US 12,234,593 B2
Image recognition processes for detecting tangling in a washing machine appliance
Nicholas Matthew Dillon, Louisville, KY (US); and Matthew R. Hunter, Louisville, KY (US)
Assigned to Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Dec. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/110,396.
Prior Publication US 2022/0178064 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. D06F 34/18 (2020.01); D06F 33/00 (2020.01); D06F 33/32 (2020.01); D06F 33/47 (2020.01); D06F 103/02 (2020.01); D06F 105/02 (2020.01); D06F 105/58 (2020.01); D06F 105/62 (2020.01); G06N 3/04 (2023.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01)
CPC D06F 34/18 (2020.02) [D06F 33/00 (2013.01); D06F 33/32 (2020.02); D06F 33/47 (2020.02); G06N 3/04 (2013.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01); D06F 2103/02 (2020.02); D06F 2105/02 (2020.02); D06F 2105/58 (2020.02); D06F 2105/62 (2020.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A washing machine appliance, comprising:
a wash tub positioned within a cabinet;
a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defining a wash chamber configured for receiving a load of articles;
a camera mounted to the cabinet in view of the wash chamber; and
a controller operably coupled to the camera, the controller configured to
obtain one or more images of the articles within the wash chamber from the camera during an agitation cycle;
analyze the one or more images using a machine learning image recognition process to determine that the articles are tangled during the agitation cycle, wherein analyzing the one or more images with the controller comprises identifying a plurality of boundaries between the articles and determining that the articles are tangled in response to the plurality of boundaries exceeding a threshold value; and
adjust at least one operating parameter of the washing machine appliance in response to determining that the articles are tangled during the agitation cycle.