Refrigerator and controlling method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator is disclosed. It comprises: a main body including a door according to the present disclosure; a door opening device including a motor for opening the door through rotation of the motor; a first sensor for detecting the opening of the door; a second sensor for detecting the position of the door; and a processor. The processor controls the motor to rotate at a first speed when a user command to open the door is obtained, controls the motor to rotate at a stepwise deceleration speed to a second speed smaller than the first speed when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor, and controls the motor to rotate at a second speed to open the door to the second position when the position of the door is detected to be the first position by the second sensor.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a method for controlling the same, and more specifically, to a refrigerator that automatically opens a door and a method for controlling the same. Background Technology

[0002] Driven by advancements in electronic technology, there has recently been an increasing user demand for refrigerators with automatic door opening and closing mechanisms. For instance, the need for an automatic door opening function can be critical in situations where a user is unable to open the door manually because they are carrying heavy dishes in both hands.

[0003] Meanwhile, to open and close the door automatically in this manner, a motor is required to provide the power to rotate the door. Generally, opening the door from a closed state requires significant force due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the refrigerator compartment, and consequently, the motor must rotate rapidly. On the other hand, once the door is opened beyond a certain angle, it is necessary to decelerate the motor's rotation to prevent collisions with the user.

[0004] As such, there is a growing need for technology to control motors for automatic door opening, taking user safety into consideration. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention, in accordance with the aforementioned necessity, provides a refrigerator equipped with user convenience and safety by appropriately controlling the rotational speed of the motor of the refrigerator door opening device.

[0006] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the technical problem described above, a refrigerator may be provided comprising: a main body including a door; a door opening device including a motor for opening the door through the rotation of the motor; a first sensor for detecting the opening of the door; a second sensor for detecting the position of the door; and a control unit; wherein the control unit controls the motor to rotate at a first speed when a user command to open the door is obtained, controls the motor to rotate at a stepwise deceleration speed to a second speed smaller than the first speed when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor, and controls the motor to rotate at the second speed to open the door to a second position when the position of the door is detected to be a first position by the second sensor.

[0008] The refrigerator further includes a motor rotation detection unit for detecting the rotation of the motor; the motor rotation detection unit outputs a pulse during the rotation of the motor, and the control unit can stop the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a preset time.

[0009] The control unit may stop the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a first time when the door is located between the closed position and the first position, and stop the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a second time shorter than the first time when the door is located between the first position and the second position.

[0010] The control unit can identify the rotational speed of the motor while the door is opened from the closed position to the first position, and if the identified rotational speed of the motor is higher than the threshold speed, control the motor to rotate at a third speed smaller than the second speed to open the door to the second position.

[0011] The control unit can identify the rotational speed of the motor based on a first time when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor and a second time when the position of the door is detected as a first position by the second sensor.

[0012] The above door includes a first door provided in a refrigerator compartment and a second door provided in a freezer compartment located at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment, and the door opening device may be provided at the top of the first door and the second sensor may be provided at the bottom of the first door.

[0013] The refrigerator further includes a proximity sensor; and the control unit can stop the motor if, while the motor is rotating, the proximity sensor detects that an object exists within a preset distance from the door.

[0014] The control unit controls the motor to rotate at a fourth speed to close the door after a preset time has elapsed since the door was opened to the second position, and when the second sensor detects that the position of the door is at the first position, it can control the motor to rotate at a fifth speed greater than the fourth speed so that the door is completely closed.

[0015] The first position is a position opened by 30 degrees from the closed position of the door, and the second position may be a position opened by 90 degrees from the closed position of the door.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the technical problem described above, a control method for a refrigerator comprising a main body including a door and a door opening device including a motor for opening the door through rotation of the motor may be provided, comprising: a step of controlling the motor to rotate at a first speed when a user command to open the door is obtained; a step of controlling the motor to rotate by gradually decelerating it to a second speed smaller than the first speed when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor; and a step of controlling the motor to open the door to a second position by rotating at the second speed when the position of the door is detected to be a first position by the second sensor.

[0017] The refrigerator further includes a motor rotation detection unit for detecting the rotation of the motor; the motor rotation detection unit outputs a pulse during the rotation of the motor; and the control method may further include the step of stopping the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a preset time.

[0018] The step of stopping the motor may be to stop the motor if, when the door is located between the closed position and the first position, no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a first time period, and to stop the motor if, when the door is located between the first position and the second position, no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a second time period shorter than the first time period.

[0019] The above control method may further include: a step of identifying the rotational speed of the motor while the door is opened from a closed position to a first position; and a step of controlling the motor to open the door to a second position by rotating at a third speed smaller than the second speed if the identified rotational speed of the motor is higher than a threshold speed.

[0020] The step of identifying the rotational speed of the motor can identify the rotational speed of the motor based on a first time when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor and a second time when the position of the door is detected as a first position by the second sensor.

[0021] The refrigerator further includes a proximity sensor; and the control method may further include the step of stopping the motor when the proximity sensor detects that an object exists within a preset distance from the door while the motor is rotating.

[0022] The above control method may further include: a step of controlling the motor to rotate at a fourth speed to close the door after a preset time has elapsed since the door has been opened to the second position; and a step of controlling the motor to rotate at a fifth speed greater than the fourth speed to completely close the door when the second sensor detects that the position of the door is at the first position.

[0023] The means for solving the problem of the present disclosure are not limited to the means for solving the problem described above, and means for solving the problem not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the present specification and the attached drawings. Effects of the invention

[0024] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure as described above, the door can be opened at a variable speed by appropriately controlling the rotational speed of the motor of the refrigerator door opening device. Accordingly, user safety, convenience, and satisfaction can be improved.

[0025] Furthermore, other effects that can be obtained or predicted by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, various effects predicted according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be disclosed in the detailed description to be set forth below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2a is a front view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2b is a drawing illustrating a door opening device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3c is a perspective view of a door position detection unit. Figure 2d is a drawing illustrating the appearance of the door position detection unit when viewed from the front of the refrigerator. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4a is a graph showing the rotational speed of a motor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4b is a drawing illustrating the rotating view of a door according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5a is a graph showing the rotational speed of a motor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5b is a table showing the compensation speed of a motor according to the opening time of a door according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the appearance of a door being closed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] The terms used in this specification will be briefly explained, and the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0028] The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure have been selected to be as widely used as possible, taking into account their functions within this disclosure; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Additionally, in specific cases, terms have been arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant explanatory section of this disclosure. Therefore, terms used in this disclosure should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the overall content of this disclosure.

[0029] The embodiments of the present disclosure are subject to various modifications and may have various embodiments; therefore, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the scope of the disclosed spirit and technology. In describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art may obscure the essence, such detailed description is omitted.

[0030] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but components should not be limited by these terms. Terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0031] The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "consisting of" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0032] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly explain the present disclosure in the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator (100) may include a plurality of doors (11) and a door opening device (130).

[0035] The door (11) includes a refrigerator door (12) and a freezer door (15). The refrigerator door (12) may include a first refrigerator door (13) and a second refrigerator door (14). Also, the freezer door (15) may include a first freezer door (16) and a second freezer door (17). Meanwhile, although the present disclosure describes a T-shaped refrigerator including four doors as an example, the concept for opening the door (11) described below can be applied to various refrigerators without limitation on the type of refrigerator.

[0036] A door opening device (130) is configured to open a door (11) and can be placed on a door that requires opening. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a door opening device (130) may be provided on each of a plurality of refrigerator doors (12) to open each of the plurality of refrigerator doors (12). That is, a first door opening device (130-1) may be placed on the top of the first refrigerator door (13), and a second door opening device (130-2) may be placed on the top of the second refrigerator door (14). However, it is not limited thereto, and if a single refrigerator door (12) includes a plurality of doors, a door opening device (130) may be provided on one or all of the plurality of doors. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a door opening device (130) on a freezer door (15) to open the freezer door (15).

[0037] FIG. 2a is a front view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 2a, the refrigerator (100) may include an object detection unit (140).

[0039] The object detection unit (140) is configured to detect an object (or user) existing within a preset range from the refrigerator (100) and may include a plurality of proximity sensors (141, 142). In this case, the first sensor (141) may include a first-1 sensor (141-1) and a first-2 sensor (141-2), and the second sensor (142) may include a second-1 sensor (142-1), a second-2 sensor (142-2), a second-3 sensor (142-3), and a second-4 sensor (142-4). For example, the object detection unit (140) may be implemented as an IR (Infrared Rays) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera.

[0040] The first sensor (141) may be positioned at the top of the freezer door (15). However, this is merely one embodiment, and the first sensor (141) may be positioned on the frame of the refrigerator (100) located between the refrigerator door (12) and the freezer door (15). The second sensor (142) may be positioned at the bottom of the freezer door (15). Specifically, the second sensor (142) may be attached to the bottom surface of the freezer door (15). Accordingly, the first sensor (141) and the second sensor (142) can easily detect objects around the refrigerator (100).

[0041] FIG. 2b is a drawing illustrating a door opening device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 2b is a drawing illustrating a second door opening device. Referring to FIG. 2b, the door opening device (130) may include a motor (131), a lever (132), a plurality of gears (133), and a clutch. The motor (131) may provide rotational force to the gear (133). The gear (133) may transmit the rotational force provided from the motor (131) to the lever (132). The lever (132) may open the door (11) by applying an external force to the refrigerator body (100) based on the rotational force transmitted through the gear (133).

[0042] FIG. 2c is a perspective view of a door position detection unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2d is a drawing showing the appearance of a door position detection unit when viewed from the front of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] The door position detection unit (160) is configured to detect the position (or rotation angle) of the door (11) and may include at least one sensor. For example, the door position detection unit (160) may include a magnet (162) and a reed switch (161) that is turned on / off by the magnet (162). Alternatively, the door position detection unit (160) may be composed of a magnet (162) and a Hall sensor. In this case, the Hall sensor reed switch (161) may be positioned at a location corresponding to the location where the reed switch is installed.

[0044] The door position detection unit (160) can be positioned in a location that is easy to detect the position of the door (11). For example, as shown in FIG. 2d, the reed switch (161) can be positioned at the bottom of the second refrigerator door (14), and the magnet (162) can be positioned at the top of the second freezer door (17). However, this is merely one embodiment, and it is also possible to implement it in a form where the reed switch (161) is positioned at the top of the second freezer door (17) and the magnet (162) is positioned at the bottom of the second refrigerator door (14). Meanwhile, for convenience of explanation, the door position detection unit (160) has been described above as being positioned on the second refrigerator door (14) and the second freezer door (17), but the door position detection unit (160) can be positioned on the first refrigerator door (13) and the first freezer door (16). In addition, it is also possible to place a plurality of door position detection units (160) on each of the first refrigerator door (13), the first freezer door (16), the second refrigerator door (14), and the second freezer door (17).

[0045] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The refrigerator (100) may include a door (11), an input unit (110), a communication unit (120), a door opening device (130), an object detection unit (140), a door opening detection unit (150), a door position detection unit (160), a motor rotation detection unit (170), a storage unit (180), and a control unit (190). Below, each component of the refrigerator (100) will be described.

[0046] The input unit (110) is configured to obtain a user command for opening the door (11). For example, the input unit (110) may be implemented as a microphone that obtains a user's voice command, a switch that turns on by contact with the user, a touch screen that obtains a user's touch input, or a sensor that detects a user's gesture, but is not limited thereto.

[0047] The communication unit (120) includes at least one circuit for user commands and can communicate with various types of external devices. The communication unit (120) may include a wireless communication module. For example, the communication unit (120) may include at least one of a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth communication module, a cellular communication module, a 4th generation LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication module, and a 5G communication module. The communication unit (120) can receive a user command for opening the door (11) transmitted from a user terminal device. Additionally, when a user voice command is obtained through a microphone, the communication unit (120) can transmit the obtained voice command to an external server.

[0048] The door opening device (130) is configured to open the door (11) as described above in FIG. 2b and may include a motor (131) for providing rotational force. Additionally, the door opening device (130) may include a power supply unit (e.g., a battery) for supplying power to the motor (131).

[0049] The object detection unit (140) is configured to detect an object (or user) existing within a preset distance from the refrigerator (100) as described above in FIG. 2a. Here, the preset distance is a distance set to prevent collision between the door (11) and the object, and may be, for example, 30 cm. The control unit (190) can control the motor (131) based on the detection result of the object detection unit (140).

[0050] The door opening detection unit (150) is configured to detect the opening of the door (11) and may include at least one sensor. The door opening detection unit (150) includes a pressing unit and can detect the opening and closing of the door as the pressing unit is pressed by the door. For example, the door opening detection unit (150) may include a door switch. The door opening detection unit (150) may be placed in various locations. For example, the door opening detection unit (150) may be placed on a plate of the refrigerator (100). Here, the plate refers to a panel that surrounds the outer side of the refrigerator body (10). Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the door opening detection unit (150) is also referred to as a first sensor.

[0051] The door position detection unit (160) is configured to detect the position (or rotation angle) of the door (11). The door position detection unit (160) can detect whether the door (11) is located at a preset position. For example, the preset position may mean a position where the door (11) is opened by 30 degrees from the closed position. The control unit (190) can control the rotation speed of the motor (131) based on the detection result of the door position detection unit (160). Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the door position detection unit (160) is also referred to as a second sensor.

[0052] The motor rotation detection unit (170) is configured to detect the rotation of the motor (131). For example, the motor rotation detection unit (170) may be a Hall sensor. The motor rotation detection unit (170) may output a pulse during the rotation of the motor (131). The control unit (190) may control the rotation speed of the motor (131) based on the period of the pulse output from the motor rotation detection unit (170).

[0053] The storage unit (180) may store commands or data related to at least one other component of the electronic device (100). In particular, the storage unit (180) may include non-volatile memory and volatile memory, and may be implemented, for example, as flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state drive (SSD). The storage unit (180) is accessed by the control unit (190), and the reading / writing / modification / deletion / updating of data by the control unit (180) may be performed. The storage unit (180) may store the compensation speed of the motor (131) according to the opening time of the door (11). Here, the compensation speed may refer to the rotational speed of the motor (131) when the door (11) is located in a specific area.

[0054] The control unit (190) can control the overall operation of the refrigerator (100). In particular, the control unit (190) can control the rotational speed of the motor (131).

[0055] When a user command to open the door (11) is obtained, the control unit (190) can control the motor (131) to rotate at a first speed. Then, when the opening of the door (11) is detected by the door opening detection unit (150), the motor (131) can be controlled to rotate by gradually decelerating to a second speed, which is smaller than the first speed. Additionally, when the position of the door (11) is detected as being at a first position by the door position detection unit (160), the motor (131) can be controlled to rotate at a second speed to open the door (11) to a second position. Here, the first position refers to a position where the door (11) is opened by rotating 30 degrees from the closed position, and the second position refers to a position where the door (11) is opened by rotating 90 degrees from the closed position. That is, the control unit (190) can control the door (11) to open at a relatively slow speed in an area where the possibility of a collision with the user is relatively high, and control the motor (131) to open the door (11) at a relatively fast speed in an area where the possibility of a collision is relatively low. Accordingly, the possibility of a collision between the door (11) and the user is reduced, and the user's satisfaction can be improved.

[0056] Meanwhile, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit (170) for a preset time. That is, even though the control unit (190) has controlled the motor (131) to rotate, if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit (170), it determines that the door (11) cannot be opened due to an external load and can stop the motor (131). Accordingly, damage to the motor (131) due to overload can be prevented.

[0057] Additionally, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) with varying sensitivities depending on the position of the door (11). For example, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a first time when the door (11) is positioned between the closed position and the first position. Conversely, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit (170) for a second time that is shorter than the first time when the door (11) is positioned between the first position and the second position. That is, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) more sensitively when the door (11) is positioned between the first position and the second position than when the door (11) is positioned between the closed position and the first position.

[0058] Meanwhile, the control unit (190) can identify the rotational speed of the motor (131) while the door (11) is opened from a closed position to a first position. Specifically, the control unit (190) can identify the rotational speed of the motor (131) based on the difference between a first point in time when the opening of the door (11) is detected by the door opening detection unit (150) and a second point in time when the position of the door (11) is detected as the first position by the door position detection unit (160). At this time, if the identified rotational speed of the motor is greater than the threshold speed, the control unit (190) can control the motor (131) to open the door (11) to the second position by rotating at a third speed that is smaller than the second speed. Accordingly, the door (11) can be opened to a uniform position.

[0059] Additionally, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) if it is detected by the object detection unit (140) that an object exists within a preset distance from the refrigerator (100) while the motor (131) is rotating. For example, the control unit (190) can stop the motor (131) and stop the door (11) if it is detected that an object exists within 30 cm from the refrigerator (100) while the door (11) is open. Accordingly, a collision between the door (11) and the object can be prevented.

[0060] Meanwhile, the control unit (190) can control the motor (131) so that the door (11) closes after a preset time has elapsed since the door (131) has been opened to a second position. Accordingly, power loss due to the door (11) being open for a long time can be prevented. Additionally, when the control unit (190) controls the motor (131) to close the door (11), it controls the motor (131) to rotate at a fourth speed, and when the door position detection unit (160) detects that the position of the door (11) is at a first position, it can control the motor (131) to rotate at a fifth speed greater than the fourth speed so that the door (11) is completely closed.

[0061] The components of the refrigerator (100) have been described above. The operation of the refrigerator (100) will be described in more detail below.

[0062] FIG. 4a is a graph showing the rotational speed of a motor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4b is a drawing showing the rotation of a door according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] When a user command to open the door (11) of the refrigerator (100) is obtained through the input unit (110) or the communication unit (120), the first speed ( The motor (131) can be rotated by ) and, when the opening of the door (11) is detected by the door opening detection unit (150) of the refrigerator (100) (i.e., when the door (11) is closed at a certain angle ( The rotational speed of the motor (131) can be reduced by rotating by, for example, 3 to 4 degrees. Specifically, the refrigerator (100) has a first speed ( A second velocity smaller than ) The motor (11) can be controlled to rotate by gradually decelerating down to )

[0064] As the door (11) rotates, the position of the door (11) is set to a first position by the door position detection unit (160). When it is detected that ) the refrigerator (100) moves the door (11) to the second position ( The second speed until opened up to ) The motor (11) can be controlled to rotate while maintaining ). Here, the first position ( ) is a position where the door (11) is opened by 30 degrees from the closed position, and the second position ( ) may be a position where the door (11) is opened 90 degrees from the closed position. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5b, the door (11) is in a first position ( The first position (in the interval between ) ) at the second position( It can be opened at a slow speed in the interval between ). Therefore, the possibility of a collision between the door (11) and the user can be reduced.

[0065] Meanwhile, the refrigerator (100) can activate a so-called lock function based on a pulse output from the motor rotation detection unit (170). Specifically, the refrigerator (100) can stop the motor (131) if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit (170) for a preset time. That is, if the motor (131) rotates at a speed lower than a threshold speed, the refrigerator (100) can stop the motor (131) by determining that the door (11) cannot be opened due to an external load, etc. Here, the threshold speed can be determined based on a control signal for driving the motor (131). Accordingly, damage to the motor (131) due to overload can be prevented.

[0066] Additionally, the refrigerator (100) can activate the lock function according to different criteria depending on the position of the door (11). For example, when the door (11) is in a closed position, a first position ( When positioned between ), the refrigerator (100) can stop the motor (131) if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit (170) during the first time. And, the door (110) is in the first position ( ) at the second position( When located between ), the refrigerator (100) can stop the motor (131) if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit (170) during a second time that is shorter than the first time. That is, the refrigerator (100) is in a first position (which is an area where the possibility of collision with the user is relatively high) ) at the second position( When the door (11) is located between ), the first position (where the door (11) has a relatively low probability of collision with the user when the door is closed) The lock function can be activated more sensitively when the door (11) is positioned between the door and the door. Accordingly, user safety can be improved.

[0067] Meanwhile, the rotational speed of the motor (131) may rotate differently from a preset value depending on the weight of an external load or an object loaded in the storage space provided in the door (11). For example, if the weight of the door (11) is heavier than the preset weight, the rotational speed of the motor (131) may rotate slower than the preset speed. Accordingly, the door (11) may not open to a preset angle. The refrigerator (100) can control the rotational speed of the motor (131) based on the actual rotational speed of the motor (131) detected by the motor rotation detection unit (170) so that the door (11) opens to a uniform position even in such a situation.

[0068] FIG. 5a is a graph illustrating the rotational speed of a motor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5a, at a closed position, a first position ( The average rotational speed of the motor (131) detected through the motor rotation detection unit (170) when located between ) is the critical speed ( It can be larger than ). At this time, the refrigerator (100) has the door (11) in the first position ( After the point where ) is reached, the second velocity ( A third velocity smaller than ) The motor (131) can be controlled to rotate to ). Accordingly, the door (11) is in a second position ( It can be opened up to ).

[0069] Meanwhile, the refrigerator (100) can control the rotation speed of the motor (131) based on the time taken for the door (11) to open to a preset position.

[0070] FIG. 5b is a table showing the compensation speed of a motor according to the opening time of a door according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 5b, time (t) is from the point in time when the opening of the door (11) begins until the door (11) reaches a preset position (e.g., a first position ( It refers to the time taken to reach the preset position, and the calibration speed (calibration rpm) may refer to the rotational speed of the motor (131) after the point in time when the door (11) reaches the preset position. Such a table may be stored in the storage unit (180) in the form of a look-up table. For example, if the time taken for the door (11) to open to the preset position is 1100ms, the refrigerator (100) may control the motor (131) to rotate at 300rpm after the point in time when the door (11) reaches the preset position.

[0071] Meanwhile, the refrigerator (100) can rotate the motor (131) to close the door (11) when a door (11) closing command is obtained from the user or when a specific condition is satisfied. Here, the specific condition may include the case where the user is not detected within a preset range for a preset time by the object detection unit (140). The refrigerator (100) can rotate the motor (131) in the opposite direction to when the door (11) is opened. Additionally, the refrigerator (100) can control the motor (131) so that the speed of the motor (131) is variable even when the door (11) is closed.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the appearance of a door being closed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A refrigerator (100) has a door (11) in a first position ( ) at the second position( When located between ), the fourth velocity ( The motor (131) can be rotated in ) and, the door (11) is in the first position ( When closed to ), the door (11) is in the first position ( After reaching the point where ), the rotational speed of the motor (131) can be increased. Accordingly, the door (11) reaches the first position ( The motor (131) operates at the fourth speed ( 5th velocity greater than ) The motor (131) can be controlled to rotate to ). Therefore, the door (11) is in a first position ( ) at the second position( When located between ), the first position ( It can close quickly when located between the closed positions in ).

[0073] Meanwhile, the refrigerator (100) can activate a lock function based on a pulse output from the motor rotation detection unit (170) while the door (11) is closing. Additionally, the refrigerator (100) can stop the motor (131) if an object is detected by the object detection unit (140) to be within a preset distance from the door (11) while the motor (131) is rotating.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] When a user command to open the door is obtained, the refrigerator (100) controls the motor to rotate at a first speed (S710), and when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor, it controls the motor to rotate by gradually decelerating to a second speed smaller than the first speed (S720), and when the position of the door is detected by the second sensor as being at the first position, it controls the motor to rotate at a second speed to open the door to the second position (S730). Each step is described below.

[0076] The refrigerator (100) can control the motor to rotate at a first speed when a user command to open the door is obtained (S710). At this time, the user command may include voice commands and gesture commands.

[0077] When the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor, the refrigerator (100) can control the motor to rotate by gradually decelerating it to a second speed, which is smaller than the first speed (S720). At this time, the refrigerator (100) can obtain the actual rotational speed of the motor (131) through the motor rotation detection unit (170). Based on the obtained rotational speed of the motor (131), the refrigerator (100) can increase or decrease the rotational speed of the motor (131) or stop the motor (131). A detailed explanation of this is omitted as it has been previously described.

[0078] When the refrigerator (100) detects that the door position is at the first position by the second sensor, it can control the motor to rotate at the second speed to open the door to the second position (S730). Here, the first position is a position where the door is opened 30 degrees from the closed position, and the second position may be a position where the door is opened 90 degrees from the closed position. That is, the refrigerator (100) can control the motor (131) so that the door (11) opens at a relatively slow speed in an area where the possibility of collision with a user is relatively high, and the door (11) opens at a relatively fast speed in an area where the possibility of collision is relatively low.

[0079] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or a similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as the processor itself. According to software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0080] Meanwhile, computer instructions for performing processing operations according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When computer instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor, they may cause a specific device to perform processing operations according to the various embodiments described above.

[0081] A non-transient computer-readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device, unlike media that store data for a short period of time such as registers, caches, and memory. Specific examples of non-transient computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0082] Meanwhile, a device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory storage medium' simply means that it is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, a 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is stored temporarily.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0084] Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. It is understood that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essence of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present disclosure. Explanation of the symbols

[0085] 100: Refrigerator 110: Input section 120: Communication unit 130: Door opening device 131: Motor 140: Object detection unit 150: Door opening detection unit 160: Door position detection unit 170: Motor rotation detection unit 180: Storage unit 190: Control unit 11: Door

Claims

Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a main body including a door; a door opening device including a motor for opening the door through the rotation of the motor; a first sensor for detecting the opening of the door; a second sensor for detecting the position of the door; and a processor; wherein the processor controls the motor to rotate at a first speed when a user command to open the door is obtained; controls the motor to rotate by decelerating in steps to a second speed smaller than the first speed when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor; controls the motor to open the door to a second position by rotating at the second speed when the position of the door is detected to be a first position by the second sensor; identifies whether the rotational speed of the motor is greater than a threshold speed while the door is opened from a closed position to the first position; and if the identified rotational speed of the motor is greater than the threshold speed, controls the motor to open the door to a second position by rotating at a third speed smaller than the second speed. Claim 2 A refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a motor rotation detection unit for detecting rotation of the motor; wherein the motor rotation detection unit outputs a pulse during the rotation process of the motor, and the processor stops the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a preset time. Claim 3 A refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the processor stops the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a first time when the door is located between the closed position and the first position, and stops the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a second time shorter than the first time when the door is located between the first position and the second position. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies the rotational speed of the motor based on the difference between a first time point when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor and a second time point when the position of the door is detected as a first position by the second sensor. Claim 6 A refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door comprises a first door provided in a refrigerator compartment and a second door provided in a freezer compartment located at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment, the door opening device is provided at the top of the first door and the second sensor is provided at the bottom of the first door. Claim 7 A refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor; wherein the processor stops the motor when the proximity sensor detects that an object exists within a preset distance from the door while the motor is rotating. Claim 8 A refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the motor to rotate at a fourth speed to close the door after a preset time has elapsed since the door was opened to the second position, and controls the motor to rotate at a fifth speed greater than the fourth speed to completely close the door when the second sensor detects that the position of the door is the first position. Claim 9 A refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first position is a position opened by 30 degrees from the closed position of the door, and the second position is a position opened by 90 degrees from the closed position of the door. Claim 10 A control method for a refrigerator comprising a main body including a door, a door opening device including a motor for opening the door through the rotation of the motor, a first sensor for detecting the opening of the door, and a second sensor for detecting the position of the door, wherein the control method comprises: a step of controlling the motor to rotate at a first speed when a user command to open the door is obtained; a step of controlling the motor to rotate by gradually decelerating it to a second speed smaller than the first speed when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor; and a step of controlling the motor to open the door to a second position by rotating at the second speed when the position of the door is detected to be a first position by the second sensor; and further comprising: an operation of identifying whether the rotational speed of the motor is greater than a threshold speed while the door is opened from a closed position to the first position; and an operation of controlling the motor to open the door to a second position by rotating at a third speed smaller than the second speed when the identified rotational speed of the motor is greater than the threshold speed. Claim 11 In claim 10, the refrigerator further comprises a motor rotation detection unit for detecting the rotation of the motor; the motor rotation detection unit outputs a pulse during the rotation of the motor; and the control method further comprises the step of stopping the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a preset time. Claim 12 A control method according to claim 11, wherein the step of stopping the motor is to stop the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a first time when the door is located between the closed position and the first position, and to stop the motor if no pulse is output from the motor rotation detection unit for a second time shorter than the first time when the door is located between the first position and the second position. Claim 13 delete Claim 14 In claim 10, the step of identifying the rotational speed of the motor is a control method that identifies the rotational speed of the motor based on the difference between a first time point when the opening of the door is detected by the first sensor and a second time point when the position of the door is detected as a first position by the second sensor. Claim 15 In claim 10, the refrigerator further comprises a proximity sensor; and the control method further comprises the step of stopping the motor when the proximity sensor detects that an object exists within a preset distance from the door while the motor is rotating. Claim 16 A control method according to claim 10, further comprising: a step of controlling the motor to rotate at a fourth speed to close the door after a preset time has elapsed since the door has been opened to the second position; and a step of controlling the motor to rotate at a fifth speed greater than the fourth speed to completely close the door when the position of the door is detected by the second sensor to be the first position.

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