Automated lens cleaning for a camera assembly based on image recognition in a washing machine appliance
US12006612B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 2021 |
| Grant date | Jun 11, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 24, 2042 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30204
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A washing machine appliance includes a camera assembly mounted in view of a wash chamber for obtaining images of the wash chamber. The lens of the camera assembly is positioned adjacent a water outlet of a water dispenser and a controller is configured to facilitate an automated cleaning method for the camera assembly, the method including obtaining one or more images of the wash chamber using the camera assembly, analyzing the one or more images to determine an image quality, determining that the image quality has dropped below a quality threshold, and operating the water dispenser to perform a lens cleaning operation in response to determining that the image quality has dropped below the quality threshold.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.