Dryer and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A dryer may include: a cabinet; a drum rotatable in the cabinet; a drying portion configured to dry an object accommodated in the drum; a motor configured to rotate the drum; a plurality of electrodes on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction of the drum, the plurality of electrodes being configured to detect at least one electrode impedance of the object; and a controller configured to determine a dryness level of the object for each of areas inside the drum based on the at least one electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes, and control the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object for each of the areas.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is continuation of International Application No. PCT / KR2025 / 002156, filed on Feb. 13, 2025, which is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0044989, filed on Apr. 2, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.BACKGROUND1. Field

[0002] The disclosure relates to a dryer having an improved structure, and a method for controlling the same.2. Description of Related Art

[0003] A dryer is a device capable of drying an object (object to be dried) by removing moisture contained in the object. Various types of dryers capable of drying an object exist in the related art. For example, there is a dryer that supplies hot air into a drum that accommodates an object. In another example, there is a dryer capable of drying an object through dielectric heating that uses radio frequency (RF). In a related art dryer that uses dielectric heating, an object to be dried is placed between two flat electrodes arranged in parallel and water contained in the object may be heated by producing an electric field between the two flat electrodes.

[0004] In addition, a dryness level of an object to be dried may be measured in various ways to properly dry the object. For example, a dryness level of an object in a drum may be measured using a humidity sensor located in the dryer. Alternatively, the dryness level of the object may be measured by measuring a moisture content of the object at a specific temperature using a temperature sensor and a weight sensor, or may be measured using an impedance between pairs of electrodes.SUMMARY

[0005] Provided is a dryer that may measure a dryness level of an object to be dried for each area (for each part) by arranging a plurality of electrodes in various directions on an inner surface of a drum to more accurately determine the dryness level of the object and provide an optimized drying course and drying time.

[0006] Technical aspects that can be achieved by the disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other technical aspects not mentioned will be clearly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure belongs from the following description.

[0007] According to an aspect of the disclosure, a dryer includes: a cabinet; a drum rotatable in the cabinet; a drying portion configured to dry an object accommodated in the drum; a motor configured to rotate the drum; a plurality of electrodes on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction of the drum, the plurality of electrodes being configured to detect at least one electrode impedance of the object; and a controller configured to determine a dryness level of the object for each of areas inside the drum based on the at least one electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes, and control the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object for each of the areas.

[0008] The controller may be further configured to control the motor to increase a rotation speed of the drum, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a rear area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in a front area inside the drum.

[0009] The controller may be further configured to control the motor to alternately rotate the drum in a forward direction and a reverse direction, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a lower area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in an upper area inside the drum.

[0010] The plurality of electrodes may be arranged in at least two rows extending in the axial direction, and the controller may be further configured to determine a first dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that face each other in the at least two rows.

[0011] The controller may be further configured to determine a second dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that do not face each other in the at least two rows.

[0012] The controller may be further configured to determine a final dryness level of the object based on an average value of the first dryness level and the second dryness level.

[0013] The controller may be further configured to control the plurality of electrodes to detect the at least one electrode impedance of the object at preset intervals.

[0014] The controller further is configured to provide a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation, based on the final dryness level of the object being greater than or equal to a reference value after a reference time period.

[0015] The controller may be further configured to determine a material of the object based on the final dryness level of the object, and control the drying portion and the motor to change a drying time or a drying course based on the determined material.

[0016] The controller may be further configured to provide a notification of a change in a drying time or a drying course, based on the drying time or the drying course being changed.

[0017] According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a dryer including a cabinet, a drying portion configured to dry an object, a drum rotatable in the cabinet, a motor configured to rotate the drum, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction of the drum, includes: determining a dryness level of the object for each of areas inside the drum based on at least one electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes; and controlling the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object for each of the areas.

[0018] The controlling the motor may include controlling the motor to increase a rotation speed of the drum, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a rear area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in a front area inside the drum.

[0019] The controlling the motor may include controlling the motor to alternately rotate the drum in a forward direction and a reverse direction, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a lower area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in an upper area inside the drum.

[0020] The plurality of electrodes may be arranged in at least two rows extending in the axial direction, and the determining the dryness level of the object may include determining a first dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that face each other in the at least two rows.

[0021] The determining the dryness level the object may include determining a second dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that do not face each other in the at least two rows.

[0022] The determining the dryness level of the object may further include determining a final dryness level of the object based on an average value of the first dryness level and the second dryness level.

[0023] The detecting the electrode impedance of the object may include detecting the at least one electrode impedance of the object at preset intervals.

[0024] The method may further include providing a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation, based on the final dryness level of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a reference value after a reference time period.

[0025] The controlling the drying portion and the motor may include determining a material of the object based on the final dryness level of the object to be dried, and controlling the drying portion and the motor to change a drying time or a drying course based on the determined material.

[0026] The method may further include providing a notification of a change in a drying time or a drying course, based on the drying time or the drying course being changed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network system including various electronic devices;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a view of a dryer according to an embodiment;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to an embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a dryer according to an embodiment;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an arrangement of electrodes on an inner surface of a drum according to an embodiment;

[0033] FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are views illustrating arrangements of a plurality of electrode rows on an inner surface of a drum according to an embodiment;

[0034] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate electrodes used for measurement according to the amount of object to be dried according to an embodiment;

[0035] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate methods for measuring impedance between a plurality of electrodes according to an embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operations of changing a drying time or a drying course depending on a dryness level according to an embodiment;

[0037] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate operations of changing a drying course in a case where a dryness level of an object located in a specific area of a dryer is relatively low, according to an embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 illustrate operations of changing a drying course in a case where a dryness level of an object located in a specific area of a dryer is relatively low, according to an embodiment; and

[0039] FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 illustrate operations of recommending that a drying operation be stopped based on a dryness level, according to an embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Various embodiments of the disclosure and terms used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the corresponding embodiments.

[0041] In describing of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related elements.

[0042] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context.

[0043] In the disclosure, phrases, such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases.

[0044] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0045] Terms such as “˜portion”, “˜member”, “˜module”, and the like may be implemented in hardware or software or any combination thereof. According to various embodiments, a plurality of “˜portions”, “˜members”, or “˜modules” may be embodied as a single element, or a single “˜portion”, “˜member”, or “˜module” may include a plurality of elements.

[0046] Terms such as “1st”, “2nd”, “primary”, or “secondary” may be used simply to distinguish an element from other elements, without limiting the element in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).

[0047] When an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “(functionally or communicatively) coupled” or “connected” to another element (e.g., a second element), the first element may be connected to the second element, directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third element.

[0048] It will be understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including”, and / or “comprising” are used in the disclosure, they specify the presence of the specified features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.

[0049] When a given element is referred to as being “connected to”, “coupled to”, “supported by” or “in contact with” another element, it is to be understood that it may be directly or indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other element. When a given element is indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with another element, it is to be understood that it may be connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other element through a third element.

[0050] It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it may be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present.

[0051] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network system including various electronic devices.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 1, a home appliance 10 may include a communication module capable of communicating with another home appliance, a user device 2, and / or a server 3, a user interface that receives a user input and / or outputs information to a user, at least one processor that controls operation of the home appliance 10, and at least one memory that stores a program for controlling the operation of the home appliance 10.

[0053] The home appliance 10 may be at least one of various types of home appliances. For example, the home appliance 10 may include at least one of a refrigerator 11, a dishwasher 12, an electric range 13, an electric oven 14, an air conditioner 15, a clothes treating apparatus 16, a washing machine 17, a dryer 18, and a microwave oven 19.

[0054] The home appliance 10 is not limited to the examples shown in FIG. 1. For example, the home appliance 10 may include various other types of appliances such as a cleaning robot, a vacuum cleaner, a television, and the like. Furthermore, the aforementioned home appliances are by way of example only, and in addition to the aforementioned home appliances, other appliances connected to other home appliance, the user device 2, or the server 3 to perform operations described below may be included in the home appliance 10 according to an embodiment.

[0055] The server 3 may include a communication module communicating with another server, the home appliance 10, or the user device 2, at least one processor that processes data received from another server, the home appliance 10, or the user device 2, and at least one memory that stores programs for processing data or processed data. The server 3 may be implemented as a variety of computing devices, such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, a data station, and the like. The server 3 may be implemented as one or more server physically or logically separated based on a function, detailed configuration of function, or data, and may transmit and receive data through communication between servers and process the transmitted and received data.

[0056] The server 3 may perform functions, such as managing a user account, registering the home appliance 10 in association with the user account, managing or controlling the registered home appliance 10, and the like. For example, a user may access the server 3 via the user device 2 and may create a user account. The user account may be identified by an identifier (ID) and a password set by the user. The server 3 may register the home appliance 10 with the user account according to a predetermined procedure. For example, the server 3 may link identification information of the home appliance 10 (e.g., a serial number or media access control (MAC) address) to the user account to register, manage, and control the home appliance 10. The user device 2 may include a communication module capable of communicating with the server 3 or the home appliance 10, a user interface that receives a user input or outputs information to a user, at least one processor that controls an operation of the user device 2, and at least one memory that stores a program for controlling the operation of the user device 2.

[0057] The user device 2 may be carried by a user, or placed in a user's home or office, or the like. The user device 2 may include a personal computer (PC), a terminal, a portable telephone, a smartphone, a handheld device, a wearable device, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] The memory of the user device 2 may store a program for controlling the home appliance 10, i.e., an application. The application may be pre-installed during manufacture on the user device 2, or may be downloaded from an external server for installation.

[0059] By running the application installed on the user device 2 by a user, the user may access the server 3, create a user account, and communicate with the server 3 based on the login user account to register the home appliance 10.

[0060] For example, by operating the home appliance 10 to allow the home appliance 10 to access the server 3 according to a procedure guided by the application installed on the user device 2, the server 3 may register the home appliance 10 with the user account by assigning the identification information (e.g., a serial number or an MAC address) of the home appliance 10 to the corresponding user account.

[0061] A user may control the home appliance 10 using the application installed on the user device 2. For example, by logging into a user account with the application installed on the user device 2, the home appliance 10 registered in the user account appears, and by inputting a control command for the home appliance 10, the control command may be delivered to the home appliance 10 via the server 3.

[0062] A network may include both a wired network and a wireless network. The wired network may include a cable network or a telephone network, and the wireless network may include any networks transmitting and receiving a signal via radio waves. The wired network and the wireless network may be interconnected.

[0063] The network may include a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN) formed around an access point (AP), and a short-range wireless network that does not use an AP. The short-range wireless network may include Bluetooth™ (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), Wi-Fi Direct, near field communication (NFC), and Z-Wave, but is not limited thereto.

[0064] The AP may connect the home appliance 10 or the user device 2 to a WAN connected to the server 3. The home appliance 10 or the user device 2 may be connected to the server 3 via a WAN.

[0065] The AP may communicate with the home appliance 10 or the user device 2 using wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth™ (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), and the like, and access a WAN using wired communication, but is not limited thereto.

[0066] According to various embodiments, the home appliance 10 may be directly connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 without going through an AP.

[0067] The home appliance 10 may be connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 via a long-range wireless network or a short-range wireless network.

[0068] For example, the home appliance 10 may be connected to the user device 2 via a short-range wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct).

[0069] In another example, the home appliance 10 may be connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 via a WAN using a long-range wireless network (e.g., a cellular communication module).

[0070] In still another example, the home appliance 10 may access a WAN using wired communication, and may be connected to another home appliance 10 or the server 3 via a WAN.

[0071] When accessing a WAN using wired communication, the home appliance 10 may also act as an AP. Accordingly, the home appliance 10 may connect another home appliance 10 to a WAN to which the server 3 is connected. In addition, another home appliance 10 may connect the home appliance 10 to the WAN to which the server 3 is connected.

[0072] The home appliance 10 may transmit information about an operation or state to other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3 via the network. For example, the home appliance 10 may transmit information about an operation or state to other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3, upon receiving a request from the server 3, in response to an event in the home appliance 10, or periodically or in real time. Upon receiving the information about the operation or state from the home appliance 10, the server 3 may update the stored information about the operation or state of the home appliance 10 and transmit the updated information about the operation and state of the home appliance 10 to the user device 2 via the network. Here, updating the information may include various operations in which existing information is changed, such as adding new information to the existing information, replacing the existing information with new information, and the like.

[0073] The home appliance 10 may obtain various information from other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3, and may provide the obtained information to a user. For example, the home appliance 10 may obtain information related to a function of the home appliance 10 (e.g., recipes, washing instructions, etc.) from the server 3 and various environmental information (e.g., weather, temperature, humidity, etc.), and may output the obtained information via a user interface.

[0074] The home appliance 10 may operate in accordance with a control command received from other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3. For example, the home appliance 10 may operate in accordance with a control command received from the server 3, based on a prior authorization obtained from a user to operate in accordance with the control command of the server 3 even without a user input. Here, the control command received from the server 3 may include a control command input by the user via the user device 2 or a control command based on preset conditions, but is not limited thereto.

[0075] The user device 2 may transmit information about a user to the home appliance 10 or the server 3 via the communication module. For example, the user device 2 may transmit information about a user's location, a user's health condition (i.e., state), a user's preference, a user's schedule, and the like to the server 3. The user device 2 may transmit information about the user to the server 3 based on the user's prior authorization.

[0076] The home appliance 10, the user device 2, or the server 3 may use techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI) to determine a control command. For example, the server 3 may receive information about an operation or a state of the home appliance 10 or information about a user of the user device 2, process the received information using techniques, such as AI, and transmit a processing result or a control command to the home appliance 10 or the user device 2 based on the processing result.

[0077] A dryer 1 as will be described below may correspond to the aforementioned home appliance 10.

[0078] FIG. 2 is a view of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 2, the dryer 1 may include a cabinet 1a that defines an exterior, and a drum 20 rotatably installed in the cabinet 1a. The cabinet 1a may be provided in a shape of substantially a hexahedron. The cabinet 1a may include a top cover 1b that provides a top portion of the cabinet 1a, a front cover 1c that provides a front portion thereof, and a base that provides a bottom portion thereof.

[0080] For example, the front cover 1c, the top cover 1b, and the base, which constitute the cabinet 1a, may be separately provided and assembled together. In another example, some components (e.g., the front cover, the top cover, and the base) that constitute the cabinet 1a may be integrally formed.

[0081] An inlet 31 through which to an object to be dried (e.g., clothing) may be put into or removed from the drum 20 may be provided at the front portion of the cabinet 1a. The dryer 1 may include a door 50 for opening or closing the inlet 31 provided at the front cover 1c. A user may put in or take out the object to be dried (hereinafter also referred to as the “object”) to or from the drum 20 through the inlet 31 after opening the door 50. When the inlet 31 is closed and the dryer 1 starts to operate, a door lock may lock the door 50.

[0082] A user interface 100 may be provided in an upper portion on a front surface of the cabinet 1a for interaction between the user and the dryer 1. The user interface 100 may obtain a user input and display various information about the dryer 1. A position of the user interface 100 is not limited to the front surface. The user interface 100 may be provided in various positions on the dryer 1.

[0083] The user interface 100 may include a display. The user interface 100 may also include an input module for obtaining a user input relating to an operation of the dryer 1. The input module may include a rotatable dial and various buttons. In addition, the user interface 100 may include various types of input modules and a display.

[0084] The display may be provided as various types of display panels. For example, the display may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, an organic LED (OLED) panel, or a micro LED panel. The display may include a touch screen to be used as an input device as well.

[0085] The display may display information input by the user or information to be provided for the user in various screens. The display may display information about an operation of the dryer 1 in at least one of an image or a text. The display may also display a graphic user interface (GUI) that enables control of the dryer 1. That is, the display may display a user interface (UI) element such as an icon.

[0086] The input module may transmit an electrical signal (e.g., voltage or current) corresponding to a user input to a controller 200 of the dryer 1. The input module may include various buttons and / or a dial. For example, the input module may include at least one of a power button to power on or off the dryer 1, a start / stop button to start or stop a drying operation, a drying course button to select a drying course, a temperature button to set a drying temperature, a time button to set a drying time, and the like. These various buttons may be provided as mechanical buttons and / or touch buttons.

[0087] The dial included in the input module may be rotatable. The UI elements displayed on the display may be sequentially shifted by turning the dial. The dryer 1 may perform drying according to a selected drying course. The drying course may include drying parameters such as drying temperature and drying time. Other drying courses may be selected depending on a position of the object, a type of the object, and / or an amount of the object in the drum 20.

[0088] The dryer 1 may include a filter 40 detachably installed at the front cover 1c. The filter 40 may filter off a foreign substance such as lint that moves along with air circulating in the drum 20.

[0089] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 3, the drum 20 having a cylindrical shape may be provided in the cabinet 1a. The drum 20 may accommodate and dry an object to be dried. The drum 20 is rotatable based on motive power provided by a motor 72. The drum 20 may be provided in the cabinet 1a to rotate around a rotating axis that is substantially parallel with the ground surface on which the dryer 1 is disposed.

[0091] A lifter 21 may be provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum 20 to lift the object while the drum 20 is rotating. An operation in which the object is lifted by the lifter 21 and then falls may be repeated according to the rotation of the drum 20. A roller 22 that supports the drum 20 to be smoothly rotated may be provided on an outer circumferential surface of the drum 20.

[0092] A driving device may be provided in a lower portion in the cabinet 1a. The driving device may be mounted on the base of the dryer 1. The driving device may include the motor 72, and a pulley 74 and a belt 75 for transferring power provided by the motor 72 to the drum 20.

[0093] The pulley 74 may be connected to a rotation shaft 73, which is connected to the motor 72. When the rotation shaft 73 is rotated by the motor 72, the pulley 74 may be rotated along with the rotation shaft 73. The belt 75 may be installed to be wound on an outer surface of the pulley 74 and an outer surface of the drum 20. When the belt 75 is rotated by driving power of the motor 72, the drum 20 may be rotated along with the belt 75. The drum 20 may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0094] A flow path 80 may be formed in the cabinet 1a and in the drum 20 in which air is circulated. The flow path 80 may include an air discharge path 81 in which air is discharged out of the drum 20 from inside the drum 20, and an air supply path 82 in which air is supplied into the drum 20.

[0095] The dryer 1 may include a discharge duct 60 that forms the air discharge path 81. The filter 40 may be provided at an inlet 61 of the discharge duct 60. The discharge duct 60 may pass through the cabinet 1a, and an outlet 63 of the discharge duct 60 may be exposed to an outside of the cabinet 1a. The air flowing in through the inlet 61 of the discharge duct 60 may be filtered while passing the filter 40. The filter 40 may filter out a foreign substance such as lint contained in the air.

[0096] A fan 71 may be provided in the cabinet 1a to circulate the air. The air may flow into the discharge duct 60 from inside the drum 120 due to rotation of the fan 71. In addition, due to the rotation of the fan 71, air may be supplied into the drum 20 through the air supply path 83 and an air inlet 20b of the drum 20. The air supplied into the drum 20 may be used for drying the object.

[0097] The motor 72 may rotate not only the drum 20 but also the fan 71. The drum 20 and the fan 71 are shown as being driven by the single motor 72 in FIG. 3, but embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, additional fan motor for driving the fan 71 may be included in the dryer 1. In addition, the motor 72 may be directly connected to the drum 20 to rotate the drum 20. In a case where the motor 72 is directly connected to the drum 20, the pulley 74 and the belt 75 may be omitted.

[0098] A plurality of electrodes 90 may be provided in the drum 20. The plurality of electrodes 90 may be arranged in an axial direction on an inner surface of the drum 20 to detect an electrode impedance of the object. A detailed description of the plurality of electrodes 90 will be described below.

[0099] FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0100] The dryer 1 may include the cabinet 1a, the drum 20, and the motor 72 as described above, and may further include a drying portion 30, the plurality of electrodes 90, and the controller 200.

[0101] The drying portion 30 may dry an object to be dried. The dryer 1 may dry the object in various ways. For example, there may be a hot air drying method in which externally generated heat is convected by an external force (e.g., fan, blower, etc.) that circulates heated air to dry the object, a heat pump drying method in which heat is absorbed from a low-temperature heat source and the absorbed heat is released at a high-temperature location, and an electric field drying method in which radio frequency (RF) in the form of energy is radiated to an object to be dried to perform drying by interacting with water molecules within the object. In this instance, according to the electric field drying method, the drying portion 30 may include the plurality of electrodes 90.

[0102] The plurality of electrodes 90 may be sequentially arranged in the axial direction on the inner surface of the drum 20, and may detect an electrode impedance of the object in the drum 20.

[0103] The arrangement of the plurality of electrodes 90 and the detection of the electrode impedance will be described in detail below.

[0104] The controller 200 may include memory 202 that stores a control program and control data for controlling the drying portion 30 and the motor 72, and at least one processor 201 that generates a control signal according to the control program and control data stored in the memory 202. The memory 202 and the processor 201 may be provided integrally or separately.

[0105] The memory 202 may store electrode impedance values detected by the plurality of electrodes 90, and may store a program and data for controlling the drying portion 30 and the motor 72.

[0106] The memory 202 may include a volatile memory, such as a static random access memory (S-RAM) and a dynamic random access memory (D-RAM) for temporarily storing data. In addition, the memory 202 may include a non-volatile memory, such as a read only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) for long-term data storage.

[0107] The processor 201 may include various logic circuits and operation circuits, may process data according to a program provided from the memory 202, and may generate a control signal according to the processing result.

[0108] The controller 200 may determine a dryness level of the object for each area based on the electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes 90, which will be described in detail below.

[0109] The controller 200 may control the drying portion 30 and the motor 72 based on the determined dryness level of the object. That is, the controller 200 may control the drying portion 30 and the motor 72 to provide an optimized drying course and drying time according to the dryness level of the object.

[0110] Hereinafter, an operation of determining a dryness level of an object for each area to provide an optimized drying course and drying time is described in detail.

[0111] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an arrangement of electrodes on an inner surface of a drum according to an embodiment.

[0112] As described above, the plurality of electrodes 90 may be arranged in sequence in an axial direction on the inner surface of the drum 20. The plurality of electrodes 90 arranged in the axial direction on the inner surface of the drum 20 as shown in the drawing may form a single electrode row. Although it is shown in FIG. 2 that the plurality of electrodes 90 are arranged in the same row, the plurality of electrodes 90 may not be arranged in the same row and may simply be arranged on the inner surface of the drum 20 in the axial direction of the drum 20, i.e., in a depth direction.

[0113] As described above, the controller 200 may determine a dryness level of an object accommodated in the drum 20 based on an electrode impedance detected by each of the plurality of electrodes 90. That is, when water, which acts as a dielectric, is present between the plurality of electrodes 90, an intensity of electric field formed between the plurality of electrodes 90 may decrease, a magnitude of voltage detected by the electrodes 90 may decrease, and the electrode impedance may decrease. As the object is dried, the water contained in the object may be removed. As the drying progresses, the magnitude of the voltage detected by the electrodes 90 may gradually increase, and the electrode impedance may gradually be detected as large. In other words, as the drying progresses, a difference between the magnitude of the voltage detected by the electrodes 90 and a magnitude of a reference voltage may gradually decrease. The controller 200 may determine the dryness level of the object based on changes in the magnitude of the voltage detected by the electrodes 90 and / or the electrode impedance.

[0114] Because the plurality of electrodes 90 are arranged in the axial direction on the inner surface of the drum 20, the dryness level of the object in the drum 20 may be determined in the axial direction, thereby accurately determining the dryness level of the object for each area.

[0115] FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are views illustrating arrangements of a plurality of electrode rows on an inner surface of a drum according to embodiments.

[0116] FIG. 5 illustrates a single electrode row arranged in an axial direction in the drum 20, and FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate a plurality of electrode rows are provided.

[0117] That is, the plurality of electrodes 90 may include at least two or more electrode rows arranged in sequence in the axial direction.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 6A, the dryer 1 may include a first electrode row 90′a and a second electrode row 90′b each arranged in the axial direction in the drum 20.

[0119] An object accommodated in the drum 20 comes into contact with the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b, and thus a dryness level of the object may be determined based on an electrode impedance of each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b.

[0120] Electrode rows may also be arranged as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0121] The lifter 21 may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 20 to lift the object when the drum 20 rotates. Depending on a rotation speed of the drum 20, the object may be repeatedly lifted and lowered by the lifter 21. The plurality of electrodes 90 may be arranged in rows on the lifter.

[0122] That is, as shown in FIG. 6B, a third electrode row 90′c may be provided on one lifter 21, and a fourth electrode row 90′d may be provided on another lifter 21.

[0123] The object accommodated in the drum 20 comes into contact with the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d, and thus the dryness level of the object may be determined based on an electrode impedance of each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 6C, the dryer 1 may include the first electrode row 90′a, and the second electrode row 90′b provided on the inner surface of the drum 20 as shown in FIG. 6A, and the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d provided on the lifter 21.

[0125] The plurality of electrode rows 90′ shown in FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6C may be arranged at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction on the inner surface of the drum 20. That is, the plurality of electrode rows 90′ may be arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum 20, and may also be arranged at different intervals.

[0126] The arrangements of the plurality of electrodes 90 shown in FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6C are only an example, and the plurality of electrodes 90 may be arranged in various patterns or shapes.

[0127] As described above, in the case of the dryer 1 of the electric field drying method, the plurality of electrodes 90 for radiating radio frequency (RF) in the form of energy to an object to be dried may be included. In this case, the plurality of electrodes 90 for radiating RF may be arranged as shown in FIG. 3, and the plurality of electrodes 90 may be used for detecting an electrode impedance to measure a dryness level of the object.

[0128] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate electrodes used for measurement according to the amount of object to be dried according to embodiments.

[0129] In FIGS. 7A and 7B, it is assumed that all of the first electrode row 90′a through the fourth electrode row 90′d are provided in the drum 20 as in FIG. 6C.

[0130] As described above, when an object 11 accommodated in the drum 20 comes into contact with each of the plurality of electrodes 90, a dryness level may be determined based on an electrode impedance that varies according to a moisture contained in the object 11.

[0131] In a case where the size of object 11 accommodated in the drum 20 is relatively small as shown in FIG. 7A, the object 11 may come into contact only with the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b without coming into contact with the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d.

[0132] In this case, a dryness level of the object 11 may be determined based on an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b.

[0133] In addition, in a case where the size of object 11 accommodated in the drum 20 is relatively large as shown in FIG. 7B, the object 11 may come into contact not only with the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b, but also with the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d.

[0134] In this case, a dryness level of the object 11 may be determined based on an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d, or based on an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the first electrode row 90′a through the fourth electrode row 90′d.

[0135] Hereinafter, a process of determining a dryness level by measuring an impedance between each of the electrodes 90 included in the plurality of electrode rows 90′ is described.

[0136] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate methods for measuring impedance between a plurality of electrodes according to embodiments.

[0137] As described above, the plurality of electrodes 90 may include a plurality of electrode rows 90′ arranged in sequence in the axial direction of the drum 20, and the plurality of electrode rows 90′ may be arranged at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction on the inner surface of the drum 20.

[0138] The controller 200 may determine a dryness level of an object to be dried based on an electrode impedance between the plurality of electrode rows 90′ and an electrode impedance between the electrodes arranged in the axial direction on the inner surface of the drum 20.

[0139] That is, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in a single electrode row and an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in different electrode rows.

[0140] For example, in a case where a dryness level of an object to be dried is determined using the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b as shown in FIG. 8A, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the first electrode row 90′a, an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the second electrode row 90′b, and an electrode impedance between the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode row 90′b.

[0141] Specifically, an electrode impedance between a first electrode 90′a-1 of the first electrode row 90′a and a first electrode 90′b-1 of the second electrode row 90′b, an electrode impedance between a second electrode 90′a-2 of the first electrode row 90′a and a second electrode 90′b-2 of the second electrode row 90′b, and an electrode impedance between a third electrode 90′a-3 of the first electrode row 90′a and a third electrode 90′b-3 of the second electrode row 90′b may be determined, and the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances. In other words, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances between the electrodes facing each other in different electrode rows.

[0142] Thereafter, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′a-1 of the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode 90′b-2 of the second electrode row 90′b, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′a-1 of the first electrode row 90′a and the third electrode 90′b-3 of the second electrode row 90′b, an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′a-2 of the first electrode row 90′a and the first electrode 90′b-1 of the second electrode row 90′b, an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′a-2 of the first electrode row 90′a and the third electrode 90′b-3 of the second electrode row 90′b, an electrode impedance between the third electrode 90′a-3 of the first electrode row 90′a and the first electrode 90′b-1 of the second electrode row 90′b, and an electrode impedance between the third electrode 90′a-3 of the first electrode row 90′a and the second electrode 90′b-2 of the second electrode row 90′b may be determined, and the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances.

[0143] That is, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances between the electrodes that do not face each other in different electrode rows.

[0144] Finally, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′a-1 of the first electrode row and the second electrode 90′a-2 of the first electrode row, an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′a-2 of the first electrode row and the third electrode 90′a-3 of the first electrode row, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′b-1 of the second electrode row and the second electrode 90′b-2 of the second electrode row, and an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′b-2 of the second electrode row and the third electrode 90′b-3 of the second electrode row may be determined, and the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances.

[0145] That is, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances between each electrode in the same electrode row.

[0146] As such, the dryness level of the object may be determined for each area based on the electrode impedances between each of the plurality of electrodes 90, and a final dryness level may be determined using an average value of each determined dryness level.

[0147] In addition, in a case where a dryness level of an object to be dried is determined using the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d provided on the lifter as shown in FIG. 8B, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the third electrode row 90′c, an electrode impedance between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the fourth electrode row 90′d, and an electrode impedance between the third electrode row 90′c and the fourth electrode row 90′d.

[0148] Specifically, an electrode impedance between a first electrode 90′c-1 of the third electrode row 90′c and a first electrode 90′d-1 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, an electrode impedance between a second electrode 90′c-2 of the third electrode row 90′c and a second electrode 90′d-2 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, and an electrode impedance between a third electrode 90′c-3 of the third electrode row 90′c and a third electrode 90′d-3 of the fourth electrode row 90′d may be determined, and the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances. In other words, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances between the electrodes facing each other in different electrode rows.

[0149] Thereafter, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′c-1 of the third electrode row 90′c and the second electrode 90′d-2 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′c-1 of the third electrode row 90′c and the third electrode 90′d-3 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′c-2 of the third electrode row 90′c and the first electrode 90′d-1 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′c-2 of the third electrode row 90′c and the third electrode 90′d-3 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, an electrode impedance between the third electrode 90′c-3 of the third electrode row 90′c and the first electrode 90′d-1 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, and an electrode impedance between the third electrode 90′c-3 of the third electrode row 90′c and the second electrode 90′d-2 of the fourth electrode row 90′d may be determined, and the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances.

[0150] That is, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances between the electrodes that do not face each other in different electrode rows.

[0151] Finally, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′c-1 of the third electrode row 90′c and the second electrode 90′c-2 of the third electrode row 90′c, an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′c-2 of the third electrode row 90′c and the third electrode 90′c-3 of the third electrode row 90′c, an electrode impedance between the first electrode 90′d-1 of the fourth electrode row 90′d and the second electrode 90′d-2 of the fourth electrode row 90′d, and an electrode impedance between the second electrode 90′d-2 of the fourth electrode row 90′d and the third electrode 90′d-3 of the fourth electrode row 90′d may be determined, and the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances.

[0152] That is, the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances between each electrode in the same electrode row.

[0153] As such, the dryness level of the object may be determined for each area based on the electrode impedances between each of the plurality of electrodes 90, and a final dryness level may be determined using an average value of each determined dryness level.

[0154] By determining the dryness level of the object using the electrode impedances between each of the plurality of electrodes 90 included in the plurality of electrode rows 90′, the dryness level of various directions and various parts of the object to be dried may be determined. Accordingly, the accuracy of determining the dryness level may be increased, and thus an optimized drying course and drying time may be provided.

[0155] The plurality of electrodes 90 may detect an electrode impedance at preset intervals. That is, the dryness level may be determined by detecting the electrode impedance at regular intervals.

[0156] The above-described order of measuring an electrode impedance between the electrodes is only an example, and the electrode impedance may be measured in various orders.

[0157] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operations of changing a drying time or a drying course depending on a dryness level according to an embodiment.

[0158] As described above, the dryer 1 according to the disclosure may determine a dryness level of an object to be dried based on an electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes 90.

[0159] Hereinafter, operations of controlling the drying portion 30 and the motor 72 based on the detected dryness level of the object are described.

[0160] When the dryer 1 operates a drying course according to an operation command or the like (901), the dryness level of the object may be determined based on the electrode impedances detected by the plurality of electrodes (903).

[0161] The controller 200 may control the drying portion 30 and the motor 72 to change the drying course or drying time based on the dryness level of the object (905).

[0162] Here, the drying course of the dryer 1 may be performed based on a user input of an operation command for a specific drying course.

[0163] In this case, i.e., when the drying time or drying course is changed based on the dryness level of the object, a drying time or drying course change notification may be provided to notify the user that the drying time or drying course has been changed (907).

[0164] The notification may be provided visually by a display included in the dryer 1, and may also be provided audibly by a speaker.

[0165] For example, in a case where a drying time is extended based on the determined dryness level of the object, a visual or audible notification may be provided to notify the user that the drying time has been extended. The form of notification described above is only an example, and various forms of notification may be provided to the user.

[0166] Alternatively, a drying time or drying course may be changed depending on a material of the object.

[0167] That is, the controller 200 may determine the material of the object based on a final dryness level of the object, and may control the drying portion 30 and the motor 72 to change the drying time or the drying course based on the determined material.

[0168] For example, in a case where a material of an object to be dried is determined to be a material that dries well, the controller 200 may perform a control to shorten a drying time.

[0169] In this case, a visual or audible notification may be provided to notify that the drying time has been shortened based on the material of the object.

[0170] In addition, in a case where a user sets an operation mode of the dryer 1 to an automatic mode, and the like, i.e., when the dryer 1 is operated in the automatic mode for automatically performing optimized drying without setting a specific drying course, the controller 200 may control the drying portion 30 and the motor 72 to properly dry the object after the above-described dryness level determination.

[0171] In this case, because the drying course or drying time may be determined automatically, no separate notification about the change in the drying course or drying time is required to be provided to the user.

[0172] As such, the dryer 1 according to the disclosure may change the drying course or drying time in various ways based on the determined dryness level of the object. Hereinafter, detailed embodiments of changing a drying course or drying time are described.

[0173] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate operations of changing a drying course in a case where a dryness level of an object located in a specific area of a dryer is relatively low, according to an embodiment.

[0174] As described above, a dryness level of an object to be dried may be determined based on an electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes 90 (1001).

[0175] During a drying operation, an object located in a rear area of the drum 20, where a mechanical force effect is relatively small, may be dried less. In other words, the object located in the rear area of the drum 20 may be dried less than an object located in a front area of the drum 20.

[0176] Here, the rear area of the drum 20 may be an area adjacent to a rear side of the drum 20 based on a center of the drum 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the rear area of the drum 20 may be an area up to the rear side of the drum 20 based on a line L1 drawn on the center of the drum 20.

[0177] On the contrary, the front area of the drum 20 may be an area adjacent the door based on the center of the drum 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the front area of the drum 20 may be an area up to a front side of the drum 20 based on the line L1 drawn on the center of the drum 20.

[0178] The criteria for the front area and the rear area are only examples, and various areas representing a front part of the drum 20 may be the front area, and various areas representing a rear part of the drum 20 may be the rear area.

[0179] In a case where the dryness level of the object located in the rear area of the drum 20 is lower than the dryness level of the object located in the front area of the drum 20 as a result of determining the dryness level of the object (Yes in operation 1003), the controller 200 may control the motor 72 to increase a rotation speed of the drum 20 (1005).

[0180] That is, by increasing the rotation speed of the drum 20, the object located in the rear area may be moved to the front area by centrifugal force, and thus objects to be dried may be uniformly mixed as a whole.

[0181] In a case where the dryness level of the object located in the rear area of the drum 20 is greater than or equal to the dryness level of the object located in the front area of the drum 20 as a result of determining the dryness level of the object (No in operation 1003), the controller 200 may maintain the existing control (1007).

[0182] According to the control described above, the object located in the rear area of the drum 20 may be prevented from being dried relatively less, and the objects may be dried uniformly and adequately.

[0183] FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 illustrate operations of changing a drying course in a case where a dryness level of an object located in a specific area of a dryer is relatively low, according to an embodiment.

[0184] As described above, a dryness level of an object to be dried may be determined based on an electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes 90 (1201).

[0185] During a drying operation, an object located closer to the inner surface of the drum 20 may be dried relatively less. That is, an object located in a lower area of the drum 20 may be dried less than an object located in an upper area of the drum 20.

[0186] Here, the lower area of the drum 20 may be an area facing a lower side of the drum 20 based on a specific reference line of the drum 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the lower area of the drum 20 may be an area from a reference line L2 to the lower side of the drum 20.

[0187] On the contrary, the upper area of the drum 20 may be an area facing an upper side of the drum 20 based on the reference line of the drum 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the upper area of the drum 20 may be an area from the reference line L2 to the upper side of the drum 20.

[0188] The criteria for the lower area and the upper area are only examples, and various areas representing a lower part of the drum 20 may be the lower area, and various areas representing an upper part of the drum 20 may be the upper area.

[0189] In a case where the dryness level of the object located in the lower area of the drum 20 is lower than the dryness level of the object located in the upper area as a result of determining the dryness level of the object (Yes in operation 1203), the controller 200 may control the motor 72 to rotate the drum 20 alternately in forward and reverse directions (1205).

[0190] That is, by alternately rotating the drum 20 in forward and reverse directions, the objects to be dried may be mixed up and down, and may be uniformly mixed as a whole. Here, the forward direction may be clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the setting.

[0191] In a case where the dryness level of the object located in the lower area of the drum 20 is greater than or equal to the dryness level of the object located in the upper area as a result of determining the dryness level of the object (No in operation 1203), the controller 200 may maintain the existing control (1207).

[0192] According to the control described above, the object located in the lower area of the drum 20 may be prevented from being dried relatively less, and the objects to be dried may be dried uniformly and adequately.

[0193] FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 illustrate operations of recommending that a drying operation be stopped based on a dryness level, according to an embodiment.

[0194] As described above, a dryness level of an object to be dried may be determined based on an electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes 90 (1401).

[0195] In a case where a determined dryness level of the object is low, the controller 200 may extend a drying time for adequate drying of the object.

[0196] However, in a case where an excessive amount of objects to be dried is accommodated in the drum 20, a rated capacity may be excessively exceeded, resulting in abnormal drying.

[0197] That is, as shown in FIG. 15, when an excessive amount of objects to be dried is accommodated in the drum 20, adequate drying may not be performed even though a drying time is extended.

[0198] Accordingly, the controller 200 may provide a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation (1405), in a case where a final dryness level of the objects is greater than or equal to a reference value even after a reference time period (Yes in operation 1403).

[0199] Here, the reference time period and the reference value may be set to appropriate values for optimized drying of the objects.

[0200] That is, in a case where the drying operation is performed and the dryness level is continuously measured to be high even after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, a notification may be provided to a user to notify that abnormal drying is taking place due to an excessive weight or volume of the objects to be dried compared to the rated capacity of the drum 20 and to recommend that the drying course requires to be stopped.

[0201] Alternatively, the drying operation may be automatically stopped and a notification may be provided to notify of the stop of the drying operation.

[0202] Accordingly, abnormal drying due to an excessive amount of objects to be dried may be prevented from being performed.

[0203] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dryer may include: a cabinet; a drying portion configured to dry an object to be dried; a drum rotatable in the cabinet; a motor configured to rotate the drum; a plurality of electrodes arranged on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction and configured to detect an electrode impedance of the object to be dried; and a controller configured to determine a dryness level of the object to be dried for each area based on the electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes, and control the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object to be dried for each area.

[0204] According to the disclosure, a dryness level of an object to be dried may be measured for each area by arranging a plurality of electrodes in various directions on an inner surface of a drum, thereby more accurately determining the dryness level of the object and providing an optimized drying course and drying time.

[0205] The controller may be configured to control the motor to increase a rotation speed of the drum, based on the object to be dried located in a rear area of the drum being lower than a dryness level of the object to be dried located in a front area of the drum.

[0206] The controller may be configured to control the motor to alternately rotate the drum in forward and reverse directions, based on the object to be dried located in a lower area of the drum being lower than a dryness level of the object to be dried located in an upper area of the drum.

[0207] The plurality of electrodes may include at least two rows of electrodes arranged in sequence in the axial direction, and the controller may be configured to determine a first dryness level of the object to be dried based on an electrode impedance between electrodes facing each other in the at least two rows of electrodes.

[0208] The controller may be configured to determine a second dryness level of the object to be dried based on an electrode impedance between electrodes that do not face each other in the at least two rows of electrodes.

[0209] The controller may be configured to determine a final dryness level of the object to be dried based on an average value of the first dryness level and the second dryness level.

[0210] The controller may be configured to control the plurality of electrodes to detect the electrode impedance of the object to be dried at preset intervals.

[0211] The controller may be configured to provide a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation, in response to the final dryness level of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a reference value after a reference time period.

[0212] The controller may be configured to determine a material of the object to be dried based on the final dryness level of the object to be dried, and control the drying portion and the motor to change a drying time or a drying course based on the determined material.

[0213] The controller may be configured to provide a notification of a change in a drying time or a drying course, in response to the drying time or the drying course being changed.

[0214] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, in a method for controlling a dryer including a cabinet, a drying portion configured to dry an object to be dried, a drum rotatable in the cabinet, a motor configured to rotate the drum, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction and configured to detect an electrode impedance of the object to be dried, the method may include: determining a dryness level of the object to be dried for each area based on the electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes; and controlling the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object to be dried for each area.

[0215] The controlling of the motor may include controlling the motor to increase a rotation speed of the drum, based on the object to be dried located in a rear area of the drum being lower than a dryness level of the object to be dried located in a front area of the drum.

[0216] The controlling of the motor may include controlling the motor to alternately rotate the drum in forward and reverse directions, based on the object to be dried located in a lower area of the drum being lower than a dryness level of the object to be dried located in an upper area of the drum.

[0217] The plurality of electrodes may include at least two rows of electrodes arranged in sequence in the axial direction, and the determining of the dryness level of the object to be dried may include determining a first dryness level of the object to be dried based on an electrode impedance between electrodes facing each other in the at least two rows of electrodes.

[0218] The determining of the dryness level of the object to be dried may include determining a second dryness level of the object to be dried based on an electrode impedance between electrodes that do not face each other in the at least two rows of electrodes.

[0219] The determining of the dryness level of the object to be dried may include determining a final dryness level of the object to be dried based on an average value of the first dryness level and the second dryness level.

[0220] The detecting of the electrode impedance of the object to be dried may include detecting the electrode impedance of the object to be dried at preset intervals.

[0221] The method may further include providing a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation, in response to the final dryness level of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a reference value after a reference time period.

[0222] The controlling of the drying portion and the motor may include determining a material of the object to be dried based on the final dryness level of the object to be dried, and controlling the drying portion and the motor to change a drying time or a drying course based on the determined material.

[0223] The method may further include providing a notification of a change in a drying time or a drying course, in response to the drying time or the drying course being changed.

[0224] According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a dryness level of an object to be dried may be measured for each area (for each part) by arranging a plurality of electrodes in various directions on an inner surface of a drum, thereby more accurately determining the dryness level of the object and providing an optimized drying course and drying time.

[0225] The disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium that stores instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program codes, and when executed by a processor, the instructions may create a program module to perform operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0226] The computer-readable recording medium may include all kinds of recording media storing instructions that can be interpreted by a computer. For example, the computer-readable recording medium may be read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disc, a flash memory, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0227] Although embodiments of the disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, a person having ordinary skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made without departing from the technical spirit or essential features of the disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting in all aspects.

Claims

1. A dryer comprising:a cabinet;a drum rotatable in the cabinet and configured to accommodate an object therein;a drying portion configured to dry the object accommodated in the drum;a motor configured to rotate the drum;a plurality of electrodes on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction of the drum, the plurality of electrodes being configured to detect at least one electrode impedance of the object; anda controller configured to determine a dryness level of the object for each of areas inside the drum based on the at least one electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes, and control the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object for each of the areas.

2. The dryer of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the motor to increase a rotation speed of the drum, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a rear area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in a front area inside the drum.

3. The dryer of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the motor to alternately rotate the drum in a forward direction and a reverse direction, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a lower area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in an upper area inside the drum.

4. The dryer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in at least two rows extending in the axial direction, andwherein the controller is further configured to determine a first dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that face each other in the at least two rows.

5. The dryer of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a second dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that do not face each other in the at least two rows.

6. The dryer of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a final dryness level of the object based on an average value of the first dryness level and the second dryness level.

7. The dryer of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to control the plurality of electrodes to detect the at least one electrode impedance of the object at preset intervals.

8. The dryer of claim 6, wherein the controller further is configured to provide a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation, based on the final dryness level of the object being greater than or equal to a reference value after a reference time period.

9. The dryer of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a material of the object based on the final dryness level of the object, and control the drying portion and the motor to change a drying time or a drying course based on the determined material.

10. The dryer of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a notification of a change in a drying time or a drying course, based on the drying time or the drying course being changed.

11. A method for controlling a dryer comprising a cabinet, a drum rotatable in the cabinet, a drying portion configured to dry an object accommodated in the drum, a motor configured to rotate the drum, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on an inner surface of the drum in an axial direction of the drum, the method comprising:determining a dryness level of the object for each of areas inside the drum based on at least one electrode impedance detected by the plurality of electrodes; andcontrolling the drying portion and the motor based on the determined dryness level of the object for each of the areas.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling the motor comprises controlling the motor to increase a rotation speed of the drum, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a rear area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in a front area inside the drum.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling the motor comprises controlling the motor to alternately rotate the drum in a forward direction and a reverse direction, based on a first dryness level of the object located in a lower area inside the drum being lower than a second dryness level of the object located in an upper area inside the drum.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in at least two rows extending in the axial direction, andwherein the determining the dryness level of the object comprises determining a first dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that face each other in the at least two rows.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the dryness level of the object further comprises determining a second dryness level of the object based on at least one electrode impedance between electrodes that do not face each other in the at least two rows.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the dryness level of the object further comprises determining a final dryness level of the object based on an average value of the first dryness level and the second dryness level.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the detecting the electrode impedance of the object comprises detecting the at least one electrode impedance of the object at preset intervals.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a notification to recommend stopping a drying operation, based on the final dryness level of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a reference value after a reference time period.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling the drying portion and the motor comprises determining a material of the object based on the final dryness level of the object to be dried, and controlling the drying portion and the motor to change a drying time or a drying course based on the determined material.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a notification of a change in a drying time or a drying course, based on the drying time or the drying course being changed.

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