Laundry treating apparatus and method for controlling laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus which changes the manner and content of providing visual information according to the position of a person, and to a laundry treating apparatus which provides current washing / drying information to be large and concise if a person is at a distance and delivers detailed content in a relatively small font if it is detected that a person is at a near position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothes treating device, and more particularly to an interface change and control method of a display unit for externally displaying a signal generated in the clothes treating device to a user. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a laundry processing device refers to a device that can perform washing, drying, or washing and drying on laundry. Here, the laundry processing device can only perform the washing or drying function, or perform washing and drying at the same time.

[0003] Such a clothes treating apparatus is provided with a display unit for displaying various information currently generated or received to the user.

[0004] The information may include: functional information about functions such as programs / options provided by the clothing processing device to the user, execution information about the execution status of the programs or options, guidance information about separate guidance matters received by the clothing processing device from a control unit or server / external terminal, etc. and provided to the user, recommendation information recommending user actions, etc.

[0005] Such a display unit is provided by a liquid crystal display screen, and can provide the information to the user in the form of visual information, and can include a speaker to provide the information to the user in the form of sound information.

[0006] Such a display unit has a limitation in that the information transmission capability is poor when the user is far away from the laundry treating apparatus.

[0007] In order to solve such a problem, in recent years, there has been a clothing processing device that can recognize the distance from the user and change the display state of the display unit.

[0008] (Refer to Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2175295)

[0009] The clothes treating device is configured to recognize the distance between the user and the clothes treating device, and to transmit more detailed information by means of a sound signal such as a speaker if the distance is short, and to transmit the information in summary if the distance is far.

[0010] Thus, the conventional clothes treating apparatus displays information in different ways according to the distance from the user, so that the user can effectively receive necessary information even when the user is far away from the clothes treating apparatus.

[0011] However, conventional clothes treating devices have a problem in that they focus only on adjusting the display state of a speaker that outputs a notification sound to the outside according to the distance from the user, and do not provide any other concept for a display unit that transmits visual information except for changing the brightness.

[0012] That is, conventional clothes processing apparatuses have a problem in that, in the case of a display unit provided with a liquid crystal display screen for transmitting visual information instead of sound information, it is impossible to specifically present a concept for effectively transmitting information to nearby users and distant users.

[0013] Therefore, the conventional clothes treating apparatus has the following problem: when the user approaches or moves away from the clothes treating apparatus, the user cannot obtain the difference of the displayed information other than the brightness or luminance.

[0014] In other words, conventional clothes treating devices have the following problem: they are completely unable to provide a concept of how to effectively convey information visually according to the distance from the user.

[0015] In addition, there is a problem in the conventional laundry processing apparatus that the display unit for visually transmitting information and the amount of laundry held by the laundry processing apparatus cannot be closely connected. Detection functionality, thereby reducing the usefulness of the user experience / user interface (UX / UI). Summary of the invention

[0016] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0017] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothes treating device capable of providing visual information in different ways and with different contents according to the distance between a user and the clothes treating device.

[0018] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothing processing device which can transmit intuitive visual information to a user at a distance and transmit detailed visual information to a user at a nearby location.

[0019] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothing processing device that can visually and concentratedly transmit core information or important information to distant users, and transmit not only core information but also one or more of additional information, guidance information, and recommended information to nearby users, thereby making the type and quantity of information variable.

[0020] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothes processing device that can transmit greater visual information to a user at a distance.

[0021] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothes treating device capable of delivering an optimal delivery capability to a user at a distance and a user at a nearby location by changing the color of displayed visual information.

[0022] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clothes treating device which combines the functions of the clothes treating device with the display changes of visual information, thereby maximizing the application of the clothes treating device.

[0023] Means used to solve problems

[0024] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a clothes treating device which changes the way and content of providing information according to the position of a person.

[0025] The clothes treating apparatus of the present invention may be configured to provide current washing / drying information in a large and concise manner if a person is far away, and to deliver detailed information in a relatively small font if a person is detected nearby.

[0026] The clothes treating apparatus of the present invention may be configured to reduce the amount of information and provide it with the minimum number of words if a person is far away, and to additionally provide detailed information and currently selectable option buttons if a person is detected to be nearby.

[0027] The clothes processing device of the present invention can be configured such that if a person is far away, the information is conveyed concisely by an image or animation so as to be intuitively confirmed, and if a person is detected nearby, additional information is provided in the form of text.

[0028] The detection of the distance may comprehensively consider whether the user stays at a short distance (second distance) or a long distance (third distance) for a reference time based on the reference distance (first distance), whether the user is looking at the display unit, and the like.

[0029] Of course, the display unit may be configured to always display content corresponding to the distance of the user regardless of whether the user stays for the reference time or looks at the display unit, so that information can be intuitively transmitted when the user looks at the display unit.

[0030] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a clothing processing device, comprising: a housing; a drum rotatably accommodated in the housing and accommodating clothing; a control unit executing an arbitrary program capable of rotating the drum; a display unit disposed in the housing for externally displaying information provided by the control unit; and a proximity sensor disposed in front of the housing for detecting the interval or distance between the housing and a user and transmitting the interval or distance to the control unit.

[0031] The display unit is controlled so that, when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor changes, at least one of a size of the information displayed, an amount of the information displayed, and a form of the information displayed is variable.

[0032] The display unit may display the information in a smaller font when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

[0033] The display unit may be controlled to display the information with more words or numbers when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

[0034] The display unit can be controlled to display the information as a sentence excluding a predicate when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than a first distance, and to display the information as a sentence including a predicate when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance.

[0035] The display unit includes a liquid crystal display screen that displays the information, and the display unit is controlled to divide the liquid crystal display screen more and display the information when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

[0036] The display unit may be controlled to display different content in each of the divided areas on the liquid crystal display screen.

[0037] The display unit displays the information in a changeable color when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than or equal to a first distance and when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance.

[0038] The display unit may be controlled to display the information using more colors when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

[0039] The display unit can be controlled to display the information as an image or a pictogram when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than a first distance, and to display the information as one or more of text and numbers when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance.

[0040] The display unit may be controlled to display the characters and numbers in the information in addition to the image or pictogram when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is equal to or smaller than a first distance.

[0041] The control unit may be configured to detect the amount of the laundry by rotating the drum or using a separate sensor, and the display unit may be controlled to display laundry amount information differently according to a change in the amount of the laundry.

[0042] The laundry amount information may include one or more of an estimated time for processing the laundry, an amount of detergent required when processing the laundry, and an amount of water required when processing the laundry.

[0043] The display unit may be controlled to display request information for confirming whether the laundry is heavy when an amount of laundry greater than a reference value is put into the drum.

[0044] The control unit is set with a program for separately processing the heavy-weight clothes, and the display unit is controlled to display whether to execute the program when confirmation that the clothes are heavy-weight is input.

[0045] The display portion may be configured to be wider than it is tall.

[0046] Effects of the Invention

[0047] Since the clothes processing device of the present invention receives information of suitable form and content according to the current position of the customer, it has the effect of being able to clearly understand the current operation status even from a distance. Therefore, the clothes processing device of the present invention helps to reduce the inconvenience of the user having to approach the clothes processing device to confirm the current operation status.

[0048] The laundry processing device of the present invention can change the display content of the display unit to appropriately transmit information and menus that meet the current situation to the user. Therefore, the laundry processing device of the present invention can reduce the recognition labor of finding the required menu, and can obtain more satisfactory washing results through the appropriately provided menu.

[0049] If the clothes processing device of the present invention detects that the user is nearby, it can provide the currently required washing / drying related suggestions in more detailed and friendly sentences.

[0050] The clothes processing device of the present invention can transmit information not only by words (texts) but also by animations and images according to the distance between the clothes processing device and the user, thereby providing a more intuitive and beautiful effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 The appearance of the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention is shown.

[0052] Figure 2 The control panel structure of the clothes treating device of the present invention is shown.

[0053] Figure 3 Another embodiment of the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention is shown.

[0054] Figure 4 The internal structure of the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention is shown.

[0055] Figure 5 A control method for changing a display state of a display unit of a laundry processing apparatus according to the present invention is described.

[0056] Figure 6 An embodiment of a method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0057] Figure 7 An embodiment in which the control method is applied to another embodiment of the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention is shown.

[0058] Figure 8 Another embodiment of a control method of a laundry treating apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0059] Fig. 9 In another embodiment of the laundry processing device of the present invention, Figure 8 Embodiment of the control method.

[0060] Fig.10 Another embodiment of a control method of a laundry treating apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0061] Fig.11 In another embodiment of the laundry processing device of the present invention, Fig.10 Embodiment of the control method.

[0062] Fig.12 An embodiment of an additional control method of a clothes processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0063] Fig.13 In another embodiment of the laundry processing device of the present invention, Fig.12 Embodiment of the control method.

[0064] Figures 14 to 17 The basic structure and method of detecting the amount of laundry by the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention are shown.

[0065] Fig.18 A control method for detecting the amount of laundry before the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention starts executing a program or an option is shown.

[0066] Fig.19 A control method for changing a display state of a display unit of a laundry processing apparatus according to laundry amount detection is described.

[0067] Fig. 20 Shows application Fig.19 Embodiment of the control method.

[0068] Fig.21 In another embodiment of the laundry processing device of the present invention, Fig.19Embodiment of the control method.

[0069] Fig. 22 A control method of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention is shown, which is capable of recommending a program or option to a display unit according to laundry amount detection.

[0070] Fig.23 Shows application Fig. 22 Embodiment of the control method.

[0071] Fig.24 An additional embodiment in which the control panel of the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention is arranged in another form is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, even if the embodiments are different from each other, the same or similar components are given the same or similar figure marks, and the first description replaces the description. The singular expressions used in this specification include plural expressions unless the context otherwise indicates. In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is judged that the specific description of the relevant known technology may obscure the main purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, its detailed description is omitted. In addition, the drawings are only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and should not be interpreted as the technical ideas disclosed in this specification being limited to the drawings.

[0073] Figure 1 The appearance of the laundry treating apparatus 100 of the present invention is shown.

[0074] The clothes treating apparatus of the present invention may include a housing 1 forming an appearance and a control panel P disposed on the housing 1 .

[0075] The control panel P may include a device that enables communication between a user and a laundry processing device (including other electronic devices represented by the laundry processing device). The communication between the user and the laundry processing device refers to the process of the user inputting control instructions to the laundry processing device and the process of the laundry processing device transmitting information to the user.

[0076] The control panel P can be configured to receive one or more of a power instruction from a user to supply or block power to the clothing processing device, a selection instruction to select any program or option for processing clothing, an execution instruction to execute the selected program or option, and an interrupt instruction to interrupt the execution of the program or option.

[0077] Treating the laundry may include a washing operation of removing foreign matter from the laundry by water and detergent, or a drying operation of drying water contained in the laundry, and a care operation of deodorizing and removing wrinkles from the laundry using hot air and steam.

[0078] The control panel P may include a first display portion P8 that displays an operating state of the laundry treating apparatus or information about the programs or options to a user.

[0079] The first display unit P8 can be configured to display the state of inputting one or more of the power command, selection command, execution command, execution command, and interruption command. In addition, the first display unit P8 can also display an error message indicating a problem condition occurring in the clothing processing device or a guide message guiding the user to take measures.

[0080] The first display portion P8 may be configured to visually display the information.

[0081] The first display unit P8 may include a liquid crystal display screen that radiates light to the outside.

[0082] In addition, the first display unit P8 may be configured to include at least one of a display panel capable of outputting text and graphics and a speaker capable of outputting voice signals and sound.

[0083] The following description will be based on the fact that the first display unit P8 is set as a liquid crystal display inside a rotary knob, etc., but this is only one embodiment. As long as it is exposed outside the box 1 and can display information, the first display unit P8 can be set to any structure and at any position.

[0084] In the laundry processing device 100 of the present invention, the housing 1 may include a front panel 13 forming the front, and an upper panel 11 coupled to the upper portion of the front panel 13. The front panel 13 and the upper panel 11 may be made of metal and may be in the shape of a steel plate.

[0085] The control panel P of the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention may be combined with the front panel 13 .

[0086] The control panel P may be configured to be combined with the back of the front panel 13, and a portion of the control panel P may be exposed on the front of the front panel 13. The front panel 13 may be made of a simple metal plate, and the control panel P may be simply combined with the back of the front panel 13 and fixed.

[0087] Thus, the front panel 13 can form a large area of ​​the front of the box 1. As a result, the sense of unity of the front panel 13 is enhanced and the aesthetics can be maximized. In addition, the process of making the front panel 13 is simplified, and the process of assembling or setting the front panel 13 and the control panel P can be simplified. In addition, a separate frame or the like for placing the control panel P on the front panel 13 can be omitted.

[0088] The control panel P of the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention may include not only the first display unit P8 but also an operation unit P7 capable of receiving instructions from a user.

[0089] The operation part P7 may be configured as a knob, and the first display part P8 may be configured by a display D including a liquid crystal display device, etc. It can be considered that the first display part P8 and the selection part R described later are included in the operation part P7.

[0090] The first display portion P8 may be entirely provided by a touch panel, or may be at least partially provided by a touch panel.

[0091] Of course, the first display unit P8 may also be provided by a simple liquid crystal display screen and cannot receive separate instructions.

[0092] The operation unit P7 may be configured to rotate while selecting any program or option that can process the laundry.

[0093] The first display portion P8 may be configured to display a corresponding program or option each time the operating portion P7 rotates.

[0094] Thus, the control panel P of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can prevent any program or option capable of rotating the drum described later from being displayed in a certain area in the form of text, guidance sentences, etc.

[0095] Therefore, the area or area ratio occupied by the control panel P on the front panel 13 can be greatly reduced, and there is no need to attach separate text or guiding sentences to the front panel 13, thereby maximizing the aesthetic sense.

[0096] The operation unit P7 and the first display unit P8 can be configured to work only when powered. To this end, the control panel P of the laundry processing device of the present invention may include not only the operation unit P7 and the display unit, but also a power supply unit P46 for inputting power instructions to the laundry processing device.

[0097] The user can input the power supply unit P46 to activate the operation unit P7.

[0098] In addition, the control panel P may further include an execution unit P47 for inputting an execution instruction for executing or interrupting the selected program or option. The execution unit P47 may be provided separately from the operation unit P7 and the first display unit P8, so as to receive a reliable execution or interruption intention from the user.

[0099] The operation unit P46 and the execution unit P47 are provided separately from the operation unit P7, so that the functions of the operation unit P7 and the first display unit P8 can be prevented from being too extensive.

[0100] The control panel P may be composed of the power supply unit P46 , the execution unit P47 , the operation unit P7 , and a control box that accommodates or sets the first display unit P8 and can be combined with the front panel 13 .

[0101] On the other hand, the control panel P may further include a setting unit P19 provided on the front panel 13 for adding or changing options in the program. The user may set options for changing the intensity, duration, etc. of the program execution through the setting unit P19.

[0102] The setting unit P19 may further include the first display unit P8 and a separate liquid crystal display device.

[0103] The setting unit P19 may further include a touch panel or physical buttons capable of inputting the options.

[0104] The power supply unit P46, the execution unit P47, the operation unit P7, and the setting unit P19 may be collectively referred to as an input unit in terms of receiving instructions from the user.

[0105] As a result, it can be considered that the control panel P includes the input unit for receiving control commands from the user and the first display unit P8 for outputting information such as control commands that can be selected by the user.

[0106] The control panel P may be provided with a control unit capable of operating the laundry treatment device, and the control unit may be provided in the form of a PCB accommodated in the control box.

[0107] The control panel P may be collectively referred to as the control unit, and may also be considered that the first display unit P8 and the input unit are provided in the control unit.

[0108] The control unit may be configured to not only communicate with the first display unit P8 and the input unit, but also to control the entire internal structure of the laundry processing device or to send a controllable signal.

[0109] On the other hand, the front panel 13 may be provided with an inlet 111 and a door 132 . The inlet 111 is communicated with the drum contained in the box body 1 , and the door 132 is rotatably coupled to the box body to open and close the inlet 111 .

[0110] The control panel P is located at an upper portion of the door 132 so as to enhance accessibility to a user.

[0111] On the other hand, the front panel 13 may further include a locking portion L for fixing the door 132 to the front panel 11. The locking portion L may be configured to lock the door 132 to the front panel 13 when the laundry processing device is operating, such as when the drum of the laundry processing device rotates. Thus, safety accidents can be prevented. The locking portion L may be configured to unlock the door 132 when the laundry processing device ends its operation.

[0112] The locking portion L may be configured in any manner as long as it can fix the door 132 to the housing 1. It may be configured as a fastening portion for fastening a hook protruding from the door, or may be configured as a solenoid valve for holding the hook.

[0113] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may be provided with a detergent box 24 for accommodating detergent for washing laundry, and the front panel 13 may include a detergent hole 131 for leading out the detergent box 243 .

[0114] The front panel 13 may be provided with a filter hole 24 through which a filter of the laundry processing device can be replaced.

[0115] Figure 2 An embodiment of a control panel P of a clothes treating apparatus according to the present invention is shown.

[0116] In the state display area D1 of the first display unit P8, whether the door is locked, whether the communication module is activated, whether a program or option is in operation, whether a guidance sentence is generated, etc. can be displayed in the form of icons. In addition, in the state display area D1, the number of display contents that may be displayed when the operation unit P7 is rotated can be displayed. For example, a plurality of points are arranged at intervals, and one of the plurality of points emits light to provide the number of contents displayed in the content display area D2.

[0117] The status display area D1 may display a locking status D11 indicating whether the door 132 is locked to the box, an activation status D12 of the communication module T, an execution status D13 of the program or option, and a notification status D14 indicating notification information to the user.

[0118] The content display area D2 is the area with the largest display area in the first display unit P8, and can be set to display the selection status, execution status, interruption status, and end status of the program or option, and also display the status of other home appliances described later.

[0119] In addition, the control panel P may further include a selection unit R, and the selection unit R inputs a user's confirmation instruction for confirming the information displayed in the first display unit P8. The selection unit R is disposed inside the operation unit, and the area occupied by the control panel P can be further reduced.

[0120] The selection unit R may be disposed inside the first display unit P8 and may be configured to be separated from the content display unit D2. The selection unit R may be configured as a physical button or a touch panel that detects contact with a user's body.

[0121] The display unit P84 may include an input area D3 that can request an input of the selection unit R at a position corresponding to the selection unit R.

[0122] The input region D3 may emit light when the selection portion R is activated to be able to receive an instruction from a user.

[0123] The content display area D2 may display the content of programs and options, the execution status of the programs or options, and guidance statements required by the user.

[0124] The content display area D2 may be set to be wider than the state display area D1. The input area D3 may emit light to request the user's input, and may display a guiding sentence of what the user needs to input.

[0125] A power supply unit P46 may be provided on the left side of the first display unit P8, and an execution unit P47 may be provided on the right side.

[0126] The operation unit P7 is rotatably provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first display unit P8 and may be provided to rotate the drum 33 .

[0127] The arbitrary program may be a series of control methods for performing a drying cycle for washing clothes.

[0128] If the operation unit P7 is rotated, the name of the program and a simple option name may be displayed in the content display area D2 of the first display unit P8 according to a set order, and a description of the program or option may be displayed.

[0129] The options may be selected according to the setting unit P19. The setting unit P19 may be configured to receive a selection instruction for selecting one or more of any of the options.

[0130] The optional options may include setting additional conditions for the program.

[0131] For example, it may be an algorithm or control method for adjusting at least any one of the number of repetitions of each operation of the program, the intensity when performing each operation, the speed of the drum when performing each operation, the temperature and amount of water, and the duration of each operation.

[0132] The setting unit P19 may be provided by a touch display capable of selecting the arbitrary option, or may be provided by a plurality of conductor switches capable of detecting a plurality of lamps and the user's body.

[0133] For example, the setting part P19 may include an option selection part B that receives a setting instruction for setting a condition in the program and an option display part B4 that displays option information corresponding to the option selection part B.

[0134] For example, the option selection part B may include: a rinsing part B1 for adjusting the rotation speed and duration of the drum, the amount of water, and the rinsing force related to the number of rinses when the program performs a rinsing operation, a dehydration part B2 for adjusting the rotation speed of the drum and the dehydration force related to the duration when the program performs a dehydration operation, and a temperature part B3 for adjusting the temperature of water when the program performs a washing operation.

[0135] The option display unit B4 may be configured to objectively and unitarily display the rinsing power, the dehydration power, and the temperature.

[0136] On the other hand, the setting unit P19 may be provided with an application unit C for receiving an application instruction for applying the function of the laundry treating apparatus.

[0137] For example, the application part C may include: a washing part C1 capable of inputting special washing operations such as functional clothing, soft clothing, and drum washing, a reservation part C2 for inputting reservation instructions for executing a washing program at a specific time, a sterilization part C3 for adding steam to clothing for sterilization during the program operation, and an additional function part C4 for adding additional functions such as pairing the application with other equipment.

[0138] In addition, the setting unit P19 may include a conversion unit E that receives a connection instruction to communicate with the drying device 20 or the micro device 60 .

[0139] On the other hand, the setting unit P19 may light up a function that is currently applicable or a function selected by the user, and may turn off a function that is not applicable or is not selected by the user.

[0140] The setting unit P19 can display all the contents through a display of the auxiliary setting unit.

[0141] Figure 3 Another embodiment of a control panel P of a laundry treating apparatus of the present invention is shown.

[0142] The control panel P of the present invention may include a second display unit P81 capable of receiving a user's instruction while displaying information to the outside.

[0143] The second display unit P81 is set by a touch panel, which can display information received from the control unit, such as information related to clothing and information related to the program. It can also serve as an input unit for receiving power instructions for supplying power to each component of the clothing processing device, selection instructions for selecting one or more of the programs and options, execution instructions for executing the program, and interruption instructions for interrupting the program from the user.

[0144] When the control panel P of the present invention includes the second display unit P81, buttons that are pressed by physical force and the like can be omitted. Therefore, the aesthetic sense of the clothes treating apparatus can also be maximized.

[0145] The second display unit P81 can display the displayed content in various languages, not only in text, but also in icons, pictograms, images, etc. Therefore, the form displayed in the second display unit P81 can be changed according to the environment, region, or fashion in which the clothes processing device of the present invention is installed. As a result, the control panel P can be shared in all countries and regions where the clothes processing device is sold.

[0146] In addition, since the instructions input into the second display unit P81 vary as the content displayed on the second display unit P81 changes, the clothing processing device of the present invention can be configured to receive other instructions in addition to the aforementioned instructions through the second display unit P81 according to circumstances and needs.

[0147] As a result, the second display unit P81 can be regarded as a combination of the aforementioned operation unit P7 and the first display unit P8.

[0148] For example, the second display unit P81 may also be regarded as a combination of the execution unit P47, the power supply unit P46, and the auxiliary display unit P19.

[0149] Alternatively, the control panel P of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may include not only the second display unit P81 but also additional input units such as buttons, etc. For example, the power supply unit P46 and the execution unit P47 may be disposed outside the second display unit P81.

[0150] The second display unit P81 may be disposed above the door 14, or may be disposed above the door 14. The second display unit P81 may be disposed biased upward with respect to the front surface of the housing 100.

[0151] The second display portion P81 may be provided so that its width W is longer than its height H. As a result, the second display portion P81 may display more information at the same time, and may also display specific information in a wider width.

[0152] For example, the second display portion P81 may be set to a rectangular shape. Alternatively, the second display portion P81 may be set to an elliptical shape or a stadium track shape. As shown in the figure, when the second display portion P81 is set to a track shape, various contents can be displayed while emphasizing aesthetics.

[0153] The width W of the second display portion P81 may be set to be larger than half the width of the housing.

[0154] For example, the second display portion P81 may include straight line portions a disposed at the upper portion and the lower portion and curved line portions b disposed at both ends of the straight line portion a.

[0155] The curved portion b may be configured to connect the ends of the straight portions a disposed at the upper portion and the lower portion, and may form a curvature in a direction away from the straight portion a.

[0156] For example, the curved portion b may be configured as a semicircular shape, but the curvature may be greater or less than the arc.

[0157] When a proximity sensor S is provided, it may be provided on the second display portion P81 side.

[0158] Of course, the proximity sensor S may also be disposed in an internal area of ​​the second display portion P81.

[0159] The second display portion P81 may include a first area I for displaying information.

[0160] The second display portion P81 may be configured such that the entire area can emit light. The first area I may be defined as the entire area of ​​the second display portion P81. The entire area of ​​the second display portion P81 may be equivalent to the first area I that displays information.

[0161] On the other hand, the second display portion P81 may include a divided area that divides the first area at least one of left and right or up and down.

[0162] The divided regions (II, III, IV, V, VI) may be defined as regions of arbitrary areas obtained by dividing the first region into a plurality of regions. The total area of ​​the divided regions may correspond to the first region I.

[0163] For example, the second display portion P81 may include a second area II and a third area III that divide the first area into left and right areas.

[0164] The second region II may be arranged on the left side of the first region I, and the third region III may be arranged on the right side of the second region II, and thus may be arranged on the right side of the first region I.

[0165] The sum of the area of ​​the second region II and the area of ​​the third region III may correspond to the area of ​​the first region I.

[0166] The second display unit P81 can display the information provided by the control unit in a first area corresponding to the entire area, or can display it in one or more of at least two divided areas into which the first area is divided leftwardly or rightwardly or upwardly.

[0167] The divided regions may include a second region II arranged on the left side of the first region I and a third region III arranged on the right side of the second region.

[0168] The width of the second region II and the width of the third region III may be set to be the same as each other.

[0169] In addition, the width of the second region II and the width of the third region III may be set to be different from each other as needed. In addition, the width of the second region II and the width of the third region III may be changed according to the form and amount of information to be displayed.

[0170] As shown in the figure, the divided areas may include a second area II arranged on the left side of the first area I, a third area III arranged on the right side of the second area, and a fourth area IV arranged on the right side of the third area.

[0171] The information displayed in the second area II, the information displayed in the third area III, and the information displayed in the fourth area IV may all be set to be different.

[0172] As shown in the figure, the divided regions may include an upper region or a fifth region V arranged at an upper portion of the first region I and a lower region or a sixth region VI arranged at a lower portion of the upper region.

[0173] That is, the second display unit P81 may display information by dividing the first area I into one or more parts vertically instead of horizontally. The information displayed in the upper area and the information displayed in the lower area may be set to be different from each other.

[0174] In addition, the second display unit P81 can divide the first area I into three or more parts along the upper and lower directions to display information.

[0175] As a result, the second display unit P81 can arbitrarily divide the screen left and right and up and down to display information according to the situation, and the divided areas can be set to any natural number.

[0176] The second display unit P81 may display information in the first area I and may also display additional information in each divided area of ​​the first area. In addition, the second display unit P81 may display different information in the first area I and each divided area.

[0177] Thus, the second display portion P81 can be applied in various ways.

[0178] For example, the information displayed in the first area and the information displayed in each divided area may be of different types, or even if they are of the same type, their detailed contents may be different.

[0179] Even if the information displayed in the first area and the information displayed in each divided area are of the same type or content, the forms and methods of display may be different.

[0180] In addition, the types of information displayed in each divided area may be different from each other, or even if the type is the same, the detailed content may be different. Even if the type or content of information displayed in each divided area is the same, the form and method of display may be different.

[0181] According to various standards and modes of the laundry processing apparatus, the display form of the first display unit P8 or the second display unit P81 may be different.

[0182] As an example, the second display unit P81 may change the form or content of the display according to the passage of time or the operating status of the laundry processing device.

[0183] For example, the program name or conditions, and the weight information of the clothes can be displayed in the first area I of the second display unit P81. At this time, if the user inputs the execution unit P47, the screen of the second display unit P81 is divided, and the program name is displayed in the second area II of the display unit P81, and the program status or remaining time can be displayed in the third area III. In addition, if the program ends, the end status information can be displayed in the first area I.

[0184] As another example, if the power supply unit P42 is input, the first area I may display status information of the control panel starting or detecting the amount of laundry. Then, if the amount of laundry is detected, the first area I is divided, the second area II may display information related to the laundry, and the third area III may display program information related to the selected program.

[0185] As another example, the first area displays information related to clothing and programs, any one of the divided areas displays text related to the clothing or the program, and the other one may display numbers related to the clothing or the program.

[0186] As described above, according to the working status of the clothing processing device, the screen of the second display unit P81 can change the type of information displayed in the first area and the various areas dividing the first area, the form of the information displayed such as text, pictograms, icons, images, the color of the displayed information, the size of the displayed information, etc. in a variety of ways according to the situation.

[0187] In the second display unit P81, which information is displayed in the first area I and which of the divided areas is displayed can be changed at any time according to the program stored in the control panel, and the program can be upgraded at any time by communicating with the installation engineer, server or external terminal.

[0188] As a result, the second display unit P81 can be formed as a screen whose width is longer than its height, and can display information only in the first area I or in the divided areas according to the situation and need.

[0189] The size of the information displayed in the first area and the size of the information displayed in any of the divided areas may be different.

[0190] In addition, the color of the information displayed in the first area and the color of the information displayed in any of the divided areas may be different.

[0191] In addition, the divided areas can divide the first area I into any number, direction, and area, and the divided areas can also be changed according to circumstances.

[0192] Therefore, after the laundry processing apparatus is sold, the second display unit P81 can still freely change the display mode according to the situation and actual needs.

[0193] On the other hand, although the description has been given of a case where the second display unit P81 displays information using the first area I and the divided areas, this can also be applied to a case where the content display unit D2 of the first display unit P8 displays information in the entire area and the divided areas.

[0194] Hereinafter, a case where the display form of the first display unit P8 or the second display unit P81 is changed according to the position of the user approaching the laundry processing apparatus using a proximity sensor or the like will be described.

[0195] However, the change in the user's proximity position is merely a reference or example of a different display form of the first display unit P8 or the second display unit P81, and is not the only reference for a change in the display form of the first display unit P8 or the second display unit P81, which is the same as the aforementioned purpose.

[0196] Figure 4 The internal structure of the laundry treating apparatus 100 of the present invention is shown.

[0197] Regardless of the form in which the control panel P of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention is provided, the internal structure of the laundry processing apparatus may be the same.

[0198] Hereinafter, the laundry processing device 100 of the present invention is described as a washing machine. However, this is only one embodiment, and the laundry processing device 100 of the present invention can also be a drying machine or a laundry care machine such as a Styler.

[0199] The clothing processing device 100 of the present invention may include a housing 1 forming an appearance, an outer barrel 2 accommodated in the housing 1 and storing water, a drum 3 rotatably disposed on the outer barrel 2 and storing water, a driving unit 32 coupled to the outer barrel 2 to rotate the drum 3, a water supply unit 23 configured to supply water to the outer barrel 2, and a drainage unit 25 configured to drain water from the outer barrel 2.

[0200] The driving unit 32 may include a stator 321 coupled to the rear of the tub 2 , a rotor 322 rotated by the stator 321 , and a rotating shaft 323 coupled to the rotor 322 to rotate the drum 3 .

[0201] The water supply unit 23 may include a water supply pipe 231 connecting an external water supply source and the outer tub 2 , and a water supply valve 233 for opening and closing the water supply pipe 231 .

[0202] Of course, the water supply part 23 can be configured to also include a detergent box 234, and the detergent box 234 can be led out to the front of the box body 1 and the detergent is put into the outer barrel 2. The water supply pipe 231 can be configured to be connected to the detergent box 234, and the detergent box 234 can be connected to the outer barrel 2 and the supply pipe 232.

[0203] The drainage part 25 may include a drainage pipe 251 disposed at the lower portion of the outer tub 2 , a drainage pump 252 coupled to the drainage pipe 252 to provide power for draining water, and a discharge pipe 253 to discharge water from the drainage pump 252 to the outside.

[0204] The laundry processing apparatus 100 of the present invention may further include a supporting portion 22 for supporting the outer tub 2 and the drum 3 on the housing 1 .

[0205] The support portion 22 may include a damper 222 or a spring supporting the outer tub 2 , and a bearing cover module 221 supporting the load of the drum 3 and the driving portion 32 .

[0206] The laundry treatment device 100 of the present invention may further include a circulation unit 26 for recirculating the water discharged to the drain unit 25 to the outer tub 2. The circulation unit 26 may include a circulation pump 261 connected to the drain pipe 251 and a circulation pipe 262 for supplying the water of the circulation pump 261 to the upper part of the outer tub 2.

[0207] The circulation pump 261 and the drainage pump 252 may be integrally provided.

[0208] In addition, the control panel P can be configured to execute any washing program and washing option for removing foreign matter from clothes by operating at least one of the driving unit 32, the water supply valve 232, and the drain pump 252. The washing program and washing option can be composed of a series of control methods capable of executing all of the washing operation, the rinsing operation, and the dehydration operation.

[0209] Hereinafter, the display state of the display unit controlled by the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention based on the above-mentioned configuration will be described.

[0210] The control unit P of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention executes any program or option, which may correspond to controlling the driving unit 32 to execute a program for rotating the drum 3 .

[0211] The control unit P may be configured to transmit to the first display unit P8 not only information corresponding to the instruction input through the input unit, but also information including the state of the interior of the housing 1 when the program is executed.

[0212] The first display unit P8 can display the information transmitted from the control unit P in various visual forms.

[0213] On the other hand, the laundry processing device of the present invention may further include a proximity sensor S capable of detecting the distance between the housing 1 and the user. The proximity sensor S is preferably disposed on the front panel 13 of the housing 1 to accurately detect the position and distance of the user.

[0214] The proximity sensor S may be configured to transmit information related to the position and separation distance of the user to the control unit P.

[0215] The proximity sensor S can not only detect the distance between the user and the box 1, but also detect how long the user stays at a specific location. In addition, the proximity sensor S can also be configured to confirm the configuration of the user's pupils to detect whether the user is looking at the first display unit P8.

[0216] As mentioned above, the first display unit P8 can display the information related to the state of the laundry processing device transmitted from the control unit P to the outside, and since it is set as a liquid crystal display screen, the information can be displayed variably.

[0217] It can be considered that the more detailed the information displayed in the first display unit P8, the better. However, if the user is at a distance where the information displayed in the first display unit P8 cannot be correctly recognized, even if the first display unit P8 displays the information in detail, the user may not be able to recognize it easily.

[0218] In particular, if the area of ​​the display region of the first display unit P8 is limited, the more and more detailed information displayed in the first display unit P8, the smaller the display size of the information, and a user at a distance may not be able to recognize the information displayed in the first display unit P8.

[0219] On the contrary, it can be considered that the less information displayed on the first display unit P8 is, the more intuitive it is, and the better. However, if the user is in a position where he can directly control the control panel P, the user may not be able to recognize the required information at one time because the information displayed on the first display unit P8 is not detailed enough or the amount of information is insufficient, which causes inconvenience.

[0220] In addition, the more diverse the colors displayed on the first display portion P8 are, the more helpful it may be to identify important information.

[0221] However, if the user is at a distance where the information displayed on the first display unit P8 cannot be correctly recognized, the user may be confused about which information to grasp if the colors are varied. In addition, even if the user is at a distance where the information displayed on the first display unit P8 cannot be recognized, processing the colors displayed on the first display unit P8 in a diversified manner may increase the calculations that the control unit P needs to process or waste the energy consumed in the first display unit P8.

[0222] Alternatively, if the user is at a distance where the user cannot correctly recognize the information displayed on the first display unit P8, the user may not be able to understand what is truly important information if the color displayed on the first display unit P8 is monotonous.

[0223] The laundry processing apparatus 100 of the present invention may be configured to determine the form of information displayed on the first display unit P8 according to the distance between the user and the housing 1 or the proximity sensor S.

[0224] Specifically, the control unit P may control so that if the distance of the user from the proximity sensor S changes, at least one of the size of the information displayed on the first display unit P8, the amount of the information displayed, and the form of the information displayed can be changed.

[0225] Thus, the laundry processing apparatus 100 of the present invention can appropriately change the form and content of displayed information according to the user's position.

[0226] As a result, the user can intuitively grasp the currently displayed information even from a distance, thereby reducing the trouble of approaching.

[0227] In addition, the clothing processing device of the present invention can provide existing information to nearby users in friendly and detailed sentences, thereby enhancing the user's ability to understand the information, and also provide more detailed information and recommended information, thereby enhancing the application ability of the clothing processing device.

[0228] In addition, the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention can display information and menus that match the current situation of the user, thereby reducing the effort of the user in finding the required information or menus.

[0229] In addition, the clothes processing device of the present invention can convey information to the user not only through words but also through images, symbols, pictograms, icons, etc. in an intuitive and aesthetically pleasing way.

[0230] Figure 5 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling a clothes treating apparatus according to the present invention.

[0231] The laundry treating apparatus of the present invention may perform a distance detecting step X1 of detecting the distance between the proximity sensor S and the user.

[0232] If the distance detection step X1 is performed, the control unit P can determine the display state of the first display unit P8 according to the distance from the user, so that the display step X2 can be performed.

[0233] The proximity sensor S may perform a position change detection step X3 for determining whether the distance to the user has changed. The position change detection step X3 is not so much a step for detecting a simple change in the distance to the user as a step for detecting whether the position of the user has changed to such an extent that the display state of the first display unit P8 needs to be changed.

[0234] For example, based on the distance at which the user can recognize the detailed contents of the first display unit P8 or the distance at which the user can control the control panel P, that is, the first distance L1, the position change detection step X3 can be a step of detecting whether the user moves from inside to outside of the first distance L1, or from outside to inside of the first distance L1.

[0235] If the user changes the position based on the first distance L1, the control unit P may execute a display changing step X4 of changing the information form of the first display unit P8 accordingly.

[0236] Of course, in the position change detection step X3, the control unit P can be configured to detect whether the user's position has changed not only based on whether the distance to the user is within or outside the first distance, but also based on a second distance longer than the first distance or a third distance closer than the first distance. The display change step X4 may also include changing the display mode according to the user's position change based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance.

[0237] In particular, the method may include further segmenting and detecting the distance of the user in the position change detection step X3, and then changing the display form according to each segmented distance standard in the display change step X4.

[0238] In either case, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can display the size of the displayed information smaller as the user approaches the proximity sensor S or the housing 1 .

[0239] In either case, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can set the number and types of information to be displayed to be greater as the user approaches the proximity sensor S or the housing 1 .

[0240] In either case, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can set the amount of text (TEXT) in the displayed information to be larger as the user approaches the proximity sensor S or the housing 1 .

[0241] In either case, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can display a sentence including a predicate or a verb when there is text (TEXT) in the displayed information as the user approaches the proximity sensor S or the housing 1.

[0242] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a control method of a clothes processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

[0243] The first display portion P8 can be divided into the state display area D1, the content display area D2 and the user selection area D3. At this time, it can be set to display the information currently required by the user in the content display area D2.

[0244] Reference Figure 6 (a), the user may be located at a long distance L3 from the box 1 which is farther than the first distance L1.

[0245] If the proximity sensor S recognizes that the distance from the user is the long distance L3, the control unit P may display the status information in the content display area D2 so that the user who is far away can recognize the status of the laundry treating apparatus.

[0246] The state information may be information showing the working state of the laundry processing device. When the laundry processing device is performing a program, the state information may include one or more of the program progress state and the remaining time. For example, if the laundry processing device is in the process of drying the laundry, the state information may include working information D21 displayed with the text "drying" and the number "01:20".

[0247] The work information D21 may be displayed in a large size to occupy the entire upper and lower parts of the content display area D2. Thus, even if a user at a long distance L3 is not close to the first display unit P8, the user can correctly recognize the status information D21 displayed in the first display unit P8.

[0248] Reference Figure 6 (b), the user may be located at a short distance L2 from the box 1 that is closer than the first distance L1.

[0249] If the proximity sensor S recognizes that the distance to the user is a short distance L2, the control unit P can provide the user with more types of status information, or display the displayed status information in more detail. The control unit P can divide the content display area D2 in the first display unit P8, and can display status information in each divided area.

[0250] For example, the content display area D2 can be divided along the width direction. That is, it can be divided into three areas along the width direction, and the middle area can still display the work information D21. However, the name information D211 of the ongoing program can be displayed in the left area, and the temperature information D212 of the drying current clothes can be displayed in the right area.

[0251] As a result, the closer the user is to the proximity sensor S, the more status information can be displayed in the content display area D2.

[0252] In addition, the operation information D21 displayed with the text "drying" and the number "01:20" can be displayed smaller than when the user is far away. For example, the information display content of the operation information D21 can be displayed at a size equivalent to half the height of the content display area D2.

[0253] As a result, information can be displayed at a higher density in the content display area D2 of the first display unit P8.

[0254] Figure 7 The present invention is applied to an embodiment in which the control panel of the laundry processing apparatus is provided as the second display unit.

[0255] The second display unit P81 may be configured to display information currently required by the user in the first area I of the second display unit. The second display unit P81 may be configured to display the status information in the divided areas of the first area I.

[0256] Reference Figure 7 (a), the user may be located at a long distance L3 from the box 1 which is farther than the first distance L1.

[0257] If the proximity sensor S recognizes that the distance from the user is the long distance L3, the control unit P may display the status information on the second display unit P81 so that the user at a distance can recognize the status of the laundry treating apparatus.

[0258] The state information may be information showing the state of the laundry treating apparatus. When the laundry treating apparatus is performing a program, the state information may include at least one of the program's progress state and the remaining time.

[0259] For example, if the clothes treating apparatus is in the process of drying clothes, the state information may include operation information D21 displayed with words “drying” and numbers “01:20”.

[0260] The operation information D21 may be displayed in the entire area of ​​the first region I. Thus, even if a user at a long distance L3 is not close to the second display unit P81, the user can correctly recognize the status information D21 displayed on the second display unit P81.

[0261] Reference Figure 7 (b), the user may be located at a short distance L2 from the box 1 that is closer than the first distance L1.

[0262] If the proximity sensor S recognizes that the distance from the user is the short distance L2, the control unit P may provide the user with more types of status information or display the displayed status information in more detail.

[0263] The control unit P may divide the first area I in the second display unit P81 and display status information in each divided area.

[0264] For example, the first area I of the second display unit P81 can be divided along the width direction. That is, it can be divided into three areas along the width direction, and the third area III can still display the work information D21. However, the name information D211 of the ongoing program can be displayed in the second area II, and the temperature information D212 of the drying current clothes can be displayed in the fourth area IV.

[0265] As a result, the second display unit P81 may be controlled so that more status information is divided and displayed as the user approaches the proximity sensor S.

[0266] In addition, when the work information D21 displayed with the text "drying" and the number "01:20" is displayed in the divided area, it can be displayed smaller than when the user is at a long distance. For example, the information display content of the work information D21 is displayed smaller when it is displayed in the divided area than when it is displayed in the first area I. Thus, even if the area of ​​each divided area is smaller than that of the first area I, sufficient status information can be displayed.

[0267] Figure 8 Another embodiment of a method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0268] Reference Figure 8 (a), the content display area D2 of the first display unit P8 may display request information D23 for requesting the laundry processing device to operate.

[0269] When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the user is the long distance L3, the request information D23 may be displayed as words or sentences excluding predicates or verbs.

[0270] For example, the request information D23 may be displayed with text including a meaning such as "7th day of washing rest", etc. In addition, the request information D22 may be displayed with a size corresponding to the entire content display area D2.

[0271] As a result, the request information D23 is a sentence with necessary meaning and can be displayed in a size that can be easily recognized by the user even at a long distance L3. Thus, the user can check or recognize the state of a large amount of laundry piled up due to non-use of the laundry processing device.

[0272] On the other hand, the content information area D2 is displayed in a different color so that the user at the long distance L3 can recognize that the request information D23 is important information different from other information.

[0273] Therefore, a user at a long distance L3 can be guided to approach the first display unit P8 by the color displayed in the content information area D2, even if the user cannot directly recognize the request information D23, and the user can recognize the request information D23 at a necessary time.

[0274] Reference Figure 8 (b) When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the first display unit P8 is the short distance L2, the first display unit P8 may be divided to display the request information D22 in one area.

[0275] For example, the first display portion P8 is divided in the width direction, and the request information D23 can be displayed in one of the divided areas. As a result, the request information D23 can be displayed in a smaller size.

[0276] On the other hand, if the control unit P recognizes that the user is located at the short distance L2, the request information D23 is displayed as request sentence information D231 including a predicate or a verb.

[0277] The request sentence information D231 may be equivalent to the request information D23 itself excluding the predicate or verb and displayed as a sentence expressed by the predicate or verb.

[0278] For example, the request sentence information D231 may indicate the action intended by the request information D23, such as “Are there a lot of laundry piled up?” Thus, the user can be guided to grasp the correct meaning of the request information D23 and take direct action.

[0279] On the other hand, if the control unit P recognizes that the user is at a short distance L2, more colors are used in the first display unit P8 to display various information including status information. Thus, the user at a short distance can recognize that the information displayed in the first display unit P8 includes various information.

[0280] For example, the control unit P may display other status information in the other divided areas of the first display unit P8. The control unit P may display detailed information D232 indicating the type information related to the laundry accumulated so far. The detailed information D232 may store the history of the user operating the laundry processing device so far, and the user may identify which type of laundry should be processed first by inputting this information.

[0281] The detailed information D232 may be displayed in other colors so that the user can recognize that it is more important.

[0282] For example, the detailed information D232 may be displayed in a brighter or darker color than other areas.

[0283] Fig. 9 An application example is shown in which the control panel of the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention includes a second display unit.

[0284] The second display unit P81 of the present invention may also display the colors displayed in the first area I or the colors of the divided areas differently according to the content of the information.

[0285] Reference Fig. 9(a), the first area I of the second display unit P81 may display request information D23 requesting the laundry treating apparatus to operate.

[0286] When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the user is the long distance L3, the request information D23 may be displayed as words or sentences excluding predicates or verbs.

[0287] For example, the request information D23 may be displayed with text including a meaning such as “7th day of washing rest”, etc. In addition, the request information D22 may be displayed with a size corresponding to the first area I.

[0288] As a result, the request information D23 is a sentence with necessary meaning and can be displayed in a size that can be easily recognized by the user even at a long distance L3. Thus, the user can check or recognize the accumulation state of a large amount of laundry due to non-use of the laundry processing device.

[0289] On the other hand, the second display unit P81 displays the request information D23 in another color, so that the user at the long distance L3 can recognize that the request information D23 is important information different from other information.

[0290] Thus, even if a user at a long distance L3 cannot directly recognize the request information D23, the color displayed in the first area I can guide the user to approach the second display unit P81, and the user can recognize the request information D23 at a desired time.

[0291] Reference Fig. 9 (b) When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the second display unit P81 is the short distance L2, the second display unit P81 may display the request information D22 in each divided area.

[0292] For example, the second display unit P81 may divide the first area I in the width direction and display the request information D23 in each divided area. As a result, the request information D23 may be displayed in a smaller size.

[0293] On the other hand, if the control unit P recognizes that the user is at the short distance L2, the control unit P may display the request information D23 in the second region II as request sentence information D231 including a predicate or a verb.

[0294] The request sentence information D231 may be equivalent to the request information D23 itself excluding the predicate or verb and displayed as a sentence expressed by the predicate or verb.

[0295] For example, the request sentence information D231 may indicate the action intended by the request information D23, such as “Are there a lot of laundry piled up?” Thus, the user can be guided to grasp the correct meaning of the request information D23 and take direct action.

[0296] On the other hand, if the control unit P recognizes that the user is at a short distance L2, the control unit P can display various information including status information in more colors in the second display unit P81. Thus, the user at a short distance can recognize that the information displayed in the second display unit P81 includes various information.

[0297] For example, the control unit P may display other status information in the third area II of the second display unit P81. The control unit P may display detailed information D232 showing information about the types of laundry accumulated so far. The detailed information D232 may store the history of the user operating the laundry processing device so far, and the user may identify which type of laundry should be processed first by inputting this information.

[0298] The detailed information D232 may be displayed in another color so that the user can recognize that it is more important.

[0299] For example, the detailed information D232 may be displayed in a brighter or darker color than other areas.

[0300] Fig.10 Another embodiment of a method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0301] Reference Fig.10 (a) The content display area D2 of the first display unit P8 may display an end message D22 for guiding the end of the executed program or option.

[0302] When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the user is the long distance L3, the end information D22 may be displayed as a word or sentence excluding a predicate or a verb.

[0303] For example, the end information D22 may be displayed with text including a meaning such as "washing is finished". In addition, the end information D22 may be displayed with a size corresponding to the entire content display area D2.

[0304] As a result, the end information D22 can be displayed as a sentence having perfect meaning in a size that can be easily recognized by a user at a long distance L3.

[0305] On the other hand, the content information area D2 may be displayed in a different color so that a user at a long distance L3 can recognize that the end information D22 is important information different from other information. Thus, even if a user at a long distance L3 cannot directly recognize the end information D22 by the color displayed in the content information area D2, the user can be guided to approach the first display unit P8, and the user can recognize the end information D22 at a necessary time.

[0306] Reference Fig.10 (b) When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the first display unit P8 is the short distance L2, the first display unit P8 may be divided to display the end information D22 in one area.

[0307] For example, the first display portion P8 is divided vertically, and the end information D22 can be displayed in one of the divided areas. As a result, the end information D22 can be displayed in a smaller size.

[0308] On the other hand, if the control unit P recognizes that the user is located at the short distance L2, the end information D22 is displayed as end sentence information D221 including a predicate or a verb.

[0309] The end sentence information D221 may be displayed in addition to the existing end information D22 excluding the predicate or the verb.

[0310] If the control unit recognizes through the P proximity sensor S that the user approaches the first display unit P8 and approaches the short distance L1, the content displayed on the first display unit P8 can be replaced from the end information D22 to the sentence information D221, or the sentence information D221 can be additionally displayed.

[0311] Although the sentence including the predicate or verb in the end sentence information D221 may include a meaning related to the end information D22 itself, it may also include a meaning of guiding or recommending the next action that the user needs to take through the end information D22.

[0312] For example, the end sentence information D221 may be a guide item for taking follow-up measures with a different meaning from the end information D21, such as "open slightly to dry the inside", to guide the drying drum 3 to be opened after the work is completed.

[0313] Therefore, if the user is located at the short distance L2, the control unit P not only transmits the status information but also can additionally provide guidance information on subsequent measures after the request.

[0314] If the control unit P recognizes that the user is at a close distance, the area of ​​the first display unit P8 may be divided into upper and lower parts and the status information may be displayed in the divided areas.

[0315] For example, the end information D22 may be displayed in the upper area, and the sentence information D221 may be displayed in the lower area.

[0316] Thus, although the size of the display end information D22 and the sentence information D221 is reduced, various status information including guidance matters can be displayed, and the displayed information can also be detailed.

[0317] Fig.11 A diagram showing an application example in which a control panel of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present invention includes a second display unit.

[0318] The second display unit P81 may divide the first area I into upper and lower parts to generate divided areas, and may display information in each divided area.

[0319] Reference Fig.11 (a) The first area I of the first display unit P8 may display an end message D22 indicating the end of the program or option being executed.

[0320] When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the user is the long distance L3, the end information D22 may be displayed as a word or sentence excluding a predicate or a verb.

[0321] For example, the end information D22 may be displayed with text including a meaning such as "washing is finished". In addition, the end information D22 may be displayed with a size corresponding to the entire first area I.

[0322] As a result, the end information D22 can be displayed as a sentence having perfect meaning in a size that can be easily recognized by a user at a long distance L3.

[0323] On the other hand, the content information area D2 can be displayed in a different color so that the user at the long distance L3 can recognize that the end information D22 is important information different from other information. Thus, even if the user at the long distance L3 cannot directly recognize the end information D22 through the color displayed in the first area I, the user can be guided to approach the first display unit P8, and the user can recognize the end information D22 at a necessary time.

[0324] Reference Fig.11(b) When the proximity sensor S detects that the distance between the user and the second display unit P81 is a short distance L2, the second display unit P81 can be divided into a fifth area V and a sixth area V1 arranged at a lower part than the fifth area V, and the end information D22 is displayed in each divided area.

[0325] For example, the end information D22 may be displayed in the fifth region V. The end information D22 may be displayed in a smaller size than when displayed in the first region I.

[0326] The end information D22 may be displayed in the sixth area VI as end sentence information D221 including a predicate or a verb. The end sentence information D221 may also be displayed in addition to the existing end information D22 excluding the predicate or the verb.

[0327] If the control unit P recognizes through the proximity sensor S that the user is approaching the second display unit P81 and is within a short distance L1, the end information D22 displayed in the first area I of the second display unit P81 can be moved to the fifth area V, and the sentence information D221 can be displayed in the sixth area V1.

[0328] Although the sentence including the predicate or verb in the end sentence information D221 may include a meaning related to the end information D22 itself, it may also include a meaning of guiding or recommending the next action that the user needs to take through the end information D22.

[0329] For example, the end sentence information D221 may be a guidance item for guiding the taking of follow-up measures, such as "open slightly to dry the inside", which has a different meaning from the end information D21, so as to guide the opening of the door 132 to dry the drum 3 after the work is completed.

[0330] Therefore, if the user is located at the short distance L2, the control unit P not only transmits the status information but also can additionally provide guidance information on subsequent measures after the request.

[0331] On the other hand, if the control unit P recognizes that the user is at a close distance, the area of ​​the second display unit P81 may be divided into upper and lower parts and the status information may be displayed in each divided area.

[0332] For example, the end information D22 may be displayed in the fifth region V, and the sentence information D221 may be displayed in the sixth region V1. Thus, although the sizes of the end information D22 and the sentence information D221 are reduced, various status information including further guidance matters can be displayed, and the displayed information can also be made detailed.

[0333] Fig.12Another embodiment of a method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus to which the present invention is applied is shown.

[0334] Reference Fig.12 (a) The clothes processing device of the present invention can display images or emoticons, symbols, pictograms, images, etc. containing information on the first display unit P8. That is, information containing non-text content can be displayed on the first display unit P8, and the content displayed on the first display unit P8 can also be conveyed to users or children who use various languages.

[0335] In addition, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may display non-text information on the first display part P8, taking into account that it is difficult for a user at a long distance L3 to recognize the text displayed on the first display part P8.

[0336] Thus, the user can recognize the current state of the laundry processing apparatus 100 even if the user directly looks at the first display unit P8 from a long distance L3.

[0337] Reference Fig.12 (b) If the control unit P detects that the user is at a short distance L2, text information can be displayed in the first display unit P8.

[0338] The text information may include words or sentences corresponding to the meaning of the non-text information, and may also include numbers indicating the progress of the non-text information.

[0339] Thus, even if the user does not understand the non-text information at a long distance L3, the user can correctly understand the non-text information when approaching a short distance L2.

[0340] The first display unit P8 may also be controlled to change the state of displaying non-text information to a state of displaying only the text information.

[0341] However, the first display unit P8 may be controlled to additionally display the text information while displaying non-text information.

[0342] The text information may overlap the non-text information, or may be separated from the non-text information.

[0343] When the text information is displayed, the non-text information may be changed to be colorless or have a lower brightness, thereby making the text information clearer to convey.

[0344] For example, the non-text information may include drainage image information D24, washing image information D25, and drying image information D26; the text information may include drainage text information D241, washing program information D251, washing time information D252, drying program information D261, and drying time information D262, etc.

[0345] If text information is additionally displayed or displayed in a switchable manner in the non-text information, the text information may be displayed by dividing the first display unit P8 into a plurality of areas.

[0346] The text information may be displayed more than the non-text information.

[0347] Fig.13 An application example is shown in which the control panel of the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention has a second display unit.

[0348] If specific information is displayed in the first area I, additional information may be displayed in the divided areas.

[0349] When the additional information is displayed in the divided area, the information displayed in the first area I may be maintained. In this case, the brightness and saturation of the information displayed in the first area I may be reduced.

[0350] For example, refer to Fig.13 (a), drainage image information D24 can be displayed in the first area I.

[0351] Reference Fig.13 (b), any one of the fifth area V and the sixth area VI may additionally display the drainage text information D241. The first area I may still display the drainage image information D24.

[0352] Reference Fig.13 (c), washing image information D25 may be displayed in the first area I.

[0353] Reference Fig.13 (d), the second area may display washing program information D251, and the third area III may display washing time information D252. The first area I may still display washing image information D25.

[0354] Reference Fig.13 (e), the drying image information D26 may be displayed in the first area I.

[0355] Reference Fig.13(f), the second area II can display the drying process information D261, and the third area III can display the drying time information D262. The first area I can still display the drying image information D26. So far, although the change of the form of the display unit in relation to the proximity sensor has been described, it is only an application example of the display unit, and the form of the display unit is not always changed according to the detection result of the proximity sensor.

[0356] That is, the display form of the display unit can be changed according to the state of the laundry processing apparatus.

[0357] For example, the second display unit P81 may be controlled to display the information in the first area and then in the divided area, or to display the information in the first area and then in the divided area.

[0358] The information displayed in the first area I and the information displayed in one or more of the divided areas (II, III, IV, V, VI) may be set to be different in content, form, or color.

[0359] The divided areas may include a second area II arranged on the left side of the first area I and a third area III arranged on the right side of the second area, and information displayed in the second area and information displayed in the third area may be set to be different from each other.

[0360] Furthermore, the divided areas may further include a second area arranged on the left side of the first area, a third area arranged on the right side of the second area, and a fourth area arranged on the right side of the third area. In this case, the information displayed in the second area, the information displayed in the third area, and the information displayed in the fourth area may be set to be different.

[0361] For example, the second area may display the name of the program, the third area may display the execution time of the program, and the fourth area may display the condition for executing the program.

[0362] In addition, the divided regions may include an upper region arranged at an upper portion of the first region and a lower region arranged at a lower portion of the upper region.

[0363] In this case, the information displayed in the upper region and the information displayed in the lower region may be set to be different from each other.

[0364] Of course, the divided areas may include an upper area arranged at an upper portion of the first area, a middle area arranged at a lower portion of the upper area, and a lower area arranged at a lower portion of the middle area.

[0365] The information displayed in the upper region, the information displayed in the middle region, and the information displayed in the lower region may be set to be different from each other.

[0366] Fig.14 The following describes an embodiment in which the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention detects the amount of laundry based on the above-mentioned configuration.

[0367] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may perform laundry amount detection before the input execution unit P47.

[0368] Specifically, if the power supply unit P46 is input or detects the opening and closing of the door 132, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may rotate the drum 3 to detect the amount of the laundry.

[0369] In addition, if clothes are put into the drum 3 and vibration is transmitted to the driving unit 32, the drum 3 can be immediately rotated less than one turn to detect the amount of clothes.

[0370] As a result, since the drum 3 is rotated less than one turn, even if the user puts laundry in with the door 132 open, the amount of laundry can be detected without hurting the user or damaging the laundry.

[0371] Therefore, before selecting a program or option using the operating unit P7 or executing the program or option using the execution unit P47, the amount of laundry can be detected, an appropriate amount of detergent can be recommended, a suitable program can be recommended, and the estimated execution time or end time of the program can be directly displayed while the user is looking directly at the display unit P8.

[0372] This can guide the user to improve the utilization of the clothes processing device and can accurately guide the user to the time point of collecting the clothes.

[0373] Of course, the clothes processing device of the present invention can also be configured such that a load sensor is disposed on the outer tub 2, the drum 3 or the driving part 32, so as to immediately detect the amount of clothes.

[0374] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention in which the amount of laundry is detected by the rotation of the drum 3 will be described.

[0375] Reference Fig.14 (a), the clothes can be arranged on the bottom surface of the drum 3 by their own weight.

[0376] Reference Fig.14 (b), when detecting the amount of laundry, the laundry processing device of the present invention may rotate the drum 3 less than one circle.

[0377] That is, the laundry processing device of the present invention can rotate the drum 3 to an angle below which the laundry is separated from the inner wall of the drum or is configured to be variable. Thus, the position of the laundry inside the drum 3 is variable, and unnecessary load or impact can be prevented from being transmitted to the drive unit 32.

[0378] As a result, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can correctly transmit the current value applied to the driving unit 32 or output from the driving unit 32 to the control unit P, and can correctly calculate the laundry amount of the laundry.

[0379] For example, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may rotate the drum within a range of 0 degrees to less than 90 degrees when detecting the amount of laundry.

[0380] On the other hand, the smaller the angle at which the drum 3 rotates, the shorter the time it takes for the control unit P to detect the amount of the clothes, thereby reducing an error in detecting the amount of the clothes.

[0381] Therefore, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can rotate the drum 31 within a range of 0 to 45 degrees or less when detecting the amount of laundry.

[0382] As a result, the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention can detect the amount of clothes quickly and accurately.

[0383] Therefore, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can immediately detect the amount of laundry when the power supply unit P46 or the opening and closing of the door 111 is detected before the input of the execution unit P47, thereby displaying information about the amount of laundry in the display unit P8 or the auxiliary display P19.

[0384] Fig.15 The following is a method for detecting and calculating the amount of laundry in the laundry treating apparatus of the present invention.

[0385] Reference Fig.15 (a) and Fig.15 (b), the control unit P may rotate the drum 3 less than one turn, and measure the current value applied to or output from the driving unit 32 during this process.

[0386] The control part P may calculate (process) the laundry amount of the laundry based on the current value.

[0387] Specifically, the control unit P may use a mathematical formula of Te=Jdw / dt+Bw+mgrsinΘ to detect the amount of laundry.

[0388] Te is a torque value applied to the driving unit 32, and corresponds to I (current value) x K (driving unit constant).

[0389] That is, since the driving unit constant (k) is an intrinsic value of the driving unit 32 itself, the control unit P can calculate the torque value applied to the driving unit 32 by detecting the current value I.

[0390] At this time, in the mgrsinΘ, in the case of sinΘ, since the value decreases exponentially as the rotation angle of the drum becomes smaller, sinΘ can be sufficiently ignored if the rotation angle is between 15 degrees and 90 degrees or between 10 degrees and 45 degrees.

[0391] In addition, Bw is the friction torque, and becomes very small when the drum 3 rotates by B, so it can be ignored.

[0392] As a result, only the mathematical formula Te = Jdw / dt remains.

[0393] At this time, since dw / dt is each acceleration for rotating the drum, the control unit p can detect each acceleration in the process of rotating the drum when detecting the amount of laundry. The accelerations can be directly calculated by the current value applied to the driving unit 32. The method of calculating the accelerations using the current value will be described later.

[0394] Therefore, if the current value is measured, the torque value Te and each acceleration dw / dt applied to the drive unit 32 can be calculated, and the inertia moment J can be calculated.

[0395] As a result, the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention can immediately detect the amount of the clothes by grasping the inertia moment J.

[0396] Fig.16 A basic structure in which the control unit P can measure the current value of the driving unit 32 in the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention is shown.

[0397] Reference Fig.16 (a), the control unit P can apply current to the driving unit 32 to control the driving unit 32, and can also detect the current discharged from the driving unit 32.

[0398] The control unit P controls the driving unit 32 according to a preset program or option, and the driving unit 32 rotates the drum 3 according to the instruction of the control unit P.

[0399] The control unit P receives an action signal or a control command from the operation unit P7 or the execution unit P47 or the setting unit P2 to operate. The operation unit P7 or the setting unit P2 can be used to select a washing program and options to perform washing, rinsing, and dehydration operations.

[0400] In this way, washing, rinsing and dehydration operations can be performed. In addition, the control unit P can control the display unit P8 to display the washing program, washing time, dehydration time, rinsing time, etc. or the current operation status.

[0401] The control unit P not only controls the driving unit 32 to rotate the drum 3, but also can make the rotation speed of the drum 3 variable. Specifically, the control unit P can control the driving unit 32 based on at least one of the current detection unit 225 that detects the output current flowing in the driving unit 32 and the position detection unit 220 that detects the position of the driving unit 320. For example, any one of the current detected in the driving unit 32 or the detected position signal can be fed back to the control unit P, and the control unit P can generate a current signal that appropriately controls the driving unit 32 according to the feedback signal.

[0402] On the other hand, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can detect the position of the driving unit 32 by omitting the position detection unit 235 and implementing a separate algorithm (also known as a sensorless driving unit). The sensorless driving unit 32 can be configured such that the control unit P measures the current or voltage output from the driving unit 32 so as to grasp the position of the rotor or stator in the driving unit 32.

[0403] An embodiment in which the control unit P controls the driving unit 32 will be described below.

[0404] The driving unit P may be configured as a three-phase motor to control the rotation speed, for example, may be configured as a BLDC motor.

[0405] Reference Fig.16 (b), the control unit P may include an inverter 420 and an inverter control unit 430 in order to control the aforementioned rotor and stator. In addition, the control unit P may further include a converter 410 for supplying a DC power input to the inverter 420, and the like.

[0406] That is, the control unit P can also perform the function of the inverter control unit 430 at the same time. Of course, the inverter control unit 430 can also be provided separately from the control unit P. If the inverter control unit 430 outputs a switching control signal Sic in a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode to the inverter 420, the inverter 420 performs a high-speed switching operation, and can supply an AC power supply of a specified frequency to the rotor 913 and the stator 911.

[0407] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may include not only a converter 410, an inverter 420 and an inverter control unit 430, but also a DC terminal voltage detection unit B, a smoothing capacitor C and an output current detection unit E. In addition, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may also include an input current detection unit A and a reactor L, etc.

[0408] The reactor L is disposed between the common AC power source 405 (vs) and the converter 410 to perform power factor correction or voltage boosting. In addition, the reactor L can also perform the function of limiting harmonic current through high-speed switching of the converter 410.

[0409] The input current detection unit A can detect the input current is input from the common AC power supply 405. For this purpose, a CT (current transformer), a shunt resistor, etc. can be used as the input current detection unit A. The detected input current is is a discrete signal in a pulse form, which can be input to the inverter control unit 430.

[0410] The converter 410 converts the common AC power 405 through the reactor L into a DC power supply for output. Although the common AC power 405 is shown as a single-phase AC power supply in the figure, it can also be a three-phase AC power supply. Depending on the type of the common AC power supply 405, the internal structure of the converter 410 is also different.

[0411] On the other hand, the converter 410 is composed of diodes and the like, and does not require a switching element, and can also perform a rectification operation without a separate switching operation. For example, in the case of a single-phase AC power supply, four diodes can be used in a bridge form, and in the case of a three-phase AC power supply, six diodes can be used in a bridge form.

[0412] The converter 410 may use a half-bridge converter in which two switching elements and four diodes are connected. In the case of a three-phase AC power supply, six switching elements and six diodes may also be used. When the converter 410 is provided with a switching element, a boost operation, power factor improvement, and DC power conversion may be performed through the switching action of the switching element.

[0413] The smoothing capacitor C smoothes the input power supply and stores it. In the figure, a single element is illustrated as the smoothing capacitor C, but a plurality of elements may be provided to ensure element stability.

[0414] The converter 410 can be connected to the output terminal, or can directly input a DC power supply. For example, the DC power supply from the solar cell can be directly input to the smoothing capacitor C, or converted to DC / DC and input. Since the two ends of the smoothing capacitor C store DC power, they can also be named as DC ends or DC link ends.

[0415] The DC terminal voltage detection unit B can detect the DC terminal voltage Vdc across the smoothing capacitor C. To this end, the DC terminal voltage detection unit B may include a resistor, an amplifier, etc. The detected DC terminal voltage Vdc is a discrete signal in a pulse form and can be input to the inverter control unit 430.

[0416] The inverter 420 may be provided with a plurality of inverter switching elements, and the smooth DC power source Vdc may be converted into three-phase AC power sources va, vb, and vc of a specified frequency by the on / off action of the switching elements, and output to the drive unit 32. In the inverter 420, the upper arm switching elements Sa, Sb, and Sc and the lower arm switching elements S'a, S'b, and S'c connected in series form a pair, and a total of three pairs of upper arm switching elements and lower arm switching elements may be connected in parallel to each other Sa&S'a, Sb&S'b, and Sc&S'c.

[0417] In each of the switching elements Sa, S'a, Sb, S'b, Sc, and S'c, a diode is connected in anti-parallel.

[0418] The switching elements in the inverter 420 perform on / off operations based on the inverter switching control signal Sic from the inverter control unit 430 . As a result, a three-phase AC power source having a predetermined frequency is output to the drive unit 32 .

[0419] The inverter control unit 430 may control the switching operation of the inverter 420. To this end, the inverter control unit 430 may receive the output current io detected by the output current detection unit E.

[0420] In order to control the switching operation of the inverter 420, the inverter control unit 430 outputs the inverter switching control signal Sic to the inverter 420. The inverter switching control signal Sic is a switching control signal of a pulse width modulation (PWM) method, and is generated based on the output current value io detected by the output current detection unit E and output.

[0421] The control unit P can detect the state inside the drum by detecting the output current value io detected in the current detection unit 220. In addition, the control unit P can detect the state inside the drum based on the position signal H detected in the position detection unit 235. For example, the current value io, the amount of clothing, the dehydration rate, the moisture content, etc. can be detected based on the output current value of the driving unit 32 during the rotation of the drum 40. In addition, the control unit P can also detect the eccentricity of the drum 4, that is, the unbalance (UB) of the drum 4. Such eccentricity detection can be performed based on the ripple component of the current io detected in the current detection unit 220 or the rotation speed change of the drum 4.

[0422] In addition, the control unit P can also detect the input current value is input to the inverter control unit to detect the state inside the drum. The process and calculation method of detecting the state inside the drum by the current value will be described later.

[0423] The output current detection unit E may be configured to detect the output current io flowing between the inverter 420 and the three-phase drive unit 32. The output current detection unit E detects the current flowing to the drive unit 32. The output current detection unit E may detect the output current (ia, ib, ic) of each phase, or may detect the output current of two phases by utilizing three-phase balance.

[0424] The output current detection unit E may be located between the inverter 420 and the drive unit 32, and the current may be detected using a CT (current transformer), a shunt resistor, etc. When the shunt resistor is used, three shunt resistors may be located between the inverter 420 and the drive unit 32, or one end of each shunt resistor may be connected to the three lower arm switch elements S'a, S'b, and S'c of the inverter 420, respectively.

[0425] On the other hand, two shunt resistors may be used to utilize three-phase balance. In addition, when one shunt resistor is used, the shunt resistor may be disposed between the capacitor C and the inverter 420 .

[0426] The detected output current io is a discrete signal in a pulse form, which can be applied to the inverter control unit 430 to generate the inverter switch control signal Sic based on the detected output current io. The following description is based on the detected output current io being the three-phase output currents ia, ib, and ic.

[0427] On the other hand, the three-phase drive unit 32 includes a stator and a rotor. Each phase a, b, c is supplied with an AC power supply of each phase at a predetermined frequency to rotate the rotor.

[0428] Such a drive unit 32 may include a surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SMPMSM), an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM), a synchronous reluctance motor (Synrm), etc. Among them, SMPMSM and IPMSM are permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM), and a synchronous reluctance motor (Synrm) is characterized by having no permanent magnet.

[0429] On the other hand, the inverter control unit 430 can control the switching action of the switching element in the converter 410 when the converter 410 is provided with a switching element. To this end, the inverter control unit 430 can receive the input current is detected in the input current detection unit A. In addition, in order to control the switching action of the converter 410, the inverter control unit 430 can output a converter switching control signal (Scc) to the converter 410. This converter switching control signal (Scc) is a switching control signal of a pulse width modulation (PWM) method, and can be generated and output based on the input current is detected from the input current detection unit A.

[0430] On the other hand, the position detection unit 235 can detect the rotor position of the driving unit 32. To this end, the position detection unit 235 can include a Hall sensor. The detected rotor position H is input to the inverter control unit 430 and used as a basis for speed calculation and the like.

[0431] Fig.16 (c) shows an embodiment of a specific circuit structure of the inverter control unit 430 controlling the driving unit 32. The inverter control unit 430 may include an axis conversion unit 510, a speed calculation unit 520, a current command generation unit 530, a voltage command generation unit 540, an axis conversion unit 550, and a switch control signal output unit 560.

[0432] The axis conversion unit 510 receives the three-phase output currents ia, ib, ic detected by the output current detection unit E and converts them into two-phase currents iα, iβ of the stationary coordinate system. The axis conversion unit 510 can convert the two-phase currents iα, iβ of the stationary coordinate system into two-phase currents id, iq of the rotating coordinate system.

[0433] The speed calculation unit 520 may calculate the speed based on the rotor position signal H input from the position detection unit 235. That is, the speed can be calculated by dividing the position signal by time. The speed calculation unit 520 may output the position calculated based on the input rotor position signal H and the calculated speed.

[0434] The current command generation unit 530 generates a current command value i*q based on the calculated speed w and the speed command value ω*r. For example, the current command generation unit 530 performs PI control in the PI controller 535 based on the difference between the calculated speed w and the speed command value ω*r and can generate the current command value iq. In the figure, as the current command value, the q-axis current command value i*q is illustrated, but unlike the figure, the d-axis current command value i*d can also be generated at the same time. On the other hand, the value of the d-axis current command value i*d can also be set to 0.

[0435] On the other hand, the current command generating unit 530 may also be provided with a limiter (not shown) of a limit level so that the current command value i*q does not exceed the allowable range. Next, the voltage command generating unit 540 generates the d-axis and q-axis voltage command values ​​v*d and v*q based on the d-axis and q-axis currents id and iq converted to the two-phase rotating coordinate system in the axis conversion unit and the current command values ​​i*d and i*q in the current command generating unit 530 and the like. For example, the voltage command generating unit 540 may perform PI control in the PI controller 544 based on the difference between the q-axis current iq and the q-axis current command value i*q, and generate the q-axis voltage command value v*q. In addition, the voltage command generating unit 540 may perform PI control in the PI controller 548 based on the difference between the d-axis current id and the d-axis current command value i*d, and generate the d-axis voltage command value v*d. On the other hand, in response to the case where the value of the d-axis current command value i*d is set to 0, the value of the d-axis voltage command value v*d may be set to 0.

[0436] On the other hand, the voltage command generating unit 540 may further be provided with a limiter (not shown) of a limit level so that the d-axis and q-axis voltage command values ​​v*d and v*q do not exceed the allowable range.

[0437] On the other hand, the generated d-axis and q-axis voltage command values ​​v*d and v*q are input to the axis conversion unit 550 .

[0438] The axis conversion unit 550 receives the position θ and the d-axis and q-axis voltage command values ​​v*d and v*q calculated in the speed calculation unit 520 and performs axis conversion. First, the axis conversion unit 550 performs conversion from the two-phase rotating coordinate system to the two-phase stationary coordinate system. At this time, the position θ calculated in the speed calculation unit 520 can be used.

[0439] The axis conversion unit 550 performs conversion from the two-phase stationary coordinate system to the three-phase stopped coordinate system. Through such conversion, the axis conversion unit 550 outputs three-phase output voltage command values ​​v*a, v*b, and v*c.

[0440] The switch control signal output unit 560 generates and outputs an inverter switch control signal Sic based on a pulse width modulation (PWM) method based on the three-phase output voltage command values ​​v*a, v*b, and v*c.

[0441] The output inverter switch control signal Sic can be converted into a gate drive signal in a gate drive unit (not shown) and input to the gate of each switching element in the inverter 420. Thus, each switching element (Sa, S'a, Sb, S'b, Sc, S'c) in the inverter 420 performs a switching operation.

[0442] On the other hand, the switch control signal output unit 560 is related to the embodiment of the present invention, and can generate and output the inverter switch control signal Sic that mixes the two-phase pulse width modulation method and the three-phase pulse width modulation method.

[0443] For example, in the acceleration rotation section described later, an inverter switch control signal Sic based on a three-phase pulse width modulation method is generated and output, and in the constant speed rotation section, an inverter switch control signal Sic based on a two-phase pulse width modulation method can be generated and output to detect back electromotive force.

[0444] Fig.17 An embodiment is shown in which the control unit P detects the amount of laundry by accelerating or decelerating the drum.

[0445] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may perform a detection step F of detecting the amount of laundry in the drum 3 before performing a washing operation, a rinsing operation, or a dehydration operation.

[0446] To this end, the control unit P can execute an acceleration step F1 for accelerating the drum 3, a deceleration step F2 for decelerating the drum 3, and a clothing quantity detection step F3 for detecting the amount of clothing contained in the drum by using the acceleration measurement value of the driving unit 32 in the acceleration step and the deceleration measurement value of the driving unit in the deceleration step.

[0447] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention accelerates the driving unit 32 while detecting the acceleration measurement value measured in the driving unit 32 or applied to the driving unit 32, and decelerates the driving unit 32 while detecting the deceleration measurement value measured in the driving unit 32 or applied to the driving unit 32. Then, the acceleration measurement value and the deceleration measurement value are calculated to detect the amount of laundry contained in the drum 3.

[0448] The acceleration measurement value and the deceleration measurement value may be command values ​​applied to the drive unit 32 while the drive unit 32 is driven, or may be measurement values ​​measured in the drive unit 32 while the drive unit 32 is driven.

[0449] For example, the command value may be a current command value or a voltage command value derived from the PI controller 535 and applied to drive the drive unit 32, and the measured value may be the current value or the voltage value of the drive unit 32 measured in the position detection unit 235 or the current detection unit 225.

[0450] Therefore, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can significantly shorten the time required for detecting the amount of laundry by omitting the step of maintaining the driving unit 32 at a constant speed.

[0451] In addition, the laundry processing device of the present invention can not only save the process of maintaining the constant speed of the driving unit 32, but also save the energy and time required to maintain the constant speed. In addition, during the calculation process, the laundry processing device of the present invention can completely ignore the friction force of the driving unit 32 itself that must be overcome when maintaining the constant speed of the driving unit 32.

[0452] When the control unit P uses the command value when detecting the amount of laundry, the control unit P does not need to feed back the actual situation to the driving unit 32 or consider the actual driving situation of the driving unit 32. Therefore, the control unit P can simply and easily calculate the value of the amount of laundry. In addition, since the calculation formula for calculating the amount of laundry is simple, the value of the amount of laundry can be quickly obtained.

[0453] Specifically, the acceleration measurement value may include an acceleration current value Iq_Acc measured in the driving unit 32 , and the deceleration measurement value may include a deceleration current value Iq_Dec measured in the driving unit 32 .

[0454] The acceleration current value may include a current command value Iq*_Acc for rotating the drive portion 32 in the acceleration step, and the deceleration current value may include a current command value Iq*_Dec for rotating the drive portion 32 in the deceleration step.

[0455] On the other hand, when the control unit P uses the measured value when detecting the amount of clothing, it is advantageous in that the actual situation is accurately reflected to the driving unit 32, so that the value of the amount of clothing can be accurately obtained.

[0456] Furthermore, the command value is generated only when the driving unit 32 is driven or powered and actively controlled. If the measured value is used, the advantage is that data for detecting the amount of laundry can be obtained even when the power of the driving unit 32 is cut off or the driving unit 32 is not actively controlled.

[0457] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can cut off the power supply in the deceleration step F2 to decelerate the driving unit 32 by means of a power generation brake, etc. Therefore, by omitting the algorithm for controlling the deceleration step F2, energy used for the deceleration step F2 can be saved.

[0458] Furthermore, since the power is cut off in the deceleration step F2, the voltage command value can be 0. Therefore, the present invention can detect the amount of laundry by only current calculation without voltage.

[0459] That is, the control method of the laundry processing device of the present invention can ignore or not use the voltage command value or the voltage value itself and only use the current value, so the calculation formula for detecting the amount of laundry can be set very simply. Since the calculation formula becomes simple, the calculation can be made quickly and correctly, so that the amount of laundry can be correctly detected.

[0460] Specifically, the data and algorithm (the following calculation formula) for calculating the acceleration measurement value and the deceleration measurement value can be stored in the control unit P. The calculation formula is set to not use the voltage value from the beginning. Therefore, since there is no need to calculate the back electromotive force, the constant speed rotation step of the drive unit 32 can be omitted in the present invention.

[0461] For example, the calculation formula of the present invention can be set as follows.

[0462] Clothes value of the present invention (inertia, Jm, Load_data)

[0463]

[0464] The calculation can be performed using the following formula: P and Ke are constant values ​​of the drive unit 32 itself and can be determined by the control unit P. The denominator is equivalent to the difference between the speed change amount in the acceleration step and the speed change amount in the deceleration step.

[0465] The speed change amount can be measured by the control unit P through the position detection unit 235, or calculated by measuring the time required until the acceleration or deceleration, or can be immediately detected by measuring the current or the like.

[0466] Therefore, the present invention can immediately calculate the amount of clothing by only measuring the acceleration output current value Iq_Acc during acceleration and the acceleration output current value Iq_Dec during deceleration. That is, it can be considered that the acceleration current value includes the acceleration output current value (Iq_Acc) output from the driving unit in the acceleration step, and the deceleration current value includes the deceleration output current value Iq_Dec output from the driving unit in the deceleration step.

[0467] Furthermore, the acceleration output current value may be an average value Iqe_Acc of current values ​​measured in the drive unit in the acceleration step, and the deceleration output current value may be an average value Iqe_Dec of current values ​​measured in the drive unit in the deceleration step.

[0468] In either case, the amount of clothing can be calculated using only the coefficient of the current value, and the coefficient of the voltage value can be omitted, so the calculation of the amount of clothing becomes simple, and the speed and accuracy of the clothing amount value can be improved.

[0469] Therefore, even if the time of the acceleration step is very short or the time of the deceleration step is very short, the amount of laundry can be correctly detected, and thus the time itself required for laundry amount detection can be further reduced.

[0470] On the other hand, the laundry amount detection of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention measures the amount of laundry by directly decelerating after acceleration. Therefore, the time for measuring the amount of laundry itself is very short, and the laundry inside the drum 3 cannot move or flow during the time. Therefore, the amount of laundry can be detected in a short time when the state of the laundry does not change, so the accuracy in the calculation of the amount of laundry can be further improved.

[0471] On the other hand, the calculation formula applied to the detection of the amount of clothing of the present invention utilizes the difference between the current value of the acceleration step and the current value of the deceleration step. Therefore, the friction force of the drive unit in the acceleration step and the friction force of the drive unit in the deceleration step are the same, so the compensation formula of the current considering the friction force cancels each other. Therefore, the clothing amount detection control method of the clothing processing device of the present invention does not need to consider the friction force of the drive unit 32, so the process of correcting or adjusting the friction force can be omitted. In addition, since the detection of the amount of clothing of the present invention does not use the voltage value, the process of compensating or adjusting the error of the voltage value can be omitted, and since the constant speed process is omitted, the process of moving the clothing and compensating or adjusting the friction force of the drive unit 32 can be omitted. As a result, the clothing amount detection control method of the clothing processing device of the present invention can detect the amount of clothing very quickly and correctly because the amount of clothing is immediately derived when the current value is input, and there is no step of compensating or adjusting the amount of clothing.

[0472] Therefore, the load required for the control unit P can be reduced, the control unit P can be replaced with a relatively simple structure, or the performance of the control unit P can be applied to other aspects.

[0473] On the other hand, it can be seen from the calculation formula that the acceleration measurement value also includes the speed change amount of the acceleration step F1, and the deceleration measurement value can also include the speed change amount of the deceleration step F2.

[0474] The speed change amount of the acceleration step F1 and the speed change amount of the deceleration step F2 are only for obtaining the difference between the inertia of the acceleration step F1 and the inertia of the deceleration step F2, and there is no need to measure the voltage value separately, and no compensation or adjustment process is required.

[0475] Describing in more detail, the calculation formula is derived by the following calculation formula.

[0476] in,

[0477] At this time, since the laundry amount is calculated by the difference between the acceleration inertia and the deceleration inertia, a variation in the speed is required.

[0478] Therefore, if the acceleration measurement value and the deceleration measurement value are measured in the same RPM interval of the drum, the calculation can be simplified because the width of the speed change is the same. That is, preferably, the acceleration step F1 and the deceleration step F2 share the same speed band.

[0479] On the other hand, the control method of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention performs the acceleration step F1 and the deceleration step F2 to detect the amount of laundry using the current command value or the current value measured in the driving unit 32 .

[0480] At this time, since the calculation formula uses the current value, the deceleration step F2 is first performed, and the current value is measured by performing the acceleration step Bb, and the amount of clothing can be detected by the same calculation formula.

[0481] On the other hand, the detection step F3 may perform a preparation step F0 of checking the position of the driving unit 32 to set a reference value for performing the acceleration step F1 and the deceleration step F2. In the preparation step F0, the drum 4 may be configured to be in a stopped state.

[0482] In the acceleration step F1, the drum which is stationary in the preparation step F0 can be additionally accelerated to the first rotation speed (rpm), and in the deceleration step F2, the drum can be decelerated from the first rotation speed. That is, the acceleration step F1 and the deceleration step F2 can be performed continuously. In the deceleration step F2, it is sufficient to reduce the current command value to the drive unit 32 in the acceleration step F1, or cut off the voltage applied to the drive unit 32, so there is no need to worry about the control unit P or the circuit burning.

[0483] At this time, the acceleration measurement value and the deceleration measurement value can be measured between the first speed and a second speed lower than the first speed. That is, the amount of laundry can be detected by measuring the current value in the interval band including the vertex in the speed diagram. Since the amount of laundry is detected by measuring the current value in a continuous state, there is an advantage that the occurrence of errors can be minimized.

[0484] On the other hand, the acceleration measurement value and the deceleration measurement value can be measured between a second speed lower than the first speed and a third speed higher than the second speed and lower than the first speed. That is, although the interval does not include the apex, the amount of laundry can be detected by measuring the current value in the same speed interval band. Since the speed change is the largest at the apex, there is an advantage that a stable current value can be measured to improve the accuracy of laundry amount calculation.

[0485] On the other hand, the first speed may be set to a speed lower than a fixed speed at which the laundry contained in the drum 4 adheres to the inner wall of the drum 4. That is, the first speed may be relatively lower than the speed used in washing, rinsing, and dehydration operations.

[0486] In this case, the process of the control part P directly calculating the moment of inertia or the process of comparing and extracting the moment of inertia with the laundry amount data of the laundry stored in the storage part P2 may be omitted.

[0487] The amount of current applied in the acceleration step F1 may be defined as a first current amount, and the amount of current applied in the deceleration step F2 may be defined as a second current amount. The control part P may detect the amount of laundry by the first current amount and the second current amount.

[0488] Fig.18 An embodiment of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention using a laundry amount detection method based on the aforementioned structure and method is shown.

[0489] Fig.18 (a) shows an embodiment that basically applies the aforementioned laundry amount detection method.

[0490] If the power supply unit P46 of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention is input, the water supply unit 23, the driving unit 32, the drainage unit 25, etc. can be supplied with power, and the control unit P can also be supplied with power.

[0491] The control unit P may be configured to detect the amount of the clothing when power is supplied by the power supply unit P46.

[0492] That is, a necessary condition for the clothes treating apparatus of the present invention to detect the amount of clothes may be the input of the power supply unit P46.

[0493] Therefore, even if the user opens the door 132 and then puts laundry into the drum 3 and closes the door 132 before inputting the power supply unit P46, the control unit P can immediately detect the amount of the laundry.

[0494] The control part P may calculate an estimated time for executing a specific program or option according to the laundry amount of the laundry.

[0495] To this end, the control part P may correspondingly identify the estimated time corresponding to the laundry amount of the laundry.

[0496] In addition, the control unit P may further organize the amount of detergent required when executing any program or option for the amount of laundry in the laundry using data. The control unit P may calculate the amount of detergent required when washing the laundry using the program or option.

[0497] For example, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may execute a power supply step A1 for supplying power to the power supply unit P46 of the laundry processing apparatus and a laundry quantity detection step A2 for detecting the amount of laundry contained in the drum 3 while executing the power supply step A1.

[0498] In other words, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention does not detect the amount of laundry only after the input to the execution unit P47, but can detect the amount of laundry before the input to the execution unit P47.

[0499] If the amount of clothing is detected in the clothing amount detection step A2, the information display step A3 can be executed, in which at least any one of the amount of clothing, the estimated execution time of a washing program or option for washing the clothing, and the amount of detergent required for the program or option is displayed in the display unit P8.

[0500] In the information display step A3, the execution time corresponding to the preset standard program or standard option corresponding to the laundry amount of the laundry can be displayed.

[0501] The user can confirm the laundry amount of the laundry, the execution time of the preset program or option displayed in the information display step A3 and compare them with his own schedule, and can confirm the detergent amount.

[0502] In other words, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can confirm the information related to the amount of laundry before inputting the execution part P47, select the desired program and option and input the execution part P47. That is, if the user feels that the information displayed in the information display step A3 is satisfactory, the execution part P47 can be input. The control part P can perform the execution input step A6 of detecting the input of the execution part P47.

[0503] When the execution input step A6 is performed, the control unit P controls the locking unit to lock the door 132 to the housing 10, thereby preventing the door 132 from being opened arbitrarily.

[0504] If the execution input step A6 is performed, the control unit P may perform one or more of the washing operation, the rinsing operation, and the dehydration operation according to the setting of the program or option.

[0505] However, in the information display step A3, after the user confirms at least any one of the amount of laundry, the execution time of the preset program or option, and the detergent amount, a program setting step A4 of selecting the program and option through the operation part P7 and the selection part P2 can also be executed.

[0506] That is, the user can select any program or option other than the standard program that is basically executed.

[0507] For example, after confirming the amount of clothing through the program setting step A4, the user can input one or more of the operation unit P7 and the setting unit P2, and after confirming the execution time related to the amount of clothing, input one or more of the operation unit P7 and the setting unit P2 to change the program or option.

[0508] If the program setting step A4 is executed, the control unit P executes a change display step A5 of recalculating the estimated execution time or detergent amount of the changed program or option corresponding to the laundry amount of the laundry and transmitting the recalculated data to the display unit P8.

[0509] In the change display step A5, at least one of an estimated execution time of the changed course or option and a changed detergent amount may be displayed on the display unit P8.

[0510] If the user determines that the estimated execution time or the detergent amount is appropriate, the user may input the execution part P47. If the user determines that the estimated execution time or the detergent amount is not appropriate, the user may input one or more of the operation part P7 and the setting part P2.

[0511] The control unit P may execute an input execution step A6 of detecting an input of the execution unit P47.

[0512] However, if re-input is detected in one or more of the operation unit P7 and the setting unit P2, the program setting step A4 and the change display step A5 may be executed again.

[0513] As a result, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can complete the laundry amount detection before the user selects and executes the final program and option. In particular, the laundry amount is calculated within 3 seconds by rotating the drum less than one turn, thereby providing information related to the laundry amount before inputting one or more of the operation unit P7 and the setting unit P2.

[0514] For example, at the time when the power supply unit P46 is input and the display unit P8 is activated, the laundry amount detection may have been completed and information corresponding to the laundry amount may be provided to the user.

[0515] Therefore, the user can confirm the information about the amount of laundry while confirming the estimated time of the most suitable program and option at the current time point, set the optimal program and option, or put in the optimal amount of detergent.

[0516] Fig.18 (b) shows Fig.18 An extended embodiment of the control method of (a).

[0517] The clothing processing device of the present invention can execute a power input step A1, in which power is supplied to the control unit P and one or more of the drive unit 32, the water supply unit 23, the drainage unit 25, and the control panel 16 upon receiving instructions from the power supply unit P46.

[0518] If the power input step A1 is performed, the laundry treating apparatus may perform a laundry amount detecting step A2 of detecting the laundry amount of the laundry.

[0519] The method of detecting the amount of laundry in the laundry amount detecting step A2 is to rotate the drum less than one circle as described above.

[0520] At this time, the control unit P may simultaneously execute a clothes detection step A2-1 for detecting whether the drum 3 contains the clothes. If there are clothes in the drum 3 in the clothes detection step A2-1, the aforementioned control method may be executed.

[0521] However, if the drum 3 does not contain the laundry, the control unit P may perform a door opening and closing detection step A2-2 of waiting until the door 132 is opened and closed.

[0522] That is, if the control part P does not detect the amount of the laundry, it may wait until the opening and closing of the door is detected.

[0523] At this time, if the door opening and closing detection step A2-2 is executed, the control unit P re-executes the clothing amount detection step A2 to further detect the clothing amount.

[0524] Thus, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can detect the amount of laundry immediately when the drum 3 contains laundry before the power supply unit P46 is input. However, when the drum 3 does not contain laundry before the power supply unit P46 is input, the amount of laundry can be detected after laundry is put into the drum 3.

[0525] In other words, as long as the power supply unit P46 is input to the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention and power is supplied to the control unit P, the laundry amount detection can be performed directly in principle.

[0526] Therefore, if the user first puts laundry into the drum 3 before inputting the power part P46, and inputs the power part P46, the control part P can perform laundry amount detection.

[0527] However, if there is no laundry inside the drum 3 before the power supply unit P46 is input, the control unit P may wait for the door to be opened and closed and perform laundry amount detection. Of course, it is possible to detect whether there is laundry by means of laundry amount detection. At this time, if there is no detected amount of laundry, the amount of laundry may not be displayed in the display unit P8.

[0528] On the other hand, if the opening and closing of the door 132 is detected after the power supply unit P46 is input, the control unit P determines that clothes are put in, and thus performs clothes amount detection. Of course, if the amount of clothes is not detected, the display unit P8 does not display the amount of clothes, or may display information that there is no clothes inside.

[0529] When the amount of laundry is detected, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may display the weight information of the laundry or at least one of the execution time of the program and options corresponding to the amount of laundry and the required detergent amount on the display unit P8.

[0530] As a result, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can detect the amount of the laundry before inputting the laundry into the execution unit P47, and transmit information such as the execution time of the program or option and the required detergent amount to the user.

[0531] Fig.19 A control method of a clothes treating apparatus according to the present invention to which a clothes amount detection method is applied is described.

[0532] If the clothing processing apparatus of the present invention detects that the power supply unit P46 is input, or the door is opened and closed, or clothing is put into the drum 3, a clothing quantity detection step Y1 of detecting the amount of clothing before inputting the execution unit P47 and a display step Y2 of displaying information related to the clothing quantity on the display unit P8 can be executed.

[0533] At this time, if it is detected that the user has additionally put clothes into the drum 3 or has drawn out the clothes, a re-detection step Y3 for re-detecting the amount of clothes is immediately executed.

[0534] The laundry amount detecting step Y1 and the re-detecting step Y3 may be performed while the drum is rotated less than one circle.

[0535] If the re-detected amount of clothing changes, a change step Y4 may be executed to change and display the information related to the amount of clothing in the display unit P8.

[0536] The information related to the amount of laundry may include the weight of the amount of laundry, the amount of detergent corresponding to the amount of laundry, the estimated execution time of a program corresponding to the amount of laundry, and the like.

[0537] The laundry processing apparatus of the present invention can execute the input step Y5 of the user selecting a program using the operation unit P7, and can execute the execution step Y7 of the program input or pre-selected by inputting the execution unit P47.

[0538] Fig. 20 An embodiment to which the control method is applied is shown.

[0539] Reference Fig. 20 (a), the user may put the first clothing T1 into the drum 3. The control unit P may rotate the drum less than one turn to detect the amount of the first clothing T1, and display clothing amount information D27 related to the amount of the clothing.

[0540] The laundry amount information D27 may be displayed on the display unit P8 before the user inputs the execution unit P47.

[0541] The laundry amount information D27 may include an estimated execution time D271 of a program when executing a program selected with the amount of laundry equivalent to the first laundry T1, a required amount D272 including a required amount of detergent or a required amount of water, and the like.

[0542] The display portion P8 may be divided to display the estimated execution time D271, the required amount D272, and the like.

[0543] Reference Fig. 20 (b), the user can add a second piece of clothing T2 to the drum 3.

[0544] If the control unit P detects that the second clothing T2 has been put in through the vibration felt by the driving unit 32 or the load sensor, the control unit P can additionally rotate the drum less than one circle, detect the amount of clothing including the second clothing T1, and change the clothing amount information D27a related to the changed clothing amount for display.

[0545] The changed laundry amount information D27a may be displayed on the display unit P8 before the user inputs the information into the execution unit P47.

[0546] The changed laundry amount information D27a may include an estimated changed execution time D2711 of a program when executing a program selected with the laundry amount including the second laundry T1, a changed required amount D2721 including a required detergent amount or a required water amount, and the like.

[0547] That is, the display unit P8 can be controlled to display the laundry amount related information and the changed laundry amount related information to the user in real time. Thus, the user can obtain the required information before inputting the execution unit P47 and can be aware of close communication with the laundry processing device.

[0548] Fig.21 In another embodiment of the laundry processing device of the present invention, Fig.19 Embodiment of the control method.

[0549] Reference Fig.21 (a), the user may put the first clothing T1 into the drum 3. The control unit P may rotate the drum less than one turn to detect the amount of the first clothing T1, and display clothing amount information D27 related to the amount of the clothing.

[0550] The laundry amount information D27 may be displayed on the second display part P8 before the user inputs the execution part P47.

[0551] The laundry amount information D27 may include an estimated execution time D271 of a program when executing a program selected with the amount of laundry equivalent to the first laundry T1, a required amount D272 including a required amount of detergent or a required amount of water, and the like.

[0552] At this time, the estimated execution time D271 may be displayed in the second region II, and the required amount D272 may be displayed in the third region III. The first region I of the second display unit P81 may be divided to display the estimated execution time D271 and the required amount D272.

[0553] Reference Fig.21(b), the user can add a second piece of clothing T2 to the drum 3.

[0554] If the control unit P detects that the second clothing T2 has been put in through the vibration felt by the driving unit 32 or the load sensor, the control unit P can additionally rotate the drum less than one circle, detect the amount of clothing including the second clothing T1, and change the clothing amount information D27a related to the changed clothing amount for display.

[0555] The changed laundry amount information D27a may be displayed on the second display unit P81 before the user inputs the execution unit P47.

[0556] The changed laundry amount information D27a may include an estimated changed execution time D2711 of a program when executing a program selected with the laundry amount including the second laundry T1, a changed required amount D2721 including a required detergent amount or a required water amount, and the like.

[0557] The change execution time D2711 may be displayed in the second area II, and the change requirement D2721 may be displayed in the third area III.

[0558] That is, if the amount of laundry changes, the second display unit P81 may reflect this and display the information. The information displayed in the second area II and the information displayed in the third area III may be changed in real time according to the change in the amount of laundry.

[0559] That is, the display unit P8 can be controlled to display information related to the amount of laundry and information related to the changed amount of laundry to the user in real time. Thus, the user can obtain the required information before inputting the execution unit P47 and can be aware of close communication with the laundry processing device.

[0560] Fig. 22 An additional control method of the clothes processing apparatus of the present invention is described.

[0561] Since the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention detects the amount of laundry before the input execution unit P47, it can recommend a program corresponding to the amount of laundry before the input execution unit P47.

[0562] To this end, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention may perform a laundry amount detection step Z1 of detecting the amount of laundry and a recommendation step Z2 of determining a program or option corresponding to the amount of laundry and displaying it on the display unit P8.

[0563] The clothes processing apparatus of the present invention can execute a determination step Z3, in which it is determined whether the user confirms the program or option displayed on the display unit P8, and whether the user inputs the execution unit P47.

[0564] If the execution unit P47 is input in the judgment step Z3, the execution step Z5 of executing the recommended program can be executed.

[0565] However, the user may directly input a program or option by inputting the operation unit P7 in the determination step Z3. If the input step Z4 of directly inputting the program or option is executed, the control unit P may remove the display of the recommended program or option, display the input program or option on the display unit P8, and then execute the input program or option in the execution step Z5.

[0566] Fig.23 Shows application Fig. 22 Embodiment of the control method.

[0567] Reference Fig.23 (a), in the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention, if the door 132 is opened or the power supply unit P46 is input, the guide information D28 for guiding the user's actions may be displayed on the display unit P8.

[0568] The guidance information D28 may be information guiding the input of laundry, such as “Please put in the laundry”.

[0569] Reference Fig.23 In (b), the user can put overweight clothes B such as quilts into the drum 3. The overweight clothes B can be regarded as clothes that are 70% or more of the rated amount of clothes allowed by the clothes processing device of the present invention.

[0570] If it is detected that the laundry is put in or the door 132 is closed, the control unit P rotates the drum 3 to detect the amount of laundry, thereby detecting the excess weight.

[0571] The control unit P may display, on the display unit P, confirmation information requesting confirmation as to whether the weight is overweight.

[0572] Even a small amount of clothes can be identified as excessive weight in the case of wet clothes containing water according to the control unit P. Therefore, the customer can be asked to confirm whether it is not directly determined as excessive weight such as a quilt but as a small amount of clothes.

[0573] The confirmation information may include inquiry information D281 on the display unit P asking whether to put in excessive weight of laundry and determination information D282 requesting user confirmation.

[0574] The inquiry information 281 and the confirmation information D282 may be displayed in an upper and lower divided manner on the display unit P8.

[0575] The inquiry information 281 may be displayed in the form of a sentence such as “Have you put in the quilt?”

[0576] The confirmation information 282 may be displayed in the form of words such as “yes” and “no”. The confirmation information 282 may be displayed in a color different from that of the inquiry information 281 .

[0577] If the control unit P receives confirmation that the determination information D282 is not overweight from the user through the selection unit R, etc., the control unit P may determine that the laundry is wet laundry containing water, calculate the amount of laundry in a dry laundry state, and execute the program or option. As a result, the program or option may be executed with less water and less detergent than the laundry in the overweight state, and for a shorter duration.

[0578] Alternatively, the control unit P re-detects the amount of laundry after water supply to detect whether the laundry is wet or dry, and then executes a program or option according to the re-detected amount of laundry.

[0579] If the control unit P receives confirmation from the user through the selection unit R or the like that the determination information D282 is indeed overweight, the control unit P may display recommendation information 2811 on the display unit P8 for confirming whether to start the overweight program.

[0580] The display unit P8 may further display the recommendation confirmation information 2821 .

[0581] Regarding the recommendation confirmation information 2821, a program recommended based on the detection of the amount of laundry may be displayed in the form of a sentence such as "Do you want to start with the quilt washing mode?"

[0582] The display unit P8 may display confirmation information 2821 requesting confirmation of the recommendation confirmation information.

[0583] The confirmation information 2821 may include an approval instruction displayed in a sentence such as "yes" and information requesting an instruction not to allow displayed in a sentence such as "no".

[0584] If the user inputs an approval instruction for approving the recommendation information in the recommendation confirmation information 2821, the recommended overweight program may be executed.

[0585] Therefore, even if the user does not select the overweight program, the control unit P can recommend the overweight program through the display unit P8 according to the detected amount of laundry.

[0586] On the other hand, if the user inputs a disapproval instruction of not recognizing the recommended information 2821, or inputs another program through the operation unit P7 or the like, the control unit P may execute the input program.

[0587] Said Fig.23 The embodiment can also be directly applied in the second display unit P81.

[0588] in addition, Fig.23 It can also be regarded as the following embodiment, that is, regardless of the proximity sensor, the content display area D2 of the display unit P8 or the first area I of the second display unit P81 is not divided and displayed in a manner selected from up and down and left and right, but when the first area I is divided up and down, at least one of the divided areas also includes a left and right division, or when the first area I is divided left and right, at least one of the divided areas also includes a up and down division.

[0589] Fig.24 An additional embodiment in which the control panel of the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention is provided in another form is shown.

[0590] The display unit P8 may be configured to display information transmitted from the control unit P.

[0591] The information can be set to represent status information of the laundry processing device, request information of the laundry processing device requesting confirmation from the user, guidance information of the laundry processing device guiding use, etc., reception information received by the laundry processing device from a server or an external terminal, etc.

[0592] The display unit P8 is configured to display the information in text language or non-text language, and to change the display state according to the distance between the user and the control panel P.

[0593] For example, when the user is at a short distance L2, the display unit P8 displays more types of information to the user, or displays various information, or displays detailed information, or displays sentences including images and pictures and narrative words.

[0594] In order to smoothly display the information, the display portion P8 may be configured such that the width R2 is longer than the height R1.

[0595] The display portion P8 may be configured to be an ellipse or a rectangle.

[0596] In addition, the area occupied by the display portion P8 in the control panel P may be set to be larger than that in the case of a circular shape.

[0597] Therefore, the display unit P8 can display various information to the user in detail.

[0598] The present invention can be implemented in various modified forms, and its scope of rights is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, if the modified embodiments include the constituent elements of the claims of the present invention, they should be considered to belong to the scope of rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A clothes processing device, characterized in that: include: Box; A drum, rotatably contained in the box and containing clothes; A control unit that executes any program capable of rotating the drum; A display unit, disposed in the housing, for displaying information provided by the control unit to the outside; as well as A proximity sensor is disposed in front of the box to detect the interval or distance between the box and the user and transmit it to the control unit. The display unit is controlled so that, when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor changes, at least one of a size of the information displayed, an amount of the information displayed, and a form of the information displayed is variable.

2. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit displays the information in a smaller font when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

3. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to display the information with more words or numbers when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

4. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to: When the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than or equal to a first distance, displaying the information in a sentence excluding a predicate, When the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than a first distance, the information is displayed as a sentence including a predicate.

5. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit includes a liquid crystal display screen that displays the information. The display unit is controlled to: The liquid crystal display screen is divided into more parts and the information is displayed when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance, compared with when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

6. The clothes treating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to display different contents in each of the divided areas on the liquid crystal display screen.

7. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit displays the information in a changeable color when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than or equal to a first distance and when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance.

8. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to: When the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than the first distance, more colors are used when displaying the information than when the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than the first distance.

9. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to: When the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is greater than a first distance, displaying the information in the form of an image or a pictogram, When the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than a first distance, the information is displayed in one or more of text and numbers.

10. The clothes treating device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to: When the distance between the user and the proximity sensor is less than a first distance, the characters and numbers in the information are added to the image or pictogram for display.

11. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit is configured to detect the amount of the laundry by rotating the drum or using a separate sensor. The display unit is controlled to display the laundry amount information differently according to a change in the laundry amount of the laundry.

12. The clothes treating device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The laundry amount information includes at least one of an estimated time for processing the laundry, an amount of detergent required when processing the laundry, and an amount of water required when processing the laundry.

13. The clothes treating device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The display unit is controlled to: If the amount of laundry put into the drum is greater than a reference value, request information is displayed to confirm whether the laundry is heavy.

14. The clothes treating device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The control unit is set with a program for processing the heavy-weight clothes separately. The display unit is controlled to display whether to execute the program if confirmation that the laundry is heavy is input.

15. The clothes treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display portion is configured to be wider than it is tall.

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