Electronic apparatus for controlling humidifier using artificial intelligence model, humidifier, and methods therefor

Abstract

In a device and method, the electronic apparatus receives information on a plurality of control factors related to a humidification operation by means of a communication unit, generates a control signal for controlling the humidification operation using the plurality of control factors and an artificial intelligence model so that the humidifier can humidify to a target humidity in a power saving state within a specified allowable time range, and transmits the control signal to the humidifier. Accordingly, energy can be effectively saved, and thus electricity bills can be reduced or a contribution may be made to environmental protection.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT / KR2024 / 018185 designating the United States, filed on Nov. 18, 2024, in the Korean Ministry of Intellectual Property Receiving Office and claiming priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0160570, filed on Nov. 20, 2023, in the Korean Ministry of Intellectual Property, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.BACKGROUNDField

[0002] The disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus for controlling an operation of a humidifier using an artificial intelligence (AI) model, a humidifier, and a method therefor.Description of Related Art

[0003] Humidifiers are widely used to control indoor humidity. With technological advances, humidifiers are no longer limited to simple humidification functions but are now capable of communicating with electronic apparatuses such as smartphones, and more detailed manipulation is possible through an app installed on an electronic apparatus.

[0004] In the conventional technology, a humidifier operates at maximum power while its power supply is turned on. Accordingly, there has been a need for a technology capable of efficiently controlling a humidifier by considering various variables related to its operation, such as indoor humidity, temperature, and remaining water level.SUMMARY

[0005] In accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure, an electronic apparatus includes a communication unit comprising communication circuitry, a memory configured to store an artificial intelligence (AI) model, and at least one processor comprising processing circuitry.

[0006] At least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic device to: based on information on a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation of a humidifier being received through the communication unit, transmit, via the communication unit, a control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier based on the plurality of control factors and the AI model so that the humidifier may humidify to a target humidity in a power-saving state within a specified allowable time range, and the AI model comprises a model trained from data for power consumption for each combination of the plurality of control factors.

[0007] According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, a humidifier includes a memory configured to store information on a specified target humidity, at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry, at least one sensor, and a humidifying module including a humidifier configured to perform humidification using water collected in a water collection tank, wherein at least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the humidifier to: identify temperature and humidity based on sensing values from the at least one sensor, calculate a time required to humidify to the target humidity, and control the operation of the humidifying module to humidify to the target humidity in a power-saving state within a specified allowable time range based on information on a plurality of control factors including the target humidity, temperature, humidity, the time required, and a remaining water level in the water collection tank.

[0008] According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, a power-saving operation method using a server device includes: receiving, via a communication unit comprising communication circuitry, information on a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation of a humidifier, generating a control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier based on the plurality of control factors and an artificial intelligence (AI) model, so that the humidifier may humidify to a target humidity in a power-saving state within a specified allowable time range, and transmitting the control signal to the humidifier via the communication unit.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of an electronic apparatus according to various example embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the electronic apparatus according to various example embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an example heater split control mode in a rated heating period of a heated humidifier according to various example embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a table illustrating an example heating mode of a heated humidifier classified according to a range of plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation according to various example embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a table illustrating example target humidity attainment time for each heater capacity of a heated humidifier classified depending on a size of a space according to various example embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating correlation between temperature and target humidification attainment times according to various example embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating correlation between indoor temperature and required humidification amount according to various example embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an electronic apparatus that receives a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation from a plurality of external devices and a humidifier according to various example embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example user interface displayed on a terminal device and an operation of the terminal device that allows a user to control a humidifier according to various example embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a heated humidifier according to various example embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for controlling an electronic apparatus to process a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation according to various example embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for controlling a humidifier using an artificial intelligence (AI) model according to various example embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] After terms used in the present disclosure are briefly described, the present disclosure will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] General terms that are currently widely used were selected as terms used in embodiments of the present disclosure in consideration of functions in the present disclosure, but may be changed depending on the intention of those skilled in the art or a judicial precedent, the emergence of a new technique, and the like. In addition, terms arbitrarily chosen may exist. In this case, the meaning of such terms will be mentioned in detail in a corresponding description portion of the present disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in the present disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the contents throughout the present disclosure rather than simple names of the terms.

[0024] The present disclosure may be variously modified and have various example embodiments, and therefore example embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated in the drawings and be described in greater detail in the detailed description. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to specific example embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. When it is determined that a detailed description of the known art related to the present disclosure may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description may be omitted.

[0025] Terms “first,”“second,” and the like, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not to be construed as being limited by these terms. The terms are used simply to distinguish one component from another component.

[0026] Singular expressions are intended to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” or “have” used in this disclosure, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, parts mentioned in this disclosure, or a combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof.

[0027] Hereinafter, various example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure may be modified in various different forms, and is not limited to the various example embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, portions unrelated to the description may be omitted to more clearly describe the disclosure, and similar reference numerals will be used to describe similar portions throughout the disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of an electronic apparatus according to various example embodiments.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic apparatus 100 may communicate with a humidifier 200 or various other external devices.

[0030] The electronic apparatus 100 may receive temperature, humidity, and remaining water level sensed from the humidifier 200 itself or from external devices around the humidifier. The electronic apparatus 100 may be implemented as various devices, such as, for example, and without limitation, a server device, desktop PC, laptop PC, mobile phone, tablet PC, kiosk, electronic whiteboard, or the like.

[0031] The electronic apparatus 100 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) model. The electronic apparatus 100 may control the operation of the humidifier 200 based on various pieces of information received from the humidifier 200 or the external device. For example, the electronic apparatus 100 may acquire a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation. The electronic apparatus 100 may directly receive information on at least some of the plurality of control factors from various external devices, or may calculate at least some of the plurality of control factors based on the information received from the external devices. The electronic apparatus 100 generates a signal that controls the humidifying operation of the humidifier 200 using the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation and the AI model.

[0032] The plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation may include various pieces of information required by the humidifier to perform the humidifying operation. For example, the plurality of control factors may include numerical values such as humidity before a humidifying operation, target humidity, temperature, humidifying time required to reach the target humidity, the remaining water level, the shape of the space, and the size of the space. Among the plurality of control factors, the humidity information may be a humidity value measured in the space where the humidifier is placed. The target humidity may be a value set by a user to determine the humidity in the space where the humidifier is placed. The required humidification time may be the time required to raise the target humidity based on the current humidity. Maintaining the humidifying operation of the humidifier at the highest state will reduce the required humidification time, but increase power consumption. On the other hand, maintaining the humidifying operation of the humidifier at the lowest state may reduce power consumption, but significantly increase the required humidification time. The humidifier may determine the required humidification time to an appropriate value to reach the target humidity within an appropriate time range. The remaining water level indicates the amount of water remaining in the water collection tank storing water in the humidifier. The shape and size of the space may indicate what shape and size the space in which the humidifier is placed (for example, a living room) has.

[0033] The AI model of the electronic apparatus 100 may comprehensively consider these various control factors and control the humidifying operation of the humidifier 200 so that the humidifier 200 may humidify to the target humidity in a power-saving state within a preset (e.g., specified) allowable time range. In other words, the electronic apparatus 100 may variably control the humidifying operation of the humidifier in a variable manner so that the time required to reach the target humidity is not excessively long while minimizing and / or reducing power consumption.

[0034] The control factors, such as the shape and size of the space, may be additionally considered to optimize / improve the control efficiency of the electronic apparatus 100. For example, when comparing a typical house and an apartment, the degree of airtightness in a typical house may be relatively lower than in an apartment. Therefore, even when the humidifying operation is performed at the same intensity for the same time, the changes in humidity in the typical house and the apartment may differ. Furthermore, even within the same residential environment, the humidity conditions in an open environment, such as a living room, and an enclosed environment, such as a room, may differ. Specifically, assuming that the same humidifier 200 is used in a house and an apartment of the same size, the humidity conditions may differ, as shown in Table 1 below.TABLE 1Usage time per unit area (Hour)3.5 L Water3.5 L Watercollection tankcollection tank3.5 L4 L3.5 L HouseApartment4 L HouseApartmentApplicable(ventilation(ventilation(ventilation(ventilationfloor area (m2)rate 1.0)rate 0.75)rate 1.0)rate 0.75)1018.524.721.228.219.869.312.410.714.2209.312.310.614.123.178.010.79.112.2306.28.27.19.433.17.58.5405.37.13.75.04.35.7503.74.94.25.652.963.54.74.05.3603.14.13.54.7702.63.53.0802.33.12.63.5902.12.72.43.11082.52.1 indicates data missing or illegible when filed

[0035] Table 1 shows the usage time of the humidifier per unit area. Referring to Table 1, when the floor area is 33.1 m2 and the water collection tank capacity is 4 L, it may be seen that it takes 6.4 hours for a house and 8.5 hours for an apartment to fully use water in one tank for humidification. Referring to the remaining cases in Table 1, it may be seen that the usage time per unit area is longer in apartments than in houses, and as the area of the space increases, the time required for humidification becomes longer.

[0036] This indicates that the shape and size of the space affect the humidification time. Therefore, when further considering the shape and size of the space in addition to the plurality of control factors described above, the electronic apparatus 100 may differently change the required humidification time (allowable time) range to produce result values.

[0037] Types of humidifiers 200 include, for example, and without limitation, heated humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers, natural evaporation humidifiers, or the like.

[0038] The heated humidifier may refer, for example, to a type that heats water to generate water vapor. The ultrasonic humidifier may refer, for example, to a type that uses ultrasonic waves to spray water into a fine mist. The natural evaporation humidifier may operate based on the principle of absorbing water into a built-in filter and allowing the absorbed water to evaporate naturally.

[0039] Various example embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to all humidifiers that use electric power; however, a heated humidifier will be described as an example in the following.

[0040] When the humidifier 200 is implemented as the heated humidifier, the electronic apparatus 100 operates the heater of the humidifier 200 for a preset initial heating period when the humidifier 200 starts. During the rated heating period following the initial heating period, the electronic apparatus 100 may selectively change a plurality of heating modes of the humidifier based on output values of the AI model. The initial heating period may be the initial period during which the humidifier 200 heats water to a temperature at which water vapor is generated. A length of the initial heating period may variously defined depending on the size of the water collection tank provided in the humidifier 200, the heater location, the type of heater, the type of humidifier 200, etc. The rated heating period may be a period during which the heating operation of the humidifier 200 is controlled after the initial heating period to adjust the degree of generation of water vapor. During the rated heating period, the electronic apparatus 100 may selectively change the plurality of heating modes of the humidifier based on the output value of the AI model. The heating mode may be an operation mode in which the humidifier heats water using the heater to generate water vapor. The heating mode may be referred to by various names such as an operation mode, a control mode, a humidification state mode, etc., but is uniformly described as a heating mode in the present disclosure. The plurality of heating modes may be classified according to various criteria such as the amount of moisture generation, the degree of noise generation, and the degree of power consumption. For example, the plurality of heating modes may include at least one of various modes such as a highest mode, a high mode, a medium mode, a low mode, a power-saving mode, a night mode, and a low-noise mode. In the above, the electronic apparatus 100 has been described as controlling the operation of the humidifier 200 based on the AI model and control factors. However, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic apparatus 100 may control the operation of the humidifier 200 based on preset control logic or a program without using the AI model. Various example embodiments will be described in greater detail below.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the electronic apparatus according to various example embodiments.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic apparatus 100 includes a communication unit (e.g., including communication circuitry) 110, a memory 130, and a processor (e.g., including processing circuitry) 120.

[0043] The communication unit 110 may include various communication circuitry and is configured to communicate with various external devices. In the environment as illustrated in FIG. 1, the communication unit 110 may perform communication with at least one humidifier or external devices.

[0044] The communication unit 110 may transmit and receive various signals and data to and from the humidifier 200 or other external devices through various wired and wireless communication methods, such as Bluetooth, AP-based Wi-Fi (wireless LAN network), Zigbee, wired / wireless local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), universal serial bus (USB), mobile high-definition link (MHL), audio engineering society / European broadcasting union (AES / EBU), optical, and coaxial.

[0045] The processor 120 is a component for controlling a general operation of the electronic apparatus 100.

[0046] The processor 120 may include various processing circuitry, including one or more of a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, or an artificial intelligence (AI) processor that processes digital signals, or may be defined by any of these terms. In addition, the processor 120 may be implemented by a system-on-chip (SoC) or a large scale integration (LSI) in which a processing algorithm is embedded, or may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 120 may perform various functions by executing computer executable instructions stored in the memory 130. Thus, the processor 120 may include various processing circuitry and / or multiple processors. For example, as used herein, including the claims, the term “processor” may include various processing circuitry, including at least one processor, wherein one or more of at least one processor, individually and / or collectively in a distributed manner, may be configured to perform various functions described herein. As used herein, when “a processor”, “at least one processor”, and “one or more processors” are described as being configured to perform numerous functions, these terms cover situations, for example and without limitation, in which one processor performs some of recited functions and another processor(s) performs other of recited functions, and also situations in which a single processor may perform all recited functions. Additionally, the at least one processor may include a combination of processors performing various of the recited / disclosed functions, e.g., in a distributed manner. At least one processor may execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.

[0047] For example, when the processor 120 receives the information on the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation of the humidifier through the communication unit 110, the processor 120 may store the information in the memory 130. The processor 120 may control the humidifying operation of the humidifier 200 using the received information and the AI model so that the humidifier 200 may humidify to the target humidity in the power-saving state within the preset allowable time range. For example, the processor 120 may generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the humidifier 200. The control signal may include various pieces of identification information such as an IP address corresponding to the humidifier 200, a product serial number, a product name, a product code, a session ID (SSID), and various pieces of control information such as a digital control code corresponding to the humidifier 200, but is not limited thereto and may be configured in various forms according to a communication standard method. The processor 120 transmits the generated control signal to the humidifier through the communication unit 110.

[0048] For example, in the case of the heated humidifier, when the humidifier 200 starts, the heater of the humidifier operates at the highest output during the preset initial heating period. During the rated heating period, when the water starts to boil, the control signal is generated and transmitted to the humidifier 200 to selectively change the plurality of heating modes based on the output values of the AI model. For example, the processor 120 may operate in a medium mode for a certain period of time after the initial heating period ends, and then generate a control signal including a control code that sequentially changes the modes in various order, such as high, low, medium, high, and highest.

[0049] The processor 120 may execute the AI model stored in the memory 130 to perform the above-described operations. For example, the processor 120 uses information on the plurality of control factors as input values of the AI model stored in the memory 130. The processor 120 may be implemented as an AI dedicated processor. The AI dedicated processor may be designed with a hardware structure specialized for processing a specific AI model. The AI model may be trained using various data. For example, the AI model may be trained based on data on power consumption for each combination of the plurality of control factors.

[0050] The creation of an AI model through training may refer, for example, to a basic AI model being trained by a learning algorithm using a plurality of training data, thereby enabling the model to perform desired functions or achieve desired purposes. Such training may be performed by the electronic apparatus 100 itself in which the AI according to the present disclosure is implemented, or may be performed in advance by a separate server and / or system and then loaded into the memory 130 of the electronic apparatus 100. Examples of the learning algorithms include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but are not limited to the above examples.

[0051] The AI model may include a plurality of neural network layers. Each of the plurality of neural network layers has a plurality of weight values, and performs a neural network operation through an operation between a calculation result of a previous layer and a plurality of weight values. The plurality of weight values of the plurality of neural network layers may be optimized by the training results of the AI model. For example, the plurality of weight values may be updated to reduce or minimize a loss value or a cost value acquired in the AI model during the learning process.

[0052] The artificial neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN), such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep neural network (DNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a generative adversarial network (GAN), a deep Q-Network, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0053] When executed by the processor 120, the AI model identifies a top-priority factor from among the plurality of control factors received through the communication unit based on preset priority information, and selects the heating mode corresponding to the identified top-priority factor. Furthermore, when the heating modes corresponding to a predetermined number or more of factors are identical, the same heating mode may be selected. A method for controlling an operation of a humidifier 200 according to the execution of the AI model will be described in detail later with reference to drawings.

[0054] In the above description, the case in which the processor 120 uses the AI model has been described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. The processor 120 may independently perform calculations based on Equations and data previously stored in the memory 130 without using the AI model, thereby generating signals that control the operation of the humidifier 200.

[0055] For example, the processor 120 may determine the operation of the humidifier 200 based on the following Equation:Δ⁢X=V(XiVi-X0V0)⁢n[Equation⁢ 1]

[0056] In Equation 1, AX denotes a required humidification amount (L / h) required to increase the current humidity to the target humidity, V denotes a volume of an indoor space (m3), Xi denotes an indoor absolute humidity (kg / kg) after the humidifier 200 is driven, Vi denotes a specific volume (m3 / kg) of Xi, Xo denotes an absolute humidity (kg / kg) of an external space outside the space where the humidifier 200 is placed, Vo denotes a specific volume (m3 / kg) of Xo, and n denotes a ventilation rate per hour.

[0057] In Equation 1, it is assumed that the indoor conditions before heating are the same as or similar to the outdoor conditions, and it is assumed that the indoor temperature after heating is 20° C. and the humidity is 60%.

[0058] The processor 120 may control the operation of the humidifier 200 based on the size of the required humidification amount calculated by Equation 1. For example, when the required humidification amount is greater than or equal to a preset first threshold, the humidifier 200 may operate in the highest mode, when the required humidification amount is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to a second threshold, the humidifier 200 may operate in the high mode, and when the required humidification amount is less than the second threshold, the humidifier 200 may operate in the medium mode. The processor 120 may update the required humidification amount by performing calculations based on Equation 1 frequently or periodically. The processor 120 may readjust the heating mode of the humidifier 200 based on the updated required humidification amount.

[0059] Equation 1 is a calculation equation established by assuming that a humidity value is used among the plurality of control factors. When control is to be performed based on another control factor among the plurality of control factors or based on a greater number of control factors, a calculation equation different from Equation 1 may be established and stored in the memory 130.

[0060] The memory 130 is configured to store various software, instructions, control codes, data, etc., required for the operation of the electronic apparatus 100. The memory 130 may be implemented as at least one of various memories, such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), one-time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0061] While FIG. 2 illustrates only one processor 120 and one memory 130, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the processor 120 and memory 130 may be implemented in various numbers and forms.

[0062] While FIG. 2 illustrates the memory 130 as a separate component from the processor 120, at least a portion of the memory 130 may be formed integrally with the processor 120.

[0063] As described above, when data is received from the humidifier 200 or other external devices connected via the communication unit 110, the memory 130 may store the received information under the control of the processor 120. The memory 130 stores information on sensing values received from the humidifier 200 or other external devices and the plurality of control factors related to humidification operation.

[0064] Furthermore, the memory 130 may also store information related to the user account of the refrigerator. For example, when the electronic apparatus 100 is implemented as a server device, the user may access the electronic apparatus 100 using his / her mobile phone or computer, etc. The user may register a user account on the electronic apparatus 100. When registering a user account, the user may enter various pieces of information, such as a user's name and age, a model name of a humidifier in use, ID, and password. The processor 120 may generate an account for the user using information input by the user and store information on the account in the memory 130.

[0065] In this state, when the sensing values are transmitted from the humidifier owned by the user or other external devices, the processor 120 may receive the sensing values via the communication unit 110 and store the sensing values in the memory 130 by matching the corresponding user account. Furthermore, the memory 130 may also store the information on the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation calculated by the processor 120 using the sensing values.

[0066] FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an example method for controlling a heated humidifier according to various example embodiments, and FIG. 4 is a table illustrating an example of classifying heating modes according to the range of the plurality of control factors according to various example embodiments.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3, when the heated humidifier starts operation, the heated humidifier operates at a constant intensity during the initial heating period, and then selectively operates in the plurality of heating modes during the rated heating period after the initial heating period ends.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 3, the initial heating period may proceed for approximately three hours after the humidifier is powered on or after a user command is input to initiate the humidifying operation of the humidifier. During the initial heating period, the humidifier operates in an operation mode (e.g., the highest mode) that consumes a certain amount of power (e.g., 1000 W). The length of the initial heating period may be determined based on various criteria. For example, the initial heating period may be determined as the period until the water starts to boil. In this case, the rated heating period may be switched from the point at which the water starts to boil and turns into water vapor.

[0069] When the humidifier operates in the AI mode, the humidifying operation may be performed by selectively controlling the heater in the plurality of heating modes based on the determination of the AI model during the rated heating period.

[0070] For example, when the humidified water temperature is below 99° C. (e.g., during the initial heating period), the humidifier 200 may not switch to the heating mode. The heating mode may be implemented in various ways, as described above. For example, the highest mode may be a mode that operates at 1000 W, the high mode may be a mode that operates at 700 W (42% of heater capacity), the medium mode may be a mode that operates at 500 W (27% of heater capacity), and the low mode may be a mode that operates at 300 W (12% of heater capacity). When the remaining water level of the humidifier becomes low during the rated heating period while performing the humidifying operation, the user should replenish water. Once the water is replenished, the water temperature decreases, allowing the device to heat the water again while operating in the highest mode (1000 W) for a certain period.

[0071] FIG. 4 is a table illustrating an example method for determining a heating mode based on the plurality of control factors. Each of the plurality of control factors may be divided into a plurality of numerical ranges, and may be set to correspond to a plurality of heating modes for each numerical range and pre-stored in the memory 130 of the electronic apparatus 100. The division of the numerical values of each control factor and the setting of the corresponding heating mode for each numerical range may be performed automatically by the AI model, or the optimal value may be found through a separate experiment and directly stored by a manufacturer or a user.

[0072] FIG. 4 illustrates a case where a total of five control factors such as a. indoor temperature, b. difference between target humidity and current humidity, c. target humidity, d. target humidification time, and e. remaining water level are used. Priorities may be preset for each control factor. FIG. 4 illustrates a case where the priorities are set, in this order: b. difference between target humidity and current humidity, c. desired humidity, d. target humidification time, e. remaining water level, and a. indoor temperature.

[0073] Among these, in the case of a. indoor temperature, it may be seen that the numerical range lower than or equal to 18° C. is classified as low, the numerical range above 18° C. and lower than or equal to 24° C. is classified as medium, and the numerical range above 24° C. is classified as high. Additionally, in the case of the difference between the target humidity and the current humidity, it may be seen that a value range exceeding 10% is classified as low, a value range less than or equal to 10% but exceeding 5% is classified as medium, and a value range less than or equal to 5% is classified as high. Furthermore, each control factor may be divided into multiple value ranges. Priorities may be preset and stored for each control factor. The AI model may determine the final heating mode by checking the combination conditions of each control factor.

[0074] For example, the AI model identifies the top-priority factor from among the plurality of control factors received via the communication unit 110 based on the preset priority information. The AI model may select the heating mode corresponding to the identified top-priority factor. Referring to FIG. 4, when a is high, b is low, and c is medium, the AI model determines the heating mode of the humidifier to be “low” because the top-priority factor b is “low.” The processor 120 generates a control signal for operating in the heating mode determined by the AI model and transmits the control signal to the humidifier 200 via the communication unit 110.

[0075] According to an embodiment, even if priorities exist for each control factor, when the heating modes corresponding to the plurality of control factors are identical in a predetermined number or more, the AI model may finally select the heating mode determined by the plurality of control factors.

[0076] For example, the AI model identifies a heating mode corresponding to each of the plurality of control factors received via the communication unit 110, and when the heating modes corresponding to a predetermined number or more of factors are identical, the AI model may select the same heating mode.

[0077] The processor 120 transmits the control signal for operating in the heating mode selected by the AI model to the humidifier via the communication unit 110.

[0078] For example, when three or more factors are “medium” under a factor combination condition, even when the top-priority factor is “low,” the processor 120 transmits the control signal to operate in “medium” or “high.”

[0079] When a is high, b is low, c is low, dis medium, and e is also medium, since the top-priority factor b is “low, but” a, d, and e have values higher than medium, and “medium” is two, the AI model will select “medium,” which has the largest number of factors, as the heating mode.

[0080] As another example, when a is high, b is low, c is low, dis medium, and e is high, since there are three or more factors with values greater than or equal to medium, and there are two “high,” which is the highest number, the AI model will select “high” as the heating mode.

[0081] As described above, the AI model may determine the heating mode of the humidifier based on the plurality of control factors. The heating modes for each numerical range described in FIG. 4 are merely examples, and the numerical ranges of the control factors and their corresponding heating modes may be modified and configured in various ways.

[0082] As described above, the time required to reach the target humidity may vary depending on various conditions, such as the size of the space and the heater capacity. Even when the power consumption is minimized and / or reduced using the AI model, user satisfaction may be reduced when it takes too long to reach the desired target humidity. That is, the AI model needs to control the operation of the humidifier to reach the target humidity within a certain acceptable time range. This acceptable time range may be experimentally measured based on the user satisfaction and pre-stored in the memory 130.

[0083] FIG. 5 is an example of a table that classifies the target humidity attainment time for each heater capacity of the heated humidifier according to the size of the space according to various example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 5, the time required to reach final humidity levels of 60%, 55%, and 50%, respectively, starting from 30% humidity, is indicated in units of minutes. These values were experimentally obtained, and it may be confirmed that as the space becomes larger, it takes more time for water vapor to fill the air, which indicates that the time required to reach the target humidity is proportional to the size of the space. In FIG. 5, only three heating modes of the humidifier are shown: Mode 1 (heater capacity 42%), mode 2 (heater capacity 27%), and mode 3 (heater capacity 12%). However, this is merely an example, and the number of modes and their heater capacities may variously be changed.

[0084] The manufacturer of the humidifier or electronic apparatus may train the AI model to selectively determine the heating mode to reach the target humidity within the allowable time range based on experimental data as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0085] For example, when a humidifier is placed in a 355.8 sq. ft. space, if the target humidity is 60%, the current humidity is 30%, and the allowable time range is approximately 120 minutes, the AI model may alternately select mode 2 and mode 3. Based on the output value of the AI model, the processor 120 may generate a control signal to alternately switch between the mode 2 and the mode 3 and transmit the generated control signal to the humidifier.

[0086] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a correlation between temperature and target humidification attainment times according to various example embodiments.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 6, the higher the temperature, the longer the humidification attainment time. Human perception of “humidity” or “dryness” is related to relative humidity. The relative humidity is a value representing the ratio of the amount of water vapor included in air compared to the saturation state at the current temperature. This is abbreviated as “RH.”

[0088] A relative humidity of 50% may refer, for example, to the air currently including half of the amount of water vapor at saturation. Humans feel dryness when the relative humidity is low, and feel humidity when the relative humidity is high.

[0089] The higher the temperature, the more water vapor may be included in the air.

[0090] As described above, the plurality of control factors may include temperature information. When receiving the temperature information, the processor 120 may calculate the time required to reach the target humidity at the current temperature based on data as illustrated in FIG. 6. For example, when the current temperature is 23° C. in FIG. 6, the humidification attainment time may be calculated to be approximately 200 min in the mode 1 (humidification amount per hour of 400 ml / h), 120 min in the mode 2 (humidification amount per hour of 250 ml / h), and 75 min in the mode 3 (humidification amount per hour of 150 ml / h). When the allowable time range is 100 min, the AI model may alternately select the mode 2 and the mode 3 to humidify to the target humidity within the allowable time range while minimizing and / or reducing power consumption.

[0091] FIG. 7 is a graph showing that the required humidification amount increases as the indoor temperature increases according to various example embodiments. As described above, as the temperature increases, the amount of water vapor that the air may include increases. Therefore, this indicates that the air should include more water vapor at a high temperature than at a low temperature in order to maintain the relative humidity. The AI model may calculate the required humidification amount based on the indoor temperature information among the control factors and data as illustrated in FIG. 7, and select the heating mode that matches the humidification amount.

[0092] As described above, the electronic apparatus 100 may control the humidifier 200 based on the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation of the humidifier 200. The information on each control factor may be received from the humidifier 200, but is not necessarily limited thereto. At least one of the plurality of control factors may be received from another device.

[0093] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example where the electronic apparatus receives the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation from a plurality of external devices 400-1 to 400-n and the humidifier 200 according to various example embodiments.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 8, the electronic apparatus 100 may receive, via the communication unit 110, the sensing values related to the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation from the external devices 400-1 to 400-n as well as the sensing values from the humidifier.

[0095] For example, the external devices 400-1 to 400-n may be heterogeneous devices placed in the same space as the humidifier 200. Specifically, the external devices 400-1 to 400-n may include air conditioners, air purifiers, refrigerators, robot vacuum cleaners, mobile projectors, etc., but various other electronic apparatuses may further be included. Home appliances such as air conditioners, air purifiers, and refrigerators sometimes may include sensors capable of sensing temperature or humidity. In this case, the electronic apparatus 100 may receive information on external humidity and temperature from these types of external devices (e.g., 400-1). The robot vacuum cleaner (e.g., 400-n), a mobile projector, etc., may sense the shape or size of the space, etc., while traveling within the space where the humidifier is placed, using a LiDAR sensor, etc. The electronic apparatus 100 may receive information on the shape or size of the space where the humidifier is placed from these types of external devices.

[0096] A user may register, with the server device 100 using his / her terminal device, the information on various external devices 400-1 to 400-n used together within the space where the humidifier 200 is placed. For example, the user may access the electronic apparatus 100 through an app installed on a terminal device, such as a mobile phone, and generate a unique account. The user may register the information on the humidifier 200, the external devices 400-1 to 400-n, etc., in his / her own account. Based on this information, the electronic apparatus 100 may receive the information on the plurality of control factors from the humidifier 200 and the external devices.

[0097] Accordingly, the electronic apparatus 100 may control the operation of the humidifier using the plurality of control factors and the AI model, as described above.

[0098] The user may directly control devices, such as the humidifier, using the UI displayed on the terminal device while accessing the server device 100 using their terminal device.

[0099] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of a terminal device according to various example embodiments.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 9, the terminal device 400 may display a UI screen for controlling the operation of the humidifier. The terminal device 400 may be a mobile phone, a tablet PC, etc., owned by a user, but may also be implemented as various other types of display devices.

[0101] When an application for controlling an operation of various electronic products, including a humidifier, is selected by the user, the terminal device 400 executes the application. When the application is executed, the terminal device 400 displays a UI screen generated by the application. Referring to FIG. 9, the UI screen may include a section 410 indicating various control factors, such as the remaining water level, humidity, target humidity, and temperature of the humidifier, a section 420 including a plurality of menus 421, 422, 423, and 424 for selecting the operation mode of the humidifier, etc. When the user selects one of these menus, the terminal device 400 may transmit the control signal corresponding to the selected menu to the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200. Among the plurality of menus 421, 422, 423, and 424, the AI mode menu 424 may be included, which automatically controls operations using the AI model.

[0102] When the AI mode menu 424 is selected, the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200 may automatically control the humidifying operation of the humidifier 200 by variously changing the humidifying operation using the plurality of control factors and the AI model, as described in the various embodiments described above.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the AI mode menu 424 is selected, the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200 may determine whether the current state is an operable state in the AI mode. For example, when the remaining water level is insufficient, the current humidity is higher than or has little difference from the target humidity, or the like, the operation in the AI mode may not differ significantly from that in the normal mode. In this case, the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200 may determine that the current state thereof is an inoperable state in the AI mode. When it is determined that they are in the inoperable state in the AI mode, the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200 may transmit a message to the terminal device 400 indicating that they cannot operated in the AI mode. The terminal device 400 may display this message on the UI screen.

[0104] When they cannot operate in the AI mode operation, the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200 may operate in the normal mode. The normal mode refers to a mode in which the electronic apparatus 100 or the humidifier 200 continuously operates in an arbitrarily set heating mode (e.g., medium mode). In the case of the normal mode, the humidifier 200 may operate in the heating mode (e.g., medium mode) set as default or continue to operate in the final operation mode based on the information on the finally operating heating mode (e.g., low mode). When the user confirms a message on the UI screen of the terminal device 400 and then selects another menu 421, 422, or 423, the humidifier 200 may operate in a mode corresponding to the menu.

[0105] The terminal device 400 may include various components, such as a memory, a communication unit, a processor, and a display, to perform the operations described in FIG. 9. However, the illustration and description of these components are not provided here.

[0106] The above-described example embodiments describe the case where the electronic apparatus 100 controls the operation of the humidifier using the AI model. However, the humidifier may also directly perform the operations described in the above-described embodiments.

[0107] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the humidifier 200 according to various example embodiments.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 10, the humidifier 200 includes a memory 230, a processor (e.g., including processing circuitry) 220, at least one sensor 240-1 to 240-n, and a humidifying module (e.g., including a humidifier) 210.

[0109] In FIG. 9, this is a scheme in which the humidifier 200 does not perform communication with the electronic apparatus 100 or the external devices 400-1 to 400-n, and the AI model is embedded in the memory 230 of the humidifier 200 so that the humidifier 200 controls its operation by itself.

[0110] The humidifying module 210 is configured to directly perform the humidifying operation. The humidifying module 210 may include a water collection tank 211 for storing water, a heater 212 for heating the water in the water collection tank 211, and the like. In FIG. 10, only the water collection tank 211 and heater 212 are illustrated. However, various other components may be included, such as a heating plate or heating tube for transferring heat generated from the heater 212, a water supply pipe for supplying water from the water collection tank 211 to the heating plate or heating tube, and a discharge port for discharging steam generated by heating the heater 212. The shape of this humidifying module 210 may be variously modified depending on the size and appearance of the humidifier 200, and thus, a detailed illustration thereof is omitted.

[0111] The sensors 240-1 to 240-n are configured to sense various sensing items related to the humidifying operation of the humidifier 200. For example, the sensors 240-1 to 240-n may include a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. The temperature sensor and the humidity sensor may be implemented as an integrated type. In addition, the sensors 240-1 to 240-n may include a remaining water level detection sensor for sensing the amount of water in the water collection tank 211. The remaining water level detection sensor may be implemented as a level sensor that outputs an electric signal that varies depending on a magnetic body floating on the surface of water and a distance from the magnetic body, but is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the remaining water level detection sensor may be implemented as a sensor that is attached at a certain distance from the bottom inside the water collection tank and outputs a different electric signal depending on whether the remaining water level detection sensor is in contact with water.

[0112] The processor 220 may include various processing circuitry and controls the overall operation of the humidifier 200.

[0113] Since specific examples of the processor 220 have been described above, redundant descriptions thereof may not be repeated here.

[0114] The processor 220 identifies temperature and humidity based on values sensed by at least one sensor 240-1 to 240-n and calculates the time required to humidify to the target humidity. Furthermore, the processor 220 controls the operation of the humidifying module 210 to humidify to the target humidity in the power-saving state within the preset allowable time range based on the information on the plurality of control factors, including the target humidity, the temperature, the humidity, the required time, and the remaining water level in the water collection tank 211.

[0115] The processor 220 operates the humidifying module 210 during the preset initial heating period and controls the humidifying module 210 to selectively change the plurality of heating modes based on the output values of the AI model during the rated heating period following the initial heating period. In this case, the algorithm and the plurality of heating modes of the AI model used are as described above.

[0116] When the processor 220 detects that the remaining water level in the water tank 211 is less than or equal to a reference value based on the sensing value of the sensor detecting the remaining water level, the processor 220 may provide, through the display, the message to the user to fill the water in the water collection tank to a level greater than or equal to the reference value. Alternatively, the processor 220 may output a notification signal via a speaker to notify the user of the remaining water level.

[0117] The memory 230 stores the AI model trained based on the data on power consumption for each combination of the plurality of control factors, and also stores the sensing values and the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation. Since specific examples of the memory 230 have been described in the various embodiments described above, the redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0118] Compared to the electronic apparatus that may be implemented as the server device, the capacity of the processor 220 and memory 230 installed in the humidifier 200 may be insufficient to install and execute the AI model.

[0119] In such cases, data such as Equation 1 described above may be stored in the memory 230. The processor 220 may perform a calculation based on Equation 1 stored in the memory 230 and the plurality of control factors, and select the heating mode based on the calculation result. Since the specific calculation method and the heating mode selection method therefor have been described in detail in the above-described sections, the redundant descriptions thereof may not be repeated here.

[0120] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for controlling a humidifier by an electronic apparatus according to various example embodiments.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 11, the electronic apparatus may receive the information on the plurality of control factors related to the humidifying operation of the humidifier (S1110). The information on the plurality of control factors may be received directly from the humidifier or from peripheral external devices other than the humidifier. The electronic apparatus generates the control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier using the plurality of control factors and the AI model so that the humidifier may humidify to the target humidity in the power-saving state within the preset allowable time range (S1120). The electronic apparatus transmits the generated control signal to the humidifier (S1130).

[0122] The method of FIG. 11 may be performed by the electronic apparatus 100 configured as described in FIGS. 1 and 2, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may also be performed by devices configured differently from FIG. 2.

[0123] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for controlling a humidifier according to various example embodiments.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 12, when the humidifier is powered on (S1210), the humidifier may wait for a user command. This state may be referred to as a standby state. In the standby state, the humidifier may receive user commands via various buttons or a touchscreen on the main unit, or receive control signals from a server device or other terminal device and perform corresponding operations.

[0125] For example, when the user selects the AI mode (S1220), the humidifier determines whether it can operate in the AI mode (S1230). As described in the various embodiments described above, the AI mode may be an operation mode in which the AI model adaptively controls the operation of the humidifier. The humidifier may determine whether it can operate in the AI mode by checking the values of each control factor. Since the inoperable state in the AI mode has been specifically described in the above section, the redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0126] The humidifier operates in a normal mode unless it is in a situation that requires the AI mode or in a situation in which operation in the AI mode is possible (S1240). The normal mode may be a state in which the humidification is performed according to the heating mode selected by the user. For example, when the user selects the highest mode, the humidifier may apply an electric signal corresponding to the highest mode to the heater, allowing the heater to heat water as quickly as possible and produce as much moisture as possible after heating.

[0127] When the humidifier determines that it can operate in the AI mode, the humidifier acquires the plurality of control factors (S1250). Since examples of the plurality of control factors and their acquisition methods have been described in detail in the previous section, the redundant description thereof may not be repeated here. When the plurality of control factors are acquired, the humidifier operates in the AI mode that performs heating operations based on the output values of the AI model (S1260). For example, the humidifier operates the heater during the preset initial heating period and selectively changes the plurality of heating modes based on the output values of the AI model during the rated heating period following the initial heating period.

[0128] The method described in FIG. 12 may be implemented by the humidifier having the configuration of FIG. 9, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may also be implemented by a humidifier having a different configuration.

[0129] While various embodiments for controlling the operation of the humidifier have been individually described above, each embodiment may be implemented in a single electronic apparatus, terminal device, humidifier, or the like by being combined with various embodiments in whole or in part.

[0130] Furthermore, the programs or commands for performing the various humidifier control methods described above may be provided while being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be mounted in and used by a device capable of calling stored instructions from the storage medium and operating according to the called instructions. Accordingly, when the program or instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor, the processor may perform the operations described in the various embodiments above either directly or using other components under the control of the processor.

[0131] The non-transitory computer-readable medium may refer, for example, to a medium that semi-permanently stores data and is readable by the apparatus. An example of the non-transitory computer-readable medium may include a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a hard disk, a Blu-ray disk, a universal serial bus (USB), a memory card, a read only memory (ROM), or the like.

[0132] The command may include codes created or executed by a compiler or an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in a form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the “non-transitory” storage medium is tangible without including a signal, and may not distinguish whether data are semi-permanently or temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0133] In addition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the above-described methods according to the various example embodiments may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a purchaser. The computer program product may be implemented not only as the above-described non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, but also as a product distributed online through an application store. In case of the online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a storage medium such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server or be temporarily generated.

[0134] While the disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to various example embodiments, it will be understood that the various example embodiments are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternatives and / or variations of the various example embodiments may be made without departing from the true technical spirit and full technical scope of the disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that any of the embodiment(s) described herein may be used in conjunction with any other embodiment(s) described herein.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:a communication unit comprising communication circuitry;a memory configured to store an artificial intelligence (AI) model; andat least one processor, comprising processing circuitry,wherein at least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic apparatus to: based on information on a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation of a humidifier being received through the communication unit,transmit, via the communication unit, a control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier based on the plurality of control factors and the AI model so that the humidifier humidifies to a target humidity in a power-saving state within a specified allowable time range, andwherein the AI model comprises a model trained from data for power consumption for each combination of the plurality of control factors.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of control factors include at least one of humidity before the humidifying operation is performed, target humidity, temperature, humidification time required to reach the target humidity, and residual water content.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of control factors further include information on a shape and / or size of the space in which the humidifier is disposed, andat least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic apparatus to change the allowable time range differently depending on the shape and / or size of the space.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the humidifier includes a heated humidifier, andat least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic apparatus to operate a heater of the humidifier during a specified initial heating period based on the operation of the humidifier starting, and generate and transmit to the humidifier a control signal for selectively changing a plurality of heating modes of the humidifier based on an output value of the AI model during a rated heating period following the initial heating period.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of control factors is divided into a plurality of numerical ranges, and is set to correspond to a plurality of heating modes for each numerical range and stored in the memory,the AI model is configured to identify a top-priority factor from among the plurality of control factors received through the communication unit based on specified priority information, and select a heating mode corresponding to the identified top-priority factor, andat least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic apparatus to transmit a control signal to the humidifier through the communication unit for operation in the heating mode selected by the AI model.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of control factors is divided into a plurality of numerical ranges, and is set to correspond to a plurality of heating modes for each numerical range and stored in the memory,the AI model is configured to identify a heating mode corresponding to each of the plurality of control factors received through the communication unit, and based on the heating modes corresponding to a specified number or more of the factors being identical, selects the identical heating mode, andat least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic apparatus to transmit a control signal to the humidifier through the communication unit for operation in the heating mode selected by the AI model.

7. A humidifier, comprising:a memory configured to store information on a preset target humidity;at least one processor comprising processing circuitry;at least one sensor; anda humidifying module including a water collection tank configured to perform humidification using water collected in the water collection tank;wherein at least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the humidifier to: identify temperature and humidity based on sensing values from the at least one sensor and calculate a time required to humidify to the target humidity, andcontrol the operation of the humidifying module to humidify to the target humidity in a power-saving state within a specified allowable time range based on information on a plurality of control factors including the target humidity, temperature, humidity, the time required, and a remaining water level in the water collection tank.

8. The humidifier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the memory stores an AI model trained based on data on power consumption for each combination of the plurality of control factors,the humidifying module is operable in a plurality of heating modes, andat least one processor, individually and / or collectively, is configured to cause the humidifier to: control the humidifying module to drive during a specified initial heating period and selectively change the plurality of heating modes based on an output value of the AI model during a rated heating period following the initial heating period.

9. A method for controlling a humidifier in an electronic apparatus, comprising:receiving information on a plurality of control factors related to a humidifying operation of the humidifier;generating a control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier based on the plurality of control factors and an artificial intelligence (AI) model, so that the humidifier humidifies to a target humidify in a power-saving state within a preset allowable time range; andtransmitting the control signal to the humidifier.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of control factors include at least one of humidity before the humidifying operation is performed, target humidity, temperature, humidification time required to reach the target humidity, and residual water content.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of control factors further include information on a shape or size of the space in which the humidifier is disposed, andthe method for controlling a humidifier further includes differently changing the allowable time range depending on a shape or size of the space.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein, in the generating of the control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier, based on the humidifier being a heated humidifier, a heater of the humidifier is driven during a specified initial heating period, and a control signal for selectively changing a plurality of heating modes of the humidifier is generated based on an output value of the AI model during a rated heating period following the initial heating period.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of control factors is divided into a plurality of numerical ranges, and is set to correspond to a plurality of heating modes for each numerical range and stored in the electronic apparatus, andthe generating of the control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier includes:identifying, by the AI model, a top-priority factor from among the received plurality of control factors based on preset priority information;selecting a heating mode corresponding to a numerical value of the identified top-priority factor; andgenerating a control signal for operating in the selected heating mode.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of control factors is divided into a plurality of numerical ranges, and is set to correspond to a plurality of heating modes for each numerical range and stored in the electronic apparatus, andthe generating of the control signal for controlling the humidifying operation of the humidifier includes:identifying, by the AI model, a heating mode corresponding to the received numerical values of each of the plurality of control factors;based on the heating modes corresponding to a specified number or more of factors are identical, selecting the identical heating mode; andtransmitting a control signal for operating in the selected heating mode to the humidifier.

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