Water discharge device and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11136232-B2
Application number	US-202017006319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

A water discharge device includes a case, a microphone, a voice recognition module, a speaker, a first elevation cover connected to the case, a second elevation cover configured to move upward and insert into an inside of the first elevation cover, an elevation motor connected to the second elevation cover, a water discharge nozzle disposed at a lower end of the second elevation cover, a water discharge valve configured to regulate water flow toward the water discharge nozzle, a flow sensor configured to sense a flow rate of the water flow, a sensor disposed at the second elevation cover and configured to, based on the second elevation cover moving downward, sense whether the sensor contacts a container disposed below the second elevation cover, and a controller configured to control operation of the elevation motor and the water discharge valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water discharge device comprising:
a case comprising a front cover, the front cover defining a front surface of the case;
a microphone configured to receive a sound input from a user;
a voice recognition module configured to recognize voice information from the sound input;
a speaker configured to output a guide sound to the user;
a first elevation cover connected to the case;
a second elevation cover configured to move upward relative to a bottom of the case and insert into an inside of the first elevation cover;
an elevation motor connected to the second elevation cover and configured to provide power for operation of the second elevation cover;
a water discharge nozzle disposed at a lower end of the second elevation cover and configured to dispense water;
a water discharge valve configured to regulate a flow of water guided toward the water discharge nozzle;
a flow sensor configured to sense a flow rate of the flow of water guided toward the water discharge nozzle;
a sensor that is disposed at the second elevation cover and has at least a portion exposed to a lower side of the second elevation cover, the sensor being configured to, based on the second elevation cover moving downward toward the bottom of the case, sense whether the sensor contacts a container disposed below the second elevation cover; and
a controller configured to control operation of the elevation motor and the water discharge valve.

2. The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to stop operation of the elevation motor based on the sensor contacting the container while the second elevation cover moving downward toward the bottom of the case.

3. The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
based on the sensor contacting the container while the second elevation cover moving downward toward the bottom of the case, control the elevation motor to move the second elevation cover upward to a set height; and
control the elevation motor to stop operation of the second elevation cover based on the second elevation cover being moved upward to the set height.

4. The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the case further comprises a top cover that defines a top surface of the case, and
wherein the voice recognition module, the speaker, and the microphone are disposed vertically below the top cover.

5. The water discharge device according to claim 4 , wherein the voice recognition module is disposed adjacent to the front cover,
wherein the microphone is disposed rearward relative to the voice recognition module, and
wherein the speaker is disposed between the voice recognition module and the microphone.

6. The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the elevation motor to move the second elevation cover between a preset top dead point and a preset bottom dead point.

7. The water discharge device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to output the guide sound through the speaker based on a determination that the sensor does not contact the container in a state in which the second elevation cover is at the preset bottom dead point.

8. The water discharge device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to decrease a rotation rate of the elevation motor based on the second elevation cover approaching the preset top dead point or the preset bottom dead point.

9. The water discharge device according to claim 1 , wherein the voice recognition module is configured to communicate with an external server, and to terminate communication with the external server based on communicating with the external server for a set time.

10. The water discharge device according to claim 9 , wherein the voice recognition module is configured to:
determine a desired water discharge amount from the voice information; and
based on the desired water discharge amount being less than a reference amount corresponding to the container, maintain the communication with the external server.

11. The water discharge device according to claim 9 , wherein the voice recognition module is configured to:
determine a desired water discharge amount from the voice information; and
based on the desired water discharge amount being greater than or equal to a reference amount corresponding to the container, terminate the communication with the external server after communicating with the external server for the set time.

12. A method for controlling a water discharge device including a case, a microphone configured to receive a sound input from a user, a voice recognition module configured to recognize voice information from the sound input, a speaker configured to output a guide sound to the user, a first elevation cover connected to the case, a second elevation cover configured to move upward relative to a bottom of the case and insert into an inside of the first elevation cover, an elevation motor connected to the second elevation cover and configured to provide power for operation of the second elevation cover, a water discharge nozzle disposed at a lower end of the second elevation cover and configured to dispense water, a water discharge valve configured to regulate a flow of water guided toward the water discharge nozzle, a flow sensor configured to sense a flow rate of the flow of water guided toward the water discharge nozzle, a sensor that is disposed at the second elevation cover, that has at least a portion exposed to a lower side of the second elevation cover, and that is configured to, based on the second elevation cover moving downward toward the bottom of the case, sense whether the sensor contacts a container disposed below the second elevation cover, the method comprising:
receiving the sound input from the user through the microphone;
recognizing the voice information from the sound input;
recognizing an input wakeup word from the voice information, and outputting a wakeup word recognition guide sound through the speaker;
recognizing a desired water discharge amount from the voice information, and outputting a desired water discharge condition recognition guide sound through the speaker;
moving the second elevation cover downward toward the bottom of the case by operating the elevation motor;
detecting whether the sensor contacts an upper end of the container;
stopping operation of the elevation motor to stop a downward movement of the second elevation cover;
opening the water discharge valve to discharge water; and
closing the water discharge valve to terminate discharge of water based on an amount of discharged water corresponding to the desired water discharge amount, the amount of discharged water being determined based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
controlling the elevation motor to move the second elevation cover between a preset top dead point and a preset bottom dead point, and
wherein opening the water discharge valve to discharge water comprises:
determining whether the sensor contacts the upper end of the container based on the second elevation cover being positioned at the preset bottom dead point;
comparing the desired water discharge amount with a reference amount corresponding to the container; and
based on (i) a determination that the sensor does not contact the upper end of the container and (ii) the desired water discharge amount being less than the reference amount, opening the water discharge valve to discharge water.

14. The method

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jongho
• Yoon Heesang

Classifications

• B67D1/0085 Primary

  electro-mechanical · CPC title

• B67D2001/0093

  Valves · CPC title

• B67D2210/00065

  related to the use of drinking cups or glasses · CPC title

• B67D2210/00094

  Ergonomics · CPC title

• B67D2210/00044

  Insulation · CPC title