Clothes treating apparatus and method for operating the clothes treating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothes treating apparatuses, such as washing machines and dryers, often output clothes at high temperatures, making it inconvenient for users to immediately wear them, as they must wait for the clothes to cool down, and they lack personalized temperature adjustment based on user conditions.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treating apparatus that utilizes machine learning and IoT connectivity via a 5G network to predict a user's preferred temperature by analyzing weather information, activity state, and biometric data, adjusting the temperature accordingly, and operating at a predicted time for optimal energy savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If clothes are dried using a steam unit with hot air circulation, then drying efficiency is improved, but the clothes become too hot for immediate wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the air temperature adjustable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts the air temperature based on user preferences and environmental conditions, allowing the system to optimize between drying efficiency and comfort. The air temperature can be modified during different operation modes (drying, refreshing, deodorizing) to achieve appropriate final clothes temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the circulating air based on operation mode and user preferences. By adjusting the air temperature parameter dynamically, the system can maintain high drying efficiency while ensuring clothes reach a wearable temperature. The control unit modifies this parameter according to sensor inputs and pre-stored preferences.
2Productivity
If clothes are treated at high temperature for efficient drying, then drying speed is improved, but user comfort deteriorates due to hot clothes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing user preferences for air temperature and operation modes in the control unit. Before the drying cycle begins, the system has already determined the appropriate temperature parameters based on user preferences and environmental conditions. This allows the system to maintain optimal drying speed while ensuring clothes reach a comfortable temperature for immediate wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from temperature sensors and user preference data to continuously adjust the air temperature during the drying process. The control unit monitors the drying progress and modifies the air temperature parameter to balance drying speed with final clothes temperature, ensuring user comfort without sacrificing productivity.
3Ease of operation
If the clothes treating apparatus operates continuously to maintain clothes at preferred temperature, then user comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by operating the air circulation and temperature control systems only when needed, based on the selected operation mode. Rather than continuous operation, the system activates heating, cooling, or air circulation functions periodically according to the drying, refreshing, or deodorizing mode requirements, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-service by automatically adjusting air temperature and circulation based on sensor inputs and pre-stored user preferences, eliminating the need for continuous user intervention or monitoring. The control unit autonomously manages energy consumption by activating functions only when necessary to maintain comfortable clothes temperature.
4Measurement precision
If the apparatus collects and processes multiple types of data (weather, biometric, activity) to predict preferred temperature, then temperature prediction accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using a single control unit to perform multiple functions: collecting data from various sensors, processing weather information, analyzing biometric data, predicting user preferences, and controlling the air treatment system. This multi-functional approach improves temperature prediction accuracy while avoiding the need for separate complex subsystems for each function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus provides clothes at a user's preferred temperature, optimizing comfort and reducing energy consumption by treating clothes at the most convenient time for the user, improving the precision of temperature prediction with repeated algorithm updates.
Implementation Method 1
a circulation flow path, through which air is circulated in the storage space
Implementation Method 2
a temperature adjustor which heats or cools the air
Implementation Method 3
a temperature adjustor which heats or cools the air
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes treating apparatus which controls a temperature of clothes and an operating time by executing an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm and/or a machine learning algorithm in a 5G environment connected for Internet of Things and an operating method of the clothes treating apparatus are provided. The clothes treating apparatus includes a communicator, a controller, a memory, a storage space, a temperature sensor, a temperature adjuster, and a fan. The communicator collects weather information and operation information of at least one connected device. Further, the communicator collects activity information or biometric information of the user from a portable terminal, a wearable device, or a vehicle. A user's preferred clothing temperature is derived by using clustering, deep learning, and reinforcement learning of the collected information, and the temperature of the clothes is adjusted based on the derived target temperature.