Domestic appliance device
View Patent ↗A domestic appliance device includes an evaluating unit for evaluating the consumption of at least one external resource by a domestic appliance, and an output unit for outputting the evaluated consumption. In order to provide a generic domestic appliance device having increased ease of use, the evaluating unit evaluates the consumption of the external resource while taking into consideration at least one variable evaluating parameter.
1. A domestic appliance device, comprising:
an input unit, the input unit being configured to allow a first user of the domestic appliance device to identify at least the first user to the device;
a memory unit, the memory unit configured to store user-specific information regarding the usage preferences and usage history;
an evaluating unit which evaluates a consumption of an external resource by the user of a domestic appliance based on a cost-related variable evaluation parameter; and
an output unit for outputting the evaluated consumption;
wherein the domestic appliance device is configured to utilize grouping parameters to provide a selectable output comprising (1) total individual user usage, (2) individual user usage during a defined time period, (3) total device usage, and (4) total device usage during a defined time period.
2. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , wherein the external resource is an energy.
3. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , wherein the external resource is a fluid.
4. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluating unit includes at least one evaluation memory unit, the evaluation memory unit being configured to receive and store a first variable evaluation parameter.
5. The domestic appliance device of claim 4 , wherein the evaluating unit stores the variable evaluation parameter in the evaluation memory unit.
6. The domestic appliance device of claim 4 , wherein the evaluating unit stores in the memory unit an accumulated consumption of each of two grouping parameters.
7. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , wherein the input unit is configured to allow the first user to input the variable evaluation parameter.
8. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , further comprising a communications unit which determines, via an Internet connection from an energy exchange and/or from a meter of the external resource, the variable evaluation parameter.
9. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluating unit prevents operation of the domestic appliance based on a user-provided limit of operation based on the variable evaluation parameter.
10. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluating unit evaluates an expected consumption of the external resource during selection of a sequence program while taking into consideration the variable evaluation parameter.
11. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit, said evaluating unit being constructed, at least partially, in one piece with the control unit.
12. The domestic appliance device of claim 1 , further comprising an operational status output unit, said output unit being constructed, at least partially, in one piece with the operational status output unit.
13. The domestic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the output unit is programmed to output an accumulated or expected cost in currency based on consumption of the external resource.
14. The domestic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the output unit is programmed to output an accumulated or expected cost in currency per unit of the external resource.
15. The domestic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the output unit is programmed to output a percentage of an available budget.
16. A method for evaluating a consumption of an external resource by a domestic appliance, said method comprising:
requiring a first user of the domestic appliance to provide an identifier to the domestic appliance prior to use of the domestic appliance;
evaluating a consumption of an external resource by the domestic appliance in dependence on a variable evaluation parameter obtained from an internet-connection to an energy exchange;
prompting the first user to select one of a plurality of grouping parameters, the grouping parameters determining an output communicated to the first user and comprising (1) total individual user usage, (2) individual user usage during a defined time period, (3) total device usage, and (4) total device usage during a defined time period; and
outputting the evaluated consumption as the output associated with one of the grouping parameters.
17. A domestic appliance, comprising;
a domestic appliance device, said domestic appliance device comprising:
an input unit, the input unit being configured to allow a first user of the domestic appliance device to identify the first user to the device;
a memory unit, the memory unit configured to store user-specific information regarding usage preferences and usage history;
an evaluating unit which evaluates a consumption of an external resource by the user of the domestic appliance based on a cost-related variable evaluation parameter; and
an output unit for outputting the evaluated consumption;
wherein the domestic appliance device is configured to utilize grouping parameters to provide a selectable output comprising (1) total individual user usage, (2) individual user usage during a defined time period, (3) total device usage, and (4) total device usage during a defined time period.
18. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , constructed in the form of a cooker.
19. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the external resource is an energy.
20. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the external resource is a fluid.
21. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the evaluating unit includes an evaluation memory unit, the evaluation memory unit being configured to receive and store a first variable evaluation parameter.
22. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the evaluating unit stores the variable evaluation parameter in the evaluation memory unit.
23. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the evaluating unit stores in the memory unit an accumulated consumption of each of two grouping parameters.
24. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the input unit is configured to allow the first user to input the variable evaluation parameter.
25. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the domestic appliance device has a communications unit which determines the variable evaluation parameter via an Internet connection or a meter of the external resource.
26. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the evaluating unit prevents operation of the domestic appliance based on a user-provided limit of operation based on the variable evaluation parameter.
27. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the evaluating unit evaluates an expected consumption of the external resource during selection of a sequence program while taking into consideration the variable evaluation parameter.
28. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the domestic appliance device has a control unit, said evaluating unit being constructed, at least partially, in one piece with the control unit.
29. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the domestic appliance device has an operational status output unit, said output unit being constructed, at least partially, in one piece with the operational status output unit.