Refrigerator and method of controlling the same
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorByoungsuk CHOI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling a refrigerator includes detecting opening/closing of an ice dispensing duct, through which ice is taken out, and storing an opening time of the ice dispensing duct per time interval. Each time interval is classified as a use time when the opening time of the ice dispensing duct is equal to or greater than a reference time and each time interval is classified as a non-use time when the opening time of the ice dispensing duct is less than the reference time.
Claims19
A method of controlling a refrigerator including a controller and an ice making fan, the method comprising:
- detecting an opening/closing of an ice dispensing duct, through which ice is dispensed from an ice maker in the refrigerator;
- storing a total length of time which the ice dispensing duct is open over a plurality of predetermined time intervals;
- classifying each of the plurality of time intervals as a use time when the length of time which the ice dispensing duct is open is equal to or greater than a reference time and classifying each of the plurality of time intervals as a non-use time when the length of time which the ice dispensing duct is open is less than the reference time;
- and
- performing any one of a plurality of ice making modes according to classification of the use time and the non-use time when ice needs to be made, wherein each ice making mode comprises operating the ice making fan at a different fan speed.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet including a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment located adjacent to the refrigerating compartment;
- a refrigerating compartment door coupled to the cabinet to open and close the refrigerating compartment and including a dispenser through which water or ice is dispensed;
- an ice making compartment formed inside the refrigerating compartment door;
- an ice maker located inside the ice making compartment to make and store ice;
- an ice dispensing duct communicating with the ice making compartment and the dispenser to guide the ice stored in the ice making assembly to the dispenser;
- an ice dispensing duct opening/closing sensor configured to detect whether the ice dispensing duct is opened;
- a memory configured to store a length of time which the ice dispensing duct is open detected by the ice dispensing duct opening/closing sensor for a plurality of predetermined time intervals;
- and
- a controller configured to classify each predetermined time interval as any one of a use time and a non-use time through the length of time which the ice dispensing duct is open stored in the memory for each predetermined time interval;
- and to perform any one of a plurality of ice making modes.
A method of controlling a refrigerator including a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, an ice making compartment, and a controller, the method comprising:
- detecting a length of time for which the ice making compartment is open over a predetermined time interval;
- storing the length of time for which the ice making compartment is open for a plurality of time intervals;
- classifying each of the plurality of time intervals as a use time when the length of time for which the ice making compartment is open is over a predetermined amount or a non use time when the length of time for which the ice making compartment is open is under the predetermined amount;
- and
- performing an ice making operation in one of a plurality of ice making modes during each of the plurality of time intervals, wherein the plurality of ice making modes includes a general ice making mode, a high-speed ice making mode, a low-speed ice making mode, and an ice making prohibition mode in which ice is not made.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.