Laundry machine and control method therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines struggle to accurately analyze the properties of laundry, leading to inconsistent water supply and mechanical force application, which can result in inadequate washing or damage to clothing, due to reliance on indirect methods such as water level sensors and motor rpm analysis.
Innovation Solution
A method using a camera to directly analyze laundry properties by capturing images of the drum and calculating the volume and density of the laundry, allowing for precise adjustment of water supply and washing parameters like rotation speed and time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If indirect methods (water level sensors, motor rpm analysis) are used to analyze laundry properties, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces indirect mechanical/electrical measurement methods (water level sensors, motor rpm analysis) with direct optical imaging using a camera. The camera captures images of the laundry in the drum, and image processing algorithms directly measure laundry volume, weight, and distribution, providing accurate measurements without complex mechanical sensing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy (image) of the laundry in the drum and analyzes this copy to determine laundry properties. By capturing images and processing them computationally, the system obtains precise measurements of laundry volume, weight, and distribution without physically interacting with the laundry, thus maintaining measurement precision while simplifying the device.
2Measurement precision
If additional time is allocated to analyze laundry properties using indirect methods, then the measurement precision improves, but the productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming indirect measurement processes with rapid optical imaging and computational analysis. The camera can capture images quickly, and modern image processing algorithms can analyze laundry properties in real-time or near real-time, providing accurate measurements without extending the washing cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs laundry property analysis during the washing process itself rather than requiring separate measurement steps. By continuously or periodically capturing images during the wash cycle and analyzing them, the system obtains accurate laundry property data without adding preliminary time before the washing starts.
3Device complexity
If indirect analysis methods are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to noise and absorption variability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces unreliable indirect sensing methods with direct optical imaging that is not affected by laundry's moisture absorption characteristics or electrical noise. The camera captures visual information directly about the laundry's physical state, providing reliable measurements that are consistent regardless of the laundry material's absorption properties.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating an optical copy of the laundry through imaging, the system obtains reliable visual evidence of laundry properties that can be analyzed computationally. This optical copying method provides consistent, noise-free data about laundry volume, weight, and distribution that is not influenced by the variability in different laundry materials' absorption characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a laundry machine, comprising a cloth sensing step of sensing the cloth of laundry, wherein the cloth sensing step comprises: a weight sensing step of sensing the weight of the laundry; a photographing step of photographing the inside of a drum; a volume sensing step of sensing the volume of the laundry inside the drum by mean of the captured image; and a density calculation step of calculating the density of the laundry on the basis of the sensed volume and weight.