Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119752-B2
Application number	US-201615352915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a refrigerator and method of controlling the same. A refrigerator includes an interface unit configured to receive a command for supplying at least one of water and ice from a user; a weight sensor configured to measure a weight of a container placed on a container supporter; and a controller configured to control a supply of the at least one of water and ice based on a change in weight of the container based on the measured weight of the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
an interface configured to:
receive a command for supplying at least one of water and ice from a user, and
receive a supply degree related to the at least one of water and ice as a percentage of a determined maximum capacity of a container placed on the refrigerator to receive the at least one of water and ice;

a weight sensor configured to measure a weight of the container while the container is placed on a container supporter; and
a controller configured to:
calculate a supplied amount of the at least one of water and ice based on a change in the measured weight of the container due to the at least one of water and ice being supplied to the container, and
control a supply of the at least one of water and ice based on the calculated supplied amount, the received supply degree, and the determined maximum capacity of the container.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a container sensor configured to determine a height of the container while the container is placed on the container supporter.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising a memory configured to store data related to a volume corresponding to the height of the container, among data of volumes depending on heights of containers, respectively.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to use the data related to the volume stored in the memory to determine the maximum capacity of the container according to the determined height of the container.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , further comprising:
a flow sensor configured to measure a supplied amount of water being supplied,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
when water and ice are supplied together, obtain a weight of supplied ice by subtracting a weight corresponding to the measured supplied amount of the water from the change in the weight of the container, and,
to control the supply of the at least one of water and ice, control the supply of the water and the supply of the ice, respectively, according to the obtained weight of the supplied ice and the measured supplied amount of the water.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to stop the supply of the at least one of water and ice when the calculated supplied amount is equal to the received supply degree or is equal to the maximum capacity.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control ice to be supplied first when water and the ice are supplied together.

8. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the container sensor is further configured to
detect whether the container is placed on the container supporter by using at least one of an optical sensor, a camera, and a micro-switch, and
determine the height of the container placed on the container supporter when the container is detected on the container supporter.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a container sensor configured to determine a height of the container while the container is placed on the container supporter,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate a distance between the container and an outlet based on the determined height of the container, the outlet being configured to discharge the at least one of water and ice, and
when the calculated distance is greater than a predetermined distance, control a movement of the container supporter so that the outlet and the container are spaced apart within the predetermined distance.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
an overflow sensor configured to detect whether the at least one of water and ice overflows from the container,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the supply of at least one of water and ice to stop when the overflow sensor detects that the at least one of water and ice overflows from the container.

11. A method of controlling a refrigerator, the method comprising:
receiving through an interface, a command for supplying at least one of water and ice;
receiving through the interface, a supply degree related to the at least one of water and ice as a percentage of a determined maximum capacity of a container placed on the refrigerator to receive the at least one of water and ice;
measuring, by a weight sensor, a weight of the container while the container is placed on a container supporter;
calculating, by a controller, a supplied amount of the at least one of water and ice based on a change in the measured weight of the container due to the at least one of water and ice being supplied to the container; and
controlling, by the controller, a supply of the at least one of water and ice based on the calculated supplied amount, the received supply degree, and the determined maximum capacity of the container.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling further includes determining a height of the container while the container is placed on the container supporter.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controlling further includes determining the maximum capacity of the container according to the determined height of the container by using data related to a volume corresponding to the determined height of the containers stored in a memory, among data of volumes depending on heights of containers, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
measuring, by a flow sensor, a supplied amount of water being supplied;
wherein the controlling includes:
when water and ice are supplied together, obtaining a weight of supplied ice by subtracting a weight corresponding to the measured supplied amount of the water from the change in the weight of the container, and,

to control the supply of the at least one of water and ice, controlling the supply of the water and the supply of the ice, respectively, according to the obtained weight of the supplied ice and the measured supplied amount of the water.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controlling further includes stopping the supply of the at least one of water and ice when the calculated supplied amount is equal to the received supply degree or is equal to the maximum capacity.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the controlling further includes controlling ice to be supplied first when water and the ice are supplied together.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, by a container sensor, a height of the container while the container is placed on the container supporter,
wherein the controlling further includes:
calculating a distance between the container and an outlet based on the determined height of the container, the outlet being configured to discharge the at least one of water and ice, and
when the calculated distance is greater than a predetermined distance, controlling a movement of the container supporter so that the outlet and the container are spaced apart within the predetermined distance.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
sensing, by an overflow sensor, whether the at least one of water and ice overflows from the container,
wherein the controlling includes controlling the supply to stop when the overflow sensor detects that the at least one of water and ice overflows from the container.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling a movement of the container supporter so that a top of the container and an outlet for supplying the at least one of water and ice are spaced apart a predetermined distance

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeong Jin
• Lee Jae Jin
• Kim Yoon Young
• Son Bong Su

Classifications

• F25D29/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2700/00

  Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• B67D1/0882

  Devices for controlling the dispensing conditions · CPC title