Refrigerator control method, electronic device, and computer-readable storage device

Abstract

The application discloses a refrigerator control method, an electronic device and a computer readable storage device. The method comprises the following steps: after the refrigerator runs silently for a preset time, determining whether the refrigeration capacity of the refrigerator meets the refrigeration demand; in response to the refrigeration capacity meeting the refrigeration demand, performing defrosting decision based on a preset defrosting cycle; and in response to the refrigeration capacity not meeting the refrigeration demand, performing defrosting decision based on the frost amount in the refrigerator. Through the above method, the application can solve the technical problem that the compressor cannot achieve the expected refrigeration effect under the condition of high load and long-time operation of the compressor frequently triggering defrosting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of home appliance control, and in particular to a refrigerator control method, electronic device, and computer-readable storage device. Background Technology

[0002] In refrigerators and other frost-free products, frost will form on the evaporator after a certain period of operation. This is because water vapor inside the refrigerator solidifies in the cooling environment. This frost affects the refrigerator's cooling effect, leading to longer compressor operating time and increased power consumption. Defrosting can be done manually or through internal program control. Existing program-controlled defrosting typically uses a certain cumulative compressor running time as the basic defrosting cycle. When the compressor reaches this cumulative running time, the defrosting strategy is executed. Furthermore, the basic defrosting cycle can be further limited by the number of door openings and the duration of door openings, thus determining the final defrosting time. However, under high load conditions, such as high ambient temperatures, even with the door closed, the compressor may require a long operating time to reach the preset freezing temperature. An excessively long cumulative compressor running time will trigger the defrosting strategy, causing frequent defrosting and preventing the desired freezing temperature from being reached. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of this application is to provide a refrigerator control method that can solve the technical problem that the compressor frequently triggers defrosting under high load conditions and fails to achieve the expected cooling effect.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the first technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a refrigerator control method. This method includes determining whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity meets the cooling demand after a preset silent operation time; in response to the cooling capacity meeting the cooling demand, performing a defrosting decision based on a preset defrosting cycle; and in response to the cooling capacity not meeting the cooling demand, performing a defrosting decision based on the amount of frost inside the refrigerator.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the second technical solution adopted in this application is to provide an electronic device. This electronic device includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores program data, which can be executed by the processor to implement the method described in the first technical solution.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the third technical solution adopted in this application is to provide a computer-readable storage device. This computer-readable storage device stores program data and can be executed by a processor to implement the method described in the first technical solution.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: Unlike existing technologies that only perform defrosting according to a preset cycle, this application determines whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity is sufficient to meet the cooling demand after the refrigerator has been running silently for a preset time. Based on the degree of cooling capacity and the achieved cooling effect, it determines whether the defrosting mode needs to be changed. When insufficient cooling capacity is found after silent operation, defrosting is no longer performed according to a fixed cycle. Instead, the amount of frost is monitored through a control method, and defrosting is performed based on the amount of frost. When the amount of frost is small, the impact of frost on the cooling effect is small, and cooling is prioritized to ensure that the refrigerator can reach the preset freezing temperature. When the amount of frost is large, the impact of frost on the cooling effect is large, and defrosting is required in a timely manner to maximize the refrigerator's cooling effect. By using the amount of frost for defrosting, the refrigerator can quickly lower the temperature to the preset freezing temperature even under high load conditions, achieving an effective freezing and preservation effect. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein:

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0010] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application;

[0011] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application;

[0012] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the third embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application;

[0013] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a specific embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application;

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of this application;

[0015] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the computer-readable storage device of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining this application and not for limiting it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all structures. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0017] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0018] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0019] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, let me briefly introduce the refrigeration structure of refrigerators and other air-cooled products related to this application.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] The refrigerator includes a freezer compartment 10 and a refrigerator compartment 11, a cooling system 12, and a ventilation system 13. The cooling system 12 may include a compressor, an evaporator, and corresponding refrigerant ducts and heat dissipation devices. The ventilation system 13 may include openable and closable vents corresponding to the freezer compartment 10 and the refrigerator compartment 11, a fan, and ventilation ducts. The fan delivers cold air to the freezer compartment 10 and the refrigerator compartment 11 through the vents.

[0022] In this embodiment, the freezer compartment 10 is cooled by a compressor and an evaporator. The compressor draws in refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and compresses it until the required pressure is reached. The refrigerant then liquefies in the condenser. The liquefaction of the refrigerant releases a large amount of heat, which is dissipated into the air through heat dissipation devices such as heat pipes or fins. After liquefaction and cooling, the refrigerant's temperature decreases, and it enters the evaporator after passing through a buffer. The liquefied refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator, absorbing a large amount of heat, causing the temperature around the evaporator to drop rapidly. Subsequently, the fan of the ventilation mechanism 13 delivers cold air to the freezer compartment 10 through its vents to lower the temperature inside. When the temperature inside the freezer compartment 10 reaches a preset temperature or temperature range, the compressor stops operating.

[0023] The compressor of the cooling system 12 mainly determines whether to continue working based on the temperature inside the freezer compartment 10.

[0024] The fan of the ventilation system 13 delivers cold air into the refrigerator compartment 11 through the vent to lower the temperature inside. The temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 is controlled by opening and closing the vent. When the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 has not reached its preset temperature or temperature range, the vent is opened to lower the temperature; when the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 reaches its preset temperature or temperature range, the vent is closed. This means that the ventilation system 13 responds to the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 11 rising to the preset cooling temperature by supplying cooling from the cooling system 12, and stops supplying cooling from the cooling system 12 to the refrigerator compartment in response to the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 11 falling to the preset target cooling temperature.

[0025] Furthermore, the freezer compartment 10 has a freezing temperature sensor, and the refrigerator compartment 11 has a refrigerator temperature sensor. The freezing temperature sensor is used to control the opening and closing of the compressor and the corresponding fan and vent in the freezer compartment 10 in the refrigeration mechanism, and the refrigerator temperature sensor is used to control the opening and closing of the corresponding fan and vent in the refrigerator compartment 11.

[0026] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application. It includes the following steps:

[0027] S11: After the refrigerator has been running silently for a preset time, determine whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity meets the cooling requirements.

[0028] The preset silent operation time for a refrigerator is used to determine whether the existing defrosting mechanism affects the refrigerator's cooling effect, thereby further determining the appropriate defrosting strategy. Silent operation means that the user does not operate the refrigerator, such as opening or closing the door, adjusting the mode, or changing the temperature. The preset silent operation time is used to approximate the cooling effect the refrigerator achieves during that time, judging whether the refrigerator can reach the preset temperature during the defrosting operation based on the preset defrosting cycle. In other words, it determines whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity can meet the cooling demand when making a defrosting decision based on the preset defrosting cycle. If not, the defrosting decision needs to be changed to meet the cooling demand. The preset time is usually set to be longer than the refrigerator's preset defrosting cycle, and to save energy, the preset time is not set too long, usually between one and two times the refrigerator's preset defrosting cycle, preferably 1.5 times. For example, assuming the refrigerator's preset defrosting cycle is 24 hours, meaning the refrigerator will perform a defrosting operation once every 24 hours, the selected silent operation time could be 36 hours when judging the refrigerator's defrosting decision.

[0029] If yes, proceed to step S12. If no, proceed to step S13.

[0030] S12: In response to the cooling capacity meeting the cooling demand, a defrosting decision is made based on the preset defrosting cycle.

[0031] S13: In response to the cooling capacity not meeting the cooling demand, a defrosting decision is made based on the amount of frost inside the refrigerator.

[0032] Based on the refrigerator's cooling capacity, different defrosting decisions are selected. If the cooling capacity meets the cooling demand, meaning the refrigerator can reach the preset temperature during the preset defrosting cycle, it indicates that the amount of frost inside the refrigerator is small and has little impact on the refrigerator's cooling effect; the refrigerator can execute the defrosting decision based on the preset defrosting cycle. If the cooling capacity does not meet the cooling demand, meaning the refrigerator cannot reach the preset temperature during the preset defrosting cycle, it indicates that the currently used defrosting mechanism has a significant impact on the refrigerator's cooling effect; the refrigerator needs to execute the defrosting decision based on the amount of frost inside the refrigerator.

[0033] In this embodiment, the refrigerator's cooling capacity is assessed after a preset period of silent operation to determine if it meets the cooling requirements. Based on the degree of cooling capacity and the achieved cooling effect, it is determined whether the defrosting mode needs to be changed. If insufficient cooling capacity is detected after silent operation, defrosting is no longer performed according to a fixed cycle. Instead, the amount of frost is monitored through a control method. When the amount of frost is low, its impact on the cooling effect is minimal, prioritizing cooling to ensure the refrigerator reaches the preset freezing temperature. When the amount of frost is high, its impact on the cooling effect is significant, requiring timely defrosting to maximize the refrigerator's cooling effect. Defrosting based on the amount of frost allows the refrigerator to quickly lower the temperature to the preset freezing temperature even under high load conditions, achieving effective freezing and preservation.

[0034] The above method will be further explained with a specific example below. In the refrigerator mentioned above, there are a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a cooling mechanism, and a ventilation mechanism. The cooling mechanism delivers cold air to the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment through the ventilation mechanism to achieve refrigeration.

[0035] The steps for determining whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity meets the cooling requirements after a preset period of silent operation can include: determining whether the temperature inside the freezer compartment has reached the preset target freezing temperature within the preset time; if the target freezing temperature has been reached, the cooling capacity is deemed to meet the cooling requirements; if the target freezing temperature has not been reached, the cooling capacity is deemed to not meet the cooling requirements. Specifically, the temperature inside the freezer compartment can be obtained through a temperature sensor. If the sensor temperature reaches the target freezing temperature, the cooling capacity is sufficient; if it has not, the cooling capacity is insufficient. Alternatively, the cooling mechanism can be checked for on / off status. If the compressor naturally shuts down within the preset period of silent operation, the temperature inside the freezer compartment has reached the target freezing temperature, and the refrigerator's cooling capacity is sufficient; if the compressor does not shut down within the preset time, the temperature inside the freezer compartment has not reached the target freezing temperature, and the refrigerator's cooling capacity is insufficient.

[0036] After determining that the refrigerator's cooling capacity meets the cooling requirements, a defrosting decision is made based on a preset defrosting cycle. As a conventional defrosting mode, defrosting based on a defrosting cycle occurs every time this preset defrosting cycle is reached. Specifically, in response to the previous defrosting operation, the refrigerator's compressor running time is reset to zero and restarted. When the refrigerator compressor's cumulative running time reaches the preset defrosting cycle again, it is determined that another defrosting operation is needed.

[0037] After determining that the refrigerator's cooling capacity is insufficient to meet the cooling demand, it indicates that if defrosting is performed based on the preset defrost cycle, the refrigerator's compressor cannot bring the freezer compartment temperature to the target freezing temperature. If defrosting is performed using the regular cycle mode, the freezer compartment temperature remains relatively high during defrosting, and the temperature rises again during defrosting, resulting in insufficient temperature reduction. This leads to the freezer compartment temperature failing to reach the target freezing temperature for an extended period, affecting the freezer's food preservation capabilities. To quickly lower the freezer compartment temperature to the target freezing temperature, precise defrosting is required. This defrosting operation uses the amount of frost buildup as a criterion; that is, the refrigerator is deemed to need to perform defrosting when the frost buildup reaches the preset defrost standard.

[0038] In one embodiment, the refrigerator includes a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a cooling system, and a ventilation system. The ventilation system may include openable and closable vents corresponding to the freezer and refrigerator compartments, and a fan. The fan delivers cold air to the freezer and refrigerator compartments through the vents. The ventilation system supplies cooling to the refrigerator compartment from the cooling system in response to a temperature rise in the refrigerator compartment reaching a preset cooling start temperature, and stops supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment from the cooling system in response to a temperature drop in the refrigerator compartment falling to a preset target cooling temperature.

[0039] The amount of frost is characterized by the single cooling time of the ventilator for the refrigerator compartment or the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of a single cooling cycle for the refrigerator compartment.

[0040] The longer the cooling cycle of the refrigerator compartment by the ventilation system, the greater the amount of frost buildup inside the refrigerator. Conversely, the higher the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of a single cooling cycle by the ventilation system, the greater the amount of frost buildup inside the refrigerator.

[0041] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application. This method is an embodiment that determines the amount of frost inside the refrigerator based on the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism to the refrigerator compartment. It includes the following steps:

[0042] S21: Calculate the time difference between the current single cooling time of the cold storage compartment and the recorded historical single cooling time.

[0043] In the refrigerator described in the above embodiment, the refrigerator includes a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a cooling mechanism, and a ventilation mechanism. The ventilation mechanism supplies cooling to the refrigerator compartment from the cooling mechanism in response to the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment rising to a preset cooling start temperature, and stops supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment from the cooling mechanism in response to the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment falling to a preset target refrigerator temperature. Assuming the time when the ventilation mechanism starts supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment and the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment begins to decrease is designated as the first time, and the time when the ventilation mechanism stops supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment and the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment begins to rise is designated as the second time, the time period between the first time and the second time is the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism to the refrigerator compartment, and the process from the first time to the second time is considered one cooling cycle. The cooling time of each cooling cycle is recorded as the single cooling time, which is used to calculate the time difference between the current single cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the recorded historical single cooling times.

[0044] Furthermore, the recorded single cooling time can be arranged in chronological order according to the recorded time.

[0045] S22: In response to a time difference greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, it is determined that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation.

[0046] If the difference between the current single cooling time and the historical single cooling time is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, it is determined that the amount of frost has reached a level that affects the refrigerator's cooling effect, and therefore the refrigerator needs to be defrosted. For example, if the time difference between the current single cooling time and the historical single cooling time is greater than the preset time threshold of 5 minutes, it is determined that the amount of frost in the refrigerator is affecting the refrigerator's cooling effect, and defrosting is required.

[0047] In one embodiment, when there are at least two recorded historical single cooling times, the minimum value is selected from the at least two historical single cooling times. The historical single cooling time with the minimum value is compared with the current single cooling time to obtain a time difference value, and this time difference value is used to determine whether the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation.

[0048] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application. This method is an embodiment that determines the amount of frost inside the refrigerator based on the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of a single cooling cycle of the refrigerator compartment by the ventilation mechanism. It includes the following steps:

[0049] S31: Calculate the temperature difference between the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling process of the refrigerator compartment and the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the historical cooling process of the refrigerator compartment by the ventilation system.

[0050] In the refrigerator described in the above embodiments, the refrigerator includes a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a cooling mechanism, and a ventilation mechanism. The ventilation mechanism supplies cooling to the refrigerator compartment from the cooling mechanism in response to the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment rising to a preset cooling start temperature, and stops supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment from the cooling mechanism in response to the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment falling to a preset target refrigerator temperature. Assuming the time when the ventilation mechanism starts supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment and the time when the refrigerator compartment temperature begins to drop is designated as the first time, and the time when the ventilation mechanism stops supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment and the refrigerator compartment temperature begins to rise is designated as the second time, the time period between the first and second times is the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism to the refrigerator compartment, and the process from the first time to the second time is considered one cooling cycle. The real-time temperature inside the freezer compartment is recorded at the end of each cooling cycle by the ventilation mechanism, and this record is used to calculate the temperature difference between the real-time temperature inside the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling cycle and the real-time temperature inside the freezer compartment at the end of a historical cooling cycle.

[0051] S32: In response to a temperature difference greater than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation.

[0052] If the difference between the real-time temperature inside the freezer at the end of the current cooling cycle and the real-time temperature at the end of a historical cooling cycle is greater than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the amount of frost has reached a level that affects the refrigerator's cooling performance, and therefore, defrosting is required. For example, if the difference between the real-time temperature inside the freezer at the end of the current cooling cycle and the real-time temperature at the end of a historical cooling cycle is greater than the preset temperature threshold of 0.5 degrees Celsius, then it is determined that the amount of frost in the refrigerator is affecting its cooling performance, and defrosting is necessary.

[0053] In one embodiment, when there are at least two recorded real-time temperatures of the freezer compartment, in response to the presence of at least two recorded real-time temperatures of the freezer compartment, the minimum value is selected from the at least two recorded real-time temperatures of the freezer compartment. The real-time temperature of the freezer compartment with the minimum value is compared with the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling process to obtain a temperature difference value, and the temperature difference value is used to determine whether the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation.

[0054] In the second and third embodiments described above, the process of determining whether the refrigerator is performing a defrosting operation is carried out during the continuous cooling process of the refrigeration unit to the freezer compartment.

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a specific embodiment of the refrigerator control method of this application.

[0056] S41: After the refrigerator has been running silently for a preset time, determine whether the cooling mechanism has experienced a natural shutdown.

[0057] After the refrigerator has been running silently for a preset time, check if the cooling mechanism that directly supplies cooling to the freezer compartment has experienced a natural shutdown. If a natural shutdown occurs, it indicates that the temperature inside the freezer compartment has reached the preset target freezing temperature, meaning that the refrigerator's cooling capacity is sufficient to meet the cooling requirements.

[0058] If it has occurred, proceed to step S42. If it has not occurred, proceed to step S43.

[0059] S42: Execute a defrosting decision to defrost according to a preset defrosting cycle.

[0060] The refrigerator's cooling capacity is sufficient to meet current cooling needs, indicating that the current defrosting mechanism has little impact on the refrigerator's cooling performance. Defrosting can be performed according to the conventional periodic defrosting mode.

[0061] S43: Determine whether the time difference between the current single cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the recorded historical single cooling time is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, or determine whether the temperature difference between the real-time temperature in the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling process of the refrigerator compartment and the real-time temperature in the freezer compartment at the end of the recorded historical cooling process of the refrigerator compartment is greater than or equal to a preset temperature threshold.

[0062] The refrigerator's cooling capacity is insufficient to meet current cooling demands, indicating that the current defrosting mechanism is significantly impacting cooling performance. A defrosting mode based on the amount of frost buildup is required. This defrosting mode determines the amount of frost by analyzing the duration of a single cooling cycle in the refrigerator compartment and the real-time temperature in the freezer compartment at the end of the single cooling cycle. This determination process is performed while the cooling system is running.

[0063] If yes, proceed to step S44. If no, proceed to step S45.

[0064] S44: Perform defrosting operation.

[0065] If the time difference between the current single cooling time and the historical cooling time of the refrigerator compartment, or the temperature difference between the real-time temperature in the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling process and the real-time temperature in the freezer compartment at the end of the historical cooling process, is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it indicates that the amount of frost is large and has a significant impact on the cooling effect, requiring defrosting.

[0066] S45: Continue cooling.

[0067] If the threshold is not exceeded, it indicates that the amount of frost is small and has little impact on the cooling effect, so the cooling process should be prioritized.

[0068] S46: Determine if the cooling system has reached the shutdown point.

[0069] During the cooling process of the refrigeration unit supplying cooling to the freezer compartment, it is determined whether the temperature inside the freezer compartment has reached the preset target freezing temperature.

[0070] If the target freezing temperature is reached, the cooling system reaches the shutdown point, and step S44 is executed. If the target freezing temperature has not yet been reached, the cooling system has not reached the shutdown point, and the cooling and frosting determination continues, and step S43 is executed.

[0071] The steps in this embodiment that are the same as or similar to those in the previous embodiments can be referred to the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of this application.

[0073] The electronic device includes a processor 110 and a memory 120.

[0074] Processor 110 controls the operation of electronic devices. Processor 110 may also be referred to as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Processor 110 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal sequence processing capabilities. Processor 110 may also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal sequence processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0075] The memory 120 stores the instructions and program data required for the processor 110 to operate.

[0076] The processor 110 is used to execute instructions to implement the methods provided by any embodiment and possible combination of the refrigerator control methods described above in this application.

[0077] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the computer-readable storage device of this application.

[0078] One embodiment of the readable storage device of this application includes a memory 210 that stores program data, which, when executed, implements the method provided in any embodiment and possible combination of the refrigerator control method described above in this application.

[0079] The memory 210 may include a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, or other media that can store program instructions. Alternatively, it may be a server that stores the program instructions, which can send the stored program instructions to other devices for execution or execute the stored program instructions itself.

[0080] In summary, this application determines whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity is sufficient to meet cooling needs after a preset period of silent operation. Based on the degree of cooling capacity and the achieved cooling effect, it determines whether the defrosting mode needs to be changed. When insufficient cooling capacity is detected after silent operation, defrosting is no longer performed according to a fixed cycle. Instead, the amount of frost is monitored through a control method, and defrosting is performed based on the amount of frost. When the amount of frost is small, its impact on the cooling effect is minimal, prioritizing cooling and ensuring the refrigerator reaches the preset freezing temperature. When the amount of frost is large, its impact on the cooling effect is significant, requiring timely defrosting to maximize the refrigerator's cooling effect. By using the amount of frost for defrosting, the refrigerator can quickly lower the temperature to the preset freezing temperature even under high load conditions, achieving effective freezing and preservation.

[0081] Furthermore, regarding the technical means for determining the amount of frost, this application, without adding additional sensors, uses temperature sensors in the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment to sense the temperature, and further obtains the single cooling time of the refrigerator compartment or the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment after the single cooling of the refrigerator compartment ends. The amount of frost in the refrigerator is then determined by the time difference or temperature difference.

[0082] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and devices can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0083] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0084] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0085] If the integrated units in the other embodiments described above are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0086] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that, The control method includes: After the refrigerator has been running silently for a preset time, it is determined whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity meets the cooling requirements. Here, silent operation means that the user has not operated the refrigerator. In response to the cooling capacity meeting the cooling demand, a defrosting decision is made based on a preset defrosting cycle, wherein the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation when the cumulative running time of the refrigerator's compressor reaches the defrosting cycle after the last defrosting operation. In response to the cooling capacity not meeting the cooling demand, a defrosting decision is made based on the amount of frost inside the refrigerator, wherein, in response to the amount of frost reaching a preset defrosting standard, it is determined that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation; The step of determining whether the refrigerator's cooling capacity meets the cooling requirements after the refrigerator has been running silently for a preset time includes: Determine whether the temperature inside the freezer reaches a preset target freezing temperature within the preset time period. If the target freezing temperature is reached, determine that the cooling capacity meets the cooling requirement. If the target freezing temperature is not reached, determine that the cooling capacity does not meet the cooling requirement.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator is provided with a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a cooling mechanism, and a ventilation mechanism. The ventilation mechanism supplies cooling to the refrigerator compartment in response to the temperature in the refrigerator compartment rising to a preset cooling start temperature, and stops supplying cooling to the refrigerator compartment in response to the temperature in the refrigerator compartment falling to a preset target refrigeration temperature. The amount of frost is characterized by the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism on the refrigerator compartment or the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism on the refrigerator compartment. The longer the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism on the refrigerator compartment, the greater the amount of frost. The higher the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the single cooling time of the ventilation mechanism on the refrigerator compartment, the greater the amount of frost.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation in response to the frost amount reaching a preset defrosting standard includes: Calculate the time difference between the current single cooling time of the cold storage compartment and the recorded historical single cooling time; In response to the time difference being greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, it is determined that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Before calculating the time difference between the current single cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the recorded historical single cooling time, the method further includes: In response to the presence of at least two recorded historical single cooling times, the minimum value is selected from the at least two historical single cooling times.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation in response to the frost amount reaching a preset defrosting standard includes: Calculate the temperature difference between the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling process of the refrigerator compartment provided by the ventilation mechanism and the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of a previously recorded historical cooling process of the refrigerator compartment provided by the ventilation mechanism. In response to the temperature difference being greater than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, it is determined that the refrigerator needs to perform a defrosting operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of calculating the temperature difference between the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of the current cooling process of the refrigerator compartment by the ventilation mechanism and the real-time temperature of the freezer compartment at the end of a historical cooling process of the refrigerator compartment by the ventilation mechanism, further includes: In response to at least two recorded real-time temperatures of the freezer compartment, the minimum value is selected from the at least two recorded real-time temperatures of the freezer compartment.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor, the memory being used to store program data, the program data being executable by the processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

8. A computer-readable storage device, characterized in that, It stores program data that can be executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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