enhanced image relating to the interior (110) of the household appliance (100).