Apparatus and method for predicting freezing of washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326291-B2
Application number	US-201916678957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Sep 23, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for predicting freezing of a washing machine, which predicts freezing of the washing machine based on a change of air temperature through an artificial intelligence algorithm and provides a freeze prediction result to a user terminal associated with the washing machine in a 5G environment, thereby preventing freezing of the washing machine. The apparatus for predicting freezing of the washing machine determines, based on temperature data sensed by a temperature sensor disposed in the washing machine and air temperature data received from a meteorological administration server, an association of temperature change of the washing machine according to the air temperature data, through the freezing prediction algorithm, and predicts freezing of the washing machine based on the association of temperature change of the washing machine and an air temperature forecast received from the meteorological administration server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for predicting freezing of a washing machine according to a change of air temperature, comprising:
a memory in which a freezing prediction algorithm of the washing machine is stored; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to:
determine, based on temperature data sensed by a temperature sensor disposed in the washing machine and air temperature data received from a server, an association of temperature change of the washing machine according to the air temperature data through the freezing prediction algorithm; and
predict freezing of the washing machine based on the association of temperature change of the washing machine and an air temperature forecast received from the server,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine whether a location of the washing machine is indoors or outdoors, based on the association of temperature change of the washing machine, and
wherein the predicting of the freezing of the washing machine occurs when the washing machine is determined to be located outdoors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature data is measured after the washing machine is powered on and before a washing operation starts for a predetermined period of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, from the washing machine, the temperature data for a predetermined period of time;
receive, from the server, the air temperature data for the predetermined period of time; and
apply the freezing prediction algorithm to the received temperature data and air temperature data for the predetermined period of time to determine the association of temperature change of the washing machine.

4. An apparatus for predicting freezing of a washing machine according to a change of air temperature, comprising:
a memory in which a freezing prediction algorithm of the washing machine is stored; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to:
determine, based on temperature data sensed by a temperature sensor disposed in the washing machine and air temperature data received from a server, an association of temperature change of the washing machine according to the air temperature data through the freezing prediction algorithm; and
predict freezing of the washing machine based on the association of temperature change of the washing machine and an air temperature forecast received from the server,
wherein the freezing prediction algorithm is a neural network model that is trained to determine a group to which the washing machine belongs, based on the air temperature data collected from the server and the temperature change of the washing machine according to the air temperature data, wherein the group is one of a freeze washing machine group in which freezing occurred within a predetermined collection period of time and a non-freeze washing machine group in which freezing did not occur within the predetermined collection period of time, and
wherein the neural network model is trained to use, as training data, temperature data measured for the predetermined collection period of time in another washing machine of a freeze washing machine group in which freezing occurred within the predetermined collection period of time, temperature data measured for the predetermined collection period of time in another washing machine of a non-freeze washing machine group in which freezing did not occur within the predetermined collection period of time, and air temperature information collected from the server for the predetermined collection period of time, and to determine whether the washing machine belongs to the freeze washing machine group or the non-freeze washing machine group based on the training data.

5. An apparatus for predicting freezing of a washing machine according to a change of air temperature, comprising:
a memory in which a freezing prediction algorithm of the washing machine is stored; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to:
determine, based on temperature data sensed by a temperature sensor disposed in the washing machine and air temperature data received from a server, an association of temperature change of the washing machine according to the air temperature data through the freezing prediction algorithm; and
predict freezing of the washing machine based on the association of temperature change of the washing machine and an air temperature forecast received from the server,
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
apply the freezing prediction algorithm to the temperature data and the air temperature data;
determine a group to which the washing machine belongs, from among a freeze washing machine group or a non-freeze washing machine group based on the air temperature forecast; and
predict when the washing machine will be frozen when the determined group is the freeze washing machine group.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to provide a freeze protection guide information of the washing machine to a user terminal associated with the washing machine when the prediction of when the washing machine will be frozen occurs.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
further provide an execution query message regarding a freeze protection function in the washing machine to the user terminal, together with the freeze protection guide information of the washing machine; and
cause the washing machine to execute the freeze protection function when an execution instruction regarding the freeze protection function is received from the user terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine whether there is a date in the air temperature forecast on which the air temperature is predicted to be equal to or less than a predetermined freezing temperature; and
predict that the washing machine will be frozen when the date is determined.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
select, as a freezing prediction time of the washing machine, the date on which the air temperature is predicted to be equal to or less than the predetermined freezing temperature, when the predication of when the machine will be frozen occurs; and
provide a freeze protection guide information on the washing machine to the user terminal associated with the washing machine a predetermined period of time before the selected freezing prediction time.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
provide a freeze protection guide information of the washing machine to a user terminal associated with the washing machine a predetermined time before the freezing prediction time of the washing machine at which freezing of the washing machine is predicted, and
when usage information of the washing machine is determined from the washing machine, change a provision time of the freeze protection guide information on the washing machine by adjusting the predetermined time based on the usage information of the washing machine.

11. A method for predicting freezing of a washing machine according to change of air temperature, comprising:
storing a freezing prediction algorithm of the washing machine in a memory;
receiving, from the washing machine, temperature data sensed by a temperature sensor disposed in the washing machine;
receiving air t

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Hyun Ji
• Cha Seung Chul
• Lee Sang Hyun
• Koo Bon Kwon

Classifications

• D06F2105/58

  Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user · CPC title

• G06N3/09

  Supervised learning · CPC title

• D06F34/14

  Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters · CPC title

• D06F33/52 Primary

  Control of the operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry · CPC title

• D06F37/42

  Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door · CPC title