Washing machine and method for controlling washing machine

Abstract

A washing machine according to the present disclosure comprises: a tub; a drum disposed in the tub; a drain pump for draining the water in the tub to the outside; and a controller configured to operate the drain pump at a maximum output on the basis of the start of a drain cycle, determine a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM on the basis of the operating RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output, control the operating RPM of the drain pump to the first target RPM on the basis of the water level of the tub being higher than a threshold water level, and control the operating RPM of the drain pump to the second target RPM on the basis of the water level of the tub reaching the threshold water level.

Description

Washing machine and washing machine control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a washing machine including a drain pump and a method for controlling the washing machine.

[0002] Typically, a washing machine may include a tub that holds water for washing and a drum that is rotatably installed within the tub. Furthermore, the washing machine can wash laundry by rotating the drum containing the laundry.

[0003] A washing machine can perform a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a spin cycle. During the washing and rinsing cycles, the washing machine supplies water to the tub, washes and rinses the laundry, and then drains the water used for washing and rinsing.

[0004] The drain cycle can refer to the cycle in which the washing machine's drain pump operates to drain the water inside the tub to the outside through the drain pipe.

[0005] Conventional washing machines control the operating RPM of the drain pump without considering the installation environment of the washing machine, which can reduce drain efficiency and cause vibration and noise.

[0006] The above information is provided solely as background information to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no claim is made, regarding whether any of the above information constitutes prior art in connection with the present disclosure.

[0007] Aspects of the present disclosure address at least the aforementioned problems and / or disadvantages and provide at least one of the advantages described below. Accordingly, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a washing machine and a method for controlling the same, capable of minimizing noise generated by a drain pump.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a washing machine and a method for controlling the washing machine, which can minimize the amount of water remaining in a drain pump.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a washing machine and a control method for the washing machine capable of minimizing noise generated by the operation of a drain pump during a dehydration cycle.

[0010] The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a washing machine may include: a tub; a drum provided in the tub; a drain pump for draining water in the tub to the outside; and a control unit that operates the drain pump at maximum output based on the start of a drainage cycle, determines a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on an operating RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output, controls the operating RPM of the drain pump to the first target RPM based on a water level of the tub being higher than a threshold water level, and controls the operating RPM of the drain pump to the second target RPM based on a water level of the tub reaching the threshold water level.

[0012] A control method of a washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: operating a drain pump at maximum output based on the start of a drain cycle; determining a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on an operating RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output; controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump to the first target RPM based on a water level in a tub being higher than a threshold water level; and controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump to the second target RPM based on a water level in the tub reaching the threshold water level.

[0013] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present disclosure when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates another example of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a driving unit for driving a pump motor and / or a driving motor of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a driving unit for driving a pump motor and / or a driving motor of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a washing cycle of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0020] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling a washing machine in a drainage operation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the water level of a tub after the washing cycle and / or rinsing cycle of a washing machine according to one embodiment is completed.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing that the water level in the tub reaches a critical level during the drainage cycle of the washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0023] Fig. 10 is a drawing for explaining the operating RPM of the drain pump in the drain operation of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling a washing machine in a dehydration process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Fig. 12 is a drawing for explaining the operating RPM of the drum and the operating RPM of the drain pump in the spin-drying cycle of the washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a washing machine according to one embodiment notifying a user of a failure of a drain pump or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine.

[0027] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. While it includes numerous specific details to facilitate such understanding, these should be considered merely exemplary. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and variations can be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0028] It should be understood that the various embodiments and terms used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments.

[0029] In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0030] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] 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" may include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0032] The term "and / or" includes any combination of a plurality of related described elements or any one of a plurality of related described elements.

[0033] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0034] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component (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., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0035] The terms "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in this document, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0036] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, but also cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0037] When we say that a component is "on" another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.

[0038] Washing machines according to various embodiments can perform washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and drying cycles. A washing machine is an example of a clothing treatment device, and the term "clothing treatment device" encompasses devices that wash clothing (laundry items, drying items), devices that dry clothing, and devices that can perform both washing and drying of clothing.

[0039] Washing machines according to various embodiments may include top-loading washing machines in which the laundry inlet for loading or removing laundry is provided facing upward, or front-loading washing machines in which the laundry inlet is provided facing forward. Washing machines according to various embodiments may include washing machines of other loading methods other than top-loading washing machines and front-loading washing machines.

[0040] In the case of a top-loading washing machine, laundry can be washed using a water current generated by a rotating body such as a pulsator. In the case of a front-loading washing machine, laundry can be washed by rotating the drum to repeatedly raise and lower the laundry. The front-loading washing machine may include a washing machine with a dryer that can dry the laundry contained inside the drum. The washing machine with a dryer may include a hot air supply device for supplying high-temperature air into the drum and a condensing device for removing moisture from the air discharged from the drum. For example, the washing machine with a dryer may include a heat pump device. The washing machine according to various embodiments may include a washing machine with a washing method other than the washing method described above.

[0041] Washing machines according to various embodiments may include a housing that accommodates various components therein. The housing may be provided in the form of a box with a laundry inlet formed on one side.

[0042] A washing machine may include a door for opening and closing the laundry compartment. The door may be rotatably mounted to the housing by a hinge. At least a portion of the door may be transparent or translucent to allow the interior of the housing to be viewed.

[0043] A washing machine may include a tub provided within a housing to store water. The tub may be provided in a generally cylindrical shape with a tub opening formed on one side, and may be positioned within the housing such that the tub opening corresponds to a laundry inlet.

[0044] The tub may be connected to the housing by a damper. The damper can absorb vibrations generated when the drum rotates, thereby reducing the vibrations transmitted to the housing.

[0045] A washing machine may include a drum configured to accommodate laundry.

[0046] The drum may be positioned within the tub such that the drum opening provided on one side corresponds to the laundry inlet and the tub opening. Laundry may be sequentially passed through the laundry inlet, the tub opening, and the drum opening to be accommodated within the drum or taken out from the drum.

[0047] The drum rotates within the tub and can perform washing, rinsing, and / or spin-drying operations. The cylindrical wall of the drum is formed with a number of perforations, allowing water stored in the tub to flow into or out of the drum.

[0048] A washing machine may include a drive device configured to rotate a drum. The drive device may include a drive motor and a rotating shaft for transmitting driving force generated by the drive motor to the drum. The rotating shaft may be connected to the drum by penetrating the tub.

[0049] The driving device can rotate the drum forward or backward to perform each operation according to the washing, rinsing, and / or dehydration, or drying cycle.

[0050] A washing machine may include a water supply device configured to supply water to a tub. The water supply device may include a water supply pipe and a water supply valve provided on the water supply pipe. The water supply pipe may be connected to an external water source. The water supply pipe may extend from the external water source to a detergent supply device and / or the tub. Water may be supplied to the tub via the detergent supply device. Water may be supplied to the tub without passing through the detergent supply device.

[0051] The water supply valve can open or close the water supply pipe in response to an electrical signal from the control unit. The water supply valve can allow or block the supply of water to the tub from an external water source. The water supply valve may include, for example, a solenoid valve that opens and closes in response to an electrical signal.

[0052] A washing machine may include a detergent supply device configured to supply detergent to a tub. The detergent supply device may include a manual detergent supply device that requires a user to add detergent for each wash cycle, and an automatic detergent supply device that stores a large amount of detergent and automatically supplies a predetermined amount of detergent during a wash cycle. The detergent supply device may include a detergent compartment for storing detergent. The detergent supply device may be configured to supply detergent into the tub during a water supply process. Water supplied through a water supply pipe may be mixed with detergent via the detergent supply device. The water mixed with detergent may be supplied into the tub. Detergent is used as a comprehensive term for pre-wash detergent, main wash detergent, fabric softener, bleach, etc., and the detergent compartment may be divided into a pre-wash detergent storage area, a main wash detergent storage area, a fabric softener storage area, and a bleach storage area.

[0053] A washing machine may include a drainage device configured to discharge water contained in a tub to the outside. The drainage device may include a drain pipe extending from the bottom of the tub to the outside of the housing, a drain valve provided in the drain pipe to open and close the drain pipe, and a pump provided on the drain pipe. The pump may pump water in the drain pipe to the outside of the housing.

[0054] The washing machine may include a control panel positioned on one side of the housing. The control panel may provide a user interface for a user to interact with the washing machine. The user interface may include at least one input interface and at least one output interface.

[0055] At least one input interface can convert sensory information received from a user into an electrical signal.

[0056] At least one input interface may include a power button, an operation button, a course selection dial (or a course selection button), and a wash / rinse / spin setting button. The at least one input interface may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and / or a microphone.

[0057] At least one output interface can visually or audibly convey information related to the operation of the washing machine to the user.

[0058] For example, at least one output interface may transmit information related to the washing cycle and operating time of the washing machine, as well as washing / rinsing / spin settings to the user. Information related to the operation of the washing machine may be output via a screen, indicator, voice, etc. At least one output interface may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, etc.

[0059] The washing machine may include a communication module for communicating with external devices via wires and / or wirelessly.

[0060] The communication module may include at least one of a short-range communication module or a long-range communication module.

[0061] The communication module can transmit data to or receive data from external devices (e.g., a server, a user device, and / or a home appliance). For example, the communication module can establish communication with a server, a user device, and / or a home appliance, and transmit and receive various data.

[0062] To this end, the communication module may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between external devices, and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the communication module may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Any of these communication modules may communicate with the external device via a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips).

[0063] The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication module, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication module, an UWB (ultrawideband) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc.

[0064] The remote communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of remote communication and may include a mobile communication unit. The mobile communication unit transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

[0065] In one embodiment, the communication module can communicate with external devices such as a server, a user device, and other home appliances through a peripheral access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect a local area network (LAN) to which the washing machine or the user device is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The washing machine or the user device can be connected to the server through the wide area network (WAN). The control unit can control various components of the washing machine, such as a drive motor and a water inlet valve. The control unit can control various components of the washing machine to perform at least one cycle, including water supply, washing, rinsing, and / or spin-drying, according to a user input. For example, the control unit can control the drive motor to adjust the rotation speed of the drum, or control the water inlet valve of the water supply device to supply water to the tub.

[0066] The control unit may include hardware such as a CPU or memory, and software such as a control program. For example, the control unit may include an algorithm for controlling the operation of components within the washing machine, at least one memory storing program-type data, and at least one processor performing the aforementioned operation using data stored in the at least one memory. The memory and the processor may each be implemented as separate chips. The processor may include one or more processor chips or one or more processing cores. The memory may include one or more memory chips or one or more memory blocks. Additionally, the memory and the processor may be implemented as a single chip.

[0067] It should be understood that the blocks and combinations of flowcharts in each flowchart can be implemented by one or more computer programs containing computer-executable instructions. The entirety of one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device, or the one or more computer programs may be divided such that different portions are stored in different memory devices.

[0068] Any of the functions or operations described herein may be processed by a single processor or a combination of processors. The single processor or the combination of processors is a circuit unit that performs processing and includes circuit units such as an application processor (AP, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near-field communication (NFC) chip, connectivity chips, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio codec chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on a chip (SoC), an IC, and the like.

[0069] Below, washing machines according to various embodiments are specifically described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0070] A washing machine (100) according to one embodiment may be a top loading washing machine (see FIG. 1) or a front loading washing machine (see FIG. 2).

[0071] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a washing machine according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a washing machine according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the washing machine (100) may include a control panel (110), a washing tub (120, 130), a driving motor (140), a water supply device (150), a detergent supply device (155), a drainage device (160), a driving unit (200, 300), a water level sensor (170, 175), a vibration sensor (180), a communication unit (185) and / or a control unit (190).

[0073] A washing machine (100) may include a cabinet (101) that accommodates components included in the washing machine (100). The cabinet (101) may accommodate a control panel (110), a water level sensor (170, 175), a driving unit (200, 300), a driving motor (140), a water supply device (150), a drainage device (160), a detergent supply device (155), and a washing tub (120, 130).

[0074] On one side of the cabinet (101), an inlet (101a) for loading or unloading laundry is provided.

[0075] For example, the washing machine (100) may include a top-loading washing machine in which an inlet (101a) for loading or withdrawing laundry is disposed on the upper surface of the cabinet (101) as illustrated in FIG. 1, or a front-loading washing machine in which an inlet (101a) for loading or withdrawing laundry is disposed on the front of the cabinet (101) as illustrated in FIG. 2. In other words, the washing machine (100) according to one embodiment is not limited to a top-loading washing machine or a front-loading washing machine, and may be either a top-loading washing machine or a front-loading washing machine. Of course, the washing machine (100) may include a washing machine with a loading method other than a top-loading washing machine and a front-loading washing machine.

[0076] A door (102) capable of opening and closing the inlet (101a) is provided on one side of the cabinet (101). The door (102) may be provided on the same side as the inlet (101a) and may be rotatably mounted on the cabinet (101) by a hinge.

[0077] On one side of the cabinet (101), a control panel (110) may be provided that provides a user interface for interaction with the user.

[0078] The control panel (110) may include, for example, an input button (111) for obtaining user input and a display (112) for displaying washing settings or washing operation information in response to the user input.

[0079] The input button (111) may include, for example, a power button, an operation button, a course selection dial (or a course selection button), and a wash / rinse / spin setting button. The input button may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, or a touch switch.

[0080] The input button (111) can provide an electrical output signal corresponding to user input to the control unit (190).

[0081] The display (112) may include a screen that displays the washing course selected by the rotation of the course selection dial (or pressing the course selection button) and the operating time of the washing machine (100), and an indicator that displays the washing setting / rinse setting / spin setting selected by the setting button. The display (112) may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, etc.

[0082] The display (112) can receive information to be displayed from the control unit (190) and display information corresponding to the received information.

[0083] Inside the cabinet (101), a washing tub (120, 130) can be provided.

[0084] The washing tub (120, 130) may include a tub (120) that receives water for washing or rinsing and a drum (130) that is rotatably provided within the tub (120) to receive laundry.

[0085] The tub (120) may be, for example, a cylindrical shape with one bottom surface open. The tub (120) may include a tub bottom surface (122) of approximately circular shape and a tub side wall (121) provided along the circumference of the tub bottom surface (122). The other bottom surface of the tub (120) may be open or have an opening formed therein so that laundry can be put in or taken out.

[0086] In the case of a top-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the tub (120) may be arranged such that the bottom surface (122) of the tub faces the bottom of the washing machine (100) and the central axis (R) of the tub side wall (121) is approximately perpendicular to the floor. In addition, in the case of a front-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the tub (120) may be arranged such that the bottom surface (122) of the tub faces the rear of the washing machine (100) and the central axis (R) of the tub side wall (121) is approximately parallel to the floor.

[0087] A bearing (122a) for rotatably fixing the driving motor (140) may be provided on the bottom of the tub (122).

[0088] The drum (130) may be provided rotatably inside the tub (120). The drum (130) may accommodate laundry, i.e., a load.

[0089] The drum (130) may be, for example, cylindrical in shape with one bottom surface open. The drum (130) may include a drum bottom surface (132) of approximately circular shape and a drum side wall (131) formed along the circumference of the drum bottom surface (132). The other bottom surface of the drum (130) may be open or have an opening formed therein so that laundry can be fed into or taken out of the drum (130).

[0090] In the case of a top-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the drum (130) may be arranged such that the bottom surface (132) of the drum faces the floor of the washing machine (100) and the central axis (R) of the drum side wall (131) is approximately perpendicular to the floor. In addition, in the case of a front-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the drum (130) may be arranged such that the bottom surface (132) of the drum faces the rear of the washing machine (100) and the central axis (R) of the drum side wall (131) is approximately parallel to the floor.

[0091] A hole (131a) connecting the inside and outside of the drum (130) may be provided in the drum side wall (131) so that water supplied to the tub (120) flows into the inside of the drum (130).

[0092] In the case of a top-loading washing machine, a pulsator (133) may be rotatably provided on the inside of the bottom surface (132) of the drum, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The pulsator (133) may rotate independently of the drum (130). In other words, the pulsator (133) may rotate in the same direction as the drum (130) or in a different direction. The pulsator (133) may also rotate at the same rotational speed as the drum (130) or at a different rotational speed.

[0093] In the case of a front-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a lifter (131b) is provided on the drum side wall (131) to lift laundry to the top of the drum (130) while the drum (130) rotates. In addition, according to various embodiments, a pulsator (133) may be rotatably provided on the inside of the bottom surface (132) of the drum, even in the case of a front-loading washing machine. The pulsator (133) may rotate independently of the drum (130). In other words, the pulsator (133) may rotate in the same direction as the drum (130) or in a different direction. The pulsator (133) may also rotate at the same rotational speed as the drum (130) or at a different rotational speed.

[0094] The bottom of the drum (132) can be connected to the rotation shaft (141) of the driving motor (140) that rotates the drum (130).

[0095] The driving motor (140) can rotate the drum (130) included in the washing tub (120, 130) based on the driving current supplied from the first driving unit (200).

[0096] In one embodiment, the drive motor (140) can generate torque to rotate the drum (130).

[0097] The driving motor (140) is provided on the outside of the bottom surface (122) of the tub (120) and can be connected to the bottom surface (132) of the drum (130) through the rotation shaft (141). The rotation shaft (141) passes through the bottom surface (122) of the tub and can be rotatably supported by a bearing (122a) provided on the bottom surface (122) of the tub.

[0098] The driving motor (140) may include a stator (142) fixed to the outside of the bottom surface (122) of the tub, and a rotor (143) that is provided to be rotatable with respect to the tub (120) and the stator (142). The rotor (143) may be connected to a rotation shaft (141).

[0099] The rotor (143) can rotate through magnetic interaction with the stator (142), and the rotation of the rotor (143) can be transmitted to the drum (130) through the rotation shaft (141).

[0100] The driving motor (140) may include, for example, a brushless direct current motor (BLDC motor) or a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) whose rotation speed is easy to control.

[0101] In the case of a top-loading washing machine, a clutch (145) may be provided to transmit the torque of the driving motor (140) to both the pulsator (133) and the drum (130) or to the pulsator (133), as illustrated in FIG. 1. The clutch (145) may be connected to a rotation shaft (141). The clutch (145) may distribute the rotation of the rotation shaft (141) to an inner shaft (145a) and an outer shaft (145b). The inner shaft (145a) may be connected to the pulsator (133). The outer shaft (145a) may be connected to the bottom surface (132) of the drum. The clutch (145) can transmit the rotation of the rotary shaft (141) to both the pulsator (133) and the drum (130) through the inner shaft (145a) and the outer shaft (145b), or can transmit the rotation of the rotary shaft (141) only to the pulsator (133) through the inner shaft (145a).

[0102] In the case of a front-loading washing machine, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive motor (140) can rotate both the pulsator (133) and the drum (130), or either the pulsator (133) or the drum (130).

[0103] According to various embodiments, the drive motor (140) may be a dual rotor motor having an outer rotor and an inner rotor on the diametrically outer and inner sides of one stator.

[0104] The inner rotor and outer rotor of the drive motor (140) can be connected to the pulsator (133) and the drum (130) via the inner shaft (145a) and the outer shaft (145b), respectively, and can directly drive them.

[0105] However, the driving method of the drum (130) and the pulsator (133) is not limited to the type of washing machine (100) (front-loading washing machine or top-loading washing machine), and in the case of a top-loading washing machine, the pulsator (133) and the drum (130) can be independently rotated using a dual rotor motor as the driving motor (140), and in the case of a front-loading washing machine, the pulsator (133) and the drum (130) can be independently rotated using one stator (142), one rotor (143), and a clutch (145).

[0106] The water supply device (150) can supply water to the tub (120) and the drum (130). The water supply device (150) includes a water supply pipe (151) connected to an external water source to supply water to the tub (120), and a water supply valve (152) provided on the water supply pipe (151). The water supply pipe (151) is provided on the upper side of the tub (120) and can extend from the external water source to the detergent box (156). Water is guided to the tub (120) through the detergent box (156). The water supply valve (152) can allow or block the supply of water from the external water source to the tub (120) in response to an electrical signal. The water supply valve (152) can include, for example, a solenoid valve that opens and closes in response to an electrical signal.

[0107] The detergent supply device (155) can supply detergent to the tub (120) and the drum (130). The detergent supply device (155) includes a detergent box (156) provided on the upper side of the tub (120) to store detergent, and a mixing pipe (157) connecting the detergent box (156) to the tub (120). The detergent box (156) is connected to a water supply pipe (151), and water supplied through the water supply pipe (151) can be mixed with the detergent in the detergent box (156). The mixture of detergent and water can be supplied to the tub (120) through the mixing pipe (157).

[0108] The drainage device (160) can discharge water contained in the tub (120) or drum (130) to the outside. The drainage device (160) can include a drainage pipe (161) provided on the lower side of the tub (120) and extending from the tub (120) to the outside of the cabinet (101). The drainage device (160) can further include a drain valve (162) provided on the drainage pipe (161). The drainage device (160) can further include a drainage pump (163) provided on the drainage pipe (161) and a pump motor (164) for operating the drainage pump (163). The pump motor (164) can generate rotational force to generate a pressure difference on both sides of the drainage pump (163), and water contained in the tub (120) can be discharged to the outside through the drainage pipe (161) due to the pressure difference.

[0109] The pump motor (164) can generate rotational force based on the driving current supplied from the second driving unit (300).

[0110] The pump motor (164) may include, for example, a brushless direct current motor (BLDC motor) or a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) whose rotation speed can be easily controlled.

[0111] In the case of a top-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a water level sensor (170) may be installed at the end of a connecting hose (171) connected to the lower portion of the tub (120). At this time, the water level of the connecting hose (171) may be the same as the water level of the tub (120). As the water level of the tub (120) rises, the water level of the connecting hose (171) rises, and as the water level of the connecting hose (171) rises, the pressure inside the connecting hose (171) may increase.

[0112] The water level sensor (170) can measure the pressure inside the connecting hose (171) and output an electrical signal corresponding to the measured pressure to the control unit (190). The control unit (190) can identify the water level of the connecting hose (171), i.e., the water level of the tub (120), based on the pressure of the connecting hose (171) measured by the water level sensor (170).

[0113] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can identify the water level of the tub (120) by analyzing the frequency (water level frequency) of an electrical signal corresponding to the input measured from the water level sensor (170).

[0114] In the case of a front-loading washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the water level sensor (175) may be installed inside the lower part of the tub (120). As the water level of the tub (120) rises, the pressure applied to the water level sensor (175) increases, and accordingly, the water level sensor (175) can detect a frequency that changes according to the water level when the drum (130) rotates.

[0115] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can identify the water level of the tub (120) by analyzing the frequency (water level frequency) of an electrical signal corresponding to the input measured from the water level sensor (175).

[0116] According to various embodiments, the washing machine (100) may include a vibration sensor (180) that detects vibration of the tub (120). The vibration sensor (180) may be installed at various locations (e.g., the tub (120) or the cabinet (101)) capable of detecting vibration of the tub (120) to detect vibration of the tub (120).

[0117] The vibration sensor (180) may include an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the three axes (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) of the tub (120). For example, the vibration sensor (180) may be provided as a piezoelectric type, strain gauge type, piezoresistive type, capacitive type, servo type, or optical type acceleration sensor. In addition, the vibration sensor (180) may be provided as various sensors (e.g., a gyroscope) that can measure the vibration of the tub (120).

[0118] The vibration sensor (180) can output a sensing value related to the vibration of the tub (120). For example, the vibration sensor (180) can output a constant value corresponding to the vibration of the tub (120). The vibration sensor (180) can output a voltage value corresponding to the three-axis acceleration of the tub (120).

[0119] According to various embodiments, the vibration sensor (180) may be provided as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) sensor. MEMS is a method developed in accordance with the advancement of semiconductor technology, and a MEMS sensor can be manufactured through deposition, patterning through photolithography, and etching processes. The vibration sensor (180) may be formed of various materials such as silicon, polymer, metal, or ceramic. A vibration sensor manufactured using the MEMS method may have a size on the order of micrometers.

[0120] The communication unit (185) can communicate with an external device (e.g., a server, a user device) via wires and / or wirelessly.

[0121] The communication unit (185) may include at least one of a short-range communication module or a long-range communication module.

[0122] The communication unit (185) can transmit data to an external device (e.g., a server, a user device) or receive data from an external device. To this end, the communication unit (185) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between external devices, and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the communication unit (185) can include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module can communicate with the external device through a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These different types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips).

[0123] The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication module, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication module, an UWB (ultrawideband) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc.

[0124] The remote communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of remote communication and may include a mobile communication interface. The mobile communication interface transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

[0125] In one embodiment, the communication unit (185) can communicate with external devices via a surrounding access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect the local area network (LAN) to which the washing machine (100) is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The washing machine (100) can be connected to the server via the wide area network (WAN).

[0126] The washing machine (100) can receive various signals from an external device through the communication unit (185).

[0127] The washing machine (100) can transmit various signals to an external device through the communication unit (185).

[0128] The control unit (190) can control the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) and / or the rotation speed of the pump motor (164).

[0129] Controlling the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) may include controlling the rotation speed of the drum (130).

[0130] Controlling the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) may include controlling the operating RPM of the drum (130). That is, in the present disclosure, the operating RPM of the drum (130) may correspond to the operating RPM of the drive motor (140).

[0131] Controlling the rotation speed of the pump motor (164) may include controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163). That is, in the present disclosure, the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) may correspond to the operating RPM of the pump motor (164).

[0132] The control unit (190) may be mounted on a printed circuit board provided on the rear of the control panel (110), for example.

[0133] The control unit (190) can be electrically connected to the control panel (110), water level sensor (170, 175), vibration sensor (180), driving unit (200, 300), water supply valve (152), and drain valve (162).

[0134] The control unit (190) may be composed of hardware such as a CPU or memory, and software such as a control program. The control unit (190) may be implemented by including at least one memory (192) storing data in the form of an algorithm and a program for controlling the operation of components within the washing machine (100), and at least one processor (191) that performs the operations described above and the operations to be described below using the data stored in the at least one memory (192). In this case, the memory (192) and the processor (191) may be implemented as separate chips. Alternatively, the memory (192) and the processor (191) may be implemented as a single chip.

[0135] The processor (191) can process output signals of the control panel (110), water level sensor (170, 175), vibration sensor (180) and / or driving unit (200, 300), and can include an operation circuit, a memory circuit and a control circuit that output control signals to the driving unit (200, 300), the water supply valve (152) and the drain valve (162) based on the processed output signals.

[0136] The memory (192) may include volatile memory such as Static Random Access Memory (S-RAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (D-RAM), and non-volatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM) and Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM).

[0137] The artificial intelligence-related functions according to the present disclosure are operated through a processor (191) and a memory (192). The processor (191) may be composed of one or more processors. In this case, the one or more processors may be a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, an AP, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a graphics-only processor such as a GPU, a VPU (Vision Processing Unit), or an artificial intelligence-only processor such as an NPU. The one or more processors control the processing of input data according to predefined operation rules or artificial intelligence models stored in the memory (192). Alternatively, when the one or more processors are artificial intelligence-only processors, the artificial intelligence-only processor may be designed with a hardware structure specialized for processing a specific artificial intelligence model.

[0138] The predefined operation rules or artificial intelligence models are characterized by being created through learning. Here, being created through learning means that the basic artificial intelligence model is trained using a learning algorithm using a plurality of learning data, thereby creating a predefined operation rules or artificial intelligence model set to perform a desired characteristic (or purpose). This learning may be performed on the device itself on which the artificial intelligence according to the present disclosure is performed, or may be performed through a separate server and / or system. Examples of the learning algorithm include, but are not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning.

[0139] An artificial intelligence model may be composed of multiple neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values, and performs neural network operations through operations between the operation results of the previous layer and the multiple weights. The multiple weights of the multiple neural network layers may be optimized based on the learning results of the artificial intelligence model. For example, the multiple weights may be updated so that the loss value or cost value obtained from the artificial intelligence model is reduced or minimized during the learning process. The artificial neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN), and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep neural network (DNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks.

[0140] The control unit (190) can control various components of the washing machine (100) (e.g., drive motor (140), pump motor (164)), and can automatically operate each process such as water supply, washing, rinsing, and spin-drying according to instructions input to the control panel (110).

[0141] For example, the control unit (190) can control the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) (hereinafter referred to as 'operating RPM of the drum (130)') by controlling the first drive unit (200), and can control the rotation speed of the pump motor (164) (hereinafter referred to as 'operating RPM of the drainage pump (163)') by controlling the second drive unit (300).

[0142] In various embodiments, the control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the pump motor (164) based on information about the operating RPM of the pump motor (164) received from the second driving unit (300) and information about the water level inside the tub (120) received through the water level sensor (170, 175).

[0143] Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a driving unit for driving a pump motor and / or a drive motor of a washing machine according to one embodiment. Fig. 5 illustrates another example of a driving unit for driving a pump motor and / or a drive motor of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0144] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the first driving unit (200) and the second driving unit (300) are defined as driving units (200, 300), and the configuration commonly included in the first driving unit (200) and the second driving unit (300) are described together. In FIGS. 4 and 5, it is assumed that the configuration of the first driving unit (200) begins with the drawing number 2, and the configuration of the second driving unit (300) begins with the drawing number 3.

[0145] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the driving unit (200, 300) may include a rectifier circuit (210, 310), a DC link circuit (220, 320), an inverter circuit (230, 330), a current sensor (240, 340), and / or an inverter control unit (250, 350). In addition, the motor (140, 164) may be provided with a position sensor (270, 370) that measures the rotational displacement of the rotor (electrical angle of the rotor).

[0146] The rectifier circuit (210, 310) may include a diode bridge including a plurality of diodes (D1, D2, D3, D4) and may rectify AC power of an external power source (ES).

[0147] The DC link circuit (220, 320) may include a DC link capacitor (C) that stores electric energy, removes ripples of rectified power, and outputs DC power.

[0148] The inverter circuit (230, 330) may include three pairs of switching elements (Q1 and Q2, Q3 and Q4, Q5 and Q6) and may convert the direct current power of the direct current link circuit (220, 320) into direct current or alternating current driving power. The inverter circuit (230, 330) may also supply driving current to the motor (140, 164).

[0149] The current sensor (240, 340) can measure the total current output from the inverter circuit (230, 330) or each of the three-phase driving currents (phase A current, phase B current, phase C current) output from the inverter circuit (230, 330).

[0150] A position sensor (270, 370) may be provided on a motor (140, 164), and may measure a rotational displacement of a rotor of the motor (140, 164) (e.g., an electrical angle of the rotor) and output position data (θ) representing the electrical angle of the rotor. The position sensor (270, 370) may be implemented with a Hall sensor, an encoder, a resolver, or the like.

[0151] The inverter control unit (250, 350) may be provided integrally with the control unit (190) or may be provided separately from the control unit (190).

[0152] The inverter control unit (250, 350) may include, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that outputs a driving signal to the inverter circuit (230, 330) based on a target speed command (ω*), a driving current value, and a rotational displacement (θ) of the rotor (143). Alternatively, the inverter control unit (250, 350) may include a memory that stores a series of commands for outputting a driving signal based on a target speed command (ω*), a driving current value, and a rotational displacement (θ) of the rotor, and a processor that processes a series of commands stored in the memory.

[0153] The structure of the inverter control unit (250, 350) may depend on the type of motor (140, 164). In other words, inverter control units (250, 350) with different structures can control different types of motors (140, 164).

[0154] For example, if the motor (140, 164) is a commutator DC motor, the inverter control unit (250, 350) may include a speed calculator (251, 351), a speed controller (253, 353), a current controller (254, 354), and a pulse width modulator (256, 356), as shown in FIG. 5.

[0155] The inverter control unit (250, 350) can control the DC voltage applied to the commutator DC motor using pulse width modulation (PWM). As a result, the driving current supplied to the commutator DC motor can be controlled.

[0156] The speed calculator (251, 351) can calculate the rotational speed value (ω) of the motor (140, 164) based on the rotor electrical angle (θ) of the motor (140, 164). For example, the speed calculator (251, 351) can calculate the rotational speed value (ω) of the motor (140, 164) based on the amount of change in the rotor electrical angle (θ) received from the position sensor (270, 370). As another example, the speed calculator (251, 351) can calculate the rotational speed value (ω) of the motor (140, 164) based on the change in the driving current value measured by the current sensor (240, 340).

[0157] The speed controller (253, 353) can output a current command (I*) based on the difference between the target speed command (ω*) of the control unit (190) and the rotational speed value (ω) of the motor (140, 164). For example, the speed controller (253, 353) can include a proportional integral controller (PI controller).

[0158] The current controller (254, 354) can output a voltage command (V*) based on the difference between the current command (I*) output from the speed controller (253, 353) and the measured current value (I) measured by the current sensor (240, 340). For example, the current controller (254, 354) can include proportional integral control (PI control).

[0159] The pulse width modulator (256, 356) can output a PWM control signal (Vpwm) for controlling the size of the driving current supplied to the motor (140, 164) by the inverter circuit (230, 330) based on the voltage command (V*).

[0160] In this way, the inverter control unit (250, 350) can control the size of the driving current supplied to the motor (140, 164) by the inverter circuit (230, 330) based on the target speed command (ω*) received from the control unit (190).

[0161] As another example, when the motor (140, 164) is a permanent magnet synchronous motor, the inverter control unit (250, 350) may include a speed calculator (251, 351), an input coordinate converter (252, 352), a speed controller (253, 353), a current controller (254, 354), an output coordinate converter (255, 355), and a pulse width modulator (256, 356), as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0162] The inverter control unit (250, 350) can control the AC voltage applied to the permanent magnet synchronous motor using vector control. As a result, the driving current supplied to the permanent magnet synchronous motor can be controlled.

[0163] The speed calculator (251, 351) may be the same as the speed calculator (251, 351) illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0164] The input coordinate converter (252, 352) can convert the three-phase drive current value (Iabc) into a d-axis current value (Id) and a q-axis current value (Iq) (hereinafter, referred to as d-axis current and q-axis current) based on the rotor electrical angle (θ). Here, the d-axis may mean an axis in a direction that matches the direction of the magnetic field generated by the rotor of the motor (140, 164). In addition, the q-axis may mean an axis in a direction that is 90 degrees ahead of the direction of the magnetic field generated by the rotor of the motor (140, 164).

[0165] The speed controller (253, 353) can calculate a q-axis current command (Iq*) to be supplied to the motor (140, 164) based on the difference between the target speed command (ω*) of the control unit (190) and the rotational speed value (ω) of the motor (140, 164). In addition, the speed controller (253, 353) can determine a d-axis current command (Id*).

[0166] The current controller (254, 354) can determine the q-axis voltage command (Vq*) based on the difference between the q-axis current command (Iq*) output from the speed controller (253, 353) and the q-axis current value (Iq) output from the input coordinate converter (252, 352). In addition, the current controller (254, 354) can determine the d-axis voltage command (Vd*) based on the difference between the d-axis current command (Id*) and the d-axis current value (Id).

[0167] The output coordinate converter (255, 355) can convert the dq-axis voltage command (Vdq*) into a three-phase voltage command (a-phase voltage command, b-phase voltage command, c-phase voltage command) (Vabc*) based on the rotor electrical angle (θ) of the motor (140, 164).

[0168] The pulse width modulator (256, 356) can output a PWM control signal (Vpwm) for controlling the size of the driving current supplied to the motor (140, 164) by the inverter circuit (230, 330) from the three-phase voltage command (Vabc*).

[0169] In this way, the inverter control unit (250, 350) can control the size of the driving current supplied to the motor (140, 164) by the inverter circuit (230, 330) based on the target speed command (ω*) received from the control unit (190).

[0170] According to various embodiments, the driving unit (200, 300) may include a voltage sensor (not shown) for measuring a driving voltage applied to the motor (140, 164). The driving unit (200, 300) may further include a power calculation unit (not shown) for calculating power applied to the motor (140, 164) based on a voltage value output from the voltage sensor and a current value output from the current sensor (240, 340), and a power controller (not shown) for outputting a target speed command (ω*) based on the power calculated by the power calculation unit and a target power command output from the control unit (190).

[0171] The power controller may include a proportional integral controller (PI controller).

[0172] According to various embodiments, the control unit (190) can output a target power command to the inverter control unit (250, 350), and the inverter control unit (250, 350) can control the inverter circuit (230, 330) so that the target power is supplied to the motor (140, 164) based on the target power command. Accordingly, the control unit (190) can perform power control or speed control on the motor (140, 164).

[0173] The control unit (190) can receive information on the operating RPM of the motor (140, 164) from the inverter control unit (250, 350).

[0174] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a washing cycle of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, a laundry cycle (laundry cycle; 1000) of a washing machine (100) may consist of a washing step (1010), a rinsing step (1020), and a spin-drying step (1030).

[0176] The washing machine (100) can sequentially perform the washing step (1010), the rinsing step (1020), and the spin-drying step (1030) according to user input through the control panel (110).

[0177] By the washing step (1010), laundry can be washed. Specifically, foreign substances attached to the laundry can be separated by the chemical action of the detergent and / or mechanical action such as dropping.

[0178] The washing step (1010) may include a laundry measurement step (1011) for measuring the amount of laundry, a water supply step (1012) for supplying water to the tub (120), a washing step (1013) for washing laundry by rotating the drum (130) at low speed, a draining step (1014) for discharging water contained in the tub (120), and a dewatering step (1015) for separating water from laundry by rotating the drum (130) at high speed.

[0179] In the water supply administration (1012) step, the detergent contained in the detergent box (156) can be supplied to the tub (120) by the detergent supply device (155).

[0180] For the washing process (1013), the control unit (190) can control the first driving unit (200) to rotate the driving motor (140) in the forward or reverse direction. In the case of a front-loading washing machine, laundry falls from the upper side to the lower side of the drum (130) by the rotation of the drum (130), and the laundry can be washed by the falling, and in the case of a top-loading washing machine, the laundry can be washed by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drum (130).

[0181] For the drainage operation (1014), the control unit (190) can control the second driving unit (300) to rotate the pump motor (164). By the rotation of the pump motor (164), a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the drainage pump (163), and water inside the tub (120) can be discharged to the outside.

[0182] For the dehydration cycle (1015), the control unit (190) can control the first driving unit (200) to rotate the driving motor (140) at high speed. By the high-speed rotation of the drum (130), water can be separated from the laundry contained in the drum (130). In addition, in order to discharge the residual water remaining inside the tub (120) to the outside during the dehydration cycle (1015), the control unit (190) can control the second driving unit (300) to rotate the pump motor (164).

[0183] During the dehydration cycle (1015), the rotation speed of the drum (130) may be increased stepwise. For example, the control unit (190) may control the first drive unit (200) to rotate the drive motor (140) at a first rotation speed, and may control the drive motor (140) to increase the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) to a second rotation speed based on a change in the driving current of the drive motor (140) while the drive motor (140) rotates at the first rotation speed. While the drive motor (140) rotates at the first rotation speed, the control unit (190) may control the drive motor (140) to increase the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) to a third rotation speed based on a change in the driving current of the drive motor (140), or may control the drive motor (140) to decrease the rotation speed of the drive motor (140) to the first rotation speed.

[0184] According to various embodiments, the rotation speed of the pump motor (164) during the dehydration process (1015) may be changed based on the rotation speed of the drive motor (140).

[0185] By the rinsing step (1020), the laundry can be rinsed. Specifically, detergent or foreign substances left on the laundry can be washed away by water.

[0186] The rinsing step (1020) may include a water supply operation (1021) that supplies water to the tub (120), a rinsing operation (1022) that drives the drum (130) to rinse laundry, a drain operation (1023) that discharges water contained in the tub (120), and a dehydration operation (1024) that drives the drum (130) to separate water from laundry.

[0187] The water supply operation (1021), drain operation (1023), and spin-drying operation (1024) of the rinsing step (1020) may be identical to the water supply operation (1012), drain operation (1014), and spin-drying operation (1015) of the washing step (1010), respectively. During the rinsing step (1020), the water supply operation (1021), rinsing operation (1022), drain operation (1023), and spin-drying operation (1024) may be performed once or multiple times.

[0188] By the dehydration step (1030), laundry can be dehydrated. Specifically, water is separated from the laundry by the high-speed rotation of the drum (130), and the separated water can be discharged to the outside of the washing machine (100).

[0189] The dehydration step (1030) may include a final dehydration cycle (1031) that separates water from the laundry by rotating the drum (130) at high speed. Due to the final dehydration cycle (1031), the last dehydration cycle (1024) of the rinsing step (1020) may be omitted.

[0190] For the final dehydration cycle (1031), the control unit (190) can control the first driving unit (200) to rotate the driving motor (140) at high speed. By the high-speed rotation of the drum (130), water can be separated from the laundry contained in the drum (130). In addition, in order to discharge the residual water remaining inside the tub (120) to the outside during the final dehydration cycle (1031), the control unit (190) can control the second driving unit (300) to rotate the pump motor (164).

[0191] During the final dehydration process (1031), the rotation speed of the driving motor (140) can be increased stepwise.

[0192] According to various embodiments, the rotation speed of the pump motor (164) during the final dehydration cycle (1031) may be changed based on the rotation speed of the drive motor (140).

[0193] Since the operation of the washing machine (100) is terminated by the final dehydration cycle (1031), the execution time of the final dehydration cycle (1031) may be longer than the execution times of the dehydration cycles (1015, 1024) of the washing step (1010) and the rinsing step (1020).

[0194] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling a washing machine in a drainage operation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0195] Referring to FIG. 7, the washing machine (100) may perform a washing step (1010), a rinsing step (1020), and / or a spin-drying step (1030) based on starting a washing cycle (1000).

[0196] The washing machine (100) can start the draining cycle (1014, 1023) based on the completion of the washing cycle (1013) of the washing step (1010) and / or the rinsing cycle (1022) of the rinsing step (1020) (2000).

[0197] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the water level of a tub after the washing cycle and / or rinsing cycle of a washing machine according to one embodiment is completed.

[0198] Referring to FIG. 8, since the washing machine (100) rotates the drum (130) without the operation of the drain pump (163) after the water supply cycle (1012, 1021), it can be confirmed that the water level in the tub (120) is at a considerably high level after the washing cycle (1013) and / or the rinsing cycle (1022) of the washing machine (100) is completed.

[0199] The control unit (190) can operate the drainage pump (163) at maximum output based on the start of the drainage cycle (1014, 1023) (2100).

[0200] Operating the drain pump (163) at maximum output may include controlling the second drive unit (300) so that the power applied to the pump motor (164) is maximized.

[0201] That is, the control unit (190) can control the second driving unit (300) to operate the drainage pump (163) at maximum output.

[0202] Here, the maximum output may be stored in the memory (192) and may mean the maximum output value for rotating the pump motor (164) at the maximum speed.

[0203] In the present disclosure, the maximum output may be preset to a value similar to the maximum output value as well as the maximum output value for rotating the pump motor (164) at the maximum speed.

[0204] When the drain pump (163) is operated at maximum output, the operating RPM of the pump motor (164) may vary depending on the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0205] For example, depending on the installation conditions of the washing machine (100), the head (hereinafter referred to as 'drainage height') meaning the vertical height of the drain pipe (161) may be different, and when the drain pump (163) is operated at maximum output, the operating RPM of the pump motor (164) may change depending on the drainage height.

[0206] The control unit (190) can determine a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) operating at maximum output (2200).

[0207] The operating RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output can be measured by the position sensor (370) and speed calculator (353) of the second driving unit (300).

[0208] Determining the first target RPM based on the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output may include determining the average RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM.

[0209] The control unit (190) can determine the average RPM for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM when a reference time has elapsed from the time the drainage pump (163) is operated at maximum output.

[0210] For example, the control unit (190) can determine the average RPM of the pump motor (164) measured by the position sensor (370) and the speed calculator (353) for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM when a reference time has elapsed from the time when the drainage pump (163) is operated at maximum output.

[0211] The reference time may be a predetermined time based on the interval between the time at which the second driving unit (300) is controlled to supply power corresponding to the maximum output to the drain pump (163) and the time at which power corresponding to the maximum output is actually supplied to the drain pump (163), and may be stored in the memory (192). For example, the reference time may be set to approximately 10 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

[0212] The predetermined time may be set to a period of time during which reliability regarding the operating RPM of the pump motor (164) can be secured, and may be stored in the memory (192). For example, the predetermined time may be determined to be approximately 5 seconds.

[0213] After the first target RPM is determined, the control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM (2300).

[0214] Controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM may include setting the target speed command (ω*, see FIG. 4 or FIG. 5) to the first target RPM.

[0215] According to the present disclosure, when the drain pump (163) is operated at maximum output, the average RPM of the drain pump (163) at which the drain pump (163) rotates on average is determined as the first target RPM, thereby preventing power waste and noise from being generated when the drain pump (163) is operated at maximum output.

[0216] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) may determine a second target RPM that is different from the first target RPM. The first target RPM and the second target RPM may be defined as a first reference RPM and a second reference RPM, respectively, from the perspective of serving as operating criteria for the drainage pump (163).

[0217] Here, since RPM corresponds to rotation speed, the first target RPM and the second target RPM may be referred to as the first target rotation speed and the second target rotation speed, respectively.

[0218] The first target RPM may be defined as a full water RPM in terms of the target RPM of the drain pump (163) for discharging water from the tub (120) to the outside before the water level of the tub (120) reaches a critical level, that is, when the tub (120) is filled with water to a certain extent, and the second target RPM may be defined as a residual water RPM in terms of the target RPM of the drain pump (163) for discharging water remaining in the drain pump (163) to the outside after the water level of the tub (120) reaches a critical level, that is, when the water in the tub (120) is almost completely drained.

[0219] The control unit (190) can determine the second target RPM based on a predetermined formula that includes the first target RPM as a variable.

[0220] Here, [Formula 1] below is an example of a predetermined formula.

[0221] [Formula 1]

[0222] Second target RPM = A*(First target RPM)+B

[0223] Here, the values ​​A and B can be determined based on experiments and can be preset and stored in the memory (192) during the production stage of the washing machine (100).

[0224] The control unit (190) performs multiple drainage operations and can update the A and B values ​​based on data regarding the first target RPM, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drainage pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drainage pump (163).

[0225] Here, data on the size of noise generated from the drainage pump (163) may correspond to vibration data acquired by the vibration sensor (180), but is not limited thereto.

[0226] Data on the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163) may correspond to current data measured by the current sensor (340), but is not limited thereto.

[0227] When the water level of the tub (120) drops below the critical level, the drain pump (163) operates to discharge the water remaining in the drain pump (163) to the outside rather than operating to discharge the water inside the tub (120) to the outside.

[0228] When the water level of the tub (120) drops below the critical level, the drain pump (163) operates to discharge residual water continuously generated by the laundry.

[0229] Even if the water remaining in the drain pump (163) is discharged to the outside, if the drain pump (163) operates at the first target RPM, a loud noise will be generated from the drain pump (163). However, if the target RPM of the drain pump (163) is lowered simply when the water level of the tub (120) drops below the critical water level without any standard, the state in which only the drain pump (163) operates is maintained without the water remaining in the drain pump (163) being discharged to the outside.

[0230] According to the prior art, noise generation was reduced simply by lowering the target RPM of the drain pump when the water level in the tub fell below the critical level. However, as the target RPM of the drain pump was lowered, the cycle ended without the water remaining in the drain pump being discharged to the outside, which resulted in the problem of microorganisms such as mold and bacteria growing inside the drain pump.

[0231] Accordingly, when the water level of the tub drops below the critical level (hereinafter referred to as the 'residual water state'), an optimal target RPM of the drain pump is required that minimizes the noise generated by the drain pump while still allowing the water remaining in the drain pump to be discharged to the outside.

[0232] According to the present disclosure, the washing machine (100) determines the second target RPM of the drain pump (163) in the residual water state based on the first target RPM, thereby minimizing noise generated by the drain pump (163) and effectively discharging water remaining in the drain pump (163) to the outside.

[0233] In addition, since the method (formula) for calculating the second target RPM is continuously updated to minimize the noise of the drain pump (163) in a residual water state while also minimizing the water remaining in the drain pump (163), the washing machine (100) according to the present disclosure can drive the drain pump (163) at the most optimized second target RPM in a residual water state.

[0234] The memory (192) can store a machine learning model trained to output a second target RPM using the first target RPM as input data.

[0235] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can determine the second target RPM by inputting the first target RPM into a machine learning model.

[0236] The machine learning model can be trained based on data regarding the first target RPM, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0237] A machine learning model may be composed of multiple neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values, and performs neural network operations through operations between the operation results of the previous layer and the multiple weights. The multiple weights of the multiple neural network layers may be optimized based on the learning results of the artificial intelligence model. For example, the multiple weights may be updated so that the loss value or cost value obtained from the artificial intelligence model is reduced or minimized during the learning process. The artificial neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN), and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep neural network (DNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks.

[0238] The machine learning model can be trained by assigning weights to each factor so as to minimize the size of the noise generated from the drain pump (163) and the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0239] According to the present disclosure, a washing machine (100) is provided that operates the drain pump (163) at an optimal target RPM that can discharge water remaining in the drain pump (163) to the outside while minimizing noise generated from the drain pump (163) in a residual water state.

[0240] The control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM until the water level of the tub (120) reaches the critical level (No of 2400).

[0241] The water level of the tub (120) can be measured by a water level sensor (170, 175).

[0242] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing that the water level in the tub reaches a critical level during the drainage cycle of the washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0243] Referring to Fig. 9, the critical water level is the minimum water level that can be measured by the water level sensor (170, 175), and may be referred to as the reset water level.

[0244] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) may determine that the water level in the tub (120) has reached a threshold level in response to the water level not being measured by the water level sensor (170, 175).

[0245] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) may determine that the water level in the tub (120) has reached a critical level in response to a predetermined period of time having elapsed since the water level was not measured by the water level sensor (170, 175).

[0246] The control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to a second target RPM (2500) based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching a critical level (example of 2400).

[0247] As explained above, the second target RPM is set to an optimal RPM that minimizes noise generated from the drain pump (163) while allowing water remaining in the drain pump (163) to be discharged to the outside, taking into account the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0248] According to the present disclosure, a washing machine (100) is provided that minimizes noise generation in a residual water state in which water remaining in the drain pump (163) must be discharged to the outside, and is capable of discharging water remaining in the drain pump (163) to the outside.

[0249] The washing machine (100) can end the draining cycle and start the spin-drying cycle based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching a critical level (3000).

[0250] For example, the washing machine (100) can start a spin-drying operation in response to a predetermined time elapsed after the water level in the tub (120) reaches a critical level.

[0251] Here, the dehydration process may include a dehydration process (1015, 1024) performed following the drainage process (1014, 1023) and a final dehydration process (1031) in the dehydration step (1030).

[0252] Fig. 10 is a drawing for explaining the operating RPM of the drain pump in the drain operation of a washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0253] Referring to FIG. 10, t0 represents the point in time when the drainage operation starts, t1 represents the point in time when a reference time has elapsed since the start of the drainage operation, t2 represents the point in time when a predetermined time has elapsed from point t1, t3 represents the point in time when the water level of the tub (120) reaches the critical level, and t4 represents the point in time when the drainage operation ends.

[0254] The washing machine (100) can operate the drain pump (163) at maximum output at t0.

[0255] The operating RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output may change depending on various factors such as the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0256] The washing machine (100) can determine the average RPM of the drain pump (163) in the section (d1) between time points t1 and t2, which is the section in which the drain pump (163) operates at maximum output, as the first target RPM (tr1). At this time, the washing machine (100) can determine a second target RPM (tr2) that is different from the first target RPM (tr1) in addition to the first target RPM (tr1).

[0257] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM (tr1) based on the first target RPM being determined.

[0258] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the second target RPM (tr2) based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching the critical level while controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM (tr1).

[0259] That is, the washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the second target RPM (tr2) at time t3.

[0260] The washing machine (100) can end the drainage cycle based on the passage of a predetermined time (d2) after the water level of the tub (120) reaches a critical level.

[0261] That is, the washing machine (100) can end the drainage cycle at a point in time t4 after a predetermined time (d2) has elapsed after the water level of the tub (120) reaches a critical level.

[0262] When the draining cycle is completed, the dehydration cycle begins, and even during the dehydration cycle, the drain pump (163) can continue to operate to discharge water generated from the laundry due to dehydration to the outside.

[0263] Accordingly, when the dehydration process starts at time point t4, the operation of the drain pump (163) may stop or the operation of the drain pump (163) may be maintained.

[0264] Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling a washing machine in a dehydration process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0265] Referring to FIG. 11, the washing machine (100) can start the spin-drying cycle based on the completion of the draining cycle (3000).

[0266] However, if the user inputs a command to start only the spin-drying cycle during the washing cycle (1000), the washing machine (100) may start the spin-drying cycle based on receiving the command to start the spin-drying cycle.

[0267] Fig. 12 is a drawing for explaining the operating RPM of the drum and the operating RPM of the drain pump in the spin-drying cycle of the washing machine according to one embodiment.

[0268] Referring to FIG. 12, the dehydration process may include a pre-spin process (s1) that increases the rotation speed of the drum (130) to a first maximum rotation speed and then stops the drum (130).

[0269] The control unit (190) can accelerate the rotation speed of the drum (130) to the first intermediate rotation speed in the free spin cycle (s1) and then maintain the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the first intermediate rotation speed for a predetermined period of time.

[0270] The control unit (190) can accelerate the rotation speed of the drum (130) from the first intermediate rotation speed to the first maximum rotation speed in the free spin cycle (s1) and then maintain the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the first maximum rotation speed for a predetermined period of time.

[0271] The control unit (190) can end the free spin cycle (s1) by maintaining the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the first maximum rotation speed for a predetermined period of time in the free spin cycle (s1) and then decelerating the drum (130) to a stop state.

[0272] The dehydration process may optionally further include a main spin process (s3) that increases the rotational speed of the drum (130) to a second maximum rotational speed greater than the first maximum rotational speed and then stops the drum (130).

[0273] The control unit (190) can accelerate the rotation speed of the drum (130) to the first intermediate rotation speed in the main spin cycle (s3) and then maintain the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the first intermediate rotation speed for a predetermined period of time.

[0274] The control unit (190) can accelerate the rotation speed of the drum (130) from the first intermediate rotation speed to the first maximum rotation speed in the main spin cycle (s3) and then maintain the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the first maximum rotation speed for a predetermined period of time.

[0275] The control unit (190) can accelerate the rotation speed of the drum (130) from the first maximum rotation speed to the second maximum rotation speed in the main spin cycle (s3) and then maintain the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the second maximum rotation speed for a predetermined period of time.

[0276] The control unit (190) can end the main spin cycle (s3) by maintaining the rotation speed of the drum (130) at the second maximum rotation speed for a predetermined period of time during the main spin cycle (s3) and then decelerating the drum (130) to a stop state.

[0277] The dehydration cycle (1015) of the washing step (1010) and the dehydration cycle (1024) of the rinsing step (1020) may include a pre-spin cycle (s1).

[0278] The final dehydration process (1031) in the dehydration step (1030) may include a main spin process (s3).

[0279] The graph illustrated in Fig. 12 may be an example showing that the final dehydration operation (1024) in the rinsing step (1020) is completed, the weight sensing operation (s2) is performed, and then the final dehydration operation (1031) of the dehydration step is performed.

[0280] The dehydration cycle may optionally further include a weight sensing cycle (s2) between the pre-spin cycle (s1) and the main spin cycle (s3).

[0281] The control unit (190) can repeatedly turn the drive motor (140) on and off to perform the weight sensing operation (s2), and can measure the load (weight of laundry) inside the drum (130) based on the counter electromotive force value generated when the drive motor (140) is turned off. The memory (192) can store data on the weight value of the laundry measured through the weight sensing operation (s2).

[0282] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can perform a weight sensing operation even in the washing step (1010), and identify the material of the laundry by comparing the weight of the laundry measured in the first weight sensing operation performed in the washing step (1010) with the weight of the laundry measured in the second weight sensing operation (s2) performed during the spin-drying operation.

[0283] The first intermediate rotation speed, the first maximum rotation speed, and the second maximum rotation speed described above may be changed according to the weight of the laundry measured in the first weight sensing cycle and / or the second weight sensing cycle (s2) performed during the spin-drying cycle performed in the washing step (1010).

[0284] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can stop the operation of the drain pump (163) in a section where the drum (130) is decelerated to stop the drum (130) and / or in a section where a weight sensing operation is performed (example of 3100) (3150).

[0285] The section for decelerating the drum (130) may include a first section for decelerating to stop the drum (130) rotating at a first maximum rotation speed and a second section for decelerating to stop the drum (130) rotating at a second maximum rotation speed.

[0286] This is because, in the section where the drum (130) is decelerated or the section where the weight sensing operation is performed, water is not separated from the laundry, so the operation of the drain pump (163) is unnecessary.

[0287] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent noise from being generated due to unnecessary operation of the drainage pump (163) in a section where the drum (130) is decelerated or a section where a weight sensing operation is performed.

[0288] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) based on the second target RPM (tr2) and the speed of the drum (130) in the dehydration process.

[0289] That is, the target RPM of the drainage pump (163) in the dehydration cycle can be determined based on the second target RPM (tr) determined in the drainage cycle and the rotation speed of the drum (130).

[0290] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can determine the target RPM of the drain pump (163) based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM (tr1) and the speed of the drum (130) as variables in the dehydration process.

[0291] For example, in the dehydration process, the control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) to a third target RPM higher than the second target RPM based on the speed of the drum (130) corresponding to the first speed section (V1) (example of 3200) (3250).

[0292] The control unit (190) can determine the third target RPM (tr3) based on the second target RPM and the rotation speed of the drum (130).

[0293] For example, the control unit (190) can determine the third target RPM (tr3) based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM as a variable.

[0294] Here, [Formula 2] below is an example of a predetermined formula.

[0295] [Formula 2]

[0296] If the rotation speed of the drum is ⊂ V1, the third target RPM = (the second target RPM)+C

[0297] Here, the C value can be determined experimentally and can be preset and stored in the memory (192) during the production stage of the washing machine (100).

[0298] The control unit (190) performs multiple drainage operations and can update the C value based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the rotation speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drainage pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drainage pump (163).

[0299] As another example, the control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) to a fourth target RPM higher than the second target RPM based on the speed of the drum (130) corresponding to the second speed section (V2) (example of 3300) in the dehydration process (3350).

[0300] The control unit (190) can determine the fourth target RPM (tr4) based on the second target RPM and the rotation speed of the drum (130).

[0301] For example, the control unit (190) can determine the fourth target RPM (tr4) based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM as a variable.

[0302] Here, [Formula 3] below is an example of a predetermined formula.

[0303] [Formula 3]

[0304] If the rotation speed of the drum is ⊂ V2, the fourth target RPM = (the second target RPM)+D

[0305] Here, the D value can be determined experimentally and can be preset and stored in the memory (192) during the production stage of the washing machine (100).

[0306] The control unit (190) performs multiple drainage operations and can update the D value based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the rotation speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drainage pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drainage pump (163).

[0307] As another example, the control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) to a fifth target RPM (tr5) higher than the second target RPM (3400) based on the fact that the speed of the drum (130) corresponds to the third speed section (V3) (No of 3300) in the dehydration process.

[0308] The control unit (190) can determine the fifth target RPM (tr5) based on the second target RPM and the rotation speed of the drum (130).

[0309] For example, the control unit (190) can determine the fourth target RPM (tr5) based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM as a variable.

[0310] Here, [Formula 4] below is an example of a predetermined formula.

[0311] [Formula 4]

[0312] If the rotation speed of the drum is ⊂ V3, the fourth target RPM = (the second target RPM)+E

[0313] Here, the E value can be determined experimentally and can be preset and stored in the memory (192) during the production stage of the washing machine (100).

[0314] The control unit (190) performs multiple drainage operations and can update the E value based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the rotation speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drainage pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drainage pump (163).

[0315] The C, D, and E values ​​described above can satisfy the relationship (C < D < E).

[0316] Additionally, the first speed section (V1) may correspond to a section having a lower speed than the second speed section (V2), and the second speed section (V2) may correspond to a section having a lower speed than the third speed section (V3).

[0317] Meanwhile, the first speed section (V1) corresponds to a section having a lower speed than the second speed section (V2), and the second speed section (V2) and the third speed section (V3) can be preset in the production stage of the washing machine (100) and updated by the control unit (190).

[0318] The control unit (190) performs multiple drainage operations, and can also update the rotation speeds corresponding to the first speed section (V1), the second speed section (V2), and the third speed section (V3) based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the rotation speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drainage pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drainage pump (163).

[0319] The control unit (190) can increase the target RPM of the drain pump (163) as the rotation speed of the drum (130) increases.

[0320] According to the present disclosure, a washing machine (100) is provided that can efficiently discharge water generated by dehydration of laundry to the outside while minimizing noise generated by the operation of the drain pump (163) during the dehydration cycle by controlling the target RPM of the drain pump (163) in stages according to the rotation speed of the drum (130) during the dehydration cycle.

[0321] The memory (192) can store a machine learning model trained to output the target RPM (e.g., the third target RPM, the fourth target RPM, and / or the fifth target RPM) of the drainage pump (163) in the dehydration process using the second target RPM as input data.

[0322] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can determine the target RPM of the drainage pump (163) in the dehydration process by inputting the second target RPM into the machine learning model.

[0323] The machine learning model can be trained based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the rotation speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0324] A machine learning model may be composed of multiple neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values, and performs neural network operations through operations between the operation results of the previous layer and the multiple weights. The multiple weights of the multiple neural network layers may be optimized based on the learning results of the artificial intelligence model. For example, the multiple weights may be updated so that the loss value or cost value obtained from the artificial intelligence model is reduced or minimized during the learning process. The artificial neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN), and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep neural network (DNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks.

[0325] The machine learning model can be trained by assigning weights to each factor so as to minimize the size of the noise generated from the drain pump (163) and the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0326] According to the present disclosure, a washing machine (100) is provided that operates the drain pump (163) at an optimal target RPM that can minimize noise generated from the drain pump (163) during a dehydration cycle while discharging water remaining in the drain pump (163) to the outside.

[0327] Referring to FIG. 12, t4 represents the point in time when the dehydration cycle starts, t5 represents the point in time when the rotation speed of the drum (130) leaves the first speed section (V1) and starts to be included in the second speed section (V2), t6 represents the point in time when the rotation speed of the drum (130) leaves the second speed section (V3) and starts to be included in the third speed section (V3), t7 represents the point in time when the weight sensing cycle ends and the main spin cycle starts, t8 represents the point in time when the rotation speed of the drum (130) leaves the first speed section (V1) and starts to be included in the second speed section (V2), t9 represents the point in time when the rotation speed of the drum (130) leaves the second speed section (V3) and starts to be included in the third speed section (V3), and t10 represents the point in time when the deceleration of the drum (130) starts.

[0328] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the third target RPM (tr3) at time t4 when the spin cycle (free spin cycle) starts.

[0329] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the fourth target RPM (tr4) at time t5 when the rotation speed of the drum (130) enters the second speed section (V2).

[0330] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the fifth target RPM (tr5) at time t6 when the rotation speed of the drum (130) enters the third speed range (V3).

[0331] The washing machine (100) can stop the drain pump (163) in section s2, i.e., in the deceleration section (or weight sensing section) of the drum (130).

[0332] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the third target RPM (tr3) at time t7 when the spin cycle (main spin cycle) starts.

[0333] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the fourth target RPM (tr4) at time t8 when the rotation speed of the drum (130) enters the second speed section (V2).

[0334] The washing machine (100) can control the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the fifth target RPM (tr5) at time t8 when the rotation speed of the drum (130) enters the third speed section (V3).

[0335] The washing machine (100) can stop the drain pump (163) at time t10 when the deceleration of the drum (130) begins.

[0336] In the above example, the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) is shown to increase nonlinearly according to the rotation speed of the drum (130), but it is of course possible for the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to increase linearly as well.

[0337] According to the present disclosure, the washing machine (100) can maximize drainage efficiency and minimize noise generated by the drainage pump (163) by changing the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) based on the speed of the drum (130) during the spin-drying cycle.

[0338] In addition, according to the present disclosure, the washing machine (100) can operate the drain pump (163) at an optimal target RPM that takes into account the installation environment of the washing machine (100) by determining the target RPM of the drain pump (163) during the spin-drying cycle based on the second target RPM determined in the drain cycle.

[0339] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a washing machine according to one embodiment notifying a user of a failure of a drain pump or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine.

[0340] Unless the installation environment of the washing machine (100) changes or there is a problem with the drain pump (163), the first target RPM determined for each of the multiple drainage operations will fall within a similar range.

[0341] However, if the installation environment of the washing machine (100) changes or there is a problem with the drain pump (163), the difference between the first target RPM determined in the drain operation and the first target RPM determined in the previously performed drain operation will be relatively large.

[0342] Referring to FIG. 13, the control unit (190) determines an average value of first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed prior to the drainage operation, and if the difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit (190) can notify the user of a failure of the drainage pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0343] The number of times at least one draining operation can be preset at the production stage of the washing machine (100).

[0344] Each time a drainage operation is performed, data regarding the first target RPM determined in each drainage operation can be accumulated and stored in the memory (192), and accordingly, an average value of the first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation can be stored in the memory (192).

[0345] Notifying the user of a failure of the drain pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) may include outputting sensory information (e.g., a visual indicator) indicating a failure of the drain pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0346] Notifying the user of a failure of the drain pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) may include transmitting a signal indicating a failure of the drain pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) to an external device.

[0347] The control unit (190) determines an average value of first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed prior to the drainage operation, and if the difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit (185) can control the communication unit (185) to transmit a signal indicating a failure of the drainage pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) to an external device.

[0348] Notifying the user of a failure of the drain pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) may include outputting sensory information (e.g., a visual indicator and / or sound) indicating a failure of the drain pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) through the display (112) and / or speaker of the washing machine (100).

[0349] The control unit (190) determines an average value of first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed prior to the drainage operation, and if the difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit (185) can control the communication unit (185) to transmit a signal indicating a failure of the drainage pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) to an external device.

[0350] The control unit (190) determines an average value of first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed prior to the drainage operation, and if the difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit (112) and / or the speaker can be controlled to output sensory information indicating a failure of the drainage pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0351] Based on receiving a positive response from the user regarding a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100), the control unit (190) can determine the first target RPM determined in the first drainage cycle as the reference first target RPM and delete information about the first target RPM determined in previous drainage cycles.

[0352] The control unit (190) can guide the user to inspect the drain pump (163) based on receiving a negative response from the user regarding a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0353] Guiding the user to inspect the drain pump (163) may include controlling the display (112) and / or the speaker to output sensory information guiding the inspection of the drain pump (163) and / or transmitting a signal requesting inspection of the drain pump (163) to an external device via the communication unit (185).

[0354] According to the present disclosure, when the first target RPM is changed, the washing machine (100) can estimate a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100) or a failure of the drain pump (163), and notify the user of this, thereby enabling the user to quickly respond to a failure of the drain pump (163).

[0355] According to the present disclosure, if the first target RPM of the washing machine (100) is changed and the cause is a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100), the washing machine (100) determines that there is no problem with the drain pump (163), and from the next drainage cycle, it can determine whether to change the first target RPM based on the newly determined first reference target RPM.

[0356] A washing machine (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a tub (120); a drum (130) provided in the tub (120); a drain pump (163) for draining water in the tub (120) to the outside; and a control unit (190) that operates the drain pump (163) at maximum output based on the start of a drainage cycle, determines a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output, controls the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM based on the water level of the tub (120) being higher than a threshold water level, and controls the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the second target RPM based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching the threshold water level.

[0357] The control unit (190) can determine the average RPM of the drainage pump (163) operating at maximum output for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM.

[0358] The control unit (190) can determine the second target RPM based on a predetermined formula that includes the first target RPM as a variable.

[0359] The control unit (190) determines the second target RPM by inputting the first target RPM into a machine learning model, and the machine learning model may be learned based on data regarding the first target RPM, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0360] The control unit (190) can start a dehydration process based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching a critical level, and control the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) based on the second target RPM and the speed of the drum (130) during the dehydration process.

[0361] The control unit (190) can control the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) to a third target RPM higher than the second target RPM based on the fact that the speed of the drum (130) corresponds to the first speed section in the dehydration process, and can control the operating RPM of the drainage pump (163) to a fourth target RPM higher than the third target RPM based on the fact that the speed of the drum (130) corresponds to the second speed section faster than the first speed section.

[0362] The control unit (190) can determine the target RPM of the drainage pump (163) based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM and the speed of the drum (130) as variables in the dehydration process.

[0363] The control unit (190) determines the target RPM of the drain pump (163) by inputting the second target RPM and the speed of the drum (130) into the machine learning model, and the machine learning model may be learned based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0364] The dehydration process may include a pre-spin process that increases the rotation speed of the drum (130) to a first maximum rotation speed and then stops the drum (130), a main spin process that increases the rotation speed of the drum (130) to a second maximum rotation speed greater than the first maximum rotation speed and then stops the drum (130), and a weight sensing process that is performed after the pre-spin process and before the main spin process.

[0365] The control unit (190) can stop the operation of the drainage pump (163) in a section where the drum (130) is decelerated to stop the drum (130) and in a section where a weight sensing operation is performed.

[0366] The drainage operation is the first drainage operation, and the control unit (190) determines an average value of first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed before the first drainage operation, and if the difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit can notify the user of a failure of the drainage pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0367] A control method of a washing machine (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: operating a drain pump (163) at maximum output based on the start of a drain operation; determining a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on an operating RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output; controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the first target RPM based on the water level of the tub (120) being higher than a threshold water level; and controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to the second target RPM based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching the threshold water level.

[0368] Determining the first target RPM may include determining the average RPM of the drain pump (163) operating at maximum output for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM.

[0369] Determining the second target RPM may include determining the second target RPM based on a predetermined formula that includes the first target RPM as a variable.

[0370] Determining the second target RPM includes determining the second target RPM by inputting the first target RPM into a machine learning model; and the machine learning model may be learned based on data regarding the first target RPM, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0371] The control method of the washing machine (100) may further include starting a spin-drying operation based on the water level of the tub (120) reaching a critical level; and controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) based on the second target RPM and the speed of the drum (130) during the spin-drying operation.

[0372] Controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) in the dehydration process may include controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to a third target RPM higher than the second target RPM based on the speed of the drum (130) corresponding to the first speed section; and controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) to a fourth target RPM higher than the third target RPM based on the speed of the drum (130) corresponding to the second speed section faster than the first speed section.

[0373] Controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) in the dehydration process may include determining the target RPM of the drain pump (163) based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM and the speed of the drum (130) as variables.

[0374] Controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump (163) in the dehydration process includes determining the target RPM of the drain pump (163) by inputting the second target RPM and the speed of the drum (130) into a machine learning model; and the machine learning model may be learned based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the speed of the drum (130), data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump (163), and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump (163).

[0375] The control method of the washing machine (100) may further include stopping the operation of the drain pump (163) in a section where the drum (130) is decelerated to stop the drum (130) and in a section where a weight sensing operation is performed.

[0376] The drainage operation is a first drainage operation, and the average value of the first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed before the first drainage operation is determined; and if the difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value, the method may further include notifying the user of a failure of the drainage pump (163) or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine (100).

[0377] Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing computer-executable instructions. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate program modules to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0378] Computer-readable storage media include all types of storage media that store instructions that can be deciphered by a computer. Examples include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disks, flash memory, and optical data storage devices.

[0379] Additionally, a computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0380] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in 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 recording medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated on a machine-readable recording medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0381] It will be appreciated that the various embodiments of the present disclosure, as described and described in the claims of the specification, may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0382] Such software may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores one or more computer programs (software modules), and the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method of the present disclosure.

[0383] Such software may be stored in the form of volatile or nonvolatile storage, for example, on a storage device such as read-only memory (ROM), whether erasable or rewritable, or in the form of memory such as random access memory (RAM), memory chips, devices or integrated circuits, or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magnetic disk or magnetic tape. It will be appreciated that the storage devices and storage media are various embodiments of non-transitory machine-readable storage suitable for storing a computer program or computer programs comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments provide a program comprising code for implementing an apparatus or method as claimed in any one of the claims herein, and non-transitory machine-readable storage storing such a program.

[0384] The disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the attached drawings as described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in forms other than the disclosed embodiments without altering the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

1. Tub; A drum provided within the above tub; A drain pump for draining water inside the tub to the outside; and A washing machine comprising a control unit that operates the drain pump at maximum output based on the start of a drain operation, determines a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on the operating RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output, controls the operating RPM of the drain pump to the first target RPM based on the water level of the tub being higher than a critical water level, and controls the operating RPM of the drain pump to the second target RPM based on the water level of the tub reaching the critical water level; 2. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A washing machine that determines the average RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM.

3. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A washing machine that determines the second target RPM based on a predetermined formula that includes the first target RPM as a variable.

4. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, The second target RPM is determined by inputting the first target RPM into a machine learning model. A washing machine, wherein the machine learning model is learned based on data regarding the first target RPM, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump, and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump.

5. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, The dehydration process is started based on the water level of the above tub reaching the critical water level, A washing machine that controls the operating RPM of the drain pump based on the second target RPM and the speed of the drum in the above dehydration cycle.

6. In paragraph 5, The above control unit, A washing machine in which, in the dehydration cycle, the operating RPM of the drain pump is controlled to a third target RPM higher than the second target RPM based on the speed of the drum corresponding to the first speed section, and the operating RPM of the drain pump is controlled to a fourth target RPM higher than the third target RPM based on the speed of the drum corresponding to the second speed section faster than the first speed section.

7. In paragraph 5, The above control unit, A washing machine that determines the target RPM of the drain pump based on a predetermined formula that includes the second target RPM and the speed of the drum as variables in the dehydration cycle.

8. In paragraph 5, The above control unit, The target RPM of the drain pump is determined by inputting the second target RPM and the speed of the drum into the machine learning model. A washing machine, wherein the machine learning model is learned based on data regarding the second target RPM, data regarding the speed of the drum, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump, and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump.

9. In paragraph 5, The above dehydration process is, It includes a pre-spin cycle that increases the rotation speed of the drum to a first maximum rotation speed and then stops the drum, a main spin cycle that increases the rotation speed of the drum to a second maximum rotation speed greater than the first maximum rotation speed and then stops the drum, and a weight sensing cycle that is performed after the pre-spin cycle and before the main spin cycle. The above control unit, A washing machine that stops the operation of the drain pump in a section where the drum is decelerated to stop the drum and in a section where the weight sensing operation is performed.

10. In paragraph 1, The above drainage operation is the first drainage operation, The above control unit, A washing machine that determines an average value of first target RPM values ​​determined in at least one drainage operation performed prior to the first drainage operation, and notifies a user of a failure of the drainage pump or a change in the installation environment of the washing machine when a difference between the first target RPM determined in the first drainage operation and the average value is greater than a predetermined value.

11. Operate the drainage pump at maximum output based on the start of the drainage cycle; Determine a first target RPM and a second target RPM different from the first target RPM based on the operating RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output; Controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump to the first target RPM based on the water level of the tub being higher than the critical water level; A control method for a washing machine, comprising: controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump to the second target RPM based on the water level of the tub reaching the critical water level.

12. In paragraph 11, Determining the above first target RPM is: A control method for a washing machine, comprising: determining an average RPM of the drain pump operating at the maximum output for a predetermined period of time as the first target RPM.

13. In paragraph 11, Determining the above second target RPM is: A control method for a washing machine, comprising: determining the second target RPM based on a predetermined formula including the first target RPM as a variable.

14. In paragraph 11, Determining the above second target RPM is: determining the second target RPM by inputting the first target RPM into a machine learning model; A washing machine control method, wherein the machine learning model is learned based on data regarding the first target RPM, data regarding the size of noise generated from the drain pump, and data regarding the amount of water remaining in the drain pump.

15. In paragraph 11, The dehydration process is started based on the water level of the above tub reaching the critical water level; A control method for a washing machine, further comprising: controlling the operating RPM of the drain pump based on the second target RPM and the speed of the drum in the dehydration cycle.

Images