# US 10,119,752 B2 · Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

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- Number: US 10,119,752 B2
- Document ID: US10119752B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/352,915
- Filed: 2016-11-16
- Published: 2017-06-15
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-15
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jin Jeong; Jae Jin Lee; Yoon Young Kim; Bong Su Son
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119752B2

## CPC

- F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- B67D 1/0882: {Devices for controlling the dispensing conditions}
- B67D 1/0888: {Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)}
- F25D 23/028: {Details}
- F25D 23/126: {Water cooler}
- F25D 2400/361: Interactive visual displays
- F25D 2700/00: Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)
- B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

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.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

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.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

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.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 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.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

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.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

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.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

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.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

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

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

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.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

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.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

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.