Camera-Based Drain Pump Performance Detection for Washing Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machine appliances often suffer from drain pump malfunctions, leading to issues such as flooding and damage to articles within the wash chamber, for which there is a lack of effective monitoring and detection systems.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a camera within the washing machine appliance to obtain images of the wash tub and analyze them to determine if the drain pump is operating at or above a minimum drain rate, using a structural similarity index (SSIM) to assess pump performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a camera system is added to monitor drain pump performance, then detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical flow measurement devices with a camera-based optical system. The camera captures images of the wash tub during draining, and image processing algorithms analyze water level changes to determine drain pump performance, eliminating the need for mechanical flow meters or complex sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual copying through camera imaging to monitor the draining process. Instead of directly measuring water flow with complex instruments, the system creates visual copies (images) of the water level in the wash tub and analyzes these copies to infer drain pump performance, simplifying the measurement approach.
2Reliability
If image analysis is used to monitor drain rate, then monitoring capability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera does not operate continuously but instead captures images at periodic intervals during the drain cycle. This periodic operation significantly reduces energy consumption compared to continuous video recording, while still providing sufficient data points to accurately assess drain pump performance through image analysis.
3Reliability
If drain pump malfunction detection is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-diagnosis by automatically analyzing images of the draining process and detecting pump malfunctions without requiring external monitoring equipment or complex diagnostic systems. The appliance monitors its own drain pump performance using the existing camera and processing capabilities, eliminating the need for separate diagnostic devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine appliance includes a cabinet, and a wash tub mounted within the cabinet. The washing machine appliance further includes a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub. A method includes commencing an operating cycle, and sending, during the operating cycle, an activation command to a drain pump of the washing machine appliance. The method also includes obtaining one or more images of the wash tub, after sending the activation command, using a camera mounted within the cabinet. The method further includes analyzing the one or more images of the wash tub, and determining whether the drain pump is operating as expected based at least in part on the analysis of the one or more images. The drain pump operating as expected includes draining wash liquid from the wash tub at or above a minimum drain rate.