Personalization of operating steps

Technischer Lösungsvorschlag A2017-020
Unternehmenseinheit: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG

Description:

The basis of the idea is a unique assignment of an operation for a household appliance to a user.

Operating procedures carried out by the user or habits of the user are assigned to the user and stored for the household appliance. A user profile is created using this data. With the help of the user profile, user and time-dependent actions/sequences are displayed on the control element and suggested to the assigned user.

An autonomous, automated adaptation of the user profile is provided for in the event of a change in the operating procedure or the operating habit by the user. This means that no manual creation of the user profile is necessary. Instead of an automatic adaptation of the user profile, an adaptation can be provided that requires a confirmation of the adaptation by the user before a changed user profile is activated.

The user profile is created and stored in a computing unit integrated in the household appliance. A connection to an external server or storage medium is therefore not required.

By using RFID technology, the idea can also be used in the area of shared devices. With the help of RFID tags, user identification can be realized. Different users are identified with the help of RFID technology and the autonomous creation and adaptation of user profiles based on the user behaviour of the different users is ensured for the respective user.

The autonomous creation and adaptation of the user profile implements cognitive behaviour (cognitive systems, artificial intelligence).

The aim of the invention is, by analyzing the habits of a user, to already offer the user the programmes or settings intended at that time when the device is started. The following two cases are considered:

• Case 1: Several users are assigned to a household appliance (e.g. shared washing machine in an apartment building) and
   
• Case 2: a user is assigned to a household appliance (e.g. a washing machine in a detached house).

In case 1, the use of a passive or active RFID transponder uniquely identifies each user when they log on to the household appliance. In this way, operating sequences are assigned to the respective user and stored. Using this data, a user profile is created and, depending on this, user and time-dependent actions/sequences that have already been stored are displayed to the respective user on the control element when his RFID tag is recognized. If the user's habits change, the user profile is automatically adjusted accordingly.

For example, for washing machines that are used by several users (apartment building, laundromats), payment by means of a smart card is also usually offered. By using a smart card (or an active or passive RFID transponder), the user is identified by the transmission of the RFID tag. Thus, all selected programme settings can be assigned to an ID or a user. Based on the usage data (e.g. programme selection, temperature, revolutions, day of the week and time), a usage profile is created by the first applications and stored locally. On the basis of the usage profile, suggestions are made in the form of a pop-up window or automatic call-up of the relevant menu page with preselected parameter values each time the user logs on. In addition, the user profile is adapted autonomously when the user behaviour changes.

For example, the user profile could contain the following information:

• Wednesday - 5pm - 8pm - Programme A - Temperature B - Revolutions C
• Every fortnight Saturday - 10am to 12pm - Programme B - Temperature G - Revolutions F
• every four weeks Saturday/Sunday - all day - programme C - temperature D - revolutions E

In case 2, no identification of the user is required because only one user is assigned to the household appliance. Consequently, the operating sequences are stored in the same way as in case 1, but only one user profile is created. By means of the user profile, the time-dependent actions/sequences stored in the user profile are displayed to the user on the control element.

For all household appliances used in a single household, there is no need to identify oneself via RFID, as in this case there is only one user per appliance. However, as in case 1, all usage data is created for a profile and stored locally. On the basis of the usage profile, suggestions are made for each further use in the form of a pop-up window or automatic call-up of the relevant menu page with preselected parameter values. In addition, the user profile is adapted autonomously when the usage behaviour changes.