Control device of liquid dispenser, liquid dispenser, and control system of liquid dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11111158-B2
Application number	US-201916720322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

Provided are a control device of a water purifier, a water purifier, and a control system of a water purifier. The control device of a water purifier includes a communication module transmitting operation information regarding an operation of the water purifier to a central server and receiving control information regarding control of the water purifier from the central server, and a control module generating the operation information and transmitting the generated operation information to the central server through the communication module and controlling an operation of the water purifier on the basis of the control information received from the central server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a liquid dispenser including;
an ejector unit; and
a flow channel unit having;
a liquid ejection valve to selectively allow flow of liquid to the ejector unit without temperature modification;
a cooling unit in series with a cooled liquid ejection valve to selectively allow flow of cooled liquid to the ejector unit; and
a heating unit in series with a flow rate adjusting valve to selectively allow flow of heated liquid to the ejector unit; and

a control device including:
a transceiver to:
transmit operation information regarding an operation of the liquid dispenser to a server provided separately from the control device, and
receive control information regarding control of the liquid dispenser from the server; and

a controller configured to:
generate the operation information,
transmit the generated operation information to the server through the transceiver, and
control an operation of the liquid dispenser based on the control information received from the server,

wherein the controller controls the liquid ejection valve, the cooled liquid ejection valve, the flow rate adjusting valve, the cooling unit, and the heating unit based on the control information to adjust a flow rate and a temperature of the ejected liquid from the ejector unit,
wherein the operation information includes:
history information regarding usage history of the liquid dispenser, operating information of the flow channel unit, and ejection information of the liquid ejected from the liquid dispenser, wherein the operating information relates to operation status of the liquid ejection valve, the cooled liquid ejection valve, the flow rate adjusting valve, the cooling unit and the heating unit,
wherein at least one of the history information or the ejection information includes information indicating respective aggregate amounts of ejected liquid by times within a prescribed period of at least one day, and
wherein the ejected liquid includes at least one of a flow of liquid without temperature modification, a flow of cooled liquid, or a flow of heated liquid.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operation information further includes:
state information of the liquid dispenser.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver and the server exchange data through Wi-Fi® communications.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is a home network server that remotely controls a plurality of home appliances that includes the liquid dispenser.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server generates the control information based on one or more of weather information received from outside the liquid dispenser, previously stored data information, or the operation information received from the transceiver, and transmits the generated control information to the transceiver.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control information is information regarding control of one or more of:
an operation mode of the liquid dispenser,
an operation of the ejector unit included in the liquid dispenser, or
an operation of the flow channel unit included in the liquid dispenser,
wherein the operation mode relates to adjusting at least one of a flow rate of the liquid dispenser, a cooling the liquid, a heating the liquid, or an opening and closing of one or more of the liquid ejection valve, the cooled liquid ejection valve, or the flow rate adjusting valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls an operation of the liquid dispenser and generates the operation information based on a result of controlling the operation of the liquid dispenser.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller sets an operation condition of the liquid dispenser based on the control information, and controls an operation of the liquid dispenser according to the set operation condition.

9. A liquid dispenser comprising:
an inlet through which liquid is introduced into the liquid dispenser;
an ejector to output liquid out of the liquid dispenser;
a flow channel unit in a flow channel extending between the inlet and the ejector, the flow channel unit including:
a liquid ejection valve to selectively allow flow of liquid to the ejector without temperature modification,
a cooling unit in series with a cooled liquid ejection valve to selectively allow flow of cooled liquid to the ejector, and
a heating unit in series with a flow rate adjusting valve to selectively allow flow of heated liquid to the ejector; and
a controller configured to control an operation of the liquid dispenser by operating the inlet, the ejector, the liquid ejection valve, the cooled liquid ejection valve, the flow rate adjusting valve, the cooling unit, and the heating unit based on the control information to adjust a flow rate and a temperature of the ejected liquid outputted by the ejector,
wherein the controller is connected to a transceiver to transmit operation information regarding an operation of the liquid dispenser to a server provided separately from the controller and to receive control information regarding control of the liquid dispenser from the server; and
wherein the controller generates the operation information, transmits the generated operation information to the server through the transceiver, and controls the liquid dispenser based on the control information received from the server through the transceiver,
wherein the operation information includes:
history information regarding a usage history of the liquid dispenser,
operating information of the flow channel unit, and
ejection information of liquid ejected from the liquid dispenser,

wherein at least one of the history information or the ejection information includes information indicating respective aggregate amounts of ejected liquid by times within a prescribed period of at least one day, and
wherein the ejected liquid includes at least one of a flow of liquid without temperature modification, a flow of cooled liquid, or a flow of heated liquid.

10. The liquid dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the controller sets an operation condition of the liquid dispenser based on the control information, and controls one or more of the inlet, the ejector, the liquid ejection valve, the cooled liquid ejection valve, the flow rate adjusting valve, the cooling unit, or the heating unit according to the set operation condition.

11. A control system of a liquid dispenser, the control system comprising:
a liquid dispenser to generate operation information regarding an operation of the liquid dispenser; and
a server to receive the operation information from the liquid dispenser, generate control information regarding control of the liquid dispenser based on the operation information, and transmit the control information to the liquid dispenser,
wherein the liquid dispenser includes:
an ejector unit;
a flow channel unit having:
a liquid ejection valve to selectively allow flow of liquid to the ejector unit without temperature modification;
a cooling unit in series with a cooled liquid ejection valve to selectively allow flow of cooled liquid to the ejector unit, and
a heating unit in series with a flow rate adjusting valve to selectively allow flow of heated liquid to the ejector unit; and
a controller configured to generate operation information regarding the operation of the liquid dispenser,

wherein the liquid ejection valve, the cooled liquid ejection valve, the flow rate adjusting valve, the cooling unit, and the heating unit of the flow channel based on the control information received from the server to adjust a flow rate and a temperature of the ejected liquid from the ejector unit,
wherein the oper

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jongho
• Yu Kiwon

Classifications

• C02F2209/006

  comprising a software program or a logic diagram · CPC title

• B67D7/08

  Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred (arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00) · CPC title

• B67D7/80

  Arrangements of heating or cooling devices for liquids to be transferred · CPC title

• B01D37/04

  Controlling the filtration · CPC title

• C02F1/003

  using household-type filters for producing potable water, e.g. pitchers, bottles, faucet mounted devices (C02F9/20 takes precedence) · CPC title