US 12,376,727 B2
Dishwasher and method for detecting camera failure by dishwasher
Jekang Park, Seoul (KR); Changwoo Son, Seoul (KR); and Baekeun Kwon, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/488,569.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0127220 (KR), filed on Sep. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0095884 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. A47L 15/42 (2006.01); A47L 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 15/4295 (2013.01) [A47L 15/0063 (2013.01); A47L 15/428 (2013.01); A47L 2401/30 (2013.01); A47L 2401/34 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dishwasher, comprising:
a case forming an outer appearance of the dishwasher and defining an opening at a front side of the case;
a door configured to open and close the opening;
a tub configured to provide a treating chamber;
a rack disposed inside the tub and configured to accommodate a dish;
a dish recognition camera configured to capture an upper portion of the rack, the dish recognition camera being covered by a panel and disposed at at least one of (i) an inner surface of the door or (ii) an inner surface of the tub; and
a controller configured to control operation of the dishwasher and the dish recognition camera,
wherein the controller is configured to:
obtain a first dish image and a second dish image captured at different time points by the dish recognition camera according to a preset operation,
process the obtained first dish image and the second dish image, and
based on a result of processing the obtained images, determine a lens damage state of the dish recognition camera or a panel contamination state,
wherein the first dish image and the second dish image are obtained by capturing the same area, and
wherein the controller is configured to compare the first dish image and the second dish image to (i) classify a pixel having no change in color value or edge between the first dish image and the second dish image as a static pixel, (ii) classify an area of a plurality of adjacent static pixels as a contamination area and (iii) determine the lens damage state of the dish recognition camera or the panel contamination state based on the contamination area.
 
9. A method for detecting failure of a camera by a dishwasher, comprising:
obtaining a first dish image and a second dish image captured at different time points by a dish recognition camera according to a preset operation;
image-processing the obtained first dish image and second dish image; and
determining a lens damage state of the dish recognition camera or a panel contamination state based on a result of the image-processing,
wherein image-processing the obtained first dish image and second dish image includes:
comparing the first dish image and the second dish image to detect a static pixel;
classifying a pixel having no change in color value or edge between the first dish image and the second dish image as a static pixel,
classifying an area of a plurality of adjacent static pixels as a contamination area; and
determining the lens damage state of the dish recognition camera or the panel contamination state based on the contamination area,
wherein the first dish image and the second dish image are obtained by capturing the same area.