US 12,133,619 B2
Verification of cleaning process efficacy
Rachel Marie McGinness, Rosemount, MN (US); Conor Sylvester Smith, Saint Louis Park, MN (US); Paul R. Kraus, Apple Valley, MN (US); and Paul Dominic Christian, Apple Valley, MN (US)
Assigned to Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Dec. 1, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/108,894.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/942,801, filed on Dec. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0161355 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. A47L 15/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01)
CPC A47L 15/0049 (2013.01) [A47L 15/0015 (2013.01); G06T 7/0008 (2013.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); A47L 2501/26 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30124 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated cleaning machine comprising:
a wash chamber;
at least one processor;
at least one sensor; and
one or more storage devices comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
execute a first plurality of cleaning processes in the wash chamber;
obtain color sensor readings of a plurality of verification coupons exposed to the first plurality of cleaning processes, wherein one or more values of cleaning process parameters are adjusted between each cleaning process of the first plurality of cleaning processes, and the cleaning process parameters include at least a first cleaning process parameter and a second cleaning process parameter different from the first cleaning process parameter;
generate color data from the color sensor readings for the plurality of verification coupons;
determine, based on the color data, one or more optimized values of the cleaning process parameters for the automated cleaning machine, wherein determining the one or more optimized values of the cleaning process parameters comprises determining, based on the color data, that the optimized values of the cleaning process parameters yield clean results for articles subjected to the first plurality of cleaning processes, wherein the optimized values of the cleaning process parameters include an optimized value of the first cleaning process parameter;
execute a second cleaning process in the wash chamber of the automated cleaning machine, wherein the second cleaning process occurs at a period of time after the first plurality of cleaning processes;
receive, from the at least one sensor during execution of the second cleaning process, sensed information concerning at least the first cleaning process parameters;
determine, based on the sensed information, that a value of the first cleaning process parameter sensed during execution of the second cleaning process does not satisfy the optimized value of the first cleaning process parameter;
based on the value of the first cleaning process parameter not satisfying the optimized value of the first cleaning process parameter, adjust a cleaning machine setting associated with the second cleaning process parameter; and
apply the adjusted cleaning machine setting associated with the second cleaning process parameter during execution of the second cleaning process to achieve the clean result.