Electronic device and control method therefor

Abstract

This electronic device comprises a communication interface, a memory for storing instructions, and at least one processor, wherein, when collectively or individually executed by the at least one processor, the instructions can instruct the electronic device to: identify at least one from among a plurality of pieces of data, which is received from a dryer and include a drying operation time of the dryer, an outlet temperature of a compressor included in the dryer, information about the weight of objects to be dried, or information about the internal temperature of a drum; and obtain information about an error state of the dryer on the basis of the identified information.

Description

Electronic device and method of controlling the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an invention concerning an electronic device and a method for controlling the same, and includes, for example, an electronic device and a method for controlling the same for acquiring information about a dryer and identifying information about the state of the dryer.

[0002] The dryer can predict the drying time based on the measured weight of the material to be dried and perform drying.

[0003] However, there was a problem in that it was difficult to identify issues arising during the drying process of the dryer.

[0004] Therefore, the need arose for a method to receive information about the dryer from a server device, predict dryer problems based on this information, and provide guidance to the user.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device comprises: a communication interface including communication circuitry; a memory for storing instructions; and at least one processor including processing circuitry; wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor enables the electronic device to identify at least one of a drying time of the dryer, an outlet temperature of a compressor included in the dryer, information on the weight of the dried material, and / or information on the internal temperature of the drum among a plurality of data received from the dryer, and to obtain information on the error state of the dryer based on the identified information.

[0006] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor identifies that there is a problem with the humidity sensor included in the dryer when the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time.

[0007] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor causes the electronic device to identify that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor included in the dryer if the drying operation time of the dryer is longer than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum is greater than or equal to a specified temperature.

[0008] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor enables the electronic device to identify that the amount of dried material is less than a specified weight when the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum contained in the dryer is less than a specified temperature.

[0009] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor may include information that the electronic device must be filled with an amount of the builder greater than a specified weight.

[0010] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor identifies that the electronic device is blocked if the actual drying time of the dryer / the predicted drying time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value and the temperature of the compressor included in the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified temperature.

[0011] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor identifies that there is an abnormality in the sensor included in the dryer if the electronic device is greater than or equal to the actual drying time of the dryer / the predicted drying time of the dryer and the result of the weight value obtained by the sensor included in the dryer - the actual weight value is greater than or equal to the specified value.

[0012] The at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and the at least one processor causes the electronic device to transmit information about the error status of the dryer to an external device.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an electronic device comprises: a step of identifying at least one of a drying time of a dryer, an outlet temperature of a compressor included in the dryer, information on the weight of a dried object, or information on the internal temperature of a drum among a plurality of data received from a dryer; and a step of obtaining information on an error state of the dryer based on the identified information.

[0014] It may include a step of identifying that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor included in the dryer if the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time.

[0015] The method may include a step of identifying that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor included in the dryer if the drying operation time of the dryer is longer than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum is higher than a specified temperature.

[0016] The method may include a step of identifying that the amount of dried material is less than a specified weight when the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum included in the dryer is less than a specified temperature.

[0017] It may include a step of including information that the amount of the above-mentioned drying material must be filled with more than a specified weight.

[0018] The method may include a step of identifying that the flow path included in the dryer is blocked when the actual drying time of the dryer / the predicted drying time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value and the temperature of the compressor included in the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified temperature.

[0019] The method may include a step of identifying that there is an abnormality in the sensor included in the dryer if the actual drying operation time of the dryer / the predicted drying operation time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value, and the result of the weight value obtained by the sensor included in the dryer - the actual weight value is greater than or equal to a specified value.

[0020] It may include a step of transmitting information about the error status of the above dryer to an external device.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a non-transient computer-readable recording medium comprising a program for executing a method of controlling an electronic device, the method of controlling the electronic device may further include: a step of identifying at least one of a drying operation time of the dryer, an outlet temperature of a compressor included in the dryer, information regarding the weight of the dried material, or information regarding the internal temperature of the drum among a plurality of data received from the dryer; and a step of obtaining information regarding an error state of the dryer based on the identified information.

[0022] The aspects, features, and advantages of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, other than those described above, will become more apparent from the detailed description that follows, together with the accompanying drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an embodiment of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0024] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0025] FIGS. 3 to 5 are drawings illustrating a calculation process for obtaining information regarding the error state of a dryer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0026] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a dryer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0027] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] The embodiments described herein are subject to various modifications and may have various embodiments, and such embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this disclosure. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives. In relation to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0029] In describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations could unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure, such detailed description may be omitted.

[0030] The terms used in this disclosure are for describing various embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of rights. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] In the present disclosure, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” indicate the presence of such features (e.g., numerical values, functions, actions, or components such as parts) and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0032] In the present disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or / and B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” may include all possible combinations of items listed together. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” may refer to cases including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) both at least one A and at least one B.

[0033] Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in this disclosure may modify various components regardless of order and / or importance, and are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit said components.

[0034] Where it is stated that a certain component (e.g., a first component) is "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to" or "connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the said certain component may be directly connected to the said other component or connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

[0035] When it is stated that a certain component (e.g., a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another component (e.g., a second component), it may be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between said certain component and said other component.

[0036] As used in this disclosure, the expression “configured to” may be replaced, depending on the context, with, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of.” The term “configured to” may not necessarily mean only “specifically designed to” in hardware.

[0037] In some situations, the expression “device configured to do something” may mean that the device is “capable of doing something” in conjunction with other devices or components. For example, the phrase “processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C” may mean a dedicated processor for performing the said operations (e.g., an embedded processor), or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) capable of performing said operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0038] In various embodiments, a 'module' or 'part' performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, a plurality of 'modules' or a plurality of 'parts' may be integrated into at least one module and implemented by at least one processor, except for a 'module' or 'part' that needs to be implemented in specific hardware.

[0039] The various elements and areas in the drawings are depicted schematically. Accordingly, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by the relative sizes or spacing depicted in the attached drawings.

[0040] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail using the attached drawings.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system for obtaining information about the error state of a dryer using information about the operation of a dryer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the system (10) may include an electronic device (100) and a dryer (200). The electronic device (100) may be implemented as a server as illustrated in FIG. 1, but this is merely an example and may be implemented as various electronic devices such as a tablet or a laptop.

[0043] For convenience of explanation, the dryer (200) is described below based on a dryer that performs a drying operation, but this is only one embodiment and the dryer (200) can be implemented as a washing machine that also performs a drying function.

[0044] The electronic device (100) may store an artificial intelligence model trained to obtain information about the operation or state of the dryer and output an error state of the dryer. However, this is merely one embodiment, and the electronic device (100) may also transmit the artificial intelligence model to the dryer (200).

[0045] The electronic device (100) can obtain information about the dryer (200). The obtained information about the dryer (200) may be information about the door state (e.g., closed state or open state), filter state (information about the degree to which the filter is clogged), set drying mode (standard mode or strong mode), or user input data (information about temperature or time settings) obtained by the sensor (250) included in the dryer (200).

[0046] However, this is only one embodiment, and the electronic device (100) may also obtain information regarding the number of times the dryer (200) has been used, information regarding the cumulative usage time, or information regarding power consumption (current energy usage or consumption pattern of the dryer (200)).

[0047] The electronic device (100) can identify information regarding at least one of the drying operation time of the dryer (200), the outlet temperature of the compressor included in the dryer (200), information regarding the weight of the dried material, or information regarding the internal temperature of the drum among the acquired information.

[0048] The electronic device (100) can identify the error state of the dryer (200) using specified conditions and identified information.

[0049] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify whether there is a problem with the humidity sensor of the dryer (200), whether there is a shortage of refrigerant, whether the amount of drying material is extremely small, whether the flow path is blocked, and whether adjustment is required for the weight sensing sensor.

[0050] The electronic device (100) may store information about the error status of the dryer (200) and then transmit it to an external device.

[0051] Through the above-described operation, it is possible to identify which operation of the dryer (200) the error of the dryer (200) occurred in or which component of the dryer (200) the error occurred in.

[0052] The electronic device (100) can transmit error occurrence information to the dryer (200). The dryer (200) may also display a guide UI containing text that guides the user to take appropriate action through a display included in the dryer.

[0053] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify that the amount of drying material contained in the dryer is extremely small. The electronic device (100) can transmit information that the amount of drying material is extremely small to the dryer (200). The dryer (200) can display a guide UI on the display that includes text such as "The amount of drying material is extremely small. Please add more drying material."

[0054] This is merely one embodiment, and the electronic device (100) can transmit error occurrence information to an external user terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone or tablet PC). The external user terminal device can output error occurrence information and information guiding the user to take appropriate action on a display.

[0055] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an electronic device (100) according to various embodiments.

[0056] The configuration illustrated in FIG. 2 is merely a simple example, and some components may be omitted and new components may be added. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the electronic device (100) may include a communication interface (110) (e.g., the communication interface (110) may include a communication circuit), a memory (120), and a processor (130) (e.g., the processor (130) may include a processing circuit). The configuration illustrated in FIG. 2 is merely a simple example, and it goes without saying that some components may be deleted or added depending on the configuration of the electronic device (100).

[0057] The communication interface (110) may include various communication circuits. The communication interface (110) is configured to communicate with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. In particular, the communication interface (110) can receive information about the dryer (200). When input data requesting information about the error status of the dryer (200) is received from an external device, the information about the error status may be transmitted using the communication interface (110).

[0058] A wireless communication module may be a module that communicates wirelessly with an external device. For example, the wireless communication module may include at least one module among a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared communication module, an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) module, or other communication modules.

[0059] A wired communication module may be a module that communicates with an external device via a wire. For example, a wired communication module may include at least one of a Local Area Network (LAN) module, an Ethernet module, a pair cable, a coaxial cable, or a fiber optic cable.

[0060] The memory (120) can store an operating system (OS) for controlling the overall operation of the components of the electronic device (100) and instructions or information related to the components of the electronic device (100). In particular, the memory (120) may store information about the dryer (200) or information about the error status of the dryer (200).

[0061] Memory (120) can be implemented in various forms such as volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (dynamic RAM), SRAM (static RAM), or SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., OTPROM (one time programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable and programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD).

[0062] The processor (130) may include one or more processors comprising various processing circuits. For example, one or more processors may include one or more of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), MIC (Many Integrated Core), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), NPU (Neural Processing Unit), hardware accelerator and / or machine learning accelerator. The processor (130) may control one or any combination of other components of an electronic device and may perform operations or information processing regarding communication. One or more processors may execute one or more programs or instructions stored in memory. For example, one or more processors may perform a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in memory.

[0063] One or more processors may be implemented as a single-core processor comprising one core, or as one or more multicore processors comprising multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicore or heterogeneous multicore). When one or more processors are implemented as multicore processors, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor may include internal processor memory such as cache memory or on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by multiple cores may be included in the multicore processor. Additionally, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor (or some of the multiple cores) may independently read and execute program instructions for implementing a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, or all (or some) of the multiple cores may be linked to read and execute program instructions for implementing a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the processor (130) may include various processing circuits and / or multiple processors. For example, in this disclosure, the term “processor” may include various processing circuits comprising one or more processors, wherein one or more processors may be configured to perform various functions described in this disclosure individually and / or collectively. When it is stated in this specification that a “processor,” “at least one processor,” and “one or more processors” are configured to perform a plurality of functions, such descriptions are not limited and include, for example, situations where one processor performs some of the described functions and other processor(s) perform other parts of the described functions, and situations where a single processor can perform all of the described functions. Additionally, at least one processor may include a combination of processors that perform the various disclosed functions (e.g., in a distributed manner).At least one processor can execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.

[0064] For example, the processor (130) may identify at least one of the drying operation time of the dryer (200), the outlet temperature of the compressor included in the dryer (200), information on the weight of the dried material, or information on the internal temperature of the drum (240) among the plurality of data received from the dryer (200), and obtain information on the error state of the dryer (200) based on the identified information. Additionally, the processor (130) may identify that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor (250) included in the dryer if the drying operation time of the dryer (200) is less than a preset time.

[0065] The processor (130) can identify that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor (250) included in the dryer (200) if the drying operation time of the dryer (200) is longer than a preset time and after the drying operation of the dryer (200) is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) is higher than a preset temperature.

[0066] The processor (130) can identify that the amount of dried material is less than a preset weight if the drying operation time of the dryer (200) is less than a preset time and after the drying operation of the dryer (200) is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) included in the dryer (200) is less than a preset temperature.

[0067] The processor (130) can obtain information that the amount of the drying material must be filled to a weight greater than or equal to a preset weight.

[0068] The processor (130) can identify that the flow path included in the dryer (200) is blocked if the predicted drying time of the dryer (200) / the actual drying time of the dryer (200) is greater than or equal to a preset value and the temperature of the compressor included in the dryer is greater than or equal to a preset temperature. The processor (130) can identify that there is an abnormality in the sensor (250) included in the dryer (200) if the predicted drying time of the dryer (200) / the actual drying time of the dryer (200) is greater than or equal to a preset value and the result of the weight value minus the actual weight value obtained by the sensor (250) included in the dryer is greater than or equal to a preset value. The processor (130) can transmit information regarding the error status of the dryer to an external device.

[0069] Each of the above-described operations will be described in more detail later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0070] FIG. 3 is a table illustrating a method for identifying whether there is an abnormality in the sensor (250) of an electronic device (100) or whether the amount of dried material is extremely small, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0071] The electronic device (100) can identify that there is a problem with the humidity sensor (250) included in the dryer (200) if the drying operation time of the dryer (200) is less than the preset time.

[0072] The electronic device (100) can identify that there is a problem with the humidity sensor (250) included in the dryer if the drying operation time of the dryer (200) is longer than a preset time and after the drying operation of the dryer (200) is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) is higher than a preset temperature.

[0073] For example, the electronic device (100) can be set to have a problem with the humidity sensor (250) if the total drying operation time is less than 500 seconds. The electronic device (100) can be set to have a problem with the humidity sensor (250) if the total drying operation time is 26,000 seconds or more, and after the drying operation is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) is 40 degrees or higher.

[0074] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the electronic device (100) can identify that the drying operation (or drying operation time) of the dryer (200) is 181 seconds. At this time, the preset time for the normal drying operation of the dryer (200) can be 500 seconds. If the drying operation time is 181 seconds, the electronic device (100) can identify that there is a problem with the humidity sensor (250) because it is less than the preset time of 500 seconds.

[0075] As another example, the electronic device (100) can identify that the drying operation of the dryer (200) is 26,000 seconds and that when the drying operation is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) is 45 degrees. The electronic device (100) can identify that there is a problem with the humidity sensor (250) of the dryer (200).

[0076] As described above, the electronic device (100) can identify whether there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor (250) by using the drying operation time and the internal temperature of the drum (240).

[0077] An example of identifying whether the drying of the material is not performed normally because the amount of the material being dried is extremely small will be described later using the drying operation time and the internal temperature of the drum (240).

[0078] For convenience of explanation, the operation of identifying abnormalities in the humidity sensor (250) and the amount of dried material has been described separately, but this is only one embodiment and the abnormality in the humidity sensor (250) and the amount of dried material can be determined simultaneously by using the drying operation time and the temperature inside the drum (240).

[0079] For example, if the drying time of the dryer (200) is less than a preset time and after the drying operation of the dryer (200) is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) included in the dryer (200) is less than a preset temperature, it can be identified that the amount of the dried material is less than a preset weight. At this time, the electronic device (100) can identify that the amount of the dried material must be filled to be greater than or equal to a preset weight.

[0080] When a very small amount of drying material (e.g., a few small clothes) is placed in the dryer (200), the sensor (250) may not come into contact with the drying material, or contact may occur irregularly. The humidity sensor (250) detects moisture by coming into contact with the surface of the drying material, but when only a very small amount of drying material is present, the frequency of contact with the sensor (250) decreases, so humidity may not be properly detected.

[0081] Therefore, when there is a very small amount of drying material, the sensor (250) cannot accurately measure the humidity, so the drying time may not be accurately set. In this case, if the drying time is set long, the drying material may be excessively dried, and if the drying time is set short, the drying material may not be sufficiently dried.

[0082] The electronic device (100) can identify that the amount of dried material is extremely small when the drying time is less than 4033 seconds and the internal temperature of the drum (240) at the end of the drying operation is less than 40 degrees.

[0083] According to Example 1 illustrated in FIG. 3, the total drying operation time is 181 seconds, which is less than the preset 4033 seconds, and when the drying operation is finished, the internal temperature of the drum (240) is 32.1 degrees, so it can be identified that the amount of dried material is extremely small. Therefore, the electronic device (100) can identify that the user needs to add more dried material.

[0084] FIG. 4 is a table illustrating a method for identifying embodiments in which there is insufficient or little refrigerant in a dryer (200) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0085] The electronic device (100) can identify whether there is a shortage of refrigerant by using information regarding the temperature difference at the inlet of the evaporator (or Eva) included in the dryer (200) and the temperature of the drum (240) after the drying operation is finished.

[0086] The electronic device (100) can obtain the temperature of the evaporator inlet before the drying operation starts and the temperature of the evaporator inlet after the drying operation is completed in order to identify whether the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, and obtain the difference value of the evaporator inlet temperature.

[0087] For example, if the amount of refrigerant contained in the dryer (200) is insufficient, the temperature difference value at the inlet of the evaporator may be small. For example, if the amount of refrigerant in the dryer (200) is insufficient, heat exchange in the evaporator does not occur, and the amount of heat absorbed at the inlet and outlet of the evaporator is reduced, so the temperature difference value of the evaporator may be small.

[0088] For example, the electronic device (100) can be set to identify that there is no refrigerant if the temperature difference at the inlet of the evaporator included in the dryer (200) (e.g., the difference between the temperature at the inlet of the evaporator before the drying operation starts and the temperature at the inlet of the evaporator after the drying operation is completed) is less than 2 degrees and the internal temperature of the drum (240) after the drying operation ends is less than 50 degrees.

[0089] The electronic device (100) can be set to identify that there is a shortage of refrigerant when the temperature of the evaporator included in the dryer (200) is 26 degrees or higher and the internal temperature of the drum (240) after the drying operation is finished is less than 30 degrees.

[0090] In Example 3 of FIG. 4, the difference in the inlet temperature of the evaporator included in the dryer (200) is 1, and the internal temperature of the drum (240) after the drying operation is finished may be 34.8. Since the difference in the inlet temperature of the evaporator included in the dryer (200) is less than 2 and the internal temperature of the drum (240) after the drying operation is finished is lower than 50 degrees, it can be identified that there is no refrigerant.

[0091] When the electronic device (100) identifies that there is no refrigerant, it can transmit information that there is no refrigerant to an external user terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone) or transmit information guiding the user to perform after-sales service because there is no refrigerant. Additionally, the user can input a request to receive after-sales service on the user terminal device (200) because there is no refrigerant.

[0092] However, this is only one example, and it goes without saying that the electronic device (100) can allow the service request to be made immediately without separately transmitting information guiding the service request to an external user terminal device.

[0093] When the dryer (200) is in a normal state, the difference in the inlet temperature of the evaporator included in the dryer (200) is 6.4 degrees, which is greater than 2 degrees, and an example is also possible where the internal temperature of the drum (240) after the drying operation is finished is 53.4 degrees. The electronic device (100) can identify that the amount of refrigerant in the dryer (200) is normal.

[0094] FIG. 5 is a table illustrating an operation to identify whether the flow path of a dryer (200) is blocked or whether weight detection correction is required, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0095] The electronic device (100) can identify that the flow path is blocked when protection control of the compressor (230) occurs and the value of the total drying operation time / initial prediction time is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0096] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify that the flow path included in the dryer is blocked if the value of (predicted drying time of the dryer (200) / actual drying time of the dryer (200)) is greater than or equal to a preset value and the temperature of the compressor (230) included in the dryer (200) is greater than or equal to a preset temperature.

[0097] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the electronic device (100) can identify the value of (predicted drying operation of the dryer (or, drying operation time) / (initial predicted time)) when protection control of the compressor (230) occurs. The electronic device (100) can identify that the flow path is blocked if the identified value is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0098] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify that the compressor (230) overheats because the airflow is restricted when the airflow path (air circulation passage) of the dryer (200) is blocked, and thus can identify whether protection control of the compressor (230) has occurred.

[0099] For example, as in Example 3, if it is identified that protection control of the compressor (230) has occurred, the electronic device (100) can obtain the value of (predicted drying operation of the dryer (or, drying operation time) / initial predicted time).

[0100] The electronic device (100) can be set to identify that the flow path is blocked if the value of (predicted drying operation of the dryer (or, drying operation time) / initial predicted time) is 1.5 or higher.

[0101] The electronic device (100) can identify that protection control of the compressor has occurred and that the value of (predicted drying operation of the dryer (or, drying operation time) / initial predicted time) is 1.54. The electronic device (100) can identify that the flow path is blocked.

[0102] Previously, an operation to identify whether the flow path of the dryer (200) is blocked was described in detail. Below, an operation to identify whether weight detection correction of the dryer (200) is required will be described.

[0103] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify that there is an abnormality in the weight detection sensor (250) included in the dryer (200) if the predicted drying time of the dryer / the actual drying time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a preset value, and the result of the weight value obtained by the sensor included in the dryer - the actual weight value is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0104] The electronic device (100) can identify that the weight detection sensor (250) of the dryer (200) is not operating normally if the difference between the weight obtained from the dryer (200) (e.g., weight detected by the sensor (250)) and the actual weight is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0105] As illustrated in Example 3, when the value of the weight (WeightSenseRawData) obtained from the dryer (200) is 1589 and the actual weight value is 383, the difference between the two values ​​is 1206.

[0106] The electronic device (100) can identify that when a preset value is set to 1000, the acquired value is 1206, which is greater than 1000, so it is necessary to use the weight detection correction function or that there is a problem with the weight detection sensor (250).

[0107] If the weight sensing sensor (250) malfunctions and the dryer (200) detects that the weight is heavier than the actual amount of the item to be dried, the drying time may be set longer, which may result in wasted energy.

[0108] If the weight sensing sensor (250) malfunctions and the dryer (200) detects that the drying material is lighter than the actual amount of material to be dried, the drying operation may be completed with the material remaining wet and not dried.

[0109] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a dryer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The configuration shown in FIG. 6 is an example, some configurations may be omitted, and new configurations may be added.

[0110] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the dryer (200) may include a communication interface (210) (e.g., the communication interface (210) may include a communication circuit), a memory (220), a compressor (230), a drum (240), a sensor (250), and a processor (260) (e.g., the processor (260) may include a processing circuit).

[0111] The configuration shown in FIG. 6 is a simple example, and it goes without saying that some configurations may be deleted or added depending on the configuration of the dryer (200).

[0112] Specific examples of the communication interface (210), memory (220), and processor (260) in the configuration of the dryer (200) that overlap with FIG. 2 may not be described repeatedly here.

[0113] The communication interface (210) may include various communication circuits. The communication interface (210) can transmit information about the dryer (200) to the electronic device (100). At this time, since the information about the dryer (200) has been described above, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0114] The compressor (230) can remove moisture from the air. When air is sucked into the dryer (200), the compressor (230) can remove moisture from the drying material by utilizing the increase in the temperature and pressure of the air.

[0115] For example, the compressor (230) can identify that the flow path contained in the dryer (200) is blocked if the temperature of the compressor (230) is above a preset temperature.

[0116] The drum (240) may refer to a drying container that accommodates a drying object. The drum (240) may be rotated by a driving force generated by a driving motor (not shown). The drum (240) may be positioned inside a tub (not shown) such that a drum opening provided on one side corresponds to a drying object inlet and a tub opening. The drying object may pass through the drying object inlet, the tub opening, and the drum opening in sequence to be accommodated inside the drum (240) or withdrawn from the drum (240).

[0117] The drum (240) can rotate inside the tub and perform each operation according to washing, rinsing, and / or spin-drying cycles. A plurality of through holes are formed in the cylindrical wall of the drum (240) so that water stored in the tub (not shown) can flow into the interior of the drum (240) or flow out of the drum (240).

[0118] The sensor (250) may be for detecting the weight of a dried object contained in a drum. For example, the sensor (250) may be a weight sensor. The sensor (250) may be attached to the drum (240) to measure the weight of the dried object present in the drum (240). However, the method of measuring the weight of the dried object is not limited to using a weight sensor and may also use a Hall sensor.

[0119] If the sensor (250) is a Hall sensor, the washer dryer (100) can operate the drive motor (161) to rotate the drum. The processor (260) can detect changes in current or voltage that occur when the motor rotates and estimate the weight loaded on the drum.

[0120] For example, the heavier the weight of the dried material contained in the drum, the greater the magnitude of the current or voltage applied to the drive motor. The processor (260) can identify the difference in current or voltage applied to the drive motor as the drum rotates, and identify the weight corresponding to the difference in current or voltage as the weight of the dried material present in the drum (240).

[0121] The sensor (250) can measure the weight of the dried material present in the drum (240) multiple times while the dryer (200) performs a drying process under the control of the processor (260). For example, the processor (260) can measure the weight of the dried material before starting the drying process, before dehydration, and during dehydration.

[0122] The processor (260) may include various processing circuits (see description of the processor (130) above). The processor (260) may control the communication interface (210) to transmit information about the dryer (200). According to the embodiment described above, the processor (260) has been described as transmitting information about the dryer (200), but this is merely an example, and it is obvious that it can receive information about an error state using the communication interface (210).

[0123] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0124] The electronic device (100) can identify at least one of the drying time of the dryer, the outlet temperature of the compressor included in the dryer, information on the weight of the dried material, or information on the internal temperature of the drum among the plurality of data received from the dryer (S710).

[0125] For example, the electronic device (100) can obtain information from the dryer not only the information described above, but also the internal humidity, current operation, rotation direction (e.g., rotation in the forward direction or rotation in the reverse direction) or set drying mode (e.g., standard mode or strong mode).

[0126] Afterwards, the electronic device (100) can obtain information about the error status of the dryer based on the identified information (S720).

[0127] The electronic device (100) stores identified information and can obtain information on the state of the user using the dryer based on the identified information (e.g., information on the amount of drying material, information on frequently used operating modes). The electronic device (100) can obtain information on the error state of the dryer based on the above-mentioned information or identified information.

[0128] The electronic device (100) can transmit the acquired information to an external device. Based on the information transmitted to the external device, information regarding the error status of the dryer can be identified.

[0129] Methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user (20) devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0130] A method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software comprising instructions stored on a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a computer). The machine may include a server device or an electronic device according to the disclosed embodiments, which is a device capable of calling instructions stored from the storage medium and operating according to the called instructions.

[0131] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory readable recording medium. Here, 'non-transitory readable recording medium' means a tangible device that does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where information is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, a 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which information is stored temporarily.

[0132] When the above instruction is executed by a processor, the processor may perform the function corresponding to the instruction directly or by using other components under the control of the processor. The instruction may include code generated or executed by a compiler or an interpreter.

[0133] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these various embodiments, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essence of the present disclosure, including the claims and their equivalents, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments described in the present disclosure will be understood as being usable in connection with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In an electronic device, A communication interface including communication circuitry; Memory for storing instructions; and at least one processor including processing circuitry; and The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, Identify at least one of a plurality of data received from a dryer, including the drying operation time of the dryer, the outlet temperature of the compressor included in the dryer, information on the weight of the dried material, or information on the internal temperature of the drum. An electronic device that obtains information regarding the error status of the dryer based on the above-mentioned identified information.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that identifies that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor included in the dryer when the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that identifies a problem with a humidity sensor included in the dryer when the drying operation time of the dryer is longer than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum is higher than a specified temperature.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that identifies that the amount of dried material is less than a specified weight when the drying operation time of the above dryer is less than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the above dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum included in the above dryer is less than a specified temperature.

5. In Paragraph 4, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that includes information that the amount of the above-mentioned drying material must be filled to a weight greater than or equal to a specified weight.

6. In Paragraph 1, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that identifies that a flow path included in the dryer is blocked when the actual drying operation time of the dryer / the predicted drying operation time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value and the temperature of the compressor included in the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified temperature.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that identifies an abnormality in a sensor included in a dryer when the actual drying operation time of the dryer / the predicted drying operation time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value, and the result of the weight value obtained by the sensor included in the dryer - the actual weight value is greater than or equal to a specified value.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions collectively and / or individually, and The above at least one processor is the electronic device, An electronic device that transmits information regarding the error status of the above dryer to an external device.

9. In a method for controlling an electronic device, A step of identifying at least one of a plurality of data received from a dryer, including the drying operation time of the dryer, the outlet temperature of a compressor included in the dryer, information on the weight of the dried material, or information on the internal temperature of the drum; and A control method comprising the step of obtaining information regarding the error state of the dryer based on the identified information.

10. In Paragraph 9, A control method comprising the step of identifying that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor included in the dryer when the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time.

11. In Paragraph 10, A control method comprising the step of identifying that there is an abnormality in the humidity sensor included in the dryer when the drying operation time of the dryer is longer than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum is higher than a specified temperature.

12. In Paragraph 11, A control method comprising the step of identifying that the amount of dried material is less than a specified weight when the drying operation time of the dryer is less than a specified time and, after the drying operation of the dryer is terminated, the internal temperature of the drum included in the dryer is less than a specified temperature.

13. In Paragraph 12, A control method comprising the step of including information that the amount of the above-mentioned drying material must be filled with more than a specified weight.

14. In Paragraph 9, A control method comprising the step of identifying that a flow path included in the dryer is blocked when the actual drying operation time of the dryer / the predicted drying operation time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value and the temperature of the compressor included in the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified temperature.

15. In Paragraph 14, A control method comprising the step of identifying that there is an abnormality in the sensor included in the dryer when the actual drying operation time of the dryer / the predicted drying operation time of the dryer is greater than or equal to a specified value, and the result of the weight value obtained by the sensor included in the dryer - the actual weight value is greater than or equal to a specified value.

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