Washing machine and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12123124-B2
Application number	US-202016947115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2020
Priority date	Jul 18, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A washing machine and a method for controlling thereof. A washing machine including a spin basket, the washing machine including a driving unit configured to rotate the spin basket, a sensor configured to detect an operation of the washing machine, a display configured to display information, and a processor configured to, based on a user command for managing the washing machine being received, perform a cleaning course for cleaning the spin basket, obtain diagnosis information regarding the washing machine using the sensor while the cleaning course is performed, and display the obtained diagnosis information on the display. The processor is configured to perform the cleaning course by controlling the driving unit to supply wash water to the spin basket and rotate the spin basket filled with the wash water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising a spin basket, the washing machine comprising:
a water supply valve;
a driving unit configured to rotate the spin basket;
a plurality of sensors configured to detect performance of the washing machine;
a display configured to display information; and
a processor configured to:
based on a user command for managing the washing machine being received, perform a cleaning course for cleaning the spin basket by controlling the water supply valve to supply wash water to the spin basket in a state where the spin basket does not accommodate laundry and by controlling the driving unit to rotate the spin basket filled with the wash water,
obtain diagnosis information regarding the washing machine using the plurality of sensors while the cleaning course of the spin basket is performed where the spin basket does not accommodate the laundry, at least some of the diagnosis information obtained by at least two of the plurality of sensors after the wash water has been supplied to the spin basket, and
display the obtained diagnosis information on the display,

wherein the diagnosis information comprises information regarding the performance of the washing machine.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the diagnosis information comprises at least one piece of information from information indicating:
a weight of the spin basket;
a temperature of the wash water supplied to the spin basket;
a flow rate of the wash water supplied to the spin basket;
a flow rate of the wash water draining from the spin basket; and
vibration of the washing machine.

3. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a weight sensor configured to detect the weight of the spin basket,
the processor is further configured to:
detect the weight of the spin basket using the weight sensor before supplying the wash water to the spin basket, and
based on the laundry being determined to be absent in the spin basket based on the detected weight, obtain the detected weight as the diagnosis information, and

the detected weight is used to detect a weight of the laundry when washing the laundry.

4. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a valve sensor configured to detect an operation of the water supply valve and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the wash water, and
the processor is further configured to:
obtain information regarding whether the water supply valve is operated using the valve sensor,
based on the water supply valve being operated, turn on the water supply valve in an off state and supply the wash water to the spin basket, and
obtain information regarding the temperature of the wash water using the temperature sensor while the wash water is supplied to the spin basket.

5. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a water level sensor configured to detect a water level of the filled wash water, and
the processor is further configured to:
determine the water level of the wash water filled in the spin basket using the water level sensor while the wash water is supplied to the spin basket, and
obtain information regarding the flow rate of the wash water supplied to the spin basket based on a change of the water level over time.

6. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
the driving unit comprises a motor configured to rotate the spin basket,
at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a speed sensor configured to detect a rotation rate of the motor,
and
the processor is further configured to obtain information regarding abnormality of the motor based on the rotation rate of the motor detected using the speed sensor while rotating the spin basket filled with the wash water.

7. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a valve sensor configured to detect an operation of a drain valve and a water level sensor configured to detect a water level of the filled wash water, and
the processor is further configured to:
based on a rotation of the spin basket being completed, obtain information regarding whether the drain valve is operated using the valve sensor,
based on the drain valve being operated, turn on the drain valve in an off state and drain the wash water from the spin basket,
determine the water level of the spin basket according to the draining of the wash water using the water level sensor, and
obtain information regarding the flow rate of the wash water draining from the spin basket based on a change of the water level over time.

8. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
the driving unit comprises a motor configured to rotate the spin basket,
at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a speed sensor configured to detect a rotation rate of the motor and a vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of the washing machine,
and
the processor is further configured to:
control the motor to rotate the spin basket after the wash water drains from the spin basket in the cleaning course,
determine the rotation rate of the motor using the speed sensor while the spin basket rotates, and
obtain information regarding abnormality of the motor based on the rotation rate of the motor and information regarding vibration of the washing machine, based on the rotation rate of the motor being equal to or higher than a predetermined value, using the vibration sensor.

9. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory,
wherein the processor is configured to:
based on the cleaning course being performed a plurality of times, obtain the diagnosis information for each cleaning course, and
store the obtained diagnosis information in the memory for each cleaning course with each time, the cleaning course is performed.

10. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication interface comprising circuitry,
wherein the processor is further configured to control the communication interface to transmit the obtained diagnosis information to an external device.

11. A method for controlling a washing machine comprising a spin basket, the method comprising:
based on a user command for managing the washing machine being received, performing a cleaning course for cleaning the spin basket by controlling a water supply valve to supply wash water to the spin basket in a state where the spin basket does not accommodate laundry and by controlling a driving unit to rotate the spin basket filled with the wash water;
obtaining diagnosis information regarding the washing machine using a plurality of sensors while the cleaning course of the spin basket is performed where the spin basket does not accommodate the laundry, at least some of the diagnosis information obtained by at least two of the plurality of sensors after the wash water has been supplied to the spin basket; and
displaying the obtained diagnosis Information on a display,
wherein the performing the cleaning course comprises supplying wash water to the spin basket and rotating the spin basket filled with the wash water, and
wherein the diagnosis information comprises information regarding the performance of the washing machine.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the diagnosis information comprises at least one piece of information from information indicating:
a weight of the spin basket;
a temperature of the wash water supplied to the spin basket;
a flow rate of the wash water su

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Seokmo
• Park Junhyun
• Kang Jeonghoon
• Lee Sungmo
• Ji Suhwan

Classifications

• D06F2105/58

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

• D06F2101/20

  Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles · CPC title

• D06F34/16

  Imbalance · CPC title

• D06F33/47

  Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps  (safety arrangements D06F37/42) · CPC title

• D06F34/05

  for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control · CPC title