Refrigerator and home appliance

Abstract

This refrigerator comprises: a storage chamber; a motor; a door configured to open and close the storage chamber; a compressor configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber, wherein the compressor is configured to compress a refrigerant by using rotation of the motor; a first printed board assembly (PBA) including a first communication circuit and a first processor, the first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter including a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor, and the first processor being connected to the first communication circuit; and a second PBA including a second communication circuit and a second processor, the second communication circuit including a second low-pass filter including a second variable resistor and a second variable capacitor, and the second processor being connected to the second communication circuit, wherein the first processor is configured to: set a resistance value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance value of the first variable capacitor on the basis of rotational speed information of the motor; and communicate with the second processor through the first communication circuit by using an asynchronous communication method.

Description

Refrigerators and Appliances

[0001] The present disclosure relates to refrigerators and home appliances.

[0002] A home appliance may include components that perform various functions, arranged in various locations, and may include multiple modules (e.g., hardware circuits such as a processor, software codes, or a combination of hardware circuits and software codes) to control these components. These multiple modules may need to communicate with each other for the smooth operation and control of the home appliance.

[0003] However, communication between internal modules of a home appliance can be affected by noise (e.g., noise generated by the operation of the home appliance). This noise can cause errors in communication between internal modules. Therefore, to ensure smooth communication between internal modules of a home appliance, it may be necessary to consider measures to appropriately reduce or eliminate noise affecting the communication circuit.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background information to aid in understanding the present disclosure. None of the above is claimed to be prior art related to the present disclosure, nor can it be used to determine prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator comprises: a storage compartment; a motor; a door configured to open and close the storage compartment; a compressor configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, the compressor configured to compress refrigerant using rotation of the motor; a first printed board assembly (PBA) comprising a first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter including a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor and a first processor connected to the first communication circuit; and a second PBA including a second communication circuit including a second low-pass filter including a second variable resistor and a second variable capacitor and a second processor connected to the second communication circuit, wherein the first processor is configured to: set a resistance value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance value of the first variable capacitor based on rotational speed information of the motor, and perform communication with the second processor using an asynchronous communication method through the first communication circuit.

[0006] The above asynchronous communication method may be a UART (universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter) communication method.

[0007] The first processor may be further configured to transmit a control signal corresponding to the rotation speed information of the motor to the compressor or a control circuit of the compressor.

[0008] The first processor may be further configured to: identify a change in rotation speed information of the motor, and change the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor based on the change in rotation speed information of the motor.

[0009] The first processor may be further configured to update the acquired setting value information based on a communication success rate based on satisfaction of a specified condition, wherein the setting value information includes a resistance setting value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of the first variable capacitor corresponding to each of a plurality of rotation speeds within a rotation speed setting range of the motor.

[0010] The first processor may be further configured to: obtain a basic communication success rate for the communication performed with the second processor through the first communication circuit using the asynchronous communication method while the motor is not rotating, and determine a basic communication speed of the asynchronous communication method based on the basic communication success rate.

[0011] The first processor may be further configured to: obtain a combination of resistance setting values ​​and capacitance setting values ​​that have the highest communication success rate for communication with the second processor among combinations of settable resistance values ​​and settable capacitor values ​​based on the rotation speed information of the motor, and set the obtained resistance setting value and the obtained capacitance setting value as the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor, respectively.

[0012] The first communication circuit further includes a first FET (field-effect transistor), a source of the first FET is connected to the first processor, a drain of the first FET is connected to one end of the first low-pass filter, and the other end of the first low-pass filter can be connected to an output terminal of the first communication circuit.

[0013] The resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor may be set to a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the rotation speed information obtained based on a communication success rate for the communication performed with the second processor.

[0014] The first processor may be further configured to: set the rotation speed of the motor to a first rotation speed, set the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor to a first resistance value and a first capacitance value, respectively, obtain a first communication success rate, which is a communication success rate for communication performed with the second processor through the first communication circuit using the asynchronous communication method while the motor rotates according to the first rotation speed, determine whether the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to a previous communication success rate, and determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as a first resistance setting value and a first capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the first rotation speed, based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, wherein the previous communication success rate is a communication success rate obtained at a previous time instance.

[0015] The first processor may be further configured to: determine whether the communication success rate is greater than or equal to a reference communication success rate based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, and determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as the first resistance setting value and the first capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the first rotation speed based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the reference communication success rate.

[0016] The first processor may be further configured to determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values, respectively, corresponding to the first rotational speed, based on identifying that the first communication success rate is less than the reference communication success rate.

[0017] The first processor may be further configured to lower the communication speed of the asynchronous communication method based on the identification that none of the communication success rates obtained for each combination of the settable resistance values ​​of the first variable resistor and the settable capacitance values ​​of the first variable capacitor exceeds the reference communication success rate.

[0018] The first processor may be further configured to determine, based on identifying that the first communication success rate is less than the previous communication success rate, a second resistance value and a second capacitance value corresponding to the previous communication success rate as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values ​​corresponding to the first rotation speed, respectively.

[0019] The first processor may be further configured to: set the first variable resistor to a third resistance value different from the first resistance value and the second resistance value, and set the first variable capacitor to a third capacitance value different from the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, based on the temporary resistance setting value and the temporary capacitance setting value being determined.

[0020] The first processor may be further configured to: transmit a plurality of test packets to the second processor through the first communication circuit using the asynchronous communication method while the motor rotates at the first rotation speed, receive a plurality of response packets for the plurality of test packets from the second processor through the first communication circuit, and obtain the first communication success rate based on a first number of the plurality of test packets and a second number of the plurality of response packets.

[0021] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a home appliance device includes: an internal noise source including a motor or a coil; a first printed board assembly (PBA) including a first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter including a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor, and a first processor connected to the first communication circuit; a second PBA including a second communication circuit including a second low-pass filter including a second variable resistor and a second variable capacitor, and a second processor connected to the second communication circuit, wherein the first processor sets a resistance value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance value of the first variable capacitor based on information about a rotational speed of the motor or a current of the coil, and performs communication with the second processor using an asynchronous communication method through the first communication circuit.

[0022] The above asynchronous communication method is a UART communication method.

[0023] The first processor can: identify a change in rotation speed information of the motor, and based on the change in the information, change the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor.

[0024] The resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor may be set to a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the rotation speed information obtained based on a communication success rate for the communication performed with the second processor.

[0025] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

[0026] FIG. 1A is a drawing illustrating the internal and external appearance of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 1b is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a refrigerator from the perspective of function and control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are diagrams illustrating the arrangement of a plurality of processors performing inter-processor communication in a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary configuration for performing inter-processor communication in a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of noise applied to a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary operation of a home appliance performing inter-processor communication using a communication circuit including a fixed resistor and a fixed capacitor, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary operation of a home appliance performing inter-processor communication using a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a communication circuit including a fixed resistor and a fixed capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of a home appliance setting values ​​of a variable resistor and a variable capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of a home appliance device determining set values ​​of a variable resistor and a variable capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of a home appliance device obtaining a communication success rate using a test packet according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary operation of a home appliance device obtaining a communication success rate using an artificial intelligence model according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 14 illustrates a configuration of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 15A is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 15b illustrates an open door of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 15c is a cross-sectional side view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 16 illustrates an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 17A is a perspective view of an exterior of a washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 17b is a side cross-sectional view of a washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0048] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be classified into types according to the shapes of a storage compartment and a door. For example, the refrigerator may be one of various types of refrigerators, including but not limited to a TMF (top mounted freezer) type refrigerator in which a storage compartment is partitioned vertically by horizontal partitions, with a freezer compartment formed at the top and a refrigerator compartment formed at the bottom, a BMF (bottom mounted freezer) type refrigerator in which a refrigerator compartment is formed at the top and a freezer compartment formed at the bottom, a SBS (side by side) type refrigerator in which a storage compartment is partitioned left and right by vertical partitions, with a freezer compartment formed at one side and a refrigerator compartment formed at the other, and a FDR (French door refrigerator) type refrigerator in which a storage compartment is partitioned vertically by horizontal partitions, with a refrigerator compartment formed at the top and a freezer compartment formed at the bottom, and the upper refrigerator compartment being opened and closed by a pair of doors.

[0049] Hereinafter, various exemplary refrigerators will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0050] FIG. 1A is a drawing illustrating the internal and external appearance of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] According to one embodiment, a refrigerator (1) may include a main body (10). The main body (10) may include an outer case (11) and an inner case (12) disposed inside the outer case (11). The outer case (11) may be provided to form at least a portion of the outer appearance of the main body (10). In one example, the outer case (11) may be configured to include a metal material having excellent durability and aesthetics. The inner case (12) may be provided to define a space of a storage compartment (20). The inner case (12) may include a case, a plate, a panel, and / or a liner forming the storage compartment (20). The inner case (12) may be formed as a single body or may be formed by assembling a plurality of plates. In one example, the inner case (12) may be integrally injection-molded using a plastic material, and the present document is not limited thereto.

[0052] According to one embodiment, a receiving space may be formed between the outer case (11) and the inner case (12). At least a portion of the receiving space may be provided with an insulating material that insulates the storage compartment (20). The insulating material may insulate the inside of the storage compartment (20) and the outside of the storage compartment (20) so that the temperature inside the storage compartment (20) can be maintained at a set appropriate temperature without being affected by the external environment of the storage compartment (20).

[0053] In one embodiment, the insulation may include foam insulation. In one example, the foam insulation may be formed by fixing the inner case (12) and the outer case (11) with a jig or the like, and then injecting and foaming a urethane foam mixed with polyurethane and a foaming agent into the space between the inner case (12) and the outer case (11). In one example, the insulation may include a vacuum insulation in addition to or instead of the foam insulation. The vacuum insulation may include a core and an outer case that accommodates the core and seals the interior at a vacuum or near-vacuum pressure. The vacuum insulation may further include an adsorbent that adsorbs gas and moisture to stably maintain a vacuum state. The insulation of the refrigerator (1) is not limited to the foam insulation or vacuum insulation described above, and may be formed using various materials that can be used for insulation.

[0054] According to one embodiment, a refrigerator (1) may include a storage compartment (20). The storage compartment (20) may store food. The food may include edible or drinkable food, and specifically, may include meat, fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables, water, ice, beverages, kimchi, or alcoholic beverages such as wine. In addition to food, the storage compartment (20) may also store medicines or cosmetics, and there is no limitation on the items that can be stored in the storage compartment (20).

[0055] In one embodiment, a refrigerator (1) may include one or more storage compartments (20). When two or more storage compartments (20) are formed in the refrigerator (1), each storage compartment may have a different purpose and may be maintained at a different temperature. To this end, each storage compartment (20) may be partitioned from each other by a partition wall (14) including an insulating material. In one example, the storage compartments may be referred to as a "refrigerator," a "freezer," or a "variable temperature compartment" depending on the purpose and / or temperature range. For example, a refrigerator compartment may refer to a storage compartment maintained at a temperature appropriate for refrigerating food, and a freezer compartment may refer to a storage compartment maintained at a temperature appropriate for freezing food. "Refrigeration" may refer to cooling food to a temperature that does not freeze it, and for example, a refrigerator compartment may be maintained in a range of 0 degrees Celsius to +7 degrees Celsius. "Freezing" may refer to cooling food to keep it frozen or frozen. For example, a freezer may be maintained at a temperature ranging from -20 degrees Celsius to -1 degree Celsius. A variable temperature room may refer to a storage room that can be maintained at a predetermined variable temperature, either by user selection or not. In one example, a storage room may be configured so that part of it is used as a refrigerator and the other part as a freezer. In addition to the aforementioned names "refrigerator room," "freezer room," and "variable temperature room," a storage room may also be referred to by various other names, such as a "vegetable room," "fresh room," "cooling room," and "ice room."

[0056] According to one embodiment, the number, size, and / or shape of the storage compartments (20) may vary depending on the shape or position of the bulkhead (14). According to one example, the bulkhead (14) may be formed integrally with the main body (10). According to one example, the bulkhead (14) may be a separate partition that is provided separately from the main body (10) and assembled to the main body (10).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the storage compartment (20) may be partitioned left and right by vertical bulkheads (14v) (bulges extending vertically). The sizes of the storage compartments (20) partitioned left and right may vary depending on the position of the vertical bulkheads (14v). For example, the vertical bulkhead (14v) may be provided in the center so that the storage compartments (20) partitioned left and right may be provided in a mirror symmetry manner. According to one example, there may be a plurality of vertical bulkheads. When there are a plurality of vertical bulkheads, the storage compartment may be partitioned into three or more partitions in the left and right directions.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the storage compartment (20) may be partitioned vertically by horizontal bulkheads (14h) (bulges extending horizontally). The size of the vertically partitioned storage compartment (20) may vary depending on the position of the horizontal bulkheads (14h). According to one example, there may be multiple horizontal bulkheads. In the case where there are multiple horizontal bulkheads, the storage compartment may be partitioned into three or more vertical compartments.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may be configured to include a plurality of storage compartments having various sizes and shapes depending on various combinations of vertical and horizontal bulkheads.

[0060] According to one embodiment, a plurality of shelves (24) and / or a plurality of storage containers (25) may be provided inside the storage room (20). Each of the plurality of shelves (24) and the plurality of storage containers (25) may be separable from the space inside the storage room (20).

[0061] In one embodiment, each storage compartment (20) may be formed to have at least one side openable for putting food in and taking out. In one example, the refrigerator (1) may include a respective door (30) for opening and closing each storage compartment (20). In one example, the door (30) may be arranged on the front of the main body (10) and the storage compartment (20) to open and close the storage compartment (20). The door (30) may be configured to seal the storage compartment (20) while the door is closed. The door (30) may include an insulating material, like the main body (10), to insulate the storage compartment (20) from the external environment while the door (30) is closed.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the door (30) may be configured to be opened and closed by rotating around a hinge (16), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In one example, the door may be configured to be opened and closed in a sliding manner.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the door (30) may include a door panel (30a) and / or a door body (30b). The door panel (30a) and the door body (30b) may be detachably coupled. The door body (30b) may, for example, have one side fixed to the main body (10) by a hinge (16). The door panel (30a) may form a part of the front exterior appearance of the refrigerator (1). Therefore, the door panel (30a) may be an important element of the appearance when the refrigerator (1) is placed indoors. The door panel (30a) may be configured to have various colors and / or various designs and to be replaceable so that a user can decorate the front exterior appearance of the refrigerator (1) according to his / her taste. According to one example, the door panel (30a) and the door body (30b) may be formed integrally.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the door (30) may include a door handle (not shown), a door shelf (313), a shelf support (314), and / or a gasket (315). A user may open and close the door (30) using the door handle. The door handle may be recessed into the bottom or top surface of the door (30), or may be protruded from the front surface of the door (30), and is not limited to a specific shape.

[0065] According to one embodiment, a door shelf (313) may be provided to store food. Shelf supports (314) may be provided on both left and right sides of the door shelf (313) to support the door shelf (313). The shelf supports (314) may, for example, be formed to extend vertically from the door (30). For example, the shelf supports (314) may be provided to protrude from the rear surface of the door (the inner surface facing the storage compartment (20)) toward the storage compartment (20) and extend vertically. The shelf supports (314) may be provided as a separate component detachable from the door (30), or alternatively, may be formed integrally with the door (30).

[0066] According to one embodiment, the gasket (315) may be arranged to surround the edge of the door body (30b). The gasket (315) may be arranged to seal the gap between the body (10) and the door (30) when the door (30) is closed.

[0067] In one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a cold air supply device. The cold air supply device may include a machine, mechanism, electronic device, and / or a system combining these that can generate cold air and guide the generated cold air to a storage compartment to cool the storage compartment. In one example, the cold air supply device may be provided inside the main body (10) to supply cold air to each storage compartment (20), for example.

[0068] FIG. 1b is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a refrigerator from the perspective of function and control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include at least one input / output device (40), at least one communication device (50), at least one sensor device (60), a cold air supply device (70), at least one display (80), at least one processor (100), and / or at least one memory (101).

[0070] According to one embodiment, the input / output device (40) may include any type of user input means for obtaining setting information from a user for controlling the operation of the refrigerator (1). Various user inputs obtained through the input / output device (40) may be transmitted to the processor (100) described below. In one example, various user inputs obtained through the input / output device (40) may be transmitted externally through the communication device (50) described below, and the present document is not limited thereto.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the input device of the input / output device (40) may be installed on a door (e.g., door (30) of FIG. 1A). The input device may include any type of user input means, including one or more buttons or switches. User-defined setting data (e.g., desired storage temperature, etc.) may be input through the input device. For example, the input device may include a touch panel that receives a user's touch input and generates an electrical signal corresponding to the received touch input, and the present document is not limited to a specific type of input device. In one example, the touch panel constituting the input device may be positioned on the front of a separate display panel provided in the refrigerator (1) and may be formed of a transparent material that does not distort an image displayed on the display panel. In one example, the input device may include an infrared signal receiving unit. The user may input setting data remotely via a remote control, and the input setting data may be received by the input device as an infrared signal. In one example, the input device may include a microphone, and setting data based on the user's voice may be acquired through the microphone.

[0072] In one embodiment, setting data (e.g., desired storage temperature, etc.) acquired through an input device may be transmitted to a processor (100) described below. In one example, setting data acquired through the input device may be transmitted externally through a communication device (50) described below, but this document is not limited thereto.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a communication device (50) that supports signal transmission and reception with the inside or the outside. In one example, the communication device (50) includes a communication circuit and may receive and / or transmit wired / wireless signals between an external wired / wireless communication system, an external server, and / or other devices according to a predetermined wired / wireless communication protocol. In one example, the communication device (50) may include one or more modules that connect the refrigerator (1) to one or more networks. In one example, the communication device (50) may include at least one of a mobile communication module, a wired / wireless Internet module, a short-range communication module, and / or a location information module. Here, the term 'module' refers to a hardware component such as a processor or circuit, a software component executed by a hardware component such as a processor, or a combination of a hardware component and a software component.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the mobile communication module can transmit and receive wireless signals with at least one of an external base station, an external terminal, and an external server through a mobile communication network according to any of various communication protocols for mobile communication. The wireless signals can include various types of data signals. In one example, the wireless signals can include voice call signals, video call call signals, and text / multimedia message signals, but the present document is not limited thereto.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the wired / wireless Internet module may support, for example, wireless LAN (WLAN), wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, digital living network alliance (DLNA), wireless broadband (WiBro), world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), long term evolution (LTE), or long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A), but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. In one example, the wired / wireless Internet module of the communication device (50) may transmit and receive data according to at least one wired / wireless Internet technology among Internet technologies not listed above.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the short-range communication module may support short-range communication using at least one of, for example, Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra-wide band (UWB), ZigBee, near field communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Wireless USB (universal serial bus) technologies for short-range communication. The short-range communication module may support wireless communication between a refrigerator (1) and a wireless communication system, between the refrigerator (1) and another device, or between the refrigerator (1) and a network in which another device is located, for example, through a short-range wireless communication network.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the location information module may be, for example, a module for obtaining the location of the refrigerator (1), a GPS (global positioning system) module or a Wi-Fi module. When the refrigerator (1) utilizes a GPS module, information regarding the location of the refrigerator (1) can be received using signals transmitted from GPS satellites. When the refrigerator (1) utilizes a Wi-Fi module, information regarding the location of the refrigerator (1) can be received based on information from a wireless AP (wireless access point) that transmits and receives wireless signals with the Wi-Fi module.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the communication device (50) can receive a setting data signal input by a user from the user's mobile terminal in the form of a wireless signal according to a predetermined wireless communication protocol. In one example, the communication device (50) can receive information and / or commands for controlling the operation of the refrigerator (1) from an external server in the form of signals according to a predetermined wired / wireless communication protocol. The communication device (50) can transmit various received signals to the processor (100) described below. In one example, the communication device (50) can transmit various data generated or acquired on the refrigerator (1) in the form of wired / wireless signals according to a predetermined wired / wireless communication protocol, for example, to the user's mobile terminal or an external server.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a sensor device (60). In one example, the sensor device (60) may include a temperature sensor, a distance sensor, a proximity sensor, and / or a camera. However, the types of sensors listed herein are merely exemplary and this document is not limited thereto.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor may include a plurality of temperature sensors installed inside each storage compartment (20) to detect the temperature inside the storage compartment (e.g., the storage compartment (20) of FIG. 1A). The plurality of temperature sensors may be installed in each of the plurality of storage compartments (20) to detect the temperature of each storage compartment (20). An electrical signal corresponding to the detected temperature may be transmitted to the processor (100). Each of the plurality of temperature sensors may include a thermistor whose electrical resistance changes depending on the temperature. In one example, the temperature sensor may include an external temperature sensor installed on the outside of the refrigerator (1) (e.g., at a location of the outer case (11) of FIG. 1A) to detect the external temperature around the refrigerator (1).

[0081] In one embodiment, the distance sensor can measure the distance to an object located around the refrigerator (1), for example, a user. The distance sensor can be, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor, but is not limited thereto. The distance sensor can detect an object or a user around the refrigerator (1) and transmit the detected electrical signal to the processor (100).

[0082] According to one embodiment, a proximity sensor may be provided to detect the opening and closing of a door (30). The proximity sensor may detect whether the door (30) is in contact with a main body (e.g., main body (10) of FIG. 1A) and is closing the storage compartment (20). A plurality of proximity sensors may be installed on each of a plurality of doors (30). The proximity sensor may transmit an electrical signal regarding the detected open and closed state of the door (30) to the processor (100).

[0083] According to one embodiment, a camera may be installed inside each storage compartment (20) to obtain an internal image of each storage compartment (20). In one example, the camera may be installed on the outside of the refrigerator (1) (e.g., at a location of the outer case (11) of FIG. 1A) to obtain an external image of the surroundings of the refrigerator (1). The camera may include image sensors that capture images and convert them into electrical signals. The image sensors may include, for example, a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. An electrical signal regarding an image captured by the camera may be transmitted to the processor (100).

[0084] In one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a cold air supply device (70). In one example, the cold air supply device (70) may include a compressor (71), a condenser (72), an expander (73), and an evaporator (74). In one embodiment, the cold air supply device (70) may include a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor (71), the condenser (72), the expander (73), and the evaporator (74). The refrigerant may circulate between the compressor (71), the condenser (72), the expander (73), and the evaporator (74) through the refrigerant pipe.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the compressor (71) can compress the refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure state. For example, the compressor (71) can receive electric energy from the outside and compress the gaseous refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure by using the rotational power of an electric motor or the like. The compressor (71) is a variable capacity compressor, and the capacity can be varied by changing the frequency according to a driving control command. The compressed refrigerant can be moved to the condenser (72) by the refrigerant pipe. The condenser (72) can condense the compressed refrigerant transferred from the compressor (71). The condenser (72) can radiate heat generated while condensing the refrigerant to the outside of the condenser (72). The condensed refrigerant passing through the condenser (72) can be moved to the expander (73). The condensed refrigerant can be converted into a low temperature and low pressure liquid state while passing through the expander (73). In one example, the expander (73) may be implemented as an electronic expansion valve capable of controlling the opening ratio (an electronic expansion valve capable of controlling the ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve's flow path in a partially opened state to the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve's flow path in a fully opened state). In such a case, the amount of refrigerant passing through the expander (73) may be controlled depending on the opening ratio of the electronic expansion valve. In one example, the expander (73) may be implemented as a capillary device. The liquid refrigerant may pass through the expander (73) and move to the evaporator (74). The evaporator (74) may exchange heat with the surrounding gas as the liquid refrigerant evaporates. As the liquid refrigerant evaporates by the evaporator (74), it absorbs latent heat from the surroundings, thereby cooling the gas surrounding the evaporator (74), thereby generating cold air. The generated cold air can be moved to the storage chamber (20) through a passage provided between the outer case (e.g., the outer case (11) of Fig. 1a) and the inner case (e.g., the inner case (12) of Fig. 1a). The refrigerant vaporized in the evaporator (74) can be moved to the compressor (71) again and circulated.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the cold air supply device (70) may include a thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element may cool the storage compartment (20) through heat generation and cooling through the Peltier effect.

[0087] According to one embodiment, a refrigerator (1) may include a machine room in which at least some components of a cold air supply device (70) are arranged. The machine room may be configured to be partitioned and insulated from the storage room (20) to prevent heat generated from the components arranged in the machine room from being transferred to the storage room (20). The interior of the machine room may be configured to be in communication with the exterior of the main body (10) to dissipate heat from the components arranged inside the machine room.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a display (80). In one example, the display (80) may be installed on the door (30). In one example, the display (80) may display various setting data (e.g., desired storage compartment temperature, etc.) obtained from a user or an external source through an input / output device (40) and / or a communication device (50) or operation control information of the refrigerator (1). In one example, the display (80) may display various sensing information (e.g., one or more temperature information measured by a temperature sensor) obtained from a sensor device (60), the current operation status of the refrigerator (1), and / or various warning / error messages. The display (80) may be one of various visual display means capable of displaying images, characters, numbers, etc., including a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, a micro Light Emitting Diode (uLED) panel, and a plasma display panel (PDP), and is not limited to a specific type of display unit. In one example, the display (80) may include a speaker and may provide each of the above-described information in the form of sound through the speaker.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a memory (101) that stores or memorizes a program and / or data for controlling each component of the refrigerator (1), and a processor (100) that generates a control signal for controlling each component of the refrigerator (1) according to the program and / or data stored in the memory (101) and information obtained from each of the other components.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the processor (100) includes a processing circuit and can execute instructions (or commands) included in a program (or application) stored in a memory (101). The processor (110) may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), an application processor (AP), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or a programmable logic device, but is not limited to any means capable of executing a program (or an instruction or command).

[0091] According to one embodiment, the memory (101) may include volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory, for example, hard disk storage, RAM, ROM, and / or flash memory, although embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the memory (101) includes one or more storage media and can store various data that can be used to control the operation of each component of the refrigerator (1). The memory (101) can store, for example, a plurality of application programs used in the refrigerator (1), data for controlling the operation of the refrigerator (1), and commands. At least some of the application programs stored in the memory (101) can be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication. At least some of the application programs stored in the memory (101) can be stored in the memory (101) from the time of shipment for the basic functions of the refrigerator (1).

[0093] According to one embodiment, the processor (100) may receive various input / setting information, such as desired storage compartment temperature information, from the input / output device (40) and / or the communication device (50). The processor (100) may obtain detection information, such as one or more temperature information detected by a temperature sensor, a detection signal detected by a distance sensor, door open / close information detected by a proximity sensor, and / or image information detected by a camera, from the sensor device (60). In one example, the processor (100) may receive image information obtained by the camera and obtain information on the state of the inside or outside of the storage compartment (20) of the refrigerator (1) by analyzing the received image information.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the processor (100) may generate an operation control command for each component of the refrigerator (1) based on various pieces of information received from the input / output device (40), the communication device (50), and / or the sensor device (60). In one example, the processor (100) may control the operation of the cold air supply device (70), for example, the compressor (71) and / or the expander (73), to control the temperature inside the storage compartment (20). In one example, the processor (100) may control the operation of each component of the cold air supply device (70) using information about the temperature of each storage compartment (20) received from a temperature sensor. For example, when the temperature inside the storage compartment (20) is higher than a preset temperature, the processor (100) may operate the compressor (71) of the cold air supply device (70) to lower the temperature of the storage compartment (20). In one example, the processor (100) may generate a command to control whether and how information is displayed through the display (80). In one example, the processor (100) may generate a command to control turning on a lighting device in an open storage compartment (20) based on information about the opening of a door (30) from a proximity sensor. For example, the processor (100) may generate a command to control the operating state of each of the input / output device (40), the communication device (50), the sensor device (60), and / or the lighting device.

[0095] In the present disclosure, the processor (100) is a single comprehensive component that controls all components included in the refrigerator (1), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In one example, the refrigerator (1) may be configured to include a configuration of multiple processors that individually control some of the components of the refrigerator (1). In one example, the refrigerator (1) may separately include a processor and a memory for controlling the operation of the cold air supply device (70) according to the output of a temperature sensor. In one example, the refrigerator (1) may separately include a processor and a memory for controlling the operation of a user interface according to a user input. The processor (100) may include multiple processors, and the memory (101) may include multiple memory devices.

[0096] Below, various embodiments related to performing communication between internal modules in a home appliance are described. While the present disclosure exemplifies a processor performing inter-module communication, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the descriptions of the embodiments below can be applied equally or similarly to other types of modules capable of performing communication, in addition to the processor.

[0097] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate the arrangement of a plurality of processors performing inter-processor communication in a refrigerator, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0098] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary configuration for performing inter-processor communication in a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] In FIG. 3, according to one embodiment, the home appliance (300) may include a plurality of processors. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the home appliance (300) may include a first processor (311) and a second processor (312). If the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1A and 1B), the first processor (311) and the second processor (312) may be any one of at least one processor included in the processor (100) of FIG. 1B.

[0100] According to one embodiment, each processor of the appliance (300) can perform different operations or functions.

[0101] For example, the first processor (311) may be configured to process and / or control a unique function (unique function) of the home appliance (300). As an example, the first processor (311) may set a driving setting for driving the unique function of the home appliance (300). In the present disclosure, the driving setting for driving the unique function of the home appliance (300) may be abbreviated as a driving setting.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the unique function of the home appliance (300) may include, but is not limited to, various functions for keeping food fresh and preventing spoilage (e.g., a refrigeration function, a freezing function, a cooling function, a temperature control function, a dehumidification / sterilization function, and / or an anti-frost function) when the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator, for example, as exemplified in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The first processor (311) may be configured to control at least one component configured to perform the unique function of the refrigerator, for example, when the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator. The at least one component configured to perform the unique function of the refrigerator includes, but is not limited to, a cold air supply device (e.g., a cold air supply device (70) including a compressor (71), a condenser (72), an expander (73), and / or an evaporator (74) of FIG. 1B), a fan, and / or a sensor device (e.g., a sensor device (60) of FIG. 1B).

[0103] According to one embodiment, the unique function of the home appliance (300) may include, but is not limited to, various functions for heating and cooking food (e.g., heating function, oven function, cooking function, etc.) when the home appliance (300) is a cooking appliance, as exemplified in FIGS. 15A to 15C. The first processor (311) may be configured to control, for example, at least one component configured to perform the unique function of the cooking appliance when the home appliance (300) is a cooking appliance. The at least one component configured to perform the unique function of the cooking appliance may include, but is not limited to, a heating component (e.g., heating unit (1531) of FIG. 15A or an induction coil of the heating unit (1531).

[0104] For example, the second processor (312) may be configured to process and / or control additional functions (additional functions) of the home appliance (300). The additional functions of the home appliance (300) may be functions other than the inherent functions of the home appliance (300).

[0105] According to one embodiment, the additional functions of the home appliance (300) may include, but are not limited to, a full system management function (e.g., a function for comprehensively adjusting and operating the unique functions of the home appliance based on user input, etc.), a convenience function (e.g., a display function, a control panel function), a notification function (e.g., a door opening notification function), a safety function (e.g., a child protection function), and / or a smart function (e.g., a communication function such as Wi-Fi / BT, a voice control function) when the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator, for example, as exemplified in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The second processor (312) may be configured to control at least one component configured to perform the additional functions of the refrigerator, for example, when the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator. At least one component configured to perform an additional function of the refrigerator includes, but is not limited to, a communication device (e.g., a communication device (50) of FIG. 1B), an input / output device (e.g., an input / output device (40) of FIG. 1B), and / or a display (e.g., a display (80) of FIG. 1B).

[0106] According to one embodiment, the additional functions of the home appliance (300) may include, but are not limited to, a full system management function, a display function, a notification function, and / or a smart function, for example, when the home appliance (300) is a cooking appliance, as exemplified in FIGS. 15A to 15C. The second processor (312) may be configured to control, for example, at least one component configured to perform an additional function of the cooking appliance, when the home appliance (300) is a cooking appliance. The at least one component configured to perform an additional function of the cooking appliance may include, but is not limited to, a communication module (e.g., a Wi-Fi / BT communication module), a speaker, a microphone, a camera, a display, a control panel, and / or a touch panel. According to one embodiment, each processor of the home appliance (300) may be arranged at a different location.

[0107] For example, the first processor (311) may be arranged adjacent to at least one component configured to perform a unique function of the home appliance (300) in order to control the component, and the second processor (312) may be arranged adjacent to at least one component configured to perform an additional function of the home appliance (300) in order to control the component. For example, the first processor (311) for controlling the unique function of the home appliance (300) may be arranged closer to the component performing the unique function of the home appliance (300) than the second processor (312), and the second processor (312) for controlling the additional function of the home appliance (300) may be arranged closer to the component performing the additional function of the home appliance (300) than the first processor (311). Through such arrangement, the processor may more stably control the component controlled by the processor at a position adjacent to the component.

[0108] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2a to 2c, the arrangement of the first processor (311) and the second processor (312) in the case where the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator (1) will be described as an example.

[0109] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the first processor (311) may be positioned adjacent to the compressor (71) (e.g., the compressor (71) of FIG. 1B), and the second processor (312) may be positioned adjacent to the display (80) (e.g., the display (80) of FIG. 1B). For example, the first processor (311) may be positioned closer to the compressor (71) than the second processor (312) to control driving of the compressor (71) (e.g., driving of the motor of the compressor (71)), and the second processor (312) may be positioned closer to the display (80) than the first processor (311) to control the display (80).

[0110] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2b, the second processor (312) may be disposed adjacent to the front of the refrigerator (1) where the display (80) for displaying visual information is disposed, and as illustrated in FIG. 2c, the first processor (311) may be disposed adjacent to the rear of the refrigerator (1). For example, the first processor (311) and / or the first communication circuit (321) may be included in a printed board assembly (PBA) (e.g., an inverter PBA) disposed adjacent to the compressor, and the second processor (312) and / or the second communication circuit (322) may be included in a PBA (e.g., a main control PBA, a display PBA, or a network PBA) adjacent to the display. The inverter PBA (or the first processor (311) included in the inverter PBA) may, for example, perform a function of controlling the motor of the compressor (71). The main control PBA may perform functions for managing and / or controlling the overall operation of the refrigerator, for example, such as overall system control, user interface management, display control, network and connection functions, and diagnostic and notification functions. The display PBA may perform functions for controlling the display (80) and interface of the refrigerator. The network PBA may support smart functions of the refrigerator (e.g., connecting the refrigerator to a smartphone via Wi-Fi / BT or remotely controlling it by connecting it to a smart home system). Some of the PBAs described above may be configured as a single PBA. For example, the main control PBA and the display PBA may be configured as a single PBA. For example, the main control PBA and the network PBA may be configured as a single PBA. Through an arrangement such as that illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the processor can more reliably control the components controlled by it from a location adjacent to the components controlled by it.In the present disclosure, a PBA including a first processor (311) and / or a first communication circuit (321) may be referred to as a first PBA, and a PBA including a second processor (312) and / or a second communication circuit (322) may be referred to as a second PBA.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the home appliance (300) may include a plurality of communication circuits. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the home appliance (300) may include a first communication circuit (321) connected to a first processor (311) and a second communication circuit (322) connected to a second processor (312).

[0112] According to one embodiment, each processor of the home appliance (300) can communicate with other processors via a communication circuit. For example, the first processor (311) can transmit data (or a signal) generated by the first processor (311) to the second processor (312) via the first communication circuit (321), and the second processor (312) can receive data (or a signal) transmitted from the first processor (311) via the second communication circuit (322). The signal generated by the first processor (311) and transmitted to the second processor (312) can include, for example, a signal including status information of the home appliance (300) (e.g., temperature information of the refrigerator (1)). For example, the second processor (312) can transmit data (or a signal) generated by the second processor (312) to the first processor (311) via the second communication circuit (322), and the first processor (311) can receive data (or a signal) transmitted from the second processor (312) via the first communication circuit (321). The signal generated by the second processor (312) and transmitted to the first processor (311) may include, for example, a signal generated based on a user input (e.g., a control signal for adjusting the temperature of the refrigerator (1) to a temperature corresponding to the user input).

[0113] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (321) may be connected to the first processor (311) via at least one cable (e.g., a line or wire). For example, the first communication circuit (321) may be connected to the first processor (311) via a first line configured to transmit data from the first processor (311) to the first communication circuit (321) and a second line configured to transmit data from the first communication circuit (321) to the first processor (311), but is not limited thereto. For example, the first processor (311) may transmit data to the first communication circuit (321) and receive data from the first communication circuit (321) via one line.

[0114] In one embodiment, the second communication circuit (322) may be connected to the second processor (312) via at least one cable (e.g., a line or wire). For example, the second communication circuit (322) may be connected to the second processor (312) via a first line configured to transmit data from the second processor (312) to the second communication circuit (322) and a second line configured to transmit data from the second communication circuit (322) to the second processor (312), but is not limited thereto. For example, the second processor (312) may transmit data to the second communication circuit (322) and receive data from the second communication circuit (322) via one line.

[0115] In one embodiment, the first communication circuit (321) may be connected to the second communication circuit (322) via at least one cable (e.g., a line or wire). For example, the first communication circuit (321) may be connected to the second communication circuit (322) via a first line configured to transmit data from the second communication circuit (322) in the direction of the first communication circuit (321) and a second line configured to transmit data from the first communication circuit (321) in the direction of the second communication circuit (322), but is not limited thereto. For example, the first communication circuit (321) may transmit data to the second communication circuit (322) and receive data from the second communication circuit (322) via one line.

[0116] According to one embodiment, each processor of the home appliance (300) can communicate with other processors via a communication circuit using a designated communication method (e.g., an asynchronous communication method). The asynchronous communication method may include, but is not limited to, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) communication method and / or a recommended standard (RS)-485 communication method.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the UART communication method corresponds to a type of serial communication method, and when the UART communication method is used, a transmitting device (e.g., a first processor (311)) can transmit one bit of data at a time to a receiving device (e.g., a second processor (312)). The transmitting device transmits a data packet composed of consecutive bits, and the receiving device can confirm that the data packet has been received by detecting a start bit and a stop bit. Since the UART communication method uses a high signal as a default value, if the receiving device continuously receives a high signal, it can recognize that there is no transmission of a data packet. On the other hand, if the receiving device receives a low signal, it can recognize this as a start bit and recognize that data packet transmission has started. For example, when the UART communication method is used, the first communication circuit (321) and the second communication circuit (322) can be designed to transmit and receive a high signal by default even when there is no data transmission. In this case, the operations of the first communication circuit (321) and the second communication circuit (322) may vary depending on whether the input signal input by the processor is a high signal or a low signal. The UART communication method is an asynchronous communication method that enables communication without a synchronization signal (e.g., a clock signal) by using an asynchronous data frame, and can support various communication speeds or baud rates (e.g., 9600, 14400, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200 bps), and may have characteristics suitable for one-to-one communication and long-distance communication between two devices. The UART communication method may be suitable for use in communication between two devices inside a home appliance (300) (e.g., communication between the first processor (311) and the second processor (312)) due to its simple wiring structure and low cost.

[0118] According to one embodiment, each processor of the home appliance (300) may have the same driving voltage or different driving voltages. For example, the first processor (311) may have the same driving voltage as the second processor (312) (e.g., a driving voltage of a voltage level of 0 to 3.3 V or a driving voltage of a voltage level of 0 to 5 V). A description of communication between processors having the same driving voltage is described below with reference to FIG. 7. For example, the first processor (311) may have a different driving voltage from the driving voltage of the second processor (312). The first processor (311) may have a first driving voltage (e.g., a driving voltage of a voltage level of 0 to 5 V), and the second processor (312) may have a second driving voltage (e.g., a driving voltage of a voltage level of 0 to 3.3 V) that is different from the first driving voltage. When the driving voltages of the first processor (311) and the second processor (312) are different, the first communication circuit (321) or the second communication circuit (322) may be configured to perform voltage level shifting to perform communication between the first processor (311) and the second processor (312). A description of communication between processors having different driving voltages is provided below with reference to FIG. 8.

[0119] As described above, each processor of the home appliance (300) may not be included in the same PBA and may be positioned at different locations. In this case, inter-processor communication may be affected by noise inside and / or outside the home appliance (300). Below, examples of noise affecting inter-processor communication are described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0120] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of noise applied to a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0121] In FIG. 4, the home appliance (300) may include a first processor (311), a second processor (312), a first communication circuit (321), a second communication circuit (322), and / or an internal noise generator (330). The first processor (311), the second processor (312), the first communication circuit (321), and the second communication circuit (322) are described above in FIG. 3.

[0122] According to one embodiment, various noises may be applied to the home appliance (300). For example, the various noises may include, but are not limited to, electrical noise, mechanical noise, noise caused by environmental factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.), and subsequent noise caused by noise. The electrical noise may include, but is not limited to, power noise generated by the AC power source (400) (or a device supplying the AC power source (400)), and electromagnetic interference noise caused by electromagnetic waves generated by electronic devices inside or outside the home appliance (300). The electromagnetic interference noise caused by electronic devices inside the home appliance (300) may include, but is not limited to, noise generated by a coil (e.g., an induction coil of a heating element (1531) of a cooking device (1500) of FIGS. 15a, 15b, and 15c). Mechanical noise may include, for example, noise generated by the rotation of a motor (e.g., the motor of the compressor (71) of the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1b or the motor (1761) of the washing machine (1700) of FIG. 17b).

[0123] According to one embodiment, the internal noise source (330) may include at least one component that generates noise inside the home appliance. For example, if the home appliance (300) is a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1A and 1B), the internal noise source (330) may include a compressor (e.g., the compressor (71) of FIG. 1B) (or a motor of the compressor) that generates mechanical noise. For example, if the home appliance (300) is a cooking appliance (e.g., the cooking appliance (1500) of FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C), the internal noise source (330) may include a coil (e.g., the induction coil of the heating element (1531) of FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C) that generates electromagnetic noise.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the internal noise source (330) can generate various noise environments. Each noise environment can be associated with a different noise variable or driving setting (e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM) of the compressor motor, RPM of the washing machine motor, or current or AC supplied to the coil), different noise intensity, or different noise strength. For example, each noise environment can be associated with a different value of a different driving setting (e.g., RPM value of the compressor motor, RPM value of the washing machine motor, or current value or AC value supplied to the coil). For example, each noise environment can include noise generated by driving the motor of the compressor at the RPM value corresponding to the corresponding noise environment, noise generated by driving the motor of the washing machine at the RPM value corresponding to the corresponding noise environment, or noise generated by supplying the coil with the AC current of the coil corresponding to the corresponding noise environment. Each noise environment (or driving setting) can be set by a processor (e.g., the first processor (311)) associated with the internal noise source (330) of the home appliance (300). In the present disclosure, a noise environment may be referred to as at least one of noise intensity, noise strength, noise situation, noise condition, noise setting, noise environment setting, and noise state.

[0125] In one embodiment, noise may have a noise path from a noise source (330) in the direction of a component of the home appliance (300). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a power noise path (401) by an AC power source (400) may have a noise path in the direction from the AC power source (400) through the first processor (311) to the first communication circuit (321) to the second communication circuit (322). For example, a noise path (402) by an internal noise source (330) may have a noise path in the direction from the internal noise source (330) through the first processor (311) to the first communication circuit (321) to the second communication circuit (322). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and may have noise paths in other directions.

[0126] In one embodiment, noise applied to the home appliance (300) may affect inter-processor communication. For example, power noise caused by the AC power source (400) and mechanical noise and / or electrical noise caused by the internal noise source (330) may affect communication between the first processor (311) and the second processor (312), thereby causing communication errors. At this time, communication between the first processor (311) and the first communication circuit (321) and communication between the second processor (312) and the second communication circuit (322) are relatively less affected by noise because the two components performing communication are located adjacent to each other (e.g., included in the same PBA). However, communication between the first communication circuit (321) and the second communication circuit (322) is relatively more affected by noise because the communication path is long, as exemplified in FIGS. 2A to 2C . Accordingly, in order to reduce communication errors, the first communication circuit (321) and / or the second communication circuit (322) may be configured to perform processing (e.g., filtering processing) to reduce noise. For example, the first communication circuit (321) and / or the second communication circuit (322) may include components for the processing (e.g., a resistor and a capacitor, or a filter composed of a resistor and a capacitor).

[0127] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary operation of a home appliance performing inter-processor communication using a communication circuit including a fixed resistor and a fixed capacitor, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the home appliance (300) is a home appliance (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1A and 1B) that includes a compressor (530) (e.g., a compressor (71) of FIG. 1B) as an internal noise source (e.g., an internal noise source (330) of FIG. 4). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the description of the embodiment of FIG. 5 may also be applied to a home appliance that includes another noise source (e.g., an induction coil of a cooking appliance (1500) of FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C) as an internal noise source.

[0129] In FIG. 5, the home appliance (300) may include a first processor (311), a second processor (312), a first communication circuit (321), a second communication circuit (322), a compressor (530), and / or a compressor control circuit (531). For a description of the first processor (311), the second processor (312), the first communication circuit (321), and the second communication circuit (322), reference may be made to the description of FIG. 3. Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0130] In one embodiment, the compressor control circuit (531) may be included in the same PBA (e.g., the first PBA) as the first processor (311) or in a different PBA. For example, the compressor control circuit (531) may be a control circuit or processing circuit included in a third processor included in the first PBA, which includes the first processor (311) and the first communication circuit (321). In one embodiment, the compressor control circuit (531) may be a control circuit included in the compressor (530). For example, the compressor control circuit (531) may be included in the compressor (530) together with a motor of the compressor (530).

[0131] According to one embodiment, power noise from an AC power source (400) can be applied to a home appliance (300) along a power noise path (501).

[0132] In one embodiment, compressor noise from the compressor (530) may be applied to the appliance (300) along a compressor noise path (502). For example, the compressor noise path (502) may have a noise path from the compressor (530) to the first processor (311) and from the first communication circuit (321) to the second communication circuit (322).

[0133] In one embodiment, the intensity (or strength) of compressor noise may be related to the rotational speed (e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM)) of the motor of the compressor (530). For example, as the rotational speed (or RPM) of the motor increases, the intensity of compressor noise may increase.

[0134] Table 1 below shows examples of RPMs of the motor of the compressor (530) according to the type of refrigerator. In the present disclosure, the RPM of the motor of the compressor (530) may be referred to as compressor RPM.

[0135] ItemT TypeFDRSBSMAX RPM360040003600MIN RPM120012001200

[0136] In Table 1, for the T-type refrigerator, the setting range can be a minimum RPM of 1200 and a maximum RPM of 3600, for the FDR refrigerator, the setting range can be a minimum RPM of 1200 and a maximum RPM of 4000, and for the SBS refrigerator, the setting range can be a minimum RPM of 1200 and a maximum RPM of 3600.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM. For example, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM and transmit a control signal corresponding to the set compressor RPM to the compressor control circuit (531), and the compressor control circuit (531) can drive the motor of the compressor (530) at the RPM set by the first processor (311) based on the received control signal.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM in specified units. For example, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM in units of 10 RPM within a setting range from the maximum RPM to the minimum RPM.

[0139] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set various noise environments by setting the compressor RPM. For example, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM in units of 10 RPM within a range from the maximum RPM to the minimum RPM, thereby setting the noise environment corresponding to each compressor RPM.

[0140] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (321) may include a first transmitting circuit (521a) and a first receiving circuit (521b) connected to the first processor (311), and the second communication circuit (322) may include a second receiving circuit (522a) and a second transmitting circuit (522b) connected to the second processor (312). The first processor (311) may transmit data through the first transmitting circuit (521a), and the second processor (312) may receive data transmitted from the first processor (311) through the second receiving circuit (522a). The second processor (312) may transmit data through the second transmitting circuit (522b), and the first processor (311) may receive data transmitted from the second processor (312) through the first receiving circuit (521b). In the present disclosure, a path along which data (or a signal) is transmitted from a first processor (311) to a second processor (312) may be referred to as a first path (541), and a path along which data (or a signal) is transmitted from a second processor (312) to the first processor (311) may be referred to as a second path (542). In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first path (541) may include a first transmitting circuit (521a) and a second receiving circuit (522a), and the second path (542) may include a second transmitting circuit (522b) and a first receiving circuit (521b).

[0141] According to one embodiment, the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit may have a symmetrical structure based on a cable (e.g., a line or wire) connecting the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit. Accordingly, the possibility of errors in the design of the communication device may be reduced. For example, the first transmitting circuit (521a) of the first communication circuit (321) and the second receiving circuit (522a) of the second communication circuit (322) may have a symmetrical structure based on the connecting line. For example, the second transmitting circuit (522b) of the second communication circuit (322) and the first receiving circuit (521b) of the first communication circuit (321) may have a symmetrical structure based on the connecting line.

[0142] According to one embodiment, each communication circuit may include a fixed resistor and a fixed capacitor. For example, the first transmitting circuit (521a) may include a fixed resistor (FR11) and a fixed capacitor (FC11), the first receiving circuit (521b) may include a fixed resistor (FR12) and a fixed capacitor (FC12), the second transmitting circuit (522b) may include a fixed resistor (FR21) and a fixed capacitor (FC21), and the second receiving circuit (522a) may include a fixed resistor (FR22) and a fixed capacitor (FC22).

[0143] In one embodiment, the fixed resistors included in each communication circuit and the fixed capacitors associated with (or connected to) the fixed resistors may be used to remove or reduce noise when performing inter-processor communication. For example, the fixed resistors and the fixed capacitors connected to the fixed resistors may be used to form a filter (e.g., a low pass filter (LPF) for filtering high frequency noise). For example, the fixed resistor (FR11) and the fixed capacitor (FC11) of the first transmitting circuit (521a) can form a first LPF, the fixed resistor (FR12) and the fixed capacitor (FC12) of the first receiving circuit (521b) can form a second LPF, the fixed resistor (FR21) and the fixed capacitor (FC21) of the second transmitting circuit (522b) can form a third LPF, and the fixed resistor (FR22) and the fixed capacitor (FC22) of the second receiving circuit (522a) can form a fourth LPF.

[0144] According to one embodiment, when a fixed resistor and a fixed capacitor associated with the fixed resistor are configured as an LPF, the resistance value of the fixed resistor and the capacitance value of the fixed capacitor (or the time constant (τ = R * C) value of the corresponding LPF) may be preset to an optimized value for minimizing noise in a noise environment of the home appliance (300). However, since the values ​​are set to a fixed value, they cannot be flexibly changed according to changes in the noise environment applied to the home appliance (300) during actual use. In a general noise environment, noise may be reduced by this fixed optimal time constant value, enabling normal communication between processors. However, in an environment where the noise environment worsens beyond the expected range or changes in various ways, a situation may occur in which noise cannot be normally removed. This may cause an error in the communication between processors, preventing normal communication from being performed.

[0145] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary operation of a home appliance performing inter-processor communication using a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0146] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the home appliance (300) is a home appliance (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1A and 1B) that includes a compressor (530) (e.g., a compressor (71) of FIG. 1B) as an internal noise source (e.g., an internal noise source (330) of FIG. 4). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the description of the embodiment of FIG. 6 may also be applied to a home appliance that includes another noise source (e.g., an induction coil of a cooking appliance (1500) of FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C) as an internal noise source.

[0147] In FIG. 6, the home appliance (300) may include a first processor (311), a second processor (312), a first communication circuit (321), a second communication circuit (322), a compressor (530), and / or a compressor control circuit (531). For a description of the first processor (311), the second processor (312), the first communication circuit (321), and the second communication circuit (322), reference may be made to the description of FIG. 3. Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0148] In one embodiment, the compressor control circuit (531) may be included in the same PBA (e.g., the first PBA) as the first processor (311) or in a different PBA. For example, the compressor control circuit (531) may be a control circuit or processing circuit included in a third processor included in the first PBA, which includes the first processor (311) and the first communication circuit (321). In one embodiment, the compressor control circuit (531) may be a control circuit included in the compressor (530). For example, the compressor control circuit (531) may be included in the compressor (530) together with a motor of the compressor (530).

[0149] According to one embodiment, power noise from an AC power source (400) can be applied to a home appliance (300) along a power noise path (501).

[0150] In one embodiment, compressor noise from the compressor (530) may be applied to the appliance (300) along a compressor noise path (502). For example, the compressor noise path (502) may have a noise path from the compressor (530) to the first processor (311) and from the first communication circuit (321) to the second communication circuit (322).

[0151] According to one embodiment, the intensity (or strength) of compressor noise may be related to the rotational speed (e.g., RPM) of the motor of the compressor (530). For example, as the rotational speed of the motor increases, the intensity of compressor noise may increase.

[0152] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM. For example, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM and transmit a control signal corresponding to the set compressor RPM to the compressor control circuit (531), and the compressor control circuit (531) can drive the motor of the compressor (530) at the RPM set by the first processor (311) based on the received control signal.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM in specified units. For example, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM in units of 10 RPM within a setting range from the maximum RPM to the minimum RPM in Table 1.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set various noise environments by setting the compressor RPM. For example, the first processor (311) can set the compressor RPM in units of 10 RPM within a range from the maximum RPM to the minimum RPM, thereby setting the noise environment corresponding to each compressor RPM.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (321) may include a first transmitting circuit (621a) and a first receiving circuit (621b) connected to the first processor (311), and the second communication circuit (322) may include a second receiving circuit (622a) and a second transmitting circuit (622b) connected to the second processor (312). The first processor (311) may transmit data through the first transmitting circuit (621a), and the second processor (312) may receive data transmitted from the first processor (311) through the second receiving circuit (622a). The second processor (312) may transmit data through the second transmitting circuit (622b), and the first processor (311) may receive data transmitted from the second processor (312) through the first receiving circuit (621b). In the present disclosure, a path along which data (or a signal) is transmitted from a first processor (311) to a second processor (312) may be referred to as a first path (641), and a path along which data (or a signal) is transmitted from a second processor (321) to the first processor (311) may be referred to as a second path (642). In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the first path (641) may include a first transmitting circuit (621a) and a second receiving circuit (622a), and the second path (642) may include a second transmitting circuit (622b) and a first receiving circuit (621b).

[0156] According to one embodiment, the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit may have a symmetrical structure based on a cable (e.g., a line or wire) connecting the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit. Accordingly, the possibility of errors in the design of the communication device may be reduced. For example, the first transmitting circuit (621a) of the first communication circuit (321) and the second receiving circuit (622a) of the second communication circuit (322) may have a symmetrical structure based on the connecting line. For example, the second transmitting circuit (622b) of the second communication circuit (312) and the first receiving circuit (621b) of the first communication circuit (321) may have a symmetrical structure based on the connecting line.

[0157] In one embodiment, each communication circuit may include a variable resistor and a variable capacitor. For example, the first transmitting circuit (621a) may include a variable resistor (VR11) and a variable capacitor (VC11), the first receiving circuit (621b) may include a variable resistor (VR12) and a variable capacitor (VC12), the second receiving circuit (622a) may include a variable resistor (VR21) and a variable capacitor (VC21), and the second transmitting circuit (622b) may include a variable resistor (VR22) and a variable capacitor (VC22).

[0158] According to one embodiment, the variable resistor may be a digital resistor whose resistance value can be set within a specified range, and the variable capacitor may be a digital capacitor whose capacitance value can be set within a specified range.

[0159] Table 2 shows exemplary settable ranges and setting units for variable resistors and variable capacitors.

[0160] Type Variable resistor (Ohm) Variable capacitor (nF) Setting unit Set in units of 10 Set in units of 10 Setting range 10~10001~1000

[0161] In Table 2, the variable resistor can be set in units of 10 (Ohm) within the range of 0 to 1000 (Ohm), and the variable capacitor can be set in units of 10 (nF) within the range of 1 to 1000 (nF).

[0162] According to one embodiment, the variable resistor included in each communication circuit and the variable capacitor associated (or connected) to the variable resistor may be used to remove or reduce noise when performing inter-processor communication. For example, the variable resistor and the variable capacitor connected to the variable resistor may be used to configure a filter (e.g., a LPF for filtering high-frequency noise). For example, the variable resistor (VR11) and the variable capacitor (VC11) of the first transmitting circuit (621a) may configure a first LPF, the variable resistor (VR12) and the variable capacitor (VC12) of the first receiving circuit (621b) may configure a second LPF, the variable resistor (VR21) and the variable capacitor (VC21) of the second receiving circuit (622a) may configure a third LPF, and the variable resistor (VR22) and the variable capacitor (VC22) of the second transmitting circuit (622b) may configure a fourth LPF.

[0163] According to one embodiment, when a variable resistor and a variable capacitor associated with the variable resistor are configured as an LPF, a resistance value of the variable resistor and a capacitance value of the variable capacitor (or a time constant (τ = R * C) value of the corresponding LPF) can be set and updated (or adjusted) to a setting value for reducing (e.g., minimizing) noise in the corresponding driving setting (or noise environment) of the home appliance (300) so that an error does not occur in inter-processor communication.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the first processor (311) can set and adjust the resistance value of the variable resistor and the capacitance value of the variable capacitor included in the first communication circuit (321). For example, as in operation 601, the first processor (311) can set the values ​​of the variable resistor (VR11) and the variable capacitor (VC11) of the first transmission circuit (621a) to values ​​(e.g., optimized values) suitable for the corresponding driving settings (or noise environment) by considering the driving settings (e.g., rotation speed settings of the motor or current settings of the coil) associated with noise (or noise environment). For example, as in operation 602, the first processor (311) may set the values ​​of the variable resistor (VR12) and the variable capacitor (VC12) of the first receiving circuit (621b) to values ​​(e.g., optimized values) suitable for the driving settings (or noise environment) by considering the driving settings (e.g., rotation speed settings of the motor or current settings of the coil) associated with noise (or noise environment).

[0165] According to one embodiment, the second processor (312) can set and adjust the resistance value of the variable resistor and the capacitance value of the variable capacitor included in the second communication circuit (322). For example, as in operation 611, the second processor (312) can set the values ​​of the variable resistor (VR21) and the variable capacitor (VC21) of the second receiving circuit (622a) to values ​​(e.g., optimized values) suitable for the corresponding driving settings (or noise environment) by considering the driving settings (e.g., rotation speed settings of the compressor motor) associated with noise (or noise environment). For example, as in operation 612, the second processor (312) may set the values ​​of the variable resistor (VR22) and the variable capacitor (VC22) of the second transmitting circuit (622b) to values ​​(e.g., optimized values) suitable for the driving settings (or noise environment) by considering the driving settings (e.g., rotation speed settings of the motor or current settings of the coil) associated with noise (or noise environment).

[0166] According to one embodiment, when a plurality of driving settings (e.g., rotation speed settings of a compressor motor or current settings of a coil) (or noise environments) associated with noise are set, each processor can preset (e.g., optimize) the resistance value of a variable resistor and the capacitance value of a variable capacitor included in a connected communication circuit for each driving setting (or noise environment). For example, the first processor (311) can preset the values ​​of a variable resistor (VR11) and a variable capacitor (VC11) of the first transmitting circuit (621a) to values ​​optimized for each driving setting (or noise environment). For example, the first processor (311) can preset the values ​​of a variable resistor (VR12) and a variable capacitor (VC12) of the first receiving circuit (621b) to values ​​optimized for each driving setting (or noise environment). For example, the second processor (312) can preset the values ​​of the variable resistor (VR21) and the variable capacitor (VC21) of the second receiving circuit (622a) to values ​​optimized for each driving setting (or noise environment). For example, the second processor (312) can preset the values ​​of the variable resistor (VR22) and the variable capacitor (VC22) of the second transmitting circuit (622b) to values ​​optimized for each driving setting (or noise environment).

[0167] By configuring the resistors and capacitors included in the communication circuit as variable resistors and variable capacitors, the resistance value of the variable resistor and the capacitance value of the variable capacitor can be set in consideration of the driving settings (e.g., the rotation speed setting of the compressor motor) (or the noise environment) related to noise, so that the time constant value of the filter can be preset to a value (e.g., an optimized value) suitable for the current driving settings (or the noise environment). In this case, even in a situation where the noise environment deteriorates or changes variously beyond the expected range during actual use, the noise can be normally reduced through the adjusted setting value or time constant. This prevents errors in inter-processor communication due to noise, enabling normal communication.

[0168] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a communication circuit including a fixed resistor and a fixed capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0169] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the transmitting circuit (721) may be, for example, an example of the first transmitting circuit (521a) of FIG. 5 or the second transmitting circuit (522b) of FIG. 5. The receiving circuit (722) may be, for example, an example of the first receiving circuit (521b) of FIG. 5 or the second receiving circuit (522a). For example, in the case where a signal is transmitted from the first processor (311) of FIG. 5 to the second processor (312) along the first path (e.g., the first path (541) of FIG. 5), the first processor (711) may correspond to the first processor (311) of FIG. 5, the second processor (712) may correspond to the second processor (312) of FIG. 5, the transmitting circuit (721) may correspond to the first transmitting circuit (521a) of FIG. 5, and the receiving circuit (722) may correspond to the second receiving circuit (522a) of FIG. 5. For example, in the case where a signal is transmitted from the second processor (312) of FIG. 5 to the first processor (311) along a second path (e.g., the second path (542) of FIG. 5), the first processor (711) may correspond to the second processor (312) of FIG. 5, the second processor (712) may correspond to the first processor (311) of FIG. 5, the transmitting circuit (721) may correspond to the second transmitting circuit (522b) of FIG. 5, and the receiving circuit (722) may correspond to the first receiving circuit (521b) of FIG. 5.

[0170] In FIG. 7, the transmitting circuit (721) may be connected to the first processor (711), and the receiving circuit (722) may be connected to the second processor (712).

[0171] According to one embodiment, the transmitter circuit (721) may include a first field effect transistor (FET) (Q1), pull-up resistors (R1, R2), and / or a first low-pass filter (LPF) (701). The first LPF (701) may include a fixed resistor (R3) (e.g., FR11 or FR22 of FIG. 5) and a fixed capacitor (C1) (e.g., FC11 or FC22 of FIG. 5).

[0172] According to one embodiment, the first FET (Q1) may be arranged such that its gate is connected to a driving power supply (VCC), its source is connected to an input terminal of a transmission circuit (721), its drain is connected to one end of a first LPF (701), and the other end of the first LPF (701) is connected to an output terminal of the transmission circuit (721). The first FET (Q1) may be, for example, an N-Channel MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor), but is not limited thereto. For example, the first FET (Q1) may also be a P-Channel MOSFET.

[0173] According to one embodiment, when the first FET (Q1) is an N-Channel MOSFET, the first FET (Q1) may be turned on when the difference (VGS) between the gate voltage (VG) and the source voltage (VS) is greater than the threshold voltage, and may be turned off when the difference (VGS) is less than the threshold voltage, depending on the characteristics of the N-Channel MOSFET. For example, when the magnitudes of the gate voltage (VG) and the source voltage (VS) are the same, the difference (VGS) between the gate voltage and the source voltage is 0, so it has a value less than the threshold voltage, and thus the first FET (Q1) may be turned off. According to this characteristic, the first FET (Q1) may be operated on and off depending on the magnitude of the voltage of the signal input to the input terminal and the magnitude of the voltage applied through the gate.

[0174] According to one embodiment, the receiver circuit (722) may include a second FET (Q2), pull-up resistors (R5, R6), and a second LPF (702). The second LPF (702) may include a fixed resistor (R4) (e.g., FR12 or FR 21 of FIG. 5) and a fixed capacitor (C2) (e.g., FC12 or FC21 of FIG. 5).

[0175] According to one embodiment, the second FET (Q2) may be arranged such that its gate is connected to the driving power supply (VCC), its source is connected to the output terminal of the receiving circuit (722), its drain is connected to one end of the second LPF (702), and the other end of the second LPF (702) is connected to the input terminal of the receiving circuit (722). The second FET (Q2) may be, for example, an N-Channel MOSFET, but is not limited thereto. For example, the second FET (Q2) may also be a P-Channel MOSFET. When the second FET (Q2) is an N-Channel MOSFET, the second FET (Q2) may have the same characteristics of an N-Channel MOSFET as the first FET (Q1).

[0176] In one embodiment, pull-up resistors (R1, R2, R5, R6) can be used to reduce leakage current and thus power consumption due to standby power generation. The sizes of the pull-up resistors (R1, R2, R5, R6) can be set to various values ​​depending on the design. For example, the pull-up resistors (R1, R2, R5, R6) can be set to a value of 4.7KΩ to 47KΩ.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the driving voltages of the first processor (711) and the second processor (712) may be the same. For example, the driving voltages of the first processor (711) and the second processor (712) may be the same as the driving voltage of the first voltage level (e.g., the driving voltage of the voltage level of 0 V to 3.3 V or the driving voltage of the voltage level of 0 V to 5 V). When the driving voltages of the first processor (711) and the second processor (712) are the same, no shift in voltage level for signals in the transmitting circuit (721) and the receiving circuit (722) is required for inter-processor communication.

[0178] Below, the operation of the transmitting circuit (721) and the receiving circuit (722) in the case where the driving voltages of the first processor (711) and the second processor (712) are the same and the input signal input by the first processor (711) is a high signal (e.g., logic high) will be first described.

[0179] For example, when the voltage level of the input signal has a range of 0 V to 3.3 V, the magnitude of the voltage applied from the driving power supply (VCC) can be set to 3.3 V, which is the magnitude of the voltage corresponding to the high signal of the input signal. At this time, when the input signal is a high signal of 3.3 V, the gate voltage (VG) and the source voltage (VS) are both equal to 3.3 V, so the first FET (Q1) can operate in the off state. In contrast, when the input signal is a low signal of 0 V, the difference (VGS) between the gate voltage (VG) and the source voltage (VS) exceeds the magnitude of the threshold voltage of 3.3 V, so the first FET (Q1) can operate in the on state. Meanwhile, even when the voltage level of the input signal has a range of 0 V to 5 V, the first FET (Q1) can be operated in the same manner as the above-described method by setting the magnitude of the voltage applied to the driving power supply (VCC) to 5 V.

[0180] When a high signal is input, the first FET (Q1) can be turned off. A floating signal generated by the first FET (Q1) being turned off can be pulled up through the driving power supply (VCC) and the pull-up resistor (R2). For example, when the input signal is a high signal and the voltage applied from the driving power supply (VCC) also has a voltage magnitude corresponding to the high signal, the first FET (Q1) is turned off and no signal is output from the first FET (Q1). At this time, a signal pulled up to have a value corresponding to the high signal can be generated due to the voltage applied from the driving power supply (VCC) and the pull-up resistor (R2) connected to the driving power supply (VCC). The pulled-up signal is output from the transmission circuit (721) through the first LPF (701), and can be transmitted to the reception circuit (722) through a cable (e.g., a line or wire) connecting the transmission circuit (721) and the reception circuit (722). Since the signal output from the transmission circuit (721) corresponds to a high signal, it is identical to the input signal of the transmission circuit (721), and thus can have the effect of transmitting a non-inverted signal to the reception circuit (722).

[0181] The signal transmitted to the receiving circuit (722) passes through the second LPF (702) and the voltage level may increase again by the driving power supply (VCC). For example, the voltage level may decrease as it is transmitted to the receiving circuit (722) through the signal cable output from the transmitting circuit (721), but the voltage level may increase again by the driving power supply (VCC) of the receiving circuit (722). The signal whose voltage level is increased again by the driving power supply (VCC) may have a voltage level corresponding to the high signal of the signal input to the transmitting circuit (721). Accordingly, the voltage of the signal applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) may have a level corresponding to the high signal. In addition, the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) may also have a level corresponding to the high signal due to the internal diode characteristics of the FET. In addition, a voltage level corresponding to the high signal may be applied from the driving power supply (VCC) to the gate of the second FET (Q2). And, since the magnitude of the gate voltage (VG) of the second FET (Q2) and the source voltage (VS) of the second FET (Q2) are the same, the second FET (Q2) can be operated in the off state. Accordingly, the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) can maintain a voltage magnitude corresponding to a high signal. The high signal generated in this way can be output through the output terminal of the receiving circuit (722) and transmitted to the second processor (712).

[0182] Below, the operation of the transmitting circuit (721) and the receiving circuit (722) when the driving voltages of the first processor (711) and the second processor (712) are the same and the input signal input by the first processor (711) is a low signal (e.g., logic low) will be described.

[0183] When a low signal is input, the first FET (Q1) can be operated on. As the first FET (Q1) is operated on, the low signal can be output through the drain of the first FET (Q1) and can be output through the output terminal of the transmission circuit (721) through the first LPF (Q1). At this time, the signal output from the transmission circuit (721) corresponds to the low signal, so it is the same as the input signal of the transmission circuit (721), and can have the effect of transmitting a non-inverted signal to the reception circuit (722). The output signal can be applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) through the second LPF (702). Since the low signal is close to 0 V, the voltage applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) may also be 0 V, and depending on the characteristics of the internal diode of the FET, a voltage drop may occur that reduces the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) to 0 V. At this time, since the driving power (VCC) applies a voltage corresponding to the high signal to the gate of the second FET (Q2), the second FET (Q2) can operate in the on state. As a result, a pull-up due to the driving power (VCC) and the pull-up resistor (R6) does not occur, and the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) can maintain a value of 0 V. The low signal generated in this way can be output through the output terminal of the receiving circuit (722) and transmitted to the second processor (712).

[0184] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit are described as transmitting and receiving signals using FETs, but at least one of the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit may be implemented in a manner in which signals are transmitted and received using FETs, or may be implemented in a manner in which signals are transmitted and received using transistors (e.g., NPN transistors or PNP transistors) without using FETs.

[0185] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0186] In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the transmitting circuit (821) may be, for example, an example of the first transmitting circuit (621a) of FIG. 6 or an example of the second transmitting circuit (622b) of FIG. 6. The receiving circuit (822) may be, for example, an example of the first receiving circuit (621b) and the second receiving circuit (622a) of FIG. 6. For example, in the case where a signal is transmitted from the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 to the second processor (312) along the first path (e.g., the first path (641) of FIG. 6), the first processor (811) may correspond to the first processor (311) of FIG. 6, the second processor (812) may correspond to the second processor (312) of FIG. 6, the transmitting circuit (821) may correspond to the first transmitting circuit (621a) of FIG. 6, and the receiving circuit (822) may correspond to the second receiving circuit (622a) of FIG. 6. For example, in the case where a signal is transmitted from the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 to the first processor (311) along a second path (e.g., the second path (642) of FIG. 6), the first processor (811) may correspond to the second processor (312) of FIG. 6, the second processor (812) may correspond to the first processor (311) of FIG. 6, the transmitting circuit (821) may correspond to the second transmitting circuit (622b) of FIG. 6, and the receiving circuit (822) may correspond to the first receiving circuit (621b) of FIG. 6.

[0187] In FIG. 8, the transmitting circuit (821) may be connected to the first processor (811), and the receiving circuit (822) may be connected to the second processor (812).

[0188] According to one embodiment, the transmitter circuit (821) may include a first FET (Q1), pull-up resistors (R1, R2), and a first LPF (801). The first LPF (801) may include a variable resistor (R3) (e.g., VR11 or VR22 of FIG. 6) and a variable capacitor (C1) (e.g., VC11 or VC22 of FIG. 6).

[0189] According to one embodiment, the first FET (Q1) may be arranged such that the gate is connected to the driving power supply (VCC), the source is connected to the input terminal of the transmission circuit (821), the drain is connected to one end of the first LPF (801), and the other end of the first LPF (801) is connected to the output terminal of the transmission circuit (821). The first FET (Q1) may be, for example, an N-Channel MOSFET, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first FET (Q1) may also be a P-Channel MOSFET. When the communication circuit is configured using an FET, the transmission circuit and the reception circuit can be configured symmetrically, thereby preventing errors in circuit design.

[0190] According to one embodiment, when the first FET (Q1) is an N-Channel MOSFET, the first FET (Q1) may be turned on when the difference (VGS) between the gate voltage (VG) and the source voltage (VS) is greater than the threshold voltage, and may be turned off when the difference (VGS) is less than the threshold voltage, depending on the characteristics of the N-Channel MOSFET. For example, when the magnitudes of the gate voltage (VG) and the source voltage (VS) are the same, the difference (VGS) between the gate voltage and the source voltage is 0, so it has a value less than the threshold voltage, and thus the first FET (Q1) may be turned off. According to this characteristic, the first FET (Q1) may be operated on and off depending on the magnitude of the voltage of the signal input to the input terminal and the magnitude of the voltage applied through the gate.

[0191] According to one embodiment, the receiver circuit (822) may include a second FET (Q2), pull-up resistors (R5, R6), and a second LPF (802). The second LPF (802) may include a variable resistor (R4) (e.g., VR12 or VR21 of FIG. 6) and a variable capacitor (C2) (e.g., VC12 or VC21 of FIG. 6).

[0192] According to one embodiment, the second FET (Q2) may be arranged such that its gate is connected to the driving power supply (VCC), its source is connected to the output terminal of the receiving circuit (822), its drain is connected to one end of the second LPF (802), and the other end of the second LPF (802) is connected to the input terminal of the receiving circuit (822). The second FET (Q2) may be, for example, an N-Channel MOSFET, but is not limited thereto. For example, the second FET (Q2) may also be a P-Channel MOSFET. When the second FET (Q2) is an N-Channel MOSFET, the second FET (Q2) may have the same characteristics of an N-Channel MOSFET as the first FET (Q1).

[0193] In one embodiment, pull-up resistors (R1, R2, R5, R6) can be used to reduce leakage current and thus power consumption due to standby power generation. The sizes of the pull-up resistors (R1, R2, R5, R6) can be set to various values ​​depending on the design. For example, the pull-up resistors (R1, R2, R5, R6) can be set to a value of 4.7KΩ to 47KΩ.

[0194] According to one embodiment, the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) may be the same. For example, the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) may be the same as the driving voltage of the first voltage level (e.g., the driving voltage of the voltage level of 0 V to 3.3 V or the driving voltage of the voltage level of 0 V to 5 V). When the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) are the same, no shift in voltage level for signals in the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) is required for inter-processor communication. When the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) are the same, the driving voltages applied by the first driving power supply (Vcc1), the second driving power supply (Vcc2), the third driving power supply (Vcc3), and the fourth driving power supply (Vcc4) of FIG. 8 may all be set to the same value (e.g., 3.3 V or 5 V). When the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) are the same, the operation of the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) when the input signal input by the first processor (811) is a high signal and a low signal may refer to the description of FIG. 7. For example, the description of the transmitting circuit (721) and the receiving circuit (722) in the case where the driving voltages of the embodiment of FIG. 7 are the same can be equally applied to the embodiment of FIG. 8, except that the LPF included in each circuit is changed to an LPF including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor.

[0195] According to one embodiment, the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) may be different. For example, the driving voltage of the first processor (811) (e.g., the driving voltage at a voltage level of 0 V to 5 V) may be higher than the driving voltage of the second processor (812) (e.g., the driving voltage at a voltage level of 0 V to 3.3 V). For example, the driving voltage of the first processor (811) (e.g., the driving voltage at a voltage level of 0 V to 3.3 V) may be lower than the driving voltage of the second processor (812) (e.g., the driving voltage at a voltage level of 0 V to 5 V). If the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) are different, and there is no shift in the voltage level in the transmitting circuit (821) or the receiving circuit (822), the second processor (812) cannot clearly recognize whether the signal transmitted by the first processor (811) is a high signal or a low signal.

[0196] Therefore, when the driving voltages of the first processor (811) and the second processor (812) are different, a shift in the voltage level of the signal is required in the transmitting circuit (821) or the receiving circuit (822) for inter-processor communication.

[0197] For example, when the driving voltage of the first processor (811) is higher than the driving voltage of the second processor (812), in order to shift the voltage level for the signal generated by the first processor (811), the first driving power (Vcc1), the second driving power (Vcc2), and the third driving power (Vcc3) of FIG. 8 may be set to the same first driving voltage (e.g., 5 V), and the fourth driving power (Vcc4) of FIG. 8 may be set to a second driving voltage (e.g., 3.3 V) that is lower than the first driving voltage. In this case, the receiving circuit (822) may perform the power level shift by using a plurality of driving power sources that apply different voltage values.

[0198] For example, when the driving voltage of the first processor (811) is lower than the driving voltage of the second processor (812), in order to shift the voltage level for the signal generated by the first processor (811), the first driving power (Vcc1) of FIG. 8 may be set to the first driving voltage (e.g., 3.3 V), and the second driving power (Vcc2), the third driving power (Vcc3), and the fourth driving power (Vcc4) may be set to the second driving voltage (e.g., 5 V) higher than the first driving voltage. In this case, the transmitter circuit (821) may perform the power level shift by using a plurality of driving power sources that apply different voltage values.

[0199] Below, the operation of the transmitter circuit (821) and the receiver circuit (822) when the second processor (812) operates at a lower driving voltage (or voltage level) than the first processor (811) is described.

[0200] In one embodiment, the first processor (811) operates at a voltage level of 0 V to 5 V and the second processor (812) operates at a voltage level of 0 V to 3.3 V.

[0201] First, the operation of the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) when the input signal input by the first processor (811) is a high signal will be described.

[0202] A voltage (5 V) corresponding to a high signal of a signal input from a first driving power supply (Vcc1) can be applied to the gate of the first FET (Q1). When a high signal is input to the input terminal, the first FET (Q1) operates in an off state, and a floating signal generated accordingly can be pulled up through a second driving power supply (Vcc2) having the same driving voltage as the first driving power supply (Vcc1) and a pull-up resistor (R2). Accordingly, the floating signal can be pulled up to a voltage (5 V) corresponding to a high signal input to the transmitting circuit (821). The pulled-up signal can be output through an output terminal of the transmitting circuit (821) through a first LPF (801) including a variable resistor (R3) and a variable capacitor (C1), and can be transmitted to the receiving circuit (822) through a cable (e.g., a line or wire) connecting the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822).

[0203] The signal transmitted to the receiving circuit (822) passes through the second LPF (802) and the voltage level may increase again by the third driving power supply (Vcc3). For example, the voltage level may decrease as it is transmitted to the receiving circuit (822) through the signal cable output from the transmitting circuit (821), but the voltage level may increase again by the third driving power supply (Vcc3) of the receiving circuit (822). The signal whose voltage level is increased again by the third driving power supply (Vcc3) may have a voltage level (5 V) corresponding to the high signal of the signal input to the transmitting circuit (821). Accordingly, the voltage of the signal applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) may also have a voltage level (5 V) corresponding to the high signal of the signal input to the transmitting circuit (821). And, a voltage (3.3 V) corresponding to a high signal of a voltage level used in the second processor (812) can be applied to the gate of the second FET (Q2) from the fourth driving power supply (Vcc4). And, the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) can also have the same magnitude, and since the voltage (5 V) of the drain of the second FET (Q2) has a value greater than the voltage (3.3 V) of the source of the second FET (Q2), a voltage drop may not occur. And, since the magnitudes of the gate voltage (VG) of the second FET (Q2) and the source voltage (VS) of the second FET (Q2) are the same, the second FET (Q2) can be operated in an off state. And, the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) can maintain the magnitude (3.3 V) of the voltage corresponding to the high signal of a voltage level used in the second processor (812). A high signal generated through such an operation can be output through the output terminal of the receiving circuit (822) and transmitted to the second processor (812).

[0204] Next, the operation of the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) when the input signal input by the first processor (811) is a low signal will be described.

[0205] When a low signal is input to the input terminal, the first FET (Q1) can be turned on. As the first FET (Q1) is turned on, the low signal can be output through the drain of the first FET (Q1) and can be output through the output terminal of the transmission circuit (821) through the first LPF (801). The output signal can be applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) through the second LPF (802). Since the low signal is close to 0 V, the voltage applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) can also be 0 V, and depending on the characteristics of the internal diode of the FET, a voltage drop may occur that reduces the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) to 0 V. At this time, the fourth driving power supply (Vcc4) applies a voltage corresponding to a high signal to the gate of the second FET (Q2), so that the second FET (Q2) can operate in an on state. As a result, a pull-up due to the fourth driving power supply (Vcc4) and the pull-up resistor (R6) does not occur, and the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) can maintain a value of 0 V. The low signal generated through the operation in this way can be output through the output terminal of the receiving circuit (822) and transmitted to the second processor (812).

[0206] Below, the operation of the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) when the second processor (812) operates at a higher driving voltage (or voltage level) than the first processor (811) is described.

[0207] In one embodiment, the first processor (811) operates at a voltage level of 0 V to 3.3 V and the second processor (812) operates at a voltage level of 0 V to 5 V.

[0208] First, the operation of the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) when the input signal input by the first processor (811) is a high signal will be described.

[0209] A voltage (3.3 V) corresponding to a high signal of a signal input from a first driving power supply (Vcc1) can be applied to the gate of the first FET (Q1). When a high signal (3.3 V) is input to the input terminal, the first FET (Q1) operates in an off state, and a floating signal generated accordingly can be pulled up through a second driving power supply (Vcc2) and a pull-up resistor (R2). At this time, the second driving power supply (Vcc2) can apply a voltage (5 V) corresponding to a high signal of a voltage level used by the second processor (812). Accordingly, the floating signal can be pulled up to 5 V. The pulled-up signal is output through the output terminal of the transmitting circuit (821) via the first LPF (801) including a variable resistor (R3) and a variable capacitor (C1), and can be transmitted to the receiving circuit (822) via a cable (e.g., a line or wire) connecting the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822).

[0210] The signal transmitted to the receiving circuit (822) passes through the second LPF (802) and the voltage level may increase again by the third driving power supply (Vcc3). For example, the voltage level may decrease as it is transmitted to the receiving circuit (822) through the signal cable output from the transmitting circuit (821), but the voltage level may increase again by the third driving power supply (Vcc3) of the receiving circuit (822). The signal whose voltage level is increased again by the third driving power supply (Vcc3) may have a voltage (5 V) corresponding to a high signal of the voltage level used by the second processor (812). Accordingly, the voltage of the signal applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) may also have a voltage (5 V) corresponding to a high signal of the voltage level used by the second processor (812). In addition, a voltage (5 V) may be applied to the gate of the second FET (Q2) from the third driving power supply (Vcc3). And, the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) may also have the same magnitude, and since the voltage of the drain of the second FET (Q2) and the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) have the same magnitude, a voltage drop may not occur. And, since the gate voltage of the second FET (Q2) and the source voltage of the second FET (Q2) have the same magnitude, the second FET (Q2) may be operated in an off state. Accordingly, the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) may maintain a voltage magnitude corresponding to a high signal of a voltage level used by the second processor (812). The high signal generated through this operation may be output through the output terminal of the receiving circuit (822) and transmitted to the second processor (812).

[0211] Next, the operation of the transmitting circuit (821) and the receiving circuit (822) when the input signal input by the first processor (811) is a low signal will be described.

[0212] When a low signal is input to the input terminal, the first FET (Q1) can operate on. As the first FET (Q1) operates on, the low signal can be output through the drain of the first FET (Q1) and can be output through the output terminal of the transmission circuit (821) through the first LPF (801). The output signal can be applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) through the second LPF (802). Since the low signal is close to 0 V, the voltage applied to the drain of the second FET (Q2) can also be 0 V, and depending on the characteristics of the internal diode of the FET, a voltage drop may occur that reduces the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) to 0 V. At this time, the fourth driving power supply (Vcc4) applies a voltage corresponding to a high signal to the gate of the second FET (Q2), so that the second FET (Q2) can operate in an on state. As a result, a pull-up due to the fourth driving power supply (Vcc4) and the pull-up resistor (R6) does not occur, and the voltage of the source of the second FET (Q2) can maintain a value of 0 V. Through this operation, the generated low signal can be output through the output terminal of the receiving circuit (822) and transmitted to the second processor (812).

[0213] In the embodiment of Fig. 8, the driving power is exemplified as applying a voltage of 5 V or 3 V, but it can be implemented to have a voltage other than the voltage magnitude described above.

[0214] In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit are described as transmitting and receiving signals using FETs, but at least one of the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit may be implemented in a manner in which signals are transmitted and received using FETs, or may be implemented in a manner in which signals are transmitted and received using transistors (e.g., NPN transistors or PNP transistors) without using FETs.

[0215] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of a home appliance setting values ​​of a variable resistor and a variable capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0216] In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the home appliance is a refrigerator (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1A and 1B). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the same description may be applied to various types of home appliances that generate noise affecting inter-processor communication (e.g., a cooking appliance (1500) of FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C, an air conditioner (2000) of FIG. 16, or a washing machine (1700) of FIGS. 17A and 17B).

[0217] In FIG. 9, at operation 910, the home appliance can generate set value information for variable resistors (e.g., VR11, VR12, VR21, VR22 of FIG. 6 or R3, R4 of FIG. 8) and variable capacitors (e.g., VC11, VC12, VC21, VC22 of FIG. 6 or C1, C2 of FIG. 8).

[0218] According to one embodiment, the setting value information may include a resistance setting value of a variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of a variable capacitor corresponding to each driving setting. The driving setting may include, for example, a rotation speed setting of a motor (e.g., a rotation speed setting of a motor of a compressor (71) of FIG. 1B or a rotation speed setting of a motor (1761) of FIG. 17B) or a current setting of a coil (e.g., a current setting of a coil of a heating unit (1531) of FIG. 15A). For example, the setting value information may include a resistance setting value of a variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of a variable capacitor corresponding to each of a plurality of rotation speeds within a rotation speed setting range of the motor (e.g., a plurality of compressor RPMs set in 10 RPM units within a compressor RPM setting range of Table 1). For example, the setting value information may include a resistance setting value of a variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of a variable capacitor corresponding to each of a plurality of currents within a current setting range of the coil.

[0219] According to one embodiment, the setting value information may include a resistance setting value of a variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of a variable capacitor corresponding to each noise environment.

[0220] According to one embodiment, the home appliance may determine, for each driving setting (or each noise environment), resistance setting values ​​of all variable resistors and capacitance setting values ​​of all variable capacitors included in a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (321) of FIG. 6 or the transmitting circuit (821) of FIG. 8) and a second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit (322) of FIG. 6 or the receiving circuit (822) of FIG. 8)) to generate setting value information. For example, a first processor (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may determine, respectively, the resistance setting values ​​of each variable resistor and the capacitance setting values ​​of each variable capacitor included in a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (321) of FIG. 6 or the transmitting circuit (821) of FIG. 8) connected to the first processor. For example, a second processor (e.g., a second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or a second processor (812) of FIG. 8) may determine a resistance setting value of each variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor included in a second communication circuit (e.g., a second communication circuit (322) of FIG. 6 or a receiving circuit (822) of FIG. 8) connected to the second processor.

[0221] According to one embodiment, the variable resistor and the variable capacitor may form a low-pass filter (LPF) (e.g., the first LPF (801) and the second LPF (802) of FIG. 8).

[0222] In one embodiment, the appliance may set a specified number of driving settings (or noise environments). For example, the appliance may set N driving settings (or noise environments).

[0223] In one embodiment, each driving setting (or noise environment) may be associated with a different noise level or intensity. For example, a home appliance may set N driving settings (or noise environments) corresponding to N different noise levels.

[0224] According to one embodiment, each driving setting (or noise environment) may be associated with a different rotation speed (e.g., RPM) of a motor (e.g., a motor of a compressor (71) of a refrigerator of FIG. 1B). For example, each driving setting (or noise environment) may correspond to a different compressor RPM value. For example, the home appliance may set N driving settings (or noise environments) by driving the motor of the compressor at N different compressor RPMs, respectively. The N driving settings (or noise environments) may include, for example, a first driving setting (or first noise environment) corresponding to a first compressor RPM, a second driving setting (or second noise environment) corresponding to a second compressor RPM, ..., an Nth driving setting (or Nth noise environment) corresponding to an Nth compressor RPM. Each driving setting (or noise environment) may be associated with a respective noise generated by rotating the motor of the compressor at the corresponding compressor RPM. Each compressor RPM used to set the driving setting (or noise environment) may be included within the range of compressor RPMs in Table 1, for example. For example, each compressor RPM used to set the driving setting (or noise environment) may be set in a specified unit (e.g., 10 RPM) within the setting range of compressor RPMs in Table 1.

[0225] According to one embodiment, each driving setting (or noise environment) may be associated with a different current value of a coil (e.g., a coil of the heating element (1531) of FIG. 15A). For example, each driving setting (or noise environment) may correspond to a different coil current value. For example, the home appliance may set N driving settings (or noise environments) by supplying N different coil current values ​​to the coils, respectively. The N driving settings (or noise environments) may include, for example, a first driving setting (or first noise environment) corresponding to a first coil current, a second driving setting (or second noise environment) corresponding to a second coil current, and an Nth driving setting (or Nth noise environment) corresponding to an Nth coil current. Each driving setting (or noise environment) may be associated with a respective noise generated by supplying the corresponding coil current to the coil. Each coil current used to set the driving setting (or noise environment) may be included, for example, within a specified current range. For example, each coil current used to set the drive setting (or noise environment) can be set to a specified unit (e.g., 1 A) within a specified current range.

[0226] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can determine the resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor, respectively, when each driving setting (or noise environment) is set. For example, when N driving settings (or noise environments) are set, the home appliance can determine the first resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the first capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor corresponding to the first driving setting (or the first noise environment), the second resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the second capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor corresponding to the second driving setting (or the second noise environment), and the Nth resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the Nth capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor corresponding to the Nth driving setting (or the Nth noise environment).

[0227] In case the resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor are respectively determined according to the driving setting (or noise environment), even if the noise generated during the actual operation of the home appliance changes over time, the resistance value and capacitance value (e.g., the optimal resistance value and the optimal capacitance value) suitable for the current driving setting (or noise environment) can be set. Through this, the noise generated in the current noise situation can be normally reduced, thereby preventing the occurrence of an error in communication between processors.

[0228] According to one embodiment, the home appliance may determine a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to each driving setting (or noise environment) based on a communication success rate for communication performed between processors using an asynchronous communication method (e.g., a UART communication method) in a state where each driving setting (or noise environment) is set. For example, a first processor of the home appliance (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 3 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may determine a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor included in the first communication circuit corresponding to the driving setting (or noise environment) based on a communication success rate for communication performed with a second processor (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 3 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8)) through a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (321) of FIG. 3 or the transmission circuit (821) of FIG. 8)) connected to the first processor. For example, a second processor of a home appliance (e.g., a second processor (312) of FIG. 3 or a second processor (812) of FIG. 8) may determine a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor included in the second communication circuit corresponding to the driving setting (or noise environment) based on a communication success rate for communication performed with a first processor (e.g., a first processor (311) of FIG. 3 or a first processor (811) of FIG. 8) via a second communication circuit (e.g., a second communication circuit (322) of FIG. 3 or a receiving circuit (822) of FIG. 8)) through which the second processor is connected. An embodiment of determining a resistance setting value (e.g., an optimal resistance value) and a capacitance setting value (e.g., an optimal capacitance value) based on the communication success rate will be described below with reference to FIGS. 10, 11, and 12.

[0229] According to one embodiment, setting value information for the resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor for each driving setting (or noise environment) may be stored in the home appliance (or in the memory of the home appliance (e.g., the memory (101) of FIG. 1b)).

[0230] In operation 920, the home appliance can perform interprocessor communication through a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor set to a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to a current driving setting (e.g., a current rotation speed setting of a motor of a compressor (71) in FIG. 1B or a current current setting of a coil of a heating element (1531) in FIG. 15A) (or a noise environment). For example, the home appliance can identify a current rotation speed of a motor of a compressor (e.g., a current compressor RPM) (or a current noise environment corresponding to the current rotation speed), obtain a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to the current rotation speed (or the current noise environment) from the setting value information previously obtained through operation 910, and perform interprocessor communication through a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor set to the obtained resistance setting value and the obtained capacitance setting value. For example, the home appliance device can identify the current current of the coil (e.g., the current coil current) (or, the current noise environment corresponding to the current coil current), obtain a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to the current coil current (or, the current noise environment) from the setting value information previously obtained through operation 910, and perform inter-processor communication through a communication circuit including a variable resistor and a variable capacitor set to the obtained resistance setting value and the obtained capacitance setting value.

[0231] The home appliance device can prevent a communication error caused by noise related to the current driving setting (or noise environment) by performing interprocess communication by obtaining and setting the setting values ​​of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor corresponding to the current driving setting (or noise environment) from the setting value information generated in advance through operation 910.

[0232] In operation 930, the home appliance may re-determine (or update) the set value information for the variable resistor and the variable capacitor based on the identification that a specified condition is satisfied. For example, the home appliance may identify that the specified condition is satisfied when a specified cycle (e.g., twice a day (e.g., morning and afternoon)) is satisfied. For example, the home appliance may obtain an inter-processor communication success rate (e.g., a communication success rate for a current noise environment) when the specified cycle (e.g., twice a day (e.g., morning and afternoon)) is satisfied, and if the communication success rate is identified as being lower than a reference communication success rate, the home appliance may identify that the specified condition is satisfied. For example, the home appliance may identify that the specified condition is satisfied when the inter-processor communication success rate is identified as being lower than a specified value.

[0233] The resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor, which are determined according to the driving setting (or noise environment), are not continuously maintained, but are re-determined or updated as the specified conditions are satisfied, thereby enabling flexible adaptation to changes in noise.

[0234] According to one embodiment, the appliance can redetermine the resistance setting value of each variable resistor and the capacitance setting value of each variable capacitor for all or part of the set driving settings (or noise environments) based on identification that a specified condition is satisfied. In one embodiment, the appliance can update the setting values ​​for all or part of the set driving settings (or noise environments), or if updating the setting values ​​for all or part of the set driving settings (or noise environments) is unnecessary, the appliance can update the setting values ​​only for some necessary driving settings (or noise environments).

[0235] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of a home appliance device determining set values ​​of a variable resistor and a variable capacitor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0236] In the embodiment of Fig. 10, the home appliance is a refrigerator (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of Figs. 1a and 1b). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the same description may be applied to various types of home appliances that generate noise that affects inter-processor communication (e.g., a cooking appliance (1500) of Figs. 15a, 15b, and 15c, an air conditioner (2000) of Fig. 16, a washing machine (1700) of Figs. 17a and 17b).

[0237] In FIG. 10, in operation 1010, the home appliance can set the driving setting (or noise environment) to a first driving setting (or first noise environment). The first driving setting (or first noise environment) can be any one of the driving settings (or noise environments) that can be set by the home appliance. The driving setting can be, for example, a rotation speed setting of a motor (e.g., a motor of the compressor (71) of FIG. 1B or a motor (1761) of FIG. 17B) or a current setting of a coil (e.g., a coil of the heating unit (1531) of FIG. 15A).

[0238] For example, a first processor (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) can set a first drive setting by setting the compressor RPM to the first compressor RPM (or the coil current to the first coil current). For example, the first processor can set a first noise environment associated with the first compressor RPM by driving the compressor motor with the first compressor RPM. In this case, the first drive setting (or the first noise environment) can be associated with noise generated by driving the compressor motor with the first compressor RPM. For example, the first processor can set a first noise environment associated with the first coil current by supplying the first coil current to the coil. In this case, the first drive setting (or the first noise environment) can be associated with noise generated by supplying the first coil current to the coil.

[0239] For example, the first processor (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) can set the basic driving setting to the first driving setting by setting the compressor RPM (or coil current) to 0. For example, the first processor can set the basic noise environment to the first noise environment without driving the compressor motor with the compressor RPM. For example, the first processor can set the basic noise environment to the first noise environment without supplying coil current to the coil. The basic driving setting (or basic noise environment) may be a driving setting (or noise environment) associated with noise generated by power noise and external user environment, without the influence of internal noise sources (e.g., compressor RPM, coil current) of the home appliance. According to one embodiment, the home appliance can determine the basic communication speed for inter-processor communication based on the communication success rate obtained in a state in which the basic driving setting (or basic noise environment) is set. For example, the home appliance may set the default communication rate to be higher than the reference communication rate (e.g., 9600 bps) (e.g., 115200 bps) if the communication success rate in the default operating setting (or, default noise environment) is higher than the specified success rate. For example, the home appliance may set the default communication rate to be lower than the reference communication rate (e.g., 9600 bps) or lower than the reference communication rate if the communication success rate in the default operating setting (or, default noise environment) is lower than the specified success rate. The home appliance may obtain the communication success rate by using a communication circuit set with resistance setting values ​​and capacitance setting values ​​of a variable resistor and a variable capacitor determined in the default operating setting (or, default noise environment).

[0240] In operation 1020, the home appliance can set a first variable resistor (e.g., VR11, VR12 of FIG. 6 or R3 of FIG. 8) and a first variable capacitor (e.g., VC11, VC12 of FIG. 6 or C1 of FIG. 8) included in a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (321) of FIG. 6 or the transmitting circuit (821) of FIG. 8)) to a first resistance value and a first capacitance value, respectively. For example, a first processor (e.g., a first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or a first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may set a first variable resistor (e.g., VR11 of FIG. 6 or R3 of FIG. 8) and a first variable capacitor (e.g., VC11 of FIG. 6 or C1 of FIG. 8) included in a first transmission circuit (e.g., a first transmission circuit (621a) of FIG. 6 or a first transmission circuit (821) of FIG. 8)) to a first resistance value and a first capacitance value, respectively.

[0241] In operation 1030, the home appliance can obtain a first communication success rate, which is a communication success rate for inter-processor communication performed through a first communication circuit using an asynchronous communication method (e.g., a UART communication method) in a state where a first driving setting (or a first noise environment) is set. For example, the first processor can obtain a first communication success rate for communication performed with a second processor (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8) through the first communication circuit using a designated communication method in a state where a first driving setting (or a first noise environment) is set.

[0242] In one embodiment, interprocessor communication may be performed at a specified communication rate (e.g., a first baud rate value of UART communication (e.g., 19200)). The specified communication rate may be associated with, for example, a driving setting (or noise environment). For example, if the driving setting (or noise environment) corresponds to a higher noise intensity or strength, the communication rate for that driving setting (or noise environment) may have a lower communication rate.

[0243] In one embodiment, a home appliance can obtain a communication success rate for inter-processor communication using test packets. A method using test packets is described below with reference to FIG. 11.

[0244] In one embodiment, a home appliance can obtain a communication success rate for inter-processor communication using a learned AI model. A method using the AI ​​model is described below with reference to FIG. 12.

[0245] In operation 1040, the appliance can determine whether the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate. The previous communication success rate is the communication success rate obtained in the previous time instance.

[0246] For example, the first processor may determine whether the first communication success rate is greater than (or higher than) the previous communication success rate. In other words, the first processor may determine whether the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate. If the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, operation 1050 may be performed. If the first communication success rate is less than the previous communication success rate, operation 1080 may be performed. In other words, if the first communication success rate is lower than the previous communication success rate, operation 1080 may be performed.

[0247] In operation 1050, if the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, the home appliance may determine whether the communication success rate is greater than or equal to a reference communication success rate (e.g., 95%). For example, the first processor may determine whether the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the reference communication success rate. If the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the reference communication success rate, operation 1060 may be performed. If the first communication success rate is less than the reference communication success rate, operation 1070 may be performed.

[0248] In operation 1060, if the first communication success rate is equal to or greater than the reference communication success rate, the home appliance may determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor, respectively, corresponding to the first driving setting (or, the first noise environment). For example, if the first communication success rate is equal to or greater than the reference communication success rate, the first processor may determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor, respectively, corresponding to the first driving setting (or, the first noise environment). In this way, if the communication success rate is higher than the reference communication success rate, the success rate is sufficient to ignore communication errors, so the home appliance can finally determine the resistance value and capacitance value corresponding to the communication success rate as the resistance setting value of the variable resistor and the capacitance setting value of the variable capacitor without performing additional operations to determine the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value.

[0249] In operation 1070, if the first communication success rate is less than the reference communication success rate, the home appliance may determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values ​​of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor corresponding to the first driving setting (or, the first noise environment), respectively. For example, if the first communication success rate is less than the reference communication success rate, the first processor may determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values ​​of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor corresponding to the first driving setting (or, the first noise environment), respectively. If the communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate but less than the reference communication success rate, it is necessary to perform additional operations to determine resistance setting values ​​and capacitance setting values ​​corresponding to a communication success rate higher than the reference communication success rate. When performing an additional operation, the first resistance value and the first capacitance value corresponding to the current communication success rate can be used as a temporary resistance setting value and a temporary capacitance setting value.

[0250] In operation 1080, if the first communication success rate is lower than the previous communication success rate, the home appliance may determine a second resistance value and a second capacitance value corresponding to the previous communication success rate as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values ​​of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor corresponding to the first driving setting (or, first noise environment), respectively. For example, if the first communication success rate is lower than the previous communication success rate, the first processor may determine a second resistance value and a second capacitance value corresponding to the previous communication success rate as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values ​​of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor corresponding to the first driving setting (or, first noise environment), respectively. It is necessary to further perform an additional operation to determine a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to a communication success rate higher than a reference communication success rate, wherein the communication success rate is lower than the previous communication success rate. When performing an additional operation, the first resistance value and the first capacitance value corresponding to the previous communication success rate, rather than the current communication success rate, may be used as the temporary resistance setting value and the temporary capacitance setting value.

[0251] In operation 1090, the home appliance may set the first variable resistor to a third resistance value different from the first resistance value and the second resistance value, and may set the first variable capacitor to a third capacitance value different from the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, respectively. For example, after operation 1070 or operation 1080 is performed, the first processor may set the first variable resistor to a third resistance value different from the first resistance value (current resistance value) and the second resistance value (previous resistance value), and may set the first variable capacitor to a third capacitance value different from the first capacitance value (current capacitance value) and the second capacitance value (previous capacitance value), respectively.

[0252] After operation 1090 is performed, the home appliance can perform operations 1030 to 1090 again based on the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitance set to the third resistance value and the third capacitance value. Operations 1030 to 1090 can be repeatedly performed until resistance setting values ​​and capacitance setting values ​​corresponding to a communication success rate greater than or equal to a reference communication success rate for the first driving setting (or, the first noise environment) are determined.

[0253] According to one embodiment, when the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor corresponding to the first driving setting (or the first noise environment) are determined, the home appliance may repeatedly perform operations 1010 to 1090 to determine the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor for the second driving setting (or the second noise environment) after the first driving setting (or the first noise environment). The description of operations 1010 to 1090 for the second driving setting (or the second noise environment) may refer to the description of operations 1010 to 1090 for the first driving setting (or the first noise environment) described above. In this way, the home appliance can obtain the setting values ​​of the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor for each of all configurable driving settings (or noise environments) by repeatedly performing operations 1010 to 1090 for all configurable driving settings (or noise environments). In addition, the home appliance can determine the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor included in all communication circuits included in the home appliance by repeatedly performing operations 1020 to 1090 described above, and the setting value information for the determined resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor can be stored in the home appliance.

[0254] According to one embodiment, when the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value for the first driving setting (or the first noise environment) are not determined, the home appliance can change the communication speed. For example, when none of the communication success rates for the first driving setting (or the first noise environment) obtained for all combinations of the settable resistance value and the settable capacitance value is higher than or equal to the reference communication success rate, the first processor can lower the communication speed (e.g., lower the baud rate value of the UART communication method from the first value (e.g., 19200) to the second value (e.g., 9600)). Thereafter, the home appliance can repeatedly perform operations 1010 to 1090 based on the adjusted (e.g., lowered) communication speed. Through this, the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value that satisfy the required communication success rate (e.g., the reference communication success rate of 95%) can be determined.

[0255] All or part of operations 1010 to 1090 of FIG. 10 described above may be performed by the first processor and / or the second processor of the home appliance. For example, operation 1010 for setting the driving setting (or noise environment) may be performed by the first processor that controls functions (e.g., compressor motor control, coil current control, etc.) related to the driving setting (or noise environment), and operations 1020 to 1090 may be performed by the first processor and the second processor, respectively, to independently determine the setting values ​​of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor included in its own communication circuit.

[0256] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of a home appliance device obtaining a communication success rate using a test packet according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0257] In the embodiment of Fig. 11, the home appliance is a refrigerator (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of Figs. 1a and 1b). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the same description may be applied to various types of home appliances that generate noise that affects inter-processor communication (e.g., a cooking appliance (1500) of Figs. 15a, 15b, and 15c, an air conditioner (2000) of Fig. 16, a washing machine (1700) of Figs. 17a and 17b).

[0258] The operations of FIG. 11 may be an example of operation 1030 of FIG. 10.

[0259] In FIG. 11, the home appliance device can transmit a plurality of test packets to the second processor through the first communication circuit using an asynchronous communication method (e.g., UART communication method).

[0260] According to one embodiment, the home appliance may transmit a plurality of test packets to the second processor through the first communication circuit using an asynchronous communication method (e.g., a UART communication method) in a state where a first driving setting (e.g., a rotation speed setting of the compressor (71) of FIG. 1B or a current setting of the coil of the heating unit (1531) of FIG. 15A) (or a first noise environment) is set. For example, the first processor (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may transmit a plurality of test packets to the second processor (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8) through the first communication circuit (e.g., the first transmission circuit (621a) of FIG. 6 or the transmission circuit (821) of FIG. 8)) using a designated communication method in a state where the first driving setting (or the first noise environment) is set. The second processor can receive a plurality of test packets transmitted by the first processor through a second communication circuit (e.g., the second receiving circuit (622a) of FIG. 6 or the receiving circuit (822) of FIG. 8).

[0261] According to one embodiment, a test packet is a packet exchanged between processors to calculate a communication success rate, and may be a packet known in advance to each processor or a packet containing information known in advance.

[0262] In one embodiment, the home appliance may receive multiple response packets for multiple test packets from the second processor via the first communication circuit. For example, the second processor may transmit multiple response packets for multiple test packets via the second communication circuit, and the first processor may receive multiple response packets via the first communication circuit.

[0263] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can obtain a communication success rate based on the number of multiple test packets and the number of multiple response packets. For example, the first processor can obtain a communication success rate based on the number of multiple test packets and the number of multiple response packets. The communication success rate (%) can correspond to, for example, (the number of multiple response packets / the number of multiple test packets) * 100.

[0264] In the example of FIG. 11, the test packet is transmitted by the first processor, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the test packet may also be transmitted by the second processor.

[0265] In the example of Fig. 11, the communication success rate is described as being obtained or calculated by the first processor, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the communication success rate may be calculated by both the first processor and the second processor, or may be calculated by the second processor. If the communication success rate is calculated by only one processor, the processor may transmit information about the communication success rate to the other processor. This is because the communication success rate is used by each processor to determine the setting values ​​of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor included in the communication circuit connected to it. For a method for each processor to determine the setting values ​​of each variable resistor and each variable capacitor according to a noise environment based on the communication success rate, reference may be made to the description of Fig. 10 described above, for example.

[0266] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary operation of a home appliance device obtaining a communication success rate using an AI model according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0267] In the embodiment of Fig. 12, the home appliance is a refrigerator (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of Figs. 1a and 1b). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the same description may be applied to various types of home appliances that generate noise that affects inter-processor communication (e.g., a cooking appliance (1500) of Figs. 15a, 15b, and 15c, an air conditioner (2000) of Fig. 16, a washing machine (1700) of Figs. 17a and 17b).

[0268] The operation of Fig. 12 may be an example of operation 1030 of Fig. 10.

[0269] In Figure 12, a home appliance can obtain a communication success rate for inter-processor communication using a learned AI model. The learned AI model may be an on-device AI model stored in the home appliance or an AI model stored on a server. The AI ​​model may be learned (or trained) by the home appliance or by a server.

[0270] According to one embodiment, the home appliance may input data into an AI model and obtain output data associated with a communication success rate for inter-processor communication from the AI ​​model. The input data may include, for example, a communication speed (e.g., a baud rate of UART communication), a rotational speed of a compressor motor (e.g., compressor RPM) (or a current of a coil), a resistance value of a variable resistor (e.g., a first variable resistor), and / or a capacitance value of a variable capacitor (e.g., a first variable capacitor). The output data may include, for example, a communication success rate corresponding to a resistance value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance value of the first variable capacitor for a driving setting (e.g., a rotational speed setting of the motor of the compressor (71) of FIG. 1B or a coil current setting of the coil of the heating unit (1531) of FIG. 15A) or a noise environment corresponding to the driving setting. The first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor may be included in the same communication circuit (e.g., the transmitting circuit (821) or receiving circuit (822) of FIG. 8) and used to configure the first LFP. In this way, if the communication success rate is obtained using an AI model instead of using test packets, the communication success rate can be obtained at a faster rate.

[0271] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0272] In the embodiment of Fig. 13, the home appliance is a refrigerator (e.g., a refrigerator (1) of Figs. 1a and 1b). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the same description may be applied to various types of home appliances that generate noise that affects inter-processor communication (e.g., a cooking appliance (1500) of Figs. 15a, 15b, and 15c, an air conditioner (2000) of Fig. 16, a washing machine (1700) of Figs. 17a and 17b).

[0273] In the embodiment of FIG. 13, the operation of the home appliance may be an operation performed by, for example, a first processor of the home appliance (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8).

[0274] According to one embodiment, the appliance may include a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant using rotation of a motor (e.g., compressor (71) of FIG. 1B), a first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter including a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor, and a first processor connected to the first communication circuit. For example, the home appliance may include a storage compartment (e.g., the storage compartment (20) of FIG. 1A), a door used to open and close the storage compartment (e.g., the door (30) of FIG. 1A), a compressor used to supply cold air to the storage compartment, the compressor configured to compress a refrigerant by using the rotation of a motor, a first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter (e.g., the first LPF (801) of FIG. 8) including a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor, and a first processor connected to the first communication circuit, a second communication circuit including a second low-pass filter (e.g., the second LPF (802) of FIG. 8) including a second variable resistor and a second variable capacitor, and a second PBA including a second processor (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8) connected to the second communication circuit.

[0275] According to one embodiment, the first processor may be a processor configured to transmit a control signal corresponding to rotational speed information of the motor to a compressor or a control circuit of the compressor (e.g., a compressor control circuit (531) of FIG. 5 or 6) for controlling the motor.

[0276] In FIG. 13, at operation 1310, the home appliance can set the resistance value of the first variable resistor (e.g., VR11 of FIG. 6 or R3 of FIG. 8) and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor (e.g., VC11 of FIG. 6 or R3 of FIG. 8) based on the rotation speed information of the motor (e.g., compressor RPM).

[0277] In operation 1320, the home appliance may communicate with a second processor included in the refrigerator (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8) using an asynchronous communication method through a first communication circuit (e.g., the first transmission circuit (621a) of FIG. 6 or the transmission circuit (821) of FIG. 8).

[0278] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can identify a change in rotation speed information of the motor, and change a resistance value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance value of the first variable capacitor based on the change in rotation speed information of the motor.

[0279] According to one embodiment, the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor may be set to a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to rotational speed information obtained based on a communication success rate for communication performed with the second processor.

[0280] According to one embodiment, the home appliance may generate setting value information for a plurality of rotation speeds (e.g., a plurality of compressor RPMs set in units of 10 RPM within the compressor RPM setting range of Table 1) within a rotation speed setting range of the motor based on a communication success rate for communication performed with a second processor through a first communication circuit using an asynchronous communication method. The setting value information may include a resistance setting value of a first variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of a first variable capacitor corresponding to each of the plurality of rotation speeds. For a description of an operation of generating the setting value information based on a communication success rate, reference may be made to the descriptions of FIGS. 10 to 12. Therefore, a duplicate description will be omitted.

[0281] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can obtain a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to the rotation speed of the rotation speed information from the setting value information.

[0282] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can set the acquired resistance setting value and the acquired capacitance setting value as the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor, respectively.

[0283] According to one embodiment, the home appliance device sets the rotation speed of the motor to a first rotation speed, sets the first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor to a first resistance value and a first capacitance value, respectively, and, while the motor rotates at the first rotation speed, obtains a first communication success rate, which is a communication success rate for communication performed with a second processor through a first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter using an asynchronous communication method, determines whether the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to a previous communication success rate, and, based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, determines the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as the first resistance setting value and the first capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the first rotation speed.

[0284] According to one embodiment, the home appliance device can determine whether the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to a reference communication success rate when the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to a previous communication success rate, and, when the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the reference communication success rate, can determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as the first resistance setting value and the first capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the first rotation speed.

[0285] According to one embodiment, when the first communication success rate is less than the reference communication success rate, the home appliance device can determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as temporary resistance setting values ​​and temporary capacitance setting values, respectively, corresponding to the first rotation speed.

[0286] According to one embodiment, the home appliance device can lower the communication speed of the asynchronous communication method when it is identified that none of the communication success rates obtained for each combination of the settable resistance values ​​of the first variable resistor and the settable capacitance values ​​of the first variable capacitor exceeds the reference communication success rate.

[0287] According to one embodiment, when the first communication success rate is less than the previous communication success rate, the home appliance device can determine the second resistance value and the second capacitance value corresponding to the previous communication success rate as the temporary resistance setting value and the temporary capacitance setting value corresponding to the first rotation speed, respectively.

[0288] According to one embodiment, the appliance may, in response to determining the temporary resistance setting value and the temporary capacitance setting value, set the first variable resistor to a third resistance value different from the first resistance value and the second resistance value, and set the first variable capacitor to a third capacitance value different from the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value.

[0289] According to one embodiment, the home appliance may transmit a plurality of test packets to a second processor through a first communication circuit using an asynchronous communication method while the motor rotates at a first rotation speed, receive a plurality of response packets for the plurality of test packets from the second processor through the first communication circuit, and obtain a first communication success rate based on the number of the plurality of test packets and the number of the plurality of response packets.

[0290] In one embodiment, the asynchronous communication method may be a UART communication method.

[0291] According to one embodiment, the appliance can update setpoint information for at least some of the plurality of rotation speeds based on satisfaction of a specified condition.

[0292] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can obtain a basic communication success rate for communication performed with a second processor through a first communication circuit using an asynchronous communication method while the motor is not rotating, and determine a basic communication speed of the asynchronous communication method based on the basic communication success rate.

[0293] According to one embodiment, the home appliance device may obtain a combination of resistance setting values ​​and capacitance setting values ​​that has the highest communication success rate for communication with the second processor among combinations of settable resistance values ​​and settable capacitor values ​​based on rotation speed information, and may set the resistance setting value and the capacitance setting value as a resistance value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance value of the first variable capacitor, respectively.

[0294] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit further includes a first FET, a source of the first FET is connected to the first processor, a drain of the first FET is connected to one end of a first low-pass filter, and the other end of the first low-pass filter can be connected to an output terminal of the first communication circuit.

[0295] According to one embodiment, the first low-pass filter may have a first stage connected to the drain of a first FET included in the first communication circuit, and a second stage connected to an input terminal or an output terminal of the first communication circuit.

[0296] According to one embodiment, the home appliance can generate setting value information for a plurality of rotation speeds using a learned AI model. The AI ​​model can be configured to receive input data generated based on an asynchronous communication speed, a rotation speed of a motor, a resistance value of a first variable resistor, and a capacitance value of a first variable capacitor, and obtain output data including information on a communication success rate for communication performed with a second processor via a first communication circuit.

[0297] FIG. 14 is a drawing illustrating a configuration of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0298] The home appliance of the embodiment of FIG. 14 may include, for example, a refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1a and 1b, a cooking appliance (1500) of FIGS. 15a, 15b, and 15c, an air conditioner (2000) of FIG. 16, or a washing machine (1700) of FIGS. 17a and 17b.

[0299] In FIG. 14, the home appliance may include at least one communication circuit (1410), at least one processor (1420), and / or at least one memory (1430). In one example, the home appliance may include additional components (e.g., an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor blower, etc.) other than the illustrated components, or may omit at least one of the illustrated components.

[0300] According to one embodiment, depending on the type of home appliance, at least some of the components disclosed in FIG. 14 may be omitted, or additional components may be included. For example, if the home appliance is an air conditioner, in addition to the components of FIG. 14, all or some of the additional components (e.g., an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor blower, an air inlet, an air outlet, etc.) may be added.

[0301] According to one embodiment, the memory (1430) may store various information or data related to the operation of the home appliance. For example, the memory (1430) may include one or more storage media storing at least one instruction. For example, the memory (1430) may include instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor (1420), cause the home appliance to perform at least one operation. According to one example, the memory (1430) may include instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor (1420), cause the electronic device to perform at least one of the operations described in FIGS. 1 to 13 .

[0302] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (1410) may support wired or wireless communication within the electronic device and / or between the electronic device and an external electronic device. Wired communication methods may include, but are not limited to, UART, RS-485, and I2C. Wireless communication methods may include, but are not limited to, LTE, 5G NR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wide Band (UWB), and Near Field Communication (NFC).

[0303] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (1410) may include a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (321) of FIG. 6 or the transmitting circuit (821) of FIG. 8) and / or a second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit (322) of FIG. 6 or the receiving circuit (822) of FIG. 8).

[0304] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (1420) may be electrically or operatively connected to the communication circuit (1410) and the memory (1430). The at least one processor (1420) may include processing circuitry that executes at least one instruction stored in the memory (1430).

[0305] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (1420) may include a first processor (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) and a second processor (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8).

[0306] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (1420) may include various processing circuits and / or multiple processors. One or more of the at least one processor (1420) may be individually and / or collectively configured to perform various functions described in the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, when "a processor," "at least one processor," and "one or more processors" are described as being configured to perform numerous functions, these terms encompass, for example, but are not limited to, a situation where one processor performs some of the recited functions and other processor(s) perform other parts of the recited functions, and also encompass a situation where a single processor can perform all of the recited functions. Additionally, the at least one processor (1420) may include a combination of processors that perform the various recited / disclosed functions, for example, in a distributed manner. At least one processor (1420) can execute program instructions to accomplish or perform various functions.

[0307] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (1420) may include at least one of a CPU, an NPU, a GPU, an MPU, an MCU, an AP, a CP, a SoC (system on chip), an IC (integrated circuit), a sensor hub, a supplementary processor, a communication processor, an ASIC, or an FPGA, and may have multiple cores.

[0308] FIG. 15A is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0309] FIG. 15b is a drawing illustrating an open state of a cooking appliance door according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0310] FIG. 15c is a cross-sectional side view of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0311] In FIG. 15a, FIG. 15b and FIG. 15c, the cooking appliance (1500) may be a device in which an oven and a cooktop (1530) positioned above the oven are combined or formed as one unit.

[0312] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance (1500) may include at least one PBA including a processor (e.g., processor (1420) of FIG. 14) and a communication circuit (e.g., communication circuit (1410) of FIG. 14). For example, the cooking appliance (1500) may include a main control PBA, a display PBA, a network PBA, and an inverter PBA. The main control PBA may perform, for example, functions for managing and / or controlling the overall operation of the cooking appliance (1500) (e.g., overall system control, user interface management, display control, network and connection, diagnosis and notification functions). The display PBA may perform functions for controlling the display and interface of the cooking appliance (1500). The network PBA may support smart functions of the cooking appliance (1500) (e.g., functions for connecting the cooking appliance (1500) to a smartphone via Wi-Fi / BT, or for remotely controlling the cooking appliance (1500) by connecting it to a smart home system). The inverter PBA can generate a high-frequency current and supply it to a coil (e.g., an induction coil) of a heating element (1531). According to one embodiment, the heating element (1531) can include a coil (e.g., an induction coil). The cooking device (1500) can cause a high-frequency alternating current to flow through the coil to generate a high-frequency magnetic field around the coil, and the magnetic field thus generated can induce an eddy current (or Foucault's current) in a magnetic cooking utensil placed on a cooktop (1530) to heat the cooking utensil.

[0313] According to one embodiment, a first processor (e.g., a first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or a first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may be included in an inverter PBA of a cooking appliance (1500), and a second processor (e.g., a second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or a second processor (812) of FIG. 8) may be included in a main control PBA or a display PBA of the cooking appliance (1500).

[0314] According to one embodiment, in a cooking appliance (1500) in which a cooktop (1530) and an oven are vertically coupled, the cooktop (1530) and the oven may have various types of heating source combinations. For example, the cooktop (1530) may be equipped with an electric or gas heating source. For example, the oven may be electric or gas. For example, the heating methods of the cooktop (1530) and the oven may be different.

[0315] According to one embodiment, the cooking device (1500) may include a main body (1510) including an inner case (1511) in which a cooking chamber (1520) is formed and an outer case (1512) coupled to the outside of the inner case (1511) to form the exterior of the cooking device (1500). The inner case (1511) and the outer case (1512) may each be formed to have an open front.

[0316] According to one embodiment, the cooking device (1500) may include a cooktop (1530) provided on the top of the cooking device (1500) and capable of placing and heating a container containing food. The cooktop (1530) may be equipped with at least one heating element (1531). A container containing food may be positioned on the heating element (1531) and heated.

[0317] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance (1500) may include a door (1550) provided on the front of the main body (1510) to open and close the cooking chamber (1520).

[0318] According to one embodiment, the outer case (1512) may include a front panel (1513) forming the front of the body (1510), a side panel (1514) forming the side of the body (1510), and a rear panel (1515) forming the rear of the body (1510).

[0319] According to one embodiment, an opening is provided in the front panel (1513), and the front of a cooking chamber (1520) provided inside the main body (1510) can be opened by the opening. A control panel (1541) covering the front of the electric power compartment (1540) can be provided on the upper portion of the front panel (1513).

[0320] According to one embodiment, a control panel (1541) may be equipped with a display module (1560). The display module (1560) may include a front plate (1561) provided on the front of the display unit. The front plate (1561) may be equipped to protect the display unit of the display module (1560), but is not limited thereto, and may also be equipped as a touch panel capable of receiving a user's touch command.

[0321] According to one embodiment, the display module (1560) of the cooking appliance (1500) may include a display panel and a circuit board electrically connected to the display panel.

[0322] According to one embodiment, the control panel (1541) may be disposed on at least a portion of the main body (1510). For example, the control panel (1541) may be disposed on an upper side of the main body (1510). For example, the control panel (1541) may be disposed on an upper front side of the main body (1510).

[0323] According to one embodiment, an inlet (1515a) may be provided on the rear panel (1515) to allow air to be drawn into the electrical compartment (1540). Air drawn into the electrical compartment (1540) through the inlet (1515a) may flow inside the electrical compartment (1540) and cool electrical components placed inside the electrical compartment (1540). The air flowing inside the electrical compartment (1540) may be discharged to the front of the cooking device (1500) through the outlet (1580) along the exhaust path (1572). The outlet (1580) may include a space between the front panel (1513) and the control panel (1541). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the outlet (1580) may be provided at various locations to discharge the flowing air inside the electrical compartment (1540). The inlet (1515a) may be formed in various locations other than the rear panel (1515) to introduce air into the interior of the main chamber (1540).

[0324] According to one embodiment, the cooking chamber (1520) may be formed by a top plate (1521), a bottom plate (1522), two side plates (1523) and a back plate (1524) arranged to face each other. The cooking chamber (1520) serves as a cooking space, and the front is opened through an opening in the front panel (1513) to allow food to be taken in and out.

[0325] According to one embodiment, a plurality of supports (1525) may be provided on the inner surfaces of both side plates (1523). The plurality of supports may be provided to protrude inwardly from both side plates (1523). At least one removable rack (1526) for placing food may be mounted on the plurality of supports (1525). For example, the plurality of supports (1525) may be provided to extend in a horizontal direction so as to allow the rack (1526) to be mounted horizontally.

[0326] According to one embodiment, a plurality of supports (1525) may be provided with rails that can divide the cooking chamber (1520) into multiple sections. A user can move a rack (1526) via the rails. A divider that can divide the cooking chamber (1520) into multiple sections may be detachably mounted on the plurality of supports (1525). The user can utilize the space of the cooking chamber (1520) divided into multiple sections in various ways according to his / her intention. The divider may be provided with an insulating material to insulate each of the divided sections.

[0327] According to one embodiment, a cooking chamber (1520) may be provided with a heater (1527) for heating food. The heater (1527) may be an electric heater including an electric resistor. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and the heater (1527) may be a gas heater that generates heat by burning gas.

[0328] According to one embodiment, a rear panel (1524) of the cooking chamber (1520) may be provided with a circulation fan (1528) that circulates air in the cooking chamber (1520) to evenly heat food, and a circulation motor (1529) that drives the circulation fan (1528).

[0329] According to one embodiment, a fan cover (1528a) covering the circulation fan (1528) may be provided on the front of the circulation fan (1528), and an outlet hole (1528b) through which air flows may be formed in the fan cover (1528a).

[0330] According to one embodiment, the open front of the cooking chamber (1520) is opened and closed by a door (1550), and the door (1550) can be coupled to the body (1510) so as to be rotatable relative to the body (1510). For example, the door (1550) can be coupled to the body (1510) by a hinge (1551) provided at the bottom of the body (1510).

[0331] In one embodiment, the front upper portion of the door (1550) may be provided with a handle that a user can grasp to open and close the door (1550) to open and close the cooking compartment (1520).

[0332] According to one embodiment, the control panel (1541) may be provided with a knob assembly (1590) capable of operating the cooking appliance (1500). A plurality of knob assemblies (1590) may be provided depending on the number of heating elements (1531) to be operated. For example, four knob assemblies (1590) may be provided as illustrated. According to one example, the knob assemblies (1590) may operate in a push-to-turn manner.

[0333] According to one embodiment, an insulating material (1520a) may be provided between the electric compartment (1540) and the cooking compartment (1520) to prevent heat from the cooking compartment (1520) from being transferred to the electric compartment (1540). The insulating material (1520a) may insulate the electric compartment (1540) and the cooking compartment (1520). The insulating material (1520a) may cover not only the space between the electric compartment (1540) and the cooking compartment (1520), but also the entire outer side of the cooking compartment (1520) to prevent heat from the cooking compartment (1520) from being transferred to the outer side of the cooking device (1500).

[0334] According to one embodiment, since the temperature inside the electrical compartment (1540) may rise due to the heat of various electrical components, the cooking device (1500) may be provided with a blower (1570) that can cool the electrical compartment (1540) by circulating air around the electrical compartment (1540). The blower (1570) may include a blower fan (1571) that circulates air, and an exhaust path (1572) that is provided to discharge air sucked by the blower fan (1571) to the front of the cooking device (1500).

[0335] In one embodiment, the blower fan (1571) can draw air in an axial direction and then discharge it in a radial direction. The blower fan (1571) may be a centrifugal fan. Alternatively, the blower fan (1571) may include an axial fan.

[0336] In one embodiment, a portion of the air inside the cooking chamber (1520) may be drawn through the cooking chamber duct (1573) toward the exhaust duct (1572) and discharged to the outside of the cooking appliance (1500). For example, the air inside the cooking chamber (1520) may be discharged to the front of the cooking appliance (1500).

[0337] According to one embodiment, the exhaust passage (1572) may include a bypass hole (1574) that introduces a portion of the air flowing through the exhaust port (1580) into the cooking chamber passage (1573). The bypass hole (1574) may be opened and closed by an opening and closing device (1575). Depending on the opening and closing of the bypass hole (1574) by the opening and closing device (1575), the amount of the portion of the air flowing from the exhaust passage (1572) to the exhaust port (1580) that is introduced into the cooking chamber passage (1573) may be controlled. By using this air flow control, the exhaust amount of air exhausted from the cooking chamber (1520) to the cooking chamber passage (1573) may be controlled.

[0338] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance is not limited to the oven illustrated in FIGS. 15A to 15C, and any cooking appliance requiring high-temperature operation may be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0339] FIG. 16 illustrates an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0340] In FIG. 16, an air conditioner (2000) according to one embodiment may include an indoor unit (2100) and an outdoor unit (2200).

[0341] According to one embodiment, the air conditioner (2000) may include at least one PBA including a processor (e.g., the processor (1420) of FIG. 14) and a communication circuit (e.g., the communication circuit (1410) of FIG. 14). For example, the air conditioner (2000) may include a main control PBA, a display PBA, a network PBA, and an inverter PBA. The main control PBA may perform, for example, a function of managing and / or controlling the overall operation of the air conditioner (2000) (e.g., overall system control, user interface management, display control, network and connection, diagnosis and notification functions). The display PBA may perform a function of controlling the display and interface of the air conditioner (2000). The network PBA may support smart functions of the air conditioner (2000) (e.g., a function of connecting the air conditioner (2000) to a smartphone via Wi-Fi / BT, or remotely controlling it by connecting it to a smart home system). The inverter PBA can generate high-frequency current to drive the motors of compressors and fans.

[0342] According to one embodiment, the first processor (e.g., the first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or the first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may be included in an inverter PBA of the air conditioner (2000), and the second processor (e.g., the second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or the second processor (812) of FIG. 8) may be included in a main control PBA or a display PBA of the air conditioner (2000).

[0343] According to one embodiment, the indoor unit (2100) of the air conditioner (2000) may include a housing (2110) and internal components (e.g., an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor blower fan) disposed within the housing (2110).

[0344] In one embodiment, the indoor unit (2100) of the air conditioner (2000) may include a housing (2110) forming an exterior. The housing (2110) may include a front housing (2112) covering the front of the housing (2110), a rear housing (2114) covering the rear, and a center housing (2116) disposed between the front housing (2112) and the rear housing (2111). In one embodiment, each of the front housing (2112) and the rear housing (2114) may be detachably attached to the center housing (2116), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0345] According to one embodiment, the front housing (2112) may have a front panel (2118) disposed thereon.

[0346] According to one embodiment, the front panel (2118) may include an input unit (2120). According to one embodiment, the input unit (2120) includes any type of user input means including buttons, switches, and touchpads, and user-set data (e.g., desired temperature, operation mode setting of cooling / dehumidification / air purification, and wind speed setting) may be input through the input unit (2120).

[0347] According to one embodiment, the front panel (2118) may include a display module (2122). The display module (2122) may display information input by a user through the input unit (2120) (e.g., desired temperature, wind speed setting, and / or operation mode setting). According to one embodiment, the display module (2122) may display various sensing information on the air conditioner (2000) (e.g., current indoor temperature measured by a temperature sensor), current wind speed or operation status of the air conditioner (2000), and / or various warning messages.

[0348] According to one embodiment, the display module (2122) may be provided at various locations of the air conditioner (2000). According to one embodiment of FIG. 16, the display module (2122) is exemplified as being provided on the front panel (2118), but is not limited thereto.

[0349] According to one embodiment, the outdoor unit (2200) may include a housing (2210), internal components disposed within the housing (2210) (e.g., a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and / or a flow-through valve), and an outdoor blower that generates forced air for heat exchange between the outdoor heat exchanger and outdoor air. The outdoor blower may include one or more outdoor blower fans (2250) and a fan motor, and the fan motor of the outdoor blower may provide driving force to the outdoor blower fan (2250) through a shaft.

[0350] According to one embodiment, the housing (2210) forms the exterior of the outdoor unit (2200) and can accommodate various components therein. The housing (2210) may have an overall hexahedral shape. The housing (2210) may include an upper housing (2215), a lower housing (2216), and a center housing (2211, 2212, 2213, 2214) positioned between the upper housing (2215) and the lower housing (2216).

[0351] The upper housing (2215) may be arranged, for example, to substantially cover the upper side (e.g., in the +Z-axis direction). The lower housing (2216) may be arranged, for example, to substantially cover the lower side (e.g., in the -Z-axis direction).

[0352] The center housing (2211, 2212, 2213, 2214) may include, for example, a front housing (2211) that substantially covers the front side (e.g., in the +X-axis direction), a rear housing (2212) that substantially covers the rear side (e.g., in the -X-axis direction), and a side housing (2213, 2214) that substantially covers the side side (e.g., in the +Y-axis and / or -Y-axis direction). The center housing (2211, 2212, 2213, 2214) may be formed integrally, as illustrated, or may be formed by combining two or more housings.

[0353] Among the housings (e.g., front, rear, side, upper, and lower housings) of the housing (2210), housings facing two or more sides may be formed integrally. For example, the front housing (2211) may include a front portion that faces the front in general (e.g., in the +X-axis direction) and an extension portion that extends from the front portion to face the side (e.g., in the +Y-axis and / or -Y-axis direction) or the upper and lower sides (e.g., in the +Z-axis and / or -Z-axis direction). Each housing of the housing (2210) may be manufactured separately and assembled. The housing (2210) may be formed, for example, by press molding from a sheet metal material or by injection molding from a resin material.

[0354] According to one embodiment, an intake port (through which outside air is sucked) may be formed in one area of ​​the side housing (213) and / or the rear housing (2212) of the housing (2210), and an outlet port (2211c) through which the sucked outside air is discharged may be formed in one area of ​​the front housing (2211). An outdoor blower fan (2250) is disposed adjacent to the exhaust port (2211c) and can forcibly suck in outside air by being rotated by a fan motor that rotates based on a control command. By the rotation of the outdoor blower fan (2250), air flow and heat exchange around the outdoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner (2000) can be smoothly achieved.

[0355] According to one embodiment, the indoor unit (2100) and the outdoor unit (2200) may be connected by a pipe (P). A gaseous or liquid refrigerant may be moved through the pipe (P). The refrigerant of the air conditioner (2000) may circulate between the indoor unit (2100) and the outdoor unit (2200) through the pipe (P).

[0356] FIG. 17A is a perspective view of an exterior of a washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 17B is a side cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0357] According to one embodiment, the washing machine (1700) may include at least one PBA including a processor (e.g., the processor (1420) of FIG. 14) and a communication circuit (e.g., the communication circuit (1410) of FIG. 14). For example, the washing machine (1700) may include a main control PBA, a display PBA, a network PBA, and a motor control PBA. The main control PBA may perform, for example, a function of managing and / or controlling the overall operation of the washing machine (1700) (e.g., overall system control, user interface management, display control, network and connection, diagnosis and notification functions). The display PBA may perform a function of controlling the display and interface of the washing machine (1700). The network PBA may support smart functions of the washing machine (1700) (e.g., a function of connecting the washing machine (1700) to a smartphone via Wi-Fi / BT, or remotely controlling the washing machine (1700) by connecting it to a smart home system). The motor control PBA can control the speed and direction of the motor of the drum (1740) of the washing machine (1700).

[0358] According to one embodiment, a first processor (e.g., a first processor (311) of FIG. 6 or a first processor (811) of FIG. 8) may be included in a motor control PBA of the washing machine (1700), and a second processor (e.g., a second processor (312) of FIG. 6 or a second processor (812) of FIG. 8) may be included in a main control PBA or a display PBA of the washing machine (1700).

[0359] In one example, a washing machine (1700) may include a housing (1710) that accommodates various components therein. The housing (1710) may have an overall hexahedral shape. The housing (1710) may include an opening formed on one surface. Two or more surfaces of the housing (1710) may be formed as a single piece. Each surface of the housing (1710) may be manufactured separately and then assembled. The housing (1710) may be formed, for example, by press molding using a sheet metal material or by injection molding using a resin material.

[0360] In one example, a door (1720) that opens and closes the opening may be provided in a portion corresponding to the opening of the housing (1710). The door (1720) may be rotatably coupled to a hinge fixed to one surface of the housing (1710). For example, at least a portion of the door (1720) may be provided to be transparent or translucent so that the inside may be visible. A user may open and close the door (1720) to load laundry into a drum (1740) located inside the housing (1710) or to remove laundry from the drum (1740). The door (1720) may be locked by a locking device to prevent it from being opened while the washing machine (1700) is in operation. In one example, the door (1720) may include a door frame (1721) and a glass member (1722). The glass member (1722) may be formed of, for example, a transparent tempered glass material to allow the interior of the housing (1710) to be seen through, but this document is not limited thereto.

[0361] In one example, a washing machine (1700) may include a tub (1730) fixedly positioned inside a housing (1710). The tub (1730) may have a generally cylindrical shape with one end open. A tub opening (1731) may be provided at a front surface of the tub (1730) at a position corresponding to the opening of the housing (1710). The tub (1730) may store wash water. A drain (1732) for draining wash water may be provided at a lower portion of the tub (1730). The drain (1732) may be connected to, for example, a drainage device (1780).

[0362] In one example, the washing machine (1700) may include a damper (1712). The damper (1712) may be provided to connect the housing (1710) and the tub (1730). One end of the damper (1712) may be fixed to the inner surface of the housing (1710) and the other end may be fixed to the tub (1730). The damper (1712) may be provided to absorb vibration energy transmitted to the tub (1730) and / or the housing (1710) when the drum (1740) rotates, thereby damping the vibration.

[0363] In one example, a washing machine (1700) may include a drum (1740) provided inside a tub (1730). The drum (1740) may have a generally cylindrical shape with one end open. A front plate (1743) and a rear plate (1744) may be disposed on the front and rear sides of the drum (1740), respectively. A drum opening may be provided on the front plate (1743) at a position corresponding to the opening of the housing (1710) and the tub opening (1731) of the tub (1730). The drum (1740) may accommodate laundry. The drum (1740) may receive rotational power from a driving device (1760) and rotate within the tub (1730). The drum (1740) may perform washing, rinsing, and / or dehydration while rotating within the tub (1730).

[0364] In one example, the drum (1740) may include a lifter (1741) and / or a plurality of holes (1742). The lifter (1741) may, for example, lift laundry while the drum (1740) rotates, thereby causing the laundry to repeatedly rise and fall, thereby evenly washing multiple surfaces of the laundry. The holes (1742) may, for example, be passages formed so that washing water contained in the tub (1730) may flow into the interior of the drum (1740), or washing water inside the drum (1740) may be discharged to the outside. In one example, the lifter (1741) or the holes (1742) may be omitted.

[0365] In one example, the washing machine (1700) may include a control panel (1750) that supports interaction between a user and the washing machine (1700). In one example, the control panel (1750) may be positioned on the front upper portion of the housing (1710) as illustrated in FIG. 1 , but the present document is not limited thereto. In one example, the control panel (1750) may include an input unit (1751) and a display unit (1752).

[0366] The input unit (1751) may include, for example, any type of user input means for obtaining user input for controlling the washing machine (1700). The user may input power on / off of the washing machine (1700), washing setting information (e.g., operation start / stop, course selection, time selection, etc.), etc., through the input unit (1751). For example, the input unit (1751) may be a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, or a touch switch, but the present document is not limited thereto. For example, the input unit (1751) may be in the form of a jog shuttle that a user can grasp and rotate. In one example, the input unit (1751) may include an infrared sensor. The user may input setting information remotely through a remote control, and the input setting information may be received by the input unit (1751) as an infrared signal. In one example, the input unit (1751) may include a microphone. Setting information based on the user's voice can be obtained through the microphone.

[0367] The display unit (1752) can display various washing setting information input by the user and / or operating status information of the washing machine (1700). The display unit (1752) can include various types of display panels, such as LCD, LED, OLED, QLED, and Micro LED. For example, the display unit (1752) can be implemented as a touch screen with a touch pad provided on the front, and this document is not limited to a specific type of display means. In one example, the display unit (1752) can include any type of audio display means, including a speaker, and can display each of the above-described information as an auditory signal through such audio display means. In one example, the display unit (1752) can operate to provide the user with information for guiding the user's input and / or information related to the current cycle audibly.

[0368] In one example, the washing machine (1700) may include a drive device (1760) for rotating a drum (1740). The drive device (1760) may include a motor (1761) and a drive shaft (1762) for transmitting driving force generated by the motor (1761) to the drum (1740). The motor (1761) may be configured with a fixed stator (17611) and a rotor (17612) that rotates by electromagnetic interaction with the stator (17611), thereby converting electrical power into mechanical rotational power. The rotational power generated by the motor (1761) may be transmitted to the drum (1740) through the drive shaft (1762). The drive shaft (1762) may be, for example, configured to be press-fitted into the rotor (17612) of the motor (1761) and to rotate together with the rotor (17612). The drive shaft (1762) may, for example, connect the drum (1740) and the motor (1761) by having a portion thereof penetrate the rear wall of the tub (1730). The drive device (1760) may cause the drum (1740) to rotate forward or reverse to perform washing, rinsing, and / or dehydration operations.

[0369] In one example, the washing machine (1700) may include a water supply device (1770) for supplying washing water to the drum (1740) and / or the tub (1730). The water supply device (1770) may include at least one water supply pipe (1771) and at least one water supply valve (1772). At least one water supply pipe (1771) may be provided to supply washing water into the interior of the tub (1730) using an external water source. One of the at least one water supply pipe (1771) may be connected to a detergent supply device (1713) provided within the housing (1710). Here, the detergent supply device (1713) may have an interior divided into a plurality of spaces, and each space may be provided to supply detergent or rinsing agent. Washing water passing through the detergent supply device (1713) can be supplied to the tub (1730) together with detergent (or rinse agent) through the detergent supply pipe (17131). Another of at least one of the water supply pipes (1771) can be directly connected to the tub (1730). For example, washing water supplied through the water supply pipe (1771) directly connected to the tub (1730) can be directly supplied to the tub (1730) without passing through an intermediate component such as the detergent supply device (1713).

[0370] In one example, the washing machine (171) may include a drainage device (1780) for draining wash water contained in the drum (1740) and / or the tub (1730). The drainage device (1780) may include a drain valve (1781), a first drainage pipe (1782), a second drainage pipe (1783), or a pump chamber (1784). The drainage device (1780) may be arranged, for example, at the bottom of the tub (1730) to drain wash water discharged from the tub (1730) to the outside of the washing machine (1700).

[0371] In one example, the drain valve (1781) may be configured to open and close the drain port (1732). When the drain valve (1781) is opened, the washing water contained in the tub (1730) may flow through the drain port (1732) to the drain device (1780).

[0372] In one example, the first drain pipe (1782) and the second drain pipe (1783) may form a path that guides the washing water to be discharged to the outside. The upstream side with respect to the pump room (1784) is referred to as the first drain pipe (1782), and the downstream side is referred to as the second drain pipe (1783). The first drain pipe (1782) and the second drain pipe (1783) may be formed integrally. For example, the first drain pipe (1782) may be connected at one end to the drain port (1732) and at the other end to the pump room (1784). The washing water may move into the pump room (1784) along the first drain pipe (1782). The second drain pipe (1783) may be connected at one end to the pump room (84) and at the other end to the outside of the washing machine (1700). Accordingly, the washing water passing through the pump room (1784) can be discharged to the outside of the washing machine (1700) along the second drain pipe (1783).

[0373] In one example, a pump room (1784) may be provided at the bottom of the tub (1730) to store wash water drained from the tub (1730). Inside the pump room (1784), for example, a drain pump (17841) may be provided to discharge the stored wash water to the outside. Wash water pumped by the drain pump (17841) may be guided to the outside of the housing (1710) through a second drain pipe (1783).

[0374] The embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "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" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., via a wire or wires), wirelessly, or via a third component.

[0375] The term "module" used in the embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0376] Embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software including one or more instructions stored on a machine-readable storage medium. For example, a processor of the device may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the device to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily in the storage medium.

[0377] According to one embodiment, the method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium, or may be distributed online, through an application store, or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0378] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and arranged in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to one embodiment, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

In the refrigerator, storeroom; motor; A door configured to open and close the storage room; A compressor configured to supply cold air to the storage room, the compressor configured to compress refrigerant by using rotation of the motor; A first printed board assembly (PBA) including a first communication circuit including a first low-pass filter including a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor, and a first processor connected to the first communication circuit; and A second communication circuit including a second low-pass filter including a second variable resistor and a second variable capacitor, and a second PBA including a second processor connected to the second communication circuit, The above first processor: Based on the rotation speed information of the motor, the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor are set, A refrigerator configured to perform communication with the second processor using an asynchronous communication method through the first communication circuit. A refrigerator in claim 1, wherein the asynchronous communication method is a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) communication method. A refrigerator in the first paragraph, wherein the first processor is further configured to transmit a control signal corresponding to the rotation speed information of the motor to the compressor or a control circuit of the compressor. In the first paragraph, the first processor: Identify changes in the rotation speed information of the above motor, A refrigerator further configured to change the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor based on a change in the rotation speed information of the motor. In the fourth paragraph, the first processor: Further configured to update the acquired setting value information based on the communication success rate based on the satisfaction of the specified condition, A refrigerator, wherein the above setting value information includes a resistance setting value of the first variable resistor and a capacitance setting value of the first variable capacitor corresponding to each of a plurality of rotation speeds within the rotation speed setting range of the motor. In the first paragraph, the first processor: In a state where the motor is not rotating, a basic communication success rate for the communication performed with the second processor through the first communication circuit using the asynchronous communication method is obtained, A refrigerator further configured to determine a basic communication speed of the asynchronous communication method based on the basic communication success rate. In the first paragraph, the first processor: Based on the rotation speed information of the motor, a combination of resistance setting values ​​and capacitance setting values ​​that provides the highest communication success rate for communication with the second processor among combinations of settable resistance values ​​and settable capacitor values ​​is obtained, A refrigerator further configured to set the obtained resistance setting value and the obtained capacitance setting value as the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor, respectively. In the first paragraph, the first communication circuit further includes a first FET (field-effect transistor), The source of the first FET is connected to the first processor, The drain of the first FET is connected to one end of the first low-pass filter, A refrigerator, wherein the other end of the first low-pass filter is connected to the output terminal of the first communication circuit. In the first paragraph, the resistance value of the first variable resistor and the capacitance value of the first variable capacitor are each set to a resistance setting value and a capacitance setting value corresponding to the rotation speed information obtained based on a communication success rate for the communication performed with the second processor. A refrigerator. In claim 9, the first processor: Set the rotation speed of the above motor to the first rotation speed, The first variable resistor and the first variable capacitor are set to a first resistance value and a first capacitance value, respectively, While the motor rotates according to the first rotation speed, a first communication success rate, which is a communication success rate for communication performed with the second processor through the first communication circuit using the asynchronous communication method, is obtained, Determine whether the above first communication success rate is greater than the previous communication success rate, Based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, the first resistance value and the first capacitance value are further configured to be determined as a first resistance setting value and a first capacitance setting value corresponding to the first rotation speed, respectively. The above previous communication success rate is the communication success rate obtained in the previous time instance. In the 10th paragraph, the first processor: Based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the previous communication success rate, determining whether the communication success rate is greater than or equal to the reference communication success rate; A refrigerator further configured to determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as the first resistance setting value and the first capacitance setting value, respectively, corresponding to the first rotation speed, based on identifying that the first communication success rate is greater than or equal to the reference communication success rate. In claim 11, the first processor: A refrigerator further configured to determine the first resistance value and the first capacitance value as a temporary resistance setting value and a temporary capacitance setting value corresponding to the first rotation speed, respectively, based on identifying that the first communication success rate is less than the reference communication success rate. In claim 11, the first processor: A refrigerator further configured to lower the communication speed of the asynchronous communication method based on the identification that none of the communication success rates obtained for each combination of the settable resistance values ​​of the first variable resistor and the settable capacitance values ​​of the first variable capacitor exceeds the reference communication success rate. In the 10th paragraph, the first processor: Based on identifying that the first communication success rate is less than the previous communication success rate, a second resistance value and a second capacitance value corresponding to the previous communication success rate are determined as a temporary resistance setting value and a temporary capacitance setting value corresponding to the first rotation speed, respectively; A refrigerator further configured to set the first variable resistor to a third resistance value different from the first resistance value and the second resistance value, and to set the first variable capacitor to a third capacitance value different from the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, based on the temporary resistance setting value and the temporary capacitance setting value being determined. In the 10th paragraph, the first processor: While the motor rotates at the first rotation speed, a plurality of test packets are transmitted to the second processor through the first communication circuit using the asynchronous communication method, Receive a plurality of response packets for the plurality of test packets from the second processor through the first communication circuit, A refrigerator further configured to obtain the first communication success rate based on a first number of the plurality of test packets and a second number of the plurality of response packets.

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