Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator and a control method thereof are provided. The refrigerator includes a main body having a first door and a second door, a first motor for opening the first door and a second motor for opening the second door, and a processor configured to start driving the first motor to open the first door based on obtaining a user command for opening the door, and start driving the second motor to open the second door after a first time from a time when the first motor has started to be driven.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0092413, filed on July 24, 2020, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a refrigerator that automatically opens and closes multiple doors and a control method thereof. Background Technology

[0004] A refrigerator is an electronic device (or household appliance) used to store edible and drinkable food that is refrigerated or frozen using a refrigeration cycle with a refrigerant. In addition to food, refrigerators can also store medicines, alcoholic beverages, or cosmetics.

[0005] In related technologies, users typically open and close refrigerator doors manually. However, when a user is holding a thick panel in their hand, they often cannot open the refrigerator door themselves; therefore, an automatic door opening function is needed. Consequently, user demand for technologies related to refrigerators with automatic door opening and closing, as well as the need for their research and development, is increasing.

[0006] Meanwhile, a motor is needed to power the refrigerator door so that it can rotate, in order to automatically open and close the door. Typically, to open the door when it is closed, high power is required due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the refrigerator compartment; therefore, the motor needs to rotate rapidly.

[0007] To open multiple doors of a refrigerator, multiple motors need to be driven. Therefore, there is a need to provide a device for supplying high power to multiple motors.

[0008] The above information is presented as background information only to aid in understanding this disclosure. No determination is made, and no assertion is made, regarding whether any of the foregoing content is applicable to prior art relating to this disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] This disclosure addresses at least the aforementioned problems and / or disadvantages, and provides at least the following advantages. Therefore, one aspect of this disclosure is to provide a refrigerator and a control method thereof for efficiently opening and closing doors by controlling the sequence and timing of opening and closing of multiple doors.

[0011] Other aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

[0012] Technical solution

[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes: a body including a first door and a second door; a first motor for opening the first door and a second motor for opening the second door; and a processor configured to start driving the first motor to open the first door based on a user command received for opening the door, and to start driving the second motor to open the second door after a first time from the time when the first motor has started to be driven.

[0014] The first time can be the time when the amplitude of the surge current applied to the first motor becomes less than a threshold value by starting the drive of the first motor.

[0015] The processor can also be configured to drive the first motor with an operating current less than the surge current until the first door opens at a threshold angle after the first time.

[0016] The second gate can be combined with a rotating railing.

[0017] The processor can also be configured to: start driving the second motor to close the second door based on a first threshold time elapsed since the time when the operation of opening the first door and the second door is completed, and start driving the first motor to close the first door after a second time elapsed since the time when the second motor has started to be driven to close the second door.

[0018] The second time could be the time after the back electromotive force is generated on the second motor by starting the drive of the second motor to close the second door, and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing into the second motor increases.

[0019] The processor can also be configured to control the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the first and second motors based on the opening of the first and second gates at a threshold angle, so that the opening operations of the first and second gates are completed simultaneously.

[0020] The processor can also be configured to control the RPM of the first and second motors based on at least one of the weight of each of the first and second doors and the time point when the doors open at a threshold angle.

[0021] The processor can also be configured to drive a first motor to open the first door after the second door is not closed due to the rotating railing, and to drive the first and second motors after a second threshold time from when the first door is opened, such that the second door closes first and then the first door closes.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a body having a first door and a second door, a first motor for opening the first door, and a second motor for opening the second door. The method includes starting to drive the first motor to open the first door based on an acquired user command for opening the door, and starting to drive the second motor to open the second door after a first time from the time when the first motor has started to be driven.

[0023] The first time can be the time when the amplitude of the surge current applied to the first motor becomes less than a threshold value by starting the drive of the first motor.

[0024] Starting to drive the second motor may include: driving the first motor with an operating current of less magnitude than the inrush current until the first door opens to a threshold angle after the first time.

[0025] The second gate can be combined with a rotating railing.

[0026] The control method may further include: starting to drive the second motor to close the second door based on a first threshold time elapsed since the time when the operation of opening the first door and the second door was completed, and starting to drive the first motor to close the first door after a second time elapsed since the time when the second motor was started to be driven to close the second door.

[0027] The second time could be the time after the back electromotive force is generated on the second motor by starting the drive of the second motor to close the second door, and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing into the second motor increases.

[0028] The control method may further include: based on the opening of the first door and the second door at a threshold angle, controlling the RPM of the first motor and the second motor so that the opening operations of the first door and the second door are completed simultaneously.

[0029] Controlling the RPM of the first motor and the second motor may include controlling the RPM of the first motor and the second motor based on at least one of the weight of each of the first door and the second door and the time point of the door opening threshold angle.

[0030] The control method may further include: driving a first motor to open the first door based on the fact that the second door was not closed due to the rotating railing after the first door was closed first, and driving the first motor and the second motor after a second threshold time from the time the first door was opened, such that the second door closes first, and then the first door is closed.

[0031] The solutions disclosed herein are not limited to those described above, and solutions not mentioned above can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0032] According to various embodiments of this disclosure, a refrigerator can efficiently open and close doors within a limited space with minimal power supply by appropriately controlling the order and timing of opening and closing multiple doors.

[0033] Other aspects, advantages and salient features of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which describe various embodiments of the disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1a This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 1b This is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 1c This is a diagram illustrating the configuration and operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 2a It is a graph depicting the current flowing to the first and second motors in order to open the first and second doors according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2b This is a diagram illustrating the operation of opening the door of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 3a It is a graph depicting the current applied to the motor when the first and second doors of the refrigerator are closed, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 3b This is a diagram illustrating the operation of closing the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] In all the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used to describe the same or similar elements, features and structures. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is provided to aid in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure, as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to aid understanding, but these are considered exemplary only. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted.

[0045] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to their bibliographical meaning, but are used solely by the inventors to enable a clear and consistent understanding of this disclosure. Therefore, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the following description providing various embodiments of this disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0046] It should be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural indicators unless the context explicitly specifies otherwise. Thus, for example, referring to “component surface” includes referring to one or more such surfaces.

[0047] The terms "first," "second," etc., can be used to describe various elements, but the elements may not be limited by the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0048] Unless otherwise specifically defined, a singular expression may include a plural expression. It should be understood that terms such as “comprising” or “consisting of” are used herein to indicate the presence of a feature, number, operation, element, part or combination thereof, without excluding the presence or possibility of the addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof.

[0049] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to readily practice the embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in the drawings, components unrelated to the specification have been omitted for clarity of description, and the same reference numerals are used for the same components throughout the specification.

[0050] Figure 1a and Figure 1b These are block diagrams illustrating the configuration of a refrigerator according to various embodiments of the present disclosure and a front view of the refrigerator, respectively.

[0051] refer to Figure 1a The refrigerator 100 may include a main body 110, a motor 120, an input device 130, a processor 140, an output device 150, a communicator 160, a sensor 170, and a memory 180. However, Figure 1aThe configurations illustrated herein are merely diagrams for implementing embodiments of this disclosure, and appropriate hardware and software configurations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art may be further included in the refrigerator 100.

[0052] The main body 110 of the refrigerator 100 may include a storage compartment (not shown), multiple doors for opening and closing the storage compartment, and components (e.g., gears, levers, etc.) for opening and closing the multiple doors. The storage compartment may be divided into a refrigerator compartment for storing food at temperatures above zero degrees Celsius and a freezer compartment for storing various foods at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius. Furthermore, refer to... Figure 1a The refrigerator may include a first door 110-2 and a second door 110-1. Cabinets or similar items for storing various foods may be attached to each door.

[0053] At the same time, the number of doors included in the main body 110 is unlimited, and reference is made to... Figure 1b The first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 can be located at the upper part of the refrigerator 100, and the third door 110-3 and the fourth door 110-4 can be located at the lower part of the refrigerator 100. Furthermore, the positions and shapes of the multiple doors can be set differently. Depending on the arrangement of the doors and storage compartments, the refrigerator 100 can be implemented as a French door refrigerator, a side-by-side refrigerator, etc.

[0054] In addition, a rotating bar, used to prevent cold air from leaking out of the refrigerator through gaps between the doors, can be attached to at least one door. (See below for reference.) Figure 1c Detailed description of embodiments related to rotating railings. Rotating railings can also be represented differently as French heaters, refrigerated air filters, etc.

[0055] The motor 120 is a component that performs rotational operations to provide external force (e.g., rotational force) to the body 110, thereby opening or closing the door, and can be installed on each door. Specifically, the motor 120 can provide rotational force to a gear coupled to the body 110. The gear can transmit the rotational force provided from the motor 120 to a lever attached (or combined) to the door of the body 110, and the lever can apply an external force (e.g., rotational force) to the door based on the transmitted rotational force, thereby opening or closing the door.

[0056] Meanwhile, the motor 120 may be located in the upper region of each of the multiple doors, but this is only one embodiment, and the motor 120 may be located in different positions (e.g., the lower region or side region of the door) to open or close the door.

[0057] Input device 130 may be a component for receiving user commands to open or close a door. Input device 130 may include circuitry and may be configured as a separate hardware device. For example, input device 130 may be implemented as a microphone for acquiring user voice commands, a switch activated by user touch, a touchscreen for acquiring user touch input, a sensor for detecting user gestures, a sensor for detecting the proximity of a user's body or an object, etc., but is not limited thereto. Simultaneously, user commands may also be received via a user terminal device, which will be described later.

[0058] The input device 130 can be located inside the refrigerator 100, but it can also be located outside the refrigerator 100 and electrically connected to the refrigerator 100 or connected to the refrigerator 100 via a wireless interface.

[0059] The processor 140 can be electrically connected to the memory 180 to control the general operation and functions of the refrigerator 100.

[0060] Processor 140 can acquire a user command for opening the door using at least one of input device 130, communicator 160, and sensor 170. In one embodiment, processor 140 can acquire a voice command for opening the door via a microphone. Processor 140 can input the voice command acquired via the microphone into a dialogue system stored in memory 180 to understand the meaning of opening the door.

[0061] In another embodiment, the processor 140 can use a proximity sensor to identify whether a user's body or object is within a threshold distance of the refrigerator 100. If the processor 140 identifies that a user's body or object is within the threshold distance of the refrigerator, it can recognize that a user command for opening the door has been received. In this case, the proximity sensor may be located in the center of the refrigerator, but is not limited thereto, and the proximity sensor may be located in various parts of the refrigerator 100 (e.g., the side area, the upper area, the lower area, etc.).

[0062] In yet another embodiment, if a pre-registered user touch is input on the touchscreen, the processor 140 can recognize the input user touch as a user command to open the door. In yet another embodiment, if a pressure sensor detects a physical interaction such as a touch, the processor 140 can recognize the detected physical interaction as a user command to open the door.

[0063] When a user command is received to open the door, the processor 140 can begin driving the first motor to open the first door 110-2. The processor 140 starting to drive the first motor can mean that the processor 140 begins supplying power to the first motor, causing the first motor to perform a rotational operation to generate rotational force.

[0064] When power is supplied to the first motor under the control of the processor 140, current can flow through the coils included in the first motor. Furthermore, a back electromotive force (EMF) can be generated in the first motor in the opposite direction to the initial current flowing through the coils included in the first motor. When a back EMF is generated in the first motor and rotational operation begins, an inrush current can be generated in the first motor. Inrush current can refer to the large current capacity that flows instantaneously into the motor when power is applied, and can also be expressed as a surge current under transient conditions. The amplitude of the inrush current can increase rapidly over a period of time, and then decrease and remain at the amplitude of the rated current (or operating current).

[0065] On the other hand, if the processor 140 starts driving the first motor and the second motor simultaneously, back electromotive force and inrush current may be generated simultaneously in each of the first and second motors. The amount of power required to overcome the back electromotive force and large inrush current generated simultaneously in each motor may be approximately twice the amount of power required to overcome the back electromotive force and inrush current generated in only one motor. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 may require a power supply with extremely high capacity to start driving the first motor and the second motor simultaneously.

[0066] Therefore, a first time after the first motor begins to be driven, the processor 140 can begin to drive the second motor to open the second door 110-1. The first time can be the time when the amplitude of the surge current applied to the first motor becomes less than a threshold value after the first motor begins to be driven. Furthermore, the threshold value can be a predetermined value or a measured value obtained through experiments, and can also be changed by the user.

[0067] In one embodiment, the processor 140 can identify the magnitude of the surge current applied to the first motor by using a sensor or similar means for detecting the magnitude of the current. If the magnitude of the surge current is identified to be less than a threshold, the processor 140 can begin driving the second motor.

[0068] Simultaneously, immediately after the moment the first motor begins to be driven, an operating current (or rated current) with a magnitude smaller than the surge current can flow to the first motor. Specifically, the processor 140 can use the operating current to drive the first motor until the first door 110-2 opens to a threshold angle. In other words, the moment when the second motor begins to be driven can overlap with the moment when the rated current flows to the first motor. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 can include a power device for overcoming the rated current of the first motor and the back electromotive force and surge current generated when driving the second motor. The capacity of the power device required to overcome the rated current of the first motor and the back electromotive force and surge current generated when driving the second motor can be much smaller than the capacity of the power device required to drive both the first and second motors simultaneously.

[0069] In another embodiment, the first time can be a time measured experimentally or a predetermined time. Therefore, when the first time has elapsed after driving the first motor, the processor 140 can begin driving the second motor without identifying the amplitude of the current flowing to the first motor. The first time can also be changed by the user.

[0070] Figure 1c This is a diagram illustrating the configuration and operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] Simultaneously, the rotating door rail (or French door heater) can be attached (assembled) to the second door 110-1. When the second door 110-1 is closed, the rotating door rail can extend horizontally to the second door 110-1 and be positioned in the center of the refrigerator. (Reference) Figure 1c In part (a), when the second door 110-1 is closed, the rotating bar 10 can be extended to the horizontal direction of the second door 110-1. Therefore, the rotating bar 10 can prevent the refrigerated air inside the refrigerator 100 from leaking through the gap between the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1.

[0072] refer to Figure 1c (b) From the state where both the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are closed, when only the second door 110-1 is open, the rotating bar 10 may fold from the horizontal direction of the second door 110-1 toward the interior of the refrigerator due to mechanical interference from the structure included in the main body 110 or the first door 110-2. In other words, when both the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are closed, the mechanical interference from the structure included in the main body 110 or the first door 110-2 must be overcome in order to open the second door 110-1 to which the rotating bar 10 is connected first, thus potentially increasing the load on the second motor. Therefore, the processor 140 can drive the first motor to open the first door 110-2 first, and then drive the second motor to open the second door 110-1 to which the rotating bar 10 is connected, thereby reducing the load on the second motor.

[0073] If each of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 is opened at a threshold angle, the processor 140 can control the revolutions per minute (RPM) of each of the first and second motors, such that the opening operations of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are completed simultaneously. Specifically, the processor 140 can identify whether the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are opened at the threshold angle by using a door position sensor for detecting the degree of door rotation. Simultaneously, the completion of the door opening operation may mean that the door is opened 90 degrees. However, this is merely an embodiment, and the user can change the angle of the door to be identified as the completion of the opening operation. Furthermore, the threshold angle can be a predetermined angle less than 90 degrees, and can also be changed by the user.

[0074] Specifically, if it is identified that each of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 is open at a threshold angle, the processor 140 can control the revolutions per minute (RPM) of each of the first and second motors, such that the opening operations of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are completed simultaneously or within the threshold error range. As the RPM value of the motor increases, the amplitude of the rotational force generated by the motor increases, and therefore, the opening or closing speed of the door corresponding to the motor can be increased. Furthermore, when the weight of the door increases, the motor can generate a greater rotational force to maintain the opening or closing speed of the door.

[0075] Therefore, the processor 140 can control the RPM of the first motor and the second motor based on at least one of the weight of each of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 and the time point of the threshold angle of each door opening.

[0076] Specifically, the processor 140 can identify the weight of each of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 using sensors for detecting the weight of the doors. The weight of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 can vary depending on the objects contained in the storage cabinet attached thereto. If the weight of the first door 110-2 is identified to be greater than the weight of the second door 110-1, the processor 140 can determine that the RPM of the first motor corresponding to the first door 110-2 is greater than the RPM of the second motor corresponding to the second door 110-1, and execute control such that the opening operations of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are completed simultaneously or within a threshold error range.

[0077] Furthermore, the timing when each of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 opens at a threshold angle may vary. The processor 140 initially drives the first motor to open the first door 110-2 first, but the second door 110-1 may open at the threshold angle first because the first door 110-2 is heavier than the second door 110-1. In this case, the processor 140 can determine that the RPM of the first motor corresponding to the first door 110-2 is greater than the RPM of the second motor corresponding to the second door 110-1, and execute control such that the opening operations of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 are completed simultaneously or within the threshold error range.

[0078] Simultaneously, after a first threshold time has elapsed following the completion of the opening operations of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1, the processor 140 may begin driving the second motor to close the second door 110-1. However, even though the door opening operation is complete and the threshold time has elapsed, if a user is detected approaching the refrigerator 100, the processor 140 may not perform the closing operation of the second door 110-1.

[0079] When processor 140 begins driving the second motor to close the second door 110-1, a back electromotive force (EMF) may be generated in the second motor, and the surge current flowing to the second motor may increase. When the first and second motors begin to be driven simultaneously, the refrigerator 100 may require a large-capacity power unit to overcome the back EMF and surge current generated in the first and second motors. Therefore, after a second time elapses since the second motor began to be driven, processor 140 may begin driving the first motor to close the first door 110-2.

[0080] Meanwhile, the second time can be a time after the back electromotive force is generated on the second motor by starting the drive of the second motor and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing to the second motor increases. The refrigerator 100 can store information about the second time. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 can start driving the first motor after the second time from the time when the second motor begins to be driven, based on the pre-stored information about the second time.

[0081] Furthermore, the point in time when the inrush current flowing into the first motor increases can be the point in time when the magnitude of the inrush current flowing into the second motor decreases and remains at the rated current level. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 may include a power device for overcoming the rated current flowing into the second motor and the back electromotive force and inrush current generated in the first motor. The capacity of the power device required to overcome the rated current flowing into the second motor and the back electromotive force and inrush current generated in the first motor can be much smaller than the capacity of the power device required to simultaneously drive both the first and second motors.

[0082] In another embodiment of this disclosure, the second time may be the time when the amplitude of the inrush current applied to the second motor becomes less than a threshold value after the second motor is started. Specifically, the refrigerator 100 may identify the amplitude of the inrush current flowing to the second motor via a sensor for detecting the current amplitude. If the amplitude of the inrush current applied to the second motor is identified as less than a threshold value, the refrigerator 100 may start driving the first motor. The time point when the first motor starts to be driven and the amplitude of the inrush current flowing into the first motor increases may overlap with the time point when the rated current flows into the second motor. Therefore, even using a small-capacity power unit, the refrigerator 100 can drive the motor to automatically open the door.

[0083] At the same time, refer to Figure 1c In part (c), with both the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 open, the rotating bar 10 of the second door 110-1 can be extended from the direction toward the interior of the refrigerator 100 to the horizontal direction of the second door 110-1 by the user or due to other mechanical interference. If the first door 110-2 closes first, and the rotating bar 10 is extended to the horizontal direction of the second door 110-1, the second door 110-1 may not be fully closed even though the processor 140 drives the second motor to close the second door 110-1 because the rotating bar 10 is blocked by the first door 110-2. If the rotating bar 10 is blocked by the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 is not fully closed, the processor 140 can drive the first motor to reopen the first door 110-2.

[0084] After a second threshold time following the opening of the first door 110-2, the processor 140 can drive the first motor and the second motor to first close the second door 110-1 and then close the first door 110-2. Specifically, the processor 140 can start driving the second motor to close the second door 110-1 first after the second threshold time following the opening of the first door 110-2. Then, when the second door 110-1 is fully closed or closed to a predetermined angle, the processor 140 can drive the first motor to close the first door 110-2.

[0085] Simultaneously, processor 140 may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller unit (MCU), microprocessor unit (MPU), controller, application processor (AP), communication processor (CP), and ARM processor, or may be defined by the corresponding terms. Furthermore, processor 140 may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) including processing algorithms, or may be implemented in the form of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Processor 140 can perform various functions by executing computer-executable instructions stored in memory 180. Additionally, processor 140 may include at least one of a graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), and vision processing unit (VPU) to perform artificial intelligence functions.

[0086] Output device 150 is configured to output various information and messages and may include circuitry. For example, output device 150 may include a display, a speaker, or a light-emitting diode (LED). If output device 150 is implemented as a display, the display may show a message indicating that the door is not fully closed. If output device 150 is implemented as a speaker, the speaker may output a voice message indicating that the operation to open the door has begun or indicating that the door is not fully closed. Furthermore, the speaker may output various audio data obtained through various processes such as decoding, amplification, or noise filtering performed by an audio processor (not shown), as well as various alarms or voice messages.

[0087] The communicator 160 may include at least one circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication connection between the communicator 160 and the external device may include communication via a third device (e.g., a repeater, hub, access point, server, gateway, etc.).

[0088] The communicator 160 may include various types of wireless communication modules. For example, the communicator 160 may include at least one of a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth communication module, a cellular communication module, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication module, and a 5G communication module. Specifically, the communicator 160 can receive user commands for opening a door, which are received from a user terminal device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet PC, wearable device, etc.). Furthermore, when a user voice command is acquired via a microphone, the communicator 160 can send the acquired voice command to an external server. The external server may include a dialogue system, which is an artificial intelligence model capable of outputting responses to input voice. The communicator 160 can receive signals including commands for opening the door from the external server.

[0089] Sensor 170 can detect various state information of refrigerator 100. For example, sensor 170 may include a current sensing sensor for detecting information about the current flowing to each motor (e.g., the direction, amplitude, etc. of the current). In another example, sensor 170 may include a weight sensing sensor for detecting the weight of the door. In yet another example, sensor 170 may include a door position sensor for detecting the position of the door or the angle (or rotation angle) of the door opening. The door position sensor may be located at a location where the position or rotation angle of the door can be easily detected. For example, the door position sensor may be located in the lower region of the door, but this is merely an example, and the door position sensor may also be located in the upper region of the door or in the central region of refrigerator 100.

[0090] In yet another example, sensor 170 may include a speed sensor for detecting the rotational speed of a motor. In yet another example, sensor 170 may include a touch sensor for detecting a user's touch, or it may include a proximity sensor for detecting whether an object is approaching. In yet another example, sensor 170 may include a pressure sensor for detecting physical interactions.

[0091] The memory 180 may store instructions or data relating to at least one other component of the refrigerator 100. Specifically, the memory 180 may be implemented as non-volatile memory, volatile memory, flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD). The memory 180 may be accessed by the processor 140, and the processor 140 may perform data reading, recording, editing, deletion, or updating. The term "memory" in this disclosure may include the memory 180 in the processor 140, ROM (not shown), and RAM (not shown), or a memory card (not shown) (e.g., a micro-secure digital (SD) card or memory stick) mounted on the refrigerator 100. Furthermore, the memory 180 may store programs and data for configuring various screens to be displayed in the display area of ​​the monitor.

[0092] Figure 2a It is a graph describing the current flowing to the first motor and the second motor over time in order to open the first and second doors of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2a Part (a) is a current-time graph showing the magnitude of the current flowing to the first motor over time, and Figure 2a Part (b) is a current-time graph showing the magnitude of the current flowing to the second motor over time.

[0093] Figure 2b This is a diagram illustrating the operation of opening a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2b In the middle, the operation of opening the refrigerator door 100 will be combined with Figure 2a The graph is used to describe this.

[0094] refer to Figure 2a and Figure 2b From 0 seconds to t1 seconds, the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 of refrigerator 100 can be as follows: Figure 2b Part (a) shows the closed position. If a user command to open the door is received at t1 seconds, the refrigerator 100 can begin driving the first motor to open the first door 110-2. Specifically, if power is input to the first motor in order to receive the user command at t1 seconds, a back electromotive force can be generated on the first motor at least once or more within t2 seconds. The back electromotive force generated on the first motor can be opposite to the voltage input to the first motor. Furthermore, the amplitude of the surge current flowing to the first motor can increase from t3 seconds.

[0095] When the surge current applied to the first motor is less than the threshold value x1, the refrigerator 100 can start driving the second motor at time point t4. In other words, at time point t4, the refrigerator 100 can supply power to the second motor. With the supply of power, a back electromotive force can be generated in the second motor, and the surge current amplitude can increase. Simultaneously, an operating current with an amplitude less than the surge current can flow from time point t4 to the first motor until the door opens to the threshold angle. Therefore, the time point at which a back electromotive force is generated in the second motor and the surge current amplitude increases can be the time point when the operating current flows to the first motor. (Reference) Figure 2b In part (b), after the first door 110-2 is opened first, the refrigerator 100 can begin operating the second motor to open the second door 110-1.

[0096] Furthermore, if each of the first and second doors opens at a threshold angle, the refrigerator 100 can control the RPM of each of the first and second motors so that the opening operations of the first and second doors are completed simultaneously or within a threshold error range. Specifically, the refrigerator 100 can control the RPM of the first and second motors based on at least one of the weight of each of the first and second doors and the timing of the door opening threshold angle. Therefore, referring to... Figure 2a Parts (a) and (b) show that the time points t6 when the first door is opened and t7 when the second door is opened are within the threshold error range.

[0097] Simultaneously, once the opening of each of the first and second doors is complete, power is no longer supplied to the first and second motors, and therefore, a back electromotive force can be generated due to the change in current in the coils included in each of the first and second motors. Thus, the magnitude of the current is shown due to... Figure 2a The back electromotive force increases near t6 and t7 in each of the curves in parts (a) and (b).

[0098] Figure 3a It is a graph describing the current flowing to the first motor and the second motor respectively when the first door and the second door of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are closed.

[0099] refer to Figure 3a Part (a) is a current-time graph showing the magnitude of the current flowing to the first motor over time, and part (b) is a current-time graph showing the magnitude of the current flowing to the second motor over time.

[0100] Figure 3b This is a diagram illustrating the operation of closing a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3b In China, it will be combined Figure 3a The graph depicts the door closing operation of refrigerator 100.

[0101] refer to Figure 3b In part (a), after a first threshold time has elapsed following the completion of the opening of the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1, the refrigerator 100 may begin to drive the second motor to close the second door 110-1. For example, refer to Figure 2a In part (b), when a first threshold time has elapsed from time t7 when the second door 110-1 is opened, the refrigerator 100 may start driving the second motor at time t8. However, this is merely an embodiment, and although the first threshold time has elapsed after the first door 110-2 and the second door 110-1 have been opened, the refrigerator 100 may not perform the operation of closing the second door 110-1 if it is detected that a user is approaching the refrigerator 100.

[0102] refer to Figure 3a In part (b), when the drive of the second motor starts and power is input to the second motor, a back electromotive force can be generated on the second motor.

[0103] After a second time following the start of driving the second motor, the refrigerator 100 may begin driving the first motor to close the first door 110-2. This second time may be the time after the generation of a back electromotive force on the second motor by starting its drive, and the time before the increase in the magnitude of the surge current flowing to the second motor. For example, refer to... Figure 3a In part (a), the refrigerator 100 can start driving the first motor to close the first door 110-2 after the time point t8 when the second motor starts driving, and before the time point t9 when the surge current amplitude increases. Therefore, the time point t9 when the surge current amplitude flowing into the first motor increases... 10 This could be the point in time when the amplitude of the surge current flowing into the second motor decreases and returns to the amplitude of the rated current. Additionally, refer to... Figure 3bPart (c) states that when the first door 110-2 is closed, both doors of the refrigerator 100 can be closed.

[0104] Simultaneously, the refrigerator 100 can store information about a second time, which is the time after the back electromotive force is generated on the second motor and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing into the second motor increases. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 can start driving the second motor based on the pre-stored information about the second time, and then start driving the first motor after the second time. (Reference) Figure 3b In part (b), the refrigerator 100 can first drive the second motor to close the second door 110-1, and then drive the first motor to close the first door 110-2.

[0105] In another embodiment of this disclosure, the refrigerator 100 can begin driving the first motor to close the first door 110-2 when the amplitude of the inrush current applied to the second motor by initiating the drive of the second motor becomes less than a threshold value. Specifically, the refrigerator 100 can begin driving the second motor and identify the amplitude of the current flowing to the second motor via a sensor. If it is identified that the amplitude of the inrush current flowing into the second motor has increased and becomes less than a threshold value, the refrigerator 100 can begin driving the first motor. Therefore, the time point at which the back electromotive force is generated and the inrush current is generated on the first motor is the time point at which the rated current flows to the second motor, thus eliminating the need to provide a high-capacity power unit in the refrigerator 100.

[0106] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] refer to Figure 4 First, when a user command to open the door is received, in operation S410, the refrigerator 100 can start driving the first motor to open the first door.

[0108] After a first time following the start of operation of the first motor, in operation S420, the refrigerator 100 can begin to drive the second motor to open the second door. The first time can be the time when the amplitude of the inrush current applied to the first motor by starting to drive the first motor becomes less than a threshold value. The point in time when the amplitude of the inrush current flowing into the second motor increases by applying power to the second motor can be the point in time when a working current with an amplitude less than the inrush current flows into the first motor. In other words, after the first time following the start of operation of the first motor, the refrigerator 100 can drive the first motor with a working current smaller than the inrush current amplitude until the first door opens to a threshold angle. Simultaneously, the rotating door handle can engage with the second door.

[0109] When the first and second doors open at a threshold angle, the refrigerator 100 can control the RPM of the first and second motors so that the opening operations of the first and second doors are completed simultaneously. Specifically, the refrigerator 100 can control the RPM of the first and second motors based on at least one of the weight of each of the first and second doors and the time point of the door opening threshold angle.

[0110] Simultaneously, when a first threshold time has elapsed since the completion of the operation of opening the first and second doors, the refrigerator 100 may begin to drive the second motor to close the second door. After a second time following the start of the second motor's operation, the refrigerator 100 may begin to drive the first motor to close the first door. This second time may be the time after the back electromotive force is generated by starting the second motor's operation and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing into the second motor increases. In another example, the second time may be the time when the magnitude of the current flowing to the second motor becomes less than a threshold after starting to drive the second motor.

[0111] The above embodiments can be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination thereof on a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device. In some cases, the embodiments described herein can be implemented as a processor itself. Depending on the software implementation, the embodiments such as processes and functions described herein can be implemented as separate software modules. Each software module can perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0112] Computer instructions for performing processing operations according to the embodiments disclosed above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When the computer instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor, the computer instructions enable a particular machine to perform the processing operations according to the embodiments described above.

[0113] Non-transitory computer-readable media are not media that store data for a short period of time, such as registers, caches, or memory, but rather media that store data semi-permanently and can be read by a machine. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media can include CDs, DVDs, hard disk drives, Blu-ray discs, USB drives, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0114] Machine-readable storage media may be provided in the form of non-transitory storage media. Here, "non-transitory" storage media is tangible and may not include signals, and it does not distinguish whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily in the storage medium. For example, "non-transitory storage media" may include buffers for temporarily storing data.

[0115] According to embodiments, methods according to various embodiments disclosed herein can be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product can be exchanged between a seller and a buyer as a commercially available product. The computer program product can be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., an optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or through an app store (e.g., the Play Store). TM Alternatively, it can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., the memory of a manufacturer's server, an app store's server, or a relay server).

[0116] Although this disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising: main body; The first and second doors are connected to the main body; A first motor and a second motor, wherein the first motor is used to open the first door and the second motor is used to open the second door; as well as The processor is configured as follows: Based on the user commands received to open the first and second doors, the first motor is started to open the first door, and... At a first time after the first motor begins to be driven, and while the first motor continues to be driven, the second motor begins to be driven to open the second door.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The first time is the time when the amplitude of the surge current applied to the first motor becomes less than a threshold value when the first motor is started to be driven.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein, The processor is also configured to drive the first motor with an operating current of less magnitude than the surge current applied to the first motor until the first door opens at a threshold angle after the first time.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, The second gate is combined with a rotating railing.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein, The processor is also configured to: Based on a first threshold time elapsed since the completion of the operations of opening the first and second doors, the second motor is started to close the second door. A second time after the time when the second motor begins to be driven to close the second door, the first motor begins to be driven to close the first door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein, The second time is the time after the back electromotive force is generated on the second motor by starting to drive the second motor to close the second door, and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing to the second motor increases.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein, The processor is further configured to control the revolutions per minute of the first motor and the second motor based on the opening of the first door and the second door at a threshold angle, so that the opening operations of the first door and the second door are completed simultaneously.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein, The processor is also configured to control the revolutions per minute of the first motor and the second motor based on at least one of the weight of each of the first door and the second door and at least one of the time points at which each of the first door and the second door opens at the threshold angle.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein, The processor is also configured to: Based on the fact that the second door was not closed due to the rotating barrier after the first door closed first, the first motor is driven to open the first door, and After a second threshold time following the opening of the first door, the first motor and the second motor are driven to cause the second door to close first and then the first door to close.

10. A method for controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising a main body, a first door and a second door connected to the main body, a first motor for opening the first door and a second motor for opening the second door, the method comprising: Based on the user command received to open the first door and the second door, the first motor is started to open the first door; as well as At a first time after the first motor begins to be driven, and while the first motor continues to be driven, the second motor begins to be driven to open the second door.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The first time is the time when the amplitude of the surge current applied to the first motor becomes less than a threshold value when the first motor is started to be driven.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Starting to drive the second motor includes: driving the first motor with an operating current of less magnitude than the surge current applied to the first motor until the first door opens at a threshold angle after the first time.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The second gate is combined with a rotating railing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: Based on the fact that a first threshold time has elapsed since the operation of opening the first door and the second door was completed, the second motor is started to close the second door; as well as A second time after the time when the second motor begins to be driven to close the second door, the first motor begins to be driven to close the first door.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The second time is the time after the back electromotive force is generated on the second motor by starting to drive the second motor to close the second door, and before the magnitude of the surge current flowing to the second motor increases.

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