Refrigerator Door Press Pattern Detection for Smart Function Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face challenges in maintaining optimal temperature control due to frequent door openings and closures, necessitating a method to sense the door state and maintain temperature accordingly.
Innovation Solution
A home appliance system that includes sensors to detect the separation distance and pressure on the door, identifying press patterns to control smart functions based on these inputs, using reed switches and optical sensors to determine door states and pressure changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the door is kept closed to maintain temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but user accessibility and operation convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical door opening/closing operations with contactless optical sensing and automated control systems. The optical sensor detects door state and press patterns without physical contact, and the processor automatically executes functions based on detected patterns, eliminating the need for manual door operations while maintaining temperature stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerator system performs self-diagnosis and self-execution of functions based on optical sensing data. The processor automatically identifies press patterns, determines appropriate functions, and executes them without user intervention, allowing the system to serve itself while maintaining optimal temperature conditions.
2Device complexity
If simple door state sensing is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and press pattern detection capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor serves multiple functions: detecting door open/closed state, measuring press force intensity, identifying press patterns (single press, double press, long press), and triggering different control functions. This multi-functionality achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects different press patterns by monitoring changes in optical sensing parameters (light reflection intensity, duration, frequency). By analyzing variations in these parameters, the system precisely identifies different user intentions (single press vs. double press vs. long press) using a single sensor type.
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
Enables efficient temperature management by identifying door states and press patterns, enhancing user convenience through accurate detection and control of door operations.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor configured to sense information about the door and produce first information corresponding to the information sensed by the optical sensor
Implementation Method 2
a reed switch configured to sense information about the door and produce information corresponding to the sensed information
Data Source
AI summary
A home appliance may include a body; a door rotatably coupled to the body; a sensor configured to sense information about the door; and a processor configured to: based on the information sensed by the sensor, identify a state of the door, in response to the identified state of the door being a closed state, based on the information sensed by the sensor, obtain changes in a distance between the body and an inner surface of the door, based on the obtained changes in the distance, determine at least one of a first press count or a first press duration, based on the determined at least one first press count or first press duration, determine a first press pattern of the door, and perform control to provide a smart function of the home appliance corresponding to the determined first press pattern.