Refrigerator with automatic door and method for controlling automatic door of refrigerator

A refrigerator comprising:

• a main body including an inner case defining a storage container, an outer case surrounding the inner case, and an insulator disposed between the inner case and the outer case;
• a door rotatably coupled to the main body and configured to open and close the storage container;
• a door driver disposed at an upper portion of the main body and configured to, based on the door being pressed, open the door;
• a sensor comprising a magnetic field sensor and a magnet and configured to detect an open or closed state of the door and measure a pressed amount of the door according to a change in a distance between the magnetic field sensor and the magnet;
• and
• a controller configured to control the door driver and determine whether the door is to be opened based on the pressed amount of the door,
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• select, as a threshold value, an output voltage of the magnetic field sensor based on the door being closed,
• select an operation determination value of the door according to the threshold value,
• determine whether the door is to be opened by comparing (i) a difference between the output voltage of the magnetic field sensor when the door is pressed and the threshold value with (ii) the operation determination value.

A method for controlling an automatic door of a refrigerator that comprises a main body having a storage container therein, and a door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the storage container and configured to, based on being pressed, automatically open, the method comprising:

• periodically measuring an output voltage of a magnetic field sensor every preset time, the magnetic field sensor configured to detect magnetic flux density according to a change in a distance between the magnetic field sensor and a magnet;
• determining whether the door is opened or closed by comparing the output voltage with a preset voltage value;
• selecting an output voltage at a time at which it is determined that the door is closed, as a threshold value;
• selecting an operation determination value of the door according to the threshold value;
• determining whether the door is to be opened by comparing a difference between an output voltage measured when the door is pressed and the threshold value with the operation determination value;
• and
• controlling the door to be opened based on the difference being greater than or equal to the operation determination value, and
• determining whether the door is opened or closed based on the difference being less than the operation determination value.