Method for detecting contamination of filter and electronic device according to the method

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for detecting contamination of a filter are provided. When a revolutions per minute (RPM) of the fan motor increases beyond a target RPM, a stabilization time is detected from a point in time at which the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to a point in time at which the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference with respect to the target RPM. When it is determined that the detected settling time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, a notification of replacing the filter is displayed on the display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device for detecting contamination of a filter, a method of controlling the electronic device, and a computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a computer program for executing the method of controlling the electronic device. Background Art

[0002] The performance of an air purifier can be determined by the degree to which the filter is able to filter out pollutants. The degree to which the filter is able to filter out pollutants is affected by the cumulative use time of the filter and the level of pollutants accumulated in the filter.

[0003] Typically, air purifiers estimate the filter contamination level based on the cumulative usage time of the filter without considering the level of pollutants accumulated in the filter. Therefore, in some cases, a filter replacement notification may be displayed to the user even if little pollutants have accumulated on the filter, or a filter replacement notification may not be displayed even if a large amount of pollutants have accumulated on the filter. Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical solutions to the problem

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include: a fan capable of rotating to draw air through a filter; a fan motor configured to rotate the fan; at least one memory storing one or more instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: (a) when the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the fan motor increases to exceed a target RPM while the fan is rotating, detecting a stabilization time, the stabilization time being a time point from a time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to a time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM; (b) determining whether the detected stabilization time is greater than a filter replacement threshold time; and (c) when it is determined that the detected stabilization time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, executing control so that a notification to replace the filter is displayed on a display.

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: detecting the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM within a stable holding time, as a stabilization time.

[0007] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the filter replacement threshold time may be based on an air volume level set in the electronic device.

[0008] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM, perform feedback control on the fan motor so that the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM.

[0009] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: when the contamination level of the filter is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, performing feedforward control on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, so that the stabilization time caused by the overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time.

[0010] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: determine whether filter replacement is required based on an artificial intelligence model, and when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detected stabilization time are input as input data into the artificial intelligence model, the artificial intelligence model outputs whether the filter replacement is required.

[0011] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: when it is determined that the detected stabilization time is not greater than the filter replacement threshold time, (i) determine whether the filter replacement is required based on an artificial intelligence model, and when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detected stabilization time are input as input data to the artificial intelligence model, the artificial intelligence model outputs whether the filter replacement is required, and (ii) when it is determined based on the artificial intelligence model that the filter replacement is required, execute control to display a notification for replacing the filter.

[0012] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: determine whether the detected stable time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, and when it is determined that the detected stable time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, execute control to output a notification guiding the unsealing of the filter.

[0013] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: determine a contamination level of the filter based on a detected stabilization time, and execute control to display contamination information indicating the determined contamination level.

[0014] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor may also be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to perform the following operations: calculate the expected replacement time of the filter based on the determined contamination level of the filter, and execute control to display the calculated expected replacement time.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an electronic device may be provided, the electronic device including a fan capable of rotating to draw air through a filter, and a fan motor configured to rotate the fan, and the method may include: (a) when the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the fan motor increases to exceed a target RPM while rotating the fan, detecting a stabilization time, the stabilization time being a time point from when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM; (b) determining whether the detected stabilization time is greater than a filter replacement threshold time; and (c) when it is determined that the detected stabilization time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, performing control so that a notification to replace the filter is displayed.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, detecting the stabilization time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM may include: detecting the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM within the stabilization holding time as the stabilization time.

[0017] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the filter replacement threshold time may be based on an air volume level set in the electronic device.

[0018] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include: when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM, performing feedback control on the fan motor so that the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM.

[0019] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include: when the contamination level of the filter is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, performing feedforward control on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, so that the stabilization time caused by the overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time.

[0020] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may also include: determining whether the filter needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model, and when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detected stabilization time are input into the artificial intelligence model as input data, the artificial intelligence model outputs whether the filter needs to be replaced.

[0021] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include: when it is determined that the detected stabilization time is not greater than the filter replacement threshold time, (i) determining whether the filter replacement is required based on an artificial intelligence model, when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detected stabilization time are input as input data to the artificial intelligence model, the artificial intelligence model outputs whether the filter replacement is required, and (ii) when it is determined based on the artificial intelligence model that the filter replacement is required, executing control to display a notification for replacing the filter.

[0022] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may also include: determining whether the detected stabilization time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, and when it is determined that the detected stabilization time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, executing control to output a notification guiding the unsealing of the filter.

[0023] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include: determining a contamination level of the filter based on the detected stabilization time; and performing control to display contamination information indicating the determined contamination level.

[0024] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium may be provided, on which a computer program for causing a computer to execute the above method is recorded. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced based on a stabilization time of a fan motor and performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 2 A block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced, performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 A method for controlling a fan motor performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 5A method of determining a filter contamination level by using a stabilization time based on the filter contamination level, performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is illustrated.

[0030] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method performed by an electronic device of determining whether a filter needs to be replaced based on a stabilization time of revolutions per minute (RPM) of a fan motor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 7 A method for changing a filter replacement threshold time based on air volume and performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 8 A method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model and executed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Fig. 9 A method of determining whether a filter needs to be replaced during driving of the electronic device, which is performed by the electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0034] Fig.10 A method for determining whether a filter is tampered based on a stabilization time of a fan motor, performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0035] Fig.11 A method for determining a filter contamination level based on a stabilization time and performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Fig.12 A method for determining an expected filter replacement time based on a stabilization time and performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Fig.13 A block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Throughout this disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b, or c” means only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein. In addition, in order to clearly illustrate the present disclosure, parts that are not related to the description are omitted in the accompanying drawings, and similar reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

[0040] For the terms used in the present disclosure, common terms that are currently widely used are selected as much as possible while taking into account the functions in the present disclosure. However, these terms can refer to various other terms according to the intentions of ordinary technicians in the field, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Therefore, the terms used in this article should be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the description throughout the present disclosure, rather than simply based on the names of the terms.

[0041] In addition, it will be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element.

[0042] The terms used in this disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular forms used herein are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, it will be understood that when a part is referred to as being "connected to" another part, it can be "directly connected to" another part, or "electrically connected to" another part, with an intermediate part located therebetween. It will be understood that the terms "including", "comprising" or "having" used herein specify the presence of the elements, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements.

[0043] The expressions "in some embodiments of the present disclosure" or "in an embodiment of the present disclosure" appearing in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0044] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device for determining a contamination level of a filter and a method of controlling the electronic device.

[0045] In addition, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device for providing information related to contamination of a filter and a method of controlling the electronic device.

[0046] Figure 1 A method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced based on a stabilization time of a fan motor and performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0047] refer to Figure 1, the electronic device 1000 may detect a time T1 21, which is a time point from when the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the fan motor reaches a target RPM 24 after starting the driving of the electronic device 1000 to when the RPM of the fan motor is stabilized. When the time T1 21 until the RPM of the fan motor is stabilized is greater than a preset filter replacement threshold time 25, the electronic device 1000 may determine that the contamination level of the filter 100 is greater than or equal to a filter replacement-required level. When the electronic device 1000 determines that the contamination level of the filter 100 is greater than or equal to a filter replacement-required level, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification 10 that filter replacement is required.

[0048] As the filter 100 is continuously used, pollutants may accumulate on the filter 100. As pollutants accumulate on the filter 100, the filtering performance of the filter 100 may decrease. In addition, as pollutants accumulate on the filter 100, the load of the fan motor that draws in air may decrease. As the load of the fan motor decreases, an overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor may easily occur during the driving of the fan motor, and the magnitude of the overshoot may increase at the same voltage.

[0049] For example, refer to Figure 1 , as the driving of the electronic device 1000 starts, the electronic device 1000 may apply a driving voltage to the fan motor. As the driving voltage is applied to the fan motor, the RPM of the fan motor may continue to increase. When the RPM of the fan motor increases and reaches the target RPM, an overshoot 22 of the RPM of the fan motor may occur according to the contamination level of the filter 100. In this case, as the contamination level of the filter 100 increases, a greater overshoot may occur, and when the contamination level of the filter 100 is low, no overshoot may occur.

[0050] The electronic device 1000 may detect a stabilization time T1 21, which is a time point from when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM 24 and an overshoot 22 occurs to when the RPM of the fan motor stabilizes within a preset target RPM range 23. The target RPM range 23 may refer to a range within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM 24. For example, when the target RPM 24 is 500 rpm and the reference RPM difference is 10 rpm, the target RPM range 23 may be about 490 rpm to about 510 rpm.

[0051] As the contamination level of the filter 100 increases, the magnitude of the overshoot 22 may increase. As the magnitude of the overshoot 22 increases, the stabilization time T1 21 may increase. Therefore, when the stabilization time T1 21 is greater than the preset filter replacement threshold time 25, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification 10 that the filter 100 needs to be replaced. In addition, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the contamination level of the filter 100 is greater than or equal to the filter replacement level required, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification to clean the filter 100.

[0052] The electronic device 1000 may display a text to replace or clean the filter 100 in the notification 10. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification sound or light emitting diode (LED) blinking indicating that the filter 100 is replaced or cleaned.

[0053] The electronic device 1000 can more accurately determine the contamination level of the filter 100 by using the stabilization time T1 to 21 of the RPM of the fan motor. In the case where the contamination level of the filter 100 is estimated based on the existing cumulative time, the contamination level of the filter 100 may not be accurately determined. Even in the case where the contamination level of the filter 100 is determined by using a differential pressure sensor, a sensor that detects the color of the filter 100, or an illumination sensor, since the contamination of the filter 100 is not directly measured, the contamination level of the filter 100 may not be accurately determined. In addition, the structure of the filter becomes complicated, and additional costs are generated.

[0054] Because the stabilization time T1 21 of the RPM of the fan motor accurately reflects the contamination level of the filter 100 , the electronic device 1000 can determine the contamination level of the filter 100 more accurately, and no additional sensor is required.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may perform feedforward control on the fan motor until the target RPM 24. For example, the electronic device 1000 may increase the voltage applied to the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24, regardless of the current RPM of the fan motor. In this case, when the contamination level of the filter 100 is greater than or equal to the filter replacement level required, the rate of increase of the applied voltage may be predetermined so that the stabilization time due to overshoot is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time 25. Feedforward control may be referred to as non-feedback control.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM 24, the electronic device 1000 can perform feedback control on the fan motor. For example, the electronic device 1000 can perform feedback control on the fan motor by detecting the RPM of the fan motor in real time, and when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the upper limit of the target RPM range 23, the voltage applied to the fan motor is reduced, and when the RPM of the fan motor drops below the lower limit of the target RPM range 23, the voltage applied to the fan motor is increased. By performing feedback control on the fan motor, the electronic device 1000 can stabilize the RPM of the fan motor by keeping the RPM of the fan motor within the target RPM range 23.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may determine whether the filter 100 needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model that receives the stabilization time T1 21 and the usage time as input values ​​and outputs whether the filter 100 needs to be replaced.

[0058] Therefore, even after the electronic device 1000 determines that it is not time to replace the filter 100 based on the stabilization time T1 21 detected at the start of driving of the electronic device 1000, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter 100 needs to be replaced based on the output value of the artificial intelligence model during driving of the electronic device 1000, the electronic device 1000 can also output a notification to replace the filter 100.

[0059] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in addition to the filter replacement threshold time 25 (which is a reference time for determining whether the filter needs to be replaced), the filter unsealed reference time (which is a reference time for determining whether the filter 100 is unsealed) may be pre-stored in the electronic device 1000. When the stable time T1 21 exceeds the filter unsealed reference time and exceeds the filter replacement threshold time 25, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification instructing to unseal the filter 100.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may determine the contamination level of the filter 100 based on the detected stabilization time T1 to 21. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may display the determined contamination level of the filter 100.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may calculate an expected replacement time of the filter 100 based on the determined contamination level of the filter 100 , and display the calculated expected replacement time.

[0062] The filter 100 may refer to different types of filters. For example, the electronic device 1000 may include different types of filters, and the filters may overlap with each other. The electronic device 1000 may determine the contamination levels of all filters based on the stabilization time T1 21 of the fan motor.

[0063] In addition, when the stabilization time T1 21 of the fan motor is greater than the filter replacement threshold time 25, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification to replace some filters and clean other filters. In addition, when the stabilization time T1 21 of the fan motor is greater than the filter replacement threshold time 25, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification that some previously determined filters (e.g., pre-filters) need to be replaced among the filters. In addition, when the stabilization time T1 21 of the fan motor is greater than the filter replacement threshold time 25, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification that some previously determined filters (e.g., high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters) need to be cleaned among the filters. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may display an image or text explaining the replacement method together with the notification that the filter needs to be replaced. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may display an image or text explaining the cleaning method together with the notification that the filter needs to be cleaned.

[0064] Since the electronic device 1000 determines the contamination level of the filter 100 based on the stabilization time T1 to 21 of the fan motor determined by the concentration of the contaminants in the filter 100, the electronic device 1000 can accurately calculate the contamination level of the filter 100. After replacing the filter 100, even when the electronic device 1000 does not receive a user input setting that the filter 100 has been replaced, the electronic device 1000 can recognize that the filter 100 is not contaminated.

[0065] Figure 2 A block diagram of an electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0066] refer to Figure 2 , the electronic device 1000 may include a processor 1100 , a fan 1810 , a fan motor 1820 , a memory 1400 , and a display 1610 .

[0067] The processor 1100 may control the overall operation of the electronic device 1000. The processor 1100 may control the fan motor 1820, the fan 1810, and the display 1610 by executing a program stored in the memory 1400.

[0068] The electronic device 1000 may include a device that draws air through a filter to filter out pollutants in the air. The electronic device 1000 may include, for example, an air purifier, an air conditioner, a ventilator, an electric fan, a ventilation system, and a total heat exchanger, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0069] The display 1610 may output image data on a display panel (not shown) under the control of the processor 1100. The display panel (not shown) may include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode display, a flexible display, a three-dimensional (3D) display, or an electrophoretic display.

[0070] The memory 1400 may store various information, data, instructions, programs, etc. required for the operation of the electronic device 1000. The memory 1400 may include at least one of a volatile memory or a nonvolatile memory, or a combination thereof.

[0071] The electronic device 1000 may include a filter insertion space (not shown) for inserting a filter. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may include a filter fixing member (not shown) for fixing the filter. The filter may be inserted into the filter insertion space (not shown) inside the electronic device 1000, or may be attached to the outside of the electronic device 1000.

[0072] The fan 1810 may be a mechanical device having rotating blades about an axis of rotation.

[0073] The fan motor 1820 may be connected to a rotating shaft of the fan 1810 and may rotate the fan 1810. The fan motor 1820 may include a brushless direct current (DC) motor (BLDC) motor, a DC motor, and an alternating current (AC) motor, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0074] When driving of the electronic device 1000 starts, the processor 1100 may apply a driving voltage to the fan motor 1820. When the driving voltage is applied to the fan motor 1820, the fan motor 1820 may rotate.

[0075] When the fan motor 1820 rotates, the fan 1810 connected to the fan motor 1820 may rotate. Due to the rotation of the fan 1810, external air may be sucked into the electronic device 1000. In addition, the sucked external air may pass through a filter inside the electronic device 1000 and may be discharged to the outside again, and pollutants in the external air may be filtered out by the filter.

[0076] Even when the same voltage is applied to the fan motor 1820, the RPM of the fan motor 1820 may differ according to the load of the fan motor 1820. The fan motor 1820 may periodically output the RPM of the fan motor 1820, and the processor 1100 may periodically receive the RPM of the fan motor 1820 from the fan motor 1820.

[0077] When the RPM of the fan motor 1820 increases to reach the target RPM, the RPM of the fan motor 1820 may overshoot according to the contamination level of the filter.

[0078] The processor 1100 may detect a stabilization time T1 from a time point when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 exceeds the target RPM and overshoots occur to a time point when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 stabilizes within the target RPM range. When the stabilization time T1 is greater than a preset filter replacement threshold time, the processor 1100 may determine that the contamination level of the filter exceeds the filter replacement contamination level, and may output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0079] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] In operation S310, when the RPM of the fan motor increases and exceeds the target RPM after the electronic device 1000 is driven, the electronic device 1000 can detect a stabilization time from a time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to a time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the contamination level of the filter is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, the electronic device 1000 can perform feedforward control on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, so that the stabilization time caused by the overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time.

[0082] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM, the electronic device 1000 may perform feedback control on the fan motor so that the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM.

[0083] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 can detect the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains stable within the reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM for a maintenance time T2 as the stabilization time.

[0084] In operation S320, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the detected stable time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, the electronic device 1000 may display a notification to replace the filter.

[0085] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 can obtain a filter replacement threshold time corresponding to the set air volume level. When the electronic device 1000 determines that the detected stable time is greater than the obtained filter replacement threshold time, the electronic device 1000 can display a notification to replace the filter.

[0086] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 can determine whether the filter needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model, which outputs whether the filter needs to be replaced when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detected stabilization time are input as input data.

[0087] Therefore, even after the electronic device 1000 determines that it is not time to replace the filter based on the detected stabilization time, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter needs to be replaced based on the output value of the artificial intelligence model during driving of the electronic device 1000, the electronic device 1000 can also display a notification to replace the filter.

[0088] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the detected stable time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification guiding to unseal the filter.

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may determine the contamination level of the filter based on the detected stabilization time, and may display contamination information indicating the determined contamination level of the filter.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1000 may calculate an expected replacement time of the filter based on the determined contamination level of the filter 100 , and may display the calculated expected replacement time of the filter.

[0091] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, information indicating that the filter needs to be replaced, information indicating that the filter has not been unpacked, the contamination level of the filter, or the expected replacement time of the filter can be displayed on a device that sends information to and receives information from the electronic device 1000. For example, the electronic device 1000 can send information indicating that the filter needs to be replaced, information indicating that the filter has not been unpacked, the contamination level of the filter, or the expected replacement time of the filter to the server. In addition, the server can send the information received from the electronic device 1000 to a device corresponding to the identification information of the electronic device 1000 or the identification information of the user of the electronic device 1000. In addition, the device can display the information received from the server.

[0092] Figure 4 A method of controlling a fan motor performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0093] refer to Figure 4 , the electronic device 1000 can perform feedforward control on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24, and can perform feedback control on the fan motor when overshoot 22 occurs (ie, when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM range 23).

[0094] The time-varying motor drive voltage graph 45 shows the voltage amplitude applied to the fan motor over time. In addition, the time-varying RPM graph 40 shows the change in the RPM of the fan motor when the voltage shown in the time-varying motor drive voltage graph 45 is applied to the fan motor.

[0095] The electronic device 1000 may perform feedforward control on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24. For example, the electronic device 1000 may increase the driving voltage of the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24 regardless of the current RPM of the fan motor.

[0096] For example, when the fan motor is a BLDC motor, the electronic device 1000 may perform feedforward control on the fan motor by performing BLDC step control on the BLDC motor.

[0097] For example, when the contamination level of the filter is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, the electronic device 1000 may adjust the BLDC step control parameters so that the stabilization time T1 caused by the overshoot 22 is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time. The contamination level of the filter requiring filter replacement may refer to a level at which the weight of the contaminants accumulated on the filter is greater than or equal to a preset weight, or a level at which the volume of the contaminants accumulated on the filter is greater than or equal to a preset volume. The preset weight or the preset volume may be determined by experiment.

[0098] The BLDC step control parameters may include an increase value 47, a starting maximum step, and a rise time 46. Additionally, overshoot 22 may refer to an overshoot that occurs when the RPM of the motor reaches the target RPM 24 for the first time.

[0099] In this case, the rise time 46 may refer to the time of the feed forward interval, the increment value 47 may refer to the number of RPMs increased at one time, and the starting maximum step may refer to the number of times the increment value is increased to the target RPM 24 within the rise time. As the rise time decreases, as the increment value 47 increases, and as the starting maximum step decreases, the overshoot 22 of the RPM of the fan motor may increase.

[0100] When the electronic device 1000 detects that the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24, the electronic device 1000 can determine whether an overshoot has occurred. When the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM range 23, the electronic device 1000 can determine that an overshoot has occurred. For example, when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM range 23 within a preset stable holding time T2 from the time point 41 when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24, the electronic device 1000 can determine that an overshoot has occurred. In addition, when the RPM of the fan motor does not exceed the target RPM range 23 within a preset stable holding time T2 from the time point 41 when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24, the electronic device 1000 can determine that no overshoot has occurred. The stable holding time T2 may refer to a minimum holding time for determining whether the RPM of the fan motor is stable, and may be pre-stored in the electronic device 1000 corresponding to the air volume.

[0101] When the electronic device 1000 determines that an overshoot has occurred, the electronic device 1000 may perform feedback control on the fan motor. The electronic device 1000 may increase or decrease the driving voltage of the fan motor by considering the current RPM of the fan motor so that the RPM of the fan motor converges within the target RPM range 23.

[0102] refer to Figure 4 When the electronic device 1000 determines that the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM range 23 within the stable holding time T2 from the time point 41 when the RPM of the fan motor first reaches the target RPM 24, the electronic device 1000 can determine that an overshoot 22 has occurred and can reduce the drive voltage of the fan motor. As the drive voltage of the fan motor decreases, the RPM of the fan motor can be reduced again.

[0103] In addition, due to the decrease in the driving voltage of the fan motor, the overshoot RPM of the fan motor falls below the target RPM range 23 within the stable holding time T2 from the time point 42 when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM range 23 again. Therefore, the electronic device 1000 can determine that the RPM of the fan motor is unstable and can increase the driving voltage of the fan motor. As the driving voltage of the fan motor increases, the RPM of the fan motor can increase again.

[0104] In addition, as the driving voltage of the fan motor increases, the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within the target RPM range 23 during the stable holding time T2 from the time point 43 when the RPM of the fan motor increases to the target RPM again. Therefore, the electronic device 1000 can determine that the RPM of the fan motor is stable. When the electronic device 1000 determines that the RPM of the fan motor is stable, the electronic device 1000 can determine the time from the time point 41 when the RPM of the fan motor first reaches the target RPM to the time point 44 when the stable holding time T2 ends as the stable time T1.

[0105] In addition, the electronic device 1000 may determine whether the stabilization time is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time. When the stabilization time is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced. In addition, when the stabilization time is less than the filter replacement threshold time, the electronic device 1000 may not output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0106] Figure 5 A method of determining a contamination level of a filter by using a stabilization time based on the contamination level of the filter, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is illustrated.

[0107] refer to Figure 5 , a first graph 51 shows the RPM of the fan motor over time when the filter is barely contaminated. A second graph 53 shows the RPM of the fan motor over time when the filter is contaminated beyond a filter change level.

[0108] Referring to the first graph 51 , when the filter is hardly contaminated, a control parameter for controlling the fan motor may be preset in the electronic device 1000 so that even when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24 , overshoot does not occur.

[0109] When the RPM of the fan motor does not exceed the target RPM range 23 within a preset time after reaching the target RPM 24, the electronic device 1000 may start counting the stable maintenance time T2. Because the RPM of the fan motor does not deviate from the target RPM range 23 within the stable maintenance time T2, the electronic device 1000 may determine the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM 24 to the time point when the stable maintenance time T2 passes as the stable time 57. The electronic device 1000 may determine that the stable time 57 is less than the filter replacement threshold time 25, and may output a notification that the filter does not need to be replaced.

[0110] In addition, the electronic device 1000 may calculate the contamination level of the filter based on the determined stabilization time 57, and may display information related to the calculated contamination level of the filter. For example, the electronic device 1000 may calculate the contamination level of the filter based on the ratio of the stabilization time 57 to the filter replacement threshold time 25. For example, when the filter replacement threshold time 25 is 1.5 seconds and the stabilization time 57 is 0.6 seconds, the electronic device 1000 may display an image or text indicating that the filter is 40% contaminated.

[0111] Referring to the second graph 53 , when the contamination level of the filter exceeds the filter replacement level, control parameters for controlling the fan motor may be preset in the electronic device 1000 so that the stabilization time due to overshoot is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time 25 .

[0112] Because the overshoot RPM of the fan motor does not deviate from the target RPM range 23 within the stable holding time T2, the electronic device 1000 can determine the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the last stable holding time T2 passes as the stable time 58. The electronic device 1000 can determine that the stable time 58 is greater than the filter replacement threshold time 25, and can output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0113] In addition, the electronic device 1000 can calculate the contamination level of the filter based on the ratio of the stabilization time 58 to the filter replacement threshold time 25. For example, when the filter replacement threshold time 25 is 1.5 seconds and the stabilization time 58 is 1.7 seconds, the electronic device 1000 can display an image or text indicating that the filter is 113% contaminated.

[0114] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced based on a stabilization time of an RPM of a fan motor, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] In operation S605 , the electronic device 1000 may receive a user input to start the electronic device 1000 .

[0116] The electronic device 1000 may receive a user input to start the power of the electronic device 1000. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may receive a user input to start the air purification function during driving of the electronic device 1000.

[0117] In operation S610, the electronic device 1000 may apply a voltage to the fan motor based on a non-feedback control method.

[0118] When the electronic device 1000 receives a user input to start the electronic device 1000 , the electronic device 1000 may apply a voltage to the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches a target RPM regardless of a current RPM of the fan motor.

[0119] In operation S615, the electronic device 1000 may determine to start feedback control of the fan motor when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, and may set the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM as the start time point of stabilization time measurement.

[0120] When the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, the electronic device 1000 may determine to start feedback control of the fan motor. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may set the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM as the start time point of the stabilization time measurement.

[0121] In operation S625, the electronic device 1000 may determine whether the RPM of the fan motor is within a target RPM range.

[0122] The electronic device 1000 may perform feedback control on the fan motor by reducing the voltage applied to the fan motor when the RPM of the fan motor exceeds a target RPM range, and increasing the voltage applied to the fan motor when the RPM of the fan motor drops below the target RPM range.

[0123] The electronic device 1000 may periodically determine whether the RPM of the fan motor is within a target RPM range while performing feedback control on the fan motor.

[0124] In operation S630, when the electronic device 1000 determines in operation S625 that the RPM of the fan motor is not within the target RPM range, the electronic device 1000 can reset the elapsed time used to determine the elapsed stable holding time. In addition, after resetting the elapsed time, the electronic device 1000 can return to operation S625 to determine whether the RPM of the fan motor is within the target RPM range.

[0125] In operation S635 , when the electronic device 1000 determines in operation S625 that the RPM of the fan motor is within the target RPM range, the electronic device 1000 may determine whether the elapsed time is greater than the stable maintaining time.

[0126] In operation S640, when the electronic device 1000 determines in operation S635 that the elapsed time is not greater than the stable maintaining time, the electronic device 1000 may increase the elapsed time indicating the time during which the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within the target RPM range.

[0127] In operation S645, when the electronic device 1000 determines in operation S635 that the elapsed time is greater than the stabilization maintaining time, the electronic device 1000 may determine the time from the set start time to the time point when the last stabilization maintaining time ends as the stabilization time.

[0128] That is, when the RPM of the fan motor is within the target RPM range within the stable holding time, the electronic device 1000 can determine that the RPM of the fan motor has stabilized, and can determine the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the last stable holding time ends as the stabilization time.

[0129] In operation S650, the electronic device 1000 may determine whether the determined stabilization time is greater than a filter replacement threshold time.

[0130] In operation S655, when the electronic device 1000 determines in operation S650 that the stabilization time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0131] In addition, when the electronic device 1000 determines in operation S650 that the stabilization time is not greater than the filter replacement threshold time, the electronic device 1000 may not output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0132] Figure 7 A method of changing a filter replacement threshold time based on an air volume, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0133] refer to Figure 7 As the set air volume increases, the target RPM increases, and as the target RPM increases, a larger overshoot occurs even at the same pollution level of the filter. Therefore, the stabilization time of the RPM of the fan motor also increases. Therefore, as the air volume increases, the filter replacement threshold time and the stable holding time also need to be increased. The electronic device 1000 can store the target RPM, filter replacement threshold time and stable holding time corresponding to each of the multiple air volumes.

[0134] The electronic device 1000 may obtain a target RPM, a filter replacement threshold time, and a stable retention time T2 corresponding to the set air volume, and may determine whether the filter needs to be replaced based on the obtained filter replacement threshold time and stable retention time.

[0135] The weak wind RPM graph 70 shows a method of determining whether the filter needs to be replaced when the electronic device 1000 drives the fan motor with weak wind, and the strong wind RPM graph 71 shows a method of determining whether the filter needs to be replaced when the electronic device 1000 drives the fan motor with strong wind.

[0136] When the electronic device 1000 determines to start driving the fan motor and the set wind volume is weak, the electronic device 1000 can obtain the target RPM 74 corresponding to the weak wind, the filter replacement threshold time 75 corresponding to the weak wind, and the stable maintenance time 76 corresponding to the weak wind.

[0137] The electronic device 1000 may determine the stabilization time 72 based on the target RPM 74 corresponding to weak wind and the stabilization holding time 76 , and may determine whether the filter needs to be replaced by comparing the determined stabilization time 72 with the filter replacement threshold time 75 corresponding to weak wind.

[0138] In addition, when the set wind volume is strong, the electronic device 1000 can obtain a target RPM 77 corresponding to strong wind, a filter replacement threshold time 78 corresponding to strong wind, and a stable holding time 79 corresponding to strong wind.

[0139] The electronic device 1000 can determine the stabilization time 73 based on the target RPM 77 corresponding to strong wind and the stable holding time 79 corresponding to strong wind, and can determine whether the filter needs to be replaced by comparing the determined stabilization time 73 with the filter replacement threshold time 78 corresponding to strong wind.

[0140] Figure 8 A method for determining whether a filter needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model and performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0141] refer to Figure 8 , the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the filter needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model, which outputs whether the filter needs to be replaced when the stabilization time and the use time are input as input data. In this case, the stabilization time may be the stabilization time calculated when the fan motor starts to be driven, and the use time may be the elapsed time after the fan motor is driven. For example, Figure 8 As shown, the artificial intelligence model may include a hidden layer, an input layer, and an output layer, wherein the stabilization time and the usage time are input as input data.

[0142] The training data of the artificial intelligence model can be obtained by repeatedly driving and stopping the electronic device 1000. For example, the stabilization time calculated at the beginning of the n-th drive, the total driving time at the n-th drive, and the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement (i.e., whether the filter needs to be replaced) determined at the beginning of the (n+1)-th drive can be used as a training data set. In addition, when the stabilization time at the beginning of the n-th drive and the total driving time at the n-th drive are input, the artificial intelligence model can be trained to output the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement determined at the beginning of the (n+1)-th drive.

[0143] In addition, the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can determine the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement based on an artificial intelligence model, which outputs the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement when the stabilization time, the average value of the RPM of the fan motor, and the usage time are input as input data.

[0144] In this case, the stabilization time calculated at the start of the n-th drive, the average value of the RPM of the fan motor at the n-th drive, the total drive time at the n-th drive, and the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement determined at the start of the (n+1)-th drive can be a training data set. In addition, when the stabilization time at the start of the n-th drive and the total drive time at the n-th drive are input to the artificial intelligence model, the artificial intelligence model can be trained to output the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement determined at the start of the (n+1)-th drive.

[0145] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the artificial intelligence model may be implemented in a server instead of the electronic device 1000. The electronic device 1000 may send the stabilization time and the usage time to the server, and may receive information on the necessity or non-necessity of filter replacement from the server.

[0146] In addition, the artificial intelligence model can be pre-trained before the electronic device 1000 is shipped and implemented in the electronic device 1000 or the server. In addition, the artificial intelligence model can be trained based on the use of the electronic device 1000. For example, the artificial intelligence model can use the stabilization time, the use time, and the data on the necessity or non-necessity of the filter replacement obtained according to the use of the electronic device 1000 as the training data of the artificial intelligence model.

[0147] Fig. 9 A method of determining whether a filter needs to be replaced during driving, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0148] refer to Fig. 9, even after the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter does not need to be replaced when the electronic device 1000 starts to be driven, the electronic device 1000 can determine whether the filter needs to be replaced based on the artificial intelligence model during driving, and output information related to whether the filter needs to be replaced.

[0149] like Fig. 9 As shown, when the fan motor starts to be driven, the electronic device 1000 can calculate the stabilization time 91, and can determine whether the filter needs to be replaced by comparing the calculated stabilization time 91 with the filter replacement threshold time corresponding to the target RPM. When the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter does not need to be replaced, the electronic device 1000 can display that the filter does not need to be replaced.

[0150] When the fan motor continues to drive after the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter does not need to be replaced, the electronic device 1000 can periodically determine whether the filter needs to be replaced based on the artificial intelligence model during driving. For example, the electronic device 1000 can obtain information related to whether the filter needs to be replaced (which is the output value of the artificial intelligence model) by inputting the stabilization time 91 calculated when the fan motor starts to be driven, the use time 93 (which is the time elapsed from the start of driving), and the average RPM of the fan motor during the use time as input data of the artificial intelligence model.

[0151] When the output value of the artificial intelligence model indicates that the filter needs to be replaced, the electronic device 1000 can output a notification that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0152] Therefore, when the contamination level of the filter is greater than the reference level during driving of the electronic device 1000 and at the start of driving of the electronic device 1000 , the electronic device 1000 may indicate that the filter needs to be replaced.

[0153] Fig.10 A method of determining whether a filter is tampered based on a stabilization time of a fan motor, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0154] refer to Fig.10 When the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the filter unsealed reference time, the electronic device 1000 may determine that the filter is not unsealed, and may output a notification guiding to unseal the filter.

[0155] Typically, the electronic device 1000 with a built-in filter is shipped with the filter wrapped in packaging material (e.g., vinyl) to prevent the filter from being contaminated when the product is shipped. Therefore, even if the user must drive the electronic device 1000 after unpacking the filter, it often happens that the user operates the electronic device 1000 without realizing that the filter is wrapped.

[0156] The filter unsealed reference time 101 may be pre-stored in the electronic device 1000. The filter unsealed reference time 101 may be a stable time of the RPM of the fan motor detected when the fan motor is driven in a state where the filter is wrapped. In addition, when the filter is in a wrapped state, air does not pass through the filter, and therefore, the filter unsealed reference time 101 may be much greater than the filter replacement threshold time.

[0157] The electronic device 1000 may calculate the stabilization time 102 of the fan motor when starting driving, and may determine whether the calculated stabilization time 102 is greater than or equal to the pre-stored filter unsealed reference time 101 by comparing the calculated stabilization time 102 with the pre-stored filter unsealed reference time 101. When the electronic device 1000 determines that the calculated stabilization time 102 is greater than or equal to the pre-stored filter unsealed reference time 101, the electronic device 1000 may determine that the filter is not unsealed.

[0158] When the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter is not unpacked, the electronic device 1000 may display a guide text 103 to guide the unpacking of the filter. In addition, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter is not unpacked, the electronic device 1000 may output a notification sound to guide the unpacking of the filter, or may output a flash indicating that the filter is not unpacked.

[0159] Fig.11 A method of determining a contamination level of a filter based on a stabilization time, performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0160] refer to Fig.11 , the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the contamination level of the filter based on the ratio of the stabilization time 112 to the filter replacement threshold time 111 .

[0161] For example, when the filter replacement threshold time 111 is 1.5 seconds, and the stabilization time 112 is 1.2 seconds, the electronic device 1000 may display an image or text indicating that the filter is 80% contaminated.

[0162] In addition, the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can obtain the contamination level of the filter based on an artificial intelligence model, which outputs the contamination level of the filter when the stabilization time when starting driving, the usage time after starting driving, and the average RPM during the usage time are input as input data.

[0163] In this case, the stabilization time when driving starts, the usage time after driving starts, the average RPM during the usage time, and the contamination level of the filter can be obtained in advance as a training data set, and when the stabilization time when operation starts, the usage time after operation starts, and the average RPM during the usage time are input as input data, the artificial intelligence model can be pre-trained to output the corresponding filter contamination level.

[0164] When the electronic device 1000 receives a user input to start the electronic device 1000, the electronic device 1000 may display information indicating the contamination level of the filter. In addition, when the electronic device 1000 receives a user input to select a menu for displaying the contamination level of the filter, the electronic device 1000 may display information indicating the contamination level of the filter.

[0165] Fig.12 A method of determining an expected replacement time of a filter based on a stabilization time and performed by the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0166] refer to Fig.12 , the electronic device 1000 can calculate the contamination rate of the filter based on the stabilization time. In addition, the electronic device 1000 can determine the expected replacement time of the filter based on the calculated contamination rate.

[0167] like Fig.11 As shown, the electronic device 1000 can determine the contamination level of the filter based on the stabilization time. In addition, the electronic device 1000 can determine the contamination rate of the filter according to the use time and the use RPM based on the contamination level of the filter determined at the beginning of the nth drive and the contamination level of the filter determined at the beginning of the (n+1)th drive.

[0168] For example, the electronic device 1000 may determine the contamination rate of the filter according to the usage time and the usage RPM based on the ratio of the product of the average RPM at the nth drive and the usage time at the nth drive to the difference between the contamination level of the filter determined at the start of the (n+1)th drive and the contamination level of the filter determined at the start of the nth drive. For example, the electronic device 1000 may divide the difference between the contamination level of the filter determined at the start of the (n+1)th drive and the contamination level of the filter determined at the start of the nth drive by the product of the average RPM at the nth drive and the usage time at the nth drive, and may determine the resulting value as the contamination rate of the filter.

[0169] In addition, the electronic device 1000 may calculate the expected replacement time of the filter based on the contamination level of the filter determined at the start of the (n+1)th drive, the determined contamination rate of the filter, and the current RPM. For example, when the contamination level of the filter determined at the start of the (n+1)th drive is 80%, the electronic device 1000 may calculate the available time until the contamination level reaches 100% when used continuously at the current RPM based on the contamination rate of the filter and the current RPM. For example, the electronic device 1000 may determine the value obtained by dividing 20 (100%-80%) by the contamination rate of the filter and the current RPM as the available time until the contamination level reaches 100% when used continuously at the current RPM.

[0170] The electronic device 1000 may determine the available time until the pollution level reaches 100% as the time when the filter is expected to be replaced, and may display an image or text indicating the time when the filter is expected to be replaced. Fig.12 As shown, the electronic device 1000 may display text 123 “It is expected that the filter will need to be replaced after 70 hours of use.”.

[0171] In addition, as mentioned above Fig.11 As described above, the electronic device 1000 can obtain the current contamination level of the filter from the artificial intelligence model by using the stabilization time when driving starts, the use time after driving starts, and the average RPM during the use time as input data of the artificial intelligence model. In addition, the electronic device 1000 can calculate the expected replacement time of the filter at any time during use except when driving starts based on the current contamination level of the filter, the contamination rate of the filter, and the current RPM.

[0172] When the electronic device 1000 receives a user input for starting the power supply, the electronic device 1000 may display the expected replacement time of the filter. In addition, when the electronic device 1000 receives a user input for changing the RPM of the fan motor, the electronic device 1000 may calculate the expected replacement time of the filter based on the current contamination level of the filter and the changed RPM, and may display the calculated expected replacement time of the filter. In addition, when the electronic device 1000 receives a user input for selecting a menu for the expected replacement time of the filter, the electronic device 1000 may calculate the expected replacement time of the filter based on the current contamination level of the filter and the current RPM, and display the calculated expected replacement time of the filter.

[0173] Fig.13 A block diagram of an electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0174] refer to Fig.13 , the electronic device 1000 may include a processor 1100 , a microphone 1200 , a communication module 1300 , a memory 1400 , a sensor 1700 , an output module 1600 , an input interface 1500 , a fan 1810 , a fan motor 1820 , and a filter 100 .

[0175] However, Fig.13 Not all of the components shown in FIG. 1 are essential components of the electronic device 1000. The electronic device 1000 may be implemented with more than Fig.13 More elements than those shown in FIG. 1 or more elements than those shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented Fig.13 For example, the electronic device 1000 may be implemented with a processor 1100 , a memory 1400 , an input interface 1500 , an output module 1600 , a fan 1810 , and a fan motor 1820 .

[0176] The processor 1100 may control the overall operation of the electronic device 1000. The processor 1100 may execute a program stored in the memory 1400 to control the elements of the electronic device 1000.

[0177] The processor 1100 may include a separate neural processing unit (NPU) that performs operations of the machine learning model. In addition, the processor 1100 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the like.

[0178] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 1100 may include a hardware structure (e.g., NPU) dedicated to processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated by machine learning. For example, such learning may be performed in the electronic device 1000 itself that executes the artificial intelligence model, or may be performed by a separate server (not shown).

[0179] The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples.In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may additionally or alternatively include a software structure.

[0180] The microphone 1200 may receive a user's voice command or voice request. Therefore, the processor 1100 may perform control so that an operation corresponding to the voice command or voice request is performed. In addition, the microphone 1200 may receive sounds around the electronic device 1000.

[0181] The communication module 1300 may send information to an external device (not shown) or a server (not shown) and receive information from an external device (not shown) or a server (not shown) according to a protocol under the control of the processor 1100. The communication module 1300 may include at least one port and at least one communication module configured to send data to an external device (not shown) or a server (not shown) and receive data from an external device (not shown) or a server (not shown).

[0182] In addition, the communication module 1300 can communicate with an external device (not shown) through at least one wired or wireless communication network. The communication module 1300 may include at least one of a short-range communication module 1310 or a long-range communication module 1320 or a combination thereof. The communication module 1300 may include at least one antenna for wireless communication with other devices.

[0183] The short-range communication module 1310 may include at least one communication module (not shown) that performs communication according to a communication standard (e.g., Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication / Radio Frequency Identification (NFC / RFID), Wi-Fi Direct, Ultra Wideband (UWB), or ZigBee). In addition, the long-range communication module 1320 may include a communication module (not shown) that performs communication through an Internet communication network. In addition, the long-range communication module 1320 may include a mobile communication module (not shown) that performs communication according to third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G) and / or sixth generation (6G) communication standards.

[0184] In addition, the communication module 1300 may include a communication module (eg, an infrared (IR) communication module) capable of receiving a control command from a remote controller (not shown) located at a close distance.

[0185] The memory 1400 may store various information, data, instructions, programs, etc. required for the operation of the electronic device 1000. The memory 1400 may include at least one of a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory or a combination thereof. The memory 1400 may include, for example, at least one type of storage medium selected from a flash memory, a hard disk memory, a multimedia card micro memory, a card-type memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD) memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. In addition, the electronic device 1000 may operate a network storage device (not shown) or a cloud server (not shown) that performs a storage function on the Internet.

[0186] The sensor 1700 may include a sensor that detects information related to the surrounding environment of the electronic device 1000. For example, the sensor 1700 may include a dust sensor (not shown), an odor sensor (not shown), a temperature sensor (not shown), a humidity sensor (not shown), an illumination sensor (not shown), and an atmospheric pressure sensor (not shown), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The dust sensor (not shown) may detect the concentration of at least one of fine dust or ultrafine dust in the air. The odor sensor (not shown) may detect the concentration of odor particles (e.g., food, perfume, fragrance, and cosmetics).

[0187] The output module 1600 may include a display 1610 and a sound output module 1620 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0188] The display 1610 may output image data processed by an image processor (not shown) through a display panel (not shown) under the control of the processor 1100. The display panel (not shown) may include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, a flexible display, a 3D display, or an electrophoretic display.

[0189] The sound output module 1620 can output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device 1000. The sound output module 1620 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback.

[0190] The input interface 1500 may receive a user input for controlling the electronic device 1000 . The input interface 1500 may include a key (not shown), a touch screen (not shown), etc. The input interface 1500 may receive a user input and send the received user input to the processor 1100 .

[0191] The input interface 1500 may include a user input device including a touch panel detecting a user's touch, a button receiving a user's pressing operation, a wheel receiving a user's rotating operation, a keypad, and a dome switch, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0192] In addition, the input interface 1500 may include a motion detection sensor (not shown). For example, the motion detection sensor (not shown) may detect motion of the electronic device 1000 and receive the detected motion as a user input.

[0193] The fan 1810 may be a mechanical device having rotating blades around a rotation axis. The fan motor 1820 may be connected to the rotation axis of the fan 1810 and may rotate the fan 1810. When the fan motor 1820 rotates, the fan 1810 connected to the fan motor 1820 may rotate. Due to the rotation of the fan 1810, external air may be sucked into the electronic device 1000. In addition, the sucked external air may pass through a filter inside the electronic device 1000 and may be discharged to the outside again, and pollutants in the external air may be filtered by the filter.

[0194] The filter 100 can be detached from or attached to the electronic device 1000. The filter 100 can be reused after cleaning and can be replaced as a consumable of the electronic device 1000. The filter may include a pre-filter, an antibacterial filter, a deodorizing filter, and a HEPA filter, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The pre-filter may filter out larger dust (e.g., hair and animal fur). The antibacterial filter may filter out fine dust (e.g., fine dust and mold). The deodorizing filter may filter out odors and harmful gases. The HEPA filter may filter out ultrafine dust, cigarette smoke, and viruses.

[0195] When the RPM of the fan motor 1820 increases after the electronic device 1000 is driven and exceeds the target RPM, the processor 1100 can detect the stabilization time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 remains within the reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM.

[0196] In addition, when the processor 1100 determines that the detected stable time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, the processor 1100 may display a notification to replace the filter 100 on the display 1610 .

[0197] In addition, the processor 1100 may detect a time from a time point when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 reaches the target RPM to a time point when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 maintains a stable holding time within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM as a stabilization time.

[0198] In addition, the processor 1100 may obtain a filter replacement threshold time corresponding to an air volume level set in the electronic device 1000 .

[0199] In addition, when the RPM of the fan motor 1820 exceeds the target RPM, the processor 1100 may perform feedback control on the fan motor 1820 so that the RPM of the fan motor 1820 is maintained within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM.

[0200] In addition, when the contamination level of the filter 100 is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, the processor 1100 can perform feedforward control on the fan motor 1820 until the RPM of the fan motor 1820 reaches the target RPM, so that the stabilization time caused by the overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor 1820 is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time.

[0201] In addition, the processor 1100 can determine whether the filter 100 needs to be replaced based on an artificial intelligence model, which outputs whether the filter 100 needs to be replaced when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detected stabilization time are input as input data.

[0202] In addition, after the electronic device 1000 determines that it is not time to replace the filter 100 based on the detected stabilization time, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the filter 100 needs to be replaced based on the output value of the artificial intelligence model during driving of the electronic device 1000, the electronic device 1000 can display a notification to replace the filter 100.

[0203] In addition, when the electronic device 1000 determines that the detected stable time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, the processor 1100 may output a notification guiding the unsealing of the filter 100 .

[0204] In addition, the processor 1100 may determine a contamination level of the filter 100 based on the detected stabilization time, and may display contamination information indicating the determined contamination level.

[0205] In addition, the processor 1100 may calculate an expected replacement time of the filter 100 based on the determined contamination level of the filter 100, and may display the calculated expected replacement time.

[0206] The terms "module" or "interface" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with, for example, "logic", "logic block", "component", or "circuit". A module may be a minimum unit of an overall construction component or component that performs one or more functions, or a portion thereof. For example, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a module may be implemented in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0207] The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. A "non-transitory storage medium" is a tangible device and simply means that a signal (e.g., electromagnetic wave) is not included. The term does not distinguish between a case where data is semi-permanently stored in a storage medium and a case where data is temporarily stored in a storage medium. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may include a buffer that temporarily stores data.

[0208] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product can be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product can be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a CD-ROM), or can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., a smartphone). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable application) is at least temporarily stored on a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a memory of a relay server), or can be temporarily generated.

Claims

1. An electronic device (1000), comprising: a fan (1810) capable of rotating to draw air through the filter; A fan motor (1820) configured to rotate the fan (1810); at least one memory (1400) storing one or more instructions; as well as At least one processor (1100) is configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory (1400) to perform the following operations: When the RPM of the fan motor (1820) increases to exceed a target RPM while rotating the fan (1810), detecting a stabilization time, the stabilization time being a time point from when the RPM of the fan motor (1820) reaches the target RPM to when the RPM of the fan motor (1820) remains within a reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM, Determine if the detected stabilization time is greater than the filter change threshold time, and When it is determined that the detected stable time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, control is performed so that a notification to replace the filter is displayed on a display.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: A time from a time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to a time point when the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within the reference RPM difference with respect to the target RPM for a stable maintaining time is detected as the stabilization time.

3. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: The filter replacement threshold time is based on an air volume level set in the electronic device.

4. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: When the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM, feedback control is performed on the fan motor so that the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within the reference RPM difference with respect to the target RPM.

5. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: When the contamination level of the filter is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, feedforward control is performed on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, so that a stabilization time due to overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time.

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: Determine whether filter replacement is required based on an artificial intelligence model, wherein when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detection of the stabilization time are input as input data to the artificial intelligence model, the artificial intelligence model outputs whether filter replacement is required.

7. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: When it is determined that the detected stable time is not greater than the filter replacement threshold time, determining whether filter replacement is required based on an artificial intelligence model, wherein when the detected stabilization time and the usage time after the detection of the stabilization time are input as input data to the artificial intelligence model, the artificial intelligence model outputs whether filter replacement is required, and When it is determined based on the artificial intelligence model that filter replacement is required, control is performed to display a notification to replace the filter.

8. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: determining whether the detected stable time is greater than or equal to the filter unopened reference time, When it is determined that the detected stable time is greater than or equal to the filter unsealed reference time, control is performed to output a notification instructing to unseal the filter.

9. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: determining a contamination level of the filter based on the detected stabilization time, and Control is performed to display contamination information indicating the determined contamination level.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform the following operations: calculating an expected replacement time for the filter based on the determined contamination level of the filter, and Control is exercised to display the calculated expected replacement time.

11. A method of controlling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a fan capable of rotating to draw air through a filter, and a fan motor configured to rotate the fan, the method comprising: When the RPM of the fan motor increases to exceed a target RPM while rotating the fan, detecting a stabilization time from a time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to a time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within a reference RPM difference with respect to the target RPM; determining whether the detected stabilization time is greater than a filter change threshold time; and When it is determined that the detected stable time is greater than the filter replacement threshold time, control is performed to display a notification to replace the filter.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: Detecting the stabilization time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within the reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM includes: detecting the time from the time point when the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM to the time point when the RPM of the fan motor remains within the reference RPM difference relative to the target RPM within the stabilization holding time, as the stabilization time.

13. The method according to any one of claims 11 and 12, wherein: The filter replacement threshold time is based on an air volume level set in the electronic device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising: When the RPM of the fan motor exceeds the target RPM, feedback control is performed on the fan motor so that the RPM of the fan motor is maintained within the reference RPM difference with respect to the target RPM.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, further comprising: When the contamination level of the filter is greater than or equal to the level requiring filter replacement, feedforward control is performed on the fan motor until the RPM of the fan motor reaches the target RPM, so that a stabilization time due to overshoot of the RPM of the fan motor is greater than or equal to the filter replacement threshold time.

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